Good menare (carte. the fecondSunday inLent. Ser.i6. 259 good ; for he is fulneffc of Glorie itfelfe. But by praifingand feruingofhim, weacknowledge him to be our God, and therein Thbthit our fein es to his dime will,wherebywe come to recciueagreat reward. Saitit t lugufirne faith , That when wemake vowes and promifes vntoGod, he commaunds vs ftriCtly toper forme them, not becaufe that hebath anyneed thatwe should fulfill them , but becaufe in fulfilling of them, wefhall rcape the fruit ofthem ; and the more we giuc vnto God, the more fti11we haue.BenigMSexallor eff, - nonegeniu ;non vt crefrat exredditis, fedvt crefcerefaetatredditores : 22gm quadeis redditur,reddenti ad dtur ; Hee is s lotting,not a needieexactor twt toincreafehis ownerenes,but to increafe ours; notto raife them, butvíì Perwhat werender vnto him,he renders it bake to vs withadaantage. To receiue theFruits thereof. The griefe of it was, That he fending his Ser- uants atthe time of it's Fruir, theycould fcarce finde abunch in all the Vine- yard,they were not able togleane any thing out ofit. 21i2n eft botrau adcomme- dendum, faith Micheal, My Soule defired the firft ripe Fruits ; but, there is no clu- fier to eat ; PerftfaxtIvsde terra, Thegoád manisPero f edout ofthe earth,andthere is none righteous among men. Inaplacethat is generally-infeéled, you (hat fcarce finda found man ; fo likewife in this Vine, be it intine LawNatural1, in the Law Written, orin the LawofGrace;yengrail hardlr meet with good Fruit. For tomeet with agood and righteous man,you muff looke and looke againe : firfl, fearch this, and then thatother Stocke ; and whenyou hauedone all ye candoe, in flead of fwcet grapes,you fhall gather thofe that are foure ; and in ftead of wine,haue thdgall of Dragons,and the pylonofAfpes. But fameperhaps willfay That thehusbandmen were not able to affoord their Lord anyFruits thereof, for that theywere rented too high the ground was outof heart,and thattheyhadbeene toomuch grated vpon. Many Prin- ces,Iconfeffe, doe fo wringtheir SubieEls with fuch intollerable Taxes &pay- ments , and fuch {flange and vnwoonted Impofitions , that they deflroy and make waft the Landsoftheir Kingdomes : The like maybe faidofmany land- lords towards their Tenants: But hereunto I anfwer, That God is quite contra- rie to theft ; for making ouer the poffeffion of-Paradicevnto Adam, fo rich and plentifull of all forts ofFruits andTrees, hee refereed no more thanone onely Tree tohimfelfe : Hee will giue vntothee thewhole flieafes ofCorne,conten- ring himfelfe onlywith thofe few Eareswhichare fhatreredand left behind in theStubble Hewill fuffer thee to gather all the grapes, and to makea full Vin= tage, Co that thouwilt but let him gleane the refùfe bunches, which will but fpoyle thyWine. Ofhim that hath two Coats, the Euangelifl requires one ; but Chriftwill- bee content to take oneof ten; [ odfuperefl,datePaaperibuo] he cranesno morebut the ouerplus, and that which thoumittvenie well fpare. In the old Law, foranacknowledgement of thofe his innumerable fauours to- wards his people,he demanded onely two Turtles ofthePoore, andonelambe of the Rich. In his houfe, he will not that Incenfebe offeredvetohim for no- thing. Amongfl other of Gods complaintsagainfl vs,this is one,ifnot thegr7a- teft, That he contenting himfelfewith fo little, and giuingthee the inioying of fo, much, thou dooftneuerthinke of referuing this little for God. Thou wilt glue largeallowance to thy Dogs and thyHawkes, butwilt grutch thy Seruant his meat : Thouwilt pamper thy Horfes with prouender ; but it goes to thy heart topart with apieceofbread to the Poore.Out ofwhich hard hieartedn'ffe Ofthine, thofe fickneffes, hunger-f arnin s, beggeries, and barrenneffewhich thou fuffereft, are iutifiedvpon thee,anddeferuedlyinflicted. Mift Mica3i,y. 7. Ob. God isno rac- king Land- lord. Sol. Her-quiets o vs but a little.
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