652. Ofthefhortnefeandfrailtieofinetns/ife. owners ofthe things wee pofïeffe; for ifthey were ours, wee might take themwithvs, whereas nowwe leaue them behind vs, to becomefor a timeother mens,asbefore they were ours; and that which is truelyour ownewe take away withvs ; that is,either our vertues and graces, tobe crowned and rewarded; or our faults andPinnes, tobe condemned and punifhed. Nei- therwill they though they abide with vs, preferue vs from death, thatwe alfo may flay with them ; for death will not bee bribed,and theGod oflife and deathwill take noprice for the redemptionofourliues; for we hauenothing to giuebut that which ishisowne; and though all wee poffeffe were ours, yet pfal49.6.7.8. it were not a price fo fufficient aswould be accepted. And they- : fore let vsnot with worldlymen croft in ourgoods, nor bombour felues in the multitude of our riches ; fora mancan by no[itch meanes redeemehis brotber,he cannotgiste his ranTome to god,that hemayline /lillfor euer,andnotfee thegraue.So precious is the re- demption oftheirfardes, and their continuance for ever;for lbife men dteaswell asfooles,andteave their riches for others; asthe bongenofra Pfalmifl fpeaketh. Let vs not greedily gape after abun- dgfrderiaivcre- dance,feeinga little will ferue vs for our momentanie lives; pat viabreuia. for why (horrid wee ouerburthen our (clues in carying fuch potafurursuma great rouifron ,`for fo fhort a iourney ? and our hues be- portaaturcum g P matedi qua ing fhòrt, why fhould we looke after longhopes?Why fhould ppergiturGregwe be foeager ingathering; when as we cannot !fayby it when lib.4o. h°mil it is gathered? and flore vp abundance in a orange commie, burnt;2, where wehaue no affliranceofabiding fomuchas aday? If(as the heathen man well obferued )wee were affured to hue the Euripidesa. long age of an Hart or Rauen, our greedineffe in gathering pud Stobnum. werethe moretobepardoned ; butfeeingweare mortal( men, who fpeedily haflento old and decrepit age, it is follie and madneffe to dote vpon abundance,feeingwe (hall confrrmeour hearts with intolerable forrowes, in fcraping that together, which others when weeare gone will riotoufly fpend. How muchbetter were it to part with our riches freely for the loue ofChrifl, then to bee forced whether wee will or no, tolcaue them by death? Howmuch better were it, feeingweecannot flay with them long on earth,to fend themby the hands ofthe poorebefore vs to heaven, wherewec. (hall remaine for euer? Forif we.keepe them 11111 in our ownecuflodie, wee (hall haue no
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