A20559:529
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
The second outward duty is to defend the oppressed, and succour those that suffer wrong, and ill entreaty: a thing much ⟨image 146⟩commended in Job, that he pulled the pray out of the Lions mouth, and sought out the cause of the poor, he was a father to the fatherless, & husband to the widow. And this did comfort him in time of his trouble more then all wealth in the world. This is commanded. Proverbs. 24. 11. Deliver them that are drawn to death, and wilt thou not deliver them that are lead to be slain? If thou say behold I know it not. He that pondereth the harts doth not he understand it? And he that keeps the soul knows he not? will he not also recompense every man according to his works? He shows that if one see those that be unrighteously pulled to death and oppressed, one must not stand by and say, alas, what a world is this, who ever saw such dealing? but one must put his hand to, and labour to his power, and as far as he can to rescue him, and deliver him, for saith he, wilt not thou preserve him? as if he had said, art thou so merciless that thou wilt not help the oppressed? But then he meets with our excuses that men are ready to speak in such cases, alas I knew not, that he had such need of my help, and if I should meddle, I might bring an old house upon mine own head, and trouble my self when I needed not. But he cuts of all saying, doth not God see thee and know thy heart, as if he had said. Well these excuses may dazzle mens eyes and make a fair show, with them that can see nothing but shows, but God he looks not so much to the tongue, and what one can say for himself, but he ponders the heart, doth not see it lightly but considers & knows every particular thing and circumstance; and therefore, it is no shifting and doubling when he comes to take a trial of us: and he knows, that all these excuses come from self-love, and love of lucre and commodity, that one would spare cost, and live at case, and rather see an other oppressed with wrong, then stir himself a little to help him. And last of all he saith, you that be so loth to suffer a little trouble, and at a little charges to help an other man in his misery:
The second outward dutie is to defend the oppressed, and succour those that suffer wrong, and ill entreatie: a thing much ⟨image 146⟩