T he Pardo, of the Creature. teth and ralfeth the Creature to that pitch of livelihood which is in it, and who alone bath infinite wayes to weaken the frongeP, or to arme the weaken Creature againfi the foutefl finner. Peradventure thou balk as much lands and poffeffions, as many (heepe and oxen as job, or Nabal ; yet thou haft not the lordfhip of the clouds, God can harden ethe heavens over thee, hee can fend the mildew and canker into thy corne, the rot and murren into thy cattell ; though thy barnes bee full of corne, and thy fats overflow with new wine, yet hee can break -e the flaffe of thy bread, that the floure and the wine- pre(fe (hall not feed thee; though thou have a houfe full of flyer and gold, bee can put holes in every bagge, and chinks into every Ciílerne, that it (hall all fluke away like a winter torrent. G o n can either deny thee a power and will to enjoy it,and this is as fore a difeafe as povertie it felfe : or elfe hee can take away thy flrength that thou fhalt not relifh any of thy choifef1 delicates ; he ,cìin fend a {lone or a gowte that (hall make thee willing to buy with all thy riches a poore and a difhonourable health ; and, which is yet worfl of all, he can open thy confcience, and let in upon thy Souk that lion which lies at the doore, amaze thee with the fight of thine owne fins, the hiflory of thine evill life, the experience of his terrours, the glympfes and preoccupations of hell, the evident prefitnìptions of irreconciliation with him, the frenzie of Cain, the defpair:e of judar, the madne(fc of Achitophel, the trembling of Felix, which will dampe all thy delights, and make all thy fweetefl morfels as the white of an egge; at which pinch, howfoever now thou admire and adore thy thicke clay, thou wouldei count it the wife{} bargaine thou did {} ever make, to give all thy goods to the poore, to goe bare -foot the whole day with the Prophet Efay, to dreffe thy meat with the dung of a man , as the Lon]) commanded the Prophet Ezekiel, to feed with c.*(ichaiah in a dungeon on bread C 4 of 7lcivltS 7Úú , YPnoty fo- (zip, d`-gQ67Ft Yá14ild\SÌS. Chryfft.Hom z. ad pop. Antioch. Hof.9.z. Fccics.ó.t,z. nantumlibct Jelecîant ja- ctantía divi- : iarum, tu- m. r honarum, t vo-ago pepi- narum, e7 bella ti eat ricorum, ere.flufert om- nia ifla una fe- (ricula, & ad- .uc vivèntihus ,'otam fa fam )eititkdi,scm rnbtrabit; re- nanet inanis ;faucia con-- sùntia. Aug. fe Catechi. ud. cap. 16. ven,á.?.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=