The Practice of Piety

For, I was hungry, &c] O the Goodness of Christ, who takes notice of all the good-works of his Children to reward them! How great is his love to poor Christians, who takes every work of mercy done to them, for his sake, as if it had been done to himself! Come ye to me, in whom ye have believed, ^*before ye saw me, and whom ye have loved, and sought for with so much devotion, and through so many tribulations. Come now, from labour to rest: from disgrace, to glory: from the jaws of ⟨p. 173⟩death to the joys of eternal Life. For my sake ye have been ^*rai•ed upon, reviled, and cursed. But now it shall appear to all those cursed Esaus, that you are the true Jacobs, that shall receive your heavenly Fathers blessing, and blessed shall you be. Your ^*fathers▪ mothers, and nearest kindred forsook, and cast you off, for my Truths sake, which you maintained: but now ^*my Father will be unto you a Father, and you shall be his Sons and Daughters for ever. You were cast out of your lands and livings, and forsook all for my sake, and the Gospel: But that it may appear that you have not lost your gain, but gained by your loss: in stead of an ⟨p. 174⟩earthly inheritance and possessions, you shall possess with me the inheritance of my heavenly Kingdom: where you shall be for love, sons; for birth-right, heirs; for dignity, Kings; for holiness, Priests: and you may be bold to enter into the possession thereof now, because my Father prepared and kept it for you, ever since the first foundation of the world was laid.

For, I was hungry, &c] O the Goodnesse of Christ, who takes notice of all the good-workes of his Children to reward them! How great is his loue to poore Christians, who takes euery worke of mercy done to them, for his sake, as if it had beene done to himselfe! Come yee to me, in whom yee haue beleeued,