238 Alines the rich an ans key where- with to open Heauen. Richesene- quaily difpen fed; why? z.CO/.i.14. Tbb.4. On the Thurfeday after therefore I pray thee let onebee fent vnto them from the dead, that may put them out of this theirerrour,&c. Eratatstemmendictcs,nomineLazartbs,vlceribtcs Venus. Therewaxa begger,named Lazarus, whorow fullofSores. Hee painteth foorth this poore man, andhis wretchedandmiferable condition , counterpofing it to tholeworldiyfelicities, wherewith this richman did abound. The ones po- uertie,to theothers riches ; theones fickeneffe,tothe others health ; the ones hunger, to the others fulncíle ; the ones nakednefle to the others coftly clothes ; theones leaneneffe, to theothers fatnefle the ones furrow, to the others ioy ; the ones inioyingofno pleafure inthis life , to the others general! content that he tooke in all the delights andpleafuresof this World. Tranfe- runt inafeatim cord's. Anotherletter hath it, Inpillurascordium. Whatfoeuer his heart did delire itwas piétured as it were before him . Does a rich man defire a handfomc woman e Money paints her foorth vntohim ; does hee de- rereuenge e Moneywill draw it out for him ; does hee delire banquets,mu. ficke,and good cloaths e Money does all this, and limm's them out vnto him, as in a faire and curiousTable. Lookingvponthe inequalityofhumane chances, in matterof ood,and bad fortune; fo much happines infome,fo ill beftowedvpon them;& fo muchmife- rie inotherfome,which theydid not fo wel deferue;therehauebin fomefooles which haue not ftick't blafphemoufly to fay , Does God know wellwhat hee doth e Ecee,ipfi peccatores,infaculo, obtinueruntdittitias ; See , what an vnequall courfe God runs ; Thewickedft men,are commonly themoltwealthie. But the trueth of it is, Thatthis is amyfterie of Gods prouidence , though fecuet, and hid. Heemade the richmen his fonnes andheires here vpon Earth to the end that the younger brethrenmight haue here theirfecure fuftenance : And hee made the poore, heires ofHeauen, that the richmight haue there , their fecure happineffe. So that the richby releeuing thepoore, and the poore by praying for the rich, theymight both,by Gods fauour, haue equall portions in Heauen. Saint Paul fayth, That Godmade fomerich, and fome poore, that the aboun- dance ofthe rich,mightfupply thewants of thepoore ; and theaboundance of thepoore,fupplythewants of the rich. And fo their lot might be alike. It fuc- cecdingwith them , as it did in that miracleof the Manna ; Hee that gathered much, had no more than he that gathered little ; For whatfoeuer he gatheredo- uerandaboue, vnleffe he did repart the fame vnto others, it ftunke, and did rot and putrifie. Yt vefira abundantia, &c. I will render it you in the Apofties owne words, That youraboundance may fitpplytheir lacke and that alp) their aboundance may heforyour lacke , that there maybe equality. As it iswritten , He thatgathereth much,hathnothingouer, andhe that gatherethlittle,had not thelefe. Saint Mathew fayth, That it is eafierfor a Camellia paffi through tbeeye ofa needle, thanfora rich man to enter into theKingdome ofHeauen. Some vnderftand this Camell, tobee aDromedary,fome aCable. But tohim that Mall askeme ; how cana Cornell, oraCable, goe through the eyeof aneedle e I (hall anfwere himthus, That a Camellbeeing burnt , and beaten to poulder; and aCable vntwiftedand vn- wound, mayenter thread afterthread, intoa needleseye. In likemaner , a rich man, that puts his truft inhis ritches, iris hard for him togoe toHeauen, pr to get into the eye of thisneedle. Buthemay fo lefl'enhimfelfe,bygiuing ofalmes to the poore, thatbemay&c. Fiducia magnaeleemofina omnibusfacientibut eum. Thisfo Excellent an artifice, feemeth to thofe thatapprehend it not, a great dif- order. I
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