A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

Islands are the richest soils, therefore Islanders are held the most riotous people. We lie at the dugs of a most fruitful mother, repose our selves in her indulgent bosom: we live in as dangerous a place for prosperity as Sodom: and as the fattest earth is most slippery for footing, we had need of special grace at every turn, and urgent cause to pray for that grace, that in the midst of all abundance we may not want temperance.^b Agurs prayer is no Paradox; Give me neither poverty, […] riches: both extremes are dangerous, but the greater peril is in the excess, than defect. Let us pray with Saint Paul, that we may know how to want: but especially that we may know how to be full and abound in all things. The Prayers of our Church have it, let our understandings mark it, and our hearts implore it, And time of our wealth good Lord deliver us. When God himself tells us, how hard it is to be made happy, by being made wealthy; and we see by experience, how common a precipice it is to destruction; we find cause to redouble that petition, In al• time of our wealth good Lord deliver us.

Ilands are the richest soiles, therefore Ilanders are held the most riotous people. We lie at the dugs of a most fruitfull mother, repose our selves in her indulgent bosome: we live in as dangerous a place for prosperity as Sodome: and as the fattest earth is most slippery for footing, we had need of speciall grace at every turne, and urgent cause to pray for that grace, that in the midst of all abundance we may not want temperance.^b Agurs prayer is no Paradoxe; Give me neither povertie, 〈…〉 riches: both extremes are dangerous, but the greater perill is in the excesse, than defect. Let us pray with Saint Paul, that we may know how to want: but especially that we may know how to be full and abound in all things. The Prayers of our Church have it, let our understandings marke it, and our hearts implore it, And time of our wealth good Lord deliver us. When God himselfe tells us, how hard it is to bee made happy, by being made wealthy; and we see by experience, how common a precipice it is to destruction; we find cause to redouble that petition, In al• time of our wealth good Lord deliver us.