The Ready Way to Good Works, Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. Of the order to be obſerved in our Almeſ-giving.
AS all things muſt be done ſeaſonbly, for time, ſo alſo decently and commendably for order, this latter circumſtance muſt be obſerved in our works of charity as well as the former. Therefore to prevent a foreign a prepoſterouſneſſe, herein, I will preſcribe a few generall and particular rules and directions in this caſe.
The generall are theſe.
1. In the firſt place, the publike ſtate of our country wherein we live, is to be preferred before all other: a generall and Epidemicall diſeaſe, which ſeizeth upon multitudes, & nations, and kingdomes, is more dangerous then a private and perſonal infirmity and ſickeneſſe, and it ought chiefly to be prevented and remedied, if poſſibly it can: ſo the publike miſeries of a ſtate and kingdome is more dangerous and ought ſooner to bee ſtopt and ſuccoured, then the diſtreſſe of a private man. *Bolton gen. direct. walking with God. pag. 267.It is over better that one member ſhould periſh then that the whole body ſhould be conſumed. Gracious Nehemiah laid the common calamitie chiefly to heart. Nehe. 1 4. Hee faſted, mourned, wept, prayed, and improved all his owne power and abilitie, and uſed all poſſible lawfull meanes to remove it, as the whole booke doth evidently demonſtrate. This is it, for the preventing of which we are to fight and ſacrifice our lives, as David was ready to do. 1. Sam. 17 40. Joab, and his brother. 2. Sam. 10. 12.
The generall Calamitie of Gods owne peculiar people and inheritance, muſt be reſpected and regarded, eſpecially when any great danger is preſent or imminent, I muſt be ſo affected herewith, that I muſt not thinke it too much to adventure livings, lands, honours, preferments, and life it ſelfe, to do them any ſervice, or to affoord them any help or to further their deliverance. Thus reſolute and couragious was Eſther for the afflicted Jewes. Chap. 4. 16. The particular rules are theſe.
1. We muſt remember that charity (according to the common ſpeech) ought to begin at home: we muſt in the firſt place provide for our owne houſe and family. Gen. 30. 30. Prov. 31. 15. my meaning is, wee ſhould not onelyonly lay up in ſtore, and provide livings, and lands for our children, and care moderately for future times, but alſo for the preſent, allow competent maintainance, and corporall neceſſaries unto our ſervants, by whoſe labours wee are ſupported and ſuſteined. A good man, (ſaith Solomon) is mercifull to his beaſt, how much more mercifull do you thinke ſhould he be to his owne houſhold ſervants, while they ſpend their life and ſtrength in his ſervices and imployments. God we know, provided lawes for the rewarding and encouraging the labour of bruit beaſts. Deut. 25. 4. and can wee thinke that he requires no wages, and rewards for his owne Saints and ſervants. The labourer (whether in ſpirituall or carnall things is worthy of his hire, and wee ſhall find that the Lord provided a law to this purpoſe. Lev. 15. 12. 13. 14. That Bond men and ſeruants, when they had finiſhed their yeeres of ſervice, ſhould not go away empty handed, but be liberally furniſhed out of the flocke, and the floore, and the winepreſſe, and ſuch things where-with God had bleſſed their Maſters: And indeed, nothing can be more congruous, and reaſonable, then that honeſt poore ſervants, who have faithfully ſerved for many yeares, at the expiration thereof, ſhould be liberally dealt withall at their departure.
2. In the next place we muſtOne Mr George Gilſon a wealthy man is herein highly to be commended in that be gave in his life time 160 pounds yearely for a long time to his poore kinſfolke. Vide Dr Willet Catalog. with a tender and Charitable eye watch over our owne naturall kindred, ſprung lately from the ſame progenitours; we muſt doe good unto, and provide carefully for the poore of our owne bloud, who depend upon us, of theſe, is that place in 1 Tim. 5. 8. to be underſtood, for the word which is rendred (houſe) in the Text, is tranſlated kindred in the Margin; the ſcope of the Apoſtle there, is to free the Church from unneceſſary charges and burthens as is apparant verſ. 16. and to impoſe the care of providing for poore kindred upon thoſe of the ſame ſtocks and pedegree, who are able to relieve them, as may be collected out of the fourth verſe of the ſame Chapter: where they are commanded to ſhew kindneſſe or piety at home, to their owne houſe and family, and to require their parents, in affording them nouriſhment, and ſufficient neceſſaries for their bodies. This kinde of retribution the Greeks very fitly expreſſe in a figurativeCiconiae parentes Senio confectos nutrire ſolent & in volando feſſos ad terga recipere & juvare. Ariſt. hiſt. amor. lib. 8. cap. 3. Plin. lib. 10, cap. 23. word foreign which ſignifies to make ſeaſonable requitall: the Meataphor is taken from the Storkes, who, by the very inſtinct of nature, are taught to be carefull of the Bird of the ſame neſt and feather. It is credibly reported by good Hiſtorians that when the old-ones are growne ſo feeble and impotent with age, that they cannot prey and get their food; as they were wont, the young-ones doe feed and nouriſh them, and when in flying they grow faint and weary, they ſupport and carry them on their backs: nature it ſelfe, hereby teaching us this leſſon, that we ought, if of power and ability, to be very reſpective and carefull of our parents and kindreds, and to ſupply their temporall wants and neceſſities. We have a wholeſome and Charitable Law, which may very well be called *Scap. Grae. léxi. See Dalton cap. 40. fol. 96.foreign, wherein the Father and Grandfather, Mother and Grandmother the Children and the Grandchildren of every poore impotent perſon, not able to worke, are commanded to relieve them upon forfeiture of twenty ſhillings for every Month, and in caſe of nonpayment, they are to be committed to priſon. Such as faile in this Charitable duty degenerate into a degree of brutiſhneſſe beyond the Storks; for they are not herein deficient; or according to the Apoſtles cenſure, they may be accounted worſe, more hard-hearted and uncharitable than infidels, who as it ſeemeth by his ſpeech, would not ſuffer their neere kindred to live upon publike Almes, but ſuch as were of ability among them, would take ſpeciall care for their reliefe and maintainance. This place therefore you ſee is notoriouſly abuſed, and perverted by too many Covetous, and Carnall wordlings, who like Spiders ſucke nothing but poiſon out of the ſweet flowers that grow in the Paradiſe of the Scriptures. Aske ſome Nabal or other (there bee too many of them in the world) why he is not more liberall and Charitable to his poore, naked, and all-moſt famiſhed Neighbours? and he will make this anſwer, I muſt doe as I may, and as I am commanded by the Word of God, I muſt firſt provide for my ſelfe, wife and children, or elſe I were worſe than an Infidell; this is the excuſe, pretence and (in his conceit) invincible argument whereby hee thinks hee is able to confute all objections whatſoever, and to defend himſelfe in his covetous and cruell practices: Thus if Sand. Ser.fleſh and bloud be ſuffred to make the gloſſe, it is able quickly to corrupt a right good Text. The Apoſtle in the forementioned words, meanes no ſuch thing, as men would have him. Hee is ſo farre from giving liberty unto worldlings to carke and care for poſteritie immoderately as they doe, that he rather perſwads all good Chriſtians in thoſe very words, unto liberality and the duties of Charity; ſo then wee will retort the Argument, and breake the covetous mans pare with his owne weapon, thus, He that will not provide for his owne houſe, or his kindred is worſe than an Infidell: (that is) He that is not Charitable and liberall unto his Parents, Nephewes, and unto his poore diſtreſſed and impotent Kindred though they live not in his houſe, but are planted abroad from him, That man may bee ſaid to bee worſe than an Infidell; therefore thoſe covetous and carnall men that carke and care, onelyonly for thoſe that are under the ſame roofe with them, they are moſt mercileſſe and uncharitable wretches, no better, nay worſe than Infidels.
3. In a third place we muſtProv. 3. 27. 28. lend a helping hand unto our poore neighbours and common friends and familiar acquaintance who live in the ſame pariſh with us, with whom wee have mutuall ſocietie, entercourſe, and commerce unto whom, as we are neere in ſituation, ſo we ſhould bee in affection and readineſſe to helpe them upon all occaſions and opportunities. Not onelyonly Divine, but humane Lawes doe impoſe a neceſſity upon us to be Charitable to our poore neigbours, both which wee muſt obey for Conſcience ſake: And although there bee the ſtrong Obligation of a twofold precept to tye us hereunto, yet our acts of Charity are not the leſſe commendable, if we give with a Charitable heart, and willing affection.
4. After theſe we are to exerciſeDeut. 15. 7. Levit. 25. 35. our bountie and liberallity towards our poore Countrimen, who were borne and bread in the ſame native ayre and ſoile, then to ſtrangers and ſojourners, and then our enemies. For theſe we are to love and relieve too in their poverty and extremity. Mens naugty hearts doe naturally riſe againſt their enemies, with much enraged anger, diſdaine, and contempt and this doctrine may, perhaps, ſeeme to be a Paradox unto revengefull and vindictive ſpirits. But reade, I pray, theſe Scriptures, Luk. 6. 35. Rom. 12. 20. Prov. 25. 21. and then tell mee, whether this dutie doth not lye upon thee with a heavie neceſſity: thou art commanded to be mercifull even as thy heavenly Father is mercifull, now hee makes his Sunne toMat. 5. 45, 46. Luk. 6. 36. riſe on the evill and on the good, and hee cauſeth the Raine to fall on the juſt, and on the unjuſt: He ſhewes abundance of favour unto his enemies, and the greateſt rebels of his Kingdome, and if thou wouldeſt bee holden a Childe of thy Father which is in heaven, thou muſt doe ſo too, to love thoſe that love us, to doe good unto our friends, who can and will make ſatiſfaction and requitall is no ſuch great matter,Mat. 5. 46, 47. Luk. 6. 32, 33. for the Publicans doe even the ſame, and we can never expect a reward from God for this carnall love, and theſe Civill naturall, and Morall actions. But to feed and refreſh our very deadly and approved enemies, as Eliſha counſel'd Jehoram to do, 2 King. 6. 22. is a good Argument of ſelfe-deniall, of a gratious heart and humble diſpoſition, and it is a notable worke of Mercy, which ſhall not be unrewarded at the laſt day.
Now becauſe in the relieving of the truely poore and needy, there muſt needs bee a Prioritie, and Poſterioritie, obſerve againe that we are to ſuccour.
1. Such as are in extremitie and ready to periſh, unto theſe Job had a principal reſpect, chapter 29. 13. and the mercifull Samaritane, Luk. 10. 33. 34.
2. Such as are in neceſſitie, waxed poore, and fallen into decay, (as Job was by reaſon ofLevit. 25. 30. fire, injurious outrages of enemies, or by any other unavoydable miſ-fortunes, whereunto mortalitie is liable, and obnoxious, unto theſe muſt wee reach forth a helping hand, to raiſe them up againe, as Jobs friends did him: chap. 42. 8. Among theſe two ſorts of poore, whether in extremitie or in neceſſity, ſpeciall care is to be had. Firſt, of the Fatherleſſe, the Widdow, and the Stranger, Job. 31. 16. & 29. 12. 13. Deut. 24. 19. 20. 21. Secondly, of ſuch as are truely religious, Pſal. 16. 3. Rom. 12. 13. It behoves us in my opinion to reſpect, love, and relieve ſooner a zealous, pious, and gratious Alien or ſtranger, than an Atheiſticall, prophane, and irreligious Coozin. Quia ſanctior eſt copula Bern.cordium quam corporum, becauſe Spirituall kindred and conſanguinitie in Chriſt is more excellent, than that which is only corporall and carnall: Upon ſuch as theſe did the Prophet David fixe his affection, he delighted in no mans company, but ſuch as did excell in vertue, Pſal. 116.feared the Lord, and kept his Commandements, Pſal. 119. 63. and the Apoſtle enjoynes us to have a ſpeciall care of the Houſhold of faith, Gal. 6. 10. Now becauſe among thoſe that are religious ſome may ſtand more in neede than others, it concernes us to be very reſpective unto, and tenderly watchfull over thoſe that are impriſoned, baniſhed, or maliciouſly perſecuted for Chriſt and his Goſpell ſake. It is a tranſcendent piece of charitie to releeve a Jeremie that is brought to diſtreſſe and miſery, for telling the Truth: for Chriſt is relieved in the perſons of ſuch, and he will not forget to reward ſuch mercifull men at the day of Judgement, Matth. 25. 34. &c.