Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	charity_n	faith_n	justification_n	4,801	5	9.5998	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96973	Five sermons, in five several styles; or Waies of preaching. The [brace] first in Bp Andrews his way; before the late King upon the first day of Lent. Second in Bp Hall's way; before the clergie at the author's own ordination in Christ-Church, Oxford. Third in Dr Maine's and Mr Cartwright's way; before the Universitie at St Maries, Oxford. Fourth in the Presbyterian way; before the citie at Saint Paul's London. Fifth in the Independent way; never preached. With an epistle rendring an account of the author's designe in printing these his sermons, as also of the sermons themselves. / By Ab. Wright, sometimes Fellow of St John Baptist Coll. in Oxford.	Wright, Abraham, 1611-1690.	1656 (1656)	Wing W3685; Thomason E1670_1; ESTC R208406	99,151	247

the way to the next and that by way of commendation quia prudenter ●git non quia fraudulenter not cause he dealt dishonestly but wisely so the verse before my text that he carried the businesse cleanly handsomely the manner how you may read from the 5 to the 8 ver of this Chapter and therefore make you friends learn of him saith Christ Had it been learn of me as our Saviours precept was Matth. 11. 29. it had been an admirable pattern nay had it been but Solomon's lesson Go to the pismire Pro. 9. I should not have marvelled for she would have taught honest providence but learn of an unjust Steward can there come any goodthing from one so evil Yes For the children of this world are in their generation wiser then the children of light so the 8 ver of this Chapt. therefore learn of him what to do To make you friends How Of the unrighteous Mammon Why That when yee faile they may c. Which three Queries will direct us to three General Parts for our division The first is the quid the matter to provide for our selves by making us friends The second the cujus the manner to use the best means to get them unrighteous Mammon The third the cuibono the end that when yee faile they c. Of which in their order beginning with the first the quid the mattor to provide for our selves by making us friends And that I think is good counsel at any time and as ever so most especially now when brotherly affection is become so changeable and double-faced as 't is hard to find a true friend and liberalitie is grown so indirect and improper that 't is shewen now adaies rather to enrich a Closet or Parlour then a Christian in clothing of walls sooner then men Now the friends here meant are the Angels say some who are made out friends by works of mercie towards our brethren but the common tenet is the friends in my text are the poor quos Deus permisit egere ad illorum nostram probationem whom God suffers to want for the exercise of their patience and our charitie and the ordinarie exposition of make you friends it give Alms make you friends by works of Charitie which shall be the subject of the first part of my discourse and so much the rather because the doctrine as well as the practice of it is almost forgot The Divinity of Justification by Faith alone like one of Pharaoh's lean kine hath clean devoured the fat ones And therefore my first particular position or doctrine rais'd from this general thesis shall be to rectife your understanding in this deep point of Justification by Faith and Justification by Works to reconcile these two and make them one The Position is this That Faith Works must alwaies be united ever go hand in hand in a believer It is evident to all except they be blinde that the eie alone seeth in the bodie ●et the eie which seeth is not alone in the bodie without the other sences the fore-finger alone pointeth yet that finger is not alone on the hand the hammer alone striketh the bell yet the hammer that striketh the bell is not alone in the clock the heat alone in the fire burneth and not the light yet the heat is not alone without the light the helme alone guideth the ship and not the tackling yet the helme is not alone nor without the tackling Thus we are to conceive that though Faith alone doth justifie yet that Faith which justifies is not alone but join'd with Charitie and good Works Saint Bernard's distinction of via r●gni and causa regnandi cleareth the truth in this point Though good Works are not the cause why God crowns us in heaven yet we must take them in our way to heaven Mat. 5. 16. It is as impious to deny the necessitie as to maintein the merits of good Works The first reason of the point wherfore Faith and good Works must alwaies be united alwaies go hand in hand in a Believer is because that God hath joined good works and salvation together in his Word and what God hath join'd let not man put asunder Now doing and life working and salvation running and obteining winning and wearing overcoming and reigning in holy Seripture evermore follow one the other wherefore the young man puts the question to our Saviour Mar. 10. 17. and the people likewise and the Publicans and the Souldiers to Saint John Luk. 3. 10 12 14. and the Keepers of the prison to Saint Pau● Act. 16. 30. and the Jew● to Saint Peter Act. 2. 37. What shall we do Not what shall we say or what shall we believe but what shall we do This is the tenour of the Law Do this and thou shalt live Levit. 18. 5. Deut. 5. 33. And the Gospel also runs in the same tune Mat. 7. 24. And again No● the hearers but the doers of the Law shall bee justified James 1. 22. A second reason of the point is because that though Faith justifie our Works before God yet our Works justifie our Faith before men Though the just shall live by his Faith Hab. 2. 4. Yet this his Faith must live by his Charitie Let us therefore take from hence first a word of Cantion not to turn the doctrine of Free Justification into carnal libertie nor impose upon Christ's mercie what it will not bear nor indeavour to sever faith from good Works least we sever our soul from life I grant when we have done all we can we may nay we must say we are unprofitable servants Luke 17. 10. None may trust in their own righteousnesse but on the contrary all ought to pray that they may bee found in Christ not having their own righteousnesse Epb. 3. 9. yet their righteousnesse must exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees or else they shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven Mat. 5. 20. In the second place this will serve for a word of Reproof for all those that separate Faith and Works Tell not me whoever thou art of Faith without thy Works nor of Praiers without thy Almes nor of piety without thy compassion nor of real without thy charitie if the hands be not Jacob's as well as the voice I fear thou wilt appear before God for no better then a meer Impostor and Cheat. If wee are good trees by our fruit men shall know us Mat. 7. 15. by your fruit not by your blossoms of good purposes or your leaves of good profession but by the fruit of your actions What is your devotion when it is peevish or your zeal when it is malicious or your puritie when it is schismatical or your conscience when it is factious a mover a ring-leader of sedition Too too many in this rotten age wherein we live are speakers not workers as if ostendere fidem the Apostle Saint James his shew thy Faith by thy Works were o● tendere

said to give almes of what they have cheated and robbed unlesse they cannot tell the persons whom they have injured or the proportions in such cases they are to give those unknown portions to the poore by way of restitution for it is no almes Onely God is the supreme Lord to whom those escheats devolue and the poor are his receivers And therefore are said in my Text to receive you into everlasting habitations which is my last generall part of the division beeing the end and motive to good works That when yee fail c. In the handling of which part I shall First propose to your consideration three brief positions and then proceed to a more full explication of this generall head For the Positions the First is this that if men were their own friends they would make others so with their Mammon and while they are on earth provide for heaven Blessed are the mercifull for they shall receive mercy was our Saviours in the Gospell God's promises though they be gracious yet they are confined and he onely shall receive mercy that shewes it The Almighty being therefore bountifull to us that we might be so to others promising that if we feast those that cannot bid us againe and build for those that cannot lodge us againe We shal be made partakers of that Mariage-feast and those habitations whose maker and builder is God If men then were their owne friends they would make others so with this Mammon Why should the rust of that gold rise up in judgment against thee the right use of which will place thee with those that shall sit in judgment Turning thy Talents into Cities and saying the foundation of that building whose walls reach up to heaven And that is our First Po●ition But can good workes purchase these eternall habitations By no meanes And therefore Our Second Position is this That not our good workes But Christ's merits are the formall cause of our Salvation For neither the vertue of the works they bee but the fruits of charity nor the vertue of charity that is but the fruit of faith nor the vertue of faith that 's but an instrument to apprehend Christ but he alone our Saviour alone by his merits hath made this purchase and prepared those mansions for us And yet mistake me not there is no lesse necessity of good workes then if you should be saved by them that though you cannot be saved by them as the meritorious causes of your glory yet that you cannot be saved without them as the necessary effects and arguments of that grace which brings glory Which is our Second Position upon the point Our third runns thus The poor by their praiers receive us into those eternall habitations which Christ bestowes and confers upon us Now the poor here meant in the Text are either Pauperes spiritu the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God Mat 5. or Pauperes sacculo the poor in purse and these by their prayers shall receive thee into heaven For as Christ is said to receive those almes on earth which the poor put up and not he so the poor in heaven are said to receive us into everlasting habitations which Christ shall bestow and not they Can you conceive how the Queen of Sheba and men of Nineve shall rise up at the last day In the same manner but for a better end shal the men women and children of your Hospitals rise up and testify on your behalf saying Sweet Jesus had it not been for these and these Benefactors we had perished for want As therefore Saint Paul said to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 1. Ye are our hope cause these at the last day would witnesse how he had laboured for their salvation so may every one of you say of all those to whom you have done good You are our hope for that they shall testifie your good works before men and Angels justifie that sentence which shal receiv you into everlasting habitations These are the three brief Positions I mentioned Now that we may come to a more full explication of the point these everlasting habitations according to several Expositors are severally interpreted for first to be received into these everlasting habitations is to be taken into the protection of God according to Psal 90. 1. which is interpreted by the next Psal 1 ad 4. ver from which first interpretation our position shall be That it is better to give away all that wee have to the poor and have God with nothing then all the world without God To have God with nothing did I say Nay in having him wee have all things saith Saint Cyprian de Coen Dom. cum Dei sint omnia Since all things are God's to him that hath God nothing can be wanting except he be wanting unto God nothing saith the Father no good thing saith the Prophet the young Lions do lack and suffer hunger but they that seek the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 34. Though all earthly persecutions entrench thee and miserie seems to come upon thee like an armed man and thou art fallen into the jawes of those enemies whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword yet Angels shall encampe about thee and the Lord of Hosts shall be thy buckler and thy shield the neighing of the horse the noise of the trumpet shall not invade thee or if they do and at such a strait that the arme of flesh growes weak yet his mercie is great unto the heavens and his truth reacheth unto the clouds the glorious hoste above shall muster all their forces to assist thee the starrs shall fight for thee and thunder speak loud unto thy enemies Thus in the height of miseries God shall be thy castle and strong tower and under the shadow of his wings shall bee thy refuge till these calamities bee overpast God never leaveth his in their extremities whether in the Cave or in the Mountain in the Den or in the Dungeon hee is alwaies there both in his power and assistance and somtimes in his person too when all natural supplies grow hopelesse God purveies for his children by his miracles rocks shall burst with water and Ravens provide bread and clouds drop fatnesse and heavens shower mannah and Angels administer comforts which when we are naked shall cloath us and receive us or rather usher us into these everlasting habitations Now besides this exposition of the words these everlasting habitations may receive a double interpretation one in respect of the everlasting fame and glorie of your name in this world the other in regard of your everlasting reward in the next and that first branch hath a double relation one to your self the other to your posteritie truly even this part of the reward and retribution namely in this life is worth a great deal of your cost and alms that God shall establish your posteritie in the world and in the

to stretch the jawes to shew thy Faith by strong Protistations But this must not be a work of the mouth but hand If a man question thee of thy faith spare thy lips and let thy mouth make answer If words might be credited if a bare profession of the Gospel might be believed no man would want faith every one would crie with the blind man to Christ Lord I believ what mouth would not make one lie for its master Nise videro unless I see saith Thomas of Christ's rising so unless I see and feel thy saith I will not believe If therefore thou criest the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord with the Jewes and with them dost not obey the Lord of that Temple if thou art onely Sermon-sick whilst thou art rock'd in a Church-tempest abroad and presently do'st recover again as soon as thoudo'st lie at hull at home if thy voice be Jacobs but thy hands Esau's if thou do'st acknowledge God with thy tongue but denie him in thy life professe a Christian and live a Pagan join together Christ and Beliat the Temple of God and the Temple of Divels the holy and the unholy Ghost if thou do'st run to heaven one day to hell six and do'st contradict the truth of those Sermons thou do'st hear by the errors of thy life I must tell thee by way of reproof that this is the part of a grand hypocrite and not of a good Christian and at the last day shall receiv the portion of hypocrites in the lake of fire and brimstone In the third place you may here take unto your selves a word of Admonition to beware of these hypocrites and this is our Saviour's own use Mat. 7. 15. Beware saith Christ of those that come to you in sheeps cloathing in sheeps cloathing with such a cast of mortification and integritie as if their conversation spake nothing but innocencie and immaculatenesse when within they are ravening wolves A handsom garment is no argument of a straight bodie nor are those alwaies the best men that make the most shew of Religion All are not Nathanaels Israelites indeed that are of Israel many have Abraham to their father but a few his children many that came out of his loins but few that shall sit in his bosome Therefore I say again take our Saviour's advice Beware of those that come to you in sheeps cloathing you shall know them by their fruits saies Christ fruits indeed to the eie beautiful and glorious but to the finger dust and smoke like those hypocritical apples that well-complexion'd dust of Sodom and so much shall suffice for our first doctrinal position rais'd from this first general part of the Text. The second Observation that I shall draw from this general point of Charitie and Almsdeeds is that this work is not a free-will offering left to our selves to bee done or left undone as we think fit but it is our dutie and we are bound to do it if we are able and this is proved from 1 Tim 6. 17 18. It is the rich man's charge precept and dutie and therefore what is here with our Saviour a counsel was with his Apostle a precept Charge the rich saith the aforementioned Epistle to Tim. that they do good It is not left to their free choice to do good if they please but it is laid upon them as their charge and dutie they must do good Work● and wo to them if they do not And the reason of the point is because God haih not made them owners but servants and servants not of their goods but the giver not treasures but stewards and Almoners And this dispensation and ordering of God's that rich men should be his Stewards may very well serve for a word of encouragement and exhortation to those rich men to go on and glorie in this office of Stewardship especially when they shall consider that the praise of a Steward is more to lay out well then to have received much knowing that Well done faithful servant Mat. 25. 21. is a thousand times a sweeter note then soul take thine ease Luk 12. 10. for that first is the voice of the Master recompencing this last of the Carnal Heart presuming and what followed to the one in the Gospel but his Masters joy what to the other but the losse of his soul But what need here either our Saviours counsel or his Apostles precept you 'l say for we shall have friends enough no doubt so long as this Mammon in our Text is our friend wee shall indeed and therefore Our third Observation on the point shall bee that in making of friends by works of Charitie we must use discretion and prudence and this will teach us First Negatively who in this particular are not to bee our friends Secondly Positively who are to be these friends in the Text. First then Negatively those are not to be our friends who when we fail will not receive us into habitations who will bee ready to embrace all the favours and good turns you shal confer upon them but will return none back again These are such friends of whom holy Job in his 6 Chap. complain'd of like the brooks by the which the merchants do travel into Teman frozen in winter and dried up in Summer friends no longer then you can befriend them like leavs that fall from the trees when they begin to wither and with Saint Peter know not the man such as will bee your servant in a complement and not look upon you in a busines●e These are the first sort of friends that are not to bee made of the unrighteous Mammon common sence and reason forbids it Secondly you must not make those your friends who though they may perchance receive you into habitations yet they cannot receive you into everlasting habitations though they are able to give you houses they are not able to give you heaven and these are the rich in this world of whom our Saviour forewarns you Luke 6. 82 to 35. We therefore are to engage none of these to our friendship but such as when we fail shall receive us into everlasting habitations and these are the poor and needie which seemed such a paradox to the Pharisees as they derided Christ ver 14 of this Chap. whose laughter occasioned the following Parable of Dives and Lazarous had the Rich man there made this Beggar his friend with b●ead and a few crums would have done it himself had not afterwards wanted water but now it is but justice that he which denied a crum should be denied a drop Now in the fou●th place for a fourth observation upon the point you are to take notice that if you will be Gods Almoners and Stewards to disburse to the poor God will be your pay-matter and undertake for the poor if you will be their friend here he will be your friend both here and hereafter To prove this you must know that these words of

my Text were not spoken as if the poor were able of themselves to bee our friends but God undertakes for them hee hath given his word and entered bond for every act of Charitie whether i bee a work of pietie to his Church or mercie to the poor And first for pietie He that receives a Prophet in the name of a Prophet saith our Saviour Matth. 10. shall ●…eive a Prophets reward either in the b●●ssin●s of earth with the widow of Sarepta 1 King 17. 14. whose cruse and meale did not waste of which the Man of God had a cake or in the blessings of the wombe with the Shunamite who for her Candlestick and Stool received life from the deadnes●e of her womb a son when shee was barren 2 King 4. there 's for pietie Secondly for mercie give and it shall be given unto you saith the 6 of Saint Luke He that commands the one promiseth the other Alms never undid their owner nor is Charitie so ill a servant as to leave the master a beggar And again Hee that gives to the poor lends to the Lord Pro. 19 and if God freely gives us what wee may lend will he not much more pay us what wee have lent and give us because we have given that first is his bountie this last but his justice Now from this last Observation may be gathered by way of Use the happinesse both of Poor and Rich. And first of the Poor when he shall consider himself God's seed-plot his plow'd-land which God hath so bless'd and improved with the showers and dew of heaven that if you chance but to throw in a single grain even one poor mite of your charitie it shall return an hundred fold low earth and you shall reap heaven Secondly from hence appears the blessed condition of the Rich. Oh how happie is that man that may be a creditor to his Maker heaven and earth shall become empty before he shall want a roial paiment never any was a looser by God For God returns large consideration and interest for what he takes up and paics not the use for the principal but the principal for the use not six in the hundred but an hundred for six and who then would not be an usurer to the Almightie But you 'l reply I have talents committed to my charge knew I but the best way to improve them I would willingly give but I see my alms abused To direct you therefore in this great and necessary duty of Christianity I shall hold out unto you 4. generall rules of giving almes and out of each of these 4. generall rules draw out severall particular directions The 4. generall rules are these First the unjust stewards rule in my text Secondly Solomons rule Thirdly Christs rule Fourthly Gods rule For the first the unjust stewards rule that will teach you how to give almes from these particular directions First saith the 5. ver of this Chap. he called his masters debtors and stayed not till they call'd him Abraham and Lot are said to fit in the doore of the Tent to call in strangers they need not knock commonly they that crave least have the most need For there are many persons that have nothing left them but misery and modesty and towards such we must add two circumstances of Charity First to enquire them out Secondly to convey our reliefe so to them as we do not make them ashamed Secondly the second particular direction from this unjust steward was this that what he did was with dispatch he called his Masters debtors and bid them sit downe quickly verse 6. vt hilarem it a celerom datorem diligit Deus God delights in expedition as well as cheerfulnesse give almes with a cheerful heart and countenance not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver 2 Cor 2. 7 and therefore give quickly when the power is in thine hand and the need is in thy neighbour and thy neighbour at the door He gives twice that relieves speedily The more speed the more comfort Neither the times are in our own disposing nor our selves If God had see us a day and made our wealth inseparable there were no danger in delay But now our incertainty if it quickens not deceivs us How many have meant well done nothing loosing their crown with lingring to whom that they would have done good it is n●t ●o great praise as it is dishonour that they might have done it their deaths oft-times preventing their desires and making their good incentions the Wards of their Executors who many times prove the executioners of their wills and estates From hence then take a word of advice and caution let their wracksbe ourwarning who are equally mortall equally fickle It is a wofull and remediless complaint that the end of our dayes should out-run the beginning of our good workes which are commonly so don as the poor may thank our death-beds for them and not us our disease rather then our Charitie For he that gives not till he dies shewes that he would not give then if he could keep it and they that give thus give by their testaments it is true but I can scarce say they give by their wills the good mans praise Psal 112. was that himself dispersed his goods and not left them behind him and his distribution is seconded with this retribution of Gods his righteousnesse indureth for ever The Saints of God are like Dorcas in the Acts rich in good works which shee did herselfe and not entrusted others to do them being her own executrix Secondly let this be an use of exhortation and encouragement to do good in your life time Our Saviour tells us Mat. 5. that our good workes are our lights Let your light so shine as m●n may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven Now which of you will have his candle brought behind him and not rather carried before that he may see which way it goes and which way himself goes by it Do good therefore in your life early beneficence hath no danger many joyes Isa 58. 8. For first the conscience of good don Secondly the praiers and blessings of the relieved Thirdly the gratulations of the Saints are as so many perpetuall comforters which will make your life pleasant and your death happy when every one of you may say to his Soule with that rich man in the Gospel but upon better grounds Soul take thine case for thou hast treasure laid up not for many yeares but for ever Thirdly as this unjust steward dealt his almes speedily so also bountifully ver 6. For which divinity hath no particular and set rule because Charity is not ●●t by a thred as justice but only in generall and at large that it be proportionable to our ability parallel to our meanes according to what a man hath was Saint Pauls to them of Corinth 1 Cor. 8. Liberality is as well seene in a little