The Ready Way to Good Works, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIIII. When to give.
TO every thing there is a ſeaſon, and aEccl. 3. 1. 17. time to every purpoſe, and for every worke under the heaven, and every thing is beautifull onelyonly in its time, and therefore fit is it, that wee ſhould obſerve the ſignes and nature of the times, the occurrences, and accidents, misfortunes, and diſaſters of other men, that ſo we may not let ſlip any ſeaſons or opportunities of doing good: the time of our life, while we have a temporall being, the time of our wealth, while we have worldly abilities, is the onelyonly and beſt time to diſcharge our duties of charitie, and to ſet our ſelves to every good worke: the righteous Pſal. 37. 26.man (ſaith the Pſalmiſt) is ever mercifull, he never thinks it unfit or unſeaſonable to do good or ſhew merciemercy: but wee are more ſpecially to give at theſe obſervable times.
1. Upon the Lords day, according1 Cor. 16. 2. to the Apoſtles preſcription and ordination, and thatAct. 3. 4. 6. 7. for the reaſons before alleadged.
2. When accidently wee meete with ſeaſonable occaſions Luk. 10. 33.of bountifulneſſe, as Peter and John did, and the good Samaritane, we may not ſuffer any ſon or daughter of Adam to periſh through our neglect and hardheartedneſſe, if we can ſupport them, be they never ſoe unworthy of themſelves, be they of never ſo unworthy of themſelves, of never ſo dogged diſpoſition, and moſt abhorred converſation, we have incitement from a reverend divine, ſo to do. VponUpon Bolt. gener. directions of walk. p. 258.point of periſhing doe good unto the common ſtate of humanity, for in ſo doing, thou relieveſt not his notoriouſneſſe, but his nature.
3. When we heare where true neede is, where Lazarus takes up his lodging, & now and then, wee ſhould viſite the ſicke and diſtreſſed, that we might ſo take the better notice of their wants, and by our pittifull eyes be the ſooner induced to commiſerate and relieve them. Such mercifull viſiters are ſure of a reward at the laſt day.
4. When the needy cry and callMat. 25. 36 unto us for refreſhment, and conſolation, it is a fearefull and dangerous thing to be a deafe adder either not to heare the charmes of the word, or the pittifull clamours of the needy: who ſo ſtoppeth his eares (ſaith Solomon) at the cry of the poore, he alſo ſhal cry Pro. 21. 13.himſelfe, but ſhall not be heard.
5. When we have reaped our Lev. 19. 10. & 23. 22.corne, gathered in our harveſt, and filled our ſtore-houſes with the plenty of Gods earthly bleſſings.
6. When we have proſperouſly Deut. 24. 20. 21. Num. 31. 48. 50.undertaken and finiſhed ſome buſineſſes in our callings, which the Lord hath bleſſed, and made gainefull unto us, we do too often ſacrifice to our owne nets, and ſay ſecretly with our ſelves by my owne wit, and the ſtrength of mine owne arme, have I brought this and this to paſſe, my power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth But we ſhould remember the Lord our God, that it is he that giveth us power to get wealth.Deut. 8. 18. Therefore it gteatly concernes us to employ ſome part of that ſubſtance to his glory, which wee ſo freely received from his hand of bounty and liberality.
7. When a great and a good man is made poore by the hand of God, and ſtandes in need of ſome borrowed ayde and aſſiſtance, to raiſe him up againe, Jobs brethren and acquaintance did not onelyonly bemoane his caſe and dejected condition, & comfort him with good words onelyonly, but their compaſſion was reall as well as verball, they helped him with their hand, as well as pittied him with their hearts, every man gave him a piece of mony Job. 42. 11.and every one an earering of gold.
8. Upon ſolemne dayes of publike rejoycing and thankſgiving unto God for ſome memorable deliverance from eminent dangers, bloody perſecutions, or any other grievous calamities. The Jewes inſtituted the feaſt of Purim, as a day of gladneſſe, exultation and thankſgiving for their happy deliverance from Hamans conſpiracy, and on this day did they ſend portions one to another Eſther. 9. 19. 22.and gave gifts to the poore. And we of this kingdome have as great reaſon to celebrate and obſerve for ever the fifth of November after the ſame manner in remembrance of that miraculous deliverance of our king and ſtate, from that diabolicall, infernall, hell-bred (I cannot give it names bad enough) machivilian popiſh gun-powder treaſon.
9. Upon dayes of faſting, andMat. 6. Act. 10. 20. humiliation either private or publike: our Saviour Chriſt doth joyne faſting and prayer and almes together in precept, ſo muſt we joyne them together like Cornelius in practice. Accipiat eſuriens Chriſtus, quod jejunans Auſtin de temp. ſer, 157.minus accipit Chriſtianus. we muſt at the leaſt give ſo much unto the poore as we do ſpare, and otherwiſe would have ſpent in our owne diet: that is but a covetous and a miſerable faſt, when men pinch their bellies and reſerve for themſelves, what they have ſaved that day, this is the way to grow rich in the world, not towards God: Therefore if any at any time afflict their bodies with faſting, and never refreſh the poore Chriſtians with their almes and liberality, their pretended devotion is worth nothing.
10. When wee receive the holy Sacraments and are invited to the Supper of the Lord, to ſtrengthen and refreſh our ſoules with that pretious food, the body and blood of Chriſt, (me thinks) we ſhould labour then to ſhew our ſelves mercifull to others, when we hope to finde God mercifull unto our ſelves at this time to give, was the; practice in the Apoſtles dayes, in the dayes of the ancient Fathers. It is the uſe in all reformed churches, at this day, and with many congregations in our Church.
12, When the Miniſters of God upon good occaſions & opportunities, exhort their hearers to ſome charitable good workes. As it is a paſtors duty to chargeGal. 2. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. 18. Tit. 3. 8. 14. 2 Cor. 8 & 9. Heb. 13. 17. the rich to be mercifull and ready to diſtribute: ſoe it is the peoples part to practice as readily what they heare, and like the Macedonians and Corinthians to obey their teachers, and to ſubmit unto their exhortations.
13. In times of dearth and ſcarcitie: This was the practice of the primitive Chriſtians, when Agabus had once foretold them of a great dearth thatAct. 11. 28. ſhould be throughout all the world, preſently the diſciples of of Antioch, every man according to his abilitie determined to ſend reliefe unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea, which alſo they did and ſent it to the Elders by the hands of Paul and Barnabas. Our Engliſh martyr Mr Rogers pinched his owne belly that he might miniſter ſome refreſhment unto thoſe that were in extreame poverty, holy Bradford ſold his chaines, rings and Jewels in time of ſcarcitie to relieue the needy and diſtreſſed Chriſtians. It were to be wiſhed, that all great ones who are eminent in wealth or authority, would tread in theſe mens ſteps, and reach forth their helping hands to ſupport the poore, and needy in all times of dearth and ſcarcitie. Let them take good Nehemiah for a patterne, heeNehe. 5. 7. tooke the calamities and grievances of his brethren ſo to heart that he rebuked the nobles and rulers for their ſakes, reproved them of uſury, and exaction and hard dealing towards their brethren, and he remitted, and abated much of his owne allowance, that he might be the more liberall and bountifull to the poore people lately returned out of captivity. Some men take the advantage of ſuch diſaſterous times, they then make their beſt market by receiving of pawnes, buying livings and lands at a low rate, by horrible exactions, and cruell dealings, theſe play the canniballs, indeed, they lay more weight to their already intolerable burthen of woe and miſery, they afflict the afflicted, and inſtead of lifting them out of the ditch, they goe about to cut their throates, and to rid them quickly out of their paine and miſery. Laſtly, wee ſhould be ready to give to the poore (when our rates come to be paid) without grudging, ſuit of law, or any manner of reluctation: as good not give at all as unwillingly and churliſhly, when a pittance to the poore is perforce wrung out of thy glewy fingers, tis a compulſory payment, not an act of mercy or charitable contribution.