Of goodname. 71 cafe inhim, and therefore are moll: readie tohelpe him : yea eaen thecuill and vngodly Godlypodrn men,although they beare him no great goodwill, yetthey are forced tohelpe Ilion, partly becaufe his godly life doth witneiTe unto their foules,that beedoth deferue tobee holpeo, and partlybecaufe theLord dock turne their hearts to fauour bum. The widow therefore that came toEliali for helpe, vied this argument toperfwade Eliali, O man of God (fayth fhe)my husband is dead,and dyed indebc,yet hefearedGod;therefore helpe ipray thee, teeing the creditors are come: and immediatly Elide helped her. On theother fide, ifa man be eaili reported of,if he beanadukerer,an Atheift,an Idolatcr,a riotous perlon,or a manof hard dealing,and if fuch aone beonce brought into fome low eltate,ifhee once Poore. fall into pouertie and neede,then the hearts of men are(hut vp againfthim, no manwill pieiciiim,and all men will feeand fay,his owne one is brought vpon him.Andthis bath the teftimonieoftheProphets,who did often threaten fuels kinde ofpunifhinents tovn- godly rnen,lò that no man fhould fay,abmy father,or ah my mother : but the wholecitie Mould beglad oftheir departure.This didthe heathen peoplefee in fome part,andthere- fore all ofthem did greatlydelire a good name : and as everyone of them did excell in ftrengthand incourage,or in wit,orany kindeof knowledge ; fo theydid labour by that thing to getfome credit tothemfelues. And to conclude this poynt,though a man haue manygood things in him,tbough a Magifrare doe feare God greatly, though a Minilter beexcellent inmany poynts,though a Phi fitionor Lawyer be skilfull in their profeuGon, yer if they baue not agood name,they can doe littlegood with theirgifts. All this doth teachvs that indeede to be truewhichSalomon here laith,that agood name is tobe cho f n abovegreat riches, and lamingfavourabovefluor andgold. Now the inftruétions which wee may gather out ofthis placeare chiefly two. The llrf't is,that weeought not to hurt our neighbours aboue all things in their good r name : and therefore the Lord in hislaw loath ordained,that bee which dothfucha thing, Not to hurt our Thonidhauethe lionepuotfitinent whichhe purpofcd to bringopon another. Men would netghbours be loth to !bale the goods ofanyman from him; and yet the naine ofa man is moreWorth goad anna. name. Srf then all things in theworld: therefore if any man by railing vp tálté reports doe impaire his brothers credit,heBothhurt him,andGuneth more grollely and more grieuouily,then if he load taken awayhis lands or his lining, his corne orhis cattell,or any other thing that he bath.And though the thing be falle which he reporteth,yet heefinneth neuerthelefiè : for afterthat time cuengood men will bemore fufpitious, and the wicked will not let it goe out of their mtndcs. The fecondinftruétion is,that we muff becarefull by all goodmeanies to getand main- taine our good name. For ifwee becharged tofurther the good naine ofour brother, then Care toget a are we ltreightly commanded to helpe forwardour owneas much as wee be able : then it good name. cannot bewithoutgreat fin, that a man fhould caft offal! careof his own credit.The very Heathen law this to be a fault,and they did commonly fay,that whofoeuer regardeth not thereports ofmen,he is dilfolute indeede,and bath not the nature-ofman. And therefore we may well lay, thatIle is without all hopeofamendment, which is not broughtto fome remoraandforrow,tvhtch witha lhamclefeface.will not heare,charme the charmer neuer Careofagood formic!!. As then afhámclelfefaceopenethadooeetoallvngodl ineffe,Ioduecareofcre- name,keeVer ditcaufeth a man to bee very carefull of hiswayes : whofoeuer therefore will hue godly, a'si;t obediëce, hermit làfcly prouideforIns good name. Seeingthefe things be fo,icshall beprofitable to confider b owthis good name may be gottenand preferued:and againe ifwe bedílcredi, ted,what vie and profitwemuft makeof it. Forthe firlt,itiscertaine that leeingfatneand Ironelt report aregood things,therefore tloeymultneedes arife and fpring ofthole things thataregood, as of vertue,godlinele and good religion. Now- whereas Turkes and loch ungodly men havegreat favour amonglt the people,and bee well reported of, this is no good nacre, becaule it artfethnot ofgoodnelfe, it is onely a vaine appiaufè ofthepeople : Infidels moue nay,it is eaenthe great and fierce wrath of God upon them, thoughthey neither fee nor nogoodname, . pereciste it,when they be well !poken of for theireuill deedes. For this meanesthey be iardned in toeir finne,by this titeanesthey bekindred and holdenfrom repentance,then the which there is not a greater punilhmentvridtr the Smme. So.rciia naine titen is not tò he
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