The Burning of London, Part 3 · Meditation 10
MEDITATION X. Upon the burning of Hoſpitals, and Rents thereunto belonging.
RIghteous art thou O Lord, yet let me plead with thee concerning thy Judgments. Why had the fire a Commiſſion to burn down Hoſpitals? Why didſt thou dry up thoſe pools of Betheſdah? Why didſt thou wither the Goards of thoſe poor Jonas's, who had nothing elſe to defend them from the ſcorching of extream poverty? Was ever money given to better uſes, or with a better intent, than what went to the maintaining thoſe houſes of Charity? Or was it ever intruſted in better and ſafer hands, than that which had ſo many perſons of worth and integrity to take care of it, (and be, as it were, Overſeers of, the poor)? Or what charity was ever diſpoſed of more according to the will of the Doners, than that hath always been, which few or none would accept, but thoſe that had need of it (and for them it was intended)? I ſhould have thought, the Doors of thoſe houſes, above all others, would have been ſprinkled, that the deſtroying Angel might have paſſed over them, and that Judgment ſhould not have entered, where onelyonly Mercy did ſeem to dwell. Did not Chriſt ſay, The poor we have alwayes with us, and ſhall we have no Receptacles for the poor? The poor increaſe daily, but the places of their relief are diminiſhed; and where thoſe places are yet ſtanding, yet is not much of their Revenue impaired? Shall the Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the Aire neſts, but the poor not have where to lay their heads? Came this for their ſakes, whoſe charity did maintain theſe places, or for thoſe that were maintained in them and by them, or for the ſake of others; or for all the three? Whileſt ſome contributed to thoſe places out of pure ends and principles, might not others do it out of ſuperſtition and conceipt of merit, others out of Oſtentation? (though we may not impute thoſe things to any in particular): And as for thoſe who were relieved in thoſe places, were there not ſins amongſt them alſo? Some, it may be, were not more poor than wicked; ſo, that though their poverty made them the Objects of Mercy from men, yet their wickedneſs expoſed them to the Juſtice of God.
Doubtleſs, men by ſin, may forfeit, not only their ſuperfluities and conveniencies, but alſo their very neceſſaries, or ſuch things as they cannot live without: and had not too many of theſe ſo done? Though ſome, whoſe miſeries have brought them to ſuch places, are affected with the hand of God, and fear to ſin whileſt his rod is upon them; yet, were there not others, who no whit appalled by all their ſufferings (were it the loſs of limbs or whatſoever elſe) would ſwear, and drink, and rant, at ſuch a rate, as if they had had all the world before them, or thought ſcorn, that as to theſe things, even the greateſt perſonages ſhould go beyond them. Had all been ſuch as ſome were, poſſibly the Great God had not forborn to ſet fire upon thoſe Houſes long ago. But in relation to others, might not this come, Firſt, to try their ſincerity, whether their hearts would ſerve them to give to good uſes, though by this it appears, they can have no aſſurance of raiſing any laſting monument to their names thereby. Or, Secondly, to try their Faith, whether they would caſt their bread, as upon the water, ſo upon the fire, as it were, (or that which may eaſily be burnt) in hope to find it after many dayes. But the probableſt reaſon of all is, that it came to prove and exerciſe their Charity, and to call upon them (ſo many as are able) to make to themſelves friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, that when they fail, they may be received into everlaſting habitations. Why ſhould the poor be alwayes maintained by an old ſtock of Charity? Why ſhould not this Age be as charitable as former Ages were? Though many be poor at this time, yet all are not, yea, there are many rich, though not comparative to the number of ſuch as are poor, nor have rich men ever more to do, than when there are moſt poor. Poor men think it a bleſſed thing to receive; but Chriſt hath told them, It is yet a more bleſſed thing to give. The Italians when they begge, uſe to ſay to them of whom they begge, Pray be good to your ſelves.
As much as iniquity doth abound, I will not believe, unleſſe I ſee it, that Charity is grown ſo cold, that amongſt all the rich men that are in England, Nobles, Gentlemen, and others, there will not be found enough to repair that breach which the fire hath made upon the poor Hoſpitals, and the revenues, formerly belonging to them. You know, (or, if I thought you did not, I can tell you) where and whence you may defaulk enough to rear up thoſe Structures again as large and fair as before, (though one of them was ſometimes the Pallace of a Prince, even Bridewell it's ſelf) and to indow them as liberally as ever, and not to miſſe what you have parted with, when you have done. Think how much extraordinary it uſeth to coſt you every year upon your luſts, one or more. One mans Drunkenneſſe coſts him an hundred pounds in a year extraordinary, another mans Uncleanneſſe twice ſo much, a third mans Gameing no leſſe, and ſo it is like to do from year to year: Yea poſſibly ſome men have ſpent, as much of their time upon one luſt, as would have built an Hoſpitall. Now as God ſaith, that he would famiſh all the gods of the Heathen; ſo do you famiſh thoſe luſts which you have idolized, cut off thoſe right hands, that they may graſp no more of your money, for time to come, and let the poor receive it in their ſtead. Is it not better lending to the Lord, than giving to the Devil? Why will you buy repentance ſo dear, when you might put your money to ſo much better uſes? Some that have fallen into very hainous ſins, have built Hoſpitals, for the relief of their own Conſciences.
God may pleaſe to leave you to the ſame ſins, and ſo extort that out of you, by the ſame means, if it will not come freely. Some, though free from notorious vices, yet do manifeſtly exceed in diet, and in apparel. What if you ſhould leſſen your Table by one or two diſhes every day? What if you ſhould ſpare ſomething of that ſuperfluous coſt, which you uſe to give yourſelves in every garment; and reſolving ſo to do, ſhould contribute all that, to the rebuilding and reindowing the conſumed Hoſpitals, which, you reckon, that good husbandry would ſave you every year: What if Gentlemen ſhould keep fewer hounds and hawks, or none at all, in order to ſo good a work? Yea, What if you ſhould put two horſes leſſe into your Coaches, which had wont to be drawn with four or ſix? You may think yourſelves at liberty in this caſe, but pardon me, if I think you are bound. It is not matter of choice, but duty, to miniſter to the neceſſities of others, out of our ſuperfluities, and to their extremities, out of our very conveniences. He, that is unmercifull or uncharitable, is alſo unjuſt, becauſe he doth not uſe the talent, wherewith his Lord hath intruſted him, for thoſe ends for which it was put into his hands: He doth not fulfill the juſt will of the Donor: Let it never be ſaid, that God gave you Eſtates to do good with, but you ſpent them upon your luſts, that you can find ſo many pounds, or hundreds of pounds, to conſume in Taverns and Tippling-houſes, ſo much treaſure wherewith to keep Miſtreſſes (otherwiſe called whores) ſo much gold and ſilver, wherewith to treaſure up to yourſelves wrath againſt the day of wrath, but nothing, wherewithal to rebuild, or help forward the rebuilding of ruinated Hoſpitals.
Break off your ſins, by repentance, and your iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor, as Daniel ſaid to Nebuchadnezzar. All the good you do ſincerely will be your own another day: Therefore ſaid Paul, Phil. 4.17. I deſire fruit that may abound to your account. The ſame Apoſtle, ſpeaking of the Churches of Macedonia, ſaith, That their deep poverty had abounded to the riches of their liberality, 2 Cor. 8.2. and, Shall not your riches amount to as much as did their poverty? Chriſt became poor to make u…rich: and, Shall we think much to be ſomewhat leſſe rich, that we may relieve thoſe that are extreamly poor? Look not to receive, that joyfull Sentence from Chriſt, Come ye bleſſed, &c. unleſſe he may ſay of you, For you ſaw me hungry and fed me; naked, and clothed me, meaning his Members, which are himſelf, myſtically; (ſo the Church is called Chriſt.) Let not the aſhes of, ſometimes greatly uſefull, Hoſpitals cry to Heaven, againſt your want of bowels, He that hath this worlds goods, and ſhutteth up his bowels againſt thoſe that are in want, How dwelleth the love of God in him? The worſe uſes, that any have formerly put their money to, the greater obligation lies upon them to put it to good uſes (as they are called) for time to come. Not onelyonly the ill getting of money calls for extraordinary charity (which made Zacch…us ſay, The one half of my Eſtate I give to the poor) but alſo, our having ill ſpent it, in times paſt; for it is with money as with time, by how much the worſe we ſpent it formerly, by ſo much the better, we ſhould ſpend it for the future. Princes have laid theſe foundations, and will it not be an honour, for Subjects to build upon them? your work may poſſibly ſtand hundreds of years (as ſome of thoſe houſes, yet in being, have done) whereas theirs is fallen to the ground. In a word, next unto the honor of building a Temple for Gods houſe (as Solomon did, and David was ambitious to have done) is that of building a houſe for Gods Temples, and ſuch are all true believers, how poor and mean ſoever.