51 54 Hom.t. ad Pop.,4nt. 4, Druf,in adag, 1' Exodus 9. 16. nterpreted. de ¡an, The deceitfrrine fe of Maw heart. as a Cword in a mans hand, whether he bee fober or I drunk : but they make us not good; becaufe, as I laid, they are only inftruments of goodneffe. And the inftrument always receiveth its force from that which ufeth it, giveth none unto it. Were it not ab- Curd for a man to think himfelfe a good Scholar, becaufe bee hath many Books ftanding in his Clo- fet? or a good Mufitian, becaufe bee hath many Muficall inftruments hanging upon his walls, when he knowes not how to ufe either Books or Inftru- ments ? And yet riches are no fuch neceffary inftru- ments of grace, as books are of learning: For a man may Thaw as much, nay, as Chryfoffome bath well noted in the example of lob, more of Come obedi- ence, namely,that which we call pafrive in poverty, than in riches. 4 Riches, though they be the gifts of God, yet we malt confider with what hand he reacheth them forth unto us, whether with the right, or the left; with what mind he giveth them,whether in love or in anger. For God often giveth men riches as hee gave the Ifraeliter Quailes, even to be themes to choak them. Herein being like that King Eratra- peles, that heaped up molt riches upon fuch as he molt hated, laying,. that together with their riches he fhould crufh them with an heavy burthen of cares. Pharaoh himfeff was not fmitten with many of chafe judgements, wherein others perifhed; but it was not from any fpeciall refpc& God had of him above them; but God himfelf, left be fhould mil - interpret it, tels him the reafon, for this calif( I have referved thee, namely, from being ftrucken with. the.
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