The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Rules about worke of Mercy.
HItherto of the Rules that concerne Righteousnesse: Mercy followeth. Now in shewing mercy, diuers things are charged vponupon v….
First, willingnesse. We must 8. Things required in shewing mercy. 1. Willingnesse.giuegive cheerefully: For the Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer. We must louelove mercy, as well as shew mercy. Our hearts should be euer answerable to our power. We must bee readie and prepared to shew mercy, abhorring delayes and putting off of time, or seeking excuses: Our eares should be open to the cryes of the poore. Yea (rather then be behind hand) we should sel, that we might giuegive almes, Mich. 6. 8. 1 Tim. 6. 18. 2 Cor. 9. 4, 5, 6, 7. Prou. 22. 22, 23. Luke 12. 33. Prou. 3. 27, 28.
Secondly, Labour and Diligence. …. Labour.We should take paines, and worke hard according to all the occasions of mercy. This is the Apostles phrase: God will not forget your worke, and labour of louelove, Heb. 6. 10. We must be forward to doe those workes of mercy, that require our paines and trauell about them, as well as those we may doe and sit still, 2 Cor. 8. 16, 22.
Thirdly, Liberalitie: We must 3. Liberal… ty.open our hands wide, Deut. 15. 8. we must be rich in good workes, 1 Tim. 6. 18. We must not giuegive sparingly, 2 Cor. 9. 6. we must giuegive to our power, and sometimes beyond our power, 2 Cor. 8. 2. we should desire to answer the expectation had of our bounty, especially the expectation of our teachers that know vsus and our estates, 2 Cor. 8. 24. we should striue to abound in this grace also, as well as in other graces of the Spirit, 2 Cor. 8. 6. we should giuegive to seuen, and also to eight, Eccl. 11. 2. we must giuegive good measure, yea and pressed downe, Luke 6. 30.
Fourthly, Humility. There is 4. Humility. Humility shewed fiue waies in doing workes of mercy.great vse of humility, in shewing mercy. Now we should shew our humility diuers waies about mercy: As
First, in helping others, without exalting our selues, and domineering ouer them. The rich must not thinke to rule the poore, and to command them, as if they were their vassals: we should so shew mercy, as not to stand vponupon termes of their beholdingnesse, to whom we shew mercy, Prou. 22. 7.
Secondly, in not despising the poore; wee must not thinke of them meanely, and contemptuously, because they stand in need of our helpe, whether it bee in body or minde, Prouerbs. 14. 21.
Thirdly, in accepting exhortation, shewing our selues willing to bee called vponupon, and stirred vp to merciemercy, 2 Corinthians 8. 17.
4. By our penitencie, when we goe to God, after we hauehave done our best, and confesse the corruption that cleaues vntounto vsus, euen when we hauehave shewed our best desires to communicate to others; and withall striuing to plow vp the fallow ground of our hard hearts, that wee may bee more fit to expresse the bowels of merciemercy, Hos. 10. 12.
Fiftly, the Macedonians shewed their humilitie in this, that they prayed the Apostle to accept their gift, giuing themselues also to bee disposed of to the Lord, and vntounto them by the will of God, 2. Cor. 8. 5.
Thus of the Humilitie to bee shewed in doing works of merciemercy.
A fifth thing required in shewing merciemercy, is Faith; and 5. Faith in two respects.faith is needfull in two respects.
First, to beleeue Gods acceptation of the mercy shewed. For a godly Christian, that is not vaine-glorious, hath so meane an opinion of his best workes, that hee finds neede to flie to Gods promises, and da…es not trust vponupon his owne goodnesse. Now God hath promised to accept of that we doe, if there be a willing minde: The will is accepted for the deed, 2 Cor. 8. 12.
Secondly, to beleeue the successe and reward from God, and that wee shall not lose by what is so expended. Though the persons to whom we shew merciemercy, should be so vngratefull, that it were as bread cast on the waters: yet we ought to beleeue, that our seed cast on the waters, shall bring vsus a plentifull haruest, Eccles. 11. 1. And it is certaine, whatsoeuer the persons be, yet what is giuen, is sowed. And if the Husbandman doe not thinke his corne spoiled that hee casts vponupon his land, no more ought a Christian to think that to be lost that is giuen to the poor. Nature may disappoint the hope of the Husbandman, but in workes of mercy, there is no venture, but a sure increase from the Lord, 2. Cor. 9. 9, 10. and therefore our faith should make vsus get bags to put vp the certaine treasure wee shall gaine by mercy from the Lord, Luk. 12. 33.
A sixt thing required in shewing 6. Discretion in 4. things.merciemercy, is discretion; and discretion should shew it selfe.
First, by distributing our almes in the fittest course wee can, hauing a principall respect to godly poore. He that sheweth mercy, ought to hauehave a good eye, Prouerbs, 22. 9.
Secondly, by obseruing our owne abilitie, so to ease others, that wee burden not our selues, 1. Cor. 9. 14, 15.
Thirdly, by taking heede, that wee spend not vponupon the rich by needlesse entertainments, what oughtto be bestowed vponupon the poore, Prou. 2…. 16. Luk. …4. 13.
Fourthly, by auoiding scandall, or giuing offence, that no… blame vsus in our abundance, but prouiding things honest in the sight of God and men, 2. Cor. 8. 20, 21. yet so as we endeuour in an holy life and discreet manner to prouoke others by o…zeale, 2 Cor. 9. 2.
A seuenth thing required in 7. Sympa thy.shewing mercy, is Sympathie, Pitty, a Fellow-feeling of the distresses of others, being like affectioned, and laying their miseries to heart▪ Heb. 13. 3. Col. 3. 1…. Romans 12. 16. Iob. 30. 25. There should bee bowels in our merciemercy.
The last thing is Sinceritie. 8. Sinceritie in fiue things.Now this sinceritie should bee shewed diuers wayes, As,
1. In the matter of our almes. It must be of goods well gottē. For God hateth robbery, though it were for burnt offrings, Esa. 61. 8.
2. In the manner wee must shew merciemercy, without wicked thoughts, or griefe of heart, Deut. 15. 7, 8. to 12. and without hiding our selues from the poore, Esay 58. 7. and without excuse to shift off the doing of it, Prou. 24. 11, 12.
3. In the ends. That we doe not our workes to be seene of men, or to merit of God: but with an vnfained desire to glorifie God, and make our profession to be well spoken of, and shew the true louelove and pitty wee beare to the creature in distresse, Matth. 6. 2 Cor. 9. 19.
4. In continuing our mercy, not forgetting to distribute, but still remembring the poore, Heb. 13. 16. Galath. 2. soundly performing the… merciemercy with constancie, which we hauehave purposed, wil'd, or promised. It were an excellēt order, if Christians would follow the Apostles rule, EueryEvery weeke, as God hath prospered them, to lay aside for the poore, 1. Cor. 16. 2. 2 Cor. 8. 11.
5. In the kinds of mercy, that we be ready to shew spirituall mercy, as well as corporall; and in corporall mercy to doe good all the waies wee can, as well as one way: As by lending, protecting, releasing, visiting, and giuing; & thus to the poore, to such as are fallen into decay, and to the strangers also as many Scriptures require.