z o °nmercifulne,,of all fins moil Vpon theThurfeday after abhorred, both ofGod&Man. rob io. 27. . Zach. i. r 5. Amo:1. r. Mich. 3.1. (good Matter) thatarc come fromyour table ; thofe fcraps (for Gods fake) that areleft, &c. Of thefetwo interpretations youmaytake which you pleafe ; but I am fure,neither ofbothbut is a finne,and that a great one too. In which fine of this vncharitable Chuffe , wee are ro confider three verie wofull circum- ftances. The firft, That it is a finne that is generally hated and abhorr'd. Forall other finnes hauefome Patrons toprotel them,fomeabettorstodefend them,or fome fauourers to excufethem, ifnot in heauen, yet at leaf}here on earth ; but againft this vnmercifull andhardhearted finne, God, Heauen,Earth, Angelis,and Men, haue fo open and wide ancare, and conceiue fo ill ofit that they thinke none deferues Hell better. And therefore itisfaid,ludiciumfinemifericordia, hùqui nonfaciunt m f ricordiam, ludgement without movie , maple thatPhew no mercie. Whenhe fails, nomanwill take pittie ofhim : Reuelabunt Cali iniquitatem eiva, b Terra confurget aduerfus eum, The Heauen fhalldeclarehis wickedne(,andtheEarth (hallrifevpagain1l him. All the Worldwill crie out againft an vnmercifull min- dedman; ason the contrarie, theywill praife and applaud him that is ofapitti- full and tender difpofition : Enarrabit Eleemofynas fuas amnia Ecclefta Sanelorum, Thewhole Congregationfhalltalkeofhupraife, and the Generations that are to come fhall fpeakegood things ofhim. Whereas the other,his name (hall pedal from off the earth, but his torments inhell fhallendure for euer. Saint . Aufen isof opinion, That there is not any finne more incurious to Nature, than this. You fhall haue a richman keepe in his houfe aLyon,aBeare, flue or fixe raft of Fal- cons, toall which, he alors dayly aliberal allowance : the poore mancomesvn tohim, makes his moane, and in apittifull and humble fafhion(ayes veto him, Sir, I befeech you ( for Godsfake)beftow onefrnglepennie,or apieceof bread ona pooreweake creature, that is not able toworke forhis liuing : Yet wil not the richman giue him that whichhe giuesvnto his Beafts 3 ô,what an inhumane thing isthis, and howharfh toeuerygoodmansnature. The fecond circumftanceisthis, That God doth with fuchdifficultie remit this finne, that ifany be irrerniffable, it is this : not only for it's crueltie, fo con - trarie to the bowellsof Godscompaffion; but alfo, for that taxing his proui- dence, he makes fuch light reckoning of the miferies of the Poore, that hee weighesthem by ounces, and meafures themout byynches : nay, hee proceeds further, by adding griefe vnto griefe, and affiiftion to aftlic`tion; and iudging thofe jerksof GodsdiuineTull-ice to betoo gentle,helaysaheauier hand &grea- ter loadvpon him. This is that, that made Zacharieto crieout, Magna ira iraf- cor,&c. Iam greatly incenfedagainfáyourricherfort ofmen;forboas angriebut a lit- tle, andthey helpedforwardthe affliilion. I fend the Poore a fore for the chaftife- ment of his finnes, that thereby I may bring him toheauen; & thefe would flea himaline.. The Prophet Amos thunders out aterrible threatning againftthem,_ in the metaphorof fat Kyne ; Auditehas vaccapingues,quiconfringitu,&c. Hoare this Wordyee KyneofBaflian, that are in the catountaines ofSamaria, whichoppre f the Poore, anddeffroy the lveedie , thouhaft not left one bone of them unbroken; but 1 fweare by. my Holinefe, That 1will bereuengedof thee. Lo, the ¿ayesfball come vpon you, that Iwill takeyou awaywith Thor ithFi haok:s,andyee fhallgoe out at thebreaches,euerie Cowforward, andyee(hall call yourflues oat ofthe Pallace. Thus he calleth the Princes and Gouernors,which being ouerwhelmed with thegreat abundance of Gods bcnefits,forgatGod& his pooreMembers ; and therefore hecalleth themby thename ofbeafts,andnot ofmen. No leffe fearefull isthat menacingofMicah, Heare, ôyee Heads ofJacob, andyee Princes of the
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