V EC A 'D. ll. A T 0 M. T H 0 M A s s uT T 0 N. E p, VI 1./!xcilinghim,••d(in him) •0 •thtrst~t.crl1•ntl chtmf•Obtntjictnct .Jht~>ing rhencce(flty •na 6t11tjir •! g•Otl ,.,h. SIR I trouble you not with reafons ofmy writing,orwith excufc:s:lfi doe ill,no plc~ can warrant me1 If wrll, I cannot h< difcouragrd with any cenfures. I crave not your pardon, but your acceptation.lt is no prefumption to give good counfell; &prefents oflove feare not to be ill takenof llrangers.M y pen & your fublbnce are both (liven us forone end,to doe good: Thefe arc ounalcnts;how happy are we, B ifwe can 1mprov< themwell ! fuffrr me to doe you good with th<one, that with the other you may doe good to many, andmoll to your f<lfr.You cannot but know,rhat your full hand and worthy purpofcs,have poffdfed theworld with much expraation: what fpeake I of the world~wbof: bonell_and _rcafonabkclaimrs yrr, cannot btcontrmn<d with honour, nor d1fappomred With ddhonour. The God of heaven, which bath lent you this abundance, and given you rhefe gracious thoughts ofcharity of picric looks long forthe itfue ofboth; and will eafily complaine either of too lit;), or to~ late.Your w<alrh and your will arr both good: but rhr firll is onlymade good by rh< frcond.For ifyourhand wrre full,and your heart <mpry,w< who nowapplaud you, lhould jullly pity you; you might have riches, nor goods, not blrl!ings :your bunhen lhould be greater then youreftarr;and you lhould br richrr in forrowrs, then C in mrtall,. For(ifwe looke to no other world)what gaine is it to be the keeperofthe bell earth~ Thatwhich is the common coferofall the rich mines,we do but tread upon1and account it vile,becaufe it doth but hold,and hide thofe treafures: Whereas rhe skilfull mcrallill,rhat findeth, and refinerh thofe pr<cious vdnes,for publike u!e,is rewarded,is honourrd. The vrry bafell Elemrnryrdds gold; rhe favage Indian gets it, the fervile prenrife works ir,rhe vrry Midianiti{h Camel! may wear< it, themiferable worldlingadmires ir, th< covetous J<w fwallowes it, the unrhrifry Rufian fprnds it: what are all tbrfethe b<ttrr for it! Onlygood ufc gives praife to earthly poffetlions, Herdn therefore you owe more to God,rhat he harh given you an heart todoegood; a will tobc as rich in good works,as great in riches. To h< a friend to this Mammon is to be an enemieto God:butro make friends withir,is royall,and Chrillian.His eoe: D mics may be wealthy:noncbut his friends,can either begood, or do good. D• & 4ccip< ,faith the wifeman._The Chrillian,which mull imitate the ~igh paterne ofhis Creator,knowes hJS beft nches to be bounry;Godthat bath all,gJVes all;refervcs nothino. And for himfdfe;he wdl coofiders,rhar God hath nor made him an owner,but a fe~ vanr:and of fetvants,afervaot nor ofhis goods,butofthe Giver; not a Treafurcr, but a Steward : whofe praife is more to lay out well_, then to have received much. The · grratell gaine rherrfore that heaffeas,is an even reckoning, aclearedifchargr:which fince it is obtained by di[pofing,nor by keeping,he counts refervation loffe,& jull expence his trade, &joy;he knows, that Well donefaithfull fervanr is a rhoufand rimes more fweet J nore,rhen Soul take tbineeafe;for that is the voice ofthe mafter recompencing,this ofthe carnall heart prefmhing:&what foilowes ro the one, but his ma- E fiers joy~ what to the orher,but the lotfe ofhis foule ~ Bletfed be that God which harh given you an heart to fore-think this;and in tbisdry and dead Age,a will to ho· nour him with his own;andto credit his Gofpell,with your beneficence; Loe, we are upbraided with barrrnneffe; your name bath betn publikdy oppofed to rhefe challenges;as in whom it flJall be fe<n,rhat the truth bath friends that can give. I neither dillrull nor perfwadr you; whofe refolutions are happil~ fixed on purpofrs ofgood; ·only giveme leave to hallen your pale a little,and to excue yoor Chriftian forwardndfe,to begin fpeedily,what you have long &conllantly vowed. You would not but I doc~ood;why nor now~ I fpeak boldly,Thr more fpeed,thc more comfort:Neither rheum<> are in our difpofing, nor our fdves: ifGod had fer us ad-ay, and made our wralth unfcparabk,therewere no danger in dc12ying1nowour uncertainty eithermuft quicken
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=