conscience of humane office and dutie which he would haue preserued in the middest of them and such also as he hath vsed for his more holie and honorable instruments for the direction and instigation of his people from time to time to walke not onelie in humanitie but euen in Christian mercie compassion toward their brethren in a holie communion of Saintes before him Not for necessitie of proofe or for power of perswasion as if the holie Scriptures were not alone sufficient to euerie holie vse both of doctrine reprehension comfort and exhortation but that euery one that wil not shut his eyes may more clearely perceiue that he shall stand euery way conuict and condemned before God and in his owne conscience and before the world if he do not mind and practise the duties herein conteined And that especially in more then ordinary hard times such as of late haue continued for sundry yeares together and are like againe to renew vpon vs if we call not the more earnestly vpon God for mercie and if we shall not more vnfeinedly repent of our most grieuous sinnes which haue as it were armed his iustice and kindled his wrath against vs. And in this respect I trust such addition of sentences shall not be vngratefully accepted either of the learned who will take an honest and scholler-like delight in the elegancie of the speech wherein the Authours expresse their graue and weightie meditations of these matters or of the vnlearned for whose sake I will English at the least the more briefe and principall of them And the rather haue I this trust because they will wisely consider that there is more libertie allowable this way in a course of writing then in an vsuall order and custome of preaching and againe because in no other argument may this be to better purpose performed then in that which is presently in hand Excellency of Giuing THE FIRST PART of the Treatise CHAP. 1. What Giuing is IN so much as in this argument of Giuing Receiuing Giuing as was obserued in part before hath the first place in order it being as it were by birth and course of nature before Receiuing but much rather in so much as it is of greatest preheminence and worth in dignitie to the which also belongeth the chiefe fruite and as it were the first-bornes double portion in the blessing according to those words of our Sauiour Christ himselfe which the Apostle Paul would haue very diligently remembred of all Christians in that he sayd It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue Act. 20.35 Reason therefore strongly chalengeth that we begin with Giuing as with the principall and more worthy part of that Prize which now is striuen for And how I pray you should it not be as the Apostle remembreth from the doctrine of our Sauiour Christ that Giuing is a more blessed thing than Receiuing seeing that by how much men of God are more bountifully minded and more liberally handed by so much do they more liuely both in disposition of mind also in practise of Action represent and resemble the likenesse of God himselfe who by no other thing is better manifested and made knowne either for his owne honour and glorie or to our comfort then by the bountie of his goodnesse and mercy in giuing and bestowing his benefites and blessings vpon vs his poore and vnworthy seruants This doubt the Lord himselfe giueth clearely to vnderstand in his holy Scriptures where he hath of purpose most fully reuealed himselfe in that he holdeth forth the light of his mercy to shine out most brightly among the reâ—â— of his most noble diuine vertues as we may perceiue by a few testimonies culled out of many which it shall be good for vs to alleadge before we proceed any further as it were out of so warme a Sun-shine The Prophet Moses telleth vs that at what time it pleased God at his request to proclaime the glorie of his name Exod. chap. 34. verses 6.7 that he vsed more words in number and larger in sence to expresse his mercy then any diuine property els yea then the wrath of his iustice which is there mentioned with it The words of mercy which exceed in number are these Mercifull gratious slowe to anger and aboundant in goodnesse and truth compared with not making the wicked innocent and visiting of iniquitie foure or fiue to two The words which exceed in largenesse of sence are these Reseruing mercy for thousands forgiuing iniquity transgression and sin that is infinit sinnes and all kind of great and grieuous sinnes compared with these words Visiting the inquitie of the fathers vpon the children vpon the childrens children to the third and fourth generation But mark I pray you that I do not lessen or diminish Gods iustice to inlarge his mercie for that were most impious sacrilege seeing both are infinitely perfect aboue all vnequall comparison but I speake as Moses telleth vs that the Lord himself spake coÌ„paring the displeasure or anger of his iustice with the fauor of his mercy in regard of his couenaÌ„t made in respect of Christ by whose satisfactioÌ„ this wrath of iustice is woÌ„derfully coÌ„tracted yea in respect of the elect made temporall yea is cleane diuerted and abolished For otherwise perfect that is infinite both mercy and iustice meete together in the saluation of the elect God accounting it iust to saue the vniust for Christs sake who is the Lord our righteousnesse But let vs come to some other testimonies wherein God hath in singular maner renoumed his mercie The Lord saith the holy Psalmist is gratious and mercifull slowe to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his mercies are ouer all his works Psal 145.8.9 And Psalm 136. he repeateth this foote of the song as often as there be verses in the Psalme that is 26 times one after the other For his mercie endureth for euer And he maketh this as the chiefe reason of all his workes yea euen of his most fearefull and heauy iudgements vpon the wicked in the which he propoundeth to himselfe not so much the confusion and destruction of the wicked in his iustice as the benefite of his Church and people to the glory of his grace and mercie as is easie to be seene in the reading of that Psalme According also to that Isaiah 43.4 Because thou wert pretious in my sight wert honorable I loued thee saith the Lord therefore will I giue man for thee and people for thy sake This singular care of the Lord ouer his people is euerie where repeated in the holy Scriptures Read Psalme 9.9 and Psal 10.17 and 18.27 and 34.6 and 40.17 and 113.5 and 146.7.8.9 God will be a refuge to his poore people he will heare them he will saue them he will destroy their enemies c. And for what other causes also doth God at any time aduance any of his seruants from poore estate to high
presently no more as one wanting contentment sorrowes because his wealth increaseth no faster sorrowes for losses which are alwayes very tedious to the couetous sorrowes in beholding other men to prosper better then himselfe sorrowes euery way because he hath no more ioy of that which he hath then of that which hee hath not But that which at this time is to our speciall purpose is this which the Apostle affirmeth that couetousnesse drowneth men in perdition and destruction And as our Sauior Christ teacheth The thorny cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and voluptuous liuing so choake the word make such kind of men vnfruitfull that they can no more be saued then they who are like the high way where the good seed of the word can make no entrance Matth. 13.19.20 Luke 8. vers 12.14 wherefore also chap. 6.24 he denounceth the wo against vnmercifull rich men as hauing their consolation here according to that in the 17. Ps verse 14. They haue their portion in this life According also to the Parable of the vnmercifull and voluptuous rich man in the 16. chap. of the same Gospell by Saint Luke where in the 25. verse our Sauiour Christ describeth Abraham thus speaking to the soule of the rich man being in hell-torments and crauing onely some little mittigation thereof Sonne saith Abraham remember thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures and Lazarus paines now therefore hee is comforted and thou art tormented This is that which is said in the 69. Psalme verse 22. concerning the wicked that Their table is a snare vnto them and their prosperitie their ruine to wit because of their abuse thereof Worthily therfore doth the Prophet pray that the righteous might rather smite him then that he should feede of delicates with the wicked Psalm 141. And iustly may it admonish all to hearken to the holy admonition of the 62. Psal Trust not in oppression nor in robberie be not vaine If riches increase set not your heart thereon Yea further as Daniel counselleth Nebuchadnezzar that euerie one do speedily break off his iniquitie by shewing mercie to the poore Dan. 4. verse 24. For otherwise as the Lord earnestly affirmeth Ezek. chap. 18. verse 18. He that hath not done good among his people lo euen hee dieth that is he shall be sure to die in his iniquitie As though the Lord should say he may be as sure he shall die as if he were dead alreadie And the Apostle Iames chap. 2.13 There shall be iudgement mercilesse to such as shew no mercy But among all places testifying and confirming the euerlasting destruction of vnmercifull men there is none more piercing and mightie to waken the soule of the most hard hearted man if any admonition or rousing will waken him then that which is set downe by the Euangelist Matthew chap. 25. verses 41 42 43 c. where he recordeth how our Sauiour Christ described his last iudgement and the manner of his proceeding in the same and namely against vnmercifull men which is the common sin of all wicked men Depart from me saith he ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels For I was hungry and ye gaue me no meat I thirsted but ye gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was naked and ye clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not And whereas vnmercifull men thinke that they haue a sufficient excuse because that they neuer sawe Christ himselfe hungrie or thirstie or a stranger or naked or sicke or in prison as though if they had so done they would haue ministred vnto him he professeth before hand that he will answere them and say Verily in so much as ye did it not to the least of these that is to say of poore distressed Christians whom before Christ called his brethren ye did it not to me And therefore hee concludeth against all that neglect to shew mercie whatsoeuer they can alleage for themselues that they shall go into euerlasting paine Now if any would know why our Sauiour Christ chuseth to make mention only of this sinne of vnmercifulnes seeing hee shall come in iudgement to giue sentence against all sinne and all sinners beside that which was euen now mentioned that this sinne is vsually one in euery wicked man the reason may furthermore be this euen because this sinne is a most manifest conuiction that such as lye in it are not of God but of their father the diuell and therefore that they belong to him wholly and haue no part or portion in the Lord. For in like manner as anie are more mercifull then other so do they thereby more clearly shew themselues to be the true children of their heauen lie father euen so on the contrarie as anie are more cruell or mercilesse they more apparantly declare themselues to be the very children of the diuel who as our Sauior Christ saith in the 8. chap. of Iohn was a murtherer and the father thereof from the beginning of the world And howe vnworthy and vnbeseeming a thing I pray you is this that any of the kindly children of God and liuely members of the mysticall body of Iesus Christ should preferre his siluer or his gold his house or his land before his Christian brother or sister bought with the most precious bloud of Christ in comparison whereof all siluer and gold is but refuse yea most vile drosse A righteous man as it is in the holy Prouerbe regardeth the life of his beast chap. 12.10 and therefore verie brutish are they who pity not the liues of those that be heires of heauenly grace and the elect sons and daughters of the most high God creator and gouernour of heauen and earth And thus we see how euery way in this life and for euer in the world to come the punishment of profane illiberall couetous and vnmercifull men is manifold and grieuous O therfore that all would lay the consideration of these things diligently to heart the vnmercifull illiberal man that he might come to the conscience and remorse of his sinne and take warning to learne to do well O that Christian Princes who haue chiefe power on earth to aduance the publike worship of God and all such as haue the disposing of the liuings and maintenance of the ministers of the Gospel wold duly cōsider of thē that they might prouoke themselues to be more and more carefull in the best maner and course of bestowing of them O that christian congregations would earnestlie weigh them that they might learne to put away all grudging and niggardlie dealing with their faithfull and painefull Preachers of the Gospell whether in paying of tithes by ciuill autoritie established and cōmanded The vse of the former threats and punishments or in performing other their more free gratuities and promised allowance where the publike magistrate hath not sufficiently prouided O that euery Christian would well ponder
The Lord also by his holy Spirite raised vp the hearts of his people that they offered willingly to this worke they which were neare about the chiefe Fathers of Iudah and Beniamin strengthened their handes with vessels of siluer with gold with substance and with cattell and with precious things besides all that was willingly offered according as king Cyrus had in the gratious proclamation of their libertie moued and exhorted them The vessels which king Cyrus restored to the house of the Lord were thirtie basons of gold a thousand basons of siluer nine and twentie kniues Thirtie bowles of gold of siluer bowles of the second sort foure hundreth and ten and of other vessels a thousand All the vessels of gold and siluer which king Cyrus restored were fiue thousand and foure hundreth And in the sixth chapter of the same book of Ezra king Darius confirmeth the same fauour and bountie of Cyrus and extendeth his owne princely liberality to further the worship of God For thus he writeth to the aduersaries of the Iewes Suffer ye the worke of this house of God that the Captaine of the Iewes and the Elders of the Iewes may build this house of God in his place For I haue giuen a commandemēt what ye shall doe to the Elders of the Iewes for the building of this house of God that of the reuenues of the King which is of the tribute beyond the riuer there be incontinently expences giuen vnto these men that they cease not And that which they shal haue need of let it be giuen vnto them day by day whether it be young bullockes or rammes or lambes for the burnt offerings of the God of heauen wheate salt wine and oyle according to the appointment of the priests who are in Ierusalem that there be no fault That they may haue to offer sweete odours vnto the God of heauen and pray for the Kings life and for his sonnes c. And after this Darius we reade in the seuenth chapter how Artashasht at the sute of Ezra did the like for he gaue them his royall furtherance and ful libertie to do all things according to the will of their God with this speciall immunitie that none of his Gouernours should lay vpon the Ministerie toll tribute or custome In the fift chapter of Nehemiah that worthy Courtier hauing obtained leaue of the same K. Artashasht to come to Ierusalem to further the worke of the Lorde he breaketh off the hard courses whereby the richer sort oppressed the poore yea hee mightily prouoketh them to take a mercifull course whereof also he himselfe giueth them a right princely example In the eight chapter of the same booke both Nehemiah and Ezra with the Priests Leuites and people they praise God and the poore were relieued and feasted vers 10. And chap. 13. verses 10 11 12 13 14. Nehemiah causeth the portions of the Leuites to be giuen them and the tithes to be brought in and paid to them seeing that for want thereof the holy worship of God was neglected among his people In the book of Ester chap. 9.22 after that the Church was deliuered from the intended massacre of Haman the people of God keep their feast of thankfulnes to the Lord and one sendeth presents to another as tokens of their mutuall ioy in the Lord and gifts are bestowed vpon the poore In the booke of Iob chap. 29.11.12 When the eare hard me saith Iob a man of singular mercie and goodnesse in his time it blessed me and when the eye sawe me it gaue witnesse to me For I deliuered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to helpe him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came vpon me and I caused the widdowes heart to reioyce I put on iustice and it couered me my iudgement was as a robe and a crowne I was the eyes to the blind and I was feete to the lame I was a father to the poore when I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently I brake also the chawes of the vnrighteous man and pluckt the praie out of his teeth And chap. 30.25 Did not I weepe with him that was in trouble was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore And againe ch 31.16 c. If saith Iob vehemently affirming his vprightnesse and good conscience in a constant course of exercising mercie I restrained the poore of their desire or haue caused the eyes of the widdowe to faile or haue eaten my morsels alone and the fatherlesse haue not eaten thereof For from my youth he hath growne vp with me as with a father and from my mothers womb I haue bene a guide to her that is to the fatherlesse daughter If I haue seene any perish for want of clothing or any poore without couering If his loynes haue not blessed me because he was warmed with the fleece of my sheepe If I haue lifted vp my hand against the fatherlesse when I sawe my helpe in the gate Let mine arme fall from my shoulder and let my arme be broken from the bone Thus much of Iob in that he was a mirrour of mercie euen aboue a number of right mercifull men and such a representation and patterne of this heauenly vertue as all may worthily take example by him In the 38. chap. of the Prophesie of Ieremiah from the 7. verse c. we reade how Ebed-melech the Blackamore is an instrument of the Lord to deliuer Ieremiah out of the dungeon where he was ready to starue had not this Ethiopian taken compassion of him and made sute to the king on his behalfe In the 15. chap. of Matth. vers 32. Our Sauiour Christ the peerelesse patterne of mercie he calleth his disciples vnto him and saith I haue compassion on this multitude because they haue already continued with me three dayes and haue nothing to eate and I will not let them depart fasting lest they faint in the way And for want of a sufficient quantitie of foode in ordinarie course he by his diuine power feedeth them miraculously In the seuenth chap. of Luke verse 5. The Centurion who is commended by our Sauior Christ for his great faith aboue all in Israel he hath this commendation set downe of him that he loued the people of God and that he had built a Synagogue for them And chap. 8. of the same Euangelist verse 3. Manie women and namely Mary Magdalen and Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods steward and Susanna are praised for ministring of their substance to the maintenance of our Sauiour Christ And chap. 10.38 Marie and Martha are commended for entertaining our S. Christ his company into their house And ch 19.8 Zacheus as a liuely fruit of his faith and repentance and loue to our Sauiour Christ voweth the halfe of his goods to the poore with restitution for all his wrong dealing with any man And chap. 21.4 The poore widdowe cast her portion into the treasurie as well as the rich
so manie as for the present God shall bring to hand And first that offereth it selfe which we do reade chapter 11. verse 17. He that is mercifull saith the Spirit of God by the wise king rewardeth his owne soule That is to say hee doth so gratious and acceptable a dutie before God when it is done in faith and obedience to God that God of his rich and free grace and mercie will surely reward it vnto him and in the same chapter verses 24.25.26 There is that scattereth and is more increased The liberall person shall haue plentie and he that watereth shall haue raine Hee that withdraweth corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne That is of him that exerciseth mercie in his prising and selling of it labouring in hard times to mitigate and being downe that extreme price which vnmercifull men striue to bring it vnto For as touching deare sellers such of whom the common prouerb may be affirmed that The more they heape to wit to themselues the worse they cheape to others such cannot in truth be euer right good and liberall dealers They pull downe that with their left hand which they seeme to build with their right and so they frustrate their reward Whereupon also it followeth in the same chapter of the holy Prouerbes He that seeketh good things getteth fauour but he that seeketh euill it shall come vnto him And in the 19. chap. vers 17. thus we reade He that hath mercy vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence him that which he hath giuen And who can wish or desire any more sufficient surety or better pay-maister then he Againe chap. 21. vers 21. He that followeth after righteousnesse and mercy that is he which is diligent in pursuing and taking hold of all good occasions to practise the duties of righteousnesse and mercie shall find life righteousnesse and glorie And againe chap. 22.9 He that hath a good eye that is to say a mercifull eye which will behold and therewithall tender the necessities of the poore shall be blessed for he giueth of his bread to the poore Likewise ch 28.27 He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke Thus much out of the holy Prouerbes In the booke of the Preacher ch 11.1 c. Cast thy bread vpon the waters saith the same most wise king a Prophet of God for after many dayes thou shalt find it Giue a portion to seuen and and also to eight c. In the which wordes king Salomon like as the Apostle Paul also hath done as we saw before compareth the actions of Christian liberalitie and benficence to a seed time after the which followeth in due season the increase of the haruest And in the same place he prosecuteth this similitude in verie excellent maner thereby to prouoke to the diligent speedie and constant following of this most husbandly plow For He that obserueth the wind saith king Salomon shal not sowe and he that regardeth the cloudes shall not reape that is he that will suffer himselfe to be hindered from doing good by casting of doubts through vnbeleefe or by any other stumbling blocke which the diuell shal cast in his way he shall misse the haruest because he hath lost the seed time To the preuenting of which so great a dammage king Salomon exhorteth as followeth In the morning sowe thy seed and in the euening let not thy hand rest for thou knowest not which shall prosper this or that or whether both shall be alike good In the 18. chap. of Ezek. vers 7.8.9 and againe verses 16.17 The Lord doth verie earnestly assure his people that whether a man be the father of a wicked sonne or the son of a wicked father such is the equitie of his gratious dealing that if he himselfe be not an oppressour but hath restored the pledge to his debtor hath spoiled none by violence but hath giuen his bread to the hungrie and hath couered the naked with a garment And hath not giuen forth vpon vsurie neither hath taken any increase but hath withdrawne his hand frō iniquitie and hath executed true iudgement betweene man and man And hath walked in my statutes and kept my iudgements to deale truly he is iust he shall surely liue saith the Lord God And yet moreouer and beside all the testimonies hetherto rehearsed we haue a notable place in the 58. chap. of Isaiah verses 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. The words are verie mightie to incourage and draw on euery good and faithful man both Iew Gentile to exercise the actions of goodnesse and mercy For after that the Lord hath by his holy Prophet rehearsed what he requireth to be done namely that euery heauie burthen be taken of that the oppressed be let go free and that euery yoke be broken That bread be dealt to the hungrie that the poore which wander he meaneth not voluntary beggers and wandering rogues but such as be inforced to leaue their place by some vrgent calamitie be brought to mens houses When a man seeth the naked to couer him and not to hide a mans self from his owne flesh After this rehearsall of the duties and that in more pressing maner then is here repeated then followeth the gratious promise of God in these words Then shall thy light breake forth a◠the morning and thy health shall growe speedily thy righteousnesse shall go before thee and the glorie of the Lord shall imbrace thee Then shalt thou call and the Lord will answer thou shalt cry and he will say Here am I if thou take away from the middest of thee that is out of thy heart the yoke or the tying wherwith the heauy burthen is as it were fastened to the backe the putting out of the finger and wicked speaking that is euery inhumanity and grieuance And then it followeth on the contrarie If thou poure out thy soule to the hungrie and refreshest the troubled soule then saith the Lord shall thy light spring out in the darkenesse and thy darkenesse shall be as the noone day and the Lord will guide thee continually and he will satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters faile not And they shall be of thee which shall build the old wast places thou shalt raise vp foundations form many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach and a restorer of the pathes to dwell in Now what man though of his owne disposition vnmercifull and illiberall as all of vs are if he shall dulie consider this manifold and bounteous promise of God and if he shall gather but one sparkle of faith to beleeue that God is faithfull and his word true can chuse but he must bee affected at the least after the manner of king Agrippa Act. chap. 26. vers 28. to confesse that almost it perswadeth him to become
vnmercifull sonne Shallum Shalt thou reigne saith the Lord by his Prophete because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar Did not thy father eate and drinke and prosper when he executed iudgement and iustice When he iudged the cause of the afflicted and poore he prospered was not this because he knew me saith the Lord And so the holy Prouerbe teacheth chapter 20.28 concerning euerie good king Mercie and truth preserue the King for his throne is established by mercie And therefore when the Lord speaketh of the most blessed king and of the most happie and stable kingdome that may be he describeth it to be such a kingdome whereof the king should be most mercifull to the poore and needy and that hee should preserue their soules c. This kingdome most happie and flourishing is onely the kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Psalme 72. verses 12.13.14 Thus we haue two examples out of the olde Tement Now one or two out of the new Testament and so will we draw to an end of this chapter In the beginning of the 10. chapter of the Actes of the holy Apostles the Euangelist Luke reporteth that the Angell of the Lord is from heauen a witnesse to Cornelius a religious and mercifull Captaine that his prayer and almes were come vp into remembrance before God and that therefore it pleased God to grant him the desire of his soule that he might be more perfectly instructed and confirmed in the Christian knowledge and faith of his saluation and the Angell telleth Cornelius further that God had for the same purpose appointed Peter who at that time lodged with one Simon a Tanner dwelling by the sea side in Ioppa that he should bee the Apostle and Minister of God to teach and instruct him and therefore willeth him to send thither for Peter All which came gratiously to passe according vnto the message of the holy Angell And it was doubtlesse a greater mercie and blessing to Cornelius and his familie and manie other of his kinsmen and speciall friendes then if hee could by any couetous pinching and sparing haue increased his worldly riches by manie thousandes yea greater then if by anie warlike valour and outward force hee could with with a few men haue conquered the whole world to himselfe Finallie that God might leaue to all posteritie a most memorable demonstration howe well pleasing to his Maiestie the sacrifice of beneficence and mercie is it hath pleased him that by the ministerie of the Apostle Peter euen now mentioned one Dorcas a Christian woman of singular mercie and liberalitie to poore Saintes should at the lamentation of manie Christians both widdowes and other who mourned for the losse of her bee miraculously raised vp from death to life Act. chap. 9. verse 36. c. God thereby giuing all to vnderstand both howe pretious his poore beleeuers and Christians are vnto him in that rather then they should be fosterlesse he will raise mercifull men and women out of the graue and also how deare they are vnto him who relieue such as hee maketh so speciall account of For they are the heires of the resurrection of the righteous to euerlasting life and happinesse in the kingdome of heauen Thus then euen by a fewe examples as by two or three witnesses which especially on the Lords behalfe may suffice for the establishing of any truth it may be euident vnto vs as the cause by the effect that the promises of God made to assure all mercifull men and women of his great fauour and blessing are not giuen forth in vaine So that as it is sayd of the vpright and righteous man Psalme 37. verse 37. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace we may boldly affirme the same of the mercifull man For the vpright and iust man and the right mercifull man is all one as is euident in the whole tenure of the same Psalme God no doubt who moued king Dauid to remember to shewe kindenes to the sonne of Ionathan for that kindnes which Ionathan had in former times shewed vnto him For therefore did King Dauid allowe Mephibosheth the sonne of Ionathan alwayes to eate breade at his owne table as if he had bene one of the kinges owne sonnes 2. Sam. ch 9. The same God who worketh the same affection vsuallie in the heartes of all his good seruantes as we shall haue further occasion to declare in the second part of this Treatise yea that God who oftentimes turneth the heartes euen of verie wicked and cruell men to shewe kindenes to his children as the Egyptians to the Israelites and Esau to Iaakob c. He himselfe I say will much lesse forget them that be kinde to anie of his for that loue which they beare vnto him For as God is infinitelie more gratious mercifull and bounteous then man can bee so hath he by infinite degrees a more perfect remembrance to requite all kindenesses then they can possibly haue And as hee hath a most perfect remembrance infinitelie aboue man so also is hee most able aboue man to recompence all kindenesse in that hee is the Almightie and likewise most willing aboue man seeing hee is the most mercifull aboue all as was said euen now That God is thus most willing we reade 2. Cor. ch 9.10 He that findeth seed to the sower saith S. Paul wil minister likewise bread for food multiply your seed increse the fruits of your beneuolence That on all parts ye may be made rich to all liberalitie c. That God is likewise most able look back to the 8. verse of the same chap. God is able saith the same Apostle to make all grace to abound toward euery free-hearted and chearefull giuer for of such he there writeth And that God is not forgetfull we haue seene before from the 10. verse of the 6. chap. of the epistle to the Hebrewes Where it is worthy to be diligently noted of vs that God accounteth it a part of his righteousnesse to haue the worke and labour of the loue of his good beneficiall seruants in gratious remembrance For God is not vnrighteous saith the Apostle that he should forget c. Wherefore we may be euen as sure certaine that God wil not forget vs as we are sure that he neither is nor can be in any thing vniust Let vs not therefore as the same Apostle exhorteth chap. 10.35 cast away our confidence in this behalfe which vndoubtedly hath great recompence of reward Though man should forget those that haue deserued well of them Yea though as it doth not seldom fall out that man requiteth good with euill as Psal 38.20 They that reward euill for good as the holie Prophet complaineth are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse Yet God will at no hand deale so but though we can claime nothing by desert from him but we are to account our selues vnprofitable seruants as touching any benefite which we yeelde vnto him yet through his
mercie as it is sayd of the prayers of his good seruants so may it be affirmed of all their good and kinde dealings that they shall be turned vpon their own bosoms according to that we reade Psal 35. vers 12.13.14 O therefore how I beseech you should not the earnest consideration of these things mightily preuayle to moue euery one in whom there is any sparkle of grace to minde this practise of Christian beneficence and mercie toward the poore of Gods people according to euery mans abilty And euen for the same cause also as hath bene before expressed to separate and lay aside a portion before hand of that blessing which God giueth That so we may haue alwayes a purse or coffer to this spirituall vse and seruice of the Lord as well replenished as may be And to this so blessed an end that all which haue aboundance should cut off as much as may be all superfluous and vaine expences in apparell in diet in building in plate in houshold stuffe and in euerie costly and curious ornament whatsoeuer is to any in his place and calling aboue that which is sober and meete For by this wise prouident and sober course not onely the richer but also such as be of lesse wealth shall find both a more richer treasurie to defray all charges this way and also a more readie heart and hand to extende their helpe toward all good reliefe And otherwise it will come to passe that though we be ouercome to giue yet will it be yeelded so vngainely from vs as it were the small sparkle out of the hard flint or as sawe-dust grated out of the belly of the hard oake or to speake the fairest of it it will be but as a thinne and short eare of corne out of a verie barren and vnfruitfull soyle So that loosing all grace in the giuing it doth make the gift it selfe voyde of all blessing like vnto the light and waste seede which being sowne taketh no roote in the ground Verily if we could earnestly and ingeniously consider with our selues and lay together all the reasons which are to be weighed in this argument as namely for a taste that in so doing wee perfourme the dutie of good and faithfull Stewards to God in the right disposing of those his creatures which hee hath betrusted vs withall that thereby we preuent much murmuring and sin and much vniust dealing by pilferie and deceit yea infinite dangerous snares and temptations whereby the diuell spoyleth weake Christians as may easily appeare vnto vs by the prayer of holy Agur Prou. 30. chap. 7.8.9 Giue mee not pouertie prayeth wise Agur lest I be poore and steale Reasons mouing to beneficence and take the name of my God in vaine It is one of the two principal things which he earnestly craued of God that he might obtaine at his hands so long as he had to liue And further if we would duly consider that we refresh the soules of the the best stayed seruants and saints of God Epist to Phile. vers 7. By thee the bowels of the saints are comforted that we mitigate the heauie burthen of their cares and sorrowes and so make their liues more comfortable to them that hereby wee giue them occasion to poure forth many heartie praises and thankesgiuings to the honour and praise of God Moreouer if we would consider that hereby we gather much peace and assurance to our selues that we are in Gods fauour in so much as hereby as Saint Iohn saith We know that we are translated from death to life if we loue the brethren 1. Ioh. chap. 3. vers 14. Likewise that whatsoeuer wee bestowe this way is the safer and surer portion of all our riches according as one truly saith that The most liberall men are the most rich men in all the world Adde also that we mollifie the hard heartednesse of our enemies and mittigate the enuie of those that be spiteful and malignant while we doe good vnto them And yet further that we defeat the moth the canker and the thiefe and store vp our treasure in heauen as our Sauior Christ teacheth vs. In like manner that we are vnder the blessing of the prayers of the poore which is as a princely protection sealed vnto vs as it were with the broad seale of the kingdome of heauen Iob. chap. 29.13 Finally that we are therein blessed of God himselfe with all kind of blessings in this life and shall more comfortably leaue this world whensoeuer God shall call vs out of it If I say we would diligently weigh these reasons and other of like sort it could not be but they wold mightily weigh with vs to prouoke vs to a most willing and chearefull practise of so blessed an exercise Whereupon also it is cleare from this discourse that the errour and dotage of all such is very grosse palpable whosoeuer forgetting that Godlinesse is gaine do pursue and follow after gaine rather then godlinesse that euen vnder the profession of true godlinesse and pure and vndefiled religion contrarie to that of the Apostle Iames. chap. 1.27 Pure religion and vndefiled euen before God the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widdowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world And to that Matt. 9.13 I will haue mercie and not sacrifice For mercie is a great and weighty matter of the law Matth. chap. 23. verse 23. It may appeare also that they do greatly deceiue themselues and preiudice the truth and promises of God who standing aside to behold some few examples of those that in the practise of beneficence seemed to fall into decay as if their goodnesse must needes be the cause thereof and so harden their hearts against all good estimation of this excellent vertue For say some do ye not see how such and such a one haue brought themselues behind hand by their entertaining of Preachers c. We thought it could not last long Whereas rather they should blame themselues if any such decay hath bene because it came the rather to passe vpon other because they contrary to their dutie let too great a burthen lie vpon a few which would haue bene light and easie if these idle beholders wold haue set to their helping hand For want whereof they haue endangered themselues to a greater and more irrecouerable losse seeing they haue thereby purchased the displeasure of God and made themselues subiect to his seuere punishments which followe vpon the neglect of mercie as wee are now to declare in the next chapter The punishment of not giuing CHAP. IIII. Of the punishment of illiberalitie and not Giuing IN so much as the gratious acceptation wherewithall God vouchsafeth to accept and reward the beficence and liberalitie of his seruants may be the more liuely illustrated set forth from the contrarie dislike yea earnest displeasure and holy indignation which he beareth against prophane illiberall couetous mercilesse and cruell persons for all
haue done wickedly in their workes No maruell therefore though the conscience of Iosephs brethren charged them so deepely for exercising crueltie against their naturall brother at such times as they thought themfelues in great danger when Ioseph their brother not knowne of them spake roughly to them in Egipt charging them to be spies c. For in remembrance of that their crueltie euen nowe manie yeares after it was committed They say one of them to another as we reade Gen. 42.21 We haue verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpō vs. And moreouer Ruben said Lo his bloud is now required And verily it cannot be denied but that it was Gods exceeding great mercie that his heauy vengeance had not long before that not only terrified them but euen fallen vpon them and destroyed them as it did the posteritie of Esau for the like sinne as we reade in the Prophesie of Obadiah But not onely doth the Lord punish crueltie by the withdrawing of his assistance and mercie but also the neglect of shewing mercie and of staying the bloudy course of other mens crueltie according to that good occasion and lawfull power which God hath put into the hand of any of his seruants according to that in 24. chap. of the Prouerbes verses 10. 11. 12. If thou be faint or deale remissely saith the Lord by king Salomon that is if thou in helping and succouring others dealest so as if thou caredst not greatly whether the distressed should haue any helpe from thee or no in the day of aduersity thy strength shall be small Whereupon in the next words the Spirit of God doth mightily stirre vp and exhort euerie one to a more serious indeuour and that with a mind earnestly bent to succour indeed Deliuer them saith the Spirite of God that are drawne to death and wilt thou not preserue them that are led to be slaine hee meaneth such as are oppressed with open violence and iniustice If thou say behold we knew not of it and so go about to excuse thy selfe he that pondereth the hearts saith the wise king doth not he vndestand it and he that keepeth thy soule doth not he know it will not he also recompence euery man according to his workes c. As though he should say Let no man deceiue himselfe this matter is so weightie that if thou deale loosely for the oppressed the Lord will deale earnestly against thee if thou lettest him perish when thou mightest haue preserued him In this respect therefore are the people of Israell commended as we read 1. Sam. 14.45 because they reskued and deliuered Ionathan against the rash oth and decree of Saule Shall Ionathan die say they who hath so mightily deliuered Israel God forbid As the Lord liueth there shal not one hair of his head fal to the groūd for he hath wrought with God So the people deliuered Ionathan that he died not Fourthly the Lord doth not seldome shorten the dayes of couetous vnmercifull and cruell men and so taketh thē from their riches which they held as it were by vniust imprisonment yea in close prison so long as they liued or if they continue long in their abusiue possession of their wealth it turneth to their greater punishment and plague in the end But for the most part God shorteneth the dayes of those which make hast till they come to a certaine ripenesse of this sinne as Psalm 55.23 Bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue half their dayes And Psal 140.11.12 Backbiters shall not be established vpon earth euill shall hunt the cruell man to destruction I know saith the holy Psalmist that the Lord will auenge the afflicted and iudge the poore Neither is the holy Prouerbe set downe in vaine that the curse of the people shall fall vpon him that withdraweth corne ch 11.26 He that hideth his eyes to wit from the poore shall haue many curses For God himselfe saith that he will take knowledge of those curses which are thus violently extorted and that he will punish those who giue the occasion of them according to that which we read Exod. 22. verses 22.23.24 Ye shall not trouble any widdowe nor fatherlesse childe If thou vexe or trouble such saith the Lord and so he call and crie vnto me I will surely heare his crie Then shall my wrath be kindled and I wil kill you with the sword and your wiues shall be widdowes your children fatherlesse And ô how heauie and fearefull an imprecation is that which the holy Ghost himselfe though he be most gratious and mercifull hath iustly indited against such to declare most manifestly that there is no mercie with God for them yea and that they make their posteritie also liable to the same curse as we read Psalme 109.6 c. where the holy Prophet guided by the holy Ghost prayeth against them in this maner Set thou the wicked ouer him c. Let his dayes be few and let another take his charge Let his children be fatherlesse and his wife a widdowe Let his children be vagabonds and beg and let them seeke bread or their beggers allowance comming out of their places destroyed Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let strangers spoyle his labour Let there be none to extend mercy vnto him neither let there be any to shew mercie on his fatherlesse children Let his posterity be destroyed and in the generation following let their name be put out c. But why is all this It followeth Because he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the afflicted poore man and the sorrowfull hearted to slay him And because he wished the curse to come vnto him that is to the poore and afflicted c. Let it therefore be vnto himselfe as a garment to clothe him and for a girdle wherewith he shall alwayes girde himselfe c. There is more in the Psalme tending this way not of any bitter or vncharitable affection but as a pure interpretation of the iustice of God against this sin But vnderstand it only to be penned against such as are obstinately hardened and setled in it as it were in the highest degree they malicing the poore seruants of God euen the rather because they are his seruants But if any doe thinke the imprecation ouer harsh which none can doe without greate sinne against God let such rather learne from the horrour of the curse so to consider the haynousnesse of the sinne that they may bee as carefull to auoyd it both for their owne sake and also for the sake of their posteritie as they would be loth to sustaine the punishment The like imprecation to the former doth Nehemiah that good mercifull and bounteous noble man guided by the same holy spirit of God vse in zeale against the like obstinacie of the same sinne of vnmercifulnesse Nehe. 5.13 where he thus speaketh I shooke my
the same things that their hearts might be inlarged to a more liberall contribution for the reliefe of the poore in all collections made to that purpose O that Landlords would well thinke of them that they might be moued to deale fauourably with their poore tenants and to abstaine from all hard racking and inproning of rents taking away of their commons of frustrating of their good leases by captious aduantages c. O that Officers and Gouernours in corporations and other townes where money or landes haue bene giuen for the reliefe of the poore would so mind these fearefull punishments against vnmercifull men that they may in no wise diuert the merciful gift of others from that good vse end wherfore they haue giuen it O that euerie one to whom at any time the holy legacies of the last will and testament of any beneficiall Christians deceased would so looke vpon the iudgements of God that they might therby be seriously admonished to deale well and faithfully according to that trust which is committed vnto them because otherwise their sinne must needes be double if they shall be couetous and vnmercifull in withholding another mans liberalitie beside their owne yea and because they do herein sacrilegiously conceale and frustrate the glorious worke of the holy Spirit of God which he had wrought as his last worke here in this life in the hearts and spirits of his good and faithfull children Finally would to God that all whosoeuer are by any kind of vnmercifulnesse in danger of Gods heauy plagues might by the premeditation thereof come to repentance in sure trust of his mercie and so happily preuent them yea that entering into the way and practise of mercie they may proceed and go forward therein till they may be blessed partakers of Gods euerlasting mercy Amen Who I beseech you would not thinke that it had bene happie for such rich men as our Sauiour Christ speaketh of in the Gospel Luke 12 16 c. and againe chap. 16. verse 19. c. if the one in steede of pulling downe his barnes to make them bigger and both of them in steed of delicious pampering of their bellies had made the bellies of poore Christians the bare emptie houses of widowes fatherlesse children to be the barnes and bellies of their ouerplus and superfluitie Had it not I pray you euen in euery reasonable mans iudgement bene far better for them to haue learned from the fruitfulnesse of their fieldes and all the bountifull prouision of God both for their backes and for their bellies to yeeld their owne bounden fruits of thankfulnesse to God for his sake the fruits of loue to his poore children then that they should be like barren ground to yeeld no good fruite and so to make themselues neare to cursing as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.8 yea euen to pull downe sodaine destruction and the fire of Gods euerlasting wrath vpon them I will pull downe my barnes faith one I will poure into my belly saith another But in the meane while they altogether neglect the right way of building their head-houses neither once consider they that the vse of aboundance consisteth rather in pouring out to the hungrie then in pouring into the full belly in relieuing and supplying the necessities of the Saints then in following a voluptuous course of life as hath bene alreadie declared That course therefore which euery man iudgeth would haue proued happinesse to them if they had in due time sought after it before extreme and endlesse miserie fell vpon them let vs while we haue time being thus forewarned by their lamentable example labour for grace that we may lay hold of it and so through the endlesse mercie of God be for euer happy and blessed men To the which end euē with full purpose of our harts let vs in the feare of God in trust of his grace harten harnesse our selues against all the lettes and hinderances Obiections answered which either our owne corrupt hearts or the suggestions of the diuell or any of his instruments shall cast in our way What the vices naturally setled in vs be the which we must auoyd we haue seene in the second chapter of this Treatise and they are briefly gathered together in the end of the chapter We are now to answer the obiections and pretended reasons which from the same euill disposition of our nature flesh and bloud vseth thereby to disswade the liberall practise of Christian beneficence Whereunto is appointed the next Chap. which is the last of the former part of this our treatise CHAP. V. Containing answers to such obiections as flesh and bloud maketh and the diuell suggesteth to the hindering of Christian beneficence THe obiections or pretended reasons whereby many would gladly excuse respite themselues from the practise of Christian beneficence they are either taken from themselues and their owne estate or from the care they haue of their children and posterity or from the vnworthinesse of those to whom they should be beneficiall or else they would excuse one charge by another that is contribution to the poore by the greatnesse of other charges to God and the Prince and charges towards the Church and Ministers of Gods word by the burthen of the poore But whatsoeuer reasons they pretend they shew in the end that it is nothing but an vnmercifull and wilfull hard heart which beareth all the sway in them as will partly appeare by the obiections and answeres following OBIECTION 1. concerning men their owne state Are not the goods which I haue mine owne saith the couetous and vnmercifull man Why then may I not keepe and dispose them to mine owne liking and for mine owne entire and only profite and pleasure ANSWER Be it that they are thine owne in as lawfull and iustifiable a title as may be yet thou must remember from whose diuine prouidence and dispensation thou hast receiued them and on what condition and to what end purpose For God who hath giuen them to thee indeede for thine owne proper vse and comfort he hath made thee also his steward to bestowe a meet and conuenient portion more or lesse according to thy abilitie for the relief benefit of such as stand in need Whereof thou must one day giue a faithfull reckening and account vnto him Moreouer seeing they are thy goods as thou sayest and they be indeed the good gifts and blessings of God thou must haue great care that good things be vsed well yea euen to the best endes that possibly may be If thou doest otherwise apply them thou mayst be sure that the worst will be thine owne in the end Thy goods will change their good nature like sower wine and proue as thornes in thy sides and snares to intangle thy soule to most bitter destruction OBIECTION 2. Though I must needes confesse that I haue those helpes to vphold my estate which many thousands do want yet I cannot tell howe all is little enough to
the land of Canaan for according to the commandement of God they did in nothing molest or annoy them in so much as these people notwithstanding the fauour which Israel shewed vnto thē did afterward maliciously conspire to make bloudy and cruell warre against Israel they were for a iust reward ouerthrowne and destroyed one by the sword of another as is recorded in the holy storie of K. Iehoshaphat who at the same time was king of Iudah For the good king had prayed to God against them amplifying the wickednes of their enterprise from that former kindnes of Israel though long before shewed to their ancestors as we reade 2. Chron. 20.10.11.12 in these words Behold saith king Iehoshaphat in his prayer against them the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir by whom thou wouldest not let Isral go when they came out of the land of Egypt but they turned aside from them and destroyed them not Behold saith king Iehoshaphat they reward vs The punishment of vnthankefulnes to men in comming to cast vs out of thine inheritance which thou hast caused vs to inherite O our God wilt thou not iudge thē for there is no strength in vs to stand before this great multitude that commeth against vs neither do we know what to do but our eyes are toward thee c. Such was the prayer of the godly king the effect of it is testified in the 20. verse The Lord layd ambushments against the children of Ammon Moab and mount Seir who were come against Iudah and they slewe one another This iudgement fell vpon thē because they went about to recompence euill for good as king Iehoshaphat alleaged before the Lord in his prayer against them And in the same second booke of Chron. 24. vers 22. c. Because Ioash king of Iudah remembred not the kindnesse which Iehoiadah had done to him but in a rage slew his sonne yea and that also very vniustly euen because he had at the cōmandement of God rebuked both him the people for their sinne the Lord therefore very shortly after sent the host of Aram against him which destroyed all the princes of the people Yea though they came with a small company of men yet the Lord deliuered a very great armie of the people of Iudah into their hand because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers A manifest proofe whereof was this that they slew the Prophet of the Lord most outragiously and tumultuously for doing his dutie and that also euen in the Court of the Lords Temple yea albeit he was the sonne of such a one in remembrance of whose speciall goodnes toward them and among them they ought so much the rather to haue taken some pause and deliberation about the matter The indignitie of this action containing in it so intollerable vnthankfulnesse both to God and man and that euen in the face and presence of his diuine Maiestie it causeth our Sauiour Christ mightily to inueigh against it and other like dealing of the wicked among the people of God from time to time Matt. 23.33 O seruants ô generation of vipers saith our Sauiour Christ how should ye escape the damnation of hell wherefore behold I send ye Prophets and wise men and Scribes and of them ye will kill and crucifie and of them will ye scourge in your Sinagogues and persecute from citie to citie that vpon you may come all the righteous bloud that was shed vpon the earth from the bloud of Abel the righteous vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slewe betweene the temple and the altar Verily I say vnto ye all these things shall come vpon this generation c. Among this bloud thus vnrighteously shed and among the examples of bloudy vnthankefulnesse and the iust reuenge thereof by the Lord we may here take in the example of the Shechemites of whom we read in the 9. ch of the Iudges who because they shewed not kindnesse to the children of Gideon according to all that he had shewed vnto Israel were grieuously punished of God by mutinous robbing and spoyling one of another For God sent an euill spirite betweene Abimelech and the men of Shechem and the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech that the crueltie toward the seuentie sonnes of Ierubbaal and their bloud might come and be layd vpon Abimelech their brother which had slaine them and vpon the men of Shechem who had ayded him to kill his brethren Iudg ch 8.35 and ch 9.23.24 c. This example thus added to the rest let vs now from that threatning of our Sauiour Christ Matth 23. against all requiters of goodnesse with euill proceede to take alike view of some of the fearefull threatnings of God against the same kind of wicked men as we finde them recorded in his holy word which shall as certainely take effect in time to come as any of those iudgementes which haue alreadie bene performed for the warning of all other in the times already passed Among these fearefull threatnings determined against wicked and mischieuous vnthankfull men that which was alleaged out of the Prouerbes many be here iustly called to mind againe that euill shall not depart from his house whosoeuer rewardeth euill for good Prouerb 17.13 And to like purpose may we remember the imprecation of the 109. Psalme once alleaged before Set thou the wicked ouer him c. Namely because for friendship they were aduersaries rewarding euill for good hatred for friendship c. And remembred not to shew mercie but persecuted the afflicted c. verse 4.5.6 c. As it followeth in many verses of the Psalme The which fearefull and as it seemeth to carnall minded men ouer harsh and bitter imprecation it is no other then that which Dauid wisheth euen against himselfe as well as against any other if he had rewarded euill to him that had peace with him For then saith he Let the enemie persecuted my soule and take it yea let him tread my life downe vpon the earth and lay mine honour in the dust Selah As though he should say let him lay it deepe in the dust I craue no mercie c. For he acknowlegeth that he should be worthy to loose all protection of God and to fall into the hands of his enemies so as they might haue their full desire in his vtter ouerthrowe The like imprecation to that of the 109. Psalme we read likewise in the prophesie of Ieremiah in the place before cited where he putteth vp his complaint vnto God against those which recompensed him euill for good for there his imprecation followeth in this manner Deliuer vp their children vnto famine and let them drop away by the force of the sword and let their wiues be robbed of their children and be widdowes and let their husbands be put to death and let their young men be slaine by the sword in battell c. Ier. ch 18.21 c. These fearefull imprecations containe in
to shew mercie vpon such yea euen the mercie and blessing of this presâ—nt life Furthermore Psalm 41. ver 1. c. The same holy Prophete of God pronounceth those blessed who shall iudge wisely of the poore and afflicted And yet this is in appearance lesse then to deale kindly and mercifully toward them Neuerthelesse how little so euer it may seeme to be yet it is in truth a principall grace greatly seruing to all externall exercise of mercie and compassion how secrete and hidden soeuer it be For where there is first of all a charitable iudgement conceiued of those that be humbled by any affliction there will follow comfortable counsell hartie prayer and euery other good fruite of compassion and mercie in hope that God will in due time deliuer and saue them out of all their affliction For so it followeth in the Psalme The Lord will deliuer him in time of trouble The Lord will keep him and preserue him aliue he shall be blessed vpon the earth and thou ô God wilt not deliuer him vnto the will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him vpon the bed of sorrow thou he turneth his speech again to God as before hast turned all his bed in his sicknesse or hast put an end to his disease or sicknesse Thus as the holy Prophet giueth to vnderstand will such as iudge wisely and charitably of the afflicted bemone their estate and comfort them all they can and that with as much chearefulnesse as they can incourage their heartes vnto from such good and comfortable reasons as are mentioned in the Psalme And now in all this what doth this Prophet say or any other testimony of the holie Scripture affirme which our Sauiour Christ doth not confirme in that he saith Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercie And ch 25.34 c. The king saith he speaking of himselfe euen the Iudge of all the world shall say to theÌ„ on his right hand at the last day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for ye from the foundations of the world For I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke c. and verse 40. In so much as ye haue done it to the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me O how great and incomprehensible shall this comfort be to all those that shall attaine vnto it seeing it shall be the euerlasting sealing vp of all comfort and of most glorious happinesse vnto them And therefore also howe worthie the obtaining of this is all the care of forecasting and preparation that may be I meane that we may according to the holy aduise of our Sauiour Christ make our selues such friends by the well employing of the vncertaine râ—ches of this world that when we shall want we may be receiued into euerlasting habitations Luk. 16.9 Men vsually for the obtaining of a little vaiâ—e pleasure or earthly profite glorie will do very much And shall we refuse to do so small a thing as our Sauiour Christ requireth â—t 〈…〉 â—â—r the greatest aduantage and most durable â—râ—fi◠〈…〉 glorie that may be For thus in effect our Sauiour speaketh vnto vs Be ye mercifull a little while to the poore afflicted members of my Church for my sake and ye shal be blessed for euer Giue of your small earthly commodities and ye shall be recompenced with great spirituall heauenly riches Comfort ye them with your temporal refreshings your ioyes shall be eternall and glorious in the kingdom of heaueÌ„ To this purpose well serueth that which S. Iohn writeth Reuel 14.13 I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me write Blessed are the dead euen henceforth which die in the Lord. Euen so saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and that their workes may follow them Of the which works no doubt these of mercy which we speak of are a chiefe and principall part according to that of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 57.1.2 Mercifull men are takes away from the euill to come They enter into peace and rest in their graues These things being so let it be so farre from vs to thinke it too great a matter to part with a small portion of our worldly goods to the reliefe of our poore brethren that we may rather esteeme it a small thing in comparison of the kingdome of heauen which our Sauiour Christ is minded to giue vnto vs Luke 12.33.34 though we should sel all that we haue if need so required giue it out for almes For thus as our Sauiour saith in the same place we should in steed of rotten bags make vs bags which shall not waxe olde and in steed of vncertaine riches obtaine that treasure which shall neuer faile in heauen where no theefe coÌ„meth neither moth corrupteth nor canker fretteth and in steed of moyling here about earthly things our hearts shall be free to mind heauen and heauenly things as hauing already sent our treasure thither before And to the same purpose let vs willinglie hearken to that holy insruction which the same our blessed Lord and Sauiour teacheth vs in the 14. chap. of the same Gospell saying When thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren nor thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbours lest they also bid thee againe and a recompence bee made thee But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maimed the lame and the blind and thou shalt be recompenced because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Not that our Sauiour Christ doth simply condemne or forbid all ciuill inuiting and feasting of one rich friend by another in a mutuall and answerable course of kindnesse so it be soberly practised but he mindeth onely to shew in these wordes that the feasting of the poore is much to be preferred before the feasting of the rich specially of the good and godly poore in so much as this kind of feasting is both more necessarie in regard of the guests which do stand in need to be this way refreshed as also because it is lesse chargeable to the feast-maker in that a more meane diet will content the poore and finally because it is more gainefull in that the blessing of the kingdome of heauen doth belong to this kind of mercifull feasting and not to that other feasting of the rich which is continually recompenced by one to the other here in this world as our Sauiour giueth to vnderstand Nowe further if wee will vse but a little more diligence to peruse the holy Prouerbes of king Salomon we shall find in that one little booke so manie and the same so excellent sentences tending this way as may worthily confirme vs greatly in the sure hope of the blessing of God while we doe walke in this blessed way of mercie toward the poore and needie Of these excellent sentences therefore let vs here call to minde