The Life of Faith, Part 3 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. How by Faith to overcome unmercifulneſs to the needy.
IV. THE fourth ſin of Sodom, and of Proſperity, mentioned, Ezek. 16.49. is, They did not ſtrengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Againſt which at the preſent I ſhall give you but theſe brief Directions.
Direct. 1. Love God your Creator and Redeemer, and then you will love the pooreſt of your Brethren for his ſake. And love will eaſily perſwade you to do them good.
Direct. 2. Labour moſt diligently to cure your inordinate ſelf-love, which maketh men care little for any but themſelves, and ſuch as are uſeful to themſelves: And when once you love your neighbours as your ſelves, it will be as eaſie to perſwade you to do good to them as to your ſelves; and more eaſie to diſſwade you from hurting them than your ſelves: (becauſe ſenſuality tempteth you ſtronglier to hurt your ſelves, than any thing doth to hurt them.)
Direct. 3. Overvalue not the things of the world; and then you will not make a great matter of parting with them, for anothers good.
Direct. 4. Do as you would be done by: And ask your ſelves how you would be judged of and uſed, if you were in their condition your ſelves.
Direct. 5. Set the life of Chriſt and his Apoſtles before you; and remember what a delight it was to them to do good: And at how much dearer rate Chriſt ſhewed mercy to you and others, than he requireth you to ſhew mercy at to any.
Direct. 6. Read over Chriſts precepts of Charity and Mercy, that a thing ſo frequently urged on you, may not be ſenſleſly deſpiſed by you.
Direct. 7. Remember that Mercy is a duty applauded by all the world: As humane intereſt requireth it; ſo humane nature approveth it in all. Good and bad, even all the world do love the merciful: Or if the partial intereſt of ſome proud and covetous perſons (as the Popiſh Clergy for inſtance) do call for cruelty againſt thoſe that are not of their mind, and for their profit; yet this goeth ſo much againſt the ſtream of the common intereſt, and the light of humane nature, that mankind will ſtill abhor their cruelty, though they may afright a few that are neer them from uttering their deteſtation. All men ſpeak well of a merciful man, and ill of the unmerciful.
Direct. 8. Believe Chriſts promiſes which he hath made to the merciful, ſo fully and frequently in Scripture: As in Mat. 5.7. Luke 6.36. Prov. 11.17. Pſal. 37.26, &c. And believe his threatnings againſt the unmerciful, that they ſhall find no mercy, Prov. 12.10. James 2.13. And remember how Chriſt hath deſcribed the laſt Judgment, as paſſing upon this reckoning, Matth. 25.
Direct. 9. Live not in fleſhly ſenſuality your ſelves: For elſe your fleſh will devour all; and if you have hundreds and thouſands a year, will leave you but little or nothing to do good with.
Direct. 10. Engage your ſelves (not by raſh vows, but by reſolution and practice) in a ſtated way of doing good, and take not only ſuch occaſions as fall out unexpectedly. Set a part a convenient proportion of your eſtates, as God doth bleſs you; and let not needleſs occaſions divert it, and defraud the poor, and you of the benefit.
Direct. 11. Remember ſtill that nothing is abſolutely your own, but God who lendeth it you hath the true propriety, and will certainly call you to an account. And ask your ſelves daily, How ſhall I wiſh at the day of reckoning, that I had expended and uſed all my eſtate? and do accordingly.
Direct. 12. Forget not what need you ſtand in daily of the mercy of God; and what need you will ſhortly be in, when your health and wealth will fail you. And how earneſtly then you will cry to God for mercy, mercy, Prov. 21.13. Whoſo ſtoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he alſo ſhall cry himſelf, but ſhall not be heard.
Direct. 13. Hearken not to an unbelieving heart, which will tell you that you may want your ſelves, and therefore would reſtrain you from well doing. If God be to be truſted with your ſouls, he is to be truſted with your bodies. God tryeth whether indeed you take him for your God, by trying whether you can truſt him. If you deal with him as with a bankerupt, or a deceitful man, whom you will truſt no further than you have a preſent pawn or ſecurity, in caſe he ſhould deceive you; you blaſpheme him, inſtead of taking him for your God.
Direct. 14. Let your greateſt mercy be ſhewed in the greateſt things; and let the good of mens ſouls be your end even in your mercy to their bodies. And therefore do all in ſuch a manner as tendeth moſt to promote the higheſt end. Bleſſed are the merciful, for they ſhall obtain mercy.