A15012:68
The poor mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in…The poore mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in…
The poor mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in sermons by William Whately minister of BanburyThe poore mans advocate, or, A treatise of liberality to the needy. Delivered in sermons by William Whately minister of Banbury
London: printed by George for George Edwards, 1637
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The first is vain-glory, to be seen of men, for then our Lord tells us we have received our reward, this is hypocritical, pharisaical, guileful, a man serves sin in ⟨p. 129⟩it, not God, nor man, though it may profit the receiver, the givers soul shall be no whit advantaged by it, these thoughts of gaining the praise and esteem of men, are to be thrust out of our minds, that they may not pollute our merciful deeds.
The first is vaine-glory, to be seene of men, for then our Lord tells us we have received our reward, this is hypocriticall, pharisaicall, guilefull, a man serves sinne in ⟨p. 129⟩it, not God, nor man, though it may profit the receiver, the givers soule shall be no whit advantaged by it, these thoughts of gaining the praise and esteeme of men, are to be thrust out of our mindes, that they may not pollute our mercifull deeds.
Another end and motive there is worse then this, and that is a conceit of satisfying for sin, or deserving life eternal, this is to make our deeds stand in steed of Christs obedience, of his sufferings and righteousness, ⟨p. 130⟩this is to offer strange incense to God, a thing deserving cutting off in the old law, this is to overvalue our deeds, and under-value Gods Justice and kingdom; A sudden oath or taunting term or the like called venial sins, were not such offences to the divine Majesty, if the giving of a groat or shilling to a poor man might propitiate for them, heaven were an easy purchase and too cheap a penny-worth, if a man might buy it by giving alms, these fancies ⟨p. 131⟩do so putrefy works of mercy, that they become odious unto God, because he that doth them puts confidence in the flesh, as Saint Paul calls it, and therefore causeth his alms to be but a work of the flesh, which kind of work cannot please God: J have done with rules of mercy, I go to the next point and will give you some means of helping you to be merciful.