Wherefore, to put you in mind even now also of our Spiritual Calais▪ I beseech you fathers and brethren (whom it toucheth) now at length to regard the state of the Souls, the precious Souls ⟨p. 16⟩of men committed to your charge: whose blood, if they perish for lack of that attendance, which you ought to give them, will cry for sharper vengeance then did ethe blood of Abel. Or, if my persuasion cannot prevail with you: yet let his prevail, whose prayer hath prevailed for you; who died himself that you might live; who said, and all things were created; whose word the winds and seas obey. Consider the function that he hath called you to, the duty laid upon you, the reward, if you do it; the punishment, if you do it not. fWho is (saith he) a faithful and wise Steward, whom his master maketh ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he cometh shall find so doing: verily, I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods▪ But if that servant say in his hart, my master doth defer his coming, and begin to smite the servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken: that servants master will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of, and will cut him in pieces, and give him his portion with the unbelievers. Our Saviour ⟨p. 17⟩the son of God, the king of kings, & Lord of Lords, having entertained men and women of all degrees to be his household servants, is careful to feed them with convenient food, that they may serve him in their vocation fruitfully. This food is the doctrine of his holy word, which must be divided in divers sorts unto his servants, according to their divers states: some to be▪ fed with milk▪ some with strong meat; some humbled with the law, some raised with the gospel; each to have his portion of meat most wholesome for him. Nor only must they have it, but have it too, in due season, as often as they need it: which is so often, that the holy Ghost (to show the continual necessity thereof) doth will it to be given them gin season and out of season. For, as mens bodies should loose their temporal life, unless, as they decay still, so they were repaired with sustenance of meat and drink:
Wherefore, to put you in minde euen nowe also of our Spirituall Calice▪ I beseeche you fathers and brethren (whom it toucheth) nowe at length to regarde the state of the Soules, the precious Soules ⟨p. 16⟩of men committed to your charge: whose blood, if they perishe for lacke of that attendaunce, which you ought to giue them, will crye for sharper vengeaunce then did ethe blood of Abel. Or, if my perswasion cannot preuaile with you: yet let his preuaile, whose prayer hath preuailed for you; who died himselfe that you might liue; who saide, and all thinges were created; whose word the winds and seas obey. Consider the function that hee hath called you to, the dutie laide vpon you, the reward, if you do it; the punishment, if you doe it not. fWho is (saith hee) a faithful and wise Stewarde, whom his master maketh ruler ouer his housholde, to giue them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that seruant, whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing: verily, I say vnto you, he shall make him ruler ouer all his goods▪ But if that seruant say in his hart, my master doth deferre his cōming, and begin to smite the seruants and maidens, and to eate and drinke, and to bee drunken: that seruants master wyll come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an houre that he is not ware of, and will cut him in peeces, and giue him his portion with the vnbeleeuers. Our Sauiour ⟨p. 17⟩the sonne of God, the king of kinges, & Lord of Lordes, hauing entertained men and women of all degrees to be his houshold seruants, is carefull to feede them with conueniēt food, yt they may serue him in their vocatiō frutefully. This food is the doctrine of his holy word, which must bee deuided in diuers sorts vnto his seruāts, according to their diuers states: some to be▪ fed with milk▪ some with strong meat; some humbled with ye law, some raised with the gospell; each to haue his portion of meat most wholesome for him. Nor only must they haue it, but haue it too, in due season, as oftē as they need it: which is so oftē, that ye holy Ghost (to shew the cōtinuall necessitie thereof) doth will it to be giuen them gin season and out of season. For, as mens bodies should loose their temporall life, vnlesse, as they decay still, so they were repaired with sustenance of meat and drink:
- eGe. 4. 10,
- fLuk. 12. 24.
- g2. Tim. 4 2.
