temporals for eternals It does our brother good and it pleaseth God It blesses our store and keeps the rest of the lump from Corrupting It brings down many blessings on our selves and estates and on our children If we shew no mercy now 't is because we dare not Trust God or we do not Love him VVe doubt his Truth or we question his Power And if we do are egregious hypocrites when we pretend to any faith in God or love to our neighbour Such a faith we may have as will save our Estates but will never save our Souls And in vain we pretend to love God when we refuse to relieve our brother I Shall conclude with the words of the Apostle Whoso hath this worlds goods and seeth his brother have need and shutteth 〈◊〉 his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God iâ— him My little Children let us not love in Word neither in Tongue but in Deed and in Truth 1 John 3.17 18. Having premised these things and in that also complyed with your Request I shall now return to those severals which I propounded to speak to in the beginning of this Paper First I shall shew how a Man may so give Alms as they may turn to his own Account That is I shall lay before the good Man some Rules of giving Alms that may secure the Duty and make him certain of the Blessing And they are these that follow 1. He must do it deliberately and in cold Blood That is he must take care that it be his own Act as much as may be Hence it is that we many times lose our Reward because the good we do was not premeditated and designed it was not the Issue and Result of our purpose We are fermented into a Charitable paroxism or heat by the Example of another upon some sudden surprize to gratifie a present humour or some prevailing Passion Perhaps the Poor man surprises us and he does it in Company and then we think our Reputation concern'd and we give something or else he follows us with great Importunity Multi sunt quos liberales facit frontis infirmitas Sen. and we give to be rid of his Noise and purchase our Quiet with our Alms. And in these cases we give but did not intend we bestow but did not choose And though we may do good in the Event yet we Designed it not And whatever good we do to another we take not a course to do a kindness to our selves And Men sometimes do a kindness and Repent when they have done it But that God accepts which we do deliberately and of Choice ' That 's our Act which we design and purpose before hand For as that cannot be called Malice how mischevous soever which was not fore thought and intended no more can that be called Charity how profitable soever otherwise which was not Designed God looks at our purpose and accepts of that which we choose to do To this purpose are the Apostles words to be understood Donne ce qu'il aura resolu en luy même de donner vide French Traâ—â—â—atioâ— Printed at Mons. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every Man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give 2 Cor. 9.7 As he purposeth in his heart i. e. as he resolved in himself before so let him give as a late Translation hath it And surely 't is a great Commendation of their Charity of whom the Apoâ—â—le affirms that they had begun before not onely to do but also to be forward a year before 2 Cor. 8.10 To be forward we render it but the Greek signifies to be willing That is They had of themselves formed the Design the Year past even before they were spoken to To which sence the same Translation turns those words And that it is the Readiness of Will and purpose that God regards is evident from what follows v. 11 12. And the Apostle would have the good man lay by him in store what he intends to bestow in Alms 1 Cor. 16.2 And the very Heathen have Observed that many Men do bestow their Benefits rashly and without Judgment Quae beneficia aquè magna non sunt habenda atque ea quae judicio consideratè constanterque delata sunt Cicero de Offic l. 1. being hurried by an impetuous mind as by a strong Wind and he well Observes that those kindnesses and Benefits come short of those which are done with Judgment Consideration and Constancy So that 't is very advisable that we should before hand set apart so much for the Poor and then 't is ours no longer and we may bestow it to no other Use than that to which we have Designed it and after this it must be our care to bestow it as we see most needful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl in locum 2. The next Rule I would give is that he give speedily As we have Opportunity or whiles we have time let us do good Gal. 6.10 That is let us do it in our Life time and because our Life is short and uncertain also let us do it speedily Let us make our Eyes our Overseers and our Hands our Executors Tâ—â—â— good when we lye a dying is neither so Praise-worthy nor yet so safe Besides that he that was long before he did it was a great while before he was willing 'T is small Charity to bestow that which we can keep no longer and we run a peradventure in leaving that to others which we might see done our selves He takes the wisest course that takes the present time and he that does not give presently perhaps will never give at all Indeed our intention is rewardable but 't is so onely when it is sincere and the best Evidence of its sincerity is to do good to our Brother when 't is in the power of our hand And thus Solomon does Advise us to do Prov. 3.27 28. when we do what we can our good will is Accepted If we do not this we have cause to fear we use a subter-refuge The Apostle hath Ruled this case If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 2 Cor. 8.12 Our Intention is then accepted when we can go no further But he that can do it presently and yet delays does not do what he can and according to what he hath Our Time and with it our Opportunities of doing good is flying hastily from us and there is no wisdom or Operation in the Grave It hath been thought good Advice that the Jew gave his Scholar when he bid him Repent one day before he dyed and that because he did thereby require him to Repent presently because he could not tell but he might dye the next day What good we do let us do it quickly or else perhaps it will be too late How many men have we known prevented in their Charitable intentions We know not what a day
besides the day of expiation their Oblations or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that were constantly paid to the Priests and their long and frequent journeys to Jerusalem and their offerings there for their sins and trespasses for their first born and of their first fruits besides their payments for the service of the Tabernacle their other offerings and Emergent expences which the law required not to speak of their lex agraria and the other precepts which prescinded the opportunities of becoming greatly rich were things of great charge and which did yearly expend a great proportion of their Estates And I fear that our love to the world is so great and our devotion so small that we should have been very uneasie under such a service and perhaps have gone as unwillingly to Gods Temple as the Beast we should have sacrificed would have gone to have been slain at the Altar But now since God requires nothing more of us but to do justly and to love mercy and walk humbly before God we ought out of gratitude to shew kindness to one another 3. For Spiritual Mercies and the great care God hath taken of our souls These loudly call upon us to do good to the Poor Hath not God given his Son to Die that we might Live Hath he not Blessed us with the Revelation of his will And hath he not given an assurance of the aid of his Divine Spirit Hath he not given us the means of Grace and the hope of Glory Hath he not lengthned out to us the time and space of Repentance when there are many placed amongst the Dead and Damned Does he not still follow us with Importunities and Beseechings that we would turn and live Does he not wooe and beseech us to be Happy Does he not do it though he need us not and will be nevertheless happy though we are miserable Oh that Men would retire a little and be alone and well consider and ponder upon these things Let us but think how deplorably miserable we were if God had not thus provided for us Let us but suppose our selves bereft of the means of Grace and of all hope of Glory who could express the horror of such a Condition as should deprive us of these Benefits No Tongue could express no Heart conceive the greatness of such a Misery Shall we then think much after we have received so much Mercy from God to do good to an Enemy to do good to a poor Man to help a Widdow or a Fatherless Child Shall our eye be evil when our Lords hath been so good Shall we spare our Purse when God hath not spared his Son Shall we shut up our Bowels against our Brother after such great pity shewen us from God Methinks such love of God should thaw and unlock the most frozen heart Methinks it should enter into hearts of stone And methinks no Breast should be so impregnable as not to surrender to such a Force and Power We must needs yield and say What shall we render to the Lord for all his Mercies And think it a poor acknowledgment of our Thankfulness to bestow our Goods upon the Poor Fourthly we are bound to help the Poor and to do good to the Needy because we shall be Judged hereafter according to the good we do here A great Truth this is however we Dispute or distinguish our selves out of our Duty We are witty and crafty to find a Cheap way to Heaven to contrive a Faith that shall save our Souls and our Estates also A Faith that shall Justifie our Persons whether it cleanse our Hearts or no. VVe are careful of giving God too much and though we profess a great esteem for our Religion yet we take care that it keep its distance and Usurp not over our Temporal Concerns We are so much against Merits that we suspect good works also We Divide between God and the World God shall have good Words some faint intentions a few cold Prayers but an hearty Love an unwearied diligence and vigorous Endeavours we reserve for the World VVell so it is we are crafty and we flatter our selves but our craft will but Ruine us VVe shall find it a great Truth that he who shews no Mercy shall Receive none Let us not deceive our selves the time draws on apace when we shall give a severe Account of our Time and our Abilities our Estates and Opportunities in a word of all our Lords Money that we have received And much shall be Required of them that have Received much VVe shall not onely give Account how we get but how we use our Estates And not onely the Oppressor and unjust Steward but the Unprofitable Servant shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven VVe are told how the Sentence will run hereafter Depart ye Cursed not because ye Oppressed the Poor and grieved the VVidow but because I was hungred and ye gave me no Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no Drink c. 'T is Mercy makes way and leads us to the greatest Mercy Come ye Blessed of my Father c. not because ye did Miracles or Suffered Martyrdom or Lived a single Life or used Severities to your Bodies not because you went on Pilgrimages and Visited Shrines and Holy Reliques but I was an hungry and ye gave me Meat c. Mat. 25. Fifthly Shewing Mercy to one another is more pleasing to God than other services which were not onely of his own Appointment but had also a particular reference and Relation to Him To do good and Communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Now God may be said to be well pleased with our doing good with this Sacrifice of Mercy 1. In Opposition to the Bloody and Legal Sacrifices that were prescribed by the Law of Moses They were Sacrifices properly so called and of Gods appointment They were Homages and Acknowledgments of the Divine Sovereignty and such as were in Use both before the Law and before the Flood among Gods People and among the Heathen These did God Command and bear witness to with Fire from Heaven and therefore with these Sacrifices God was pleased But yet was more pleased with Mercy than Sacrifice even then when Bloody Sacrifices were Commanded This pleased him better than the Fat and Blood that was presented at his Altar God did not delight in Burnt-Offerings nor Calves of a Year old not in Thousands of Rams nor in ten thousand Rivers of Oyl not in the Fruit of our Body for the sin of our soul but Required of his worshippers that they should do justly and love Mercy c. Mic. 6.6 7 8. The unmerciful Man was always unwelcome to Gods Altar he frowned upon Cain whatever his Oblation was who did not Love his Brother Acts of Mercy and Kindness he always smelt a sweet savour in For bloody Sacrifices they were never welcom alone or for their own sake nor were they always to continue VVhen the Lamb of God was Offered
up and the Temple fallen down they were to cease But neither the Death of Christ nor the Fall of a Temple shall put an end to these Spiritual Sacrifices Mr. Mede Book 1. Dist 49. This Christian Charity and Compassion is a Fire that must burn in our hearts for ever now the fire upon the Altar of Brass hath of so long a time been put out Among the several sorts of Oblations in the Law of Moses there was one sort which was not Typical nor was it to be done away by the Coming and death of the Messias and that was the Teruma For this was an Oblation whose very Nature did import Prayer or Thanksgiving By this Oblation Men acknowledged Gods goodness and Sovereignty and testified their acknowledgment by Offering unto God out of their substance their Tribures of Praise Now these things we are concerned in as much as the Jews ever were and shewing Mercy to our Brother is a Sacrifice of this Nature And 't is farther to be Observed that for this Terumah or Heave Offering it is never mentioned among those Sacrifices which the Messias was to do away when he should appear Of the Messiah the Prophet Daniel fore-tells that he should cause to cease the Sacrifice and Oblation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 9.27 that is all the Offerings of fire whatever whether bloody Sacrifices or Meat-Offerings The Apostle mentions Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices for Sin Heb. 10.6 But then the Terumah or Oblation of Praise was not done away And to this purpose we have a saying among the Jewish Writers That every Corban or Sacrifice should cease but that the Sacrifice of Praise should never cease Buxtorf Lexic Rabbin in voce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now as the Poor are Gods Charge as they bear his Image and are his Receivers so we Offer up this Sacrifice of Praise when we Communicate to them and when we do it we Offer up a Sacrifice more pleasing to God than he that Offered up Thousands of Fatlings upon his Altar 2. In contradistinction to the other Spiritual Sacrifices which we are bound to Offer up to God He that Prays to God as he should and Meditates of Heavenly things he that Lauds and Magnifies the Name of God Offers up a Sacrifice which God is pleased with But then he that does good to his Brother he that helps the Poor Teaches the Ignorant Visits the Fatherless and Widow Offers up a Sacrifice with which God is well pleased also Ay better pleased than with our other Devotions to himself God delights to see us love one another This is more pleasing to Him than our long Prayers our deep Contemplation of Heavenly things our Hymns of Praise and Thanksgiving our Passionate and rapturous Meditations God is willing to stay for the Sacrifices we are to Offer unto him till we be first Reconciled to our Brother Our shewing Mercy to him is pure Religion and undefiled 'T is this we shall come principally into account for at the last day Mat. 5.23 24. James 1.27 Mat. 25. To what hath been said let me add that the work it self carries with it an Invitation When we do good to another we do a kindness to our selves we do Create our selves a new pleasure He that shews Mercy to a Man in his misery does a double kindness at once and 't is hard to say which is the greater one to his Brother and another to himself There is a Delight and Joy that Accompanies doing good there is a kind of sensuality in it As unmercifulness and Oppression are attended with horror so are mercy and kindness with Joy and Pleasure 'T is a blessed thing to give I may add that we all stand nearly related to one another Every other man is a part of our selves and partakes of that Nature which our Lord did not disdain to take upon him The poorest Man is our Brother and he is the Image of our God and the price of our Lords Blood The distance between us is not great and if we look up but ten Generations above the Flood we shall find that we are a Kin. Let no Man think himself unconcerned in the Poor they are his Relatives and when he provides for them he provides for his own The Jews give us several Reasons why at the beginning of the World one man alone was made from whom all others were to be derived Among the rest they tell us that it was because no Man should boast of his Parentage and Noble Blood beyond his Neighbour Lactant. l. 6. c. 10. Sanhedrin c. 4. m. 5. But sure I am it does sufficiently recommend Charity and Mercy as well as Humility We ought to be kind one to another as proceeding from the same stock God hath made us all of one Blood Acts 17.26 And this should teach us sincere kindness and hearty Love to one another There are a certain People in the World that call Men by the Phrase of the Moieties of others Needy Men they call Needy Moieties And so sure they are Mâ—â—â—â—â—gn's Essays l. 1. p. 106. They are so many pieces of Humane Nature one and the same Nature is shared out and divided amongst them The same Blood runs in all their Veins and the same breath is in the Nostrils of them all they came from the same Root and are of the same Family This should teach us the greatest kindness to one another He that is unmerciful to a man is so to his own Nature He that covers not the Naked hides himself from his own Flesh as the Prophet does express it Isa 58.7 Remember them that are in Bonds as bound with them and them which Suffer Adversity as being your selves also in the Body Heb. 13.3 In that we are in the Body we are partakers of the same Nature as weâ—â— as liable to the same miseries and Infirmities Again I may well suppose my Brothers Case my own for it hath been or it may be ours Cui vis potest accidere quod cuiquam potest Now in this case let us but do as we would be done by He that will not give takes it for granted that he shall never want For if he did but suppose he should himself want he would be glad both of pity and relief and therefore would think himself Obliged to shew it We cannot tell what may happen but we may well suppose that we shall not always be prosperous 'T will be well that we sometimes put the case to our selves that we were stript of all our Wealth and then we cannot sure but shew the Mercy that we would receive Besides all that hath been said the mercy and pity we shew will not be unrewarded If we give God hath said he will repay Prov. 19.17 VVhat we give will be at once a gift and a debt VVe may if we will when we give to the poor set down so much at such a time lent to God There is no money we lay out turns to
may bring forth 3. Let the Alms giver take care that what he gives be the Effect of Divine Charity and Kindness This Rule shall not need seem strange For we may give as the Apostles words suppose all our Goods to feed the Poor and our Bodies to be burnt and yet be void of Charity 1 Cor. 13.3 VVhatever we do of this Nature must proceed from the love of God and be accompanied with a most hearty Love to our Brother who is his Image There may be many Considerations may incline us to give t is our Love that makes it Rewardable And then a Cup of Cold VVater given to a Disciple of Christ in the Name of a Disciple shall not lose a Reward Mat. 10.42 VVe must not onely Help but we must Pity our Brother Our Religion teaches us Mercy and Compassion and we are Obliged by it to Pity as well as to Aid our Brother It Commands us to put on Bowels of Mercâ—â— Col. 3.12 The Doctrine of the Stoicks allowed the good man to help but forbad him to Pity and Compassionate the Needy But we learn to do both from the Example and the Precepts of our Lord. Senec. de Clement l. 2. c. 5. Our to do both from the Example and the Precepts of our Lord. Our Alms must be the Off-spring of our Charity and Kindness and if we were allowed to be void of Pity and Compassion 't is to be feared our Relief would be but small He is most likely to help his Neighbour that hath a great sense of his Misery And Christianity hath provided better for the Poor than the Philosophy of the Stoicks Our Gift without Kindness is like our Prayer without Devotion It is not like to be great or lasting or proportionate to our Brothers Needs and the Obligations we are under to relieve him If we love greatly we shall give largely But if we be void of bowels no wonder that we abound not in good works 4. He that gives Alms must have a great care of Pride and Ostentation He must watch against it very severely and diligently 'T is our Saviours Rule Take heed that you do not your Alms before men to be seen of them otherwise ye have no Reward of your Father which is in Heaven Therefore when thou dost thine Alms do not sound a Trumpet before thee as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues and in the Streets that they may have Glory of Men Verily I say unto you they have their Reward But when thou doest Alms let not thy Left hand know what thy Right hand doeth That thine Alms may be in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall Reward thee openly Mat. 6.1 Let him chase away every proud thought that would arise in his mind and remember that when he hath done all he can he is an unprofitable Servant Otherwise he gives to himself and not to the Poor He hath an ill aim and he does lose his Reward I am far from thinking that we may not give openly and in the view of others we may do this and it is sometimes needful and at other times convenient We are not strictly Obliged to give all our Alms privately But we are indispensably Obliged to avoid Ostentation and vain-glory And because we shall be most liable to this Temptation when we give publickly therefore it is safest that we do it in secret He that gives must have no other aim but to do good and to approve himself to God 5. He that gives must do it without any hopes of Amends or Restitution He must look for nothing back again 'T is our Saviours Rule Do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your Reward shall be great c. Luke 6.35 We may Lawfully have respect to the recompence of a future reward But we must have a great care that we expect not this from them whom we relieve 6. Let him give to all Let us do good to all Men Gal. 6.10 Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away Mat. 5.42 If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him Drink Rom. 12.20 .. 'T is enough that our Brother wants this makes him a fit Object of our Mercy Though he be a wicked man and unthankful yet we must relieve him Though he be of another Opinion of a different Religion a Stranger and an Alien yet he is a Man and we must help him Where the Necessity is equal let him first relieve the good man But where it is not he must give to him that needs most And provided we give not what will minister to the Lust of an Evil man we must give to him And the farther our Charity extends the more like it is to the Love of God For though we say it begins at home and I wish it did not with many of us end there too yet it must go farther off to our greatest Enemies and the worst of men if it be genuine and of the right stamp 7. He must do it with great Cherfulness and Alacrity not grudgingly or of Neoessity for God loveth a chearful giver 2 Cor. 9.7 'T was the advice of Siracides In all thy Gifts shew a chearful Countenance Ecclus 35.9 Let us not need Graning and Skrewing up to so Blessed a work He is an ill Souldier that follows his Leader with Sighs God is not pleased with the Sacrifice that we bring unwillingly In Complyance with this Rule let us give as we would receive Let us do it before we are asked Let us seek after Objects of our Compassion Let us prevent with kinkness and be before hand with our Brother Let us prevent with appear that we are as willing to give as the Needy to receive There are some Cases in which we must do thus Some men have nothing left but great Needs and great Modesty Here we must seek out and Enquire I shall not need to say after all this that he that gives Alms must give what is his own That is to be supposed He must first be Just and pay his Debts and make his Restitutionâ— else he does but Rob one to give to another and must never 〈◊〉 that such Alms will attone for his injustice And thus Sir I have shewn how we may give to our own Advantage We may now Adventure upon a safe Bottom I am â—ot able to tell you where any Trading or Wealthy man can put out his Silver to so safe a bank There 's no man that Trafficks but runs an hazard onely the good and prudent Alms-giver runs none at all It would have been happy for many men that they had put out more of their Wealth this way This would have turned to a great Account when the course they took turned to none at all I do not know but they might by this course have preserved these Estates which have for want of this seasoning Perished and Coâ—â—â—nâ—ed For certainly if there be a God and a