Again, if Magistrate, Minister, or Master, or any other man, by exercising or executing the duties of love, have won the hearts of the people, and gotten a good name, among them: then, in his sickness they will pray for him, they will visit him, and they will bear with him a part of his grief. Again, what can be more comfortable to a man, then this? This will glad him at the hart, and this will turn his bed in all his sickness: in poverty also he is most & sonest holpen, which hath the best name, and hath obtained through virtue, most favour with men: for, good men do consider their own cause in him; therefore are most ready to help him: the evil and ungodly men, although they bare him no great goodwill, yet they are forced to help him, partly, because his godly life doth witness unto their souls, that ⟨image 6⟩he doth deserve to be holpen, & partly, because the Lord doth turn their hearts to favour him. The Widow therefore that came to Elisha for help, used this argument to persuade Elisha, O man of God, saith she, my husband is dead, and dyed in debt, but he feared God: therefore help, I pray thee, seeing the creditors are come: and immediately Elisha did help her. On the other side, if a man be evilly reported of, if he be a thief, an adulterer, an atheist, an idolater, a riotous person, or a man of hard dealing; if such a man be once brought to some low sail, if he once fall into poverty and need, then the hearts of men are shut up against him, no man doth pity him, & all men will see, and say, that his own sin is brought upon him: and this hath the testimony of the Prophets, who did often threaten such kind of punishment to ungodly men, so that no man shall say, ⟨image 6⟩Ah my father, or, ah my mother: but the whole should be glad of their departure. This did the heathen people see in some part, and therefore all of them did greatly desire a good name: and as every one of them excelled in strength, and in courage, or in wit, or any kind of knowledge, so they did labour by that thing, to get some credit to themselves. And to conclude this point, though a man have many good things in him, though a Magistrate do fear God greatly, though a Minister be excellent in many points, though a Physician or Lawyer be skilful in their profession, yet if they have not a good name, they can do little good with their gifts.
Agayne, if Magistrate, Minister, or Maister, or any other man, by exerciseing or executing the dueties of loue, haue won the hartes of the people, and gotten a good name, among them: then, in his sicknes they wyll pray for him, they will visite him, and they will beare with him a part of his griefe. Agayne, what can be more comfortable to a man, then this? This wyll glad him at the hart, and this wyll turne his bed in all his sicknes: in pouertie also he is most & sonest holpen, which hath the best name, and hath obteyned through vertue, most fauour with men: for, good men do consider their owne cause in him; therefore are most ready to helpe him: the euyl and vngodly men, although they bare him no great goodwill, yet they are forced to helpe him, partly, because his godly lyfe doth witnes vnto their soules, that ⟨image 6⟩he doth deserue to be holpen, & partly, because the Lord doth turne their hartes to fauour him. The Widowe therefore that came to Elisha for helpe, vsed this argument to perswade Elisha, O man of God, sayth she, my husbande is dead, and dyed in debt, but he feared God: therfore helpe, I pray thee, seeing the creditours are come: and immediately Elisha did helpe her. On the other side, yf a man be euilly reported of, yf he be a theefe, an adulterer, an athist, an idolalour, a riotous person, or a man of hard dealing; if such a man be once brought to some low sayle, if he once fall into pouertie and neede, then the hartes of men are shut vp agaynst him, no man doth pittie him, & all men will see, and say, that his owne sinne is brought vppon him: and this hath the testimony of the Prophets, who did often threaten such kinde of punishment to vngodly men, so that no man shall say, ⟨image 6⟩Ah my father, or, ah my mother: but the whole should be glad of their departure. This did the heathen people see in some part, and therefore all of them did greatly desire a good name: and as euery one of them excelled in strength, and in corage, or in wit, or any kind of knowledge, so they did labour by that thing, to get some credite to thēselues. And to conclude this poynt, though a man haue many good thinges in him, though a Magistrate doe feare God greately, though a Minister be excellent in many poyntes, though a Phisitian or Lawyer be skilfull in their professiō, yet if they haue not a good name, they can doe lytle good with their gyftes.
