bene a strāger Benefactors are to be recompensed according to the kindnes which I haue shewed thee Then Abram said I will sweare And in this respect also is King Saul commended as hauing done that which was equall and right in fauouring the Kenites who were the posteritie of Iethro the father in law of Moses because more then three hundreth yeeres before Iethro had dealt mercifullie toward the Israelites at what time they came out of Egypt Go saith Saul to them when at Gods commandement he made expedition against the Amalekites vtterlie to destroie them with the sword depart and get ye downe from the Amalekites lest I destroie ye with them for ye shewed mercie to all the children of Israel When they came vp from Egipt Vpon which friendly watchword of the king the Kenites separated themselues from the Amalekites and were preserued This was one of those fewe good thinges which K. Saul did though in truth because of his false heart he neither did this nor any good thing else very well Let vs therefore from him proceede to the more worthy example of King Dauid a king of the Lords making not so much a successor of wicked Saule as the Ancestor predecessour of all the holy kings of Iuda and Israell who did not onely many good things but also by reason that God gaue him an vpright heart he did them singularly well And first of all let vs call to mind what he did in remembrance of the kindnes of Ionathan though Ionathan was then dead The storie is reported in the second booke of Samuel chap. 9.1 c. in this wise And Dauid said is there yet any man left of the house of Saule that I may shew him mercie for Ionathans sake Now as the holy Text saith there was of the houshold of Saule a seruant whose name was Ziba and when they had called him vnto Dauid for it appeareth that the king was earnest in the matter he said to him Art thou Ziba And he said I thy seruant am hee Then the King said remaineth there yet none of the house of Saul on whom I may shewe the mercie of God that is to vse a fewe wordes of interpretation the mercie which I stand bound to shew for my othes sake made to my faithfull friend Ionathan euen singular kindnesse and mercie such as God streightlie requireth and verie gratiously esteemeth according to that he saith specially concerning such causes as this is I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Ziba then answered the King Ionathan hath yet a sonne lame of his feete Then the King sayd vnto him where is he c. Who when he came to the King he said vnto him feare not for I will surelie shew thee kindnesse for Ionathan thy fathers sake and I will restore thee all the fieldes of Saul thy father and thou shalt eate bread at my table continually And as it followeth in the 10. verse of the chapter King Dauid gaue Ziba charge that he and his sonnes and seruantes whereof Ziba had to the number of fiue and thirtie that is fifteene sonnes and twenty seruants that they should till the land to the vse and profite of Mephibosheth his Master Saules sonne I haue set this downe the more at large because it conteineth an excellent patterne of the most kind and holy recompence and retribution which King Dauid made to the sonne of the father deceased Wherein let vs note and with the annotation let vs remember as occasion may require to imitate this so memorable and worthy example of a most godly King so farre as any of vs shal be able to approch neare vnto him in these foure vertues following First in the care of seeking out the occasion when it is not brought and presented vnto vs. Secondly in cheerefulnesse when the occasion is found out Thirdly in louing and courteous dealing with the partie who is to receiue the benefit Fourthly in the bounteous performance of the liberalitie intended Yea and let vs adde to these a fift vertue that this the constancie of King Dauids kindnesse whereof we haue a further testimonie in the 12. chap. of the same 2. booke of Samuel where he excepteth and preserueth Mephibosheth from that execution which was done vpon the sonnes of Saul at the request of the Gibeonites euen as God himselfe also would haue it for a reuenge of Saules crueltie against the Gibeonites contrarie to the othe which Ioshua and the people made to them for the securitie of their liues among them For King Dauid deliuering seuen of the sonnes of Saul to be executed by the Gibeonites in way of pacification it is written that he had compassion on Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne Saul because of the Lordes othe which was betweene them euen betweene Dauid and Ionathan the Sonne of Saul But which is yet more King Dauid was not onely mindfull to requite kindnesse in his life time but he is carefull also that kindnesse should not die with him And therefore 2. King 2.7 he on his death bed chargeth his sonne Salomon who was to succeed in his kingdome that he should shew kindnesse to the sonnes of Barzilla◠the Gileadite and that he should let them be among such as should eate bread at his table for saith King Dauid they came to me when I fled frō Absolom thy brother As though he should say to his sonne Salomon according to Salomons owne holy Prouerbe chap. 27.10 Thine owne friend and thy fathers friend see thou forsake not c. Now that Barzillai and his sonnes came thus to Dauid we may read it testified in the holy storie 2. Sam. 19.31 c. where also it is recorded how thankefull K. Dauid was to Berzillai himselfe and would presently haue requited the kindnesse of that dutie which of bounden dutie Barzillai was to performe vnto him Neuerthelesse because it was done in kindnesse and in time of neede king Dauid was readie to haue requited it by and by as it were into his bosome Come with me saith he to Barzillai and I will feede thee with me in Heirusalem The which his offer when Barzillai refused by reason of his age alleaging that he was vnfit to liue a courtiers life K. Dauid taketh with him his sonne Chimham and dismisseth Barzillai according to his owne liking and promiseth him all princely fauour and friendship that might stand him in any steed And yet not satisfying himselfe with all this he is carefull as was sayd before to prosecute the recompence euen after his death to Barzillai his children and posteritie Great therefore was the vertue of King Dauid in this noble poynt of retributorie kindnesse and beneficence And we will yet the rather say so if we shall consider that which is furthermore recorded of him how he had not onely this kind of regard toward all his friendes of the people of God as 1. Sam. chap. 30.26.27.28.29.30.31 but euen towardes strangers also yea euen to such as in common
things which we haue done but that we may receiue a full reward Neither is it a small vertue in the Giuer specially if he be bounteous to take in good part such poore tokens of thankfulnesse as their Alumni and foster children do at any time offer vnto them Finally thankfulnesse to God is a vertue belonging to him that is truly beneficial in so much as God hath not only made him able but which is a greater grace hath made him willing and carefull yea hath furnished him with many graces to the perfourmance of this most excellent dutie These vertues are diligently to be regarded of all Benefactors lest any should reioyce in a false and deceiueable liberality such as will affoord no sound comfort before the Lord. For as we reade in the holy Prouerb Many men will boast euery one of his owne goodnesse but who shall find a faithful man As though the wise king should say He is a rare man in comparison of the rest whosoeuer is a good man indeede Neuerthelesse to the end wee may see that God from time to time hath had his number who haue practised true beneficence and goodnesse it shall be to good purpose to gather together such examples whereby God in his holy Scriptures hath exemplified the same vnto vs that they might be patternes to all other of his good seruants to prouoke them to the imitation of them In the 18. chap. of Genesis ver 1.2 c. We haue Abraham a father of the faithfull commended vnto vs for one very notable example And chap. 19.1 c. We haue righteous Lot for another Of the which two the Apostle to the Hebrues chap. 13.2 saith that for a fruite and blessing of their hospitality they receiued Angels into their houses at vnawares in steede of men and by that reason moueth Christians that they would not be forgetful to lodge strangers Gen. chap. 20.14 15.16 Abimelech a heathen king sheweth great kindnesse to Abraham hee gaue him both seruants and cattell and siluer and libertie also to dwell to his best liking where he would in his countrey Gen. chap. 47.12 Ioseph whom God made a foster-father to many nations was also a nourisher of his owne father and brethren and his whole family in the land of Egypt in the time of the famine And Pharaoh himselfe though a heathen king gaue them a countrie to dwell in Exod. chap. 2.5.6.7.8.9 Pharaohs daughter likewise though a heathen woman taketh compassion of an Hebrue infant which was otherwise in great danger to haue perished and causeth it to bee honourably noursed and brought vp at her cost and charges And in the same chap. verses 20.21 Reuel the Prince of Midian giueth Moses though a stranger vnto him very friendly and kind entertainment whereupon also concerning further good liking he giueth the daughter of his sonne Iethro to wife vnvnto him yea though Moses was at time of no worldly wealth Exod. chap. 18. Moses for the same cause sheweth all kindnesse and good dutie to Iethro his father in law after that he was aduaunced to be the Gouernour of the people of God And Numb 10.29 Come with vs saith Moses and me will do thee good for the Lord hath promised good to Israel and vers 32. And if thou go with vs looke what good the Lord shall shew vnto vs the same will we shew vnto thee In the 19. chap. of the Iudges verses 16.17 an old man comming from his worke out of the field at euen giueth a man and a woman their seruant lodging other good entertainmēt who otherwise being benighted in a strange place should likely haue lyed abroad in the fields In the second chapter of the booke of Ruth verses 8.9 14.15.16.17 Boaz giueth leaue to Ruth a poore mayd and a stranger not only to gleane in his field next after the reapers whom he willed to leaue good gleanings for her but also he gaue her leaue to take her victuals dayly with his owne maydes among the reapers In the first book of Samuel chap. 22.3.4 Dauid maketh prouision for the comfortable entertainment and safety of his father and mother with the king of Moab yea he is mindfull and carefull to do it in the middest of his trouble when he had much ado to shift for himselfe and to escape with his owne life In 1. King chap. 18.3.4 Obadiah a chiefe officer in king Ahabs court in the time of famine when also Iezabel the Queen raged in cruell persecution against the seruants of God he tooke an hundreth of the Lords Prophets and fed them fifty in a caue In the the 4. chap. of the second booke of Kings verses 8.9.10 We reade how an honourable woman or certaine Lady of Shunem obseruing how Elisha the Lords prophet vsed to passe by her house she causeth him to come in to refresh himselfe yea and alloweth him a chamber to lodge in whensoeuer he should haue occasion to come that way And this she did because as she telleth her husband shee knew he was an holy man of God And chap. 6. verses 22.23 Elisha causeth the king of Israel not onely to abstaine from the reuenge of his enemies but also to giue them friendly entertaiment and to make them a princely feast In the first booke of Chronicles chap. 16.3 king Dauid at the bringing home of the Arke of the Lord to his city after that they had offered burnt offerings peace offerings before God and after that the king had blessed the people in the name of the Lord He dealt to euery one of Israel both man and woman to euerie one a cake of bread and a peece of flesh and a bottle of wine In the second booke of Chronicles chap. 5.6 at the placing of the same Arke of the Lord in the most holy place of the Temple vnder the wings of the Cherubines King Salomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled vnto him offered sheepe and bullockes which could not be told nor numbred for multitude And chap. 7.5 King Salomon offered a Sacrifice of two and twentie thousand bullockes and an hundreth and twenty thousand sheep so the King al the people dedicated the house of God And chap. 31. of the same booke verse 3.4.5 c. king Hezekiah both by his owne example and also by his royall authoritie he reuiueth the care for prouision of holy allowance due to the Priests and Leuites that they might be incouraged in the law of the Lord. In the first chap. of the booke of Ezra it is recorded that the Lord moued the heart of Cyrus king of Persia though a heathen king to deale bountifully for the restoring of the true worship of God in the citie of Ierusalem For to this end he giueth libertie to the people of God to returne out of their captiuitie he restoreth all the vessels of gold and siluer which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of Ierusalem and had put them in the house of his God
his soule when he was in that deepe distresse which the bitternesse of his sicknesse had brought vpon him as we read 2. King chap. 20.2.3 I beseech thee ô Lord saith that godly King remember nowe how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore Now what this goodnesse was the remembrance whereof was so comfortable to his conscience in the time of his distresse it appeareth at large in the 29. 30. and 31. chap. of the second booke of holy Chronicles and more briefly is the same comprised in the two last verses of the 31. ch after this maner And thus did Hezekiah through out all Iadah and he did well and vprightly truly before the Lord his God And in all the workes which he began for the seruice of the house of God both in the Law in the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts to seeke his God he did it with all his heart and prospered The like remembrance of beneficence to the Lords Prophetes gaue Obadiah a strong perswasion to plead with the Prophete Elijah that he would deale well with him not endanger his life to the wrath of his master king Ahab and Elijah dealeth with him accordingly as with one in the same respect worthy to be tendered for the Lords cause 1. King 18.13 c. Was it not told my Lord saith Obadiah what I did when Iezabel slew the Prophetes of the Lord how I hid a hundreth of the Lords Prophetes by fiftie in a caue and fed them with bread and water And now thou sayest go tell thy Lord behold Elijah is here that he may slay me For Obadiah feared lest Elijah would haue conueyed himselfe away and so king Ahab thinking himselfe mocked should be inraged against Obadiah Whereupon Elijah assureth him verse solemnly by oath that he would shewe himselfe to Ahab that day Yea further the practise of this kind of beneficence is so notable a fruite of faith that iustly doth it confirme the faith of others to expect mercie from God vpon them that exercise the same as we see how from the same incouragement the Apostle Paule prayed for Onesiphorus his most kind and constant benefactor The Lord giue mercie to the house of Onesiphorus saith Paule for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine But when he was at Rome he sought me vp diligently and found me The Lord grant vnto him that he my find mercie with the Lord at that day 2. Tim. 1.16.17.18 Now there is no doubt but the same Spirit which set Paule on worke to pray thus for Onesiphorus minded also to grant the same his request both for him his house The like is to be conceiued of his prayer for the Philippians vpon the same occasion he nothing doubting but that their contribution to his maintenance was an odour that smelleth sweet a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God chap. 4.17.18.19.20 But let vs come to open and confirme this point by a few more expresse and plaine examples such as God hath made by euident effect of his mercie vpon them famous spectacles of his bounty in respect of their kind and beneficiall dealing either toward his worship or any Ministers thereof for his sake yea though they haue not so hartily minded the same as they ought to haue done The widdow of Zarephath who gaue entertainment to the Prophet Elijah receiued this great blessing by the hand of the Lord by his meanes that the small quantitie of her oyle and meale did not diminish all the time that the dearth and scarcitie continued in Israel And beside that by meanes of the same Prophet she receiued againe he son from death to life 1. King 17.15 The honourable Shunamite also who gaue entertainment to the Prophet Elisha as was rehearsed before being barren at the prayer of Elisha God gaue her power to conceiue and afterward also at his prayer she receiued the same her sonne from death to life as the widdow of Zarephath had done by the prayer of Elijah 2. King chap. 4. vers 8. c. In the 39. chap. of Gen. we reade that the Lord blessed Potiphars house though a heatheÌ„ man for Iosephs sake eueÌ„ from the time that he preferred him to be the Gouernour of it And afterward he was also a blessing to Pharaoh and all his people by reason that he aduanced him to the chiefe honour of his kingdome next vnder himselfe For by that occasion God made Ioseph their foster-father in the seuen yeares of famine yea and the foster-father of his Church the familie of his owne father which also was Iosephs own blessing in so much as he was found faithfull to God therein Neither is there any doubt but the Lord shewed great mercie to Nebuchadnezzar because he fauoured and aduanced his holy Prophet Daniel and some other the verie faithfull seruants of God who were his captiues in Babel Publius also the chiefe man of the I le Melita of the which we read before he giuing the Apostle Paule and the Euangelist Luke curteous entertainmeÌ„t for three dayes through the goodnesse of God he receiued an Apostles reward For by Paule his father was healed of a grieuous feuer and of the bloudy fluxe yea diuers other of that place were healed of their diseases Act. 28.7 8 9. Seeing therefore the Lord blessed heathen men for their preferring of his seruants and Prophetes to honour therein they chiefly respected their owne pleasure contentment shal we not much rather assure our selues that whosoeuer among Christians shall for the loue and honour which they vnfeinedly beare to God and his pure religion deale honorably with his seruants the faithful Ministers of his word and Gospel shall much rather be blessed and prospered of him It is out of question that we may Do we not read that the Lord greatly blessed Obed Edom and all that had because he religiously receiued and kept the Arke in his house by the space of that three moneths wherin Dauid was discouraged by reason of the strange iudgement of God vpon Vzziah as the holy storie sheweth more at large 1. Chron. 13 And againe 2. Chron. 11.13.14.15.16.17 Do we not read that when Rehoboam gaue entertainment to the holy Leuites Godly minded Israelites who from among the other tribes of Israel left their suburbes and pâ—ssessions and came to Ierusalem to auoid that idolatrous and superstitious worship which Ieroboam had set vp they setting their heartes to seeke the Lord God of Israel and to offer to the Lord God of their fathers Doe we not reade I say that hereby the kingdome of Iudah was strengthened and that Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon was made mightie three yeeres long that is euen so long as they walked in the way of Dauid and Salomon as the text affirmeth An experiment also hereof we haue in the same booke chap. 31.4 c. King Hezekiah commanded the people which dwelt in
vnto it It followeth that we consider likewise of vnthankfulnesse to men both how greuious the sinne is and also who seuerely God will punish it according to the testimonies of his holy Scriptures as was propounded and determined before Concerning the greatnesse of the sinne of vnthankfulnesse betwixt man and man that place of holy Scripture 2. Tim. 3.1 among sundrie other places The greatnes of the sin of vnthankefulnesse to men may iustlie be one where the Apostle rehearseth it among those hainous and noisome sinnes by the abounding whereof the times should growe verie perillous in the last daies For men saith the Apostle Paul shall bee louers of their owne selues couetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parentes vnthankfull c. vnthankfulnes therfore being one speciall sinne Whereby the times will growe perillous or grieuous and tedious yea euen to good merciful men while they shall see all beneficence troden vnder foote and peruerted by the which they would gladlie drawe manie to the loue and obedience of the Gospell of God it can not be lesse esteemed then for a verie hainous sinne And the rather also because not onelie the beneficence of other good Christians cannot preuaile to drawe them to the loue of godlines but euen the beneficence and all reuerence which is due to Parents is easilie despised of vnthankefull persons For if children shall despise their Parentes and all that they haue done for them in the care and cost of their education whom then will they regard To whom can they be ingenuouslie thankfull And therefore is it also that in his diuine wisedom our S. Christ doth so vehementlie inueigh and cry out against the Pharisies who by their blinde and couetous traditions hindered the thankefulnes and remuneration and recompence which children owe to their poore Parentes they thereby making the lawe of God namelie the fift commandement Honour thy father and thy mother of no authoritie as our Sauiour chargeth them Mat. 15.3.4.5 c. And Iohn ch 10.31.32 and before that ch 8.44 he conuicteth manie of the Iewes to be the children of the Deuill and not of God because they went about to stone him who had wrought manie good workes among them And verilie infinit was the goodnes and mercie beneficence which our Sauior Christ wrought aboue all other men that euer were both to the soules and also to the bodies of an infinite number of men while he was in his humanitie here vpon the earth though indeede he distributed no great summes of money among them And yet behold al was not able to subdue this furie of vnthankfulnesse which had bereaued them of all dutifull regard of his good workes wrought among them See therefore the strange nature of this sinne which where it taketh place breedeth the greatest trouble and disquietment yea the greatest malice and outrage that may be further then it is curbed and restrained by the almightie power of God which onely is able to suppresse the furie of the wicked Here therefore we are againe to obserue that albeit vnthankfulnesse to men did rest onely in the neglect of the dutie of thankes yet were it to be condemned much more among Christians then among the heathen whose great hatred against it we haue seene testified before And so we find it noted to the reproofe of Pharaohs butler Gen. ch 40.23 because he did so long forget Ioseph who had bene so great a comfort to him while he remained in prison with him yea because he forgat him although Ioseph had intreated the Butler to shew him mercie and to be a meanes to Pharaoh that he might be deliuered out of his vniust imprisonment But we see that vnthankfulnesse to men goeth not alone likewise as we saw before that vnthankfulnesse to God goeth not without an vnruly traine And therefore also it maketh it selfe so much the more hainous and troublesome or grieuous as the other hath shewed it selfe to be Whereupon let this now be noted for a graue and weightie admonition to all that so soone as the heart ceaseth to be thankfull for benefites receiued of good and mercifull men so soone doth it begin to grow hurtfull and pernicious against men The which admonition that it may the rather take place with vs let vs consider of the warnings which the holy Scriptures of God giue vs against this most wicked practise both by precept and by the discouerie and rebuke of those that haue wickedly practised the same And so will we come to the punishment of this sinne For Precept of admonition against it we may well call to mind that which the Apostle setteth downe Rom. ch 12.17 c. and 1. Thes 5 15. where the holy Apostle according to the instruction of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 5 44. chargeth all Christians to be so farre from recompensing good with euill that they should not recompence one euill turne with another but contrariwise that they should ouercome euill with goodnesse But that it doth not seldome fall out otherwise it may appeare by the complaints of the seruants of God against examples of contrary euil practise and also by common experience Of these euill examples of most vnthankfull practise we haue the speciall complaints of Iob Dauid the prophet Ieremie Of Iobs complaint we read in the beginning of the 30. chap. of his booke For after that he had protested his kind and mercifull course of life all the time of his prosperitie as hath bene alleaged in the first part of this Treatise out of the 29. ch he breaketh into this speach But now saâ—th he they that are yonger then I mocke me yea they whose fathers I might haue dispised to set with the dogges of my flocke that is to giue them a place among my poore shepheards and other heardmen to haue part of that which they cast to their dogges c. And then it followeth verse 9. c. Now I am their song and I am their talke They abhorre me and flie farre from me and spare not to spit in my face Because that God hath loosed my coard and humbled me they haue loosed the bridle before me c. This is the complaint of Iob. The complaint of Dauid is set downe in diuers places Namely Psal 7.4 where he saith he was vexed without cause of him whom he had deliuered And Psal 35.12 They reward me euill for good to haue spoyled my soule He had not onely one such a principall aduersary and as it were a ringleader or captaine but he had many other that ioyned with that chiefe aduersarie against him though they had no more iust cause to doe so then their leader had And Psal 38.20 They also that reward euill for good are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse And Psal 109.4.5 For my friendship they were mine aduersaries but I gaue my selfe to prayer And they haue rewarded mee euill for good and hatred for my friendship And Psal 120.7 I seeke peace but when I speake