The Surest and Safest Way of Thriving, Treatise · Part
For a word of Application.
Oh how should the consideration of these things stir up the hearts of all, especially such as have a blessing in their hand, an estate to give, to draw forth their souls, and reach forth their hands to the supply of these wanting servants of God. Surely this is a time wherein Christ is trying your love to him, by your Charity to them. Are you not concerned to make proof of your love to Christ? Have you not an opportunity before you, and a loud call from Heaven to prove it in this way? Can you not hear him, that said once to Peter, John 21. 16. Lovest thou me? Feed my Sheep. Can you not hear the same voice calling to you, Lovest thou me? Feed my Shepheards. Sure thou art very deaf to the voice of the Providences of this day, if thou do not hear this Call. And will you prove that you have no love to Christ? What do you else if you suffer his to starve, when you have wherewith to feed them?
Beloved, it is through God's free grace, and rich bounty, that you enjoy such plenty of outward good things, when many of his Ministers are in great want. What you have, you have recieved from him. Is it not then most just and reasonable, that you should return back some part of your estates unto God, by relieving his Ministers, in testimony of your love and thankfulness unto him for what you have? Hath God given you hundreds and thousands? and will not you part with a few pounds or shillings when he calls aloud unto you for the same, as now he doth in these dayes? Though the earth be his, and the fulness thereof, yet (in a sense) he hath sometimes need of your estates. Matth. 25. 35. Christ telleth you of his wants, and sheweth you how, and when he is relieved.
If you have any spiritual wisdom to discern times and seasons. you may know, that now Christ stands in need of your helping hand, now that so many of his Ministers are in want, for the testimony of a good conscience: And should you now deny him in his Ministers, I do verily believe, that if Christ were now upon earth, as when he first took our nature upon him, and in his own person should crave your relief, you would turn a deaf ear unto him.
Though for the present you enjoy manifold blessings; yet how easily can he pluck them out of your mouths, and if you will not perform your duty, thrust you down from among the givers, to take your place among the receivers! Certainly the communicating a part is your best way to secure the remainder, and to season and sanctifie it to your more comfortable use.
Luke 11. 41. Saith our Saviour, Give alms of such things as you have, and behold all things are clean unto you; that is, lawful to be used. The metaphor is taken from the Law, whereby many things were counted unclean, and so unlawful for use; they might not be touched or meddled with. Yea by the inference of the Apostle; Give alms of such things as you have, and behold all things are clean unto you: He seemeth to allude to another Rite of the Law about First-fruits, Tithes, and Free offerings, by giving which to the Lord, all the rest which they had were secured, sanctified and made clean. So that charitable men are they, who may with the more freedom, quietness and comfort use what they have. Who that hath any desire to be accepted and appoved of God, would not have his person, and the actions which he doth, and things which he possesseth to be clean? Whatsoever is unclean is odious and abominable in God's sight: unclean persons might not approach to God's Sanctuary, nor meddle with sacred matters. If they were not cleansed, they were to be cut off from God's People, Numb. 19 20. Levit. 7. 20. and every unclean thing was an abomination.
This thereforé must needs be a strong perswasive to put in practise the counsel of our Saviour, in Giving alms of such things as we have, that so all things may be clean, and sanctified unto us. What's clean you may use with God's good leave and allowance: (clean things might be eaten) and where you have God's good leave, you may expect his blessing. It's sin to eat where God's portion is among it.
The truth is, it is the great mistake of many, to think that all their goods are their own, and that they are absolute Lords and Owners of all which they possess: Whereas indeed they are rather Stewards, than Lords and Owners of this worlds goods; all is the Lords. God of his infinite wisdom hath committed to some a greater portion of them, than to others, yet not to be impropriated to themselves, but they must give him his special part, to which his have as good a right as themselves unto the rest, saving only that they may not lay hands on it themselves, until you put it into their hands. But as they may not take it out of yours; so you may not keep it out of their hands. Therefore Solomon speaking of the right which the poor have to a part of rich mens estates, saith, Prov. 3. 27. Withold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it. So that relieving the poor is not only an act of Mercy, left to our choice to do, or leave undone; but also, as I said before, an act of Iustice, to the performance whereof we stand bound. Hence to give alms, and to do Righteousness and Iustice, are oft in Scripture put the one for the other, both signifying the same thing. Therefore the Septuagint have rendred the Hebrew word signifying Righteousness, in Deut. 24. 14. foreign, alms deeds. And in Psalm. 112. 9. It is said, His Righteousness endureth for ever; that is, his alms, or his mercifulness; as is clear from the foregoing words; He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his Righteousness endureth for ever: Whereby is implyed, that giving of alms is one special branch of that Righteousness and Iustice we owe to our poor neighbours.
And darest thou yet hold it in thy hand? Wilt thou wrong the Almighty of his right, and rob his poor of their due? If it be nothing with thee to be unmerciful, is it nothing neither to be a robber? a robber of God? Will a man rob God? Mal. 3. 8. Dares any man be so wicked? How canst thou but expect that he will make a forcible entry upon thee, and take what is his own, and seal a Writ of Ejectment against thee, and turn thee out of all that ever thou hast? Look not to be long in quiet possession of what thou hast; but fear lest either God should take thine estate from thee, or thee from thine estate, and give thee thy portion with Dives, who because he denyed his crumbs to satisfie poor Lazarus his hunger, was himself denyed a drop of cold water to quench his own heat and thirst, Luke 16. 23. Upon which words St. Austin thus glosseth, Ideo rogans Dives non exauditur in tormentis, quia rogantem pauperem non exaudivit. Therefore was not Dives heard when he prayed in torments because he hearkened not to the poor that begged of him, when he was upon the Earth. Aug. Serm. de Divite.
Let me add a few quickning words to set home what hath been spoken, by these following Questions.
Quest. 1. Now at length, What dost thou think of mercy and bounty to the poor?
1. Is there not an excellency in it? Oh how much of God is there in it! There is faith in it; He that will cast his bread upon the waters, is it not a sure sign that he believes God, who hath said, that it shall be returned again? There's the love of God in it: He that sees his Brother in need, and shutteth up the bowels of his compassions from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? And he that openeth his bowels, and draws forth his soul to God's hungry ones, who can deny but the love of God dwelleth in that man? It is the Image of God's goodness. God is a merciful God, and his mercy is his glory; and this glory of God shineth forth in his merciful servants. There is self-denyal in it. Self would keep all; flesh would hold back; it cannot spare for God; 'tis a sign that self is laid low, that the flesh is kept under, that the interest of God is the swaying interest, when whatever God will have, this self is not suffered to keep back. Is there so much of God in mercifulness, and is there not an excellency in it?
2. Is there not a necessity of it? Shall the merciless ever obtain mercy? Canst thou hope for mercy who wilt shew no mercy.
Qu. 2. What dost thou think of thy self? Art thou merciful, or merciless? How dost thou find it? Is thine heart open? are thy bowels open? or are they still shut? Dost thou feel that heart of thine inclined and resolved to open thy hands, and to disperse, and that liberally the good things thou hast received, as a good Steward of the manifold gifts of God? Or dost thou yet feel that the door is shut, thine heart is hardned against shewing kindness to the Lord? Give thy plain judgment, what thinkest thou? Art thou a merciful man, or merciless? and if merciless, How dost thou hope to obtain mercy?
Qu. 3. What dost thou think of thy worldly goods?
1. Are they not thy Talents, committed to thee for thy Lord's use? Must thou not be accountable to him, how they have been laid out? Will it be a comfortable account when thou must bring in thy Bill; so much for thy pride, so much for thine appetite, or all hoarded up for thy covetousness, and nothing or but little for God?
2. Are they more worth than Treasures in Heaven? Is it more to thine advantage to be rich in this worlds goods, than to be rich in good works? Dost thou in good earnest judge, that thy laying up treasures on earth is better husbandry, than thy laying up in store for thy self a good foundation against the time to come?
Qu. 4. What dost thou think of the state of many of the servants of God in this age? Are there no wanting ones? no distressed ones? What neither amongst Ministers, nor Christians? Are they all provided for? Do not many of them eat the bread, and drink the waters of affliction? Is it not very strait and very short with them? Do but enquire after their condition, and thou wilt find it so. Art thou one of those that carest not how it fares with the poor friends of Christ? Are they not worth the enquiring, and looking after? or at least, Is not he worthy, whose they are, and whom they serve? Is not Christ worthy, for whose sake thou should'st shew kindness to his? How will he take thy neglect of them? Remember that word, Matth. 25. 45. Inasmuch as ye did it not to these, ye did it not to me.
Qu. 5. What wilt thou do for the future? What shall be the success of these few words that are written for thy learning? What art thou resolved upon? for mercy, or for cruelty? Consult thine own heart; lay not by this little Book, till thou art come to a resolution one way or other, either to accept, or reject this counsel, which in the name of the Lord is offered thee for thy good. Oh shew thy self a man in whose soul Christ hath an interest, and so great an interest, that thou wilt do any thing at his word; pity at his word, relieve at his word, give, lend, feed, cloathe, refresh the bowels of his needy ones: Let thy soul say, Lord, at thy word I will do it: here's my bread, and my flesh, and my money, command what thou wilt of it, I will not say thee nay. Thou hast given me a large portion, and every one of thy servants that thou appointest to receive it, shall have their part; for thy sake, Lord, they shall have it. Thine I am, and thine is all that I have; shew me thy pleasure, how much, and how often, and where, and to whom I shall bestow it, and through the grace of God there it shall go.
Friend, Wilt thou say thus? Wilt thou in the presence of the Lord come to this gracious resolution? or canst thou yet find in thine heart to deny thy Lord, and continue to be as hard-hearted, and close-handed as thou wer't wont to be? Dare not to say, Lord, my goods are mine own, I owe thee nothing: Dread such thoughts, that how much soever thou hast, the servants of Christ shall be nothing the better for it.
Once again consider, thou art put to this choice, either to accept of the counsel of Christ, or to reject it; which of the two wilt thou do? If thou resolvest not on mercy, and liberality, thou rejectest the word of the Lord; and if thou rejectest his word, thou rejectest the Lord, and therein sayest, He shall be no Lord for me. But if thou acceptest, then go, and do accordingly: Let the hunger, and the thirst, and the nakedness; the wants and distresses of his servants feel in that relief they shall receive from thee, that thou art a man to whom the Lord hath not spoken in vain. Let them feel it presently, and let them feel it constantly; this year, and the next year, and the next, even whilst they have need to receive, and thou hast it by thee to give. This do, and the Lord accept thee; remember all thy offering, and accept all thy sacrifices; the Lord hear thee in the day of thy trouble; the name of the God of Iacob defend thee: The Lord grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel: The Lord remember thee with the favour he beareth unto his children, and visit thee with his salvation.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Gouge, The Surest and Safest Way of Thriving (1673)