The rich man's bounty, the true measure of his wisdom a sermon preached before the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen, and citizens of London, at St. Brides Church, Easter-Wednesday, March 27, 1695 / by John Mapletoft ...

A True Report of the great Num∣ber of Poor Children, &c.

FRom which Report I shall observe these Two Things only.

• First, That Christ's Hospital was not in conditi∣on to receive any one Child this last year into their House; partly, by reason of those great Debts they still labour under; and partly, by reason of their having taken in so many the year before that.
• Secondly, That the Governours of St. Thomas Ho∣spital, notwithstanding their present necessary, and ve∣ry chargeable Expence in Building, have not one bed less in that house, than were before; nor have deny'd any one Person who came for Cure, when there was a Vacancy; And that the Number of those who have been there Cured this year last past exceeds that of any former year whatever.

So that Generous and well-disposed minds, have here also, as well as among those great numbers of Poor, who stand in need of present relief, fit objects for a Magnificent and Over flowing Bounty.

To Conclude all; Let every one of us in the fear of God, and as we tender the welfare of our own Im∣mortal Souls, take due care to be rightly informed of the necessity of this Great and Fundamental Duty, and the indispensable obligation we have thereto, in our measure and capacity. Let us frequently reflect upon our own Conduct, and consider how we shall be able to Answer our Judge when he shall proceed to give Sentence upon us, according to our demeanour in

relation to his distressed Members: And in order here∣to, let us deeply fix, and often revolve in our minds these Avowed Maximes of Right Reason, and our Holy Religion, as so many irresistible motives to do good, and to Communicate.

That the time we have to spend in this World is but a Moment, an indivisible Point, and next to No∣thing, in proportion to that Eternity we are all made for, and are hastning to apace. That consequently here∣to, 'tis the first, and most pernicious Error, (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) that which leads to all the mistakes and sins Men commit here, viz.

That they look upon this short span of Frail Mor∣tal Life, (which is but their first step and entrance in∣to being) as their All, that for which they were whol∣ly made, and so their Great and Only Concern, Affair, and Business; and do live, and govern themselves, by this most false and most destructive Principle.

Whereas the Main thing Christ teaches us, is to ma∣nage this present Life only in order to the next; and to esteem nothing to be of any great consequence to us, but what may secure and promote our Happiness in that endless State which is before us; and to look upon all things, as mean, low, and scarce worth our Considera∣tion, which have no tendency to this our Master-design, viz. To be for ever Happy in the presence and enjoy∣ment of that Sovereign Good, for which we were made. That every Man is truly Valuable, only as God Values him. Tantus est quis{que} quantus apud Deum. That he only is Great indeed, who is Great in the sight of the Lord, Luk 1.15. who is Holy and Pious, Just and Merciful, who Loves and Honours God above all things, and makes his Will and Law the Rule of his Life and Actions.

That nothing is more Reasonable in it self, nothing more agreeable to Humane Nature, (whence Humani∣ty, which imports all obliging kindness, hath its Name) than that we should assist and relieve others, made in the same Image, and after the same Likeness of God, our common Father; and who are of his Family and Houshold, and his Children, as well as we are, with that overplus which God bestows upon us for this very end.

That if we do not this in a good proportion to our A∣bilities, we are unfaithful Stewards of our Lords Estate; and it will fare accordingly with us at that great and universal Audit.

That this Duty of Brotherly Love and Beneficence, is more earnestly commanded, and more frequently insisted upon in the H. Scriptures than any other.

That it is the most natural and irrefragable Proof of our Love to God, and our Gratitude to our Lord and Saviour Christ; and a peculiar Mark of our Electi∣on to Eternal Life, and of our being Gods Children indeed, Col. 3.12.

That want of Bowels of Compassion to our needy Brother, is a demonstration, That the love of God dwells not in us, 1 John 3.17. And consequently, that all pretence to Religion and Piety, is Vain, False and Hy∣pocritical, without a competent Love to, and Practise of this Grace and Virtue, Jam. 1.27.

That doing a great deal of good to others, is the nea∣rest approach which we can make to the Divine Nature, and Gods imitable perfections; whom we do herein chiefly resemble.

That it is only such an outragious, criminal love of the World, as is wholly incompetible with the love of

God, which makes Rich Men such slaves to their Mo∣ney; or to such fancy'd necessities of maintaining their Port, and outward State and Quality at such an height, and so much to the prejudice of the Poor, that they are able to return to God, by his Receivers, so little of what he hath entrusted them with: But our Lord gives us no reason to believe, that such vain ill founded Pleas will avail men any thing at his just Tribunal.

They are only those inordinate desires, and undue gratifications of the senses of the Body, or vices of the Mind, viz. Pride, Ambition, Covetousness, which exhaust that Treasure that should be lay'd up in Hea∣ven, i. e. layd out in Works of Piety, and Mercy. So that in Conclusion, nothing but Brutish stupidity, or sensuality; or the improvident thoughtfulness of a Child, or of an Ideot; or the Pride or Malignity of an Apostate Spirit, can wholly extinguish the care, and destroy the practice of Beneficence and Charity. For the poor Covetous wretch is a proud of his large scope of Ground, or his great Heap of Gold, as the Haugh∣ty, Insolent, Ambitious Man is of his Place or Title, (which perhaps his Wealth purchased him, or his Ance∣stor) or the Prodigal is, of his intemperate Luxurious Feasts; or the Vain, Empty and Gay Man is, of the Fine Shew & Figure he thinks he makes in Dress or Equipage. 'Tis only, I say, that Spirit and Air of the World which Christianity obliges us to Mortify; that World, to which we ought to be Crucified, or Dead to, which drowns its Children in foolish and hurtful Lusts, in forgetful∣ness of God, of themselves, and of their Necessitous Brethren; and afterwards, through gross neglect of this Duty, in final perdition and destruction.

That Alms-giving, is Trading with Heaven; that 'tis the highest improvement, and best advantage Rich

Men can possibly make of their Wealth; and withal a sure way never to lose any part of it. This is the nature of Riches, saith St. Basil, that if you give it liberally to the indigent, you have it still; 'tis your own for ever: If you keep it all to your self, you have it not; to be sure you cannot have it long, and you will for every repent that you had it at all. Charity alone can turn this Fading, Perishing Wealth into the true Riches; it will entitle us to all those Favours and Gra∣ces God here bestows upon his dearest Children, and to that Everlasting Happiness which he reserves for their Portion in the next World. Since Christ owns what is done to his poor Brethren, as done to Himself, and will accordingly Reward it in His Heavenly King∣dom.

And that Christ will at the last day (of which we cannot be too often reminded) have such an especial particular regard to this most important Duty; and will proceed upon it as one, if not the Main Arti∣cle, of his enquiry into our Lives; and that our Final Doom, our Happy or Miserable Estate to all Eternity, will in so very great measure depend, and turn upon the account we shall be able to give of our selves with relation hereto.

In a word, Let us consider seriously and often, that Beneficence and Charity, is the most Natural and Rea∣sonable; The most Commanded; The most Indispensa∣ble; The most Noble; The most Delightful; The most Advantageous; The most Christian: Nay, the most Divine and God like Grace and Virtue.

And let us all from the Cogency of so many Rea∣sons, out of Love to our Good God, and our Lord, and Saviour Christ; to our Neighbours, and to our own Immortal Souls, so make it our Care and Study, and

Business, to Assist and Comfort, and Relieve our Blessed Lord in those Poor Needy Persons, who are both his, and our Brethren; that we also may with them be made Heirs of that Kingdom God hath prepared for all His Children, for all truly Pious, all truly Charitable and Merciful Men.

To which, God of his Mercy bring us all, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord; To whom, &c.