Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9318.S45 L5 1638

f (brills example a motive to bountie. rimes, and not to abufe the fweet affeCtion and graceofpity , (it is anaffe6tion in all : but it is a grace in them that aregood) becaufe there are fo many wretchedpeople, that live without God, without Church,without Common-wcalth,with- out mariage, without baptifine, likebeai}s. Ifany thing bean obje6t ofpity, certainly this is ; that thereare fo m my that carry Gods image on them, that are Gods creat ures, and for ought we know fuch as Chrift died for, that they fhould be ftffe- red to live irregular, debautht,andbafe lives,fcan- dalous to the Church and State. And without que(l;ion,if thingsbe not better looked unto, there will be inflruments ofmuch mifchiefe by Gods juft judgment : becaufe there begood lawes, that are not executed. The belt mercy to fuch,is to fee them fet on worke and to give them correftion. But then for fuch as are beginning the world, that are Poore, and cannot fet up, and thole that have the ChurchofGod in their families, that are rea- dy to fall, and a little reliefe would keepe them, that they fall not into inordinate courfes,it is mer- cy to fet them up and maintaine them ; and; alto by upholding thole that are in the minifiery. There aremany wayes in the Church and State : Awife man can never want objehs of mercy and charity, as Chrift faith, ThePooreyou Mallhave al- way with you: but (as I laid) we muff labour fora fpirit of wifdome, to doe good as we fhould, and not to feed Drones, inflead ofBees. TheSpirit of God is frequent in preffing this point : but this argument in theTeat, it may melt any 75 ----.

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