I l8z. VEC AV. Il' ~~*iiiUigfilttnttt&ititlii~ifiai~ili~i~an=ttatt A ~~~w~~~~rr.a~~~~tllfBmil" To M·.f.d-. Merchant, E p r s T. X. v!gaipfl (orrow for worldiJ lljfos: IT is fitter for m< to beginne with chiding, than with advice :what m canes this .. weake dilhull: ~ Gee on, and I {hall doubt whether I write to a Chrill:ian. You have loftyourhearc, togeth<r withzour wealth; How can I bot feare, kll:rhis Mammon was your God~ Hencewas ads jealoufie in removing it;and hence your B immoderate reares for !cling ir. Ifthus; God had notloved you, if he had not made youpoor<. T·a fome,it is an advantage to le.fe: you could not have been at once cbus rich, and good. Now, heaven is open to you, which was lime before,andcould ne'- ver have given you entrance, with that load of iniquity. If youb< wife in managiog your atliiction, you have changed the WQrld for God, a little droiT"< for heaven. Let me.ver lofe thus, and fmart when I complaine. But you might have at once retained both. The ftomack, that i' porgi!d mull: be content to pm with feme good nourifhmeot, -rhat it may ddivet ic fdfJ ;;£more e. villhumors. God faw (thatknowesic)youcotild not hold him foll:ri:!n!'J]y, while one ofyour hands was fofaflned upon the worTd. You fe_e, many ma'<e-chemfdves willully poore : why cannot you be content God fhould im~overifh ~ou ~ ~f God had willed their povertie, he would have commanded it . If he h d'not willed C yours, he would not have effectedi.~."lt is a fhame for a Chrifl:ian,to fee an Heathen Philofopher laugh at his owne fhipwracke; while himfelfe-howles ·our, a$ if all hi~: felicitie wereimbarked with his fubnance. How fhould we fcorne, eo :lhink c~ an heathen man fhuuld laugh either at our ighorarfce~ or impotence! ignor:iHce-, if\• · thought coo hig&ly ofearthly thing's; impotence,lfwe over.loved11ieth'.' J"fi~fdire offome evils is worfe'th£n the lenfe. To fpeake i~g~nuoildy; i C'oulttbev' · f<~, wherein poverty deferved fo hard a conceit•' It takes away t)le ckli61!1e of fa~, fofmdfe of lodging, gaynelfe of !Ittire, a,nd ~rhaps briiigs\yich it contJttlpt\ t is is the worfr;and all. View it nQw on the betc fide: Loe,-rhciiquiet fe,cu i\y,(ound ileeps, fbarp appetite(. free meriment ; no fearcs, no cares, no fufpition, rio diitempers of exceffe, nodi contentment. If I were Jodge, my ton~ue fhould be unjufl, ~d) poverty went a1vay weeping. I cannot fee, .how the evills tt brings, ci!n compare with thofe which ic removes; how the difcommodicies fbould march the \lleffings of ameane eflare. What are chef< you have loll:, but falfe frimds, miferable comforters ~ Elfe they had not left you. b'h 'flight and frckle flay, that winds ~uld bereavJ you of! Ifyour care-Could gee with them, here were no damage~· an 1 i&it gac: n~ with thirn, it is y~ur fault•. Grieve more for.¥ourfault, than for your lalfe. I~ yo J negligence, your notous mrf-pence had empatred youref\:rle, then Sata~d· trnp· veri!lityov; now would I have added to your _griefe, for your finne, nor· . your af, fliction: but now, fmce windsa•d'w'at<rs have done it as the offic.rs oftheir Maker; why fhould you. not fay with me, as I with I•b; Thr L1rdh•th taken ~ ' f\Te)r.oqr ldtt~ E well, and you !hall fin.d chat God hath crofT"ed you with a bleffinf," !ti.tfd ifftiV.?( worfe than the world efleemes it, yet think< not what yo'n feele, ut what ou de· ferve :Youare a flranger to your fe)fe, if you contelfe nor that God lnvours ye~ in thiswhip. If he had £tripped youofbetterthiQgs, and fcouiged you witltworfe, ou lhoukl fli!l have ackntiwled~ed "mercifull juflice: if youn~w repine at a eafie cor· r~ion, youar~ worthy of feverity. Beware the nel<t, ifyou grudge and f••ell at this. Ic is next to nothing which you fuffer : wh•t canbe further.from us,thanth~fe o'!?'Js ofoutward eftat<.·~ You need Hotabate<ither health, or mirth fortheir fakes. lfyou ' doe n01v draw the aflliction neererrhan he \vhich fent it, and make"'ifocim evil! domell:icall; ifwhileGod vifits your efl:ate,yo"fetch it horn~, eo your body, to your mind, chanke your fdfe chat you will needs be miferabk : But ifyou love not eo fare ill; take crofT"es as they are leoc, and goe lightly awaywith an eafie burden. F J NI S.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=