Commentary on the Gospels and Acts, Commentary 1 · Chapter 6 · Verse 4
Verse 4. Thy father that seeth in secret.]
And best accepteth of secret service, Cant. 2. 14. O thou that art in the clefts of the …, …, … qu …, foreign. Bez.rocks, let me see thy face, let me hear thy voice, &c. He is all …, he searcheth the hearts, and trieth the reins, those most abstruse and remotest parts of the body, seats of lust: And as he is himself a Spirit; so he loveth to be served like himself, in Spirit and in truth. He sets his eyes upon such (as the word here signifieth) he looketh wishtly, fixedly, steddily; he seeth thorow and thorow our secret services, not to finde faults in them (for so he may soon do not a few, but those he winks at, where the heart is upright) but to reward them, as a liberall pay-master, rich to all that … upon him, or do him any other businesse. Who is there even … you, that shuts the door for nought? that kindleth fire upon mine altar … nought? Mal. 1. 10. that gives a cup of cold water, and hath not his reward? David would not serve God on free cost; but was he not paid for his pains, and had his cost in again, with …, ere the Sunne went down? Let him but resolve to … his sins, and God (or ere he can do it) forgiveth him the…. 32. 5. iniquity of his sinne, that in it, that did most gall and grieve him. … him but purpose to build God a house, God promiseth thereupon (for his good intentions) to build David an house for ever. So little is there lost by any thing that is done or suffered for God. He sends a way his servants (that do his work many times, and the world never the …) as Boaz did Ruth, with their bosome full of blessings; as David did …, with a royall …; as Solomon did the Queen of Sheba, with all the desire of her heart; as Caleb did his daughter Achsah, with upper and nether springs; or as once he did Moses from the Mount, with … face shining. He shone bright, but knew not of it, yea he … his glorified face with a vail, and had more glory by his … then by his face. How farre are those spirits from this, which care only to be seen? And sleighting Gods secret approbation, … only to … others eyes with admiration, not caring for unknown riches? Our Saviour (besides the vail of his humanity) saies, See you tell no man. Its enough for him, that he can … to…. 17 4. his father, I have … thee on earth: I have finished the work that thou gavest me to do. His work he accounts … gift; … wages he looks for in another world, vers. 5. He was content his treasures of wisdome should be hid, Colos. 2. 3. And shall we fret our selves, when our pittances of piety and charity are not admired? … it not enough for us that we shall appear with him in glory, and…. 3. 3. then be rewarded openly?
Shall reward thee openly.]
I, but when? at the resurrection ofNon … est … sub … sed … & …. …. …. the just, Luk. 14. 14. at that great assize and generall Assembly, he will make honourable mention, in the hearing of Angels and men, of all the good deeds of his children: How they have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, &c. that which they had utterly forgotten: not so much as once mentioning their misdoings, Matth. 25. Yea he shall take them to heaven with him, where the poor mens hands have built him a house afore hand, and they shall receive… in caelis … pauperū …. …. …. Jun. him into everlasting habitations. But what shall he do in the me an while? Feed on faith (as some read that text, Psal. 37. 3.) … upon reversions. …, but while the grasse grows, the … starves. But so cannot a mercifull man, for he shall have …, Matth. 5. 7. Such a mercy as rejoyceth against judgement. Yea, he that can tender mercy to God, may challenge … from God by vertue of his promise, as David doth, Preserve …, ô God, for I am mercifull, Psal. 86. 2. … he shall obtain, 1. In his soul, which shall be like a watered garden, fresh and flourishing. For the liberall soul … be made fat (Prov. …. 25.) and he that watereth shall be watered himself. The spirits of wealth distilled in good works comfort the conscience. 2. So they do the bodyProv. 11. 17. Isa. 58. 8, …, 10. too, when sick and languishing, Psal. 41. 2, 3. Mercy is the best cordiall, a pillow of repose, a … remedy. For if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, thy health shall spring forth speedily, Isa. 58. 3. For his name, the liberall are renowned in the earth, as Abraham that free-hearted house-keeper, or peny-father; and Obadiah that hid and fed the Prophets by fifty in a cave. Zacheus Act. 9. 39.and Cornelius, Gaius and Onesiphorus, how precious are their…. …. …. …. … …. Manus …. … Christi.names! How sweet their remembrance! Who honours not the memoriall of Mary for her Spikenard, and of Dorcas for her coats and garments? Whereas the vile person shall no more be called liberall (in Christs Kingdom) nor Nabal, Nadib, the churl, bountifull. 4. For his estate: The most gainfull art is …-giving,… pau …, … colligimus. saith Chrysostome. The poor mans bosom, and the Orphans mouth are the surest chest, saith another. Whatsoever we scatter to the poor, we gather for our selves, saith a third. What we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord, who accounts himself both … and ingaged thereby, Prov. 19. 17. Neither will he fail to blesse the liberall mans stock and store, Deut. 15. 10. so that his righteousnesse, and his riches together, shall endure for ever, Psal. … 2. 3. 5 Lastly, His seed shall be mighty upon earth, vers. 21. The son of such a tenant, that paid his rent duly, shall not be … out of his farm, Psal 37. 26. And that Proverb is proved false by…. common experience, Happy is that sonne whose father goeth to the …: … il-gotten goods usually come to nothing: the third heir seldome enjoyeth them: unlesse it be here and there one, that by repentance breaketh off, and healeth his fathers sinne by mercifulnesseforeign …, …. …. to the poor, that the property may be altered, and so his … lengthned. Oh therefore that rich men would be rich in good …, ready to distribute, willing to … ….(which was a peece of praise used to be ascribed to the ancient Kings of AEgypt.) This, this were the way, To lay up for themselves a sure …; yea, to lay fast hold on eternall life; when those that with-hold their very crums, … not obtain a drop with Dives, whom to vex and upbraid, Lazarus was laid in the bosome of … ….