Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	charitable_a	charity_n	great_a	33	3	2.1554	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91907	Three sermons preach'd upon extraordinary occasions. By Charles Robotham, B.D. rector, of Reisam in Norfolk	Robotham, Charles, 1625 or 6-1700.	1680 (1680)	Wing R1729E; ESTC R231140	83,223	245

meant in the Text is evident from the next and second word To do good and to communicate forget not As much as to say to do good by imparting by communi cating of what we have to the use to the benefit and behoof of others So that this latter is added to the former to shew in particular what is that good exhorted to 't is Bonum dissusum extensum such a doing of good as spreads and diffuses it self to the refreshing of our Neighbour to the necessities of the By-standers The like Addition and the like Explication does the Apostle put else-where 1 Tim. 6. 18. Charge them says he that they do good that they be rich in good Works and presently adds ready to distribute willing to communicate This is to do good in the sense of the Text to distribute to communicate to the Wants to the Exigencies of others But though this may well be conceived to be the use and intent of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet there is something further that we must take notice of in this Phrase of Communicating For why is it that the practise and exercise of Charity ●s called by the Name of Commu●●cating not only here but in Rom. 15. 25. Gal. 6. 6. Phil. 4. 1● 1 Tim. 6. 18. many other places To this I answer When the Scripture fets ●orth the Duties of Charity by the Phrase of Communicating it ●s for a three-fold hint or instru●tion First it instructs us what judgment we should have and what ●ccount we should make of the Bona Terrae of the good things of this World of the Temporal Enjoyments we possess in this Life That we are not to look ●pon them as things absolutely ours so as wholly to detain consine or engross them to our selves but as a Communionis id est Charitatis qua omnia putantur Communia Verb1 Augustini in Glossa 1. t●m Hay●●o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as things to be imparted and communicated that is to be made common as were by distributing to the necessities of others None of ●s has an absolute property in what he has The strict property is Gods the legal possession under God is ours ours by his Gift by his Will and Providence but yet so as he has made it our Debt and Duty to impart and communicate what is ours upon Publick Pious or Charitable occasions So that what is ours in the Eye of the Law and in the way of Justice becomes in a sort and sense due to another in the way of Charity Else would not the Spirit of God say as it does Prov. 3. 27. Withhold not good from him to whom it is due There is a due of Charity as well as a Right of Possession and civil Propriety In the latter respect every one may look upon what he rightly has as his own but in the former respect every one should look on what he has to spare as his needy Brothers and upon himself only as the Steward of it at large to dispose and dispense it yea and to account for it unto God For the Goods of this World they are a Talent and whosoever has them most certainly one day must come to a double account for them first how he got them secondly what good he did with them according to the ability he had or the objects or opportunities he met with It will not then be sufficient for rich Nabal to stand upon his property as we find he did when David ask'd a Relief of him 1 Sam. 25. 11. What says he shall I take of my Bread and my Water and my Flesh and give it to I know not whom This Man only considered the Legal Property the civil Title he had to his Goods but not the Tenure upon which he held them nor the End for which God gave them which was not meerly to enjoy or behold them with his Eyes no nor to revel with them in a drunken kind of hospitality within doors but to lay them out for Gods Service and our poor Neighbours benefit Incassum se innocentes putant qui commune Dei munus sibi privatum vindicant says Gregory the Great In vain do the Rich or Men of Ability think themselves blameless and innocent if so be what God has given over and to spare and so to be communicated they ingross unto themselves God indeed for wise and necessary Ends has establish'd Property in the World but yet we mistake if we think that all equality or community are to all effects quite taken away The contrary appears by the Gospel 2 Cor. 8. 14. wherein God has ordained that one Mans abundance should supply another Mans want that there may be an equality For God puts no Man into the World to be necessarily starved or pinched with extremity of want He will have all to be provided for and has assigned to every one a Childs Portion in some fair way to be obtained by him either by his own Legal Right and just Industry or by humble request which according to Conscience ought take effect And this is the first thing which the Word or Phrase of Communicating hints unto us namely Communit as bonorum a kind of Community of Goods i. e. of the overplus of what we have in case of others want and for the uses and purposes of Charity We must not look upon our Abundance as given us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be engrossed but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be imparted and communicated But then again secondly another thing there is which this Phrase of Communicating holds forth unto us And that is The Nature of Charity that it is of a diffusive disposition 't is for distributing what it has This is the right Spirit and Genius of Christian Love and Goodness It does not tarry at home but goes forth to the wants and necessities of others It seeks not his own 1 Cor. 13. 5. It looks not only to its own things but to the things of others Phil. 2. 4. To do no body no wrong that 's Justice and Probity but to be helpful and succouring to others that 's Charity The Jews have a pretty Saying whereby they give us the Motto and Character of three several Persons The Unjust Man he says That that is thine is mine and that that is mine is my own he grasps and gripes all he can The meer Just Man he says That that is thine is thine and and that that is mine is mine he keeps his own and leaves every one to his own But the Pious and Good and Charitable Man he says That that is mine is thine thine to use thine in case of necessity and that that is thine is thy own This is the Language the Practise and Pleonasm of Charity 'T is an extensive Grace 't is like a full Breast it milks out it self to the hungry and thirsty to the sick and feeble to the cold and naked to the poor and

needy 'T is all for communicating it does not shut but open Deut. 15. 8. Thou shalt open thy hand wide unto thy poor Brother It does not rake and scrape but scatter and disperse Prov. 11. 24. There is that scattereth and yet increaseth Psal 112. 9. He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the Poor i. e. He is not tenacious or close-fisted does not hoard up or keep close his Goods for the gratifying of his covetous humour or the nourishing of his pride or the pampering of his sensuality but according as time and place and ability requires he sends them abroad for the good help and relief of others In a word the Charitable Man is one that is good and does good good in himself and good unto others He sucks not up his juice to himself he eats not his Morsels alone Job 31. 17. He does not like the Snail sibi vivere live to himself or hide up himself within his own Shell but rather like the Silk-work that even works and spends it self for the good of others For so runs the Apostles Exhortation Ephes 4. 18. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his own Hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Not only that he may have a Peny against a rainy day that indeed is necessary thrift and good husbandry but that he may have to give to him that more needeth that 's Christian Charity True Charity will be giving not only out of its Lands and larger Revenues but out of its earnings something out of its own labour more or less to him that need●th This is the second thing implied ●n the Phrase of Communicating 〈◊〉 shews the Nature and Spirit of Charity to be diffusive and communicative There is yet a third thing intinated in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is ●pplied to Acts of Charity and that ●s the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Good that a●ises and accrues thereby both to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact in Rom. 15. Doer and to the Partaker 'T is ●he Note of Theophylact upon Rom ●5 25. That the Apostle does e●ery where call Alms or Charity ●y the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 com●union or communicating be●ause there is a kind of Commu●ion that is a common or a mu●ual gain by it both to him that gives it and to him that receives 〈◊〉 First he that receives our Cha●ity gains by it succour and re●reshment help and benefit And then 't is as evident from Scripture that he that gives out his Charity gains by bestowing it He gains blessedness Acts 20. 35. 'T is a more blessed thing to give than to receive He gains good to his own Soul Prov. 11. 17. The merciful Man doth good to his own Soul The good that he does reflects and redounds back unto himself He gains here and he gains hereafter Even here he gains a Blessing Qu●s dederis solus habebis opes on what he possesses Luke 11. 41. a return and encrease Luke 6. 38. Prov. 11. 25. and as he gains here so much more shall he gain hereafter Luke 14. 14. Such shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the Just 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And what shall they reap why Heaven●● and Happiness Life and Glory For in thus doing they sow unto the Spirit says the Apostle Gal 6. 8. and of the Spirit they shall reap Life Everlasting Great Gains for so small laying out An Eternal reward for a temporary bene●icence This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Trade the Traffick the blessed exchange of a Pious Charity It gives a way Earth and gets Heaven Miser homo quid foeneraris homini foenerare Deo centuplum recipies Vitam Aeternam possidebis praebe lutum accipe Deum praebe tectum accipe Coelum Aug. It gives the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the carnal things of this World and gains the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spiritual and Eternal things of a better And thus I have opened to you the Matter and Substance of the Duty which is a doing of good and Communicating And though the Text does not mention it yet it would be seasonable and pertinent to add unto the former the extent of the Duty the reach and compass of this Goodness the Persons whom it takes in and to whom it must extend and that is unto all Men. So says the Apostle Galat. 6. 10. As we have opportunity let us do good unto all though especially to the houshold of Faith Vnto all that is not simply and absolutely to all for that 's impossible but unto all first distributive to all in their degree and capacity to all according to the exigence of their necessities to all pro loco tempore according to the opportunity of time and place and the proportion of thy ability So St. Austin seems to interpret the Note of universality Omnibus Aug. de Doctrinâ Christianâ i. e. omnibus qui locorum temporum vel quarumcunque rerum opportunitatibus constrictius tibi quasi quadam sorte junguntur To all who are brought near and presented to us by Providence as the Objects of our present Charity And then secondly unto all indifferently without any undue exceptions exclusions or limitations that is not only to thy self but to others not only to thy own within doors that are as it were a part of thy self but to thy Neighbour without to them of the Vicinage not only to thy Kin but to the stranger yea not Beatus qui amat te amicum in te inimicum propter te Aug. confess only to thy Friend but to thy Enemy Rom. 12. 20. If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he ●hirst give him drink And so Mat. 5. 43 44. It hath been said Lex Vetus amorem docet in proximos Nova in extraneos yea inimicos Tertullian Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and ●ate ehine Enemy but says Christ I say unto you Love your Enemies do good to them that hate ●ou Ye see then though we do not take in singula generum all ●bsolutely and collectively here ●s yet a large Field for Charity to walk in a wide and a large Sphere ●o act in for the doing of good ●t must be still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all whom the Law of God has made and whom the Providence of God presents to us as Objects of Cha●ity It must be Peregrinanti to the Stranger Fatherless and Wi●dow that they may eat within ●hy Gates and be filled Deut. ●6 12. James 1. 27. It must be Esurienti to the Hungry and Na●ed Isa 58. 7 10. If thou draw out thy Soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted Soul It must be Aegrotanti to the Sick and Weak to the Blind and Lame Luke 14. 13. It must be Indigenti