The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 23 – Meditation 24
MEDITAT. XXIII. Of Beggars.
AT the firſt naming of this ſort of People, it will be expected by ſome, That I ſhould give them all a Paſs, and pack them away to their own place. But I am not certain that one and the ſame place is aſſign'd to them all, and therefore it is beſt to conſider awhile of them.
I think there is a Text ſomewhere ſpeaking to this purpoſe, as if it forbad any Beggar to be in Iſrael: And I do well remember there is another, That foretels that the Poor ſhall never ceaſe out of the Land. I think they may well be reconciled: There ſhall always be perſons ſo Poor as to need to be provided for, and yet there ought to be ſuch proviſion made for them that they ſhall not beg; ſo that it is rather the Sin of the Rich, than of the Poor, that there are any Beggars. There ſeems to be an expreſs Law to preſerve People from Begging: But I know no Law or Reaſon, that forbids People to Beg, that cannot otherwiſe live.
I know no promiſe that ſecures a Righteous man from being reduced to a ſtate of Beggary, nor indeed no ſubſtantial Reaſon that will defend him; he may as well Beg, as be Baniſh'd Diſeaſed, Martyred. But what ſhall we ſay to the Pſalmiſt, who tells us, He never ſaw the Seed of the Righteous begging their Bread, Pſal. 37. 25.
I remember I once urg'd this Text to a Beggar-Woman at my own Door, finding her to diſcourſe Underſtandingly and Chriſtianly, and to pretend to Religion; who premiſing a little Sigh, anſwer'd me very readily, True, Sir, the Pſalmiſt does ſay ſo; but yet we know there was a time, when he himſ…lf was forc'd to beg his Bread: And thereupon quoted the Hiſtory of David's begging the Shew-bread of Ab…m…l…ch.
This Anſwer I laid to heart, and it made me kind to her at that time, and to think more Oharitably of that whole Tribe of Mankind ever ſince. For it is not only true, That David begg'd his Bread at that time, but it ſeems (as far as I can compute) that ſome Years of his Life were led in a Genteeler kind of Beggary. And I find thoſe Divines that urge the promiſes of the Law to preſerve the Righteous from Beggary, and will have David's experience in this Pſalm to be accommodated to all Ages, are yet fain to come off and tell us, That all theſe Temporal Promiſes are to be underſtood, Cum Exceptione Caſtigationis & Crucis, ſaving to God the Prerogative of Correcting and Chaſtening his People, how and when he pleaſes. For whatſoever David ſaw in his days, the Apoſtle tells us of many in other days, whom the World was not worthy, that were yet Treated, as if they were not worthy to live in the World: And we ſee them in our days reduc'd to a neceſſity of living upon their Neighbors, and asking Relief too. That theſe are Poor, may not be their own fault, but their Maker's pleaſure: That they ask Relief, is the fault of others, that will not relieve them without asking. And as for the Formality of Begging, which ſeems to be moſt ſhameful, and of worſt Report, I do not ſee, but that it is poſſible for a Good Man to be reduc'd to this alſo. The Blind and the Lame that begg'd by the way-ſide, and at the Gate of the Temple, had ſome of them ſo much Faith as to be healed: And if we could take a view of the Inhabitants of Abraham's Bo…ome, amongſt the reſt, we ſhould find poor Lazarus as formal a Beggar as could be imagined, tranſlated thither from the Rich mans Gates. How would ſuch a ſight make us wonder and ſay, with them in the Text, Is not this he that ſate by the way-ſide, and lay at the Gates begging?
The wiſeſt of men tell us, Eccleſ. 9. 11. That wiſe men ſometimes want bread, and men of underſtanding are ſometimes poor.
It is accounted a ſhame for men to Beg, but I think it is a greater ſhame to ſuffer them; and this ſhame lights either upon the Rich that do not relieve them, or the Magiſtrates that do not reſtrain them, if they be reliev'd. The Law of England has provided for all ſorts of Poor; either to employ the Able, or to relieve the Impotent: And yet, to the ſhame of the Executioners of the Laws, we ſee that the Hedges and High-wayes are not compelled to keep in.
It is certainly a great Reproach to the Chriſtian World, and eſpecially to our Nation, that there are any itinerant and errant Beggars found amongſt us.
All which will not excuſe the Able that can work, nor the Impotent that are by Law provided for in any tolerable manner, from being A-kin to him whoſe Character it is, that he compaſfes the World about, and like an … Buſie-body, continually walks to and fro therein.
Much leſs will it excuſe that graceleſs Generation, the worſt of Mankind, that beget Ceildren, only to lay them at other mens doors; I mean, that take no care to educate their Children in any commendable way of Living, nor put them to any good Work or Buſineſs; but as ſoon as they are a little rear'd, as if they were Heirs of the Univerſe, ſend them forth to ſeek their Fortunes, and to lay hold on that which comes next to them, as if it were their own.
MEDITAT. XXIV. Of Wagerers.
IN this Licentious Age, wherein men generally act Hand-over-head, and live Ex-tempore, not troubling their Conſciences with any Caſes, nor reducing their Actions to any Conſideration, the practice of laying Wagers is grown very familiar to almoſt all ſorts of men. I will not abſolutely, without Exception, condemn every Wager whatſoever. For ſome are ſo ſmall, and the Winning or Loſing them is of ſo little regard, the perſons that Lay them are ſo unconcern'd, and free from Fear or Covetouſneſs, and the end of them ſo innocent, as to determine ſome little doubtful Truth, or to give a little life and vigor to ſome honeſt, harmleſs Atchievement, and perhaps it is ſo ſeldom too, that there ſeems to be no danger ariſing therefrom.
But without Controverſie, the common and cuſtomary practice of Wagering is very unjuſtifiable, and ought, with the reſt of the Symptoms of a Worldly Mind, to be exploded.
Such a Symptom I take all Wagering to be, that proceeds from a covetous deſire of getting that which is another mans, or is accompany'd with a vexatious Fear of loſing our own. For Covetouſneſs and diſtracting Carefulneſs are ever bad, and that cannot be very good, that is the proper, direct, efficient cauſe of them. If it be ſaid, That in ſo ſaying, I condemn all Wagers without Exception, even the ſmalleſt, as being all attended with ſome degree or other of Covetouſneſs. I think it is very falſely objected; for I know ſome men, now and then, lay ſome ſmall Wager, which they are very indifferent whether they Win or Loſe, nay, which they had rather Loſe than Win,
Such a Symptom are all ſuch Wagers that are laid for the abetting and encouraging of ſcandalous or ſuſpicious Actions or Sports. For if it be unſeemly, and of ill report to men to run Races ſtark naked, or Women next to naked; to abett the ſame by Wagers, cannot be ſafe or ſeemly.
And ſuch a Symptom are all ſuch Wagers as impoveriſh or weaken him that lays them it he Loſe, or his Adverſary if he Win. It is a very uncomfortable way of coming to Poverty, by loſing great Wagers; and indeed it is a ſorry, paltry way of getting Riches, to get them by Winning. Abraham ſcorn'd a far Genteeler way of enriching himſelf than this, by the Spoil of his conquer'd Enemies, that it might not be ſaid, that the King of Sodom had made Abraham rich.
And ſuch a Symptom are all ſuch bold Wagers that are laid concerning Events that are purely in the hand of God, no room being left for ſecond Cauſes to interpoſe, and make a humane Probability or Improbabilty. This looks like a prophane piece of Sawcineſs: For how can mortal man intermeddle with the Counſels of the great God, to ſtint, limit, engage or excuſe them, and be innocent? But I have known Wagers alſo laid meerly in ſtead of Arguments, when men have had nothing to ſay in defence of their Cauſe; and others laid concerning things, which can never be proved or determined. And oftentimes they that are ſo forward to lay Wagers, will not venture to pitch upon a certain Judge who may determine whether they Win or Loſe. Theſe alſo are Symptoms like the former, only ſomewhat worſe: For beſides the Impiety and Impertinency, they argue a great degree of ſhameful Folly.