TO that question of King Lemuel, [Solo­mon] in that Prophe­cy taught him by a woman [his mother] who can finde a vertu­ous woman, Prov. 31.10. arguing and intimating die rarity of good women; wee may returne here an inventa est, and cry out with that passio­nate exclamation of Archimedes, a famous [Page 2]Mathematician, when he had found out a Mathematicall experiment, [...]; I have found; I have found; ecce hîc, behold here is one; and so much the sooner haue wee found, with Iaacob, because the Lord our God hath brought one to our hands, Gen. 27.10. beautified and beatified with all graces accompanying salvation in woman, Faith, and Charity, and Holinesse with sobriety. 1. Tim. 2.15. For that wee might not count her an alien, but one of the houshold of faith, she is a Disciple; (& Disciples and Christians are termini con­vertibiles, of equivalent signification Act. 11.26) one that was not ashamed of Christ and his words, Luke 9.26. that we may be assured that shee professed not to know Christ, & deny him in her works, Tit. 1.16. Shee is a good tree; bringing forth good fruites, Mat. 7. joyning vertue with her faith, 2. Pet. 1.5. and shewing her faith by her good workes, or that onely some good was found in her, as in Ieroboams son, 1 Kings 14.13. some gleaning grapes [Page 3]as the shaking of an Oliue tree, Isa 17.6. Shee is full of good workes, defectiue and behind in no gift, 1. Cor. 1.7. or that shee serued God only in holines in the works of piety, and not in righteousnesse in the works of charity, (as too many put asun­der those things which God hath joyned together) she distributeth to the necessi­ties of the Saints, doth almes-deeds; and as she aboundeth in every thing, so in this gift also, 2. Cor. 8.7. soweth the seed of her almes plentiously, is full of almes-deedes which she did. But that by my ordering of things here, I may further your remem­bring of them, (as ordo est mater memoriae, order is the mother of memory) obserue I pray you in this narration a twofold de­scription of this vertuous woman; 1. by her civill condition, There was at Ioppa a certaine Disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas, 2. by her religious disposition, this woman was full of good workes and almes-deedes which shee did. In her civill state and condition wee [Page 4]haue 1. her place of habitation, Ioppa, 2 her name, either propounded, named Tabitha, or expounded, which by interpre­tation is called Dorcas. In her religious di­sposition, wee haue 1. her profession a Disciple, 2. her expression of it, either ge­nerally in good workes, amplified by the measure and extent, full of good workes; or specially in almes-deeds, being of the same size full of almes-deeds which she did.

Concerning her civill state and condi­tion, her habitation and denomination, being but the outward skin and rine of the Text, in respect of the pith within: I will not according to the proverbe haere­re in cortice, sticke in the barke. Onely in transitu, in our passage heare and beare a word or two of the propounding and ex­pounding of her name, for if wee strike this rocke the waters will gush out, Exod. 17.6 shee was named Tabitha, which by in­terpretation is called Dorcas. Names in Scriptures are imposed either vpon some speciall accident, or intent and purpose. [Page 5]Vpon some speciall accident, as Isaacks name of laughter, because Sarah laughed at the promised of him, Gen. 18.13. Iacobs of supplanting; because he tooke his bro­ther by the heele in the birth of them, Gen. 25 26. and Pharez his name signify­ing breach, or division; because he made a breach in the birth, comming forth be­fore his brother that offered first, Gen. 38.29. Vpon some speciall intent, either for memoriall of benefits receiued, as Ishma­ell the hearing of God, because God heard Abrahams prayer for a sonne, Gen. 16.15. as Solomon, Iedidiah loued of the Lord, because God loued him, 2. Sam. 12.24. Or of some duties to be done, as Iudah hath his name of prayses, because the Lord was to be praysed for him, Gen. 29.35. as Iames and Iohn called by Christ Boanerges sonnes of thunder, because they should thunder in their doctrine, and lighten in their liues, Marke 3.17. and that name a­boue all names Iesus a Saviour, because he should saue his people from their sins, [Page 6] Matt. 1.25. And here happily the name Tabitha in Syriacke, and in the Hebrew Tsibjah, or as some will haue it Thabia, (Bullinger in locum) arising of roote nabat signifying to see, (as in the interpretation of it in the Greeke Dorcas is [...] of seing) was giuen her accidentally of the sharpenesse of her sight, wherein the Roe-bucke excelleth, (as Pliny saith) and of which S ^t Hierome hath a saying, oculos caprearum talpa contemnit, the blind moule despiseth the eyes of the Roe-bucke. Sure I am that she was sharpe sighted in look­ing on things eternall, 2. Cor. 4.18, that the eyes of the mind were enlightned to know what was the hope of her calling, and what the riches of the glory of Gods inheri­tance in the Saints, Ephes. 1.18. that with Simeon the eyes of her inward man saw the Lords Christ, Luke 2.16 & that they were happy in seing his day, Luke 10.

Now in that Spirit speaking here to the Churches, would interpret this Hebrew or Syriacke name in the Greeke [Page 7]tongue, wherein it writeth; Tabitha by Dorcas or Roe-bucke: our learning here­in is, that all things in the Church must be done to edification, 1 . Cor 14.26. and that whatsoever is spoken in a strange tongue must be interpreted that the Church may re­ceiue edifying 1. Cor. 14.5. and this is the way of God in the sanctuary. Emanuell a strange word in the greeke tongue, is in­terpreted God with vs, Matt. 1. So Rabbi is interpreted Master; Messias, the Christ; Ce­phas, a stone; all one chapter Iob. 1. so Boanerges, the sonnes of thunder, Mar. 3.17. Barnabas, tke sonne of consolation, Actes 4. Abba, Father, Rom. 8.15. Now if the wisedome of the spirit would interpret names to vs whereof wee may be igno­rant, without forfetting the freehold of eternall life, much more would it haue the whole Scriptures ( which were written for our learning, Rom. 15.4. and are able to make vs wise vnto salvation. 2. Tim. 3.16.) interpreted and expounded vnto vs in a knowne tongue, for edification, [Page 8]exhortation, and comfort. Qui in modico fidelis, & in majori fidelis. He that is faith­full in a little matter, will be faithfull in a greater, Luke 16.10. If a name must be spoken to vs in our owne tongue, much more must the [...], Act. 2.11. the great mysteries of godlinesse, in a language that we vnderstand. And of that I dare be bold to say, that from the beginning it was so. The doctrine of S. Iohn did not so vanish away, as the Philosophers did: (saith Chrysostome in 1. Homily on Iohn) but the Syrians, Aegyptians, Indians, Persi­ans, Aethiopians, and innumerable other nations translating them into their lan­guage, of barbarous men, learned the heavenly Philosophy. So Augustine in his 2. booke of Christian doctrine, chap. 5. saith, that the divine Scripture proceeding from one language, being spread abroad farre and wide by the diverse tongues of Interpreters, was made knowne to the Gentiles for their salvation. And Theodoret most plainly in his first booke of curing the maladies of the [Page 9]Grecians, The Hebrew bookes were not only turned into the Greeke language, but also into the Roman, Egyptian, Persian, Indian, Ar­menian, Scythian, and even the Gothicke language; and that I may speake once for all, into all the languages which the Gen­tiles vse vnto this day. Can wee praise the Papists then in condemning and abhor­ring as impossible and vnprofitable the turning of the divine oracles into our mother tongue, (which was their old Tenent) or if they be interpreted and translated, either in their forbidding that in the publique and common vse of the Church they should be read or sung in the vulgar tongues: ( so doth the Counsell of Trent in the 22. Session chapt. 8. and the 9. Canon:) or else in affecting such obscurity, and filling their translation with so ma­ny words borrowed from the Hebrew, Syriacke, Greeke, & Latine, that it may be sayd of their translation as the Philoso­pher sayd of his bookes, that they were edita & non edita, published and not pu­blished. [Page 10]Of this kinde are their Archisyna­gogue, azimes, depositum, dydrachme, domi­nicall, evangelize, holocausts, hostes, Neophy­te, paraclete, parasceve, prepuce, repropitiate, resuscitate, sabbatisme, and such like, whereof an English man may cry out, how can I vnderstand vnlesse I had the gift of tongues? If I know not the mea­ning of the voyce, I shall be vnto him that speaketh Barbarian, and hee shall be a Bar­barian to mee, 1. Cor. 14 11. But here is not my rest, I passe therefore from her civill state and condition to her religious dis­position first in her profession being a Disciple.

A certaine Disciple, The originall is [...] feminine according to her sexe, a Disciplesse, a shee Disciple, as Anna is cal­led a Prophetesse, Luke 2.36. Excellent and honourable are the stiles and titles giuen in holy writ to the professours of religi­on, importing the dignity and duty of their calling. They are named the Church, the elect of God, of their calling & choo­ing [Page 11]out of the world: Saints, of their sanctification, sonnes of God, of their adopti­on; vessels of mercy, and honour, of their pre­sent forgiuenesse of their sinnes and fu­ture glory: believers, faithfull men of their faith and profession: brethren, houshold of faith, of their vnion and society amongst themselues: devout men, of their religion, Disciples of Christ Iesus the author and fi­nisher of our faith, Heb. 12.2. But the name Disciple, is the most auncient, the most frequent in the new Testament gi­ven to all the faithfull, the Apostles not excepted, who are called the twelue Di­sciples, Matt. 10.2. Now the Scripture in the Evangelist doth not onely call those twelue his Disciples, but all those that be­leeving in him, were by his teaching in­structed to the kingdome of heaven, saith Augustine in his 2. booke of the consent of the Evangelists, Chap. 17. To be a Disciple then, is to heare & learne of God by the ministery of the Gospell, the way of peace, the mysteries of Godlinesse. And [Page 12] Tabitha hath this name here, because with Mary shee sate at Iesus feete and heard his words, Luke 10.39. with Ly­dia shee attended to those things which were spoken of Gods Ministers, Act. 16.14, I cōmend then the imitation hereof, not only to her sexe, but to all the Saints, all that will call on the name of the Lord, to learne of her to be schollers in Christs schoole, to sit at the beautifull feete of them that preach the Gospell of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things, Rom. 10.15. For all must learne of them that prophecy, 1. Cor. 14.31. of such Epaphrasses as are faith­full Ministers of God for them, Col. 1.7. all must obey [...] be perswaded & taught of them that haue the oversight of them, and suffer the word of exhortation, Heb. 13.17.22. all must receiue the word ingraffed with meekenesse, Iam. 1.21. heare the Prophets that are raised vp vnto them. Deut. 18.15. heare and receiue them as an Angell of God, yea as Christ Iesus himselfe, Luke 10.16. Gal. 4.14. Let vs so heare the Gospell [Page 13]( Austin in his 30 tract vpon Iohn) as wee would heare the Lord himselfe if he were pre­sent now, for that precious thing which sound­ed out of the Lords mouth was both written for vs, and is reserved for vs, & is rehearsed to vs: and againe, that which is to be learned by a man, let a Christian learne without any pride, let vs not tempt him in whom we haue beleeued, least being deceiued by such subtil­ties and frowardnesse of our common enemy, we should refuse to goe into the Church to heare and learne the Gospell, or to read a booke, or to heare a man read and preach. And in his booke of Catechising the rude, chapt. 12. hee would haue men such cheerefull hearers, that if our preaching at any time be colder then vsual­ly it is, it might be quickened and kindled by their vnvsuall hearing and attending. But in these late and worser dayes, if wee survay this weake sexe, wee may every where finde silly women ever learn­ing, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, 2. Tim. 3. never worthy of [Page 14]the name of Disciples, or else so farre in the other extreme, that in stead of Disci­ples, they will be Doctors, presume to teach, 1. Tim. 2. according to that of Hie­rome in an epistle to Paulinus, the babling old woman will teach the scripture before she hath learned it, or else so farre from all ho­ly learning in Christs schoole, that with the Scribes and Pharisees they will neither enter into the kingdome of heaven, nor suffer others, Matt. 23.13. but with their grand­mother Eue are tempters of others to ill, Gen. 3. with Iesabell are stirrers of others to worke wickednesse, 1. Kings 21.25. with Iobs wife are perswaders to pro­fanenesse, Iob. 2. with Solomons wiues are inticers to idolatry, 1. Kings. 11.4. with Herodias movers to murther, Matt. 14. with the harlot allures to lust, Prov. 7.18. with Michall despisers of religious zeale in others, 2. Sam. 6. and with those com­plained of by Paul, 1. Tim. 5.13. such as learne to be idle, wandring about from house to house, and not onely idle, but tatlers also, [Page 15]and busiebodies speaking things which they ought not. But scarcely any where can we finde those women that learne in silence, 1. Tim. 2. that with the honourable Dames of Berea receiue the word with all readinesse of minde, and search the Scrip­tures whether those things are so, Act. 17.11.12. and with Damaris there, verse 34 cleaue vnto Pauls preaching: that with the women, and Mary the mother of Iesus continue with the Apostles in the exercise of religion, act. 1.14. and with Mary Magdalen, Ioanna, and Susanna, are with Christ, whilest hee is preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the king­dome of heaven, Luke. 8.1.2. Nay if wee runne too and fro, through the streetes of our Ierusalem, and see, and know, and seeke in the broad places therof, Ier. 5.1. where can we find any Disciples vnlesse such as Paul found at Ephesus, that haue Learned nothing, soe ignorant that they cannot tell whether there be an holy Ghost or no, Act. 19.2.3 any such tracta­ble [Page 16]schollers as Cornelius, with his words in their mouthes, to Christs ministers, we are here as in the presence of God, to heare the things that are commanded you of God, Act. 10.33. any that presse vpon them to heare the word of God, as those did, Luke 5.1. Diogenes comming into Antisthenes schoole, & being often rejected by him, yet stucke there still, and when on a time Antisthenes offered to strike him with his staffe, he bowed his head and said, Beate me if thou wilt, but thou shalt finde no staffe so hard wherewith thou shalt driue me away, so long as thou speakest any thing. According to which effect, Augustine on Iohn sayth, If thou canst teach me that I know not, I ought not onely to indure thee patiently in words, but also beating me with stripes But now though wee speake the hidden wisedome of God, in a mystery able to make man wise vnto salvation, and not the perishing wisedome of this world (as the old Philosophers did) wee haue neede of roddes and staues to driue men [Page 17]to vs, to compell them to come in, that Gods house may be full of Disciples. E­very where we may finde Despisers soo­ner then Disciples, prophainers rather then professours, good companions rather then good Christians, brethren in evill rather then holy brethren, children of the Devill rather then sonnes of God; and the Syna­gogues of Satan rather then the houshold of Faith: yea the very names of Disciple, bro­ther, beleever, professour, Saint, faithfull, (which should be our crowne and our joy) are laughed to scorne by miscreants which yet would be good Christians. But let them be assured that if they be ashamed to be Christs Disciples here, to learne and know him, that hee will be ashamed of them hereafter Luke 9.26. that he will not then know them for any of his.

Wee see that this woman hath begun to runne well, to witnesse a good confes­sion, let her ride on prosperously as the Psalmist speaketh, Psaml. 45.4. for shee [Page 18]lacketh yet one thing comprehending in it many things to make her a compleate Christian, shee must not onely professe well, but also expresse it, not onely haue her eares opened to learne Christs will, mine eares hast thou opened, but her heart and hand ready to doe it, I delight to doe thy will, thy law is within my heart Psal. 40.6.8. for Christianum facit vita & professio, as Austine sayth, life and profession together make a Christian. Let vs marke then how these meete and kisse each other in her, for her profession she is a Disciple, for her profit, shee is generally fruitfull in good workes. Now concerning good workes here mentioned, Pilate in the spirit of scoffing or curiosity asked our Saviour, what is the truth? Iohn 18.38. but wee in the spirit of meekenesse may well aske here, what good workes are? Good workes then (as I haue learned at the feete of a Gamaliel of ours, Zanchy on the 1. chap. of the Philip. verse 11.) are workes and actions aswell inward as outward: whe­ther [Page 19]they be thoughts in the minde, and elections in the will, or words vttered by the tongue, or deedes which may be done by a righteous man as he is righte­ous, in any part of his soule or body. For as an actuall sinne is any thing sayd, or done, or thought against the law of God, so a good worke, (and as S ^t Iohn calleth it in his 1. epist. cap. 3.) righteousnesse is any thing spoken, or thought, or done accor­ding to the Law of God. The holy Ghost for our better direction and for distincti­on, doth sometimes tripartite good workes into 1. sobriety in the vse of out­ward things, as meate, drinke, apparell and the like: 2. righteousnesse in our dea­lings with men: 3. Godlinesse in our duties to God; that we should liue soberly, righte­ously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2.12. sometimes hee doth more briefely bi­partite them into holinesse, in the duties of the first table that concerne Gods worship; and righteousnesse, in the duties of the se­cond Table, that respect our neighbours [Page 20]good, that wee might serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life, Luke 2.75. And so doth our Saviour into the first and great commandement which is, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy minde; and the second is like to it, which is, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe. Matt. 22.37.38.39.40. Now this being written for our learning, we must learne of this Disciple, this learner in in Christs schoole, to joyne with our pro­fession practice, with our hearing doing, with our faith vertue 2. Pet. 1.5. with our shew of godlinesse the power of it in our liues. 2. Tim. 3.5. with our knowledge of God the service of him. 1. Chr. 28 9. with our professing to know God a manifest­ing of it in our workes 2. Tim. 3.5. with our calling of Abrahā father a doing of the workes of Abraham, Iohn 8.39. The pro­fessours of the Gospell must haue their conversation as becometh the Gospell of Christ, Phil. 1.27. VValke worthy of the vo­cation [Page 21]wherewith they are called; Ephes. 4.1. & worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing, Col. 1.10. & adorne themselues with good works, 1. Tim. 2.10. This is a faithfull saying, and these things I will that thou affirme con­stantly, that they which haue beleeued in God, might be carefull to maintaine good workes, Tit. 3.8. Men learne the trades of this world to practise them, and the myste­ries of godlinesse are taught vs that wee may turne wordes into workes, as Ber­nard sayth in his tract of ordering our liues. It profiteth not to haue learned what wee should doe, and not to doe it, (saith Hie­rome in an epistle) it is better not to know a thing, then to learne it with danger: and Augustine and in his 2. homily on the re­velation: As it booteth not for a great tree to be greene, and yeeld no fruit, so it profiteth not to be called a Christian, and not to haue Christian workes: and the same father in his booke of 83 questions, and 76 questi­on sayth, that the words of the Apostle, I suppose that a man is justified by faith with­out [Page 22]the workes of the law, are not so to be vnderstood, that when a man hath receiued faith, we should call him just, though hee liue ill. But in this point wee that glory in God Rom. 2.17. and are called Christi­ans, are so bad schollers that if my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountaine of teares, I could not sufficiently bewaile our wants of fruites answerable to our profession; wee make our boast of Gods law amongst vs, but through our brea­king of it, we dishonour God, and cause his name to be blaspheemed, Rom. 2.23.24. with the Iewes Ier. 7. wee cry templum Domini, the Temple of the Lord, God is a­mongst vs, and wee are his temple, but we amend not our wayes: we come and stand before God in his house, as a nati­on that would do righteously, but when we are gone, wee doe all abominations, steale, murther, committe adultery, sweare rashly and falsely, drinke till wee are drunke, giue others drinke till they are drunke also, and runne to all excesse [Page 23]of riot. Wee are indeed baptized vnto Moses, Gods Ministers whom he hath sent to baptize, and eate the same spi­rituall meate, and drinke the same spi­rituall drinke, but please not God in our liues and conversations, 1. Cor. 10.2.3.4.5. with Simon Magus wee haue a kinde of temporary beliefe, but our hearts are not right in the sight of God, but wee are in the gall of bitternesse, and in the bond of iniquity, Act. 8.13.21.23. we haue Iacobs voyce, smooth and blessed words, but Esaus hands, rough and cursed deedes; with the figge tree we haue the leaues of an outward profession, but want the fruits of an holy conversation; with Iudas vve are numbred amongst Christs Disci­ples, sit at table vvith him, but betray him assoone as vvee are gone out; vvee heare but vvee do not, vvith out mouthes and bodily presence vvee shevve much loue, but our hearts runne after covetousnesse, Ezec. 33.31. and all kinde of vvickednes. In a vvord, vve haue much knovvledge, [Page 24]no charity, a dead faith, a faith of Devils, but no workes; Christs greatest friends and they of his owne houshold are his greatest enemies, being as Bernard com­plaines in his time, all friends, and all ene­mies; all necessaries, and all adversaries; all neere, and yet all such as seeke their owne. Videtur bone Iesu (as Hugo complaineth in his time) O good Iesu the whole company of Christians seemeth to haue conspired a­gainst thee, and they which are first in thy Church, are first in persecuting of thee. Woe, woe vnto vs for our ill liues, shall our outward profession, our dead and devil­lish faith saue vs without good workes? Marke wee that faithfull saying of S ^t Au­stine in his booke of faith to Peter the Deacon, cap. 40. Beleeue it for a truth and doubt not of it, that not all which are baptiz­ed within the Catholicke Church shall re­ceiue eternall life, but they who after baptisme receiued liue well: for as infidels, heretickes, and schismatickes shall not haue the king­dome of heaven, so vitious Catholickes shall [Page 25]not possesse it. Next wee haue her good workes amplified by the extent,

Full of good worke] she was filled with the fruits of righteousnesse, Phil. 1.11. like those water pottes at the wedding, that were full to the brimme Ioh. 2. and shee gaue to God and man good measure, pressed downe, shaken together and running over Luke 8.36. what we heare then and see in her we must doe, we must be ready to every good worke, Tit. 3. fruitfull in every good worke, Col. 1.10. walking with Za­chary and Elizabeth in all the commande­ments of God without reproofe, Luke 1. and abounding alwayes in the worke of the Lord, 1. Cor. 15.58. what the yong man boast­ed of vaine-gloriously, wee must striue after sincerely, all these haue I kept from my youth vpwardes. Mar. 10.20.

For God loueth a fulnesse of all things, an abounding in every good gift, 2. Cor. 8. a fulnesse of knowledge, Col. 1.9. a ful­nesse of obedience, Phil. 1.11. a fulnesse of faith, and for that purpose giueth to his [Page 26]a fulnesse of the holy Ghost, Stephen full of faith, and of the holy Ghost, Act. 6.5. Away then with those depthes of Satan, when men thinke that they may borrow a point of God, and with that yong man, Marke 10. faile in one thing or other, and with Herod, Mar. 6. keepe their minion Herodias, some darling sinne or other, so long as they doe many good things. Let not then the vsurer flatter himselfe with an opinion that God will be mercifull vnto him in his vsury (as Naaman prayed that God would be mercifull vnto him in the point of bowing in the idoles tem­ple 2. Kings. 5.) nor the adulterer in his a­dultery, nor the blaspemer in his swea­ring, nor the drunkard in his swilling, nor the slanderer in his evill speaking, nor the louer of pleasures in his immo­derate and vnlawfull pastimes, nor any man in his taking liberty to committe & continue in any knowne sinne. Our obe­dience to God must be vniversall, like to that which the Reubenites, Gadites, and [Page 27]halfe tribe of Manasseh professe and pro­mise to Ioshuah, all that thou commandest vs will wee doe, whithersoever thou sendest vs, will we goe, in all things as we obeyed Moses, so will wee obey thee, los. 1.16.17. We must then with the Apostle pray that the God of peace would make vs perfect in every good worke to doe his will, Heb. 13.20.21.

And Almes-deedes which shee did: But the holy Ghost here transit à thesi ad hypo­thesin, passeth from the generall to the spe­ciall, from her fulnesse in good workes in generall, to her fulnesse in one good worke specially, and that is in almes-deeds. It may be sayd, what neede this wast of words? if shee were full of all good workes, then consequently of almes-deedes, if shee abounded in every grace, then in this also, for Genus est insepa­rabile à suis speciebus, the generall and the speciall cannot be separated one from another; It is true, the one can­not be without the other, but very fre­quently in scripture, where wee finde re­ligion [Page 28]& good works mētioned, we shall see giving of almes attend vpon thē as an elder daughter vpon the mother. Cornelius being cōmended for a devout man, & one that feared God, this point is presētly added, he gaue muchalmes to the people, Act. 10.2. the Apostle requiring in a widow to be chosē for the service of the Church, that she shold be well reported of for good workes, presently hitteth vpon this speciall, if she haue lodged strangers, if she haue washed the Saints feet, if shee haue relieued the afflicted, 1. Tim. 5.10. and calling vpon the Hebrewes that they should not forget to doe good, in the next place he addeth and to communicate, Heb. 13.16. either joyning the speciall to the generall, communicating to doing of good, or by both words signifying one thing, because distributing to the necessi­ties of our brethren is magna pars bonorum operum, a great and principall part of good works; it is (as Demosthenes sayd pronun­ciation was in Rhetoricke) primum, secun­dum, & tertium in benefaciendo; the first, [Page 29]second and third point in doing of good. Yea consider how great a good worke almes doing is, seeing it shall be menti­oned when all our other workes shall be omitted: Come ye blessed of my Father &c. for I was hungry, and yee fedde me, I was thirsty, and ye gaue me drinke Matt. 25.34.35. tacet Deus &c. God concealeth all the other good deedes of the righteous, and onely vouchsafeth to remember their almes, he con­cealeth also all the evill deedes of vngodly men, and onely thinketh meete to rebuke their barrennesse in almes. Augustine in his 28. Homily. and Peter Chrysologus in his 14. Sermon, In the kingdome of heaven before all, in the assēbly of thē that rise, God mention­eth not that Abel suffred, that Noah preser­ved the world, that Abraham kept the faith, that Moses gaue the law, that Peter ascēded vp to the crosse of Iesus with his heeles vp­wards, but only speaketh of that which the pore eateth: and seeing our riches so lost (as the world thinketh) shall be found, when all the treasures that we lay vp closely shal be [Page 30]lost, for as Gregory sayth, by keeping earth­ly things we loose them, but by giving of them we preserue them: and as Peter Chrysologus, whatsoever thou giuest to the poore, thou shalt haue it, whatsoever thou giuest not to the poore, another shall haue it. The point to be pressed to vs hence, is as plaine as Abacuckes vision, Hab. 2.2. hee may runne that readeth and observeth it. It is that e­very Disciple of the houshold of faith must pro suo modulo, according to his mea­sure, abound in this grace of distributing, the rich must be rich in good workes, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, 1. Tim. 6.17. They must cast great gifts into Christs treasury, the meaner sort must not be wanting in their mites, Mar. 12. and every one according to his ability must relieue his brethren, for so they pro­portion it at Antioch, Act. 11.29. yea and in case of necessity sometimes beyond his ability, 2. Cor. 8.3. But who is such a stranger in our Israell, that hee knoweth not these things? I may say of this point [Page 31]as Luther sayd of that verse of the 15. Ps: he that hath not giuen his money vpon vsury. Iste versus non indiget expositione, sed im­pletione, this verse needes no expounding but fulfilling. Instruction in this righte­ousnesse wee neede not but rather corre­ction for our being behinde in this worke of the Lord. Amongst vs that are called Christians, there are many profes­sours, fewe practisers, and those fewe that seeme ready to other good workes, are backward inough to this. I will not say with the Apostle 1. Cor. 15. I speake it to our shame, that little of this fruit grow­eth vpon many of those trees, that seeme not onely to haue beene long planted, but also much to flourish in the Courts of Gods house, that this sure marke of sound religion is almost worne out a­mongst many, who yet primos se volunt esse in religione would be ringleaders in religion, but I will take vp those words of Naaman, 2. Kings 5. God be mercifull vnto vs in this point, and double them [Page 32]with him, God be mercifull vnto vs in this point, for want of shewing our pure and vndefiled religion before God by the workes of mercy towards our brethren, for failing in this fruit of our faith, and proofe of our being true worshippers of God, caeteris rebus pietatem colimus, in other matters we shew our selues very godly, we can goe vp to Gods temple, stand be­fore him in his house, make many praiers vnto him, shew much loue with our mouthes, but when it commeth to this hand-loue, then our hearts goe after co­vetousnesse, Ezek. 33.31, we loue that the bread of life should dwell plenteously a­mongst vs, but very sparingly deale our bread to the hungry, we can continue in breaking of bread at Gods table, but care not for breaking our bread to his people, we can sing lustily with a good courage, but not giue cheerefully, which God lo­veth, we can perhaps fast, and afflict our soules, (but that is not in much vse with vs) but wee cannot refresh the bowels [Page 33]of Gods poore people, wee rather make them fast, and afflict their soules; in a word, wee are forwarder to shew our religion and loue to Gods name any way then this way. The old people of the Iewes were very strict in all other fruits of their religion, they sought God dayly, and delighted to know his wayes, as a nation that did righteously, and forsooke not the ordinan­ces of their God, they asked of God the ordi­nances of justice, they tooke delight in ap­proaching to God, they fasted, they afflicted their soules: and thought these such high points of piety that they quarrelled with God for not regarding of them. VVhere­fore haue we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore haue we afflicted our soule, and thou takest no knowledge? but all this religion and devotion was in vaine with­out the workes of Charity. Is not this the fast that I haue chosen? to loose the bands of wickednesse, to vndoe the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye breake every yoake? Is it not to deale thy bread to the [Page 34]hungry, and that thou bring the poore that are cast out to thine house, when thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh? Isa 58.2.3.5.6.7. That of S ^t Basile in an Homi­ly against the vnmercifull rich men of his time, is very appliable to ours; I haue knowne them that haue fasted, that haue pray­ed, that haue sighed and groaned, and in a word haue exercised and practised all the workes of piety that would cost them nothing, but would not bestow one halfe-penny on the poore, what profit had they of all their other vertue? It was excellently sayd of Leo in his sermon de apparit. the vertue of mercy is so great, that without it, the rest though they be present cannot profit: for although a man be faithfull, and chast, and sober, and a­dorned with other excellent gifts, yet if he be not mercifull, he shall not obtaine mercy. But on every side we may finde Iudasses that care not for the poore, nay care not so much as for a shew of caring for the poore, which was in him, this ointment [Page 35]might haue beene sold for three hundred pence, and giuen to the poore, Iohn 12.5.6. Churlish Nabals, that being moved to a worke of mercy can roare out, shall I take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers, and giue it to men whom I know not whence they bee? 1. Sam. 25.11. Their hearts even in this respect are stony, insensible of others miseries, the bowels of compassion are shut vp in thē as strately as the gates of Iericho were Ios. 7.1. their eyes are evill and cannot in­dure to see another eate of their morsels, their hands are withered like the mans in the Gospell, Luke 6. so that they cannot open and stretch them out to their poore brother. Let Lazarus lie, and cry, and dye at their gates, they will pitty him lesse then their dogges; with Cain they will be no keepers of their brethren, Gen. 4. Let Gods ministers serue at the Altar, and cry with the children of the Prophets mors est in olla death is in the potte, 2. Kings 4.40. for their poore maintenance, [Page 36]they will not receiue them, nor giue them a cuppe of cold water in the name of a Prophet. The Lord hath neede of them, Matt. 21.3. is no plea with them to make them part with an Asse, or the foale of an Asse, or the hoofe of an Asse for Gods service. Let them haue enough in store for themselues, lie vpon their beds of Ivo­ry, stretch themselues vpon their coaches, eate the lambes out of the flocke, and the calues out of the midst of the stall, drinke wine in boules, and annoint themselues with chiefe oyntment, and they will not grieue for the affliction of Ioseph, Am. 6.4.5.6. they will haue no compassion on the multitude that haue nothing to eate, Mar. 8.2. Lord lay not this sin of vnmercifulnesse to the charge of this age of ours, and stirre vs vp in our places, and according to our powers, to shew mercy here, that wee may finde it in the great day of the Lord IESVS. Amen.