returne vnto vs a fruitefull haruest Sect. 7. That we must giue almes constantly And thus much for the obiect of our almes the time of performing this duetie is daily continually and constantly as our abilitie will beare and the necessitie of the poore shall require according Eccles 11 6 to that Eccles 11. 6. In the morning sow thy seede and in the euening hold not thine hand And this assiduitie in the action is implyed in the obiect For whereas he saith that the godly man giueth to the poore he implyeth thus much that he continueth giuing so long as they continue in their pouertie and that there is no end of his bountie till he seeth an end of their wants Neither doth hee vpbraide the poore man with remembrance of former benefits when he renueth his suites as though it were too great boldnesse in him to craue often and superfluous for himselfe to giue often to the same person but remembring that his heauenly father renueth his mercies vnto him euery morning and harkneth graciously to his suites so often as he wanteth and craueth he imitateth his vnwearied goodnes giueth often to the same poore man according to his owne abilitie and the others necessitie if he see that his wants are not caused through his idlenesse and negligence but through the hand of God lying heauie vpon him Or if God hath prouided otherwise for those whom wee haue formerly relieued this must not put an end to our charitie and almesdeedes seeing the godly man giueth to the poore that is so long as there are any poore so long he giueth his liberalitie not being appropriated vnto any persons but extending it selfe to the same estate and condition of pouerty when as he findeth it in new subiects And therefore as the fountaine sending foorth it streames first filleth one emptie hole as it runneth and then goeth into another and neuer ceaseth till it hath filled all so the fountaine of the righteous mans bounty neuer ceaseth to communicate the streames of his beneficence but after he hath supplyed the wants of one and many he still seeketh after more and neuer thinketh himselfe so rich in good workes and almesdeedes that now he may giue ouer and spend vpon the stocke blessing himselfe in his former bounty but still he continueth his spirituall trade and neuer fainteth vntill the great paimaister haue giuen him an euerlasting reward And because God hath so ordained that there shal alway be poore according to the saying of our Sauiour the poore you shall alway haue Math. 26. 11. with you for the exercise of their faith and patience and of rich mens bountie and obedience that so both being approued both may also be richly rewarded therefore he resolueth to be constant in his beneficence and that in obedience to God who hath commanded it according to that Deut. 15. 11. The poore shall neuer cease out of the land therefore I commaund thee saying thou shalt open Deut. â—5 11. thine hand wide vnto thy brother to thy poore and thy needie in the land The which perseuerance in well doing hath the promise of reward appropriated vnto it Gal. 6. 9. Let vs not saith the Apostle Gal. 6 9. be wearie of well doing for in due season we shall reape if we faint not And therefore as we haue opportunitie let vs doe good vnto all men especially to them that are of the houshould of faith CHAP. 5. What almesdeedes are and of the true causes from which they arise Sect. 1. That men are growne cold in these works of mercie VVE haue intreated according to our order propounded of the action and obiect of almesdeedes seuerally now it followeth that we ioyne them together he hath giuen to the poore In which words he sheweth that it is a vertue or propertie of a godly and righteous man to be liberall in almesdeedes and in those speciall workes of mercie and beneficence whereby the poore and needy are comforted and relieued The which dutie in this frozen age of the world is much neglected by reason that selfe loue and couetousnesse doe so abound and men are growne so cold and carelesse in the performance of these charitable actions that their hearts seeme frozen vnto such an icie if not flinty hardnesse that the deepe sighes and scalding teares of the distressed poore cannot thawe or supple them and their hands stiffe and benummed being forsaken of the kindely heate of charitie and deuotion that they cannot stretch them out to performe these Christian duties yea this vtter neglect or slacke performance of the workes of mercy is to be obserued and euen with teares of blood to bee lamented not onely among carnall worldlings who in respect of other things haue no shew or semblance of any goodnes in them but euen among professours of religion by reason that couetousnesse pride and selfe-loue doe so raigne and rule in the hearts of the most that rhis Christian dutie which is so often commended vnto vs in the Scriptures and magnified so much in the writings of antiquity is growne almost so out of vse that now if euer it needeth vrging Sect. 2. What almes-deeds are In which regard I will the more largely insist vpon it And first I will speake of the dutie it selfe and then of the reasons which may inforce it The dutie it selfe is almesdeedes or giuing to the poore which is a good worke or worke of mercie whereby a Christian out of faith obedience charitie and compassion communicateth and giueth something necessary for the sustentation of life vnto the poore for their reliefe and the supplying of their wants to Gods glory and their mutuall good By which description it appeareth that howsoeuer any man may giue gifts yet onely the Christian and godly man can rightly performe this dutie of almesdeedes For it is a good worke and there is none doe good but those that are good neither is it possible that Math. â— 18 and 12. 33. there should be good fruite vnlesse it spring from a good tree It is a sacrifice vnto God which none can offer but those that serue him yea a Christian sacrifice which not any can offer in an acceptable manner vnlesse they themselues in Christ be first accepted Sect. 3. The true causes of almesdeedes from which they arise 1. Faith But this will more plainely appeare by that which followeth in the description which sheweth the true fountaine out of which almesdeedes flow as faith obedience charitie mercy all which being proper to the godly Christian it followeth that these workes of mercy be also peculiar vnto him First then our almes are to arise from a liuely faith which formalizeth all the Christians actions and putteth the maine difference betweene their workes and the same works done by worldlings For first we are assured that God is good vnto vs before we can shew any goodnesse towards our brethren that he hath giuen vs all we haue before we will part with
are assuredly good vnto the receiuers and in respect of the giuers thus much may be said that they do much better than those who doe neglect them altogether taking no care that any good should be done either in their liues or after death And though now they can keepe their goods no longer yet being to part with them of necessitie it is good that they make choice freely to bestow them on these good vses wherein they are much to bee preferred before those who bestow them vpon such vses as are either euill superfluous superstitious or meere worldly and carnall Neither may they iustly be taxed for doing these good workes now but their long delay is to be blamed and because they would not be perswaded to do them sooner Sect. 5. Giuing in our life time is much more commendable and acceptable Which fault that we may auoyde let vs consider that it is much better and more commendable to giue liberally to these good vses in our life time making our owne hands our executors and our eyes our ouer-seers than to leaue our goods to these vses to bee disposed of at the discretion of others According to that Eccli 18. 22. Eccli 18. 22. 25 Let nothing hinder thee to pay thy vow in due time and deferre not vntill death to be iustified When thou hast enough remember the time of hunger and when thou art rich thinke vpon pouertie and neede Secondly it is much more acceptable to God as being a more infallible signe of a stronger faith and more firme affiance in him For if in our life time we giue our goods to the poore because God requireth it we therby euidently declare that we rest vpon Gods prouidence and promises for our prouision seing we dis-furnish our selues of a good part of our meanes euen whilest we haue occasion to vse them Whereas if we keepe all to our selues till the honre of death we may be well suspected of diffidence and want of faith which is the cause why we doe not trust so much in God as in our owne prouision and store which we haue about vs. So also it is an euidence of greater loue and obedience if at Gods commandement and for his sake wee can willingly part with our goods when they are still in our power and might be conuerted to our owne vse than if we bestow them to such vses when as death approaching we can keepe them no longer For it is a small matter to giue vnto God that which though we would neuer so fayne we cannot carry with vs and it is next to neglecting to doe so late For what great thing is it if we be perswaded to put off our clothes when as we are ready to go to bed to giue away the reliques of our meate in the Inne when we are ready to take horse and to set forward our iourney into another country Yea what thanks is it if we then giue away our apparell when we haue so long worne it that it will hange on our backes no longer and then part with our meate when whether we will or no it shall be taken from vs especially when it is done in this hope that our rotten raggs shall be changed into robes of immortalitie and our perishing meate shall be supplyed with the bread of life To which purpose an ancient Father saith Alas poore wretch Basil in Diuit auaros Serm. 2. wilt thou then be liberall and kinde vnto men when as thou canst no longer liue among them shall I then only say that thou art louing to thy brethren when as I shall see thee a dead carcase Thou art no doubt worthy great praise of thy liberalitie and great honour and grace is due vnto thee when lying in thy graue and being turned vnto dust thou shalt appeare munificent and bountifull Sect. 5. Giuing in our life-time most seasonable and best fitted to occasions Thirdly It is required not only that we giue but also that we giue seasonably and that is when we see our neighbours wants and haue power and abilitie to helpe and relieue them for as in sowing our seede we doe not thinke it enough if at some times wee be ready to cast it into the ground but we haue also speciall respect to the season and seede-time so is it in sowing the seeds our almes deeds which if wee sow not before death it is as if we should deferre the sowing of our seede till the very time when we should reape our haruest Now are we sayling towards to the Holy Land and these works of mercy like a good gale of winde driue vs forward vnto the wished hauen now are we to dispatch our spirituall market wherein God offereth vnto vs for temporarie trifles euerlasting treasures now is the time of our christian warfare wherein we are to fight against the deuill the world and our owne carnall and couetous lusts and then we ouercome the world and our selues when we are wholy taken vp with the workes of mercy and can part with our earthly goods in loue towards God and compassion towards our neighbours But if we deferre them till after death and will giue nothing to the poore till all must be taken from vs it is like a faire gale of winde after ship wracke as if we should set out our wares when the market is done make great braggs of our valour when the fight is finished and we put to flight Besides the workes of mercy are best done when they are fitted to the occasions and wants of those vnto whom they are performed and not to giue vnto them when their necessitie requireth but when we can best spare our goods is as if the steward should giue foode to the familie not at meale-times or when they are most hungry but when as himselfe hath nothing else to doe or when he can keepe the foode in his store-house no longer because theeues haue digged through the wall and are now ready with violence to take it away from him Sect 6. No certaintie of doing good by legacies Fourthly It is much better that we doe our selues the workes of mercy in our life time than to leaue them to bee done by others after our deaths not onely because the seed-time being much more seasonable we may assuredly expect a much more fruitfull haruest but also because if we doe not take the time present and relieue our poore brethrē whilest it is in the power of our Pro. 3. 27. hands to doe it we can haue no certaintie that they will euer be done by vs at all For either we may be stripped of all our goods before our death and so haue nothing to bequeath to these vses or death may take vs suddenly away and giue vs no time to dispose of our goods or our sicknes may be of such a nature that it will depriue vs of the vse of our memory and vnderstanding or else if all things be left in good order by our Will yet
not then he who hauing receiued a good turne is vnthankefull And againe Is hee vngratefull he hath therein not iniured me but himselfe I haue done my duty when I gaue Nor will I for this giue more slowly but with greater diligence for Non est magni animi dare perdere sed perdere dare Senec. de Benâ—f lib. 7. cap. 32. what I haue cast away vpon this man I shall find among others Yea I will giue vnto the same man againe and like a good husband-man I will ouercome the barrennesse of the soile with my care and painefull tillage neither is it any great matter to giue and lose but to lose and giue And yet Christian benificence goeth further requiring that wee should giue not onely to those who are vngratefull and doe vs no good but also to such as are enemies and doe vs hurt according to that Rom. 12. 20. If thine enemie Rom. 12. 20. hunger feede him if he thirst giue him drinke because by this meanes wee shall ouercome euill with good our greatest enemie being no more able to beare malice when we loade him with benefits then his head is able to beare fiery coales rhat are cast vpon it But say we should not ouercome them with our kindnesse yet it shall bee a noble worke and worth our labour to ouercome our selues say that he offendeth through his vngratefulnesse let him beare his sinne and let vs doe our dutie for it is too much charitie towards another man to commit a certaine sinne in not giuing because we ghesse that he will sinne in his receiuing and to preuent the fault of another by committing a greater in our owne person Finally let vs remember that what wee giue vnto the poore we lend vnto the Lord and therefore though Prou. 19. 17. Matth 64. they faile neuer so much yet hauing such an all-sufficient surety we are sure of good paiment yea the lesse we receiue from them the better it will be for vs if we be not discouraged with their vnthankefulnesse for then God being our pay-master hee will pay vs like himselfe not onely with transitorie things for transitorie but also with such blessings as are spirituall heauenly infinite and euerlasting Sect. 3. Their obiectioÌ„ answered who say that the poore are wicked Fourthly it is obiected that the poore now adaies are so wicked and euill that they deserue no releefe and what is giuen vnto them is but cast away seeing it doth but maintaine them in their vngodly courses To which I answer that this should not discourage vs from giuing but make vs more diligent in seeking out those who are worthy to be releeued The husband-man doth not refuse altogether to sow his seede because there are some grounds so barren that they will beare nothing but weedes and thistles but this maketh him carefull either to looke out more fruitfull soile which will returne fruitfull increase or with his good husbandry to make that which in it selfe is bad to becom better neither doth he expect that all hee soweth should prosper and increase his haruest seeing some falleth by the way-side and is trodden vnder foot some is deuoured by the fowles which prey vpon it and some falleth among the stones or is so choaked with weedes and thornes that it thriueth not And so the wise merchant giueth not ouer trading because some of the goods which he aduentureth is lost by shipwracke pirates banquerouts and other casualties but is so much the more diligent in his imployments and sendeth out his goods into many places that his gains at one time may counteruaile and exceede his losses at another And so the miscarrying of some part of our almes should not discourage vs in sowing the seedes of our beneficence nor make vs giue ouer our spirituall merchandize but cause vs rather to exercise our selues in these Christian duties with more diligence that the well-bestowing of almes at one time may make amends for that which at another time is cast away and perisheth according to that Eccles 11. 6. In the euening sow thy seed and Eccles 11. 6. in the morning with-hold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall bee alike good And our Sauiour would not haue vs to bee too scrupulous but would haue vs to giue vnto euerie one that Matth. 〈…〉 asketh of vs namely when as wee see that they are in great necessitie For to bee ouer-iealous and suspicious without apparant reason is to proclaime that wee are vtterly destitute of Christian charity for the Apostle telleth vs that loue thinketh no euill it beleeueth all things it hopeth all things 1. Cor. 13. 5. 7. Yea but experience teacheth 1. Cor. 13. 5. 7. that the most that craue are vnworthy to receiue our almes for they are so wicked in themselues so irreligious and destitute of the true feare of God and towards vs so deceitfull colouring their estates with lies and vsing so many fraudulent deuises to blinde our eyes and to stirre vs vp to pittie when as there is no true cause that those that giue are commonly couzened by them and doe no good in the exercise of their bountic To which I answer that this should not weaken our hands in doing these workes of mercie but encrease our care and diligence in making better choyce It is but too true which is obiected but yet if by this wee bee vtterly discouraged from giuing almes wee shall sinne no lesse in not giuing then they shall doe in their vnworthy receiuing For as they commit a kind of sacriledge in diuerting our bountie from those who are truly poore vnto themselues so wee if wee keepe in our handes the goods of the poore vnbestowed vnder the colour of these pretences our keeping of them is no lesse sacrilegious then their receiuing them Againe though it cannot bee denied but that the poore greeuously sinne in drawing almes from vs by manie notorious lyes and subtill deuises yet it is a question whether we be not as faultie in putting them to these shifts through our vncharitablenesse and hardnesse of heart which manacleth so our hands that wee will not stretch them out to doe these workes of mercie vnlesse our pittie and compassion bee excited and awakened out of their deepe lathargie by these extraordinarie inuentions So Itaque simulatio illius tuae est in humanitatis preco Chrysost in 1. Cor. 9. Hom. 21 Tom. 4. c. 487. Chrysostome saith that the poore mans dissembling proclaymeth the inhumanitie of the rich For when by begging and crouching and speaking words to moue piety and looking heauily and weeping bitterly he cannot in the whole day get necessarie foode he is put to deuise artificiall shifts which doe not so much disgrace him as those who driue him to these extremities And therefore he is worthy pitty whose necessitie inventeth these arts and wee innumerable punishments who bring the poore by our
rise againe which mercie if wee ordinarily shew to a bruite beast when wee see him lying vnder his burthen how much more should wee exercise it towards those who are of the same flesh children of the same father and members of the same bodie And this is commanded Exod. 22. 26. If thou at Exod. 22. 26. all take thy neighbors raiment to pledge thou shalt deliuer it vnto him by then the Sunne goeth downe 27. For that is his couering onely it is his raiment for his skinne wherein shall he sleepe And it shall come to passe when he crieth vnto me that I will heare him for I am gracious The which dutie good Nehemiah Nehem. 5. 11. caused the princes of the people to put in practise as we may see Nehem. chap. 5. 11. Restore I pray you to them euen this day their lands their vineyards their oliue-yards and their houses also the hundreth part of the money and of the corne and of the Luk. 6 35. wine and the oile that ye exact of them The which our Sauiour also requireth when as hee biddeth vs to lend looking for nothing againe in case our brother bee not able to pay And this is a part of that fast which God so much esteemeth Esay 58. 6. Is not this saith he the fast that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse and to vndoe the Esay 58. 6. heauie burthens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euerie yoke And in this regard euery yeere should be the Christians Iubile wherin all debts are to bee remitted to the poore who haue not wherewith to mak payment which if we performe not but cruelly catch our brethren by their throats and cast them into prison to take our penny-worths as they say on their bones and to make dice of them then surely we may iustly expect that our Lord and Master to whom wee owe so much will take the same course with vs exacting his debt to the vttermost farthing and Math. 18. 28. 34 when wee are vnable to pay casting vs into the prison of outer darkenesse where is nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth Sect. 11. Of freelending Finally we releiue the poore by free lending For as when their necessitie is generall and their pouerty so great that their estate in it selfe is vnrecouerable we must giue freely without expecting any returne so when it onely pincheth them for the time present and they are brought in respect of their estate but vpon their knees so that if we afford them our helping hand they will be able in the strength of their owne state to rise of themselues and by hauing the onely vse of our goods for a while will sufficiently repaire their ruines we are then bound to lend vnto them According to that Deut. 15. 8. Thou shalt open thine hand wide to thy poore brother and shalt surely lend Deut. 15. 8. him sufficient for his neede in that which he wanteth So our sauiour Christ commandeth vs to giue vnto him that asketh and from him that would borrow of vs that we doe not turne away Math. 5. 42. The Luk. 6. 35. which must not be done with an vsurious intent and expectation of aduantage but so liberally and freely that we can bee content when wee lend to loose the principall if the necessitie of our poore brother so requireth Luk. 6. 35. which if we do then shall wee hereby haue assurance that we are those blessed men whom the Psalmist heere describeth for as it is verse 5. A good man sheweth fauour and lendeth and though the poore Psal 112. 5. faile vs we shal finde the Lord who is their surety to be a sure pay-master who will returne vnto vs for our earthly things heauenly and for these that are contemptible and momentany such treasures as are most excellent and eternall CHAP. 15. That Almesdeedes are an act of righteousnesse so that they bee not left arbitrary but we in conscience are bound to doe them Sect. 1. Of the meaning of the word righteousnesse AND thus hauing shewed what almesdeeds are and how this dutie is to be performed it now followeth that I come to speake of the second part of the text wherein are contained many effectuall and strong arguments to mooue euery Christian to the diligent and frequent doing of them His righteousnesse endureth for euer his horne shall be exalted with honour In which words there are expressed two maine reasons to perswade vs to this dutie the first is the lasting benefit of their workes of mercie vnto themselues the other the establishment of their estate with honor and glory before God men and the holy Angels in this life and the life to come The which principall arguments are like the roote and bodie of a goodly tree from which spring many boughes and branches or like the prime ancestours of the stocke ond kindred from whom doe issue a numerous posterity Which that we may the more plainely conceiue let vs breifely examine the meaning of the words And first by righteousnes we are to vnderstand not generally all righteousnesse which consisteth in our whole conformity to the Law nor that whole part of Legall righteousnesse which consisteth in obedience to the second table but certaine speciall fruites of this righteousnesse in the works of mercy toward the poore by a Synecdoche of the generall for the speciall or if you will almesdeedes themselues which as I haue shewed are by the Hebrewes called by the name of righteousnesse and sometime Dan. 4. 27. by the name of mercy to shew vnto vs that צדקה it is such a grace which resteth not onely in an internall חסד habite or bare affection of the heart and minde but also exerciseth it selfe in the outward act of releeuing those whose penurious estates we pitty and commiserate And this is a worke not onely of mercie but of iustice the which is such a vertue as giueth vnto euery one Ï„á½° καθήκοντα those things which are due vnto them that is to our superiours reuerence and obedience to our equals loue and friendship with all good offices and fruits of them and to the poore and needy comfort and releefe And heereof it is that the vulgar translation thus readeth that place of Matthew chap. 6. 1. Take heede that yee doe not your righteousnesse Matth. 6. 1. before men to bee seene of them And so the olde interpreter hath rendred it righteousnesse because righteousnesse in the Hebrew phrase signifieth beneficence and almesdeeds euen as contrariwise the 70. Interpreters haue rendred the Hebrew word Tsedakah signifying righteousnes Deut. 24. 13. á¼Î»ÎµÎ·Î¼Î¿ÏƒÏνη almes-deeds Yea the Apostle himselfe doth best of all determine this point for alledging this verse of the Psalme to incite the Corinthians to beneficence and almes-deeds he doth 2. Cor 9. 9. retaine the name of righteousnes to signifie these workes of mercy His righteousnesse remaineth for euer what righteousnes surely