his seruice in his house And wherupon can our siluer and gold be better imployed then vpon Gods seruice To which purpose the Euangelicall Prophet hath foretold that in the last times Isay 60.5.6.7.8.9.13 the riches of the Gentiles shall come vnto the Church and they shall bring not only their sonnes and daughters vnto Christ but also their treasure and their substance their siluer and their gold their balme trees and firre trees their boxes and their elmes to beautifie the place of the sanctuarie of God and to adorne the house of his glorie The kings daughter that is the Church is all glorious within Psal 45.13.14.15.16 saith the kingly Prophet but yet he meaneth not that all her glory is within for immediatly after he saith that her clothing is of broidred gold and her raiment of needle-worke and her Fathers that is her Rulers and Gouernours as Patriarkes and Prelates are Princes throughout all the earth But now-adaies men are like vnto the slacke and slow people of the Iewes in the time of the Prophet Haggai who said the time is not yet come that the Lords house should bee builded Haggai 1 2.3.4 5.6.7.8 9.10.11 And therefore the word of the Lord came vnto them by the ministerie of the Prophet saying Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seeled houses and this house lie waste Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hostes consider your owne wayes in your owne hearts yee haue sowen much and bring in little ye eate but yee haue not enough yee drinke but ye are not filled yee doe cloath you but yee be not warme and hee that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge Thus saith the Lord of hoasts consider your owne waies in your owne hearts Go vp to the mountaine and bring wood and build this house and I will be fauourable in it and I will be glorified saith the Lord. Yee looked for much and loe it came to little and when yee brought it home I did blow vpon it And why saith the Lord of hoastes because of mine house that is waste and yee run euery man vnto his owne house Therefore the heauen ouer you stayed it selfe from dew and the earth stayed her fruit and I called for a drought vpon the land and vpon the mountaines and vpon the corne and vpon the wine and vpon the oyle vpon all that the ground bringeth forth both vpon men and vpon cattell and vpon all the labour of the hands Thus we see how sharply God hath punished mens niggardnesse and slownesse about the building and beautifying of his house And are not we as much bound to haue an house of praier to pray in to God as were the Israelites of old and is not God to bee honoured with our riches and treasure now as well as he was then And is not our niggardnesse and slownesse in doing of such duties as punishable as theirs But to returne from pleading against our yong Iudases 1 Tim. 1 19. 6.10 to old Iudas the miserable man was so much mis-caried with the loue of money which carrieth many a soule away from the faith and maketh them to make a sorrowfull ship-wracke that he could neuer be satisfied with siluer till he had sold his owne maister the sonne of God and Sauiour of the world vnto the Iewes for thirtie peeces of siluer Math. 27.5 We haue heard tell in our time of many treasons and traffickes but the world neuer hath heard nor shall heare tell of such a treason and trafficke as this The sonne of God betrayed by his seruant whom hee came to saue and sold for thirtie pence of him whom he came to ransome and redeeme from sinne Sathan and hell by the shedding of his bloud But behold the sequele of the attempt forthwith the wretch went and first restored the money and then hanged himselfe At the last though too late he began to consider with his minde how that he had played both the bad Marchant and ill seruant at once in selling the most precious iewell that euer the Sunne saw euen his owne maister for so small a summe and that hee had made the worst market that euer man made or euer shall or can make though the world should last as many millions of yeares as there is of sands vpon the shore or of drops of water in the maine sea Demetrius the siluer-smith Act 19.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34. was an irregular student in the way of enriching for he together with diuers others his fellow-smithes had made themselues rich by making of siluer temples shrines of the idol Diana wherefore loue of gaine moued them to raise sedition in the city of Ephesus when as Saint Paul and some others of the godly did endeauour to drawe backe the citizens thereof from idolatrie 16.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. Such irregulars were also the maisters of the Pythonist maid which gate her maisters much vantage with diuining who when as the Apostle had separated the familiar spirit from her in the name of Iesus seeing that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the market place vnto the magistrates and accused them of preaching vnlawfull ordinances Whereupon the people rose vp together against them and the gouernours rent their cloathes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods and to be cast in prison and that their feete should be made fast in the stockes Demas and Alexander the Copper-smith 1. Tim. 1 20. 2. Tim 4.10.14 15. were likewise irregulars the one forsooke Paul to embrace this present world and the other to the end hee might follow the world forsooke the faith and as the siluer-smith aforesaid did raise sedition against the Apostle so this copper-smith did much euill vnto him and with great earnestnesse withstood his preaching whom the Lord no doubt rewarded according to his workes and the holy Apostles imprecation And the like out of all question wil befall vnto all such impenitent resisters of veritie and breakers of Christian vnitie bee they smiths in office or in name For our time is not the first time that smiths haue beene resisters of the truth and molesters of the ministerie And maister Iohn Smith the father of the few re-baptized Brownists hath not beene the first Smith that hath proued the perturber of the peace of Christs Church God graunt hee may make some better vse of his good parts hereafter then to play the forger of a new faith and of a new Church vpon the anuill of his owne wit and that hee play not the Smith in this manner any more Gen 19.24 25. Ezech. 16.49 50. 2. Pet. 2.6 Iude 7 The citizens of Sodome were irregulars and neglected the studie and practise of the rules of this Art they were proud of their prosperitie liued idly and gaue themselues to gluttonie excesse and lubricitie for heape of wickednesse
brimstone of Sodom let vs shunne and eschew their sinnes Besides that as the Wise man telleth vs the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore Prou. 23.21 and the idle sleeper shall bee clothed with ragges And the labouring man that is giuen to drunkennesse Eccles 19.1 33 26. shall not bee rich Thus we see then that diligence and temperance are of great moment both to get and augment riches And trulie as the loue of intemperance and excesse doth hold the poore man from being rich so doth the practise of excesse in table or apparrell make the rich man poore as wee shall shew in the declaration of the ninth Rule of this Art And therefore to conclude this present discourse concerning diligence in a lawfull calling I wish the student in this Art to obserue this one thing that except hee begge dailie Gods blessing to his businesse his diligence and industrie will but little auaile Hee may well carrie out much seede into the field Deut. 28.23.24.38 Micah 6.14 Haggai 1.6 Amos 4.7.8.9 but except the Lord blesse it hee shall gather but little in for the grashoppers shall destroy it or the heauen shall bee as brasse aboue it and the earth as yron vnder it for the Lord shall withhold the first and the latter raine and shall shut the windowes of heauen so that it shall bee consumed with drought or hee will open the windowes of heauen in such a manner Ioel 1. Genes 7.11 Psalm 107.33.34 that either the floods shall ouerflow the fields or the cloudes shall powre downe riuers of waters to drowne the cornes so that the seed shal rot vnder the clods or else will he smite them with blasting and mildew so that howsoeuer he sow much yet shal he reape but little except the Lord blesse that which he hath sowen Hee may well plant a vineyard or a hopyard and dresse it but except the Lord blesse it hee shall not drinke of it for the wormes shall eate it Hee may well plant many fruit-trees fig-trees Deut. 28.39 Ioel 1.4.12 apple-trees plum-trees but except the blessing of the Lord be present with his planting swarmes and armies of palmer-wormes canker-wormes and caterpillers shall deuoute and eate vp his fruites and the buddes of his trees Deut. 28.18 Ioel 1.4.18.19.20 Hee may well enioy heardes of cattell and flockes of sheepe but except the Lords blessing bee with the owner hee shall bee cursed in them all yea the Lord shall make his beasts to mourne his cattell to consume and his flockes to fall away for want of pasture which shall either not spring out of the earth being hard as yron or shal be withered away through the excessiue heate or shall bee eaten vp by the multitudes of grashoppers Zephan 1.13 Hee may well get goods and build houses but except the Lord blesse him in the same his goods shall doe him no good they shall goe away from him or hee shall bee spoiled of them Prou. 28.8 Eccles 2.26 or hee shall leaue them to such as wil doe more good with them then he he shall heape vp to giue and leaue to him that is good before God and the houses that hee hath builded hee and his shall not inhabit In one word to speake with the Prophet Haggai Hag. 1.6 Hee may well eate but hee shal not bee satisfied nor haue inough hee may well drinke but hee shall not bee filled hee may well cloath himselfe but hee shall not bee warme and hee may well earne wages but hee shall put them into a broken bagge And the cause of all this is the want of the Lords blessing Psalm 127.1.2 For as the Kinglie Prophet saith except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the citie the keeper watcheth in vaine It is in vaine for you to rise earlie and to lie downe late and eate the bread of sorrow but hee will surelie giue rest to his beloued Not that hee will exempt them from labour but onelie from the vnprofitablenesse and vncomfortablenesse thereof For hee will giue to his beloued that is to such as are deare vnto him for the loue and feare of his name and doe continuallie begge his blessing to their adoes hee will giue them rest from all vnprofitable and vncomfortable paines taking Leuit. 26.20 whereas without his blessing a mans strength shall bee spent in vaine Hee may well passe and spend nights and daies in toiling and moiling but hee shall reape but little profit and lesse comfort let him labour neuer so much and neuer so long For diligence is no better then negligence and businesse is but idlenesse without the Lords blessing Psal 65.9.10.11.12.13 107.35.36.37.38.41 67.6.7 68.9 For it is the Lords blessing that watereth the earth and makes it very rich euen that watereth abundantly the furrowes of the earth and causeth the raine to descend into the valleies thereof and maketh it soft with showers and droppeth fatnesse vpon the fieldes so that the hilles are compassed with gladnesse the pastures are clad with sheepe and the valleies are couered with corne which maketh men to shout for ioy and sing IIII. Rule The poore man must not purchase nor the rich man increase his riches by violence oppression theft robberie extortion bribing vniust detention neither yet by peruerting of equitie as by false testimonie pleading in an euill cause or vnrighteous iudgement Probation and declaration Exod. 22.21.22.23.24 TThou shalt not doe iniurie to a stranger saith the Lord by Moses neither oppresse him yee shall not trouble any widow nor fatherlesse child If thou vexe and trouble such and so hee call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie then shall my wrath bee kindled and I will kill you with the sword and you wiues shall bee widowes and your children fatherlesse Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his suite 23.1.3.6.7.8.9 Thou shalt keepe thee farre from a false matter and shalt not slay the innocent and the righteous Thou shalt not receiue a false tale neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked to bee a false witnesse Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause Leuit. 19.13 Thou shalt not oppresse thy neighbour by violence neither robbe him or doe him wrong The workemans hire shal not abide with thee vntil the morning Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant that is needie and poore neither of thy brethren nor of the stranger that is in the land within thy gates Deut. 14.15 Thou shalt giue him his hire for his day neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustaines his life lest he crie against thee vnto the Lord and it be sinne vnto thee 16.19 Wrest not thou the law saith the Lord to Lawyers and Iudges nor respect any person neither take reward for the reward blindeth the
eies of the wise and peruerteth the words of the iust God standeth in the assemblie of Gods Psal 82.2.3.4 saith the godly King Dauid hee iudgeth among Gods How long will ye iudge vniustly and accept the persons of the wicked doe right to the poore and fatherlesse doe iustice to the poore and needie deliuer them Prou. 15 25.2â— and saue them from the hand of the wicked The Lord saith wise Salomon will destroy the house of the proud oppressor but he will establish the borders of the widow He that is greedie of gaine troubleth his owne house but hee that hateth gifts shall liue 22.16.28 23.10.11 Rob not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in iudgement for the Lord will reuenge their cause Deut. 28.17 and spoile the soule of him that spoileth them He that oppresseth the poore to increase himselfe and giueth vnto the rich shall surelie come to pouertie Remooue not the ancient bounds and enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for hee that redeemeth them is mightie and hee will defend their cause against thee and cursed bee hee that remooueth his neighbours marke Prou. 3.27.28.29 Withhold not the goods from the owners thereof though there be power in thine hand to doe it Say not vnto thy neighbour goe and come againe and to morrow will I giue thee if thou now haue it Intend none hurt against thy neighbour seeing hee doth dwell without feare by thee A man cannot bee established by wickednesse 12.3.7 11.4 but the root of the righteous shall not be moued for riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse deliuereth from death Hee that oppresseth the poore 14.31 17.5 reprooueth him that made him 15.6.27 13.22 but hee honoureth him that hath mercie on the poore The house of the righteous hath much treasure but in the reuenewes of the wicked is troube yea the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust Hee that is greedie of gaine troubleth his owne house but hee that hateth gifts shall liue 16.8 19.1.8 28.6 Better is a little with righteousnesse then great reuenewes without equitie Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that peruerteth his waies though hee bee rich 21.7 The robberie of the wicked shall destroy them for they haue refused to execute iudgement 28.15.16.18 As a roaring Lion and an hungrie Beare so is a wicked ruler ouer the poore people A Prince destitute of vnderstanding is also a great oppressor but he that hateth couetousnesse shall prolong his daies He that walketh vprightlie shall be saued but hee that is froward in his waies shall once fall There is a generation 30.14.15 whose teeth are as swords and their chawes are are as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth and the poore from among men The horseleach hath two daughters which crie Giue giue Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the children of destruction 31.8.9 open thy mouth iudge righteouslie the afflicted and the poore If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore Ecclesiast 5.7 7.9 and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice bee not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth and there bee higher then they Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad and the reward destroyeth the heart Some saith the holy man Iob remooue the land-markes that robbe the flockes Iob 24.1 to 20. and feede thereof they leade away the asse of the fatherlesse and take the widowes oxe to pledge They make the poore to turne out of the way so that the poore of the earth hide themselues together Behold others as wild asses in the wildernesse rise earelie for a pray they reape his prouision in the field but they gather the late vintage of the wicked They cause the naked to lodge without garment and without couering in the cold They are wet with the showres of the mountaine and they embrace the rocke for want of a couering They plucke the fatherlesse from the breast and take the pledge of the poore they cause him to go naked without clothing and take the gleining from the hungrie They that make their oyle betweene their walles and tread their wine-presses suffer thirst men crie out of the citie and the soules of the slaine crie out The murtherer riseth earlie and killeth the poore and needie and in the night hee is a theefe But their portion shall bee cursed in the earth As the drie ground and heate consume the snow waters so shall the graue the sinners The pitifull man shall forget him the worme shall feele his sweetnesse hee shall be no more remembred and the wicked shall bee broken like a tree 15.21.28.34 The destroyer shall come vpon the wicked man in his prosperitie hee shall not bee rich alwaies neither shall his substance continue neither shall hee prolong the perfection thereof vpon earth and fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes 20.6.7.14 to 28. Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauens and his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall hee perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say Where is he Hee hath deuoured substance and hee shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his bellie hee shall sucke the gall of aspes hee shall not see the riuers nor the floods and streames of honie and butter he shall restore the labour he shall deuoure no more Euen according to the substance shall bee his exchange and hee shall inioy it no more For hee hath vndone many hee hath forsaken the poore and hath spoiled houses which hee builded not surelie hee shall feele no quietnesse in his bodie neither shall he reserue of that which hee desired There shall none of his meate bee left therefore none of his shall hope for his goods when hee shall bee filled with his abundance hee shall bee in paine and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him Hee shall bee about to fill his bellie but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath and shall cause to raine vpon him euen vpon his meate Hee shall flee from the yron weapons and the bow of steele shall strike him through The arrow is drawne out and commeth foorth of the bodie and shineth of his gall so feare commeth vpon him All darkenesse shall bee hid in his secret places the fire that is not blowne shall deuour him and that which remaineth in his Tabernacle shall bee destroied The heauen shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him The increase of his house shall goe away it shall flow away in the day of his wrath Isai 32.6.7.8 The niggard saith Isaiah will speake of niggardnesse and his heart will worke iniquitie and doe wickedly and speake falsely against the Lord to
enough for my life saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach Ecclesiast 5.1 31.8 2.4.5.6 blessed is the rich which is found without blemish and hath not gone after gold nor hoped in money and treasures Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently be patient in thy change into affliction for as gold and siluer are tryed in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the furnace of aduersity beleeue in God and he will helpe thee order thy way aright and trust in him hold fast his feare and grow old therein Heereby Christians are taught not to grudge against God if at any time hee crosse vs in our prosperity and take from vs our substance whether in part or whole yea wee ought to confide so farre in Gods goodnesse that hee will send vs againe that which hee hath taken from vs and restore it with aduantage if hee seeth that it shall bee expedient for vs and profitable for our soules health Otherwise we ought to thinke that it is farre better for vs to want goods then to be voyd of goodnesse and that our case is more blessed to lacke or loose goods then to enioy them and withall to abuse them to luxury superfluity licentiousnes and sin Psal 119.71 94.12 Heb. 2.10.18 Act. 14.22 Eccles 2.4.5.6 It is good for me saith holy Dauid that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes And blessed is the man whom thou chastisest ô Lord teachest him in thy law And therefore the blessed Apostle telleth vs that by affliction we are made like to the Son of God yea that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Our most wise bountifull Father knoweth best what is best for his childrens behoofe Neither ought the vertuous minded man thinke any whit the worse of himselfe for his want of wealth or yet be deiected in courage therefore as though he were by reason of his indigence lesse in Gods fauour then others that do abound Neither must we measure Gods fauour with the yard or ell of earthly prosperity For the Prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 10 4.5.6 37.7.35 73 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 that the wicked and his waies doe prosper oftentimes so that hee saith in his heart he shall neuer bee mooued nor be in danger yea he is strong and spreadeth himselfe like a greene baie tree there are no bands in their death but they are lustie and strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men their eies stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wish they are licentious and speake wickedly they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Lo these are the wicked saith Dauid yet prosper they alwaies and increase in riches And the holy Prophet Ieremie questioneth the Lord about the same matter in this manner Ierem. 12.1 2. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse thou hast planted them and they haue taken root they growe and bring forth fruit thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reines Likewise the holy man Iob sheweth vs in very large and ample manner the wickeds prosperitie Iob 21.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. They liue and waxe old and growe in wealth their seed is established in their sight their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cowe calueth and casteth not the calfe they send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes daunce they take the tabret and the harp and reioyce in the found of the organs they spend their daies in wealth and suddainely they goe downe to the graue Thus we see that euen the wicked and such as blaspheme God and oppresse the poore may enioy great prosperitie and wealth for a time And truely it shall be no more but for a time for as the same two holy men teach vs Psal 10.15 37 9 10 17 20 34 36. 52.5 7.3 18 19 20. Iob 21 17 18 19 20 30. 27.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The Lord will breake the arme of the wicked God shall cut off him and his seed he shal destroy him for euer hee shall plucke him out of his Tabernacle and roote him out of the land of the liuing he shall passe away and perish and shal not be found any more he shall be suddainly destroyed horribly confounded and his image shall be despised The candle of the wicked shall bee put out they shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away they are kept vnto the day of destruction and they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath The sword shall destroy his children and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread Though hee should heap vp siluer as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay hee may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Terrours shal take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And as the wicked oftentimes enioy great plentie and prosperitie so haue many of the godly many times beene afflicted with penurie pouertie and want And yet for all this God left not off to loue them most deerely For their aduersitie affliction and trouble they were not a whit the lesse beloued of God but rather the more according to that saying of the holy man Iob Iob 5.17 Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth And therefore not onely wise king Salomon Prou. 3.11 12. Heb. 12.5.6 7.8.9.10 11. and the holy Apostle Paul but also our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs that the Lord correcteth him whom hee loueth euen as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth Also the same Apostle telleth vs Reuel 3.19 that many of the children of God of the olde times were brought to such a pinch that they were bitten with pouertie and want Heb. 11.36.37.38 for they wandred saith he vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goates skins beeing destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth obnoxious vnto racking mocking scourging chaining imprisoning stoning hewing and slaying with the sword And what was the pouertie of Christ Iesus the Sonne of God in his birth life and death it is more then manifest 2. Cor. 8.9 for hee beeing rich as Lord of heauen and earth became poore for our sakes saith the Apostle that we through his pouertie might bee made rich Matth. 1.16.20 13.55 Hee was so poore in the time and manner of his birth that he was laid in a cratch Luk 2.4.5.6.7 Mark 6.3 euen in a stable among oxen and asses folded and swathed in clothes of little price The house wherein he was borne was a
ministers as disdaine to bee called by the name of priests but delight in new names and new opinions and would rather want tythes then be called priests to the end they may be vnlike vnto other Churches of Christendome and the Church-men thereof I wil say no more but that it is a great pittie that the Church of God should be troubled with such newfanglednesse and that any of Gods ministers should bee misse-led with such fond and friuolous yea vnministerly opinions As learned godly holy men as they are said to bee or thought to bee they are much deceiued if they doe thinke otherwise but that more learned more wise and holy Church-men haue bin called by the name of priests then they If the whole people of God be called a royall priesthood by the holy Apostle S. Peter 1. Pet. 2.9 Reuel 1.4 5 6 5.9 10. and if the blessed Apostle S. Iohn writing vnto the angels or bishops of the 7. Churches of Asia calleth them priests and if the 24. Elders in heauen call themselues priests finally Heb. 7.15 17 21 24 26 28 8.1 2.3 if Christ Iesus himselfe be called a priest yea an high priest which presupposeth that he hath priests vnder him for as much as euery high priest must haue his inferiours shall any of the ministers of the Gospel then bee ashamed to be called priests or shall any of them bee so fond as to disclaime tythes which are due to priests rather then to bee called by this honourable name of priest XIII And lastly the holy Apostle Paul not onely exhorteth Christians to remember them which haue the ouersight of them Heb. 13.7 and haue declared vnto them the word of God but also in expresse words hee enioyneth him that is taught in the word Galat. 6.6 to make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods The people must giue a part of their goods vnto their pastours and this part must either be equall vnto the Leuitical part or greater then it or else smaller To giue them a smaller were a most vnreasonable indiscretion a more then beastly ingratitude and if they will not bestow a greater then they must either giue an equall portion to that of the legall priests or else no portion at all Yea the iniunction of the Apostle beareth that the maintenance of the Euangelicall priests ought rather to be more then lesse then was that of the legall priests for they had a right vnto a tenth part of some certaine goods namely of fruits and of flocks but not of all their goods whatsoeuer or of the value thereof in money whereas the Euangelicall priestes ought to bee made partakers of all indifferently And truely 2. Cor. 3.6 7 8 6 10 11. looke how farre the ministery of the Gospel is more excellent then that of the Law so much the more ample liberall ought to bee the maintenance of the ministers of the Gospel then was that of the ministers of the tabernacle O how vgly then is the sinne of sacriledge that beareth neuerthelesse such a sway in this Isle O how horrible an iniquitie is it for men of might to pull out of Gods mouth the diet of the church to put it into their owne and to fill the bellies of their hounds and their horses with the meat of Gods ministers It is a sinne of that high nature that because of it God hath said vnto vs Malach. 3.9 10 11. as once he said vnto the people of Israel vpon the like occasion ye are cursed with a curse for ye haue spoiled me euen this whole nation and that he hath sometimes sent scarcenes of bread Amos 4 6 7 8 9 10. and cleannesse of teeth in our cities and townes sometimes hath with-holden the raine from vs when there were yet three months to the haruest and shut the windows of heauen vpon vs Isa 16 9 10. staied the raine til the fruits of the earth were destroyed with drought somtimes hath smitten our fruits with blasting mildew sent the palmer-worm to deuoure the fruits of our trees Hagg. 1.10 2.18 yea made our singing showting for ioy in haruest to cease made vs drunke with our tears for that the heauen aboue vs was stayed from dew and the earth vnder vs from yeelding her increase For this abhominable sinne God hath sometimes sent the pestilence amongst vs to rage in most violent manner to consume our bodies and the fire to burne and the water to ouerflow our townes lands houses and habitations In one word it is this horrible sin of sacriledge that hath ouerthrowne the strength and glory of diuers mighty and wealthy houses God in his most iust iudgement shutting such from their inheritance as were so audacious and bold as to robbe him of his Iob. 15.25.26 27. The sacrilegious God-spoyler is the man which as Iob speaketh hath stretched out his hand against God and made himselfe strong against the Almightie Therefore God shall run vpon him euen vpon his necke and against the most thicke part of his Shield because hee hath couered his face with his fatnesse and hath collopes in his flankes As if the holy man should say because this God-spoyling anti-god hath presumed to shut God from his inheritance and hath taken from him his tythes and hath made himselfe fat with Gods meate which hee hath pulled out of the hands and mouthes of his Ministers Ver. 29.30.31.32 34. therefore God shal bee auenged on him he shall not be rich alwaies neither shall his substance continue neither shall hee prolong the perfection thereof in the earth Hee shall neuer depart out of darknesse the flame shall dry vp his branches and hee shall goe away with the breath of his mouth His branch shall not be greene but shall be cut off before his day and the congregation of the hypocrite shall bee desolate And who is so great an hypocrite as the sacrilegious Church-robber who being an impure God-spoyler indeed will needs in the meane time be esteemed a pure Gospeller and one of the most precise professors of the reformed Church Hee may well make himselfe merry with the meate of Gods Ministers as prophane Balthasar did with the golden and siluer vessels of Gods house Dan. 5.1 2 3 4 5. Iob. 20.5 6 7 8.9 10. but he shall know in the end that the reioycing of the wicked shall take an end and as Zophar speaketh that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment Though his excellency mount vp to the heauen and his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall he perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say Where is he He shall flye away as a dreame and they shall not find him he shal passe away as a vision of the night so that the eie which had seene shall doe so no more and his place shall see him him no more As if he should say
vnderstand that all worship and honour is properly due vnto God that men whom God hath set in authority are to bee respected and reuerenced not for their person but for their place not for their owne sakes but for his sake whose seruants they are Reuel 1 6. And alwaies it becommeth them with the holy Prophet Saint Iohn to ascribe all the glory honour vnto him who hath made them Kings and Priests vnto God the father yea Kings themselues Psal 82 1 6. I meane the Kings and Monarkes of the earth whom God hath called Gods because they represent him most in power maiestie iustice mercy and bounty when as they are honoured of their subiects as God with prostration and adoration of the body supplication of the mouth and with illustrious and lofty compellations or yet with egregious and great commendations they must remember to giue all this honour they receiue at their subiects hands vnto God acknowledging themselues but as the conduit-pipes whereby all honour whatsoeuer all glory and praise is conueied vnto him to whom it most properly belongeth Otherwise God will be auenged on his little Gods for holding back of his honour from him Psal 107.40 Iob. 12.18 19 21. and hee that powreth contempt vpon Princes for contemning of him and looseth the coller of Kings yea and leadeth them as a prey for not praying and praising him will abate their honour and turne their glory into ignominie and their fame into shame as hee did in the behalfe of Herode Act. 12.21.22.23 of whom it is written that vpon a day appointed hee arraied himselfe in royall apparrell and sate on the iudgment seate and made an Oration vnto them and the people gaue a shout saying The voice of God and not of man But immediatly the Angell of the Lord smote him because hee gaue not glory vnto God so that hee was eaten of wormes and gaue vp the ghost This godlesse little God would not giue glory vnto the great God and therefore the highest creature in heauen and the lowest creature on earth conspired together to be auenged on him for his godlesse with-holding of Gods honour Thus hee that was a litle God and spake like a little God became a Theefe and robber of the glory of the great God and therefore died like a man yea like a beast so that the wormes eate vp his flesh One part of his flesh was turned into wormes and they preyed vpon the other part till hee gaue vp the ghost which fell into the hands of a worse worme then all the other wormes Isay 66 2◠euen a worme that neuer dieth but alwaies liueth and neuer leaueth eating Psal 2.10.11.12 And therefore let all Kings hearken vnto the exhortation and admonition of a King Be wise now therefore O Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling kisse the Sonne least hee bee angry and yee perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all that trust in him Acts 14.15 Lydia a seller of purple was a regular Student in this Arte shee feared God and worshipped him deuoutly shee heard the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles attentiuely shee beleeued stedfastly and was baptised also shee ministred vnto the necessities of the Saints liberally and God blessed her both with spirituall and temporall blessings aboundantly I wish that this godly woman should serue for a mirrour to all Merchants Prou. 31.10 c. and Salomons vertuous woman for a patterne to all good Christian huswiues Acts 9.43 10.32 Simon the Tanner practised the Rules of this Art hee feared God and entertained his seruants chiefly the chiefe of the Apostles Saint Peter who tarried many daies in his house he was likewise diligent in his calling and doubtlesse God blessed him with prosperity in a competent measure Onesiphorus was a man that feared God 2 Tim. 1.16 17.18 and refreshed his seruants namely the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles Saint Paul neither was hee ashamed of his chaine but when hee was at Rome hee sought him out very diligently and found him and in many things hee ministred vnto him at Ephesus Wherefore no doubt but it fared with him according to the holy Apostles prayer The Lord giue mercy vnto the house of Onesiphorus for hee oft refreshed mee and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought mee out very diligently and found mee The Lord grant vnto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord at that day And the same grace and mercy the same God graunt vnto all good men which resemble good Onesiphorus in giuing of their goods vnto the Ministers and poore members of Iesus Christ EXAMPLES OF SVCH As labouring to bee rich were Irregulars that is did not study nor practise the Rules of this Art and therefore haue beene both accursed and punished of GOD. Iosh 6.24 7. ACHAN was an irregular Student in the way of Enriching Hee feared not the Lord and walked not with an vpright heart before him but vpon a couetous desire hasted to bee rich by vnlawfull meanes euen by theft and sacriledge for he stole of the excommunicate thing at the ransacking of Iericho he stole euen of that part of the spoyles which the Lord had appointed to be set aside from a common vse and to bee put into the treasure of his house For hee stole a rich Babylonish garment and two hundreth shekles of siluer and a wedge of gold of fiftie shekles weight For this sinne of sacriledge the Lord punished the whole Israelites so that they were put to flight before their enemies and the hearts of their huge troupes melted away like water vntill the sacrilegious God spoyler was found out stoned to death and burned with fire both hee and his sonnes and his daughters his Oxen and Asses his sheepe and all that he had Now if God punished so exemplarily this sacrilegious stealth of Achan for coueting and conueying away a part of the spoiles which hee had appointed to bee put into the treasure of his house to serue for the garnishing and adorning thereof and for the necessary vses of his Priests shal we thinke that our sacrilegious Achans shall alwaies both here and hence escape vnpunished which with a strong hand haue robed the Lord of his own perpetual inheritance Acts 5. And if the Lord was so angry with Ananias and Sapphira for keeping backe but a part of the price of the possessions which they themselues of their owne accord had offered vnto God for the reliefe of his Saints that by the hand of his seruant Saint Peter in a sudden hee bereft them of their liues How shall he not be angry one day with our Church-robbers and God-spoyling Gospellers men an hundreth fold worse then Ananias for they are so far frō giuing any part at all of their lands or goods to Gods Ministers whereas Ananias gaue almost
THE GOLDEN ART OR The right way of Enriching Comprised in ten Rules proued and confirmed by many places of holy Scripture and illustrated by diuers notable examples of the same Very profitable for all such persons in Citie or Countrie as doe desire to get increase conserue and vse goods with a good conscience By. I.M. Maister in Arts. 1. Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low and exalteth ECCLESIASTIC 11.14 Prosperitie and aduersitie life and death pouertie and riches come of the Lord 2. Cor. 9.8 Yee know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that hee beeing rich for your sakes became poore that yee through his pouertie might be made rich LONDON Printed for William Leake and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Holy Ghost 1611. To the two most Famous Ancient and Opulent Sister-Cities of the Ocean-walled-world of Britaines Ile the Augustious Chambers of our most gracious King IAMES the Concorder and the first Christian Vniter thereof LONDON the Lady of Cities and Load stone of Strangers EDINBVRG the bright Eye of the North. And to the Honourable GOVERNOVRS ALDERMEN and SHERIFFES BAILLIES and DEANE of the Guild With the whole Worshipfull CORPORATIONS COMPANIES therof A Britaine for a perpetual testimonie of his obseruancy doth in right humble and hearty maner dedicate the Golden Art of Enriching being the first Art that euer was written vpon this subiect and likewise the first that euer was written originally in the Britannish Tongue IAMES MAXVVELL To the Right Honourable SIR WILLIAM CRAVEN Knight Lord Mayor of the Augustious Citty of LONDON and the flower of all Noble minded Merchants SIR IOHN ARNOT Knight Lord Prouost of the Royall City of EDINBVRGE and Collector of the Crowne-rents of Scotland All desirable Felicity Right Honourable I BEING of late in reuoluing and reuiewing the confused Masse of mine vnpolished papers among mine other exercises and essayes I found the proiect and platforme of this present Art and hauing taken some paines about the polishing and finishing thereof I was loath it should perish or yet lye any longer shut vp in the obscure corner of a coffer And therefore partly presuming and partly hoping that it might do some good vnto such as labour either to get goods with a good conscience or to vse their goods already gotten in a good and godly manner I was somuch the more willing to set it out to publicke veiw And because it was mine hap to prosecute my studies and to run my Philosophicall course in the Noble Citty of EDINBVRGE whereby my small capacity hath herein been furthered and my fortune to write and finish this present Arte in this famous Citty of LONDON where now I liue therefore I thought it my duty to dedicate the same vnto the foresaid two most Honourable Citties of this I le and that for a testimony of mine obseruancy and gratefull affection towards them both Being somuch the more moued to implore and imploy their honourable patronage therein as for because that the subiect thereof doth especially concerne Citties and Citizens and genenerally all such in Citty or country as labour to be rich in the right way In it truely is contained whatsoeuer thing the Sacred Scripture dispersedly doth afford concerning pouerty and riches and the vertues and vices which are incident or conuersant about the same Out of the which holy Booke I haue collected the whole rules reasons probations and exemplifications of this Arte and therfore I haue not amplyfied nor enlarged my discourse as I might haue done with the forraine stuffe of humane testimonies and that for these three reasons First because that the holy Scripture beeing diligently searched is no lesse-sufficient to shew a man the right way of Enriching then it is of Beleeuing that the reasons and testimonies thereof are of vncontroullable authority Secondly because I did foresee how that this Arte by such enlarging would arise to such a volume that it should bee both hardly reade ouer of rich men who haue too little time to peruse large bookes and hardly compassed or got of poore men who haue too little money to buy big bookes And lastly because it is my purpose God willing to discourse both Theologically and Philosophically in the Arte of Flying how that no lesle then these ten Schoolemaisters 1. Almighty God 2. The glorious Angels 3. The holy Pen-men of sacred Scripture Prophets and Apostles 4. The reuerend Doctors of the Church 5. The wise Philosophers of the Heathen 6. The Worlds frame in the Heauens Starres and Elements 7. The Fowles of the Aire 8. The Fishes of the Sea 9. The Beasts of the Field 10. And the creeping things of the earth do all of them coniunctly concurre to teach Man how to become a Bird of Paradise that is to say how to flie from all vices to all opposite vertues Accept therefore Right Honourable in good worth in the name of your foresaid two flourishing Citties the Golden Arte of Enriching such as it is being the first Arte that euer was written vpon this subiect yea and the first Arte that euer was originally written in the common language of this most noble I le and as I suppose the first booke that euer did beare this Vnionall kind of Dedication Grace it therefore with your fauourable visage and guarde it with your worthy patronage So shall it bee secured vnder your shadow and I encouraged to offer God-willing one day vnto the honour of these your two most Honourable Sister-citties our IAMES ANNA that is the patterne of a perfite Citty That which resteth is my thrise hearty wish vnto God who hath planted peace in your Borders Psal 147.13.14 strengthned your gates and satisfied you with the floure of wheate that it would be his gratious pleasure to crowne you more and more with all kind of Spirituall and Temporall blessings that your Sonnes may be as the plants Psal 144.12.13.14 growing vp in their youth and your Daughters as the corner-stones grauen after the similitude of a Palace Psal 65.9.10.11.12.13 that your corners may be ful and abounding with diuers sortes and the furrowes of your fieldes may be made soft with showers and filled with fatnesse That your pastures may be replenished with dewy grasse and clad with sheepe bringing forth thousands in your Territories together with kine sending forth the soft streames of sweet milke and likewise with oxen strong to labour your land That your vallies may be couered with corne Psal 132.15 Zach. 9.17 and your trees and orchards loaden with fruite so that your Poore may be satisfied with bread and your Yong-men and Maids for ioy may shoute and sing Psal 144 14. That there be no inuasion from without nor sedition from within nor no crying in your streetes Isay 23.58 and circumiacent townes That your Merchants may be as Princes and your Chapmen and Shopmen as the Nobles of the earth that
the right way of Enriching and haue bene punished of God Pag. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 200. XXXIII A description of the sinnes reigning of old in the Citties of Sodome Babel Tyrus Samaria and Ierusalem with the Authors hearty wish for the Felicity of the two most famous Citties of this Ile London Edinburgh Pag. 200. 101. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. A short forme of prayer very fit to be vsed of euery regular student in this Arte. 1. Sam. 2.7 LORD thou that art the giuer of riches and sender of pouerty incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies Psa 119.36 Pro. 30.8 9. and not to couetousnesse Giue me not pouerty nor riches too much feede mee with foode conuenient for mee lest I bee full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or least I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine Amen Errata PAg. 70. line 17. for gaine read gaine p. 109. l. 12. for wretchlesse read retchlesse p. 110. l. 10. for that read hath p. 111. l. 3. for free-parted read siue-parted p. 173. l. 1. for Elisha read Eliah p 185. l. 22. for vnit read vnion p. 201. l. 7. for wearing read swearing p. 203. l. 10. for cleere read clearer p. 211. l. 14. for maketh read made p. 212. l. 21. for name read day THE GOLDEN ART OR THE RIGHT way of Enriching The definition of this art The Golden art is the right way of getting increasing conseruing and vsing goods with a good conscience I. Rule The feare of the Lord and his blessing make the poore man rich and the rich man yet more rich Probation and declaration YE shall serue the Lord your God saith the Lord our God by his holy seruant Moses and he shall blesse thy bread and thy water Exod. 23.25 The land shal giue her fruit Leuit. 25 18.19 26.3.4.5.14.15.19.20 and ye shall eate your fill and dwell therein in safetie I will send you raine in due season and the land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the field shall giue their fruite and your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage and the vintage shall reach vnto the sowing time and ye shall eate your bread in plenteousnesse and dwell in your land safelie But if you will not obey me but breake my couenant I will make your Heauen as iron and your earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall your land giue her increase neither shall the trees of the land giue their fruite Deut. 8.17.18 Beware lest thou say in thine heart my power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance but remember the Lord thy God for it is hee which giueth thee power to get substance 7.12 13.14 For if ye hearkē vnto these lawes and obserue and doe them then the Lord thy God shall keepe with thee the couenant and the mercie which he sware vnto thy fathers and he will loue thee blesse thee and multiplie thee hee will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe and the fruit of thy land thy corne and thy wine and thine oile and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe and thou shalt be blessed aboue all people I will also giue raine vnto your land in due time 11.14.15 the first raine and the latter that thou maist gather in thy wheate and thy wine and thine oile also I will send grasse in thy fielde for thy cattell that thou maiest eate and haue enough 28.3.4.5.6.8.15.16.17.18.19 Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed also in the fielde blessed shall be the fruit of thy bodie and the fruit of thy ground the fruit of thy cattell the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe blessed shalt bee thy basket and thy dough blessed shalt thou bee when thou commest in and blessed also when thou goest out The Lord shall command the blessing to be with thee in thy storehouses and in all that thou settest thine hand to Deut. 30.9 The Lord will make thee plenteous in euery work of thine hand in the fruite of thy bodie and in the fruit of thy cattell and in the fruit of the land for thy wealth But if thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God to keepe and to doe his commandements 28.15.16.17.18.19.23.24.38.39.40.42 then cursed shalt thou be in all the things aforesaid The Lord saith the godly woman Anna the mother of holy Samuel in her song maketh poore 1. Sam. 2.7.8 and maketh rich bringeth lowe and exalteth hee raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glorie for the pillars of the earth are the Lords 1. Chron. 29.12 Psalm 113.7.8 107.36.37.38.41 25.12.13 The same thing saith the holy Prophet and godly King Dauid The soule of the man that feareth the Lord shall dwell at ease and his seede shall inherit the land Trust thou in the Lord and doe good 37.3.4.5.7.9.11.18.19.22.29.34 dwell in the land and thou shalt be fed assuredly Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine hearts desire commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him for they that waite vpon the Lord shall inherit the Land Meeke men shall possesse the earth and shall haue their delight in the multitude of peace The Lord knoweth the daies of vpright men and their inheritance shall be perpetuall They shall not be confounded in the perillous time and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off The righteous men shall inherit the land and dwell therein for euer waite thou on the Lord and keepe his way and hee shall exalt thee that thou shalt inherit the land Psalm 61.5 for hee wil giue an heritage vnto those that feare his name Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord 112.1.2.3 and delighteth greatly in his commandements his seede shall be mightie vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall bee blessed and his righteousnesse indureth for euer 128.1.2 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies when thou eatest the labours of thine hands thou shalt be blessed and it shall be well with thee The blessing of the Lord saith king Salomon Prou. 10.22 whom the Lord blessed both with wisdome and riches maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrowes to it 13.22 The good man shall giue inheritance vnto his childrens children but the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust The feare of
Euery man shall clappe their hands at him and hisse at him out of their place 20.6.7.29 Loe this is the portion of the godles rich man from God and the heritage that the man shall haue of God that is rich but not rich in God Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen and his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall hee not enter into heauen yea he shall be hurled not onely down from heauen but also out of the earth and shall perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say where is hee Though he be strong for a time prosper and florish like a greene bay as holy Dauid speaketh yet his armes and his branches shall be broken Psal 37.17.20.29.30 he and his prosperitie shall perish and melt away like the fat of Lambes whereas the righteous men that is such as feare God and eschew euill shall inherit the land for euer And thus I hope the obiection made against the infallibilitie of the first rule may be satisfied Now if a man that loueth to studie this art will aske what the feare of God is which openeth so wide a doore vnto a man to be rich and how such a man may be knowne Salomon 1. King 3.5.6.7.8 9.10 Eccles 3.14 12.13 Prou. 8.13 14.16 who was a man both rich and wise and one that feared God not only before but also after his fall in mine opinion will giue him satisfaction The feare of the Lord saith he is to hate euill A wise man feareth and departeth from euill Iob 1.1 28.28 and therefore it is said of Iob who was a wise man and a rich man both that hee feared God and eschewed euill and with all hee telleth vs that the feare of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding So then the feare of God is the hatred of euill and the man that hateth euill feareth God And a man may know him by this marke euen by his departing from euill and eschewing of sinne and good reason forsooth that a man who should loue God as the soueraigne good and would be loued of God that hee hate euill as the diuell that would make him hated of God The diuell is all made of euill for so hath he made himselfe by sinne and euill floweth from the diuell euen as God is all good and euery good thing is from God So that these vocables or words God and good diuell and euil are not so neere or like one another in sound as they are in substance And as wee must hate euill with our hearts so must wee depart from euill in our hands yea in the actions of our whole liues We must depart from euill that would make vs depart from God and God from vs for euer Wee must eschew the euill of sinne as we would eschew the euill of eternall shame and the horrors of hell Prou. 8.13 Salomon when he defineth the feare of God to bee the hating of euill mentioneth immediatly three capitall euils that a man must hate aboue all other pride the euil way and the mouth that speaketh lewde things Genes 18.27 Iob 10.9.10.11.12 25.6 1. Mac. 2.62 Ecclesiast 10.12 As for the euill of pride what greater pride or what greater euill can there bee then for man who is but a worme and the ordinarie repast of wormes euen dust and ashes and who holdeth his breath and all that he hath of God not to humble himselfe daily before his footestoole and to pray vnto him earnestly for grace and all good things and to praise him heartfully for such blessings as he hath bestowed vpon him whether in bodie or in soule or in both withall acknowledging all his felicitie to flow from him who as the Apostle S. Iames teacheth is the giuer of euery good and perfit gift from aboue Iames 1.17 And as for the other euill of the euill way good Lord what way can be more euill then for a man to doe his owne worldly will and his owne wicked way on the Lords day for a man I say to pollute the holy day of the holy One by following the worldly waies of profit and of pleasure and to steale away from him both his seruice and the day of his seruice which ought to be wholly spent and imployed in holines without which the Apostle saith Heb. 12.14 no man shall see God euen in the publike exercise of pietie towards God and of charitie and mercie towards man for Gods sake And as for the third euil of the mouth and tongue that speaketh lewde things what more lewde thing can the mouth of man vtter then to vse or rather abuse so irreuerently as the most part now adaies doe the adorable name of God to sweare almost at euery word by the same and by the blessed name of Iesus by his passion by his wounds and by his blood The holy Scripture willeth euery knee to bowe at the blessed name of Iesus Isai 45.23 Rom. 14.11 Phil. 2.10.11 in signe of reuerence and subiection for thereby we doe acknowledge him euen as hee is man to be our Soueraigne the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings and enioyneth euery tongue to confesse that he is the Lord 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26.27.28 Heb. 2.7.8 vnto the glorie of God the father who hath put downe all things vnder his feete But these lewde mouthed men will neither reuerence him with the bowing of the knee nor honour him with the confession and sanctification of the tongue Their knees will not honour the Sonne and their tongues wil needs dishonour both the Father and the Sonne Well let them be rich who will surely such as bee proud in Gods sight and will neither praise him nor pray vnto him and such as be prophaners of his holy name and of his holy day and will not sanctifie both they shall neuer be rich in God They may well gather goods but they shall not proue goods to them they shall not turne to their good neither shall they reape any good at Gods hand by them neither shall they remaine to them and theirs For only the feare of God which mother-vertue these men want is the fountaine of good goods and of durable riches Now the feare of God hath two branches the one is we must feare to offend him because he is our Father whom we must loue in the highest degree the other is when we haue offended him we must feare his furie and punishments because he is our Lord. Our feare must not be seruile or slauish such as is the bond-mans feare of his master which is onely and meerely because of punishment but our feare must bee filiall and sonly such as is the childrens feare of their father Psalm 2.11 as being loth to offend one whom we loue we must serue the Lord in feare and trembling we must feare to offend before we offend and when as through humane
to the sinners they are turned into euill So then this standeth sure that although foolish vnwise and ignorant men may be rich yet can they not bee rich in God For I haue now shewed Luke 12.15.16.17.18.19.20.21 his goods to him are not goods and his riches are not durable riches So saith Iesus the Sonne of God in the Gospell of that rich foole whose ground brought foorth fruits plenteously so that he was constrained to build bigger barnes to gather in his graines and his goods and reioycingly said to his soule Soule soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres eate drinke liue at ease and take thy pastime O foole saith our Sauiour this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided And thus shall it fare with the man that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God Euen with the man who hath gotten or increased goods with an euill conscience who hath goods and gold but wanteth goodnesse and godlinesse who is wise in the world but not wise in God Euen hee whose gold is his God whose house is his heauen whose bed is his Abrahams bosome whose boord is to him the banket of the Lambe whose praying is his playing whose almes-deeds are all misdeeds whose fasting is his feasting and in one word whose temporall fulnesse is his eternall felicitie As for the other part of the obiection touching the pouertie and need of many men that both feare God and are wise and endued with great vnderstanding and for the more full satisfaction thereof it is to bee considered that about pouertie and riches there doe occurre three diuers indeauours of men diuerslie disposed Some are voluntarie yoke-embracers others are voluntarie yoke-bearers and other some are voluntarie yoke-breakers and all the three orders are praisable though in a different degree The first two are properly students in the art of pouertie for there is a kind of pouertie that doth require both great skil and great courage to embrace it or to beare it as it should and ought to bee embraced or borne So that the rules and precepts of this art do not concerne them who are either willing embracers or patient bearers of pouerties yoke but onely the third kind who are yoke-breakers that is such as labour and studie to breake in peeces pouerties yoke and to wind themselues out of want by winning of wealth by their vertuous endeauours For this art teacheth a man not how to make himselfe poore for Christs sake which is an attempt and studie of an higher pitch but how to make himselfe rich in God and with a good conscience that hee may haue whereupon to impart vnto the poore for Christs sake And to speak a little more of the two first kinds of men the voluntarie yoke-embracers I call such as being rich doe willingly abandon their riches to embrace pouerties yoke either by forsaking all that they haue for Christs sake and the Gospell as in the times and places of persecution or by giuing away all that they haue or the most part vnto the poore for Christs sake and that in the time of peace and immunitie from persecution Matth. 5.20.22 19.27.28.29 Luke 12.33 Act. 2.44.45 4.34.35 Such rare men esteeming it their greatest glorie to resemble our Sauiour by making themselues poore that others by their pouertie may be made rich Euen as our blessed Iesus who was rich as heire of heauen and earth for our sakes became poore so poore that hee had not a house yea hardly a hole to hide his head in Matth. 8.20 Luke 9.58 2. Cor. 8.9 euen poorer then the birds of the heauen thē the swallow or the sparrow poorer then the foxes of the field and all this and more then this for our sakes that we who were poore through his pouertie might bee made rich And of such yoke-embracers and voluntarie poore men the primitiue Church had not a few but our age wherein deuotion is nigh dead and charity growne cold and perfection almost euery where turned into imperfection yea into defection hath but too few Now as for these men who seeth not but they must needs be poore though they feare God neuer so much and bee neuer so well accomplished for wisedome knowledge and good parts seeing they are such as will needs bee poore and will not bee rich The other kind of voluntarie poore men I call yoke-bearers who bee they neuer so godly and wise yet they may be and are ordinarily poore because they take not care to bee rich their chiefe studie being to beare the yoke of pouertie patiently with an inuincible courage fortitude of mind to learne to bee content with a little for the loue they beare vnto tranquillitie of mind as manie Philosophers and morall men haue done Heb. 11.26 and yet doe or else for the respect they haue to the eternal reward as many Ecclesiasticall and Churchmen haue done and yet doe And of this disposition are all those that notwithstanding their abilitie to follow a more gainefull calling as great as that of others and perhaps greater yet had rather decline and shunne the same in regard of the manifold toiles turmoiles and dangerous snares it is subiect vnto and betake themselues vnto a lesse gainefull calling so that it be not accompanied with so many headstrong tentations and entanglements as the other is enuironed with As for example a man that had rather follow the profession of Philosophie in the Academie for small gaines then follow the practise of physicke in the citie or countrie with much gaines Or a man that had rather play the physition and sauer of the sicke in the bed for little then the pleader of the ignorants cause at the barre for much For this second order of men consisteth for the most part of these two sorts of Philosophicall and liberall professours and of Ecclesiastical ministers which for the most part are poore though in the meane time they be both godly and wise and be appointed of God to teach and preach vnto men godlinesse and wisdome Psalm 84.10 These men are such that they had rather serue as doore-keepers in Gods house and want much then dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse and haue much Isai 55.1.2 Ezek. 47.1.7 Zachar. 13.1 Psalm 36.8.9 1. Cor. 3.1.2 Heb. 5.12.13.14 1. Pet. 2.2 Iohn 6 50.51 15.1 Matth. 26.26.27.28 1. Cor. 11 23.24 Reuel 2.17 3.18 22.2 They had rather keepe Gods Inne to sell vnto men without siluer the liuing waters that flow from the fountaine of life for the washing away of our fleshly filth and for the refreshing of our spirituall thirst to sell the pure milke of the principles of the word for the feeding of such as are babes in Christ and the strong meate of the harder and higher things of the same word for such as are more aged in Christ and the bread of the
though he were neuer so great and mighty a man that robbeth Gods Church yea though his height did reach vnto heauen yet for all his height shall he not enter into heauen but shall fall to the earth like his owne dung and his sacrilegious soule shall stinke more vilely then his dung amids hell flames His children shall flatter the poore Vers 10. and his hands shall restore his substance As if hee should say Because the father through pride and tyranny oppressed the poore and spoyled Gods Ministers therefore God shall make the posterity of that man for pouerty and want to beg at other poore folkes doores yea that thing which the sacrilegious father tooke away by violence his barnes shall be brought to restore againe by force Vers 15.16.17 Hee hath deuoured substance and hee shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his belly for to him it belongeth and in place thereof hee shall sucke the gall of aspes and the vipers tongue shall slay him that is his portion shall be with hypocrites and the generation of vipers for the old Serpent shall slay his soule he shall not see the riuers nor the floods and streames of hony and butter That is he shall not taste of the happinesse of the heauenly Canaan Hee on earth shut God from his inheritance on earth but in the end God shall shut him out of the earth and debarre him from heauen and hurle him headlong into hell Vers 18 19 20 21 22 23. He shal restore the labour and shall deuoure no more euen according to the substance shall bee his exchange and hee shall enioy it no more For hee hath vndone many hee hath forsaken the poore and hath spoyled houses which he builded not euen Church-mens houses yea Gods house and God himselfe hath hee spoyled Surely hee shall feele no quietnesse in his body neither shall he reserue of that which hee desired there shall none of his meate be left therefore none of his shall hope for his goods As if he should say because he would needs deuoure Gods meate and the dyet of his Ministers therfore God shall send the deuourer to deuoure his meate For when he shall bee filled with his aboundance that is with Gods portion and Church-mens prouision he shall bee in paine and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him that is because hee was so wicked as to stretch out his hand to spoyle God therefore God shall make many wicked mens hands to spoyle him He shall be about to fill his belly to wit with Gods Ministers meate but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath and shall cause to raine vpon him euen vpon his meat As if hee should say Ver. 14.15.16 Gods Ministers meate shall do him no good for God shall either draw it out of his belly or else he shall turne it into the gall of Aspes in the midst of him And not only shall God draw his meate out of the God-spoilers miserable belly Ver. 26.27.28.29 but he shall also draw his sacrilegious soule out of his deuouring body and it shall burne in the fire that is not blowne that is in hell fire that needeth no blowing The heauen shall declare his wickednesse for he was so impious as to spoyle the God of heauen and the earth shall rise vp against him for he was so vngracious as to robbe Gods Ministers and Vicegerents on earth the increase of his house shall goe away it shall flow away in the day of his wrath As if he should say the mans house that is increased builded or reared vp by the decrease and robbery of Gods house it shal not stand alwaies the grease and fatnesse of it shall flow away like water the pelfe and wealth thereof shall euanish and melt away like the fat of lambes or as doth the snow before the Sun Such is the portion of the wicked from God and the heritage that of GOD hee shall haue As if hee should say desolation and destruction in substance in body and soule shall bee the portion and heritage of all impenitent God-spoyling Gospellers men worse then idolaters which turne the true God into an Idoll as the other doe an Idoll into God and worship and feare neither true nor false deity A false God they know not and the true God they will not acknowledge for otherwise they would stand in awe to spoyle God of his portion and to bereaue him of his inheritance And therfore to shut vp this pleading for Gods Priestes let mee say vnto euery Student in this Art of Enriching that desireth to be rich heere and happie hence that which rich Zacheus promised to doe Luke 19.8 and practised at the time of his conuersion That euery man that hath taken from the Church or with-holden from the Church-men their tythes by sacrilegious impropriation and wicked vsurpation that hee restore with repenting Zacheus foure-fold or at least let him restore the principall stocke which he hath in his hands Let him I say listen vnto the morall exhortation of wise Salomon Prou. 3.9 Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruites of all thine increase so shall thy barnes be filled with aboundance and thy Presse shall flow ouer with new wine and to the precept of the most high vttered by the mouth of his prophet Malachie Bring euery tythe into the store-house Mallach 3.10.11.12 that there may be meate in mine house and proue me withall saith the Lord of hoasts if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you powre you out a blessing without measure And I will reproue the deuourer for your sakes and hee shall not destroy the fruit of the ground neither shall your vine be barren in the field saith the Lord of hoasts and all nations shall call you blessed because yee shall be a pleasant land IX Rule A man to whom God hath giuen riches and store ought to take his owne part thereof cheerefully so long as hee enioyeth the same yet so that in the meane time hee keepe himselfe from all excesse in dyet or apparrell all intemperancy luxurie superfluity drunkennesse gluttony and prodigality least God punish the abuse of his benefits with penury and pouerty Probation and declaration Eccles 9.7.8 GO eate thy bread with ioy saith Salomon and drinke thy wine with a cheerefull heart and let thy garments be white or neat for there is no profite to a man 2 24 25. 26. but that hee eate and drinke and delight his soule with the profite of his labour I saw also that this was of the hand of God Surely to a man that is good in his sight God giueth wisdome and knowledge and ioy but to the sinner he giueth paine to gather and to heape to giue to him that is good before God When goods increase 5.10.16.17.18.19 they are increased that eate them And this is also an euill sicknesse that all his
becommeth miserable both heere and hence and this is that which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.10 That drunkards and gluttons shall not inherit the kingdome of God Heauen as great and wide as it is cannot hold a glutton nor harbour a drunken head Gods kingdome hath no roome to receiue a belly-god Reu. 21.21 Euery gate of the heauenly Ierusalem is of one pearle saith Saint Iohn how then should a belly-god whose head is a hogs-head of drinke and whose belly is a buriall place of so much meate how should such a big body and such a swolne soule enter at so narrow a gate Get in then who will into the kingdome of God a belly-god cannot get in The Christian that would bee rich must likewise beware of excesse and all pompousnes of apparell Eccles 11.4 Bee not proud of clothing and rayment saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach and exalt not thy selfe in the day of honour Luke 16.19 And the holy Euangelist telleth vs or rather our blessed Sauiour Iesus the Sonne of God that the damned rich glutton was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day 1. Tim. 2.9 10. 1. Pet. 3.3 And the blessed Apostle as knowing how that women are more subiect vnto this fault of excesse in apparel then ordinarily men are and how that thereby both pride in their hearts is nourished intemperancie and daintinesse cherished and the substance of the house much diminished hee enioyneth them that they aray themselues in comely apparel with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broyded haire or gold or pearle or costly apparell but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God with good workes and with a meek and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by Iam. 2.1 2 3 4. And the Apostle S. Iames willeth vs to make no reckoning of a man for his gold ring and his goodly apparel nor yet to despise the poore and modest man for his course and slender array Psal 147.10 11 as the Lord hath no pleasure in the strength of a horse neither delighteth in the legs of man but onely in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercie so hee hath no pleasure in the brauerie and beautie of apparell neither delighteth he in the costlinesse and curiositie of cloathing God seeth not as man seeth 1. Sam. 16.7 for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart God looketh not to the decking and arraying of the body but to the decking and adorning of the minde Sack-cloth liketh him better then sattin or silke 2. King 1.8 Mark 1.6 Luk. 7.25 16.19 hee is more delighted with the hairecloth of Eliah of Iohn Baptist then with the soft and silken raiment of courtiers or with the purple and fine linnen of Diues The king of Niniue lying vpon the earth Ionah 2.6 Act. 12.21 22 23. couered with sack-cloth and sitting in ashes found mercy with God whereas Herod sitting in his throne arraied in royall apparell was smitten by an angel and eaten vp of wormes Thus wee see how displeasing vnto God and how hurtfull vnto man this vice of excesse is whether in diet or apparell and how that it is an enemie both vnto mans prosperitie on earth and his felicitie in heauen It shutteth him out of his inheritance on earth and bereaueth him of his inheritance in heauen And this is not all the euill that commeth by excesse for God oftentimes punisheth the whole citie the countrey yea the whole kingdome with scarcitie and famine for this abuse of his benefit Woe vnto them saith the Prophet Isaie that are mighty to drinke wine Isa 5.11 12 13 22. and to them that are strong to powre in strong drinke therefore they are men famished and the multitude thereof is dried vp with thirst They lie vpon beddes of Iuorie saith the Prophet Amos and stretch themselues thereupon Amos 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. they eate of the lambes of the flocke and the calues out of the stall they sing to the sound of the violl they inuent to themselues instruments of musicke they drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselues with the chiefe oyntments and therefore their sorrow is at hand saith the prophet and that so much the more in that they vsed this excesse in a time when as they ought to haue beene rather sorie for the affliction of Ioseph that is of their brethren Ioel. 1. whereof now many were slaine and carried away captiue And the Prophet Ioel soundeth into their eares this exhortation and commination Awake ye drunkards and weepe howle all ye drinkers of wine because of the new wine for it shall be pulled from your mouth As if he should say yee drunkards that lie snorting and sleeping in your beds of downe awake and ye that vse to quaffe and swill vpon your knees doing worship to Bacchus like idolaters or to your owne bellies like belly-gods arise and all ye that bee merrie begin to mourne and turne your lowd laughing into lamenting your harping into howling for the new wine the strong drinke and the daintie cheere which ye doe abuse in this maner shall be pulled from your mouthes and not onely from yours but also from many other mouthes for your sakes For behold the vine and the new wine is dried vp the oyle is decayed the corne is destroyed the field is wasted the fruits of the ground are eaten vp by the palmer-worme the grashopper and the caterpiller the trees of the field are withered the seed is rotten vnder the clods the garners are destroyed and the barnes broken downe the pastures of the wildernesse are burned vp and the springs of water dried vp so that the heards of cattle the flocks of sheepe doe pine away for want of pasture and the beasts of the field doe crie and mourne for lacke of water Ierem. 14.3 4 5 6. yea the whole land mourneth And as the Prophet Ieremie speaketh the ground is destroyed for want of raine the plowe-men are ashamed and couer their heads the Hind also calueth in the field and forsaketh it for lacke of grasse Thus it appeareth manifestly how horrible a sinne excesse is and how Almightie God is wont to punish the abuse of his benefits with famine scarcenesse penurie and indigence When men in their aboundance wil needs play the beasts God will be auenged both on them and on the beasts for their cause yea he will change their diet and send them to feed with the beasts So that they shall bee faine for extreame famine to eat the grasse of the field and gnawe the barke and roots of the trees and to drinke the water of the flood that the table of beasts may teach them not to play the beasts any more in abusing Gods good creatures to excesse And good reason forsooth that such as will needes liue riotously and quaffe and swill vpon their knees should be brought
Apostles haue feruent charity among you for charity couereth the multitude of sins Be ye harborous one to another without grudging Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another Math. 5 42. Luk 6.30.35.36.38 as good disposers of the manifold grace of God Giue vnto him that asketh saith our Sauiour and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away Loue your enemies do good and lend looking for nothing againe and your reward shall be great and ye shall bee the children of the most high for he is kind vnto the vnkind good vnto the euill Be ye therfore mercifull as your father also is mercifull Giue and it shall bee giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue vnto your bosome for with what measure ye mete with the same shal men men mete to you againe Math. 5.7 Math. 10.42 Marke 9.41 Blessed are the merciful for they shal obtain mercy Whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple verily I say vnto you hee shall not loose his reward Math. 6 19 20 21 Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the Moath and Canker corrupt and where theeues digge through steale but lay vp treasures for your selues in Heauen where neither the Moath nor Canker corrupteth and where theeues neither dig through nor steale for where your treasure is there will your heart be also Sell that ye haue and giue almes Luk. 12.33 14.12.13 14 16.9 make you bagges which waxe not olde a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when yee shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations And when thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors lest they also bid thee again a recompense be made thee But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lame and the blind and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Matth. 25.34 35 36 40 41 42 43 46. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drink I was a stranger ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed mee I was sicke and ye visited mee I was in prison and ye came vnto me verely I say vnto you in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me Then shall hee say vnto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels for I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and yee gaue mee no drinke I was naked and yee cloathed mee not I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was sicke and in prison and yee visited mee not Verely I say vnto you in as much as yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee If this be true which the Truth hath both said and saieth he shall say then truely many Christians of this last age in Gods account are accursed and many of the men of these last daies must needs go at the last day into euerlasting fire Euen as many as doe now refuse to feed and refresh to cloth and to lodge to visit to comfort Christ Iesus liuing or rather dying daily amongst vs in the persons of poore needie sicke and comfortlesse men Charitie is growne so cold in these last daies that Christ may well wander through our streets wee will not bring him in hee may stand crying at our doors and starue of hunger cold for fault of food and clothes we will neither fill his bellie nor couer his backe hee may lie sicke and sore in the high way and in the corners of our townes we will not build him an hospitall or if we doe it is so little it can hardly lodge him or hold him neither will wee take the paines to goe see him there to cause minister him medicine to bind vp his wounds to cure his sores and to comfort him in his anguish He may for vs lie in prison with fetters on his feet and yet the mercilesse rich man that hath put him in prison will not proue the deliuerer and set him free nor yet will one or moe rich men prooue the redeemer and pay his debts that he may be set at libertie Yea hee may lie dead at our doores or in the high streets and scarcely will we burie him or if we burie him we will be ashamed to accompany him to the buriall place hee is in his members so abiect and contemptible in our eies Euery man findeth out some one excuse or other to cloake and to couer this his coldnesse of charitie The man that hath much and may giue much almes saith hee hath so much adoe with it for other vses that hee cannot spare any part thereof to releeue the poore Christ in heauen I wot well saith hee hath enough and needeth none of my goods and if he were on earth stood in need I would not stand to bestowe vpon him all that I haue And this may suffice On the other hand the man that hath little and yet not so little but that he might impart a little thereof vnto such as haue lesse then he saith he hath little enough for himselfe So that betweene these two sorts of men haue they much or haue they little Christ can haue nothing at all For both of them pretend that they haue too little for themselues too little meate for their owne bellies and therefore Christ must be hungrie too little drinke for their owne mouthes and therefore Christ must bee thirstie too little cloathing for their owne backes and therefore Christ must goe vncouered except hee be couered with ragges too little money in their purses and therefore Christ must be still in prison vnredeemed Thus then all plead they haue too little no than is found that thinketh he hath much or too much And yet Salomon thought Prou. 30 8 that a man might haue too much when hee prayed vnto the Lord not to giue him too much And truely if the man hath too much burthen on his backe when he doth not onely vnder it bow but also breake and if the ship hath too much loading when not onely shee drinketh the salt sea but also sinketh therein then truely that man hath too much riches when his loue of them confidence in them and care for them make the backe of his soule cracke or make the ship of his
Prophet Ieremie complaineth Ierem. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.25 26 27 28. that in Ierusalem iustice and iudgement were not executed no not for the fatherlesse the widow and the poore And that their fulnesse was accompanied with adulterie and whoredome for they assembled themselues by companies in the harlots houses so that their yong men spent the day-time in wine and the night-time they spent in venerie Also amongst them were found wicked persons entrappers setters of snares and makers of pits to catch men As a Cage is full of birdes so were their houses full of deceit 6.13 8.10 and thereby they became great waxed rich fat and shining From the least to the greatest they were generally giuen to couetousnesse 9 3.4 5 6 7 8 9. and from the Prophet euen to the Priest they all dealt falsely Yea they did bend their tongues like their bowes for lies euery one did deale deceitfully and they taught their tongues to speake lies Ezek. 22.7.12.13.27.29.31 Also the Prophet Ezekiel complaineth of the like enormities of the oppressing of strangers of vexing the fatherlesse and the widow of taking of gifts of spoyling the poore of taking of vsurie and the encrease of defrauding their neighbours by extortion and such other courses of their couetousnesse and loue of lucre Therefore saith the Lord I haue smitten mine hands vpon thy couetousnesse that thou hast vsed I haue powred out mine indignation vpon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath their own waies haue I rendred vpon their heads Ierem. 9.15 15.1 2 3 4. Behold I will feed this people with wormewood saith the Lord and giue them waters of gall to drinke Such as are appointed to death vnto death such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captiuitie to the captiuitie I will appoint ouer them foure kindes the sword to slaie the dogges to teare in peeces the fowles of the heauen to deuoure and the beasts of the field to destroy 24.10 29.16 17 18. I will scatter them also in all kingdomes of the earth And vpon them that goe not into captiuitie I will send the sword the famine and the pestilence and will make them like naughtie figges that cannot be eaten they are so naughtie I will make them a terrour to all kingdomes of the earth and a curse and astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all the nations Isay 24. Thus the Lord for the sinnes of his people made their land emptie and waste scattered the inhabitants and made them desolate spoyled the rich debased the proud weakened the mightie and powred contempt vpon their princes He made the earth to defraud them of their bread and the vine to withdrawe from them their drinke and instead of sweet wine 51.17 18 19 20. Habbak 2.15 16. that maketh the heart glad hee reached them a cup of sowre wine that maketh their hearts sad euen the vineger of his wrath the cup of trembling the cup of his right hand that is a cup of strong drinke which hee made them to drinke out dregs and all in recompence of their early rising to follow drunkennesse This cuppe was so strong that it brought the strongest powrer in of strong drinke soone vpon his backe and turned the drunkards glorie in drinking into shamefull spewing Thus finally the Lord turned Ierusalems ioy into woe her solace into sorrow her mirth into mourning her laughing into lamenting her feasting into fasting her fulnesse into famine her aboundance into indigence her plentie into penurie her glorie into shame her praise into reproach her blessednesse into cursednesse her honour into hissing her triumphs into terrour her statelinesse into astonishment her security into ieopardy her libertie into captiuity Thus I say hee smote her gate with destruction and her Citizens with desolation Conclusion Thus you see most noble Cities what hath beene the fortune and fall of a most noble Citie and a citie if euer any in the wide world beloued of God yee see the greatnesse of her desolation and that her great sinnes for commonly in great Cities dwell great sinnes did occasion the same Considering the which my thrise hearty wish vnto God for you is that her desolation may serue for your edification and her lamentable destruction may be vnto you a profitable instruction That auoiding and shunning her sins and all kinde of enormous and heinous impietie all sacriledge idololatrie pride adulterie couetousnesse crueltie deceit briberie extortion oppression vsurie and vnmercifulnesse to the poore Finally all prophanation of Gods holy name by vnreuerent and vnrespectfull naming thereof by swearing and forswearing and all vnhallowing of his holy name in whole or in part by flying from the congregation and following our owne waies of profite and of pleasure and forsaking the Lords waies of piety and of charitie yee may likewise escape her plagues ye may be free from her wormwood bread her waters of gall her famine her sword her pestilence her captiuity her scattering her reproach her astonishment her shame her seruitude her desolation and destruction That so right noble and flourishing Cities yee may long continue noble and long flourish in piety and prosperity your Citizens and inhabitants may be long rich and euery day more and more rich both in goods and goodnesse that being rich in God heere on earth yee may be rich with God hereafter in heauen And that this Art may end whereas it did begin euen at God who as he is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the ending of all things so me thinketh is it good reason that he be the Alpha and the Omega of this Art Psal 119.36 Let euery man that desireth to see good things pray to God with good King Dauid Lord incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnesse Prou. 30.8.9 And with wise King Salomon his sonne Giue me not pouertie nor riches too much Feede mee with food conuenient for me least I bee full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least I bee poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine Amen FINJS
make emptie the hungrie soule and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile for the weapons of the churle are wicked Hee deuiseth wicked counsels to vndoe the poore with lying words and to speake against the poore in iudgement but the liberall man will deuise of liberall things and hee will continue his liberalitie 33.1 Woe to thee that spoilest and wast not spoiled and doest wickedly and they did not wickedly against thee when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt bee spoiled when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedlie they shall do wickedly against thee The Lord looked for iudgement 5.7.8.9 but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a crying Woe vnto them that ioyne house to house and lay field to field till there bee no place that yee may bee placed by your selues in the middest of the earth This is in mine eares saith the Lord of hosts surelie many houses shall bee desolate euen great and faire without inhabitant As a cage is full of birds saith the Prophet Ieremie so are their houses full of deceit Ier. 5.27.28.29 thereby they are become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat and shining they doe ouerpasse the deeds of the wicked They execute no iudgement no not the iudgement of the fatherlesse yet they prosper though they execute no iudgement for the poore Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule bee auenged on such a Nation as this 22.13 Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers without equitie he vseth his neighbour without wages and giueth him not for his worke Let it suffice you O Princes of Israel saith the Lord by his Prophet Ezekiel leaue off crueltie and oppression Ezek. 45.9 and execute iudgement and iustice take away your exactions from my people saith the Lord. Also the Lord complaineth by his Prophet Amos very earnestly of such as turne iudgement to wormewood Amos 5.7 and leaue off righteousnesse in the earth They haue turned iudgement into gall saith hee the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood That is in stead of iustice and mercie they exercise oppression and crueltie Ierem. 8.14 9.15 And therefore what maruell though the Lord gaue them water with gall to drinke and fed them with wormewood 23.15 Woe vnto them saith the Prophet Micah that imagine iniquitie Micah 2.1.2 3.2.3.9.10.11.12 and worke wickednesse vpon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because their hand hath power and they couet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house euen man and his heritage They hate the good and loue the euill they plucke off their skinnes from them and they breake their bones and chop them in peeces as for the pot and as flesh within the caldron They abhorre iudgement and peruert all equitie They build vp Sion with blood and Ierusalem with iniquitie The heads thereof iudge for reward and the priests thereof teach for hire and the Prophets thereof prophesie for money Therefore shall Sion for your sake bee plowed as a field and Ierusalem shall bee an heape and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forest The Prophet Habakuck complaininglie crieth vnto the Lord in this manner Habbak 1.1.2.3.4.13.14.15.16.17 Why doest thou shew me iniquitie and cause me to behold sorow for spoilings and violence are before mee and there are that raise vp strife and contention Therefore the Law is dissolued and iudgement doth neuer goe forth for the wicked doe compasse about the righteous therefore wrong iudgement proceedeth Thou O God art of pure eies and canst not endure to see euill thou canst not behold wickednesse wherefore doest thou looke vpon the transgressors and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee and makest men as the fishes of the sea and as the creeping things that haue no ruler ouer them They take vp all with the angle they catch it in their net and gather it in their yarne whereof they reioyce and are glad Therefore they sacrifice vnto their net and burne incense vnto their yarne because by them their portion is fat and their meate plenteous Shall they therefore stretch out their net and not spare continuallie to slay the nations Ho 2.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12 hee that increaseth that which is not his how long That is to say the man that enlargeth his desire as hell and is as death and cannot bee satisfied but gathereth and heapeth vnto himselfe al things as the Prophet speaketh in that same place how long shall hee continue his oppression And hee that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay shall they not rise vp suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall stirre thee and thou shalt bee their pray because thou hast spoiled many nations all the remnant of the people shall spoile thee because of mens blood and for the wrong done in the land in the Citie and vnto all that dwel therein Ho he that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that hee may set his nest on high to escape from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying many people and hast sinned against thine owne soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answere it Woe vnto him that buildeth a towne with blood and erecteth a citie by iniquitie I will visit saith the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah all those which fill their masters houses by crueltie and deceit Zephan 1.9.12.13 and the men that are frozen in their dregges Their goods shall bee spoiled and their houses waste they shall also build houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant vineyards but not drinke the wine thereof Execute true iudgement saith the Lord by his Prophet Zecharie and shew mercie and compassion euery man to his brother Zechar. 7.9.10 and oppresse not the widow nor the fatherlesse the strangers nor the poore and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in his heart For I will come neere to you to iudgement saith the Lord by his Prophet Malachie and I will bee a swift witnesse against false swearers Malach. 3.5 against those that keepe backe wrongfully the hirelings wages and vexe the widow and the fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not me Behold saith Saint Iames the hire of the labourers Iames 5.4 which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts Luke 6.24 And as vnto such vngodly and vniust rich men Christ Iesus doth pronounce a terrible woe so the holie Apostle threatneth fearefullie wicked rich men in this manner Go to now saith hee to them weepe and howle for your miseries