The Poores Pension A SERMON PREACHED IN GREGORIES Church in Sudbury in the County of Suffolke May 12. 1643. Upon occasion of the charitable reliefe that yearly then and there is given towards the covering or clothing of a hundred poore people according to the will of the Donour M Martine Cole late of the Towne aforesaid deceased By Samuel Rogers Master in Arts and Minister of Much-Tey in ESSEX PSAL. 41.1 Blessed is he that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble MARK 14.7 Ye have the poore with you alwayes and whensoever you will you may doe them good Hoc est occidere hominem vitae suae ei subsidia denegare eave ne inter loculos tuos includas salutem inopum tanquam in tumulis sepelias vitam pauperum Amb. in Psal 118. Si Deorum cultores simulacra insensibilia excolunt quicquid pretiosi habent in ea conferunt quanto justius est verius viventia Dei simulacra excolere Lact. Inst lib. 6. cap. 13. Imprimatur JA. CRANFORD Aug. 12. 1644. LONDON Printed by G. M. for Edward Brewster at the Signe of the Bible on Fleet-bridge 1644. To the right worshipfull the Major and Aldermen to the reverend the Ministers and to the discreet Bailiffe and Burgesses with the rest of the well-affected people of the Town of Sudbury in the County of Suffolke The Authour devotes himselfe and his service and dedicates this little parcell of his paines Worthy Sirs and my much respected Friends THis Sermon first preached amongst you and now dedicated to you hath had occasionally it's first birth from him from whom the Author naturally hath had his being whose pains in this kind and upon this occasion had it been afforded as of right expected this worthlesse work of mine might have been well spared but it was his pleasure to put me upon the worke and therefore my * mihi jussa capessere fas â—est duty to obey him to whom I owe my selfe this and the same that was at first directed to your eares is now made visible to your eyes after it had been preached for above halfe a yeares space it came not once into my thoughts it should be printed I accounted it no other then as an untimely birth that never should see the sunne and the reason why now I brought it forth to light was not because of any high conceit that either I have or expect you should have of its worth I am conscious to my selfe of my owne imbecillity which even herein may be seen to others but in this printing age wherein are vented all things both new and old both good and had for any one that is a Penman it is expected that he should not onely set his tongue a work to speake but also his Pen to write to be altogetho silent in this kind and in these dayes may seeme a solaecisme but that was not it which drew this from me I could well enough have still shrouded my selfe under the shadow of obscuritie and would willingly have kept any thing of mine in this kind from publike view but more forceable arguments did over-power me viz. First drawne from the pressing miseries of multitudes of people in many places the objects of pitty which should set a worke charity we every where to be seen how many shiftlesse and helplesse creatures whose loud cries may he heard even afarre off doe importune us to put to our helping hands to doe for them that are able to doe little or nothing for themselves this then may serve as their Eccho to give you as it were the rebounding of their voices Secondly I considered the hard-heartednesse of most in most places these are the times wherein I thinke never greater necessity and yet I feare never lesse charitie and no wonder that in this iron age men have such hard hearts for it was foretold by our Saviour that in these last dayes * Matt. 24 1â— iniquitie should abound and the love of many should waxe cold d 1 Joh. 2.18 whereby we know it is the last time for never more vanity and never lesse charity * Jam. 5.4 the cries of the distressed and oppressed that doe pierce the eares of God even in the highest Heaven cannot enter into the eares or at least the hearts of men on earth Who is not more or lesse wanting in making a supply to the wants of others in whose hearts doe the kindled coales of love appeare so violent at to breake forth into a vehement flame are not most men herein starke cold and doe not the best seeme to be but lukewarme needs there not then something to quicken us a spurre to provoke us make use then of this for that purpose at least let it be as a remembrancer to minde us of our duty which sometimes we shall be ready peradventure willingly to forget Thirdly concerning this particular occasion which first put these words into my mouth the same was the cause why I let them fall from my pen for I understood that notwithstanding you have had many Sermons two yearely upon this occasion yet not one appeares extant they were it seemes no longer lived then the breath wherein they were delivered whereupon I thought with my selfe that something in this kind were better then nothing to be kept upon record in honour and for memoriall of that great good worke of charity which the Apostle saies is a never failing grace 1 Cor. 13.8 of that kind it seemes was this for the last will of the deceased is as a lasting deed to insure your poore of their yearely reliefe for ever that this therefore was a good worke none that is good can deny for it is of good use tending to the good of many and that it was also a great good work I think it may well be so said to be in that I feare me it will not be greatly followed when and by whom amongst you will it be seconded Now good workes especially of this nature are so rare that they may well be welcommed when they doe appeare and certainly the perpetuity of that work were there no other cause deserves the continuance of this your poore's yearely Pension may well be honoured with an annuall celebration see then how one good work is seconded with another a bodily almes for the poore is recompenced with a spirituall benefit for all you have it seemes usually on this day upon this occasion a double Sermon and why may not each be of double use viz. First for Commemoration of what is done for the time past for the Lord will so grace good workes that they shall be as it were a surviving issue Saint John tels us what he heard God from heaven say Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord both in that they rest from their labours as also in that their works doe follow them nay let me adde they are blessed in that their works doe still survive them to
exponit lunius esse â—â—nudiuts bi ulcam linguam sargun em indisi entèr sugentem attiaâ—â—…ntem Annot. in loc The horse-leach hath two daughters crying Give give and the world hath two sonnes to match with those two daughters the rich miser and the miserable poore both crying Give give the one cries give because he hath nothing and therefore in want and the other as greedily cries give because he is not content with any thing and so still in want and therefore may he well be reckoned there among those things which are never satisfied and which say not It is enough * â—resâ—it amor nammi quantuÌ„ ip a pecunia â—â—â—scu for the more he hath the more still doth he desire to have Enough is a language which he can by no meanes learne neither will he rest content till his mouth is stopt up with dirt and then * Dâ— Hall contempl 8. part lesse then two ells of earth shall serve him whom for small part of the curse inflicted upon worldlings as a just judgement of God Eccles 5.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance with increase We are in want when we want what we ought to have If a man hath never so much yet if he hath not that he should have for all he hath he is still neverthelesse in want e.g. if a man have masses of wealth even * Psal 73.7 more then heart could wish yet if he hath not heart and grace to make good use of what he hath he is in greatest want better have nothing then to be never the better for any thing and indeed he that hath not wherewithall to make good use of what he hath hath as good as nothing What shall it profit a man saith our Saviour if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his ownt soule Mark 8.36 so that were it possible that a man might have the command of the whole world yet for all that might he be in want of that that should save his soule and so never the nearer or the better how many are there thus in want and yet are not sensible of their wants like as Martha who was much troubled about these outward things that nothing might be wanting yet our Saviour doth discover that there was want and tels her that there was in her wanting of the chiefe thing the only thing needfull which she took not good notice of Luke 10 42. and thus are we not all in want of those things that we ought to have and abound in viz. in thankfulnesse contentednesse holy obedience and heavenly wisdome to make the best of these earthly blessings There is an evill saith Salomon Eccles 6.1 2. Which I have seene under the Sunne and it is common among men A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honour so that he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that he desireth yet God giveth him not power to eate thereof c. though he might seeme to want nothing yet he wants the chiefe thing even a sanctified heart which is the gift of God that should make good all things And who now is there living in this world that in one if not more of these three respects may not be said to be in want is it not a plaine case who doubts of it but that whilst we live here we may happen to be in great want and why doth the Lord in his wisdome see good to suffer us or any at any time to be in want seeing he is able to give to every one a fulnesse For these reasons viz. Reas 1 To weane us from the world for if we had our fulnesse here we would be loth away hence we would make this our thorow-fare to be our resting place if all things here should be according to our hearts desire and we should never be in want of any thing we would never care for Heaven but like * Mark 9.5 6. Peter on Mount Tabor when he wist not what he said we would be ready to say It is good for us-to be here let us therefore never looke any further but here pitch our tabernacles this appeares in that notwithstanding whiles we do live in this world we live in a world of misery and cannot wholly free or secure our selves from want yet how prone are we to seeke for true felicitie in earthly prosperity and when it comes to how loth are we and the world to part but how much more unwilling should we then be if we might have even what we would but therefore shall we yea the best that are sometimes be in want that so we may minde homeward more like the Prodigall sonne Luke 15.13.19 who so long as he had his fill mindes not his home but no sooner began he to be in want but then he longs after his fathers house To humble us and keepe us downe so Moses tels the people that the Lord to humble them suffered them to hunger Deut. 8.3 for if so be we should be free from all wants we should not know our selves nor yet our God therefore Agur wisely desires the meane as being the only safe condition Prov. 30.8 Give me neither povertie nor riches feed me with food convenient for me and why because in either extremes there is danger ver 9. Lest I be full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or lest I be poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine so that a fulnesse in this world makes us in danger to swell against God the Lord therefore oft-times will make us fare hard and keep us upon short commons lest we should grow fat and waxe wanton and so cast off and forsake God as the Lord complaines that the people for whom he had done so much served him after all Deut. 32.15 But Jesurun waxed fat and kicked Thou art waxen fat thou art growen thicke thou art covered with fatnesse then he forsooke God which made him and lightly esteemed the rocke of his salvation and ver 18. Of the Rock that begate thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee Because the Lord hereby gives us to understand that the things of this life are not according to our will but are at his owne dispose that it is he that giveth them or else we cannot have them he also continueth them or else we cannot keep them that we are not absolute and independant creatures but are continually at his finding and keeping that it is not our fore-cast to get nor our care to keepe that can doe either but the wisdome and providence of God that doth order and dispose of all to whom and as it seemes good to him Which of you saith our Saviour by taking thought can adde one cubit to his stature Mat. 6.27 It is God that made the world saith the Apostle and all things therein that is the Lord of Heaven and earth that needeth not
for they follow after them to Heaven to be rewarded and yet they remaine still behind them on earth to be renowned Prov. 10.7 The memory of the just is blessed Secondly for Exhortation to what should be done for time to come For so as it seemes was it the mind of this Donour that each Minister of your two Parishes should be requested yearely on this day to make an Exhortation to the people and if they doe it not themselves to cause it to be done by some others and hath allowed them a recompence Now whereto serves an Exhortation but to move us unto or put us upon the practice or performance of a good work or duty and then is it of so much the greater force when as it is grounded upon the Examples of others set before us who though they are dead yet speake unto us and though not vocally yet really call upon us to doe the same good workes that so we may be repaid with the same rich recompence of reward For the Examples of good works are as patternes set before us to teach us that the same or such like should proceed from us this worke of almes to the poore you are not so much to consider as done by another but so to reflect upon your selves as hence to learne what herein should be done by you hence are you exhorted from this example of our brother deceased to be of the same minde and practice considering it is a high point of wisdome whilst we have the things of this life to make the best and the most of them which is not when we engrosse them to our selves but when in conscience and obedience to God we distribute them to others the Apostle mindes us of what our Saviour saies oh let it appeare that we beleeve it to be a truth That it is more blessed to give then to receive Act. 20.35 If any thing spoken this way be here to be found that may stirre up compassion and acuate affection that may so work upon our hearts as to set a worke our hands so to extend charity * Dan. 4.27 that we our selves may find mercy it is enough I have my desired and Two things more only by way of Preface I desire you would be pleased to take notice of viz. First concerning the matter which you shall here find Expect no newes of which every dales plenty and variety doth alwayes fill us if not sometimes times surfet us and were our newes as true and good as rise and common there would seeme to be no want newes is now growne so stale that for any thing not new to come forth may seeme to be newes indeed Nihil dictum quod non dictum prius no other newes have you here for the wise man saies * Ecc. 1.9 10. there is no new thing under the sun is there any thing whereof it may be said See this is new it hath been already of old time which was before us I should be loth to be censured by you deservedly as the Apostle was by the Athenians most unjustly to be a * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17 18 19 20 21. babler for bringing new and strange doctrine to your eares or that you should be accounted as they were and did appeare so to be so addicted to novelty that the truths of God should seeme strange to you Here you shall find common things which are therefore never the * Omnia bona communicativa quo communiora eo meliora worse or of never the lesse use common they are indeed because they concerne all such things that you have formerly and it may be often heard and yet are now againe hereby put in mind of that so you let them not * Heb. 2.1 stip It is not amisse * 2 Pet. 1.12 to put you alwaies in remembrance of these things though ye know them that you may be established in the truth * Nunquam nimis dicitur quod nunquam satis discitur Sen. epist 27. that is never enough spoken that is never too well learned nor can be too much practised Secondly concerning the manner of delivery both at first and now it is without excellency of speech affected eloquence in preaching is not * Venerabiles verè Deo digni Apostoli Christâ— cum essent in omnibus puritate vita animi virtuâ—ibus clarij non magni pendebont sermonis ornatum Euseb lib. 3. cap. 24. Apostolique for the Apostle Paul the * 1 Cor. 14.18 most learned as may be thought of all the rest tels us expresly that when he was sent of Christ to preach his commission ranne thus in these words * 1 Cor. 1.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and I confesse my opinion is that plaine speaking is as commendable in preaching as plaine dealing is necessary in trading as Ministers therefore presse this upon people so are they to practise that themselves choosing rather to profit people with wholesome doctrine then to please them with delightsome Phrases this that you have here at first shewed it selfe in a plaine dresse and since had I neither list nor leisure to put it into another habit had I skill to doe it who can now in these sad times apply himselfe to the studie of witty inventions or delight others with the curiosity of nice expressions Cicero saith thus of Rhetoricke Pacis est comes ottique socia jam bene constitutae reipublicae velut alumna quaedam eloquentia which if so how unseasonable is it at this time for us and what little use have we now to make thereof except to worke the more upon our affections the more pathetically to expresse our bitter lamentations our wits may well be dull'd when as our hearts cannot but be * Lam. 1.20 bemudded with our trouble Again had I had will yet could I not have time to doe herein as I would for these impolished meditations I let passe out of my hands with as much haste as they came into my minde all I could doe was but to review them I could not refine them for all the time I had to make them legible and fit for the Presse was surreptitiously taken away from my other imployments now and then a little which little being soone missed I could not then spare much or more I must needs therefore implore your kind acceptance of this my weake conception which wanting its due perfection through the want of the midwifery of time hath come to an immature and untimely birth such as it was it is and such as it is it is freely yours if you please but to take it as your owne if any thing herein be amisse I cannot but take it to my selfe Humanum est errare it is incident to mans nature to erre and whatsoever is good I dare not but ascribe it to God Omne benum supernè Every thing that good is is from above Now the God of all glory enrich
any thing who giveth to all life and breath and all things Act. 17.24 25. and Deut 8.3 He humbled and suffered thee to hunger c. that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live it is not the outward meanes that we doe live upon but Gods blessing upon the meaâ—es that we live by and verses 17 18. Lest thou say in thy heart My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get this wealth c. so the wise man tels us that riches and wealth with power to partake thereof and comfort in the use thereof is the gift of God Eccl. 5.19 this God would have us to know and therefore doth he give and take away at his pleasure thus dealt he with Job which made him to acknowledge the same Chap. 1.21 The Lord gave saith he and the Lord hath taken away c. The Lord sometimes will let us want that thereby we may see what shiftlesse creatures we are and what an all-sufficient God he is Vse 1 Hence may we see the little cause that we have to be so in love with this world or with the things of this life all which cannot keep or secure us from want therefore so often called vanities because they are vaine things to trust to or doate upon they cannot profit nor deliver and therefore vaine 1 Sam. 12.21 and great reason why we should be most desirous of and most carefull to provide for the happinesse of the world to come looke never to be well till we get thither but ever either to be in want of something or at least subject to the want of all things but if after this time of our pilgrimage we get once safe home to Heaven then feare no want of any thing that may make the creature happie for there is a fulnesse in perfection In thy presence O God is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 the vast desires of thy heart which cannot now be satisfied shall then be fill'd brim full and running over How excellent is thy loving kindnesse O God saith David therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy House by house here may be understood not only the place of grace i.e. where the Lord doth afford the meanes of grace where he doth dispense his holy Ordinances spirituall dainties and delicacies which the Lord himselfe hath provided for the nourishing and cherishing of the soules of his people in this life Isai 25.6 but also the palace of glory i.e. the happinesse of Heaven provided for the Saints of God after this life which is also called the House of God Job 14.2 where there is an everlasting well-spring of joy that can never be exhausted or drawne dry and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasures for with thee is the fountaine of life and in thy light shall we see light the very thoughts whereof even now cannot but ravish thy heart hast thou any comfortable hopes hereof thou canst not then but breake forth into admiration and say with the Psalmist Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that feare thee Psal 31.19 who would be willing to lie still in a dungeon almost halfe starved or at the best where he hath but enough to keep life and soule together and not desire rather inlargement to goe to his owne home where he may have even what he will this consideration to wit of the misery of this life and the happinesse of that to come made the Saints of God in all ages so willing to die and so loth to live as the Patriarchs * Ieb 11.23 16. all which died in faith not having received the promises i. e. as touching the land of Canaan which although it was the land of Promise yet was it to them as a strange countrey Heb. 11.9 but having seene them afarre off and were perswaded of them and embraced them i.e. through faith did they see and beleeve that in many generations to come these Promises made to them should be made good to their posterity but for their owne parts they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrimes on the earth and why because they desired a better countrey that is an heavenly where they might to the full enjoy their God who hath prepared for them that City Vse 2 This may serve to condemne the madnesse and folly of worldlings that carpe and care moile and toile to scrape together and hoard up earthly goods thinking thereby to keep them and theirs from want whenas alas this is not the way for all that thou canst doe thou maist fall into want * Psal 127.2 It is in vaine for thee to rise up early to sit up late and to eate the bread of sorrowes it is Gods blessing only that can doe thee good for if thou shouldst swelt thy heart thou canst not keep thy self from want yea though thou makest thy selfe never so great a drudge whilst thou livest here thou shalt be in want in one kinde or other see then and consider how thou dost play the foole Eccl. 4.8 There is one alone and there is not a second a covetous man is a singular foole he hath scarce his fellow and wherein doth his folly appeare in that though he hath neither child nor brother none that he can assure himselfe shall be his heire yet is there no end of all his labour neither is his eye satisfied with riches neither saith he For whom doe I labour and bereave my soule of good this is also vanity yea it is a sore travell The Text is so plaine and to purpose that I shall not need to comment upon it Vse 3 Take we notice that the want of good things is not simply in it selfe an evill thing for if so the Lord would never suffer any of his to fall into want and yet these are those that usually in this life are in greatest want of these outward things whenas the wicked for the most part enjoy them in farre greater abundance we see it here in Gods dealing with Job who was stript of all and yet such an one of whom God gives this testimony viz. that there was none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feared God and eschewed evill Chap. 1.8 and it was not his case alone for for the most part they are the * Jam. 2.5 poore of this world that are the chosen of God a great comfort therefore it may be to the godly poore in time of the greatest want that for all this the Lord loves them neverthelesse and that want is not evill but good for them
had the praise for communicating more then once to the necessities of the Apostle for he speakes it to their commendation that since he departed from Macedonia no other Church beside theirs had sent him a supply which he was glad of not so much for his owne benefit as for their gaine which should be great in the day of account Phil. 4.14.18 the care also that the Christians had of the poore in the time of the Apostles is spoken of Act. 11.29 30. they sold their lands and goods rather then they would suffer their poore brethren to want Chap. 2.45 and there were godly and discreet officers that should not be ciphers elected by the Church and appointed by the Apostles purposely to oversee and look after those that were in want and stood in need of reliefe Chap. 6.3 5. I shall not need speake of particular persons who are greatly renowned in Scripture for their hosptality and almes-deeds as Abraham Lot David cornelius of whose almes there was in the presence of God a memorandum made Acts 10.31 Dorcas whose good workes and almes-deeds were to be seen and shewed when she her self was not the poore could not tell how with patience to take her death she had done so much for them all the time of her life Act. 9.36 39. and many more of no small note whom I must passe over in silence yea it is worth the observing how that our Saviour himselfe though he was relieved by others yet even out of that would he ordinarily give a portion to the * Joh. 13.29 poore giving us thereby to understand that even the poore themselves should pay collection that is part with somewhat though the lesse to those that are in greater need then themselves are And we are to afford reliefe to those that are in need for these reasons because it is bonum justum honestum it is a thing good right and honest so to doe as will thus appeare Reas 1 First To give almes is to doe good Gal. 6.10 As we have opportunitie let us doe good to all men saith the Apostle especially to them that are of the houshold of faith and verse 6. it appeares what good he meanes even the communicating of good things in which well-doing we must abound and not waxe weary ver 9. and Heb. 13.16 To doe good and to communicate forget not saith that Authour wee must be free and forward to distribute good things for this is to doe good and therefore is it our duty for * Rom. 12.9 we must cleave to and follow that that is good and this is good and that in sundry respects good both for giver and receivers good both for our selves ours and others Good for others 1. In that hereby they receive good To give Almes good in divers respects viz. for their bowels are refreshed as the Apostle saith the Saints were by Philemon ver 7. 2. In that hereby they doe good if they have any goodnesse at all in them viz. blesse us and blesse God for us Good for our selves 1. For the present for Prov. 28.27 He that giveth to the poore shall not lack and Psal 41.1 2. Him that considereth the poore the Lord will preserve and keep alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth c. 2. For the furture for by this meanes thou maist provide well for eternitie so the Apostle gives in charge concerning rich men that they doe good yea that they be rich in good works viz. to distribute and communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life 1 Tim. 6.18 19. so that not so much to lay up as to lay out is the best way to provide for afterwards therefore doth our Saviour give us that good counsell Luke 16.9 from the example of the unjust steward who was so wise for himselfe whilst he was in office as that by the liberall giving away of his masters goods he might be well provided for afterwards when he had nothing left him And I say unto you saith our Saviour Make to your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that when ye saile they may receive you into everlasting habitations For if ye have not been faithfull in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches ver 11. q.d. If ye be untrusty in disposing according to the will of God these temporall goods how can ye expect that he should bestow upon you everlasting happinessâ— and Chap. 12.33 Sell that ye have and give almes q.d. at no hand let the poore want what shift soever ye make rather sell then want to give Provide your selves bags which waxe not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not where no thiefe approacheth neither moth corrupteth so that to disburse to the poore on earth in conscience and obedience to God is before hand to provide a rich treasure in heaven and who that beleeves this would not thinke himselfe happy in such an exchange is not this the best alchimy to turne earth into Heaven is not this a good bargaine to part with * vaine and uncertaine things to partake of reall and durable riches beleeve it this is the best improvement and the most that can be made of these things whereupon a worthy Father thus exhorts * Si vis esse mercator optimus foenerator egregius da quod non potes retinere ut recipias quod non poteris amittere da modicum ut recipias centuplum da temporalem possessionem ut consequaris haereditatem aeternam Wouldst thou be a good merchant a great usurer give that thou canst not keepe that thou maist receive that thou shalt not loose give though but little that thou maist receive a hundred fold give thy earthly goods that thou maist obtaine eternall life contrary wise if thou shewest no mercy here expect not to find mercy hereafter For he shall have judgement * Eccl. 1.2 * â— Tim. 6.17 * Aug. in Ep. without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2.13 and who so stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore he also shall cry himselfe but shall not be heard Prov. 21.13 Good for ours this a meanes to make our posterity blessed Psal 37.26 it is the property of a righteous man to be ever mercifull and lending and it is said of such an one that his seed is blessed and that is no small blessing though then thou hast given much and as yet hast received but little doe not give over and thinke all is lost for if thou shouldst never live to enjoy the crop in this life there is the more behind for thy children after thee and how can we possibly provide better for them then to lay up in store Gods blessing for them and that by our meanes they should come to be heires thereof the good provision therefore that we should make for our children consists not so much in