The surest & safest way of thriving, or, A conviction of that grand mistake…

And what variety of expressions doth our Saviour use in Luke 6. 38. to assure us of a large reward here of all our labour of love showed to his Ministers, and members? Give, saith he, and it shall be given to you again, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. For your encouragement unto this duty of giving to the poor, Our Saviour first annexeth a general promise of return, Give, and it shall be given to you again, where he giveth you a Bill of his hand, that you shall be no looser by what you give to his poor, but shall be repaid, and that with advantage, as the following words declare, you shall have good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, we account it good measure, when it is heaped up, but when it is not only heaped up, but pressed down, that is more; but when it is heaped up, pressed down; and then heaped up, and running over again, who can but say, that this is good measure indeed? Yet thus God deals with merciful men, they shall have mercies and blessings heaped up, pressed down, and running over. How truly then may I take up the words of the Psalmist, Blessed is he that considereth the poor; He shall not only be blessed, but he shall have blessings heaped up, and running over! which the Apostle St. Paul expresseth very Emphatically by the similitude of reaping and sowing, 2 Cor. 9. 6. He that soweth sparingly, shall reap sparingly, but he which soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully. As men sow, so shall they reap, the more liberally they give to good uses, the more bountifully they shall receive from God: they shall find a plentiful harvest, as the fruit of all their cost and pains. Dr. Hammond in his practical Catechism, quoting these words of the Apostle He that soweth bountifully, shall reap bountifully, addeth this gloss, By reaping bountifully, I conceive is meant, not only Gods abundant retributions of glory in another world, but even his payments of temporal plenty, and blessings here to those who have been willing to make that Christian Use of that earthly talent committed to their Stewarding.

And what variety of expressions doth our Saviour use in Luke 6. 38. to assure us of a large reward here of all our labour of love shewed to his Ministers, and members? Give, saith he, and it shall be gien to you again, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over. For your encouragement unto this duty of giving to the poor, Our Saviour first annexeth a general promise of return, Give, and it shall be given to you again, where he giveth you a Bill of his hand, that you shall be no looser by what you give to his poor, but shall be repay'd, and that with advantage, as the following words declare, you shall have good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, we account it good measure, when it is heaped up, but when it is not only heaped up, but pressed down, that is more; but when it is heaped up, pressed down; and then heaped up, and running over again, who can but say, that this is good measure indeed? Yet thus God deales with merciful men, they shall have mercies and blessings heaped up, pressed down, and running over. How truely then may I take up the words of the Psalmist, Blessed is he that considereth the poor; He shall not only be blessed, but he shall have blessings heaped up, and running over! which the Apostle St. Paul expresseth very Emphatically by the similitude of reaping and sowing,