Sermons Volume 4, Sermons on Mark 1 · Sermon 6
SERMON VI. ON MARK X. v. 21.
— One thing thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven, —
NOW we come to Christ's Answer, and there take Notice,
First, Of the Admonition of his Defect, Iesus said unto him, One thing thou lackest. By the Evangelist Matthew it appears that this part of the Answer was given to a Question proposed, Mat. 19.20. All these things have I kept from my Youth up, what lack I yet? He saith confidently, All these things have I kept; and Christ saith, one thing thou lackest. Indeed take the Commandments in their full Latitude and Breadth of Interpretation, he wanted all things; how is it then that our Saviour saith only, One thing thou lackest?
(1.) Because it would have been tedious to convince him of all his Defects, and therefore Christ would take the more Compendious way, and insist but upon one thing, which was enough to shew that he was not perfect, as he vainly dreamt. If a Man bragg that he is able to pay a hundred Pound, you convince him of his Penury, when you press him to pay one Penny, and he cannot.
(2.) This one thing was sure, and would strike home, for our Lord knew his Heart, and therefore was resolved to touch his Privy-Sore, and doth propose such a Precept as would cross his Darling Sin; and therefore he would only come with one thing, which would try him to the purpose. Men that esteem too highly of themselves, and yet have a secret Idol in their Hearts, they shall be put upon some special Tryal that will discover their Weakness to the full.
(3.) That one thing which he lacked was the main thing, the principal thing of the Law, which was Loving God above all things; the summe of the Law is, To Love God above all, and our Neighbours as our selves. Now our Lord (who had Power to try his Love by any way he thought fit) by this particular Injunction tryeth him in his Love to God and his Neighbour: Chiefly he would convince him of want of Love to God, or spiritual Idolatry, making Wealth his summum bonum, his chiefest good; this was the main thing in which he failed, and the Cause of his other Failings; and yet Christ doth it in such a way, as to take in the other part of the Precept, the Love of our Neighbour, Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor.
(4.) Because the young Man Erred out of Ignorance, Christ would not deal roughly with him, or by way of sharp Reproof, he doth not rate him, and call him Proud Hypocrite, for saying, All these have I kept; but he gently minds him of his Defect, One thing thou lackest; words of a mild Condescention to one that was tractable: And while Men are facile and reachable, we should not use roughness, but convince them of their Errors, by using all Mildness and all Condescention, as we our selves would be dealt withall if we lay under the Power of Prejudice and a dark Understanding. Let this suffice from that Clause, only Learn from Christ's Practice here, when we have to deal with such kind of Men, two or three things:
1. That Proud Sinners must not be soothed up in their Self-Conceit, but Convinced of their Defects: One thing thou lackest. To flatter Men in their Presumption is very dangerous, Luk. 16.15. Ye are they which justifie your selves before Men, but God knoweth your Hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among Men, is abomination in the sight of God.
2. That the way to Convince them is by representing their principal and chief Faults, some one sin; so Christ dealt with this young Man, and so he deals with the Woman of Samaria, Convincing her of her Sin, that though she had spent her time in Marriage with five Husbands, yet after all this Commits Adultery, Ioh. 4.18. Thou hast had five Husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy Husband. We are not to shoot at Rovers, but Convince those we have to do with of those Sins they are most guilty of.
3. The more our Failings strike deep upon the main Articles of our Obedience to God, the greater our Conviction, and the more sense we should have of our Condition before God. To Love God above all is a Fundamental Article of the Covenant: Now when we are convinced that we fail in this, and want Love, Trust, and Faith in God, we are nothing; therefore such kind of Defects should make us look after our Estate better.
Secondly, We come to Christ's Precept, Command and Injunction; and there,
First, Something of particular Concernment, Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven. Where observe, (1.) The Duty. (2.) The Motive.
1. The Duty: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor. The Precept you see is very strict, and falls upon the Heart of this Young Man, who was addicted to the World: Go, without delay; sell, not a part, but all, whatsoever thou hast; and give, not to thy Friends that may relieve thee when thou art in straits, not to the Rich that may recompense thee, but to the Poor, from whom thou canst look for nothing again. Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor: This Advice of Christ I will
1. Explicate.
2. Vindicate.
3. Improve to some Practical Use.
First, Explain how far this is a Duty: For the misunderstanding of this Sentence hath fill'd Monasteries with Monks, and Desarts with Anchorites. The great difficulty is, whether this be a Precept or an Evangelical Counsel. The Papists fancy some things to be Evangelical Counsels, that is, necessary to an higher and more perfect sort of living, which are not absolutely necessary in themselves, but Counsels that he that can receive it, let him receive it, Counsels of Perfection, and not necessary Precepts. I shall not deal with the thing in general, but only so far as it concerns this place, which among others is brought for this Doctrine, but vainly; for the words here run in the manner of a flat and absolute Precept, and not of Counsel and arbitrary Advice: Christ enjoyns him to go and sell whatsoever he had: And they are spoken in Answer to his Question, What shall I do, that I may inherit Eternal Life? And in prosecution of the Debate between Christ and him, when he asked, What shall I do? Christ referr'd him to his own Covenant, or the Tenor of the Law; q. d. Thou expectest Eternal Life according to the Covenant of Works, which Covenant requires thus and thus, Thou knowest the Commandments: To this the Young Man replyes, All these things have I kept, what lack I yet? Then says Christ, Go sell whatsoever thou hast, &c. Our Saviour would not contradict his own Course, of referring him to the Covenant of Works: Nor would he else have spoken to the purpose, for the Young Man did not demand how he should attain an extraordinary State of Perfection, but what he should do to be saved, or to obtain Eternal Life; therefore Christ would not only give him an Evangelical Counsel, or instruct him about an Extraordinary State of Perfection, but a necessary Duty. Well then, a Precept it is, not a general Precept, binding all Christians, for then it could not be omitted or neglected by us without sin, or without a great Contempt of Christ's Authority. Yea, many would sin if they should sell all, neglect their Families, and cast themselves upon Snares and Temptations. There is no Command given by Christ to all to do so, and this Command obligeth none but those to whom it was given. There are some things that are due to God, Ex officio generati, by Virtue of the General Duty we owe to him: Some things, Ex vocatione speciali, by special Call are to be done, such was this Command of our Lord, and the Law-giver had Power to try this Young Man in any thing he saw fitting. It was a personal Command for Tryal, such as that was to Abraham, who was no more to dispute against it, but to Offer Isaac, Gen. 22.1, 2. So this was a special Command given to this Young Man to discover his Hypocrisie, and make him sensible of his Disease. The Law doth not bid us sell all, but the Law commands us to be ready to do the whole Will of God, whatever it cost us, and condemns those evil Affections and inordinate Respects to Temporal things which would hinder us from so doing.
Secondly, Let me Vindicate it: For it may seem in the thoughts of some as if our Lord had dealt hardly with this young Man, in putting him upon so severe a Tryal: A young rich Man comes to him with such Affection, and yet for Christ to bid him Sell all! But consider,
(1.) Such Words and Thoughts must not be heard against our Sovereign Lord and Law-giver: And Christ speaks here as a foreign, a Law-giver, which the Ebionites could not endure, for they owned him only as a naked Interpreter of the Law, and therefore foisted in some Passages to corrupt this part of the Gospel; See Grotius. Christ hath absolute Power to Command: If he bid Abraham to offer up Isaac, he must do it; and the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians, it was lawfull. Certainly then he that was the Lord of all, might with very good reason bid this Young Man sell all.
(2.) Christ, who is the Wisdom of the Father, knew the best way of discovering this Young Man to himself, and therefore toucheth his Privy Sore, that being sensible of his Defect, he might know that his Conceit of being perfect was but a vain Dream, and it was in mercy to him to put him out of his Dream.
(3.) The Precept was not so hard, considering three things:
1. What was required of all those that were in a special manner called to be Christ's Disciples, or train'd up for the Ministry in Christ's Company, and by special converse with him: When he call'd any to be of his Family, and to be as it were his menial Servants and constant Attendants, they left all and followed him, Matth. 4.19, 20. He saith unto them; follow me, and I will make you Fishers of Men▪ And they streightway left their Nets, and followed him: Their Nets, that is, their whole Estates: They had less to lose indeed than this rich Man, but they could but lose their All. They that were to be train'd up for the Service of the Gospel, were to walk up and down with Christ, and to live in an Itinerary ambulatory manner, without any settled aboad; and afterwards to go abroad and Preach the Gospel in all Countries throughout the World; the possession and administration of earthly things was not consistent with their Office, therefore he would have them to leave all, and trust his Providence, which without their Care and Solicitude would provide them necessaries for the present Life. And if Christ would call this young Ruler to the like Employment, it was but convenient he should bid him sell all.
2. Consider, it bindeth all Christians, quoad animi affectum, in Vow, Purpose, and Preparation of the Heart, tho' not actually, to leave all and follow Christ: These are not hard Terms, if you consider what is required of every one that will be saved. Christ doth not hide his Terms from any; for what is here Sell all, and give to the poor, and take up the Cross and follow Christ, is express'd by Self-denyal, Mat. 16.24. If any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross and follow me: Self-denyal in effect implyes as much. We should all in the Preparation of our Hearts follow Christ naked, destitute, and deprived of all things, and be contented so to do if he should see fit.
3. The Precept will not seem so hard, if you consider the State of that Countrey, which was near Destruction; and that was one Reason why the Believers in that Age sold what they had, and cast all into a Common Bank, Acts 4.32. The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart, and of one Soul, neither said any of them, that ought of the things which he possessed was his own, for they had all things common: And the reason of the Command Christ gives▪ Luk. 12.33. Sell that ye have, and give Alms, provide your selves baggs which wax not old, a Treasure in the Heavens that faileth not, where no Thief approacheth, neither Moth corrupteth. It was a prudent Course, when there was such a General Destruction to come upon them.
Doct. That we ought upon God's Call to be ready to forsake all that we have in the World.
Here I shall
1. Consider when God calls us to forsake all.
2. Why we ought to do so.
First, When God calls us to forsake all that we have; such a particular Precept or Command we cannot now expect: Now Christ is ascended into the Heavens, and governs us not by Oracle but by his Word; not by his personal Presence, but by his Spirit. But yet still in some Cases wherein we are to forsake all, they may be referred unto two Heads.
1. When God by his Providence reduceth us to a poor Condition.
2. When we cannot obey any particular Precept of God, without danger of being undone by it.
(1.) When God by his Providence reduceth us to a poor Condition, either for our Chastisement or our Tryal, then we are willingly and chearfully to forsake all. This is no strange thing, to hear of those that have flowed in Wealth, and yet by the meer Providence of God (though not by their own misgovernment or default) have been reduced to great necessity. Our Estates in the World are lyable to many hazards, by which this may be brought about, as by Fire, Innundation, or Hostile Depredations; by State Injury, false Witness of others, or negligence of Servants, or Sure…yship for Friends, or oversight of reckoning, or trusting of Customers, or unfaithfulness of Factors, or Piracy by Sea; by these and many other such like means may our Estates be wasted, and come to nothing, and we brought to great Poverty. Iob, the richest Man in the East, was brought to sit upon the Dunghill: Belizarius that great Captain that had twice relieved Rome, and vanquished so many Enemies, was brought to begg for a half-penny to sustain his Life, Date obolum Belizario. Now we ought to have a ready mind prepared for all Providences; and this is the true voluntary Poverty of Christians, not Monkish Vows, but this willingness to be at God's disposing. It ought not to be sought for, but we must not be over-sorrowful if it happens, but humbly acquiesce in the Will of God, and bear Poverty, if laid upon us, with a constant patient mind, Iob 1.21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb, and naked shall I return thither, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the Name of the Lord.
(2.) God still calls us to forsake all, when we cannot obey any particular Precept of God, without danger of being undone by it. When God by his Providence maketh it impossible for us to preserve our Fidelity to him, or Obedience to any known Command of his, without sacrificing our Interests, and parting with all that we have in the World; we must impartially perform it, and do our Duty, tho' it be with the loss of Estate and Life it self, Rev. 12.11. They overcame by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of his Testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death: Rev. 2.10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; Behold! the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison, that ye may be tryed, and ye shall have tribulation ten dayes: Be ye faithful unto death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. And Moses when all the Pleasures and Treasures he enjoyed in Pharaoh's Court, came once to be the Pleasures of sin, and he could continue there no longer without sin, he left all, Heb. 11.24, 25, 26. By Faith Moses when he came to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. In these two Cases we are to sell all.
Secondly, For the Reasons why we must do so.
(1.) God hath an absolute Right to all that we have by his own Eminency and Prerogative: He is called the Possessor of Heaven and Earth, Gen. 14.19. not only the Maker but the Possessor. We are not Lords, but only Stewards, Luk. 16.2. Give an account of thy Stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer Steward: A Steward must be ready to give up the Estate, when the supream Lord calls for it. We have not Dominium, the Dominion and Sovereignty, only Dispensationem, a Dispensation and Trust, and when the supream Lord calls for all we have, we must willingly resign all into his hands; I will take away my Corn, my Wine, and my Wooll, and my Flax, saith God, Hos. 2.9. Every one is allow'd to do with his own as it pleaseth him. God cannot injure his Creature, for when he takes these things from us, he doth but dispose of his own. The Lord of his Bounty communicates many good things to us, but still he retains the Dominion of them in his own Hands, that he may dispose of them according to his own pleasure. If God saith Keep, you may keep it; but if he saith, Vade, vende omnia, Go, sell all, who art thou, O Man! that replyest upon God? We are not absolute and perpetual Owners, and must part with it when the Lord shall require it. We are not Possessors, but Stewards or Tenants at Will. God allows us to dispense and use these things for a time for his glory, and for the supply of our selves and ours, and to do good to others; and then we are to resign and give up all again when he calls for it, or shall be pleased to take it from us by his own immediate hand, or by other means: He giveth us Wealth with this Condition.
(2.) Because it is impossible we should be Christians, if we come not to Christ with this Mind and Resolution, to forsake all for our Duty to him: All hath been ratified by our own Consent; see Luk. 14.33. Whosoever he be that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my Disciple: How, forsake all! not actually, but so as to be ready to forsake all if Christ please. Christians! whoever comes to Christ, he lays himself and all he hath at Christ's Feet; his Life, Goods and Lands, to be used and disposed of as Christ shall direct, and not to take them up again but as Christ will …; and so he forsaketh all things, tho' not actually, till God calls him to it, yet Preparatione animi, in a full Resolution to run all hazards and Extremities that his Duty to Christ shall expose him to. Esse Christianum grande, non videri; it is a costly thing to be a Christian indeed, thô it seem the cheapest Matter in the World. But whoever is a Christian indeed, makes a full and absolute Resignation of himself, and all he hath: He that loves Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me, Mark 10.37. He that loveth any thing more than Christ, can never hold out in Heaven's way. When the Profession of Religion grows cheap, and is low, God sends some trouble or other to raise the price, that those that will go to the cost may be known what they are.
I. VSE, For Reproof unto two sorts:
(1.) Those that are so unwilling to part with a little Portion of their Goods, when the Lord hath need of some supply from them for his Servants, and their poor fellow Christians. They are so far from being Content to part with all for the Glory of God, and good of their Brethren, that they are backward, and will part with nothing for the maintenance of God's Worship, and Relief of the Poor; it must be drawn and wrung from them, as if all were lost. Men act as if their Goods were at their own dispose; O how dwelleth the Love of God in them! 1 Iohn 3.17. Whoso hath this Worlds good, and seeth his Brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
(2.) It reproveth those that shift and wriggle, and Dispute themselves out of their Duty, and all to shake off the Cross, and avoid suffering; whereas they should with a ready mind take it up. Gal. 6.12. As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only least they should suffer persecution for the Cross of Christ; that is, they did Judaise to avoid trouble from the Iews. Thô they were not guilty of a total Apostacy, yet to take off the Edge of the Iews, they disputed themselves into such evil complyance. It is true, to escape suffering by lawful means is Commanded: Mat. 10.23. When they persecute you in this City, flee ye into another. To remove our selves when a Storm comes, this is commanded, Prov. 22.3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and bideth himself, but the simple pass on, and are punished: But to do any thing to prejudice the Truth, to shift and turn, and all to shake off the Cross, this is sinful, and forbidden.
(3.) It Reproveth those that do with such Impatience suffer the Loss of any outward thing, either by God's immediate Providence, or by the violence of men, for the Profession of the Truth. O this should not be, but you should cheerfully and willingly yield it up to God, Lev. 10.3. And Aaron held his peace. Heb. 10.34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods. 1 Cor. 7.30. We should mourn as if we mourned not. In all worldly Losses we are to shew that we expect better things, and that our Hearts are not here, and that we have such an Esteem for Christ, that he is so worthy, and so necessary for us, that we should be glad to follow him naked.
II. VSE: To press us to be of such a Spirit, to be willing to part with all, when Christ will have us, and when the Sence of our Duty and his Honour requires it of us. This seems to be a hard Lesson, but to help us to learn it, something must be avoided, and something considered.
1. Something must be Avoided: As,
(1.) Love of the World, and Addictedness to the Creature. We must hang loose to outward things, or we shall never be ready to forgoe them for Christ's sake. If there be any secret Idol in your Heart, God will bring it forth, and put it to the Tryal, whether you love him or your Idol most: Now the World is a great Idol to keep us from God: 1 Ioh. 5.3, 4, 5. This is the love of God, that we keep his Commandments, and his Commandments are not grievous: For whosoever is born of God, overcometh the World, and this is the Victory that overcometh the world, even our Faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Iesus is the Son of God? The connexion between these Verses is thus: Whoever will keep the Commandment, must overcome the World, which is a great Lett thereto; therefore we have need of a Heart to look after better things, and loosen the Heart from the World, which is that Faith that overcometh the World. This Precept is hard, but it is only to those that are wedded to present things, therefore Contempt of the World, and of the Possessions and Riches of it, is necessary for all that will not make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience, and render themselves uncapable of the Duties of their Holy Calling.
(2.) Distrust of God's Alsufficiency, and trust in the Means, is that which makes this Precept difficult. He that durst not trust in God, will certainly be unfaithful to him. Here is our danger, resting in the Means, as if there could be no supply but from Creatures. 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. There is the great Bane of Men, we cannot see how we can be well without Friends, Wealth, Liberty, Favour, Preferment, and such and such Revenues by the year: We would fain be on the surest side, and on the gathering hand, and that is the Reason it is so hard to forsake all, and trust our selves alone with God's Alsufficiency: And therefore if you would bring your Heart hereunto, you must strengthen Faith in the Providence of God, and bring thy Heart to lean upon that, and not inferiour Means, and trust him upon his Word, then it will be easie. It is no unreasonable thing that I require of you, it is but that which is due to any honest Man, especially if you have had tryal of him, you will trust him upon his Word, even without a Pawn: So you should trust God, thô you can see nothing but Nakedness, and Poverty, and all manner of Inconvenience. In time past God hath not been wanting to you, he hath given you better things, and will he deny thee daily Bread?
2. Some things are to be considered, if you would thus forsake all for the discharge of a good Conscience. There is God's Right, and our own compleat Resignation, when we first took Christ, (I suppose you have done so, or certainly, you are not Christians.) Our Hopes in the World to come: Heaven is worth something: But I shall pitch only upon two things:
(1.) Others have quitted Wealth upon far meaner, lower, and more inconsiderable Respects than you are called to do it, therefore certainly you should quit it for Conscience of your Duty to God. Anacreon restored five Talents to Polycrates, because he was so troubled with Cares about keeping of them, saying, foreign, Those things were not worth the care laid out about keeping of them. Another cast his Wealth into the Sea, saying, Pereas ne me perdas; Let it perish, that it might not hinder me from the Study of Philosophy; nay men will do more for their Lusts: How many do sell all, and for what? To serve their Vanity and Lust, to keep up Gaming, to please the Flesh, that they may supply their Riotous Excess, and living beyond their Compass. And shall poor base Lusts, which are unreasonable, and for which God will condemn them, do more with them, than the Love of God with us?
(2.) Consider what you were, and within a little while what you shall be. When you came into the World, you were contented with a Cradle, and when you go out of the World, you must be contented with a Grave. Iob 1.21. Naked came I out of my Mothers womb, and naked shall I return thither: 1 Tim. 6.7. For we brought nothing into the World, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. What were we? we came into the World shiftless and helpless, but God made Provision for us, and hath kept us hitherto. Thô you have been born of Noble and Rich Parents, and to great Estates, this Provision was made ready for you by God, without any Care of yours, and therefore, If God hath taken any thing away from you, Accepit, sed dedit; He gave it at first, and God is where he was at first. Well, and what shall we be? That hath a great influence, surely we must be naked again; Death will strip us of all our Comforts, therefore we do but part with that which we cannot keep, and it were better to do so, than to venture your Souls that must live for ever: Therefore it is not unreasonable and hard, when Christ bids us to forsake all.
I come to the Second part of Christ's Advice, Go sell all; but he doth not stay there, and give to the Poor. To throw away Riches as Crates did, who threw his Goods and Money into the Sea, is no Vertue, but a vain Ambition; better to distribute to others what is superfluous to our selves. Our Lord in this Injunction to the Young Man, doth not only require selling, but Distribution, or Liberality to the Poor. The Note is,
Doct. One special End and Vse unto which rich men should employ their Wealth, should be the help and relief of the Poor.
1. In General, it is not, Give to the Rich, but to the Poor. Christ speaks of Feasting, and entertaining one another, which may have its Place and Time: When thou makest a Dinner or a Supper, call not thy Friends, nor thy Brethren, neither thy Kinsmen, nor thy rich Neighbours, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast call the poor, the …aimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee, but thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the Iust, Luke 14.12, 13, 14. And therefore one great thing in our Feasting, should be to consider the Poor. The sweetest Influences should fall upon the lower Ground. There are many that even truck with their Kindnesses, but it is not Charity so much as Merchandize, when Men shew respect to those that can respect them again: O! but do it to the Poor that can make you no Recompence.
2. Of the Poor there are three sorts. There are Pauperes Diaboli, the Devil's Poor, such as have riotously spent their Patrimony, and have reduc'd themselves to Rags and Beggery by their own Misgovernment. These are not wholly to be excluded from our Charity, when their necessity is extream; we ought to give something to the Man, thô not to the Sin. It may work upon them, especially when we joyn Spiritual Alms with Temporal, and mind them of their Sin, by which they have reduc'd themselves to such necessity. Again, there are Pauperes Mundi, such as come of Poor Parents, and live in poor Estate in the World; these are to be relieved, whether they be gracious or ungracious, good or bad; for we must have Brotherly kindness, that is to our fellow Saints, and Charity; 2 Pet. 1.7. Add to brotherly kindness Charity. There's a Common Bond of Nature between them and us, they are our own Flesh. Isa. 58.7. That thou hide not thy self from thy own Flesh. Then there are Pauperes Christi, such as have suffered loss of Goods for Christ's sake, or being otherwise poor do profess the Gospel. Rom. 12.13. Distributing to the necessity of Saints: And Gal. 6.10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all, but especially to the houshold of Faith. There's an order which God hath instituted: First we are to take care of our own Family, Children, Parents, or Kindred. 1 Tim. 5.8. If any provide not for his own, and especially for them of his own house, he hath denyed the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel. Then God hath made us Stewards for Strangers, and Forreigners. Now among Strangers those that profess the same Faith with us, are first to be regarded, and there especially those that best evidence the reality of their Faith by a Holy Life; then after these we are to extend our Charity to all men as occasion is offered.
Reasons of this:
(1.) Christ hath commended them to us as his Proxies and Deputies. He himself can receive nothing from us, being exalted into the Heavens: But now that we may not deceive our selves with a cheap Love to Christ, he hath devolved his right upon the Poor as his Deputies, Mat. 26.11. Ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always: He hath left them always with us, that we may exercise our Bounty towards them. We pretend very much Love to Christ: If Christ were sick in Bed, you would visit him, if in Prison, or in Want, you would relieve him; what is done to one of these, is done to him, Matth. 25.40. Verily I say unto you, in as much as you have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me.
(2.) It is a great Honour put upon us, to be Instruments of Divine Providence and preservation to others. God hath substituted the Poor to receive, and you to give; so that you are in the place of God to relieve and comfort them. The Lord could supply them without you, but he would put the Honour of the Work upon you, it is the greatest Resemblance of God. Our Lord hath told us, It is more blessed to give than to receive, Acts 20.35. More blessed, that is, more like the Blessed God. O it is a very great Mercy to be able, and to be willing to give; Nihil habet fortuna magna majus quam ut possit, & natura bona melius quam ut velit. It is the greatest thing in a great Estate, that you are able to distribute to the Necessities of others; and it is the best thing in a good Natur'd man, that he is willing to give. As the true Advantage of Wealth is in relieving others, so nothing sheweth our Conformity to God more: Luke 6.36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. It is Chrysostom's Observation: Christ doth not say, If you Fast, or if you Pray, or if you Prophesie, or if you be Learned, you shall be like your Heavenly Father; but if you be Loving, if you be Merciful, and distribute to the Necessities of others, then you are like him, you hold the place of God, and are as it were a God to him.
(3.) Consider the Profit of it. It seems to be a Loss, but it is the most gainful Trade in the World. Alas! to distribute to the Poor, to scatter our Substance, it is like scattering our Bread upon the Waters. Eccl. 11.1. Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days. There is so much profit in it, that it is the best way to keep what we have, to encrease what we have, and to make it comfortable.
(1.) To keep what you have. Your Goods are best secured, when Deposited in God's Hands, you provide Baggs that wax not old: Many an Estate in the World is blasted for want of Charity, and given to the Fury, Depradation, and Spoil of Men; Iames 5.2, 3. Your riches are corrupted, and your Garments are motheaten: Your Silver and Gold is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.
(2.) To encrease it. It is compared to Seed, 2 Cor. 9.6. He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. The Husbandman gets nothing by keeping his Seed-Corn by him. When thou givest to thy poor Brother, it is said, The Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thy hand to, Deut. 15.10. All your VVorks of Liberality and Mercy shall be abundantly repayed. Luke 6.38. Give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto you. See how it is express'd in many words, the more to strike upon our Senses, to awaken our stupid Heart. But above all, Prov. 19.17. He that hath pity upon the Poor, lendeth to the Lord, and that which he hath given will he pay him again: Saith Austin, Si vis esse mercator optimus, fenerator egregius, &c. Would you put out your Money to the best Advantage, and be true Usurers indeed, lend it to the Lord, the Interest shall be infinitely greater than the Principal? Never was there such Usury heard of: And what better Security than God's? God is a sure Pay-Master, and will pay you to the full, a hundred for one, which is an Usury not yet heard of in the World. You can expect nothing from the Poor, for they have nothing to give you, but God is their Surety, he who is the great Possessor of Heaven and Earth, that never broke his Word. You have his Hand and Seal to shew for it, his Bond in the Scripture, and his Seal in the Sacraments. You will say these are but words, but venture a little and try. Mal. 3.10. Bring ye all the Tithes into the Storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. The Widows Oyl the more it run the more it encreased, and the Loaves multiplyed by distributing; whereas (on the contrary) if you forbear to give, God will forbear to bless.
(3.) You will enjoy the remainder more comfortably. Wells are the sweeter for draining; so the oftner you are distributing and dispersing to the Necessities of others, the more Sweetness, and the more Comfort you will have in your Estates. There are terrible passages in Scripture against Rich men, how hard it is for a Rich man to be saved. It is a difficult thing for a Man of an Estate to get to Heaven, and there is no way to free our selves from the Snare but to give Alms, Luke 11.41. Rather give Alms of such things as you have, and behold all things are clean to you. Then you may possess an Estate with a good Conscience, otherwise it will certainly prove a Snare: Nay, this is the way to have the Comfort of it for ever, Thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven; whatever shift you make, be not backward in this, rather sell than not have to give. Your Riches in the World leave you on this side the Grave; however, all your Gold and Silver, how much soever you have, the use of it will cease when you are laid in the Grave: But here is Treasure that we may have in Heaven; What is that? The Comfort of those Estates we have charitably spent in this World: Luk. 16.9. Make to your selves Friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations: 1 Tim. 6.18, 19. That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of Eternal Life.
(4.) The Necessity of it in Order to your Account: It is not an arbitrary thing, whether you will do this or no. God will reckon with us; one day he will ask you, What have you done with your Estates? whether you have sowed to the flesh or to the spirit, Gal. 6.8? All the World will be divided into these two ranks: Alas what sorry Accounts will they make, when so much is spent in Pomp, so much in Pleasure, in vain Fashions, in Bravery of Apparel, so much in Feasting, in riotous Banquets and Luxury, so much in Plays, in Cock-Pitts, in Sports, and other such kind of things, and so little or nothing on the Poor! Many will spend liberally on their Lusts, but hardly a Penny for the relief of others; they will feed their Dogs, and starve their Children. Conscience will call you to an Account now, much more when you shall appear before the great God at the last day. When a Man is to be Tryed and Examined for his Life, it would be a great advantage to know the Questions that shall be asked him before hand. Christ hath told us before hand the Questions that shall be put to us: Matth. 25. Have you Fed? have ye Visited? have ye Cloathed? are there none in Prison to be Visited? none Hungry to be Fed? none Naked to be Cloathed? It is not, Have you Heard? Have you Prophesyed? Have you Eaten and Drunk in my Presence? No, but Works of Mercy are produced, that your Faith might be found to Praise and Honour.
(5.) The Equity of it in regard of God's Mercies to us. (1.) We have all from God: He giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6.17. Now God doth require his Rent, and some acknowledgment to himself as the great Landlord of the whole Earth, of whom we have received, and from whom we hold all we have. Now the Rent that God requires, is, that something should be given and distributed to the Uses of the Poor. When the Children of Israel brought their first Fruits, wherewith the Poor and Widdows were relieved, they were to make their acknowledgment, Deut. 26.9, 10. The Lord hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this Land, even a Land that floweth with Milk and Honey: And now behold I have brought the first fruits of the land, which thou, O Lord! hast given. So David, 1 Chron. 29.12, 13, 14. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all, and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all: Now therefore, O God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious Name: But who am I, and what is my People, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee; and ver. 16. O Lord our God! all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thy holy Name, cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own: Sure we received not all for our selves, as the Stomach receiveth not meat for it self, and the Liver receiveth not Blood for it self, but to disperse it to the rest of the Body: So we are but Stewards and Dispensers of what we have, not Proprietors. (2.) God had pitty on the lost World. Indigent Creatures have not so much need of temporal relief, as we had of God's sending his Son. Among all the Treasures of Heaven nothing is more excellent, 2 Cor. 8.9. Ye know the Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. They are a part of our Thank-offering, Heb. 13.15, 16. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of Praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his Name: But to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased When he had proved Christ to be a Sin-offering, he tells us that there is a Thank-offering required of us: what is that? Praise and Thanksgiving is one, and Alms is another; these are things pleasing in the sight of God.
All this is spoken because there are so few true Christians in the World, whatever feigned respects they pretend to Christ: Alas, many that have great Estates, hundreds by the Year, yet have not a Heart to be helpful to their poor Brethren and Neighbours, but are very backward, full of grudging and repining when they give any thing. How many are there that are Liberal to their Lusts, that can spend whole Farms and Lordships upon Gaming, Drinking, Riot, Luxury, Lawsuits, costly Apparel, and bestow so little upon the poor Members of Christ Jesus: Do these Men believe there will be a Day of Judgment, and a Heaven and an Hell? Oh rouse up your selves! Give; but give upon a right Principle; it is not a Sin-offering but a Thank-offering; and give not for self-esteem, and to be well spoken of by Men▪ Mark 6.1. Take heed that ye do not your Alms before Men, to be seen of them; but give in Obedience to God. And for the Quantum, how much you should give, that is not defined; but do not sow sparingly: God trusts Love in the time of the Gospel, therefore give not grudgingly: Draw out thy Soul to th… hungry, 2 Cor. 9.7. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, nor of necessity, for God loveth a chearful giver. Life-Honey is best, that which flows of its own accord; so Myrrhe that sweats out of the Tree of its own accord, that's most precious. O give readily to the poor, that you may have the Lord's Blessing, and Treasure in Heaven.
II. The Motive, And thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven: Thou shalt not part with thy Goods, so much as change them for those that are incomparably better.
(1.) There is a Reward for those that are faithful to the Laws of Christ, and willing to lay out their Estates for him; it is not cast away, but well bestowed; they sow their Seed here, they shall have their Harvest hereafter. The Poor cannot recompense thee, and therefore God will, Luk. 14.14. Thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee, but thou shalt be recompensed at the Resurrection of the just: A Cup of Cold Water is a small thing, yet it shall not want its reward, Matth. 10.42. And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a Cup of cold Water only, in the Name of a Disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
(2.) This Reward is propounded to encourage us. Christ not only instructs us by Commands, but allures us by Promises. There is a Dispute, whether we may look to the Reward? I say not only we ma…, but we must: The oftener we look to Heaven, the better we shall forgoe present things.
(3.) Our Reward in Heaven is call'd Treasure, something that is not only answerable to what we quit for Christ, but it far exceeds it; it is called Eph. 1.18. The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints: We shall have true Riches instead of transitory, which we cannot long keep, and Eternal Riches that will ever last. Our Treasure in Heaven is more precious and more certain, Mat. 6.19, 20. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
(4.) This Reward is not only in this Life, but in the Life to come. The Worldling is rich in this World, 1 Tim. 6.17. The Believer hath Treasure in Heaven. Let Gentiles seek earthly things, that have not a right to heavenly. Bracelets of Copper, glass Beads, and little Bells, and such like trifles are valued by rude Barbarians, that are contemptible with us. The use and valuation of earthly things in the World to come ceaseth, it only holdeth on this side the Grave, and therefore the great business of Christians should be to make over their Estates into Heaven, that they might receive it by exchange there: For thô the use of it ceaseth on the other side of the Grave, yet we may have the Comfort of it for Everlasting.