A20559:587
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.
This then will be an ill answer when they shall come before God to answer for the spending of these things, as certainly every man (let him think what he will) must give up his reckoning and make his accounts how he hath laid out his wealth that God gave him to glorify him by. I say when they must come to answer to this question. How have you spent your wealth? This upon my taste, this to please mine eye, this to delight mine ears, and so much upon an other delight, and this upon an other sport. But what have you given to God? when I could have any odd time I gave now and then a penny to Christ; this is to give the bread to the dogs and crumbs to the children, as in truth most men do. The full stream and freeness of their liberality runs to serving of their lust, but the sparing gifts and pinching bounty that God must have. And all these rob and cousin themselves, and though they imagine to get mountains of pleasure yet the end shall be pain ⟨image 162⟩he that loves wine and oil, and he that loves pastime, what is his verdict, and what sentence hath God set down? He shall be a needly fellow, and live in want, poverty is the best end and easiest punishment of this wastefulness, for want of moderation in meat, drink, apparel, and pastime.
This then will be an ill aunswere when they shall come before God to answere for the spending of these thinges, as certainly euery man (let him thinke what he will) must giue vp his reckoning and make his accounts how he hath laid out his wealth that God gaue him to glorifie him by. I say when they must come to answere to this question. How haue you spent your wealth? This vpon my tast, this to please mine eye, this to delight mine eares, and so much vpon an other delight, and this vpon an other sport. But what haue you giuen to God? when I could haue any odd time I gaue now and then a penny to Christ; this is to giue the bread to the dogs and crummes to the children, as in truth most men doe. The full streame and freenesse of their liberalitie runs to seruing of their lust, but the sparing gifts and pinching bountie that God must haue. And all these rob and cousen themselues, and though they imagine to get mountaines of pleasure yet the end shall be paine ⟨image 162⟩he that loues wine and oyle, and he that loues pastime, what is his verdit, and what sentence hath God set downe? He shalbe a needly fellow, and liue in want, pouertie is the best ende and easiest punishment of this wastfullnesse, for want of moderation in meat, drinke, apparaile, and pastime.