The Ready Way to Good Works, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. That ſuch as labour for their living are to bee Charitable.
THE fourth ſort of men before mentioned, who miniſter to their owne neceſſities by the ſweat of their browes, and the labour of their owne hands, and may truly bee accounted poore men, even theſe are to ſhew mercy and compaſſion ſometimes to a Lazarus, to thoſe that are poorer than themſelves, and in dolefull extremity: there is a precept for them as well as for the Rich hEph. 4. 28.Let him (ſaith Saint Paul) that ſtole, ſteale no more, but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. The Apoſtle here impoſeth a heavie charge upon day-labourers, mechaniks and ſuch as live onelyonly upon their manuall trades, and bodily endeavours, of their little to give a little to thoſe that are extreamely needy and miſerable: as for inſtance to the lame, blinde, ſicke, old and decrepit, and to ſuch who are ſo deficient and impotent in their ſenſes and members, that they cannot work or apply themſelves to any Calling: When John Baptist was Preaching unto the people the Baptiſme of repentance for the remiſſion of ſinnes, among other paſſages of his Sermon he delivered this terrible Doctrine, that iLuk. 3. 9.everie tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and caſt into the fire. When they heard him thus ſpeaking of hewingoff, and burning, the people asked him ſaying, What ſhall verſ. 10.wee doe then: He anſwereth and ſaith unto them, Hee that hath verſ. 11.two Coates, let him impart to him that hath none, and hee that hath meate let him doe likewiſe: hereby teaching us this Leſſon, that though wee are poore in neceſſitie, yet wee ought to contribute to thoſe who are poore in extremitie.
Wee want not examples and noble Preſidents for the clearing of this truth, many that have benne poore in ſtate, have benne rich in good workes: Our Saviour Chriſt was no rich man, hee had no kMatth. 8. 20.habitation to dwell in of his owne, no livings or lands, or large revenues, but the hands of others lLuk. 8. 3, 4.miniſtred unto him, yet hee was not forgetfull of the poore but mJoh. 13. 29.gave bountifully unto them. Now the poore are to take up Chriſts croſſe, and to follow him in his troubles and afflictions, in his wayes and ordinances, in his life and converſation, in his actions and charitable practices. The Apoſtles had neither nAct. 3. 6.Silver not Gold but ſuch as they had they gave to the Creeple which lay at the gave of the Temple. The poore widdow in the depth of her poverty did oMark. 12. 42. 44.caſt her two mites into the Treaſurie, which was all that ſhee had, even all her living. The p1 Kin. 17. 11. 15.woman of Sarepta, a poor widdow alſo, having but a little Oyle in a cruſe, and a handfull of Meale in a barrell, which could ſerve her and her ſonne not above a meale or two, made thereof a Cake to feede and ſuſtaine the Prophet Eliah. The Macedonians were brought to a very low ſtate and condition, and yet they communicated willingly and liberally to the poore diſtreſſed Saints at Jeruſalem, and as the Apoſtle ſaith in a q2 Cor. 8. 2, 3.great triall of affliction, their deepe poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. At this preſent day there be many who are liberall to their power, yea, and beyond their power are willing of themſelves to relieve others. We have a notable Preſident in a vertuous Maide, dwelling in a Market towne in Dorcetſhire who is ſo tranſcendently devoted to Charity and workes of merciemercy, that though ſhee hath but twenty pounds ſtocke and her owne handy labour to live upon and to raiſe the materials of her bounty, yet by her dexterity in Spinning threed, and her aſſiduitie at the Diſtaffe, and Gods bleſſing on her endeavours, ſhee is able and doth yeerely conſecrate and devote five pounds to Pious and Charitable uſes. Such pretious flowers growes not in everie garden.
Now for the Incouragement of ſuch as out of their owne corporall labours, and difficult acquiſitions can finde in their hearts to be liberall and bountifull, and are ready to conforme to theſe notable and moſt excellent patternes, let them take theſe things into their thoughts and meditations. Firſt, that theſe examples are not left to poſterity for admiration, but for Imitation as wee may collect out of that precept of the Prince and Saviour of the world rLuk. 16. 37.Goe thou and doe likewiſe. Theſe ſHeb. 12. 1.Cloudes of witneſſes wherewith wee are compaſſed round about ſhould direct and teach us, as the Cloud did the Iſraelites in the true way and path of Bleſſedneſſe which leads directly unto the ſpirituall and heavenly Canaan. Secondly, that the only end which they muſt aime at in all their actions, imployments and Corpore all ſweatings and endeavours, is not to uphold their owne families, and to mainetaine themſelves and their dependants but to tEpheſ. 4. 28.relieve and ſuſtaine their needy and oppreſſed neighbours, and this is a thing that few men dreame of. Thirdly, That in ſo giving, they doe performe a double duty both moſt acceptable and well pleaſing to the Lord: Firſt, in that they labour to ſupport the weake and feeble members of Chriſt with their bountie and beneficence: And ſecondly, in that they earneſtly endeavour as much as in them lyeth, by the flame and light of their pious actions to thaw and diſſolve the frozen hearts of rich and churliſh Nabals, and to uEpheſ. 10. 24.provoke them unto Love, and to good workes: or if by their zeale, and forwardneſſe they can nothing move others nor ſqueeze any water out of thoſe flints, not a droppe of pittie from theſe hardned Adamants, yet if nature bee not alſo quite extinct as well as grace, they cannot but make them aſhamed of themſelves, and leave them the more excuſeleſſe before God. Fourthly, that thou, who art a poore man, but yet a charitable Chriſtian, doſt evidently expreſſe a farre greater meaſure of ſtrong and unfeined faith in Gods promiſes, of ſincere obedience to his Commandements, and of hearty love and compaſſion towards thy needie brethren, then thoſe who out of their abundance give largly, and multiply their contributions daily towards the poore. To beleeve when the face of God ſhines upon men with ſenſible refreſhing, and in the glorious noonetide of proſperity to ſing ſweetely, and to teſtifie their thankefulneſſe unto the Lord, by parting with this or that ſuperfluous and ſuperabundant portion to the needy is no ſuch great matter. But then to beleeve when his ſhining countenance is eclipſed, and in the blackeſt midnight of adverſitie to cleave and adhere cloſe unto Chriſt, than to bee willing to communicate, and of a little to parte with a little, this is a moſt excellent act of faith, and argues a ſtrong confidence and dependence upon Gods providence. Fifthly, let them conſider that that ſmall pittance, which they give with a chearefull minde, may affect their ſoules with more comfort and conſolation, then the great ones can ſucke out of their more plentifull doles and Almeſ-deeds.
1. Becauſe their acceptatiòn with God ſhall bee according to that they have, and not according to that they have not, 2 Cor. 8 12. 2. Becauſe he principally looketh to the will the firſt moover, and maſter wheele in all ſpirituall workes, ſuch as the will is, ſuch is the ſervice, and ſuch is the gift: God more reſpecteth the inviſible readineſſe, and inward inclinations of the ſoule, than the viſible and externall performances of the body, the integritie and ſincerity of the the heart, before the bounty of the hand: Animi qualitas, (ſaith a learned man) potius ſpectatur quam El…emoſinae quantitas. And this is the reaſon the Widdowes two Mites were ſo kindly accepted, and honored with the high *Mark. 12. 43, 44.approbation of our bleſſed Saviour: Shee gave all that ſhee had, and ſhee gave it with all her heart, and though ſhee were deepely poore, yet ſhe was richly liberall: and undoubtedly if there bee a willing xNihil ditius bona voluntate offertur Deo.minde, there will bee as certaine an acceptation of the poor mans penny as of the rich mans pound.
6. Do thou poore man conſider, how God hath infinitly honoured the poore Widdow for her two Mites; full little did ſhee thinke thus to bee regiſtred in Chriſts Goſpell, and to be talked of all the world over for that ſmall contribution and (in a common apprehenſion.) contemptible Almeſ-deed: And forget not the reward of the Widdow of Sarepta for her charitable cheriſhing of the poore Prophet, the Lord did greatly recompence her, hee preſerved her from famine and the conſequent effect thereof, a pale-faced living death: Hee y1 Kin. 17. 16.continued and increaſed her food, and daily bread by his miraculous benediction: Hee cauſed the Prophet to reſide and ſojourne with her many months, to feed her ſoule with Spirituall things, as ſhee had his body with carnall; And beſides all this, when her deare & only ſon was fallen ſicke and dyed, the Lord inſtrumētallyverſ. 22. by the Prophet reſtored him to life againe, Thus gratious and mercifull was God to the poore Widdow, for her tender reſpect and cheerefull releeving of the diſtreſſed Prophet. Laſtly, for thy comfort ponder with thy ſelfe, that thy mercifulneſſe beareth witneſſe unto thy ſoule, that thou doſt tread in the ſteppes of thy Saviour, who though hee diſ-inriched himſelfe for thy ſake, and became voluntarily poore, yet omitted not this duty of Charity, but was very bountifull to the poore: that thou art a Child of thy mercifull Father in heaven, whom thou art zLuk. 6. 36. Eph. 5. 1. a Matt. 25. 34.commanded herein to imitate: and that at the day of a Judgement thou ſhalt be unſpeakab…y rewarded and crowned with the ineſtimable riches of his heavenly glory with felicities, joyes, and pleaſures, more innunumerable then the Stars in the firmament, even for ever & ever.