A10945:585
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
These things considered and wisely regarded, what should it grieve them, whom God hath endued with riches, and the commodities of this life, more then they need (to the end he may prove them, what liberality they will show to their poor flesh) to reach out their hand, as they see most §Kneed both in giving and lending, and there especially, where God hath placed them,1 and to their own kindred? And for this cause, men ought to know, that they should be more moderate in spending wastefully upon others (where they need not, neither doth any charity bind them) or upon themselves in diet, apparel, or such like: considering that he which hath made them able to give, might and could have made them stand in ⟨p. 179⟩§Aneed to receive: and therefore we have the poor always amongst us, 2that we may do good to them. But all is too little for mens selves, by means either of a licentious wasting; as excess and needless sumptuousness of clothing, and providing for their bodies, or by a miserable pinching and hoarding up for their posterity; that they may exceed and pass their bounds; and that they may match any of their equals to the utmost: whatsoever cometh in by the year, or by the quarter, they have a bottomless bag to put it in; none are the better for it, but themselves and theirs: whereas indeed, none are more the worse for it, then themselves, and theirs, as we see it oft to come to pass; they themselves coming to an heavy reckoning for it, their children for §Bthe most part, spending it wastefully. But I cannot now bring examples, which in scripture and experience, are innumerable. And whereas there are two sorts of them, who have goods for their destruction:3 the one hath no other thought abiding with him, but about increasing, though he know not why, and perhaps have neither child nor brother: of whom it is verified, that the covetous never doth good, till he be dead,4