Luke xi.

strength and virtue in it, that can either procure or preferve fo incomparable a treasure. For if we greatly regard that medicine or falve, that is able to heal fundry and grievous diseases of the body, much more will we esteem that which hath like power over the foul. And becaufe we might be better affured both to know and to have in readiness that fo profitable a remedy; he, as a most faithful and loving teacher, fheweth himself both what it is, and where we may find it, and how we may use and apply it. For when both he and his Difciples were grievously accused of the Pharifees, to have defiled their fouls in breaking the conftitutions of the Elders, because they went to meat, and washed not their hands before, according to the custom of the Jews; Chrift, anfwering their fuperftitious complaint, teacheth them an especial remedy how to keep clean their fouls, notwithstanding the breach of fuch fuperftitious orders: Give alms, faith he, and behold all things are clean unto you. He teacheth them, that to be merciful and charitable in helping the poor, is the means to keep the foul pure and clean in the fight of God. We are taught therefore by this, that merciful alms-dealing is profitable to purge the foul from the infection and filthy spots of fin. The fame leffon doth the Holy Ghoft alfo teach in fundry places of the Scripture, Tobit iv. faying, Mercifulness and alms-giving purgeth from all fins, and delivereth from death, and Juffereth not the foul to come into darkness. A great confidence may they have before the high God, that fhew mercy and compaffion to them that are afflicted. The wife Preacher, the son of Sirach, Ecclus. iii. confirmeth the fame, when he faith, That as water quencheth burning fire, even fo mercy and alms refifteth and reconcileth fins. And fure it is, that mercifulness quaileth the heat of fin fo much, that they fhall not take hold upon man to hurt him; or if ye have by any infirmity or weaknefs been touched and annoyed with them, ftraightways fhall mercifulness wipe and wash them away, as falves and remedies to heal their fores and grievous diseases. And thereupon that holy father Cyprian taketh good occafion to exhort earnestly to the merciful work of giving alms and helping the poor, and there he admonisheth to confider how wholefome and profitable it is to relieve the needy, and help the afflicted, by the which we may purge our fins, and heal our wounded fouls.

But here fome will say unto me, If alms-giving, and our charitable works towards the poor, be able to wash away fins, to reconcile us to God, to deliver us from the peril

of

of damnation, and make us the fons and heirs of God's kingdom; then are Chrift's merits defaced, and his blood fhed in vain; then are we justified by works, and by our deeds may we merit heaven; then do we in vain believe that Chrift died for to put away our fins, and that he rose for our juftification, as St. Paul teacheth. But ye fhall understand, dearly beloved, that neither those places of Scripture before alleged, neither the doctrine of the bleffed martyr Cyprian, neither any other godly and learned man, when they, in extolling the dignity, profit, fruit, and effect of virtuous and liberal alms, do say that it washeth away fins, and bringeth us to the favour of God, do mean, that our work and charitable deed is the original cause of our acceptation before God, or that for the dignity or worthinefs thereof our fins be washed away, and we purged and cleanfed from all the spots of our iniquity; for that were indeed to deface Chrift, and to defraud him of his glory. But they mean this, and this is the understanding of those and fuch like fayings, that God of his mercy and efpecial favour towards them, whom he hath appointed to everlafting falvation, hath fo offered his grace efpecially, and they have fo received it fruitfully, that although, by reafon of their finful living outwardly, they feemed before to have been the children of wrath and perdition; yet now the Spirit of God nightily working in them, unto obedience to God's will and commandments, they declare by their outward deeds and life, in the fhewing of mercy and charity, (which cannot come but of the Spirit of God, and his fpecial grace,) that they are the undoubted children of God appointed to everlafting life. And fo, as by their wickedness and ungodly living they fhewed themselves according to the judgment of men, which follow the outward appearance, to be reprobates and caftaways; fo now by their obedience unto God's holy will, and by their mercifulness and tender pity, (wherein they fhew themselves to be like unto God, who is the fountain and spring of all mercy,) they declare openly and manifeftly unto the fight of men, that they are the fons of God, and elect of him unto falvation. For as the good fruit is not the caufe that the tree is good, but the tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit; fo the good deeds of man are not the cause that maketh man good, but he is firft made good by the spirit and grace of God, that effectually worketh in him, and afterward he bringeth forth good fruits. And then as the good fruit doth argue the goodness of the

tree,

tree, fo doth the good and merciful deed of the man argue and certainly prove the goodness of him that doth it, according to Chrift's fayings: Ye shall know them by their fruits. And if any man will object, that evil and naughty men do fometimes by their deeds appear to be very godly and virtuous; I will anfwer, fo doth the crab and choak-pear feem outwardly to have fometime as fair a red, and as mellow a colour, as the fruit which is good indeed. But he that will bite and take a taste, fhall eafily judge betwixt the four bitterness of the one, and the fweet favourinefs of the other. And as the true Chriftian man, in thankfulness of his heart, for the redemption of his foul purchased by Chrift's death, fheweth kindly by the fruit of his faith his obedience to God; fo the other, as a merchant with God, doth all for his own gain, thinking to win heaven by the merit of his works, and fo defaceth and obfcureth the price of Chrift's blood, who only wrought our purgation. The meaning then of thefe fayings in the Scriptures and other holy writings; Alms-deeds do wash away our fins; and, Mercy to the poor doth blot out our offences, is, that we doing these things according to God's will and our duty, have our fins indeed washed away, and our offences blotted out; not for the worthiness of them, but by the grace of God which worketh all in all, and that for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient unto his commandment, that he which is the truth might be justified in performing the truth due to his true promife. Almsdeeds do wash away our fins, becaufe God doth vouchsafe then to repute us as clean and pure, when we do them for his fake, and not because they deserve or merit our purging, or for that they have any such strength and virtue in themselves. I know that fome men, too much addict to the advancing of their good works, will not be contented with this anfwer; and no marvel, for fuch men can no anfwer content or fuffice. Wherefore leaving them to their own wilful fenfe, we will rather have regard to the reasonable and godly, who as they moft certainly know and perfuade themfelves, that all goodness, all bounty, all mercy, all benefits, all forgiveness of fins, and whatsoever can be named good and profitable, either for the body or for the foul, do come only of God's mercy and mere favour, and not of themselves; fo though they do never so many and fo excellent good deeds, yet are they never puffed up with the vain confidence of them. And though they hear and read in God's word, and

other

other-where in godly men's works, that alms-deeds, mercy, and charitableness, doth wash away fin, and blot out iniquity; yet do they not arrogantly and proudly flick and truft unto them, or brag themselves of them, as the proud Pharifee did, left with the Pharifee they should be condemned: but rather with the humble and poor Publican confefs themselves finful wretches, and unworthy to look up to heaven, calling and craving for mercy, that with the Publican they may be pronounced of Chrift to be juftified. The godly do learn that when the Scriptures fay, that by good and merciful works we are reconciled to God's favour, we are taught then to know what Chrift by his interceffion and mediation obtaineth for us of his Father, when we be obedient to his will; yea, they learn in fuch manner of speaking a comfortable argument of God's fingular favour and love, that attributeth that unto us and to our doings, that he by his Spirit worketh in us, and through his grace procureth for us. And yet this notwithstanding, they cry out with St. Paul, O wretches that we are; and acknowledge, as Chrift teacheth, that when they have all done, they are but unprofitable fervants; and with the bleffed King David, in refpect of the juft judgments of God, they do tremble, and say, Who shall be able to abide it, Lord, if thou wilt give fentence according to our deferts? Thus they humble themselves, and are exalted of God; they count themselves vile, and of God are counted pure and clean; they condemn themselves, and are juftified of God; they think themselves unworthy of the earth, and of God are thought worthy of heaven. Thus by God's word are they truly taught how to think rightly of merciful dealing of alms, and of God's efpecial mercy and goodness are made partakers of those fruits that his word hath promifed. Let us then follow their examples, and both thew obediently in our lives those works of mercy that we are commanded, and have that right opinion and judgment of them that we are taught; and we shall in like manner, as they, be made partakers, and feel the fruits and rewards that follow fuch godly living; fo fhall we know by proof what profit and commodity doth come of giving of alms and fuccouring of the poor.

The

The Third Part of the Sermon of Alms-Deeds. YE have already heard two parts of this treatise of Alms-deeds. The first, how pleafant and acceptable before God the doing of them is; the fecond, how much it behoveth us, and how profitable it is to apply ourselves unto them. Now in this third part will I take away that let, that hindereth many from doing them. There be many, that when they hear how acceptable a thing in the fight of God the giving of alms is, and how much God extendeth his favour towards them that are merciful, and what fruits and commodities do come to them by it, they with very gladly with themselves that they also might obtain thefe benefits, and be counted fuch of God as whom he would love or do for. But yet thefe men are with greedy covetoufnefs fo pulled back, that they will not beftow one halfpenny, or one piece of bread, that they might be thought worthy of God's benefits, and fo to come into his favour. For they are evermore fearful, and doubting, left by often giving, although it were but a little at a time, they should confume their goods, and fo impoverish themselves, that even themselves at the length fhould not be able to live, but should be driven to beg, and live of other men's alms. And thus they seek excuses to withhold themselves from the favour of God, and choose with pinching covetousness rather to lean unto the Devil, than by charitable mercifulness either to come unto Chrift, or to fuffer Chrift to come unto them. O that we had fome cunning and skilful phyfician, that were able to purge them of this fo peftilent an humour, that fo fore infecteth, not their bodies, but their minds, and fo by corrupting their fouls bringeth their bodies and fouls into danger of hell-fire! Now left there be any fuch among us, dearly beloved, let us diligently fearch for that phyfician, which is Jesus Christ, and earnestly labour that of his mercy he will truly inftruct us, and give us a prefent remedy against so perilous a difeafe. Hearken then, whofoever thou art that feareft left by giving to the poor thou shouldest bring thyfelf to beggary. That which thou takest from thyfelf to beftow upon Chrift can never be confumed and wasted away. Wherein thou shalt not believe me, but if thou have faith, and be a true Chriftian, believe the Holy Ghoft, give credit to the authority of God's word that thus teacheth. For thus faith the Holy Ghoft by Solo

mon,