A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

A Sea of pleasures, a heaven of blessings attends men of charitable minds, though their charity can extend no further than to a cup of cold water; for God measures mens deeds by their minds, and not their minds by their deeds. The Kenites in Sauls time, that were born many Ages after Jethro's death received life from his dust, and favour from his hospitality, nay, the very Egyptians, for harbouring, and at first dealing kindly with the Israelites, though without any respect to their righteousness, were preserved by Joseph in that sore famine, and kindly dealt with ever after by Gods special command. I have read a story of one Evag•i a rich man, who lying upon his death-bed, and being ⟨image 13⟩importuned by Sinesius, a pious Bishop, to give something to charitable uses, he yielded at last to give three hundred pounds, but first took bond of the Bishop that it should be repaid him in another world; but before he had been one day dead, he is said to have appeared to the Bishop delivering in the bond cancelled, as thereby acknowledging, that what was promised was made good. Whether the Relation be fabulous or not, I shall not now stand to determine; but this is certain, that all acts of charity shall be certainly and signally rewarded. Several Writers observe, that the ground is most barren nearest the golden Mines; and experience tells us, that many who are enriched with fair estates, are most barren in good works, but this will be bitterness in the end. He that shall consult two Scriptures (among many others) will conclude, that he that hath a withered hand has no honest heart, 2 Chron. 31.10. 1 John 3.17. The wealth that such men have, is but as Aristotle calls it,¹ Felix amentia, a happy madness, because they are so taken up with their wealth, that they neither know what they are, nor what they do. Josephus writing of the waters of Egypt, saith, That they were blood in the hands of an Egyptian, but water in the hand of an Israelite. Wealth in the hand of a worldling, is like blood in the hand which is good for nothing;²