A SERMON

PREACHED

AT ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL,

ON THE TENTH OF AFRIL, BEING WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK,

A.D. MDIXXXVIII.

1 TIMOTHY Vi. 17, 18, 19.

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, that they trust not in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, Which giveth us all things to enjoy plenteously; That they do good, be rich in good works, ready to distribute and to communicate;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.

[Divitibus hujus sæculi præcipe non sublime supere, neque sperare in incerto divitiarum, sed in Deo vivo, Qui præstat nobis omnia abunde ad fruendum;

Bene agere, divites fieri in bonis operibus, facile tribuere, communi

care;

Thesaurizare sibi fundamentum bonum in futurum, ut apprehendant veram vitam. Lat. Vulg.]

[Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate ;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. Eng. Trans.]

THE Commendation of the word of God is, that "Every 2 Tim. 3. Scripture is profitable for our instruction." "Every Scripture

16.

SERM. is profitable;" yet not "every Scripture," in every place alike.

1.

For the place and auditory have great interest in some Scripture, and a fit Scripture hath a greater and fuller force in his own auditory. And God in so excellent a manner hath sorted IIis Scriptures, as there lie dispersed in them several texts scasonable for each time, and pertinent to each place and degree; for Prince, for people, for rich, for poor, for each his peculiar Scripture in due time and place to be reached

themi.

This Scripture which I have read, whose it is, and to whom it speaketh, is at the very reading straightway evident. As one [P.41.1.] saith of the forty-first Psalm, "Blessed is he that judgeth rightly of the poor," that it is Scriptura pauperum, 'the poor man's Scripture;' so of this it may be rightly said, that it is Scriptura divitum, the rich man's Scripture.' And if this be the Scripture for rich men, this place is the place of rich men; and therefore, if this Scripture have his place, no where so fit as in this place. For no where is there such store of Isa. 23. 3. riches by the "harvest of the water," which far surpasseth the Ezek. 28. harvest of the ground; no where are the like "sums sealed ;" no where do they "suck the abundance of the sea and the treasures hid in the sand," in like measure; no where are the Isa. 23.8. merchants noblemen's fellows, and able to lend the Princes of the earth, so much as here. Therefore when as I gave all diligence to speak, not only true things but also seasonable, both for this time and this place, I was directed to this Scripture. I need not to say much in this point, to shew it concerneth this audience. I will say as the Fathers say upon the like occasion: Faxit Deus tam commoda, quam est accommoda, I pray God make it as profitable as it is pertinent,' as fruitful to you as it is fit for you.

12.

Deut. 33.

19.

The divi

sion.

1. This whole Scripture hath his name given it even in the 1. first word: "Charge," saith he, "the rich," &c. It is a charge. 2. It is directed to certain men, namely, to "the rich of this world."

11.

3. It consisteth of four branches; whereof two are negative, for the removing of two abuses.

1. The first, "Charge them, that they be not highminded." 2. The second, "Charge them, that they trust not in their

riches."

The reason is added, which is a maxim and a ground in the law of nature, that we must trust to no uncertain thing: "Trust not in the uncertainty of riches."

The other two are affirmative, concerning the true use of 11. riches.

1. The first: "Charge them that they trust in God." The reason because "IIe giveth them all things to enjoy plenteously."

2. The second: "Charge them that they do good;" that is the substance. The quantity, that "they be rich in good works;" the quality, that they be "ready to part with," (and a special kind of doing good) "to communicate," to benefit the public.

And all these are one charge. The reason of them all doth follow; because by this means they shall "lay up in store," and that "for themselves, a good foundation, against the time to come." The end; "that they may obtain eternal life.”

I.

1.

Præcipe divitibus, "Charge the rich of this world," &c. Beloved, here is a charge, a Præcipe, a precept or a writ, directed A Charge. unto Timothy, and to those of his commission to the world's end, to convent and call before him; he the rich men of Ephesus, and we the rich men of this city, and others of other places of the earth, and to give them a charge.

28.]

Charges, as you know, use to be given at assizes in courts from the bench. From thence is taken this judicial term Пapáyyeλλe, as it appeareth, Acts the fifth chapter and twenty-eighth verse: "Did not we charge you straitly?" saith [Acts 5. the bench in the consistory judicially assembled. Whereby we are given to understand that in such assemblies as this is the Lord of heaven doth hold His court, whereunto all men, and they that of all men seem least, the rich and mighty of the world, owe both suit and service. For as earthly princes have their laws, their commissions, their ministers of the law, their courts, and court-days, for the maintenance of their peace; so hath the King of kings His laws and statutes, His precepts and commissions by authority delegate, Ite prædicate, "Go preach the Gospel;" His counsellors at law, Mat. 28. 19. whom Augustine calleth divini juris consultos; His courts in Ps. 7. 8, 9. occulto conscientiæ, in the hid and secret part of the heart

and conscience,' for the preservation of His "peace," which Ps.119.165.

SERM. the world can neither give nor take away, to the end that none may offend or be offended at it.

I.

This we learn. And with this we learn, all of us, so to conceive of and to dispose ourselves to such meetings as this, as men that are to appear in court before the Lord, there to receive a charge, which when the court is broken up we must think of how to discharge.

In which point, great is the occasion of complaint which we might take up. For who is there that with that awe and reverence standeth before the Lord at His charge-giving, that he receiveth a charge with at an earthly bar? Or with that care remembereth the Lord and His charge, wherewith he continually thinketh upon the judge and his charge? Truly, the Lord's commission is worthy to have as great reverence and regard attending on it as the charge of any prince, truly it is. Weigh with yourself; is not God's charge with as much heed and reverence to be received as an earthly judge's? Absit ut sic, saith St. Augustine, sed utinam vel sic; God forbid, but with more heed and reverence; well, I would it had so much in the mean time; and, which to our shame we must speak, I would we could do as much for the Bible as for the statute-books, for heaven as for the earth, for the immortal God as for a mortal man. But whether we do or no, yet as Mat. 11.14. our Saviour Christ said of St. John Baptist, "If ye will receive, this is that Elias which was to come;" so say I of this precept, If ye will receive it, this is the charge the Lord hath laid on you. And this let me tell you farther; that it is such a charge as it concerneth your peace, the plentiful use of all your wealth and riches, in the second verse of my text, "Which giveth us all things to enjoy plenteously," &c. Which may move you. Or if that will not, let me add this farther; it is such a charge, as toucheth your estate in everlasting life-the very last words of my text. That is, the well or evil hearing of this charge is as much worth as your eternal life is worth. And therefore, "he that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Mat. 11. 15.

2. X To "the rich."

It is a charge then, and consequently to be discharged. To be discharged? where? "Charge," saith he, "the rich." He speaketh to "the rich;" you know your own names, you know best what those "rich" men are. Shall I tell you? You

2

are the "rich," he speaketh unto you. It is the fashion and the fault of this world to exercise their authority on them most that need it least; for rich men to feast them that least need it, for mighty men to prefer them that least deserve it. It is an old simile, we have oft heard it, that the laws are like cobwebs; that they hold fast the silly flics, but the great hornets break through them as oft as they list. And as there are cobweb-laws which exempt mighty men, so the same corruption that was the cause thereof would also make cobweb-x divinity. For notwithstanding the commission runneth expressly to the rich, "Charge," &c.; notwithstanding they be in great danger, and that of many "snares," as the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.9. saith in this chapter, and therefore need it greatly; yet I know not how it comes to pass, whether because they think themselves too wise to receive a charge, any charge at all; or because they think themselves too good to receive it at the hands of such mean men as we be—and, if they must needs be charged, they would be charged from the council, from men more noble and honourable than themselves—they would not gladly hear it, surely they would not; and because they would not gladly hear it, we are not hasty they should hear it. And great reason why, as we think; for as it is true which is in the Psalm, "So long as they do good to themselves, men Ps. 49. 18. will speak good of them," so it is true backward too; so long as we speak well of them, spare them, call not on them, they will do good to us. And otherwise, if we spare them not, but prosecute our charge, then cometh Odi Michæam filium Jemla, 1 Kings "I hate Micaiah the son of Imlah." And who would willingly live in disgrace and sustain, I say not the fierce wrath but the heavy look of a man in authority? That makes this office of giving a charge a cold office, and therefore to decay, and < be shunned of all hands; that makes us, if we cannot of the eunuch learn to "speak good to the King," yet to follow 1 Kings Balak's counsel at the least, "neither to bless nor curse;" that Num. 23. makes that though for shame of the world we will not set up for upholsters and stuff cushions and pillows to lay them under their elbows, yet for fear of men we shun the prophet Esay's occupation to take the "trumpet" and disease' them, Isa. 58. 1. lest we lose Balak's promotion, or Ahab's friendship, Esau's e. put portion, or I wot not what else, which we will not be without. pain.]

22. 8.

22. 13.

25.

['i.

them to