Misericors ΜΙΚΡΟΚΟΣΜΟΣ OR Medeleyes Offices Containing an iniunction to all duties of Mercy belonging to the whole Man Miser esto in corde mecum ROM 12.16 Reioyce with them that reioyce weepe with them that weepe and be of like affection one towards another Consider these matters consult and giue sentence Printed at London by I. B. 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDVVARD Lord Wotton Baron of Marleigh L. Lieuetenant of the County of Kent and one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuy Counsell my singular good Lord and to his most worthy associate my very good Lady and Mistresse health wealth and euerlasting happinesse RIght Honourable there was a custom among the Iewes that such dettors whose debts amounted their abilities to satisfie were to be sold themselues their wiues and children to become slaues to content their Creditors So calling to minde how farre I stand ingaged to your Honor not onely for your great and daily bounty whereof I haue continually tasted from time to time but also in that you haue willingly furthered mee by your other many and sundry fauours when occasion required the consideration of which forceth me to confesse that I also should incurre the penaltie aboue said hauing no other meanes to cancell the obligation wherein I rest bound to your Lordship and now in your Honors absence aye me I finde no other like minded towards me Wherefore as one Sophocles a poore schollar of Socrates did so I hauing nothing else doe dedicate not onely my selfe but whatsoeuer is of mine wholy to your Lordships seruice continually praying that the Lord would multiply his many and sundry blessings and graces vpon you and yours in this life and that hee would hereafter crowne you with glory and eternall happinesse for euer with his Saints and Angels Your Lordships most continually bounden T. M. To the Christian READER I Am not Ignorant gentle reader according to the saying of the Poet Scribimus indoctâ— doctique poemata passim That godly learned treatises of all sorts abound this consideration might well haue stayed my penne from paper Know therefore that not vaine glory but a sensible fellow feeling of the wronges and iniurses offered to my brethren by reason of a certaine imbred selfe-loue reigning for the most part in the heart of the oppressor hath stirred vp in me a setled resolution to cast in my widdows mite notwithstanding the many rich guifts and worthy workes of the more learned into the Lords treasury Wherein my onely scope and drift is to shew forth my forward and willing disposition in labouring to repaire the ruins and decaies of loue and piety which this age hath almost throwne flat on the ground if Narcissus likeâ—â— dote not to much vpon mine owne shaddow Many thinks it sufficient if they can talke and dispute of faith if they be able to reason and discourse in eloquent wordes of religion when they haue small regarde to turne their talking into walking their wordes into workes and their profession into practise For whereas we should manifest our faith and loue of God in our loue charity and kindnesse towards our neighbour many notwithstanding are now become so degenerate and such Non proficients in the Schoole of true Christian integrity that in their actions they are malicious enuying cruell deceitfull contentious malecontent scandalous haters of God iniurious without naturall affection and mercilesse But wee haue not so learned Christ neither can it be what shew soeuer they make that the loue of God should rest in that heart where fraudulent hatefull malicious and enuying Foxes haue made their dennes For if a man say hee loueth God and hateth his brother he is a liar for how can hee that loueth not his brother whom hee hath seene loue God whom hee hath not seene as saith the Apostle Iohn And hee that would know how to loue his neighbour aright must first entertaine the loue of God in his heart and the loue of God is retained by practising the loue of our neighbour For euen as the heate of the naturall body warmeth the cloathes that are put vpon it which cloathes afterward nourish and conserue the naturall heate so the fire of the loue of God which springeth of faith kindleth the heart with the loue of thy neighbour and the loue of our neighbour cherisheth the loue of God in our harts Wherfore if these endeauours of mine shall effect any good it is the thing that I desire and let God haue the praise if not yet I haue discharged my conscience Therefore I humbly beseech thee into whose hands these writings shall come throughly to reade them at thy leasure and to marke them well begin not onely but make an end for happily the best wine is reserued till the last And the God of patience and consolation make vs followers of God as deare children and grant that we be like minded one towards another after the example of Christ Iesus Thine in Christ Thomas Medeley MISERICORS Or Motiues to mercy The Preface AS the yong man in the Gospell that was desirous to obtaine euerlasting life yet being inioyned by our blessed Saniour to sell what he had and giue to the poore departed sorrowfull that Heauen should bee held at so high a rate Mat. 19.21 So beloued are there many in these our daies that very willingly would bee registred among the number of the saithfull righteous and mercifull men whose charitable deuotioÌ„s can abide no beggers For who amongst vs is there almost that doth any good or what man is he amoÌ„gst a thousand who hauing a fellow feeling of the miseries of his bretheren remembreth the afflictions of Ioseph Yet our Sauiour Christ exhorteth all those that wil be his Disciples to the practise of mercy after the example of our heauenly Father Luk. 6.36 Ye shall therefore bee mercifull as your Father which is in Heauen is mercifull There are two principall points to bee considered in this text First a precept Ye shall therefore be mercifull Secondly the president As your heauenly Father is mercifull of these in order Mercifull men may bee taken two waies Passiuely and Actiuely Passiuely for such as God hath receiued to mercy Tim. 1.13 as he did the Apostle Paul because hee sinned ignorantly through vnbeleife and in this respect Rom. 9.23 they are tearmed Vessels of mercy prepared to glory of this number are onely those which repent and amend Pro. 28.13 As Salomon saith Hee that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercy But in this place it is meant Actiuely namely for such as shew mercy vnto others Now that we may the better know our duties in this point let vs more especially consider what the workes of mercy are Thomas Aquinas very learnedly setteth them forth to bee in number 13.6 belonging to the soule 7. to the body compreheÌ„ded in two verses Consule Castiga Solare Remitte for Ora Vifito Poto Cibo Redimo
the mercilesse and such as haue heene negligent in the workes of charitie into eternall fire Of earefull sentence to be tormented with the Diuell and his Angels Oh that this sentence were continually sounding in our eares But you are to note that these workes of the faithfull are not here set downe as the causes whereby men merit saluation but because these workes of charity are the infallible fruits of our faith to shew the same to be liuely and working through loue Gal. 5.6 and so consequently the markes and signes of our election and that way wherein God would haue vs to walke towards the possession of his heauenly Kingdome Many men pretend many excuses that they may not giue some for feare of diminutiō of their goods that if they extend liberally to the poore they themselues shall want others cut of their bounty to the poore vnder pretence of prouiding for their children that they may leaue them the richer but what is this else but to distrust God then not to be lieue his word then not to trust him vpon his promise Hath not truth it selfe said which cannot lie Pro. 28.27 Hee that giuth to the poore shall not want Luke 6.38 Likewise doth not our Saniour Christ say Giue and it shall bee giuen you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue into your bosome And doth not God assure thee that this honouring of God with thy substāce Pro. 3.9 shal be so far from diminishing thy wealth That it shall fill thy barnes with aboundance And doth not the Apostle confirme this 2 Cor. 9.10 That God will multiply your seede and increase the fruite of your benenolence If thou wouldest prouide for thy children what better course canst thou take then that which S. Ciprian giueth If thou hast many children be the more carefull by distributing to the poore to leaue them Gods blessing commit to his custody the goods thou wouldest lay vppe for thy children make God their tutor and protectour and so shalt thou be sure to haue them safe kept Otherwise thy niggardlinesse and sparing frōthe poore to make them rich what is it else but a subuersion of thy selfe thy house and thy children We are all not Lords but Gods stewrds of the goods commited to our charge and the poore be but Gods receiuers which come to receiue Gods blessings at our hands to deny then to pay vnto thee poore which beare Gods Image that which we owe vnto God what is this but an heinous theft and an intollerable sacriledge Christ saith saith S. Augustine giue vnto mee of that which I haue giuen thee I aske but mine owne giue and restore thou hast found me liberall make me thy debtor thou giuest vnto me temporall things I render vnto thee eternall Surely there is nothing more dishonoureth God then disobedience and distrust in his prouidence and promises for it deroguteth from his goodnes as if he would suffer vs to want if we obey his will Euen as mothers which haue many small children haue ouer bread by them that they may giue vnto their children when they craue so our God aboundeth with all treasures of goodnesse and is ready to impart vnto those that serue him and craue at his hands As did the Leaper Mat. 8. Master if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Then would the Lord presently answer I will be thou cleane thou shalt haue sufficient thou hast obeyed my will in giuing reliefe vnto the poore I will not faile thee Luk. 16.9 nor for sake thee Make you friends saith Christ of the unrighteous Mammon that when you shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations Damasoene telleth a tale of the rich mans three friends his goods his kinsfolkes and his workes of charity His goods when he dieth can afford him but a shrowding sheete a few mourners and so forsake him his kinsfolke follow him to the graue and there leaue him but his almesdeedes and vertues neuer forsake him This this I say is the friend wee should most regard and as for the drosse of the world and all other friends we must leaue them and they will forsake vs. And surely there is nothing more effectuall to the good of a family then when the Master of it opens his hands aboundantly with all plenty of good workes of mercie I will therefore conclude this fift-branch with this saying Who helpes the poore and pittieth the oppressed He liues to God and doubtlesse dieth blessed Let vs therefore be merciful as our heauenly father is mercifull And thus much touching the fift worke of mercie to the body Colligo THe sixt worke of mercy to the body consisteth in lodging the harbourlesse and in the entertaining of strāgers And this the Apostle cōmendeth vnto vs saying Receiue yee one another Rom. 15.7 as Christ also receiued vs to the glory of the father But so great was the loue of Christ that he sticked not to offer vp his body and bloud as a liuely sacrifice to God the father for our attonement and reconciliation How great then should ou◠Christian loue be one towards another to further the good one of another to relieue the wants necessities one of another The Apostle to the Hebrewes calleth to vs with a remembrance Heb. 13.2 saying Be not forgetfull to entertaine strangers for thereby some haue entertained Angels into their house vnawares Wherein he eanswereth an obiection made by many saying I could be willing to entertaine any honest man but I did not remember that any stranger past by my dore at any time vnregarded Did you not And why I pray you would you be so forgetfull can you tell to whom you denied entertainement and vpon what occasion they trauailed this way Gen. 19.1.2 For had not Let entertained the two Angels when hee saw them he might peraduonture haue had his destruction amongst them of Sedom Gomorrah 1 Kings 17 10.22 Had not the widdow of Sarcphath enter tained Elias neither could she haue continued her meale in her barrel nor her oyle in her cruse neither had her sonne dying bin restored to life Iosua 2.1 And Rahab had not saued her selfe her household neither could she haue obtained this priuiledge that afterwards Christ Iesus according to the flesh should haue come of her stocke posterity if she had not entertained and defended with the hazard of her owne life those spies which Iosua sent It is recorded that the Lucans had a law which condemned that man to be sined which suffered a stranger to passe vnlodged after the sunne was downe And surely were the like law in England practised vpon our Inhoulders and victualling houses our poore trauailers should be better respected For albeit the law tolerate those houses rather for the reliefe of strangers then for the maintenance of drunkards and other shifting mates Let a trauailer neuer thelesse be his occasion neuer so
and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him or how can he be said to loue God whom hee seeth not when he loueth not his brother whom he daily seeth Let vs therefore be mercifull as our heauenly father is mercifull Thus far of the third worke of mercy to the soule expressed in comforting the sorrowfull mentioned in this word Solare Remitte THe fourth worke of mercy towards the soule consisteth in pardoning and forgiuing offenders This duty and the rest that follow are all generall euery man must forgiue all men as our Sauiour Christ Iesus plainely shewed when he taught his Disciples to pray Luk. 11.4 Forgiue vs our sinnes for euen we forgiue euery man that is indebted to vs as if he should say expect no forgiuenesse at the hand of Almightie God vnlesse ye likewise freely from the bottome of your hearts forgiue one another yet now a daies among your swaggering and roaring gallants there is but a word and a wound and among your ciuill lawlesse Lawyers but a word and a writ Ephes 4.32 Neuerthelesse S. Paul willeth vs to be Courteous one towards an other and tender hearted freely forgiuing one another euen as God for Christs sake freely forgaue vs. Wherein the Apostle meeteth with an obiection that might be made I am as gentle quiet affable curteous and patient as any man can be so long as you doe not wrong me iniure disgrace me or take away my good name but indeede if you abuse me or crosse me of my will in any thing Oh then you must pardon me I am somewhat passionate I may not endure or put vp such abuses at any hand No may you not endure them What then may you endure Surely no more then a beare a dog a horse or a hog may But it is the propertie of all those that will be the Disciples of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus to forgiue and forget with meekenesse all iniuries and wrongs they will not only be kinde to the kinde and shew curtesie for curtesie for this the veriest reprobate and deepest dissembler in the world may doe but they will ouercome euill with goodnesse they wil shew mercy to the mercilesse by putting vp many wronges and offences And as they looke for pardon from God for far greater offences so will they not stick easily to giue pardon for these lesser offences An excellent example may be seene herein in Ioseph whose brethren after the decease of Iacob their father fearing his displeasure and submitting them selues to him he said Gen. 50.19 Feare not for I also am vnder God As if he should say If I should be so hastie in reuenging my selfe vpon the wronges which you haue offred me may not God pay the same fourefold into mine owne bosome Plainly teaching euery true Christian so to behaue himselfe towards offendors here in this life as they would haue God to reward them hereafter If then you would haue forgiuenesse at the hand of Almighty God freely from your hearts forgiue you your bretheren remembring that you your selues are likewise vnder the same condemnation Now to forgiue it is not enough to moderate the tongue which is loues broker and interpreter in not iudging euill of our neighbour but also the simpathy and affection of the heart is required which is the treasure of loue in forgiuing to which Christ himselfe annexeth a most cōfortable promise and it shall be for giuen you because we approue shew our selues thereby to be the true children of God Great is the equity of this precept that we should forgiue one another because we are brethrē But vnspeakable is the mercy of God in promising vs forgiuenes In forgiuing our brother wee do no more then equity it selfe requireth Tu quidem eum habes inimicum quiteeum creatus est saith S. Augustine Deus vero eum quem creauit thou hast him to thine enemie which was created with thee but God hath him to his enemie whom he created thou forgiuest when thou thy selfe needest forgiuenesse for who is he that sinneth not but God who wanteth nothing and cannot sinne forgiueth thee And that euery good Christian should doe this it is not onely meete but for many reasons necessary The first is the commandement of God which should be the rule and direction for euery Christian mans life Mat. 5.45 But I say vnto you loue your enemies saith Christ If thy friend should haue a seruant that should greatly abuse and offend thee and thou in thine anger shouldest rise vp to strike him yet remembring that he is the seruant of thy deere friend thou wouldest bridle thy wrath and forbeare for thy friends sake to strike him least thou shouldest offend or loose thy good friend This mildenesse and modestie God requireth at thine handes that for his sake thou shouldest forgiue and spare thine enemie his seruant his creature least thou loose his fauour and friendship Somtimes we see a brother to spare a brother lest they should displease their earthly father Esau a reprobate malicious man who bare a deadly hatred to his brother Iacob could say Gen. 27. The daies of mourning for my father will come shortly then will I stay my brother Iacob He would not lay handes vpon his brother while his father lest hee should greeue and offend him and should not we much more refraine from hurting and seeking reuenge vpon our enemie for the loue and reuerence we owe to our heauenly father to whom wee are so many waies indebted especially Christ saying vnto vs So shall my heauenly father doe vnto you Mat. 18. that is deliuer you to the laylors vntill you pay all that is due Except yee forgiue from your hearts each one to his brother their trespasses Ad tam magnum tonitru quinon expergiscitur non dormit sed mortuus est He that is not awaked at this so great thunder is not a sleepe but is a dead man saith S. Augustine If this can little moue thy flinty heart yet let these examples of heathen men preuaile something with thee of whom to be excelled and to come be-bind them in the practise of vertues is not only a shame vnto Christians but shall also condemne them at the day of Iudgement Phillip king of Macedon being counselled to punish one Archadius which continually railed vpon him when hee met him spake kindly vnto him and sent gifts vnto him and afterwards willed his friends to enquire what he said of him among the Greekes And when they answered hee was become a great prayser of the King I am then said hee a better Phisitian then any of you are Hippocinus a noble man conceiuing deepe displeasure against Alcibiades by reason of some iniury done vnto his son The next day early in the morning Alcibiades came vnto his house and being no sooner within his dore cast off his garment and offered his naked body willing him to whip him at his
by euill diet so enemies are an occasion vnto vs of circumspection in our liues and conuersations Rom. 8.28 For we know saith the Apostle that all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God So that a good man receiueth not a wound by the dart of his enemy but an wholesome plaister to cure the ruptures of his soule and to the furtherance of a godly life Thirdly wee should bee prone and ready to for giue because we can not possibly haue peace with God as long as we be at iarre with our Neighbours and therefore the necessity of it should moue vs to forgiue and loue our enemy If yee bite and denoure one another Gal. 5.15 take heede yee be not consumed one of another saith the Apostle We see in an army that the enemy hath neuer so great aduantage as when the Captaine and Souldiers are at discord and strife among themselues but the whole life of a Christian what is it but a warfare vpon earth And if then wee retaine peace with God and our Neighbours wee need not feare our enemies But therefore wee are vanquished of them because we haue little care of this peace amongst our selues This inestimable treasure Christ left with his true members Ioh. 14.27 My peace I giue vnto you my peace I leaue with you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you This peace of the world is the consent of wicked men amongst themselues against God and good men rather to be called a conspiration then a pacification as Herod against Pilate Pilate against Herod yet both agreed to put Christ to death All the Sonnes of Iacob conspiring against Ioseph were friends in wickednesse and held such firme concord together that for many yeers though they dissented among themselues as it commeth often to passe yet they neuer bewrayed to their Father the selling of their Innocent Brother But this is not the peace of Christ which so maketh both one that wee cannot haue peace with God vnlesse we hold peace with our brethren neither can bee at peace with our brethren except wee bee at peace with God first We are all conioyued in God the beginning and author of all things we all receiued our beginning of him and therefore wee are bretheren and neighbours And for this cause as saith Saint Augustine He created man but one and single De ciuit Dei that by this meanes hee might commend vnto vs the vnity of society and bond of concord If men not only be knit together among themselues by the similitude of nature but also by the affection of cognation so that no man may fall away from the loue of God but hee looseth the loue of his Neighbor also or can put off the loue of his Neighbour but with all he looseth the loue of God and so it followeth that if we bee not at peace among our selues wee haue no peace with God if we haue no peace with God we can neither pray nor per form any duty of godlines therefore saith our Sauiour Mat. 5.23 If thou bring thy gift to the Altar there remēbrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar and goe thy way First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy guift And againe when hee taught them to pray he added Mat. 6.14 For if yee forgiue men their trespasses your heauenly Father will also forgiue you But if yee doe not forgiue men their trespasses no more will your Father forgiue you your trespasses God will not accept any seruice at our hands except we be first reconciled to our brethren because there is no peace betweene vs and him as long as there is no Christian amity betweene vs and our Neighbours With what face can wee say the Lords Prayer with what conscience can wee craue forgiuenesse of our heauenly Father of our ten Thousand Talents Mat. 18. of our infinite sinnes against his diuine Maiesty when wee will not forgiue our Brother an hundred pence That is a trespasse of no moment in comparison of our greeuous sinnes dayly against God Is not this the Condition which wee make with God As wee forgiue them which trespasse against vs. O foole saith Saint Augusttine thou prayest against thy selfe is it not as if thou hadst said Lord forgiue mee not seale fast my sinnes forgiue me as I forgiue others but thou knowest that I will not forgiue them that trespasse against me therefore O Lord forgiue mee not And thus through thy hard heartednes thou praiest not for thy selfe but bringest a curse vpon thy selfe Fourthly another motiue which should mooue vs to forgiue is because our enemy is worthy rather of commiseration then retaliation and reuenge But to meete now with the vsuall obiection of carnall men How can I they will say refraine from seeking reuenge against him who with his virulent tongue hath impaired my good name who wrongfullie calleth me into the Law which ledeth mee with many contumelies and neuer ceaseth to reproach me I am not so estranged from the common sence of men but I thinke this to bee a grieuous disease among many Let vs learne now how to cure this festered wound weigh first the losse on either side whether I pray thee doth thine enemy hurt most himselfe or thee He looseth Gods fauour and friendship in vsing thee so iniuriously in reproaching thee he reproacheth God himselfe and in sinning he betrayeth his soule vnto eternall torments and looseth without repentance those eternall ioyes Which the eie hath not seene 1 Cor. 2 9. the eare hath not heard neither hath entred into the heart of man which God hath prepared for them that loue him Hee hath obscured thy good name but he hath betrayed his owne soule he hath but rent thy garment but hee hath wounded his owne heart he hath taken scarce a haire from thee but hee hath bereft himselfe of an eie This being so if there bee in thee the bowels of charity shouldest thou not rather take pitty vpon thine enemy which hath so harmed himselfe then greately to bee mooued in that hee hath done thee a little iniury This the Holy Prophet signifieth when bee saith Ps 113 11. They came about me like bees but they were quenched euen as a fire among thornes The Bee stingeth thy finger but pulleth out his owne bowels Animasque in vulnere ponunt They kill themselues with their stinging and thou enioyest the hony If therefore thou wouldest enioy the hony of heauenly glory it is needfull that thou suffer persecution of these waspish enemies where as the reuengerneuer wanteth a re-action on himselfe whilest he seeks vengeance on man findes vengeance of God whilest he shooteth the sting of reuenge he emptieth himselfe of the bowels of mercy Col. 3 1◠kindnesse humility c. Phocion and Aristides two Noble men of Athens the one being condemned to exile the other to death vnworthily
and growing and is so surely kept that no man can depriue vs of it either by force or craft And then another benefit there is Luk. 12.34 Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also This is of so good effect that if one lay vp treasure in Heauen his heart will follow it What is the reason then that many men can come so hardly to speake of Heauen and heauenly things that one may as easily make a great milstone ascend vp to the Skie as draw their thoughts to heauen-ward the reason is plaine their treasure is not there This knew Salomon when hee said Pro. 11.17 He that is mercifull to the poore rewardeth his owne soule As if he had said euery man will yeeld it is a good thing to bee beneficiall to himselfe and to doe good to his owne soule but it is most certaine that nothing in the VVorld no purchase no bargaine shall bring so much profit to the soule as a mercifull heart and liberall hand to the poore members of Christ Iesus Acts 9.39 This caused Dorcas to bee so full of good workes and almes whose continuall custome was to buy cloth cut it forth and prepare garments for the naked Master Fox recordeth in the story of the Right worthy Lady the Lady Anne Bullen Mother to the late Queene of famous memory Queene Elizabeth that shee vsually sent her messengers into the Townes next adioyning to her abode to vnderstand both the number and state of their poore and where greatest want was shee contributed her almes to the reliefe of their necessities yea and that continually so great was her compassion towards the afflictions of Gods people Let vs then by these examples Remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 as though wee also were bound with them and them that are afflicted as if we also were afflicted Neither let the rich man thinke whom wealth and nobility maketh haughty and proud that therefore hee was formed of gold siluer or some purer substance then the beggar who hath nothing to stand vpon but beggery patchery and penury for of the same masse of the same vile and abiect peece of earth both rich poore were taken Let them againe remember that they are mortall corruptible fraile and subiect to as many chances and changes as any other though neuer so poore and contemptible in the world Iob hauing found this by experience Would not see any perish for want of cloathing Iob 31.19 20. nor any poore without conering yea many blessed him that were warmed with the fleece of his sheepe And hee found the truth of that blessing pronounced by the Prophet Dauid saying Blessed is the man that considereth the poore and needy Psal 41.1 the Lord shall deliuer him in the time of trouble VVhy then despisest thou thine owne flesh why art thou an enemy to thy selfe This consideration should breede in vs such a fellow-feeling of the good or euill ioy or sorrow weale or woe of the members of the same body that wee should Reioyce with them that reioyce Rom. 12.16 and weep with them that weepe Againe 1 Cor. 12.25 That the members should haue the same care one of another Otherwise if wee haue lost this feeling and affection of members it argueth plainely that wee be no true members of the misticall body that we are not ingrafted into the body of Iesus Christ And therefore Saint Iohn assureth vs 1 Ioh. 3.17 That whosoeuer hath this Worlds goods and seeth his brother hath neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him that the loue of God cannot dwel in him If then the loue of God be in thy heart it is knowne by the loue that thou shewest to thy neighbour and if thou louest thy neighbour thou wilt not shew thy selfe hard-hearted and straight laced vnto him in his miseries Euen as the heart that is placed in the middest of the body inclineth most to the left side though indeed it inspireth life to the whole body so though a Christian ought to manifest his loue to euery man and our charity is to bee diffused vnto all men yet should hee bee most prone to the afflicted part and to bestow his charitable beneuolence where there is most neede of succour Charity and loue to our neighbour in humane societie is like the blood in the naturall body which amine streth and conserueth life for as the blood in euery necessity of the body runneth to the indigent parts to succour where is most need so is true charity ouer readie to minister succour and to conuert it selfe thither where is most need and necessity Lucullus hauing sumptuously entertained for some time certain Grâ—â—cians and when they saidâ— vnto him they maruelled that for their sakes hee would bestow such liberall expence and magnificent cost be answered Much my friends was for your sakes but the greatest part was for Lucullus sake So the good Christian who sheweth himselfe mercifull to the poore needy doth surely much for their sakes because hee loueth them as his neighbours and fellow members but much also for his owne sake because hee is delighted in doing good and ioyfully doth the worke of mercy The Holy Ghost compares our deeds of charity to seede sowne Gal. 6.7 They that sow plentifully shall reape also plentifully Now wee know that after sowing in time comes the Haruest and when the haruest commeth there is many for one the Husbandmans labour is recompenced keep your seed by you it will corrupt cast it forth it shall bring in crease VVhat more praise-worthy in a Christian then where God hath blessed industrie gathered and frugalitie saued thereby charitable almesdeeds and workes of mercy to pittie the distressed estates of others especially considering that if we sow but a cup of cold water in conscience and in loue it is sowne vpon Christ Iesus Mat. 25.35 he is the ground For I was hungry and ye gaue mee meate I thirsted and ye gaue mee drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me c. Therefore vnlesse yee thinke that Christ will bee a barren ground it is most certaine that he which scatters seede here shall reape a large increase that which is cast abroade in mercy shall returne againe in goodnes the more good a man doth the more good hee shall receiue for God will restore it But oh what vaine of eloquence or stile of perswasion may now serue in this congealed age of charity to mollifie the steely hearts and thaw the frozen affections of worldlings and make them relent at the miseries of the poore members of Christ Let vs neuer forget that the sentence which the supreame Iudge Iesus Christ shall pronounce at the dreadful day of iudgment shall be grounded vpon the workes of mercy how wee haue discharged our stewardship in the succour and reliefe or in the neglect and contempt of his poore members which hee reputeth as done vnto himselfe And contrariwise he shall send
his graue in peace 1 King 22.19 20. and his eyes should not behold the euill that should bee brought vpon that place Contrariwise the want hereof is threatned as a curse to Ierâ—bâ—â—â—â— and Ahab Kings of Israel that they and their posterity should be deuoured with dogs And because Iehoiakim fell from God it was foretolde vnto him by the Prophet That hee should not bee buried honourably but he should be buried as an Asse is buried euen drawne and cast forth without the gates of Ierusalem Obiect But some will obiect that the faithfull often times want buriall some consumed to ashes some drowned in the waters some deuoured of wild beasts some hanged on gibbets of whom the VVorld was not worthy as the Prophet complayneth Psal 79.2 3. The dead bedies of thy Seruants haue they giuen to be meate to the Fowles of the Heauen and the flesh of thy Saints vnto the heasts of the Earth their blood haue they shed like waters round about Ierusalem and there was 〈◊〉 to bury them I answer Resol all temporall chastisements are common to the godly and vngodly as famin plague pestilence sword nakednesse and such like punishments which God shooteth as his arrowes against the sonnes of men The fauour of God bringing saluation standeth not in these outward things for as it cannot profit a wicked and wretched man to bee solemnly interred and costly buried dying out of the fauour of God As is noted in the Parable of the rich glutton so it shall not hurt a righteous man Luk. 10 22 23. to want a sumptuous solemnizing of his funerall Yet let vs make a difference betweene the body of man and beast for as man differeth from the beast in his life Gen. 2.7 Made after the image of God fashioned to looke vpward created with a reasonable soule and sundry other prerogatiues so hee should in his death and buriall The bodies of beasts are drawne forth being dead to lie in the open aire to be deuoured one of another and it skilleth not but it is vnseemely and vnlawfull against order and honesty that the dead bodies of men should be cast out vnburied into ditches and dunghils or such foule and filthy places And therefore Iehuspeaking of Iezabel cast downe out of her window and hauing her blood sprinckled vpon the wall said Visit now yonder cursed woman 2 King 9.34 and bury her Seeing then that the dead carkasse of man is so vnsauoury and loathsom by reason of sinne and seeing buriall is a blessing where it is bestowed and a curse where it is denied we conclude that it is a courteous and commendable duty testifying our loue and reuerence to the dead so soone as life is departed and death hath arrested them to commit the body to the graue And thus haue I albeit in a weake measure particularly set downe what I could touching each duty of mercy both to soule and body desiring and humbly beseeching all those into whose hands this Treatise shall happen so to shew mercy vnto others as they would haue mercy as the hands of God towardes themselues Les vs therefore hee mercifull as our Heauenly Father is mercifull Thus much touching the precept The President In these words As your father which is in heauen is merciful FIrst whereas Christ teacheth vs to call God father wee are emboldned to make our suits vnto him least we might say as Abraham what be we Gen. 18.27 which are but dust and ashes to talke vnto God Secondly when wee confide him as a father in the very beginning of our prayer wee acknowledge his bounty and grace For first this name of father is a name to moue vs to come vnto him The wandring sonne said Ibo adpatrem I will goe vnto my father Luk. 15.18 Secondly it is a name of priuiledge Rom 8.18 Hee hath giuen vs saith the Apostle his spirit whereby wee cry Abba father And thirdly it is a name of prouidence your heauenly father careth for you 1. Pet. 5.7 But how come wee to call God by a name of loue of priuiledge and of prouâ—dence Surely hee that willeth vs to call God father hath made him our father Hee hath giuen vs power Ioh. 1.12 to become the sonnes of God In the old law God is called by the name of Lord Ego Dominus I the Lord there his people are called seruants now from the name of the Lord he is called father his people from feruants are become sonnes and all by the meanes of Christ Iesus Ascende ad patrem meum patrem vestrum I go to my father and your father my God and your God Now calling God father as it is a name of dignitie for it is thought to goe well with the children of a rich and louing father so is it a name of duty And as he hath the properties of a rich and louing father to loue to care for and to pitty so should wee haue also the quallities and properties of good children to honour him to serue him and to obey him lest it bee said as it was once of some Nutriui filios Esay 1.2 I haue nourished children and they haue rebelled aganist me Secondly as Christ called God here by the name and title of a father so in like manner hath he to the comfort of vs his chosen children and seruants entituled himselfe by the name of our father After this maÌ„ner pray Our Father which art in heauen c. And first this may teach vs with bouldnesse to call and cry vnto God being our so mercifull so louing and so carefull a father in all our necessities and afflictions Call vpon me sayth almighty God Psal 50.15 in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise me Secondly this teacheth vs when wee pray to pray all in one Let not the rich and mighty therefore dispise the poore and needy it is the will of our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus to haue vs altogether to call to God our father why then should any one contemne or disdaine others Thirdly this may admonish vs to loue one another and to haue a participation or fellow feeling of the wants and miseries of our brethren according to the counsell of the Apostle Rom. 12.16 Reioyce with them that reioyce weepe with them that weepe and bee of like affection one towards an other Iohn 13.34.35 A new commandement I gine you that ye loue one another By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if ye loue one another This so commendable a vertue nature her selse hath taught the wise men euen among the heathen which were wont to say Nihiltam esse secundum Naturam quam iuuare consortem nature nothing is more agreeable to nature then to helpe them that pertake with vs in the same nature especially seeing the creator of nature hath indued vs with the same condition of nature that no man should