The Eye and Wheel of Providence, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. How the good Actions of Men are under Divine Providence.
Omne bonum noſtrum vel vel Deus ipſe vel ab ipſo eſt.3. I Shall in the third place ſhew, how the good Actions of Men are under Divine Providence; as we can do no good thing without Gods aſſiſtance, ſo neither can any good thing be done without his Providence; All the good that we have is either God or from God himſelf; there is no good thing but it is the gift of God, and cometh from the grace of God; in us, that is in our fleſh there dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7. Gods Providence about good actions appeareth,
1. In giving to ſome men greater ability to do good than to others; indeed no man is born or liveth to himſelf, but is bound to endeavour by all lawfull means to promote and procure the common publick good of thoſe among whom he liveth. God in his wiſe Providence hath given to divers men divers gifts of the Spirit, all which are beſtowed to profit withall, 1 Cor. 12.7. God hath alſo given great eſtates to others, that they might be liberal to thoſe that are in want.Neceſſitatibus fratrum quantum poſſumus dare debemus, plus interdum quam poſſumus. God will have the rich to be rich in good works, 1 Tim. 6.17. a thouſand Candles may be lighted by one; ſo a good man communicateth to all that have need of him; he had rather (like the poor widow) be in want himſelf, than in any thing be wanting in contribution to the Lords Temple, Luke 21.2, 3, 4. he will communicate abundantly the things God hath lent him, as Obadiah, 1 Kings 18.13. Doreas or Tabitha, Acts 9.36-39. Job 31.20. And Solomons Houſwife, Prov. 31.20. God requireth we ſhould do good according to our ability, ſo as we diſable not our ſelves of ever doing good more, as ſome that have ſpent all in a year, as though they did in diem vivere: but we muſt ſo begin as we may hold out, Pſal. 92.12, 13. Pſal. 112.15. Prov. 21.20. A good man doth all the good that he can, and hindereth all the evil that he can within the compaſſe of his calling.
2. In giving men not onelyonly ability, but alſo hearts to do good: it's better to have an heart to do good than ſimply to have ability to do good.Affectus imponit nomen operi: danda beneficia nòn foeneranda. Lactant. It is credibly reported of Mr Thomas Sutton the founder of that eminent Hospital commonly known by his name, that he often repaired into a private Garden, where he powred forth his prayers to God, and among other paſſages was frequently overheard to pray thus: Lord, thou hast given me a large eſtate, give me alſo a heart to make a good uſe thereof. T. Fuller Church Hiſtory of Britain. Ambroſe tells us, That wel-doing muſt proceed from welwilling; for ſuch as thine Affection is, ſuch is thine Action: Beneficentia and Benevolentia muſt goe together; we muſt do good freely, and not play the huckſters in doing good; the exerciſe hereof may be enforced from the nature of love, which is not confined to it ſelf, but is reached unto others, as Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 13.5. ſaying, Love ſeeketh not her own, that is, not onelyonly or principally her own private, neglecting the common publick good. Many have neither hearts nor hands to do good, their tongues being as a ſharp raſor to condemn it in others; What is this but to murmur againſt Gods Providence, when they have great cauſe to be thankfull to him for the good that is done, though by others? But whoſoever are imployed of God in any good work, let them know that promoters of publick good are Sacrifices of common hatred: It is a kind of Martyrdom to be hated and injuried for ſeeking to do good; but when we are aſſured that God's Providence hath imployed us, that we are in God's work, that we have his aſſiſtance or the aſſurance of his acceptation, we ſhall find theſe to be ſufficient to counterpoiſe the reproaches and contradictions of evil men: It is beſt therefore to ſerve God chearfully in any thing wherein he imployeth us, and to do all the good we can, during the ſhort time of our abode in this earthly Tabernacle. Whatſoever thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with all thy might, &c. Eccleſ. 9.10.
3. In giving us opportunities of doing good. As God gives to ſome men riches, ſo he gives them objects to look upon. The rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all, Prov. 22.2. God gives a man riches, and giveth him occaſions to make uſe of them, ſo ordering it in his Providence, that the poor ſhould meet the rich, that he ſhould have occaſion to uſe his riches: The Lord is the maker of both; He maketh one rich, another poor, that the poor man may be the object of the rich man's mercy; God hereby giveth him occaſion to do it, and if they do it not, they ſinne againſt the bounty of God; becauſe God giveth them more than others; and they ſin againſt the Providence of God, in not taking occaſion to improve what the Lord giveth them.
Say not thou to thy neighbour in neceſſity, Come again to morrow, and I will give thee, when thou haſt it by thee, Prov. 3.28. Give to him that asketh, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn thou not away, ſaith our Saviour, Mat. 5.42.
Object. But ſome will be ready to ſay; If we do ſo, we ſhall ſoon draw the fountaine dry, and have neither for our ſelves, them, nor any body elſe.
Resp. The words muſt be underſtood of reaſonable requeſts, fit for them to make, and us to grant, as 2 Cor. 8.12.Nòn dixit Chriſtus omne quod perit, da ei, ſed omni petenti da ſinc diſcrimine. Ferus. Si nòn habes panem prompruarii, da ſanctuarii: Bis dat qui cito dat. Seneca. Grave verbum eſt, Rogo. otherwiſe we muſt ſhew the unreaſonableneſſe thereof, and inſtruct them better. Chriſt doth not ſay, Give every thing he asketh to ſuffice him; but to every one that asketh, without making a difference, according to thy ability relieve his neceſſity, Aut opibus aut operâ, aut auxilio, aut conſilio; if thou wanteſt coyn, give good counſel, ſuch as thou haſt give, as Peter to the impotent man, Acts 3.6. ſometimes we muſt give before we are asked: Bleſſed is he that conſ…dereth the poor and needy, Pſal. 41. that is, that looketh out objects for his charity, that looketh after thoſe families that cannot maintain themſelves by their labours, that deferreth not to give to thoſe that are in need; He that giveth willingly giveth ſpeedily; he giveth twice that giveth quickly, ſaith Seneca. When God's Providence giveth thee an opportunity of doing good, cloſe with it preſently, put it not off till to morrow, for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth.