Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

The next Consectary is this. If God be rich in mercy, then be willing to serve him, you know a merciful man, ¹a liberal man never wanteth workmen, every man is willing to betake himself to a rich and merciful master, That is the use I find made of it in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not the Lord with cheerfulness of heart for the abundance ²of all things, as if he should have said, seeing he hath given thee abundance of all things he looks that thou shouldest serve him with cheerfulness, therefore when you hear of the riches of Gods mercy you must make this use of it, to be willing to serve him with cheerfulness of heart. So it is in Rom. 12. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy, &c. that is if God have been so merciful to you, then ³give up your selves to serve him altogether, consecrate your selves wholly to him, let your bodies and minds serve for no other use but for his service; for so it is, when a thing is consecrated to the Lord, nothing else hath to do with it, but only the Lord, if he be therefore an exceeding merciful God, give up your selves wholly to his service.

The next Consectarie is this. If God be rich in mercy, then be willing to serve him, you know a mercifull man, ¹a liberal man never wanteth workmen, every man is willing to betake himselfe to a rich and merciful master, That is the use I finde made of it in Deut. 28. 47. Because thou servest not the Lord with chearfulness of heart for the abandance ²of all things, as if he should have said, seeing he hath given thee abundance of all things he lookes that thou shouldest serve him with chearfulness, therefore when you hear of the riches of Gods mercy you must make this use of it, to be willing to serve him with chearfulness of heart. So it is in