THAT Apostolical Man Mr. Thomas Gouge, has Written an Excellent Treatise which bears this Title, The Surest and Safest Way of Thriving, to which Discourse of his, those Great Men, Dr. Owen, Dr. Manton, Dr. Bates, & Mr. Baxter have each of them Prefixed a Commendatory Epistle. The Author has these Remarkable Words, I am (says he) verily Persuaded, that there ⟨p. 2⟩is seldom any man who giveth to the Poor Proportionably to what God has bestowed on him, but if he does observe the Passages of God's Providence towards him, he shall find the same doubled and redoubled upon him in Temporal Blessings. I dare challenge all the World to give one Instance, (or at least any considerable number of Instances) of any Merciful Man whose Charity has undone him. But as Living Wells, the more they are drawn, the more freely they Spring and Flow: so the Substance of Charitable Men does often-times multiply in the very Distribution; even as the Five Loaves & few Fishes did Multiply in their breaking and Distributing; and the Widows Oil increased by the Pouring it out. This is the Assertion by that worthy Man advanced: He confirms both that, and the Title of his Book with some Historical Passages very observable: Particularly, he takes notice of what Writers have reported concerning the Christian ⟨p. 3⟩Emperor Tiberius, who was famous for his bounty to the Poor. His Wife blamed him for it, Saying, That he wasted his Treasure that way; To whom he replied, That he should never want Money so long as in Obedience to Christs Command he did Supply the necessities of the Poor. Not long after he had made a Liberal Distribution to the Poor, he unexpectedly found a great Treasure, & News was also brought him of the Death of one Narses, a Man of vast Riches, who had given all his Estate to Tiberius. Famous also is the Pleasant Story of a Charitable Bishop of Milan, who as he was Travelling with his Servant, over-took some Poor People who begged an Alms of him: Whereupon he asked his man what Money he had about him, who answered Three Crowns, he ordered him to give them to the Poor; but the Servant thinking himself Wiser than his Master, gave them but two of the Crowns: Not long after some Noble men Meeting the Bishop, and knowing him to be a very Charitable Man, appointed two ⟨p. 4⟩hundred Crowns to be paid to the Servant for his Masters use; who presently acquainted his Master therewith;
THAT Apostolical Man Mr. Thomas Gouge, has Written an Excellent Treatise which bears this Title, The Surest and Safest Way of Thriving, to which Discourse of his, those Great Men, Dr. Owen, Dr. Manton, Dr. Bates, & Mr. Baxter have each of them Prefixed a Commendatory Epistle. The Author has these Remarkable Words, I am (says he) verily Perswaded, that there ⟨p. 2⟩is seldom any man who giveth to the Poor Proportionably to what God has bestowed on him, but if he does observe the Passages of God's Providence towards him, he shall find the same doubled and redoubled upon him in Temporal Blessings. I dare challenge all the World to give one Instance, (or at least any considerable number of Instances) of any Merciful Man whose Charity has undone him. But as Living Wells, the more they are drawn, the more freely they Spring and Flow: so the Substance of Charitable Men does often-times multiply in the very Distribution; even as the Five Loaves & few Fishes did Multiply in their breaking and Distributing; and the Widows Oyl increased by the Pouring it out. This is the Assertion by that worthy Man advanced: He confirms both that, and the Title of his Book with some Historical Passages very observable: Particularly, he takes notice of what Writers have reported concerning the Christian ⟨p. 3⟩Emperor Tiberius, who was famous for his bounty to the Poor. His Wife blamed him for it, Saying, That he wasted his Treasure that way; To whom he replied, That he should never want Money so long as in Obedience to Christs Command he did Supply the necessities of the Poor. Not long after he had made a Liberal Distribution to the Poor, he unexpectedly found a great Treasure, & News was also brought him of the Death of one Narses, a Man of vast Riches, who had given all his Estate to Tiberius. Famous also is the Pleasant Story of a Charitable Bishop of Millain, who as he was Travelling with his Servant, over-took some Poor People who begged an Alms of him: Whereupon he asked his man what Money he had about him, who answered Three Crowns, he ordered him to give them to the Poor; but the Servant thinking himself Wiser than his Master, gave them but two of the Crowns: Not long after some Noble men Meeting the Bishop, and knowing him to be a very Charitable Man, appointed two ⟨p. 4⟩hundred Crowns to be paid to the Servant for his Masters use; who presently acquainted his Master therewith;
