Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	church_n	day_n	sabbath_n	20,024	5	9.8526	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41657	The surest & safest way of thriving, or, A conviction of that grand mistake in many, that what is given to the poor, is a loss to their estate : which is so directly contrary as to the experiences of the charitable : so to the testimony of God's spirit in divers places of Scripture ... by Thomas Gouge ...	Gouge, Thomas, 1605-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing G1377; ESTC R14065	59,429	70

Inheritance to the value of a thousand pounds per annum to speak what I know to be certain For in the repute of some his estate at his death was no less than two thousand pounds of yearly value Dr. Edmond Trench likewise observed the same course as his wife and divers other friends of his do testifie And certain it is that this was no damage but a great advantage to him For he had as many Patients as his weak body would permit him to visit And though he lived at a full and plentiful rate frequently and cheerfully entertaining Ministers and Scholars at his Table yet did he gain a very considerable estate which he left to his wife and children in whom not only his memory but his Piety still survives I have good ground to believe that many other Physicians do make conscience of this duty but oh that all would do the like certainly they would be no losers thereby at the years end but find God's blessing upon their Calling and Estates prospering them in both And here to me occurs a Case of Conscience worthy to be enquired into viz. Whether Physicians may lawfully appropriate unto their own private use their Lord's-Dayes fees I mean those fees which they receive from their Patients on the Sabbath day I deny not but works of mercy may and ought to be done on that day for saith the Lord Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not sacrifice that is mercy rather than sacrifice And I deny not but of the richer sort especially they may receive their fees for their pains But I much question whether they may appropriate those fees to themselves In regard the Lord hath afforded us six daies of seven wherein we may and ought to follow our Callings for our own livelihood and of those who belong unto us but hath sanctified and set apart the Christian Sabbath for his own honour and service And therefore it seemeth but reasonable that what accrews unto us on that day should be set apart and imployed for his more immediate use and service But I will not impose this as a necessary duty at least upon all in regard that circumstance may vary but leave it at present to the determination of their own consciences who are most concerned therein Samuel Dunche of Pusey in the County of Berks Esquire a person that according to the Apostle's rule did good to all but especially to those of the houshold of Faith His custom was to send monys yearly to several Towns as to Stow upon the Woolds in Glocester shire to Norliche to Lamburn and others not here mentioned for the relief of their poor And upon the last here named he settled Lands of Inheritance for ever for the same use And to Rumsey in Hampshire he gave by Deed upon the like account a Lease of 99 years to commence after his descease The poor also of the said Town whom he call'd his Alms-people had during his life weekly relief from him and many other Towns together with them were large sharers in the like bounty Several poor children of the said Town and likewise of those belonging to Farriugdon he set to School and did not only pay for their teaching but also furnished them with all such books as were fit and convenient for them He also caused several good books to be printed at his own charge which he freely gave to the poor that they might the better be encouraged to mad and to acquaint themselves with the concerns of another and better life He further gave considerable summs of money yearly for the constant supply of such godly Ministers as he knew to be in want And upon several of them he settled considerable Animities 10 l. 20 l. per annum for their lives besides such Legacies which were not small that he gave to some of them at his death Besides all this his hand was ever open and ready to distribute when ever any fit occasion was offered to him yea such was the enlargement of his heart and tenderness of his bowels that he could hardly pass by any whom he judged due objects of his Charity but he freely and bountifully contributed to their relief Thus did this pious Gentleman honour God with his substance and adventure upon the royal Prophet's words to cast his bread upon the waters which though the unbelieving world accounts but folly and usually reckon it amongst their losses yet he to his advantage according to the promise thereto annexrd found it again not after many daies This bread like the loaves with which Christ fed the multitude was multiplyed in his hands and his oyle encreased by pouring out He was but a younger Brother and the Estate settled upon him was but 800 l. per annum or thereabouts And yet notwithstanding I had almost said this excess of Charity his Estate was so far from being ruined or in the least impaired as that not only the same bare measure he received but much greater pressed down and running over was meeted out to him and his posterity So signally did God in this life reward his Charity wisely ordering by his good providence that one way or other large handfuls as over-measure were from several hands thrown into his bushel There is now left to his Heirs an Estate of more than the double value of what he received from his Father besides the portions which he gave to all his Daughters five in number which were very considerable to some of them more than 2000 l. And here I hope I may without offence or vain glory take liberty to mention amongst others the Charity and Liberality of my dear and hononred Father Dr. William Gouge late Pastor of Black fryers London who was eminent as in other graces so in that of Charity From him I first heard The tenth part of a rich mans estate to be a fit proportion to be devoted and dedicated to God for charitable uses But though he commended that to others yet by what I find in some papers written with his own hand I may truly say He gave the seventh part of all his yearly comings in towards the maintaining poor Scholars at the University and the relieving poor families and distressed persons And how wonderfully God blessed as his Ministry so his outward Estate is so well known to all who lived in his daies that I suppose it needless for me to say any thing thereof only I may truly apply unto him the words of the Psalmist He was ever merciful and lending and his seed is blessed Many more instances of the like nature might here be added some of persons who are now with joy reaping in the other world the blessed fruit of that seed which they had so plentifully sown in this Others of persons yet living amongst us some of which have acknowledged to me That God hath already rewarded them an hundred-fold for what they have lent to him by giving it to his poor But these already mentioned may be

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