be bad when God's church is made a sanctuary only for men of desperate estates to take refuge in it. However, let every minister take up this resolution: "To preach the word, to be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine." If thou hast competent means comfortably to subsist on, be the more thankful to God the Fountain, to man the channel; painful in thy place, pitiful to the poor, cheerful in spending some, careful in keeping the rest. If not, yet retire not for want of a spur. Do something for love, and not all for money; for love of God, of goodness, of the godly, of a good conscience. Know, it is better to want means, than to detain them; the one only suffers, the other deeply sins: and it is as dangerous a persecution to religion, to draw the fuel from it, as to cast water on it. Comfort thyself that another world will pay this world's debts, "and great is thy reward with God in heaven:" a reward, in respect of his promise; a gift, in respect of thy worthlessness : and yet the less thou lookest at it, the surer thou shalt find it, if labouring with thyself to serve God for Himself; in respect of whom even heaven itself it but a sinister end. TO THE READER. THESE "General Rules" we have placed in the middle, that the books on both sides may equally reach to them; because all persons therein are indifferently concerned. THE HOLY STATE. THE FOURTH BOOK. CHAPTER I. THE FAVOURITE, A FAVOURITE is a court-dial, whereon all look whilst the king shines on him; and none, when it is night with him. A minion differs from a favourite; for he acts things by his own will and appetite, as a favourite by the judgment and pleasure of his prince. These again are two-fold: either such as rely wholly on their king's favour, or such as the king partly relies on their wisdom, loving them rather for use than affection. The former are like pretty wands in a prince's hand, for him to play with at pleasure; the latter, like staves, whereon he leans and supports himself in state-affairs. MAXIM 1. God is the original patron of all preferment, all dignities being in his disposal.-" Promotion," saith David, "comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor yet from the south." (Psalm lxxv. 6.) The word here translated south, in the Hebrew signifies "the desert; and such a coarse list bounded Palestine both on the south and north; so that in effect preferment bloweth from no point of the compass.* True, every man is fortunæ suæ faber, "the smith to beat out his own fortune;" but God first doth give him coals, iron, and anvil, before he can set up his trade. TREMELLIUS, on the verse. |