Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	bring_v	good_a	seed_n	3,918	5	8.1371	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91945	The poore's pension: a sermon preached in Gregories Church in Sudbury in the county of Suffolke, May 12. 1643. Upon occasion of the charitable reliefe that yearly then, and there is given, towards the covering or clothing of a hundred poore people, according to the will of the donour M Martine Cole, late of the towne aforesaid deceased. By Samuel Rogers, Master in Arts, and Minister of Much-Tey in Essex. Imprimatur Ja. Cranford, Aug. 12. 1644.	Rogers, Samuel.	1644 (1644)	Wing R1828; Thomason E10_2; ESTC R15358	44,419	46

opportunitie saith the Apostle let us doe good c. Gal. 6.10 advantages of times and opportunities of doing good we must catch hold of and not let slip and now have we an opportunity put into our hands there is nothing wanting but a heart their distresses are powerfull sutors which do cry day and night and not give us rest how then can we possibly give them the deniall The high Court of Parliament in their late * This was preached upon the occasion of the secōd Ordinance of Parliament for the reliefe of Ireland then ne●●ly come out required by Ministers in all places to be commended to the people Declaration and Ordinance do lively present their gasping condition unto us whose spirit is not moved whose heart not wounded whose soul not afflicted and in their behalfe do second their sute and call upon us for a charitable supply of the very necessaries of life for them if then we now sit still and do nothing how inexcusable shall we be tremble to think that any of us should suffer any of them to perish for want of clothing or to remaine so poor that they should be without covering They are none of our kindred and acquaintance farre from us unknowne to us Object 1 therefore are we not bound to doe for them Are they not men Answ and are they not in need then are we bound more to them then to others that are in lesse need though neerer to us nay but further are they not of near a kin to us are they not English Protestants and so of the same flesh and bloud with us yea as we professe our selves Christians so are not they the same such as have been brought to his miserable condition for the true Religions sake and therefore are we brethren Mat. 23.8 and should not such do one for another 1. Pet. 3.8 as also fellow members 1 Cor. 12.27 and so ought to have a sympathizing disposition ver 25 26. remember what the Apostle saith Gal. 6.10 Let us doe good to all men but especially to them who are of the houshold of faith which is the multitude of all true beleevers dispersed throughout the whole earth known by the name of the Church Militant which is called Gods Family or houshold Eph. 2.19 now especiall and more then ordinary care must be had of such as these that are in want whensoever we heare thereof and any opportunity seem ●s for that purpose we must afford reliefe Object 2 But we feare the succest the supplies formerly se●t-have as we have heard oft-times mis●●tried and now may againe fall into their enemies hands and so do more hurt then good All future events of things are uncertain unknown to us Answ we must discharge our duty Omnla etentura jacent in incerto and leave the successe to God we must use the means and then refer all to the good blessing of God how know we but that hereby the Lord trieth us whether we will trust him or no Object 3 We must provide for our selves And what shall we be altogether and only for our selves Answ never was it merry world since so much selfe-love shewed it selfe in the world the Apostle gives us another lesson which we must learn viz. Let no man-seek his own i.e. not only his own but every man anothers wealth i.e. as well as his own 1 Cor. 10.24 cleane contrary to the Maxime of worldlings which is Every one shift for himselfe and another of this kind we have Phil. 2.4 Looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of others Object 4 I have done well already for my part I gave a great deale before for their reliefe and therefore may well be excused now In the morning sow thy seed Answ and in the evening withhold not thy hands for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 it may be thou art yet to receive the blessing for what thou hast formerly done or peradventure now thou maist expect a greater blessing then before or what if now to reape the fruit of all do not therefore slack thy hand For whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape Let us not then be Weary in Well-doinge for in due season we shall reape if we faint not Gal. 6.7 9. Object 5 These are hard times vast expences great charges and heavie taxes are laid upon us we are daily call'd upon to disburse for one thing or other so that we know not what to doe nor how to live There is a time for all things a time to lay up and time to lay out Answ these are not gathering but spending times this is not a time to hoard up but we must now bring forth out of our store-house all things both old and new consider what the Lord saith to Baruch by the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 45.4 5. The Lord saith thus Behold that which I have built I will breake downe and that which I have planted I will plucke up even this whole land And seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not Object 6 I am not able alas I have not wherewithall I would but I cannot Take we heed we doe not disable our selves true Answ neither God nor man require of us impossibilities to do in this kind above that we are able yet let me tell you upon extraordinary occasions we are to constraine our selves though something above our ordinary ability as did those Christians whom the Apostle applauds 2 Cor. 8.3 but God and our own conscience knows best whether this be a reall truth or only a fained excuse it is to be feared most want nothing but a willing mind For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 the widows two mites where there is nothing or but little willingly parted with is more acceptable to God then all that worldly rich men give out of their abundance Mark 12.42 43 44. what can more be said even by those that desire to cavill or what can more be spoken to stop the mouthes of such I end with a motive or two which may move our hearts to put to our helping hands to relieve the wants of distressed Ireland viz. How know we but it may be a means to move the Lord to be mercivull to this land see what he hath promised Motive 1. Isai 58.10 11 12. contrariwise if we cast off all pitty towards them we may not look that the Lord should have any compassion on us for nothing is more just with God then to pay sinners home in their * c. g. Dives would not give Lazarus a crumme of bread therfore was himselfe denied a drop of water own kind Psal 109 9.12.16 Amos 6.6 7 8. see there how the Lord threatens those that have not a fellow-feeling of the miseries of their fellow-brethren If the Lord provide for them and not by our meanes if we draw back our hand and follow not close the worke to help forward their deliverance as well as our own but that the Lord should through out default be pleased to take some other course and bring it about another way it will not be for our honour but to our shame as Mord●●●… tels Ester when the people of God were in straits and she at first seemed loth to put forth her selfe If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jewes from another place b 〈…〉 ou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this Chap. 4.14 so If we altogether hold our hands at this time there shall at length come deliverance to Gods people some other way whenas we and ours may perish and who knowes but that we may be the kingdome that the Lord will hereby try at this time in this thing Set before you the rich recompence of reward consider two things There will be nothing hereby lost for whatsoever in this kind thou partest with be it more or lesse it is but a loane lent to the Lord Consider 1 He that hath pitty on the poore * Faeneratur Domino c. al verbii adum Orig. lendeth on usury to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Pro. 19.17 and who may we better trust then God and what better security can we desire then his word it is the absolute best course that usurers can possibly take to make the most and best improvement of their money thus to put it out to Gods use oh that they had but faith to beleeve it for he is so rich a pay-master that the very interest shal be far greater then the principall and so sure a pay-master that he will see thou shalt be sure not to want He that giveth unto the poore shall not lacke Prov. 28.27 Consider 2 Hereby shall we receive great gain If thou givest out good measure and pressed down the Lord will see that the return shall be made thee shaken together and running over Luk. 6.38 this me thinks should whet on those that are greedy of gain Alms is fitly compared to seed 2 Cor. 9.6 and why because it yeelds a great encrease now there is no man when he sowes his ground thinks that it is lost and cast away so buried in the earth that he shall never see it more no he lookes that that should bring him a great deale more and pay him with over plus for all his cost and this hope makes him prodigall of his seed he freely scatters it abroad with a full and open hand he will see that his land shall not want seed it shall have as much by his good will as the ground can bear or bring forth and what shall we be such Atheists as to trust the ground and not God Fear not but if we throw out good store of this seed it will yeild us a rich crop a hundred fold at harvest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS

for * Luke 6.32 33 34 35. Sunt qui pauper●●us parùm ●ribuunt ut amp●●u● accipiant quae magis venatio est quam eleemosyna Hiet. in Ep. Lact. Inst lib. 6. cap. 12. If ye love them which love you saith our Saviour what thanke have ye for sinners also love those that love them And if ye doe good to them which doe good to you what thank have ye for sinners doe even the same And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thanke have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much againe But love ye your enemies and doe good and lend hoping for nothing againe and your reward shall be great Tenendum est omnimodò ut ab officio misericordiae spes recipiendi absit omninò This must be held for certaine that in the works of mercy there must not be so much as any hope of requitall that is from those to whom we shew mercy we must not then be double minded but sincere hearted in that worke Give liberally for Almes must be a matter of bounty and not of covetousnesse 2 Cor. 9.5 it is as seed that must be scattered abroad with a free and full hand ver 6.9 who so bad a husband as to sow his ground to halves because he will spare his seed what wise man will keep in his goods and let his chiefest commedities lie dead by him in his ware-house whenas trading is quick and not rather bring forth still as long as there is any that so by traffique he may at length have a rich returne Give willingly otherwise all thou dost in this kind is nothing worth be it more or lesse that thou partest with God looks it should be with heart and good will or not at all Every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give saith the Apostle not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loveth a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 He gives well that gives willingly what therefore is wanting in thy hand supply with thy heart though a bargaine is valued by the worth of the thing bought yet a gift is by the minde of the giver hence comes it that Almes is not only called beneficence that signifies well-doing but also a benevolence that signifies well-willing for that cannot be done well that proceeds not from good will Give conscionably that is meerely for conscience fake chiefly in obedience to God and out of our duty we owe to him who requires this at our hands and not for by-ends and base respects not out of vain-glory or for the praise of men for if so we loose our reward Take heed that ye doe not your almes before men to be seene of them Non est ingrat● Deo quae visa fuerit ob hominibus eleemosyna sed quae ideo facta est ut visa sit otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven Therefore when thou do'st thine almes doe not sound a trumpet before thee c. Matt. 6.1 2. see more of this in the following verses Whereupon Chrysostome in his Comment upon that place saies thus That almes is not rejected of God that is seene of men but that which is done for that end that it might be seene Now that we have understood that it is our duty to relieve those that are in want and in what manner this is to be done In the last place that we may have no excuse to shift it off we are to consider the persons to be relieved who those are that we are to see to and provide for and this brings in the third point which is this Doct. 3 We are not to suffer any to perish in extreme need for want of necessary reliefe So that this grace of charitie seemes to be universall it is to be not only in all but also to be extended towards all it hath an object of a large extent it will not be straitned in too narrow a compasse for it knowes almost no bounds it is not a scanty grace no nor partiall but free-hearted to any open-handed to all What all some are rather to be punished then relieved Object so altogether undeserving that it is no charity at all to do any thing for them Qui largiuntur indignis bona malos roborant materia vitiorū suppeditata Answ and we might be thought rather to offend if we should give any reliefe to such as are vile and prophane wretches for what doe we in so doing but maintaine them in their vicious course of life We are bound to afford helpe or reliefe to all or any only thus farre viz in these two respects In case of extreme necessity if they be such as are altogether disabled from doing any thing for themselves if no way or meanes be left them but that without help they must needs unavoidably perish then are we bound to doe for them so farre forth as they are shiftlesse and helpless of themselves we must put to our helping hand in such a case we must not respect the person but his condition If I have seen saith Job any perish for want of clothing or any poore without covering none so wicked or wretched that we may suffer to perish for want of necessary reliefe * Qui perituro succurrere potest si non succurrerit eum occidit Lact. Inst li. 6. ca. 11. He that sees one in extreme need and may but will not relieve him is guilty of his death So farre forth as it is a work of mercy for some there are in great need and yet no deed of charity to relieve them forasmuch as they are not impotent but impudent poore their poverty is voluntary and not necessary they are indeed poore but it is through their owne choice they are such because they will be such they wilfully remaine in a needy condition they have tasted the sweetnesse of the sweat of other mens browes and therefore they care not so long as they know they shall be provided for and they will not doe for themselves what they may for they might doe otherwise if they would in such a case surely at least so farre forth a man is not bound to relieve them though they be in some great need concerning such the Apostle doth give order which is to be observed viz. That if any man will not worke neither should he eat For we heare sa it he that there are some which walke among you disorderly working not at all but are busie-bodies Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietnesse they worke and eat their own bread 2 Thess 3.10 11 12. So that these things considered it doth appeare that in case of inevitable necessitie we are as a work of meer mercy to afford reliefe to any and that this is our duty may be proved Matth. 5.42 Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turne not thou