Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

704 That worldly thing' cowl-emery milt to oar rreiQhboarf. leffe, they make free-men their bond - flaues ; and for their pro: fit glue falle teflimonie,&c.But what madncfl'e is this, to lofe life, and delire death, to get gold, and lofe heaucn ? But as they are vniufl to all, fo commonly moll of all to thepoore, both in taking away from them, that which is .heir owne,and alreadie in their keeping; and by withholding that which ofright ap- BaG1.Serm.t. pertaineth to them. For as one faith, Is he on y to be e(leemed a inDiuiccaaua- arobber, and common fpoiler, who taketh by violence other ros, mens goods ? and not he alfo, who appropriateth to himfelfe thofe things, which he bath received to this end,that he fhould difpencc and diftribute them for the good ofothers ? is not the Almnerto be accounted a theefe, who hauing receiued from his Sottcraigne (lore ofmoney for the reliefe of che poore,doth put it into his owne purfe, and appropriate it to his owne privat vfe? fhall he be accounted a f ?oíier, who taketh away the pooresgarment; and (hall hee bee acquitted, who doth not clothe the naked,if he haue abtlitic ?thy (pare bread is not thine owne,but belongeth to the hungrie ; thou baa no truenighc to thy fuperfluous apparel!, but they appertaine to the cold and naked ; thy moulded fhooes belong to chofe who go barefoot; and thy hid and cankring fluer, to chofe who want money to ;'buy neceffaries : and in a word, thou offeteft injuries, and doe(l iniufllice,fo often to the poore, as thou doff negleêl him, when thou arc able to helpe him. And this our Sauiour Chrifl fhew- ceth in the fentence ofcondemnation, which (hall be pronoun. ced againf the wicked at the day ofiudgement, whereby they are adjudged to hell torments, not for (polling the poore of Matth.iç.42. thatwhichthey had, but bccaufe they did not fupplic their ne- cellities, by gluing vnto them that which they wanted.And the Apo(lIe lames tetleth rich men, that they had caufe to bowle and crie, not onlybeeaufe they had fpoiled the poore of their money, but becaule-their owne corrupted riches, moatheaten Iamesq.c.s. ;. garments, and cankered gold and finer, would be a witnefle 4.Scfít.2 agaiofl them, cate their flab as fire,and bring vpon them many Thatmarld!v mitériesfeeing they fhould not haue kept bythem thefe (per- things thr4gq flutries, but haue laid thenc out for the reliefeof the poore. ewos "se ¡be And thus haue I (hewed that thefe worldly things being eowrriaachof immoderately loued, are the caufes of all iaiuflice, which tbron ¿rem comprehendeth wider it all miner of Ganes and offences, which