An Infallible Way to Fare Well, Chapter 29 – Chapter 31
CHAP. XXIX.
That the merciful man, who distributeth liberally to the poore on Earth, (in conscience and obedience to Gods Word) whall be rewarded with the unvaluable gain, and matchless profit of everlasting salvation, is assured us here, and shall be injoyed of us hereafter. First, at the Hour of Death. Secondly, at the day of Judgement, is fully declared Luke 14. 13, 14, 16, 9. Prov. 11. 17. 1 Tim. 6, 18, 19. Math. 5. 7. and 6. … and 19. 29. But take these two places for all: Sell that ye have and give almes, (at no hand let the poore want, what shift soever ye make, rather sell then want to give) provide your selves baggs which wax not old, a treasure in the Heavens which faileth not: where no thief approacheth, neither … corrupteth, Luke 12. 33, 34. this is the first, the second is more full then that. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angells with him: then shall he fit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all Nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left; Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger, and ye took me in, naked, and ye cloathed me, I was sick, and ye vifited me, I was in prison, and ye came unto me. And in as much an ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me Ma…th. 25. 31. to 41.
See here the incomparableness, and infinite difference between the work and the wages! ye admire the love and bounty of God, and bless his name: who for the performance of so small a work, hath proposed so great a reward; and for the obtaining of such an happy estate, hath imposed such an easie task. Here is a Kingdom, even the Kingdom of Heaven, Which cannot he valued with many millions of worlds, in recompence of a little mear, drink, and apparell, who then (that is in his right sense.) would not turn all his scraping into giving? yea what can we think too much, what not too little to give to attain eternity? for this incorruptible Crown of glory, 1 Pet. 5. 4. & for this Kingdom where are such joyes, as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive, 1 Cor. 2. 9. A place where shall no evill be present, nor good absent, Matth. 6. 20. In comparison whereof, all the Thrones and Kingdomes upon Earth, are less then the drop of a bucket, Isay 40, 15. and 66. 1. Yea how little, how nothing, are the poore and Temporary Injoyments of this life, to those we shall injoy in the next? 1 Cor. 2. 9.
Dost thou desire Beauty, Riches, Honour, Pleasure, Long Life, or what ever else can be named: no place so glorious by creation, to beautifull with delectation, so rich in possession, so comfortable for habitation, nor so durable for lasting, Rom. 8. 18. Heb. 12. 22. 1. Pet. 1. 4. 2 Cor. 4, 17 There, O There, one day is better then a thousand, there is rest from our labours, peace from our Enemies, freedom from our sins, there is no Death nor Dearth. no pining nor repining, no fraud, sorrow, nor sadness, neither tears nor fears, defect nor loathing, Revel. 7. 16. 17. and 14. 13. and 21. 4. Job 3. 17. But of this I have spoken at large, in The whole duty of a Christion. Now all this is propo…ded as a recompence for such as give what they have, have they but a very cup of cold water, Matth. 10. 42. Yea we cannot give so little to a disciple in the name of a disciple, but it assures us of our right and title unto this eternall inheritance. Heb. 6. 10. Prov. 14. 21. Col. 3. 12. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 7, 8, 10. 11. Phil: 4. 18. Matth. 5. 7. Christ hath promised to make thee a great one in Heaven, if thou but relieve one of his little ones on earth.
Almes is a seed which we cast into the earth as it were, but we gather them crop in Heaven. Whence the Apostle would have Timothy to charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the Lord: who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. And that they do good, that they be rich in good workes, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for themselves (mark his reason) a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternall life, 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19. And hereupon it is, that he telleth the Philippians, he was glod that they had sent him a supply: not so much for his own benefit, as for their gain, which should be great in the day of account, Phil. 4. 14. 17, 18. And this makes Solomon say, that he who is mercifull doth good to his own soul, Prov. 11. 17.
So that to distribute to the poore on earth, is before hand to provide a rich treasure in Heaven. And who then that believes this, would not think himself happy in such an exchange? Is not this the best Chimistry to turn Earth into Heaven? is not this a good bargaine to part with vaine and uncertain things, to partake of real and durable riches? Believe it, this is the best improvement, and the most that can be made of these things: Whereupon St. Austin thus exhorts, Si vis esse mercator optimus, faenerator egregius, da quod non potes …etinere, ut recepias quod non poteris amittere; da modicum, ut recipas cent…plum, da tempotalem possessionem, ut consequaris here ditalem aternan: Wouldest thou be a good Merchant? a great Vsurer? give that thou canst not keep, that thou maist receive that which cannot be lost: Give though but a little, that thou maist receive a thousand sold, give thy earthly goods, that thou maist obtain eternall life, though indeed this giving is rather a receiving then a giving, a receiving of treasure for trash, and for things that cannot be kept, a treasure that cannot be lost, as another hath it: Nor do the poore so much gain by what we give them, as we do, The deeds of the charitable, do far more profit the giver then the receiver, and he who gives an almes doth himself a greater almes. Neither is it so much given as laid up, for we may truly say, what I gave that I have, what I kept that I lost, as one caused it to be set upon his gravestone. What the charitable man gives here, is but sent, for he shall receive it again by Bill of Exchange in Heaven, and that with unspeakable increase. Yea it shall be a notable advantage to us at the hour of death: for when all other riches shall fail, what we have bestowed this way, shall let us in to heave: God freely cronwing his own grace in us. Make your selues friends of the Māmon of unrighteousness, that when ye faile, they may receive you into everlasting habitations, Luke 16. 9. The poore, saith Gregory Nicen, are appointed Potters, to let their rich Benefactors into Heaven. So that to give much, is to keep much; and that what would otherwise be lost by keeping, the charitable man keeps by loosing, And so proves richer under ground, then ever he was above it, which makes one say;
He is not wise, who knowing he must hence;
In worldly building, maketh great expence:
But he that buildeth for the world to come,
Is wise, expend he never so great a summe.
And another, he shall depart a beggar out of this world, who sends not a portion of his estate before him, unto eternall blisse. Nay it manifestly proves, that heaven is none of our Countrey, if we will send none of our wealth thither before us. Or rather, that we thinke Heaven nothing worth, when we will not give a little base pelse to compasse it.
CHAP. XXX.
But if giving might not properly be called gaining, why is it compated to sowing? Experieence proves, that if we keep our seed by us, it will corrupt: but cast it into the earth we shall have it againe with manifold increase. A man treasures up no more of his riches, thou what he contributes in almes: The foole in the Gospell filled his barnes, in filling the bellies of the poore, he had done more wisely. I confesse this is a point of Doctrine, which the world will not receive, let God say what he will: … godly Chrysostome both affirmes and proves, that the rich are more beholding to the poore, then the poore to the rich. The poor receive onelyonly a single almes, the rich have returned them an hundred-fold here, and everlasting happinesse hereafter, Mat. 5. 7. & 25. 35. Luke 16. 9. wherein the prayers of their poore suppliants carry no small stroak▪ For which see Cor. 9. 11. to 16. The poore are but the ground, into which these seeds are cast: But we are the Husbandmen, who disperse and scatter them. Now as the seed is chiefly for his benefit who soweth it, and not for the benefit of the ground into which it is cast: so the poor have but the present use and possession of this seed of almes-deed; but the benefit of the crop or harvest, belongeth to those good Husbandmen, who sow in these grounds the seeds of their beneficence.
Again, the poor receive onelyonly things transitory, and but of small … but they that give, things spirituall and eternall, most inestimable and heavenly riches! Why say we then we give to the poor? when as it may more truly be said, that we give unto our selves, rather then unto them, Dan. 4. 27. Prov. 11. 24. Why then should we thinke the poor so mightily bound and beholding unto us for our scrape and superfluius reliques; or that we do such a meritorious businesse, whenwe largely relieve them? And not rather thinke our selves beholding unto them and to God for them, seeing they are the occasions of such inestimable gaine, for such trifling disbursements; as Austine speaks.
And to speak rightly, giving is not more an act of Charity then of Christian policy: since we shall not onelyonly receive our own again, but have a far greater return then can be expected, upon an adventure to the East Indies: Since we are more happy that there are poore upon whom we may exercise our charity, then they are, that there are rich who do relieve their wants though with never so great supply; for as Austine speaks, if there were not some to receive thine alms, thou couldest not give Earth and receive Heaven: Wherefore give thanks unto him who hath given thee means by such a small prise, to procure a thing so precious.
Besides, we may boldly aver, with Chrysostom; that without poverty riches would be unprofitable: As consider that if with Adam and Eve, we had a whole world, but no body to make ready provision and to attend upon us, nor do any thing for us; what joy could great men take of their riches, if there were not poore men to do mean offices for them, what low imployments should the highest be forced to descend unto, if there were no inferious to perform them▪ How then should not a considerate man love & be liberall to them, and exceedingly bless God for them, and not do as do the most, scorne them, and not think them worthy a familiar-word…r… courteous look.
CHAP. XXXI.
And certainly, he wants both grace and wit, who does not admire the bounty and goodness of God, in that he hath offered us the opportunity of such sowing, such reaping, yea, O Lord what are we? that thou shouldst give us plenty of all things here also, which unto them thou: hast denied: so that every way it is (as our Saviour tells us) a more blessed thing to give then to receive, (which the Apostle would have us to remember, Acts 20, 34, 35.) Yet no reason can we alleadge on our behalf, but O the depth! Rom. 11. 33. Wherefore do thou O my God and Redeemer inlarge my heart with thankfulnesse, and implant this grace in my heart. O make me liberall of my mony, as thou wast of thy blood. O let me have an heart to give Food and Rayment to those, for whom thou gavest thy self a ransome. Yea, of all other graces, inlarge my heart with Christian Charity and compassion: since it is a grace so universally profitable, and withall so amiable. As O the loveliness and profitableness of this Christian grace! For to do good to the poore, is more then a treble good: it pleasures them, most of all pleasures the doer: for it brings blessings upon their Soules, Bodies, Estates, Names, Posterity, it increaseth their reward, causes the poore to pray for, and praise God for us, and also others to glorifie him; it is an odour that smelleth sweete, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasant to God; who will fulfill all our necessities, through his riches with glory in Jesus Christ, as the Apostle delivers it, Phil. 4. 16. to 20. VVhence that great praise of it, 1 Cor. 13. 13. Now abides Faith, Hope, and Charity, but the chiefest of these is Charity. Whence Sozomen calls it, …a sure toaken of a most vertuous mind; and Lallantius a principall vertue; and Calvin the chiefest office of humanity amongst us; and Aretius, the most elegant ornament of a Christian life, and the holy Ghost, a never failing grace, 1 Cor. 13 8. whence also it is so highly commended in the Saints in all ages. As how is Abraham commended for his hospitality, and almes-deeds? And Lot & Corunelius? (of whose almes there was in the presence of God, a memorandum made, Acts 10. 31.) and Darcas? (whose good works and almes-deeds were to be seen, and shown, when she has selfe was not; and the poore could not tell how with patience to take her death, she had done so much good for them all the time of her life, Acts 9. 36. 39.) And those Christians, Acts 11. 29, 30. for the care they had of the poor, in the Apostles time, Acts 2. 45. Thus the Macedonians are highly commended, and much honoured for their freenesse and forwardnesse, in relieving of the poor brethren at Jerusalem, as is seen upon record, Rom. 15. 26. And again, 2 Cor. 8. 1, 2, &c. And the like of the Philippians, and many more whom I must passe over in silence.