AS thou returnest home, or when thou art entered into thy house, meditate a little while upon those things, which thou hast heard. And as the clean beasts which chew the cud:1 so must thou bring again to thy remembrance, that which thou hast heard in the Church. And then kneeling down, turn all to a prayer, beseeching GOD to give such a blessing to those things, which thou hast heard: that they may be a direction to thy life; and a consolation unto thy Soul:2 for till the Word be made thus ⟨p. 605⟩our own; and as it were close hidden in our hearts, we are in danger,3 least Satan steal it away, and we shall receive no profit thereby. And when thou goest to dinner, in that reverend and thankful manner before prescribed; remember according to thine ability to have one or more poor Christians, whose hungry bowels may be refreshed with thy meat: imitating holy Job, who protested that he did never eat his morsels alone, 4without the good company of the poor and fatherless: this is the Commandment of Christ our Master, Luke 14.13. Or at least-wise, send some part of thy dinner to the poor,5 who lies sick in the back-lane without any ⟨p. 606⟩food. For this will bring a blessing upon all thy works and labours; and it will one day more rejoice thy soul; then it doth now refresh his body, when Christ shall say unto thee,6 O blessed child of God! I was: an hungered, and thou gavest not •eate, &c. And forasmuch as thou hast done it for my sake, to the least of these my Brethren, I take it in as good part, as if thou hadst done it to mine own self.
AS thou returnest home, or when thou art entered into thy house, meditate a little vvhile vpon those things, vvhich thou hast heard. And as the cleane beasts which chew the cudde:1 so must thou bring againe to thy remembrance, that vvhich thou hast heard in the Church. And then kneeling downe, turne all to a prayer, beseeching GOD to giue such a blessing to those things, which thou hast heard: that they may be a direction to thy life; and a consolation vnto thy Soule:2 for till the Word be made thus ⟨p. 605⟩our owne; and as it were close hidden in our hearts, wee are in danger,3 least Sathan steale it away, and we shall receiue no profit thereby. And when thou goest to dinner, in that reuerend and thankfull manner before prescribed; remember according to thine abilitie to haue one or more poore Christians, whose hungry bowels may be refreshed with thy meate: imitating holy Iob, who protested that hee did neuer eate his morsels alone, 4without the good companie of the poore and fatherlesse: this is the Commandement of Christ our Master, Luke 14.13. Or at least-wise, send some part of thy dinner to the poore,5 who lies sicke in the backe-lane without any ⟨p. 606⟩food. For this will bring a blessing vpon all thy workes and labours; and it will one day more reioyce thy soule; then it doth now refresh his body, when Christ shall say vnto thee,6 O blessed child of God! I was: an hungred, and thou gauest not •eate, &c. And forasmuch as thou hast done it for my sake, to the least of these my Brethren, I take it in as good part, as if thou hadst done it to mine owne self.
- 1Levit. 11.3.Leuit. 11.3.
- 2Psal. 119.11.
- 3Mat. 13.19.
- 4Job 31.17.18.Iob 31.17.18.
- 5Hest. 9.22. Deut. 15.10. &c.
- 6Mat. 25.35. &c. 40. If thou be a private man either perform these holy duties by thy self, or join with some godly Family in the performance of them.Mat. 25.35. &c. 40. If thou be a priuate man either performe these holy duties by thy selfe, or ioyne with some godly Familie in the performance of them.
