my bosome with increase And hath my Saviour for my encouragement promised Luk. 6. 36. That if I give unto the poor it shall be given to me again good measure pressed down and shaken together running over Then certainly there is no such compendious way to thrive and prosper in the world as by my liberality to the poor 2. Prefer Heaven and the things thereof before this earth and earthly things Though the temporal reward which I have so much insisted on be a great encouragement yet the greatest encouragement is the spiritual and eternal reward that the Lord hath promised And that this may be the more prevailing encouragement learn to esteem and prize things spiritual and eternal above all things that are but temporal Suppose it should so fall out that you should never receive in kind what you bestow yet count those temporal things put off at the best rate which you receive in things spiritual and eternal Value grace and glory above all the treasures of the earth and count your selves to grow rich men according to your abounding in grace and your evidences for glory And esteem it an unthristy Saving and holding in where you have an opportunity to improve in your inner man by expending of your outward substance Till Heaven be valued above earth this great Argument encouraging to Acts of bounty and mercy will lose its efficacy When God says Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it again after many dayes the Worldling will be ready to demand But how shall I find it in what way shall it be returned me Shall I have bread for bread or money for my bread or houses or Lands for my money probably thou may'st But suppose not so yet it shall be better than so thou shalt have in grace what thou partest with in bread or money thou shalt reap in Heaven what thou sowest on the waters I but the worlding will reply I do not mean to part with my bread or my money so No I know thou dost not but the reason is because thou lovest this earth more than Heaven Thou sayest Will Grace feed me Will Grace cloath me Can I keep my self and my Family Can we live and be maintained and preserved from poverty and beggery here by hopes of glory hereafter Go fool and learn better what God is and what his everlasting mercy is let the lasting treasures the durable riches be more priz'd and valued by thee and this will stop thy mouth and silence thine heart from such vain reasonings Thou wilt never again say I cannot spare my bread or my money when by spending it for God thou seest thou makest him thy debter who will pay it thee again in spiritual and eternal good things if once thou account these to be better than thy bread or thy money But till thou art come to be settled in this Judgement and belief both that the good things of God are infinitely better than the good things of this earth and that what thou sowest in the earth thou shalt certainly reap in Heaven till thou comest in good earnest to be of this mind God's poor are like to be but little the better for thee 'T is this beloved that will effectually do it will open your hearts and open your hands in bounty and liberality for God when you come to be rooted in the practical belief of this principle upon which the practice of all Religion stands and is upheld in the world That Heaven is better than Earth if this other be added to it That what is sincerely laid out for God in the Earth shall certainly be repayed in Heaven besides that return which the Lord here in this world oftentimes makes to the charitable 2. For the Means tending to help you for the better managing of it take these following 1. Either follow the Example of the Primitive Saints in setting apart something every Lords Day out of the former weeks gettings Or 2. Devote unto God a certain portion of thy yearly incomes for charitable uses That the former way of setting apart something every Lords Day for the relief of the poor was the practice of the Primitive Christians is clear from that of the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Now concerning the Collection for the Saints as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia even so do ye Vpon the first day of the week which is the Lords Day let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him This way and course concerns such in special who live upon their daily labours But to such Gentlemen and others who live upon their Rents and Offices and to such Merchants and Citizens who once a year cast up their accounts I would commend the latter way of devoting unto God a certain portion of their yearly income by Rent or otherwise and then separating it from the rest to account it a sacred stock for the poor not to be imployed to any other use All men naturally through the corruption that is in them are hard-hearted and close-handed very unwilling to part with any thing considerable upon sudden occasions for charitable uses But having aforehand set apart something their ears hearts and hands are open to every charitable motion and very ready and forward are they the more liberally to contribute thereunto of what is laid by rejoycing that they have met with so good an object of Charity As for the quota pars what proportion every one ought to set apart out of his yearly income for good uses I do not find it particularly set down in the Word of God and therefore dare not positively determine the same and the rather because there are so many circumstances which alter the case that no certain rule can be given but shall leave it to the discretion and ingenuity of the prudent Christian. But though the Scripture doth not determine the exact proportion to be set apart for good works yet doth it command us to give out proportionably to what God hath given unto us to open our hands wide to the necessities of the poor to be rich in good works and the like Yea the Scripture doth commend unto us the examples of very bountiful Christians as of Dorcas who is said to be full of good works and alms-deeds which she did Act. 9. 36. And of Cornelius who is said to give much alms Act. 10. 2. And of the Macedonians who are said to give to their power yea and beyond their power 2 Cor. 8. 3. It likewse commendeth unto us the example of Iacob who in testimony of his thankfulness unto God for what he should bestow upon him vowed the tenth thereof unto God for pious and charitable uses as Gen. 28. 20 22. And Jacob vowed a vow unto God saying Of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee These examples are left upon record for our imitation for as the Apostle speaketh
after an especial manner succoured and relieved It will be therefore our wisdom to take notice of the extent of this duty and in all we doe either for Christians or others to see to it that what we doe is done for the Lords and for conscience-sake to the one in compassion to his members to the other in obedience to his will 4. Doct. According to the kindness which we shew shall our reward be He that receiveth and relieveth a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward And he that receiveth and relieveth a righteous man shall receive the reward of a righteous man Verse 42. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward These words are added by our Saviour to the former to anticipate some Objections which might be made thereupon as also more fully to explain the forementioned points 1. Obj. May be thus made These Preachers and Professors of the Gospel are but mean persons and little in esteem what great reward can be expected for entertaining them A. As little as they be be they as inconsiderable and contemptible as the proud world make them yet are they not so little in the eyes of Lord but that he will reward all such as are friendly to them 2. Obj. I my self am but poor and can doe but little for them A. Though thy kindness be never so small as small as a cup of water and that cold taken out of the River without any pains or cost to heat it yea but ONE cup full thereof and no more supposing that to be the most thou canst doe for them yet it shall be rewarded by him who more respecteth the willingness of the Giver then the greatness of the Gift The greatest difficulty in the words is who are here meant by little ones for whose sake the reward is promised By little ones our Saviour meaneth no other than such in the foregoing verse he had stiled Prophets and righteous ones They are called Little ones in two respects 1. In regard of the worlds esteem of them 2. In regard of their own account of themselves First They are little in the worlds eye The world which judgeth not according to inward worth have them in low esteem It fares with the servants as it fared with their Master they are despised and rejected and troden under foot of men Of old they were accounted Desolate and forsaken Isa. 62. 4. In the Apostles time the filth of the world the of scouring of all things 1 Cor. 4. 13. Experience of all ages verifieth as much And among other ages ours giveth not the least evidence That comfort and contentment which God's people find in the Lord and the light of his countenance yea that hope they have of finding grace in his eyes make them the less to mind and seek after the honour wealth and promotions of the world and commonly they have but little of it Now the world judgeth according to outward earthly worldly glory it discerneth not the spiritual glory of the Saints 1 Ioh. 3. 1. Judg not of men according to the worlds judgment think not ever the more meanly of Saints because the world thinks so of them They are highly favoured of the most High they are such of whom the world is not worthy they are the excellent ones Psal. 16. 3 but what ever they be in deed in the eye of the world they are but little ones Secondly They are little in their owne eyes Gen. 18. 27. we read how Abraham in speaking to God stiles himself no better than Dust and ashes And Gen. 32. 10. Iacob acknowledgeth himself unworthy or less than the least of Gods Mercies The ground thereof may be because the Saints best know themselves since they more thorowly than other men Search their hearts and observe their ways and compare themselves with the pure and perfect law of God and take notice of their inward Secret corruptions as well as of their outward and visible transgressions and thus come they to know more of themselves then any other can or may suspect of them And this clearer sight of themselves brings them down and lays them low This made Saint Paul to cry out Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death This is a note of true grace and of a sanctified heart They are the poor in spirit not the proud in Spirit that are Christs blessed ones Math. 5. 3. The false disciple thinketh highly of himself and would be accounted not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little one like a true disciple of Christ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some great one like to Simon Magus Act 8. 8 9. This Spirit is a Satanical Spirit Try thy Spirit by this note whether it be of God or no. But though all the Servants of God are on the the forementioned account little ones yet there are some among them less than others as in regard of their offices and stations in the Church some are in higher others in lower Offices some are in office others not So also in regard of their parts and gifts and graces some are strong and others are weak some the chief others the least of Saints some as the head and others but as the finger or the foot and 't is probable the text hath the most special respect and the Emphasis of it is the greater to the least of all these little ones and so the expression is Math. 25. 40. In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me This I the rather take notice of it to give an hint to Christians in their Charitable distributions to have an eye to such Ministers or Christians as are more obscure and less considerable in the World Possibly when those of greater worth and remark may tast deeply of their bounty every one almost hath a kindness for them in the mean time there may be some poor hidden ones whose worth is less but their wants are greater who being low in those gifs or graces which would commend them to the more publick notice are almost buried in forgetfulness It s true that by how much the more eminent the person is that is relieved caeteris paribus by so much the more excellent the work yet special care should be taken that the more obscure and least deserving among all that belong to God be not forgotten The words thus explained afford unto us two special poins of Doctrine 1. Doct. God taketh notice of every of his Saints even of the least of them and of kindness shewed to them Though Ioseph was but a lad and sold as a slave yet being one of the Church one of the little ones yea minimorum minimus yet in AEgypt God takes notice of him and of that kindness which was shewed to him Gen.
George in Southwork another in St. Mary Newington because in those Parishes he observed there were many blind lame distressed poor people and never an Alms-house in them He likewise built a Chapel neat one of his Alms-houses for the poor people to serve God in daily Having built his Alms-houses with the poors stock he bought Lands and Houses of Inheritance which he settled upon the Company of Drapers as for the relief and support of his Alms-people after his decease so for the performing other charitable gifts mentioned in his last Will and Testament While he lived he was wont to go himself once a month to his Alms-houses in his worst clothes that he might not be suspected to be the Founder of them and gave unto the poor people their promised allowance Doubtless that is the best Charity which Nilus like hath the several streams thereof seen but the fountain concealed Having built his Alms houses and endowed them with a good revenew then with the remainder of his poor's stock which daily encreased through God's blessing upon his pains and endeavours in his calling he relieved poor people and families with considerable summs of mony and gave much bread weekly to the poor of several Out-Parishes All this he did whilest yet living besides what he gave upon the like account at his death which was also very considerable as further appears by his Will Nothwithstanding all which he gave and left to his Wife and his two Daughters about ten thousand pounds This questionless is the surest way to have our WILLS performed to see them performed in our life-time in regard that many Executors prove Executioners of WILLS William Pennoyer Esquire Citizen and Merchant of London a person wholly composed of Mercy and goodness bounty and liberality which he expressed in the whole course of his life even from his first setting up in the world Many years before his death he turned great part of the stock wherewith he traded into Lands of Inheritance to the value of four hundred pounds per annum and being eminently charitable he lived as frugally as he could spending about two hundred pounds a year upon himself wife and family and the remaining part of his incomes he wholly bestowed on charitable uses as I have been informed by those who lived long with him and were nearly related to him To give you a clear demonstration of his Christian Charity and of God's recompencing the same unto him here in this life with temporal blessings I shall recite some of his Legacies bequeathed in his last Will and Testament to charitable uses passing by such as he gave to his rich kindred and acquaintance To poor Ministers Widdows and others in distress about 150 l. To four of his poor Tenants 20 l. Likewise 800 l. to be laid out here in Wollen Cloath or other commodities to be sent to New-England for the use of his poor kindred there He gave to certain Trustees Lands to the value of twenty pounds per annum to pay for the teaching of forty Boys at School To Bristol 54 l. per annum towards the maintenance of a School-master and Lecturer to preach a week-day Lecture there and to other charitable uses He likewise settled 20 l. per annum on Trustees for the teaching of forty poor children in or near White-Chappel And 40 s. yearly to buy Bibles for some of the children He gave 12 l. per annum for the maintaining a School at the Hay in Brecknockshire And 40 s. more yearly to buy Books for the Scholars As also 10 l. per annum for the maintenance of poor distressed people in the Hospital of Bethlehem in London And 10 l. per annum to ten of the blindest oldest and poorest Cloath-workers at the discretion of the Masters Wardens and Assistants of the said Company for the time being He gave 40 l. per annum to Christ-Church Hospital for the placing out four children yearly And 40 s. more yearly to buy each of the children a Bible Besides these he gave to his poor kindred above two thousand pounds by his Will And by a Codizel annexed thereunto he bequeathed to certain Trustees a thousand pounds to be given to honest poor people as also 300 l. for releasing poor prisoners which summs have been paid into the hands of the Trustees by Mr. Richard Loton and Michael Davison Esq who to their honour approved themselves faithful Executors to this charitable Will Thomas Arnold Citizen and Haberdasher of London At his first setting up for himself his stock was not great but being charitably disposed and ready to every good work his estate through God's blessing very much encreased His Charity in his life-time appeared not only by his forwardness to communicate to the relief of such whom he saw in want but likewise by his frequent enquiring of others after such poor people as were over-burthened with children or otherwise distressed Yea he hired men with money to make it their business to find out honest poor people on whom he might bestow his Charity and likewise did entrust others with considerable summs of money to distribute amonst the poorest sort charging them to have special respect to the honest poor such whom they conceived did truly fear God That he was no loser but a gainer by his liberality appeareth in that God so blessed him in his Calling that he attained to an Alderman's estate and was chosen to that Office Yea he gave over his Calling in the City and withdrew himself into the Country that he might the better mind God and the concernments of his soul more and the world with its concerns less Iohn Clark Doctor of Physick one of great repute for his Learning Piety and Charity Some while President of the Colledge of Physicians His custom was to lay by all his Lord's-Day fees as a sacred stock for charitable uses devoting that entirely to God which he received on his day acconting it a piece of sacriledge to appropriate it to himself or any common use whereupon the Lord was pleased so to prosper him in his Calling that though at first his practice was little and his estate not very great yet afterwards his practice so encreased and the world so flowed in upon him that he lived plentifully comfortably gave to his children liberal portions The like also was practised by Iohn Bathurst Doctor of Physick with whom I was very well acquainted His Lord's-Days fees were constantly kept as a bank for the poor and wholly devoted to and imployed for their use which was so far from lessening his incomes that by the blessing of God upon his practice they were greatly in few years augmented by it For though at his first coming to London he brought little estate with him and here had small acquaintance Yorkshire being his native Country where he had spent his former daies yet the Lord was pleased so to prosper him in his Calling that in twenty years time he purchased Lands of
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
Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning and for our admonition The most that I have heard or read of who have taken this course to conâ—ecrate unto God a certain portion of their estate to charitable uses have followed the example of Iacob in giving a tenth part unto God And as God did exceedingly bless Iacob after his vow so hath he likewise blessed very many others after their like vow unto God Mr. Stock in his funeral Sermon at the burial of the Lord Harrington speaking of his Charity declared that in his life time he gave the tenth part of his yearly revenue to the poor Mr. Gataker in his funeral Sermon at the burial of Mr. Iohn Parker Merchant and Citizen of London speaking of his Charity saith That at his first effectual Call among other things he then resolved upon this was one to set apart every year a tenth of his gain for the relief of the poor and needy and that God from that time abundantly advanced his estate And questionless if such Merchants who usually ensure their goods upon their apprehension of danger at Sea would sincerely promise unto God in testimony of their thankfulness unto him the tenth of what should come safe into their hands they might receive far greater returns than they do In the Life of Dr. Hammond written by Dr. Fell I find this expression The rate and summ of what the Doctor devoted was the tenth of all his income wherein he was so strictly punctual that commonly the first thing he did was to compute and separate the poor mans share And how his stock increased notwithstanding his abundant giving out to the relief of others the history at large declareth The like I read in the Life of Mr. William Wheatly Minister of Banbury how for many years he set apart the tenth of his yearly comings in both out of his Temporal and Ecclesiastical Means and that his Estate prospered the better after he took that course To these I could add many more out of the Lives of good and charitable men and out of several funeral Sermons which are printed and published And could name multitudes of men now living who have devoted the like and greater portion out of their estates for charitable uses and are ready to attest the truth of this discourse That they are no losers but great gainers in Temporals by what they have given to the poor Mr. Richard Baxter in his Learned and Usefull Piece called A Christian Directory Part the 4th fol. 195. of the quotapars what proportion is meet for most men to devote for charitable uses whether the tenth part of their increase be not ordinarily a fit proportion hath this expression Though the proportion of the tenth part is too much for some and much too little for others yet for the most part I think it as likely a proportion as it is fit for another to prescribe in particular Yet I would not be thought to impose this as a proportion to be observed by all for all mens hearts are not alike inlarged with love and bounty and some there are who have no more than is necessary for the comfortable support of themselves and family from whom less is required for the relief of others But I would advise such whom the Lord hath blessed with a plentiful estate so that their necessary expences are or might be far less than their incomes to devote a tenth part of their whole yearly income to charitable uses I say of their whole yearly income without first deducting any part thereof for diet cloaths or other necessary expences for the tenth of the remainder will be a very inconsiderable proportion for a rich man to devote to Charity and far short of that which the Scripture seemeth to call for And know assuredly that this course is so far from being a means of diminishing your stock and store that if it be managed as it ought according to the forementioned rules and directions it is the surest and safest means the most compendious course of increasing it through the secret blessing of God which accompanieth the same which hath been sufficiently demonstrated in the foregoing discourse 2. Be careful on whom thou bestowest thine alms for by giving to such common beggars who are able to work and yet are so lazy that they will not work but would live by the sweat of other mens brows I say by relieving such we shall both maintain them in their idle and wicked life and they who are truly poor and ought to be looked upon as the proper objects of our Charity will be neglected or at least scanted of that which of right belongeth to them I am not against the relieving of all beggars some of them I know are blind others lame aged and past their work these impotent poor in regard of their present condition are objects of Charity but not the impudent poor who have strength enough to work and will not those canting vagrants who are the burthen of the earth and shame of the Kingdom for these I have no charity Neither had the Apostle St. Paul who towards God's poor was full of compassion but for the Devil 's poor he gave this command 2 Thes. 3. 10. That if any would not work neither should he eat that hunger and necessity might drive them to labour Erasmus mentions a kind of mercy meetest for such ' t is misericordia puniens Surely the Whip is more their due than food Bridewell to entertain them than an Alms-house III. Another Means for the attaining this grace of Christian Charity is this Be earnest with God in prayer that he would be pleased to bestow upon thee that adorning and enriching grace of Charity and accept thy offering This Sacrifice as it must be offered up to Heaven so it must be fetched from Heaven The gift of a merciful and charitable heart is one of those gifts that come down from above even the Father of Lights Iam. 1. 17. If thou receivest not this gift from God thy poor Brother is like to have no gift from thee Now it must be thy prayer that must fetch down this gift from God Lift up thine heart to the Lord and beg a merciful and compassionate soul beg of God that he would make thee ready to every good work willing to communicate to the poor members of Christ according to thine ability and their necessity that thereby thou mayest lay up in store for thy self a good foundation against the time to come and so lay hold on eternal life pray for a willing heart and pray for acceptance of thy gift that thine alms may be such a sacrifice and so offered up that therewith the Lord may be well pleased Having thus shewed you the Means on our part to be performed for attaining and exercising this grace of Charity I shall close this discourse with answering two or three Objections Object 1. Some object the greatness of their
desire to look and prie as the Apostle Peter expresseth 1 Pet. 1. 12. The Lord hath also committed to his Ministers the administration of the Sacraments which are the seals of his covenant whereby all his precious promises are ratified and confirmed unto us So that as in respect of the rich treasures of God's Word committed to their dispensing they are the Lord's Treasurers So in respect of the Sacraments they are the Keepers of his great Seal If these Officers be great under mortal Princes what are they under the King of Kings I have taken the liberty in a few words to set forth some of the priviledges of the Ministers of the Gospel partly for the comfort and consolation of many of them under the present misery and poverty which they suffer rather than to sin against their consciences and partly for the incitation of others to afford them that double honour which the Apostle calls for 1 Tim. 5. 17. Namely the honour of respect and the honour of maintenance that they suffer them not to sink under their burthen but afford them some seasonable succour and relief suitable to their present wants and necessities Reas. III. Because Ministers are oftenest exposed to sufferings and distresses and so have most need of relief The Bow of the Adversaries of Religion is bent most against the Teachers and Leaders of the people That word 1 King 22. 31. Fight neither with small or great save only with the King of Israel is often changed into Fight neither with small or great but only against the Prophets of the Lord. Smite the Shepheards and the Sheep will be scattered Experience enough tells the world who they are that are set in the Front of the Battel and who are the first that fall by the power of the Adversaries And who should be most in the eye of Charity but those that are most in the eye of malice Besides For whose sakes is it that Ministers are so often brought so low Is it not for your sakes whose souls are dearer to them than their own substance Is it not often upon this account because they will be faithful to you and will not keep silence nor cease to watch over you and to warn and to instruct you from day to day Might they not save themselves more whole if they would hold their peace and let the Devil alone to have his will of you For your sakes no doubt it is that much of their sufferings come upon them and shall they be forsaken by you The truth is it is upon this account a piece of Iustice as well as a piece of Charity to relieve and succour them and so you may do two good works in one the same alms may be both a work of righteousness and a work of mercy Reas. IV. Your gratitude to God requireth a cheerful performance of this duty from you For wherein can you otherwise make a suitable return to God for what he hath plentifully conferred on you than by contributing some of your Temporals to them from whom ye reap so much in Spirituals The Lord of his free grace and rich mercy hath abounded to you in these outward things He hath given you richly all things to enjoy Yea as the Psalmist speaketh He hath loaded you with his benefits Now not to return some part of your estate to him who hath given you all that you do enjoy were ingratitude in the highest degree And therefore how doth it concern you often to put the Psalmist's question to your selves What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psalm 116. 12. Surely one kindness deserveth another as God hath been bountiful to you sure you are very unworthy if you be not bountiful to his And how do you think he will take it at your hands Will he ever say to you Well done good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful a good Steward of my many gifts Or is it all one to you whether he say Well done or not And in regard you cannot directly and immediately requite him who is uncapable of being enriched by us My goodness extendeth not to thee Psalm 16. 2. It will be your wisdom to expresse your thankfulness to God by being kind to his poor relations Now who are nearer to God than his Ministers whom he hath appointed to stand in his room to declare his mind unto his people who are as the mouth of the people unto God so God's mouth unto the people who are the Messengers of the Lord of Hosts by whose Ministry there is peace concluded and reconciliation proclaimed between God and man Surely what kindness you shew to these he takes as done unto himself Matth. 25. 40. Reas. V. Your relieving the faithful Ministers of Christ may in a sense be said tò have something more in it than if you should shew your Charity to himself in his own person as being a sign of greater love It is but an ordinary thing to return kindness to our dearests friends but to extend our good will to their relations or servants for their sakes is an evidence of much greater love For if upon their account only we do good unto these how much more would it be judged we should be ready to do it unto themselves if they stood in need of our help And so will Christ look upon it Our bounty expressed to his Ministers he will receive as an evidence of our more abundant love unto him which he will in no wise forget nor suffer to go unrewarded Reas. VI. Such as relieve the poor Ministers of Christ shall have their blessing the benefit of their prayers unto God They will blesse you however though you have no blessing for them Though you have not an alms for them yet they will have a prayer for you But their bowels being refreshed by you you may expect that their heart will be the more enlarged for you and this will be a far greater kindness than you can bestow on them Your gift cannot be worth their fervent prayers In this respect it is much better to give than to receive because he that receives hath but a perishing alms he that gives receives an abiding blessing the blessing of prayers Herein did the Apostle St. Paul make a large requital to Onesiphorus for the kindness he shewed to him in his imprisonment as you may read 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain As if he had said I received much comfort and refreshment from Onesiphorus when I was in prison for the which I beseech the Father of all mercies to shew mercy unto him and his by blessing him and his whole family with all blessings both temporal spiritual and eternal And indeed what blessing can that man want who hath a share in many Ministers prayers which are available for the obtaining of all good things at the hand of God as for
themselves so for others Yea the very work of Charity doth bespeak a blessing from God As the blood of Abel is said to cry to the Lord for a curse or vengeance upon Cain so every act of Charity cryeth to God for a blessing upon the Charitable Our very acts of Charity in relieving the wants of the poor and refreshing their bowels do pray and cry to God for his blessing upon us and ours Reas. VI. Your Charity to them will be hereafter rewarded with everlasting glory and happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven This reason our Saviour himselfe giveth in these words He that recieveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward whereby is meant that surpassing and excellent weight of glory which cannot be expressed by the tongue of men or Angels Yea by the reward of a Prophet seemeth to be implyed the highest degree of heavenly glory For Daniel 12 3. It is said That they that be wise that is the righteous who are endowed with true spiritual wisdom being lightned by the Spirit of God shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament but they that turn many to righteousness which is the work of Prophets shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Now by your bounty to the Prophets of God you may come to partake of their reward So that it is your own concernment to contribute liberally towards their relief Not that your Charity to them doth merit that glorious reward but in regard of the promise of God made to all those who do exercisethe same towards his Ministers it shall be truly given unto them For a word of Application Oh how should the consideration of these things stir up the hearts of all especially such as have a blessing in their hand an estate to give to draw forth their souls and reach forth their hands to the supply of these wanting servants of God Surely this is a time wherein Christ is trying your love to him by your Charity to them Are you not concerned to make proof of your love to Christ Have you not an opportunity before you and a loud call from Heaven to prove it in this way Can you not hear him that said once to Peter John 21. 16. Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep Can you not hear the same voice calling to you Lovest thou me Feed my Shepheards Sure thou art very deaf to the voice of the Providences of this day if thou do not hear this Call And will you prove that you have no love to Christ What do you else if you suffer his to starve when you have wherewith to feed them Beloved it is through God's free grace and rich bounty that you enjoy such plenty of outward good things when many of his Ministers are in great want What you have you have recieved from him Is it not then most just and reasonable that you should return back some part of your estates unto God by relieving his Ministers in testimony of your love and thankfulness unto him for what you have Hath God given you hundreds and thousands and will not you part with a few pounds or shillings when he calls aloud unto you for the same as now he doth in these dayes Though the earth be his and the fulness thereof yet in a sense he hath sometimes need of your estates Matth. 25. 35. Christ telleth you of his wants and sheweth you how and when he is relieved If you have any spiritual wisdom to discern times and seasons you may know that now Christ stands in need of your helping hand now that so many of his Ministers are in want for the testimony of a good conscience And should you now deny him in his Ministers I do verily believe that if Christ were now upon earth as when he first took our nature upon him and in his own person should crave your relief you would turn a deaf ear unto him Though for the present you enjoy manifold blessings yet how easily can he pluck them out of your mouths and if you will not perform your duty thrust you down from among the givers to take your place among the receivers Certainly the communicating a part is your best way to secure the remainder and to season and sanctifie it to your more comfortable use Luke 11. 41. Saith our Saviour Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you that is lawful to be used The metaphor is taken from the Law whereby many things were counted unclean and so unlawful for use they might not be touched or meddled with Yea by the inference of the Apostle Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you He seemeth to allude to another Rite of the Law about First-fruits Tithes and Free offerings by giving which to the Lord all the rest which they had were secured sanctified and made clean So that charitable men are they who may with the more freedom quietness and comfort use what they have Who that hath any desire to be accepted and appoved of God would not have his person and the actions which he doth and things which he possesseth to be clean Whatsoever is unclean is odious and abominable in God's sight unclean persons might not approach to God's Sanctuary nor meddle with sacred matters If they were not cleansed they were to be cut off from God's People Numb 19 20. Levit. 7. 20. and every unclean thing was an abomination This thereforé must needs be a strong perswasive to put in practise the counsel of our Saviour in Giving alms of such things as we have that so all things may be clean and sanctified unto us What 's clean you may use with God's good leave and allowance clean things might be eaten and where you have God's good leave you may expect his blessing It 's sin to eat where God's portion is among it The truth is it is the great mistake of many to think that all their goods are their own and that they are absolute Lords and Owners of all which they possess Whereas indeed they are rather Stewards than Lords and Owners of this worlds goods all is the Lords God of his infinite wisdom hath committed to some a greater portion of them than to others yet not to be impropriated to themselves but they must give him his special part to which his have as good a right as themselves unto the rest saving only that they may not lay hands on it themselves until you put it into their hands But as they may not take it out of yours so you may not keep it out of their hands Therefore Solomon speaking of the right which the poor have to a part of rich mens estates saith Prov. 3. 27. Withold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to do it So that relieving the poor is not only an act of Mercy left to our choice