of a very large extent yet it hath pleased the Holy-Ghost to reduce them under three heads 2 Tit. 12. Sobriety towards our selves Honesty towards our neighbour and Godliness towards God So that when it is said Dorcas was full of good works the meaning is this She was very Sober Honest and Godly in respect of her disposition and full of Acts of sobriety honesty and godlinesse in her conversation Only take notice of this before I come to the Doctrine Though Dorcas be here commended for her good works yet the Scripture speaketh sometimes of good works by way of Diminution and debasing of them which in what respect it is done is very necessary for us to observe Take notice therefore when good works are compared with the righteousness of Christ in relation to justification then they are rejected as unable for any such use and called menstruous rags 64 Is 6. dross and dung 3 Phil. 8. when the best works we do are considered in the Court of Justification there they are damnable and have so much dross in them that God doth reject them as wholy insufficient but look on them as fruits of Faith done out of obedience to Gods command and with respect to his Glory and so the Scripture doth highly commend them Thus then the Scripture commends good works against the Antinomian who holds them unnecessary but condemns good works yea the best works against the Papist who holds them to be meritorious whereas when we have done all Nisi Deus per misericordiam pareret non haberet quos per justitiam coronaret in Ps 100. we must say that we are unprofitable and acknowledge with Augustine that unless God did spare in mercy he should find none whom he might Crown in justice surely he that relyes upon his works doth like a man that on a moon-shinie night mistakes his own shadow for a bridge and so falls into the River and is drowned Now let the observation be this All that make profession of the Gospel should accompany their profession with fruitfullness in good works So Paul gave in charge to Titus These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have beleeved in God be carefull to maintain good works 3 Tit. 8. two greek words are observable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it be their care and study the bent of their minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain or rather to be examples and presidents going before others in good works these are the richest and most usuall styles of commendation in Scripture Moses a man mighty in words and deeds Cornelius 7 Act. 22. 10 Act 2. 7 Luk 4.5 9 Act. 39. 16 Rom. 23. 2 Tim. 1.16 a man fearing God and giving much Alms. The Centurion worthy of favour for He hath built us a Synagogue Dorcas made so many Coats for the poor Gaius the Host of the Church Onesiphorus hath Paul his earnest Prayers for mercy because he often refreshed him and as one observes wittily the Scripture speaks but little of the learning of the Apostles but much of their Acts. The reasons why Professours of the Gospel should be full of good works are these 1 because true Christian Religion doth not consist meerly in Negatives It is not sufficient to abstain from evil except we do good cease to do evil learn to do well 1 Isa 27. That Tree which bears not good Fruit 13 Luk. 7. is a Cumberer of the ground and shall be cut down for the Fire as well as that which boars ill fruit and poysons the ground We must not only put off Wrath Malice Blasphemy 3 Colos 8. c. filthy Communication and Lying but put on also bowels of Mercie Kindnesse Humblenesse of mind Meeknesse Long-suffering and above all Charity which is the bond of Perfection 18 Luk 11. Thou sayst that thou art no Extortioner unjust or Adulterer but this is not sufficient thou tellest of the evil works which thou dost not but where are the good works thou dost though he be usually accounted a good man that doth no evil yet he is rather an evil man saith Chrysostome that doth no good And we read that at the day of Judgement men shall be condemned not only for the evil that they have done 25 Matth. but for the good that they have left undone Many there are that seem to be Religious when they deceive their own hearts For pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the Father-lesse and the Widow and to keep our selves unspotted from the world 1 Jam. 27. Hereby we give testimony of the truth of our Profession when we are fruitfull in good works For he that professeth himself to be a Christian and is barren in good works is like a painted Tree that stands only for shew like Zeuxes Vine painted so lively that the Birds came to pick at it thinking to have filled their bellies but went away hungry as they came or like the Fig-tree in the Gospel of which Christ thought to have eaten 21 Mat. 18 19. Ruffin Eccles Hist. lib. 2. c. 10. but when he came near it had nothing but leaves as one Moses renowned for piety said to Lucius reputed an Arrian Bishop tendring the confession of his Faith to clear himself Tush saith he what tellest thou me of the Faith of the Ears let me have the Faith of the Hands So thou tellest me that thou art a constant hearer of the word thou art able to discourse out of it but Oh man what tellest thou me of the Faith of the Ears or the Faith of the Tongue let me see the Faith of the Hands Few I confesse troubled with the deaf and dumb Spirits in these times Ubi bona opera non apparent ad extra ibi fides non est ad intra Mr. Burgesse but most having withered Hands It was a saying of Iohn Husse that where good works are not without there Faith is not within and so some learned men say that good works are necessary to preserve a man in the State of Justification though they do not immediately concurr to the Act as in a man although his Shoulders and Breast do not immediately concurr to the Act of Seeing yet if a mans Eyes and Head were not knit to those parts he could not see and though the Fire do not burn as it is light yet it could not burn unlesse it were so The chief scope of St. Iames his Epistle is to urge hearers to be doers and vain boasters of justifiing Faith to justifie their Faith by their works 2. God is gloryfied by good works therefore saith our Master 5 Mat. 16. Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and gloryfie your Father which is in Heaven The men 31 Job 20. 29 Job 15. 1 Jam. 25. for whom our Heavenly Father is Gloryfied are such whose works shine before men who warm the Loins of the Poor and
by their knowledge are an Eye to the blind For such men God is blessed of men and such men shall be blessed of God in their Deeds The Sun it self if it did not shine and give warmth unto the Creatures were the glorious Face thereof ten times more glorious than it is none would half so much blesse God for it 3. Good works were one end of Christs death 2 Tit. 14. there the Apostle saith that Christ dyed to purchase unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works not only followers but zealous and lest men should think that we should only preach free-grace these things speak saith he and exhort So it is said that he suffered for Sin 1 Pet. 1.21 leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Now he went about doing good 10 Act. 38. And himself bare our Sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead unto Sin should live unto righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 4. Good works are an ornament to our profession 1 Phil. 27. 2 Tit. 10 When we are full of good works we walk as becommeth the Gospel and adorn the Doctrine of God and our Saviour A Christian though like Leah tender-ey'd and cannot see farr into the mysteries of Religion yet if fruitful is more honourable than barren Rachel though fair and beautiful for parts and knowledge The credit of the Gospel should be dear to the Professours of it and woe to him who maketh that worthy name by which he is named to be evil spoken off 2 Jam. 7. Hence flows another Good works being an honour to our profession they will put to shame and silence prophane persons 1 Pet. 2.15 1 Pet. 3.16 1 Pet. 3.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who are ready to take all occasions to Blaspheme yea through our good conversation we may be instrumental for the gaining of those that are without Chrysostome calls good works unanswerable syllogismes invincible demonstrations to confute and convert Pagans 1. Then if this be our Doctrine Appl. it is manifest that the Papists do most falsly charge us to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despisers yea condemners of good works We condemn them in no other sense than the Scripture condemnes them otherwise we commend them as the best signs of a living Faith and the expressions of thankfulnesse to God for redeeming us by his Son And therefore we think Ursine hath very fitly entituled his tractate of good works de gratitudine We say that God commands good works is well pleased with them and glorified by them and though they cannot merit eternal life for that is the gift of God yet there is in them an ordinability to eternal life 6 Roâ— 23. which is not in evil works And they do render the Subject capable of Heaven whereas evil works do wholly unfit him Therefore we are ever pressing upon our Auditors to learn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful 3 Tit. 14. And we teach them that good works are necessary in a fourfold respect 1. Necessitate praecepti by the necessity of precept this is the will of God 1 Pet. 2.15 2. Necessitate ordinis by the necessity of an inviolable order whereby a rational Creature is obliged to yield all obedience to his Creator 3. Necessitate consequentiae by a necessity of consequence because good works do flow from the very essence and being of Faith Lastly Necesitâ—â—e medâ—i sive hypotheseos by a necessity of the means or a conditional necessity for though no man can be saved for his works yet without good works he shall not be saved for if yee live after the flesh â— Rom. 13. 6 Galat. 7. yee shall dye and whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap therefore good works are according to Bernard Via ad regnum though not causa regnandi 2. It reproves such as make profession of the Gospel and yet instead of being full of good works are full of evil works concerning whom it may be said 32 Deut. 32. that their Vine is the Vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrha their Grapes are Grapes of Gall their clusters are bitter Their works are works of the flesh Adultery Fornication Uncleannesse Lasciviousness Idolatry 5 Gal. 19. Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings and such like Of some one or more of these they are full These men are the scandal of the Gospel and by how much Christian Religion is the best of Religions by so much are these the worst of men and no man so vile in the eyes of God 10 Luk. 33. and Men as a debauched Christian he doth not only bring shame 4 Joh. 22. but also suspicion upon his profession for however the Samaritan not the Jew relieved the distressed Traveller yet the Jews Religion was true not the Samaritans So in other cases truth of causes must not be judged by Acts of Persons Yet as he said it must needs be good that Nero persecutes so many are ready to say it cannot be good surely it cannot but be evil that such a wicked wretch professeth What shall I say to such do yee think it enough to say that you have Abraham to your Father 3 Mat. 9 10. Will you Steal Murder commit Adultry Swear falsly and come and stand before God in the House called by his name 7 Jer 9 10. 8 Joh. 4â— and say we are delivered to do all these abominations shall I tell you that yee are of your Father the Devil and his works you doe take it how you will the Scripture saith expresly that the Devil worketh in Children of Disobedience 2 Eph. 2. such as thou art Or Lastly Shall I tell thee that for such works comes the wrath of God upon the Children of Disobedience 5 Eph. 6. Thou art full of evill workâ— God is full of patience that doth not as yet pour out of the Vials of his wrath upon thee but take heed what thou dost God is prest under thee as a Cart 2 Am. 3. that is full of sheavs if the Axeltree of his Patience break the burthen will fall on thee a burthen so heavy 6 Rev. 57. that thou wouldst be glad to change it for Rocks and Mountains 3. Let us all be exhorted in this to make Dorcas our pattern She was neither Idle Evil nor Unfruitful Not Idle for we read of her works nor Evil for her works were good nor Unfruitful for she was full of them 1. Dorcas was not Idle 1 Tim. 5.13 for we read of her works She was none of those women that learn to be idle and wander about from House to House Good works saith Gerrhard in Scripture are taken In Loc. Com. not only for external actions but for inward affections to good but it pleased the Holy Ghost to use the name of works rather than habits or affections because the praise of
a Vine and a Vine brings forth Fruit by Glusters not here and there a Grape but clusters of Grapes Beloved you all professe your selves to be engrafted into Christ I tell you it is a dishonour to the Root on which you professe your selves to grow to bear such unprofitable branches A garden enclosed is my Sister my Spouse thy Plants are an Orchard of Pomgranates with pleasant fruits Camphire with Spikenard Spikenard and Saffron Calamus and Cinamon with all Trees of Frank-Incense Mirrhe and Aloes with all the chief Spices thus Christ sets out his Church 4 Cant. 13. She was a Garden full of all the varieties of the heavenly Trees and flowers of Grace And it may be said of every Tree of this Garden as of the teeth of Christ 4 Cant. 2. they are like a flock of sheep even shorn which come up from the washing whereof every one beareth twins and none is barren amongst them It is a great shame for any of us not to be fruitfull whom God hath planted in a soil so fruitfull of all things pertaining both to Life and Godlinesse But our barrenness in good works may justly provoke God to turn our fruitfull Land into barrennesse 107 Psal 34. 2. Hos 9. 21 Math. 41. and not only take away his own Corn and his Wine and his Oyl his Wool and his Flax from us but even the Gospel it self and give it to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits of it Especially I have it in charge from the Apostle 1 Tim. 6 17. 9 Jud. 8. to charge such as are rich in this world to be rich in good works I read that when the Olive and Vine and Fig-tree were invited to be Kings over the rest of the Trees they pretended that they would not leave their Fatness and Sweetness and Fruitfulness for promotion as though a man could not bear fruit and bear Rule together God forbid that any of you should make your riches or greatness an excuse for your barrenness in good works But it was intended only as a Parable by him that spake it and so I leave it I passe from Dorcas commendation in the general to that thing for which she is especially commended to our imitation which is that shee was full of alms-deeds which she did By alms-deeds are meant works of mercy to those that are in necessity Now works of mercy respect either Soul or Body those which respect the Soul are six usually comprehended under this verse Instrue Castiga Remitte Solare Fer Ora Instruct Reprove Forgive Comfort Sustain and Pray They which respect the Body are likewise six contained in another verse Visito Poto Cibo Recolligo Vestio Condo Visit the Sick Refresh the Thirsty Feed the Hungry Redeem the Captive Cloath the Naked and Burie the Dead Now those works of mercy which respect the Soul are of the two the better Alms-deeds therefore for certain Dorcas did not omit them though else I think that by Alms-deeds in the Text are chiefly understood works of mercy respecting the Body Observ Professours of the Gospel ought to be very charitable to the Poor I have not eaten my morsels alone saith Job I have seen none to perish for want of Cloathing 31 Job 17. 19 Luk. 8. 10 Act. 2. Philem. v 7. 2 Tim. 1 16. 16 Rom. 23. the loins of the Poor have blessed me because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheep To passe by the example of Zacheas Cornelius Philemon Onesiphorus Gaius and others the example of Christ is most notable who though he lived by contribution himself yet gave out a share to the poor and had his Almoner to that purpose 13 Joh. 29. though this be a common Doctrine yet because it is not commonly practised it will not be unnecessary to adde a reason or two to enforce it 1. Distributing to the necessities of the poor is a work which God doth stricktly enjoyn Amongst many places I will select two one out of the Old Testament 15 Deut. 7.8 If one of thy brethren with thee be poor thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him The other is out of the New Testament 1 Tim 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselvs a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Hearken then my Bretheren it is not left arbitrary to you Bishop Hall in a Serm. on 1 Tim. 6.17 that you may do good if you will but it is laid upon you as your charge and duty and woe be to you if ye do it not Do good if ever ye look to receive good If ever ye look to be rich in Heaven be rich in good works upon the Earth There must be a Date ere there can be a Dabitur Give and it shall be given 19 Prov. 17. He that gives to the poor lends to the Lord who payes large encrease for all he borrows but how shall he give you the interest of Glory where he hath not received the principall of beneficence As the Graecian said of very tall men that they were Cypress Trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fair and tall but fruitless So may I say of strait-handed rich-men and these Cypresses are not for the garden of Paradice none shall ever be planted there but the fruitfull If the first Paradice had any Trees in it only for pleasure I am sure the second which is in the midst of the new Jerusalem 22 Rev. 2. shall have no Tree that bears not twelve Fruits yea whose very leaves are not beneficial 2. Give me leave to ask you this question if you knew what to offer unto God that might be pleasing and acceptable to him would ye not do it 43 Gen. 11. are ye not glad that ye have any thing wherewith to present a great man whose favour you need that he delights in and will accept of and methinks you should be glad that you have any thing wherewith you may do a work that is pleasing to the Majesty of Heaven and Earth Well mind that of the Apostle 13 Hebr. 16. To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is delighted or more properly as he observes in his Critickes hilariter affectus cheerfully affected with such sacrifices Beloved I beseech you consider shall not we poor men we sinfull men who are worms and no men between whom and God there is such an infinite distance as cannot be expressed shall not we rejoyce from our hearts that we can do any thing which may be acceptable and well-pleasing to God which may delight and give complacency to him you see what will please him Oh be not so backward to
probable that Dorcas had been Sick before but not unto Death but now She was Sick and Dyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not break forth into any Rhetorical Declamations against the cruelty of Death yet the Scripture calls it an Enemy and the last Enemy 1 Cor. 15. and it doth the worst it can even to Gods own people But it may be said of it as Socrates said of his Enemies they may kill me but they cannot hurt me For what Basil said of Martyrdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is true of any kind of Death to Gods Children it is but a way to passe from a Temporal Life to an Eternal She Dyed The Holyest and most Religious persons are subject to Death The Apostle speaking of the Patriarches these all Dyed saith he 11 Heb. 13. Grace gives comfort in Death but not power against it It is one of the Statutes of Heaven which cannot be revoked Statutum est 9 Heb. 27. it is appointed for all Men once to die There is no man hath power over the Spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that Warr 8 Eccl. 8. no union unseperable but that between Christ and a believer Death will seperate the union between Husband and Wife between Children and Parents between David and Jonathan yea the union between Soul and Body for a time Privilegia singularia regulam non faciunt regulam non infringunt Personalis Actio moritur cum persona nec sunt amplianda privilegia but not the union between Christ and the Soul for when the people of God are dissolved then they go to be with Christ which is best of all If it be objected that Enoch and Elias never saw Death the Answer is that singular privileges neither make a Rule nor break a Rule these were personal privileges and a personal Action ever dies with the person Neither are privileges to be amplified for then they are no privileges Though Christ hath taken away the sting of Death that it cannot hurt us the strength of Death that it cannot always hold us yet hath he not as yet altogether destroyed it But the best men must dye that as Sin brought in Death so Death may again cast out Sin Death was first inflicted as the punishment of Sin now it is the end of it 2 Cor. 5.4 Therefore do the holyest men dye that their mortality may be swallowed up of life Again sometimes God takes away his dearest Children by Death 2 Chro. 34.28 â—7 Isa 1. as he did Josiah from the evil to come Lastly that of the Apostle is considerable speaking of the Martyrs he saith of whom the World was not worthy 11 Hebr. 38. The World is apt to deride revile maligne and cast aspersions upon good men they will not profit by their Admonitions and good Examples therefore the World is worthy no longer of their Societie and God takes them away He thinks that he hath let them live but too long to have no kinder usage and therefore he takes them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Justin Martyr speaks to their heavenly kindred where they shall be more made of 5 Wisd 4. Hence we learn that as they are Fools who account the Godly mans life madness so are they that think their end to be without honour It is not the misery of good men that they die For he is not miserable that dyeth but once and for a moment that death may for ever be swallowed up of life But he is miserable that is ever dying and yet lives in torments infinitely worse then death Thus it is with the wicked in Hell who passing out of this life are immediately seised on by the second death but for the Godly the Scripture saith blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death shall have no power but they shall be Preists of God and of Christ Secondly the Godly are desirous of death 20 Revel 6. 1 Phil 23. for love is an affection of Union Now Christ is with the Saint here there is security in that but the Saint also would be with Christ for in that there is full foelicity Lastly though the holiest Persons die yet God suffers not Death to put in his Sickle before they be ripe There is no question what age soever Dorcas was of being so full of good works She could not but be fit for Heaven For this reason a Christian can never die out of season Paul saith that he was as one born out of season 1 Cor. 5.8 because he had not seen Christ on Earth but he could not die out of season because he was sure to see Christ in Heaven That Dorcas died the Text tells us but how she died it doth not tell us neither was it very necessary for we may be confident that She who lived so piously could not but die peaceably She that was so full of good works in her life we may probably think that she was not full of fears at her death The wise man tels us that the wicked is driven away in his wickednesse but the righteous hath hope in his death 14 Prov. 32 Dorcas being so righteous a woman could not but have hope in her death and it is very probable She had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The full assurance of hope 6 Heb. 11. It is likely She had that full assurance of hope that filled her with joy But to be sure She had that hope in her death 5 Rom 5. which would not make her ashamed at the day of Judgement I will only add this now Dorcas is gone her works we are sure have followed her long since and our praises can add nothing to her glory only they are an excitement to our selves To him that soweth righteousnesse there shall be a sure reward 11 Pro. 18. Which reward Dorcas now hath For God is not unrighteous that he should forget Dorcas works and labour of love which She shewed towards his name in that She ministred unto the Saints 6 Hebr. 10. That Dorcas Soul is blessed I can tell you But how blessed if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not tell you The Scripture hath left us but a Negative description of the Saints blessedness Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard c. 1 Cor. 2.9 Paul was translated out of himself to behold it 2 Cor 12. and being returned into himself could not express it Doe not envy Dorcas her happiness but imitate her holinesse 14 Rev. 13. 2 Pet. 1.13 25 Math. 4. She hath rested from her labours and received her Crown but left us still to sweat and toil in Gods Vine-yard Nor must we think to come to Heaven upon easier terms than Gods Saints have done before us Wherefore let us gird up the loyns of our minds let us every day be adding more Oil to our Lamps that