The Guide Unto True Blessedness, Section 48 – Section 49
SECT. XLVIII. Of Almes.
Q. HAuing ſpoken of Prayer; and of Faſting, the extraordinarie circumſtance thereof: let vsus proceede to Almes. What is Almes?
A. It is a duetie of Chriſtian louelove, whereby*1. Tim 6.17 18. Math. 5.42. ſuch as hauehave this worlds good, doe freely impart to ſuch as are in want.
Q. How can it be both a duety, and withall free?
A.
1. That it is a duty appeareth by many formalaDeut. 15.7, &c. Heb. 13.16. precepts, touching this matter: in that it is called outbPſal. 112 9. Math. 6.1. iuſtice, or righteouſnes: in that euerie man is ac1. Pet. 4.10 ſteward of Gods bleſſings for the benefit of others: Finally in that according to the performance, or neglect, euen of this duety, men ſhall bedMat. 25.35 42. iudged at the laſt day.
2. It is free, not as being left by God vntounto our choice, whether wee will doe it or no, but as proceeding from an heart,a2. Cor. 9.7. freely and cherefully performing this obedience to God, and reliefe to our brother without compulſion of humane law, &c.
Q. Who are to giuegive Almes?
A. b1. Joh. 3.17Whoſoeuer hath this worlds good, that is, ſuch a portion, out of which, by frugality, ſomething may be ſpared, though it bee butcLuc. 21.2, 3. two mites. And therefore not onelyonlyd1 Tim 6.17 rich men, and houſhoulders are to giuegive, but alſo ſuch aseEph. 4.28. labour with their hands, out of their earnings: ſeruants out of their wages: children out of their Parents allowance: wiues, out of any portion they hauehave in ſeuerall without their husbands, or allowance from their husbands, or out of the common ſtocke they enioy with their husbands; prouided the husbands conſent (in whom the poſſeſsion fundamentally remaineth) be either expreſſed, or by ſilence, or not gainſaying, implyed: Finally euen they that liue vponupon liberall Almes, muſtf2. Cor. 8.2, 14 ſpare ſomething vntounto thoſe, that hauehave little or no ſupply.
Q. May there not be ſome caſes, wherin ſuch, as are accountable to others, may giuegive without their knowledge; yea againſt their will?
A. Yes; as appeareth in the wiſe and commendablea1. Sa. 25.3, &c. example of Abigail; to wit, when the life and whole eſtate of the giuer or receiuer, may be now or not at all, thus, or not otherwiſe, preſerued. ForbMat. 12.7 extreame neceſſitie diſpenſeth with the ordinarie courſe of dutie, both to GOD, and man.
Q. Whereof muſt we giuegive Almes?
A. Of thatcNeh. 8:10 good thing (that is, wholeſome, and profitable to the receiuer) which is iuſtly our owne, not another mans; vnleſſe in caſe of extremitie before mentioned. For otherwiſe of goods euill gotten, or wrongfully detained, not Almes, butdLuk 19.8 reſtitution muſt be made.
Q. How much muſt we giuegive?
A. We muſte2. Cor. 9 6 Gal. 6.7 Pro. 11.25 ſow liberally, that wee may reape alſo liberally: notwithſtanding, in the quantitie, and proportion of Almes, reſpect muſt be had.
1. To theaLuc. 3.11 1. Cor. 16.2 abilitie of the giuer; who is not bound ſo to giuegive, as vtterly tob2. Cor. 8.13 impoueriſh himſelfe, and to make himſelfecAct. 20.35 of a giuer a receiuer; (ſaue that, in a common and extreame neceſsitie of the Church,d2. Cor. 8.1, 2, 9. Luk. 12.33 eueryevery one muſt bee content to abate of his reuenues, that the reſt may not periſh, and ſome whoſe hearts, God ſhall moue, mayeAct 4.34, 35 with Act. 5.4 voluntarily, and commendably ſell all, & put it into the common ſtock:) Yea it is vnlawfull ſo to giuegive vntounto ſome one good vſe, as to diſable our ſelues for the ſeruice of the Common-wealth, Church or Saints in generall, or for the reliefe of ourf1. Tim. 5.8 Family or kinred in ſpeciall.
2. To the condition of the receiuer, that hisg2. Cor. 9.12 100 31.17, 18, &c. Iam. 2.15, …6. neceſsitie may bee ſupplyed; not as to make him of a receiuer, a giuer: for this is to giuegive a patrimonie, not an Almes; and belongeth rather to iuſtice, binding men to prouide for thoſe of their owne houſhold, then to merciemercy.
Q. To whom muſt we giuegive?
A. ToaMat. 5.42 Rom. 12.20 ſuch as are in want: but with this difference;
1. In preſent extremitie, wee muſt preſerue life in whomſoeuer,bLuk. 10.33. with Ioh. 4.9 without enquiring who, or what an one the party be.
2. In caſes admittingcPſal. 41.1 deliberation, we muſt confine our Almes to ſuch, whomdDeut. 15.7, 11 God hath made poore: as orphans, aged, ſicke, blind, lame, theeLeu. 25.35. trembling hand, &c. wherein ſuch gifts are moſt commendable, as extend vntounto perpetuitie, as the erecting or endowing offLuk. 7.5 Churches, g2. Kin. 6.1, &c. 2. Chron. 14.22.Schooles of good learning,hIoh. 52, 3. Hoſpitals, &c. but as for ſuch, as turne begging into an Art or occupation, they are by order to beei2. Theſ. 3.10, 11, 12. compelled to worke for their maintenance; which is the beſt, and greateſt Almes.
Q. What order muſt wee obſerue in giuing?
A. Wee muſt begin with ſuch, as are neerest to vsus in regard of ak1. Tim. 5.8. Mat. 15.5, 6. domeſticall, lDeut 15.7ciuill, ormGal. 6.10 chriſtian neighbourhood (according to the lawes of nature, nations, and religion direct vsus) vnleſſe other circumſtances, as the extremitie of want, or thea1. Kin. 17.13 dignity of the perſon to be relieued, doe diſpence: and ſo proceed to ſuch as are farther off, according as our abilitie can extend.
Q. What are the times, and places, fitteſt for this duety?
A. For publique Almes, the fitteſtb1. Cor. 16.2 time is, when wee meet together for the ſolemne worſhip of God; likewiſe the fitteſtcLuk. 21.1 place, where prouiſion is made for publique collections: for priuate, dIob 31.16 Pro. 3.28when, and whereſoeuer, the neceſſitie of our poore Brother offereth it ſelfe vntounto vsus.
Q. With what affection muſt we doe Almes-deeds?
A.
1.ePſal. 112.4 With pittie and compaſsion on our needie brother.
2. With humilitie, andfMat. 6.1, &c ſecrecie, not ſeeking praiſe from men, but approuing our ſelues vntounto God.
3.gRom. 12.8 With cheerefulneſse, becauſeh2. Cor. 9.7 God loueth a cheerefull giuer.
4.i2. Cor. 8.5 With ſimplicitie, not reſpecting our ſelues, but the glorie of God, and the good of our fellow-members.
Q. How many waies may Almesdeeds bee performed?
A. Not onelyonly by giuing, but alſo
1. ByaDeut. 15.8. Mat. 5.42. lending to ſuch, as are not able tobLuk. 6.34 Pſal. 37.26 lend to vsus againe; (ſome being no leſſe relieued by lending, then others by gift) prouided, wecExo. 22.25 take nothing for the loane, yea in ſome caſes, eitherdNeh. 5.11. remit part of the loane, or commit it into the hands of our poore brother,eLuk. 6.35 without aſſurance to receiue from him the principall againe.
2. By ſelling, when we doe not onelyonlyfPro. 11.26 bring forth the commoditie, (as of corn &c.) which others keep in; but alſo, in a mercifull commiſeration of our poore brother, abate ſomewhat of the extreame price.
3. BygNeh. 5.18 forbearing whatſoeuer our right in caſe of great neceſſitie.
Q. What fruit may we expect of this dutie?
A. Not toh1. Chro. 29 14. merit thereby at the hands of God; but yet
1. To makeaPro. 19 17 God our Debtor, according to his gracious promiſe; who alſo in Chriſt willbMat. 10 42. & 25.35 2. Tim. 1.18 acknowledge and requite it at the laſt day.
2. TocJam. 1.27 ſeale the truth of our religion.
3. TodHeb. 6.9, 10 1. Joh. 3.14 1. Tim. 6.19 aſsure our ſaluation.
4. ToeDan. 4.24 Luk. 19.8 make amends to men, for former couetouſnes, and crueltie.
5. TofLuk. 11.41 ſanctifie our ſtore, and bring agDeu. 25.10 bleſsing on our labours; yea and vponupon ourhPſal. 112.2. & 37.26 2. Tim. 1.1… poſteritie after vsus.
SECT. XLIX. Of the Prouidence of God concerning mankinde after this life: and firſt of particular Judgement at the houre of Death.
Q. THus farre of Glorification begunne, and of Redemption ſo farre as it is vouchſafed in this life: now let vsus come to entreat of perfect Redemption and Glorification, and that vnderunder the prouidence or dealing of God with mankinde after this life. How doth God then deale with men?
A. He bringeth them all to Iudgement.
Q. What is here meant by Iudgement?
A. The pronouncing, and executing of the irreuocable ſentence of Abſolution, or Condemnation; which is done,
Partly, on eueryevery man inaHeb. 9.27 particular, at the houre of death, but
Fully andbAct. 17.51 generally vponupon all men, at the ſecond comming of Chriſt.
Q. Muſt all men then dye?
A. Yea,cPſal. 49.10. Eccleſ. 2.16 all both good and bad; ſaue that vntounto ſome, namely ſuch as ſhall bee found aliue, at the comming of Chriſt, a change ſhall bee in ſtead of Death, as ſhall be ſhewed.
Q. Death beeing the puniſhment of ſinne, how commeth it to paſse that the righteous dye, to whom all ſinnes are forgiuen?
A. dRom. 5.12Death indeed came on all mankinde by reaſon of ſinne, but yet it is not in all things the ſame to the godly and to the wicked: for howſoeuer vntounto both it be thea1. Cor. 15.26. Pſal 90.3 enemie of nature, as the end of naturall life: yet
1. VntoUnto the godly it is a token of GodsbPſ. 37.37, 38 louelove: vntounto the wicked of hiscJob. 18.13, 14. anger.
2. VntoUnto the godly it is adApoc. 14.13 reſt from labour, and miſerie, (chee1 Cor. 15.16. laſt enemie being now deſtroyed:) vntounto the wicked it is thefLuk. 12 20 height of all worldly euils.
3. VntoUnto the godly it is thegRom 6.7 vtter aboliſhing of ſinne, and perfection of mortification: vntounto the wicked it is the conqueſt of ſinne, and accompliſhment of their ſpirituall captiuitie.
4. VntoUnto the godly it is ſo farre from being a ſeparation from Chriſt, that euen the body ſeuered from the ſoule, and rotting in the graue, is yet vnited vntounto Chriſt, and the ſoule freed from the bodie ishLuk. 23 43 Phil. 1.23 with him in Paradiſe: vntounto the wicked it is an vtter cutting off from the fauorable preſence, and patience of God.
5. VntoUnto theaLuk. 16.22 godly it is the beginning of heauenly glorie: vntounto thebVer. 23 wicked it is the entrance into helliſh and end leſſe torments.
Q. How are men iudged at the houre of death?
A. Firſt,cHeb. 9.27 in that God at that inſtant pronounceth, and the conſcience apprehendeth, the ſentence of bleſsing, or curſing.
Secondly, in that the ſoule of euerie man is immediately conueyed by the power of God, and the miniſterie of Angels, into that ſtate of happineſse or miſcrie, dEccl. 11.3 Luk. 16.26wherein it ſhall remaine till the reſurrection, and from thence-forth both ſoule and bodie for euer.