phrases hee intendeth the same thing Secondly because the metaphor taken from them whosow their seede will well beare it who scatter it all abroade in the fielde and not in the lowest places onely Thirdly because the generall doctrine of beneficence and the particular of almesdeedes are in other places ioyned together as 1 Tim. 6. 18. 1. Tim. 6. 18. That they doe good and be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate and Heb. 13. 16. To do good and communicate forget not c. Heb. 13. 16. Sect 2. Beneficence what it is Now in speaking of this beneficence I will first consider the dutie it selfe and secondly the properties of it and how it is to be exercised The dutie of beneficence it selfe is with a bountifull heart and hand to doe good vnto all who in any kinde whatsoeuer neede our helpe by our riches labour care counsaile prouidence or howsoeuer So that this grace extendeth it selfe to all good workes as building Schooles and Colleges and maintaining the ministerie and meanes of Gods worship erecting of Hospitals and allowing yearely Pensions to Parishes and corporations for the reliefe of their poore or if wee want abilitie for these things comforting the distressed counsailing those that Act. 9. 39. neede counsaile helping the blinde and lame by being eyes and feete vnto them Iob 31. Sect. 3. Beneficence commended vnto all And these duties of beneficence are commanded vnto all Heb. 13. 16. and are numbred by Heb. 13. 16. Gal. 5. 22. 3. Tim. 6 17. 18 the Apostle among the fruites of the spirit Gal. 5. 12. and there ioyned with loue and faith to shew that there is no true faith or loue where beneficence and goodnesse is wanting but especially they are charged vpon rich men because they haue the priuiledge of abilitie aboue others and better meanes to expresse their inward bountie in the outward act And howsoeuer the poorer sort may haue as large and liberall hearts as they and consequently may be as acceptable in the sight of God because he looketh principally not to the gift but to the minde of the giuer yet wanting riches they cannot shew vnto men the visible testimony of their bountifull hearts nor produce their liberalitie into act seeing they want the chiefe instrument of well doing which are hence called goods because by them we are enabled to doe good And indeede this is the right vse of these rich talents which God hath lent vnto vs that shall be so highly rewarded at the day of our great account and the neglect hereof the hiding of those talents which shall be at that day so seuerely punished Sect. 4. The obiect of our beneficence Now the obiect of this our beneficence is very large for it must extend vnto all men according 1. Thes 5. 15. to that 1 Thes 5. 15. But euer follow that which is good both among your selues and to all men Yea euen to our enemies as the wise man teacheth vs Pro. 25. 21. If thine enemie be hungrie giue Pro. 25. 21. him bread to eate and if he be thirstie giue him water to drinke And this our Sauiour requireth Mat. Math. 5. 44. 45. 5. 44. Loue your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you c. the which is inforced with a strong reason because herein wee shall be like our heauenly father vers 45. which if we neglect and limit our beneficence to our Luk. 6. 32. 33. friends we shall be no better then publicans and sinners Luk. 6. 32. 33. Sect 5. That our beneficence must chiefely extend to the faithfull But though our beneficence must extend to Gal 6. 10. all yet chiefely to those who are of the houshould of faith Gal. 6. 10. And though wee be liberall in scattering the seede of our good workes in all grounds which are ready to receiue it yet principally we must cast it into those which being fertile and fruitfull will yeelde vnto vs the best increase Now such are the faithfull who being the true members of Christ he will acknowledge what is done vnto them as done vnto himselfe Mat. 25. 33. which consideration moued Dauid Mat. 25. 33. to extend his goodnesse and bountie to the Saints that are vpon the earth and to the excellent as appeareth Psal 16. 3. And the Apostle Paul to commend Psal 16. 3. the faith of the Ephesians in the Lord Iesus when as he saw it approued by their loue towards all the Saints Eph. 1. 15. Eph. 1. 15. Sect. 6. The properties of beneficence First that it be liberall and bountifull The properties of this beneficence are diuers and they are all implied in this metaphor of dispersing or scattering seede As first in respect of the quantitie it must be liberall and bountifull and we must dare multum multis doe much good vnto many For though a man be neuer so sparing in other things yet he will not be niggardly in sowing his seede but will scatter and cast it from him in full handfuls as much as is sufficient and the ground will well beare because he knoweth that the fruitfull haruest will returne all againe with large increase and so the godly and blessed man though he be hard in idle expences and superfluities as in rioting gaming adorning the backe and pampering the bellie yet hee is bountifull in doing good and scattereth the seedes of his beneficence with a liberall hand because he knoweth that after the seedetime the haruest will follow and then all will be returned with great aduantage which argument the Apostle vseth to stirre vp the Corinthians to this liberall beneficence because he that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully and he that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly 2 Cor. 9. 6. And this the wise man obserued Pro. 11. 24. There is saith 2. Cor. 9. 6. Pro. 11. 24. 25. he that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that withholdeth more then is meete and commeth to pouertie 25. The liberall soule shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered againe In which regard one saith well Non qui habet seruat sed qui Clemens Alexand peâ—â—g lib. 3. impertit est diues impertitio non autem possessio diuites facit Not he that hath wealth and keepeth it but he that bestoweth it is rich neither is it the possession but the laying out of riches that makes men rich For he that soweth and gathereth more is he who giueth earthly things and gathereth heauenly and eternall but he who gathereth on earth and bestoweth it not hee putteth his treasure into a broken bagge Hag. 1. 6. Hag 1. 6. Sect. 7. Bountie in our beneficence is required And this bountie in our beneficence God requireth Deut. 15. 11. Thou shalt open thine hand Deut. 15. 11. wide vnto thy brother to thy poore and needy in thy land especially of rich men who must not onely giue a
by restoring the like to the true owner Sect. 8. That all the former cases are to be vnderstood with some exceptioÌ„ All which cases are to be vnderstood with this exception if the poore be but in ordinarie want and not in extreame necessitie as when hee is in danger to bee famished or starued or in extreame and imminent perill to perish for want of releefe or to be vtterly ruined and ouerthrowne in his whole estate in which cases nothing is to bee accounted proper but all becomes commune Mat. 12. 1. 3. 4. Dut. 23. 24. 25. through this vrgent and vnresistible necessitie Yet so as that he who giueth must purpose to the vttermost of his power to make satisfaction to the owner for those goods which hee hath thus bestowed seeing though it may seeme to bee a worke of mercie to giue reliefe in such extremities yet not of iustice if wee giue that which belongeth to other men without any purpose of making restitution Sect 9. That a certaine quantitie is not determined The second point to be considered in the matter of our almes is the quantitie or measure of them the which is not particularly determined in the Scriptures because there are so many circumstances which alter the case that no certaine rule could be giuen but it is left to the discretion of the prudent Christian to giue according to the occasion offered more or lesse as he thinketh good And therefore the Apostle exhorting the Corinthians to abound in this grace addeth that he speaketh not this by commandement but by occasion of the forwardnesse of others 2. Cor. 8. 7. 8. 2. Cor. 8. 7 8. and afterwards 2. Cor. 9. 7. Euery man according and 9. 7. as he purposeth in bis heart so let him giue not grudgingly or of necessitie for God loueth a cheerefull giuer And this the nature of the worke requireth for giuing is a free and liberall action and therefore is to be done freely and willingly and consequently cannot be done by all in the like proportion because their hearts are not alike inlarged with loue and bounty Sect. 10. That we must giue liberally But yet this in the generall is required that we giue our almes not with a straight and niggardly hand but bountifully and largely the which is implyed by the metaphor of scattering or sowing seede fitted by the Apostle to this action of giuing almes 2. Cor. 9. 6. which is vsually done 2. Cor. 9. 6. with a bountifull and full hand as also by that phrase of opening the haÌ„d wide to the poore and needy Deut. 15. 11. of stretching and reaching Deut. 15. 11. out to the poore which phrase Salomon vseth to expresse the bounty of the vertuous woman Pr. Pro. 31. 20. 31. 20. And in regard hereof the act of giuing almes is by the Apostle tearmed by the name of bountie opposed to couetousnesse as being contrary vnto it 2. Cor. 9. 5. And plainely expressed where the Apostle perswadeth to this bountie by annexing that gracious promise 2. Cor. 9. 2. Cor. 9. 5 8. 6. 6. He that soweth bountifully shall reape bountifully and maketh it to be an especiall grace of the spirit to abound in these workes of mercie v. 8. and an vndoubted signe of the sinceritie of our loue 2. Cor. 8. 8. 2. Cor. 8. 8. Sect. 11. That in giuing we must haue respect to our owne abilitie But yet herein respect must be had as before I haue in part shewed to our abilitie keeping as the wise man counsaileth vs our cesternes and wels full that our selues may drinke of them and letting the ouerplus as it were at the waste runne abroade to others in the streetes Pro. 5. 16. Pro. 5. 16. 17. 17. And this also the sonne of Syrach aduiseth according to thine abilitie stretch out thine hand and giue chap. 14. 13. and giue vnto the most high according Eccles 14. 13. as he hath inriched thee and as thou hast gotten giue with a cheerefull eye chap. 35. 10. An example and 35. 10. of which Christian discretion wee haue in the faithfull Act. 11. 29. Then the Disciples euery man according to his abilitie determined to send reliefe vnto Act. â—1 29. the brethren And this the Apostle meaneth where he requireth such an equalitie as that some should not be too much eased and some too much burthened but that they should indifferently out of their abundance supply the wants of others 2. Cor. 8. 13. 14. 2. Cor 8 13. 14. Sect. 12. That in case of extreame necessity we must straine our selues aboue our abilitie Notwithstanding in cases of vrgent necessitie and great extreamitie men are to straine themselues and to racke their estates aboue the reach of their abilitie to preserue their brethren from being tortured in their persons vpon the racke of necessitie for which the Apostle magnifieth the Christian bountie of the Macedonians who euen aboue their ability contributed and communicated to the relief of the poore Saints And this our Sauiour requireth Luk. 12. 33. Sell that you haue and giue almes And Iohn the Baptist Luk. 3. 11. Luk. 12. 33. and 3. 1â— He that hath two coates let him impart vnto him that hath none and he that hath meate let him doe likewise Whereby is meant that he who hath more then is sufficient for the sustentation of life must communicate it vnto those who are in extreame necessitie and in imminent danger to perish as we see it practised by the faithfull in the time of persecution Acts 2. 45. where they that had possessions Act. 2. 4â— â—â— 34 35. and goods sould them and parted them to all as euery man had neede otherwise vnlesse it bee in these cases of extremitie it is lawfull to possesse not onely those things which are necessary to nature but also to a mans state and person For we reade that Paul had a spare cloake at Troas 2. Tim. 4. 13. And that our Sauiour himselfe had two 2. Tim. 4. 13. coates in his greatest persecution Ioh. 19. 23. Ioh. 19 23. Sect. 13. Of the qualitie of our almes And so much for the quantitie The third thing propounded in the matter of our almes is the qualitie of them in which respect it is required that wee giue to the poore things holesome cleanely conuenient and comfortable for the sustentation of their liues auoiding therein two extreames first of those who giue vnto them such base and sluttish foode as they would scarce offer vnto their dogges And to this end we must remember that wee doe not relieue contemptible creatures of another kinde inferiour to our selues but those that are of the same flesh children of the same father yea members of the same body and partakers in hope of the same precious promises And which is more that in them wee lend vnto the Lord who iustly scorneth our base refuse yea relieue Iesus Christ himselfe and will we giue
vnto him swill and swines meate who hath giuen himselfe vnto vs and vouchsafeth to nourish our soules and bodies with his most precious body and blood The other extreame is to giue vnto the poore superfluous dainties for it is required that they be fed with necessary foode not paÌ„pered wantonly with superfluities our Sauiour when he miraculously fed the poore and hungrie people that followed him by his sole word did not prouide for them delicates though he might as easily haue done it as the other but multiplyed their barley loaues and fishes Neither in truth can men thus feede some in excesse but in the meane time others must want necessaries nor doe the poore regard dainties vnlesse it be in their sicknesse and weakenesse but onely desire necessaries seeing hunger doth make all foode sauourie and euery meale a delightfull banquet So Austine saith vtantur diuites superfluis dent pauperibus necessaria Let the rich inioy their superfluities and let them relieue the poore with Aug de verb. dom Serm. necessaries let them vse those things which are bought at high rates and giue the poore such as are good cheape And another saith Communicate vnto them thy Hierâ—me riches who feede on course fare and browne bread and not on quailes and phesants and who take care to kill hunger and not to increase luxuriousnesse And againe giue to the poore and not the rich giue to sustaine necessitie and not to encrease wealth CHAP. 9. Of the persons who ought to giue almes Sect. 1. That the rich are bound chiefely to giue THe second generall point to bee considered are the persons who are to bee exercised in this worke of almes and that both in respect of giuing and receiuing Concerning the former we must consider of the persons to whom the duetie of giuing appertaineth which admitteth a double consideration first of estate who are bound to giue secondly of right who may lawfully performe this duetie For the first all of any estate and degree whatsoeuer are bound to giue when they meete with poorer then themselues at sometimes and in some cases but principally this duetie belongeth vnto rich men for whereas the Scriptures haue diuided all men into two sorts the rich whom God hath indued with possessions and worldly blessings and the poore who are scanted of them God requireth that those who abound should minister vnto the reliefe of those that want So Luk. 16. 9. Make vnto Luk. 16 9. you friends of the Mammon of vnrighteousnesse and 1. Tim. 6. 17. 18. Charge them that are rich in this 1 Tim. 6. 17. 18. world that they doe good that they bee rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate Thus the Apostle would haue the Corinthians out of their abundance to supply the wants of the faithfull that were in pouertie 2. Cor. 8. 14. And the 2. Cor. 8. 14. Apostle Iohn saith that who so hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath neede and shutteth vp the bowels of his compassion from him how dwelleth 1. Ioh. 3. 17. the loue of God in him Sect. 2. That none are exempted from this duetie But for as much as men are rich or poore not onely simply but in relation vnto others a man is to bee esteemed rich not onely when hee aboundeth with worldly wealth but also when he is compared with one who is much poorer and accordingly is to communicate of that which he hath to the reliefe of those who are in greater necessitie As for example he who is of a meane and poore estate must giue almes when he meeteth with those that are in geater neede and euen those who are in great neede must communicate such as they haue vnto them who are in extreame necessitie in danger presently to perish vnlesse they haue some helpe from others Thus he that hath but a meere competencie to supply the necessitie of nature and estate is to giue somthing out of it to relieue those who want necessaries belonging to nature and those who haue onely sufficient for nature are bound to giue vnto them who are in great and present extremitie vnlesse the like necessitie be imminent to themselues For the rule of iustice and charitie requiring that wee should loue our neighbours as our selues and doe vnto them as we would haue them to doe vnto vs doth in the equitie thereof require that wee preferre the life of our brethren before our estate and that wee should indure small wants to preserue them from suffering those which are great and dangerous Sect. 4. The former point proued by testimonies So that not onely they who abound in riches but euen those also who are of meane estate are bound to performe this Christian duetie The which will more manifestly appeare if we consider both the precepts and examples of holy Scriptures The Baptist requireth that those who haue two coates part with one and that they who haue Luk 3. 11. meate do likewise that is if he meet with those who are in extreame necessitie these things being not necessarie to the preseruing of his owne life and estate And our Sauiour commaundeth vs to giue almes of such things as wee haue bee they more or lesse better or worse Luk. 11. 41. And if we haue Luk. 11. 41. nothing to spare out of superfluitie we must as wee haue heard sell that wee haue and giue almes in cases of great necessitie and if we haue nothing to sell wee must worke with our owne hands that we may haue to giue vnto him that needeth Eph. 4. 28. Eph. 4. 28. Sect. 5. Secondly by examples An example hereof we haue in the poore widdow which was so much commended by our Sauiour Christ for casting into the treasurie her two mites which was all her substance Mark 12. Mark 12. 43. 43. In the Macedonians who being themselues but poore gaue euen aboue their ability to the relief of those who were poorer 2. Cor. 8. 2. In the Apostles who wanting siluer and gold gaue such 2. Cor. 8. 2. as they had to the poore criple restoring him by miracle to the vse of his limmes that so by his labour he might get his owne liuing Act. 3. 6. And Act. 3. 6. in our Sauiour Christ himselfe who though he were so poore that he liued vpon that which others out of their loue and dutie ministred vnto him as appeareth Luk. 8. 3. yet he himselfe gaue almes to those who were in greater want as wee Luk. 8. 3. may gather Ioh. 12. 6. 8. To which purpose one Ioh. 12 6. 8. saith that the commandement of mercy is common vnto all offices and ages neither is the Publican or Ambrose souldiar the husbandman or citizen the rich or poore excepted but all are to be admonished that they be ready to giue vnto him that needeth Sect. 6. That our small meanes should moue vs to giue And therefore let none excuse their
workes wherein it is exercised towards the poore that he preferreth them before the outward act of religious duties Hos 6. 6. I desired mercie and not sacrifice This Hos 6. 6. is the oblation which he chiefly requireth wherwithall Eleemosyna est non tantum pro sacrificio sed prae sacrificio saith the Hypocrite shall I come before God and bow my selfe before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offrings with calues of a yeare old will the Lord be pleased with thousandes of rammes or with ten thousands of riuers of oyle shall I giue my first borne for my transgressions and the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule No none of all these saith the Prophet but if thou wouldest be accepted of God I will tell thee what he requireth Mich. 6. 6. 8. of thee to doe iustly and to loue mercie and to walke humbly with thy God Mich. 6. 6. 8. This hee esteemeth the most acceptable sacrifice To doe good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. This is the fast Heb. 13. 16. that he delighteth in to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that are cast out into thy house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Esa 58. 6. 7. This is pure religion and vndefiled Esa 58. 6. 7. before God to visite the fatherlesse and widdowes in their affliction and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Iam. 1. 27. Finally these almesdeedes Iam. 1. 27. and workes of mercy are not only an odour of a sweete smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing vnto God as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 4. 18. Phil. 4. 18. but also such an oblation as if we offer vnto God with a liuely faith the vse of Gods creatures shall become cleane vnto vs according to that of our Sauiour Luc. 11. 41. Giue almes of such things as Luk. 11. 41. you haue and behold all things are cleane vnto you Not that almes satisfie for our former sinnes as the Papists inferre out of this place and so make all things cleane vnto vs but only hereby thus much is signified that if wee giue almes out of a liuely faith all things are cleane without Iewish and Pharisaicall washings inuented by them for the purifying of Gods creatures of which the text specially speaketh Sect. 3. That by these works of mercy wee make our calling election sure Thirdly by these works of mercy we make our calling and election sure for if we doe these thinges that is adde to our knowledge brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity and so abounding in these graces be neither barren nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ we shall neuer fall 2. Pet. 1. 7. 8. 10. and this the Apostle Paul 2. Pet. 1. 7. 8. 10. maketh an infallible note of our election Col. 3. 12. Put on as the elect of God holy and beloued Col. 3. 12. the bowels of mercie and kindnesse c. And as these workes of mercy are vndoubted markes of our election so also of all the inferiour meanes whereby it is effected as first of sauing knowledge and spirituall wisedome for the wisedome that is from aboue is full of mercie and good fruits Iam. 3. 17. Iam. 3. 17. Secondly of vnfained repentance and our sound conuersion whereof it is that Daniel counselleth Nebuchadnezzar to approue his repentance and conuersion vnto God by these speciall fruites Wherefore saith he O King let my counsell be accepted vnto thee and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercie to the poore Dan. 4. 27. The which Zachaeus practised Dan. 4. 27. for no sooner was he conuerted vnto God but to testifie his vnfained repentance hee giueth halfe Luc. 19. 8. of his goods vnto the poore Thirdly they are infallible signes of a liuely faith whereby we may approoue it vnto men because they are those good fruits which spring from it according to that Iam. 2. 18. Shew me thy faith by thy workes and I Iam. 2. 18. will shew thee my faith by my workes Which fruits if our faith beare not it is dead and not a liuing body but a carcase that breatheth not vers 26. For if we be truely assured of Gods loue towards vs we will vndoubtedly loue him againe and if wee loue him vnfainedly wee will also loue our neighbours for his sake and be readie to shew all duties of loue to all those that need our helpe So also they are in this regard signes of a liuely faith seeing thereby we apprehend Gods promises so are encouraged to doe these workes of mercie for his sake for no man easily parteth with his worldly goods to these vses vnlesse by faith he be assured that he shal haue in lue of them heauenly and euerlasting treasures Fourthly they are vndoubted signes of our loue towardes God whenas we so loue the poore for his sake as that we be content to spare somewhat euen from our owne backes and bellies that wee may the more liberally communicate vnto their necessities And as our almes are a signe of our loue to God so the quantitie of our almes respect being had to the proportion of our state is a signe of the quantity of our loue for he loueth but little that hauing much giueth but little and contrariwise his hart is inflamed with feruent loue who hath it inlarged with bountie towards his poore brethren the extension of our loue towards them being the true touchstone of the intention of our loue towards God And as a great tree with many and large branches are an vndoubted signe of a roote proportionable in greatnesse and a small shrub aboue the ground plainly proueth that the roote also is small which is vnder it so is it with our loue and almes-deedes which spring from it for if we be bountifull in almes wee are plentifull in loue if we be slacke in giuing wee are cold in louing but if we be vtterly defectiue in bringing foorth these excellent fruites then it is a manifest signe that this grace of Gods loue is not rooted in vs. For if any man haue these worlds goods and seeth his 1. Ioh. 3. 17. brother haue need and shutteth vp his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And as they are manifest signes of our loue towards God so also of our loue towards our neighbours when as wee carry ourselues in all Christian bounty towards them as vnto children of the same father and members of the same body suffering with them in their wants through compassion and fellow-feeling and reioycing with them in their fulnesse and prosperity And as they are plaine demonstrations of our faith and loue so also direct proofes of their sincerity and truth and that they