minde was strangely altered before he was all for getting now he is all for giving This was not the first day that he seemed rich to others but this was the first day he seemed rich to himself Riches bring contention Godlinesse brings contentation Gain hath often hurt the getters piety and Godlinesse is profitable to all men and for all things I Tim. 4. 8. Godlinesse is the most profitable thing in the world because it maketh all things else profitable And it is for want of Piety and Godlinesse that the covetous mans riches no whit profit him Godlinesse setteth such a glass before the eyes of them that possesse the same that it will make a shilling seem as great as a pound a Cottage thought as sumptuons as a Palace a Plow seem as goodly as a Scepter so that he which hath but twenty pounds shall be as merry as he who hath an hundred and he who hath an hundred shall be as â—ocond as he who hath a thousand and he who hath a thousand shall be as well contented and think himself as rich as he who hath a million Even as Daniel did thrive with water and â—ulse as well as the rest did with their wine and junkers Godliness is called by the Apostle great gain 1 Tim. 6. 6. And well it may for it gains God and with him his blessing upon all things else He saith also That bodily exercise profiteth little but godliness is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. But shall I shew you in some Particulars how gainfull and profitable it is and how it brings the blessing of God upon all or rather all Gods blessings upon him that is godly CHAP. VII The particular Benefits and Priviledges of Grace and Godlinesse above all worldly commodities are innumerable I 'le name only Nine that you may the better remember them There is nothing wherein men usually rejoyce but the godly more than find it in Christ. First Does any man desire or glory in Knowledge In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. I desire to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. This is eternal life to know thee the only God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ John 17. 3. Secondly Does any man desire or glory in Honour and Nobility Believers are more Noble than any other men Act. 17. 11. The righteous is more worthy than his neigbour Prov. 12. 26. 28. 6. The best Nobility is the Nobility of Faith and the best genealogie the genealogie of good works The only true greatnesse is to be great in the sight of the Lord as John Baptist was Luk. 1. 15. Whence it is that David thought it not so happy for him to be a King in his own house as a door-keeper in Gods house That Solomon preferred the title of Ecclesiastes before the title of the King of Jerusalem That Theodosius the Emperour preferred the title of Membrum Ecclesiae before that of Caput Imperii professing that he had rather be a Saint and no King than a King and no Saint And that godly Constantine rejoyced more in being the Servant of Christ than in being Emperour of the whole world And indeed Gods servants are the only worthies of the world for Christ hath made them spiritual Kings Rev. 1. 6. So happy are they as to have this high honour and dignity given them Yea so soon as regenerate we are made Sons to a King 2 Cor. 6. 18. Brothers to a King Heb. 2. 11. Heires to a King Rom. 8 17. Even to the King of glory Joh. 17. 22. Rom. 8. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Nor are we his Sons only but he accounts us his precious Jewels Mala. 3. 17. And repures us his intimate Friends Joh. 15. 14 15. Our Friend Lazarus saith Christ Joh. 11. 11. O what an high and happy condition is this for mortal men to aspire unto that the God of Heaven should not be ashamed to own them for friends that before were his cursed and mortal enemies By nature we are like Nebuchadnezer no better than beasts grazing in the forrest but when grace once comes we are like him restored to his reason and high dignities Dan. 4. 29. to the end Or like Manasses brought out of a loathsome Prison to be King of Jerusalem 2 Chroâ— 33. 11 12 13. Thirdly Does any man glory in riches Christ is an unexhaustable treasure never failing and of his fulness have all we received Joh. 1. 16. Nor are these transitory riches though these we have also when God sees them good for us For riches and treasures shall be in the house of the righteous Psal. 112. 3. but we have heavenly and spiritual riches that true Treasure that is infinitely better than silver or gold and more precious than Rubies Pearles or any the most precious stones Yea it surpasseth all pleasure and prosperity strength honour or felicity It is more sweet than the Honey and the Honey-comb yea all the things thou canst else desire are not to be compared to it Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left riches and honour Her waies are waies of pleasantnesse and all her paths are peace She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her and happy is every one that retaineth her as Job David and Solomon will insure you Job 28. 13. to 20. Psal. 19. 10 119. 103. Prov. 3. 14 to 19. 8. 10 11. Eccles. 9. 16. Yea lastly Heaven it self is made sure to every gracious soul for her Patrimony Mat. 5. 3. to 12. Now consider before we go any further how poor a clod of earth a Mannour is how poor an inch a Shire how poor a span a Kingdom how poor a pace or Acre the whole earth And yet how many have sold their bodies and souls and consciences and Heaven and eternity for a few grains of this dust Only with Believers it is otherwise they consider that commodities are but as they are commonly valued And because transitory things in the next life bare no value at all and because there is nothing firm under the firmament They hold it very good covering what they may have and cannot leave behind them And though others most loye what they must leave and think that money will buy any thing like foolish Magus Act 8. 18. Or the Devil who presumed that this bait would even catoh the Son of God Yet the wise and religious can see no reason why it should be so doted upon as it is But Fourthly Does any one desire or glory in Liberty Christ hath delivered us out of the hands of all our adversaries and enemies Luk. 1. 71 74. As namely from the Law Gal. 5. 18. Rom. 6. 44. From sinne 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. From death Joh. 8. 51. 5. 24. And from the Devil with all the powers of darknesse Heb. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 35. to the end Or Fifthly Is it safety from fear
the Lâ—â—d to provide for their childrens bodies not for their soules to shew that they begat not their soules but their bodies to leave faire estates for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part They desire to leave their children great rather then good and are more ambitious to have their sons Lords on earth than Kings in heaven But as he that provides not for their temporall estate is worse then an Infidell 1 Tim. 5. 8. So he that provides not for their eternall estate is little better then a Devill The use which I would have you make of the premisses is this Let none refuse to give because they have many children but give the rather out of love to and for their children sakes that God who as you see hath ingaged himselfe may be their Guardian and provide and take care for them Or if not for their soules yet for thine owne For why shouldest thou love thy children better then thine owne person and in providing for them neglect thy selfe Yea why shouldst thou preferre their wealth before thine own soule and their flourishing estate in the world which is but momentany and mutable before the fruition of those joyes which are infinite and everlasting Will it nor grieve and gall thy conscience another day to thinke that for getting or saving some trifles for thy posterity on earth thou hast lost Heaven or to remember that thy children ruffle it out in worldly wealth and superfluous abundance when thou shalt be stripped of all and want a drop of cold water to cool thy scorching soul in hell CHAP. XXXV Thus I might go on and inlarge my selfe upon this and add thereunto many other reasons First in regard of God Secondly in regard of Christ. Thirdly in regard of the poore Fourthly in regard of others I should also according to the order first proposed shew what are the ends to he propounded in our giving almes and lastly the severall impediments that hinder men from giving but I finde which when I fell upon it I did not soresee matter representing it selfe like those waters in Ezekiel Chap. 47. which at the first were but anckle deep and then knee deep and then up to the loynes which afterwards did so rise and flow that they were as a River which could not be passed over Or like that little cloud which Elias his servant saw 1 Kings 18. Much hath been said of this subject but much more might be said for I could carry you a great way further and yet leave more of it before then behind But I am loth to tire my Reader or cause any to make an end before they begin as not seldome doth Addition in this case bring forth substraction and more writ cause lesse to be read Wherefore I will onely give you the sum of some few particulars briefly and leave the rest That little which I intend to deliver is First the neer communion that is between the poor and us with our head Christ. For besides the civill communion that is between all men as being of one flâ—sh the off-spring and generation of God Acts 17 28 29. The sonnes of the same Father Adam and Noah and so brethren one with another and proceeding as so many flowers from one root many Rivers from one fountain many arteries from one heaâ—t many veines from one liver and many â—ineâ—s from one braine And likewise of the same Country Common-wealth yea of the same City and Corporation yea perhaps neer Neighbours and parishiâ—ners every of which the Holy Ghost maketh a sufficient argument to move us to do these works of mercy in relieving the poor Isa. 58. 6 7. There are many spirituall respects and divine relations which make a more neer communion between Christians one with another for we are elected to the same eternall life and happinesse we are not onely Gods workmanship created in Adam according to his owne glorious image but reâ—created and restored unto the divine Image lost by Adam in Christ the second Adam we are redeemed in our soules and bodies with the same precious blood of Jesus Christ we are partakers of the same calling whereby we are chosen out of the world and gathered into the Church and communion of Saints that we may inherit eternall glory together and that out of darknesse into marvellous light and out of a desperate condition to be partakers of the same precious promises And by vertue of this Calling we serve one and the same God are of one Church and family and have one Religion one faith one baptisme are invited guests to the same Table and Supper of our Lord are all Heirs and Co-heires of the same heavenly kingdome and therein annexed also with Christ our elder brother Finally we are brethren of the same Father the onely Spouse of the same heavenly Bridegroom and members of the same mystical body whereof Jesus Christ is the head so that the neerest and strongest communion that can be imagined is between Christians one with another and all of them with their head Jesus Christ And should not all this move us to relieve them Yea more then all this If we do good to our fellow-members the benefit will redound unto our selves who are of the same body even as the hand giving nourishment to the mouth and the mouth preparing it for the stomacke do in nourishing it provide nourishment for themselves also Yea more then all this there is such a neare and strong union and communion with the poor together with us and with our head Christ our Saviour That he esteemâ—th thâ—â— as done to himselfe which is done unto them even as the head acknowledgeth the benefit done unto it which the meanest member of the body receiveth Yea in truth that is much more acceptable which we do for his poor members then if we should do it to his owne person as being a signe of greater love For it is but an ordinary kindnesse to confer benefits upon our dearest friends but to extend our bounty to the poorest and meanest that belong unto them is a signe of much greater love For if for their sakes onely we do good unto these how much more would we be ready to do it unto themselves if they had occasion to crave our help And as in this regard he much esteemeth this Christian bounty so he will richly reward it also at the day of â—udgemeâ—t For then these mercifull men who have relieved the poor for Christs sake shall with ravishing joy heare that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father because the works of mercy which they have done to the poor Christ will acknowledge as done unto himselfe And this will more rejoyce thy soale hereafter then it doth now refresh the others body when Christ shall say unto thee Come thou blessed and inherit the Kingdome Nor will it then repent thee that thou hast parted with a small part of what God hath given thee to the poor CHAP. XXXVI And
the truth and the life John 14. 6. The resurrection and the life John 11. 25. Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4. 7. Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Jesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the world he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderfull things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater than the making of the whole world In every new creature are a number of Miracles a blinde man is restored to sight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meers with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we find our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breathe in fire to warm us water to cool and cleanse us cloathes to cover us food to nourish us fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whethersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castawayes for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse For whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reson others are blind deaf dumb are sick mained imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace and mercy given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68. 19. 145 15 16. 75 6 7 Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was fast asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwaies raised us CHAP. XV. But the better to illustrate and set out this Love it will be good to branch it out into some more Particulars As First Call to mind all these external inferiour earthly and temporal
universally profitable and withall so amiable As O the loveliness and profitableness of this Christian grace For to do good to the poore is more then a treble good it pleasures them most of all pleasures the doer for it brings blessings upon their Soules Bodies Estates Names Posterity it increaseth their reward causes the poore to pray for and praise God for us and also others to glorifie him it is an odour that smelleth sweete a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God who will fulfill all our necessities through his riches with glory in Jesus Christ as the Apostle delivers it Phil. 4. 16. to 20. VVhence that great praise of it 1 Cor. 13. 13. Now abides Faith Hope and Charity but the chiefest of these is Charity Whence Sozomen calls it â—a sure toaken of a most vertuous mind and Lallantius a principall vertue and Calvin the chiefest office of humanity amongst us and Aretius the most elegant ornament of a Christian life and the holy Ghost a never failing grace 1 Cor. 13 8. whence also it is so highly commended in the Saints in all ages As how is Abraham commended for his hospitality and almes-deeds And Lot Corunelius of whose almes there was in the presence of God a memorandum made Acts 10. 31. and Darcas whose good works and almes-deeds were to be seen and shown when she has selfe was not and the poore could not tell how with patience to take her death she had done so much good for them all the time of her life Acts 9. 36. 39. And those Christians Acts 11. 29 30. for the care they had of the poor in the Apostles time Acts 2. 45. Thus the Macedonians are highly commended and much honoured for their freenesse and forwardnesse in relieving of the poor brethren at Jerusalem as is seen upon record Rom. 15. 26. And again 2 Cor. 8. 1 2 c. And the like of the Philippians and many more whom I must passe over in silence CHAP. XXXII And as bounty is the most beneficiall grace and giving the greatest gaine in every respect For almes to the poore is like powring a paile of water into a dry Pump that fetcheth up much more then was put in So coutrariwise to be unmercifull to the poor and hard-hearted or to wrong them whereby to enrich our selves is alike heynons sin and the ready way to want here and to find no mercy hereafter as might most plentifully be shewâ— Prov. 22. 16. James 2. 13. It is said Prov. 11. He that with-holdeth more then is meet shall surely come to poverty ver 24. And so Ver. 25 26. He that with-draweth his corne the people shall curse him but blessings shall be upon the head of him that selleth corne And Prov. 58. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lacke but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse vers 27. And Prov. 22. 16. He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches and he that giveth to the rich shall surely come to poverty Give then that you may never want hide not your eyes that you may not inherite many a curse But of this by the way onely for I would have you specially to take notice that if we shew no mercy here if we will not heare the suits of the poor when they crave of us for reliefe neither will God give us audience when we shall sue unto him hereafter According to that Prov 21. 13. Who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himselfe and not be heard Yea he shall have judgement without mercy that shewes no mercy James 2. 13. For whereas to those that have sed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sicke c. Christ shall say Come ye blessed of my Father c. Contrariwise to those that have not done these duties he shall say depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and ye gave me as drinke I was a stranger and ye tooke me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not â— For inasmuch as ye did it not to my poore members ye did it not to more So these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the other into life eternall Matth. 25. 31. to 47. Where are two things considerable They to save their purses would not be at a little cost for the poore while they lived and what have they got by it Now they are dead bâ—t first an everlasting separation from Gods blisfull presence and thâ—se unutterable joyes before mentioned and to be for ever coâ—fined in a bed of quenchlesseâ—flames For this departure is not for a day noâ— for years of dayes nor for millions of yeares but for eternity into such paynes as can neither be expressed nor conceived There shall be no end â—f plagues to the wicked and unmercifull Math. 25. 41. Mark 9. 44. Their worme shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched Isa. 66. 24. Neither is the extremity of paine inferiour to the perpetuity of it Rev. 19 20. â—0 14. 18. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Heb. 10. 2â— Jude 6. The plagues of the first death are pleasant compared with those of the second For mountaines of sand were lighter and millions of yeares shorter then a tythe of these torments Rev. 20. 10. Jude 7. The pain of the body is but the body of paine the anguish of the soule is the soule of anguish For should we first burn off one hand then another after that each arme and so all the parts of the body it would be deemed intolerable and no man would endure it for all the pleasures and profits this world can afford and yet it is nothing to that burning of body and soule in Hell Should we endure ten thousand yeares torments in Hell it were grievous but nothing to eternity should we suffer one paine it were miserable enough but if ever we come there ouâ— payns shall be for number and kinds infinitely various as our pleasures have been here Every sense and member each power and faculty both of soul and body shall have their severall objects of wretchednesse and that without intermission or end or ease or patience to endure it Luke 12. 5. 16. 24. Matth. 3. 12. Yea the paynes and sufferings of the damned are ten thousand times more than can be imagined by any heart under heaven It is a death never to be painted to the life no pen nor pensill nor art nor heart can comprehend it Mat. 18. 8 9. 25 30. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Isa. 5. 14. 30. 33. CHAP. XXXIII Now what heart would not bleed to see men yea multitudes run headlong into these tortures that are thus intolerable daâ—ce hood-wink'd iâ—to this perdition O the folly and madnesse of those thaâ— prefer earth yea hell to heaven time to eternity the body before the
benefits as that your being breathing life motion reason is from God That he hath given you a more noble nature than the rest of the creatures excellent faculties of mind perfection of senses soundnesse of body competency of estate seemlyness of condition fitnesse of calling preservation from dangers rescue out of miseries kindnesse of friends carefulnesse of education honesty of reputation liberty of recreations quietnesse of life opportunity of well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to his Spiritual favours though here on earth and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts Blesse God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your profession of the truth for the honour of your vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benifit of their prayers the aid of their counsels the pleasure of their conversation for the beginnings of Regeneration 〈◊〉 foot-steps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Peace Joy conscionablenesse for any desire of more Then let your soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from Shame Death and Hell of the Intercession of her Saviour of the Preparation of her Place And there let her stay a while upon the meditation of her future Joyes This or the like do and it will teach you where to beg blessings when you want them and whom to thank when you have them For as the Sea is that great Cistern to recieve the confluence of all waters as first from that large and vast pond water is derived into all parts of the earth by veines and springs those springs 〈◊〉 into rivers and those rivers empty themselves again into the Sea so all blessings come from God and all praises must be returned to him If we have any thing that is good God is the giver of it If we do any thing well he is the Authour of it God is Alpha the fountain from which all grace springs and Omega the sea to which all glory runnes All blessings come from him like so many lines from the center to the circumference therefore we must return all praises to him like so many lines from the circumference to the center Rom. 11. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. His wisdom he communicates and his justice he distributes and his holinesse he imparts and his mercy he bestowes c. 1 Cor 1. 30 31. but his glory he will not give to another Isai. 42. 8. But this is not all yea what can we think of that can be thought sufficient to render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies For in reason hath he contrived so many waies to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lamb cannot soften them stony bowels if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again Now the meditation of what God and Christ hath done for thee will wonderfully inflame thee with the love of God and thy Redeemer and withall make thee abhor thy self for thy former unthankfulnesse It will make thee break out into some such expression as this Praised be the Lord even the God of our salvation who loadeth us daily with benefits Selah Psal. 68. 19. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure Psal. 145. 15 16. To come to promotion is neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but God is the Judge he maketh low and he maketh high Psal. 75. 6 7. And so of all other mercies and deliverances He that confers a Benefit upon a gratefull nature robs him of his liberty and self also and in one and the same act makes him a vassal and himself his Master Wherefore if we have any ingenuity in us it will make us to direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to his glory as he hath directed our eternal salvation thereunto But to help and further you herein if you be willing so to do take these few Directions First Let these things be never out of the minds memories and mouthes of those whom Christ hath done thus for O let us I say remember as we should never forget Si totum me debeo pro me◠facto quid jam reddam pro me refecto saith holy Bernard If I owed my whole self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what have I left to pay for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption which was not so cheap as my Creation Great was the benifit that thou wouldst create me of nothing but what tongue can sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing We are full of thy goodnesse O let our hearts run over with thankfulnesse Yea let so many of us as have either heart or brain in the next place say O Lord What is man that thou art so mindfull of him Psal. 8. 4. And O man what is God that thou art so unmindfull of him And then conclude with What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits but love thee my Creatour and Redeemer and become a new creature I will serve thee O Lord by the assistance of thy grace because thou hast given me my self but much more honour thee because thou hast given me thy Son Christ. Nor can any man in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerably thankfull demeanure If a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient but to him that hath given me all things I have scarce given so much as thanks Yea I have striven to multiply offences against him and to make them as infinite in number as his blessings Thirdly The continual meditation of What God hath done for thee will make thee do what thou art able for him again For did God and Christ do all this for us and shall we do nothing for him again Like favours require like gratitude This then should at least make us part with our nearest dearest and sweetest darling sins to serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse every day every hour all the daies of our lives Even every sin for what sin should be so dear to us as Gods only Son was to him Do we then for Gods sake not spare our dearest sin when God for our sakes did not
spare his dearest Son Yea what a bruitish and barbarous unthankfulnesse and shame were it that God should part with his Son and his Son with his own precious blood for us and we not part with our sinfull lusts and delights for him Fourthly Hath Christ done all this for us his servants so much and so many waies obliged unto him let us do what we are able for him again 1. Let us be zealous for his glory and take his part when we see or hear him dishonouted Nor can there be any love where there is no zeal saith Augustine Well-born Children are touched to the quick with the injuries of their Parents And it is a base vile and unjust ingratitude in those men that can endure the disgrace of them under whose shelter they live 2. Let us seek to draw others after us from Satan to Him 3. Do we all we can to promote his worship and service 4. Take we all good occasions to publish to others how good God is and what he hath done for us 5. Let us wholly ascribe all the good we have or do to free grace and give him the glory of his gifts imploying them to our Masters best advantage 6. Let us that we may â—â—presse our thankfulnesse to him shew kindnesse to his Children and poor members who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes. 5 30. 7. Abhor we our selves for our former unthankfulnesse and our wonderfull provoking of him 8. Hearken we unto Christs voice in all that he saith unto us and expresse our thankfulnesse by our obedience Yea all this let us do if we do it but for our own sakes For what should we have if we did thus serve Christ who hath done all these things for his enemies neglecting and dishonouring him CHAP. XVI But thou wilt say What can we do for God or for Christ I Answer We cannot properly benefit God nor add to his fulnesse They can add no good to him that have all their good from him The Ocean is never the fuller though all the rivers of the world flow into the same So What is God the better for our praises or performances to whom in that he is infinite nothing can be added If we be righteous our righteousnesse may profit the sonnes of men but what can we give unto him or what receiveth he at our hands Can the Sun receive light from a candle What profit does the Sunne receive by our looking upon it We are the better for its light not it for our sight or at all prejudiced by our neglect A shower of rain that waters the earth gets nothing to it self the earth fares the better for it Lord saith David our well-doing doth not at all extend unto thee but to the Saints that are on the earth and to the excellent ones in whom is all my delight Psal. 16. 2 3. Yea if we could give him our bodies and souls they should be saved by it but he were never the better for them It is for our good that he would be served and magnified of us True as the Ocean daynes to take tribute of the small brooks and accepts that in token of thankfulnesse which was its own before it being the maintainer of the rivers streams Or as Joseph accepted of his Brethrens small gifts albeit he had no need of them Gen 43 15. So does God accept of our free-will offerings and bountifully rewards them Phil 4. 18. Yea if in imploying our Talents we aim at his glory and the Churches good he doubles them Matth. 25. 21 22 23. Nor does God look for such glory or service from us as he is worthy to receive but as we are able to give Our praises and performances are not sinnes yet they are not without some touch of sin Duties and infirmities come from us together but Christ parts them forgiving the infirmities and receiving the praises and performances They are full of weaknesses yet does not he except against them for their imperfections He takes them well in worth though there be no worth in them and vouehsafes them a reward which had been sufficiently honoured with a pardon Neither can we hurt or take away any thing from him For if we be wicked our wickednesse may hurt a man like our selves but what is it to him Job 35. 7 8. Yet neverthelesse we may do many things which he accounts and rewards as done to himself of which I will give you one in special and I pray mind it Though we can do nothing for Christ himself he being now in Heaven yet we may do much for his poor members those excellent ones whom David speakes of Psalm 16. 2 3. which Christ accounts all one as if it were done to himself as appears by many expresse testimonies When I was an hungred ye fed me when I was naked ye cloathed me when sick and in prison ye visited me c. For in as much as ye did it unto one of these little ones that believe in me ye did it unto me Matth. 25. 34. to 41. He that giveth unto the poor tendeth unto the Lord Prov. 19. 17. And many the like which I have formerly cited CHAP. XVII Now do we love Christ or would we indeed expresse our thankfulnesse to him for what we have received from him Or do we desire to do something again for Christ who hath done and suffered so much for us here is a way chalked out unto us which he prefers before all burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12. 33. When David could do the Father Barzillay no good by reason of his old age he loved and honoured Chimham his son 2 Sam. 19. 38. And to requite the love of Jonathan he shewed kindnesse to Mephibosheth So if thou bearest any good will to God or Christ whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankfulnesse to him in his Children and poor members who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ephes. 5. 30. Is our Jonathan gone yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his own sake will love his Brother for Gods sake Especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another John 15. This is my Commandement saies Christ that ye love one another as I have loved you Vers. 12. And greater love than his was cannot be Vers. 13. And untill we consider how infinitely good God hath been unto us we can never shew any goodnesse towards our Brethren We must know he hath given us all we have before we will part with any thing for his sake God in the beginning had no sooner created the Heavens and the Earth but he said Let the Earth bring forth grass the Herb yeelding seed and the fruitfull tree yeelding fruit c Gen. 1. 11 12. So when he hath by his Word and Spirit created us anew he commands us to be fruitfull in the works of Piety and Charity
but if we sow these seeds of our beneficence believing Gods promises and hoping for a happy harvest we shall never sail of our expectation because God who is infinite in power and truth having promised a fruitfull crop no outward accident is able to hinder it But lest what hath been said should not be sufficient to prevail with men to be mercifull to the poore let them hearken to and mind well the many other reasons and inducements that propound themselves and then I doubt not but they will if wise do good to others if it be but to do a greater good to themselves For of all other graces the grace of charity and bounty hath the most and primest promises of reward to us and ours both here and hereafter of which I will mention some CHAP. XXIII Thirdly God hath further promised to confirm strengthen and continue as well as increase his prosperous and flourishing estate and that in sundry places of scripture already cited and elsewhere He is gracious and full of compassion he sheweth favour and lendeth he hath given to the poore c. And what shall be his reward Wealth and Riches shall be in his house he shall not be moved for ever his righteousness aye and his riches too as is implied in the close shall endure for ever he shall be in everlasting remembrance he shall not be afraid of evill tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord his horn shall be exalted with honour Psal. 112. 1. to 10. All grace shall abound towards him that he always having al sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work and hold out to the end 2 Cor. 9. He deviseth liberâ—ll things and by his liberallity he shall stand Isa. 32. 8. He drawes out his soul to the hungry and comforteth the afflicted therefore his light shall rise in obscurity and his darkness shall be as the noon day and the Lord shall guide him continually and satisfie his soul in draught and make fat his bones he shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not and they that shall be of him shall build the old waste places he shall raise up the foundations of many generations â—nd he shall be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of pathes to dwell in Isa. 58. 6 to 13. And the like Pro. 28. 27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack And so Psalm 37. 25. I have been young and now am old y â— have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread and why so He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed as it followes in the next verse and in the next to that He that does good shall dwell for ever more Verse 27. He shall not be forsaken but the Lord will preserve him for ever Verse 28. He shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever Vers. 29. and a great deal more to the same effect Verse 31 33 34 37 39 40. See more Jer 17. 25. Psal. 1. 3. and 32. 10. Job 1. 10. which are all pregnant places and full to the point in hand But I may not stand upon it Onely read these Scriptures and remember them Fourthly he shall be blessed in his person and that many waies yea the benefits and blessings temporall spirituall and corporall for soul and body which God hath promised to bestow upon the mercifull for a reward of their bounty are infinite of which observe with me these few First touching corporall benefits and blessings Blessed is the saith the Psalmist that considereth the poore the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble he will keep and preserve him alive he shall be blessed upon the earth and not delivered unto the will of his enemies Psalm 41. 1 2 3. Great priviledges but to these are added Isa. 58. If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry then shall thy health spring forth speedily c. verse 7. 8. But admit the mercifull man be long sick God will preserve him alive strengthen him upon the bed of languishing yea make all his bed in his sickness the Lord will stir up the feathers under him his soul shall be at ease and his body sweetly refreshed mercy shall be his cordiall or pillow of repose untill he be raised up again Psalm 41. 1. to 11. CHAP. XXIV But see how God hath rewarded many particular persons for this most excellent vertue Abraham in his old age was blessed with an Isaac a godly son and heir a glorious type of the worlds Redeemer and entertained Angels by his hospitality yea the Son of God the Lord of Angels as Sinesius observes The Shunamâ—te that entertained the Prophet Elisha received above a Prophets reward namely the promise and gift of a son when she was old and the raising of him to life when he was dead and the restoring of her house and land lost in her long absence for the samine 2 Kings 4 and 8. Chapters Rebeccah got so good and great an Husband by her hospitality as Chrysostom observes Lot was honoured with the entertainment of Angels and preserved alive with his whole family from the destruction of Sodom by his hospitality The Widow of Sarepta was blessed with a miraculous increase of her meal and oyl with the preservation of her family in the time of famine with the resurrection of her son by her relieving the Prophet in his banishment 1 Kings 17. Revell or Jethro for it is the same man under two divers names as Calvin proves upon Exod. 2. for this was rewarded with such a son in law as Moses and by him better instructed in the true worship of God Publius the chief man of the Island Melita by entertaining St Paul and his companions gat his father healed of a feaver and of a bloody flux Acts 28. 8. It is likewise storied of Stephen King of Hungary and of Oswald King of England that their right hands did never putresie because so much exercâ—sed in relieving the necessities of such as were afflicted Again Fifthly It bringeth the blessings of God upon all we 〈◊〉 or do And we know that the blessing of God in effect is all and does all Thou shalt surely give to thy poore Brother and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because for this thing the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy work and in all that thou puttest thine hand to Deut. 15. 10. And the like Prov. 22. 9. Luke 14. 14. It were endless to name the particulars wherein God hath promised to bless the mercifull see onely Isa. 58. Psal. 112. Prov. 10. and 22. Chapters 2 Chron. 31. 10. Deut. 14 28 29. Ezek. 44. 30. Or turn to Luke 11. and there you shall see that as fasting sanctifieth the body and prayer the soul so Almes does sanctifie the substance Give almes of those things which ye have saies our Saviour and behold all things shall
soule yea the outward estate before either soule or body These are the worlds fooles meer children that prefer an apple before their inheritance Besotted sensualists that consider not how this life of ours if it were not short yet it is miserable and if it were not miserable yet it is shoâ—t that suffer themselves to be so bewitcht with the loâ—e of their money and their hearts to be râ—veted to the earth to be so infâ—aved to coverousnesse as to make gold their God Câ—rtainly were they allowed to have but a â—ight of this Hell they would not do thâ—â— if they did but either see or foresee what they shall one day without serious and unfeigned repentance feel they would not be hired with all the worlds wealth to hazard in the least the losse of those everlasting joyes before spoken of or to purchase and plunge themselves into those ease lesse and everlasting flames of fire and brimstone in hell there to â—ry body and soule where shall be an innumerable company of Deviâ—s and damned spirits to affright and torment them but not one to comfort or pity them But O that thou who art the Sacred Monarch of this mighty frame wouldst give them hearts to believe at least that the soule of all sufferings are the sufferings of the soule that as painted fire is to materiall such is materiall to hell fire That things themselves are in the invisible world in the world visible but their shadowes onely And that whatsoever wicked men enjoy here it is but as in a dream their plenty is but like a drop of pleasure before a river of sorrow and displeasure and whatsoever the godly feel but as a drop of misery before a river of mercy and glory Then would they thinke it better to want all things then that one needfull thing whereas now they desire all other things and neglect that one thing which is so needfull They would be glad to spare something from their superfluities yea if need requâ—re even from their necessaries that they might relieve and cherish the poor distressed members of Jesus Christ. And let so much serve to have been spoken of the reasons that concern our selves in particular and how God hath promised to blesse the merciful man in his soule body name and estate I should now go on to declare that what the liberall man gives his seed shall inherit But I consider that if for the increasing of their estates for the obtaining of heaven and the avoyding of everlasting destruction of body and soule in Hell will not prevail with rich men to do some good with their goods while they live wharsoever else can be spoken will be lost labour and to no purpose I grant there are some of them such desperaâ—e doting fools that they can find in their hearts to damn their own souls and go to hell to leave their sonnes rich and therefore it will not be amisse to set down or poynt them to a few of those promises which God hath made to the mercifull or liberall mans seed and posterity after him I 'le alleadge but three places onely CHAP. XXXIV That if we bountifully relieve the poor the reward of oâ—r charity shall not onely extend to us but also to our Off-spring and Progeny the Prophet Esay witnesseth Chap. 58. where he tells us that if we will draw out our soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule the Lord will not onely satisfie our soules in drought make fat our bones but thâ—â— those also that come of us shal prosper unto many generations ver 10 11 12. And also the Psalmist Psal. 37. I have been young â—nd now aâ—â— old saith hee yes have I not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging â—â—ead vers 25. then giveâ— the reason He is ever mercifull and endeth and his seed enjoyes the blessing vers 26. And so Psal. 112. His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the righteous shall be blessed Vers. 2. to 6. Now what better inheritance can we leave to our Children then the blessing of God which like an ever-springing fountaine will nourish and comfort them in the time of drought when as our owne provision which we have left unto them may faile and when the heate of affliction ariseth will like standing waters be dried up Nor is this only probable but God hath set down that it shall be so For he speaks far otherwise of the unmercifull as Psal. 109. Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widow Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg their bread I pray mind it let them seek their bread also out of desolate places Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the strangers spoile all his labour Let there be none to extend mercy unto him nâ—ither let there be any to favour his fatherlesse children Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their names be blotted out and the memory of them cut off from the earth Because mark the reason he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy Vers. 6. to 17. all which he speaks by the spirit of prophesie Though indeed we want not examples of this in every age Was not this fulfilled in Hâ—man and is it not fulfilled daily in our experience For hence it is that riches ill got or ill kept shift masters so often But take some other instances out of the Scriptures of both kindes Jonâ—â—than is payd for his kindnesse to David in Mephibosheth Jethro for his love to Moses in the Kenites 1 Sam. 15. 6. some hundreds of years after he their Ancestor was dead The Aegyptians might not be unkindly dealt withall for their harbouring the Patriarchs though they afflicted their posterity But the Moabites and Ammonites were either to dye or not to enter into the congregation of the Lord to their tenth generation because they met not Gods Israel with bread and water in the wildernesse Deut. 23. 3 4. God caused Saul to spare all the Kenites for that they had shewed mercy to Israel who otherwise had all of them been destroyed 1 Sam. 15 6. Another example you have in Job 21. 18 19 20. all which shewes that God usually blesseth and rewardeth the children for their fathers goodnesse The loving kindnesse of the Lord saith the Psalmist endureth for ever and ever upon them that feare him and his righteousnesse upon childrens children Psal. 103. 17. And so on the other side Eternall payments God uses to require of their persoâ—s onely temporary often times of succession as we sue the Heyres and Executors of our debtors Now if this be so that what the liberall man gives his seed shall inherit then the good provision that we should make for our Children consist not so much in laying up as in lâ—ying out and more in making provision for their soules then for their bodies I confesse it is the case of niâ—e parts of the Parents throughout
hath enjoined thee to bestow and by the utter neglect and contempt of his Commandment Or that God will regard and feed thy Children who hast neglected his and suffered them to pine and perish for want of Relief No the onely means to obtain God's blessing upon thy self and thy posterity is to obey his Commandments to trust him upon his word to give liberally unto the poor for the righteous man who is merciful and lendeth not onely himself but his seed also is blessed Psal. 37. 26. He doth not say That his children shal live in a rich and pompous Estate for so they may do and yet with the rich Glutton be everlastingly condemned yea they may be wasters and prodigals who wil wickedly and riotously spend what thou hast as wickedly gotten and reserved yea it may be this Worldly Wealth which thou leavesh them may be the means of furthering and encreasing their everlasting ruine and fearful condemnation As how commonly does the leaving great Estates to children which the rich Father minds not make them so much the greater sinners and to spend their dayes in pride pleasure idleness uncleanness tâ—â—anny oppression and in all excess of Wickedness but that they shal have Gods blessing upon that which they enjoy which whether it be less or more wil make it sufficient and so sanctifie it to their use that it shal be unto them a pledge of God's love and a pawn or earnest penny of their eternal salvation Whereas if we will not so far forth trust God as we would one another if we will give nothing for God's and for Christ's sake who have given us our selves and all we have just it is he should suffer us to beg ourselves and have our children beggars permitting none to extend mercy towards them as he hath peremptorily threatned Psalm 109. 10 to 17. As without God's special Providence Blessing and gracious Guidance thine and their Estates is subject to such innumerable casualties that our of the highest flow of plenty they may easily be brought to as great an ebb of want and penury They may be oppressed by those who are more mighty or be defrauded by those that are more crafty the States displeasure or their own faultiness may turn them out of all or in this cunning Age wherein there are none more skilful to build strongly then others are to undermine and supplant there may some crack or flaw be found in their Title and so for want of words or letters to carry it thy Children may be deprived of the benefit of thy care and providence But if God take the care and charge over them he is such a faithful and powerful Guardian and Protector that none shall be able to wrest their portion and patrimony out of his hands CHAP. LXI BUt admit wee were assured that the goods which we spare from the relief of the poor and leave to our children should prosper with them and make them great on the earth yet were there no reason why for this we should neglect these works of mercy For why shouldst thou love thy children better then thine own person and in providing for them neglect thy self Yea why shouldst thou prefer their Wealth before thine own soul and their flourishing Estate in the World which is but momentary and mutable before the fruition of those joys which are infinite and everlasting What comfort wil it be unto thee if for getting some trifles for thy posterity on Earth thou hast lost Heaven or to remember that thy children ruffle it out in worldly wealth and superfluous abundance when thou shalt be stripped of all and want a drop of cold water to cool thy scorching heat But this is the case with which I will conclude First the gain of giving is inestimable God and Christ who are owners of the whole World hath promised we shall be repaid with the increase of an hundred fold here and ten thousand thousand fold in Heaven and that our children and posterity shall reap the fruits of our benevolence And Secondly The security is beyond all exceptions for we have God's Word and Hand-writing for it even express Testimonies Precepts and Promises out of both Testaments who is so true of his word that he never failed a tittle in the performance thereof and also all-sufficient to perform Nihil promittit non reddit fidelis ille factus est debitor esto tu avarus exactor as Austin on Psal. 32. Only herein lyes the defect in this Atheistical age most men believe not that there is a God or if so they wil not or dare not trust him so far as they would do a man whom they take to be able and honest This must of necessity be the main and only reason why men are no more liberal to the poor As for instance If a man of Worship or Credit should speak or write to one of us and wish us to disburse such or such a sum of money to the poore about us and he would take it as his own Debt and not onely pay it us again but take it as a great favour We would willingly do it without any reluctancy yea rather then fail we would borrow it though we had our selves many children yea there is no man when he sows his ground thinks that it is lost and cast away or so buryed in the Earth that he shal never see it more No he lookes that that should bring him in a great deal more and pay him with overplus for all his cost and this hope makes him prodigal of his Seed so that it shal have as much by his good wil as the ground can bear or bring forth And does not this plainly prove that we wil give credit to a man's Word or Bond yea that we wil trust the very ground itself rather then take God's or Christ's Bond or the Bible-Security You know the place wel enough where God hath given his Bill to you for the re-payment of what you give to the poor Prov. 19. 17. He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given he will repay him again Lo brethren the bil of Gods own hand as I may call it in which he hath both acknowledged the Debt and promised payment Be it known unto all men by this present promise That I the Lord God of Heaven Earth do won and acknowledge my self to be indebted to every merciful or liberal man all those sums of money which he hath bestowed or shal bestow in relieving the distressed to be paid back unto him whensoever he shal demand it for a Bond or Bill that names no day of payment binds to pay it at demand and to this payment wel and truly to be paid I bind my self firmly by this present promise sent sealed and delivered by Solomon my known Secretary or Scribe So that not to give readily upon this consideration is to proclaim the Lord an insufficient or a dishonest Pay-Master either