The Plea of the Poor, Treatise · Chapter 19
CHAP. 19. That they who are liberall in giuing almes, ſhall bee rewarded with permanent and eternall bleſsings.
Sect. 1. That our almeſdeedes ſhall be rewarded with permanent bleſſings.
ANd thus much hauehave we ſpoken of the manifold bleſſings & benefits which are promiſed to thoſe who exerciſe themſelues in the works of mercy; now we are to ſpeak of the durable continuance of them, expreſſed in thoſe words; endureth for euer. The firſt word ſignifying, that the fruits of our almeſdeedes are laſting, for they flie not from vsus, but endure; the other, that they are euerlaſting, for they ſtay with vsus, not onelyonly a long time, but they endure for euer. Concerning the former, the benefit of our almeſdeedes is very great, for whereas our riches are in their own nature moſt flitting, mutable and inconſtant, they being eueryevery day redie to leaue vsus, or we them; by giuing of almes they are preſerued for our vſe: whereas like an Eagle they are ſtill ready to flie away from vsus, as the wiſe man ſpeaketh, Prou. 23. Prou. 23, 5.5. by this meanes their wings are clipped, ſo as they cannot take their flight nor depart from vsus. In which reſpect that conceipt ſhould not hinder vsus from giuing almes which hindereth many, namely, that thejr riches ſo beſtowed are meerely loſt; yea, rather nothing more ſhould perſwade vsus to be bountifull in giuing, ſeeing it is the only meanes to preſerue them from loſing; for if wee keepe them, they will flie away from vsus, but if wee giuegive them, they will continue with vsus. If wee impriſon them within ſtone-wals neuer ſo ſurely vnderunder locke and key, bolts and iron barres, they will make an eſcape; but if we commit them to the cuſtody of the poore, they will become laſting treaſures and durable riches which will long continue with vsus. So that if we wold make choice of a treaſurie for our wealth which cannot be violated, of a locke that cannot be picked, and of an iron barred cheſt that cannot bee broken open; let the poore keepe it in their bellies, which of all other places is moſt ſafe and ſecure. For this is Chriſts treaſurie, which none can burſt into, and what is put into it, is in his cuſtody, and therfore ſafe enough, becauſe he is the ſtrong man whom none can turne out of poſſeſſion, nor plucke any thing from him with violence, which he holdeth Luk. Ioh. 10. 28.in his hand. In which regard it may bee truely ſayd, that as the mercifull man is of all others moſt rich, ſo alſo moſt prouident in keeping his goods the ſafeſt & ſecureſt, through his prouidence from feare of loſing them; for what he giueth, he placeth in a ſure treaſury, out of which there is nothing Pecu…ia quae ſer…atur caſi…us, ſeruit: quae in miſericordia reſ…ruatur … f…turum … rit. A… Temp…loſt. Hee that keepeth his money reſerueth it to many caſualties, as fire, theeues, oppreſſion of the mighty, inuaſion, of enemies, by which how many hauehave been ſuddenly ſpoiled of all they hauehave: & if we follow the ſame practiſe, who can priuiledge vsus from the ſame dangers? with which if we be ouertaken, how will we befoole our ſelues, that we did not giuegive ſome part to the poore, which might hauehave beene preſerued out of the gunſhot of all perill? becauſe what is thus beſtowed is in Gods keeping and reſerued in the Invaſit hoſtis d…m…m; nunquid invaderet coelū? occidit ſeru…m cuſto…ē, nunquid Dominum ſeruator…m? Auguſt.treaſurie of heauen for our vſe. Now as one ſaith, though the enemie hath invaded the houſe, he could neuer hauehave invaded heauen; though hee hath killed thy ſeruants that watched thy wealth, he could not hauehave killed God the chiefe keeper and preſeruer. And this argument the Wiſeman vſeth to perſwade vsus vntounto theſe workes of mercy with a bountifull hand, Eccl. 11. 1. 2. Caſt thy bread Eccleſ. 11. 1. 2.vponupon the face of the waters; for thou ſhalt finde it after many dayes. GiueGive a portion to ſeuen and alſo vntounto eight; for thou knoweſt not what euill ſhall befall vponupon the earth. So our Sauiour Math. 6. 19. Lay not vp for your ſelues treaſures vponupon earth, where moth and ruſt doth corrupt, and where theeues breake through and ſteale. 20. But lay vp for your ſelues treaſures in heauen, where neither moth nor ruſt doth corrupt, and where theeues doe not breake through and ſteale. and Luk. 12. 33. Sell that yee hauehave and giuegive almes, Luk. 12. 33.prouide your ſelues bagges which waxe not old, & treaſures in the heauens that faileth not, where no theefe approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. What fooliſh couetouſnes (ſaith one) is this which maketh men hide their money here among theeues? for if thou loueſt money truly, lay them vp where they may be ſafe, and open to no violence. For that which thou now doest, ſheweth not thy louelove to thy wealth, but the miſchiefes of thy ſeruitude, and that thou but hereby ſeekeſt thine owne continuall vexation and griefe. If any man would ſhew thee a ſafe place for thy treaſures, though it were in the wildernes, thou wouldeſt harken vntounto him; but now not man but God ſheweth thee a place of ſafety, not in the wildernes but in heauen, and thou regardest it not▪ but though thou ſhouldeſt hide them ten thouſand times in the earth, thou couldeſt neuer be freed from care. For howſoeuer perhaps thou ſhouldeſt Nam etiamſi nunquam …as f…ſſe perdas; nunquam tamen carebis timore perdendi. Chryſ. in Math. 6. Homil. 21.not looſe them, yet thou ſhouldeſt neuer be without the feare of looſing them. But if thou giueſt thy riches to the poore, thou ſhalt be free from theſe feares and cares. And which is more, thou ſhalt not onelyonly ſafely hide thy gold, but thou ſhalt hereby ſow it, and receiue plentifull increaſe which (herein better than other ſeede) ſhall endure for euer.
Sect. 2. That by giuing almes we lay vp treaſures in our own country.
But let vsus conſider where this place of ſafetie is, in which we are counſailed to lay vp our treaſures; namely not in a ſtrange kingdome whither we ſhall not come our ſelues, or being come thither ſhall make but ſmall ſtay; but in heauen, our own natiue cuntry, the place of our inheritance, among our kindred and chiefe friends, and of our perpetuall abode and euerlaſting habitation; for they that feede Chriſt being hungry, and clothe him being naked in his poore members, ſhall inherite the heauenly kingdome which God hath prepared for them from the foundation of the world, Math. 25. Math: 25. 34.34. they that deale their bread to the hungry and couer the naked, ſhall hauehave their righteouſnes to go before them, & the glory of the Lord ſhall be their rereward. Eſa: 58. 8. They that ſell and giuegive to the poore, Eſa. 58. 8. Non ſunt bona hominis quae ſecum ferre non poteſt. Sola miſericordia eſt comes defunctorum. Ambroſ. Prae…e tectū, & accip…es coelum. Auguſt.for their tranſitorie riches, ſhall hauehave a treaſure in the heauens that fayleth not, Luk. 12. 33. Now what an excellent change is this, to hauehave heauenly things for earthly, & treaſures in our own country, where we ſhall inioy them for euer, for parting with vncertaine riches in the place of our pilgrimage, which we are ready eueryevery day to leaue behinde vsus; to forgoe things which wee cannot keepe, and obtaine ſuch as wee cannot looſe? But this exchange mercifull men do make; for when they giuegive their goods to the poore, they do not looſe them, but only commit them vntounto them, as vntounto porters, to be caried and tranſported for their vſe into thoſe heauenly and euerlaſting habitations: whereas if they ſhould hourd them vp and keepe them vntounto themſelues, they would be cumberſom burthens, which would hinder their iourney thither, and yet when they hauehave done what they can, death at length, if not ſome other caſualtie in the meane time, will ſtrip them naked of all, to goe out as they came into the world, and let them carry nothing with them, but the ſinne and guilt which they hauehave committed Quae ſtultitia est illic relinqu…re, vnde exiturus es: & illuc non praemittere quo iturus es▪ Chryſoſt. in Math. 6.in compaſſing of them. What madnes therefore is it to leaue our wealth there, from whence we are eueryevery day departing, and not to ſend it before vsus whither we are going? to leaue and loſe it in a ſtrange kingdome, when as we might ſafely ſend it before vsus into our owne country? eſpecially conſidering (as one ſaith) that he who placeth Chryſoſt. ibid.his treaſures on earth, hath nothing to expect and hope for in heauen: for why ſhould he looke vp into heauen, who hath laid vp nothing there? whatſoeuer thou dost for thy ſoule, that is truly thine, but what thou leaueſt behinde thee that thou looſeſt.
Sect. 5. That the reward of our almes-deedes and the puniſhment of their neglect ſhall be euerlaſting.
And thus we ſee the place where our riches will indure and remaine for vsus; now the time of their continuance, and of our inioying them in heauen is for euer; in which reſpect wee may truely ſay of almes-deeds, that they are that meate which will not mould, the drinke that ſowreth not, the garment that will not weare out, and the treaſure which is not ſubiect either to ruſt or ſtealing; And this eternity of reward is promiſed in many places of Scripture to thoſe who exerciſe themſelues in theſe workes of merciemercy. So Luk. 16. 9. Luk. 16. 9.Make to your ſelues friends of the Mammon of vnrighteouſneſſe, that when you faile they may receiue you into euerlaſting habitations. And the Apoſtle would hauehave thoſe who are rich in the world to bee rich alſo in good workes, readie to diſtribute, and willing to communicate; laying vp in ſtore for themſelues a good foundation, againſt the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternall life. 1. Tim. 6. 19. yea ſo 1. Tim. 6. 1…doth the reward of euerlaſting happines through Gods free grace and goodneſſe belong to theſe workes of merciemercy, that the doing or neglecting them is accompanied with eternall bleſſednes or endleſſe miſerie; for the ſentence of abſolution or condemnation ſhall be pronounced, either for or againſt vsus, accordingly as we hauehave performed or omitted them. To thoſe who hauehave fed the hungrie, clothed the naked, viſited the ſicke &c. come yee bleſſed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world; and contrariwiſe to thoſe who hauehave not done theſe duties; Depart from me yee curſed into euerlaſting fire prepared for the Deuill and his Angels. The conſideration whereof ſhould bee a ſufficient motiue to ſtirre vsus vp to the doing of theſe good workes, though there were no other reaſon; for if wee either louelove heauen or feare hell, if wee would be euerlaſtingly rewarded or would not bee euerlaſtingly puniſhed and tormented; if wee deſire with vnſpeakable confidence and ioy to appeare before our ſweete Sauiour and to our ineſtimable comfort heare that bleſſed ſentence; or would not be aſtoniſhed and perplexed with that horrour and guilt, which ſhall make vsus to crie out to the hilles and rockes to fall downe and couer vsus from the preſence of our terrible iudge; let vsus ſpare ſomething from our ſuperfluities, yea if need require, euen from our neceſſaries, that we may relieue and cheriſh the poore diſtreſſed members of Ieſus Chriſt.