call a coverous Person A narrow Soul and as one tartly expresses it fit to live nowhere but in an Ally Can a serious and deliberate Head give Commission to his Tongue to call Vespasian The Darling of Mankinde and yet forget the usual Sentence that dub'd him so Diem perdidi My unlimited Soveraignty my transcendent Glory has not distill'd upon my Subjects any reviving showers of Grace and Munificence I have lost this day The men of Nineveh sayes our ever-blessed Saviour shall rise in Judgement against this generation and condemn it And do sober Christians imagine that the High and Mighty Monarch of the discover'd World should bewayl the loss of twenty four hours for fear of displeasing burnish'd Brass and carved Wood and he not call'd to a severe account by the Ancient of Days for bringing forth nothing in it may be more then four and twenty years but drouzy Poppy instead of the staff of Bread sowr Grapes and wild Olives But admit that even according to the Psalmists Arithmetick your foot be not yet in the Grave and decripped Age is by most designed for the stall of Repentance yet you cannot convict your security by the Verdict of a wiser than Solomon Eccl. 11.9 Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy Heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgement The Angelical Doctor observes That Death is a more treacherous Enemy in surprising youth by stratagem stealing upon them unawares when their Backs are towards it than to the grey-heads whom it charges on the front and the dimmer their eyes be the better they may discern a Coffin the more cause they have to cry out O curva senectus O shrinking shoulders O feeble knees the more is the Grave obvious and consequently might be rendered more familiar May a spring of warm blood full of spirits by three or four fits of an Ague be sadly metamorphos'd into shivering December a pale Cheek a dull Eye a soft pace a restless Bed Can a Feaver even without the help of an universally-destroying putrefaction of humours shake off golden Locks those beautiful leaves of the Arbor Inversa scorch up the radical moysture banish the poor Creature into the land of forgetfulness and make an humble Turf the dishonourable Coverlet of an Airy Gallant of a rare-accomplish'd Monsieur And can Summer Autumn Winter expect fairer usage Can they that have enjoy'd a large Estate many inches of the longest span of Life conceive it not yet high time to make friends of unrighteous Mammon We need not desire a Legat Kekerman to repair to his beloved Dichotomie about division of Estates they may logically enough to our purpose be said to come by divine Providence but nevertheless it will not be amiss to keep the road and take for our fellow-travellers Descent and Purchase He that has digg'd himself thirty or forty years together in the golden Peru of Profit should do very well to consider whether his hands be not dirty whether the Widdow and the Orphan this weak Brain and that credulous Tenant Clyent Customer have no just cause to complain of his gripes though perchance nor well vers'd how to remedy themselves If so how fence you this blow of the Casuists Without Restitution no Salvation Delay not unless thou art content to endure the gnawings of the Worm of Conscience at thy dissolution when Horror and Amazement cry out Hast thou found me O mine Enemy Nor could that suffice the converted Publican Zacheus he restor'd four-fold to heal the wound of Extortion and gave half that he had to the poor to prevent a scarre If the pamper'd flesh turns a deaf ear and the deceitful World searches Hell for distinctions carry them both to Tho. Ã Kempis Cell Durum est verbum saith he tolle crucem sequere me sed multo durius Ite maledicti in ignem sempiternum 'T is an hard Chapter Take up your cross and follow me but 't is a far more intolerable Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Are you beholden to a rich Ancestor for those Rivolets of Milk and Honey that bedew your condition then God has given you Press-money in hand and a superabundant gratitude engages to manage your Stewardship with fidelity and to imploy your Talents with an industrious Zeal Rising early going to Bed late in conjunction with the Bread of carefulness are strangers to your Birthright Would you stand idle in the Market all day long and that after you have received your penny God gave you not Honour and Wealth to furnish a magazine for rebellious vices blacker in the eyes of Heaven then any Ink can render their names Deceitful disorderly and excessive Gaming put the present Parliament in the sixteenth of our most gracious Sovereign to the trouble of an Act to restrain it from which it is evident that one hundred pound was before look'd upon as nothing to lose and run upon the Tick at a time Discinctis nepotibus with my extravagant young Masters one time might be one minute but should one of those A-la-mode Quakers or Shakers give so much in seven years to the relief of the poor and afflicted he would not to be sure change Soul take thine ease but instead of Thou hast goods laid up for many years for that were a Sarcasm of his own inventing would laugh in his sleeve and hug the phansie that he had done good deeds enough for many years yes even for Methuselah's 969. But all Estates are Dominica Coronae Reg is Coelestis belong to the King of Kings His is directum Dominium an absolute and uncontroulable Regality the Posterity of Adam have onely Utile Dominium so that we may truly say not onely Lord thou hast made us and not we our selves but Lord our Inheritances are thine and not our own The Earth is the Lords and all the fulness thereof this Lump of Clay he has made a Vessel of Honour that of Dishonour some fit objects of Charity and others his Almoners Aska fellow as absuedly prodigal as a certain rich Citizens Heir whom some alive remember a petty Prince in the morning of his Age and a despicable Beggar before noon who for fear of a surfeit of Wealth made Ducks Drakes in the Childrens Babble with Six-pences Shillings and Half-crowns in the Thames or a fellow as ridiculously covetous as he in the Comedy that stop'd the top of his Chimney for fear of losing the smoak few of either Herd will deny that Solomon said true The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord or that of Job The Lord gives and the Lord takes away but depraved Nature musters up Quirks to avoid the Statute de Donis conditionalibus in the Bible and will by no means allow that voluntas omnipotentis Donatoris secundum formam in charta
Doni sui manifestè expressam observaretur That the intent and good pleasure of the omnipotent Donor plainly expressed in those sacred leaves of his revealed Will should be punctually observed a most clear and significant Precept take from Deut. 15.7,8 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy gates in thy Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thy hand from thy poor Brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth Deut. 26.12,13 about the third years tything will you have a comment read Dr. Hamond's Sermon I shall quote little from him and what I do leave it like Esops provident Fathers Treasure in the Vineyard who told his Sons it was hid there but said no more on purpose that they might dig and ransack every foot After that eminent Doctor has prov'd Charity to be like a Picture looking upon every one that comes into the great Room of the World he kills the Bugbear of old Age and the Patron of Covetousness against the most laudable disbursments namely the fear of want by asserting Davids Doctrine in several pious inferences They that give unto the poor lend unto the Lord and he will repay it To whom first To the Houshold of Faith Where chiefly To our Neighbourhood before places more remote When Whensoever we meet with an opportunity or by a prudent separation of this and the other Sheaf of our Revenue are inabled to seek one But let his own words administer advice against the spirit of Slumber that Chyragra of the Worldling as to Eleemosynary Land-marks The proportion to be observed by the Christian Almes-giver to speak at the least must be more in any reason then the thirtieth part of his Revenue or Increase Non magna loquimur sed vivimus He preach'd no more than he liv'd nor so much neither for he gave the tenth part to the Poor constantly besides the spring-tides of his extraordinary tender-heartedness and compassion I wish we could all as easily imitate his Life as procure a Treatise so called a Piece of strong lines and good complexion But if ever ye desire to converse with the Saint as well as visit the Shrine trace him by his own Counsel Offer unto God the Sacrifice of a contrite Heart and the sweet incense of universal Obedience The necessities of Men trivial Follies and that great one Perversness have produc'd a multitude of cases in Law of unlike features so that 't is not to be expected a Maxim should knock down every particular occurrence with a Thomas Aquinas fist Conclusum est contra Manichaeos that the Rule should ascertain positively either the Affirmative or Negative But from general Gounds and Eruditions a learned Inference a smart Deduction must state the matter in agitation VVe have in the Gospel Line upon Line and Precept upon Precept to command us to put on Brotherly Kindness and the Bowels of Compassion but should we disband our Vantguard of direct and demonstrative Texts the proceedings of the day of Judgement afford Instructions clearer than the Sun in his Mid-Summer-Glory and printed in such Elephantine-Characters that whoso runs may read them S Mat. 25.35 Giving Meat to the Hungry Drink to the Thirsty Lodging to the Stranger Cloaths to the Naked Visits to the Sick Redemption to Captives are assigned as the reason of that triumphant Invitation vers 24. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Leaveing Pharaoh and his 600 chosen Chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea Ahab and Jezebel to the Dogs Judas to his Halter great and notorious Sinners to exemplary punishments here although Thunderbolts kill not often or at least unless the generation of Vipers repent and fly from the wrath to come to the horrid and racking expectation of the second death come hither harmless well-meaning Christian gather the bitter fruit of Omission and dissect the barren womb of Holiness with this Instrument vers 41. Then shall he say also unto them on his left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Watch and pray for ye know not at what hour your Lord will come but it is evident what our Lord will say when he does come to judge every man according to what he has done in the Body whether good or evil Wife Virgins know the Bridegroom loves the Oyl of Mercy they will upon no terms shew such want of civility and vulgar manners as to have their Lamps to light when he passeth by especially since the fire of Charity devours not the unctious humour no more than the Prophet Elijah's Hunger emptied the Widow of Zarephath's Cruse Fear of a consumption of the Purse through that excellent and successful Phlebotomy is routed by the heavenly Host of Promises Questionless that inexorable Gluttons partner Luk. 16.19 who treated the Bruâ—e his Carcase sumptuously every day has onely Animam pro sale a Soul to keep his Body from stinking till Death locks up the Purple in the Wardrobe allowing onely the fine Linen of a Winding-Sheet and then serves him up to the Worms must at last change the frolick Scene to weeping and gnashing of teeth The sooty fumes ascending from an impure stomach causes the brain to want sweeping the whole unprofitable mass to want evacuation from whence naturally arises stupidity and unactiveness and then strutting about and yawning Pleno laudat Jejunia ventre The Churle is cramm'd his Parasite cann't carve One tempting bit Steal Poor be hang'd beg starve But there will come a time or rather an eternity when Lazarus who by reason of age sickness a charge of small Children losses by Sea or Fire c. was compell'd to imitate the disconsolate murmurs of the Turtle and being far beneath the ownership of a Couch water'd his straw every night with tears though he might not divide the spoyl with the Dogs in sharing part of the crumbs that fell from the Rich Mans Table shall be mounted up into Abrahams Bosom upon the Wings of glorious Spirits when sottish flint-hearted Dives shall not obtain with his earnest and vehement begging the tip of a wet finger to cool his Tongue that was tormented in the flame and perpetually frying in the bottomless Pit that inexhaustible lake of Fire and Brimstone Charity is a comprehensive word and like the Mediterranean Sea acquires several names from the adjacent shores Mercy Almes Liberality Beneficence all fall under that title and may not unfitly be look'd upon as onely several degrees of heat and alterations of the same inestimable Elixar Let the Understanding say There stands a deplorable Object Mercy from a cold Still presently melts into a drop or two of Silver If exquisite Education and a perception that the
Thonsands then the Plague that Attila of Diseases harases City and Country and Michael the Angel of Vengeance in spight of the Rabbins Proverb has two Wings as well as Gabriel and strikes whole Legions cum Flagello Domini with the Scorpions of incensed Justice Imprinting Botches under the Ears and about the Neck Blains of a Straw-colour and Bronish Blew fiery and corroding Carbuncles Party-colour'd spots on the Breast Back c. All which may be termed not onely Ingravescentis Morbi sed Peccatorum Indices not onely the symptoms of a Spreading and Depopulating Plague but the Tokens of Indignation upon a stiff-necked and stubborn Generation whom odious and unnatural Broyls could not terrifie from the superfluity of Naughtiness nor the Olive-branch of Peace and a return from Captivity allure to a Spiritual well if to a Vocal Te Deum Laudamus But let us Rentour Hearts and not our Garments acknowledge our Transgressions and set our Iniquities before us doubtless we that have cumbred the Ground long though Glory be to God on High we are not yet cut down are as great sinners as those buried under the Rubbish of this Tower of Shilo Let Phinehas execute Judgement that the Plague may be staid Let the Priest cry mightily betwixt the Temple and the Altar and the peoples amendment say Amen Let the Rich Scribe and Pharisee bring their Talents the middle sort their Shekels the poor Widow her two Mites to provide Bread and Triacle Meat and Medicine Pest-houses and Keepers and all other Materials which may serve Religiously to Exorcise the Spirit of Desperation out of those whom the deplorable Mortality have inforc'd to want Doctor Apothecary Chirurgeon c. or another Lues Epidemica an Universal deadness of Trading has put into the Furnace of Affliction and made like Narcissus in Tacitus Certa sibi pernicies seu Britannicus rerum seu Nero potiretur Fore-seeing approaching destruction to them and their Families if not by the Plague yet by Famine Surgunt indocti coelum rapiunt cum nos cum Doctrina nostra mergimur in Gehennam The unlearned practical Christian rakes Heaven by violence whilst the speculative Master in Israel with all his Quidlibets and Quodlibets of a dead Faith is plung'd into Hell Those Heathen that were deservedly Renown'd in their several Ages for Improving the Light of Nature to a severe vertuous Life shall find the Day of Judgement an easier-to-be entreated and propitious Audit then the Prophane Dissolute or Scraping penurious Professors of the Doctrine of the Holy Jesus who will not be perswaded to work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling Although they may have a Light to their Feet and a Lanthorn to their Paths the glad Tidings of the Gospel which shines clearly and beautifies every corner of our Horizon This made Cyrus the Persians Death-bed soft and stufft his pillow with Down I have been Merciful and Munificent cast continually a good Aspect and made it my business to benefit and contrive the felicity of all Regions under my Influence and now I expect to finde favour and receive my Dividend of his Loving-kindness who is a great God from whom Men challenge their Original and Mercy flows in a deep Channel and perpetually refreshing Streams O si hoc esset pugnare O how happy might we count our selves if this were to fight hum'd out the sleepy Souldier inamour'd of his Nest stretching his hands over his head and opening his eyes by halves Balaam an Inchanter wish'd that he might die the death of the Righteous and that his last end might be like his He durst not curse Israel and in those dayes 't was not the fashion to curse themselves But not a syllable fell from him expressing an inclination not so much as a whimsical Velleity to live the Life of the Righteous But notwithstanding the Ass was smitten three times yet she deserv'd better of her Master then either that son of Beor or any of the sons of Belial do of their God For though she turn'd aside out of the way crush'd his foot against a Wall and at last fell under him yet she has a far better Apologie for her self then the presumptuous sinner Numb 22.30 Am not I thine Ass A dutiful acknowledgment of property Upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day A frequent service and probably for a considerable part of the Life of that short-liv'd Animal Was I ever wont to do so unto thee 'T was a rare contingent a single instance no incorrigible fault no inveterate Jadishness And he said Nay A great truth sure that anger had not the face to deny If God be God then serve him set resolutely upon the whole duty of Man Open your hands wide unto the poor and needy Thou shalt do no murder No why then does Abels bloud sume up into the third Heaven and sue an Appeal against malicious execrable Cain Homo Homini Deus is no repeal'd Statute though vanity and sordidness wave the Reading upon it Am I my Brothers keeper This froward and contumacious Answer was given But trace the Dialogue a little further God had no sooner examin'd the cause and pronounc'd Cursed art thou from the Earth But the Murtherer makes this rueful Reflection My punishment is greater then I can bear Forum nactus sylvam suam Testem mortuum Apparitorem Umbram Carnificem Culpam Judicem Deum London is the Shire-house those who die for default of seasonable Administrations Witnesses Conscience the Accuser God the Judge the Devil the Executioner Semper ego Auditor tantum nunquamne reponam Shall I hear Sermon after Sermon and not make my life the practice of Piety Turn over Volumes of Devotion and not be converted Walk through Hospitals and never merit the truly Honourable style of a Benefactor Make thy Chest sweat whilst the Poor quake for cold My sin and luxury Hydropick while the indigent starve Wallow in the complacency of Honour and Riches when my Saviours side is pierced through with a spear His forgotten and despised Members cry out O my head my head My heart my heart And pine and languish and die God is not mocked and God forbid but that we should be able immediately to digest the sincere Milk of the Word S. Jam. 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled before God even the Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widdows in their Afflictions and to keep himself unspotted from the World And then Procul hinc procul ite Prophani I am none of your Tribe ye Nimrods ye mighty Hunters and Unsatiable Birds of prey And Nabal I magnanimously defie you in the words of the same Apostle Chap. 2. v. 18. Yea a man may say Thou hast Faith and I have Works Shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works FINIS