are famous thorow the whole world neither doe I thinke that any one citie hath giuen more woorthy testimonies of a true and liuely faith but among all these I finde one good worke yet wanting I wish it may be hereafter registred in this bedroule it is that which heretofore many haue much desired and I cannot at this time conceale it from you that whereas this Honorable citie is aboue all the cities in this land so well furnished with the choicest men for learning sent hither wéekely to stand before the most solemne congregation there is not some place prouided at the charges of this citie and the well affected therein for their better entertainement but that they are constrained to take their diet and lodging in troublesome Innes whereby their expenses are increased their mindes disturbed their meditations distracted I speake not this beloued in mine owne behalfe for blessed be God I néed it not and I haue no cause to complaine héerein my selfe receauing so kind entertainment of a priuate friend but I speake it out of a compassionate affection towards many of my poore brethren and fellow-labourers in the ministerie who hauing but small meanes and maintenance are by authoritie sent for from the Vniuersities to supply if not sometimes this yet many times that other solemne place The course of their studie is héereby interrupted their paines increased their bodies wearied their purse emptied and yet their person nay their calling by many is little respected for as that Leuite sometime said I goe now to the house of the Lord and yet no man receaueth me to house Iud. 19.18 so many of our Leuits may as truely professe of themselues that comming hither they goe vnto Gods house to performe that part of seruice due vnto him and yet there is no man receaueth them to lodging no man entertaineth them in his house Gaius was but a priuate man yet he was the host not of S. Paul onely but of the whole Church Rom. 16.23 Simon was but a poore Tanner and yet he lodged S. Peter many daies Act. 9.43 Lydia was but a purple-seller and yet shée requested nay euen constrained the Apostles to come into her house and to abide there Act. 16.15 and will not London so rich and so religious through her many inhabitants be as forward héerein as one man Will not such a publike citie performe as much as a priuate person will not they whose zeale in other matters as S. Paul speaketh of the Corinthians hath prouoked many be prouoked by others to this good work That good Shunamite shall euer be remembred while the world standeth for her loue to the Lords Prophets Marke I beséeh you her spéech vnto her husband 2. Kings 4. I know this is a holy man of God that passeth by vs continually let vs make him I pray thée a little chamber with walles and let vs set him there a bed and a table and a stoole and a candlesticke that he may turne in thither when he commeth vnto vs. O that wise men would not scorne to imitate a weake woman and that you right Honorable my L. Maior and the right worshipfull Aldermen of this citie would vouchsafe in your méetings among other your serious affaires to entertaine this consultation that as this holy woman of God mooued her husband out of his priuate estate so you would be as readie to mooue one another that at the last out of the publike charge there may be prouided for the Lords Prophets a little chamber and a bed and a table and a stoole and a candlesticke I meane a place sequestred from tumult and fit for meditation whereunto they may betake themselues when they come vnto you Know you not that he which is taught in the Word should make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods Gal. 6.6 know you not that they which minister about the holy things eate of the things of the temple and they that waite at the altar are partakers with the altar who goeth a warfar at any time of his owne cost who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof or who féedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke thereof 1. Cor. 9. They come to sowe vnto you spirituall things and thinke you much they should reape your carnall things they come to bring you heauenly Manna and will you not affoord them your earthly mammon they come to saue your soules and will not you prouide for their corporall necessities they come to féed you with the bread of life and will not you bestow on them materiall foode they come to comfort you with the waters of life and will not you giue a cup of cold water to refresh them they come to bring you to the kingdome of heauen and will not you prepare for them a pilgrims lodging in an earthly mansion wherefore as S. Paul told the Corinthians 2. Cor. 8.7 so giue me leaue to vse the like exhortation as yée abound in euery good worke in faith and word and knowledge and in all diligence and in your loue towards vs euen so sée that yée abound in this grace also Blessed shal he be that furthereth such a businesse blessed and thrice blessed he that thus casteth his bread vpon these waters such a good worke will be acceptable to Almightie God comfortable to his Ministers and honorable to this renowned citie Consider my déere brethren what I haue héerein spoken and the Lord God giue you a right vnderstanding in all things I might héere take occasion further to incite you to this and the like holy duties by the example of many of your forefathers in this citie not yet named who haue excelled in the works of mercy and with a liberall hand haue cast their bread vpon the waters But I will not presse this point any further onely of them thus much I say their remembrance wil be as the composition of a perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie swéet as honie in all mouthes and as musicke at a banket of wine They were the great Amners of the king of heauen plentifull in the déeds of piety abundant in the fruits of charitie and full of the bowels of compassion toward the néedy They are now dead rest from their labours and their works follow them though I sée manie now liuing not to follow them in their works for alas my brethren how farre are some of vs degenerated from their steps how farre are we fallen from their religious deuotion aetas parentum peior auis tulit nos nequiores mox daturos progeniem vitiosiorem Well might our forefathers be great giuers and bountiful casters but surely now the world groweth woorse woorse We are fallen into that iron age wherein charitie the life of Christianitie is waxen colde and the loue to the poore in manie is abated if not quite distinguished The Naturall Historian writeth of the Eagle the prince of birds and of the Lion
it as if hée said Si in pauperes liberalis fueris deus vitae tuae dies producet If thou wilt be liberall towards the poore God will prolong the daies of thy life A true interpretation for I doubt not but God doth many times blesse them with long life and many yéeres that looke vpon his poore members with mercifull and compassionate eies Others and those in number manie and in iudgement most authenticall doe thus read the words Post dies multos after many daies thou shalt finde it thereby giuing vs to vnderstand that howsoeuer God in his wisedome deferreth the remuneration of our Christian charitie yet certainly he hath a reward in store for vs which at the last we shall assuredly receaue And this I take to be the naturall and proper sense of king Salomon in this place For after many daies thou shalt find it For whereas in the former part he had vsed a pretie kind of prolepsis or preoccupation which a worldly minded man to this purpose might haue vsed Whatsoeuer I giue vnto the poore is assuredly lost as if I cast my bread into the sea and I shall neuer expect a recompence for the same He now answereth this doubt Et occurrit hominum impatientiae qui nisi è vestigio compensationem accipiant ilico animum abijciunt as one speaketh and he héere méeteth with the impatiencie of those men who presently despaire if God reward not their almes out of hand But Salomon héere tels them that if the Lord hath not yet rewarded them yet they must expect and waite his leasure they must tarie a day and a day nay many daies and then at the last they shall be sure to receaue it if in the meane season they liue in want and take vp the crie of those faithfull soules Vsquequò domine vsquequò how long Lord how long shall we expect our reward the spirit shall testifie to their spirits that Christ himselfe doth say vnto them Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to giue to euery man according vnto his works Reuel 22.12 For so it is beloued brethren sometimes God presently rewardeth the charitable beneuolence of his children as hée did the widow of Sareptah who immediately vpon her reléeuing of Eliah had her meale oile increased according to the word of the Lord 1. Reg. 17.16 Somtimes differtur retributio non deficit saith Bonauēture Well may Christ deferre it for a time but he doth not forget it for euer It may bée that for thy loue to the poore members of Christ God in his loue to thée wil in time increase thy corne thy wine thy oile and thy stocke and then in thy selfe and thine owne estate after manie daies thou maiest find it It may be that those poore children whom thou now feedest at thy table and clothest with thy garments may one day be so enabled by Almightie God in their estate that they may féed and cloath thy children when they may bée brought to much want and miserable necessitie and then in thy children after manie daies thou maiest finde it The summe and effect of all is this God that is before all time in recompensing the good works of his children will not bée tied to this or that circumstance of time onely wée may be well assured that one time or an other he will restore our liberalitie manifold into our bosome by giuing vs ant quod petimus aut quod melius est aut quod sufficit either what wée desire or that which is better or that which is sufficient Learne then my brethren a similitude of the husbandman he casteth his séed into the ground the corne dieth the winter commeth frost and snow and tempestuous weather falleth thereon and who would not thinke hée had laboured in vaine yet the husbandman patiently abideth and tarrieth the time of haruest and then he receaueth a plentiful increase So when we giue our almes what doe we else but cast shall I say our séed vpon the ground nay whereof there may bée lesse hope our bread vpon the waters Yet certainly as that though in mans iudgement cast away springeth and groweth and beareth much fruite So this in time shall returne vnto a happy haruest Si enim non perit semen quod in terram proijcis quid times periturum quod in domini manu reponis If the séede perish not which is cast into the earth much lesse shall that be lost that is left in Gods hand that is laid vp in Christs store-house the poore-mans bagge Learne a similitude of great purchasers they giue manie times great summes of money for reuersions which themselues sometimes neuer liue to enioy but their children after them receaue the benefit thereof so let not vs thinke much to disburse our summes our manie summes towards the reliefe of our poore brethren knowing that if the benefit héereof come not presently to our selues yet it will come opportunely to our posteritie For after many daies we shall finde it Yea but will some men say how is this true I haue oftentimes cast my bread vpon the waters giuen mine almes vnto the poore and I haue a long time expected this reward as yet I can finde nothing O but hearken what S. Chrysostome answereth in one of his Hom. Examine thy selfe O man hath not God rewarded thy charitie with any blessing who then hath giuen thée thy health thy wealth thy food and apparell or if thou hast not yet in a full measure tasted héereof expect notwithstanding and waite the Lords leisure surely hée deferreth these blessings for thine aduantage that hée may pay thée at the last with the greater interest For God is not like that king in Plutarch who would alwaies say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will giue to all men and yet for all this gaue nothing to any man He is Yea and Amen in all his promises and in time conuenient he will performe them The promise of the womans séede was instantly made and opposed as a comfort against Adams fall yet it was performed 3900. yéeres after in Christ Iesus The promise of Israels returne out of Aegypt is made a comfort vnto Abraham yet 400. yéees seruitude must bée first indured but in time conuenient this promise shall be performed The promise of the Scepters continuance till Siloes comming is made to Iudah yet shall many step in of other tribes Moses out of Leuies tribe Ioshuah out of Ephraims tribe Saul out of Beniamins tribe yet in time conuenient a poore Dauid shall be restored to the scepter of Iudah Ioseph was not presently lifted vp aboue his brethren but manie bitter gréefes were before indured Iudah did not instantly finde release by Cyrus but many sorowfull songs by the waters of Babylon must be chaunted but at length the ones dignifying the others deliuery were in time conuenient performed Hée that deferred the promised séed so manie hundred yéeres and then sent Israels deliuerance so many score of yéeres
The Poore-mans Preacher A SERMON Preached at S. Maries Spittle in LONDON on Tuesday in Easter weeke being April 7. 1607. By RO. WAKEMAN Bachelar of Diuinitie and fellow of Ballioll College in Oxford Prou. 28.27 He that giueth vnto the poore shall neuer lacke Matt. 10.42 Whosoeuer giueth to one of these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water only shall not lose his reward LONDON Printed by A. Hatfield for Iohn Bill Ann. Dom. 1607. THE POORE MANS Preacher ECCLES 11.1 Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it WHen Salomon the mirrour of Wisedome and Knowledge right honorable c. had taken a full view of all earthly things hée found by his owne experience that there was nothing vnder the Sunne either woorthie of mans impetuous pursuit or able to effect mans true felicitie Hée made himselfe many great works he built many goodly houses he planted many pleasant vineyards orchards and gardens and trées therein of all fruit he had seruants and maidens béeues and shéepe siluer and gold aboue all that were before him in Ierusalem He prouided him his men-singers and his women-singers and all the delights of the sonnes of men Whatsoeuer his eies desired he with-held it not from them neither did he withdraw his heart from any ioy and yet sée his censure at the last of all these things Vanitas vanitatum vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities vanitie of vanities and al is vanitie which lesson whenas a good Preacher hée had abundantly taught the faithfull in the precedent chapters of this booke in this verse now read vnto you he sets vp another marke wherat they are to aime he shewes them another path that they must tread he chalkes out another race for them to run and he giues them another precept for them to practise Cast saith he thy bread vpon the waters for after many daies thou shalt finde it As if he had thus said vnto them O yée sonnes of Adam why doe you beat your braines and busie your heads in séeking after the vaine and transitorie things of this world why doe you place your chiefest happinesse and delight in strength or beautie or pleasure or wisedome or knowledge or honour or pompe or wealth Where is the strength that sicknesse hath not weakened where is the beauty that age hath not withered where is the pleasure that paine hath not pursued where is the wisedome that folly hath not tainted where is the knowledge that ignorance hath not blemished where is the honour that care hath not accompanied where is the pompe that time hath not ruinated where is all the wealth and glorie of this world that troubles haue not followed what is the fruit of all these things Possessa onerant amata inquinant amissa cruciant In possessing them they burden you in louing them they defile you in loosing them they torment you this is not a course to come to happinesse this is not the way to attaine heauen Cast away these trifles O man lest they cast thée away frō thy God rather be mercifull to thy poore brother that God may be mercifull vnto thée Giue him chéerefully of thy goods that God may liberally reward thée of his grace Let thine owne bread féed him thine owne house harbour him thine owne apparell cloath him and thine owne wealth minister to his want Doe this to him that cannot doe it to thée againe make choice of such as cannot returne the like cast thine almes vnto such poore as like water passe away and will neuer bring agayne what thou giuest yea loose thy money for thy neighbours sake This is a meanes to purchase Gods fauour this is a course to make thée blessed for howsoeuer thou doest not presently taste the fruit of this charitable deuotion yet a time shall come when thou shalt finde this reward if not of temporal things in this life yet of an euerlasting inheritance in the resurrection of the iust Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many daies thou shalt finde it Few words I confesse beloued yet the subiect of much matter For as those waters in Ezechiel were first to the anckles next to the knées after to the loines lastly such a riuer as could not be passed ouer Ezech. 47. so the diuine riuers that flow from this heauenly fountaine to make glad the citie of God howsoeuer at the first view they may séeme but shallow to the shallow conceit of flesh and bloud yet vpon further search they are found to bée most profound and plentifull in the streames of holsome doctrine to satisfie the thirst of our sinfull soules and as hée said of that famous Historian Verborum numero sententiarum numerum comprehendit he spake as many sentences as he did words or as Hierome said to Paulinus concerning the catholicke examples of Peter Iames Iohn and Iude breues esse pariter longas breues in verbis longas in sententijs that they were short and yet they were long short in respect of the number of the words long in regard of the varietie of much matter in them contained So I may as truely say the same of this text that it is short and yet it is long short in the paucitie of words long in the plentie of matter euery word carrying his perfect waight and euery syllable his substantiall sense and almost euery letter his seuerall lesson Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many daies thou shalt finde it For art thou rich and blessed with much wealth the first word is for thy instruction thou must not gather vnto thée but cast from thée Cast Wilt thou know what to cast thou must cast bread that is any thing necessary for the reliefe helpe of the distressed Cast bread Wilt thou heare whose bread thou must cast not an others for that is iniustice but thine owne for that is true charitie cast thy bread wilt thou vnderstand vpon whom to cast thy bread vpon thy poore brethren vpon whom whatsoeuer thou bestowest thou must no more expect from them againe then thou lookest for that which thou castest away into the sea Cast thy bread vpon the waters Wilt thou sée a reason of all this the reason brings with it a reward the time when this reward shall be receaued post dies multos after manie daies for after many daies the reward it selfe implied in the last words thou shalt finde it for after many daies thou shalt finde it So that you sée héere are many parts and circumstances to be considered wheron if I should particularly insist each of them might require a longer time then is allotted mée for the handling of the whole but for breuitie sake the summe and effect of all may be drawne into these two heads and diuided into these two branches Whereof the first is a precept of a dutie to be performed in these words cast thy bread vpon the waters The second is a reason grounded vpon the