that which he had named in the words immediately going before consisting in beneficence and giuing to the poore And as the Psalmist here speaketh of the dispersing and sowing of the workes of beneficence and almes-deeds so the Wise-man signifieth the selfe-same duty by the phrase of sowing the seede of righteousnes Pro. 11. 18. To him that Pro. 11. 18. soweth righteousnes shall be a sure reward Sect. 2. That almes deeds are absolutely required proued by many testimonies Now whereas almes-deeds are called by the name of righteousnes from hence we may gather a strong argument to perswade euery Christian to the doing of them For they are not only workes of mercy but also fruits of righteousnes and therefore are not left as things arbitrary and indifferent at our owne choice to doe or leaue them vndone as we thinke good but are absolutely required and straightly injoyned in the law of God which is the rule of righteousnesse and with great earnestnesse pressed and vrged in the Gospell as the fruits of our faith and testimonies of our loue towards God and our neighbours The which will more plainly appeare if we consider both some testimonies of scriptures some effectuall reasons grounded vpon them So Deut. 15. 11. The poore shall neuer cease out of Deut 15. 11. the land therefore I command thee saying thou shalt open thine hand wide vnto thy brother to thy poore and to thy needy in thy land and Esa 58. 7. The Lord Esa 58. 7. telleth vs that the fast which he requireth and chuseth is to deale our bread to the hungry and to bring the poore that are cast out into our houses when we see the naked that we couer them and that we hide not our selues from our owne flesh And these are the fruits of the iust man who shall liue in his righteousnes if he hath giuen his bread to the hungry and hath couered the naked with a garment Ezech. 18. 7. Thus in the New Testament Iohn the Ezech. 18. 7. Baptist giueth charge that he who hath two coates should impart to him that hath none and that hee who hath meat should do likewise Lu 3. 11. that is that Luc 3. 11. if we haue any thing to spare from our own necessarie vse we must be ready to releiue the poore with it whom we see to be in extreame or great necessitie So our Sauiour Christ himselfe Math Math. 5. 42. 5. 42. Giue to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turne thou not away and Luk. 11. 41. Giue almes of such things as you haue Yea Luk. 11. 41. this dutie is charged vpon vs with such strictnes that if we haue not any thing to bestow we must by our labours get somewhat to giue vnto our poore brethren whereby they may be releiued in Eph. 4. 28. their necessitie and if we haue no superfluitie we are charged if their wants be extreame to sell our goods and possessions that we may haue to giue vnto them Luc. 12. 33. as we see it also Luk. 12. 33. Act. 4. 34. practised in the primitive Church Act. 4. 34. Sect. 3. That our riches are not our own but Gods talents committed vnto vs as his stewards All which testimonies clearely proue that we are bound by Gods commandement to giue almes and therefore it is not left at our owne choice but to be performed not only as an act of mercy but also of righteousnesse as it may more plainly appeare by these reasons First because our riches are not absolutely our owne but Gods talents which he hath committed vnto vs not to mis-spend them in the satisfying of our worldly and carnall lusts but to imploy them to the best aduantage for the honour of our master and the good of our fellow-seruants Now God is honoured when as we bestow the wealth which he hath committed vnto vs according to his appointment and commandement and when as by them as much as in vs lyeth wee aduance the meanes of his worship and seruice whereof one principall part is the relieuing of the poore for these as the Apostle telleth vs are such christian sacrifices wherewith he is well pleased And finally Heb. 13. 16. when as by our christian cariage in this behalfe we manifest his wisdome goodnes loue and prouidence in the gouernment of his Church which is his house and familie For it is the honour of a good Master when by his care and prouidence the house is so well gouerned that euery officer performeth his dutie in his place and all in the familie haue foode conuenient with all other necessaries belonging to them To which purpose our great Lord and Master hath preferred some to be his stewards vnto whom he hath committed his goods not that they should appropriate them to their owne vse but that they should wisely iustly and charitably dispense and dispose of them for the good of all the houshold and howsoeuer by vertue of their high place and office they may take vnto themselues as it were a double portion and that which is sufficient not only for nature but for the due maintenance of their person and not for necessitie alone but also for their honest delight vnles it be that this their allowance be necessarily to be shortned to supply the extreame necessitie of others who need their helpe yet their Lord and Master requireth of them that they communicate so much of their goods as they can well spare from these vses to relieue and sustaine others of their fellow-seruants who want such things as are needfull for their releife and maintenance which who so neglect and either riotously spending and wasting or niggardly and miser-like keeping and hourding vp these goods doe suffer the poore to starue for want of necessaries they doe herein exceedingly dishonour God when those who are without see the seruants of his familie perish for want of foode and they ouerthrow as much as in them lyeth his prouidence whilest they withdraw that prouision which he hath allotted to the maintenance of his houshold from these vses and convert them to their owne Sect. 4. That they who will not releiue the poore are guilty of theft sacriledge and murther Finally they greiuously offēd his diuine maiestie by committing those three fearefull haynous sins of theft sacriledge and murther For they play the theeues who hauing receiued much riches from God to this end that they should cōmunicate them for the reliefe of others do appropriate thē to their own vse For as the steward of a Noble-mans house receiuing great summes yearely of his Lord to this end that he should disburse and lay it out for the keeping of his house and maintenance of his familie should therewith buy and purchase lands for himselfe or prodigally mis-spend them in banquetting and belly-cheare gaming and reuelling gorgeous apparell or sumptuous furniture and in the meane time suffer his fellow-seruants to starue and perish
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
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