The Best Remedies for the Worst of Maladies, Receipt 6
The Sixth Spiritual Receipt.
6ly. The ſixth Soveraign Antidote and Preſervative againſt this Infectious Diſeaſe, is this, Get a merciful, tender, pittiful and compaſſionate heart. This, as it, will demonſtrate us to be like unto God himſelf, who is the fountain of mercy. Be ye merciful, as your Father alſo is merciful, Luk. 6.36. So it will denominate us to be ſuch as are righteous before God, Pſal. 37.21. who live in the power of that Religion, that is pure and undefiled before God. And ſurely if thy heart is melted with the ſenſe of Gods everlaſting mercy to thy ſelf, thou canſt not but have thy heart drawn forth compaſſionately towards ſuch as are in miſery, neceſſity and diſtreſs.
But if the world hath locked up thine heart, and congealed the bowels of thy compaſſions towards thy poor brethren; let the blaze of thine outward profeſſion ſhine never ſo fair, and manage the duties of external holineſs never ſo demurely, and keep the times and tasks of daily duties with never ſo great auſterity; nay, though thou be able to amuſe weaker Chriſtians with ſome affected, ſtrain'd, and artifical fervency in Prayer (for by the meer power of hypocriſie and vain-glory, a man may pray ſometimes to the Admiration of others, eſpecially leſs judicious) I ſay, for all this, if the holy heat of Brotherly love doth not warm thine heart, and upon occaſion work affectionately in thy ſoul, thou wilt diſcover thy ſelf to be rotten at the heart-root, and that there is little of the true love and grace of God in thee, or hope of ſalvation.
For the diſſolving therefore of thy frozen heart, and the enlarging of thy bowels of pity towards the poor Brethren of Chriſt Jeſus; without which, never think hereafter to look him in the face with comfort, or to find mercy at the great day. Conſider well that place, in 1 Joh. 3.17. Who ſo hath this worlds goods, and ſeeth his brother hath need, and ſhutteth up his bowels of compaſſion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? And above all other motives of mercifulneſs to the poor neceſſitous and diſtreſſed members of Chriſt, methinks that Argument which Paul preſſeth to this purpoſe, in 2 Cor. 8.9. ſhould melt the moſt flinty heart; For ye know (ſaith he) the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that though he was rich, yet for your ſakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. Shall the onelyonly dear innocent Son of the All-powerful and ever-bleſſed Lord and King of Heaven and Earth, diſ-inrich as it were, and diſrobe himſelf of the Royalty and Majeſty above, and become ſo poor, that whereas the Foxes have holes, and the birds of the Air have neſts, yet he not where to lay his head; that through his poverty, and pouring out his heart-blood, he might crown us with the ineſtimable riches of heavenly glory, with joys and pleaſures for evermore; And ſhall not we worms and wretches, moſt unworthy the leaſt bit of bread we put into our mouths, part with ſomething of our ſuperfluities, to releive the fainting ſoul of him for whom Chriſt died, and which he will take as done unto himſelf, Mat. 25.40. Though it be but a cup of cold water only? Mat. 10.42.
Beſides, the laſt and everlaſting doom at that great and dreadful day, to wit, either the glorious ſentence of abſolution, Come ye bleſſed; or the dreadful ſentence of condemnation, Go ye curſed, &c. ſhall be pronounced upon the godly, according to the effect and fruit of their faith, which works by love; Or paſs upon the Reprobates for omiſſion and neglect of this moſt excellent duty of mercifulneſs to the poor members of Chriſt, Mat. 25.40, 41.
Conſider withal, as an inflaming Motive to draw forth the bowels of thy compaſſions to poor needy and neceſſitous ſouls, that by laying out thy ſelf cheerfully, ſeaſonably, liberally, and yet but according to thine ability, towards ſuch, Deut. 15.10. 2 Cor. 9.7. Prov. 3.27, 28. 2 Cor. 9.6. Prov. 11.25. 2 Cor. 8.13, 14. Act. 11.29. Thou ſhalt hereby become a Creditor, even to thy moſt glorious and bountiful Creator. For he that hath pitty upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again, Prov. 19.17. Now what a Motive I ſay is this, to be merciful, that we ſhall make God himſelf our debtor, the ever-ſpringing fountain of bliſs, and Lord of all goodneſs, who doth all things like himſelf, omnipotently, bountifully, above all expectation, as becomes the mighty Soveraign of Heaven and Earth? If he works, he makes a World; If he be angry he drowns the whole face of the earth; If he love, the heart blood of his deareſt Son is not too dear; If he ſtand upon his peoples ſide, he makes the Sun to ſtand ſtill, and the Stars to fight; If he repay, he gives his own all-ſufficient ſelf, with the overflowing torrents of all pleaſures and glory through all eternity. But to bring it a little nearer to the thing in hand; Conſider a few of the Promiſes of God, as a further provocation to this ſo pious and profitable a work and ſervice for the Lord.
Wouldſt thou be in a thriving and proſperous ſtate in this world, whether as to the outward or inward man? Surely, to be compaſſionate this way, is the very ready way; If thou draw out thy ſoul to the hungry (ſaith the Prophet) and ſatisfie the afflicted ſoul, then ſhall thy light riſe in obſcurity, and break forth as the morning, and thy darkneſs be as the noon-day; and thy health ſhall ſpring forth ſpeedily; Mark that, The Lord ſhall, guide thee continually, and ſatisfie thy ſoul in drought and make fat thy bones, and thou ſhalt be like a watered Garden, and like a ſping of water, whoſe waters fail not, Iſa. 58.10. and 8.11. Thine horn ſhall be exalted with honour, and thou ſhalt not want, Pſa. 112.9. Prov. 28.27. Yea, for this thing, the Lord thy God ſhall bleſs thee in all thy works, and in all that thou putteſt thine hand unto, Deut. 15.10. It will be then a profitable inquiſition amongſt others; when a man finds himſelf to go backward in his eſtate, whether upon the temporal or ſpiritual account, and Gods ſecret diſpleaſure to blow upon his wealth, or afflict his body with painful diſeaſes, to examine well, whether he was not ordinarily wont to ſhut up his bowels of compaſſion, then to pour out his ſoul to the poor. For he ſhall have judgment without mercy, that hath ſhewed no mercy, Jam. 2.13. But with the merciful, God will ſhew himſelf merciful, Pſa. 18.25. Yea, ſaith our Saviour, Bleſſed are the merciful, for they ſhall obtain mercy, Mat. 5.7. Which brings to my remembrance that pious and moſt affectionate wiſh of Paul, in 2 Tim. 1.16, 18. The Lord give mercy unto the houſe of Oneſiphorus, Why? for he oft refreſhed me, ſaid he, and was not aſhamed of my chain. The Lord grant unto him, that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day; and in how many things he miniſtred unto me at Epheſus, thou knowoſt very well. It ſeems he was a very charitable ſoul; He did not (as many profeſſours of our times do, talk much and do little, have their mouths open, but the bowels of their compaſſions ſhut faſt enough, his readineſs to diſtribute, and willingneſs to communicate, did clearly and plainly demonſtrate, his care to lay up in ſtore for himſelf a good foundation againſt the time to come, that he might lay hold on eternal life. According to the counſel that Paul gives to the worldly rich men of his time, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18, 19. To which concurs that of Solomon, Prov. 11.17. The merciful man doth good to his own ſoul, but he that is cruel, troubleth his own fleſh. The merciful man, the Hebrew it ſeems renders it, a man of mercifulneſs, of bounty, liberality; So a man of knowledge, that is, a knowing and underſtanding man; a man of truth or faithfulneſs, that is, a true or faithful man, Neh. 7.2. A man of peace, that is, one that is peaceable; Men of holineſs, that is, holy men, Exod. 22.31. This man that is merciful to others that are neceſſitous, and in diſtreſs; or as James expreſſeth it, that viſiteth the Fatherleſs and Widows in their affliction, and hides not himſelf from his own fleſh, Iſa. 58.7. (For what is mercy but a pittying of others that are in miſery? Mercy and miſery being relatives, were there no want nor treſpaſs, there needed no mercy;) This man, ſaith Solomon, doth good to his own ſoul, or as other tranſlations have it, he rewardeth his own ſoul, he doth good unto himſelf, as well as unto others, for it pleaſeth God to reward the good works of his poor Servants, according to that of Solomon, Prov. 11.25. The liberal ſoul ſhall be made fat, and he that watereth, ſhall be watered alſo himſelf. And of that of our bleſſed Lord, in Mat. 10.42. who brings it down to a cup of cold water onelyonly, that this merciful man ſhall give to drink to one of his little ones, which Mark expounds to ſuch as belong to him, Mark 9.41. Verily, I ſay unto you, ſaith our dear Lord, he ſhall in no wiſe looſe his reward; which gives us ſome light into that expreſſion of Paul to Timothy, in his advice, as before, to rich men. Of laying up in ſtore for themſelves a good foundation againſt the time to come; Some reads, for in ſtore, laying up for a Treaſure, a good foundation, that is, a foundation of hope; Not that the liberality of the rich does merit it, but becauſe it is a fruit of faith, and God hath promiſed to reward the ſame grace for Chriſts ſake; It being a ſacrifice with which he is well pleaſed, Heb. 13.16 Or as Paul expreſſeth it, in Phil. 4.18. An odour of a ſweet and fragrant ſmell, a ſacrifice acceptable, well-pleaſing to God. For as ſweet odours are a refreſhing of the ſenſes, ſo our refreſhing of the Saints bowels, is in a manner a refreſhing of Gods own ſenſe and Spirit. A term borrowed from the perfumes which were made upon the Altar of Incenſe. I ſhall add further, but that in, Pſa. 41.1, 2, 3. which I judge very pertinent to the thing in hand; Bleſſed is he that conſidereth the poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble; The Lord will preſerve him and keep him alive, and he ſhall be bleſſed upon the earth. And thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies. The Lord will ſtrengthen him upon the bed of languiſhing, thou wilt make his bed in his ſickneſs.
David being now fallen into a heavy ſickneſs, or ſome other great diſtemper or ſtreight, he deſcribeth here the happineſs or bleſſing which they ſhall obtain at Gods hands, that carry themſelves piouſly and compaſſionately towards the afflicted. Bleſſed is he that conſidereth the poor, that judgeth wiſely of the poor, and will not raſhly condemn him as a Malefactor whom God doth viſit. The poor here is taken for a miſerable one, one that is thinn, exhauſted of his abilities; whither of the body, and ſo a ſick one; or of goods and means, and ſo a poor one. The Lord (ſaith he) ſhall deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord ſhall preſerve him and keep him alive, the Lord ſhall revive, quicken, heal him or make him whole, and make him happy on the earth; and will not deliver him, or give him over into the deſire or will of his enemies. The Lord will ſtrengthen him upon the bed of languiſhing, or the bed of ſorrow, others read it. The Lord ſhall under-prop him upon his ſick bed, upon his bed of faintneſs, weakneſs, feebleneſs; yea, make his bed in his ſickneſs, or change his bed, which may admit of this two-fold ſence. As if he had ſaid, ſpeaking in a prophetical manner; Thou, O God, ſhalt as ſurely turn his ſickneſs to the beſt, as if I ſaw it already performed. Or thus, thou ſhalt ſupply all humane helps unto him, that is uſed to be beſtowed upon ſick, diſeaſed and diſtempered perſons.
Now what a comfortable promiſe is here for our faith to take hold of, in ſuch a languiſhing and dying time. O how ſhould it encourage and ſtir up the rich, eſpecially in this world, To be rich in good works, ready to diſtribute, willing to communicate, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. Yea, all of us that can make out our Election of God, as holy and beloved; To be putting on bowels of mercies, kindneſs, humbleneſs of mind, meekneſs, long-ſuffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel againſt any, even at Chriſt hath forgiven us, ſo alſo ſhould we do: And above all theſe things (ſaith the Apoſtle) put on charity, which is the bond of perfectneſs, Col. 3.12, 13, 14. He wiſhes them, as they would be ſure of their Election, and have a ſound note or mark of their holineſs, and that God loved them to be putting on bowels of mercies; as if he had ſaid, let theſe be your robes and coverings, wear them as you wear your garments; let them be as tender and inward unto you, as your own principal and moſt vital parts. Such a meaſure of pity and compaſſion, as maketh the inward bowels to yearn; and this is proper to ſuch as are in affliction and miſery.
But Kindneſs extendeth further, and reacheth to all, whither in proſperity or adverſity, which is a ſweet and loving diſpoſition of the heart, and a courteous affection to all, ſhewing it ſelf in pleaſing, and good ſpeech, and behaviour towards all. But becauſe Love is the root of all, he doth therefore compare Charity to the moſt precious garment, which is or can be put upon all others; Calling it, The bond of perfectneſs, or the moſt perfect bond, which is among men to unite them together. Ʋinculum perfectionis, is, Ʋinculum perfectiſſimum, quo plures inter ſe colligantur. I ſhall conclude this point, with that faithful ſaying and affirmation of, Jud. 8. and 14. That they which have beleived in God, might be careful to maintain good works for neceſſary uſes, that they be not unfruitful; they ſhould learn to be eminent in good works above others. The Vulgar hath it, Curent bonis operibus prae eſſe: They ſhould go before others in good works. And gives this as his reaſon therefore. Theſe things are good and profitable unto men. Thus much for the Sixth Soveraign Remedy.