8. 8 24. 1 John 3. 18. CHAP. XXVII And as our Almesdeeds are a sign of our love to God and our Neighbour so the quantity of our almes respect being had to the proportion of our estate is a signe of the quantity of our love for he loveth but little that having much giveth but a little and contrariwise his heart is inflamed with fervent love who hath it inflamed with bounty towards his poore brethren the extension of our love towards them being the true touchstone of the intention of our love towards God And as a great tree with many and large branches is an undoubted sign of a root proportionable in greatness and a small shrub above the ground plainly sheweth that the root also is small wch is under it so is it with our Almesdeeds which spring from it For if we be bountiful in Almes we are plentifull in love If we be slack in giving we are cold in loving but if we be utterly defective in bringing forth these excellent fruits then it is a manifest sign that this grace of love is not rooted in us 1 John 3. 17. Ninthly It is an evident demonstration that we have saving knowledge and spiritual wisdom for the wisdom that is from above is full of mercy and good fruits James 3. 17. Otherwise we are not wise our wisdom descends not from above but is earthly sensuall and devillish Verse 15. Tenthly By these works of mercy we make our calling and election sure for if we do these things we shall never fall as St. Peter speakâ— a Pet. 1. 7 8 10. And St. Paul infers Col. 3. Put on as the elect of God holy and beloved the bowels of mercy and kindness Verse 12. Which makes him in another place call charity a never sailing grace 1 Cor. 1. 8. And a little after he useth these words Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Cherity Verse 13. Eleventhly This is a duty which undoubtedly must justifie the truth of our religion or else condemn us as hollow hearted and swayed by hypâ—crisie James 1. This is pure religion and undesiled before God to visat the father less and widow in their affliction Verse 27. O that this lesson would enter home into every one of our hearts before we go out of our houses For men may cry up this side and cry down that but of all the three the Priest the Levite and the Samaritan none but the Samaritan that shewed mercy to him that was fallen into the hands of thâ—eves was wounded and stript of his rayment was justified and approved of by our Saviour Luke 10 36 37. And indeed God so highly prizeth and esteemeth mercy and the works where in it is exercised towards the poore that he preferteth them before the outward acts of religâ—ous duties Hosea 6. 6. I desired mercy and not sacrifice that is rather then sacrifice This is the oblation which he chiefly requireth yea if we but look Micha 6. we shall find that God esteemeth it more or above all sacrifiees and burnt offerings were it thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of oyle Verse 6. 7. He hath shewed thee O mâ—n what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Verse â— Finally these works of mercy are not onely anodor of a sweet smell and a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God as the Apostle speaks Phil. 4. 18. But also such an oblation as if we offer unto God with a lively faith the use of all the creatures shall be clean unto us according to that of our Saviour Luke 11. 41. See more Heb 13. 16. Isa. 58. 6 7 8. James 1. 27. And this is a Twelfth benefit CHAP. XXVIII Thirteenthly another no small benefit that we have thereby is by our bounty towards the poor we have the benefit of their prayers unto God the which are very available for the obtaining of all good things for us the which argument the Apostle useth to incite the Corinthians to a liberal contribution 2 Cor. 9 11. to 15. insomuch that when we hold our peace or are sleeping in our beds the loynes of the poore shall bless us as it is Job 31. 20. and 29. 12 13. Whereas on the contrary he that giveth not to the poore shall lie open to their curse according to that Prov. 28 27. and Deut. 15. 9 and 24 15. the which curses of the poore he will hear and ratifie according to that Job 31. 16. to 29. Fourteenthly By the same meanes also we give them and others occasion of praising and glorifying God whilest by the experiment of this ministration they see our professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 9. 13. Wherefore let us strive to abound in this duty that whiles they injoy our hounty we may injoy their prayers 2 Tim. 1. 18. and God may have their praises 2 Cor 9. 15. And so much the rather for that of all men seldom is any great sin shame or punishment fastned on the charitableâ— for how should he speed ill that hath the prayers of so many Fifteenthly it is no small pleasure and joy which a Christian taketh in performing these works of mercy for first these vertuous actions in themselves do even for the present fill their hearts with joy who rightly perform them But much more do they fill our hearts with joy as they are evident signes to assure us that we are indued with Gods saving graces and as they do being fruits of a lively faith ascertaine us of our future reward and the fruition of Gods presence where there is fulnesse of joy for ever more Yea the godly man gives with more joy and thankfulness of heart then the other receives the same as enough can hear me witness Yea Seneca an Heathen can testifie the same for he defines a benefit to be an action proceeding from love yeilding joy both to him that receiveth it and much more to him that yeildeth it Sixteenthly The inward habit of goodness and mercy in our hearts exercised in the outward actions of liberality bounty by our hands makes us to resemble God himself and that in such an attribute as he delightetls above all others to stile himself withall For howsoever he is infinite in glory power and all perfections yet most usually in the Scriptures he is called a God of mercy and compossion and hereby principally he maketh himself known unto Moses desiring to see him Exod. 34. 6. Nor can we in any thing resemble God more then in this grace and therefore it is our Saviours exhortation that we be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull Luke 6. 36. Now God gives to all richly to injoy 1 Tim. 6. 17. Yea blessed be God saies the Church that daily ladeth us with benefits that crowneth us with loving kindness and compasseth us about with new songs of deliverance
that we have If besides all this God hath promised to reward a little mony meat clothes with an infinite Eternal Kingdom of glory have the poor as true a right to it as we have to the residue Are we no less beholding to the poor then they are to us Would we were it our case think the contrary very unequal For if we look on the sufferings of others as heavier then our own this will beget thankfulness if we look on the doings gifts and graces of others as better then our own this wil beget humility Shall they thereby be the better able to serve God in their several stations Shall they have cause to pray for and praise God for us Will it stop our enemies mouths and make them think the better of our Religion and happily win them to imbrace the truth at least seeing our good works they will glorifie our Father which is in heaven Whereas the Poore shall onely have some outward relief and comfott thereby Shall wee fare the better for it in our souls bodyes names estates and posterities with many the like which might be added for our eucouragement to this duty Then they should serve as one would think as so many effectual and strong arguments to move every Christian to the diligent and frequent doing of them Yea by this time as I hope I have made some way in the Worldlings heart to rellish the relieving of the poor at least it concerns men to urge and press these motives upon themselves until they have compell'd their unwilling wils to resolve to interest themselves into so many promises and blessings and to shun the danger of so many threats and judgements as the neglect thereof will incur As did we thus hide the Word of God in our hearts and particularly apply these things to our Consciences it would work this Grace in us all Which otherwise will prove no other then as a sweet harmony of Musick to a deaf man It is not unknown to us that Nathan wrought more upon David by a particular private admonition then all the Lectures of the Law could do for three quarters of a year together Yea let but this be done or indeed do but wel weigh what hath been said and it will be sufficient to perswade any covetous Nabal alive if he hath either heart or brain or indeed any care of or love to himself or his to become as liberal as Zacheus himself However I doubt not but some wil be so wise as to consider the premises thereupon to give as God in his Word injoins And that others will do the same if it be but meerly out of self-love for there cannot possibly be more rational or strong inducements more rare remarkable Benefits and Promises to any duty then is propounded to this particular Grace Wherefore if there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any compassion and mercy towards your selves or others think of these things accept of these blessings rush not upon so many Curses but break off your sins and former unmercifulness by righteousness and your iniquity by shewing mercy towards the poor Dan. 4. 2. Distribute to the necessities of the Saints minister unto them of your Substance like Mary Magdalen Joanna the wife of Chuza and Susanna And give your selves to Hospitality Rom. 12. 13. Luke 8. 2. 3. Suffer not the naked to lodge without garment and without covering in the cold Job 24. 7. Yea if thou dost but wel weigh what benefit it will bring to thee by being bountiful to them thou wilt be glad to meet with and invite such an object or opportunity of doing good and be thankful for it even as Zerxes the Persian Monarch said when Themistocles came to him being banished his own Countrey Let the Athenians send us more of such guests And indeed if men will not be moved nor drawn to good with the threefold cord inerrableness of Precepts innumerableness of Examples inestimableness of rewards and yet here is more then a sevenfold Cord no hope that any means should prevail with them as St. Austin speaks If Othniel be told what preferment he shall get for taking Kiriath Sephar he will undertake that difficult task Josh. 15 16 17. And if David does but hear what shall be done to the man that kills Goliah he dares accept the challenge of that terrible Champion 1 Sam. 17. If Moses hath once respect unto the recompence of the reward he will be content to suffer affliction with the People of God Heb. 6. 11. 25 26. And if the Apostles expect to receive some great thing of Christ they will soon forsake all and follow him Matth. 19. 27 28. We should therefore be forward to keep this Commandment of shewing mercy to the poor since in the keeping of it there is great reward Psal. 19. 11. CHAP. LII AGain secondly if Bounty be the best and surest way to Plenty If such Gain comes by giving If this be the onely way to have our Barns filled and our Presses to burst with abundance If by giving to the poor for Christs sake our riches shall encrease and multiply like the Widows handful of meal or those Loaves and Fishes in the Gospel and that the more wee give the more wee have That liberallity will make a man fastingly rich as having Gods Word that suchâ— shall never want If we can no way be so liberal to our selves as by giving to the poor and in them to the possessor of all things It should methinks make rich men of all others put the same in practice since they are all for gain and looking after commoditie all for treasuring up all for themselves all for riches it being their onely summum bonum For no such way to encrease their Estates or benefit themselves can ever be found out this wil do it above what they are able any other way or what they were ever yet acquainted with How then should it take with them How should it not whet them on and make them put the same in practise For should you rich men plot and break your brains to study and contrive all the dayes of your lives how you may do your selves the greatest good this is the onely way It is fabled of Midas that whatsoever he touched it was turned into Gold but it may more truly be so said of the hand of Charity for that turneth a Cup of cold Water into a never failing Mine of Gold As thus if we but sow the seed of our Beneficence we shall not onely reap an earthly crop but have also an heavenly harvest which wil never fail us it wil return unto us a double Harvest the crop of all temporal and spiritual benefits in this life and of everlasting blessedness in the life to come This is the true Philosophers Stone yea it exceeds by far all that any report of it For the Lord will repay and reward us not
pretend what they wil he that hath Grace or the love of God in his heart wil shew it in Works of mercy to the end that God may be honored and others won and edified thereby Blessed are the pure in heart faith our Saviour for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. They must lead vertuous lives on Earth that ever expect in Heaven to see the Lord Jesus Now the inward disposition of the heart is outwardly ingraven in the life Shew methy faith by thy works sayes James Jam. 2. 18. That is by thy active obedience which consisteth in doing God's Commandments and passive obedience in suffering his Chastisements Though Faith be alone in Justification yet not in the justified as the Eye though alone in seeing yet not in him that seeth but joined with the Ears Nose Hands and many other members of the body Faith the Queen of Graces hath her Gentleman-Usher before and her Servants following after If you see not Repentance go before Faith nor Works attending on her know that it is not she There is a zeal without knowledge and there is a knowledge without zeal there is a faith without obedience and there is an obedience without faith there is a love without fear there is a fear without love both are hypocrites We are justified by faith sayes Paul Rom. 4. 3. We are justified by works says James Jam. 2. 21 St. James dealt with them that stood too much upon Faith without Works S. Paul dealt with them that stood too much upon Works without Faith Wirked men if we mark it are all for extreams and extreams onely bear rule in this World because there is still but one virtue for two vices which cowch so close beside her that the natural man can scarce see her as for instance you shall ever see Pride on the one side Rusticity on the other side and comeliness in the midst Flattery on the one side Malice on the other side and Love in the midst Diffidence on the one side Presumption on the other side and Faith in the midst Superstition on the one side Atheism on the other side and Religion in the midst Ignorance on the one side Curiosity on the other side and knowledge in the midst Carefulness on the one side Carelesness on the other side and Diligence in the midst Covetousness on the one side Prodigallity on the other side and Frugallity in the midst But to these Virtues or to keep the mean Worldlings are always to seek as hereafter they wil be of a blessing Gods Servants are known by this they square all their actions and intentions by the Rule of the Word as knowing that if they do never so much to satisfie anothers Will or their own it avails nothing with God if it be not done for God Therefore David prayes Teach me O Lord to do thy will not my Will for we need not be taught to do our own wills every man can go to Hell without a Guide Now he that wil do Gods Will and live by the direct Rule of his Word must repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1. 15. that is joyn with his faith in God's Promises obedience to his Precepts For Faith and Obedience are as inseparable as life and motion the Sun and its light And altbeit in our Justification Christ saith Fiat tibi secundum fidem tuam be it unto thee according to the Faith Matth 9. 29. Yet in our salvation Redditur unicuique secundum opera sua Every man shall be rewarded according to his works Matth. 16. 27. Neither wil Christ say when he shal sit upon his throne Ye have believed but you have done Come ye blessed Matth. 25. 35. and in Matth. 25. 21. Well done good Servants not wel known nor wel spoken nor wel purposed but wel done This is the perfect Rule Gal. 6. 16. And as many as walk according to this Rnle peace shall be upon them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Again it is not knowing or hearing or preaching or casting out Devils in Christs Name nor praying Lord Lord c. but he that doth his will and when he hath done it accounts himself an uprofitable 〈◊〉 that shal be saved Luke 17. 10. And 〈…〉 men were not wilfully blind and did not 〈…〉 follow the deceitfulness of their own 〈…〉 then believe God's Word It were impossible they should ever hope for mercy without filial Obedience since the scripture thoroughout continually calls for practice as to ad some instances to the former If you ask God who shall dwell in his holy Mountain he faith The man which walketh uprightly Psal. 15. 2. If ye ask Christ who shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven he saith Not they which cry Lord Lord though they cry twice Lord but they which do the will of my Father Mat. 7. 22. If you ask him again How you may come to Heaven he saith Keep the Commandments Luk. 18. 20. If you ask him again Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and do it here are none but doers If you ask an Angel who are blessed he saith Blessed are they which keep the words of this Book Revel 22. 7. Here are none but doers If you ask David Who are blessed He saith Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousness Psal. 106. 3. 103. 18. If you ask Solomon Who are blessed He faith The man is blessed that keepeth God's Law Prov. 29. 18. Here are none but doers If you ask Esay Who are blessed He saith He which doth this is blessed Esay 56. 2. If you ask St. James Who are blessed He saith The doer of the Word is blessed in his deed James 1. 25. Here is none but doers mentioned Matth. 7 21. Rom. 2. 13. So that blessedness and doing go always together For as the works that Christ did bore witness that he was Christ Job 10. 25. So the works that we do must bear witness that we are Christians And least any man should look to be blessed without obedience as Christ calleth Love the greatest Commandment so Solomon calleth Obedience the end of all as though without obedience all were to no end Eccles. 12. 13. When God created the Trees in Paradice Gen. 1. hee commanded them to bring forth fruit So when he createth a lively faith in any one he commandeth it to bring forth Works And when our Saviour would prove himself to John to be the true Messias indeed he said to his Disciples Tell John what what things you have heard and seen not only heard but seen Matth. 11. 4. So if we will prove our selves to be Christs Disciples indeed we must do that which may be seen as wel as heard Iohn was not onely called the Voyce of a Cryer but a Burning Lamp which might be seen James doth not say Let me hear thy Faith but let me see thy Faith As the Angels put on the shape of men that Abraham
the truth and the life John 14. 6. The resurrection and the life John 11. 25. Or more particularly thus In the first place He gave us our selves and all the creatures to be our servants yea he created us after his own Image in righteousnesse and holinesse and in perfect knowledge of the truth with a power to stand and for ever to continue in a most blessed and happy condition and this deserves all possible thankfulnesse But this was nothing in comparison For when we were in a sad condition when we had forfeited all this and our selves when by sinne we had turned that Image of God into the Image of Satan and wilfully plunged our souls and bodies into eternal torments when we were become his enemies mortally hating him and to our utmost fighting against him and taking part with his only enemies Sin and Satan not having the least thought or desire of reconcilement but a perverse and obstinate will to resist all means tending thereunto He did redeem us not only without asking but even against our wils so making of us his cursed enemies servants of servants sons of sons heirs and coheirs with Christ Gal 4. 7. Here was a fathomlesse depth a wonder beyond all wonders 2. But that we may the better consider what an alms or boon God gave us when he gave us his Son Observe that when neither Heaven Earth nor Hell could have yielded any satisfactory thing besides Christ that could have satisfied Gods justice and merited Heaven for us then O then God in his infinite wisdom and goodnesse did not only find out a way to satisfie his Justice and the Law but gave us his Sonne his only begotten Son his only beloved Son out of his bosome And his Son gave himself to die even the most shamefull painfull and cursed death of the Crosse to redeem us that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3. 16. The very thought of which death before he come to it together with the weight and burthen of our sinnes put him into such an Agony in the Garden that it made him to sweat even drops of blood A mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sonnes of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Wherefore O wonder at this you that wonder at nothing That the Lord should come with such a price to redeem our worse than lost souls and to bring salvation to us even against our wils The Lord Jesus Christ being rich for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich 2 Cor. 8. 9. Even the eternal God would die that we might not die eternally O the deepnesse of Gods love O the unmeasurable measure of his bounty O Son of God! who can sufficiently expresse thy love Or commend thy pity Or extol thy praise It was a wonder that thou madest us for thy self more that thou madest thy self man for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy self that thou shouldest die to save us 3. And which is further considerable It cost God more to redeem the world than to make it In the Creation he gave thee thy self but in the Redemption he gave thee himself The Creation of all things cost him but six daies to finish it the Redemption of man cost him three and thirty years In the Creation of the world he did but only speak the word in the Redemption of man he both spake and wept and sweat and bled and died and did many wonderfull things to do it Yea the saving of one soul single is more and greater than the making of the whole world In every new creature are a number of Miracles a blinde man is restored to sight a deaf man to hearing a man possest with many Devils dis-possest yea a dead man raised from the dead and in every one a stone turned into flesh in all which God meers with nothing but opposition which in the Creation he met not with What shall I say God of his goodnesse hath bestowed so many and so great mercies upon us that it is not possible to expresse his bounty therein for if we look inward we find our Creators mercies if we look upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens if downwards the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we look about us what is it that he hath not given us Air to breathe in fire to warm us water to cool and cleanse us cloathes to cover us food to nourish us fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angels to attend us Heaven to receive us And which is above all Himself and his own Son to be injoyed of us So that whethersoever we turn our eyes we cannot look besides his bounty yea we can scarce think of any thing more to pray for but that he would continue those blessings which he hath bestowed on us already Yet we covet still as though we had nothing and live as if we knew nothing of all this his beneficence God might have said before we were formed Let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggars Cripples Bond-slaves Idiots or Mad men so long as they live and after that Castawayes for ever and ever But he hath made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and only Inheritance even to remain in blisse with him for ever yea thousands would think themselves happy if they had but a piece of our happinesse For whereas some bleed we sleep in safety others beg we abound others starve we are full fed others grope in the dark our Sun still shines we have eyes ears tongue feet hands health liberty reson others are blind deaf dumb are sick mained imprisoned distracted and the like yea God hath removed so many evils from us and conferred so many good things upon us that they are beyond thought or imagination For all those millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall to eternity of which we could not well want any one Christ hath purchased of his Father for us and yet God the Father also hath of his free grace and mercy given us in giving us his Son for which read Psal. 68. 19. 145 15 16. 75 6 7 Yea God is many times working our good when we least think upon him as he was creating Adam an help meet for him when he was fast asleep And as much do we owe unto God for the dangers from which he delivereth us as for the great wealth and dignities whereunto he hath alwaies raised us CHAP. XV. But the better to illustrate and set out this Love it will be good to branch it out into some more Particulars As First Call to mind all these external inferiour earthly and temporal
benefits as that your being breathing life motion reason is from God That he hath given you a more noble nature than the rest of the creatures excellent faculties of mind perfection of senses soundnesse of body competency of estate seemlyness of condition fitnesse of calling preservation from dangers rescue out of miseries kindnesse of friends carefulnesse of education honesty of reputation liberty of recreations quietnesse of life opportunity of well-doing protection of Angels Then rise higher to his Spiritual favours though here on earth and strive to raise your affections with your thoughts Blesse God that you were born in the light of the Gospel for your profession of the truth for the honour of your vocation for your incorporating into the Church for the priviledge of the Sacraments the free use of the Scriptures the Communion of Saints the benifit of their prayers the aid of their counsels the pleasure of their conversation for the beginnings of Regeneration 〈◊〉 foot-steps of Faith Hope Love Zeal Patience Peace Joy conscionablenesse for any desire of more Then let your soul mount highest of all into her Heaven and acknowledge those Celestial Graces of her Election to Glory Redemption from Shame Death and Hell of the Intercession of her Saviour of the Preparation of her Place And there let her stay a while upon the meditation of her future Joyes This or the like do and it will teach you where to beg blessings when you want them and whom to thank when you have them For as the Sea is that great Cistern to recieve the confluence of all waters as first from that large and vast pond water is derived into all parts of the earth by veines and springs those springs 〈◊〉 into rivers and those rivers empty themselves again into the Sea so all blessings come from God and all praises must be returned to him If we have any thing that is good God is the giver of it If we do any thing well he is the Authour of it God is Alpha the fountain from which all grace springs and Omega the sea to which all glory runnes All blessings come from him like so many lines from the center to the circumference therefore we must return all praises to him like so many lines from the circumference to the center Rom. 11. 36. 1 Cor. 10. 31. His wisdom he communicates and his justice he distributes and his holinesse he imparts and his mercy he bestowes c. 1 Cor 1. 30 31. but his glory he will not give to another Isai. 42. 8. But this is not all yea what can we think of that can be thought sufficient to render unto the Lord our God so good and gracious in way of thankfulnesse for all these his mercies For in reason hath he contrived so many waies to save us and should not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requireth of us though it were our lives yea our souls much more our lusts We have exceeding hard hearts if the blood of the Lamb cannot soften them stony bowels if so many mercies cannot melt them Was Christ crucified for our sins and should we by our sins crucifie him again Now the meditation of what God and Christ hath done for thee will wonderfully inflame thee with the love of God and thy Redeemer and withall make thee abhor thy self for thy former unthankfulnesse It will make thee break out into some such expression as this Praised be the Lord even the God of our salvation who loadeth us daily with benefits Selah Psal. 68. 19. The eyes of all wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season thou openest thine hand and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure Psal. 145. 15 16. To come to promotion is neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but God is the Judge he maketh low and he maketh high Psal. 75. 6 7. And so of all other mercies and deliverances He that confers a Benefit upon a gratefull nature robs him of his liberty and self also and in one and the same act makes him a vassal and himself his Master Wherefore if we have any ingenuity in us it will make us to direct all our thoughts speeches and actions to his glory as he hath directed our eternal salvation thereunto But to help and further you herein if you be willing so to do take these few Directions First Let these things be never out of the minds memories and mouthes of those whom Christ hath done thus for O let us I say remember as we should never forget Si totum me debeo pro me◠facto quid jam reddam pro me refecto saith holy Bernard If I owed my whole self unto thee for giving me my self in my creation what have I left to pay for giving thy self for me to so cruel a death to procure my Redemption which was not so cheap as my Creation Great was the benifit that thou wouldst create me of nothing but what tongue can sufficiently expresse the greatnesse of this grace that thou didst redeem me with so dear a price when I was worse than nothing We are full of thy goodnesse O let our hearts run over with thankfulnesse Yea let so many of us as have either heart or brain in the next place say O Lord What is man that thou art so mindfull of him Psal. 8. 4. And O man what is God that thou art so unmindfull of him And then conclude with What shall I render unto thee O Lord for all these thy benefits but love thee my Creatour and Redeemer and become a new creature I will serve thee O Lord by the assistance of thy grace because thou hast given me my self but much more honour thee because thou hast given me thy Son Christ. Nor can any man in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerably thankfull demeanure If a friend had given us but a thousand part of what God hath we should heartily love him all our lives and think no thanks sufficient but to him that hath given me all things I have scarce given so much as thanks Yea I have striven to multiply offences against him and to make them as infinite in number as his blessings Thirdly The continual meditation of What God hath done for thee will make thee do what thou art able for him again For did God and Christ do all this for us and shall we do nothing for him again Like favours require like gratitude This then should at least make us part with our nearest dearest and sweetest darling sins to serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse every day every hour all the daies of our lives Even every sin for what sin should be so dear to us as Gods only Son was to him Do we then for Gods sake not spare our dearest sin when God for our sakes did not
be clean unto you ver 41. It s not spoken without a behold But CHAP. XXV Sixthly the mercifull man shall be no less blessed in his name and credit he shall be had in honour and reputation according to that Prov. 14. He that oppresseth the poore reproacheth him that made him but he honoureth him that hath mercy upon the poore ver 31. And to this accords that of the Psalmist he hath dispersed he hath given to the poore his righteousness endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour Psalm 112. 9. And so Proverbs 10. His memoriall shall be blessed Verse 7. And of this I might give you sundry examples and pregâ—â—â—t As Rachab Gaius Job The Centurian Boas Cornelius and Mery as how did our Saviour value and honour Maries bounty though so slighted by him that was a thief and carried the bag into which he would have had it come when he commanded it should be spoken of to her honour wherefoever the Gospell should be preached throughout all the world Matth. 26. 13 But experience sufficiently proves that a liberal and bountiful man shall have all love and respect with men all good repute and report both living and dead Nor is this so light a blessing as many deeme it for what sayes the wise man The memoriall of the just shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10. 7. Tea a good name is better then a sweet oyntment and to be chosen before great riches Prov. 22. 1. yea then life it self Briefly for conclusion of this point let this be the use when the poore at your gates ask their daily bread they highly honour you yea after a sort they make you Gods therefore by your bounty liberality shew your selves at least to be Christians to be men Secondly such as have by this divine vertue obtained a good report let it provoke them as much to excell others in doing good as they do excell them in hearing thereof For I hold this a sure rule He is of a bad nature to whom good report and commendations are no spur to vertue but he is of a worse disposition to whom evil report and blame is no bridle and retentive from vice which made Tully so wonder at the strange perverseness of Antony whom neither praise could allure to do well nor yet fear of infamy and reproach deter from committing evil But CHAP. XXVI Seaventhly the spiritual blessings and benefits which accompany these works of mercy and thereby accrew to the soul even in this life 's as they are inestimable so they are innumerable lie nominate so many as may satisfie and not cloy First it is the onely meanes to have the soul prosper kept safe and preserved Psal. 36. Preserve my soul saith David for I am mercifull Verse 2. The liberall soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall also be watred himself Prov. 11. 25. The mercifull man doth good to his own soul Verse 17. Secondly it is rewarded with illumination and conversion The two Disciples that went to Emaus were rewarded with illumination for entertaining our Saviour as a stranger Luke 24. 45. Whence St. Austin observes that by the duty of Hospitality we come to the knowledge of Christ. Loe saith St. Gregory the Lord was not known while he spake and he vouchsafes to be known while he is fed And then St. Alboâ—e the first Martyre that ever in England suffered death for the name of Christ was converted from Paganism to Christienity by a certain Clark whom he had received into his house fleeing from the persecutors hands Thirdly works of mercy are infallible signes of a lively faith whereby we may prove it to our selves and approve it unto men Jam. 2. 18. which fruits if our faith beare not it is dead not a living body but a carcass that breatheth not verse 26. They are signes of a lively faith for no man easily parteth wirh his worldly goods to these uses unless by faith he be assured that he shall have in lieu of them heavenliy and everlasting treasures The merciful man is ever a faithfull man Fourthly it testifies our unfeigned repentance whereof it is that Daniel saith to Meâ—usbaâ—nezer Wherefore O King break off thy sins by repentance and thine iniquities by shewing mercy unto the poore Dan. 4 27. The which Zacheâ—s practised Luke 19. For no sooner was he converted unto God but to testifie his unfeigned repentance he giveth half his goods unto the poore Verse 8. Fifthly giving much is an infallible signe that many sins are forgiven us as our Saviour speaketh of the woman Luke 7. 47. Sixthly by it we may know our selves to be the children of God 1 John 3. 14. Yea and others may also know it John 13. 34 35. And hereby we know the unmercifull to be none of Gods children for the Father of Mercies hath no children but the mercifull Seventhly it is said that Obadia feared God greatly for when Iesabel destroied the Prophets of the Lord he took an hundred Prophets and bid them by fifty in a cave and he fed them with bread and water 1 Kings 28. 3. 4. Therefore it is a sure signe of the fear of God Eightly they are undoubted fignes of our love towards God When as we so love the poore for his sake as that we be content to spare somewhat even from our own backs and bellies that we may the more liberally communicate unto their necessities But this a wicked man will never do the onely loves the Lord 〈◊〉 Laban did Jâ—câ—b onely to 〈◊〉 riches by him Or as Soul loved Samuel to gain honour by him True they will say they love God and perhaps think so too but let them say what they will if unmercifull I will never believe against Scripture that they love God whom they have not seen that love not their brother whom they have seen if we love him we will love one another 1 John 4 20 11. If any man saies the Apostle have these worlds goods and seeth his Brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him 1 John 3. 17. And us they are manifest signes of our love to God so also of our love towards our Neighbours when as we carry our selves in all Christian bounty towards them as unto Children of the same Father and members of the same body suffering with them in their wants through compassion and sellow-feeling and rejoycing with them in their fulness and prosperity Hereby we know that we love the brethren because our hearts and hands are open to them for love is bountifull For otherwise it is but an unprofitable counterfeit and hypocriticall love to make shew of kindness and compassion in word and to perform nothing in deed as Saint James plainly affirmeth James 2 15. But that this alone is the best touchstone to shew the sincerity and truth of our love many places demonstrate as 2 Cor.
make it our daily exercise benefacta benefactis partegentes as one saith making one good deed an introduction unto another and never leaving to do good so long as there is any power in our hands to do it And unto this the Apostle exhorreth 2 Thess. 3. 13. Brethren be not weary of well doing And 1 Thess. 5. 15. Ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men And in this we shall imitate our heauenly Father and approve our selves to 〈◊〉 his children who reneweth his mercies unto us every morning and â—â—â—â—iplyeth his blessings upon us every day with a now supply and so we shall be sure to receive a rich reward For it we be stedfast and 〈◊〉 alwayes abounding in these good works of the Lord we may be assured that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord as it is promised 1 Cor. 15. 58. Many other places there are that require us to give constantly to seven and also to eight as Solomon phraseth it even so often as the necessities of the Saints require For thâ—â—s the Apostle saith 〈…〉 is the necessities of the Saints He doth not say distribute but distributing using the participle which noteth a continued act of 〈…〉 saith St. Paul of the Philippians 〈◊〉 sentence and again to my necessity A Well-head or a Spring ruâ—â— with a constant streame and will not be dry so should mercifull deeds flow from us The liberall Man ill devise of liberall things and continue his liberality Isa. 32. 8. And such in one was Boaz of whom Naomi could say out of 〈◊〉 common 〈◊〉 Blessed be he of he Lord for he ceaseth not to do good to the living to the dead Roth. 2. 20. Again we most increase in doing good our care Must be as to grow in grace so to bring forth new 〈◊〉 of good works imitating herein the Church of Thyatirâ— whose last works excelled the first Rev. 2. 19. Seeing we cannot otherwise be sure to be constant in them For they who go not forward but stand at a stay will not long stay in their standing And in this the beneficence of a godly man differeth from that which is in worldlings who do some good works of mercy by fits but are not constant in well doing and also in that which is in Hypocrites who do some good deeds for praise or profit but yet desist when their turne is served The flame of their charity lasting no longer than the fuell doth wherewith it is nourished but these have onely a green blade of an outward profession and never come to the bearing of ripe 〈◊〉 They run well for a time but get not the garland because they do not hold out to the end of the race They are not true Christians but onely dead images of Christianity like that which 〈◊〉 saw in a Dreame which had an head of gold the middle parts of filâ—er his thighes of brasse his legs of iron and his feet part of iron and part of clay for so the head and first beginnings of their workes are golden and glorious but the last and latter ends base and of no worth Thus we ought not onely to performe this duty presently and constantly but we should increase in the doing of it CHAP. XXXIX But alass the rich worldling takes a quite contrary course for either he never does any good at all or if he do it is at his death The miserly Muckworms manner is never to be liberall till he dies never to forsake or leave his goods untill his goods leave and forsake him Being like the Muckhill that never does good till carried out or the fat hog that is good for nothing till he comes to the kâ—â—â—â— or the poor mans boxe that yeelds no money till broken up Like a tree that lets fall none of his fruit till he be forc'd by death or violently shaken by sicknesse And then perhaps he may thinke upon the poore and part with something to relieve them As sometimes after he hath in stead of feeding the bellies of the poor ground their faces by usury extorting wracking inclosing and halfe â—â—doing whole Villages he liberally relieves some sew at his death and befriends them with the plaisters of his bounty which is no other them to steale a Goose and sticke down a feather rob a thousand to relieve ten Or rather as the Jewes bought a burying place for strangers with the blood of Christ so he builde an Almes-house or Hospitall for the Children with their Fathers bones Nor is that out of conscience or love to the poore but rather he thinkes by this and a piece of Marble to raise his name and revive his credit which he had long since lost though it no whit avails him with men of judgement Again he thinkes that a little almes will make amends for a great deal of injustice But this pleaseth God like the offering of Cain or as that of Nadab and Abihiâ— when they offered strâ—â—ge five unto the Lord Levit. 10. For certainly as the Lord would not in the lâ—â— receive 〈◊〉 an offering the price of a dog or the hire of a whore so it is no going about to corrupt God with presents and call him to take part of the spoyle which he hath gotten by fraudulent meanes and extortion No he that offereth to the Lord of the goods of the poor is as he that sacrificeth the sonne in the sight of the Father Eccl. 3. 4. Yea even Plato an Heathen could say Neither the gods nor honest men will accept the offerings of a wicked man Nay a generous Roman would scorne to have his life given him by such a sordid 〈◊〉 gâ—t As when Syâ—â—a the Dictator had condemned to death all the Iahab 〈◊〉 of Peronza pardoning none but his Host he would needs dye also flying he scorned to hold his life of the murtherer of his Countrey as Appian relates And for my part I had rather endure some extremity then to be beholding to the almes of Avarice He that overvalues what he gives never thinks he hath thanks enough and I had better shift hardly then owe to an insatiable creditor Now herein is the difference between grace and corrupt nature the Christian exerciseth himselfe in the works of mercy in the whole course of his life and giveth his goods to the poor while he might enjoy them himself but the wordling is only liberal at the approach of death and then alone he is content to employ them this way when as he seeth he can keep them no longer And that not out of love towards God or the poor but out of feare of approaching judgement and that dreadfull account which he must presently make before a just and terrible Judge Or out of self-love either that he may gaine the vain-glory of the world or that he may satisfie for his sins and to escape eternall condemnation In which respect he giveth to the poor and casts his bread upon the face of
might see them so Faith must put on Works that the World may see it The works which I do says Christ bear witness of me And he alwayes linketh Faith and Repentance together Repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1. 15. Therefore that which Christ hath joined let no man separate Mark 10. 9. I know the Antinomians preach another Gospel but this is the old Orthodox common received truth They that in life wil yeild no obedience to the Law shall in death have no benefit by the Gospel And though the Law have no power to condemn us yet it hath power to command us Lex datur ut gratia quaereretur Evangelium ut Lex impleretur The Law sends us to Christ to be saved and Christ sends us back again to the law to learn obedience The former is plain The Law is our School-Master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith Gal. 3. 24. The other is as manifest If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments Matth. 19. 17. Let our Faith then be seen by our faithfulness and our Love by our Charity and think not to partake of what God hath promised but by doing in some measure what he hath commanded To conclude in a word God's servants are known by humility and charity the Devil 's by pride and cruelty Our Persons are justified by our Faith our Faith is justified by our Charity our Charity by Humility and the actions of a Godly Life And so much of the fourth Use. CHAP. LV. FIfthly if we be but Stewards of what we have and that our superstuities really the Poors due then let none object when told of their unmercifulness What I have is mine own Or May I not do as I list with mine own for it is neither their own nor at their own disposing their wealth is their Makers and they must do with it as he in his Word injoins them Nor does this argument alwayshold goodin civil matters 'T is a rule in Law No man may use his own right to the Common-wealths wrong or damage The Law provides that a man shall not burn his own corn nor his own house That he shall not drown his own Land nay a man may not bind himself from marriage or the manuring or tillage of his own Land because it is against the good of the Common-wealth Wherefore flatter thy self no longer but lookto it thou hast not two souls that thou mightst hazard one of them Lose not thy soul to save thy purse but shew mercy if ever thou lookest to find any And hear the poor if ever thou wilt have God to hear thee For he hath said it that will one day Audit the poor man's complaints and thy Stewardships account that no sin but unkindness to thy Saviour in his suffering members shall bee cast into thy dish to the feeding of the never dying worm of conscience Sixthly art thou but a Steward put in trust and art thou to give an account unto God how thou hast husbanded thy Master's Goods and wil this be the bill of particulars thou hast to give up Item so much spent in pride so much in lust so much spent upon revenge so much upon dice drunk enness drabs and the like great sums all laid out upon thy self in the pursuance of thy lust But when it comes to a work of mercy as What have you done for God What for Christ What for the members of Christ What for the advancement of Religion or any pious work or service Item nothing or as good as nothing Or thus Item received strength and laid out oppression Item received riches and laid out covetousness received health and laid out riot and drunkenness Item received speech and laid out swearing cursing lying received sight and laid out lusting or perhaps Item so many score pounds laid out in malice and suits of Law so many hundreds in lusts and vanities in feasting and foppery So many thousands in building great houses Item to the Poor in my Will to be paid at my death forty shillings to the Preacher for a funeral Oration to commend me ten or twenty shillings Item to beggars when they came to my door or when I walked abroad a few scraps that I knew not what else to do with and sometimes a few Farthings Item so much spent in excess and superfluitie and so little in performing the works of mercy so much laid out upon worldly vanities sinful pleasures and so little for good uses especially for relieving Christ's poore members Will this Bill pass current when God comes to cast it up When thou hast laid out all for thy self either in Apparel or in Feasting Drinking c. for thy self self-credit self-delight and content even amounting to scores hundreds thousands while for pious and charitable uses there comes in here and there onely two-pences three-pences such poor short reckonings not worthy to be summed up Oh miserable man how wilt thou answer this before the Great just and Terrible Judge of all the World And how wilt thou fare If these accounts bee not mended in this life thou wilt never have thy Quietus est in the life to come Methinks I could pity these men whom the World so adores even with teares of blood when I seriously consider their latter ends CHAP. LVI BUt seventhly there is another sort worse then these viz. Such as are not only strangers unto mercy but are opposites enemies to it walking in a quite contrary way These do not feed the poor but they flay them they do not clothe them but they strip them they make not any provision for them but cast how utterly to ruine and undo them instead of healing them they wound them instead of relieving they rob and oppress them and instead of being to them any ease and comfort they lay upon them heavy burthens and pressures These Hammons hanging is too good for them for if all those shall be bid Depart ye cursed that have not given to Christ's poor members What wil become of thee that hast taken away from them that hast beaten the poor to pieces and ground their faces that hast not onely eaten up the Vineyard but keepest the spoil of the poor in thine house as the Prophet Isaiah complains Isa. 3. 14 15. If the Levite bee so severely sensured for not helping the distressed man Luk. 10. 30. c. What wil be thy portion and punishment that hast rob'd him and hast dealt with him as the cunning Fowler deals with the poore birds who sets his limed ears of Corn to catch them in an hard Frost or great Snow when they be ready to starve Dives did but deny to give his own thou hast taken away other mens Now if he saith Austin be tormented in endless flames that gives not his own goods to them that need that gives not meat to the hungry clothes to the naked that takes not the stranger into his house that visits not his brethren
folly is it saith Chrysostom there to leave thy Wealth whence thou art a departing and not to send it before thee whither thou art going To leave lose thy riches in thy Inn the place of thy Pilgrimage and not to transport it into thine own Country and Mansionâ—house where thou art ever to reside let thy Goods bee where thy Countrey is Let us imitate herein wise Travellers who being in a strange and dangerous Countrey will not carry their Riches and Treasures about them because they be then in danger by thieves and enemies to be spoiled of them hazarding also therewith the loss of their lives but deliver them rather to the Agents and Factors of sufficient Merchants dwelling in their own Countrey that so taking from them Bills of Exchange they may receive them at their coming home The best means of transporting them thither is to put thy money into the Lords Treasury to deliver it unto the poor who like trusty Porters will carry it for us whereas if we carry it our selves it will like heavy burthens hinder our journey like the Camels Bunch keepe us from entering into the straight Gate whereas if the poor whom God hath appointed for this service carry it for us we shall avoid the trouble and escape this danger Our Wealth can never do us so much good as when it helps us in our way to Heaven where there is no use of such transitory things for there the valuation of Gold ceaseth Riches are of no use there and in Hell it was a drop of water that the Churl wished for not a Bag of Gold nor a Lordship of many Acres he had too large an Inheritance of them before Wherefore ye rich men yea all men to the utmost of your ability do that good before death which may do you good after death as Austin speaks put a good part of your Goods even as much as you can wel spare from your own use and for the well furnishing of your Journey into the hands of the poor whom Christ hath appointed as his Agents and Factors and so it shall most surely be repaid with infinite encrease here if we need it however having finished our Pilgrimage and safely arrived at our heavenly home when Death hath spoiled us of all the rest we shall most richly be provided And this is the right course to make us friends of the unrighteous Mammon unto which our Saviour perswadeth us Luke 16. 9. This is to play the wise Stewards that when by Death we are thrust out of our Stewardship we having discreetly laid out our Master's Goods may be joyfully received into those everlasting Habitations Nor will it so much grieve a good man at the upshot of all that he hath been a poor Treasurer as joy him that he hath been a good Steward Yea it will be the sweetest and joyfullest saying that ever our ears did hear when Christ shall say to us as you heard before Come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom c. This will far more rejoice thy soul then it does now refresh the others body Again Is there any place so safe as Heaven where no thief comes where no Plunderer comes where no rust comes Is there any place like that Or can you put it into a better and safer hand then into the hands of God himself If then you wil lay it where you may be sure to have it forth-coming put it into Gods hand â—ay it up in Heaven But if thou wilt not or if contrariwise thy onely care is to hoard up Riches upon the earth this does plainly shew that this World is thy native home and Countrey and that thou hast no right or inheritance in the Heavenly Canaan As how is Heaven our Countrey when as we will send none of our Wealth thither before us CHAP. LIX BUt many to save their purses will object that they are poor themselves and have nothing to spare them when they want relief And many of them speak more truly then they are aware for though they abound with earthly Riches yet are they bare and beggarly in respect of the chief riches and spiritual Treasure though they are rich in goods yet are they poor in Grace poor in Love towards God and their Neighbours poor in Faith and Obedience and poor in Pity Mercy and Compassion towards their Brethren which makes them so niggardly and close handed that they wil part with nothing for their relief They have not for the poor a few scraps to preserve them from perishing with hunger but they have enough for themselves to pamper their bellies and with the Rich Glutton to fare deliciously every day They have enough to entertain their rich friends with superfluous pomp and plenty and they they will not leave to their own appetite but press them with their importunity to eat still more when already they have eaten enough and too much but to the poore they will not allow some poor pittence to keep them from famishing They who make no spare of their most costly Wines but swallow them down themselves with great excess and provoke yea even compel others to drink of them unto drunkenness will not give a little small drink to the poor members of Jesus Christ to quench their thirst they have not for the poor some worn and cast Apparel to cover their nakedness and keep their bodies from the injuries of Wind and Weather but they have enough not onely for their own use but also for pride and ostentation their Chests full thrust with rich Clothing and their Wardrobes thorowly furnished with gorgeous Garments which serve for little other use then to keepe those from sloath and idleness that keep them from moulding and Moth-eating And whereas they have no course Clothes to cover naked Christ they have costly Ornaments of Arras and Tapastry for their walls Finally They have not a few pence to spare for the relieving of naked and hungry Christ be hee in never so extream necessity but they have many shillings and pounds to spend wastfully and riotously upon Dicing and Gaming vain Sights and obscene Stage-playes and so upon all other sinful pleasures and worldly delights which their carnal appetites can any way desire But what a fearful reckoning have these men to make at the day of Judgement when they give in their accounts unto God And with what indignation will Christ look upon them who have thus meanly and basely regarded him Then they wil have the wit or cause to wish that they had not thus occasioned Christ to deal with them as they have dealt with him and his But there is no perswading them to believe that are ordained to perish But say thou hast but a small pittance of this Worldâ—s goods and not such plenty or superfluity as is before spoken of yet oughtest thou out of that little thou hast to spare somewhat to relieve those that are in extream necessity either by selling what thou