THis clause is the key of the fore­going parable, and will serve to open to us all its seeming difficul­ty and abstrusenesse. There we find an unjust steward, that had feathered his nest with ill, gotten goods, yet com­mended by his Master, yea and propounded by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to our Imitation.

There are two Commentatours that sel­dome happen to agree in the sense of Scri­ptures, Calvin and Maldonat, who yet meet pretty friendly in the application of this pa­rable. To them I referre you for the full reso­lution of these hard sayings: The text hath difficulty enough of its own to employ what time can be well spar'd from our intended practicall discourse. I shall onely remind you of one generall rule of good use both here [...]nd elsewhere in like cases. That Scripture-parables, similitudes and allegories are not to [Page 2] be stretcht upon the tenter-hooks, nor forc'd to an exact compliance with our over-nice and affected rules of rhetorick; a fault, that ma­ny learned men besides Origen have been guil­ty of. The parts of a similitude are not like perfect planes that touch one another in eve­ry point, but sometimes, especially in Scri­pture more like a globe on a plane that touch but in one. And of this kind is this compari­son here betwixt the unjust Steward, and the faithfull Stewards of Jesus Christ. They are like the unjust Steward onely in the wis­dome, not in the unrighteousnesse of his dis­pensation, in making themselves friends, bu [...] not with other mens goods. Shall we con­ceive the disciples of Christ to be so man [...] sonnes of Belial? Nay, shall we fancie Go [...] himself, as the poets their Jupiter, a partake [...] of the filthy lucre and pleasures of wretche [...] sinners? One that affects sacrificium ex rap [...] nis, and will be brib'd to wink at their u [...] righteousnesse for a share in their prey? an [...] all this to make a parable more elegant, [...] we conceit it, then was intended by the Authour? God forbid! our Saviour compar [...] himself to a thief elsewhere, and he compares his disciples to thieves here, but no mo [...] intended an exact and through resemblanc [...] in the latter, then in the former. His pla [...] [Page 3] scope in short is this. As the unjust Steward was wise in his generation, and made use of his Masters goods, to provide himself a refuge against the time of his discharge: So be ye also wise in your generation with an inno­cent and heavenly wisdome; and by such noble, free, and generous acts of Christian love, as becomes your holy calling, make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrigh­teousnesse.

From the relation of these words to the parable foregoing, we might observe with Grotius, Non tam proprietarios nos esse quàm dispensatores. That our outward possessions are not our own to spare or spend as we please, to lay up for the feeding of our gree­dy eyes, or to lavish out for the satisfaction of our brutish lusts; But there is a Lord over us, from whose mouth we must one day, and that shortly too, receive that dreadfull sum­mons in the second verse, Come give an ac­ [...]ount of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer Steward.

But to handle the words absolutely and a part from the context will be work enough. And so they describe to us the office of a Christian Steward in three particulars. 1. The [...]harge of his office, The mammon of unrigh­ [...]eousnesse. 2. The duty of his office, Make [Page 4] friends of it. 3. the benefit of his office, in the manner of expression, [...] friends to your selves, your debtours will become your friends, your best friends, that will re­ceive you into everlasting habitations, as is explained in the latter clause of the verse.

I. Particular. In the first wee'l consider, first, the substance, and secondly the nature of the charge.

The substance is Mammon. Which is a Sy­riack word, and signifies money, gain, riches, and all kind of worldly treasure, as those that have skill in that language inform us; though some think, and not without proba­bilitie, that it might take its originall from the corruption of the Hebrew word [...] thesaurus. This mammon our Saviour here supposeth committed to the charge of his di­sciples, as the goods of their great Lord and Master. Though it be a grosse suggestion of covetousnesse, for men to challenge all world­ly possessions to themselves, upon the right of Saintship or priesthood; (as we know who do) yet to make the profession or dispensa­tion of the Gospel inconsistent with worldly possessions, is a mistake on the other hand, and as grosse as the former. God no where approves, much lesse enjoyns the voluntary poverty of sullen Philosophers, or supersti­tious [Page 5] Mendicants. Is it the mind of God, think ye, that his Stewards should rid their hands of their charge, and retire into a lazy solitude? Or is our Master so rigid and nig­gardly as to make all the trees of his garden forbidden fruit? To spread a table before us, and bind us up with those strict rules, touch not, taste not, handle not? No; the king­dome of heaven is a miscellanie of rich and poor, noble and base, Princes and peasants; Ther's a poor Lazarus in the bosome of a rich Abraham; the great nursing fathers and nursing mothers, with their little babes in their arms. Though our Saviours outward condition was mean, and he was sometimes worse provided then the birds and foxes: yet a great disciple of his, Joseph of Arimathea was a rich and potent man. Religion forbids not to possesse the world, but to be possessed of it; not to have, but to serve mammon. Though that of the Apostle be true, 1. Cor. 1.26. especially of the Primitive times, Not many mighty, not many noble are called, yet some there have been in all times, that have left glorious monuments of their Christian love; and have demonstrated, that liberalitie and magnificence are Christian graces, as well as moral virtues.

Secondly, Let us consider the nature of this [Page] charge. It is stampt by our Saviour (who knew best how to estimate it) w^th a double character: a good character on the one side, make friends of mammon, it is improvable to a good use: and an evil character on the other side, the mammon of unrighteousnesse. It hangs here betwixt good and evil, the use and abuse of it, as being of an indifferent nature, though ra­ther inclining to evil through the generall cor­ruption of our hearts. Let us first consider the evil character, the Mammon of unrighte­ousnesse.

Some interpreters attending rather the in­clination of the phrase, then the exigency of the sense, render it, Riches unjustly gotten; and most certain it is, that in this case according to the example of Zacheus, restauration ought to be made to the persons injured, if possible, or else to the poore, who are their lawfull Attornies by Gods appointment. But yet there are two reasons that forbid this in­terpretation here First, We cannot think our Saviour would here suppose his disciples (for to them he speaks v. 1.) enabled by in­jury, violence, and oppression to make them­selves friends. Nor secondly, would he ho­nour ill gotten goods, and them onely with these excellent properties of making friends, and furthering in any sense their reception in­to [Page 7] everlasting habitations. We may therefore safely conclude, that by mammon of unrigh­teousnesse is meant riches indefinitely; not onely that which is the forbidden fruit of fraud and violence, but that also which is the lawfull fruit of our birth-right, or our indu­strie, or our interest in others. All worldly riches whatsoever, abstracting from the man­ner of acquiring them, are truly call'd the mammon of unrighteousnesse, and so Au­stin understands it, Mammona iniquitatis di­vitiae sunt seculi omnes undocunque sint: and that in a double sense.

The first and most received is a passive sense. The mammon of unrighteousnesse, that is, the object and matter of all unrighteous­nesse, of injury and violence in the gathering, of pride and luxury in the spending. In which sense our Saviour calls them thorns, Matt. 13.22. and Paul calls them a temptation and a snare, 1. Tim 6.9. Hierome applies that trite proverbiall sentence to this place, Dives aut iniquus, aut iniqui haeres, as generally true. With him agree many of the ancients, and most of our modern divines too. Domi­nos suos iniquitate involvunt, saith Calvin. Maximè inveniuntur apud injustos, & ab in­justis maximi fiunt, saith Grotius. This mam­mon is that golden apple that puts the whole [Page 8] world into disorder and confusion; and through the generall corruption of the sonnes of men, becomes both the root and the fruit of their unrighteousnesse.

The second is an active sense. [...], that is, [...], or [...], false, deceitfull, unfaithfull mammon, for [...] and [...], are observed to signifie the same in the Greek idiome. Though this inter­pretation at first view be not so plausible as the former, yet there are two good argu­ments of probabilitie for it. 1. They observe, that the Hebrew phrase [...] divitiae mendacii, lying, false riches, was much in use among the Hebrews in our Saviours time, and is often met with in their comments upon the Bible, and thence conjecture that this [...] is onely an interpretati­on of that phrase. 2. The next verse but one after the text seems to favour it. If therefore ye have not been faithfull in the unrighteous mammon (the same phrase) who will commit unto you the true riches? where the opposi­tion betwixt unrighteous mammon and the true riches seems to argue that by unrighteous mammon is meant false deceitfull riches: riches that deal unjustly and unfaithfully with us; for whil'st they tarry, they are but as empty husks to our belly, and as the rotten sand to our [Page 9] feet, and they will not tarry long neither; but in our greatest need they take to themselves wings and flie away. But whether this or the other be our Saviours meaning, most certain­ly his meaning is, to set a mark of ignominie and dishonour upon that great idol Mammon, to destroy the magnificence of that Diana whom all the world worshippeth, to cast her headlong out of his fathers throne, and to debase her in the hearts and thoughts of his disciples.

Secondly, Let's consider the good character of Mammon, Make friends, &c. as bad as it is a good use may be made of it. There is a heavenly art of spiritualizing our worldly enjoyments. There is a way to clip the wings of riches, and to lay up even our earthly trea­sure in heaven. There is a divine Chymistry, that can extract the purest spirits from the most grosse and feculent matter; that can ad­vance flints and pebbles to a neare resem­blance of pretious stones. There is a lawfull craft of coyning your money over again, and adding the image and superscription of God to that of Cesars. For to the pure all things are pure. The beast upon the altar differs not in kind from the beast in the slaughter-house; and yet the one is holy, the other common. It is the altar that sanctifies the gift. A holy, [Page 10] gracious heart sanctifies all that belongs to it. And this seems to me the most proper account of that speech of our Saviour, which hath met with so many different conjectures, Luke 11.41. But rather give alms of all that you have, and all things are clean unto you. That to sin­cere repenting souls, exercising works of Chri­stian charitie (which by a Synecdoche there, are put for all the fruits worthy of repen­tance, as praying, elsewhere) to such souls all things are clean, their very temporal enjoy­ments are refined into spiritual blessings. But the way of improving this unrighteous mam­mon will appear more fully in the second part of the text, which falls next under conside­ration.

II. Particular. The duty of Christian Stewards, Make friends, that is, Engage o­thers by a prudent and faithfull dispensation of the Mammon committed to your charge. For we are to consider our selves under a double capacitie; private and publick. As par­ticular persons, and as members of the whole world; of the universall Church, and of that particular Church, wherein our lot is fallen. Now though our great Lord & Master allows our charity to begin at home, and to appro­priate to our private use such a proportion of his blessings, as may enable us to the cheerfull [Page 11] discharge of our duties: yet he expects our charitie should not end where it begins, but freely flow forth, in hearty desires to the whole world, and in reall expressions to such a part of it, as the measure of our talents is able to reach. Those that have had no other rule of judgement then the law of nature, and that in broken tables too, their own im­perfect and depraved understandings, have yet condemned a selfish narrow spirit as un­worthy a creature, especially of so high a rank as man is. They could take notice, that their great Creatour, though of a perfect selfsuffi­ciency and independance, yet out of a free desire of communicating his goodnesse, gave a being to the whole creation, and conti­nues a constant stream of Goodnesse unto all his creatures, that can never make him any real return. They could observe that the world it self was [...], the image and onely begotten of God. expres­sions pardonable in them (that knew none other of that name) and that it bears a re­semblance, as of his other perfections, so espe­cially of his free and diffusive goodnesse. That the Sun with unwearied bounty poures out his light, heat and influence upon all he can reach, with tenderest care cherisheth them in his warm bosome; with admirable discretion [Page 12] performs his yearly circuit from tropick to tro­pick, that all the parts of the earth may have their share of his liberalitie. That the springs and fountains freely offer refreshment to all that passe by. That all the elements, and their severall mixtures, by a naturall self-deni­all, resist their own inclinations, and run the hazard of their private ruine for the safety of the universe. That heavy bodies mount up to heaven, and light bodies stoop to the lowest room, rather then Nature should receive the least wound, yea or disfiguring scarre. These and the like considerations made them con­fesse Non nobis nati sumus, &c. That Man is not made onely for his own service, but must cast forth his virtue round about him. [...], that he is born to do good to o­thers; That there is no monster in nature so great as [...], A Schismatick from mankind, a man that is se­parated from other men. This noble principle, though perhaps too much stain'd with super­stition and affectation of glory, hath prevail'd with many of them to spend their fortunes and lives for the safety of their countrey. The Grecian and Romane nations yield us many renowned examples hereof. And other nati­ons have been inferiour to them rather in their records, then examples of the like kind. [Page 13] But we Christians, besides a clearer discovery of these natural arguments then the light of nature can afford, have incomparably more obligations upon us to enlargement of heart, then the heathens had, and therefore have the more to answer for, if we lesse regard them. We know of a second birth, of the love of God, greater to us then that of the creation, in sending his onely begotten Sonne into the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We see (as it were) before our eyes the Lord Jesus Christ denying, emptying, empoverishing himself ( [...]) pouring out his warmest bloud with unspeak­able pain and shame, and all to make him­self friends: Friends to receive grace and kind­nesse from him, but not to make him the least requitall, We have received the most pure and refined precepts of love, which not one­ly the Philosophers, but even the Jews them­selves, and the greatest Rabbies amongst them were generally strangers to. To denie our selves: To love our enemies: To return good for evil: To blesse them that curse us, and pray for them that persecute us and de­spitefully use us: To esteem strangers our neighbours. We have, or at least pretend unto the spirit of the Gospel, that free spirit, that [Page 14] spirit of love, meeknesse and compassion, That spirit of communion and fellowship. Under all these engagements shall we con­tract our hearts, and harden our bowels? Shall we confine our love meerly to our selves? Let's not be deceived, God will not be mock­ed. Whatsoever we sow that shall we also reap. God is the true owner of all we pos­sesse; and whatsoever we assume to our pri­vate use beyond the rules of sobriety and mo­deration, will be judged embezelled, and without repentance exacted of us to the ut­most farthing. To lay down the severall rules and fit circumstances of Christian bounty, would be a work of time, and truly of no great necessitie. I think it was scarce ever known, that persons of enlarged hearts, and sincere purposes to do good, were yet at a stand for want of prudence to direct them in the manner of performance. I shall onely point out the severall chanels wherein the bounty of Christians useth to run; the seve­rall occasions they have laid hold of in all times, to discharge their charitie.

1. For the honour and service of Religion. Where ever Religion hath had a throne, she hath alwayes commanded an honourable maintenance for her houshold and retinue. Though indeed rather autoritate suadentis, [Page 15] then potestate jubentis, Tacit. as was said of the ancient Germane Princes, rather by a winning perswasive, then a rigid compulsive power. And this is one reason amongst ma­ny, why Religion is so much discountenanced by sensuall worldly men. They esteem not spirituall things worth exchanging for a part of their carnall things; (with the Gadarens) they had rather part with Christ then their swine. They are content to lose their reli­gion to save charges. If religion will put them to no cost nor pains, perhaps they can endure it; but if it require either, they are as indifferent as that King of Denmark, Wal­demar, who lying under the Popes Interdict, sends him this blunt message, We received Our religion from thy Predecessours, which if thou wilt not suffer us to enjoy quietly, We send it thee back again, by these presents. There hath been a time when Devout Chri­stians have been willing to lay down their estates at the Apostles feet, to serve the Churches necessity. There hath been a time when superstitious Christians have contribu­ted beyond the Churches necessities. Inso­much that the Venetian state and others, have thought fit by severe laws to check their liberalitie, least the Church should swallow up the revenue of the Common-wealth. [Page 16] There is no feare of that extreme now a­mongst us, and we have grounds to hope the good providence of God will prevent the contrary. Though it be too manifest, The religious charitie of Christians hath been much abused, yet surely the abuse of their gifts may be reformed without their utter abo­lition. Drunkennesse may be suppress'd with­out cutting down the vines, as that rigid lawgiver did. The house of God may be swept without a beesome of destruction.

2. For the encouragement of learning, Re­ligions handmaid, that hath for the most part flourished with her mistresse, and next to her is the greatest honour and accomplishment of a person or nation: The most beautifull ornament, the most use­full instrument, that God vouchsafeth un­to the sonnes of men. The onely remedie against barbarisme and savagenesse. Yea ta­citly commended by her very professed ene­mies whilest they are proud of that little learning they pretend to.

3. For the upholding of their families. The bonds of nature are neither broken nor slackened, but exceedingly strengthened by Christianitie. Our great Apostle pronoun­ceth him that provides not for his family, worse then an infidel. And though he bore [Page 17] a tender affection to all the sonnes of A­dam, and became all things to all men for their advantage, yet his love to his bre­thren and kinsmen according to the flesh so farre transports him, that he could even wish himself accursed for their sakes, Rom. 9.3.

4. For the relief of the poore. That great sacrifice of the Gospel, so frequently and powerfully urged by the precept of our Sa­viour and his Apostles; so commended by the examples of all the Saints in all ages; so approved and exalted by the generall vote of the whole world; that the very naming it is sufficient to prove it a principal stream of Christian charity.

5. For the publick good of the communi­tie. The best Christians have alwayes been the best Commonwealths men. Indeed Re­ligious persons both Jews and Christians have been often accused for the troubles of Israel, That turn the world upside down, that professe a religion inconsistent with peace and civil government. But what scan­dals and groundlesse calumnies these have been, Their very enemies, so many of them as have had the patience to search out the truth, have acknowledged to the world; as might be prov'd by many instances, if it were needfull and seasonable.

[Page 18]6. For the maintenance of humane society. The Christian name hath alwayes been re­nowned for offices of courtesie and huma­nitie, as well as of compassion; and is as cleare from the imputation of sordidnesse, as of luxury and profusenesse. These, or some of these wayes (according to their abilities and opportunities) have the faith­full Stewards of God laid out their earth­ly talents. Go you and do likewise.

III. Particular is the profit or bene­fit of their office, from the manner of ex­pression. Make to your selves friends. And here the apologie of a late learned man in the like case is seasonable. Ipsa virtus vilis hoc seculo ignoscere mihi debet, si, quand [...] per se contemnitur, ex utilitatibus ipsi pre­tium facio. If the beauty of this grace be not powerfull enough of it self to enamour you, yet let her dowry tempt you. You will hereby make friends to your selves, migh­ty friends, that when ye fail, will receive you into everlasting habitations, as it fol­lows in the next words. Ambrose indeed would have this latter clause understood of the Angels, and paraphraseth the words thus. That when ye die, the Angels may receive you into everlasting habitations. O­thers understand it indefinitely, and think [Page 19] it signifies no more then this. That when ye fail, ye may be received &c. as else­where they shall call his name Emmanuel, Matth. 1. that is, his name shall be so called; and, this night do they require thy soul, that is, thy soul is required, Luke 12.20. But it best agrees with the parable foregoing, and with the contexture of the whole verse, if we referre this (they) in the latter part to those friends in the for­mer part of the verse, and so make the latter an exegesis of the former. Make to your selves friends of unrighteous mammon, that when ye die, those friends may receive you into everlasting habitations. Not that all these friends of yours will be willing to receive you into happinesse, seeing many of them may prove ungratefull and fall short of it themselves. Nor yet that any of them are able in their own persons, and by their own power to receive you, for it is God that gives both grace and glory, and disposeth of all places in heaven both at his right hand and at his left. Nor yet lastly that they shall be your advo­cates and mediatours, fee'd by your cha­ritable gifts to speak a good word for you, and by their interest to obtain your rece­ption into heaven, as some grosse Ro­manists [Page 20] collect from this place. But they may be said thus to befriend you two wayes.

1. By being the objects and occasions of those pious and charitable works, which are the way to those everlasting habitati­ons. And it is a familiar scheme of speech, to ascribe that to the object which properly belongs to the action. As parents honoured and obeyed may be said to prolong our dayes. And the stone out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber, are said to crie out against covetous persons; So the backs and bellies, and soules of poore di­stressed creatures, which out of an humble obedience to the law of Christ, and a tender compassion to your brethren; you have clothed, fed and refreshed, will plead and that effectually upon the gracious pro­mises of God, for your reception into e­verlasting habitations.

2. They may be said thus to befriend you though not in their own persons, yet by their sureties. God himself and his Sonne Jesus Christ, have engaged, and, if I may so speak, entred bond with these poore debters of yours, to see your labour of love repaid with full interest: nay, to give you a recompence of infinite value, for that i [...] which [Page 21] [...]n it self is worth nothing. God by his own promise hath made himself your debter, ac­cording to that known saying of Austin, Fidelis dominus qui fecit se nobis debito­rem, non aliquid à nobis accipiendo, sed omnia promittendo. You have it under the hand of the Holy Ghost himself, that giving to the poore is lending to the Lord. That en­tertaining, clothing, feeding, visiting the poore afflicted members of Christ, are so many good offices done to Christ himself, and acknowledged by him as his own per­sonall debts and engagements. So that prove your friends here spoken of never so dishonest or unable in their own persons, you need not feare the losse of your ad­venture, where the Lord himself is your se­curitie, and will stand your friend in their stead, to receive you into everlasting habi­tations.

This I conceive a true account of these expressions, But what ever mistake these con­jectures may be guilty of, the main scope and purpose of our Saviour in them is cleare and out of question, and that is this. To declare this duty of making friends by a wise improvement of our earthly talents, to be of an absolute necessity and certain ten­dencie to everlasting happinesse: and that, [Page 22] in actual performance where there is abi­litie, or however in willingnesse of mind, which in want of abilitie, is the same in Gods acceptance, 2. Corinth. 8.12. For though without Pharisaicall pride and ar­rogancie, we cannot be said to merit sal­vation by our good works, especially as the Papists abuse that phrase contrary to the harmlesse and well meaning use of it in some of the fathers. Yet that salvation depends upon our good works, taken in their due latitude, and in conjunction with their true principles of faith, and love, and humilitie of spirit; surely none that pretend to the knowledge and belief of the Scriptures, can nossibly denie with any colour of reason. For the Scriptures do with one voice proclaim that the exercises of these graces is first, the way to salva­tion, that good old way, trodden by all that ever travelled heaven-ward. And se­condly, that it is the measure of salvation, according to which every man shall re­ceive his reward. And thirdly, that it is the preparative for salvation, fitting the faithfull servant to enter into his Master [...] joy. For grace makes way for glory, and happinesse is nothing else but the perfect­ing of that love which is begun here [Page 23] This I take it, is true protestant do­ctrine. And therefore it is not our religi­ons fault, but our own, if the protestant name suffer under any deserved imputa­tion of barrennesse and covetousnesse, and if it be, as some say, it is almost as in­famous for one kind of idolatry, as the Romane is for another. For our Religion most powerfully urges upon us all manner of religious, pious and charitable works, and teacheth their necessity and certain tendencie to everlasting happinesse, as be­ing the way to it, the measure of it, and preparation for it. I have not time to shew how the Scriptures abound in the proof of all these; or if I had, they are so plain, I need not. I shall onely adde a few words of exhortation, first, to the Stewards of God: and secondly to their friends made by their discharge of their of­fice. Neither are these alwayes distinct per­sons, but sometimes divers respects of the same persons. For one man under divers considerations, and in severall respects may be both a Steward and a friend, in the sense of the text.

1. You that are the Stewards of God, to whose charge the good things of this world are committed; you see before you [Page] your way into your Masters joy. That more excellent way the Apostle shews us, 1. Cor. 12. Lastly, more excellent then the best gifts; then prophesie, speaking with tongues, understanding of mysteries, faith of mi­racles, yea more excellent then all other graces; For now remain faith hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. If you are not yet arrived to that high and God-like degree of love, to do good and commu­nicate freely without any respect to the re­compence of reward, yet methinks, that sincere, though fainter degree of love, to God and man, that warms the breast of every true Christian, being encouraged with a most infallible assurance of an infinite and eternall recompence of reward, should be strong enough in you to provoke you to the exercise of all pious and charitable works, according to your abilities and op­portunities. Neither let the Stewards of God flatter themselves, that a negative faith­fulnesse will serve the turn. That they have made use of nothing but their own; that they have not oppressed the poore, nor defrauded the hireling, nor devoured wi­dows houses, nor robbed the communitie, nor injured any. Such account as this, though it be better then most men can make, [Page 25] yet it will not passe at that great audit. For it proceeds upon a false supposition, that their possessions were their own, and not their Masters, that they were Lords and not Stewards. The unfaithfull servant is con­demned out of his own mouth, not for imbezelling, but for not improving his Lords money. And there is a rich man in the next parable following the text, that is tormented with intolerable flames, not for oppression, fraud and violence, but for immoderate enjoying his good things, and not commiserating the wants of a poore lame beggar; for being clothed with purple and fine linen, and faring deliciously eve­ry day, and yet denying the crumbs-that fell from his table to distressed Lazarus. And though he had dogges to eat up his crumbs, dogges, that licked the poore mans sores, and had more compassion in them then their master, yet this will not excuse his chur­lish deniall of a poore mans request. The right of dogges ceaseth, when a poore man becomes their competitour. Let this ex­ample be a caution to all the Stewards of God, that their backs, and bellies, their lusts and pleasures, do not devoure all their good things, when the necessities of the Church, and the members of it call for a [Page 26] share with them. That they be not like those sonnes of pleasure, Amos 6.5.6. That lie upon beds of ivorie, and stretch themselves up­on their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall, that chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, that drink wine in bowls, and anoint them­selves with the chief ointment, but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph.

2. You that by the bounty of others are engaged to be their friends, though their reward depends not upon your personal love and friendship, yet it becomes you to ex­presse your sense of your engagements, and to shew your selves in heart and affection their true friends. Neither doth the Lord in taking the debt upon himself, disoblige you from your duty of respect and thank­fulnesse to the instruments of his goodnesse. But your friendship ought to shew forth it self, at least in these foure particulars.

1. In a carefull and conscionable obser­vance of their precepts, and and all the con­ditions of their pious and charitable works, so farre as consistent with the laws of any higher power. God establisheth the house of the Rechabites, for observing the pre­cepts of their father Jonadab, Jer. 35. and yet [Page 27] those precepts were matters otherwise of an indifferent nature, as abstaining from wine, and the like.

2. In a sober and moderate use of their gifts, according to their pious intention. Pride and wantonnesse, as they are no where more odious, so they are no where more conspicuous, then in those that lie upon other mens bounty. Nay, the least appearance of vanitie in them (we all know) raiseth such scandals, as are not easily laid again. But by our Christian sobrietie and moderation, we shall either put them to silence, or at least bear them comfortably.

3. In following their examples accord­ing to the measure we have received. [...]. They that have made us friends, have made us Stewards too: And if we be not rich to cast in much, yet our mites are expected. The meanest of our condition cannot make us un­capable of that glorious report the Apostle gives of the Macedonians, 1. Cor. 1.8. that the depth of their poverty abounded to the riches of their liberalitie. To speak freely, It would better become our condition, if a little of our courtesie were turned into charity, and if something were abated of [Page 28] our mutuall friendly entertainments, to make to our selves friends according to the mind of our Saviour.

4. In paying to them their due honour: to their persons if alive; if dead, to their memorialls. However their names may per­haps be stain'd with reproches and ill re­ports, by the loose and carelesse tongues of others, yet it becomes their friends to speak as they find: and to perfume their memory with honourable mention of their bounty and liberalitie. Whilest Cham im­pudently beholds and reports his fathers nakednesse, let Shem and Japhet go back­ward and cover it. For though the ho­nour done to the memory of those whom God hath made instrumental for our good, be no real addition to their reward, yet it is a real expression of our thankfulnesse to God for them, and of our due valua­tion of the benefit we receive from him by their means, and may happily provoke others to the imitation of their worthy examples.

For which reasons, give me leave as the present occasion requires, to mention the name of that noble and free-hearted Benefactour both to this whole Univer­sitie, and especially to this adjoyning, Col­ledge, [Page 29] (Peter-house) D^r ANDREW PERN. His bounty to this Colledge in adding a new foundation of two fellowships and six schollerships; in building our Library, and furnishing it with a plentifull variety of choice books, in establishing a Library-keepers place, and in many other works of great advantage. His happy and renowned endeavours for the honour and prosperitie of the Universitie in generall; for the vin­dication, and enlargement of their privi­ledges; his bequests of a yearly pension to to the publick Library-keeper, and a box of ancient coyns and medalls of great value. But especially his wise and successefull pains in contriving and procuring that necessary Statute of the 18. of Queen Eliz. to turn the third part of our ancient rents into co­cumony. To which both the Universities ow their comfortable subsistence ever since. His liberalitie to those places in the coun­trey, whereto he had relation, making them provision for a yearly Sermon, and distribu­tions to their poore. These and many other worthy deeds of his deserve of us, that his name should be had in honourable remem­brance. But especially they should put us in mind of that gracious hand of God, that by this and many other the like instruments [Page 30] of his goodnesse, hath made such publick provision for the encouragement of Reli­gion and learning, and hath given us in par­ticular a share in it. The Lord grant us such a sober use and faithfull improvement of these his mercies, that by the same good hand of providence, they may continue and dayly increase, both to the present, and to succeeding generations.