Secondly, Men would strive one to go beyond another in Godliness, if they counted Godliness a matter of Gain. For as the Heathen writer well observeth,y there is a kind of emulation commonly among worldly neighbours, whereby they emulate such as go beyond them in wealth: one neighbour striveth to out-build another, one to get and purchase more than another. The covetous man casteth his eye on his rich neighbours,z as a man in a race doth on those that have won ground of him, he striveth to get even with this man, whom he is yet behind, to out-strip that man, whom he hath got even withal. And the envious man (as those two vices are seldom asunder) looking through the spectacles of envy on his neighbours goods,a thinketh every thing that his neighbour hath better than his own, and it may be better than indeed it is, his grounds fertiler, his beasts fairer, his revenues larger, his gains greater &c. and is ready enough oft to say with himself, Why should not my beasts look as fair as his? why should not my grounds yield as much as his? why should not I thrive as well as he, having as good means to thrive by as he hath? And even* so would it be with us, held we godliness to be gainful. We would ⟨p. 142⟩have a kind of godly emulation and ambition among us, as the Apostle speaketh, in matter of Godliness; we would evenb emulate andc ambitiously, as it were, strive and contend to out-go one another in goodness and grace. And this wered a good and godly emulation, a goodly and a commendable strife and contention Indeed. We would be eying of those that are got beyond us in grace, and endeavour to get even with them, yea, if it be possible, to out-strip them, and to cast them behind us,e not by hindering their progress, but by mending our own pace, andf by straining our selves to run the faster, the later it wat ere we entered into this race. We would be as ready as they are to say to our selves; And why should not I be as forward in the fear of God, as zealous, as religious, as I see such and such are, since I have as good means of being godly as they have, as many inducements as either they or any other can have? But so stand the most affected, that they will not by their good will suffer any man to out-go them in wealth, in the way of the world: but they will let any man willingly out-go them in grace, and in the good ways of God:
Secondly, Men would strive one to go beyond another in Godlinesse, if they counted Godlinesse a matter of Gaine. For as the Heathen writer well observeth,y there is a kinde of emulation commonly among worldly neighbours, whereby they emulate such as goe beyond them in wealth: one neighbour striveth to out-build another, one to get and purchase more than another. The covetous man casteth his eye on his rich neighbors,z as a man in a race doth on those that have won ground of him, he striveth to get even with this man, whom he is yet behind, to out-strip that man, whom he hath got even withall. And the envious man (as those two vices are seldom asunder) looking through the spectacles of envie on his neighbours goods,a thinketh every thing that his neighbour hath better than his owne, and it may be better than indeed it is, his grounds fertiler, his beasts fairer, his revenues larger, his gains greater &c. and is ready enough oft to say with himselfe, Why should not my beasts looke as faire as his? why should not my grounds yeeld as much as his? why should not I thrive as well as he, having as good meanes to thrive by as he hath? And even* so would it be with us, held we godlinesse to be gainfull. We would ⟨p. 142⟩have a kinde of godly emulation and ambition among us, as the Apostle speaketh, in matter of Godlinesse; we would evenb emulate andc ambitiously, as it were, strive and contend to out-goe one another in goodnesse and grace. And this wered a good and godly emulation, a goodly and a commendable strife and contention Indeed. Wee would be eying of those that are got beyond us in grace, and endevour to get even with them, yea, if it be possible, to out-strip them, and to cast them behinde us,e not by hindering their progresse, but by mending our owne pace, andf by straining our selves to runne the faster, the later it wat ere we entred into this race. We would be as ready as they are to say to our selves; And why should not I be as forward in the feare of God, as zealous, as religious, as I see such and such are, since I have as good meanes of being godly as they have, as many inducements as either they or any other can have? But so stand the most affected, that they will not by their good will suffer any man to out-goe them in wealth, in the way of the world: but they will let any man willingly out-goe them in grace, and in the good wayes of God:
- y—[Greek or Hebrew]. —Hesiod. V•cinus dives cupiditatem irritat. Sen. epist. 7.—〈non-Latin alphabet〉. —Hesiod. V•cinus dives cupiditatem irritat. Sen. epist. 7.
- z—bunc atque hunc superare laborat: Ut quum carceribus missos rapit ungula currus Instat equis auriga suos vincentibus illum praeteritum temnens extremos inter euntem. Horat. serm. lib. 1. sat. 1.—bunc atque hunc superare laborat: Vt quum carceribus missos rapit ungula currus Instat equis auriga suos vincentibus illum praeteritum temnens extremos inter euntem. Horat. serm. lib. 1. sat. 1.
- aFertilior seges est alienis semper in arvis: vicinumque pecus grandius uber habet. Ovid. artis l. 1. Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent. P. Syrus. —majorque videtur, Et melior vicina seges. Juven. sat. 14.Fertilior seges est alienis semper in arvis: vicinumque pecus grandius uber habet. Ovid. artis l. 1. Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent. P. Syrus. —majorque videtur, Et melior vicina seges. Iuven. sat. 14.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Plato de repub. l. 1.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Plato de repub. l. 1.
- b[Greek or Hebrew]. 1 Cor. 12.31. [Greek or Hebrew] 1 Cor. 14 1. Et [Greek or Hebrew]. 2 Cor. 9.2.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. 1 Cor. 12.31. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 1 Cor. 14 1. Et 〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
