The Ready Way to Good Works, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The more Religious wee are the more Charitable wee ſhould be.
AS all thoſe that put on but the vizor and glorie in the bare name and title of Chriſtianity cannot but externally conforme to ſome common rules and directions of the Word in ſome meaſure to Charitable practiſes: ſo more ſpecially all ſerious and reall Chriſtians, and faithfull beleevers muſt chiefly learne to maintaine good Tit. 3. 8. 14.workes for neceſſary uſes, that they be not unfruitfull branches ſeeing they are truly implanted into ſo fruitfull a Vine. They that are ſeaſoned and enlivened with the Spirituall vigour of ſaving grace, that make more than a Laodicean profeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt, that are tranſported and inflamed with more than an ordinarie zeale for holineſſe and religion: theſe I ſay be the men whom it principally concernes to bee moſt forward and frequent in theſe duties of Charity.
1. Becauſe what Saints ſoever in the holy Scriptures are renowned for their piety and devotion, they are alſo highly commended for their Charitie as may be ſeene in Pſal. 37. 21. 26. Where the righteous man is honoured with the appellation and title of a mercifull man. And in Pſal. 1 12. 1, 2, 3, 4. Where the bleſſed man, the faithfull, upright, gratious, and the good man is ſaid to be full of compaſſion, to ſhew merciemercy in lending, in diſperſing, in communicating and giving to the poore, verſ. 5. 9. Wee have many examples in the Booke of God, every one whereof like a ſeveral… …nne will give ſufficient light and luſtre to this point. Job was a juſt and a God-fearing man, Job 1. 1. and hee was alſo a very mercifull man, Job 31. 16. Cornelius was full of devotionAct. 10. 2. Act. 2. 41. 42. 45. Act. 4. 32. 34. 35. 36. and as full of compaſſion. The primitive Chriſtians were full of piety and as full of pitty, and overflowing in bowels of merciemercy.
2. They muſt not ſhelter themſelues under the externall forme and ſhadow of godlineſſe (as too to many counterfeites and meere ſuperficiall Chriſtians doe at this day) but ought to walke in the power and ſtrength of godlineſſe and religion, which (if it bee that which is pure and undefiled) teacheth them to viſite the Fatherleſſe and the Widdowes as well as to keepe Jam. 1. 27.themſelves unſpotted of the world.
3. The Apoſtle would have ſuch as abound in faith, in knowledge, in utterance, diligence and2 Cor. 8. 7. the like heavenly and ſupernaturall perfections and abilities to abound in this grace of Charitie alſo.
4. It is the beſt evidence and2 Cor. 8. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 5. ſureſt proofe of the ſincerity of their love, of their pure heart, good Conſcience and Faith unfeined. The inceſſant ebullition and overflowing of the ſtreames of water plainly demonſtrates that there is a fountaine in the Rocke. So viſible performances and the outward practices of charitable duties teſtifie to the world and a mans owne Conſcience that there is Grace in the heart.
5. If by a ſaveing and lively faith thou art once really implanted into Chriſt, preſently thou haſt this prerogative conferd on thee to become the adopted Son of God, Joh. 1. 12. And therefore it very much behoves thee then to walke as a Childe of God, and to remember this one maine duty to bee mercifull as thy heavenly Father is mercifull, Luk. 6. 36.
6. And laſtly, wee are all of us exhorted by the Apoſtle to provoke unto love, and to good Heb. 10. 24.workes, and mutually to encourage one another in the bleſſed wayes of Salvation, then much more ought the truly religious and zealous who are crowned with a more abundant knowledge and plenty of Grace and goodneſſe, to direct and uſher others along in the pathes of holineſſe by their precedencie in in well-doing. Where much is given, much is required. There is more heat and light to bee expected from the Sunne and Moone, then a blazing Meteor, or the obſcurer Starres. If any therefore glory in the outward profeſſion of Chriſtianitie, in publike or private devotions their exact conformity to all outward practices of piety, and faile in this ſo much honoured duty of Almeſ-giving, their devotion and pious pretences are nothing worth: Heare a moſt eloquent and reverend cMr. Boulton in his generall directions, p. 262.Divines cenſure concerning ſuch Goſpellers: If the world hath lockt up thy heart, and congealed the bowels of thy compaſſion towards the poore, let the blaze of thy profeſſion ſhine never ſo faire, manage the heartleſſe repreſentations of externall holineſſe never ſo demurely, keepe the times and taskes of daily duties with never ſo much auſteritie, nay though thou be able to amaze weaker Christians with ſome affected ſtreames and artificiall fervencie in prayer, for all this, if the holy heate of brotherly love doth not warme thy heart, and upon occaſion worke affectionately and effectually, I dare ſay thou art rotten at the heart roote, there is no true love of God in thee, no grace, no hope of Salvation: let that terrible and flaming place against all covetous Phariſees, 1 John 3. 17. diſſolutely frozen-heartedneſſe this way, and enlarge thy bowels of pittie towards the poore brethren of Jeſus Christ, or elſe never looke hereafter to looke him in the face with comfort, or to finde mercy at that day. For that dreadfull ſentence Goe yee curſed, &c. which breathes out nothing elſe but everlaſtingly tormenting flames, eternall vengeance, horrors unſpeakeable, flaſhes and lightnings, and furies and vexation, and trembling paſt all imagination, ſhall one day bee executed upon the reprobates for the neglect and wilfull omiſſion of this noble dutie and most gainefull *Eleemoſyna ars omnium quaeſtuoſiſſima. Chryſoſt.art of Almes-giving.