Remains of John Boyse, Sermon 3
ESAY 58. 7.
Frange esurienti panem tuum.
Breake thy bread to the Hungrie.
IT was our blessed Sauiours apophthegme, recorded by Saint Luke, Acts. 20. 35. Beatius est dare quam accipere: More blessed is it to giuegive, then to receiue: more blessed in respect of the life present, because giuing bindeth others vntounto vsus, whereas receiuing bindeth vsus vntounto others; and more blessed in respect of the life to come. Because hee that giueth vntounto the Poore lendeth vntounto the Lord, and hee will in due time recompence him, Pro. 19. 17. and that aMath. 19▪ 29.an hundred fold more, the which is termed by Saint Augustine the best and greatest vsurie.
Or more Blessed, in making vsus like to the most blessed, who bIam. 1. 5.giueth vntounto all men aboundantly, being indeed (as cLaurent, Pisanus. Euang. Paradox.one said) solus liberalis, onelyonly liberall, and the reason hereof is very plaine, because God which is dMat. 19. 17.onelyonly good of himselfe, and absolutely good in himselfe, giues that which is his owne; whereas men in giuing all that they hauehave, yea all that they are, giuegive that which is anothers, euen his in due right, from whom alone cometh eIam. 1. 17.eueryevery good and perfect gift. Or in one word more blessed because fLorin in Acts. 20. 35.to do good, is better a great deale then to suffer good; Now therefore that wee may bee blessed in doing happily: so blessed a worke (which is neuer vnseasonable, the poore being with vsus alway) These foure words in our text recommend gGorran in fundamento aurio ser 1 de Epist▪ feria 6. post Gineres.foure rules especially, concerning the giuing of Almes.
First, Quo modo dandum? the manner how we may deale them: and that is noted in the word, Frange, breake thy Bread.
Secondly, Cui dandum? the party to whom our dole should bee giuen, and that is expressed in the word, Esurienti, to the Hungrie.
Thirdly, Quid dandum? what is to be giuen, and that is deliuered in the word, Panem, deale Bread.
Fourthly, De quo dandum? vponupon whose cost, and that is ioyned in the word, Tuum, thy Bread.
There bee two parts of equitie, the first is, that wee wrong no man, and the second is, that wee doe good vntounto all men: especially vntounto such as are in want, and aduersitie. The first is taught in the verse going afore: Is not this the feasting that I hauehave chosen, to loose the bandes of wickednesse, to take off the heauie burthens, and to let the oppressed goe free, and that ye breake eueryevery yoake? The second is inioyned in our text now, read, deale thy bread to the Hungrie: And hCaluin in loc.these two must alway goe together, for it is not enough to refraine from oppression and violence, vnlesse therewith wee shew bowels of compassion, and workes of mercy towards our poore brethren in distresse. iIam 1. 27.Pure religion and vndefiled before God, is to visit the Fatherlesse and Widdowes: and that thou bring the poore which are cast out, vntounto thine house: when thou seest the naked that thou couer him, and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh.
The *Hugo Cardin. in loc.word breake, shewes the manner how bread ought to bee dealt, the whole loafe may not bee lauishly spent vponupon others, or wretchedly hourded vp only for thy selfe, but it ought to bee broken and imparted: First, to thy selfe, and then vntounto others. kMath 5 42.It is Christs iniunction indeed that we should giuegive omni petenti to all that aske, but as Augustine glosseth it acutely, non omnia petenti, not all they will aske. Wee may not giuegive so much at one time, that we leaue nothing for another time: this vndiscreet liberalitie, doth ouerthrow liberalitie, liberalitas liberalitate perit. As lEpist. ad Paulinum de institut. Monach.Hierom told Paulinus, they that precipitate themselues to pleasure their poore neighbours, are like powder in festiuall dayes, which to reioyce others spendeth it selfe. And therefore Solomon aduiseth vsus to giuegive frugally, so well as frankly, Pro. 5. 15. Drinke waters out of thine owne Cesterne, and running waters out of thine owne Well. And then that others may drinke of thy Cup, and taste of thy bounty, let thy fountaines slow forth, and riuers of waters in the street, but let them be thine, euen thine onelyonly, and not the strangers with thee. Let the Cocke run abroad, but keepe thy Cesterne to thy selfe, let the waters flow forth in the street, but let the Well-spring bee thine still, and not the strangers with thee. The morall of Acteons fable deuoured by his Doggs, is nothing else but that open handed Gentle men are many times vndone by fauning parasites, who, like Pondes, are full in Winter, but in Summer when neede is of them are drie: or like to Swallowes creeping vnderunder the roofes of our houses in the spring, but when once cold weather is come, they bee gone, flowen away, leauing (as you know) nothing behind them but dung, foule speeches: And therefore bee not so cruell vntounto thy selfe as to giuegive thine Honour (quoth Solomon) vntounto others, Pro. 5. 9. Where Melancthon and mL… in▪ in Act. 13 50. et 20. 10.other Diuines obserue, that riches are called Honour, because they giuegive reputation and Honour in this world. Wherevpon as I coniecture in our common law, some Lordshippes are termed Honours. And great persons in vnthrifty courses are said to loose so much of their Honour, as they sell of their Lands: Riches among worldlings are so honourable, nSr. Walt-Rawleigh.that it is exceeding hard to distinguish fortune and vertue. The most impious (if prosperous) hauehave euer beene applauded, and the most vertuous (if vnprosperous) hauehave euer beene despised: Or riches are called Honour, because being well imployed they keepe men in honest and Honourable courses; whereas a man in extreame beggerie must doe, not as hee should, or as he would, but as hee may, pauperies inimica bonis est moribus, omne labitur in vitium. As it is in the prouerbe, necessitie hath no law, pouertie parteth all good fellowship: An Ingenious man doth often that in his neede, which is contrarie to his owne position, and disposition.
oVirgil. Aenead. 2.Si miserum fortuna Sinonem
Finxit, vanum etiam mendacemque improba finget.
Bee prouident then in thy diuident, so breake thy bread, that thou breake not the staffe of thy store, whereby the largesse, which is vntounto other a dole, may turne to thy selfe a dolour. p2 Cor. 9. 7.The Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer, and therefore that thou mayst euer giuegive, giuegive frugally, starue not thy selfe to feede others, though hungrie: let not the left hand of thy miserie, know what the right hand of thy pittie doth. If thou hauehave plenty, giuegive much, if thou hauehave but a little bee not affrayd (sayd old qTobit. 4. 8.Tobie) to giuegive of that little. Beneuolentia liberalitate potior, quia ditior haec moribus, quam illa muneribus. Ambros: offic: lib. 1. c. 23.
Secondly, the word breake, teacheth vsus not to giuegive the whole loafe of our almes vntounto some on, but that wee should impart it to diuerse. So Munster and Tremelius here translate, vt partiaris es…rienti panem, and rCastalio.other vt impertias, and our old translation, Ezech. 18. 7. Part thy bread to the Hungrie. So the Scriptures teach and the Fathers, the sPsal … 12. 9Psalmographer saith of the godly man, dispersit, dedit pauperibus. Hee dispersed abroad giuing rather a little to many, then much vntounto few: so Saint Paul aduiseth the tRom. 12. 13.Romans to distribute to the necessitie of the Saints. Almighty God is termed, Luke. 16. 1. A rich man, as being infinitly uRom. 10. 12.rich in goodnes and mercy. towards all, and eueryevery man is there called his Steward: as hauing much of Gods rich treasure committed to his charge, which hee may not expend as hee will in idle prodigallity, but as his Lord will in workes of piety and pitty. Novv then (as x1 Cor 42.Saint Paul telleth vsus) it is required of a Steward that hee bee found faithfull; Hee must therefore deale his Lords bread, like y3 Ioh. 5.Caius, faithfully, not onelyonly to some few whom hee most affects; but hee must in due season, and in due proportion also, feede the whole family. To breake Bread is to giuegive eueryevery one his due portion of meate, and potion of drinke.
Christ and his Apostles hauehave taught this Lesson also by their practise. Christ in the 8. of Saint Marke feeding a great many with a few loaues, after he had giuen thankes brake the bread, and so all did eate and were sufficed: and it is reported of the blessed Apostles, Acts. 2. 45. That they parted the Churches stocke: to all men as eueryevery one had neede.
aOffi…. lib. 1. cap. 30.Saint Ambrose to the same purpose pithily, non sunt profundendae opes, sed dispensandae, to breake bread lauishly without discretion and order, is not▪ (as Bernard sayd in another case) dispensatio but dissipatio. The Stewards of God ought to hauehave great care, saith bPastor part. 3. see Them▪ 102 quae. 32. Art. 10.Gregorie the great, hovv they distribute to the necessities of the Saints. Vt ne quaedam quibus nulla, ne nulla quibus quaedam, ne multa quibus pauca, ne pauca praebeant quibus impendere multa debucrunt.
For it is Lawfull and expedient too, sometime to conferre much vponupon one person, or vponupon one worke, as to preferre a poore Mayden in marriage, to redeeme a Captiue, to repayre high wayes, or to build a Synagogue. Wherein eueryevery good Christian is a learned schoole-man and a speaking Law to himselfe; In his priuate distributions hee may deale his bread when hee will, and where he will, as his owne Charity, directed by Gods holy word, moueth him. But in our publique contributions eueryevery man is to be sessed by his neighbours: and in such a case not to bee ruled by the best and most is a breach vndoubtedly both of Law and LoueLove. How Christ hath a long time beene taught among you brethren, I well vnderstand, but how you hauehave learned him, I know not, I hope the best, onelyonly this I wish, that some whom it concerneth as an act of Iustice, or other to whom it appertayneth as a matter of mercy, would (as occasion is offered) ouersee those which are appoynted ouerseers for the poore: Whereby the common loafe may bee so parted, that our eares may not heare the lamentation of cLam. 4. 4.Ieremy, the young Children aske bread, but no man breaketh it vntounto them.
The second point to bee discussed is, Cui dandum, and that is here sayd indefinitely to the Hungrie; Whether hee bee good or bad, of whatsoeuer Condition or Countrey, Nation or Fashion. It is an dGal. 6. 10.apostolicall precept, that we should doe good vntounto all, especially to those which are of the Houshold of faith. Humanity bindeth vsus to performe the one, Christianity to the other. ecap. 12.Ecclesiasticus in saying, giuegive not to the vngodly, seemes to confront our text; But his meaning is plaine, fLomb. Aqu. in Gal 6.that wee should not helpe him as wicked but as a man. His naughtinesse ought to bee declined, but his nature cherished, his proper iniquity to bee persecuted, but his common condition to bee pittied, as being our owne flesh, saith our Prophet in the latter end of this verse, Created according to Gods owne Image, and happily (for any thing wee know) heereafter to bee sanctified, and in fine to bee saued.
In the battaile fought against Cinna at Ianiculum, one of Pompeys souldiers slew his owne brother, and when hee saw what hee had done, instantly slew himselfe. Wherevpon gHist. lib. 3. cap. 10.Tacitus obserued that our ancestours exceeded vsus, not onelyonly in glory of their vertue, but in griefe also for their faults: hIn sapient 1.Holcott makes mention of a certaine sauage beast that hath a face like a man, and yet in his hunger hee kills men, and feedes on their flesh, but afterward going into the water to drinke, and there beholding his own face, & so remembering that he had killed one like himselfe, presently forbeares his meate, and for very sorrow pineth, vntill hee perisheth. All men are our brethren as being lineally descended from our great Grandfather Adam; He therefore that denyeth any man his helping hand in extreamity, murthereth a brother: according to that of Saint Ambrose, si non pavisti, occidisti; in such a case not to fill him, is to kill him. Solomon in the 11. of Ecclesiastes, compareth a wight in distresse, to the water, cast thy bread, saith hee, vponupon the waters: And why so? because as in the water brookes, so in the watrie lookes of a poore Lazare thou mayst cleerely see thine own fashion and face. Turne not away thine eye from beholding his countenance, though hee seeme neuer so despicable: but consider, and that seriously, this vnhappy wretch is a man as well as I, and if our good God blesse mee not, I may become such a man as hee: Blind as hee: Naked as hee: Forsaken of friends as hee: Lamed in limbes as hee: Maymed in minde as he. iMat. 7. 12▪Whatsoeuer then I would that men should doe vntounto mee, let me, while I hauehave time, doe to them. I would that all men in such an agonie should doe good vntounto me, why then I am bound to doe good vntounto all men.
Now for our direction in breaking bread to men of all sorts, two things are to bee considered especially.
Their Worth;
Their Want;
All men are to bee releiued in adversity, ▪yet more specially the Houshold of Faith: and among the faithfull also the better man is to hauehave the better maundie; for other things being alike, the neerer vntounto Christ, ought euer to bee deerer vntounto vsus. He that beleeueth in him is our kMark. 3. 35.Brother and Sister and Mother: The soule of eueryevery man is next to himselfe, or rather (as diuine Plato sayd) his own flesh; They therefore which are allyed in good vntounto the soule▪ are more neere then they which are allyed in blood onelyonly to the body. lLo…b sent 3. dist. 29.Sanctior est copula cordium quam corporum, the coniunction of the spirit, is more high and holy, then any coniunction of the flesh. If the soule be the better gentleman, then alliance by the soule must of necessitie bee most honourable, but when our kinsman is a good man allyed each way, both in respect of his generation and regeneration, vndoubtedly two bonds are more strong then one. Such a man ought to hauehave the prime place, both in our loues and loaues, Iohn in his 3 Epistle, commending highly Caius his hospitality, saith, hee did faithfully to the brethren and strangers, hee did entertaine both the one, and other. But first, the Brethren, and then afterward Strangers: as Aretius expoundes that text, or as Lo…inus especially, strangers if Brethren. As for the want of our brethren, Esay saith heere, deale thy bread to the Hungrie: So mIob. 29. 16.Iob, I was a father to the poore, when thou makest a feast, inuite the poore, saith our Sauiour, Luke. 14. 13. Laudent te, quoth nEpist. ad Demetriad.Hierom, Esurientium viscera, non ructantium opulenta conuiuia, the feeding of the hungrie Lazare, commēds thee more, then the feasting of the belching Epicure. It is lawful, I know, to feast our rich acquaintance, for oIohn. 2. 2. Luke 14. 1. Math. 9. 10.Christ himselfe did grace, with his owne presence, neighbourly meetings, and friendly feasts, as opportunity serued. The Phenix of Germanie (reuerend Melancthon I meane) was exceeding courteous in this kind, being often inuited, and often inuiting. LoueLove-feasts, in the iudgment of all Orthodoxe diuines, are commendable, when moderation is one dish at the Table: But let vsus take heed lest happily wee waste so much vponupon the pampering of great ones, as that wee neglect some of Christs little ones, lying & crying at our gates for hunger; It is a kind of sacriledge, quoth pEpist. ad Pammachium.Hierom, rem pauperum dare non pauperibus, to bestow that portion of bread vponupon the hautie, which is properly due to the hungrie. Woe to them saith qAmos 6. 6.Amos, that eate the Lambes of the stocke, and the Calues of the stall, and drinke wine in boules, but are not sorrie for the affliction of Ioseph.
And as in breaking of our bread, wee should consider the want of the hungrie; so likewise the true causes of their want, for that which our blessed Sauiour sayd of the Eunuch, Math. 19. 12. may bee well applyed vntounto the poore. Some bee borne so, some made so by others, and some hauehave made themselues so: Some borne poore, namely beggers children, & vnregarded fatherlesse orphants, especially such as are Creeples or blind. Some made poore by others, and that either by the cruell oppression of men, as they whose Landes and estates hauehave been deuoured by byting vsurie, tedious sutes in Law, cunning and crafty bargaines: Or by the iust hand of God, as the wounded sould…er in the quarell of his Country, the banckrout Merchant in suffering shipwracke, the decayed husbandman by fire consuming his goods, by murreyne consuming his cattle, by Catterpillers and mildewes consuming his fruits, by grieuous plagues & sicknesse vexing himselfe and the rest of his Family: some be made poore by themselues, as the riotous spend all, and idle get-nothing.
Now they which are made poore by some rAmbros of sic lib. 1. cap 30.great disaster, are to bee relieued before those which hauehave made themselues poore by their own disorder. The very Barbarians vsed no little kindnes to Paul and his company, who suffered shipwracke, Acts. 28. sEpist. 92.Seneca though hee neuer learned Christ as wee, yet hee could not but exceedingly deplore the lamentable destruction of Lions in France, consumed in one night sticke & stone, by fire. Vna tantum nox interfuit inter ciuitatem maximam et nullam: At night that Citty was none, which in the morning was non-such; Quis taliafando temper et à lachymis? what man is so banckrout of good nature, senslesse of miserie, but is readie to doe good to those of Gods house, which hauehave suffered insupportable losses, by wind, and water, and fire, whose very Mercies (as tPro. 12. 10.Solomon sayd of the wicked) are Cruelties.
As the uLomb. sent. 2. dist. 22.Schoolemen say that there is ignorantia vincibilis, and inuincibilis: an ignorance which a man is able to conquer, and an ignorance which hee cannot ouercome; So there be 2. kindes of pouertie, a vincible pouertie which a good man ouercomes by his industrie; and an inuincible pouertie, that no man is able to resist, or repayre: for (as the xPro. 6. 11.Scripture speaketh) it commeth vponupon him as one that trauaileth, and as an armed man; So suddenly, so strongly, that no labour, or dolour, is able to withstand it; As for example, the diligent Merchant runneth his Ship into the furthest end of the world, to get goods and gold.
yHorat. lib. 1. Epist. 1.Impiger extremos currit mercator ad Indos.
Per mare pauperiem fugiens, per saxa, per ignes.
So the painefull artificer, to prouide for his family, riseth vp early, and goes to bed lately, eating the bread of carefulnesse, as the Prophet speakes, Psal. 127. 3. So the toyling labourer, to sustaine his poore charge, worketh vntill hee bee ready to sleepe for very wearinesse, and then in his sleepe, hee dreames of his worke. Yet of ten times it comes to passe, that these diligent, honest actiue men, are not able sufficiently to releiue their houshold, without helpe from others. And therefore let vsus in breaking our bread, remember Solomons aduise: Cast thy bread vponupon the waters; super aquas transeuntes; as it is in the vulgar latine, not vponupon standing waters, vponupon such as either stand in the Market, or sit in the Tauerne all the day idle: But vponupon the stirring waters, vponupon industrious labourers in a lawfull occupation, or office. Let the prodigall a little while zLuke 15. 16.feed on huskes among swine: by the rules of the Gospell, and Lawes of our Land, a2 Thes 3. 10he that wil not labour ought not to eate, he that will not bPro 6. 8.learne of the Pismire to prepare his meate in Summer, and to prepare his food in haruest, hee that is a Ludouicus nihil agens, a Lewis Doe nothing, should hauehave nothing of our liberalitie, but in extreame necessitie; to conclude, the loyterer is to bee punished, but the labourer to bee cherished. If thou bee neighbour to such an one, breake thy bread to his hungrie Soule: call him to thine house, couer him, and comfort him.
There bee foure strings of Gods whip mentioned, Ezechiel. 14. 21. the Sword, Famine, Noysom beasts, and Pestilence. Now the most greiuous of thē all is Famine: For what noysome beasts, & the Sword, and the Pestilence kill in a moment, there bee many lingring deathes in hunger. Famine, saith cSer 3. contr diuites auares.Basile, is a disease that doth soone torture, yet slowly consume, destroying by little and little.
Well then if the greater miserie, be the better obiect of mercy, deale thy bread to the hungrie. So God which is the father of mercy, d satisfied the thirsty soules of Israel in the Wildernesse, and filled their hungrie soules with aboundance. So Christ (which is our way for example, so well as trueth in doctrine) filled the hungrie with good things, Luke. 1. 53. This was Solomons precept, Pro. 25. 21. If thine enemie bee hungrie giuegive him bread, and it was Tobits practise, I gaue my bread to those that were Hungrie, Tobit. 1. 16. And in the last day, the first good deed of the godly remembred by Christ and rewarded, is: I was hungrie, and ye gaue me meat. And the first ill obiected vntounto the damned: I was hungrie, and yee gaue mee no meat, I thirsted and yee gaue mee no drinke.
The third point to bee further examined is, quid dandum? and that is Bread: now there bee three sorts of bread mentioned in holy Bible Sacramentall, 1 Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himselfe, and so let him eate of this bread; Doctrinall, Iohn. 6. Labour not, saith our Sauiour, for the loaues, and for the meat which perisheth, but for the meate and bread, that endure to life euerlasting; Corporall, Math. 4. 4. Man shall not liue by bread onelyonly, but by eueryevery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. The bread here principally spoken of, is neither mentall, nor sacramentall; but corporall, and this kind in a strict acception is the loafe made of wheat, or the like graine, Gen. 14. 18. Melchisedech King of Salem, brought forth bread and wine: but in a more generall and large signification it is vsed in holy Scripture, pro omni Comestibili, for all kind of food, as Gen. 3. 19. In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate bread, 2 Sam. 9. 10. King Dauid sayd to Ziba. Mephibosheth thy Masters Sonne, shall eate bread alway at my Table; that is, hee shall fare so well as I fare, so well as one of the Kings Sonnes, as it is sayd verse the 11. And in the Pater Noster, giuegive vsus this day our daily bread; Where Panis is Pan, eueryevery thing fit and necessarie for our present life.
Well then if in asking of bread, from God, thou wilt hauehave it of the largest extent, take heed how you curtall it in this, and other commandements, concerning the giuing of bread to thy poore brethren. As you begge bread of God, so breake bread to the hungrie, deale to him as occasion is offered, more then either Crust or crumme of thy loafe. GiueGive so much as is necessarie for his reliefe, bring him to thine house, couer him, and hide not thy face from thy flesh.
The fourth point is, de quo dandum, and that is expressed in the word Tuum, not the goods of another, but thy bread, si tuus, almes are a eHeb. 13. 16.sacrifice pleasing vntounto God; now wee may not present an offering to God of that which cost vsus nothing, as King Dauid speakes, 2 Sam. 24. 24. Honour the Lord with thy riches, cast thy bread vponupon the waters, giuegive thy garments vntounto the naked, and of thine aboundance to such as hauehave neede. It must bee thine first, and that acquired lawfully, not by Bribes, or oppression, or Forgerie: but thine by descent or purchase, thine by the sweat of thy Browes, in some honest occupation: or thine by the sweat of thy braines, in some commendable profession. Almes are not to bee giuen (as fapud Fox▪ Mart f. 705.one wittily sayd) except they first hauehave sweat in a mans hand. It is not an act of Charity to rob Peter and pay Paul, or to build an Hospitall for a few, by the ruins of many, for so you shall hauehave more to curse you, then to blesse you. If thou giuegive, giuegive that which is fit, ont of thine ovvne Cesterne, and owne Well, and owne substance, deale thy bread.
Or thy bread that is, such as thou thy selfe dost eate, qui tuus, thy dole may not bee panis lapidosus as Fibius Verucosus speakes in gDe benefi…. lib. 2. cap. 7.Seneca, so hard to digest as a stone, no mouldy bread, no mustie bread, but wholesome and sauourie, such as thou wouldest hauehave, wert thou to begge thy bread.
Or thy bread, that is, when it is thine, dum tuus est, as the blessed Apostle, Gal. 6. 10. While thou hast time, make thine owne hands executors, and thine own eyes ouerseers, and thine owne sonns and seruants, in thy houshold, witnesses of thy wil in doing good. Halfe a loafe broken vntounto the hungrie while thou liuest, & hast it in thine own power and purse, procures thee more friends in the court of Heauen, then a whole loafe giuen after thy death, by heires and asignes: If bread bee thine, thus as I hauehave told you, si tuus, qui tuus, dum tuus, deale thy bread to the Hungrie.
A good worke is in it selfe a sufficient reward, Pro. 21. 15. It is ioy to the iust, to doe Iustice: much more to shew mercy, for hee which is full of pitty, rewardeth his owne soule, Pro. 11. 17. Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needy, Psal. 41. 1. Blessed in His
Temporall,
Ciuill,
Spirituall,
Eternall,
Estate.
Blessed in his temporall estate, both in respect of wealth and health. As for wealth, hPro. 11. 24. 25there is that scattereth, and yet is increased more, but hee that spareth more then his right, shall surely come to pouertie: The liberall person shall hauehave plenty, or as iGeneua Margin.other read, the soule of blessing shall bee made fatt, and hee that watereth, shall also hauehave raine. God makes an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that hee hath, Iob. 1. 10.
As for his health, kPsal 41. 1.the Lord preserueth him, and keepeth him aliue: that hee may bee blessed vponupon earth, the Lord deliuers him in the time of trouble, the Lord comforts him when he lyeth sicke vponupon his couch, and makes all his bed in his sicknesse. To my remembrance (saith lApud Chem. nit. loc. Co…. lib de paupertate.Hierom) I neuer read of any that dyed an vnhappy death, who lead a mercifull life; concerning both health and wealth, our Prophet saith in the next words, If thou deale thy bread to the hungrie, then shall thy light breake forth as the morning, and thy health shall grovve speedily.
For his Ciuill estate, that is, reputation and honour: Learning and Valour are the vertues for which a man is most admired; but humblenesse and bountifulnesse are the vertues, for which a man is best beloued. mI b. 31. 20.The loynes of the naked blesse him, and the tongues of the poore praise him, and the hearts of all men honour him; his nPsal 11… ▪ 6.memoriall is blessed, and had in an euerlasting remembrance, oEccles. 49 1.sweet as hony in all mouthes, and pleasant in all eares as musicke at a banquet of wine.
For this Spirituall estate, the dealing of bread to hungry soules is acceptable to God, for his almes ascend, and come vp in remembrance before God. Act. 10. 4. Where that he hath done faithfully to the least of Christes little ones, shall be Construed as done to Christ himselfe, and it is very comfortable to himselfe also; which occasioned the blessed Martyr pI… hi… lif… before his workes.Tyndall to terme monday and Saturday which he vsually spent in visiting the sicke, and relieuing the poore, his owne dayes of pastime: an happy recreation as qOrat de obit… Theodos….Ambrose speakes, in alieno remedio Vulnera sua curare; To benefit our selues by helping other.
For his eternall estate, the poore man is the Mercurit▪ saith our rH…m of Almesdecdes.Church, set by God in the way to Hierusalem aboue, whosoeuer will go thither must goe by his doore, pointing at the path of Paradise directly. Hee that Couers the naked shall put on Christ, and bee sReuel. 7. 9.Clothed with the long white robes of righteousnes tPsal. 32. 1.couering all his sin: hee that bringes the poore Cast-out into his house shall be receiued into uLuke. 16. 9.euerlasting habitation; he that hides not himselfe from his owne flesh, shall enioy the presence of Christ, and x1 Cor. 13. 12.see God face to face. He that deales bread to the hungry, shal be yPsal. 36. 1.satisfied with the plenteousnes of Gods house, drinking of heauenly delights as out of the riuer, he shal hauehave for a cup of Cold water which is the least almes, a Crowne of glory which is the greatest of rewardes, euen fulnesse of Ioyes and pleasures at Gods right hand for euermore.