The works of the pious and profoundly-learned Joseph Mede, B.D., sometime fellow of Christ's Colledge in Cambridge

NEHEMIAH 13. 14.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds [Heb. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] that I have done for the House of my God and for the Offices thereof.

with Verse 22.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

THE present occasion is Remembrance, and my Text (you see) is of Re∣membrance; and that too for good deeds done to the House of God. The difference is, that in my Text is God's Remembrance, the occasion of this meeting is* 1.1 Ours: But seeing the one will follow from the other, the Text is every way fit enough for the Occasion.

The words I have read are the words of Nehemiah himself, by way of a short Ejaculatory prayer and Apostrophe unto Almighty God. But what were those good deeds, will you ask, which he speaks of, done for the House of his God and the Offices thereof? Of this the words going before will inform us:* 1.2 I perceived (saith he) that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; whereby the Lev••tes and * 1.3 the Singers that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the Rulers, and said, Why is the House of God forsaken? And I gathered them together,* 1.4 and set them in their place (or, Station) Then brought all Iudah the tithe of the corn, and the new wine, and the oyle, unto the treasuries (or, store-houses:) And I made treasurers over the treasuries,* 1.5 such of the Priests and Levites as were accounted faithful; and their office was to distribute unto their Brethren. Verse 14. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, &c.

There needs no more for understanding the meaning of the Words: Now there∣fore let us see what Lessons we may learn there-from. And in the first place, that [unspec I] which is most pregnantly to be gathered thence, and best ••its our turn, namely, That

to make provision for the maintenance of God's Worship and the Ministers thereof,* 1.6 is a wor∣thy work, and of high esteem and favour with God: Fora••much as Nehemiah here com∣mendeth himself unto the Divine favour and remembrance, under that name of ha∣ving done good deeds or kindnesses unto the House of God, and the Offices thereof; a ma∣nifest argument he took them to be most pleasing and acceptable unto him. The truth of this Observation appears not only by this, but by other places of Scripture both of the Old and New Testament: Let us take some survey of them.

And first for the furnishing a place for God's worship, take notice of that famous be∣nediction and Prayer of King David, when his people offered so willingly and liberal∣ly towards the building of the Temple; In the uprightness of my heart (saith he) I have willingly offered all these things: and now I have seen with joy thy people which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel our Fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their hearts unto thee, 1 Chron. 29. 17, 18. Surely therefore it was a most ex∣cellent disposition, and such as he knew God prized and esteemed.

For entertainment and provision for his Prophets and Ministers, in what account God hath it, appears by his great solicitude in his Law that they should not be neglected: Take heed to thy self (saith he, Deut. 12. 19.) that thou forsake not the Levite, as long as thou livest upon the earth. What expression can go beyond this? Again by that story of the Shunamite woman, 2 Kings 4. who entertained the Prophet Elisha and made provision for him, when he should have occasion to pass that way: Verse 9. Behold, (said she to her husband) this is an holy man of God which passeth by us cont••∣nually. V. 10. Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall, and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick; and it shall be when he com∣eth unto us, then he shall turn in thither. How acceptable to Almighty God was this good office done to his Prophet, appears by the double miracle he wrought for her, both in giving her a child, when her husband was now so old she despaired; and in raising him again to life, when he was dead: Both in the same Chapter.

But let us come now to the New Testament, and see whether the like be not to be found there; lest otherwise any might think (as some are prone enough to do) the case were now altered. And first also to begin here with the provision of a place for Gods worship, the story of that Centurion of Capernaum in S. Luke's Gospel is worthy our consideration; Who when he heard of Iesus, (saith the Text) sent unto him the Elders of the Iews, besecching him that he would come and heal his servant. The Elders came to Iesus, and besought him instantly, saying, He was worthy for whom he should do this. Why so? For (say they) he loveth our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue, Luke 7. 3, 4, 5. Then Iesus (saith the Text, v. 6. without any more ado) went with them; namely, as well approving of their Motive, that he who had done such a work, deserved that favour should be deign'd him. Also concerning provision and entertainment for his Apostles and Ministers; Are they not our Saviour's own words and promise when he sent them forth?* 1.7 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Pro∣phet, * 1.8 shall receive a Prophet's reward:* 1.9 Nay, He that should give them but a cup of cold wa∣ter, should not lose his reward. According to which S. Paul, speaking of the Philippi∣ans bounty and communication towards him, I have received (saith he) of Epaphrodi∣tus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing unto God. And 2 Tim. 1. 16, 18. concerning the like good office done him by Onesiphorus, he speaks in this manner; The Lord (saith he) give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. Which is not much unlike this of Nehemiah in my Text, if it had been spoken in the first person by Onesiphorus himself, as it is in the third by S. Paul: Howsoever, who will deny but it implies the samething?

Now then, if this be so, as I think we have proved, what shall we think of the times we live in, when men account them the most religious to God-ward who do or would unfurnish the House of God most, who rob his Priests most? But they have an excuse sufficient to bear them out; and what is that? The Priests, they say, have too much. If this excuse would serve turn, some of themselves perhaps might soon have less than they have; for sure some body else as well as the Priest have more than they need, and might spare some of it. But whether the Priests have too much or not, will not be the question: Suppose they had; hath God too much too? For these men consider not that the Propriety of such things as these is God's, and no•• the Priests; and that to change the Propriety of what is Sacred, by alienating thereof to a

pro••ane and private use, (I say not by diverting it from the Priest's livelihood to any other holy use, in case the Priest have more than needs) is to rob God himself: yea God tells us so much, Malach. 3. 8, 9. Will a man (saith he) rob God? (as if it were a thing intolerable, and scarce ever heard of) yet ye (saith he) have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In Tithes and Offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, because ye have robbed me. (For that's the burden that goes with things consecrated, Cursed be he that alienates them.) This Malachi lived at the same time with Nehemiah, and the Iews say 'twas Ezra; whence this exprobration of his, and this fact of Nehe∣miah in my Text, may justly seem to have relation one to the other. And thus much of my first Observation.

My Second is, That God rewardeth these, and so all other our Good deeds and works, [unspec II] not for any Merit or Worthiness that is in them, but of his free Mercy and Goodness, Re∣member me, O my God, (saith Nehemiah) and wipe not out my good deeds: Why? is there any Reward due to them of Iustice? No; But remember me, O my God, and spare me, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 according to the greatness, or multitude, of thy mercy. Thus he expounds himself. And S. Paul taught us even now the self-same thing in his Votum or Prayer for the House of Onesiphorus, for the like good service done to the Offices of God's House; The Lord (saith he) grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day, that is, the day of Iudgment, which is Tempus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The time of rewarding, when every one shall receive according to his work.

The controversie therefore between the Romanists and us, is not, Whether there be a Reward promised unto our Works: We know the Scripture both of the Old and New Testament is full of Testimonies that way, and encourageth us to work in hope of the Reward laid up for us: We know that in keeping of God's Command∣ments there is great reward, Psal. 19. 11. And that unto him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward, Prov. 11. 18. We know our Saviour saith Matt. 5. 11, 12. Blessed are ye when men revile and persecute you,—for great is your reward in heaven. Also that He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophet's reward: and whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple, shall not lose his reward, Matt. 10. 41, 42. Again, we read Luk. 6. 35. Love your enemies, do good and lend,—and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest. We know also what S. Iohn saith, 2 Ep. v. 8. Look to your selves, that ye lose not those things which ye have wrought, but that ye may receive a full reward. But the Question is, Whence this Reward cometh; Whether from the Worth or Worthiness of the Work, as a debt of Iustice due thereto; or from God's Mer∣cy, as a recompence freely bestowed, out of God's gracious Bounty, and not in Iustice due to the Worth of the Work it self. Which Question, methinks, Nehemiah here in my Text may determine, when he saith, Remember me, O Lord•• for my good deeds, according to thy great Mercy: and the Prophet Hosea, ch. 10. 12. when he bid∣deth us, Sow to your selves in righteousness, and reap in mercy: and S. Paul, Rom. 6. 23. where though he saith, that the wages of sin is death, yet when he comes to eternal life, he changeth his style, But (saith he) eternal life is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the gracious gift of God through Iesus Christ. For as for our Works, they are imperfect; and whatsoever they were, we owed them to him in whom we live and have our Being, whether there were any Reward or not promised for them.

Neither do we hereby any whit detract from the truth of that Axiome, That God rewardeth every man according to his work: For still the Question remaineth the very same, Whether there may not be as well merces gratiae, as merces justitiae; that is, Whether God may not judge a man according to his works, when he sits upon the Throne of Grace, as well as when he sits upon his Throne of Iustice. And we think here, that the Prophet David hath fully cleared the case in that one sentence, Psal. 62. 12. With thee, O Lord, is Mercy; for thou rewardest every one according to his work.

Nay more than this; We deny not but in some sense this Reward may be said to proceed of Iustice. For howsoever originally and in it self we hold it cometh from God's free Bounty and Mercy, who might have required the Work of us without all promise of Reward, (For, as I said, we are his Creatures, and owe our Being unto him;) yet in regard he hath covenanted with us, and tied himself by his Word and Prom••••e to confer such a Reward the Reward now in a sort proveth to be an Act of Iustice, namely of Iusti••ia promissi on God's part, not of Merit on ours: even as in forgiving our sins (which in it self all men know to be an Act of Mercy) he is said to be Faithful and Iust, 1 Iohn 1. 9. namely in the faithful performance of his Promise;

For Promise (we know) once made, amongst honest men is accounted a due debt. But this argues no more any worthiness of equality in the Work towards the obtaining of the Reward, than if a Promise of a Kingdom were made to one if he should take up a straw, it would follow thence, that the lifting up of a straw were a labour or a work worth a Kingdom, howsoever he that should so promise were bound to give it.

Thus was Moses careful to put the children of Israel in mind touching the Land of Canaan,* 1.10 (which was a Type of our Eternal habitation in Heaven) that it was a Land of promise, and not of merit, which God gave them to possess, not for their righte∣ousness, or for their upright heart; but that he might perform the word which he sware unto their Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. Whereupon the Levites, in this Book of Nehemiah,* 1.11 say in their Prayer to God, Thou madest a Covenant with Abraham, to give to his seed the Land of the Canaanites, and hast performed thy words, because thou art just, that is, true and faithful in keeping thy promise. Now because the Lord hath made a like promise of the Crown of life to them that love him, S. Paul sticks not in like manner to attribute this also to God's Iustice; Henceforth (saith he, 2 Tim. 4. 8.) is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them that love his appearing. Upon which S. Bernard most sweetly, as he is wont, Est ergo quam Paulus expect at corona Iustitiae; sed justitiae Dei, non suae: Iustum quippe est, ut reddat quod debet; debet autem quod pollicitus est. There is therefore a crown of righteousness which Paul looks for; but it is of God's righteousness, not his own: it being a righteous thing with God to give what he owes; now he owes what he hath engaged himself to by promise.

Lastly, for the word Merit; ••t is not the name we so much scruple at, as the thing wont now-a-daies to be understood thereby: otherwise we confess the name might be admitted, if taken in the large and more general se••se, for Any work having rela∣tion to a reward to follow it; or whereby a reward is quocunque modo obtained; in a word, as the Correlate indifferent either to merces gratiae or justitiae, the reward of Grace or of Iustice. For thus the Fathers used it; and so might we have done still, if some of us had not grown too proud, and mistook it. Since we think it better and safer to di••use it; even as Physicians are wont to prescribe their Patients re∣covered of some desperate disease, not to use any more that meat or diet which they find to have caused it.

And here give me leave to acquaint you with an Observation of a like alteration of speech, and I suppose for the self-same cause happening under the Old Testament; namely of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 changed into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Righteousness into That which findeth mercy: For the Septuagint and the New Testament with them render the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Righteousness; not only when it is taken for Beneficence or Alms, (as in that Tongue it is the ordinary word) in which use we are wont to expound it Works of mercy; but where there is no relation to Alms or Beneficence at all. Whence I gather that by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Septuagint meant not, as we commonly take it, Works of mercy; but rather Works whereby we find mercy at the hands of God. I will give you a place which methinks is very pregnant, Deut. 6. 24, 25. where we read thus, And the Lord commanded us to do all these Statutes, (you may see there what they are) to fear the Lord our God, for our good alwayes, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day. And it shall be our Righteousness, if we observe to do all these Command∣ments before the Lord, as he hath commanded us. Here the Septuagint (for, And it shall be our Righteousness) have, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, And it shall be our 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that whereby we shall find mercy at the hands of God, if we observe to do all these Commandments, &c. This place will admit no evasion; for there is no reference to Alms here. And indeed all our Righteousness is nothing else but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that whereby we find mercy at the hands of God: and no marvail if Works of mercy (as to relieve the poor and needy) be especially so called, for they above all other are the works whereby we shall find mercy, and receive the reward of Bliss at the last day. And thus much of my second Observation.

[unspec III] I come now to my third; That it is lawful to do good works Intuitu mercedis, with an eye or respect to the recompence of Reward. It is plain that Nehemiah here did so; Remember me, O my God, concerning this, &c. So did Moses, of whom it is said, Heb. 11. 25, 26. that he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for, saith the Text, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (aspiciebat vel intuebatur) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, he had respect unto the recompence of Reward. And, I confess, it seems an unreasonable thing to me, that that which is made the End (though but in part)

of the Action, should not be at all looked unto by the Agent, whenas Finis is princi∣pium Actionis; and that that which God hath promised unto us as an encouragement to make us work with the more alacrity, should not be thought on nor looked to in our working. Do not they who would perswade this, go the way to discourage men from good works, by removing out of their sight the Encouragement which God hath given them?

But they object, the obedience of God's Children ought to be filial, that is, free, and not mercenary, as that of Hirelings. I answer; Obedience which is only for Re∣ward, without all respect or motive of Love and Duty, is the Obedience of an Hire∣ling; not that which acknowledgeth the tie of Obedience ab••olute, and the Reward no otherwise due than of his Fathers free love and bounty, as every true child of God doth, and ought to do.

They object again that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity seeks not her own: now say they, the works of God's children must proceed from love and charity. I answer; What though Charity seeks not her own? may not yet a charitable man so much as look or hope for his own, or have an eye to what is promised him? But this place is alto∣gether misapplied and abused: For that property of Charity now mentioned (as some also of the rest in that Chapter) concerns only our Charity towards men, and not our Charity towards God; the meaning thereof being, That a Charitable man will sooner lose his own, than by seeking or contending for it break the band of Cha∣rity. And this may suffice for my third Observation.

Now I come to the fourth and my last Use of this Text, which I told you in the be∣ginning [unspec IV] followed thereupon; namely, That if Almighty God remember them who have done good deeds unto his House and the Offices thereof; much more ought we, who are partakers of the comfort and benefit of such Bounty, to remember and ho∣nour them with a thankful celebration of their Names.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Com∣memoration of Colledge Be∣nefactors.
• * 1.2

  Verse 1••.
• * 1.3

  Verse 1••.
• * 1.4

  Verse 12.
• * 1.5

  Verse 13.
• * 1.6

  Nehem. 13. 14, 22.
• * 1.7

  Matth. 10. 41.
• * 1.8

  Verse 42.
• * 1.9

  Phil. 4. 18.
• * 1.10

  Deut. 9. 5.
• * 1.11

  Chap. 9. 8.