6. Sixthly and lastly,When Christians of public spiritSjCome to die, their public spiritedness and general usefulness will be no small comfort and cordial to them. Nehemiah was a man of a public spirit, and accord- ingly he pleads it wdth God. ' Tliink upon me, oh my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people,' Neh. v. 19. [See chap. xiii. 22.] This was that which sweetened death to Hezekiah, * I beseech thee, O Lord, to remember now how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight,' 2 Kings xx. 3. And when David had ' served his generation, he fell asleep,' Acts xiii. 3G. Sleep is not more welcome and sweet to a labouring man than death is to him who has made it his business, his work, sincerely and faithfully to serve his generation. Such magis- trates, ministers, and Christians who have made it their business, accord- ing to their different measures, faithfully to serve their generation, have found the king of terrors to be but the king of desires to them, 2 Tim. iv. 7-9 ; when death to men of narrow, seltish spirits, hath been like the handwriting upon the Avail, very terrible, Dan. v. 5, 6. Many score instances might be produced out of history to evidence this. Take one for all. Henry Beaufort, that rich and wretched cardinal, bishop of Winchester, and chancellor of England, — a man swallowed up in self- interest, — in the reign of Henry the Sixth, when he perceived that he mu.st die, and that there was no remedy, oh, how terrible was death to him ! and oli, how did he munnur and fret, and vex at death, that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time ! For, saith he, ' where-
EPISTLE DEDICATORY, 245
fore should I die, being so rich ? if the whole realm would save my life, I am able either by policy to get it, or by riches to buy it.' ' Fie upon death,' saith he, ' will not death be hired ? will money do nothing V^ I might instance in men of a higher rank, but then I should exceed the bounds of an epistle.
(2.) The second sort of men, that myself and all others are bound, (1.) highly to prize, (2.) cordially to love, and (3.) greatly to honour, are men of charitable spirits, men of merciful spirits, men of tender and compassionate spirits. The Hebrew word for godly (ion) signifies merciful, to note that the godly man is the merciful man, and the merciful man is the godly man. Loving-kindness is an ingredient unto godliness. The godly man is frequently called chasid, gracious or mer- ciful. It notes one that hath obtained mercy, goodness, grace, piety, and benignity from the Lord, and that is pious, kind, gracious, and mer- ciful to others. Though charity, bounty, is the most compendious way to plenty, and giving to getting, and scattering to increasing, and lay- ings out to layings up : — Prov. xi. 24, ' There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth.' Ver. 25, 'The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself,'^ — yet how few in our days do honour the Lord with their substance ! How few look at this as a duty, to consecrate any part of their gain unto the Lord, or of their substance to the Lord of the whole earth ! Prov. iii. 9, Micah iv. 13. Most men now carry it as if God himself had lost his propriety, and as if there were no rent-penny due to his poor. But yet some there are who have liberal hearts and open hands ; some there are who do open their hands wide to the poor and needy, Deut. xv. 11. Now, here give me leave to say that these, [1.] Discharge their consciences in the duty of charity. Mat. XXV. 25, seq., Prov. xxxi. 8, 9. [2.] These rightly improve the talents of mercy, with which they are intrusted. Job xxix. 13, 2 Tim. i. It). [3.] These treasure up a stock of prayers, both for themselves and theirs ; the blessing and the prayers of them that were ready to perish will come upon them and theirs. [4.] These evidence the liveliness of their faith : James ii. 1 7, ' Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.' Ver. 18, ' Yea, a man may say thou hast faith, and I have works ; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.' Ver. 26, ' For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.' [5.] These take the surest way, the readiest course, to assure their own souls of God's eternal favours and mercies to them : 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, ' Charge them that be rich in this world, that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.' Ver. 19, * Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.'-* Charitable Christians are as wise merchants, happy usurers, parting with that which they cannot keep, that they may gain that which they caimot lose. [6.] These take surest way to draw down more outward mercies upon themselves.* The fountain is not diminished, but augmented by giving water to the thirsty. The widow's oil did increase by running. We do not lose, but increase our mercies
' [Foxe.] Acts and Mon., fol. 925.
* 'rhe Italian form of begging i.s, ' Do good to yourselves.'
' yEUrna vita, vtra vita.— Augustine. * Clemens Alex., Pedagog. lib. iii cap. 7.
2t6 A CABINET OF JEWELS.