Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A67603
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The rule of charity: or, The liberal mans guide design'd, for the use of all good Christians. Being the pious result of a lay-man's ordinary meditations. By H.W. Gent. Licensed according to order.
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H. W. (Henry Waring)
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1690
(1690)
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Wing W858; ESTC R219405
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35,835
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107
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the Messiah to Defend the Poor Heal the Infirm and Succour the Afflicted Solomon his Son informs us Prov. 29. 7. A Righteous Man considereth the cause of the Poor adding in the 14. ver of the same Chapter The King that faithfully judgeth the Poor shall have his Throne Established And this is the Wisest of Monarchs You may read in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah The way to Divine and Eternal Honour is dealing thy Bread to the Hungry lodging Exiles covering the Naked and in a strange Phrase to draw out thy Soul to the Empty Then He continues Thy Light shall arise from Obscurity thy pristine Darkness shall become Light and resemble the Sun in its Glory This is the Evangelical Prophet We read in the 22. Chap. of Ezekiel GOD threatneth the Jews with many terrible Judgments for Oppressing the Stranger and Vexing the Fatherless and Widow This is the Priest of the Captives transferr'd with Jehoiachim Daniel maketh Alms the truest sign of sincere Repentance and will have Charity put into the definition of the Righteous This is the Man of Visions to whom all Changes which should concern the Jews from the Babylonian Captivity to the general Resurrection was Revealed These preceded the Messiah and their Writings make the biggest part of the Old Testament Let us now consult the Gospel To begin with the Baptist These Alms are the good Fruit He demands Fruit fit for Penitents to produce Our dear Master Preacheth the same Doctrine St. Luke II. Give Alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you As if C HRIST had told us Alms are instead of all Levitical Purifications and are accepted in Heaven sooner than the curious Prescription of Moses Love is a Flame that cleanseth better than the Legal Rites and a Fire that is consistent with Holy Water the small Sacrifices of Christian Love recommended in the New-Testament have Vertues Superior to the first Fruits and those greater ones of the Old-Testament They have power to Sanctifie our Whole Estate to make it Firm and Fertile and to propagate it with our Issue 'T is more Blessed to Give than to Receive that 's a Maxim of the Blessed JESVS which his Apostles and Disciples did approve and every true Christian will acknowledge St. Peter mightily presseth us to Christian Love and Hospitality 1. Ep. cap. 1. ver 22. Seeing you have purified your Souls in Obeying the Truth through the Spirit and to unfeigned love of the Brethren see that you love one another with pure Heart fervently This is the Prince of the Apostles St. John speaks of nothing so much as Love and Charity 1 Ep. St. John cap. 4 Let us Love one another for Love is of GOD c. This is the Beloved Disciple St. James extols good Works much and with some vehemence promotes Charity deriding the Solifidian Professors that have nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides a strong credulity with which Julian upbraided some early Believers that expected Salvation by Faith only This James was the first Christian Bishop of the Holy City Jerusalem St. Paul whose Writings too many wrested to their own Destruction which was one cause some other Apostles wrote so little and some wrote nothing He was careful and zealous to deal with the first Christians of Rome and those in Greece and Asia for a Collection as St. Peter St. James and St. John had charged him when he first Travelled to make Proselytes Gal. 2. And this is the great Doctor of the Gentiles Will you have another added to these Four great Apostles The Author of that Learned Epistle to the Hebrews writeth in this manner To do Good and to Communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices GOD is well pleased If you will contend that Epistle was Written by St. Paul I shall be content to Humor you seeing the Doctrine of good Works shall receive no disparagement by his Authority Thus far the Duty hath been ratify'd by Precepts But Examples are more forcible motives to Well-doing and are as numerous in the Bible pointing out to Christians as so many Mercuries the direct way to Felicity Abraham sitting at the door of his Tent looketh for some weary Traveller to whom he may give an Instance of his Charity who for his repeated Works of Mercy deserv'd the Reverend Title of the Father of the Faithful Lot standing at the Gate of his City doth expect some distressed Stranger to make experiment of his Kindness and Taste his Hospitality He gave the wandring Passenger a Meeting lest he should be prevented in his Courtesies This was an Oriental Prince and Prelate Patron of the Five Cities and Lord of Zoar. It was the custom of Job to entertain the Fatherless in his House and invite the Poor to his own Table This Man if you will have it so was High-Priest of Hierapolis and Prince in Arabia Solomon in such Practises was Exemplary shewing himself in Love as well as Empire a Successor to his Father David This Man after God's own Heart thought himself not degraded by particular Acts of Devotion and Charity He knew how to reconcile Love and Honor and reputed himself no less a King for distributing at certain Seasons a Loaf of Bread a Flaggon of Wine and a Portion of Flesh to every single Person of his decay'd Subjects Observe how the Jews when they were return'd from their Captivity celebrated their Festivals with remarkable Contributions Their Forms of Devotion ended they did enjoy themselves in a generous participation of Delicacies they drank freely to Chearfulness not to Excess and dispatcht away Provisions to the Poorest Families that they might be sharers in the Joy and the Feast which they were not able to furnish and be made Partakers in the Gratitude they paid to Heaven by shewing themselves pleas'd for National Blessings We read Gen. 21. 33. of the Patriarchs Grove which the Rabbins inform us was planted purposely for Charitable Entertainments which they gather because the Letters of the Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eshel a Grove signifie by Cabalism Meat Drink and Lodging viz. Achilah Sh 〈…〉 tyan Linah To pass from the Jews to the Christians How are the Churches of Achaia and Macedonia celebrated in St. Paul's Epistles for their generous Contributions The Prayers and Alms of Cornelius ascended to GOD shewing their Master the way to Heaven And tho' both are very laudable yet the Fathers ascribe to Alms the preheminence So to Live and practice Religion is to accomplish the Laws and comply with the Will of Solomon 'T is to do more than that comes to for Solomon was but a Type of Christ But to exercise Love is to follow the steps of Christ himself and to obey the Dictates of the Supream Master who having no Purse-bearer for Himself had always a Treasurer for the Distressed and daily wrought Miracles to satisfie their Wants in the Wilderness choosing rather to Fast Forty Days than to multiply Loaves for appeasing his own
Hunger He having no House to hide his Head in laid his Commands upon the Heavens that his Followers might be freed from the Injuries of the ill Weather While he was contentedly depriv'd of ordinary conveniencies He was not contented his Disciples should suffer but for their sakes made use of his Divinity that He might shew Himself Hospitable in the Desart 'T is not for Men alone to pretend to or claim the Glory that attends Christian Love for Women seem naturally more Compassionate Sacred and Prophane Story will furnish us with Infinite Precedents of their Charity The Zereptan Widdow to relieve the Prophet Eliah hazzards the Pining of her self and her Son and puts to the adventure all the sad accidents of a miserable Famine Another cast Two Mites into the Corban or Sacred Treasury from which the Poor of all sorts were Relieved It was her Whole Pittance and to approve her self Charitable she runs the Risk of the most disconsolate effects of Poverty Charity the Name is Feminine and hath always been Pictur'd in the Shape and with the Features of a Beautiful Woman The Christian Church takes delight in the rehearsal of the Names of her loving and her officious Daughters She hath many such as Dorcas that imploy and please themselves in Lodging Strangers in working admirable Pieces for Temples and Altars and designing their Studies and Portions for the publick Uses of True Religion They exercise their Christian Vertues by giving Alms daily Washing the Saints Feet Visiting the Sick and Comforting all those that are in any manner of Affliction Credible Historians acquaint us with the Hospitality of the Ancient City Bretinore in Italy how the Burgesses vyed Bounty strived to exceed one another in putting Obligations upon Strangers So great was their emulation to do good that in sine they determin'd to Erect a Collume in their Market to which Brazen Rings in Plates were fastened upon those Plates the Names of all the Noted Families in Town were Engraven'd all Strangers were carried thither and made choice of one of those Names for their Reception The House to which the Stranger by choice desir'd to resort was forthwith inform'd by one of the daily Waiters the Master of the Family thereupon came rejoycing and conducted his Guests that was sometimes miserable Poor to his House with signs of Triumph And why not seeing Charity goes attended with Reward and Victory 'T is not always that we ought to do well with so much Solemnity For many times Works of Mercy are best perform'd with privacy Sound not a Trumpet when thou givest Alms says our dear Master St. Matthew 6. No not a Trumpet says Chrysologus because such Kindness attended with a Noise cometh not so much like a Friend as like an Enemy It seems to Insult over the Wants of the Receiver and to assault his Modesty This is not to Relieve so much as to Triumph over thy poor Brother It is worse It is an upbraiding of GOD as if He was beholding to your Favour and could not enable that poor Heart to Subsist without your Charity If that be the English way of giving Alms such Donors must pay themselves with the popular Name of Patriots or Benefactors to the Publick They must forbear their Pretensions to future Recompence because our Great Master declares they have their Reward The prevailing Prayers of the Poor and the never-failing Promise of GOD shall prove but of small advantage to their mistaken Souls that had no respect to either of them in their Alms-giving but only to the Applause of the People Let it suffice that GOD discerns thy Bounty make Him only thy Witness that is to be thy Judge and the Righteous GOD shall make Requital that knows how much confidence you repose in his Justice You may remain assur'd He that would not have the Left-hand know what the Right-hand giveth will not allow you to tell them that will tell every Body how much you bestow Give Alms there where there is no Man to discover it and Thy Father which seeth in Secret will Reward you openly Thus we have Traverst the Commandment Let us proceed to the Promise Thou shalt find thy Bread after many Days which thou dost cast upon the Waters Seeing Riches are valuable Blessings such as afford us in this Life no despicable Comforts it concerns us to know for whose sake upon what account we cast them away for it is somewhat to deprive our selves and our Posterity of their Service Hear me therefore and acknowledge the Charitable Practices of the Church to be sounded upon the highest Reason You will be loath to part with your Treasure but upon the best Security you shall have the best Word of a King and a Priest and They are both inviolable Solomon ingages his Honour that you shall find it which is as much as to secure you you shall be no Losers What you scatter upon the Waves doth not Perish but the Stream will return to restore your Kindness Have you never seen a Ship of good Burthen Laden with the Richest Merchandize Arrive in a safe Haven She carries out of the Owners sight She makes a Voyage of many days yet at length she returns her Treasure upon the Exchange and brings the Adventurer an advantageous Cargo But the Ship may be wrackt and there the Lading may Perish But Here you run no such hazzard For supposing the Poor should Miscarry your Alms will be safely conveyed to the Port for the Bearer is no sooner out of your Door or the Gift out of your Hand but GOD takes it into his Protection and Custody Holy Angels are the Convoy and CHRIST looking upon the Donative now to be Consecrated undertakes to ballance all Losses He considers of Gains to place to the Donor's Account and of a way to double your Interest The Lord chargeth himself with the Gift where-ever it is and therefore doth not allow you to demand or expect Repayment by Word or Deed from a Third Person Let it be the part of Publicans and Sinners to Feast their thriving Neighbours while He that designs to perform Acts of Charity must by his Invitations make the Sick the Blind and the Lame his Guests and those poor People that want a Dinner So shall he be Blessed so shall he make himself a growing Interest If he dare take the Word of the World 's Messiah he shall not fail to be Rewarded at the Resurrection of the Just St. Luke 14. which some offer to assert shall precede the general Resurrection The Reward is certain Thou shalt find it the Terms are positive Our good Deeds cannot pass unregarded Not a Cup of cold Water not a Morsel of Bread shall escape GOD's Notice or fall short of His remuneration Thou shalt find it Thou thy self 'T is a strange Kindness that all Persons have for their own Flesh and Blood Men are now a-days more than ever Lovers of themselves and they will adventure that upon their own Heads which