8. It may be an hieroglyphical embleme of this truth Christians must not onely have the wings of faith to flie but hands under their wings to work the works of mercy This is a faithful saying and these things I will that you maintain constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be careful to maintain good workes Titus 1. 8. The Lampe of faith must be filled with the oile of Charity Faith alone justifies but justifying faith is not alone * You may as well separate weight from lead or heat from fire as works from faith Good workes though they are not the causes of salvation yet they are evidences * Though they are not the foundation yet they are the superstructure Faith must not be built upon works but works must be built upon faith Rom. 7. 4. Ye are married to another that ye should bring forth fruit unto God Faith is the Spouse which marries Christ and good works are the children which faith bears For the vindication of the Doctrine of our Church and in the honour of good works I shall lay down these four Aphorismes Aphor. 1 1. Works are distinct from faith 'T is vaine to imagine that works are included in faith as the Diamond is enclosed in the Ring No they are distinct as the sap in the Vine is different from the clusters that grow upon it Aphor. 2 2. Works are the touch-stoneof faith Shew me thy faith by thy works Jam. 2. 18. * Works are faiths letters of credence to shew If saith Saint Bernard thou seest a man in operibus strenuum full of good works then by the Rule of Charity thou art not to doubt of his faith We judge of the health of the body by the pulse where the blood stirres and operates O Christian judge of the health of thy faith by the pulse of Charity it is with faith as with a Deed in Law To make a Deed in Law valid there are three things requisite The Writing the Seal the Witnesses So for the Tryal and Confirmation of faith there must be these three things The Writing viz. the Word of God the Seal the Spirit of God the Witnesses good workes Bring your faith to this Scripturetouch-stone Faith doth justifie works Workes do testifie faith * Aphor. 3 3. Workes do honour faith as the fruit adornes the Tree Let the liberality of thy hand saith Clemens Alexandrinus be the Ornament of thy faith and wear it as an holy bracelet about thy wrists Job 29. 15 I was eyes to the blinde and feet was I to the lame I put on righteousness and it cloathed me my judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem While Job was pleading the cause of the poor this was the ensigne of his honour it cloathed him as a Robe and crowned him as a Diadem This is that takes off the odium and obloquy from Religion and makes others speak well of holinesse when they see good works as hand-maids waiting upon this Queen Aphor. 4 4. Good workes are in some sense more excellent than Faith In two respects 1. Because they are of a more noble diffusive nature Though faith be more needful for our selves yet works are more beneficial to others * Faith is a receptive grace it is all for self-interest it moves within its own sphere workes are for the good of others And it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive 2. Good works are more visible and conspicuous than faith Faith is a more occult grace It may lie hid in the heart and not be seen but when works are joyned with it now it shines forth in its native beautie Though a garden be never so deck'd with flowers yet they are not seen till the light come So the heart of a Christian may be enrich'd with Faith but it is like a flower in the night it is not seen till works come when this light shines before men then faith appears in its orient Colours Use 2 Vse 2. Reproofe If this be the effigies of a good man he is of a charitable disposition then it doth sharply reprove those that are far from this temper who are all for gathering but nothing for dispeirsing * They move onely within the Circle of their own interest but do not indulge the necessities of others They have a flourishing estate but like him in the Gospel they have a withered hand and cannot stretch it out to good uses They have all quoad {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} not quoad {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} These are like the churl Nabal 1 Sam. 25. 11. shall I take my bread and my water and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be 'T was said of the Emperour Pertinax he had * a large Empire but a narrow scanty heart There was a Temple at Athens which was called the Temple of mercy it was dedicated to charitable uses and it was the greatest reproach to upbraid one with this that he had never been in the Temple of mercy 'T is the greatest disgrace to a Christian to be unmercifull covetous men while they enrich themselves they debase themselves setting up a Monopoly and committing Idolatry with Mammon Thus making themselves lower than their Angels as God made them lower than his Angels In the time of Pestilence it is sad to have your houses shut up but it is worse to have your hearts shut up Covetous persons are like the Leviathan Job 41. 24. Their hearts are firm as a stone You may as well extract oyle out of a flint as the golden Oyle of Charity out of their flinty hearts The Philisopher saith that the coldnesse of the heart is a presage of death * when mens affections to works of mercy are frozen This coldnesse at heart is ominous and doth sadly portend that they are dead in sinne We read in the Law that the Shelfish was accounted unclean This might probably be one reason because the meat of it was enclosed in the shell and it was hard to come by They are to be reckoned among the unclean who enclose all their estate within the shell of their own Cabinet and will not let others be the better for it How many have lost their souls by being so saving There are some who perhaps will give the poore good words and that is all * Jam. 2. 15. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of food and one of you say to them depart in peace be ye warmed and filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needfull what doth it profit Good words are but a cold kind of Charity * the poore cannot live as the Camelion upon this aire Let your words be as smooth as oyle they will not heale the wounded let them drop as the hony-comb they will not feed the hungry 1 Cor 13. 1. Though I speak with the tongue of Angels and have not charity
eodem luto they are fellow-members of the same body The members do by a Law of equity and sympathy contribute one to another the eye conveyes light to the body the heart blood the head spirits That is a dead member in the body which doth not communicate to the rest Thus it is also in the body politick let no man think it is too far below him to minde the wants and necessities of others it is pity but that hand should be cut off which disdaines to pluck a thorne out of the foot It is spoken in the honour of that Renowned Princesse the Emperesse of Theodosius the great that she did her self visit the sick and prepare relief for them with her own imperial hands Arg. 6 Argument 6. We are not Lords of an estate but Stewards and how soon may we hear that word redde rationem Give an account of thy stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Luk. 16. 2. An estate is a talent to trade with 't is as dangerous to hide our talent * as to spend it Mat. 25. 25 30. If the covetous man keeps his gold too long it will begin to rust and the rust of it will witnesse against him * Arg. 7 Argument 7. The examples of others who have been famous and renown'd for acts of Charity 1. Our Lord Christ a great example of Charity He was not more full of merit than bounty Trajan the Emperour did rend off a piece of his own robe to wrap his souldiers wounds Christ did more he made a medicine of his body and blood to heale us Isaiah 53. 5. By his stripes ye are healed Here was a pattern of Charity without a parallel * 2. The Jewes are noted in this kind 'T is a rabbinical observation that those who live devoutly among the Jewes distribute a tenth part of their estate among the poor and they give so freely saith Philo the Jew as if by giving they hoped to receive some great gratuity now if the Jewes are so devoted to workes of mercy who live without Priest without Temple without Messiah shall not we much more who professe our faith in the blessed Messiah 3. Let me tell you of Heathens I have read of Titus Vespasian he was so inured to works of mercy that remembring he had given nothing that day cried out diem perdidi I have lost a day 'T is reported of some of the Turkes that they have servants whom they employ on purpose to enquire what poor they have and they send relief to them and the Turkes have a saying in their Alcoran that if men knew what a blessed thing it were to distribute Almes rather than spare they would give some of their own flesh to relieve the poor and shall not a Christians Creed be better than a Turkes Alcoran But Right Honourable and Beloved we are not left this day without witnesse I desire to speak it to the glory of God and the Renown of this City there hath been both in the dayes of our worthy Progenitors and is still to this day among many of you a spirit of sympathy and compassion Regia crede mihi res est succurrere lapsis When poor indigent creatures have been as Moses laid in the Ark of bulrushes ready to sink in the waters of affliction you have been temporal saviours to them and have drawn them out of the waters with a golden cord When they have been ready to make their own grave vou have built them Hospitals The milk of your Charity hath nursed them up and while they have sate under your vines they have eat the sweet grape we reade that they shewed Peter the garments and coates which Dorcas made Acts 9. 39. And may we not this day behold the COATS which have been made to cloath the indigent Go on still to do worthily in Ephrata and by these your acts of munificence to blazen your Coat of Armes and eternize your fame Argu. 8 I shall use but one Argument more to perswade to Charity and that is the reward which followes Almes-deeds Giving of Almes is a glorious work and let me tell you 't is no unfruitful work * They that sow mercy shall reap mercy Whatsoever is disbursed to the poor is given to Christ Mat. 25. 40. Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me The poor mans hand is Christs Treasury and there is nothing lost which is put there * There is a reward 1. In this life The Charitable man is crown'd with a blessing He is blessed 1. In his person Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considers the poor God casts a favourable aspect upon him 2. Blessed in his name So it is in the Text his horn shall be exalted with honour and Psalme 112. 6. He shall be had in everlasting lasting remembrance his name shall be gloriously enbalm'd 3. Blessed in his estate Omni rerum copia affluet Prov. 11. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat He shall not onely have the venison but the blessing 4. Blessed in his posterity Psal. 37. 26. He is ever merciful and lendeth his seed is blessed He shall not onely leave an estate behinde but a blessing behinde to his children and God will see that the Entail shall not be cut off 5. Blessed in his negotiations Deut. 15. 10. For this thing the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto The Charitable man shall be blessed in his building planting journying whatever he is about a blessing shall empty it selfe upon him Quicquid calcaverit rosa fiet He shall be a prosperous man The honey-combe of a blessing shall be still dropping upon him 6. Blessed with long life Psal. 41. 2. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive * He hath help'd to keep others alive and God will keep him alive Is there any thing then lost by Charity It spinnes out the silver thread of life Many are taken away the sooner for their unmercifulnesse because their hearts are streightned their lives are shortned 2. The great reward is in the life to come Aristotle joynes these two together {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} liberality and utility God will reward the merciful man though not for his workes yet according to his works Revel. 20. 12. I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the bookes were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their workes As God hath a bottle to put your teares in so he hath a book to write your Almes in As God will put a vail over his peoples sinnes so he will set a Crown upon their workes The way to lay up is to lay out Other parts of your estate you leave behinde * but that which is
given to Christs poor is hoarded up in heaven That is a blessed kinde of giving which though it makes the purse lighter it makes the Crown heavier Whatever Almes you distribute 1. You shall have good security Prov. 19. 17. He that gives to the poor lends to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again * There is Gods counter-band to save you harmlesse which is better security than any publick faith yet here is our Unbelief and Atheisme we will not take Gods Bond we commonly put our deeds of mercy among our desperate debts 2. You shall be paid with over-plus For a wedge of gold which you have parted with you shall have a weight of glory For a Cup of cold water you shall have Rivers of pleasure which runne at Gods right hand for evermore The Interest comes to infinitely more than the Principal Pliny writes of a Countrey in Affrica where the people for every bushel of seed they sow receive an hundred and fifty fold encrease For every penny you drop into Christs Treasury you shall receive above a thousand fold encrease Your after-crop of glory will be so great that though you are still reaping you will never be able to inne the whole harvest Let this perswade rich men to honour the Lord with their substance Before I conclude let me lay down some rules briefly concerning your Charity that it may be the sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour to God Rule 1 1. Your Charity must be free Deut. 15. 10. Thou shalt give and thy heart shall not be grieved c. that is thou shalt not be troubled at parting with thy money he that gives grievingly gives grudgingly Charity must flow like spring water * The heart must be the spring the hand the pipe the poor the cistern God loves a chearful giver be not like the Crab which hath all the verjuyce squeez'd and pressed out You must not give to the poor as if you were delivering your purse on the high-way Charity without Alacrity is rather a fine than an offering 't is rather doing of pennance than giving of Almes Charity must be like the myrrhe which drops from the Tree without cutting or forcing * Rule 2 2. We must give that which is our own Isaiah 58. 7. To deal thy bread to the hungry It must be de tuo pane The word for almes in the Syriack signifies justice to shew that Almes must be of that which is justly gotten The Scripture puts them together Micah 6. 8. To do justice to love mercy we must not make ex rapina holocaustum a sacrifice of sacriledge Isaiah 61. 8. For I the Lord love judgment I hate robbery for burnt-offering He that shall build an Hospital with goods ill-gotten displayes the Ensigne of his Pride and sets up the Monument of his shame Rule 3 3. Do all in Christ and for Christ 1. Do all in Christ Labour that your persons may be in Christ We are accepted in him Ephesians 1. 6. Origen Chrysostome and Peter Martyr affirme that the best workes not springing from a root of faith are lost The Pelagians thought to have posed Austin with that question whether it was sinne in the Heathen to clothe the naked Austin answered rightly the doing of good is not in it self simply evil but proceeding of infidelity it becomes evil * Titus 1. 15. To them that are unbelieving is nothing pure That fruit is most sweet and genine which is brought forth in the Vine John 15. 4. Out of Christ all our Almes-deeds are but the fruit of the Wild-Olive * They are not good workes but dead works 2. Do all for Christ viz. For his sake that you may testifie your love to him love mellowes and ripens our Almes-deeds it makes them a precious perfume to God * As Mary did out of love bring her oyntments and sweet spices to anoint Christs dead body so out of love to Christ bring your oyntments and anoint his living body his Saints and Members Rule 4 Works of mercy are to be done in humility Away with ostentation the Worme breeds in the fairest fruit the Moth in the finest Cloth Pride will be creepint into our best things beware of this dead fly in the Box of ointment When Moses face did shine he put a vaile over it so while your light shines before men and they see your good workes cover your selves with the vaile of humility As the silk-worme while she weaves her curious works hides her self within the silke and is not seen so we should hide our selves from Pride and Vain-glory 'T was the sinne of the Pharisees while they were distributing Almes * they did buccina canere blow the Trumpet Mat. 6. 2. They did not give their Almes but sell them for applause A proud man casts his bread upon the waters as the Fisherman casts his angle upon the waters he angles for vain glory I have read of one Cosmus Medices a Rich Citizen of Florence that he confessed to a near friend of his he built so many magnificent Structures and spent so muâ—h on Scholars and Libraries not for any love to Learning but to raise up to himselfe the Trophyes of Fame and Renown An humble soul denies himself yea even annihilates himself he thinks how little it is he can do for God * and if he could do more it were but a due debt therefore lookes upon all his workes as if he had done nothing * The Saints are brought in at the last day â—as disowning their workes of Charity Matthew 25. 37. Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink A good Christian doth not onely empty his hand of Almes but empties his heart of pride while he raiseth the poore out of the dust he qaies himselfe in the dust * Workes of mercy must be like the Cassia which is a sweet spice but growes low Rule 5 5. Dispose your Almes prudentially * 'T is said of the merciful man he orders his affairs with discretion Psalme 112. 5. There is a great deale of wisdome in distinguishing between them that have sinned themselves into poverty and who by the hand of God are brought into poverty Discretion in the Distribution of Almes consists in two things 1. In finding out a fit object 2. In taking the fit season 1. In finding out a fit object and that comes under a double notion 1. Give to those who are in most need * Raise the hedge where it is lowest feed the Lamp which is going out 2. Give to those who may probably be most serviceable Though we bestow cost and dressing upon a weak plant yet not upon a dead plant Breed up such as may help to build the house of Israel Ruth 4. 11. That may be pillars in Church and State not Caterpillars making your Charity to blush 2. Discretion in giving Almes is in taking the
promise our selves alwayes Halcyon dayes God knowes how soon any of us may change our pasture The Cup which now runnes over with wine may be filled with the waters of Marah Ruth 1. 21. I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty How many have we seen like Bajazet and Bellizarius invested with great Lordships and Possessions who have on a sudden brought their Mannor to a Morsel Irus erit subito qui modo Croesus erat So that 't is wisdome in this sense to consider the poor remember how soon the scene may alter we may be put in the poors dresse and if adversity come it will rejoyce us to think that while we had an estate we did lay it out upon Christs indigent members This is the first thing in Charity a judicious consideration 2. A tender Commiseration Isa. 58. 10. If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry bounty begins in pity * The Hebrew word for mercy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signifies bowels Christ first had compassion on the multitude then he wrought a miracle to feed them Mat. 15. 32. Charity which wants compassion is bruitish The bruit Creatures can releeve us many wayes but cannot pity us 'T is a kind of Cruelty saith Quintilian to feed one in want and not to sympathize with him True Religion begets tendernesse * as it melts the heart in tears of contrition towards God so in bowels of compassion towards others Isa. 11. 16. My bowels shall sound as an harp Let me allude when your bowels of pity sound then your Almes make sweet Musick in the eares of God 3. Charity consists in a liberal Contribution Deut. 15. 8. If there be a poor man within thy gates thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him The Hebrew word in the Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to disperse signifies a largenesse of bounty * it must be like water that overflowes the banks Non tenuitur erogandum pauxillum aliquid If God hath enrich'd you with estates and made his Candle as Job saith to shine upon your Tabernacle you must not incircle and engrosse all to your selves but be as the Moon which having received its light from the Sun lets it shine to the world The Antients as Bazil and Lorinus observe * made oyle to be the Embleme of Charity The golden oyle of your mercy must like Aarons oyle runne down upon the poor which are the lower skirts of the garment This liberal disbursement to the necessities of others God commands Grace compels Reas. 1 1. God commands There is an expresse Statute-Law Levit. 25. 35. If thy brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee then thou shalt releeve him The Hebrew word is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Thou shalt strengthen him put under him a a silver crutch when he is falling 'T is worth our observation what great care God took of the poor besides what was given privately God made many Lawes for the publick and visible relief of the poor Exod. 23. 11. The seaventh year thou shall let the land rest and lye still that the poor of thy people may eat c. Gods intention in this Law was that the poor should be liberally provided for * They might freely eat of any thing which did grow of it self this seaventh year whether of herbs vines or Olive-trees If it be asked how the poor could live onely on these fruits there being as it is probable no Corne growing then For answer Cajetan is of opinion they lived by selling these fruits and so converting them into money lived upon the price of the fruits There is another Law made Leviticus 19. 9. And when ye reap the harvest of your land thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest See how God indulged the poor some Corners of the field were for the poors sake to be left uncut and when the owners did reap they must not go too near the earth with their sickle the vulgar latine reads it non tondebis usque ad solum Thou shalt not shear to the very ground Something like an after-crop must be left The shorter eares of Corne and such as did lie bending to the ground were to be reserved for the poor saith Tostatus And God made another Law in favour of the poor Deut. 14. 28 29. At the end of three yeares thou shalt bring forth the Tythe of thy encrease the same year and thou shalt lay it up in thy gates and the Levite and the fatherlesse and the Widow which are within thy gates shall come and shall eat and be satisfied The Hebrewes write that every third year besides the first tyth given to Levi which was call'd the perpetual tyth Numbers 18. 21. the Jewes did set apart another tyth of their encrease for the use of the Widdows and Orphans and that was call'd the tyth of the poor Sol. Jarchi Besides at the Jewes Solemn Festivals the poor were to have a share Deut. 16. 11. And as relieving the necessitous was commanded under the Law so it stands in force under the Gospel 1 Tim. 16. 17 8. Charge them that be rich in this world that they {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} do good that they be rich in good works c. 'T is not onely a counsel but a charge and the non-attendency to it runnes men into a Gospel-premunire Thus we have seen the minde of God in this particular of Charity Let all good Christians comment upon it in their practise What benefit is there of gold while it is imbowell'd and lock'd up in the Mine And what is it the better to have a great estate if it be so hoarded and cloister'd up as never to see the light Reas. 2 2. As God commands so grace compels to works of mercy and benificence 2 Cor. 14. The love of Christ constrains Grace comes with Majesty upon the heart 'T is not in sermone but virtute Grace doth not lie as a sleepy habit in the soul but will put forth it selfe in vigorous and glorious actings grace can no more be conceal'd than fire Like new wine it will have vent * grace doth not lie in the heart as a stone in the earth but as seed in the earth it will spring up into good works Use 1 Use 1. Inform It may serve to justifie the Church of England against the calumny of malevolent men Julian upbraided the Christians that they were Solifidians and the Church of Rome layes upon us this aspersion that we are against good workes Indeed we plead not for the merit of them * but we are for the use of them Titus 3. 14. Let ours also learne to maintain good works for necessary uses We preach they are needful both necessitate precepti and medij We read the Angels had wings and hands under their wings Ezek. 1.