A SERMON PREACHED AT Shadwell-Chappell IN YORKSHIRE.  
By Thomas Hardcastle Minister of the Gospel.  
Published by some of the Hearers for their own Vindication and the World's Satisfaction.  Prov. 18.17. 
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his Neighbour cometh and searcheth him.  Mat. 5.11, 12. 
Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against falsely for my Sake.  
Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you.  
London Printed in the Year 1665.   

To the Reader.  Reader, 
THis Sermon was preached at Shadwel Chapel in the West-riding of Yorkshire, June 18. 1665. being the Lords day, where several times before at the request of the Inhabitants (the place being vacant) the Author had bestowed his pains; when the Sermon was finished in the forenoon, several Bailiffs upon colour of 〈◊〉 warrant from three of his Majesty's Justices of the peace within the said Riding; requiring them from time to time to apprehend all persons riotously, seditiously, and impudently assembled at any unlawful Conventicle or Meeting, did Apprehend five and twenty of the hearers, and brought us before the aforesaid Justices, who upon the Act made by this Parliament to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles, committed us to the Gaol for two Months and three weeks; we not being conscious to ourselves of any the least seditious design or practice against the King or his government, and desirous likewise to clear our innocency to the World, have printed the Sermon, as it was taken in shorthand by some of us, without any addition, alteration or correction by the Author, which we did purposely wave, that the matter might appear in greater simplicity and plainness; we not looking on it as any offence, to be at the public worship of God, on a public day in a public place; if the Author had not a licence to preach as we hear since is pretended, we conceive that did not belong to us to examine. The main design thou seest then of making this Sermon public is our own vindication from the imputation of Sedition and faction, which effect we doubt not but it will have among all sober and peaceable-minded men; and if it afford thee any hints for the good of thy soul, that additional advantage must be set upon the account of free grace, to which head we must likewise refer the benefit we have received by suffering in so good a cause; Farewell.   

The 1 Epist. of John Chap. 3. v. 1.  Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Children of God; Therefore the World knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 
THE Doctrine which several times hath been insisted upon, is this.  
Doctr. That believers or right Christians, are the Children of God. I have upon other occasions spoken largely 〈◊〉 this Doctrine; and shown what it is to be the Children of God; And what the special Privileges of the Children of God are. I named Six. First, Freedom or Liberty. Secondly, Honour or Dignity. Thirdly, Instruction. Fourthly, Correction. Fifthly, Maintenance; and Sixthly, Inheritance. I shown you from the Gospel what this inheritance was, and made some entrance upon the Application.  
The First Use was this, To let us see, who they are that are truly rich, and who the great heirs are. Not (perhaps) they that can say The lines are fallen to us in a good ground; those that have many Lordships and large Possessions but those that are heirs of God and Joint heirs with Christ, how poor soever they be in the World: and truly it will not be spoken too much, nor indeed any thing beside the Scripture and right Reason to say, That there are but few that are great heirs in the World that are right heirs of God; Not many Wise, not many Noble are, etc. The Poor have the Gospel preached unto them. It is not for nothing that both our Saviour and likewise the Apostle tells us of a great Enmity and Difference that is betwixt the riches of this World and the Riches of another.  
They seldom agree together; God hath chosen the Poor in this World, Rich in Faith: The Poor in this World and Rich in Faith go together, which puts me in mind what Mr. Herbert in his Poems says to this purpose, speaking concerning the course of the Gospel, that it went like the Sun from East to West, and in time it would come to America, and that God was making way for the Gospel in America by fetching their Gold from them.  
Then shall Religion to America flee;  
They have their times of Gospel even as we.  
My God thou dost prepare for them always  
By carrying for them, first, their Gold away;  
For Gold and Grace could never yet Agree;  
Religion always sides with Poverty.  
This answers that of the Gospel, the Poor in this World, Rich in Faith: But than Secondly.  
Use. 2. This lets us see why those that had an interest in this Inheritance, were so little concerned about the World. They have so much in their hope, that they reckon little of what they have or might have. If they had been mindful of the Country from whence they came they might have had Opportunity to Return. The people of God are said not to be of the World: They are come out of it; God hath called them out of it; but if they were mindful of this World from whence they came, they might have Opportunity of Returning thither and getting the Advantages and Attaining the Dignity and Possessions that others have.  
2. Now they desire a better Country, that is, an heavenly: Regard not your stuff, for all the good of the Land of Egypt is before you: As for the Asses, set not thy heart on them; for on whom is the Desire of Israel but on thee? Those, that have an interest in the Kingdom, they do not set their minds upon the Asses; they are of Abraham's mind to Lot, Let there be no strife between me and thee; If thou wilt take the Right hand, I will take the Left; and if thou wilt take the Left hand, I will take the Right. Those that are heirs of the Promise, they are either for the Right hand or the Left, in the World: where will he not be contented to sit, that knows where one day he must sit? He will not much strive for place that knows any thing of God's Right hand; he will never strive much for pleasures here that knows of pleasures hereafter.  
But we come to a seventh use, That since there is such an inheritance of the Saints, we should be provoked to all Care & diligence to make it ours: This use is seasonable, and let this be the end of our Meeting this day, to get as near heaven as we can. What? so good an inheritance as you have heard, and shall we be so slack about it? What said Caleb upon hearing the words of the spies that went to the Land of Canaan? Num. 13.27, 30. Let us go up at once and Possess it. They had affirmed that it was a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, etc.  
But it may be inquired: How may we get Heaven. I shall spend some time in Answering to this. If you would be partakers of this Inheritance, then,  
First, Endeavour to clear up your belief of it: It is not for nothing the Apostle faith, that all men have not faith. It is not for nothing our Saviour saith, When the Son of Man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? Nay there is much of unbeleif amongst those that are believers: Labour therefore to get a greater knowledge of the truth and certainty of the Gospel: For all must hang upon this. It is not for nothing, that one chief Reason why St. Luke writes his Gospel, it was this: Luke 1.4. That thou mightest have the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed. Well; Therefore labour to be acquainted with the Last Article of your Creed, Life Everlasting: with the truth of it. When we read in Heb. 3.12. to the end of the 4. etc. that they could not enter in because of unbelief; how should this make us tremble and take heed lest a promise being made of entering into rest, any of us should come short of it by an evil heart of unbelief, etc. Surely if we had a greater and more firm belief of Heaven, we should be much altered creatures: we should not love the World so much, nor fear the World so much; we should not be so backward in Duty, nor so straitened in Duty: all proceeds from unbelief: How active are the men of the World! their grounds of certainty are not so great as the Truths of the Gospel: According to our faith, so will our Love be; and according to our Love, so will our working be: when we speak of the Glory of Heaven and of the Inheritance of the Saints, it is to be feared that many are ready to think concerning us, as they said concerning Ezekiel, O Lord, they say of me, Doth he not speak Parables? They complained and said that he spoke Parables; so when we are speaking of the Glory of Heaven and of Life Everlasting, do not many think that we are speaking Parables and Paradoxes? pretty Allusions and Conceits to pass away the time, or that we speak figuratively or Hyperbolically? Therefore there is great need that our thoughts should run much upon the truth of the Gospel; doubtless the same spirit that was in Dives possess many now adays; that conceit of his that if one came from the dead, they would believe: so if a Messenger came from heaven & told us of the joys of that place and what he saw, than we would believe; but see what a great deceit of the heart this is: First Our Saviour tells us, They have Moses and the Prophets, and if they believe not them, neither would they believe, though one came from the dead: Oh! Consider this.  
But than Secondly, this is a great deceit of the heart: Consider from this that this is to be wiser than God: as if he had not provided the best Means of Faith that could be devised: either God is not so wise as he should be, or hath not that good will, or else he would provide the best Means: But than  
Thirdly, Those that say If one came from the Dead, they would believe: They speak daily with them that have been there: Jesus Christ knew better (because he was purchaser of this Inheritance) what this Inheritance is; we are speaking daily with him, and he tells us frequently what a place it is in the Gospel, and therefore we do speak with one that came from the dead.  
Fourthly, There is greater Reason that we should believe Moses and the Prophets, Christ and the Apostles, than one raised from the dead, because there are more Reasonable exceptions against one coming from the dead then there can be against Christ and the Gospel; for there might much be said against one that pretends to come from the dead: He must bring his Letters Patents with him, he must bring his Commission with him: he must bring Evidence with him that he comes from God; else we ought to Reject him as one of Satan's Angels and Messengers.  
Fifthly, Consider this, that the word of God is preferred before the voice of an Angel from Heaven contradicting of it, and that is more than a Ghost from the dead, Gal. 1.8.  
Sixthly, The word of God is preferred before the voice of God from Heaven; we have a more sure word of Prophecy; the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more than the voice of God, which said This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: The Gospel is a more sure word than the voice of God from Heaven.  
Seventhly, Consider with me the two great confirmations of Divine Testimony for the grounding of you; and for the strengthening of your belief as to the truth of the Gospel. It will be very seasonable to speak to the two great evidences and Confirmations of the truth of Divine Testimonies (to wit) The Spirit of Prophecy, and the Power of Miracles. Though I might mention many grounds of the truth of the Gospel; yet I take these two to be the chief; (to wit) The Spirit of Prophecy, and the Power of Miracles. And Jesus Christ had both: God furnished Jesus Christ with both these thereby to Confirm and make Evident the truth of that Doctrine which he was to preach in the World: The two clearest Evidences of the Truth are the Spirit of Prophecy and the power of Miracles. First of all, The Spirit of Prophecy: I shall show, First, What it is; and then Secondly, That Christ had this spirit of Prophecy: and Thirdly, how it comes to pass that it is a Confirmation of the Gospel. First▪ What it is; There are three branches of a spirit of Prophecy: First,  
The Foretelling or Prediction of Future Events that are out of the reach of Created understanding; and so the foretelling (First of all) of things that depend upon the Series of Natural Causes; or Secondly, the foretelling of things which are within the reach of Devils to foretell; or Thirdly, The Foretelling of such things as fall out Casually true; but have no certain ground of Prediction: These do not fall within the compass of the Spirit of Prophecy; But then,  
Secondly, Those things fall within the compass of the Spirit of Prophecy or Divine Revelation, (for that is the proper Notion of a Prophet (scil.) Divine Revelation) such things as are certainly known by one man, and cannot be known by another; such as are the knowledge of things that are done at a distance: and the knowledge of the thoughts of another Man's heart; and then Thirdly,  
Matters of Faith that do exceed the reach of Humane Apprehension or Comprehension, do belong to the Spirit of Prophecy: Thus you see what belongs to a Spirit of Prophecy; now Jesus Christ had all these. First,  
As to his foretelling of things to come; This the Gospel is full of, that Jesus Christ foretold Judas betraying of him; and as he foretold, so it came to pass: and the Destruction of Jerusalem: many things that he foretold in the Gospel, came to pass and, are coming to pass daily. And Secondly,  
For those things that are known to one and not to Another; Jesus Christ knew the thoughts of another man's heart. He knew his enemy's hearts, his Disciples hearts, and he knew what was doing before it was done. But Thirdly,  
For matter of Faith, Jesus Christ was a Teacher that came from God; the Incarnation of the Son of God, the union of the two natures, the death of Christ, these are discoveries that can be made by none but God, and these things Christ discovered: Thus you see that Jesus Christ had a Spirit of Prophecy: But than Thirdly,  
That this Spirit of Prophecy was given to Christ to be a confirmation of the Doctrine which he should deliver to the World, see these places; John 13.18. He that eats bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me: Christ foretells that Judas should betray him: This was a very unlikely thing: for it was observed that he was the forwardest of any of the Apostles: he was so forward that every one of the Apostles did say, Mr. is it I, rather than Is it he; they suspected themselves sooner than he: now says Christ, I tell you before, that when it comes to pass, you may believe that I am he: Christ foretells things to come, that when they come to pass we might believe that he was the Messiah; and truly the things that come to pass in the Christian World, they seem to look with an evil aspect upon the Church and people of God: now these things should be so far from discouraging of us, or from weakening our belief of the Gospel, that they should be a confirmation because they are come to pass: we should believe that Christ is he.  
The Second place is John. 14.29. saith he, And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass you might believe. I will send the Comforter, and I have told you this before, that when it comes to pass you might believe: Well now, Hath Jesus sent you a Comforter? he is as good as his word: and here is a confirmation of the Truth of the Gospel: so that the coming to pass of those things which are foretold in the Gospel, is a confirmation of the Gospel. Therefore believe it because he is no other but God that hath discovered it: Thus you see the Spirit of Prophecy or the foretelling of things that are without the reach of created understandings is an Argument of Divinity; and he that comes furnished with such a Commission, we may believe what he says.  
Secondly, For the power of Miracles; concerning which I shall show, First, what it is. A Miracle is a production of something out of nothing: which cannot be done by less than God: For none but God can create or alter the Course of Nature: It is as Mr. Stilling-Fleet saith, a bringing of something out of nothing; & that either in the thing itself which cannot be produced by second Causes, as raising of the dead: or else a bringing something out of Nothing in the manner of doing, which may be done by Second causes, but yet is done without the help of Second causes, as Curing Diseases with a touch of the hem of a Garment, or with a word speaking. Thus you see what a Miracle is.  
Secondly, Observe that God never altars the course of Nature, but for some special end. The power of Miracles is not ordinary; for God never altars the course of Nature, but for some special end.  
Thirdly, The chief end of the power of Miracles, is for the Confirmation of some truth that God would have the world to know.  
Fourthly, That God will not give this power of Miracles to any that will abuse it, for the confirming of a lie.  
Fifthly, That Jesus Christ had truly this power of Miracles; this cannot be denied; even his enemies would grant it, or else they had opportunity to confute him.  
Sixthly, That true Miracles may be known from false ones, because Antichrist comes with lying words.  
Seventhly, Divines lay down rules to know true Miracles from false ones; and I would have you take special notice of three especially.  
First of all, true Miracles they always bring evidence along with them that they are of the truth, and they leave no dispute but that they are true; they leave no doubt upon the Spirit.  
Secondly, True Miracles are for the confirmation of a Divine testimony, and they do not contradict a divine testimony already confirmed by a true Miracle; for the most of the Doctrines which the Papists hold against us, they have confirmed them by Miracles; but it is a sign they are no true Miracles, because they tend to confirm a Doctrine contrary to the Doctrine which is already confirmed by unquestionable Miracles. Then  
Thirdly, True miracles oppose Satan's Kingdom; those that tend to the advancement of Satan's Kingdom, are lying wonders: Then  
Fourthly, I might add another; that true miracles are commonly mercies as well as miracles: Satan's wonders tends to amaze, but not at all to do any good; but Christ's miracles were most of them mercies as well as wonders: Thus you may see what may be said to the power of miracles, as being a chief confirmation of divine testimony.  
Eightly and lastly, the power of miracles in Christ was a confirmation of the truth of the Gospel, and of his being the Messiah; We know thou art a Teacher come from God, because no man can do the miracles which thou dost except God be with him. Thus far we have gone, but yet grant it in the Hypothesis, that miracles are an evidence of the truth of divine testimony. Can we say in the Thesis that such miracles are truly done? There is a threefold argument for that, which I would have you take notice of.  
First of all, the Apostles they were eye-witnesses and could not be deceived; nay, many that would have been glad of any opportunity to accuse them; yet it was never said that any thing was falsely done. Nay the Jews that were as cunning in finding out deceits that way, would have been glad of any accusation; if they had not been truly done, they would have found it out.  
Secondly, the Apostles they could not be deceivers; for they had no temptation to it; it was impossible that if Christ had not been risen otherwise then by their stealing of him, (which was objected) when they had found that Christ had not been so good as his word, they would rather have cursed him then confessed him: and if they preach Salvation by one that was not otherwise risen but by their stealing of him; yet the world would not have had the faith to believe it; yet we find that serious and inquisitive men, confessed to be in their wits, did sacrifice their lives upon their belief of Christ's being risen from the dead: of which they had no other assurance but the miracles which the Apostles wrought and their testimony; and then  
Thirdly, a third thing will clear all; That there is a certain way of conveying the Copy of the Gospel down to us, and that it is impossible that it should be corrupted in any of those things which are of concernment to the Christian world; for there being Heretics in all ages that wrist the Scripture on purpose, if there had been any corruption in the Copy, they would have detected it, as being glad of such an advantage against the truth of it. Well then, let it not seem a diversion that I have spoken this to those two arguments of the truth of the Gospel; for since, if we come to suffer, all must hang upon this point, If the Gospel be not true, we are undone for ever. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it, etc. and in other Scriptures, thus saith the Gospel; and if this be not true we are undone for ever; and thus though the most satisfactory conviction to us be the testimony of the spirit of God, yet since we are rational creatures, and God dealeth with us as such, we ought to be furnished, and enabled, and ready to give a reason of the hope that is in us. For Religion is reasonable; and though the matter of the Gospel be above reason, and not capable of being demonstrated from the things themselves; as how can it be proved by reason that there can be a resurrection, that there can be Three Persons in One? and many other Doctrines of the Gospel; yet I say it may be demonstrated that it is a reasonable thing to believe such things, though they be above reason; and though we cannot have reason for the things themselves, yet there is reason why we should beheve them. And I say since that it is not unusual with Satan to assault the best Christians here about the belief of the Gospel; and seeing the operation of the spirit, and the feeling testimony of the spirit to the truth of the Scriptures, may not be always ready; therefore it is good to keep the outworks, to keep the Guard in the outworks, not to lie all the stress within, but to be fortified with arguments and reasons: for the operations or working of the Will and the affections are more uncertain and more changeable than the acts of the understanding; let us therefore always be furnished with arguments of reason to help our feeling, to rub up our feeling, and to quicken us. The spirit is a spirit of understanding, a spirit of Wisdom and doth deal with rational men by rational means ordinarily. Well, therefore you see that we ought to be furnished with Arguments; and these are two that we may be furnished with: If Satan should assault us that way, we may be ready to beat him; and Lastly,  
Consider, the Miracles which Christ wrought, are not only a Confirmation of this Doctrine as they are a Conviction that he comes from God, and what he says comes from God: but likewise in his Miracles there is something Christians may make use of as a Motive, and as an Argument to do these Duties which those Miracles were brought to confirm; There is something in the Miracle besides the Divine power which may be as a Motive and an argument to Christians in their duties; as thus, Jesus Christ when they came to apprehend him, he with a word speaking caused the officers to fall to the ground, saying, I am he. This may encourage us that Jesus Christ will stand with us▪ though not with a Miracle, yet by his powerful presence when we come to be apprehended; so He that will lose his Life, shall save, it etc. Now we may be comforted that we shall save ours by losing of it; for he did so, He saved his life by losing it for our sakes; so when we come to any Doctrine or Precept, get a Miracle to back it and it will be of great use to you; when you would be exhorted to the duty of Charity, let that Miracle so back it, how Christ fed 500 with five Loaves, and 2. small fishes; so get your charity strengthened by a Miracle etc.  
But I cannot stand upon this: these are the two specal things for confirmation of the Doctrine of the Gospel: the spirit of Prophecy, and the power of Miracles.  
The Eight and last, for those that seem to be at an uncertainty about Heaven: Consider whether it be not worth the while to put it out of doubt whether there be such a thing or no: For it is not a matter of such small moment, whether it be or no.  
But you that are not sure, are you sure there is no such thing? if there be a Heaven and a Hell, what a case are we in, if we do not look after the one, and avoid the other? Surely it should cause us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling: If there be any such thing, no diligence is too much; and if there be no such thing, any diligence is too much: Let us not halt between two Opinions, etc. Let there be no demurs in our Spirits, but let us be satisfied about it: I press hard, saith the Apostle; I was once a persecutor and earnest against the Gospel, and I use the same violence in preaching the Gospel that I used before in persecuting it: I persecute: the word signifies I press and pursue. So run that ye may obtain: It is a dishonour to the Joys of Heaven, to have half and saint attempts about it. To conclude, Examine yourselves and you will find that all that sluggishness in Duty, all that fearfulness that you are guilty of, proceeds merely from unbelief; you are not satisfied and persuaded of the truth of the Gospel of Christ; this is evident: compare it with your practice: What pains does the Husbandman take for Corn upon the hopes of a Crop? The Merchant he will venture and run hazards. We ought to run hazards for Heaven of which there is more certainty than can be of any thing.  
This is the First thing that you must do for the getting of Heaven, Be satisfied of the truth of it that there is such a thing.  
Secondly, When you are satisfied of the truth, endeavour to understand the nature of it from Scripture: Men take up false Notions concerning Heaven, and they look on it as a place free from trouble, and so desire it. Oh! look upon Heaven as an holy place, free from sin, and that is the happiness of it: There are thousands of men that desire heaven, who if they were there, it would be a burden to them: Heaven must be begun here.  
Thirdly, study to know more your Distance by Nature from heaven: You are not born heirs, unless it be heirs of wrath: No man ever got this Inheritance that thought he deserved it; no man ever got to be in any place in heaven that did not think that he did deserve to be in the lowest place in hell; they that think to have this Kingdom by their own good Nature, and not through the Father's good will, they shall never come at it. We come into the World quite contrary unto God; we are by Nature haters of God, hated by God, strangers and enemies, and afar off; And look what Heaven is, the diameter is our nature, and look what our natures is, the opposite point is Heaven; we are dead, but our Life and Immortality is with God in Heaven: we are darkness, but there is a marvellous light: There is freedom, but we serve divers lusts and pleasures: There is the love of God, but we have carnal minds which is enmity unto God. Oh! you can never come at heaven, till you understand your distance from it by nature; and then  
Fourthly & Lastly, be acquainted with those ways & means, steps & degrees, which God makes use of to bring his Children to heaven, and so you may observe, how you pass from Egypt to Canaan, and how you proceed from one point unto another; it is a long March, and it is through the Wilderness, which is a tedious, dark, and difficult, and solitary way; only there is your beloved to lean on; there is a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire: It may be you want water for many days, or you have the bitter waters of sorrow, and then God throws in a Tree, (to wit) the Cross of Christ which makes them sweet; sometimes you want bread, and God gives you bread from Heaven; and when you complain again for want of water, He makes it come out of a Rock, to confute your unbelief; search the Gospel and you will find by what ways and means, steps and degrees God brings his Children to Heaven: The Gospel tells us that it is by Repentance & faith in Christ; that is one description of the way; he tells us it is by dying unto sin, and living unto righteousness: It is by Mortification, and sanctification; by putting off the old man, and putting on the new man; by crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts, and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ: It is by casting off the works of darkness, and putting on the armour of light; It is by denying a man's self, and taking up his Cross and following Christ; denying sinful self, and righteous self, and being ready to deny his natural self; It is Regeneration, and being born again; It is a being transformed; It is a renewing; It is a change; It is a having Christ within us; It is a having the spirit of Christ within us; It is a bringing forth the fruits of the spirit, and and not the fruits of the flesh: Divines have made four or five steps. First, Illumination or knowledge. Secondly, Conviction of the filthiness of our Natures, and of the weakness of them to do any thing. Thirdly, Humiliation or Evangelical sorrow for sin: A sorrow for sin because it hath wronged and envied Jesus Christ, because it hath crucified him; then a discovery of the necessity, suteableness, and fullness of Jesus Christ; and then a breathing after Jesus Christ, and a longing after him, and resolutions to give up ourselves to him; to keep nothing from him, and to bring nothing to him; to keep nothing from him (that is) no lust, no sin; to bring nothing to him, no duty, no righteousness of our own. These things I might be large in, but I do not intent a large discussion of them; so much for that Use to know how a man may get to heaven: A Christian by going these steps, may know how he comes nearer to heaven, how his love increases to the Father, and what Victory he gets over the world, and over himself. In the eight place, Is it so that Christians have such an Inheritance? this may persuade the Children of God that are rich in this world, to employ some of their riches this way, as may not only be a sigh that God hath made it sure, but likewise a means, if other things be answerable, to secure that of the true riches; but how is that done? the Apostle tells us in the first of Timothy 6.17, 18; 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, etc.  
Here are four expressions; why is the Apostle so pressing in these four; but because the duty is of great necessity, and because of men's backwardness to perform it? It is a truth of much plainness, and therefore must not be neglected.  
But before I proceed, I shall premise two things by way of Caution.  
First That I do not speak this as if I thought or believed you to whom I am speaking to be slack this way; for according to that,  
Qui monet ut saclus quod am facis, ille monendo  
Laudat & hortat 〈◊〉 comprobat a●●as●io.  
He that doth admonish a thing which a man performs already, he commends him by that admonition, and doth approve of that which he doth by that exhortation; so that such an exhortation is a commendation. And it is a truth of much plainness, therefore it must be spoken to; there is much of a Christian, and much of the Gospel in it: Now for one part of a Christians doing good, Christian communicating must be to the poor Ministers of the Gospel; This must be spoken to because it is a truth of much plainness, and it is a Maxim as true (almost) as the Gospel, He never had any share in the Gospel, who grudgeth that the Gospel should have a share in him. The Gospel was never accounted a chargeable Guest, but where it was no profiting Guest; let the Gospel do what it should to us, and we will not grudge, if necessary, and in our power to give Gold to eat, and Balm to drink. It is a sign of great fruitfulness; but wisdom and discretion must be used in this; for such bounty and liberality must be bestowed where there are the greatest necessities. I mean in a time of distress and necessity, because occasions are many and urgent; else the Gospel will prove burdensome: it should be the desire of all, that the Gospel and the Ministers thereof might be without burden, though it is a thing rather to be wished then hoped for. All Ministers should endeavour to make it without a burden.  
Second Caution; I am not saying these things that it should be done so to me; as the Apostle saith, Go we about to take you by craft? I hope I may say that we have renounced such hidden things of dishonesty, not using the glorious Gospel of Christ to so inglorious and base an end; he is unworthy of the name of a Minister that makes the Gospel a Lackey for his gain: Ministers have their reward in heaven; and if God so order the matter that they can make the Gospel without charge and burden, it is the greater honour that he doth them; and they may expect a great reward. Let them fail of their end, and miscarry in their trast, whose hearts meditate on such a things and let the Curse of Elves house come upon them, to be base and beggarly Priests to crouch for a piece of Silver and a morsel of bread, first of Samuel second chap. last ver. What therefore I say, I speak it for your Edification; and I do it the more freely because my own Conscience is clear, that I have no sinister end in it. But then to return to the matter (that they do good) but that Is not enough; but that they be rich in good works, not sparing and niggardly, but rich; not so only, but ready to distribute, free and liberal to any honest motion, without wring and wresting through importunity; and not so only, but willing to communicate; yea, willing so to communicate, as if all they had were common, and they but Carriers of the common Purse: But what is the matter? why doth St. Paul thus press? doth he speak for himself? nay, but for the laying of a good foundation against the time to come. But if St. Paul's Divinity will not down with you, what think you of Christ's two Parables to this purpose, that men would be persuaded to employ some of the world's goods to attain heavenly riches? First, observe the Parable of the last Judgement, Mat. 25. Six special things worthy of your observation.  
First, the order how this Parable comes in, it doth immediately follow upon a Parable of Talents; for no sooner was the sentence past. Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darkness, etc. But he adds this, the Talon of means and worldly riches to be employed; and he that hides this Talon of worldly riches in a Napkin, he must have his portion you know where. But  
Secondly, To provoke to this duty, he tells us that special mention shall be made of this at the day of Judgement; not for fasting, or prayer, or for hearing, but that this shall be rewarded; this shall have a special honour in the Process of the last solemn Judgement.  
Thirdly, observe that good deeds are made to be done to no less than Christ; not to this poor wretch, or the other, or that miserable Caitiff, or the third poor prisoner, but to Christ. And that you may know he is serious and in good earnest, you have his Verily for it, Verily, verily, etc. A form of speech never used but when he is in very good earnest. Christ saith v. 40. Verily, verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the Least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. Take heed of your saying you know not Christ now, lest he tell you he knows not you another day; take heed of Nescio for a Nescio.  
Fourthly, observe the property of a true charitable man; he is not good to one but to all; I was hungry and ye fed me, sick and in prison, and ye visited me; he is good to one, and good to all.  
Fifthly, the property of true charity is to be doing good in this life-time; that can hardly be true charity, if a man be niggardly while he is alive, though he leave a great deal at his death, because he gives it when he cannot keep it. When saw we thee an hungry, or sick, or in prison, and did not Minister unto thee? you never saw me, but you saw my Members. It is good for a Christian to be his own Executor as to matter of charity, and then he can see what naked he hath clothed, etc. But then  
Sixthly and lastly, observe the suitableness and naturalness of receiving the Inheritance, as having done good with their inheritance here upon earth; Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you; for I was an hungry and ye gave me meat. As if he should say, you fed me, etc. Therefore inherit the Kingdom; You gave to me, therefore I will give to you; you gave me yours, and I will give you mine; there is suteableness in it. Again take the Parable of the unjust Steward, propounded by our Saviour in the 16. of Luke, For no other end but to persuade them that have a good portion of earthly things, to use it for the compassing of heaven. The unjust Steward when he was to be turned out of all, by kindnesses done to his Master's Debtors provides how he should be received into their houses when all sailed; so says our Saviour, Make to yourselves friends of the unrighteous Mammon, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting hobitations; what they? why your goods, and the lands, they will be means to receive you.  
Q. How come your goods and your lands to be a means to receive you? Ans. Because it was for their sake that it should be said, Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, for I was an hungry etc. Observe the several following circumstances he uses to enforce to this duty. First of all, an extenuating of the things done by them. Secondly, an aggravating the fault. First, by extenuating the things to be given, they are but the least; And he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much: And then Secondly, that we part with all; it is but the shadow as it were; and the other, is the riches; If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon, who shall commit to you the true riches? That which we give is another's, but heaven is our own. These things are another's, they are Gods; nay riches, They take themselves wings and they fly away, and other men have sometimes the power over them: But heavenly riches they are our own. But than  
Secondly, he aggravates the fault, If we do not make friends of the unrighteous Mammon; First, by calling it unfaithfulness; He that is not faithful in the least, is not faithful in the greatest. Secondly, by calling it Injustice; He that is unjust in the least, will be unjust in the greatest. Thirdly, he calls it plainly Impiety; He that doth prefer his riches before God, he doth cast off God, and serve Mammon. To all this, add this one circumstance, that the spirit of God to terrify all worldlings, doth by a special gird and brand note the covetous Pharisees for deriding him; The Pharisees also who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him, Luke 16.14. And so much shall serve to be spoken by way of use, of the sixth and last privilege of the Children of God. I should now make a general use of the whole Doctrine: you know the Doctrine what it is, That Believers or right Christians are the Children of God; But this I shall do (God permitting) in the Afternoon.  
FINIS.