Gospel-conversation

4. Honour God with thy substance here; lay out thy portion here for God: and Oh that I could but convince you of one Principle of Divinity more, and that is this, That there is more excellency and good in one virtuous Action, than there is in all the creatures in Heaven and Earth, (besides the works of Angels and others of the Saints, excepting them:) Take all Creatures, Sun, Moon, Stars, Seas, Earth, all the riches in the world, Pearls, put all together, this is the true Divinity, (I say) that there is more excellency in one virtuous Action, than there is ⟨p. 355⟩if thou hadst all these things to be thy possession; If men were convinced of this, they would be abundant in good works then: Thou thinkest it a brave thing, thou hast so much coming in by the year; do but one good action for God out of an upright principle, and there is more excellency in that one action, than there is in thy estate, if thou hadst ten thousand times more added to it: Certainly, this will make them that are rich, to be rich in good works; so the Scripture saith, Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be rich in good works: There is a richness in good works, as well as in an estate; Oh! improve, lay out thy estate for God: Ambrose I remember upon that place, his Sermons upon the rich man, saith he, Is it not more honour that so many children shall ask of you as their father, than that so many pieces of gold shall call you their lord? These pieces of gold they do (as it were) call you lord, and there are two or three children shall call you father; Is there not more excellency to have a couple of poor Orphans while you are alive in this world, to call you father, than to have so many bags of gold call you master? Oh therefore lay out your Portion, Give a portion to six and to seven. In 2 Cor. 9. 8. there the Apostle tells the Corinthians, that God should make them abundant in all Grace; fill you with Grace that you may abound in all sufficiency: But what for? In the 11. vers. being enriched in every thing in all bountifulness; and then verse 12. for the administration of this service; that you may be enriched in all bountifulness; Wherefore? for the administration of this service: Now the words in the Greek are, for the administration of this Liturgy: so the words are in the Greek, that you may abound, and have all grace to abound in the administration of this Liturgy.

4. Honor God with thy substance here; lay out thy portion here for God: and Oh that I could but convince you of one Principle of Divinity more, and that is this, That there is more excellency and good in one vertuous Action, than there is in all the creatures in Heaven and Earth, (besides the works of Angels and others of the Saints, excepting them:) Take all Creatures, Sun, Moon, Stars, Seas, Earth, all the riches in the world, Pearls, put all together, this is the true Divinity, (I say) that there is more excellencie in one vertuous Action, than there is