Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	faith_n	true_a	truth_n	4,594	5	5.5207	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41657	The surest & safest way of thriving, or, A conviction of that grand mistake in many, that what is given to the poor, is a loss to their estate : which is so directly contrary as to the experiences of the charitable : so to the testimony of God's spirit in divers places of Scripture ... by Thomas Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing G1377; ESTC R14065	59,429	70

that is when ye depart out of this world they may receive you into everlasting habitations This particle THEY some refer being relieved call upon God to recompense their benefactors but most refer it to the Riches which they bestow upon the poor which by vertue of the evidence that they give of the faith and charity of the giver are said to receive them into everlasting habitations Surely rich men have a price in their hands wherewith to purchase to themselves a good inheritance had they but hearts to make use of it Though charity pretend not to any merit ex congruo or condigno yet will it be plentifully recompensed by God both here and hereafter I hope you will pardon my zeal in pressing this duty of charity so much upon you I do assure you it is not out of any design to take any thing from your selves and children but only to shew you the surest and safest way of thriving in the world and how you may entail Gods blessing upon your children and so secure unto them the portion which you leave them I am willing to do you a kindness and I shall do you a great kindness If I can but effectually perswade you to this duty Whatever kindness I may herein do to those who need I shall do a greater kindness to you that will be perswaded to help them in their need in as much as it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive And therfore bear with me if I do not only offer you a kindness but use such importunity to press you to accept it The Apostle knowing how backward rich men especially were to all works of charity adviseth Timothy 1 Tim. 6. 17. not only to commend unto them the duty but to command it The expression of the Apostle is very observable He doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declare unto them but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charge them that are rich in this world as they love their lives and would save their souls To be rich in good works As one wittily glosseth upon those words of the Apostle If God should charge the Rocks they would send forth water If the Stones they would become bread If the Ravens they would feed Elijah If the Quails they would victual the Camp If the Clouds they would rain down food from heaven upon his poor people will you then be more rocky than rocks more stony then stones more ravenous than ravens more senseless than birds more empty than clouds If you be rich in this worlds goods and be not rich in good works talke not of your faith for there can be no true faith without good-works Jam. 2. 17. Neither tell me of your religion for there can be no true religion in you so long as you make no conscience of this duty Pure religion saith the Apostle Iames chap. 1. 27. is this To visit the Fatherless and widdows in their afflictions and you never learned other Religion of us The Lord indeed giveth us leave to eat and to drink and to chear up our hearts by partaking in some measure of that portion he hath bestowed on us but he never allowed us to keep all unto our selves or to spend it in the gratifying our sinfull lusts but commands us to set apart some portion of our estate for the relief of those for whom nothing is provided Pro. 3. 9. Saith the wise-man Honour the Lord with thy substance He doth not say Honour thy self with thy riches but honour the Lord with them as they come from his grace so they should be used to his glory Now then we use our riches to Gods glory when in obedience to his command we therewith supply the want of his children who will thereby be stirred up to bless and praise the name of God for his Fatherly care and providence over them Shall I yet again need to tell thee that thy liberality to the poor cannot bring any loss to thine estate seeing The more thou givest the more thou shalt receive It is fabled of Midas that whatsoever he touched was turned into gold But it is no fable nor fancy That the hand of charity can do it can extract grace out of your goods righteousness out of riches and heaven out of earth The imparting of goods to such good uses whilest it seems to impaire doth mightily improve what you have to your most singular advantage The more liberal any man is the more likely he is to be a rich man the mercy of God will crown his beneficence with such a blessing of store that he shall find He will never be behind hand with him It s nothing which the poor receive from him in comparison of that blessing which he shall receive from the Lord. It may be thou dost not find thy store thereupon presently increased yet if thou diligently observest the passages of Gods providence towards thee thou wilt sooner or latter find thy self abundantly re-imbursed of all thy disbursments I told you before that I am willing to do you a kindness and that it may be a kindness indeed I must farther tell you not only what you should do but How you must do it that you may not loose your reward And if you would make sure to be gainers by whatever you thus lay out observe the following DIRECTIONS I. Give your selves to the Lord and with your selves all that ever you have to be so laid out whether upon your selves or others as He doth appoint and require 2 Cor. 8. 2. The Apostle boasting of the Macedonian Christians and of the riches of their liberality tells us ver 5. That they first gave themselves to the Lord. He that will not give himself to the Lord is like to give but little else And if he should give all that he had and only withhold himself God will not accept nor reward it God will have nothing of thee if he may not have thy Heart Give your selves for Servants to the Lord to serve him with your Spirits first and then with all that you have Make over your selves to God in Christ to be his Covenant Servants thence-forth count and say of your selves as the Apostle teacheth you 1 Cor. 6. 20. I am not mine own but must henceforth glorifie God with my body and my spirit yea and with all that I have which are his He knowes not what he says that says I serve the Lord who hath not first given himself to him for a servant God will not be served by Aliens And he hath but lyed unto God who says I give my self unto the Lord for a servant and doth not actually serve him with all that he hath He that hath given himself to the Lord will withhold nothing from him that God will have He that will serve the Lord with his spirit will as readily serve him with all that he hath God that hath given us his Son how will he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 1. 32

charge the number of their children who must be cared for and thereupon have little to give to the poor Answ. 1. Hast thou many children thou oughtest the rather to be charitable that thereby thou mayest entail God's blessing upon them which is the best portion and surest inheritance thou canst leave them that will secure their stock and improve their store whereas unmercifulness to the poor will intail a curse instead of a blessing upon the persons and estates of thy children 2. Thou who objectest the number of thy children as a plea for thy parsimony how justly may God then lessen the number and so take away this excuse by taking thy children from thee 3. Suppose thou hast many children it may be half a score reckon God for one more give unto him a childs portion I mean bestow upon the poor for his sake as much every year as one child stands thee in give unto them a childs portion and I dare boldly say thou wilt not be the poorer but rather a great gainer For thereby wilt thou procure God's blessing upon thy self and children which in truth is all in all and without which all is like to come to nothing as wee see by daily experience which made St. Austin say Haeredi praestabis quicquid misericordiae causa de ejus portione detraxeris Aug. de Tempore Serm. 76. That which thou givest out of thine estate to charitable uses will be no loss to thy children but rather a great advantage Yea the Spirit of God in setting forth the happiness of a merciful man saith His children shall fare the better for his goodness and bounty as Psal. 37. 16. He is ever merciful and lendeth and his seed is blessed that is God will bless his children not only with spiritual but also with temporal blessings 2. Obj. Many Professors in these daies are very barren in good works Answ. Fruitless and uncharitable Christians may make a profession of Religion but questionless they are no sound Christians nor sincere Professors For most certain it is that the Elect of God do put on bowels of mercy and compassion as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3. 12. And therefore an uncharitable Christian is a meer contradiction For who is a Christian but he who conforms himself to the Law and Life of Christ The substance of whose Law is Charity and whose Life was spent in going about doing good some way or other to the soul and bodies of men and women Whosoever therefore having this worlds goods seeth his Brother in need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him and will not communicate any thing considerable towards his necessities let his profession be never so specious and glorious in the eyes of men yet certainly he is but a rotten Professor and dissembling Hypocrite in the sight of God In Matth. 25. 23. We find that liberality to the members of Christ is made the special touchstone of true Faith and Godliness For they are the charitable persons who at the great day of Judgment will appear to be the Sheep at Christs right hand and shall hear that joyful sentence of absolution Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in I was naked and ye cloathed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And on the other side all unmerciful men who have not relieved Christ in his members whatsoever profession of Religion they have made here in this world yet at the last day will appear to be the Goats set on Christs left hand and shall hear that dreadful sentence of condemnation Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sick and in prison and ye visited me not Hence it appeareth that as mercy and bounty to the poor members of Christ is a conspicuous evidence of true Faith and sincere godliness in a Christian and signally declare him pious so illiberality and unmercifulness to them is a clear mark of infidelity and ungodliness and signally declare him as an unbeliever so a wicked and prophane person Therefore I should much question the sincerity of their faith and piety who making a profession of Religion shew little or no charity to the poor members of Christ. For as the Apostle Iames speaketh c. 1. v. 21. Pure Religion and undefield before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherless and widdows in their affliction Implying that works of mercy and charity rightly performed are clear evidences of the truth of our Religion and of the sincerity of our Profession And if you look into the Scriptures you shall scarce read of a man truly godly but you may read also that he was merciful and charitable forward to every good work So much shall suffice for this Point of Doctrine A word or two for my Brethrens sake of the first Doctrine raised from the foregoing verse which is the principal Point there intended by our Saviour which was this 17. That all needfull succour and good entertainment ought to be afforded in special to the Ministers of the Gospel Our Saviour in commending objects to our Charity in the first place mentioneth Prophets and the Righteous ones saying He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's reward and then addeth He that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man c. Indeed so general must be the extent and emanation of our Charity that it must not exclude any who are in want and distress For though we may and ought to put a difference between men upon whom we bestow our Charity yet ought we not to restrain it from any men who are in want but must act the grace of Charity towards them who have not the grace of Faith Yea we ought to do good unto all as the Apostle exhorteth Gal. 6. 13. But especially unto them who are of the houshold of Faith And among them chiefly to the Ministers of Christ. So as this object of Charity Prophet is not here to be taken exclusively but by way of eminency and preferment Ministers are before and above others with more readiness and chearfulness to be ministred unto The people of Israel we read were commanded once and again not to leave nor forsake their Levites especially when they were reduced into any streights and exegencies as Deut. 12. 19. and 14. 27. Then much less should the Ministers of the Gospel be left and forsaken by the people of God when they lye under any want or distress The examples of God's people that have gone before us in the

none of His who hast no bowels God is a God of mercy His children are all merciful children Worldling wilt thou prove thy self to be no child of God wouldst thou prove that the faith thou hast is vain thy religion vain and that thou art but a pretender to the love of God and hast not the love of God within thee This unmercifulness of thine will put it out of question If thou hast no bowels of compassion the love of God is not in thee O get a compassionate and merciful heart Hast thou received Mercy and wilt thou not be merciful Dost thou hope for mercy and wilt thou not shew Mercy Put thy self into thy poor brother's case a while think how hard t is with him think of his hunger and nakedness of his pressing straits and miseries let thy soul go into his house and see his naked walls his cold chimney his empty cup-board his starveling children and then think again O how if it were thus with me Ah poor distressed creatures how are they pinch'd and pin'd whilst I have enough and abound O my bowels how can you but yern O mine heart how canst thou but bleed over such distressed ones Hast thou nothing to help them Ther 's enough in my house ther 's enough in my purse to yield them relief but is there no alms for them in my heart Can I have the heart to see them pine and perish and do nothing to h●lp them Where are ye O my bowels Where are my compassions O my soul help and send portions to them for whom nothing is provided 3. Out of a thankeful heart Remember what God hath done for thee Hast thou any sense or experience of his special love to thee in Christ What should that produce The sense of divine Goodness in a way of Common Providence calls for all due acknowledgment from us But a taste of his paternal love in pardoning our sins and justifying our persons and enstating us in eternal life and happiness upon the account of his Son's-suffering and dying for us this is as the strongest Motive to so the most commanding reason of our charity or beneficence to our fellow-creatures who stand in need of it In Christ the beams of Gods mercy are concentred as the beams of the Sun are in a burning-glass which falling upon our hearts they are or should be hereby inflamed and made to burn with greater heat of love and kindness to all in want especially to all who bear his image The right spring of Mercy to our neighbour is the sense of God's Mercy towards us IV. Let all your streams of love flow into the Ocean My meaning is Let all be done to the glory of God This must be your last end to which all must be directed as the Apostle charges 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether you eat or drink I may add or whether you give to eat or to drink or Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God Let this be chiefly in your eye and your heart that God may be glorified Other subordinate ends there are As the refreshing of the needy the adorning our holy profession the edification of others by our good example but all at last must end here that God may be glorified Take heed your end be not to glorifie your selves As worms breed in the fairest fruit so pride and vain-glory are apt to creep-up out of the best duties V. Let your works of charity be done in humility giving unto God the honour of them by acknowledging that as what you have bestowed on the poor you first received from him So it was his goodness to give you an heart to give any thing out of your abundance towards their relief Yea you ought to be ever jealous over your-selvs lest there hath been some hypocrisie and self-seeking in your works of charity acknowledging that you are so far from meriting heaven and Salvation by your good works that if God should deal with you according to the rigour of his justice he might cast you into hell for that pride and hypocrisie which cleaves to your best works VI. Let your workes of charity to men be accompanied with prayers and thanksgivings unto God Thank God that he hath put you amongst the givers and not amongst the receivers it being a more blessed thing to give then to receive that he hath put you among the givers and not the withholders that he hath given you an estate to give and an heart to give Thank God that he will accept a gift at your hands that He whose is all you have and to whom it is owing will count that a gift which is but the payment of so small a part of your debt say with David in 1 Chro. 29. 11 13. Thine O Lord is the greatness both riches and honour come from thee Now therefore Our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name But what am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee VII Give out proportionably to what God hath given unto you 1 Cor. 16. 2. The Apostle adviseth the Corinthians to give as God had pr●spered them Rich men therefore ought to be rich in good wor●s for God expecteth fruit answerable to the seed which he soweth Hath he abounded to you in this worlds goods you ought thereupon to be abundant in good works towards others your Pounds are expected where the Widdows mites are accepted Having given you some Directions for the manner of bestowing your Almes I shall briefly shew you the means how to attain to this grace of Christian Charity Now the means I shall prescribe shall be 1. Such as tend to the bringing your hearts to be willing to this Duty 2. Such as shall tend to the helping of you for the better managing of it First for means to bring your hearts to be willing to set upon this duty take These Oft call to mind and imprint in your memories the manifold precepts in the Scriptures requiring this Duty at your hands As also the many gracious promises God hath there made for the encouragement of his people thereunto and thereupon reason thus with thy self what Hath God commanded me Deut. 15. 10. to give unto my Brother according to his necessity to cast my bread upon the waters Eccl. 11. 1. And hath our blessed Saviour commanded me Luk. 6. 38. to give unto the poor And hath the Lord for my encouragement thereunto promised that he will bless me in all my works and in all that I put my hand unto prosper me in my Trade and Calling That my Barnes shall be filled with plenty That what we shall give or lend unto the poor he will pay us again with Interest That though I cast my bread upon the waters where it may seem to be lost yet I shall find it after many days it shall certainly be returned into