A Body of Practical Divinity, Sermon 77
EXOD. XX.13.
Thou shalt not Kill.
II. The Second Duty implyed, is, That we should do all the Good we can to our selves and others.
1. In reference to Others. We should endeavour to preserve the Lives and Souls of others. 2. In reference to our selves. To preserve our own Life and Soul.
[1.] In reference to Others.
(1.) To preserve the Life of others. Comfort them in their Sorrows, relieve them in their Wants: Be as the good Samaritan, pour Wine and Oyl into their Wounds. Iob 29.16. I was a Father to the poor. —13. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me. This is a great means of preserving the Life of another, by relieving him when he is ready to perish. Pompey, when there was a great Dearth in Rome, provided Corn for their Relief; and when the Mariners were backward to sail thither in a Tempest, saith he, foreign, It is not necessary that we should live, but it is necessary that Rome be relieved. Grace makes the Heart tender, it causeth Sympathy and Charity: As it melts the Heart in Contrition towards God, so in Compassion towards others. Psal. 112.9. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor. This the Commandment implies, That we should be so far from ruining others, that we should do all we can to preserve the Lives of others. When we see the Picture of Death drawn in their Faces, administer to their Necessities. Be Temporal Saviours to them; draw them out of the Waters of Affliction with a Silver Cord of Charity. That I may perswade you to this, let me lay before you Arguments.
First, Works of Charity evidence Grace.
1. Faith. Iam. 2.18. I mill shew thee my Faith by my Works. Works are Faith's Letters of Credence to show. We judge of the Health of the Body by the Pulse, where the Blood stirs and operates. Christian, judge of the Health of thy Faith by the Pulse of Charity: The Word of God is the Rule of Faith, and good Works are the Witnesses of Faith.
2. Love. Love loves Mercy: It is a Noble bountiful Grace. Mary loved Christ, and how liberal was her Love! She bestows on Christ her Tears, Kisses, costly Oyntments. Love is like a full Vessel, will have Vent; it vents it self in Acts of Liberality.
Secondly, To communicate to the Necessities of others, is not Arbitrary, (it's not left to our Choice whether we will or no) but it is a Duty incumbent. 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that are Rich in this World, that they do good, —that they be rich in good Works. This is not only a Counsel, but a Charge. If God should lay a Charge upon the Inanimate Creatures, they would obey. If he should charge the Rocks, they would send forth Water: If he should charge the Clouds, they would melt into Showers: If he should charge the Stones, they would become Bread. And shall we be harder than the Stones, not to obey God, when he chargeth us to be rich in Good Works?
Thirdly, God supplies our Wants, and shall not we supply the Wants of others? We could not live without Mercy. God makes every Creature helpful to us. The Sun doth enrich us with it's Golden Beams: The Earth yields us its Encrease, Veins of Gold, Crops of Corn, store of Flowers. God opens the Treasury of his Mercy, he feeds us every Day out of the Alms-basket of his Providence. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing, Psal. 145.16. Now, doth God supply our Wants, and shall not we minister to the Wants of others? Shall we be only as a Spunge to suck in Mercy, and not as a Breast to milk it out to others?
Fourthly, Herein we resemble God, to be doing Good to others. 'Tis our Excellency to be like God. Godliness is God-likeness. And wherein are we more like him than in Acts of Bounty and Munificence? Psal. 119.68. Thou art good, and dost good. Thou art good, there is God's Essential Goodness; and dost good, there is his Communicative Goodness. The more helpful we are to others, the more like we are to God. We cannot be like God in Omnisciency, or in working Miracles, but we may be like him in doing Works of Mercy.
Fifthly, God remembers all our Deeds of Charity, and takes them kindly at our Hands. Heb. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your labour of Love which ye have shewed towards his Name, in that ye have ministred to the Saints. The Chief Butler may forget Ioseph's Kindness, but the Lord will not forget any kindness we show to his People. Mat. 25.35. I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat, Thirsty and ye gave me Drink. Christ takes the kindness done to his Saints as done to himself. God that hath a Bottle for your Tears, hath a Book to write down your Alms. Mal. 3.16. A Book of Remembrance was written before him. Tamerlane had a Register to write down all the Names, and good Service of his Soldiers: So God hath a Book of Remembrance to write down all your Charitable Works, and at the Day of Judgment there shall be an open and honourable mention made of them in the Presence of the Angels.
Sixthly, Hard-heartedness to them in Misery reproacheth the Gospel. When Men's Hearts are like pieces of Rocks, or as the Scales of the Leviathan, shut up as with a close Seal, Job 41.15. You may as well extract Oyl out of a Flint, as the Golden Oyl of Charity out of their Hearts. These Vnchristian themselves. Unmercifulness is the Sin of the Heathen, Rom. 1.31. foreign, without Mercy. It eclipseth the Glory of the Gospel. Doth the Gospel teach Uncharitableness? Doth it not bid us draw out our Soul to the Hungry, Isa. 58.10. Tit. 3.8. These things I will that you affirm, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good Works. While you relieve not such as are in Want, you walk Antipodes to the Gospel; you cause it to be evil spoken of, and lay it open to the Las… and Censure of others.
Seventhly, There is nothing lost by relieving the Necessitous. The Shunamite Woman was kind to the Prophet, she welcomed him to her House, and she received Kindness from him another way. He restored her Dead Child to Life. 2 Kings 4.35. Such as are helpful to others, shall find Mercy to help in time of need. Such as pour out the Golden Oyl of Compassion to others, God will pour out the Golden Oyl of Salvation to them. For a Cup of cold Water they shall have Rivers of Pleasure. Nay, God will make it up some way or other in this Life. Prov. 11.25. The Liberal Soul shall be made fa… : As the Loaves in breaking multiplied, or as the Widows Oyl encreased by pouring out, 1 Kings 17.16. An Estate may be imparted, yet not impaired.
Eighthly, To do good to others in Necessity, keeps up the Credit of Religion. Works of Mercy adorn the Gospel as the Fruit Adorns the Tree. When our Light so shines that others see our Good Works, this glorifies God, Crowns Religion, silenceth the Lips of Gain-sayers. Basil saith, Nothing rendred the True Religion more famous in the Primitive Times, and made more Proselytes to it, than the Bounty and Charity of the Christians.
Ninthly and Lastly, The Evil that doth accrue by not preserving the Lives of others, and helping them in their Necessities. God sends oft a secret Moth into their Estate. Prov. 11.24. There is that with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to Poverty. Prov. 21.13. Whoso stoppeth his Ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. Jam. 2.13. He shall have Iudgment without Mercy, that showed no Mercy. Dives denied Lazarus a Crumb of Bread, and Dives was denied a Drop of Water. Mat. 25.41. Depart from me ye cursed, for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat. Christ saith not, Ye took away my Meat: But, Ye gave me no Meat; ye did not feed my Members, therefore depart from me. By all this, be ready to distribute to the Necessities of others. This is included in the Commandment, Thou shalt not kill. Not only, Thou shalt not destroy his Life, but thou shalt preserve it by giving to his Necessities.
(2.) It is imply'd, that we should endeavour to preserve the Souls of others; counsel them about their Souls, set Life and Death before them, help them to Heaven. In the Law, if one met his Neighbours Ox or Ass going astray, he must bring him back, Exod. 33.4. Much more if we see our Neighbours Soul going astray, we should use all means to bring him back to God by Repentance.
[2.] In reference to our selves. The Commandment, Thou shalt not kill, requires that we should preserve our own Life and Soul. 'Tis engraven upon every Creature, that we should preserve our own Natural Life. We must be so far from Self-murder, that we must do all we can to preserve our Natural Life. We must use all means of Diet, Exercise, and lawful Recreation, which is like Oyl to preserve the Lamp of Life from going out. Some have been under Temptation; Satan hath suggested, they are such Sinners as do not deserve a bit of Bread, and so they have been ready to starve themselves. This is contrary to this Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt do no Murder; it is imply'd, we are to use all means for the preserving our own Life, 1 Tim. 5.23. Drink no longer Water, but use a little Wine for thy Stomach's sake. Timothy was not by drinking too much Water to over-cool his Stomach, and weaken Nature; but he must use means for Self-preservation, Drink a little Wine, &c.
Secondly, This Commandment requires, that we should endeavour (as to preserve our own Life, so especially) to preserve our own Souls. Omnia si perdas animam servare memento. It is engraven upon every Creature, as with the Point of a Diamond, that it should look to its own Preservation. If the Life of the Body must be preserved, then much more the Life of the Soul. If he who doth not provide for his own House is worse than an Infidel, 1 Tim. 5.8. then much more he who doth not provide for his own Soul. This is a main thing implied in the Commandment, a special Care for the preserving our Souls. The Soul is the Iewel, foreign, Macar. The Soul is a Diamond set in a Ring of Clay. Christ puts the Soul in ballance with the World, and it outweighs, Matth. 16.26. The Soul is a Glass, in which some Rays of Divine Glory shine: It hath in it some Faint Idea and Resemblance of a Deity: It is a Celestial Spark lighted by the Breath of God. The Body was made out of the Dust, but the Soul is of a more noble Extract and Original. Gen. 2.7. God breathed into Man a living Soul.
1. The Soul is Excellent in its Nature. It is a Spiritual Being, 'tis a kind of Angelical thing:1. Excellency of the Soul. The Mind sparkles with Knowledge, the Will is crown'd with Liberty, and all the Affections are as Stars shining in their Orb. The Soul being Spiritual, (1.) Is of quick Operation. How quick is the Motion of a Spark! How swift is the Wing of a Cherubim! So quick and agil is the Motion of the Soul! What is quicker than a Thought? How many Miles can the Soul travel in an Instant! (2.) The Soul being Spiritual, moves upward, it contemplates God and Glory. Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? The Motion of the Soul is upward; only Sin hath put a wrong Byass upon the Soul, and made it move too much down-ward. (3.) The Soul being Spiritual, is foreign, it hath a self-moving Power, it can subsist and move when the Body is dead, as the Mariner can subsist when the Ship is broken. (4.) The Soul being Spiritual, is Immortal. Scaliger. Aeternitatis Gemma, a Bud of Eternity.
2. As the Soul is excellent in its Nature, so in its Capacities: It is capable of Grace, 2. Excellency.it is fit to be an Associate and Companion of Angels. It is capable of Communion with God, of being Christ's Spouse, 2 Cor. 11.2. That I might espouse you Virgin-Souls to Christ. It is capable of being Crown'd with Glory for ever. O then, carrying such precious Souls about you, created with the Breath of God, redeemed with the Blood of God, what Endeavours should you use for the Saving of these Souls! Let not the Devil have your Souls. Heliogabalus fed his Lions with Pheasant. The Devil is call'd a Roaring Lion, feed him not with your Souls. Besides, the Excellency of the Soul, which may make you labour to get it saved, consider, how sad it will be not to have the Soul saved. It is such a Loss, as there is none like it: Because in losing the Soul, you lose a great many things with it. A Merchant in losing his Ship, loseth many things with it: He loseth Money, Jewels, Spices. So he that loseth his Soul, loseth Christ, the company of Angels, Heaven: It is an infinite Loss, and it is an irreparable Loss; it can never be made up again. Two Eyes, but one Soul. Chrys. O what Care should be taken about the Immortal Soul. I would request but this of you, that you would but take as much Care for the saving your Souls, as you do for the getting an Estate: Nay, I will say this, Do but take as much Care for the saving your Souls, as the Devil doth for destroying them. O how industrious is Satan to damn Souls! How doth he play the Serpent in his subtile laying of Snares to catch Souls! How doth he shoot Fiery Darts! The Devil is never idle: The Devil is a busie Bishop in his Diocess, he walks up and down seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. Now is not this a Reasonable Request, to take but as much Care for the saving of your Souls, as the Devil doth for the destroying them?
Quest. How shall we do to get our Souls saved?
Resp. By having them sanctified. Only the pure in Heart shall see God. Get your Souls in-laid and enamel'd with Holiness. 1 Pet. 1.16. It is not enough that we cease to do Evil, (which is all the Evidence some have to show,) this is to lose Heaven by short shooting; but we must be inwardly sanctify'd: Not only the unclean Spirit must go out, but we must be filled with the Holy Ghost, Eph. 5.18. This Holiness must needs be, if you consider God is to dwell with you here, and you are to dwell with him hereafter.
First, God is to dwell with you here. God takes up the Soul for his own Lodgings. Eph. 3.17. That Christ may dwell in your Heart. Therefore the Soul must be Consecrated. A King's Palace must be kept clean, especially his Presence-Chamber. The Body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6.19. then the Soul is the Sanctum Sanctorum, how Holy ought that to be?
Secondly, You are to dwell with God. Heaven is an Holy Place. 1 Pet. 1.4. An Inheritance undefiled. And how can you dwell with God till you are sanctified? We do not put Wine into a musty Vessel: God will not put the New Wine of Glory into a sinful Heart. O then, as you love your Souls, and would have them sav'd Eternally, endeavour after Holiness; by this means you will have an Idoneity and Fitness for the Kingdom of Heaven, and your Souls will be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus.