First, saith he God spake once or twice and I heard it, power belongeth unto God. This is reason, nothing hath any power to do a man any good but God, therefore if he have all the wealth in the world, his wealth cannot help him, it cannot keep away any judgement, it cannot free him from death nor from hell, but one may as soon go to hell from weal or woe, Dives may pass into torment as well as the veriest beggar alive. Nay it cannot bear of any one stroke of God upon soul or upon body in this life, it cannot keep away sickness not ⟨p. 59⟩grief; then if they be such weak things, he that hath them is never a whit the nearer any good, nor further from any evil; why should one either earnestly desire them, or greatly rejoice when he hath them? Secondly, To thee O Lord belongeth mercy. There is no mercy but in God, nor kindness but from God, and that a man is kindly entreated, it is not from wealth but from God that puts love into mens hearts for if ones ways be pleasing unto God, he will make his enemies to become his friends; and contrary, if ones ways displease him, he will make ones friends his foes, and those that owe him most duty and have heretofore showed most love unto him, to be his most bitter enemies and seek his overthrow. As in David when he had sinned against God, he raised up his son against him who not with standing his wealth and kingdom, sought his life and would have killed him. Thirdly, thou O Lord rewardest every man according to his works. That is an other reason, because God looks, to works, not to wealth when he comes to judgment; as if he had said, most men dream that it shall go with them according to their goods and riches that they have heaped up; this were true indeed if their were no God, or else an idle God as Epicures imagine, that sits a sleep in heaven, and cares not how things goes with men in the world, but if there be a God that governs the world that is awaken and hath the ordering of matters, then the question shall not be with what a man hath? But what he hath done; not what riches? But what grace and goodness he possesseth; for sin shall have shame, and he that is godly and merciful and humble, he shall have glory and he shall be saved.
First, saith he God spake once or twice and I heard it, power belongeth vnto God. This is reason, nothing hath any power to doe a man any good but God, therefore if he haue all the wealth in the world, his wealth cannot helpe him, it cannot keepe away any iudgement, it cannot free him from death nor from hell, but one may as soone goe to hell from weale or woe, Diues may passe into torment as well as the veriest begger aliue. Nay it cannot beare of any one stroake of God vpō soule or vpon bodie in this life, it cannot keepe away sickenesse not ⟨p. 59⟩greefe; then if they be such weake thinges, he that hath them is neuer a whit the nearer any good, nor further from any euill; why should one either earnestly desire them, or greatly reioyce when he hath them? Secondly, To thee O Lord belongeth mercie. There is no mercie but in God, nor kindenesse but from God, and that a man is kindely entreated, it is not from wealth but from God that puts loue into mens hearts for if ones ways be pleasing vnto God, he will make his enemies to become his friends; and contrarie, if ones waies displease him, he will make ones friends his foes, and those that owe him most dutie and haue here tofore shewed most loue vnto him, to be his most bitter enemies and seeke his ouerthrow. As in Dauid when hee had sinned against God, he raysed vp his sonne against him who not with standing his welth and kingdome, sought his life and would haue killed him. Thirdly, thou O Lord rewardest euery man according to his workes. That is an other reason, because God lookes, to workes, not to wealth when he comes to iudgment; as if he had said, most men dreame that it shall goe with them according to their goods and riches that they haue heaped vp; this were true indeede if their were no God, or else an idle God as Epicures imagine, that sits a sleepe in heauen, and cares not how things goes with men in the world, but if there be a God that gouernes the world that is awaken and hath the ordering of matters, then the question shall not be with what a mā hath? But what he hath done; not what riches? But what grace and goodnesse he possesseth; for sinne shall haue shame, and he that is godly and mercifull and humble, hee shall haue glorie and he shall be saued.
