THE KING’S BUSINESS
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neighbor’s profit when it goes well with him, such fellows are out of their liveries, and so out of the service of God; for to be envious is to be the servant of the devil. “Love doth not frowardly, she is not a provoker,;” as there are some men who will provoke their neighbor so far that ¡t is very hard for them to be in charity with them; we must wrestle with our affections; we must strive and see that we keep this livery of Christ our Master; for “the devil goeth about as a roaring lion seeking to take us at a vantage,” to bring us out of our liveries, and to take from us the knot of love and charity. THERE WERE SWELLS “Love swelleth not, is not puffed up;” but there are many swellers nowadays, they are so high, so lofty, insomuch that they despise and contemn all others; all such persons are under the governance of the devil. God rules not them with His good spirit; the evil spirit has occupied their hearts and possessed them. “She doth not dishonestly; she seeketh nor her own; she 'doth all things to the commodity of her neighbors.” A charit able man will not promote himself with the damage of his neighbor. They that seek only their.own advantage, forgetting their neighbors, they are not of God, they have not His livery. Further, “Charity is not provoked to anger; she thinketh not evil.” We ought not to think evil of our neighbor, as long as we see riot open wick edness; for it is written, “You shall not judge;” we should not take upon us to condemn our neighbor. And surely the condemners of other men’s works are not in the livery of Christ. Christ hateith them. “She rejoiceth not in iniquity;” she loveth equity and godliness. And again, she is sorry to hear of falsehood, of steal ing, or such like, which wickedness is now at this time commonly used. There never was such falsehood among Christian men as there is now at this time-; truly I think, and they that have experience report it so, that among the very infidels and Turks
there is more fidelity and uprightness than among Christian men. For no man set- teth anything by his promise, yea, and writings will not serve with some, they are so shameless that they dare deny their own handwriting; but, I pray you, are those false fellows in the livery of Christ? Have they His cognizance? No, no; they have the badge of the devil, with whom they shall be damned world without end, except they amend and leave their wickedness. BE PATIENT “She suffereth all things; believeth all things.” It is a great matter that should make us to be grieved with our neigh bor ; we should be patient when our neigh bor doth wrong, we should admonish him of his folly, earnestly desiring him to leave his wickedness, showing the danger that follow^, everlasting damnation. In such wise we should study to amend our neighbor, and not to hate him or do him a foul turn again, but rather charitably study to amend him : whosoever now does so, he has the livery and cognizance of Christ, he shall be known at the last day for His servant. “Love believeth all things;” it appears daily that they who are charitable and friendly are most deceived; because they think well of every man, they believe every man, they trust their words, and therefore are most deceived in this world, among the children of the devil. These and such like things are the tokens of the right and godly love; therefore they that have this love are soon known, for this love can not be hid in corners, she has her operation: therefore all that have her are well enough, though they have no other gifts besides her. Again, they that lack her, though they have many other gifts besides, yet it is to no other purpose, it does them no good: for when We shall come at the great day before Him, not having this livery (that is love) with us, then we are lost; He will not take us for His servants, because we have not His cognizance. But if we have this livery, if we-wear His cognizance here in this world; that is, if we love our neighbor, help him
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