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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A57863 Two sermons preached at the meeting of the council of George Heriot's hospital at Edinburgh Rule, Gilbert, 1629?-1701. 1695 (1695) Wing R2230; ESTC R17802 9,429 18

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practical Truths may be here observed which time will not allow to insist on I shall summe up what Doctrine the Text affordeth in this one Proposition Liberality for the Relief the Poor is a Duty that God requireth and will Reward For clearing this and convincing you of this Truth I shall first prove this in the General and then shall prove some particular Truths that are comprehended under the General Doctrine For the General proposition It is plainly peremptorily and frequently commanded Lev. 25. 35 Deut 15. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Isai 58 7. Luke 11. 41. Luke 3. 11. 1 Tim 6 18. Heb 13. 16. If the Authority of God have any weight with us this we will make Conscience of 2ly The Lord hath declared Himself well pleased with this as a Christian Duty Heb 13. 16. 3ly It hath alwayes been esteemed in the Church and pressed by the Faithful Pastors of it The Papists it is true carry it too high make it Meritorious and insist mostly on it perverting the peoples Charity which should relieve the Poor to feed Idle Monks and adorn and Enrich Monasteries But the Fathers and the Faithful Ministers in all ages thought it their duty to press this good work on the people So doth the Apostle 2 Cor. 8. 1. and 9. 1. And with what Earnestness and strength of Argument do the Fathers in their Sermons and Epistles urge this Duty on the people Augustine sayeth The poor Man is a Fruitful field it quickly yeildeth Fruit to the Sower Again If thou be a good Merchant an excellent Vsurer give that which thou canst not keep always that thou may receive that which thou canst not lose give a little that thou mayest receive a hundred-fold give a temporal possession that thou mayest receive an Eternal Inheritance Ambrose he is truely Blessed out of whose house the poor never goeth empty Again to with-hold relief from the Indigent for saving his Life is to kill him Beware that thou hoord not up in thy Bags the health or safety of the poor That is to Bury him in thy heaps of Silver Another saith he doth in vain stretch forth his hand to God in Prayer who stretcheth it not out to the Poor by giving 4ly Nature teacheth this Duty The Heathens both commended and used this practice to the Shame of many who own the true Religion I shall forbear instances to spare time only I cannot pass that of Xenophon who used to say That it was more Glorious for one to leave many Deeds of Bounty behind him than many Trophees of Victory 5ly For this end The Lord who could have levelled all the World hath made some Poor and others Rich That the one may Exercise Dependence upon God who feedeth all and the other might shew their obedience to him in feeding the Poor See Deut. 15. 10 11 The Lord hath made the one His Stewards and the other His Receivers 6ly It is the constant and unfailing Fruit of the Grace of God And the footsteps that God's Flock hath always walked in Aboundance of Instances may be given See Prov 21 26. Obadiah is one Instance 1 Kings 18 13. Also Job 31. 16. And Zacheus Luke 19 8. Cornelius Act 10 12 13. 4 Dorcas Acts 9 36 The Church of Jerusalem in the time of great Persecution had all things common Act 2. 44 and 4 34. And we Read of Churches sending Relief to other Churches in Distress Under this General Truth some particulars are to be proved for further clearing the matter 1st It is certain that this Liberal bestowing is not left at Liberty it is not only a commendable thing but a necessary Duty Actual Giving is necessar to all as they have occasion and a Disposition or Inclination to it is necessary in all Simply This is clear first from the command of God of which before considering especially that breaking of one Command is a Breach of the whole Law being a despising of Gods Authority See Jam. 2. 10. 11. Also from the Threatnings of the Wrath of God against Neglecters of this Duty Prov. 21. 13. and 28. 27. A Curse not only from the Poor who are defrauded but from Angels and God Himself shall be on him saith Gejerus a Learned Interpreter Matt 25. 42. it bringeth a Consumption on peoples Estates Prov. 11. 24. Another Truth here comprehended is As People must give accompt to God of all other Actings or omissions so especially of this how they have employed what God gave them in the World you are not Accomptable to Men how you spend what is your own Though it is a pity that profuse Wasters are not punished as Posts among Men and Destroyers or Weakners of the Common-wealth yet God will surely call you to an Accompt And particu●arly what proportion of your Goods you have given to the Poor or whether you have eaten your Morsel alone This is no doubt a part of our Stewardship or trust that we have from the Lord of which we must give an Accompt Luke 16. 12. And that this is designed in that Parable may be gathered from verse 9. where the Application of the Parable is That Men should make Friends of the Mammon or Riches of Unrighteousness Riches are so called because much Unrighteousness is Acted in the World in getting in keeping and in useing them in order to Everlasting Habitations The meaning is that people should use their Riches or what they Enjoy with respect to their appearance at Judgement Which if it were minded the Poor would get a better share then they do That this is aimed at is also clear from ver 11. 12. Where Faithfulness in useing Worldly Goods is mentioned which could not be if these were not a Trust that Men have from God the Giver of them of which they must give account to him This Truth is also manifest from the account we have of the last Judgement Math. 25. Where peoples Charity in relieving the Poor and distressed is the one thing mentioned about which God will Reckon with Men And surely it will be in a special manner taken notice of A Third particular included in the Doctrine is God will reward this Liberality to the Poor the Text is a plain proof of this Also Prov. 19. 17 where ye see that they that lay out their Goods thus have Gods Word for a sure and abundant payment and his Word is surer than Mens Bond Yea then the surest Right or even possession that ye can have Mat. 10. 42. Heb. 6. 10. Ecl. 11. 1. And this Giving is called Sowing which useth to yeild a plentiful Crop much more income then is laid out 2 Cor. 9. 6. Prov. 11. 24. Gal. 6 7 8 9. 10. Prov. 3. 9. 10 This Reward is not of Debt as if our Charity could merit but of Grace The Lords Gracious Testimony of approving so good a Work The Blessings that are the Reward of this Good Work are always real and sure and to them who do it aright and from a good