The second use hereof is to exhort and incite us to a diligent practise of those good duties that God requireth of us;1 and not to content our selves with a bare forbearance of evil, but to apply our selves to a careful and conscionable performance of all such religious offices as our callings either general or special, public or private, exact of us. For would any of us endure idleness & slothfulness in our servants, though never so honest or innocent otherwise? But we are Gods servants: and no more will he endure the like in us, then we would in them. And therefore not only tthe riotous and wasteful Steward, that embezzled his masters goods; but uthe idle and thriftless Servant also, that employed not his masters money, shall be bound hand and foot, and cast out into utter darkness to his everlasting destruction. The messenger of God, xif he deliver not Gods message, though he teach no false doctrine, yet because he teacheth not at all, may bring a woe upon himself. yWoe unto me, ⟨p. 12⟩saith the Apostle, if I preach not the Gospel. And, zGo and speak to them, saith God to Jeremiah, all that I command thee, or else I will destroy thee. So that Gods Minister may *damn himself as well by his silence, and by saying nothing, as by soothing men up in their sins. aIf he hold but his peace, as others may perish by him, so he may perish with them, he may perish for them. And the ministers of justice, not only if they do injustice, but if they do not justice, (and yet that is a kind of injustice too) may draw down Gods judgements upon the whole state. bExecute judgement betimes, saith God, and deliver those that are spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go forth like wild-fire, that no man can quench. And the rich, that God hath blessed with temporal estates, though they rob not Lazarus, yet if they relieve him not, if they be not cready to communicate, when the necessities of Gods Church and children require it, may have their part for their unmercifulness with dthe rich glutton in hell fire.
The second vse hereof is to exhort and incite vs to a diligent practise of those good duties that God requireth of vs;1 and not to content our selues with a bare forbearance of euill, but to applie our selues to a carefull and conscionable performance of all such religious offices as our callings either generall or speciall, publike or priuate, exact of vs. For would any of vs endure idlenesse & slothfulnesse in our seruants, though neuer so honest or innocent otherwise? But we are Gods seruants: and no more will he endure the like in vs, then we would in them. And therefore not only tthe riotous and wastfull Steward, that embecilled his masters goods; but uthe idle and thriftlesse Seruant also, that employed not his masters money, shall be bound hand and foot, and cast out into vtter darknesse to his euerlasting destruction. The messenger of God, xif he deliuer not Gods message, though he teach no false doctrine, yet because he teacheth not at all, may bring a woe vpon himselfe. yWoe vnto mee, ⟨p. 12⟩saith the Apostle, if I preach not the Gospell. And, zGoe and speake to them, saith God to Ieremy, all that I command thee, or else I will destroy thee. So that Gods Minister may *damne himselfe as well by his silence, and by saying nothing, as by soothing men vp in their sinnes. aIf he hold but his peace, as others may perish by him, so he may perish with them, he may perish for them. And the ministers of iustice, not only if they doe iniustice, but if they doe not iustice, (and yet that is a kinde of iniustice too) may draw downe Gods iudgements vpon the whole state. bExecute iudgement betimes, saith God, and deliuer those that are spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my furie goe forth like wild-fire, that no man can quench. And the rich, that God hath blessed with temporall estates, though they rob not Lazarus, yet if they releeue him not, if they be not
- 1Use 2.Vse 2.
- tLuk. 16.1, 2.
- uMatth. 25.30.
- xEx Socratico decreto, non minus peccatum tacere •eritatem, quam lequi falsitatem. Petrus Cant. verb. abbreu. c. 90.
- y• Cor. 9.16.
- zJer•m. 1.17.Ier•m. 1.17.
- *De silentio suo damnabitur. Bern. de temp. Et Aug. homil. 28. In magno sum non periculo, sed exitio const•tutus, si ta•uero.
- aEzech. 3.18. L•gatur Amb•os. epist. 29.
- bJer. 21.12.Ier. 21.12.
- c1 Tim. 6.19, •0.
- dLuk. 16.24.
