The Merchandise of a People is Holiness to the Lord, Letter
To the Gentlemen of the Town of Boſton, who uſually attend the weekly Lecture, And to Thoſe in particular who attend the Quarterly Meetings for Collections for the Poor in Cornhill.
Gentlemen,
WHEN the following Diſcourſe was preach'd to You, a part of it at the public Lecture, and a part in your more private Meeting, You were then addreſs'd in the Cloſe of thoſe Sermons in the following Words, which I think good now to bring to your Remembrance, and alſo to lay before Others.
I ſpeak unto a Trading Town, and I thank God unto a People us'd to Charities and liberal Things. Need I provoke you to Emulation by what is written of the Men of Tyre? And God forbid that they ſhould riſe up in Judgment againſt Us, and condemn us. Shall not your Merchandize and your Hire be Holineſs to the Lord, when theirs was ſo, when the Goſpel came among them! Surely we have carried our Profeſſion as high, and our Obligations are at leaſt as great as Thoſe of Tyre and Sidon.
One natural Benefit of Trade and Commerce to any People is, that it enlarges their Hearts to do generous Things. God grant that every Thing of that Nature done among us or by Others for us, may be ſo done as to carry in their Front the glorious Inſcription of HOLINESS TO GOD. So let it be in your ſecret Gifts and Diſtributions, ſo in your private and more bountiful Subſcriptions and Collections, whether they be for God's Poor or for his Worſhip. And I wiſh the Propoſals which were lately printed for the yearly Gathering a ſmall Stock or Fund in particular Congregations for pious and charitable Uſes, might find Acceptance in our Churches, and prove a happy Means of fulfilling my Text among us.
But there is one Thing, the Work and Duty of the preſent Day, which I may not omit, if I would be juſt either to my Text or to my Country; which is — That your Merchandize and Hire muſt be for Them which dwell before the Lord, to eat ſufficiently and for durable Clothing. How ſhall it be called Holineſs to the Lord without this? You muſt make Conſcience of ſupporting your Miniſters, who ſerve in the Sanctuary and at the Altar of God. Money falls, you all raiſe your Merchandiſe, and you are unjuſt to Chriſt and his Miſters, (that is to ſay unholy) if you do not raiſe their Support. It is impoſſible that They ſhould eat ſufficiently, or have Clothing for their Families, if their Support riſe not while all your Trade and Hire riſes after ſo prodigious a Manner. This is to your poor Miniſters, like a hundred little Streams uniting on them, and bearing them away as with a Flood; or like a ſweeping Rain that leaves no Food. You muſt up inſtantly or it will waſh away the Field of God, his Worſhip from off the Face of the Land. You muſt miniſter more of your riſing Hire to the Temple of God, or let drop any Pretence to my Text.
This Matter belongs in the firſt place to the Government over us, who have had it under Conſideration in their preſent Seſſion *1725.and piouſly reſolved, That it is the Indiſpenſable Duty of the ſeveral Towns, Precincts and Pariſhes of the Province, to make ſuch Additions to the Salaries or Maintenance of their reſpective Miniſters, as may honourably ſupport and encourage them in their Work: The Court did therefore moſt earneſtly recommend a ſpeedy and chearful Compliance with this their Judgment, to the ſeveral Congregations and Religious Aſſemblies within the Province.
To Them it indeed belongs nextly and more immediately, whoſe Profeſſion in a Church-State is this Holineſs to the Lord; and it is the Duty of the reſpective Members in every Congregation to ſee to it that their Merchandiſe and Husbandry be ſo, and that their Paſtors have Meat ſufficient and durable Clothing. — For with what Face and Conſcience ſhall every One of you riſe a Penny or a Shilling in your Hire and Merchandiſe. Year after Year, and not riſe alſo in the Support of your Miniſters? I leave it to the Heart of every Merchant and every Labourer to judge in this Thing.†Since that Day many or moſt of our Churches have made conſiderable Additions to the Support of their Miniſters, but in very few Places I think in a juſt Proportion to the Fall of Money, and the Riſe of Goods. So that every New Year or two calls for a new Proviſion; ſuch is our miſerable ſinking Condition; alas without Proſpect of any Remedy! May the Dews of Heaven come down more abundantly on the Places that conſider of it!
I have but one Word more to add in this public Audience, and that concerns the College; to mind you that the many great and prudent Benefactions made of late Years to that Society, have (I truſt) this Inſcription of Holineſs to the Lord upon them. The Bounties of the pious Mr. Hollis in particular, his humble Offerings to Chriſt and his Munificence to us, his Lectures and devoted Students wear This on their Forehead. "The LORD raiſe up of our Sons for Prophets, and of our Young Men for Nazarites. That our Sons may be as Plants of Righteouſneſs; and our Garners full, affording all Manner of Store! Happy the People that are in ſuch a Caſe, yea happy is that People whoſe God is the Lord."
The Addreſs to You, with which the Sermon clos'd in your private Meeting, was in the following Words,
Finally, Should our Merchandiſe and Hire be Holineſs to the Lord? it gives a ſpecial Countenance to, and puts great Honour on, your preſent Meeting. This Evening Lecture is on a double Account holy to God; as in Reſpect of the Religious Exerciſe of Worſhip ſo alſo in Reſpect of our intended Collection for the Poor. The Deſign & Intention of our preſent Meeting is entirely ſacred to Chriſt & to his Poor. We come to caſt our Mites into the Lords Treaſury for the Uſe of the Widow & the Fatherleſs. Let us ſeek the Divine Grace that we may ſo worſhip, and ſo give, as becometh Holineſs; in holy Manner, with holy Frames, from holy Principles, for holy Ends, to the Increaſe of holy Fruits in our Hearts & Lives, to the Glory & Praiſe of God.
Write now, if you pleaſe, Holineſs to the Lord on theſe Doors ‖Deacon Williams's in Cornhill., here opened to us for the ſake of Charity and Devotion; which two will never fail, no not when Faith and Hope ſhall ceaſe, within the Holy of Holies. The Rich are invited hither, not for their own ſo much as for the Poors ſake. The Bowels of the Poor are refreſhed by Thee, Brother, in your calling the Rich to your Houſe: It is to feaſt the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind, and Thou ſhalt be recompenced at the Reſurrection of the Juſt.
This Meeting is a Witneſs that our Widows and the Fatherleſs are not neglected in the daily Miniſtrations. By Inclination you are led, and ſome of You more eſpecially are by*The Deacons of the Churches. Office bound, unto this Service. And God is not unrighteous to forget this Labour of Love, which you are ſhowing to his Name, in miniſtring to his Saints.
We have had a hard and long Winter †March 6. 1726., which ſome may think has impoveriſhed the Town, but God has carried us thro' it, and provided for the Poor. Yet they muſt needs be left the more bare and neceſſitous, and laden with little Debts it may be, which you Brethren are now met to pay, with a willing Mind; that they may begin a New Year with Thankſgiving to God on your behalf.— I need not urge you to what you are ſo ready of your ſelves. You are met for this very End, to pray us to accept the Gift, and to continue in this Fellowſhip of miniſtring to the Saints. Like Titus, I am deſired in my Turn to miniſter unto the finiſhing in you the Grace, which God has long ſince begun. And God is able to make all Grace to abound toward you, that ye always having Alſufficiency in all Things, may abound to every good Word and Work.— Now He that miniſtreth Seed to the Sower, both miniſter Bread for your Food, and multiply your Seed ſown, and increaſe the Fruits of your Righteouſneſs, being enriched in every Thing to all Bountifulneſs, which cauſeth thro' us Thankſgiving unto God.