236 A6Pg ;¿p.. Vpon the Thurfedayafter Gen.33. chedthrough the bottomof the fea, and the occafionof thishis fobold aduen- ture,was,That he had feene the Ifraelites goe that way before him. O yee foo- lifh Ægyptians, Had yee God for your Captaine r Had yee theRodof (Moles to diuide thewaters,and tomake them ftand like walls on eitherfide r The like may Ifay to this Taylor, Haftthou asgoodmeanes as thy neighbour Efaugo- ing forth to meetJacob, who came from Mefopotamia, after a few brotherly embracements,and other kindcomplements of their loueeach to other ; Efau entreated hisbrother, that he would goe alongwith himandbeam him compa- nie : But iacob made this difcreet anfwer vnto him ; Sir, I befeech youtoexcufe me,I muff needs wait vponmy children andmy flocks;and iftodoyou feruice,I fhould bring them out of theway they are in, they wouldall periíh. When the vanitie of one that ismore powerfull andwealthier than thy felfe , (hall inulte theeto follow his humor, and call vnrothee, togo fideby fidewith him thou wilt, if thou beeft wife,make vfe of Jacobs excufe; telling him, If Ifhall runne this courfe, I [hall ruine bothmy children andmy eftate. Senecawriting to Lu- eilitts, tells him, Ifthou conforme thy felfe to what Nature will beewell con- tented wirhall,thou (halt be rich ;but if what Vanitie will egge thee vnto,thou (halt bepoore. Clemens A/exandrinaohath aparticular Difcourfe vpon this Ar- gument, and that fo large andfo full, that it feemethhe hadbeene in all the hou- fesof the Citiewhere he dwelt, andhaddiligently obferued what had paff in euerie one of them. Towhat end (faith he) ferueth aBedwith pillars of filuer, and pommelsof gold, if thou fleepeft as well (if not better)in one ofWood To what end ferue Curtaines of fluke interwouenwith gold, and Qziltscuriou- flyembroydered, ifthofeofwoollenkeepe thee warmer To what enda Cup of Cryftall, ifone ofGlaffe willas well ferue the turner For to dig into the earth, thouwilt notmake theeaSpade orMattocke of filuer, becaufe that were a fuperfluous and needleffe thing : As needleffe and fuperfluousa thing is it, to hautea Bedof Yuorie, Ebonie, &c. But,which is worfe thanall the reft , Saint Chryfojlome faith, That for to feed ourvanities,weeneuer want meanes nor mo- neys ; but topayour debts, or to beftow an Almes, or to relieue a friend in ne- ceffitie, there is no money to be found. One of thegreateft charges, and moft without excufe,which Godwill charge your rich andpowerfull men withal!, is, Godhath giuen thee all this thy prefent profperitie which thou enioyeft, thyLands, thyRents, thy Lordfhips, thyTenants, thy Gold, thy Siluer, &c. And that God(who bath thus bleft andprofpered thee in the World) ftanding poore, naked, and hunger-ftarued at thy doore, thouhaft faire Liueries for feruants, rich furniture for thyhorfes, filuer Garrotes or Wrefts to packe vp and faften thy Sumptervpon thy ftrong backed Mules,coftly Banquets for thy friends ; but not fomuch asa ragor a crumto beftowvpon him who bath thus inriched thee with all thefe : Inexcufabilis es, ñHomo, Neither thou nor all the Worldknowes howto make anfwer to this ohie&ion. Saint Hierome makesthe like complaint, difcourfingofthofeLadies whofe Coaches may rather be faid toheofgold,than gúilded;whofe necks are ladenwith chains ofPearle,& their fingers withDiamonds ; and that they fhouldhue thus in their jollitie& plen- rie,,andChrift die attheir doores forhunger, it isfuch acharge, thatwhen it comes to be laid homevntothem,it will admit no excufe. Epulabatur quotidiéfplendide. Hefareddiliciotflveuerieday. Many of Gods Saints haue madeFeafts and Banquets for their Kinsfolkes andfriends, as vibraham,7abie, lob, andothers ; but
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=