The Ready Way to Good Works, Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. How to maintaine good works.
ITs not enough to beginne to do well, we muſt perſevere, or elſe it had been better never to have begunne: ſo in the trade of Almeſ-giving, we muſt not onelyonly learne to doe good workes; but alſo to maintaine them, as we are counſelled, or rather commanded by the Apoſtle, Tit. 3. 8. 14.
Now there be two principall things to be obſerved before we can be carefull to maintain good works.
1. We muſt labour to prevent all the occaſions and cauſes of want and penurie in our ſelves and the diminution or overthrow of our owne eſtates. The cauſes hereof moſt frequently are ſuch as theſe.
1. Fooliſhneſſe and an incorrigible ſtupiditie of minde, for a man that hath no braines to diſpoſe and order his affaires with diſcretion, will ſoone ſpend up his treaſure, and bring quickely his Noble to nine pence (as they ſay) and his nine pence to nothing:Prov. 21. 20 & 13. 23. There is (ſaith Salomon) that is deſtroied for want of judgement.
2. Prodigalitie, which is an immoderate profuſion and exceſſive ſpending of a mans ſubſtance in pleaſures, or paſtimes, or any other not neceſſary things without any due obſervation of thoſe circumſtances which are requiſite to every morally liberall action. This is a devouring vice and will in a moment eat up a Dives his faire and unlimited eſtate. And therefore tis thus truely deſcribed by the morall *foreign. Ariſt. Eth. lib. 4.Philoſopher, Prodigalitie is nothing elſe but the corruption of a mans ſubſtance, and the deſtruction of himſelfe.
3. Gluttonie and drunkenneſſe the two unſatiable and hungrie Harpyes that in theſe intemperate times prey upon and devour the ſoules and bodies, livings, and lands of many men in this kingdome: Hee that wilfully wallowes in the ſtinking mud of of theſe ſwiniſh ſinnes, he is not onelyonly going downe apace to the Lake of Brimſtone, but he may bee thought to bee as good as there already; if S. *Ebrietas eſt quaſi inferni Puteus. de Temp. Serm. 231.Austines words will goe currant, who dares to compare drunkenneſſe to the very pit of Hell. Neither will theſe two evils onelyonly endamage the ſoule, but alſo quickly ruinate a mans houſe and poſteritie, for ſaith the wiſe man, the Drunkard and the Glutton (they be two brethren and the naturall ſonnes of Belial) ſhall come to poverty.
4. Love of ſports, gaming, and paſtimes, theſe bee the inſenſible waſters of a mans wealth and earthly treaſures: and this is a moſt undeniable truth, Hee that loveth pleaſures ſhall bee a poore man, Prov. 21. 17.
5. Idleneſſe, which is the rust and canker of the ſoule, the devils Cuſhion, pillow and chiefe repoſall, the tide-time of temptation, (as tis deſcribed by a reverend *Bolton. Gen. direct. pa. 70.Divine) he, that is troubled with this ſinne, hath little hope to be rich either in Spirituall or temporall things. Beleeve it, he that dealeth Pro. 10. 4. Pro. 6. 11. & 23. 21. Pro. 29. 3 & 5. 10. & 6. 26.with a ſlacke hand becommeth poore, and upon the ſluggard, ſleepy, and lazie drone poverty ſhall come as oue that travaileth and want as an armed man: and this will bee the top of his honour he ſhall be cloathed with ragges.
6. Companying with harlots, and frequenting the houſes of ſtrang women, for all haunters of ſuch filthy nurceries doe ſpend their life, blood, marrow, ſtrength health, wealth, and labours in the houſe of ſtrangers, and they ſhall be brought to a morſell of bread, as we know the Prodigall ſonne was.
7. Haſtineſſe and precipitancie Prov. 21. 5.in a mans wayes and courſes: The thoughts of the haſtie tend only to want; Tis a good Memorandum of a humane Writer, feſtina lentè: doe nothing raſhly, and with a violent and inconſiderate ſpirit: Quod cito fit, perit hoc cito, ſat cito, ſat bene quod fit: That is done ſoone enough which is done well enough, things ſoone done moſt commonly are ill done: I am ſure goods ſoone gotten, are ſoone gonne, ſo ſaith Salomon, He that Pro. 28. 22. & 20. 21.maketh haſt to bee rich bringeth poverty in the end, and that inheritance which is ſpeedily gotten together in the beginning, ſhall not be bleſſed in the end.
8. Unconſcionable purchaſes, Prov. 21. 6. & 13. 11. & 22. 16.ſecret rapines, and unlawfull acquiſitions of a mans ſubſtance, by lying, oppreſſion, deceit, cozenage, uſury, unjuſt gaine, fraudulent undermining, or any other covetous tricks. The Apoſtle1 Theſ. 4. 6. tels us, that the Lord is the auenger of all ſuch foxes and woulfes, who ſuck the blood ofProv. 28. 8. poore Chriſtians, and ſuch an eſtate certainely ſhall bee dimiminiſhed, and reduced unto nothing.
Wherefore let us beware of theſe forenamed vices, as ſo many cankers, caterpillars, and unviſible moathes, which will inſenſibly conſume & eate up our outward eſtates: Let us accept & embrace this premonition and good adviſe, for he that refuſeth Pro. 13. 18. 25. & 14. 11. 11.inſtruction ſhall bee clothed with ſhame, his houſe ſhall bee overthrowne, and povertie and confuſion ſhall come upon him.
2. For the maintainance of good works, wee muſt walke in ſuch a way, and take ſuch a courſe, as may enable us thereunto.
1. We muſt live in ſome calling, honeſt trade and ſetled courſe of life, wherein wee may employ our gifts and time and ſtrength for our owne and the common good: Brethren (ſaith the Apoſtle) let every man wherin 1 Cor. 7. 24.hee is called therein abide with God: the precept is imperative and univerſall, none may bee exempted, but all muſt make choiſe of ſome particular calling wherein to wrlke; There many reaſons to move us to this dutie: one of the chiefeſt of all is, the maintainance of good Workes: Let ours learne to mainetaine good Workes: (that is, accordingTit. 3. 14. to the Marginall reading of the Text) let ours profeſſe honeſt Trades, as if they were the beſt and onelyonly meanes, to uphold good works: Life muſt be preſerved, families maintained, the poore releeved, and this cannot be done without bread, for that is the ſtaffe of life, and bread cannot be gotten (ſaith an excellentMr Saunderſons ſer. 4. ad pop. 373. Divine) but in a lawfull vocation. Tell me, did you ever reade of any holy man in the Scriptures, that lived without a calling? I am ſure there was never any but made conſcience of this duty, which was impoſed by God upon Adam, and all his poſterity, in theſe words, in the ſweat of thy brewes ſhalt thou Gen. 3. 19.eate bread.
2. As we muſt have a Calling, wherein to walke, ſo muſt wee labour, and with all diligence abide in that calling, wee muſt not worke perfunctorily, or by ſtarts (as many Taskelabourers doe) but conſtantly,Pſal. 104. 23. Eccleſ. 9. 10. and with all our might, neither may wee imploy our wits, and time, and ſtrength in what wee pleaſe, but onelyonly in thoſe thingsEph. 4. 28. which be good and lawfull, (ſo ſaith Saint Paul) Let him that ſtole, ſtéale no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hands the things which is good. The Theefe workes with his hands, perhaps as hard as any ſomtimes, but the thing is ever evill hee goes about: Therefore that is an ungodly and wicked working, and no way tolerable; the labour which the Apoſtle requires from us, (be it either of the browes, or of the braine)Prov. 10. 4. & 14 23. & 13. 4. 11. muſt be ſanctified and imployd about good things, and ſuch diligence and induſtrie with Gods bleſſing maketh rich, herein is much profit, and by it ſhall a man be made fat.
3. One maine end of all our civill actions, politicall imployments, or corporeall endeavours in our particular callings, muſt be, to give to the poore, Eph. 4. 28. This is to labour to maintaine good works, a thing which very few in their paines-taking, ſeldome, or never dreame of. Our Apoſtle doth not onelyonly teach us this dutie by precept, but alſo by his owne example; he labored with his owne hands, that he might have whereof to miniſter to his owne and others neceſſities, Act. 20. 34.
4. Wee muſt order our AffairesPſal. 112. 5. with diſcretion, this is a practiſe which right well becomes a gracious, good, and mercifull man, and very much enableth him to the conſtant performance of Pietie, Pitie, and compaſſion.
5. We muſt be carefull and provident, for you muſt know there is a moderate and chriſtian providence, as well as an irreligiousProv. 27. 23 carking, and immoderate carefulneſſe; we muſt looke diligentlyJohn. 6. 12. to all our flockes and heards, and gather up all the fragments, that nothing be loſt, and this is a paſſage that pleaſeth the worldlings to the heart: for this they will do faſt enough of their owne accord without any bidding, for their owne profits ſake, or out of a greedy deſire and ambition to riſe and to grow rich in the world. But it is not ſo with the Godly, the ſerious and ſober Chriſtian, hee walkes in his calling, plies his buſineſſe, improves his time, wit, wealth, and ſtate, becauſe God ſo commands him, and principally for this end, that he might be the more liberall and able to maintaine good works.
6. Wee muſt deviſe liberall things, be as politike to finde out good workes and enterprizes, as Machiavillians are to invent miſchiefe, and contrive villanies. As men commonly caſt about, how they may thrive and proſper in their ordinarie courſes, ſo ought we to plot and deviſe with our ſelves, what might bee the wiſeſt and moſt convenient way for us to maintaine good works and to thrive in this Heavenly trade of Almeſ-giving.
7. Wee muſt bee zealous ofTit. 2. 14. good works, as all the redeemed and peculiar people of Chriſt are. We ſhould affect ſuch holy practiſes above any temporary felicities; take a great deale of Spirituall joy and pleaſure in multiplying our Almeſ-deeds, in laying a ſtrong and unmoveable foundation againſt the life to come: wee ſhould bee moved with a pious wrath and indignation againſt our owne ſlackeneſſe, backewardneſſe, and other mens hardneſſe of heart, and alſo with an inward griefe for the ſame.
Laſtly, we muſt firſt ſeeke the Kingdome of God and the righteouſneſſe thereof, firſt we muſt thirſt after ſaving knowledge, and ſpirituall underſtanding, labour to abound in the worke of the Lord, and to hoard up grace: then we ſhall not neede to feare the want of any temporall and earthly bleſſing, but all neceſſaries (according to the promiſe)Mat. 6. 33. for this life, ſhall be added unto, and caſt upon us. Though wee may ſometimes be driven to extremitie like Job, or fall into ſome ſeeming (but not reall) outward miſeries, yet we *Pſal. 34. 9. 10.ſhall never want any thing that is good. Gold ſometimes proves to bee pernicious, and no better than ranke poiſon to mens ſoules, and God in his mercy therefore takes it away from his children: fulneſſe of bread, and abundance of his bleſſings ſometimes provoke men unto Luſt, and the execution of uncleanneſſe and many filthie villanies; therefore the Lord ſometimes gives them not to his ſervants, but diets them like Lazarus, that they might not ſurfet, abuſe the creature, or diſhonour the Creator: However it may ſometimes goe hard (alwayes yet well enough) with ſome of Gods people in reſpect of their outward condition. I am ſure there are many faire promiſes of earthly bleſſings made in the Scriptures to thoſe that feare the Lord: Thoſe that returne to the Almightie, that love him, and keepe his Commandements, they ſhall inherit ſubſtance Prov. 8. 21. Job. 22. 24.the Lord will fill up their treaſures, nay, they ſhall lay up gold as duſt, and the gold of Ophir as the ſtones of the brooks: So then we ſee, where to beginne; firſt, wee muſt labour to bee rich towards God, ſo ſhall wee be ſure (if it ſtand with Gods Glorie, and our good) to bee rich in worldly goods, and rich alſo in good works: If we well obſerve theſe premiſed rules and directions, we ſhall undoubtedly learne to maintaine works of mercy for neceſſarie and profitable uſes.