Consolation to the poor & afflicted, especially if they be the men bers of Christ, howsoever they are discountenanced of men, & rejected of the world, as refuses whom it world willingly be rid of, yet they are more esteemed of him, whose estimation is more worth, than all the mightiest worldlings. Ab•athar thought himself in good safeguard, though Saul sought his life, when David told him that the enemy which came against one of them should be common to them both, and yet David himself who must defend Abiathar, was pursued by the King, and in peril of his own life, how great cause then of boldness & encouragement have they, whom Davids keeper doth keep and protect, which taketh their cause for his cause, their wrongs for his reproach, the hurts done to them for defiance bid to himself? And what a grace & favour is this on the other side, to his poor servants that he chooseth to be honoured and served by the mercy and compassion that is showed unto them? do hoe not thereby-assure, and induce, enjoin, and bind all his people to do them good? It serveth also for the great comfort ⟨p. 138⟩of every good man that is pitiful and helping to them that be needy and distressed. It is accepted of the Lord Jesus Christ as if it were a benevolence to his own person, I was an hungered saith he, and ye gave me meat: J thirsted and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye lodged me; I was naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. And being asked by the righteous, when and how this kindness by them was showed unto him, he telleth them, that inasmuch as they did it to one of the least of his brethren, they have done it to him We think it a great preferment (as there is cause, why we should) for Mar•• Magdalen, and other women to minister unto him of their substance: and for Martha and Mary to have him for their guest, and for the woman in Bethany to pour the ointment on his head: and for Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus to bury him, and why then should it be counted a matter of no value (since it is a prerogative not much inferior to those before specified) to have a merciful heart, and liberal hand in succouring and relieving his members?
Consolation to the poor & afflicted, especially if they be the mē bers of Christ, howsoeuer they are discountenanced of men, & reiected of the world, as refuses whom it world willingly be rid of, yet they are more esteemed of him, whose estimatrō is more worth, thā al the mightiest worldlings. Ab•athar thought himself in good safegard, though Saule sought his life, when Dauid told him that the enemy which came against one of thē should be cō mon to them both, and yet Dauid himselfe who must defend Abiathar, was pursued by the King, and in peril of his own life, how great cause then of boldnes & incouragement haue they, whome Dauids keeper doth keepe and protect, which taketh their cause for his cause, their wrōgs for his reproch, the hurts dōne to thē for defyāce bid to himselfe? And what a grace & fauor is this on the otherside, to his poor seruants that he chooseth to bee honoured and serued by the mercy and compassion that is shewed vnto them? do hoe not thereby-assure, and induce, inioyne, and binde all his people to do them good? It serueth also for the great comfort ⟨p. 138⟩of euery good man that is pittiful and helping to them that be needy and distressed. It is accepted of the Lord Iesus Christe as if it were a beneuolence to his owne person, I vvas an hungred saith he, and ye gaue me meate: J thirsted and ye gaue me drinke: I was a stranger, and ye lodged mee; I vvas naked, and ye clothed mee; I was sicke, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came vnto mee. And being asked by the righteous, when and how this kindnes by them was shewed vnto him, he telleth them, that inasmuch as they did it to one of the least of his brethren, they haue done it to him VVe thinke it a great preferment (as there is cause, why we should) for Mar•• Magdalen, and other women to minister vnto him of their substance: and for Martha and Mary to haue him for their ghuest, and for the woman in Bothania to powre the oyntment on his head: and for Ioseph of Arimathea, and Nicode••s to bury him, and why then should it be counted a matter of no value (since it is a prerogatiue not much inferiour to those before specified) to haue a mercifull heart, and liberall hand in succouring and relieuing his members?
