The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 27
MEDITAT. XXVII. Of Creditors.
I That hpleaſed the wiſe Governor of the World ſo to order it, that no one man in the World ſhould be furniſh'd with all things; but that all men ſhould, in ſome thing or other, ſome time or other, ſtand in need of the aſſiſtance of their Neighbors. The greateſt Kings are ſometimes forced to borrow Anxiliaries, and the wiſeſt to ask Counſel of their Friends. God will not have the Head to ſay, ſo much as to the Feet, I have no need of you. Whether it be by a ſenſe of their own inſufficiency, to maintain Humility in every man, or by a ſenſe of the Neceſſities of Mankind, to exerciſe Charity and Benevolence in all men, I know not; but ſo it is, that all the Members of the Creation, as well as of the Body, mutually need the help of one another. And I doubt not but that it is a Moral Duty for all men to be ready to lend their aſſiſtance, to ſerve a good End, as far as their Capacity will permit. For ſo commanded Love it ſelf; From him that will borrow of thee, turn thou not away. There are many People of this middle-ſize in the World, who are not ſo Rich as to give away; but yet they are well able to Lend, at leaſt ſmall Sums, for a ſmall time. This to do, I reckon, is a great piece of Charity, and the moſt conſiderable method, that a mean and inconſiderable man can uſe. It is almoſt like the miraculous feeding of Thouſands with a few Loaves, which was our Saviour's Charity, where the ſtock was laid out, and yet was not loſt, nor ſo much as diminiſht-Money can do that without a Miracle ſucceſſively, which theſe Loaves of his by a Miracle perform'd at once. Now I believe if men were perſuaded that they ſhould take up ſo many Baskets full, and that their money ſhould be multiply'd as his Bread was, they would try to work Wonders with their money too. And I pray, who knows but that the merciful God, who loves mercy, may, by a ſpecial Bleſſing of his own, increaſe money ſo laid out, and will requite thoſe that lend to him; For there is that ſcattereth, and yet increaſeth. I do not think it was one of the ſame Fiſhes where with he fed the Multitude, that afterwards return'd to give him Thanks, or make Requital; but we know that he who only gave Fiſh with a little Bread to it, received Fiſh again with money in the mouth of it. But ſuppoſe it ſhould not pleaſe God to make any ſuch advantageous Reſtitution, the Lender has no cauſe to complain; for beſides his Principal, he has this intereſt of having done Good, and relieved the neceſſity of his poor Brethren. If I lend an Hundred pound, and at the Years end receive back my Principal, and get ſome Six pound debt of my own diſcharg'd into the Bargain, Do not I properly receive Six per Cent. for my money? When I lend to the Poor, I pay part of a Debt to them, and there's my intereſt.
Well, Lending is a great piece of Charity, plainly commanded, and highly commended in the Holy Book: And I doubt not, but that there are many in the World now living, who, if they were call'd, would come out and ſay, It has been their greateſt Relief, and that they had Begg'd, if it had not been for Borrowing. In ſome reſpect it is an higher Act of Charity, than Giving.
But yet there are a ſort of Creditors, who even in Lending, do declare themſelves to be Lovers of the World, and not of the Father. So do they that Lend out of Pride and Vain-glory, rather to oſtentate their own Fulneſs, than relieve their Brothers Wants; as the Perſian Monarch feaſted his Subjects, Eſth. 1. 4. not out of Charity to them, but to ſhew the Riches of his Kingdom.
So do they that Lend out of malice, to have an opportunity to reproach the Debtor, or inſult over him: like the counſel that Shemaiah ſeem'd charitably to give Nehemiah, to ſecure himſelf in the Temple; the de…ign of which was not indeed the good and ſafety of that Prince, but that the Enemy might bring up an evil Report againſt him, and reproach him. Or if after wards they make it a matter of Reproach, it comes all to one. Or if they make it a common pleaſant Table-talk to others, it ſwerves wonderfully from the Command of our Holy Law-giver, who charges us to be reſerv'd in all our Acts of Charity, that the Left Hand, as near as it is, ſhould not know what the Right Hand doth.
So do they, that Lend out of Carnal Cunning; the more eaſily to wind themſelves into the Eſtates of other men, and to get a Footing there, from whence they are reſolved, if poſſible, never to be removed. This is like the wicked kindneſs of Saul to David, giving him his Daughter to Wife, only that ſhe might be a ſnare to him, 1 Sam. 18. 21. and that he might be Decoy'd to his Ruine. Whether the Pſalmiſt allude to this kind of Policy amongſt the Jews, or no, I know not; but this Phraſe fits it very well, Pſal. 109. 11. Let the Extortioner catch all that he hath.
And ſo do they that Lend out of Covetouſneſs, not out of any Charitable Deſign to relieve others, but out of a Covetous Deſign to enrich themſelves: They do indeed accidentally feed others, but the main intendment is to multiply their own Loaves. Whoſoever predominantly ſeeks himſelf, or his own private Gain, in Giving or Lending, depraves the Sacred Nature of Charity; whoſe lovely Character it is, That ſhe ſeeketh not her own: Yea, ſo tender is the delicate conſtitution of this Grace, that it is violated by an evil Eye, by Hankerings, and Expectations, and Reſpect to Reward, where no Bonds nor Covenant do intervene. Read the Story of Balaam, and you would think he was a man very free from Covetouſneſs, who would not go without expreſs Leave; and when he was come to Balak, would not take any Bribe or Reward of him at all: And yet where man can ſee nothing, God can eſpie Faults; for under all this ſeeming Contempt of the World, the Searcher of Hearts charges him, That his way was perverſe before him. And again, in Jude, ver. 11. He ran greedily for Reward. And this now brings me to conſider of that Notorious Sort of Lenders, call'd Uſurers; concerning whom I muſt neceſſarily enlarge my Meditation.