were servants he dyed to restore immortality to mortall men And indeed Christs whole life whether you consider his Doctrine or his doings was healthfull and medicinable to us if we obey his precepts or imitate his patterne This Text hath been hitherto as a fruitfull Field wherein I have gathered some corne I shall now bind some profit of it up in sheaves that you may the better carry it away with you First therefore here we may see Christs love to us with astonishment and admiration What the Iewes said concerning Lazarus k John 11.36 when Christ raysed him from dead behold how he loved him so may we say behold how he loved us how deare and pretious our life hath been in his eyes may appeare by the greatnes of the price which hee payd for it even his owne life Quam indebita miseratio quam grata dilectio c. regem gloriae crucifigi pro despicatissimo vermiculo l Div. Bern. O how undeserved is that mercy how free is that love that the King of glory should be crucifyed for despicable Wormes It was a great love m Cowper on Rom. 8. that Abraham shewed to Lot in hazarding his owne life n Gen. 14.14 and the lives of his family to rescue him out of the hands of Chedorlaomer but not comparable that love which our kinsman the Lord Iesus hath shewed unto us who hath given his life to deliver us out of the hand of our enemyes It was a wonderfull great love that God would make man like himselfe and all things for man greater love that he himselfe would be made man but greatest of all that he would dy for his salvation Secondly let us consider the odiousnes of sinne with hatred and detestation Thousands of Rams o Micah 67. nor ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle could not make satisfaction for sinne neither could the fruit of our body make satisfaction for the sinne of our soule but the Son of God must needs dy for the sins of man If sinne cost Christ so deare doubtles it will cost us dearer except we repent Memoria ergo crucifixi in nobis crucifigat omne peccatum p Div. Bern. is an excellent counsaile and worthy our practice therefore let the remembrance of Christ crucified cause us to crucify all sin in us he stretched out his hands on the Crosse to embrace us and let not us stretch out our hands to wickednes to disgrace him he was crucifyed for us let not us crucify him againe by our sins but crucify our sins that caused him to be crucified Thirdly Christ is a patterne for our imitation and that in three things First we must imitate him in the sweetnes of our action especially in dong good Secondly in our resurrection which is twofold the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one is a resurrection of the dead the other is a resurrection from the dead We must rise from the death of sinne to the life of grace if wee meane to rise from the death of the grave unto the life of glory But we must not rise as the Rose-tree doth at the spring to dy againe the next winter but with Christ he being raysed from the dead q Rom. 6 9. dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him and we must so rise from the death of sin that we never commit the same sins againe Thirdly as Christ was conceived and borne for us so must we conceive and beare him in our hearts There is a threefold nativity of Christ Divine from his Father fleshly from his Mother and spirituall in the mind Ex patre nascitur semper de matre natus est semel in mente nascitur saepe saith Innocentius r Ser. 3. apud Barrad He is borne of his father alwayes he was borne of his Mother once and is borne in the mind often and we must endevour to keepe him there alwayes Forthly here is also matter of consolation and that in a double respect first as Christ is the Rose of the common Field and lyes open to all he refuseth none but those that refuse him Secondly because he is the Physitian of our Soules that is able to cure them hiding allour sins and healing all our Sores giving us spirituall health here and eternall health and happines hereafter Lastly as Elisha said to his servant concerning the good Shunamite ſ 2 Kings 4.13 She hath been carefull for us with all this care what is to be done for her so may I say to you concerning our Saviour he hath been thus carefull for us what shall we doe againe for him As he dranke to us in the cup of salvation so let us pledge him in the cup of thanksgiving as he gave himselfe a propitiatory sacrifice for us so let us give up our selves a gratulatory sacrifice of prayse and thankesgiving to him And let us fall downe with the t Revel 19 4. foure and twenty elders and the fowre beasts praysing GOD with our Church and saying Glory be to God on high and in earth peace good will toward men We prayse thee wee blesse thee we worship thee we glorify thee we give thankes unto thee O Lord God heavenly King for all thy blessings bestowed upon us for that thou hast sent thy Sonne Iesus Christ not only to live among men but to dy for men Grant O Lord that we may all be partakers of all the benefits of his passion And that for the same Iesus Christ his sake who as he died for sin so he ever lives to make intercession for sinnes To whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen To the Right Honorable FERDINAND O Lord HASTINGS my very good Lord. WHAT Thucidides affirmes experience proves true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hearing is not lyable to any account but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever a man speakes but especially writes it layes him open to others censure unto which I have now exposed my selfe and crave your Lordships protection Your Honour must not expect any high straynes in this Sermon Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi As it is I desire your Lordships acceptance of it as an expression of some part of that duty and service I owe your Honor. The God of mercie poure downe his mercies on your Lordship your Honourable Lady and hopefull children Which shall alwaies be the praier of Your Lordships in all duty and service WILLIAM PARKS THE ROSE AND LILY. SOLOMONS SONG 2.1 I am the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the vallyes WHat the Queene of Shebah told Solomon that a 1 Kings 10.6 7. though it were a true report which shee had heard of him yet the one halfe was not told her so may I say unto you concerning this Text though it bee a true report you have heard of him that is greater
humility of his manhood never ceasing untill his head were laid under the earth his foot-stoole So that wee may say of him with St. Bernard x De Pass Dom. Nemo illo sublimior nemo humilior there was none more lofty none more lowly none more high and none more humble then he he humbled himselfe saith the Apostle y Philip. 2.8 and became obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse in all his humilitie shewing himselfe to bee the Lily of the Vallies Now because it is not enough for us to feede on the Word as the Israelites might z Deut. 23 24 25. on their Neighbours Grapes and Corne while they were in their Vine-yards or Fields but might carry none away with them I shall briefly therefore shake some of the Boughes and give some of the Fruit of thâ—â— which hath been delivered to everâ— one that will carry it away with him First therefore in that CHRIST resembles the Flower of the Lilies and 〈◊〉 open towards Heaven but close anâ— shut towards earth wee may from thence learne to know the seat of our affection to set our affections a Col. 3.1 2. on things above and to seeke those things and not the things on earth Christians receive their name from Christ Et operae pretium est quod sicut sunt haeredes nominis ita sint imitatores sanctitatis saith S. Bernard b Semen pag. 496. It is fit that as they are heires of his name so they should bee imitaters of his nature and conversation Conversatio autem Christi apertè docet praesentia contemnere ad futura spem dirigere saith the same Father c Pag 17. 23. But the conversation of Christ doth plainly teach us to contemne present riches and to love future not to mind things present but to place our hopes on things to â—ome Secondly let us shew our love to Christ by pitty and compassion Christ resembling the leaves of the Lilies did extend his love downeward toward us let us extend our love upward toward him As Christ shewed his love every way to us so let us shew our love every way to him hee loved us even when hee was dying let us love him all the time wee are living Christus quanto pro me vilior tanto mihi charior saith S. Bernard d In Epiph. Ser. 1. The more vile the Sonne of God was made for us so much the more deare should hee bee unto us Domine Iesu dilexisti me plus quam te quoniam mori voluisti pro me c. pudeat non redamare te pro tanto amore tuo e S. Augustine O Lord Iesu thou hast loved me more than thy selfe in that thou wouldest vouchsafe to dy for me it would be a great shame for me not to love thee againe for this thy so great love Thirdly Christ was an example for us to imitate in our conversation and that in three respects First in innocency we may learne from him to bee f Mat. 10.16 wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves Secondly as Christ was conversant with sinners but not defiled with sinne so though wee live in the midst of a sinfull generation with Noah yet let us not participate with the evill of the time or place or company where wee live I doe but touch of these things by way of application to this subject because I must speake more of them by way of explication in the next Thirdly and lastly Christ is a patterne unto us of humility Remember that Christ is a Lily of the Vallies God g Angelom in loc is the God of humble men and humility was taught us from him by precept and patterne Puderet te forsan imitari hominem humilem saltem imitare humilem deum saith S. Austin h In John Tract 23. Thou wouldst bee ashamed perhaps to imitate an humble man yet at least imitate a humble God Men are ready to allow Court fashions and the greater the personage the sonner is the fashion followed Now Christ our King tooke on him the fashion of humility and all that meane to bee accepted in his court must weare the same fashion For Quid detestandum amplius quid gravius puniendum quam ut videns deum coeli parvulum factum ultra apponat homo magnificare se supra terram Intolerabilis impudentiae est ut ubi sese exinanivit Majestas vermiculus infletur intumescat saith S. Bernard i Flores Born pag. 2133. What is more to bee detested what more worthy to be punished then that man which seeing the God of Heaven to become little on earth should exalt himselfe above earth It is an intolerable impudency that where Majesty became low a Worme should swell and thinke to bee great The Disciple k Mat. 10.24 is not greater then his Master nor the servant above his Lord Vt exaltari voluit sicut Dominus humiliari noluit sicut servus l Maâ—c Mural That hee should be exalted as his Lord that will not bee humbled as a servant And therefore Si vis capere celsitudinem Dei cape prius humilitatem Christi is the counsell of Saint Bernard m Epist If thou desirest to bee partaker of the glory of God follow Christ in the steps of humility through this valley of misery that thou mayst ascend to him to the Mountaine of Majesty Which GOD grant wee may all doe for Iesus Christs sake To whom with the Father and the Blessed Spirit bee all honour and glory now and for ever more Amen To the Right Honorable Sr. RICHARD FENN Knight Lord Major of the City of London And to the right Worshipfull the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Company of HABERDASHERS LONDON I May perhaps by some bee accounted a right Son of Levi a Numb 16.7 in taking too much upon mee to present this Sermon to your Patronage Right Worshipfull But it hath some right and title to you who shew your selves to bee members of the Church in extending your charitie to them that are farre off For you doe not take delight as Cyrus did b Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in putting men in good hopes but in doing good deeds allowing good helpes to maintaine manie of the Sonnes of the Prophets Among the rest J was one that had an exhibition from your Company while I lived in the University This I could not forget and therefore though I cannot doe any thing by way of requitall with David c 1 Kings 2.7 to Barzillai Jonathan d 2 Sam. 9.7 yet J must ever by way of thankefull acknowledgement pray for your society as S. Paul did for the house of Onesiphorus e 2 Tim. 1.16 The Lord give mercie unto you all and grant that you may all finde mercie of the Lord in that day Your Honors and Worships to bee commanded in all Christian duties WILLIAM PARKES THE ROSE AND LILY. SOLOMONS SONG 2.1
he thought them not worth a carrying so Christ carryed all his goods about him so that when he died he needed no executors to prove his will for x John 19 23. the Souldiers parted his goods among them and hee had nothing for them to part but onely his garments Mat. 27.35 I have heared a story of Richard Nevile sometime Earle of Warwick how true it is I know not that when the people would have made him King hee refused that dignity saying that he had rather make Kings then be one but this I know he that y Psal 85.7 putteth downe one and setteth up another when the people would have made him King refused it Erat Rex qui timebat fieri Rex nec talis Rex qui ab hominibus fieret sed talis qui hominibus regnum daret saith Saint Augustine z In John â—ract 23. He was a King that feared to bee made a King not such a King that should be made by men but such a King as should give a Kingdome to men A King hee was indeed and acknowledged to bee so a Mat. 2.2 by the wise men at his birth Nathanel b John 1.44 and the whole multitude acknowledged him c Luke 19.38 to bee King in his Life at his death Pilate wrote him King of the Iewes d John 19 19.22 and would not alter that title and yet hee would not be made a King by the people lest e Calvin in Iohn 19. his spirituall Kingdome should have been at an end he refused to be made a King on earth for hee was already King of Heaven and earth Thirdly at his death he was so poore that he had neither Sepulchre nor winding sheet of hâ—s owne but f John 19.38.39 Ioseph and Nicodemus were faine to supply them Even the richest men and most puissant Monarchs have nothing at their deathes that they may properly call their owne but onely their Sepulchres We may say of them all as S. Austin g Ad fraâ—r in Erâ—â—o Ser. 48. speakes of Caesars Tombe Though hee were the feare of men and terror of Princes yet all his great riches his titles of Honour and Dignity his Crowne and Scepter Speare and Sword Omnia sibi pariter defecerunt quando defecit spiritus ejus reliquerunt eum captivatum in sepulchro trium brachiorum plenum foetore putredine All those things left him as they doe all men else when he was bereft of his soule and left him nothing but a Sepulchre of six cubits to conteyne him but Christ as he was without all earthly pompe in his life so at his death he had not so much as a Sepulchre or winding sheer of his owne untill they were given him In all which respects we may say of him with S. Augustine h De Catâ—châ—z râ—dibus Omnia bona terrena contempsit homo Christus ut nobis ea contemnenda monstraret The man Christ Iesus did contemne all earthly things to teach us also to doe the like It was a curse layd upon the Serpent in Paradise i Gen. 3.14 upon thy belly shalt thou goe and dust shalt thou eat all the dayes of thy life and therefore the seed of the woman k Ver. 15. being to break the head of the Serpent went not on his belly nor had his affections placed on the earth but was lifted sursum versus coelum upward toward Heaven therein resembling the Flower of the Lily of the Valleys Secondly folia liliorum non solum dilatantur ad latera sed etiam inferius declinant ad ima the Leaves of the Lily do not onely extend outward but bend downward so Christ extended his benefits farr off and even to his enemies The Apostle S. Paul tells the Gentiles l Eph. 2 13. that now in Christ Iesus yee who somtimes were farr off are made nigh by the bloud of Christ Christs benefits to us are like the oyntment m Psal 133.2 on Aarons head that ran downe on his beard and descended to the skirts of his garments they went downe to the lowest members of the Church When he was upon the earth hee shewed his love unto the poore in doing good to the Halt the Lame the Blind as it were so many cripples from severall Hospitalls Now love n Doctor Boys expo of the Creed is more shewed in deeds then in words but more in suffering then it is in doing so that the love of Christ was especially shewed unto us in dying for us As the Father shewed great love in giving his Sonne unto us so the son shewed like equall love in being so ready to suffer for us Greater o John 15 13. love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends but Christ suffered for us dum inimici essemus p Rom. 5.8 10. while wee were sinners and enemies and gave himselfe to death for us while wee were q Eph 2.1 dead in trespasses and sins Wee read of some indeed that have been ready to dy for their friends as r Cicer. Offic. Damon for his Pithyas Pylades Å¿ Idâ—m de Amici for his Orestes of whom the Poet. t Ovid. Extitit hoc unum quod non convenerat illis Hic negat inque vicem pugnat uterque mori They never fell our about any thing but this which of them should first lay downe his life for the other And wee read of some that have dyed for others as S. Austine reports v De Civitate Dei li. 8. cap. 5 of Castor and Pollux the sons of Tyndarus that Pollux intreated to impart halfe his life on his brother And we read that Codrus did willingly w Iustin dy for his countrey And also it is reported x Iuvenall Subeuntem fata mariti Alcesten that Alcestes did undergo the destinies of her husband and by her death redeemed his life These shewed great loves in laying downe their lives but it was for them that loved them as much or had deserved so much at their hands But Christ layd downe his life for us not onely Sine nostris meritis sed cum nostris demeritis saith S. Bernard y In Cant. Ser. 15 when we deserved no love but when we deserved as much hatred from him as was due unto his enemies and extended the fruits of that love and the benefits of that passion to all that will lay hold upon them It is written of the Cherubins z 1 Kings 6.27 that they stretched out their wings ad parietes usque to the wall on each side full ten cubits so Christ being stretched forth upon the Crosse extended his benefits to the ends of the World hee stood open to receive all commers and spread forth the branches of his love unto all therein resembling the leaves of the Lilies of the Valleyes Thirdly the Lily Lactei floris herba unde nuncupata quasi
Schismatickes who at this day do walke in their steps accounting all reprobates but them of their owne tribe But he calls those sinners that feeling their sins acknowledge themselves to bee sinfull But as the Lily though it grow among Thorns yet it loseth none of the whitenesse of his colour or fragrancy of its smell so Christ though hee conversed among thorny sinners yet hee reteyned still his innocency neither did hee converse with them b Jansen Concor cap. 33. to confirme them in their sinnes but to convert them from them Though hee did goe upon c Prov. 6 28. coales yet was he not burnt Though hee touched pitch d Eccles 13.1 yet was hee not defiled with it though hee had fellowship with the proud yet was not hee like unto them though hee were conversant with thornie sinners yet was hee not infected with their sins that kept on still the white Robes of his innocency therein resembling the nature of the Lily of the Valleys And now I come to the limitation of his second attribute to the first subject of the Valleys I am the Rose of Sharon c. Christ is not e Doctor Dove in Loc. the lofty Cedar but the lowly Lily not of the high Mountaines but of the low valleys that is humility it selfe Suorum Deus altissimus fuorum Christus humillimus as God of all others is a patterne of Majesty so Christ of all others is a spectacle of humility Hee was an example of humility in these respects f August de Civ Dei li. 14. nascendo conversando praedicando miracula faciendo moriendo In his birth in his conversation in his preaching in his working of miracles and in his dying First in his birth Hee chose not his descent from the mighty Monarchs of Assyria Greece and Persia but of the contemptible and despised Iewes and among them hee chose not any rich Parents to bee borne of but a poore Virgin espoused to a poore Carpenter What greater abasement could there bee then that hee which thundred in the Cloudes should cry in the Cradle that hee should put off the glorious Robes of his immortalite and put on the base ragges of our mortality that hee which was cloathed with Majesty and honour should bee cloathed with swadling clowtes that hee that in Heaven was GOD not subject to his Father in earth should bee man subject to his Mother that Mary that was a sheepe should bring forth a Sheepherd that hee which was the Father of Mary should become the soone of Mary this mystery is so great and the humility so wonderfull that as Saint Bernard saith it g In vrgil Nativ is mirabiliter singulare singulariter mirabile wonderfully singular and singularly wonderfull There is so great humility in CHRISTS birth that S. Augustine saith h Ser. 18. Nat Omnis bujus nativitatis schola humilitatis est â—fficina the whole Schoole of Christs nativity is a shop of humility Secondly hee shewed his humility in his conversation because though hee did no sinne i Destruct viâ— yet hee tooke upon him the punishments for sinne most humbâ—y undertaking the infirmities of the body and defects of the soule that are not sinfull as to bee weary hungry sorrowfull c. And though he were Lord of all yet hee becomes servant to his owne Disciples and k John 13.5 washeth their feete telling them l Luke 22.27 that hee is among them as one that serveth Whence some m Barrad Stella conjecture that Christ did use to serve them being at meat Thirdly hee shewed his humility in his preaching because hee sought not his owne glory but the glory of him that sent him And hee tells his Disciples n John 14 10. The words that I speake unto you I speake not of my selfe And when hee chose his Disciples to preach unto the World hee chose not rich and learned men but poore simple silly Fisher-men Had Christ chosen such as Aristotle and Demosthenes to preach the Gospell they would have sayd they were so learned that they might easily convince they were so eloquence that they might easily perswade but hee chose unlearned Fisher-men to confound the learned Phylosophers that the glory might not be given to the meanes Forthly hee shewed his humility in his working of miracles because when hee did great miracles hee commands the parties on whom they were wrought not to divulge them When hee cured one of the leprosy o Mat. 8.4 and restored sight to the blind man p Marke 8 26. hee chargeth them to tell no man Mundavit leprosum Dominus jussit eum nulli hoc fateri hoc fateri docens quam esset alienus ab aura gloriae pompaque jactantiae saith Saint Chrysostome q Apud Barrad In doing those miracles which Christ would not have told he shewed how farre hee was from vayne glory and seeking prayse of men but in those miracles that hee would have to bee divulged hee shewes how free hee was in seeking glory to GOD for hee bidds the man that was freed from his legion of divells to shew r Luke 8.39 how great things not hee but God had done for him And all the time of his life wherein hee wrought his miracles hee went abour doing of them he rode not in any stately manner but went on foot neither do I read that hee did ride at all but once when hee rode upon an Asse s Mat. 21.25 into Hierusalem And when he sate Nunquam in sede nec in pulvinari sed in ipsa superficie terrae modo in montibus modo apud fontes sedet docet saith St. Chrysostome t Hom. 67. in Mat. Christ sate and taught not on any couch or chayre of state sometimes on the mountaines sometimes by the fountaines alwaies on the superficies of the earth Fiftly Christ shewed his humiltty in his dying It was great love and as great Humility for him to be cloathed with the vaile of our nature and to undertake the infirmities of our feeble nature yet it was greater love and humility too for him to be compassed with the shadow of death and to undergoe the penalty due to our sinfull nature What humilitie could bee greater then that the Lord of life should suffer a shamefull and ignominious death that hee that was gloria Angelorum should become opprobrium hominum he that was the glory of Angells should be made the u Psal 22 6. scorn of men and despised of the people Thus Christ knowing that humilitie did suite well with the head when the body was sicke with pride bowed w Psal 18.9 the heavens and came downe there was the humilitie of his Godhead not putting it off but clothing it with the raggs of flesh And from his birth to his buriall from the time of his being borne in another mans sâ—able untill the time of his being buâ—â—ed in another mans tombe he alwaies shewed the
of the Church which doth herein resemble the Flower of the Lily of the Vallies Secondly the leaves of the Lily do extend outwards and bend downwards so the Church and the members thereof must extend their charity not onely to them that are neere either by propinquity of neighbourhood or affinity of kindred but even to them that are farr off The heart of man doth derive the heat not only to the breast and belly and the parts that are neere it but even to the toes and fingers and the parts farthest of so the members of the Church ought to extend their charity not only to them that are neere but even no them that are farr off The Henn they say will cover no Chickens under her wings but her owne or such as shee supposeth to bee her owne So many will make much of none but those that are of their owne kindred as for strangers there is no hope of any thing for them Nature c Aâ—istotle in the generation of a Frogge being afrayd that her matter will not hold out doth bestow so much on the breast and belly and the parts neere the heart that there is little left for the legges whence it is that the belly of a Frogge is so large and swelling so many feare that their substance will not hold out they shall not have inough for their friends and kindred and therefore their donation is very small for them that are farre off I speake not this to streighten the bowells of affection and charity in men to their owne kindred for in some they are straitned too much already in these degenerate dayes of ours wherein a man may oftentimes meete with a more lively heat of affection from strangers then from their owne friends and alliyes The Apostle saith d 1 Tim. 5.8 hee that provideth not for his owne hee is worse then an infidell Cosmographers make mention of some Anthropophagi men eaters that live neere the Caspian Hills that the children use to eat their fathers when they grow old that they should not bee devoured of the Wormes This custome I feare may bee found among many when as the Prophet speaks e Ezek 5.10 the fathers eat the sonnes and the sonnes eat the fathers they oftentimes consuming and devouring the estates one of another The Apostle makes it a note of the last dayes f 2 Tim. 3.3 that men should bee without naturall affection How can they bee spiritually affected g Absal Funeâ—all Teares that are not naturally affected Can they love Gods children that have no love to their owne bowells or they be friends to their enemies that are tirants to their friends So that it is true that charitas inicpit in seipsa charity beginns at him Yet non desinit in seipsa it must not end there but goe abroad to ouâ— neighbours Constantine the great h Fuseb Eccles Hyst li. 9. cap. 9. got great favour of the people and added to the Christians dayly by providing for the poore insomuch that the Gentiles noted the love of Christians one to another and by their charity were sometimes compelled to confesse the God of the Christians Stipis pauperum the saurus divitum was the word of the good Emperour Tiberius Constantius i Reusner Symb. The rich mans treasure is the poore mans stock It is recorded k Nazian in vita ejus of S. Bazill the great that in a famine hee did not onely give to the poore such as hee had himselfe but exhorted all others to set open their Barnes and to doe the like But now there are many churlish Naballs that say l 1 Sam. 25.10 11. Who is David and who is the sonne of Iesse there bee many servants now adayes that breake away every man from his Mayster Shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they bee There is many an unmercifull Dives m Luke 16. that will not part with a crumme though it might make them to gayne a Crowne For Da parva ut magna recipias saith S. Bazill n In Div. pag. 16. He that gives little shall receave much And damna lucrum o Div. Chrysist The crummes that fall from thy table are lost and yet not lost if thou givest them to the poore for he p Prov. 19.17 that hath pity on the poore lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will hee pay him againe We have few tender hearted Davids whose q Psal 22.14 heart is like wax and melteth in the midst of their bowells many like the Leviathan r Job 41.24 whose heart is as firme as a stone yea as hard as a stone yea as hard as a peice of the nether Mil-stone wee have few like them Iob speakes of Å¿ Job 21.24 whose breasts are full of Milke and their bones moystened with Marrow many like David in this when his t Psal 102.3 bones were dryed or burnt up as an hearth few that can say with Iob v I have not eaten my morsell my selfe alone v Job 31.17 but the fatherles hath eaten thereof but many that with-hold the poore from their desire Our Saviour Christ bids w Luke 3.11 him that hath two coates to impart to him that hath none but rather we are like David in his old age wee thinke all clothes to little to get x 1 Kings 1.1 heat in our selves We are like Isaacks well Rehoboth y Gen. 26 2. that signifyes roome we have roome inough to receive but when we should give any thing we are like the Well of Haran z Gen. 29.2 that had a stone rowled upon the mouth thereof Our hearts are made like the dore of that hard hearted neighbour in the Gospell a Luke 11.7 hard to bee opened I cannot rise and lend much lesse would hee rise and give It is true that there are among us some mercifull Samaritans good Corneliusses charitable Tabithaes and Dorcasses and God increase the number of them But all the members of the Church should bee open handed and open hearted for Aurum habet Ecclesia non ut serret sed uteroget saith Saint Ambrosse b Offic. lib. 2. cap. 28. The Church hath gold not to keepe but to give we being Gods stewards to dispose of them to them that need I have read of some Tartarians that say the custome of their countrey gives nothing to the poore I say not that this custome is knowne in our Hoemisphere or come into our countrey and yet if wee looke into the disposition of many we may find them of the nature of a spunge which will easily take in water but will let nothing goe without squeezing their hands are dryed up like Ieroboames c Kings 13.4 they cannot stretch them out to give an almes But as the Load-stone draweth iron to it so should