A20559:534
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.
But these have never laid up one penny in heaven, have reposed nothing in Christs bosom, & therefore have no mind to think of him, and one may sooner pull their heart out of their bodies then put any heavenly and constant meditation of God, and the life to come into them. But if one would let his chief wealth be with God, and lay up his special good in heaven, his chief thoughts and special desires and meditations would be of God and of heaven, he would talk of it as willingly, as nimbly, readily, as constantly, and with as little tediousness, as the most covetous man of his money, and cattle, and nothing should be so delightful to him as to confer and meditate of things pertaining to the life to come. And in the Prover. it is said, He that is merciful to the poor rewards his own soul, as if he had said. Every man will yield that it is a good thing to be beneficial to himself and to do good to his soul. But this is most certain, that nothing in the world, no purpose, no bargain, shall bring so much profit unto the soul as a merciful heart and a liberal hand to bestow his goods upon poor christians the members of Christ Jesus; so the Apostle saith, 2. Cor. 9. He that sows liberally shall also reap liberally. It is otherwise in this matter then it is in other harvests; for let a man sow never so good seed and use all diligence in preparing and fitting the ground, yet some casualty may befall which will spoil the harvest, and a man shall not have the seed again; but here it is certain one shall have a good harvest, nothing ⟨image 148⟩shall mar his crop, if own sow but a cup of cold water for conscience and in love, it is sown upon Christ Jesus and he is the ground as in Matt. 25. I was hungry and thirsty. &c. and ye fed and gave drink to me. Therefore unless we think that Christ will be a barren ground, it is most certain that he that scatters seed here shall find a large increase; that which is cast abroad in mercy shall return again in goodness, the more good any doth▪ the more good he shall receive, and that certainly because God will restore it, and there is nothing that is more effectual to continue the good estate and prosperity of any family then that the governor of the family opens his hand abundantly with all plenty of good works of mercy.