16. He becomes a father to all in charity, and a servant to all in humility
Another singular action of a sanctified Christian, is, To be a father to all in charity, and yet a servant to all in humility.
First, To be a father to all in charity. That crop that is sown in mercy, shall be reaped in glory. In heaven there are riches enough; but no poor to receive them. In hell there are poor enough; but no rich to relieve them. How many of the most wealthy are deaf to the most importunate requests for mercy! They will do no good in the world, with the goods of the world. They too much resemble spunges; which greedily suck up the waters, but will not yield a return of them again, till they are well squeezed.
Necessity is not likely to be supplied by the hand of misery; while there are so many, that would help, cannot, for want of ability; and so many, who may help, will not, for want of charity. There is not a drop of water for such a Dives in hell, who has not a crumb of bread for a poor distressed Lazarus upon earth. Every act of charity is but an act of equity. It is not the bestowment of our gifts; but the payment of our debts.
The rich man's superfluity was ordained to relieve the poor man's necessity. A lady, on giving sixpence to a beggar, accosted him thus: 'I have now given you more than ever God gave me.' To
G 3 whom he replied, 'No, madam; God hath given you all your abundance.' 'That is your mistake,' said she, 'for he hath but lent it me, that I might bestow it on such as you.'
John, the beloved disciple of Christ, inculcates the doctrine of love to the disciples of Christ: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. As holiness works a likeness to him that begets it; so it works a love to those who enjoy it. It is impossible for any one to love the person of Christ, who does not delight in the picture of Christ. He that loves himself, will not hate his brother. While he is out of charity with his brother, he shews that God is out of charity with him; and we lose more for want of God's love, than our brethren lose for want of our love.
He is not a covetous man, who lays up something providentially; but he is a covetous man, who gives out nothing willingly. He is as prudent a man, who sometimes distributes discreetly, as he who accumulates hastily. Men frequently discover more wisdom in laying out, than in laying up.
Reader, the hope of living long on earth should not make you covetous; but the prospect of living long in heaven should make you bounteous. Though the sun of charity rise at home; yet it should always set abroad.
Seneca, the heathen, inculcates a principle worthy the credence of every Christian: 'I believe, I truly enjoy no more of the world's affluence, than what I willingly distribute to the necessitous.' Without your mercy, the poor cannot live on earth; and without God's mercy, you shall not live in heaven. Some men's churlishness entirely swallows up their charitableness. Instead of praying one for another, they are making a prey one of another.
When I consider that our hearts are no softer, I wonder that the times are no harder. It is a reproach to many rich men, that God should give them so much, and that they should give the poor so little.
Some observe that the most barren grounds are nearest to the richest mines. It is too often true in a spiritual sense, that those, whom God hath made the most fruitful in estates, are most barren in good works. It is too generally true, that the rich spend their substance wantonly, while the poor give their alms willingly. A penny comes with more difficulty out of a bag that is pressing full; than a shilling out of a purse that is half empty.
Wherefore doth the Lord make your cup run over, but that other men's lips might taste the liquor? The showers that fall upon the highest mountains, should glide into the lowest valleys. Give, and it shall be given you, is a maxim little believed.
It is infidelity which is the spring of all cruelty; so that, wheresoever you can discover the face of one, you may also hear the sound of the other's feet. If you deny relief to those who are virtuous, you kill laborious bees; if you bestow your gifts on those who are vicious, you do but support drones:
but it is better to favour a bastard, than to murder a legitimate child. God looks not so much on the merits of the beggar, as upon the mercy of the giver.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Here is a trinity of precepts, from a trinity of persons. Pharisees delight more to plead this precept, than to practise it; which is, as if a man should cry up the kindness of his king, and at the same time join in rebellion against him. If all were rich, no alms need be received; if all were poor, no alms could be bestowed.
God, who could have made all men wealthy, hath made most men poor; that the poor might have Christ for an example of patience, and the rich for an example of goodness. Cruelty is one of the highest scandals to piety; for instead of turning lions into lambs, it turns lambs into lions.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Clemency is one of the brightest diamonds in the crown of majesty. How cheerfully should we take off the copy, when we consider who has set us the example! Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. What one scripture calls mercy, the other styles perfection; as if this one perfection of mercy included all. He that sheweth mercy when it may be best spared, will receive mercy when it shall most be needed.
It is reported of one of the Dukes of Savoy, that, being asked by certain ambassadors at his court what hounds he kept; he conducted them into a large room, where there were a number of poor people sitting at table. 'These,' said he, 'are all the hounds I have upon earth; and with whom I am in pursuit of the kingdom of heaven.' It is counted an honour to live like princes; but it is a greater honour to give like princes.
Pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father, is this; to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. The flames of piety towards God must be accompanied with the incense of charity towards man. Mercy is so good a servant, that it will never suffer its master to die a beggar.
Those who have drained their own wells dry, in order to fill the poor man's cistern, shall never perish for want of water to quench their thirst. Those who have blessed others, shall be blessed themselves.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink. Mercy is the queen of beauty, and the blessed offspring of the King of glory.
Scarce any virtue in the whole scripture has been returned with greater interest than the love of mercy. Though charity may make your purse lighter one day; yet it will make it heavier another. All who have their names registered in the book of eternity, will have the poor man's distresses recorded upon the heart of sympathy: for though they be so poor as to be unable to relieve him; yet they are so tender as to pity him. I know no better way to preserve your meal, than by parting with your cake. Methinks, full breasts should milk themselves without drawing; and large springs should send forth their waters without pumping. Your benevolence should seek the poor, before the poor seek your benevolence.
Put on, therefore, (as the elect of God) bowels of mercy. He that hath put off the bowels of compassion, hath put off the badge of election. Many can love at their tongue's end; but the godly love at their finger's end. If a man be naked, it is easy for the miser to bid him be clothed; or if he be empty, he can easily bid him be filled; as if poor Christians were like chameleons, able to live upon the air. Liberality does not consist in good words, but in good works. The doubtful are to be resolved by our counsels; but the necessitous are to be relieved by our morsels. Methinks it is exceedingly lovely to behold the pictures of purity, though they be hung in the frames of poverty.
Reader, would you be covetous of any thing? let it be rather to lay out on necessity, than to lay up for posterity. Hospitality is seed; and the husbandman does not become wealthy by saving, but by sowing of his seed.
Secondly, A servant to all in humility.
Our first fall was by rising against God; but our best rise, is by falling down before him. The acknowledgement of our own impotence, is the only stock upon which the Lord ingrafts divine assistance.
A humble saint looks most like a citizen of heaven. Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. He is the most lovely professor, who is the most lowly professor. As incense smells the sweetest when it is beaten smallest; so saints look fairest when they lie lowest. Arrogance in the soul resembles the spleen in the body; which grows most, while other parts are decaying. God will not suffer such a weed to grow in his garden, without taking some course to root it up. A believer is like a vessel cast into the sea; the more it fills, the more it sinks.
Pride goeth before destruction; and an haughty spirit before a fall. The flowing river quickly turns to an ebbing water. It is not all the world that can pull a humble man down, because God will exalt him; nor is it all the world that can keep a proud man up, because God will debase him.
Do but mark how one of the best of saints views himself as one of the least of saints: For I am the least of the apostles; that am not meet to be called an apostle. In the highest heavens, the beams of majesty are displayed; but to the lowest hearts, the bowels of mercy are discovered. Be ye clothed with humility. Pride is a sinner's torment, but humility is a saint's ornament. The cloth of humility should always be worn on the back of Christianity.
God many times places a thorn in the flesh, to pierce the bladder of pride. He makes us feel a sense of our misery, that we may sue for his unmerited mercy. The first Adam was for self-advancement; but the second Adam is for self-abasement: the former was for having self deified; the latter is for having self crucified.
Though there may be something left by self-denial; yet there can be nothing lost by self-denial: nay, a man can never enjoy himself till he be brought to deny himself. We live, by dying to ourselves; and die, by living to ourselves. There is no proud man, but what is foolish; and scarcely any foolish man, but what is proud. It is the night-owl of ignorance, which broods and hatches the peacock of pride.
God abhors them worst, who adore themselves most. Pride is not a Bethel, that is, a house where God dwells; but a Babel, that is, a noisome dungeon in which satan abides. It is not only a most hateful evil; but it is a radical evil. As all other lusts are found lodging in it; so they are found springing from it. It is a foul leprosy, in the face of morality; and a hurtful worm, gnawing at the root of humility. It is a swelling dropsy within, and a spreading plague without.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud; but giveth grace unto the humble. Give me the homely vessel of humility, which God shall preserve, and fill with the wine of his grace; rather than the varnished cup of pride, which he will dash in pieces, like a potter's vessel. Where humility is the corner-stone, there glory shall be the topstone.
It is impossible to have true thoughts of ourselves, while we entertain high thoughts of ourselves. Though all men forsake thee, yet will not I. Poor Peter, he was the most impotent, when he was the most arrogant. He had no doubt of standing, while others were falling; but it proved at last, that he fell while others stood.
That was an excellent saying of one: 'Where a gracious person would sit below me, I will acknowledge his dignity; but where a proud person would move above me, I would abhor his vanity.' An humble heart may meet with opposition from man; but it shall meet with approbation from God. As humility is a grace very excellent in itself; so it is very pleasing to God. He who is a subject of the former, shall hereafter be an inheriter with the latter.
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