and growing and is so surely kept that no man can depriue vs of it either by force or craft And then another benefit there is Luk. 12.34 Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also This is of so good effect that if one lay vp treasure in Heauen his heart will follow it What is the reason then that many men can come so hardly to speake of Heauen and heauenly things that one may as easily make a great milstone ascend vp to the Skie as draw their thoughts to heauen-ward the reason is plaine their treasure is not there This knew Salomon when hee said Pro. 11.17 He that is mercifull to the poore rewardeth his owne soule As if he had said euery man will yeeld it is a good thing to bee beneficiall to himselfe and to doe good to his owne soule but it is most certaine that nothing in the VVorld no purchase no bargaine shall bring so much profit to the soule as a mercifull heart and liberall hand to the poore members of Christ Iesus Acts 9.39 This caused Dorcas to bee so full of good workes and almes whose continuall custome was to buy cloth cut it forth and prepare garments for the naked Master Fox recordeth in the story of the Right worthy Lady the Lady Anne Bullen Mother to the late Queene of famous memory Queene Elizabeth that shee vsually sent her messengers into the Townes next adioyning to her abode to vnderstand both the number and state of their poore and where greatest want was shee contributed her almes to the reliefe of their necessities yea and that continually so great was her compassion towards the afflictions of Gods people Let vs then by these examples Remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 as though wee also were bound with them and them that are afflicted as if we also were afflicted Neither let the rich man thinke whom wealth and nobility maketh haughty and proud that therefore hee was formed of gold siluer or some purer substance then the beggar who hath nothing to stand vpon but beggery patchery and penury for of the same masse of the same vile and abiect peece of earth both rich poore were taken Let them againe remember that they are mortall corruptible fraile and subiect to as many chances and changes as any other though neuer so poore and contemptible in the world Iob hauing found this by experience Would not see any perish for want of cloathing Iob 31.19 20. nor any poore without conering yea many blessed him that were warmed with the fleece of his sheepe And hee found the truth of that blessing pronounced by the Prophet Dauid saying Blessed is the man that considereth the poore and needy Psal 41.1 the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble VVhy then despisest thou thine owne flesh why art thou an enemy to thy selfe This consideration should breede in vs such a fellow-feeling of the good or euill ioy or sorrow weale or woe of the members of the same body that wee should Reioyce with them that reioyce Rom. 12.16 and weep with them that weepe Againe 1 Cor. 12.25 That the members should haue the same care one of another Otherwise if wee haue lost this feeling and affection of members it argueth plainely that wee be no true members of the misticall body that we are not ingrafted into the body of Iesus Christ And therefore Saint Iohn assureth vs 1 Ioh. 3.17 That whosoeuer hath this Worlds goods and seeth his brother hath neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him that the loue of God cannot dwel in him If then the loue of God be in thy heart it is knowne by the loue that thou shewest to thy neighbour and if thou louest thy neighbour thou wilt not shew thy selfe hard-hearted and straight laced vnto him in his miseries Euen as the heart that is placed in the middest of the body inclineth most to the left side though indeed it inspireth life to the whole body so though a Christian ought to manifest his loue to euery man and our charity is to bee diffused vnto all men yet should hee bee most prone to the afflicted part and to bestow his charitable beneuolence where there is most neede of succour Charity and loue to our neighbour in humane societie is like the blood in the naturall body which amine streth and conserueth life for as the blood in euery necessity of the body runneth to the indigent parts to succour where is most need so is true charity ouer readie to minister succour and to conuert it selfe thither where is most need and necessity Lucullus hauing sumptuously entertained for some time certain Grâ—â—cians and when they saidâ— vnto him they maruelled that for their sakes hee would bestow such liberall expence and magnificent cost be answered Much my friends was for your sakes but the greatest part was for Lucullus sake So the good Christian who sheweth himselfe mercifull to the poore needy doth surely much for their sakes because hee loueth them as his neighbours and fellow members but much also for his owne sake because hee is delighted in doing good and ioyfully doth the worke of mercy The Holy Ghost compares our deeds of charity to seede sowne Gal. 6.7 They that sow plentifully shall reape also plentifully Now wee know that after sowing in time comes the Haruest and when the haruest commeth there is many for one the Husbandmans labour is recompenced keep your seed by you it will corrupt cast it forth it shall bring in crease VVhat more praise-worthy in a Christian then where God hath blessed industrie gathered and frugalitie saued thereby charitable almesdeeds and workes of mercy to pittie the distressed estates of others especially considering that if we sow but a cup of cold water in conscience and in loue it is sowne vpon Christ Iesus Mat. 25.35 he is the ground For I was hungry and ye gaue mee meate I thirsted and ye gaue mee drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me c. Therefore vnlesse yee thinke that Christ will bee a barren ground it is most certaine that he which scatters seede here shall reape a large increase that which is cast abroade in mercy shall returne againe in goodnes the more good a man doth the more good hee shall receiue for God will restore it But oh what vaine of eloquence or stile of perswasion may now serue in this congealed age of charity to mollifie the steely hearts and thaw the frozen affections of worldlings and make them relent at the miseries of the poore members of Christ Let vs neuer forget that the sentence which the supreame Iudge Iesus Christ shall pronounce at the dreadful day of iudgment shall be grounded vpon the workes of mercy how wee haue discharged our stewardship in the succour and reliefe or in the neglect and contempt of his poore members which hee reputeth as done vnto himselfe And contrariwise he shall send
Aristides going in to exile prayed that all things might succeede so happy and prosperous with the Athenians that they might neuer hereafter haue neede to remember Aristides Phocion being about to drinke the poysoned Potion Plutarch wherewith hee should die charged his sonne that hee should neuer reuenge his vniust death vpon the Athenians Thrasibulus that Noble Citizen of Athens Val max. who expelled the thirty Spartan Tyrants by this meanes restored the former freedome to his Country hee caused the law of perpetual obliuion of former iniuries to bee enacted which they called Legem obliuionis the law of forgetfulnesse Let Christians then be ashamed not to aspire vnto that perfection heerein which many wise Heathens haue attained vnto How far this brotherly forgiuenesse is to be extended our Sauiour himselfe sheweth in the parable of the Vnmercifull Seruant Mat. 18.35 which owed ten thousand Talents concluding in these words So likewise shall my heauenly Father doe vnto you except you forgiue from your hearts each one to his brother their trespasses In these words first wee are taught to whom this precept of forgiuing of iniuries pertaineth None are exempted which professe to be Christs Disciples for he saith Except yee forgiue each one that is of what degree state or condition soeuer he be of rich or poore Noble or Ignoble King or beggar we are all sinners and doe pray daily Forgiue vs our debts as wee forgiue our debtors Let the proud obserue this which being puffed vp with the confidence of their birth or dignities thinke that they may lawfully despise wrong and tread vnder foot the simple obscure and poore man Secondly hee sheweth whom hee should forgiue His brother He might haue said his follow seruant but hee would haue vs to lift vp our eyes higher and to consider that all men are not onely of the same condition as seruants but also of the same nature and dignities as the Sonnes of God who was so farre from contemning the base and obscure that hee would haue his onely begotten Sonne to bee contemptible and poore that he might make vs rich Thirdly hee teacheth what wee should forgiue Their trespasses He speaketh indefinitely that hee might comprehende all things wherewith our neighbour hath offended vs for how great soeuer is the iniury done vnto vs it may in no sort be compared vnto that wherein wee haue offended God Fourthly hee expresseth the measure and manner of forgiuing saying From your hearts that is not in naked words with an hypocritical and dissembling heart but truly and seriously that not so much as a sparkle of enuie hatred or rank or remaine behind in our hearts which particle reproueth their contumacy Which say they will forgiue but withall protest they cannot forget the iniury neither can they endure the sight of such as haue offended them These forgiue not from their hearts but in words onely nay not so much as in words seeing they foster in their hearts the memory thereof and doe not conceale it Wee should in forgiuing of iniuries imitate the example of our heauenly Father who so forgiueth our iniquities that hee remembreth them no more for if our sinnes were still in remembrance with God how could the hope of our saluation be firme and certain vnto vs And therefore the Princely Prophet prayeth That God would not remember the sinnes of his youth Psal 25.7 And that which necessity constraineth vs to craue at the hands of God is it not meet that wee should shew the same to our brethren Wee would not that God should remember our sinnes and shall wee keepe in memory old grudges and offences of our brethren and neighbours Surely such make themselues vnworthy of the mercies of God Being destitute of faith working by loue Gal. 5.6 Most memorable and neuer to be forgotten was the dealing of the holy Patriarch Abraham with his nephew Lot when Sathan assaied to kindle contention betweene them by reason of their quarrelling seruants Abraham being euerie way the better man being his Vncle and his elder Who already had seene the day of Christ Iohn 8.56 had also learned the lesson of humility of Christ hee stood not vpon his Summū Ius his right reputation but came first to Lot and was the profferer of peace saying Gen. 13.8 I pray thee let there bee no strife betweene me and thee and betweene my heardmen and thine and why for wee are brethren Hee sought peace Concedendo de suo Iure By yeelding of his right Now there are Christians to bee found saith Musculus which will not yeeld one foote of their right for brotherly vnities sake this proffer of Abraham is counted but folly now yea of those which yet would be esteemed his children Lastly this benefit also we make through patience towards an enemy which is not the least that being accustomed to deale iustly and friendly with an enemie wee shall the better frame our selues to liue sociably and kindly with our familiar friends and to doe nothing fraudulently and deceitfully in friendship Let vs therefore I beseech you cast out of our minds the remembrance of iniuties which is the very wood and fuell to nourish reuenge and which exasperateth our harts against our brethren Col. 3.12 Let vs as the Elect of God put vpon vs tender mercy kindnesse long suffering forbearing one another and forgiuing one another as Christ for gaue you euen so doe ye Let this sweet promise of our Sauiour And ye shall be forgiuen quench in vs all rancor and malice and ouersway in our thoughts all reasons of flesh bloud which seeke to moue vs to reuenge consider that in no other Petition in the Lords Prayer we so pray as to indent with God but in this onely Forgiue vs as wee forgiue others In which couenant with God if wee bee found liars we pray in vaine our prayers are against our selues seeing our sinnes are not forgiuen because wee are not truly inserted in the body of Iesus Christ vnlesse we forgiue one anther except wee manifest our faith in loue towards our neighbor Forgiue saith Saint Augustine lest whiles thou denie mercy to thy brother thou shut the mercy of thy Heauenly Father from thy selfe Iam. 2.13 For there shall bee iudgement mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy But if all this cannot suppresse the rage of thy wreakefull humour but thou must needes seeke reuenge I will permit thee to be carried with the current of thy passions vpon condition that thou wilt bee angry with him that indeede hath done thee that iniury And who is hee verily as Basil saith euen hee which ruleth in thine enemies heart the Diuell I meane which inflameth him with the firebrands of wrath and armeth him with his spirit against thee it is hee that vseth thine enemies hand as a Sword to strike thee and his tongue as an arrow to shoote at thee If an horseman should strike thee with his speare wouldest thou bee
the mercilesse and such as haue heene negligent in the workes of charitie into eternall fire Of earefull sentence to be tormented with the Diuell and his Angels Oh that this sentence were continually sounding in our eares But you are to note that these workes of the faithfull are not here set downe as the causes whereby men merit saluation but because these workes of charity are the infallible fruits of our faith to shew the same to be liuely and working through loue Gal. 5.6 and so consequently the markes and signes of our election and that way wherein God would haue vs to walke towards the possession of his heauenly Kingdome Many men pretend many excuses that they may not giue some for feare of diminutiō of their goods that if they extend liberally to the poore they themselues shall want others cut of their bounty to the poore vnder pretence of prouiding for their children that they may leaue them the richer but what is this else but to distrust God then not to be lieue his word then not to trust him vpon his promise Hath not truth it selfe said which cannot lie Pro. 28.27 Hee that giuth to the poore shall not want Luke 6.38 Likewise doth not our Saniour Christ say Giue and it shall bee giuen you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue into your bosome And doth not God assure thee that this honouring of God with thy substāce Pro. 3.9 shal be so far from diminishing thy wealth That it shall fill thy barnes with aboundance And doth not the Apostle confirme this 2 Cor. 9.10 That God will multiply your seede and increase the fruite of your benenolence If thou wouldest prouide for thy children what better course canst thou take then that which S. Ciprian giueth If thou hast many children be the more carefull by distributing to the poore to leaue them Gods blessing commit to his custody the goods thou wouldest lay vppe for thy children make God their tutor and protectour and so shalt thou be sure to haue them safe kept Otherwise thy niggardlinesse and sparing frōthe poore to make them rich what is it else but a subuersion of thy selfe thy house and thy children We are all not Lords but Gods stewrds of the goods commited to our charge and the poore be but Gods receiuers which come to receiue Gods blessings at our hands to deny then to pay vnto thee poore which beare Gods Image that which we owe vnto God what is this but an heinous theft and an intollerable sacriledge Christ saith saith S. Augustine giue vnto mee of that which I haue giuen thee I aske but mine owne giue and restore thou hast found me liberall make me thy debtor thou giuest vnto me temporall things I render vnto thee eternall Surely there is nothing more dishonoureth God then disobedience and distrust in his prouidence and promises for it deroguteth from his goodnes as if he would suffer vs to want if we obey his will Euen as mothers which haue many small children haue ouer bread by them that they may giue vnto their children when they craue so our God aboundeth with all treasures of goodnesse and is ready to impart vnto those that serue him and craue at his hands As did the Leaper Mat. 8. Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Then would the Lord presently answer I will be thou cleane thou shalt haue sufficient thou hast obeyed my will in giuing reliefe vnto the poore I will not faile thee Luk. 16.9 nor for sake thee Make you friends saith Christ of the unrighteous Mammon that when you shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Damasoene telleth a tale of the rich mans three friends his goods his kinsfolkes and his workes of charity His goods when he dieth can afford him but a shrowding sheete a few mourners and so forsake him his kinsfolke follow him to the graue and there leaue him but his almesdeedes and vertues neuer forsake him This this I say is the friend wee should most regard and as for the drosse of the world and all other friends we must leaue them and they will forsake vs. And surely there is nothing more effectuall to the good of a family then when the Master of it opens his hands aboundantly with all plenty of good workes of mercie I will therefore conclude this fift-branch with this saying Who helpes the poore and pittieth the oppressed He liues to God and doubtlesse dieth blessed Let vs therefore be merciful as our heauenly father is mercifull And thus much touching the fift worke of mercie to the body Colligo THe sixt worke of mercy to the body consisteth in lodging the harbourlesse and in the entertaining of strāgers And this the Apostle cōmendeth vnto vs saying Receiue yee one another Rom. 15.7 as Christ also receiued vs to the glory of the father But so great was the loue of Christ that he sticked not to offer vp his body and bloud as a liuely sacrifice to God the father for our attonement and reconciliation How great then should ou◠Christian loue be one towards another to further the good one of another to relieue the wants necessities one of another The Apostle to the Hebrewes calleth to vs with a remembrance Heb. 13.2 saying Be not forgetfull to entertaine strangers for thereby some haue entertained Angels into their house vnawares Wherein he eanswereth an obiection made by many saying I could be willing to entertaine any honest man but I did not remember that any stranger past by my dore at any time vnregarded Did you not And why I pray you would you be so forgetfull can you tell to whom you denied entertainement and vpon what occasion they trauailed this way Gen. 19.1.2 For had not Let entertained the two Angels when hee saw them he might peraduonture haue had his destruction amongst them of Sedom Gomorrah 1 Kings 17 10.22 Had not the widdow of Sarcphath enter tained Elias neither could she haue continued her meale in her barrel nor her oyle in her cruse neither had her sonne dying bin restored to life Iosua 2.1 And Rahab had not saued her selfe her household neither could she haue obtained this priuiledge that afterwards Christ Iesus according to the flesh should haue come of her stocke posterity if she had not entertained and defended with the hazard of her owne life those spies which Iosua sent It is recorded that the Lucans had a law which condemned that man to be sined which suffered a stranger to passe vnlodged after the sunne was downe And surely were the like law in England practised vpon our Inhoulders and victualling houses our poore trauailers should be better respected For albeit the law tolerate those houses rather for the reliefe of strangers then for the maintenance of drunkards and other shifting mates Let a trauailer neuer thelesse be his occasion neuer so
vrgent resort to any of them who either is not able or willing so to lauish his expences according to their greedy demands albeit otherwise they will content them to the vttermost farthing yet will they turne him away bid him be gon and tel him their Roomes are prouided for others And truely these abuses I haue had experience of and therefore may well sing with Dido Non Ignara mali miseris succurrere disco The knowledge of this euill mooueth me to pittie those that are thus afflicted Your Sergeants and Baileues in the second place are to be found fault withall and that for two causes first for their iugling double dealing with men If they be well contented they can play see me and see me not yea albeit they goe daily by the party and the creditor be at great cost and charges with them for attaching of their debtors But if the debtor giue not to them such reward as they expect then let him looke to himselfe he shall be catched dragd and haled to prison he shal be pincht flieced to the bare bones yea they will hardly leaue till they haue pluckt from him all that hoe is able to make I might tâ—â—e bad executors for their bad and vnconscionable dealing towards orphans and fatherlesse children many being so barely flieced by those into whose tuition protection they haue beene committed that they can scarce recouer from them ten for a hundred towards their reliefe and sustenance So hard harted are many in these our dayes and of so woluish a nature that in stead of education and protection they will giue them their baine and destruction iniuriously wresting from theÌ„ almost al that is coÌ„mitted to their bands But let them beware take heede least the Lord who heareth the cry of the poore and appressed reward them not accordingly I could also blame hard-hearted Chirurgions and Phisitians in Hospitals who hauing often times poore patients vnder their cure continue them in torture and paine suffering them grieuously to languish in their maladies because they cannot extort from them such summes of money as they would But God who also deliuereth all his Lazars out of their hands will one day call these to account and pay them their hire in hell vnlesse by repentance they preuent Gods iudgement speedily What should I say to gardians and ouer-seers to the guifts of the dead who often times conuert and turne those things to their owne gaine and prosit which the deceased by will bequeathed towards the reliefe of the poore the nake the halt the blind I say if there be any such let them be circumspect and wary yea let their repentance be quick and speedy least God in his iudgement ouertake them I could also touch watermen the behauiour of whoÌ„ for the most part is so rude irreuerent and currish that they will scarce spare or for beare any state age person or sex But I will conclude with the laylour whose oppressing and extorting cruelty towards the poore prisoner is vnsupportable For whosoeuer falleth into his hands though he enter with a full purse yet shall he be sure to haue it empty before his departure being during his abode in prison entertaiend with huÌ„ger cold iron fees enough for his reliefe and comfort These mercilesse misers shew to none any further coÌ„miseration then they themselues may haue a large consideration But let them hearken to Christ saying Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire Mat. 25.41 prepared for the Deuill and his Angels For if euery man be bound to giue to the reliefe of the needy what shall we thinke of those men who not only neuer practise this lesson of giuing but also by alsubtile meanes cunning shifts fraudulent dealing poll pill oppresse wring cousen and deceiue the poore and catch that little they haue from them who feed them selues with others wants cloath themselue by others nakedues pamper vp themselues by others penurie Iam. 5.4 Surely this crieth into the eares of the Lord of hoasts who being a righteous Iudge and the God to whom vengeance onely belongeth will reward them accordingly Si sterilitas in Ignom mittitur rapaâ—ita quid meretur Fulgentius If barren nesseshould be cast into the fire what doth catching rapine deserue Iames 2.3 If the Apostle Iames sayth There shall be iudgement without mercy to him that sheweth no mercy what iudgement thinke you belongeth to him which doth also shew cruelty to the poore Quid recipiat qui aliena tulit si semper ardebit qui sua non dedit what shall he receiue that taketh away other mens goods if hee shall euer burne in hell fire Rabunus that hath not giuen of his owne I was an hungred saith Christ and thou gauest me no meate nay the little meate I had thou tookest from me I was naked and thou gauest me no cloathes nay the poore cloathes I had thou tookest from me Is there an Item aledicti for them which doe not feede the hungry and shall they goe free which take away the bread of the hungry Is the punishment so great for them that lodge not the strangers and is there nothing for them that wrong the fatherlesse and strangers If those who cloathed not the naked finde it so hard a doome what may they feare that take away the cloathing of the naked S. Chrisostome in his thirtie fourth Homily to the people of Antioch sayth that whatsoeuer is a boue our necessary maintenance is not ours but the goods of the poore and to retaine this from them cryeth into the eares of the Lord for veÌ„geance And surely there will come a day when men would wish they had beene more mercifull For with what measure you meate Luk. 6.38 with the same shall men meate to you againe Innumerable are the examples of like measure of Gods iustice towards the vnmerciful worthy the obseruation to teach vs the necessity of mercy towards our neighbours if wee would auoid the same measure of Gods reuenging hand for our cruelty shewed to others It is recorded by Nicephorus in his Ecclesiastical history Lib 1. Cap. 29. that the dancing daughter or Herodias who required of wicked Herâ—â— the head of inndent Iohn Baptist and had it that afterwards going on soote ouer a hard frozen riuer the ice breaking she sunke downe euen vnto the necke which through the violence of a great piece of ice comming downe the riuer was cut off from therest other body and so she tasted of the like death she procured to another King Dauid at his death 1 King 2.5 gaue charge to Salomon his sonne Thou knowest what Ioab did he stird the bloud of battaile in the time of peace put the bloud of warre vpon his girdle that was aboute his loines and in his shooes that were on his feete let not his gray head go down to the graue in peace Wherefore he was afterward slaine taking hould
his graue in peace 1 King 22.19 20. and his eyes should not behold the euill that should bee brought vpon that place Contrariwise the want hereof is threatned as a curse to Ierâ—bâ—â—â—â— and Ahab Kings of Israel that they and their posterity should be deuoured with dogs And because Iehoiakim fell from God it was foretolde vnto him by the Prophet That hee should not bee buried honourably but he should be buried as an Asse is buried euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem Obiect But some will obiect that the faithfull often times want buriall some consumed to ashes some drowned in the waters some deuoured of wild beasts some hanged on gibbets of whom the VVorld was not worthy as the Prophet complayneth Psal 79.2 3. The dead bedies of thy Seruants haue they giuen to be meate to the Fowles of the Heauen and the flesh of thy Saints vnto the heasts of the Earth their blood haue they shed like waters round about Ierusalem and there was 〈◊〉 to bury them I answer Resol all temporall chastisements are common to the godly and vngodly as famin plague pestilence sword nakednesse and such like punishments which God shooteth as his arrowes against the sonnes of men The fauour of God bringing saluation standeth not in these outward things for as it cannot profit a wicked and wretched man to bee solemnly interred and costly buried dying out of the fauour of God As is noted in the Parable of the rich glutton so it shall not hurt a righteous man Luk. 10 22 23. to want a sumptuous solemnizing of his funerall Yet let vs make a difference betweene the body of man and beast for as man differeth from the beast in his life Gen. 2.7 Made after the image of God fashioned to looke vpward created with a reasonable soule and sundry other prerogatiues so hee should in his death and buriall The bodies of beasts are drawne forth being dead to lie in the open aire to be deuoured one of another and it skilleth not but it is vnseemely and vnlawfull against order and honesty that the dead bodies of men should be cast out vnburied into ditches and dunghils or such foule and filthy places And therefore Iehuspeaking of Iezabel cast downe out of her window and hauing her blood sprinckled vpon the wall said Visit now yonder cursed woman 2 King 9.34 and bury her Seeing then that the dead carkasse of man is so vnsauoury and loathsom by reason of sinne and seeing buriall is a blessing where it is bestowed and a curse where it is denied we conclude that it is a courteous and commendable duty testifying our loue and reuerence to the dead so soone as life is departed and death hath arrested them to commit the body to the graue And thus haue I albeit in a weake measure particularly set downe what I could touching each duty of mercy both to soule and body desiring and humbly beseeching all those into whose hands this Treatise shall happen so to shew mercy vnto others as they would haue mercy as the hands of God towardes themselues Les vs therefore hee mercifull as our Heauenly Father is mercifull Thus much touching the precept The President In these words As your father which is in heauen is merciful FIrst whereas Christ teacheth vs to call God father wee are emboldned to make our suits vnto him least we might say as Abraham what be we Gen. 18.27 which are but dust and ashes to talke vnto God Secondly when wee confide him as a father in the very beginning of our prayer wee acknowledge his bounty and grace For first this name of father is a name to moue vs to come vnto him The wandring sonne said Ibo adpatrem I will goe vnto my father Luk. 15.18 Secondly it is a name of priuiledge Rom 8.18 Hee hath giuen vs saith the Apostle his spirit whereby wee cry Abba father And thirdly it is a name of prouidence your heauenly father careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 But how come wee to call God by a name of loue of priuiledge and of prouâ—dence Surely hee that willeth vs to call God father hath made him our father Hee hath giuen vs power Ioh. 1.12 to become the sonnes of God In the old law God is called by the name of Lord Ego Dominus I the Lord there his people are called seruants now from the name of the Lord he is called father his people from feruants are become sonnes and all by the meanes of Christ Iesus Ascende ad patrem meum patrem vestrum I go to my father and your father my God and your God Now calling God father as it is a name of dignitie for it is thought to goe well with the children of a rich and louing father so is it a name of duty And as he hath the properties of a rich and louing father to loue to care for and to pitty so should wee haue also the quallities and properties of good children to honour him to serue him and to obey him lest it bee said as it was once of some Nutriui filios Esay 1.2 I haue nourished children and they haue rebelled aganist me Secondly as Christ called God here by the name and title of a father so in like manner hath he to the comfort of vs his chosen children and seruants entituled himselfe by the name of our father After this maÌ„ner pray Our Father which art in heauen c. And first this may teach vs with bouldnesse to call and cry vnto God being our so mercifull so louing and so carefull a father in all our necessities and afflictions Call vpon me sayth almighty God Psal 50.15 in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise me Secondly this teacheth vs when wee pray to pray all in one Let not the rich and mighty therefore dispise the poore and needy it is the will of our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus to haue vs altogether to call to God our father why then should any one contemne or disdaine others Thirdly this may admonish vs to loue one another and to haue a participation or fellow feeling of the wants and miseries of our brethren according to the counsell of the Apostle Rom. 12.16 Reioyce with them that reioyce weepe with them that weepe and bee of like affection one towards an other Iohn 13.34.35 A new commandement I gine you that ye loue one another By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye loue one another This so commendable a vertue nature her selse hath taught the wise men euen among the heathen which were wont to say Nihiltam esse secundum Naturam quam iuuare consortem nature nothing is more agreeable to nature then to helpe them that pertake with vs in the same nature especially seeing the creator of nature hath indued vs with the same condition of nature that no man should
on the hornes of the altar and so the Lord did bring his bloud vpon his owne head Aelianus reporteth of one Cratenas who vilanously slew Archilaus tirant of macedonia of whom hee was entirely beloued that hee might make a compendious way vnto the kingdome but hee tasted of the same sauce For he had scarce enioyed the kingdome three dayes before hee was also slaine fulfilling the verse of Dramatus Qui struit Insidias alijs sihi damna dat ipsi wrought Hee that hath snares for others Himself the â—n is likwise caught This shall suffice to shew how God in his deepe and vnsearcheable prouidence punisheth yea in this life cruell and vnmercifull persons with the same measure that they meate vnto others Messem saith S. ' Bernard habebis semente dignam thy haruest shall be according to thy sowing Immisericordiam seminasti habe quodamasti hast thou sowed vnmercifulnes receiue what thou louest Fugisti misericordiam te fugit misericordia Didst thou fly mercy mercy will fly from thee Detestatus es pauperem detestabitur te qui propter nos factus est pauper Doest thou hate the poore He will also hate thee who for our sakes became poore Where is become the large liberallitie of old benefactours towards the poore members of Iesus Christ Is not all with many scant sufficient to maintaine our excesses The pride of the world in attire and the maintenance thereof in lauishing the the needlesse superfluity of diet hath eaten vp hospitality and mercy toward many hungry soules it causeth that wee haue little to leaue at our departure for the good of others Neuer more at table neuer lesse at door neuer more sumtuous in cloathing our selues neâ—er lesse respect of others Nature is content with few things all will not serue out excesse Let vs therefore be so sparing in superfluous expences that we may be the more liberall towards mercifull and charitable vses yea let vs be kinde merciful on towards another as wee hope for mercy â—at the haÌ„ds of our heaueÌ„ly father Let vs therefore be merciful as c. Thus much touching the sixt worke of mercy to the body Condo THE last worke of mercy towards the body consisteth in burying the dead touching which duty the Wise man saith My son poure forth thy teares ouer the dead Ecclesiasticus 38.16 then couer his body according to his appointment and neglect not his buriall The same commandement giueth Tobit to his Sonne Tobit 14.10 My Sonne when I die burie me honestly VVhence we may gather that sunerall rites decent interring of corpes exequies and seemely mournings which Saint Austen calleth Officium postremi muneris our last duties of loue are not vnfitting the practise of those amoÌ„gst whom all things should be done in order The Israelites in burying so honourably their Parents and Gouernours did shew themselues to be people of good and orderly dispositions Abraham the Father of the faithfull Gen. 23.4 bought a possession of buriall of the Hittites who by the sight and light of nature had their Sepulchers And therefore answered Abraham Thou art a Prince of God amongst vs in the chiefest of our Sepulchers bury thy dead none of vs shall forbid thee his Sepulcher but thou maiest burie thy dead therein Gen. 25. So when Abraham yeelded the spirit and died in a good age and was gathered to his people his Sonnes Isaac and Ismael buried him in the care of Machepelah in the field of Hephron where Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife The like wee see done to Isaac when hee gaue vp the ghost being old and ful of daies his two Sonnes Esau and Iacob buried him Now as Iacob did to his Father so his children doe to him according as he had coÌ„manded them For they carried him into the Land of Canaan and buried him in the caue of the field of Machpelah which Abraham had bought The like may be said of Moses Deut. 34.56 for albeit the people buried him not neither knew of his Sepulcher lest they should abuse it to Idolatry yet rather then hee should want buriall he was buried of God The men of Iabesh Gilead 2 Sam. 2.5 6. are praised of God and rewarded of Dauid because they buried King Saul and his Sonne and aduentured their liues to doe vnto him their last duty The same might be saide of the rest of the Patriarkes Prophets Iudges Kings Gouernours and Priests Yea the new Sepulcher Luk. 23.53 the cleane linnen cloathes the sweet ointments and the assembly of men of reputation shewed how our Sauiour was respectiuely regarded and entembed with sâ—leâ—â—nity These examples teach that it is a Christian and commendable duty of the liuing to bee performed to the dead of Children to be performed to their Parents of the people of God one towards another to commit the body of the deceased to the graue to put dust to dust and so to couer earth with earth And certainely those bedies which haue beene the Temples of the Holy Ghost and shall bee at the day of doome changed into a condition of glory should haue that decencie performed as is agreeable both to comely practise Christian sâ—omlinesse wherefore as they are very highly to bee exalted whose honourable care to the dead is such as to erect them Tombes and to repaire and beautifie their decayed Monuments so on the other side they are greatly to bee reproued and found fault withal that carelesly attend to the funerals of their brethren departed But what shall I say to such as deface the Monuments of the dead Surely such deserue to haue their names to be blotted out of good mens remembrance for such their cruell inhumane and barbarous dealing whereas they ought rather to beautifie the blessed memories and repaire the decaied tombes of their Ancestors and Forefathers Let vs I say in this last point of loue also so shew mercy vnto others as wee would likewise expect in the same case to be performed towards our selues especially it being a matter of so great weight and moment For first amongst all creatures Man is most loathsome and vgly when his life is departed as in his birth bringing forth into the VVorld of all Creatures hee is most fraile and feeble without strength to stand without helpe to defend himselfe so being dead he is become noysom gastly and deformed hee that a little before gloried of his beauty comelinesse feature and proportion is now become the mirrour spectacle of a deformed mishapen and noysom carkasse such a confusion and wracke hath sinne wrought and brought into our nature This is noted in Lazarus Ioh. 11.39 who hauing lien buried but foure dayes his body stunke Secondly buriall is promised as a blessing from God and the want of it threatned for a plague and iudgement God offereth it as a mercy to Abraham Gen. 15.15 that he should be buried in a ripe age and to Iosiah that he should be put in