heare speech of the same being the thing that amongst all things else hee least brooketh most abhorreth Now all these things being considered I referre the iudgment to your selues which of these two is the happier man the rich with so many inconueniences attending his person or the poore with so many aduantages accompanying his estate and whē ye haue past your verdit then apply it to the present wordes of Iames for the strengthning of his direction of ioy to the poore man for I doubte not but that the dililigent obseruation of these differences as it cannot but breed in the riche man a kinde of disliking of himselfe and his condition so it cannot but ingender in the poore mā an allowance approbatiō of his pouertie so cause him the more willingly to practise ioy contentation in the manifolde distresses of this life But now by the way if for your satisfaction you aske me this necessary question what maner of poore men I speak of al this while because that matter is sōe what doubtful in that there are diuers persons going vnder the name title of the poore who by reasō of their lewd wicked course of life deserue no iot of these good speeches but rather the whip correction al maner of disgrace being such as are vnworthy in any good place to be remēbred or spoken of I wil shortly resolue you the that by the poore man I doe not vnderstand the idle begger and rogish companion who not applying himselfe to any ordinary labour makes a profession of beggery and liues altogether vpon the spoyle such both by the lawe of God and the commendable lawes of this realme prouided in that behalfe are to be punished according to the measure of their idlenesse and qualitie of vagabond liuing neither doe I meane by the poore man such maner of persons as are common haunters of alehouses vnthriftes spendals and drunkards hauing scarce either pennie in their purses or coate to their shoulders and yet all the weeke long lye at such tipling places hauing no regard for a ciuill behauiour nor desire to purchase an honest good report amongst men Which special thing I could wish by some seuere order might be reformed in this place wherin there are many offendors in this case the negligent consideration whereof is occasion of many riots and breaches of the lawe in many poynts and of much sinne also but by the poore man I meane such a one as in scripture by the spirit of God is commended vnto vs and committed to our regarde the man vpon whom it hath pleased God not to bestow so great a portion of riches as vpon others for some secrete purpose of his wisedome being no tall Cedar no man of great office or authoritie in the common wealth but an artificer or handicraftes man labouring diligently in his manuarie trade or science to releeue himselfe and maintayne his familie thereby demeaning himselfe honestly as a christian and quietly like a subiect in the feare of God and according to the qualitie of his vocation such a one in scripture I take to be ment by the name of a poore man As for our roges and vagabonds I exclude them out of the role and number of poore men commended by the spirit of God and spoken of by vs who because they do not labour they should not eate I could wish for them also that by the good execution of our lawes the countrey might be rid of the burden and charge of them who by the duetie and diligence of the officers ought to be taken and sent to our bridewelles and mill-houses erected for the purpose that so by iustice they might bee driuen to that paynes and amendment of life which of themselues they purpose not to practise Within this compasse of poore men we may include those also vpon whose shoulders it hath pleased God to lay the crosse of pouertie for their triall or punishment hauing beene sometimes in very sufficient state and able both to liue of themselues and to releeue others in necessitie but now by some casualitie are decayed and come behinde hand and fallen into pouertie as either by fire robbing shipwrack sureteship or such like occasions and therefore are compelled to relye vpon a generall charitie with whom we may in like sort ioyne the poore of our almes houses the olde lame blinde maymed souldier and other such impotent persons to whom there are promises made of farre better states if for the time they can resolue themselues to heare of their miseries with a shoulder of patience and to trust to the good prouidence of God expecting a time of helpe and deliuerance from him And as these men are in diuers places of scripture perswaded to quietnes and contentation so here by the Apostle Iames they are prouoked to reioycing to cast off all mourning and complaining and all partes of impatiencie to consider the commodities of their lowe degree to looke vp to the heigth and excellencie of Gods kingdome prepared for them to acknowledge the mercies of God to giue him thankes without grudging for his visitations and so to liue as that by their pouertie God may accordingly be glorified and their afflicted bodies and soules in the ende saued of which matter ye shall heare more if God permitte the next time The third Sermon REioyce in that he is exalted It is nothing straunge that Iames shoulde heere giue counsell to the poore man to reioyce in his pouertie or rather in his exaltation although the Lorde by the prophet Ieremie doth restrayne Ier. 9.23.24 and limite al reioycing and glorying to the knowledge and vnderstanding of his will saying let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strēgth nor the rich man in his riches ches but let him that glorieth glorie in that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me and our Sauiour would not giue libertie to the Seuentie Luke 10.20 to reioyce because the diuels were subdued to them in his name but rather because their owne names were written in heauen and the blessed Apostle also woulde not dispose of himself to reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ as himselfe professeth to the Galatians Galat. 6.14 which places ouerthrow not the wordes of Iames here because the scripture is not as a house or kingdome deuided in it selfe but as God is alwayes one and he neuer contrary to himselfe for his worde also is one and that neuer iarres with it selfe A generall rule for all our ioy is giuen by Paul to the Corinth 1. Cor. 1.31 saying he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord which rule if it doth square out and measure the vse of our mirth and gladnesse then whatsoeuer speciall thing it be that we do reioyce in or of it can but be lawfull in it selfe and acceptable to God for the ioye of the faithfull is not in such force tyed vp
with such maner of men who sloting vp for a time as the sea or flood when it aryseth yet at the last are brought downe to a low ebbe and iump in coÌ„clusion with that bareÌ„ figgetree which receiued a curse from the mouth of him who neuer blesseth vnrighteouse branches Mat. 21.19 and by and by for all his gloriouse leaues withered and came to nothing or with that same gourde which came vp as a shadow to the head of Ionas for a time but beeing smitten by a worme presently dryed vppe Ionah 4.7.10 so that as it sprange in a night so it perished in a night Examples of our time in this case are superfluous for the matter is most euident and the men are yet liuing whose states are spectacles of this iustice and whose decay are glasses of this declination their tree of wealth hauing knowen the force of a curse and their gourde of pleasures hauing felt the worme of vengeance so that as their riches already hath so themselues hourely doe according to the wordes of Iames in this place vanish awaye as a flower of the grasse Which thing being true I doe not a little maruell that there are so many in the worlde who contrary to their owne knowledge for in this matter they connot pleade ignorance doe make their wealth their supporte and their treasure their shoote anker not onely being proude thereof but that which is an argument of a miraculous vnsensiblenesse doe plant their confidence in the same looking for helpe and deliuerance from their rustie and corrupte gatherings which shall consume as a snayle that melteth and as the vntimelye fruite of a woman that hath not seene the sunne It was a speciall thinge giuen in charge by Paul to Timothie that hee should inioyne riche men in no case to trust in their riches 1. Tim. 6.17 for hee knewe sufficiently howe to a riche man a perswasion intending to trust and repose in his wealth is most plausible euen as wee see it apparant in these dayes by the actions of those men whom God hath blessed with great abundance who presuming vppon the same and thinking themselues able thereby to compasse any matter doe applie them selues to oppression and tyrranny by excoriating or skinning the poore man chalenging those landes and possessions wherein they haue no interest but make a claime and pretenced right of purpose to defraud and vndoe those whome they knowe by reason of their wantes not able to make their parte good by continuing the charges of lawe against them And many other vile thinges of like nature are commonly put in practise by them not mistrusting the successe of any matter they take in hande intending that if briberie and corruption and rewardes may purchase particularly and peruert the righteouse course of iustice they will assuredly speed of their purpose this is the reason that so many bad and odious sutes are nowe vndertaken and prosecuted ouerthrowing the foundations and states of many good men because the opinion which the vnrighteous man hath of victorie and preuaylement by his wealth is a spurre in him to tyrranny supposing that his golde shal beare him out and the countenance of his money shall terrifie as many as resist him This oppressour doth little thinke of the wordes of Iames in this place proclayming the naturall vncertaynetie of the riche man and his Mammon or of the mightie foolishnes of his heart or of the iudgment of God entring into his doores from whose handes his money shall not saue him Ezek. 7.19 nor his coyne keepe him in the daye of his wrath Howe necessary then for the time is this doctrine and that counsell of the holy prophet Psal 62.10 Trust not in oppression and robbery if riches increase set not your hearte thereon and that notable confession of Iob also for example and direction whose life is a president for vs who sometimes in in great vehemencie wished that his arme might fall from his shoulder and be broken from the bone Iob. 3.24.25 if he had euer made gold his hope or had sayde to the wedge of gold thou art my confidence or reioyced in that his substance was great and that his hand had gotten muche A confession which thousandes of our dayes cannot make with any trueth whose whole trust standeth in the heape of their treasure and whole glorie in the possessioÌ„ of their wealth hauing the like vayne and vaineglorious conceite which Haman in the Booke of Hester who instead of acknowledging the goodnesse of God towards him called his friends together Hester 5.11 and in the pride of his heart tolde them all the glorie of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him c. But against such maner of men the Lorde by the Prophet Amos doeth threaten to raise vp an afflicting nation from the entring in of Hamah vnto the wildernes that is a generall destruction without the escape of anie because they reioyce in a thing of nought Amos 6 1â—.13 and saie haue not wee gotten vs hornes by our owne strength howe muche better then were it for vs and all men to cast of this peeuish confidence in the arme of fleshe and in the vanishing shadowe of carnall things and to trust in him and his mercie who is the shielde and buckler of the faithfull the God of all strength and saluation and able sufficiently to saue those that relye vppon his goodnes howe much more profitable for our selues and for our soules comfortable were it to put in vse that sweet direction of our Sauiour lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon earth where the mothe and canker doth corrupt and where theeues doe digge through Mat. 6.19.20 and steale but laye vp treasure for your selues in Heauen where neyther the mothe nor canker corrupteth and where no theeues can digge thorowe to steale Which wordes if they were well considered and diligently examined woulde appeare to carrie within the compasse or bowels of them many good reasons to disswade vs from all miserable indeuours of scraping together the pelfe of the worlde and all idolatrous confidences in the same I will not stande to discourse at large of those three seuerall enemyes to whose power the nature of all carnall treasure is subiect and must obey forasmuche as there is nothing which a man externally can possesse but that in time either the mothe may frette it or the canker may corrupt it or the theefe may violently breake in and surprise it whereby first the corruption then the consumption and last the danger and small securitie of wealth is most fully and excellently shewed and withall the huge vanitye of mens heartes condemned who serue with deuotion and honour that transitorie trashe wherein there is neither strength to continue nor substaunce to indure nor assurance to stande without decay and losse but this one thing in the woordes maie bee with breuitie obserued that
euer continue with him he with it but he is to know that as his life is vncertaine so is his riches forasmuch as the Lord giueth both and taketh both away at his pleasure so that he is not to ware proud or to growe arrogant vpon the tast and feeling of the felicitie of this life but rather to be meekly spirited in the time of his greatest florishing as knowing that although he be now at this present in much prosperitie hoysed vp to the top and mount of good fortune yet he may suddenly be turned downe to miserie and stript of all that now he possesseth Thirdly and lastly least the Apostle should seeme to speak this without his warrant and euidence he doth in the latter parte of the tenthe verse produce a reason as an amplification of the doctrine to fortifie his assertion withall which is done by way of similitude consisting of the qualitie and natur of a common flower of the grasse representing the weake state and short durance of humane prosperitie then which flower ye know your selues there is nothing more mutable and subiect to a change by reason of the small force and substance that it hath to abide and stand in his beautie for although it spread it selfe gloriously in the morning and seeme to be the thing wherein nature hath labored to shew all her skill yet the heate of the sunne when it riseth ouermatcheth the glorie thereof and makes it quickly to wither and come to nothing Such is the rich man and his riches So that by this onely diuision and resolutiō of the verses ye may well conceiue what notable and necessary matter is lodged and contayned in them Being such as doth concerne all estates and respect all degrees high and lowe rich and poore the noble personage and the poorest cotager all and euery one may herehence learne a direction for his life and furnish his minde with a sufficient treasure of instructions how after what maner to dispose of himselfe and his doings in the best sort to the glorie of God and the euerlasting comfort of his soule The poore man because of his wants and defectes is not to despaire the rich man by reason of his aboundance and fuperfluities is not to presume of himselfe and his abilitie the honorable is to temper his high degree with humblenesse of minde the Iazar or miserable creature to mitigate and qualifie his smart by the vse of patience as hereafter in the processe of our speech yee shall see by the grace of God more at large Concerning therfore the first of our parts although the Apostles phrase be here singuler seeming to speake of some special or perticuler person yet by cōferring other places with it of the same forme of wordes and by considering the reach of the doctrine to extend generally to all I doubt not but they are plurally to be taken and conserued For the propositiō being indefinite and the consequence of the place so ioyntly and sensibly depending vpon the precedence it cannot be but equiualent and the same with an vniuersall speech To acquaint you with my meaning in plaine termes albeit the Apostle doth heare say let the poore man or brother of lowe degree reioyce it is all one or as much as if he had said let al poore men and all breethren of low degree reioyce because that which he requireth at the hands of one of that sort he looketh for of all and if ye do with diligence note and with iudgment cōsider the scripture speeches ye shall in many places light vpon wordes of the same course nature deliuered in such singuler maner and yet importing and including vniuersall constructions In that the common name of a poore man is not heare vsed but the appellation of a brother it may teach vs what is to bee thought of such a one vpon whom it hath pleased God to impose and lay the crosse of pouertie in which case to bee taught and informed I take it to be very requisite and necessary for many of vs for we in our common iudgments are very carnall and in our opinions foolish who vse to measure the worthines of a man by the appearāce and vpon the sight and view of his misery doe by and by pronounce him a wicked person a vicious liuer a man accursed and punished in such sort deseruedly for his sins when as the purpose of God in the visiting of many with his crosses is not so much to notifie and confirme to the world the deserte in them of such afflictiōs but either to make proofe trial of their faith or else to conuert their humiliations to other good purposes seruing for his glory their bettering I cōfesse that there is not one man amōgst the sons of men cōsisting al of corrupt mortall matter so holy and righteouse as that hee deserueth not any punishment or correction if the Lorde woulde straightly marke iniquities do nothing but that which the rules of his iustice doe prescribe who then should stand as the prophet speakes Psal 130.3 but forasmuch as it hath pleased God in the aboundance of his loue to take away the curse of the lawe due for sinne by the death of his sonne and not to impute sinne to him that beleeueth and seeing the very faithfull themselues are subiect to crosses and afflictions sundrie wayes and in greater measure subiect then the children of vnbeleefe it cannot be that troubles and calamities should alwayes be demonstrations of the wrath of God or testimonies of great sinnes in those whose shoulders lye vnder such burdens But we are otherwise to thinke that sometimes God doth discipline his children by the vse of his rodde for some secret sinnes and imperfections which themselues doe not espie sometimes hee doth before hande preuent their sins the fruit of that corruption which lyeth hidde in them and would otherwise break forth except by sicknesse pouertie imprisonment hunger or such like meanes they be admonished and restrayned sometimes he hath respect to his owne glorie beginning with iudgment at his owne house least he should seeme to approue those sins in his elect which his iustice doth more sharpely punish in the reprobates somtimes he doth suffer Satan that roaring Lyon his ministers to haue after a sorte power ouer the states and bodies of his children for the experiment of their constancie and the instruction of others and sometimes also he doth vse the daungers extremities of the saints as occasions to shew foorth his owne power glorie mercie wisedome and righteousnesse in his church by miraculous deliuerances bringing them into manifest perils and yet finding meanes to preserue them beyond the hope and opinions of men These together with other intentions in the workes of God if they be well considered will bridle the ouerlashing humor of carnall iudgment and leaue no roote of cause in the minde of any man to take such persons for sinners and dispised of God whose
hee from it and hee became both poore amongst men Dan. 4.30 and miserable among beastes This the Lorde our God to whom no mā is like is able to do he maketh poore and maketh riche as Hanna the mother of Samuel sometime did sing 1. Sam. 2.7 hee exalteth and bringeth lowe it is as easie a matter with him to make a man a caytiffe as a king and a peysant as a Prince for health and sicknesse life and death prosperitie and beggery they are in his handes to giue the one for a blessing and to inflict the other for a punishment when where and how it pleaseth him How many men are there euen among vs within the cōpasse of our own knowledge who somtimes florished in the world braued it out in the best sort who but they wāting nothing that might serue for the fulfilling of their desires and the glorie of their pleasures swimming in silkes abounding with wealth houses grounds sheepe oxen many other things yet nowe they are stript into their dublets and turned as it were to their bag staff not so ful before as now they are miserable and emptie this is the vncerteinty of humane happines who therfore but a foolish or rather mad man will trust this world put any cōfidence in his wealth and proceed to ware proud thereof as though it shold for euer cōtinue with him nay suppose it do stād with a man a long time yet although his riches leaue not him yet he in the end shall leaue his riches be he as rich as Croesus or as Diues was yet at the last he shal iump with Lazarus and be as poore as hee And therfore it is not in vaine that Paul in his instructiōs to Timothie doth of purpose touch this particular point of the vncerteinety of carnall wealth 1. Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are riche in this world saith he that they bee not high minded that they trust not in vncertain riches but in the liuing God c. Obserue the attribute he doth not say that they trust not in wicked riches deceitful riches or such like words but in vncertayne riches which epithete he doth their vse as a speciall argument to disswade men from the reposing of any trust in the same for it is a great foolishnes to trust to an vncertayne thing who will leaue to a broken staffe in leaping ouer a ditch what mariner wil hazard his ship with a rottē cable what mā wil build a tower vpon a weak foūdation what distressed persō wil in extremitie relie vpon a siccle freinde now if it be a cōsequence of want of wit in a man to do any of these things is it not the like also in him that shal plāt his affiance in riches being a thing in confessiō as brittle as a broken staffe as weak as a rottē cable as tottering as a sandie foundation as vnconstant as a wauering friend as mutable as the winde and as meltable as the snow let the riche man therefore vpon remembrance of this point if he be carefull of his owne good cast of his immoderate desire of wealth and vnchristian opinion of the strength thereof content himself with lawful means in the vse of his trade if God doth blesse his labors as he hath promised to the righteous man let him conuert his sufficiencie to the inlargement of the kingdome of God his glorie the furtherance of his worde the comfort of the Saintes and the profite of the Churche of God euery way not yeelding to the affections of a foolish heart which will carrie a mā to ostentation pride and prodigalitie and other vanities but in all his actions seeking the honour of him from whome he receiued his blessings let him carefully consider the vncerteintie for continuance in that he possesseth and thereupon while hee hath his riches before the euill dayes doe come dispose of it according to knowledge and conscience least when the yeres of dearth and necessitie doe approche then he say as a commō Gamester and Diceplayer vsually doth who hauing lost his mony at one vnthriftie will then sweare and take on and professe I would I had rather giuen it to the poore saying so when his money being gone is become another mans but when hee had it as his owne he had no such good minde to do it I my selfe haue hearde many who sometime were in good case and state but nowe are in the contrary wishing that when their abilitie was good they had done this and that to the poore to the Church of God to the Preacher and to other good vses but when they were in their prosperitie they had no such good motion nor gracious feeling in them There is no doubt but that Diues when he once felt the torment knewe the cause therof he repented ten thousand times that hee had not releeued Lazarus in his life but then his repentaunce was too late and had I wist is alwayes the naturall and essentiall propertie of a foole For a wise man will prouide a remedie for a mischiefe while time serues but a foole when it is too late Remember therefore the Parable of the talentes and therein the iudgement of that euill and slothful seruant Mat. 25.26 who not imploying his one talent to the aduantage of his maister had the same taken from him giuen to his diligent fellowe himselfe in the ende as an vnprofitable hireling throwen into vtter darknes And surely in this respect that place of Salomon in his preacher is most excellēt who speaking of the miserable mind of the couetous man not hauing the grace to vse his riches as he should do Eccle. 6.1.2 he doth affirme that he had scene an euill vnder the sun which was much amōgst the sonnes of man namely a mā to whom God hath giuē riches treasures honor hee wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giueth him not power to eate thereof Which indeede is a plague of plagues that a man should haue in his fingers custodie that by the good vse wherof hee might doe singular good in Gods Church to his glorie and the saluation of many soules yet doth abuse his blessinges to the maintenance of his pride bellicheere wantonnes luxuriousnes couetousnes vsurie and other sinnes without any regarde of that duetie whereunto the woorde of God doth binde and direct him If this thing be well marked and aduisedly considered of our riche men Luk. 16.8.9 I doubt not but that by the helpe of God the same good prudent effect which wrought in the vnrighteous steward vpon the reckoning which his master called for at his hands wil followe in them namely a wise and prouident dealing while they are in office a purchasing of friends by the riches of iniquitie that when themselues do want they may be receiued into euerlasting habitations but now if we take these words in
abhorred of the generations to come Well it remayneth now onely to stand vpō the the third last part of our diuision contayning by amplification a reason of the former speech of the Apostle wherfore the rich man is not to trust to his welth nor to depēd vpon the strēgth of his riches the reason is because the same as Salomō speaks Pro. 23.5 is as an Eagle which suddēly takes her wings flyeth into the heauē It is a flying thing a thing subiect to corruptiō chang no surer then the flower of the grasse which alwayes perisheth and vanisheth away There are in scripture many swift thinges to the vncertayne qualities whereof the nature of wealth and riches is likened and resembled as sometimes to a shadow which of it selfe in substance is nothing but the bare glymse of the body being interposed betwixt the sun the earth sometimes to a post and speedy messenger who cōming in post departeth in hast either in some seruice from the prince or in carriing newes to the court Wis 5 9.10.11.12 sometimes to a ship which passeth thorow the waues of the water the trace whereof being once gone cannot be found nor the path thereof seene in the floods sometimes to a byrde that flyeth in the ayre and no man can see any token of her flight sometimes to an arrow which is shot at a marke which deuideth the ayre for a time but it commeth together againe immediately so that a man cannot know where it went thorowe and sometimes to the dust which is blowen away by the winde al these things naturally and liuely expressing the hopelesse condition of riches and the trustlesse prosperitie of this life But amongst al other fit and proper things to this purpose the same comparisō which the Apostle vseth in this place is not the least nor the last in conueniencie and aptnes making an equalitie betwixt the riche man a flower of the grasse which although for a time it be very glorious and beautifull yet all the glory thereof is weake and all the beautie thereof vaine and subiect to a sudden chaunge And as in this place riches so in other places such things as are in their prime and gallantnesse are compared with this flower and amongst the rest the time of youth and yonge yeares is tearmed by the name of the flower of a mans age because then the body is lusty the limmes strong the proportion comely the blood stirring the wittes fresh the memorie quicke all the powers perfect and nothing in nature wanting for inwarde and outward sufficiencie But most commonly in scripture such things as be short in continuance and in state transitorie are resembled to this flower as in the booke of Iob that holy and patient man entring into a description of the miserable state and course of mans life from his byrth day to his dying day affirmeth that man being borne shooteth forth as a flower Iob. 14.2 and is cut downe hee vanisheth also as a shadowe and continueth not Quickly come and quickly gone soone ripe soone rotten as the prouerbe is The crying voyce in the prophet Esay doth make a difference betwixt the state of a grasse and of a flower the one being of longer continuance Esay 40.6.7 though all be but little then the other All flesh is grasse but the grace of flesh that is the beautie excellencie wisdome and power of flesh is as the flower of the fieeld the flower is more orient and elegant then the grasse but the grasse is more durable and permanent then the flower both are subiecte to decay and corruption but yet the one droppeth to the earth sooner then the other Which thing is to be applied to the wordes of our text and to be regarded of the riche man with some speciall diligence for as much as himselfe is heare by the Apostle resembled not to the grasse but to the flower therof which of the two makes most speede to consumption The holy Ghost by the prophet Dauid doth of purpose describe a flower or grasse shewing what it is and of what force and time for continuance For hauing spoken in the former circumstances of the Psalme of the fragillitie and weakenesse of the breuitie and shortnesse of mans life proouing it to be of no longer perpetuitie then a day a floode a watche a sleepe a thought and last of all a grasse hee doth thereupon inlarge that last similitude by expressing the state of the same grasse in the morning sayth hee it florisheth and groweth 〈…〉 the euening 〈◊〉 is cut downe Psal 90.6 and 〈…〉 Which is all one with that further description which Iames makes heare in the next verse of this chapter where amplyfying this reason which wee haue now in hande hee sheweth the maner of the decay of the riche man by the degrees of corruption wherunto the grasse is subiect For as when the sunne ariseth with heate then the grasse withereth and the flower falleth away and the goodlye shape of it perisheth euen so shall the rich man wither away in all his wayes In which words he toucheth the general course of increase decrease in al vegetatiue growing things which as they haue their beginning so they haue also their declination and ende and cannot alwayes continue in one state so in riches there is a beginning and that sometimes base and simple and as small as the beginning of a roote of a grasse or of the seede of a flower which is not great in the greatest We see and knowe amongst our selues many who now are rich and welthy and in sufficiencie farre beyond many of their neighbours who began the world but with a smal stock with little or nothing yet by the blessing of God their own diligēce their stock is increased their state bettered and their roome and place nowe reuerend amongst vs. Which beginning originall of theirs I could wish many to reuoke and call backe to memorie who are now so farre gone with pride and arrogance by reason of their present prosperitie that they forgette the place from whence they came the parentes from whom they discended the simple seede from whence the great measure of their wealth hath spong and their owne vnworthinesse euery way without Gods mercie to receiue any such blessinge Which thing being remēbred and aduisedly considered I doubt not will worke that good effect which is nowe wanting in those whom their fulnesse hath made drunke and obliuious of their owne progenie and the graces and fauours of God towardes them extended namely thankefulnesse to God for the same care of his honour respecte of his true seruice humilitie lowlinesse of minde and tendernesse of hearte towards those who feele nowe the sharpenesse of that want and necessitie whereunto themselues in the remēbrance of many were sometimes subiecte But by reason of the common neglecte of Christian dueties in this case we see howe in iustice the Lorde doth deale