Eleven Choice Sermons, Sermon 9
Heb. 13. 16.
To doe good, and to communicate, forget not; for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed.
OF this Sickneſſe, this grievous Sickneſſe that now rageth and raigneth, and ſpreads it ſelfe more and more among us, as wee are not buſie to ſeek a reaſon of it in naturall cauſes; ſo wee are not eſpecially to ſeek the remedy of it by naturall meanes. It is no hand but that of God that ſmiteth us; and there is no hand but that of God can heale us. It is no hand but that of God that gave the wound; and it is no hand but Gods that muſt bind up againe. Therefore it was an uſuall cuſtome, both among the Iewes and among the Gentiles, when as the Plague began to break out at any time among them, the firſt thing they did, was, they did ſeek to appeaſe the wrath of God by ſacrifice: The Iewes did it by the light of grace, and the Gentiles by the light of nature. The Sickneſſe being now broken out, and that a long time, our courſe muſt be ſtill to appeaſe Gods wrath by ſacrifice.
Sacrifices in the old Law were many; in the new Teſtament there is but one true, reall, externall, propitiatory ſacrifice, that our bleſſed Lord offered on the Altar of the Croſſe; a ſacrifice of a ſweet ſavour to God.
But though there be none of that kind, yet there be ſacrifices of other kinde a great number, by which wee muſt ſeek to appeaſe Gods wrath. There be ſpirituall ſacrifices, ſaith St. Peter, 2 Pet. 2. 5. And what are thoſe?
There be theſe five eſpecially:
Firſt Prayer, that is a ſacrifice; Let my prayer aſcend as incenſe, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening ſacrifice, Pſal. 141. 2.
The ſecond ſacrifice whereby we ſhould appeaſe Gods wrath, is a contrite heart, that David ſpeaks of, The ſacrifice of God is a troubled ſpirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe. Pſal. 51. 17. That is the ſecond.
A third is a mortified body; I beſeech you brethren (ſaith the Apoſtle) by the mercies of God, offer up your bodies a living ſacrifice, holy and acceptable to God Rom. 12. 1.
A fourth ſacrifice is in the Verſe before my Text, a ſacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving: The Apoſtle calls it there, The fruit of the lips; but Hoſ…a, from whom the Apoſtle hath it, calls it, The calves of the lips. Calves were wont to be offered in ſacrifice; and theſe calves of the lips ought to be offered to God, the ſacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving.
That God may be pleaſed in mercy to give us occaſion to offer this ſacrifice, for our deliverance from this infectious and venemous diſeaſe, when his good will and pleaſure is, I have in the mean time now thought good to ſpeak of a fifth ſacrifice, of Almes-giving; To doe good, and to communicate, forget not; for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed.
I need not to divide the Text, it breaks it ſelfe into two parts;
1. An Exhortation; And
2. The Reaſon of it.
To doe good, and to communicate, forget not; there is the Exhortation.
With ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed; there is the Reaſon of it.
Concerning the Exhortation, I ſhall handle none but that to day, by Gods grace; conſider there,
The matter, the thing we are exhorted to;
And the manner, how the Exhortation is framed.
The thing we are exhorted to is double, two-fold,
Well-doing, and Communicating;
To doe good, and communicate.
Theſe are the things we are exhorted to.
For the manner how the Exhortation is framed, it is not thus, Doe good and communicate; but, Doe not forget to doe good; it is a thing of great neceſſity: what-ever thing you forget beſide, forget not this; it is a thing you may eaſily forget: to doe good, and to communicate, forget not. And of theſe, with Gods aſſiſtance, with all brevity and plainneſſe I can. I have many matters to goe through, and I would be briefe.
Mark, I beſeech you, firſt, the two things wee are exhorted to; they are Subſtantives in the Greek; how they differ, or whether there be difference between them, Writers doe differ. Some think they are both one and the ſame thing, in two words. Others do think the latter word is of ſomewhat larger extent then the former, The firſt word doth ſignifie an almes-deed, or ſuch reliefe as wee give the poore; that is, Well-doing. The ſecond word [Communicate] containes under it all mutuall offices of love and kindneſſe, that paſſe between man and man.
For the better knowing of that communicating, what it is to communicate, let me firſt tell you, that as ſeverall Countries have their ſeverall commodities, as you know, one Country abounds with good corne, another Country hath good wine, another hath good fruit, another Country hath good breed of cattell: Solomon had his oaks from Baſhan, but his cedars from Lebanon, his firre from Shebar, his Almug-trees and gold from Ophir, his ſpices and ſweet odours from Arabia, his fine linnen and horſes were brought out of Egypt; his ivory, apes, and peacocks, were brought out of Selveſia by his navy and fleet of Tharſhiſh. As ſeverall Countries have their ſeverall commodities, ſo ſeverall men have ſeverall gifts or bleſſings, which they are to communicate to others; as every Countrey by Merchants communicate the commodities that abound in them to other Countries, and they from other Countries receive in other commodities they want.
God would have one Country to ſtand in need of another, for ſome commodity or other: So it is among men, God hath ſo diſpoſed of his bleſſings, as that there is no man but ſtands in need one of another. There is a neceſſity of receiving and communicating. Solomon (Eccleſ. 5. 9.) tells us, The King is ſerved by the tillage of the field; the very King ſtands in need of husbandry. The Citizens ſometime ſtand in need of the Country man, and the Country man another time hath as much need of the Citizen. The poore man cannot ſtand in ſo much need of the rich man at one time, but the rich man at another time ſtands in as much need of the poore. There is never a member of the body can ſay to another, I have no need of thee, as the Apoſtle tells us, The eye cannot ſay to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor the head cannot ſay to the foot, I have no need of you. Nay, quoth the Apoſtle, thoſe members that are feeble, are neceſſary. Thoſe poore men that peradventure are contemptible in the ſight of the world, are neceſſary. God hath ſo diſpoſed of his gifts, and diſpenſed them with ſuch wiſdome, as that hee would ſtill have an intercourſe of kindneſſe betweene man and man. There is a neceſſity of receiving, a neceſſity of communicating of gifts.
Some men can tell how to receive, but they know not how to communicate: Nabal and his ſervants received a great deale of kindneſſe at the hands of David and his ſervants, they confeſſed it; Davids ſervants was a wall about them by day and by night, they protected and defended them from all dangers, all the while they were in the wilderneſſe; but when David ſent to Nabal for ſome reliefe, in the day of Nabals ſheep-ſhearing, What? quoth the Churle, Shall I take my bread; ſee how hee appropriates things ſtill, My bread, and my water, and my fleſh, that I have prepared for my ſhearers, and give them to men that I know not whence they come? 2 Sam. 25. 11. Hee knew how to receive kindneſſes, but he knew not how to communicate.
As God hath eſtabliſhed a diſtinction of proprieties among men, while every man governes his owne houſe, and rules his own ſervants, and tills his owne land, and feeds his owne cattell, and mannageth his owne affaires; I ſay, while God doth thus, every man finds ſweet experience of Gods particular providence. As God hath eſtabliſhed thus a diſtinction of propriety, of houſe, and goods, and land among men; ſo God on the other ſide hath eſtabliſhed a Communion of Saints, and Communion of Saints doth not aboliſh the diſtinction of Propriety, nor the diſtinction of Propriety doth not aboliſh the Communion of Saints; they may both ſtand together, a diſtinction of the Propriety and the Communion of Saints, God will have us, in regard of poſſeſſion, to have things private and ſeverall that are our owne; but God would have us make theſe things common, in regard of uſe, upon ſeverall occaſions: and then a man doth good, when he communicates that good that God hath given him, to the good of others.
Every man muſt conſider with himſelfe, wherein hath God enabled me to doe the greateſt good? (as Sampſon knew wherein his ſtrength lay) and then to his uttermoſt power to doe good, and communicate to others of that which God hath given him: Forget not to doe this, for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed.
This ſame doing of good and communicating, may be done many wayes, and mark them, becauſe there is no body may be exempted from this precept of the Apoſtle, it concernes every man, and every man may doe good and communicate ſome way or other. Wee are forbid to call our brother, Racha; which in the Syriack ſignifies empty, vacuous: A man empty! ſaith St. Ierome upon that word, how can a man be ſaid to be bare and empty, whom the Spirit of God hath filled and repleniſhed with ſome gift or other, that hee may communicate, and in ſo doing doe good?
There are many wayes of doing good: Firſt, a man may doe good to the Publike, or hee may doe good to the Private; hee may doe good to the Church and Common-wealth in generall, or a man may doe good to ſome ſpeciall perſons in the Church or Common-wealth in particular. And to diſtribute and doe good, both to the one and to the other, forget not.
For the firſt, to the Publike, a man may doe good many wayes; Theſe wayes eſpecially come to my mind.
Firſt, a man may doe good to the Publike, by the building, or enlarging, or adorning Churches and Chappels, and Oratories for the ſervice of God. A man may doe good to the Publike, by erecting and endowing of Schools and Colledges for the education of youth. A man may doe good to the Publike, by making High-wayes, and Cauſies, and Bridges for the Travellers. A man may doe good to the Publike, by the conveyance of water, that may be uſefull either to City or Countrey, and many other things. There are many wayes more that a man may doe good to the Publike in, and to doe good to the Publike, forget not; for with ſuch ſacrifice God is pleaſed. For ſome ſuch works as I have named, the memory of ſome good men is bleſſed to this day, and will be hereafter, from generation to generation, for ſuch publike works.
Then ſecondly, a man may doe good to ſome ſpeciall perſon in Church and Common-wealth; and that two wayes:
1. A man may doe good to the body; or,
2. To the ſoule:
The good that a man communicates, may be either a Corporall, or Spirituall good.
Then doth a man good to the body, to the outward eſtate I meane, when hee communicates ſuch a thing as is a means of his comfortable being in the ſtate of Nature. But a man doth good to the ſoule, when he doth communicate ſuch a thing as may be a means of a wel-being here in the ſtate of grace, and of his eternall wel-being hereafter in the ſtate of glory. Now, to doe good both to the ſoule and body of thy brother, forget not; for with ſuch ſacrifice, &c.
I begin with the ſoule firſt, that is the principall part. Doeſt thou ſee thy brother ignorant of ſome truth that hee ſhould know, that is neceſſary to ſalvation? Thou canſt not doe him a greater good then to inſtruct him. Doeſt thou ſee him doubtfull what to doe? Why then doe him good to direct him. Doeſt thou ſee them over-taken with ſome infirmity? Why then reſtore them againe, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Brethren, if any of you be over-taken with infirmity, you that are ſpirituall, reſtore ſuch a man. The Greek word is, put him in ioynt againe; hee is out of ioynt, ſet him right, put him in ioynt with the ſpirit of meekneſſe and gentleneſſe. Doeſt thou ſee thy brother unruly, and ruſh into ſinne, as the horſe into the battaile? Thou mayeſt doe a great deale of good, to admoniſh and reprove him, to pluck him (as Iude ſaith in his Epiſtle) out of the fire, that hee periſh not. Doeſt thou ſee thy poore brother feeble and weak-hearted? Thou ſhalt doe a great deale of good then to encourage him. Doeſt thou ſee him deiected and caſt downe, and almoſt ſwallowed up of deſpaire? Thou canſt not doe a greater good then comfort him. Theſe things you may doe. And if thou ſee thy brother paſt all help from men, then thou canſt not doe a greater good then to pray and beg help for him at Gods hand. And in very deed, that ſweet Communion of Saints that we believe in the Creed, I believe the Communion of Saints, that Communion of Saints, appears in nothing more then the doing of good thus to the ſoule one man of another; to edifie and build up one another in our holy faith, to exhort one another to holineſſe of life, to provoke one another to love and good works, to comfort one another in ſickneſſe, to mourne one over another for your corruptions: This they may doe when they are together. And then, pray one for another: and that they may do when they are a thouſand miles aſunder. This is the Communion of Saints. Thus wee may doe good to the ſoules of our brethren; and to doe this good to the ſoules of your brethren, forget not; with this ſacrifice God is well pleaſed.
To the body we may doe good, in the outward eſtate, many wayes; I will think of theſe three eſpecially.
Firſt, wee may doe them good, defendendo, by defending of our brother; by defending his perſon from violence, by defending his goods from ruine, by defending his name from reproach and diſhonour. Pro. 24. 11. Deliver him that is appointed to die, if it be in thy power. Deliverance it is a thing that holy Iob, among other works of his, hee ſpeaks of this, I delivered the poore when hee cryed, and helped him that was fatherleſſe; I brake the iawes of the wicked in pieces, and took the prey out of his teeth. If thou canſt doe it by thy calling, if thy calling will allow thee to doe it, thou art bound to doe it, to doe that good; to right them when they ſuffer wrong, either in their perſon, or goods, or good name; if it be in thy power to right thy brother, doe good that way, defend him. That is one way.
Secondly, thou mayeſt doe good, accommodando, by lending; and indeed, ſometimes a man may doe as much good by lending, as by giving. And this is a work of mercy that God requires of his people; mark that place, Deut. 15. 7, 8. Thou ſhalt not harden thy heart, nor ſhut thy hand from thy poore brother; But thou ſhalt open thine hand wide unto him, and ſhalt ſurely lend him ſufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Thou ſhalt help and help him wide, ſo the word is, Thou ſhalt open wide to thy brethren; and ſhalt ſurely lend to them: The Originall word doubles it, in lending thou ſhalt lend; that is, thou ſhalt ſurely lend, and lend ſufficiently, according to his need. So the Old Teſtament. And Chriſt in the New Teſtament ſaith, Lend, looking for nothing again, Luke 6. 35. And it is the commendation given to the righteous man, A righteous man is mercifull and lendeth, Pſal. 112. 5. but then mark the words that follow after too, hee guides his affaires with diſcretion. That is the ſecond way.
Thirdly, a man may doe good, donando, by free giving: Of what? That which is according to the neceſſity of our brother. If he be hungry, then we ſhall doe good to feed him, to give him bread; if hee be thirſty, we muſt give him drink; if hee be naked, we muſt give him clothes; if hee be ſick, if it be in our power, wee are to give him remedy; if hee be dead, then to give him buriall, decent buriall; and among the works of charity, and works of mercy, you ſhall ever find reckoned in Scripture, the buriall of the dead. When the Traitor Iudas grudged at the box of Spikenard that was beſtowed upon our bleſſed Saviour, ſaith hee, Let her alone, ſhee hath done a good work towards my buriall. And, The Lord ſhew mercy, ſaith David, to the men of Iabeſh-Gilead, becauſe they ſhewed mercy to his Maſter Saul. What mercy? Many they buried his bones: It is a work of mercy. Thus you ſee how many wayes there be of doing good and communicating: A man may doe good you ſee to the Publike many wayes. And then to the Private, a man may doe good to the ſoule, to the body: To the ſoule by inſtructing, by directing, by admoniſhing, by reproving, by encouraging, by comforting, by praying for them. A man may doe good to the body, by defending them from wrong, by lending that which is neceſſary, by giving according to their neceſſity that aske. And thus to doe good to the Publike, to Private, to the ſoules and bodies of our brethren, when it is in our power, forget not, it is a ſacrifice with which God is pleaſed.
Seeing there are ſo many wayes of doing good thus, I will ſet down two Correllaries and Conſectaries; two things follow on it.
The firſt is this, Since there are ſo many wayes of doing good, certainly as long as wee live here in this life, wee can never want oportunity of doing good, ſome way or other. That is the firſt. We cannot want oportunities of doing good, there be ſo many wayes to doe it; either a man ſhall find ſome ignorant poore body that hee may inſtruct, as David did, Come yee children, hearken unto mee; I will teach you the feare of the Lord. Or a man may find ſome perſon wronged, whom hee may help and ſuccour, as Iob did. Or a man may ſit in his tent doore, and find ſome ſtranger paſſe by that hee may entertaine, as Abraham did. Or a man may find ſome fatherleſſe children that hee may bring up, as Pharaohs daughter brought up Moſes. Or a man may find ſome naked perſon that hee may clothe, as Dorcas did. Or a man may find ſome wounded perſon, which if hee have the gift and skill of healing, hee may heale; as the good Samaritane did. I might goe further: It is impoſſible while thou art here but thou ſhalt meet with oportunities of gooddoing; wee cannot want them.
Let none excuſe themſelves with this, that they have no oportunity of doing good; they may have daily, either to doe good to the ſoules, or the bodies of ſome; or perhaps both to ſoule and body. I muſt worke, ſaith our Lord, while it is day; the night commeth when no man can work. The day is the time of life, we muſt follow our Lord in this work while it is day; while you have now time, here is the time to work good: The night comes, when death comes there is no more time then to doe good. Eccleſ. 9. 10. whatſoever thine hand ſhall find to doe, ſaith Solomon there, that is, whatſoever God hath enabled thee to doe, whatſoever good, doe it with all thy power; Why? there is neither working, nor iudgement, nor knowledge, nor invention in the grave, whither thou goeſt.
Thinke of that; you are going now to your grave, you know not how long or how ſhort a time it may be before you come there; therefore whatſoever thy hand ſhall find to doe, whatever good God hath enabled thee to doe, doe it with thy power; for there is no doing of good in the grave, whither thou art going.
Titus the Romane Emperour is commended by St. Ierome, and hee deſerved commendations indeed, and Ierome propounds his example and ſaying to others, as commendable; Titus the Romane Emperour would every night call himſelfe to account what good he had done that day; and if he found that all the day long there had been no good done hee, would cry out to his friend, Friend, I have loſt a day. A great loſſe it ſeemed to him; but to us Chriſtians a greater loſſe, that know we muſt make account to God for every day of our life, what good wee have done in it.
And ſurely, conſidering in our ſelves how much good God requires at our hands, firſt in our generall calling as wee are Chriſtians; and then in our particular calling, according to the places wee hold in Church and Common-wealth, and in our private families, it were not good to loſe a day, every day to doe ſomewhat, as that Painter that would never have a day paſſe over his head without ſome line drawing; wee ſhould not ſoffer one day to paſſe over our heads without ſome good work done, ſome good worke every day. Since there are ſo many oportunities of doing good every day, never ſuffer a day to goe over our heads without ſome good.
The Scripture ſaith of the devill, hee be ſtirres himſelfe, and the reaſon is, becauſe hee knowith that his time is ſhort. How much more ſhould wee beſtirre our ſelves then to doe good, knowing that our time is ſhorter then his. While wee have time, ſaith the Apoſtle, let us doe good to all. The word is not in the Greek; but while wee have oportunity, ſo wee read it in the new Tranſlation, While wee have oportunity to doe good, Gal. 6. 10. Now as long as wee live here, a charitable heart will never want oportunity of doing good, we ſhall ſtill have oportunity to doe good; but when wee are gone there is no oportunity of doing good, there is no doing good after; but then wee are to receive for that wee have done already, whether good or evill.
Excellently Origen, (with which I will conclude this point) ſaith hee, The ſix ages of our life are as the ſix dayes of the week, they are dayes to gather Manna in; but the day of death, that is our Sabbath, there is no Manna then to be gathered, it is no day to gather Manna when wee are dead; but then we ſhall eat that we have gathered before. There is no doing good when wee are dead, but wee then come to receive for the good wee have done before, if wee have done it; therefore, To doe good, and to communicate, forget not. That is the firſt Correllary.
The ſecond is this, that, Since there are ſo many wayes of doing good, there is no man exempted from doing good, there is no man but may doe good ſome way or other, Indeed, rich men muſt be rich in good workes; they that have a great deale of goods, muſt doe a great deale of good. But there is no man ſo poore that may challenge freedome from this doing good, becauſe hee is poore; Harke what the Apoſtle ſaith, Epheſ. 4. 28. Let him that ſtole, ſteale no more; but let him labour with his hands, working that which is good, that hee may communicate to them that need. See, the poore labouring man, that labours with his hands, hee muſt not bee free from doing good. Iohn Baptiſt, when hee was asked of the people, What ſhall wee doe? Marry, ſaith hee, Hee that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and hee that hath meat, let him doe likewiſe, Luke 3. 11. Let him that hath two coats, hee ſaith not, Let him that hath ten coats, a number of coats; but him that hath two coats, let him part to him that hath none.
Our bleſſed Lord did live upon that which good women gave him; that you ſhall ſee if you look Luke 8. 3. there it is ſaid, that Mary Magdalene, out of whom hee had caſt ſeven devils, and Ioanna, the wife of Chuza, Herods ſteward, and Suſanna, and other women miniſtred unto him of their ſubſtance. Chriſt lived upon that that good perſons gave unto him, yet out of that that was given him, hee was wont to give almes; you may perceive that by that ſpeech of the Apoſtles, when our Lord had bidden Iudas, That hee did, doe quickly, they did not know what he meant, but did think that hee would have them provide ſomewhat, or to give ſomewhat to the poore, Ioh. 13. 29. To give ſome what to the poore. Our Lord himſelfe lived upon that which was given him, yet hee himſelfe, out of that which was given him, gave to the poore.
The Macedonians are commended by St. Paul for their great liberality, that whereas they were poore, I, deeply poore, it was deep poverty, ſo the word is, profound poverty, deep poverty, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, 2 Cor. 8. 2. it was poverty; deeply poverty; yet they abounded in liberality for all that. You know the woman in the Goſpel caſt in but two mytes into the Treaſury, but it was all that ever ſhee had; it was but a little money, but it was great charity, a great worke of charity, all that ever ſhee had.
When the Creple asked an almes of Peter and Iohn coming to the Temple, ſay they, Silver and gold wee have none; but ſuch as wee have, give wee thee. If thou have no ſilver and gold to give, that thou canſt not give that, yet give ſuch things as thou haſt.
The widow of Sarepta had no gold nor ſilver to give the Prophet, ſhee gave him a cake; ſhee loſt nothing by it; you know the ſtory. Our bleſſed Lord ſaith, Whoſoever ſhall give a cup of cold water to a Prophet, in the name of a Prophet, ſhall not loſe a Prophets reward. If thou canſt not doe good with thy aera, thy money, that thou haſt none to give, doe it ora, thou maiſt doe good that way. Thou ſhalt find ſome ignorant perſons, inſtruct them. Thou ſhalt find ſome doubtfull, that know not what to doe, direct them. Thou ſhalt find ſome poore comfortleſſe creatures, ſpeak comfort to them, ſpeak kindly to them, ſpeak to their heart. Solomon tells us, Pro. 24. 16. Faire words are an honey-combe, ſweetneſſe to the ſoule, health to the bones. If thou canſt not doe what good thou wouldeſt, why yet be willing to doe what good thou canſt; doe that thou art able to performe, and God will accept thy willing heart, man, as hee did the willing heart of Abraham to offer his ſonne, though hee did not offer him; and the willing heart of David to build him an houſe and Temple, though hee built it not.
In a word, (to draw to a concluſion) every man muſt give according to his ability, as God hath enabled him; and God looks not for ſmall things from rich men. In the ſacrifices of the old Law, in the voluntary free-will offerings, the Iewes had this Canon, that if a poore man brought a rich mans offering, God accepted of it: As, a paire of turtle doves and two young pigeons was a poore mans offering, and another offering for rich men. If the poore man brought a rich mans offering it was accepted; but if the rich man brought in a poore mans offering, if a rich man came with a paire of turtles or two young pigeons, this was not accepted; every man muſt give according to his ability.
Wee are not lords of that wee poſſeſſe, but ſtewards and bayliffes; and the greater bayliwick, the greater account: To whom God hath given but one talent, he ſhall make account but for one; but to whom God hath given two, hee ſhall make account for two; and to whom five, hee ſhall make account for five. Thus as our gifts increaſe, ſo our account increaſeth; according to the coſt that God beſtoweth on the ground, he looketh for fruit: of ſome ground it is enough if it bring forth thirty-fold; but of ſome ground God looks for ſixty, and of ſome an hundred-fold. And they that have a great deale of goods, if they doe not a great deale of good with it, they muſt look for a great deale of puniſhment. And how little goods ſoever we have, we muſt doe good with it.
You ſhall heare many ſay; If I had ſo much as ſuch a man hath, I would doe a great deale of good.
I marry, a great deale of good: But firſt, Why ſhould God truſt thee with a greater eſtate, when thou wilt not doe good with that thou haſt? Why ſhould thy father put into thy hands a greater ſtock, when thou wilt not imploy that little? Be faithfull in little, and then God will increaſe that, as the widows oyle, and thou ſhalt have the bleſſing. To doe good, forget not. You have heard the thing exhorted unto; Now the manner.
Forget not to doe it.
In a word, I will not ſtand upon it, It ſeems that we are eaſily apt to forget to doe good, if wee be not called upon. Therefore our Apoſtle (for I take St. Paul to be the Author of this Epiſtle) when hee writes to Ti…us the Miniſter of the Church, ſaith hee, Put them in remembrance, put them in mind to doe good: It is one of his charges hee gives, Tit. 3. 1. Put them in mind to the good. It is a part of our duty to God, to put you in mind to doe good, that you may not forget it. In Gal. 2. 8, 9. you ſhall find there, that the Apoſtles Peter, and …, and Iohn, the pillars among the Apoſtles, thoſe three gave the hand of fellowſhip to Paul and Barnabas, that they ſhould preach to the Gentiles, and the other to the Iewes; and there was nothing agreed upon but only this among them, that they ſhould remember the poore whereſoever they came: whether it were Peter, Iames, and Iohn, that preached to the Iewes, or Paul and Barnabas to the Gentiles, this was covenanted and agreed on among them, to remember the poore, ſtill to mind them.
Therefore people muſt not take it ill at the Miniſters hands, if that Miniſters be ſtill calling up on them for doing good and communicating; it is part of our duty to call on you, that you forget not to doe good. And I could uſe many Arguments to perſwade you ſtill to remember to doe good; but thus much onelyonly, you muſt know this, (I will ſpeak of this one thing, and then I have done;)
That, That God that forbids to doe ill, hath commanded us alſo to doe good▪ It is not enough for a man not to doe ill, but hee muſt doe good too. Innocency is a good thing, to doe no hurt, but innocency is not enough to ſalvation; It is not though for us that wee doe no hurt, wee muſt doe good too. That God that forbids us to vex the ſtranger, commands us in another place, to entertaine ſtrangers: That God that in one place forbids us to grieve the widow and fatherleſſe children, hee commands us in another place to relieve them: That God that forbids us to take the cloathing of a poore man for a pledge, commands us in another place, to cloathe poore naked men: That God that forbids us to doe ill to any man, commands us to doe good to any man. That fearfull ſentence, Goe yee curſed into everlaſting fire, it ſhall not be onelyonly for doing ill, but it ſhall be for not doing good; I was hungry, and yee fed mee not; I was thirſty, and yee gave mee no drink, &c. and becauſe you did not to one of thoſe little ones, you did it not to me.
All the trees planted in the houſe of God, are called trees of righteouſneſſe, Iſai. 61. they muſt bring forth fruit; their leaves muſt be for medicine, and their fruit for food; there muſt be good. God cannot indure that we ſhould grow unprofitable, let every man take heed how hee growes unprofitable, that there come no good of that hee doth: Take heed of unprofitableneſſe, the unprofitable ſervant is bound hand and foot; the unprofitable chaffe is ſcattered with the wind; the unprofitable fig-tree is hewen down; the unprofitable ſalt is caſt on the dung-hill; God cannot endure unprofitableneſſe. I will conclude with that place, Ezek. 15. 2. The Lord asks Ezekiel, Son of man, what is the vine tree good for? The vine brings fruit, it is good and comfortable for God and man, in Iothams parable. But God meanes the unprofitable vine tree, if it bear no grapes, what is it then good for? can you make a hook or naile of it, to hang a veſſell on? You may doe it with other trees, if they grow unprofitable: the fig-tree, or the apple … others, when they are unprofitable and beare no fruit, you may make a pin of them to hang a veſſell on; but the vine, what is it good for? ſurely it is good for nothing but the fire; from one end to the other of it, you cannot make a pin to hang a veſſell on. So either there muſt be grapes, there muſt be fruit, or woe and eternall perdition. To diſtribute, and to doe good, forget not; for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed.