1It is the best way to provide for thy children, Psalm. 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man. A ⟨p. 77⟩man is not the poorer for discreet mercy. It is seed (as I said before) a poor man labours to have his seed sown, because it returns plentifully. Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expenses: pride is an expender, and superfluous lusts; let us cut off from them, that we may have somewhat for seed; let us labour in an honest calling, that we may have somewhat to give. Oh, it is a blessed thing to give! It is a thing that must be gotten by use, our souls must be exercised to it, and when we have gotten it, learn an art of giving, we must exercise faith in it.2 And when we come to dye, it will make us dye wondrous sweetly: for when a man hath depended by faith, and trust upon Gods promise, that He that gives to the poor, lends to the Lord, and other like promises. I have exercised liberality, and now I come to give up my soul to God, I believe that God will make good the promise of life everlasting. I have believed his other promises before, and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not, yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better, in a way that I know not; and now I depend upon the same gracious God, in the promise of life everlasting. We should labour to do this, that we may die with comfort.3 What is it that troubles many when they come to dye? Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with fear and trembling, they have neglected this duty, and that duty, they have been careless in the works of mercy, &c. The time will come that that which we have given, will comfort us more then that we have; we shall ⟨p. 78⟩alway have that which we give: for that goes in b•nck, many prayers are made for us; we have the comfort of it here, and when we dye; what we leave, we know not what becomes of it.
1It is the best way to provide for thy children, Psalme. 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man. A ⟨p. 77⟩man is not the poorer for discreet mercy. It is seed (as I said before) a poore man labours to have his seed sowne, because it returnes plentifully. Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences: pride is an expender, and superfluous lusts; let us cut off from them, that we may have somewhat for seed; let us labour in an honest calling, that we may have somewhat to give. Oh, it is a blessed thing to give! It is a thing that must be gotten by use, our soules must be exercised to it, and when we have gotten it, learne an art of giving, we must exercise faith in it.2 And when we come to dye, it will make us dye wondrous sweetly: for when a man hath depended by faith, and trust upon Gods promise, that He that gives to the poore, lends to the Lord, and other like promises. I have exercised liberality, and now I come to give up my soule to God, I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting. I have beleeved his other promises before, and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not, yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better, in a way that I know not; and now I depend upon the same gracious God, in the promise of life everlasting. We should labour to doe this, that we may die with comfort.3 What is it that troubles many when they come to dye? Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling, they have neglected this duty, and that duty, they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy, &c. The time will come that that which wee have given, will comfort us more then that we have; we shall ⟨p. 78⟩alway have that which we give: for that goes in b•nck, many prayers are made for us; we have the comfort of it here, and when we dye; what we leave, we know not what becomes of it.
- 1Liberality provides for posterity. Psal. 112.
- 2It makes comfortable in death.
- 3Negligence of duties, troubles at death
