Sermon Preached Several Times, Dedication 1
To the Right Worshipfull and much Honoured Sir Thomas Smith Knight, Governour of the famous Companie of Merchants trading to the EAST INDIES, &c. Long life and health here, with eternall happineſſe elſe-where.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL;
BEing requeſted lately by my kinde Friends, the Wardens of the Worſhipfull Companie of Skinners, to aſſist them in their Viſitation of the free Schoole at Tunbridge, founded long ſince by that worthy Knight, of bleſſed memorie, Sir Andrew Judde, your Grandfather, and committed to the charge and over-ſight of that well-deſerving Society; I made choice of ſuch a portion of Scripture there to treat of, as ſeemed not altogether unfitting an occaſion of that kinde. After the handling whereof, being then preſently ſolicited by ſome, and ſince further importuned by others, to make theſe my weake labours more publike, as not unlikely (ſo they deemed) to doe ſome further good; I was at length drawne, regarding more their opinion, than mine owne conceipt thereof, as well knowing it to be but a tumultuary worke, amids many diſtractions haſtily peeced together; and to give them ſatisfaction therein, that ſeemed ſo deſirous of it; to let it goe abroad, and make triall what benefit either Teacher, or Scholer, or other might make of it. This reſolved on, I began to bethinke my ſelfe, obſerving the uſuall manner of the times, whom I ſhould make choice of for the patronizing of it. In all reſpects none ſeemed ſo fit as your ſelfe, whom I have therefore made bold to addreſſe it unto. The Schoole was first erected and endowed by your Worſhips Anceſtor. And you have worthily built upon his foundation, and added liberally to his gift. So that through your munificence it is very likely to flouriſh, and not to come behind ſome of thoſe that be of chiefe note. Your bounty herein, and in other workes of the like nature, is the rather to be regarded, for that you doe not (as the manner is of the moſt, unwilling to part with ought, till they muſt needs leave all;) defer wholly your well-doing to your deaths-bed, or your dying day; but bend your ſelfe thereunto, while you may yet ſurviving your owne donation, your ſelfe ſee things ſetled in a due courſe, and receive comfort by view of the fruit and benefit that may thereby redound both to Church and Common-weale. And certainly, to omit, thataBeneficium niſi à volente non datur. Sen. de ben. l. 5. c. 19. Beneficium eſt quod qui… dedit, cum poſſet & non dare. Ibid. l. 3. c. 19. the good that men doe in their life time is a ſurer note of true bounty, than that they doe at their deceaſe; asbLegatur Ambr. exhort. ad poenit. & Auguſt. homil. 41. there is greater evidence of ſincere repentance, in the abandoning of vice, while men have liberty and abilitie to continue the practice of it, than in leaving of ſinne then, when ſinne it ſelfe leaveth them, and they can no longer follow it: Howſoever the benefit to others may be equall in either, to the Donor himſelfe in the former is the comfort far greater. Good done at our end is like a Lanterne borne after us, that directeth them that come after us, but affordeth us little light; whereas the good done in our life time is like a light borne before us, that bothcBeneficium dando accepit, qui digno dedit. P. Syrus. benefiteth them and us alſo alike, imparting light equally unto either. Yea, of ſuch beneficence I may well ſay more: it benefiteth the giver in divers reſpects much more than the taker; it is far greater pleaſure to the beſtower, than it is to the receiver.dAct. 20.35. It is a more bleſſed thing, ſaith our Saviour, to give than to take. Yeaeforeign. Epicurus. foreign. Plut. de philoſopb. apud duces diſſer. Non honeſtius tantum, ſed & jucundius eſt beneficium dare quàm accipere. &c. Itaque Sen. de ben. l. 1. c. 1. Malim non recipere beneficia, quàm non dare. to give than to take, ſaith the Heathen-man, it is the pleaſanter of the twaine: to beſtow a benefit upon another, than to receive a benefit from another, it is more delightſome to any man of a free and ingenuous diſpoſition. So that, to paſſe by the religious conſideration of the rich and royall reward and recompence of well-doing from God and with God, which may be alike unto either; the very light of Nature ſheweth, that in true Beneficence there is more pleaſure and contentment, and conſequently more comfort and benefit even for the preſent, to the giver than to the taker: that which is a great part of it, wanting unto thoſe, that defer their well-doing, though they do never ſo well then, till their deceaſe. You, worthy Sir, doe otherwiſe, and long may you live ſo to doe, to the increaſe of your joy and comfort here, and the furtherance of your account and reckoning elſe-where. With which wiſh I ſeale all up, that I be not over-tedious and troubleſome to your Worſhip, amids your other manifold more ſerious and weightie affaires; and requeſting onelyonly your favourable acceptance of this ſory trifle, reſt,
Your Worſhips to be commanded in the Lord, THOMAS GATAKER.