Dutiesofseruante.. after Afhwednefday. 27 r;oa.zz.v.vu. cart. b.deDe- oeum hnadnv bus. rhea. t:b.z.d Prou. Aug.lib.to.de ciuit.tap.t s. Benefit ofAf. fliekicu. i.aer.t+ mull not principallyfÇue.God for the goodwhich heBothvnto vs, but as he is our God.TheScripture reporteth of lofeph, That his Mafter hauing trufted him with the gouernment ofhis houfe,& allhis wealth, he did not dcceiue himofa farthing,Thereare fome feruants like your Iuy,whichfucker out thefap,& wi- thereth the Treewhereunto it leanes,it felfe remaining frefh and greene. They are thofeSpungeswhich foake vp their Matters wealth , making their Matters poore,andthemfelues rich. The third, ThataSeruant be folicitous, careful!, and paincfiill ; for the !lug- gard,Nature abhorrethand condemneth : VidiFlihominem velocem ?Habit coram Rege,(i.) Seefi thou a man diligent inhis bu fine ? hee(hallffandbefore Kings. Dili- gence is precious inall men,but moft in a Seruant ; Whocan indure a lazie Ser- uant or a dull Beaft r The Ball was anciently the Symbole of a Ser- uant,according toCartanems,Theball onewhile goes flying inthe ayre ouer our heads, another, runnesas low asour feete, butneuer liesfill, butis continually tof£ed too andfro,And Arifietle [ayes, That aSeruant is Infirumentum viuum, A liuing Inftrument : and asan Infrument hath nothis owne will, but is directed by thehardof the Artificer ; foa Seruant is not tobee athis owne will to doe what himfelfelifteth,but as he iscommanded andemployedbyhis Mailer. If Matters and Seruantswouldkeepe thefe rules it wouldbeeahappineffè for the Mafterto haue fuch aSeruant andfor theSemant tohaue fuch aMailer. It bath antientlybeene doubted, Why amongttmen fo equall by nature, God bathpermitted fogreat inequalitie as there is betweenhim that ferueth , and him thatcommandeth Andthe reafonofthis doubtis the more indcered, for that feruitude is athing fo diftaftful, &held fogreat an il,thatmany haue pre- ferred deathbeforeit. Theodoraanfwereththereunto,ThatSeruitudewas the curie ofSinne,and that the fiat Semantin the worldwas Cham, on whom his fatherthrewt his fellersmaledidion,That hefhould beaSeruant tohis brethe- ren,Becaufehedrfcoueredthe nakedne eofhatfather.S.AuflenfaithinhisBooks De Ciuit. Dei, That thispenaltie began from the maledictionof Eue; and thatthole words, Thou(haltbe under thepowerofthy Husband,implyedfubiettion andferui- tude. Saint Ambrofe in anEpiftle which he writes toSimpliciarius, faith, That Seruing is fometimes takenforableflîng : and heeprooues it out ofthat which Iliacdid to his elder forme Efau, Heble edhins,that hemightferuehisbrother ; ha- uingoutofa particular prourdenceand louemade Efauferuant to hisbrother,to theend that hisharfhnef£emight bee gouerned byhis difcretion.. So that wee fee,that although thefortuneofa Seruant(fpeakinggenerally)isveriebad;firf, becaufe libertie is agreat good : fecondly, - becaufe to ferue aTyrant is a great sail ; yet hethat bath the goodhap to ferue a goodMater, isverse happie ; for fuch aMaterferuesin leadofa Father, a Councellor, aTutor. And this was this feruants happineffe,to haue fogooda Mailer as this Centurion, heere fpo- kenof, who faith,Puermeus jacet,¿c. indemo Paraliticwe,t_lt homefickeofthe Palfie. It is aconfiderationasprafi- table,as often repeated, That troubles andaftdiEtions brings vs home to Gods Houle : Theyare likethofeofficers thatfollowa fugitiue formeorferuant,who bringhimbackeagaineto his fatheror his matter. Many means Godvfeth fortobringvs home vnto him,but by nomeanes more thanby affliction. Hun- ger draue the Prodigallhome to his Father ; Ioabs burning ofhis corne made him cone to c.4bfalon ; thevntamed Heyferisbrought by the Goade to the Yoke. There isno Collirium that foopens theeyes ofthe foule,as miferie and trouble. Thegall of the Fifhrecouered Tobiasofhis eye-fight;thedarkueffe C 2 of,
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