a HOLY LIFE. 59 



faith i James ^. 5. To this it may be 

 faid, 



i. That the Providence of God may fo 

 order it fometimes, as to reduce good Men 

 to great exigencies, to wander up and down 

 in Sheeps-Skins, and Goats-Skins, being 

 deftitute, afflifted, tormented: But then 

 thefe are particular exempt Cafes, fuch as 

 are not fuitable to the moft ufual and gene- 

 ral courfe of things. But befides, fuch as 

 are good Men may fometimes be defective > 

 in feveral of thofe Duties which Religion 

 doth oblige them to, as Diligence, Cau- 

 tion, &c. And the poverty of fuch may 

 juftly be afcribed to their defeft in Reli- 

 gion. 



x. As for that Scripture, That God hath 

 chofen the poor in this world; it is not to 

 be underftood in the more abfoktte fenfe 

 for fuch as want NecefTaries ; becaufe it's 

 plain from other Texts, That though fome 

 of the Primitive Believers were by reafon 

 of the Perfecution of thofe times, reduced 

 to great exigencies, yet the generality of 

 the reft were very liberal in their Contri- 

 butions towards them. But it muft be un- 

 derftood in the Relative Senfe, concerning 

 fuch as might be ftyled comparatively poor ; 

 that is, fuch as were of a lower rank, and 



meaner 



