Forty Sermons, Sermon 22
SERMON XXII. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye.
Matt. 6. 22, 23.
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evill, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?
PHILOSOPHY do's say that all vertues are so annext and tied together, that it is not possible for any man to have any one truly and compleat, but he must needs have all; they are like pearls upon the necklace, from which if any violence pull one, the string is broke, and all are shatter'd and disorder'd. And S. James saith, c. 2. 10. Whosoever shall offend in one point, is guilty of all; and sure the vertue of the Text makes good both these Positions: if liberality of heart be that one point, he that excludes it from his Soul, shuts out the rest at once. All the graces are as train to that leading vertue, are its such close attendants, that they must needs have the same fate, and either dwell together in the heart, or all together be thrust thence: for, if thine eie be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eie be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. An envious discontent, uncharitable mind, makes the whole life un-Christian, and he that do's offend in that one point, must needs be guilty of all; and if Charity, that bond of perfectness in S. Paul, that tie of graces that do's unite them to it self, and with each other, if that be there, all graces must be there, and liberality of heart makes the life Christian; for if thine eie be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But
I am now to shew you that bounty in the heart is a great Sign of a true Christian heart, that that person who not out of easiness or modesty of constitution not knowing how to deny when he is askt, nor out of inconsideration or vanity bestows an alms, or else when importunities do's beg it; but he who out of real compassion to the wants of others, and hearty sense of their calamities, and out of sincere obedience to God resolves with himself to deny himself such and such advantages of his condition to such a good proportion of what God hath bestow'd upon him, purposes in his heart to set aside such a portion from his own uses, knowing and considering that by so doing he do's part with such and such satisfactions which did accrue to him by that wealth, yet will do it for the relief of others necessities, that their souls may be comforted, and they may praise God in his behalf. This person hath in himself a great evidence of an heart truly and sincerely wrought upon by the Gospel, and wrought over into the realities of Christianity.
I shall prove this to you, and tho I know there be many vertues which seem to have no connexion with liberality, and many inclinations in the heart which bounty hath no direct influence upon, several evil tendencies of soul which it hath no formal opposition to, that it should thrust them out of the heart; yet that such a complexion of mind doe's either directly or by consequence so oppose them, as not to endure them in the heart, I shall very briefly shew you in gross, and by retail.
And first that in gross that is a sign of a true Christian heart, see Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness; it seems that bowels of compassion and bounty is a sign of being such full Christians, that the Apostle takes in all words to compleat the Character, and do's it in words of a beloved sense: and let men take them in what sense they please, they do my work, whether as persons chosen out before all time; it seems then to be liberal is a sign of that, and they will have very little reason to conclude themselves elected an eternity before they were, who now they are, and are call'd and taught by God, do not find this disposition in their hearts: or to take them in their naked meaning, be liberal, as being God's choice and pretious ones, (so it signifies, elect, pretious, 1 Pet. 2. 6, and in other Scripture elect is the choicest, best,) such as are priz'd and valued by God: as the elect of God, holy, such as have his sanctifying Spirit poured out upon them; and such are beloved by him; as choice and pretious things are alwaies dear to us. Now then to be compassionate and bountiful is to be as thus, and liberality of heart is one mark of Election and Holiness, and they that have it, are as God's choice, sanctified, dear ones. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of compassion and bounty.
2. As it is a sign of our being the Elect of God, and the Inhabitation of the Holy Spirit, so it is also a sign of our being like minded with Christ. S. Paul do's urge his example as a motive to the Corinthians liberality, Ep. 2. c. 8. v. 9. For ye know the grace (or charity) of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that ye thro his poverty might be rich: and therefore for us to do so is to follow his example, and to have our hearts set to it is to be like minded, and truly that is to be Christian enough. If that a person of the God-head emtied bimself, foreign Phil. 2. 7. exhausted himself of Divinity to relieve us; if the God of all the pleasures of the earth and the joies of heaven became the Man of sorrows to rescue us, if that the Lord of everlasting blessedness made himself Prince of sufferings and calamities to ransom us, if this be a temtation to the inclinations of our heart to set us upon going to do likewise in some low weak mesure after the rates of our abilities; then to do so considerately, to deprive my self of some advantages, to exhaust somewhat for the sakes of those that want, is to have the like mind in us that was in Christ Jesus our Lord: but because this may possibly evince us to be like-minded only in one thing, therefore
3. In particular, he that is thus minded hath a great evidence of his having overcome the World, a wide and a vast conquest; for, my Brethren, 'tis not only he that is a slave to mony, whose heart and actions do importunately pursue the waies of getting or of hoarding that, whom the world overcomes; but he is a slave to the world, whose mind is impotently set upon any of the advantages of this world, the man whose heart do's in too great a proportion either of time or whatsoever else pursue any thing which this World is to furnish with, that man's heart is entangled in the pursuit, and it is fetter'd to the World, which is his motive and pretence for that too eager inclination. And therefore in our Baptism when we renounce the World, we do not only bid defiance to the love of mony, but we renounce the Pomps and vanities of this wicked World; whatsoever either too great pleasure or height, excess or ostentation, or pride that this World ministers unto. Now then, when a man do's not only now and then give little to them that ask and beg of him, (for so it go's away in such small instances, as will not evidence either much consideration of it, or any great work wrought upon him as to not loving of the World,) but in devout retirements resolves to deny himself in such a proportion, and cut off such a part, 'tis certain he do's cut off such degrees either of pomp or vanity, or plenties, or whatsoever other thing that part of his estate did serve. Now he that can do this resolvedly in his soul, not out of any heat, but from deliberate purpose of heart, 'tis certain he hath to so great a degree disentangled himself from the snares of the pleasures or other advantages of this World, he hath unloosed their fascinations, and weakned all their sorceries; 'tis clear he hath so far withdrawn his heart from the degrees of whatsoever he did love that this World serv'd him in, that he resolves none of them shall engage him to their superfluities: for to prevent that he cuts off their foment, the streams of those contents, they shall not overflow his soul; for he will turn the spring, and make the current run another way. 'Tis evident he hath so torn all beloved earthly satisfactions from the embraces of his heart, as that he will not feed them, not with his own estate, if he cannot also to a vertuous degree feed the poor: he hath so far turn'd out the love of pleasures, or of pomps, or whatsoever, as that he willingly do's part with those degrees of them, cannot be retain'd together with his liberality. And such a heart sure is without the vicious degree of worldly contents: for vicious inclinations to them use to pursue them as far as they are able, and set no bounds to themselves but those of possibility, will not be limited in their prosecutions by considerations of a vertue as this man's are, and therefore he is too strong for these temtations, and so hath overcome the world.
And now if we consider the advantages of this conquest either in gross, it is a victory over such Enemies as were in Christ's opinion almost invincible, such as did so block up all passages and avenues to blessedness, that he affirms and repetes it is impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Let men think what they will of those occasions of sin, which their dislikes of a low condition or of poverty makes them believe it do's abound with; but I tell you there are such ineluctable temtations to vice in an estate of plenty, as that without a greater measure of God's grace than is sufficient for any other state of life, a man will never overcome them. It is so insuperable a temtation to have that which will furnish him with all his heart or lust can wish for, to have every thing that is in his desires put into his power, and so impossible to part with that which serves all his inclinations when God calls for it, as he do's when we cannot at once keep the estate and obey Christ, (which was the occasion of our Savior's words:) and wealth it do's so sawce and invite every vice, it do's so dress objects for lust, and feed with those full plenties, that heat men into it and strengthen for it, do's so pour in provocatives by idleness and excesses, it do's so fill with insolence, or pride, or ostentation and vain glory; it do's so swell and so puff up with heights and scorns, makes men contemn others and oppress them, think any thing almost is lawful in their usage of them; yea become careless of Religion, and by degrees contemn it too, wax insolent with God, scoffers at piety, rude in profaness, any thing forsooth they may do; and a whole shole of other such like qualities are the almost certain appendages of men in estate, at least in some degree. In a word, it takes off the heart quite from the Love of God and those things that relate to him, it fixes them so to these worldly satisfactions: yea when it comes to such a pinch, that a man must either wound his conscience, do some great deliberate sin, or part with this so forsooth happy utensil, his estate; break with all the duty in the world rather than part with that which furnisheth him with such convenience of sins, that 'tis no wonder if it be impossible for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And then for a man to have overcome the General of this great Army of ruinous vices, the only leader that can draw them up against him, to have cut off the source that feeds this inundation of mischeifs, these overflowings of ungodliness from the heart, is a good strong evidence to a man's heart, that he is well resolv'd against the vices, when that he do's resolvedly deprive himself of the instrument of them, the thing that do's advance them, and hath perfectly divorc'd from them: he needs not doubt but that if it please God to bring him to straits, that he shall rather be content to part with a good portion of his estate, than part with a good conscience, who is content to give away good part of his estate merely to exercise a vertue in obedience to God. He will give it if Christ call for it, who gives it if the poor call for it. He is well secur'd from feeding pride, excesses, and the other sins of fulness with his plenty, who gives all superfluities away to feed the hungry, his wealth is otherwise emploied than in ministring to vice: and however 'tis certain his heart is taken off from the sins that are occasioned by riches, who heartily gives away the occasion of those sins; and tho the gate of Heaven be as strait as any needle's eie, yet this wealthy Man, this Camel in one sense of the word as it do's signify a cable rope, when his wealth is divided thus and scattered, when the rope is separated into little threads, then it will go thro the straitest needle's eie, and this rich man enter inter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
And here were argument enough for the triumphs of comfort to an heart that can discern this sign of his Election, this fruit of the Holy Spirit, this instance of like-mindedness to Christ, this assurance of his conquest over that same Enemy, which is the Fleshes auxiliary, and the Devil's instrument, without which neither of them could much prevail upon us; for they do it by the aids the World do's bring, by the temtations and the baits which it do's minister. A consequent fit for Christ to glory in, I have overcome the World, saith he, Matt. 16. 33. and truly if any man, the religiously sincerely bountiful man hath don so to a great degree. He hath unglued his heart from it, they part with ease; you see how he distributes it, and throws it from him: and this is sure incouragement enough to set you upon searching whether you can find this Evidence within you, if it were not a certain sign also of more things, a sign of particular evidences and effects of having overcome the world.
For first, it is a sign of a perfect contentedness in ones condition; for apparently he is not unsatisfied with what he hath, who not only is content, but who contrives to have less, and gives away good part of what he hath. He cannot be discontented that he hath no more than he hath, who is resolved not to have so much, but searches for occasions to distribute what he hath. And if this be an infallible sign of a contented mind, (still I speak of the liberal heart, not only of a scattering hand,) it is an evidence of the greatest happiness in this world; for God hath prescribed one certain remedy for all the evils in the world, a contented heart. This is the only aim of all the arts and all the plenties of the world, it is for this alone men dig the mines of treasures, search the whole circuit of delights, run thro the hurry of an universe of pleasures, wherein, God knows, they seldom find it, but all intend only content. Whether they would be great or rich, or be luxurious, or every thing, it is because they seek content in these things; which he that hath in whatsoever state he be, he hath the scope, the price of all the treasures in the world, he hath the sum and comprehension of its felicities, which therefore the liberal heart hath the sure sign of: yea in this he hath the certain evidence of S. Pauls temper that he so much exults in, Phil. 4. 11, 12, 13. I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; every where, and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things thro Christ which strengtheneth me.
Secondly he hath an evidence, that he is freed from envy, and those black disturbing passions that attend it. For certainly he do's not envy other mens greater condition, who willingly diminisheth his own. I am not troubled others coffers are more full than mine, when out of choice …emty mine, and rather chuse to lay up my revenues in the bowels of the poor. I do not envy their richer furniture, when I give mine away to furnish needy laboring families, and change the clothings of my roomes into the clothing of the cold bare Christians; and I can much more calmly see my chambers naked, than Christ's members. I have no emulations at the full plenties of other mens provisions; for why should I, when I send away my own provisions to chear the hungry, to make the hearts of famishing souls rejoice? If I have not so many plenties in my dining Room, yet I make more feasts in the cottages, where every alms is a feast. 'Tis certain he that will not use what he hath to his own interests and advantages, but gives them to advantage others, cannot envy the advantages of others: so that he is free from envy, that rottenness of the bones, that consumtion of the soul and body too, that which makes every other man's prosperity his own torment, and tho he have a kind of malice wheresoere he sees any thing of flourish or of excellency, yet by all those malices he only strives to vex himself; from this the liberal heart is clear.
Thirdly from Covetousness also, and all the griping and injurious passions that are in its train: for it is certain he cannot be inclin'd to do ill to others for his own advantage, who out of choice parts with his own advantages, that he may do good to others. And indeed I need not prove this; for that a man should be bountiful-hearted and covetous-minded is a contradiction. So that we see the man hath a certain Evidence of being of a contented spirit, and being free from envy and from covetousness, which to be free from will appear to be the great ingredients of a Christian, when you shall see that those three qualities of discontent and envy and of covetousness are the fountains of all the most un-Christian vices of the soul; which was the last Proposition from the later part of the words, For if thine eie be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. That, as I prov'd, do's signify, if thy heart be discontented and unsatisfied in its own condition, apt to envy another's prosperity, and covetous of greater things than it possesses, the whole life will be full of most un-Christian actions; they will betray the man, and fill him full of all inquity. A subject this of a most vast extent, and truly worth considering and staying on: but I shall only point at things, and shew you how they are so in a word; for I will dwell no longer on this Theme. First then discontent in ones condition is the Mother of many provocations of God: for
1. It seems with many murmurs and rebellions of heart against the dispositions of God's Providence. You must not think, Beloved, that a discontented Soul is only unwise, tho truly so he be to great degrees. He whom a tempest storms in open field, on whom the rain beats and the wind, is sure a fool if he sit down and cry at it, and vex. What relief is it to him to vie shours of tears with those the clouds drop, to return the blasts of wind with sighs and murmurs, and storm at the tempest? Sure there is no one so unwise, but would make hast and seek for shelter rather, and not sit down to fret and weep at it. And yet that is the fashion of the discontented heart; if the least cross be upon their mind, their sad and troubled thoughts make it look very big, (as thick and misty air do's make all objects,) they fancy it insufferable, they look upon it as if God's indignation did lie hard upon them, and he had vexed them with all his storms: and in these storms why do they not flie to God for shelter, nor run under the shadow of his wings for refuge, but vex and cry at it, yea murmur and repine? And what an insolence is this to be angry at the Almighty, because he do's not govern the world as they would have him; to quarrel, because his Providence disposeth of events otherwise than they think is for their interests? Some are discontented when God takes from them any thing they did possess. Now since neither health, nor wealth, nor any other good is thine or from thy self, but only lent, vouchsafed during his pleasure and discretion, and whatsoever he takes from thee is only thy not enjoying any longer what is no way due to thee, when he in his wisdom and in his love also to discipline thee calls for what he lent thee. Is this occasion for a contest with the Lord? Must he lend thee his mercies, when his wisdom sees fit to do otherwise in order to the ends of Providence? What irreligious Rebellion is this, to have risings of heart against God's dispositions, to fall out with their Maker, if he will not lend them his mercies as long, and in as great degrees as they would have him? Others are discontented, because they are not in a better, higher, or more plentiful condition; and why do they not as well quarrel with God, because he did not make them Angels; for what they are is his mere gift, and more than their deservings? He was no more oblig'd to make thee what thou art, than he was bound to make thee a Cherubim or an Archangel: and must thou murmur at the Lord, because thou hast not the disposal of his gifts to lay them out in what degrees thou pleasest? It is the sin of both these discontents, that they do not submit their hearts cheerfully to God's disposals. They that do not so, S. Peter saies, are proud, and such as God resists and fights against. And surely then the discontented is a strange person that is proud towards God, and an unhappy person whom God resists and fights against.
2. He renounces his own Praiers; he begs of God, thy will be don, and yet do's murmur that it is so: and what a strange Petitioner is this, who repines if he be heard, and is vext that God do's grant his Praiers, is angry with the Lord because he do's what he desires? And then shall such a person ever hope that God should hear his Praiers at any time, who is displeas'd because the Lord do's not deny him?
3. All concupiscences are the effect of this; for because they are not satisfied with their own condition, they desire what is not their own: and so the breach of the tenth Commandment is the certain consequent of this disposition of mind, or indeed rather it is but several instances of forbidding discontentedness with our own condition; and in it, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, is not meant, thou shalt not desire to commit adultery with her; for that was forbidden in the seventh Commandment: but as thou shalt not covet his house, which do's not signify thou shalt not desire once to walk thro it, or to sit and dine in it, but thou shalt not desire the possession nor propriety of what is not thine own, shalt not desire it should be thy house, but be contented with thy lot; so here, thou shalt not be troubled that his wife or servant is not thy wife or servant, and think it as fit thy Neighbor should enjoy the comforts of a happy wife, if God have given him one, or the pleasures and splendors of an estate, or the advantages of a commodious servant, as thou dost think it fit thou shouldest enjoy what is thine; and not desire not only to be theif, but not the owner of them: be content with what is thine.
4. All the Seditions and Rebellions in the world, and those armies of Sins that attend them, that wage their wars, which are upheld by legions of villanies, as numerous as those of men, all the disturbances of States and Churches are but the effects of discontented spirits, men that were unsatisfied with their condition, desir'd a change, and car'd not by what means they compast it. They can charge thro seas of bloud and sin, over the faces of men and conscience to get out of the condition, which they are not well content with.
I could assign more sins that do attend a discontented heart, when it hath opportunity to break into them: all the effects of anger, and of malice, and of concupiscence, and a whole shole of others are in its train, but that I must reserve one word for Envy.
2. Envy, to say all in one word, however slight a thing we may esteem it. For to envy at another person's having better qualities, or greater dignities, or richer furnitures, or wider estates, or handsomer provisions, this we think do's no mischief to the persons, and therefore is no crying crime. Yet besides that it is more unjust than hatred or than malice, for these have still pretences that do look like reason. I cannot hate a man, but because he do's me some wrong, and that is some reason; for I hate his injustice: but envy hath not any least pretence. Is it a wrong to me, because that person is better qualified, or better endowed? Is he unjust because he is rich, or learned, or well provided? and yet for this I envy him. Besides this, I say, to stab it with one thrust, Envy hath all the vices and all the ruins in the world for its issue, all sin and all damnation is its brood. The Devil envied man's felicity, and therefore temted him, and so man lost Original Righteousness, and he lost Paradise; and he envies his recovery by Christ, and therefore temts him still until he ruin him eternally. Whatever guilt, and whatever misery is in the world, hence it springs, it is a feind-like devilish humor. And now would you take the prospect of these two qualities, discontent and envy. Lucifer was not satisfied with his condition, and he was therefore cast from Heaven, and all his fellow Angels became Devils; and then he envied man's condition, and chang'd his Paradise into everlasting misery. These two qualities rob'd Heaven it self of those inhabitants that should have fill'd it, and the Son of God himself, and peopled Hell; it made Angels become Feinds, it made God die, and made men damn'd, and there is enough for that.
3. Covetousness, I am sure I can say no more of that, than what S. Paul hath said, nor more to my purpose, 1. Tim. 6. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain; for we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, and having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich, fall into a temtation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition: for the love of mony is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves thro with many sorrows.
And oh that three such dismal qualities with their accursed trains should breed in that same little part, the eie! An evil eie is the womb wherein they are conceiv'd, and if that one small faculty be so fruitful in guilt and in destructions, how shall we reckon the whole man? Miserable men that we are, who shall deliver us from a whole body of death, and from the state of those deaths, and from darkness, in which this evil eie engages us? A darkness which our Savior could not otherwise express, but by astonishment, How great is that darkness! A darkness great indeed, because 'tis wilfully incurable, no state do's so withstand the light as this. The Sun of Righteousness, the Day-spring from on high, that came to visit us, could strike the light thro darkness, and make the shadow of death bright Luke 1. 79. that did shed light, that was a glory, Luke 2. 32. could not yet break in upon a Country clouded with this humor: his Miracles and he were both desired to withdraw, could have no least Reception, when interest and profit came to be toucht; and a Legion of Devils, that did plot together, could contrive no surer means to keep out Christ himself, than by setting up an evil eie to look upon him and his Miracles, than by engaging this greedy affection against him, and that but in a small instance. We read a strange story Matt. 8. 28. Marke the contrivance and the policy; the Devils knowing that Christ would cast them out of the two possessed men, and by that Miracle so far show forth his power, that it would probably bring all the Country to believe on him, they desir'd to prevent this, and thereupon fall on this project, which might incense the men of that Country against him; and in order to it they besought Christ, that if he did cast them out, he would suffer them to go into the herd of Swine; and tho he seldom wrought any destructive Miracles, yet that the people might see the virulency of these Devils, how destructive they were, if not restrain'd by his omnipotent goodness, and so they might understand the mercy don to those that were possessed, and likewise see the mercy now approching to their Country by the coming of Christ, if they will accept of it, and withal to try whether their love to their Swine was greater than that to their own souls, he permitted the Devils to go into the Swine, he would not restrain them, and they went into them. They who fed the Swine gave to the owners notice of their loss, and did let them know, as the Swine were drowned on the one side, so two men possessed with Devils were recovered, and that Christ had don this since his coming thither. Hereupon the whole City, as being very much concern'd in that which had happen'd, came out to meet and see Jesus, who did such Miracles; and instead of being wrought on by his cure on the men to desire his continuance among them, the consideration of the loss of their Swine made them desire and beseech him that he would depart out of their Coasts. Behold an equal Enemy to Christ and all his Miracles, an Enemy that was too hard for them, even a little worldly advantage! The Senate of Hell hath no project like this to keep out Religion, as this making Religion thwart an interest; rather no Christianity, than abate gain or greatness, or any earthly satisfaction; rather the Swine, than Christ himself.
But we have a worse instance yet than this, and more comprehensive as to our purpose. An evil eie could not endure to see the Son of God alive, and when the second Person of the Godhead was to be betraied and crucified, the Devil had no other passion to employ on that design, but these same, discontent and envy and a greedy mind, and all these but at little trifles. We find that Judas bore the purse, and S. John saies that he robb'd it, John 12. 6. was deceitful in the discharge of his office of relieving the poor. Now it happen'd that a woman spent a box of precious ointment upon Christ, at which Judas was discontent, and envied it his Master, Matt. 16. 8. Mark 14. 4, 5. he murmur'd, and had indignation at it, saies the places; his evil eie could not endure to see such a sum should pass his purse, (of which yet he could have purloin'd but very little, for the sum was not great) and missing that, for very envy (for it was immediatly upon it Mark 14. 10.) his own covetous heart by the Devil's suggestion put him upon his project of gain to make some advantage by delivering Christ to the hands of the Jews, and upon his consenting to this suggestion the Devil was permitted by God to have this power over him, to enter into him, John 13. 2. and doing so incited him to make a bargain with the Rulers of the Sanhedrim, their great Council, and with their Officers to deliver up Jesus unto them; and he yielding to his incitation, and after Christ's talking with him, and telling him distinctly of it, and the sin and danger attending it, Mark 14. 21. and his not yet relenting, the Devil entred into him again more forcibly than before, John 13. 27. hurried him to the speedy execution: and he went and covenanted with them that he should have thirty shekels, Matt. 26. 15. foreign Luke 22. 6. and thanked them, altho it were a low and a vile sum, as could be the price of a slave, Exod. 21. 32. yet Judas thankt them for the offer, so covetous he was and glad of an occasion to get mony. We see the Devil enters at an evil eie, if that be envious, Satan gets in strait at that eie himself in person, and he possesses hearts set upon gain: and then no wonder if the Kingdom of darkness be in such an heart, when as the King of Hell, the Devil dwells there. Satan entred into him, and when he was there, what design hath he to fill an heart with? nothing but that of getting mony, this is effect enough of his possession. The Devil hath don work enough in such a heart as he is entred into really, if he but make it set upon desire of mony, tho it be but a trifle of gain, but three pounds fifteen shillings. But, Lord God, what will not a worldly heart adventure on; what will not a mind undertake, which envies at another, and is greedy for it self? When such an one did set Judas upon betraying Christ for almost nothing: one vanity, one sport, one dress, one sin's engagement to damnation costs a man more, than what an envious covetous Soul did sell the Son of God, the Ransom of Mankind, the price of all the Souls in the whole world for, yea and was thankful for it too: so low, so fordid, and so base a soul it is that loves increase.
And now, my Brethren, there is no need that I should tell you, that you must bring no evil eie to the Lord's Table to see his body crucified, and his bloud poured out in the Sacrament; no discontents, no murmurs, no envious intentions, nor covetous desires must come near that, for they were these betraied him. If such a soul come thither, Judas is there again; the things that sold him come again to tear his body, and to shed his bloud. And do you think that such shall be receiv'd and entertain'd by Christ? Oh no, the bread of the Sacrament will be their Sop; and not Christ, but the Devil enters into such. Oh sure no heart so fit to come to that same feast as the charitable; those that feed him, he will feed: and I could tell you, charity (the offertory I mean, an offering for the poor) was used as an essential part of the Sacrament, and was a service of so high esteem, that preparation was requir'd for it as for the Sacrament; and by the first Councils men guilty of gross sins might not offer, their charities would not be receiv'd by the Church. Yea and there was an excommunication from this duty, and to be excluded from bringing their gifts for the poor was a greater censure, than to be shut out from the Sermon or the Praiers. But these are things our world do's not take notice of, nor will understand; to be censur'd from liberality, and to be excommunicate from bounty, and that receiving of mens alms should be a grace and an indulgence to the givers, are talks that men now have no notions of, nor much care for. But let them be sure no time so proper for our relieving the members of Christ, as when the body of Christ is relieving us to life eternal; no occasion more urgent for us to contribute towards the clothing of the naked body of Christ, than when Christ is clothing us with the crimson glorious garment of his Righteousness; no opportunity more pressing than this to visit his sick members, than when he administring to us foreign: nothing do's preach Charity like a Sacrament, nor no Sacrament more than this at the time of his Incarnation, when the Son of God did so exhaust himself for us, as to emty immensity of God-head into a span of weak, poor, helpless flesh, to become really one of the meanest objects of compassion, one that had no revenue in the world but Charity; for while he liv'd he had not an hole to put his head in, nor when he died a grave to put his body in, but as thro all his life his sustenance was alms, so at his death his burying place was alms too, and yet this was the Heir of both the worlds. And this he did to settle us in an inheritance of infinite, eternal glory; and the approching day began this state to him, a day sure to be reckon'd not with the riots, but with the charities of hospitality, with feasts not for our sins, but feasts for Christ, and for his members; feasts such as his own Table is fit to be the leading entertainment in.
O Lord, who hast taught us, that all our doings without Charity are nothing worth; send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of Charity, the very bond of peace and of all vertues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee: grant this for thine onelyonly Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen
THE END.