Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

li'bd,t tf required e'n o hammers the they mrf ty begoad, & C. 199 to,lellwe make it flad;fh and bate, which in it owne nature is free and generous. To this purpofe A,zau /1rnc aduifeth vs, that we fhould not wholly accept,nor wholly reieét, all that honour which is offered veto vs; for he that defpifeth all ho- nour and fameforhis good parts,and for that which he hath well done,feemeth to abate, and not thankfully to acknow- ledge the gifts ofGod, which is not agreeable with pietie; and on the other fide, he that embraceth all that is offered, doth not a little exceed the bounds oftnodeftie. And as we won magna are not to doe good aelfons purpofely to this end, that wee ntmuatiseft may haue the praife ofmen,for then we 1hall haue the hypo- magnos pesero erites reward; but for lone ofGod and goodneffe, and to honores.fedcon, aduance his lorie:ratheraffeeîin to dothofethinswhichtenere. g b' g de eiuit,deio deferue fame, then the obtaining cf fame it felfe; becaufe Jibs. honourtnuft be the fruite and effr l ofwell- doing, and not Phi1.4.g, the motiue or finali caufe; and (as one faith) It is good to be Laas hamana raf ed, but better to be prat e tvortbie : So on the other frdenon appente, e- P Ï P i" ElèJaciente,(ed when wehaue done vertuoufly and to good ends, and haue fequi debet re- due commendation attributed veto vs, wee are not to neg_ ete facientem. lea or defpife it; for this were to fhew no true humilitie, Aug.de Berm. but contemptuous pride, and difdainfull arrogancie,where- Bo sm efilau- by men attribute lo much to themlelues, that they care not dani,fedpre. what others think ofthem. Yea feting honour is the reward flantius el! lam- wherewith God euen ill this life crowneth vertuc,it is alto- dabihmuili. gether as vnla.vfuil to reiec¡l his gift when hee proffereth it Senes. veto vs,ssambitioufly to delire it before it is offered. Which moderation ifwee would obierue in our affc6tiou, it beho- ueth vs 6rfl,to oblcrue this gold meane in ouriudgemcuts: for as on the one fide we are not barely to efleeme of honor and a good namc,lefl we reiedl it,whê it is lawfully offered; Soon the other fide wee are not to ouerualne it,efleeming it ofgrearerworth and exceilencie then Gods fpirituall gra- ces,or the glorie of his kinodomc, left the gaining of this which is but imperfeCt and of momentanie continuance, weane our hearts from that which is.tnoft abfolute and eter- nall. And if we neither ouerualue it in our iudgements,nortoo 4.Seéf.1t. eagerly purfue it with our affeElions,then will it allo follow, That good O 4 that ?mares only