dwell vpon the face of the earth high low rich poore men women yongue old bond free without or within the Church that eyther are or euer may be the people of God True our loue must begin at those that be neerest vs and must be most to those within the Church especially to the houshold of Faith but it must stretch it selfe farre and wide and ouer all and wee must doe all dueties of Loue to them as occasion shall be offered and we be able For whosoeuer hath or shall haue need of our helpe he is our neighbour whom wee are bound to loue because God hath commanded it and hee is our owne flesh Our prayers as a maine dutie of loue must reach at one time or other to all and doe them what other good we can Wee must pray for the poore Pagans that God would send his light and truth amongst them that they in time may bee brought into the bosome of the Church and the sheepfold of Christ Iesus For the Lords ancient people the Iewes that he would be pleased to make those dry bones to liue and to take the vaile of vnbeleefe from off their hearts that they may at last come to embrace and beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ to their eternall saluation And that God would in mercie bring in the fulnesse of the Gentiles and to that end that he would hasten the ruine of Anchrists Kingdome that those nations that haue long lyen vnder the bondage of that man of sinne and in the darkenesse of superstition and Idolatry may be set at libertie and haue the light of the glorious Gospell to shine among them to teach them to know and worship the true God aright and to beleeue in Iesus Christ which is life eternall And for those within the Church wee ought to pray to God to continue his mercie towards them and to giue them grace to walke worthy thereof And for those that be falne into their enemies hands and bee in great distresse euerie way wee ought to send vp continuall feruent prayers and strong cryes out of the bowels of compassion towards their miseries vnto Almightie God the father and protector of his Church that though hee hath punished them for their sinnes as pleased him yet that hee would in iudgement remember mercie and humble their hearts vnder his heauie hand pardon their sinnes and restore their former liberties to them againe Yea and as their bodily necessities shall be truely made knowne to vs wee should be readie to reach out our hand to the reliefe thereof Ob. If anie will say They bee strangers to me what haue I doe with them Ans. Let such a one know that yet Gods Image nor his expresse commandement ought not to be strange vnto vs but ought to prouoke vs to this duety Yea they that bee neuer so ignorant prophane vngodly whether rich or poore we must wish well vnto them and seeke their good for as wee must not hate the vices for the persons sake so neyther the person for the vices sake Our loue towards them may bee a meane to winne them to God Vse But alas how few be there that thinke any such thing required of them and therefore no maruell though no conscience be made of the performance thereof for euen in those things that they know to be the will of God and their dueties yet few will be brought to the obedience of them Who so pities the miserable state of those that know not God nor haue any meanes of saluation but be out of the pale of the Church as to pray earnestly to God that hee would in mercie visit them in his due time Alas multitudes pray not for their owne selues and families their neighbours and nation and therefore no maruell they looke not so farre But mee thinkes that fearfull Prayer the Church maketh against such Psalme 79. 6. should strike feare into them to moue them to seeke to auoide the dint and danger of it How sew lay to heart the long and sore afflictions nay the wofull desolations of our brethren in the Palatinate Bohemia and places adioyning and therefore powre out compassionate repenting and feruent prayers to God for them We heare of their vnspeakeable miseries but are not affected with them either to profit by their harmes vnto sound repentance our selues or to put to our helping hand by our instant prayers to seeke their deliuerance Wee talke much of them and would faine see an end of their troubles and a returne of things but few be those that doe pray for them and that so seldome and so coldly as we can haue as little comfort as they haue hitherto found benefit for what fruit can be expected from prayers not ioyned with true repentance for God heares no sinners and let him that cals vpon the Name of the Lord and looks to be heard depart from iniquitie I doubt not but some there are that doe compassionately and feelingly wrestle with God for them from time to time yea do afflict their soules to obtain mercie for them whose prayers are assuredly not shut out or forgorten before God but shall in due time haue blessed effect but these I doubt are but a very few And for other dueties of Loue no maruell if as occasion serues they bee coldly performed to those that be further off when wee are found so faulty towards those wee daily conuerse with What extreme failing in the dueties of forgiuing wrongs and doing good to soules and bodies of those we haue to doe with Of which wee haue spoken already vpon one or two seuerall occasions therefore I now speake no more thereof onely I pray God to giue vs this true Loue that may reach out it selfe to all men as occasion is or shall be offered CHAP. 9. Of Loue to the Saints NOw I come to the loue we owe to the Saints and true people of God and these are to be loued in the greatest degree of all other men and to be had in high price and account Gal. 6. 10. Psalme 15. 4. Thus did Dauid Psalme 16. 3. All his delight was in the Saints Psal. 119. 63. He was their companion Psal. 101. He would haue such to attend vpon him and such only as neare as he could So Cornelius Acts 10. 7. had a souldier that feared God that was at his hand Reasons of this are First the Image of God is most clearly seen in them we are to reuerence and loue the least part of it wheresoeuer we see it euen in wicked men how much more then the brightnesse of it which stands in the graces of the Spirit wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse wherein they most liuely resemble their Maker And the more of this we see the more we ought to loue in children friends neighbours or whomsoeuer This is to be esteemed far aboue wit beauty strength wealth actiuity or any gift of Nature or Art these be toyes to grace Fauour is deceitfull and beauty vanity but one
euer they can make their peace with God and their Conscience and they must fall out as deeply with themselues for their folly with indignation take a holy reuenge of themselues that they may feare euer to doe the like againe Is this the behauiour of brothers and sisters to flye in one anothers face to liue at such oddes as that all the Parish takes notice of it If naturall brethren should doe so all men would cry shame of it Doth our father like this thinke you our mother and fellow-brethren round about that see or heare of it doe you thinke this goes not to their hearts And thinke you you doe not open the mouthes of Canaanites and Perizzites that are euery where and heare of it Thinke wee good to giue them such iust matter to speak euill of vs and of our holy profession for it Our father Abraham could say to his inferior Lot Let there be no strife betweene mee and thee for we are brethen A body would thinke that the name Brother should eyther preuent all strife or at least quickly breake the necke of it Though good Christians may out of brittlenesse of nature fall out on the sudden yet me thinks grace should enforce them to recall themselues and yeeld to each other and come in though they were of neuer such a proud and stout stomach naturally Else may they not suspect themselues to be bastards rather than right bred brothers to bee wooden legges and no liuing members at least they haue got the numb palsey for which they had need to seeke speedy remedy Let vs I beseech you so many of vs as haue been faulty in any of these three things see how ill they haue becommed vs be ashamed and humbled for them and amend that we may haue sound arguments that we are true members of Christs body and liuely and feeling ones Thinke like brethren speake as brethren both to face and behinde their backes and doe like brethren so shall we glorifie God our Father credit and comfort the Church our Mother and our fellow-brethren and stop the mouths of Papists Atheists prophane ones meere ciuill ones and worldlings that would not a little reioyce at our diuisions Put on brotherly affections shew them by brotherly actions let not small matters make vnkindnesse depart from much for peace and loue let our differences be speedily compounded by others if we cannot agree them within our selues feare rather to doe the least wrong than to suffer a greater so shall we be fit to doe good one to another vpon all occasions for goodnesse goes forward where loue is but contention or vnkindnesse stops the course of all that is good So shall we also be stronger against our common aduersaries the World and Deuill which doe so hate vs as a body would thinke it were meet for vs to stick fast and close together and make much one of another seeing this wicked world is bent against vs. Let mee conclude this my speech to you Christians with that blessed exhortation of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 13 11. Finally my Brethren fare yee well be perfect be of good comfort be of one minde liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you CHAP. 11. Of releeuing the poore I Will adde but one thing more and so make an end of what I purpose to say of this duty of Loue in which I haue been longer than I thought of at first And that is touching one branch and duety of loue which is the relieuing the necessities of the poore of which because I haue spoken some thing in one of the Notes of Loue namely that its Bountifull I will be so much the shorter handling some things here that were not there so conuenient to be spoken of The Scriptures both of Old and New Testament are plentifull about this Point eyther Commandements touching it and Promises of blessing thereto or Threatnings against the neglect of it In the Old Law God commanded to leaue their Grounds vnsowen and Trees vngathered the seuenth yeare for the poore Exod. 23. 10 11. Leu. 25. 3. And the years that they sowed and gathered in they were bidden to leaue gleanings Deut. 24. 19. to the end How oft in the Prophets doth the Lord call for Mercie yea tryes the truth of their Religion and performance of holy Duties by this as St. Iames doth chap. I. and the last verse giuing such charge of the poore in generall particularly of the widow stranger and fatherlesse It is commanded Esay 58. 7. a very excellent place plaine and plentifull and in most of the Prophets its called for as a thing that the Iewes much failed in and were couetous and cruell Heb. 13 To doe good and to distribute forget not c. Ephes. 4. 28. Mat. 5. 45. Hee commands it whose we are and all we haue at his appointment I will adde a few Reasons to moue to this Duety 1 To let passe to speake of the example of God who fils the whole world with his goodnesse and feedes both man and beast who hath also beene bountifull to euery of vs that are vnworthy as Iacob said of the least of his mercies Let the examples of Gods seruants who herein obeyed and imitated the Lord in all ages let them moue vs. Elisha tooke order for the poore widow for the paiment of her debts and for her owne maintenance 2 Kings 4. Iob was notable in this duty as appeares Chap. 31. from verse 16. to 21. Our Sauiour Christ of that little that hee receiued for his maintenance yet gaue something to the poore therefore Iudas carrying the bagge when our Sauiour Christ bade him that he did doe quickly the Disciples thought he had meant he should giue somewhat to the poore Zacheus beeing conuerted gaue halfe his goods c. Luke 19. So Acts 2. 4. the rich sold and relieued the poore Dorcas a good Woman this way Acts 9. towards the end Cornelius also a notable example Acts 10. 1. There was also a contribution made by the Christians for the poore Brethren in Iudea because of a famine was among them Acts 11. 29. Onesiphorus is commended and Gaius for an host to the poor Saints of God 2 It s a sacrifice very acceptable to God Heb. 13. 16. Phil. 4. 18. as Cornelius his Almes came vp into remembrance before God Acts 10. 4. Yea so pleasing as when his seruice and that cannot stand together he preferres mercie before sacrifice Hos. 6. 6. And so pleasing as no duty of Religion ordinary or extraordinary is welcome to God if this duty be wanting as Esay 1. 58. from verse 5. to 13. What stronger motiue can there bee than this seeing its our happinesse that wee can doe any thing that GOD will bee well pleased with 3 We are but Stewards in respect of God though owners among men who hath so deliuered these things out of his hand to vs as yet hee hath reserued a Royaltie in them and
of their Faith and Loue But a number be vsurers oppressors grinders rakers all for themselues and so couetous as they will part from nothing by their good will if any thing come from them it s so hardly as one should wring water out of a stone or pull away a peece of their flesh as Nabal that sent away Dauids seruants empty and with a churlish answer Some others so prodigall and riotous and giuen to their pleasures and to all excesse as they waste their state so fast as they disable themselues to doe that good they might it s not to bee had Luxury keeps them so bare which if they had grace to measure their matters with iudgement might liue a great deale better themselues and doe much good where need is Or if some be so rich as they hold their state yet they lay it on so vpon themselues and theirs as no cost is spared vpon braue apparrell new fashions costly and curious dyet hawks hounds dice cards gaming 's that yet when it comes to a matter of giuing are as pinching as they that haue not the tithe of their estate can beteeme nothing to the poore or good vses very franke in idle expences to serue their owne lust very sparing to those that haue need like the Glutton Luke 16. who spared nothing from himselfe nor nothing for poore Lazarus And those Amos 6. that fed to the full of the fattest and drunke of the sweetest till they were fitter to stretch themselues and tumble vpon their costly beds than to do any good yet they had not so much as a thought of the poore that were in want And as the Foole Luke 12. that made account hee had much and all for himselfe Soule eate drinke and take thine ease thou hast goods laid vp for thee for many yeares Notwithstanding the commandement of God which they cannot be ignorant of and the Law of Nature which would be holpen if they were poore Gods and good mens example and the many promises of blessing made to this duety yet are no whit moued by all these but fast glued to the world and can heare nothing that should pull any thing from them This was one of Sodoms sinnes Contempt of the poore Let these sorts of men know they are not so ill for others as they be for themselues As they shew well there is no loue of God or men in them as 1 Iohn 3. Who so hath this worlds good and sees his brother haue neede and shuts vp his compassion against him how dwelleth the loue of God in him So they will pull some iudgement of God vpon their owne heads as their Predecessors whom I haue named haue done And this is one reason no doubt that mens goods shift masters so oft besides the ill account they will make of their stewardship when they shall be called thereto for which they must make their reckoning to heare no better sentence than O euill and vnfaithfull seruant take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darknesse Let these better bethinke themselues in time and breake off their sinnes by repentance and their vnrighteousnesse by mercy to the poore that there may be a healing of their error and a preuenting the iudgements of God Oh that my counsell from God may be acceptable to them 2 But for those that out of conscience of Gods commandement and faith in Gods promises made to this duety out of a zeale to bring glory to God doe good to others and to further their owne reckoning make conscience to bee doing good with a mercifull heart carry a liberall hand as God giues ability in themselues and occasion from others let them take it to themselues as a good marke of the truth of their Religion and know they can no way prouide better for their comfort or the continuance of Gods blessing vpon them and their estate than by continuance in this duety 3 And thirdly let this prouoke all sorts of men to take knowledge of this duety of mercifulnesse to the poore as one part of Gods will and well weighing the reasons vsed to prouoke thereto set themselues to make conscience of the performance thereof which that they may do indeed they must be perswaded to remoue out of the may certaine vices that be deadly enemies thereto and labour for the contrary vertues 1. The first is Vnbeliefe which as it breeds many other vices so that of Vnmercifulnesse for that casts so many doubts and feares of what they may want themselues and that it will hinder them in their estate to giue here and there as they withdraw therefore labour for Faith to beleeue that as God will performe all his promises so those made to this duety and therefore that its the high way to thriuing and this will set vs to it and that with chearfulnesse 2. Pride which is seen in excesse of costly attire for our selues and ours ayming at high pitches and great portions for our children and such and such estates must be obtained this must needs hinder liberality therefore the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. forbids women to be deckt with costly apparrell but commands to aray themselues with good workes Noting they cannot doe both for the backe is a theefe the meaning is when its superfluous and beyond their ability all duties discharged Oh what an infinite deale of good might be done if but the superfluities of folkes apparrell were taken away which might very well be spared 3 The like may be said of intemperance excesse of cheere variety costliness of dishes at mens tables God allowes to men according to their degrees to some vsually to others at festiuall times daies of greater reioycing yet to none excesse or so as they thereby be disabled for such good workes as their place cals for at their hands The excesse of this Land in these two forenamed things would abundantly not only relieue the wants of our poore at home but would make a blessed supply of the most wofull and crying necessities of our distressed brethren abroad And is it meet that some should be hungry and others drunken as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 21. Were it not much meeter that they had our superfluities which doe vs but hurt to supply their necessities and so both should be better The Lord giue vs at last to make conscience of this Duety it s more than high time so to doe 4 Idlenesse and vnthriftinesse which vsually goe together are great lets of liberalitie For if one goe euer to the heape and by labour adde nothing thereto in time it will consume and so hee shall haue nothing for himselfe nor the poore therefore the Apostle Ephes. 4. 28. commands to worke with the hands that so there may bee wherewith to giue to them that want But vsually idlenesse is ioyned with spending gaming drinking and such vnthrifty courses and this hastens beggery the faster and so preuents liberalitie in a high degree The prouident
and thrifty are fittest to doe good as the good Hous-wife in the last of the Prouerbs 5 Couetousnesse is especially to be cast out as the direct opposite to mercifulnesse to the poore as contrary as fire and water which is an vnsatiable desire of getting more setting mens hearts on the world so eagerly as it were heauen or happinesse and making it their God so as they cannot endure to part from it not knowing that they are base and transitory things and that the perfection of them is in their well employment Le ts therefore be intreated to remoue these lets out of the way that this duety may bee carefully performed But yet let vs not content our selues to doe this Dutie of Mercifulnesse to the poore but labour like Christians to doe it in a right manner for that is all in all that makes or marres For wee may giue much and yet not please God nor profit our selues Therefore diuers Rules to this purpose must be obserued 1. We must giue or lend righteously that is of our owne lawfully come by not what we haue gotten by oppression or wrong which is to rob one to giue to another We must not keepe the poore as the Lion or Foxe keepe their Whelpes or Cubs with that we haue got by rapine but with our owne therefore giuing is called Righteousnesse Psal. 112 not only to shew that its a duety that must be done but it must be done in Righteousnesse Therefore Micah 6. these two are ioyned together to doe iustly to loue mercie Zacheus first restored what he had got wrongfully and then giues of his own iust gotten goods to the poore Contrary to this is the practise of some vsurious couetous or sacrilegious persons who when they haue got much by Church robbery and selling Church liuings or by oppressing and vndoing many families to still the gnawing of their Consciences giue somewhat to the poore at last But its abomination to God and their sinnes cry lowder for iudgement than their liberalitie for any blessing Quest. But here it may be demanded whether seruants may giue of their Masters goods Answ. No doubt without Masters or Dames consent in one kinde or other they may not it shall bee theft to them rather than any thing pleasing to God Quest. May children giue of their Parents goods Ans. No not except they haue some consent Quest. May such as are behind hand and owe more than they be worth or able to pay may these giue Answ. No by no meanes They boast of false liberalitie 2 Wee must giue freely without expecting a recompence Not therefore with opinion of merit to earne heauen as Papists mercenarily doe Or to helpe themselues out of Purgatory that is base Nor doe it Pharisaically with ostentation and desire to be seene Wee may looke vpon the Promises made by God to this Duty to encourage vs the more yet to doe it freely because it s commanded vs of God Not expecting any thing from man What is freer than gift as we say So when we lend to our poore Neighbour it must be free not looking hee should earne it out as it were or doe as much for vs some other way fye vpon it Nay we ought not so to looke for our own againe as that be the chiefe thing wee ayme at but to doe him a pleasure 3 Cheerfully as a free-will offering God loues a cheerefull giuer as Zacheus stood forth and gaue c. The Macedonians 2 Cor. 8. counted and called it a grace and fauour that they might haue their hand in so good acceptable gainfull a worke Men sow cheerefully in good ground Therefore it s not to be done by force of Law as some Nor yet by such importunitie of Neighbours faine to vse so many Arguments and such a deale of doo to perswade and get them to it Not grudgingly or of necessity 4 Seasonably not tomorrow if they now need and we haue it Pro 3. 28. wee know not what may fall out by then what temptation they may meet with Also wee may bee dead or they Hee giues twice that giues quickly Also helpe them ere it bee too late shore them vp when they begin to reele so they may stand a good while not let them alone till they fall flat downe A little in time may doe more good than much more after We must not tarry till they haue sold their cupbord bed their best coate fye vpon it If one be lent to in time he may be vpheld that else must soone come to receiue Almes So to giue to the poor in their sicknesse before they be too farspent 5 Wisely not lashing it on too fast but measuring it out as it may continue Psal. 112. Measure our affaires by iudgement Few erre on this hand yet some haue been so lauish in house-keeping entertainment and giuing as they haue ouer gone themselues This is to pull out the tap We must draw as need is A good house-keeper will not set the barrell on the greene for euery one to drinke that will and more than neede so hee should soone make an end and haue no comfort when hee hath done Also wee must giue wisely as we may doe most good with that we giue Therefore we must take care that they haue it that haue most neede Not the lusty to haue it and the old lame blinde impotent and yongue children to want It s a great disorder in some great mens keeping open house at Christmas that the rude idle and prophane round about they come thither to meate but the very poore indeed which cannot trauell in the dirt and cold and crowd they sit at home and want No doubt if it pleased them to send to their Neighbour-Townes in money what they thinke good to bestow to bee distributed by the Officers and chiefe of the Towne that know how to giue it indifferently and where most need is it would bee much greater reliefe to the poore and so a more charitable worke and saue themselues a very great deale of trouble and preuent a great deale of sinne committed by that rude company in their vnseasonable returnings home besides their rudenesse there 6 Wee must giue to the good especially Gal 6. True we must giue to all I meane to such as follow their calling but for those that can worke and will not let them starue Giue euen the bad in their want if they be diligent to doe what they can yet giue them with instructions admonitions to keepe their Church haue a care of their soules and to bring vp their children to worke not to pilfering idlenesse or begging rebuking them for these or any such faults as they that be most poore are very gracelesse and godlesse almost So may wee doe good both wayes But to the houshold of Faith giue them with more chearfulnesse and good encouragement of them in their good course and behold Iesus Christ in them when all bee alike to vs it s no good signe