Forty sermons whereof twenty one are now first publish'd, the greatest part preach'd before the King and on solemn occasions / by Richard Allestree ... ; to these is prefixt an account of the author's life.

SERMON XXI. THE LIGHT OF THE BODY is the Eye. (Book 21)

Matt. 6. 22, 23.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

But if thine eye be evill, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?

THE Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a treasure hid in a field, Matth. 13. 44. a field this much richer than it shews for, that provides for several uses of our life, that furnisheth with food and wealth too, and is both granary and treasury; and just such is the word of the Kingdom also, it hath in it more than it promises to sight, there are still hidden treasures besides the food that grows be∣fore our eies: if we search, we shall find still more and more furni∣ture for life, more wealth yet in the bowels of it. These words give us experience of this, from which tho we have had several spi∣ritual entertainments, provisions for divers cases of our life, yet have we not exhausted them; for we shall find that yet in an∣other sense The light of the body is the eie, &c.

To the two interpretations, I have given of these words, the first of which that by a single eie should be meant a single in∣tention, an intire, honest meaning, an heart like that of Jacob, plain, simple, and upright, such as may therefore stile a man an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile, no doubling, but such an one as laies alwaies to it self good ends, and intends to take in no ill means to compass them, hath bin generally adhered to by al∣most all Expositors. The second, that by the single eie should be meant the pure, clear, good conscience, which to me indeed seems much more proper than the other; to neither of them have I any objection but this, that they do not at all relate to the matter of the discourse, which our Savior hath in hand, and 'tis not ima∣ginable why Christ should in the midst of a Paragraph concerning mortifying the desire and love of wealth, the beginning of which

commands laying up treasure in heaven, and the end tells us we cannot serve God and Mammon, should interpose any thing of con∣science or intentions: and therefore, tho what we have delivered of them be exactly consonant to the words, and built upon other certain Scripture, and be the sense of most men, yet we will view one other, which tho it be assign'd but by one Expositor, that I know of, yet being exactly pertinent to the matter in hand, and having a surer plea for its being the sense of the place, than any of the rest have, it shall not escape us, tho no more have lighted upon it. Now the way of finding out the meaning was, not to consider what may be compar'd to a single eie or an evil eie, for possibly so many things may be; but by seeing what those words do constantly signify in Scripture, and so what light and darkness also do, and then put them together, and see whether they will so here: and we shall take those grounds.

1. Then what a single eie and evil eie do use to signify in Scri∣pture: and for the evil eie, we find it often Prov. 23. 6, 7. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eie, neither desire thou his dainty meats; for as he thinketh in his heart so is he; eat and drink, saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee: which means, eat not the meat of him that is a niggard, who tho he do invite thee to it, yet he do's grudge it thee, and grieves thou eatest it; his heart do's not speak in his invitations, but he had rather thou wouldest spare, and he computes thy morsels. So again Prov. 28. 22. He that hasteth to be rich, hath an evil eie, that is, is covetous; he envies every other man's prosperity, (so most Translations render it here) is troubled to see another flourish, and thinks their gain his loss. So Matt. 20. 15. Is thine eie evil, because I am good? he saies to them, who tho they had contracted for a penny by the day for labor, yet when they saw those that had wrought but a little part receive so much, strait en∣tertain'd desires and hopes of more than they had bargain'd for, and when they saw they should have nothing but their due, they mur∣mur'd; to whom the Master do's reply, Friend, I do thee no wrong, didst thou not agree with me for a penny, be thou content with that which comes to thy share? This man that came last to work (it being not his fault that he came no sooner, but his not being sooner call'd, and he having labored honestly and cheerfully ever since he came) shall by me, who accept the will for the deed, be rewarded with the same reward that thou hast; and sure thou hast no reason to complain, that I dispose of my own as I see cause: what reason is there that my bounty to others should be matter of envy and discontent to thee? So that an evil eie signifies unsatisfiedness with ones own condition, and envy at anothers, an eie that grieves to see any thing go besides it self; in one word, an illiberal, covetous, envious mind. You have its perfect character Ecclesiasticus 14. from v. 3. to 10. Riches are not comely for a niggard, and what should an envious man do with mony? He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul, gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously: he that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods. There is none worse than he that envieth himself, and if he doth good, he doth it unwillingly. The envious man hath a wicked

eie, he turneth away his face, and despiseth men; a covetous man's eie is not satisfied with his portion, and the iniquity of the wicked dries up his soul: a wicked eie envieth his bread, and he is a niggard at his table.

Next for the single eie, that certainly is set as opposite to the evil eie, as meaning liberality and chearful bounty, and we shall see accordingly that singleness do's signify; for so our Bible almost alwaies translates the word: 2 Cor. 8. 2. Their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality, the riches of their singleness it is in the Original. So chap. 9. 11. being enriched in every thing to all boun∣tifulness, to all singleness; again v. 13. liberal distribution, singleness of distribution the Greek do's say; and so in many places which others have observ'd; and Rom. 12. 8. He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity or singleness, for 'tis the same word still, and there our Margent tells you, that it means liberality. Single therefore do's in Scripture signify bountiful, and we shall find that coupled with the eie, Prov. 22. 9. He that hath a bountiful eie shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor. And so we have the Scripture sense of these two words, the single eie do's signify a liberal mind, and the evil eie a niggardly, uncontented, envious disposition. And here let us stop a little, and say a word on these expressions, why these things to the eie? is that the chief seat of those qua∣lities, is not the heart much rather? 'Tis true indeed that dis∣content and envy shed themselves into the eie, they dwell there in a cloud, the eie flags and is dull, and do's so certainly betray a niggard, envious heart, that we may see it grudges spirits to its own eies, and do's restrain that current that is to feed them with a vigorous life: when bounty on the other side flows into the eies in a chearful stream of spirits, that make them full and bright. But this is not all the reason; 'tis not only the sign of these same in∣clinations that hangs out in the eie, but the lust it self do's lodge and dwell there. S. John calls covetousness the lust of the eie, 1 John 2. 16. and that not only because the eie of the covetous is never satisfied with wealth, but lusts still more and more; but there is reason why it should be the lust of the eie, for when goods increase they are in∣creas'd that eat them, and what good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding them with their eies? Ecclesiasticus 5. 11. When plenty do's stream in upon us with a torrent, while we do lay it by and do not use it, then it is clear, that nothing but the eie en∣joies it: when we do lay it out, if we dispose it to comply with fashions, or to serve pomp and ostentation, or to feed emulation, because I will not be without what any other hath, or else to enter∣tain sports and delights, it is clear that nothing but the eie is treated with the expence, and with the magnificence of these; nei∣ther the back nor belly hath the least relish of them, nor hath the soul any other organ to imploy about them, but the organ of seeing. But if thy riches be expended in great provisions for the appetite, unless a man can stretch his belly as he do's his barns and his demesnes, and make all bigger, enlarge his stomach as he do's his table, pull out new sides of appetite, and multiply his hungers as he do's his dishes; the wealthy man himself devours but little

more, than when he had not such abundance, only he sees more meat, and sees more eaters of it: so that muchness of wealth, what is beyond sufficient competency, nothing but the eie enjoies, and it is therefore said that that lusts after it; 'tis the eie desires riches, and with them we serve no other part.

And then, my Brethren, this expression of single eie or bounti∣ful eie do s let us see, that liberality is no great pressure to a man, it do's require no inconveniences from him, it do's retrench from nothing but his eie; if we can but get this to be moderate in its objects, get but a single eie, an eie that is not covetous of every thing it likes and that delights it, an eie that will be satisfied with competencies, and then a man will have no other uses for much wealth, but only those of doing good with it; for if thine eie be not alwaies gaping after superfluities and daily novelties of enter∣tainments, pursuing every thing it fancies, or any other man pos∣sesses, and still ambitioning the heights of whatsoever it beholds that pleases it; if he can keep it from thirsting after every thing that feeds its own pride, or anothers envy: keep, I say, but the eie in bounds of moderation, and there is nothing else in man, that do's require much for its satisfaction. 'Tis nothing else but the un∣limited, unwearied eie, that looks thro all the world for entertain∣ments, and must have services from every part of the whole uni∣verse; the Indians must dive into the depths of the Abyss, and digg the rocks to get a Jewel that shall dash a little light into thine eie; the Mariner must pass throughout all the variety of climes, must cross the frozen and the torrid Zones to pick up those di∣versities of things that are to please thy sight, with a new garment for thy self or for thy chamber, or rather are to make a dress, not for thy back indeed or for thy room, but for thy eie, which is not well, except it see fine things; that must have furniture out of the bowels of the worms, and out of the bowels of the earth, have gold and silver utensils, and silken ornaments, and have I know not what: so also several nations must conspire to make up almost any one in the whole variety of sports, which yet do but pass by, and please the eie, and move away as quick as sight it self. It is the eie indeed that endears every excessive sin to us. The Scripture do's most properly express it, when it saies the Adul∣teries of the eie; for its delights, those of variety I mean, for that too hath no other, serve nothing but the eie. So it is in the sin of pride, and covetousness, and pleasure: it is that part spends almost all the riots and intemperances, that drinks in ob∣jects minutely, and thirsts for all diversities, these consume. Do but teach that to be content, and there will be enough for charity. If God had bid us rob our bowels for to feed the hungry, divide necessity betwixt us, and deny nature's cravings to hear those of the poor, it had bin hard; and tho the Lord emtied himself for us, yet sure the croaking of our emty bowels would have sounded much like murmurings at such a precept: but when he bids us only spare a little of the provisions of our eie, which wants nothing at all of them, do but deny thy sight some little portion of its excesses, and lay out some of its unnecessary objects

on the Poor, and I will ask no more for charity. This sure is no hard duty. Get but a single eie, an eie that is not niggardly and covetous, that catches at and grasps at every thing that likes it; do but moderate its desires and lusts, and all the rest of thee, thy back and belly will be easily contented, will spare enough for li∣berality: 'tis nothing but an evil eie that hinders. The pinching Miser he can deny all other appetites to gorge his eie, he crucifies his flesh, and almost starves his body to provide for his sight; 'tis this alone he cares for, to have wealth to behold, not use. Could he cure this Wolf, this canine appetite in his eie, that is so greedy to look on wealth, he might afford to give his heaps, for he do's nothing else with them, but see them. And 'tis the very same with them who are as covetous of pleasures for their sight, or things to furnish out the pomps of pride or ostentation of vanity; if their eie would abate in these, bounty would have provisions.

And sure, my Brethren, among the lovely changes that the eie delights in, this might come in for one handsom variety, to see such and so many souls live cheerfully thro the help of thy libera∣lity, to see thy wealth, not only feed the instruments of thy de∣light, thy Dogs, it may be, or thy Hawks, but feed poor Chri∣stians, but feed the members of thy Savior; to see when with a great deal thou canst hardly furnish one room well, much less of it do's furnish such poor laboring families: furniture of a very com∣fortable prospect it will be at that day, I am sure, when all the other satisfactions of thy eies are dead, or else dissolving in a floud of fire, then to behold those works which thy estate did help thee to perform; for they shall follow thee to Heaven, Rev. 14. 13. and to see that Christ upon the Throne, whom in his members thou hast oft reliev'd; an object that will comfort such a single eie with everlasting light. And so I pass to the second terms to be ex∣pounded, Light and Darkness.

1. Light in Scripture do's often signify Prosperity, as Darkness do's the contrary. I need not cite much Scripture for it, Psalm 18. 28. For thou wilt light my canlde, the Lord my God will enlighten my dark∣ness. Job 21. 17. How often is the candle of the wicked put out, and how oft cometh their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger to them. Isaiah, c. 5. 30. do's express times of affliction thus, and if one look unto the earth, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkned in the heavens thereof. So chap. 8. 22. Behold trouble, and darkness, and dimness of anguish. Now if it mean thus here, then the sense is, a single eie fills the body full of light; Cha∣rity makes a man prosperous in all his actions; but if the eie be evil, the body shall be full of darkness, he that either to furnish coffers, pride, or pleasures, or excesses do's retrench from bounty, how∣ever he advance these for a while, yet before long God will cut off the opportunities of these; he that will not put a good portion of what he hath to good uses, the time will come, when either he or his, however well provided for, shall not have for their own uses: if their eie be so evil as not to let their candle shed a light to any other but themselves, God will put out their canlde, and uncha∣ritableness shall bring adversity upon them or upon their families;

and if the verse mean thus, then it agrees with Solomon's Apho∣rism Prov. 11. 24. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to penury. But to this I have spoke already; now I shall only say, this is a doctrine that we need not only trust on Christ for the truth of, a very Turk believes it, and not the Gospel only, but the Alcoran affirms it: saying, that which they lay out of their wealth in the way of God, in pious charitable uses, is like a grain that brings forth seven stalks. Blessed harvest of Charity, increase more than an hundred fold! and I will add but one place of Scripture to it, which saies over the Text in larger and more glorious words Isaiah, 58. 7, 8, 10, 11. To deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house, when thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh; then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedi∣ly, and thy righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward: and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in droughts, and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a water'd garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. The expressions seem to grow upon the Prophet, first he saies, Thy light shall break forth as the morning, by little slow de∣grees of increasing light, which peeps out first in a dawn, and so grows into day; and so shall thy prosperity, which dawns and brightens by degrees, as thou drawest out reliefs: but he corrects these words, and thinks this is not blessing quick enough for this vertue, whose return shall be more eminent, conspicuous, and no∣table; thy light, saies he, shall rise in obscurity, shall have no creeping twilight for to usher it, but they very night shall break into Sun-shine, and in the midst of hopeless affliction the face of joy and gladness shall rise upon thee. Yea more as if the rising light were but weak, and too faint for his meaning, Thy darkness shall be as the noon-day, strong and hot brightness shall break in upon thy occasions of sadness, which shall both cherish and enlighten thee, thaw every thing that did sit cold about thine heart, and make all pleasant shine about thee. But where, I pray you, are the Luminaries that are to shed this Noon? The Prophet hath them here, thy Right∣eousness, that is in Scripture dialect thy Alms, shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward: Light express'd not only in terms of overflowing blessedness, but terms of guard and strength; Light he shall have here that shall be glory to him, and shall be fortification to him; the glory of the Lord shall be his reward, as if the charitable man did also dwell in Light that were inaccessible, who is so guarded as to have righteousness in his van for his avantguard, and the glory of the Lord of hosts and victories for his rere-defence; which means in plain words this, that the Lord will make the righteousness of such a man appear, and will do good and glorious things for him in this life. And then let others please themselves to have their wealth break out in shining pomps of bravery about them, or flow in streams of plenty

and of delicacy, or of pleasure; alas the spring of these will quick∣ly fail. If any scorching weather come, any fiery trial, any perse∣cution, yea any daies of adversity, the wealth will go out that is to furnish them; or if there do not come such daies, yet the too full streams will drain the fountain, and there will be no spring to feed the current; yea or however in a while these streams must grow unpleasant, and they will choak the soul that swims in them: but the charitable man, the man that deals his bread, and draws out his soul to the hungry in relief, while he hath the means, and in compassion and assistance while he hath not, whatever fail, the fountain of the glory of the Lord cannot be exhausted, he will have righteousness and glory still about him; the comfortable streams of which are of another relish than those carnal worldly delights which wealth provides, or else can give; of a more bles∣sed goust, the inextinguishable shine of which is surely far more cherishing and gladsom, than the gauds of vanity or fading pleasures. The brightness of God's glory cannot die, cannot be taken from thee, it is its own defence and shine: for righteousness shall go before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere∣ward, and then 'tis clearly prov'd, that such a single Eie shall make the body full of light.

2. Light do's signify holiness of life, deeds truly Christian; walk as Lights in the Lord, nothing more common in Scripture: and Darkness signifies a sinful and un-Christian life, a life that's full of deeds of darkness. And then the words mean thus; as the eie is the candle of the body, lightens and directs it well if it be as it ought, but otherwise very ill, and the man is in the dark, if his eie be ill, and do not serve him: so is the heart of man, as to the gui∣dance and direction of his actions; if his eie be single, if he have an heart taken off from the world, a liberal, bountiful mind, not set upon the love and desire of the things of this world, his whole body will be full of light, his whole life will be very Christian, all his actions holy and heavenly, and to the making of them so, liberality of mind hath a very observable influence. It will in∣cline a man wonderfully to pious courses, it is a leading vertue, as the eie is a leading part. But if the eie be evil, but if the heart be worldly set upon wealth, either for it self, or for those heights or fine things, or pleasures which wealth do's procure; if it be unsa∣tisfied in these things for it self, or envious at others for them, the whole body will be full of darkness, the whole life will be very un-Christian; such a disposition of mind as that, quite draws a man off from the temper that Christ requires: the unsatisfied, the envious, and the covetous person can never serve God, but only Sin, those dispositions being the root of all evil. Now if the light that is in thee be darkness, if thy heart be un-Christian, and if thy leading vertue, that was to take thee off from all worldly inclinations, be extinct and dark in thee, how great is that darkness? what an un-Christian life will there be, and whatever light do's shine about thee of the Gospel, whatever light thou dost pretend of knowledg, or of whatsoever else, there is a deep darkness dwells upon thy heart, and is in all thy actions.

Now this sense we see connects what went before and that which follows after, drives on our Savior's design that he is pressing here, and to this sense Scripture alwaies speaks in the expressions of single and of evil eie, of light and darkness; and therefore this was cer∣tainly the sense that was intended by our Savior, and to the prose∣cuting of it I shall shew,

1. That to have a generous, liberal mind, an heart taken off from the self uses and advantages of wealth, is the great means, the great engine and instrument of making all the actions very Christian, the life holy.

2. This grace in the heart, bounty of mind, is a great evidence of a true Christian heart.

3. A worldly heart, loving and desiring wealth, troubled at its condition, envying others that are in better, and for the ends of any advantages to it self, straitning its liberality, is not only in it self an un-Christian temper, but such as is the root and cause of a life wholly un-Christian and unholy. Of these in their order.

1. To have a liberal mind &c. That the throwing of this earth out of the heart is a most hopeful way of making the man clean and pure, we have most pregnant Scripture, Luke 11. 39, 40, 41. Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part in full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not be that made that which is without, make that which is within also? But rather give alms of such things as you have, and behold, all things are clean unto you: which bears this sene, ye hypocri∣tical Pharisees wash yor selve as if a man should wash his vessels, the outside of them only, leaving the insides of them full of filthi∣ness; for thus do ye wash your bodies, leaving your souls full of all uncleaness. This is an extreme folly; for it your outward washings were in obedience to God, you would cleanse the insides, your hearts and souls, as well as your bodies. The best way of purifying your selves, your estates, your meats and drinks, &c. from all pol∣lution cleaving to them, is by works of mercy and liberal alms gifts, and not by washing pots and vessels. Thy broken meats, thy scraps, thy charities shall cleanse thy platters more than wash∣ing them shall do, alms shall make all things clean. But how this? To cleanse hath two aspects, either on the guilt of past actions, or on the habits and dispositions to future commissions; and is to cleanse us from the evil that we have don, or to make us clean from those vices that were in us, and which would make us do more evil: the first of these is don by Repentance, not by Alms. Indeed the Wise man saies, the alms of a man is as a signet with the Lord, and he will keep the good deeds of a man as the apple of an eie, and give repentance to his sons and daughters, Ecclesiasticus 17. 22. the hap∣piest way of purchase for a family in the world. The give to children an estate perchance is but to give an instrument of vice, bestow the means of sining on them; at best 'tis but to leave them pomp and superfluity; but to give Repenetance to them is to give security of everlasting blessedness, this is as it were to entail Heaven on ones children. But this is not the thing we mean, we are to see how Alms should make us clean from vice. It is observ'd by a Reverend

Expositor, that our Savior speaking Syriack, useth a word for alms, which in that language and Arabick signifies cleansing; that is, give Alms, which as it comes from a word that signifies to cleanse, so all shall be clean to you: and they give this reason of the notion, they derive Alams from a word that signifies to cleanse, quod opes ab inqui∣namento, & animum ab avaritiae sordibus purgat, because

1. Alms purgeth our wealth from the pollution and filthiness that adheres to it. As among the Jews it was not lawful for any man to use the increase of his own land or cattle, to eat part of his own harvest, nor feed on his own vineyard, or imploy the profits of any one beast of his own herd or flock, till he had given up to God the first-born of that beast, offered the first fruits every year of his fruit-yards, and dedicated a first sheaf of his harvest: this must sanctify all the rest, which till then was unclean, not to be used by him; to this, it seems, our Savior do's look in his direction. There is an unclean tacke in every thing that comes from earth, it do's derive a soil and tincture thence, and tasts of the palce from whence it came, there is a kind of unsanctifiedness in wealth, which must be purg'd away. Our Savior do's imply this, when he saies, all things shall be clean to thee, intimating, that without some such course be taken 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 all our possessions are unclean to us; and S. Paul saies expresly of meat, it must be sanctified. Now saies he, the way to cleanse thy meats (and so for all thy wealth) is to give up part of thy meat to God by the now Christian way of sacrificing. Alms: this the truest way of blessing a meal, by engaging God a guest to it, who brings his blessings alwaies with him, and he hath still a share in that meal that the poor partake in. This course is of so great importance to be taken in every sort of our wealth, that holy Job presses an imprecation on himself, if he have not don so, Job 31. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23. If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eies of the widow to fail, or have eaten my morsel my self alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb: if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering; if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep, then let my arm from my shoulder-blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone; for destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure. So that Alms makes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, all our possessions, all our moderate enjoiments clean, if sancti∣fies them to our use.

But secondly, which is mre to our design, their second reason is, animum ab avaritiae sordibus purgat, it do's draw off the heart from worldly mindedness, and by that means from all unclean carnalities: but to not mistake me, Brethren, that a few, tho per∣haps noble acts of charity will necessarily take a man off from all vice; he may perchance be willing in some good humor to part with some wealth, that will not part with a lust or an ill custome, and his profuse and inconsiderate bounty may come in amongst his prodigalities, and be his vice, so far it will be from lceasing him from vice. But the thing is this, he that hath thus far conquer'd

his heart, and unwrapt is out of the intanglements of riches, that he is perfectly dispos'd in mind, not once, but by a constant course to dedicate a good portion of what he hath for those compassionate uses, and is very well pleas'd to look upon such a share as not his own, but set aside and consecrated: 'tis certain that if this be hearty, he that can resolve to part with such a part of income for those uses, must also resolve to part with all worldly or carnal advantages of that income, such things as it procur'd him, and he cannot have without it. If I will cut off so much from my estate on that good consideration, then I must cut off such degrees of su∣perfluity, I must abate such and such pomps and vanities, I must retrench excesses, and I must part with heights of pleasures, for these are virtually resolv'd in the other; I cannot have these if I give away the foment, the thing that is to feed and preserve them, these therefore I dispos'd of with that part of my revenue, nor shall I think them fit to vie with those necessities, that beg or Christ his sake, nay with those wants of Christ himself that begs in those poor mens request and needs, nor shall I for such things draw back or grudg my charities. I can much easier want some portions of those contents, than see so many souls want neces∣saries; compassion strikes me deeper than those satisfactions, and finds me much more pliant, and more sensible. Lo here a man al∣ready brought within the mediocrities of vertue, there too where vertue finds the greatest oppositions of temtation; those of in∣temperance, and pride, and pleasure, in all these he is mode∣rate and calm, merely by vertue of his bountiful-mindedness: and if he be not so, 'tis certain that the person is not free-hearted, unless it be unto his sins or the companions of them. For if he love his pride, and heights, and honors, and all those pomps that are to serve them and his emulations; or love the superflui∣ties of riots, or love immoderate delights, 'tis certain he loves wealth implicity, altho he take no notice of it, and he is co∣vetous in his heart, tho he do's not discover it; because he can∣not but desire passionately that which is to furnish his eager de∣sires, and love immoderately that without which he knows, if he consider what he do's, he cannot have that whicih he loves immoderately; and if he do resolve to serve those still, and yet do give away, 'tis out of inconsiderateness, not from bounty; he is not liberal but rash and careless, will not weigh how the wealth serves the other ends, but still resolving upon thees, not minding what he do's, disposeth of the other. No he tha is tru∣ly compassionate and liberal, resolves to deprive himself of some∣what to relieve others wants, that is to say, if he consider what he do's, (and if he do not, 'tis not liberality of heart) to de∣ny himself some of the advantages of his estate, (for to consi∣deration those and his estate are all the same) pomps, profits, and pleasures to sustain those that need: and he that do's so, he hath plainly brought himself into the bounds of all vertues, and for the rest that concern men, 'tis sure he that is so fully dispos'd in heart, as to deny himself his own advantages merely to do good to others, cannot be inclin'd to do ill to others for his own

advantage, these inclinations cannot dwell together; so that in one word, this bounty of heart ingages into all Morality, he will be humble, sober, contented in himself, and live righteously and justly with other men. 'Tis such a leading quality, that merely by vertue of that disposition of mind, when it is seated there in earnest, the other parts of that which we call honesty, come in. And then for all Religion and Piety, if he that out of obe∣dience to God and compassion to the afflicted have brought his heart to such a pass, that he can draw out his soul to the needy, 'tis certain that in doing so he laies up treasures in heaven, v. 20. and by the verse that follows he that laies his treasure there, he sets his heart there also; and he whose heart is set on hea∣ven, I shall not fear to pronounce of him, his actions will drive him thitherwards with all religious violence. Do but think with your selves how you pursue the things you hearts are set upon in earnest, what out-goings of soul you have to this rencounter of the object of its strong affections, no rest but in the labors that work towards it, no calm but in those violences. And much of this there must be in Religion, where the heart is set upon the hopes of it, on heaven. He must be eager in it, as the covetous is on his gains, the proud man on his pomps, the pleasurist on his sports, the Epicure on his excesses. It is not possible a man should have no heart to that on which his heart is set. He therefore that hath set his heart on heaven, must be religious and holy; and so it is concluded that the liberal-minded must needs be so. The pro∣gress of which proof is this, he whose heart is in heaven, his con∣versation will be there, his life will be Christian and holy: he whose treasure is in heaven, his heart is in heaven: he that hath taken off his heart from the world, and out of liberality of heart gives alms, he laies his treasure up in heaven, and then it is concluded that he is religious.

And this now may apply it self without my help to press it to you. Ah my Brethren chuse and strive towards a vertue that will help you to all the rest, that will calm and moderate your affections to this world and the dying follies of it; and that will draw your hearts to heaven, and set them on the world to come. Who would not labor for one disposition of mind that comes with such a train of pieties, that hath all Christianity in its attendance, and brings all into the soul with it? Who would not give alms, if by doing so he give himself a shole of vertue? to whom is this man bountiful, but to himself indeed? Here is a ground for men to beg after the fashion of Lombardy, Be good to your self, Sir, and bestow an alms upon me: for he indeed is good unto himself, who what he gives laies up in heaven as a treasure for eternity, and at the same time entertains the disposition to all piety in his heart, receives all vertue into him. I sahll not need to call in accessory proofs, fetch in auxiliary motives, tell you that works of charity are called good works in Scripture, and the liberal man good. So Rom. 5. 7. the good man signifies, and Tit. 2. 5. where the women are commanded to be good, it is merciful; so works of mercy are call'd good works, Acts. 9. 36. doing good,

Matt. 12. 12. Heb. 13. 16. good fruits James 3. 17. So to work good signifies Gal. 6. 9. and every good work 2 Cor. 9. 8. is works of mercy, as if he did engross all goodness, and that same vertue did fulfil the title. Nay I tell you more, that the merciful man and the perfect man are but two words for the same person, Matt. 5. 48. Luke 6. 36. all Christianity is so sure appendant to this disposition of the heart, (when it is in the soul I tell you, not when it is now and then in the actions) that this alone is perfectness, 'tis entire lacking nothing. And then here is a clear account, why at the last great trial nothing should come upon account but charity, that is the only thing the Judg takes cognizance of at the day of final doom; When I was hungry, ye gave me meat: the words of ever∣lasting Judgment pass only in relation to this, nothing but cha∣rity do's come into that sentence, for all the rest is implied in this: and where the heart is liberal, the whole life will be Chri∣stian; this is an evidence will pass at God's Assise, stand before the Searcher of the heart and reins. And therefore it may well be a sign to us, and make proof, that this grace in the heart, boun∣ty of mind is a great evidence of a truly Christian heart: the se∣cond Proposition.

Blessed Savior, thou that wert all bounty to us, that didst emty thy self to enrich us, and didst chuse rather to die thy self than not relieve us when we were sick to everlasting death; give us grace to be like-minded, shed into our hearts this disposition of soul, that will make us so remember thee, a disposition that will make our affections even and moderate to things of this earth, which by teaching us to part with wealth contentedly, will work us out of the world, and teach us not to be enamoured on the advan∣tages of wealth, not to be passionate for pomps or pleasures, or for any superfluities which wealth procures, which will set our hearts in heaven, and lay up treasures for us there; which if it rob us of the pomps and the magnificences of this world, will give us for them pomps of piety, the whole train of vertues, a long attendance of graces; if it deprives us of some heights or some excess of pleasures, it will recompence with the satisfa∣ctions of relieving Christ in his members here, and reigning with him hereafter in Kingdom: