I come now to consider —
Secondly, The scope. These things are parabolically represented, to increase our faith concerning the reward of charity. The doctrine is this —
Doct. That one special end and use unto which rich men should employ their worldly wealth should be the help and relief of the poor. Consider —
1. In the general, it is not to the rich, but to the poor. Feasts and entertainments are usually for the rich ; but Christ saith, Luke xiv. 12-14, ' When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, thy brethren, neither thy kinsman, nor thy neighbour ; lest they bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the blind, the lame ; and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recomi)ense thee ; for thou shalt be recom- pensed at the resurrection of the just.' Many truck with their kind- ness ; they make merchandise rather than impart their charity : this is not charity, but merchandise.
2. Of the poor there are three sorts : —
[1.] Paupei'es diaboli, the devil's poor ; such as have riotously spent their patrimonies and reduced themselves to rags and beggary by their own misgovernment. These are not wholly to be excluded when their necessity is extreme ; you give it to the man, not to the sin : it may work upon them, especially when you join spiritual alms with temporal.
[2.] There are pauijeres immdi, the world's poor ; such as come of
Vers. 37-40.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 75
poor parents and live in poor estate ; those are to be relieved : there is a common tie of nature between us and them : Isa. Iviii. 7, ' Thou shalt not hide thyself from thine own flesh.'
[3.] There are pauperes Cliristi, Christ's poor ; such as have suffered loss of goods for Christ's sake, or being otherwise poor, profess the gospel ; these especially should be relieved : Kom. xii. 13, ' Distribut- ing to the necessities of the saints;' and Gal. vi. 10, ' Let us do good to all, especially to the household of faith.' There is an order ; first, our own families, our parents, our children or kindred, 1 Tim. v. 8 ; then strangers ; and among them those that profess the same faith with us ; and then them who do most evidence the reality of faith by a holy life ; and then to all, as occasion is offered.
Reasons of this duty.
1. The near union that is between Christ and his people, Christ and believers are one and the same mystical body, with Christ their head : 1 Cor. xii. 12, ' For, as the body is one, and hath many mem- bers, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body ; so is Christ.' Now that union compriseth all : ' When one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it,' ver. 26. There is a sympathy and fellow-feeling. When you tread upon the toe the tongue will cry out, and say. You have hurt me. They cast themselves out of the body that have not common joys and common sorrows with the rest of the members.
2. Christ hath commended them to us as his proxies and deputies. He himself receiveth nothing from us ; he is above our kindness, being exalted into the heavens ; but in every age he leaveth some to try the respects of the world. Oh ! what men would do for Christ if he were now in the flesh ! It is a usual deceit of heart to betray our duties by our wishes. Now Christ hath put some in his place : 1 John iv. 20, ' If any man say, I love Grod, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?' We would be as much prejudiced against Christ as we are against the godly poor. That which your servant receiveth by your order, you receive it. He receiveth your respects by the hands of the poor ; he hath devolved this right on the poor as his deputies : Mat. xxvi. 11, ' For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always.' We pretend much love to Christ ; if he were sick in a bed, we would visit him ; if in prison, or in want, we would relieve him. What is done to one of these is done to him.
3. It is a great honour put upon us to be instruments of divine pro- vidence and preservation of others. You are God's substitutes in giving, as the poor in receiving. As gods to them, we relieve and comfort them. He could give to them without thee, but God will put the honour of the work upon thee. This is the greatest resemblance of God : Acts xx. 35, ' It is more blessed to give than to receive ;' that is, more God-like. It is a great mercy to be able and willing : Luke vi. 36, ' Be ye therefore merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful.' The true advantage of wealth is in relieving and support- ing others ; nothing showeth our conformity to God so much as this. Christ saith not, If ye fast, ye shall be like your heavenly Father, or, If ye pray, or, If ye prophesy, or, If ye be learned ; but, ' If ye be