Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

To excite, and encourage you, to comply with this Direction, I shall lay before you▪ several Examples, which will show you, how Practical, and Acceptable a work, this is. (1.) Private Christians were helpful to our Lord Jesus Christ himself, in his preaching of the Gospel, in the days of his flesh, upon Earth. Tho all things were made by him, and he upholds them by the Word of his power, and so the Earth is His, and the fullness thereof, yet, for our sakes▪ he became poor, and was pleased to receive provisions, for his subsistence from some godly women, who ministered to him of their substance, Luk. viii. 1, 2, 3. (2.) The Apostle Paul records it, to the praise of the Philippians, That they were careful of him, and made provision for him, not only, when he laboured among them, and when he was in Bonds for preaching the Gospel, (And I heartily wish, that all private Christians, among us, yea, and such as glory in their profession, would keep pace with them, so far,) but also, when he was employed in the service of the Lord, among such as were, then, strangers to Christ, and the Gospel, Phil. iv. 15, 16. Now ye Philippians, know also, that, in the beginning of the Gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no Church communicated with me, as concerning Giving, and Receiving, but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once, and again, to my necessity. (3.) St. John drawing up the fair character of Gaius, a private Christian, placeth this, as a beautiful flower in his garland, That he was hospitable, and liberal to those who for Christs names sake, went forth (preaching the Gospel) among the Gentiles, taking nothing of them, 2 Ep. John ver. 5.6, 7. Let private Christians take notice, that the name of Gaius, and his Charity, are registered in the sacred Scripture, and if their disposition, and practice, be like to his, theirs also shall be written, in Christs book of remembrance, Mat. x. 41, 42. He that receiveth (and so he that encourageth) a Prophet, in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward. (4) Take notice, that it stands as a Blot in the Escutcheon of the Corinthians, that they were altogether for [Greek or Hebrew], Gratuitum Evangelium. A Gospel that should cost them nothing. Corinth was the most convenient, and so the most frequented Port, for Trade, in all Greece. The Inhabitants are said, to have been very Wealthy, Proud, and Voluptuous.