The Rules of a Holy Life, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Rules about workes of Mercy.
HItherto of the rules, that concerne righteousnesse.
Mercy followeth. Now in shewing merciemercy, diuers things are charged vponupon vsus.
First,8. Things required in shewing mercy. 1. Willingnesse. Willingnesse. We must giuegive cheerefully: For the Lord loueth a cheerefull giuer. We must louelove mercy, as well as shew mercy. Our hearts should bee euer answerable to our power. We must be ready, and prepared to shew mercy, abhorring delaies, and putting off of time, or seeking excuses: Our eares should bee open to the cries of the poore, rather then bee behinde hand; we should sell, that wee might giuegive almes, Mich. 6. 8. 1. Tim. 6. 18. 2. Cor. 9. 4, 5, 6, 7. Pro. 22. 23, 13. Luke 12. 33. Pro. 3. 27, 28.
Secondly,2. Labour. Labour and Diligence. Wee should take paines, and work 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 bee forward to doe those workes of mercy, that require our paines and trauaile about them, as well as those we may doe and sit still, 2. Cor. 8. 16, 22.
Thirdly,3. Liberalitie. Liberalitie: We must open our hands wide, Deut. 15. 8. wee must bee rich in those good workes, 1. Tim. 6. 18. we must no… giuegive sparingly, 2. Cor. 9. 6. we must giuegive to our power, and sometimes beyond our power: 2. Cor. 8. 2. wee should desire to answere the expectation had of our bounty, especially the expectation of our teachers that know vsus and our estates, 2. Cor. 8. 24. wee should striue to abound in this grace also, as well as in other graces of the Spirit, 2. Cor. 8. 9. we should giuegive to seuen, and also to eight, Eccles. 11. 2. we must make good measure, yea and pressed downe, Luke 6. 8.
Fourthly, 4. Humilitie. Humilitie shewed fiue waies in doing workes of mercy.Humility. There is great vse of humility, in shewing mercy. Now we should shew our humilitie diuers waies about merciemercy: As
First, in helping others, without exalting our selues, and dominiering 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 tearmes of their beholdingnesse, to whom wee shew merciemercy, Prou. 22. 7.
Secondly, in not despising the poore; we must no… thinke of them meanely, and contemptuously, because they stand in neede of our help, whether it be in bodie or minde, Prou. 14. 21.
Thirdly, in accepting exhortation, shewing our selues willing to be called vponupon, and stirred vp to merciemercy, 2. Cor. 8. 17.
4. By our penitencie, whē we goe to God, after wee 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 harts, that they may bee more fit to expresse the bowels of mercy, Hos. 10. 12.
Fiftly, the Macedonians shewed their humilitie in this, that they prayed the Apostle to accept their gifts, giuing themselues also to bee disposed of to the Lord, and vntounto them by the vvill of God, 2. Cor. 8. 5.
Thus of the humility to bee shewed in doing workes of mercy.
A fift thing required in shewing merciemercy,5. Faith in two respects. is Faith; and 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 he findes neede to flie to Gods promises, and dares not trust vponupon his owne goodnes. 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 expē ded. Though the persons to whom we shew mercy, should bee so vngratefull, that it were as bread cast on the waters: yet wee ought to beleeue, that our seede 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 come spoiled, that he casts vponupon his land, no more ought a Christian to think that to be lost, that is giuen to the poore. Nature may disappoint the hope of the Husbandman, but in works of merciemercy, 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, Luke 12. 33.
A sixt thing required in shewing merciemercy,6. Discretion in four… things. 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, Prou. 22. 9.
Secondly, by obseruing our owne abilitie, so to ease others, that we burthen not our selues, 1. Cor. 9. 14, 15.
Thirdly, by taking heed that wee spend not vponupon the rich by needlesse entertainments, what ought to bee bestowed vponupon the poore, Prou. 22. 16. Luke 14. 13.
Fourthly, by auoiding scandal, or giuing offence, that none blame vsus in our aboundance, but prouiding things honest in the sight of God and men, 2. Cor. 8. 20, 21. yet so as wee indeuour in an holy & discreet manner to prouoke others by our zeale, 2. Cor. 9. 2.
A seuenth thing required in shewing mercy, is Sympathy, 7. Sympathy.Pitie, a Fellow-feeling of the distresses of others, being like affectioned and laying their miseries to heart, Heb. 13. 3. Col. 3. 12. Rom. 12. 16. Iob 30. 25. There should be bowels in our mercy.
The last thing is Sinceritie. 8. Sinceritie in fiue things.Now this sinceritie should bee shewed diuers waies, As:
1. In the matter of our almes. It must be of goods well gotten. For God hateth robbery, though it were for burnt offerings, Esay 61. 8.
2. In the maner we must shew mercy, without wicked thoughts, or griefe of heart, Deut. 7. 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 bee 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 pitie wee beare to the creature in distresse, Math. 6. 2. Cor. 9. 19.
4. In continuing our mercy; not forgetting to distribute, but still remembring the poore, Heb. 13. 16. Galat. 2. soundly performing the mercy with constancie, which wee hauehave purposed, willed, or promised. It were an excellent order, if Christians would follow the Apostles rule, eueryevery weeke, as God hath prospered them, to lay aside for the poore, 1. Cor. 1. 16. 2. 2. Cor. 8. 11.
5. In the kindes of merciemercy, that wee bee ready to shew spirituall mercy, as wel as corporall, and in corporall mercy to doe good all the waies we can, as well as one way: As by lending, protecting, releasing, visiting, and giuing; and thus to the poore, to such as are fallen into decay, and to the strangers also: as many Scriptures require.