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A57863
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Two sermons preached at the meeting of the council of George Heriot's hospital at Edinburgh
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Rule, Gilbert, 1629?-1701.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing R2230; ESTC R17802
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9,429
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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 particuâ—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
Principle they are Eternal But often they are visible and observable by Men sometimes the Lord Blesseth such with Riches and Increase of Goods Whereas there is a secret Moth and invisible Consumption upon the Estates of them who do no good Works this Way A Blessing to posterity is often the fruit of this Grace Psal. 112 2. It is spoken of the Charitable Man Instances of this may be given if it were fit to mention the Names of persons so publickly It is the way to raise or to Establish a Family A good Name Praise and Esteem among Men is often the Reward of this good Work the Remembrance of such is savory and with respect The Hospital hard by is an Instance of this George Heriot is Remembred with Honour when the Names of Hoording Misers and profuse Wasters on their Lusts do Wither are forgotten that they were on Earth or are only spoken off to their Disgrace And not only the founder but such as have improved and promoted this good Work and made this Charity to extend to 4 or 5 times as many moe as could have the benefite of it a few Years agoe such I say God will Bless and Man will praise Vse That which I shall chiefly insist on by way of Application is To press this Duty on them that hear me many things which may be used as Motives are already and occasionally mentioned And I believe none of us when we consider the Duty in it self will deny that it ought to be our care to perform it but most Men notwithstanding make a shift to excuse themselves and quiet their Consciences in the shameful neglect of it I shall therefore speak but to Three Heads here First What Charitable Liberality should we use Secondly Who should use it Thirdly What usually hindereth it For the First These Works Regard the Bodies of People or their Souls or the publick state of the Nation or Church Charity to Peoples Bodies is manifold By giving Liberally to the Weekly Collection at the Church door it is God's Ordinance 2 Cor. 16. 1. 2. And it is the stock out of which many Poor are Relieved Giving to particular needy persons The Widows the Fatherless the Strangers the Sick and Infirm these who by any cross providences have had any such losses as bringeth them to need the Charity of others poor Families who do what they can to live and yet cannot subsist without the help of others Lending to some without usury is as really a Duty and as great a Work of Charity as giving a little to others Psal. 112. 5. Breeding of Young Ones Boys or Girles If every Family that is Rich or can live well should take a Young one and feed them and Cloath them and breed them in Religion and to such Learning as they are capable of or is fitt for them and put them to Trades what a Blessing would it be to the Nation There would not be so many Idle persons Theives and other Debauched persons who are a burden to City and Country and it might entail a Blessing on such Families 2dly We should mind that Charitable bestowing that contributeth to the good of peoples Souls such as giving somewhat for the propagation of the Gospel in places of Ignorance and Barbarity As great Men might contribute much to the Propagation of the Gospel in the Heathen and Turkish parts of the World so Mean Men might do somewhat towards advancing Religion among our Highlanders An excellent and worthy person in our Neighbour-Nation hath lately caused print the Bible in the Highland Language and sent a great quantity of them to be distributed among that people O! that some among our Selves would imitate so worthy a Pattern Wayes enough may be found how such Charity might be well employed â— 's a good Work to contribute to the placeing of Ministers where they are wanting and Encourageing them where they are placed Alas the Covetousness and perverseness of Men in some places of the Country doth much obstruct the Gospel Some keep places as long vacant as they can Others defraud Ministers of what is their due so that in some places there is a necessity of removing Ministers for want of Maintainance as the Levits in Nehemiahs time Neh. 13 10 11. It s sad when there is none to shâ—w Charity in such a case in setleing a Maintainance where it is not and sadder when justice is wanting in getting of what is due and that to the great detriment of the Souls of People It 's an Act of Charity to buy Bibles and practical Books and give them to the poor as some have done and sent them from London unto the Remotest places of that Nation to be distributed 3dly Publick Charity is a good Work That is highly commendable such as Building and Endowing of Hospitals for the poor the Sick the Aged Strangers but especially for Breeding of Young Ones whether Boys or Girles Examples of this kind are rare and followed but by few In the Hospitâ—l that giveth occasion to our meeting to day we have a great instance of publick Charity for Breeding of Boys And I understand there is a design on Foot in this City for the like Charity for Breeding of Girles which is a pious and commendable work and which every one that is capable should contribute toward setting it foreward as some to their great Commendation have already done It is a work that may not only be of advantage to the poor Young Ones and their necessitous Parents but may be of publick advantage if wisely and faithfully managed by furnishing the City and other places with persons fit for service in Familys and for all other Employments that are competent to that Sex instead of a great many Theives and Whores and persons good for nothing which grow up without being bred either to Religion or to any thing else that is good It is a good Work to improve what is thus begun and to make it as useful and extensive as possible for the ends that it is 〈◊〉 for And when such Donations are embezled or dilapidated whether by unfaithfulness or Negligence it is a Heynous Sin It is alsâ— for the publick good to Erect Schools and Colledges to 〈◊〉 Bursarys whereby many good Spirits which through poverty might be lost are trained up for the publick Service and they who cannot do thus might take a poor Student into their house for a time Also helping of publick Libraries and augmenting them that they may be stored with all the best Books for the help of them that cannot buy of their own It is very strange that this age is so far short of former ages in all these sorts of Liberality 2dly The second thing proposed is Who should be thus Liberalâ— for private Charity all are obliged to it according to their Capacity publick Charity is out of the reach of many and there are more who do not what they well might do this way it is true it is