White Salt, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
SOme annex charity unto righteouſneſs, as making that which we can well ſpare above our condition to be due unto the poor in point of juſtice. And thus they interpret ſome texts which are ſpoken of righteouſneſs in the tearm to be meant of charity: becauſe, as they conceive, charity is comprehended under righteouſneſs. And ſo particularly they expound that Text, 2 Cor. 9.9. He hath diſperſed abroad, he hath given to the poor; his righteouſneſs endureth for ever. We intend not Criticiſms in this plain diſcourſe: and therefore we need not ſay that righteouſneſs there may be underſtood of charity; not becauſe charity is contained under the common nature of righteouſneſs, but becauſe it is ſignified by the ſame word in the Hebrew, which ſignifieth righteouſneſs; and the Greek is made by the Apoſtle to complie with this uſage of the Hebrew. However we may take our own liberty to ſubjoyn charity to righteouſneſs: and indeed there is reaſon that righteouſneſs ſhould go before, and direct the ſteps of charity, becauſe we are to give of that which is our own. Firſt give every one their due; then give alms; otherwiſe we give away that which is anothers. But God hateth robbery for burnt-offerings, Eſai. 61.8.
This charitableneſs in the notion of the holy language is the goodneſs; and is ſo accounted in the opinion of men. And therefore, we muſt not bawlk this in our deſires of goodneſs.
Goodneſs hath belonging to it a cheerly complexion, and is to be pictured with an open hand, and as going abroad for exerciſe, and refreſhment freſhment to others. It keeps at home no more then is neceſſary to keep good works. It keeps the poor at work, or with theſe good works.
Indeed it now keeps in too much, as if it were in fear of being laid up, if it ſhould be ſeen out of doores or at doores: and the difficulty of the times is held to be a full apology for doing little in this kindeneſs. And though now there is more need then ever in the poor, yet becauſe the times are hard, and money goes out more, comes in leſs then formerly, men perſwade themſelves that therefore there was never more need of abatements of liberality. Surely they are miſtaken, if the Preachers argument be good, Eccleſ. 11.2. Give a portion to ſeven, and alſo to eight, becauſe thou knoweſt not what evill ſhall be upon the Earth. Our argument of excuſe is retorted with more force upon us. Never ſuch times to be liberal, as when they are moſt dangerous. Then we had need to give ſomewhat to ſecure the reſt. We aſſure our goods which are in danger by Sea, with men: and will not we aſſure them with God? That which is charitably given is always ſure money. So the Heathen could ſay, That which is laid out to the poor is always good money. Nay it doth ſanctifie; it doth ſometimes multiply the reſt. There is that ſcattereth, and yet increaſeth: and there is that withholdeth more then is meet, and it tendeth to poverty, Prov. 11.24. Like the meal and the oyl, after the Prophet had his part given him, diminiſhed not; but more came, 1 King. 17. Like the loaves which multiplyed in breaking: ſo there is a time, when he that gives, gets more then he that makes a long arm to reach that which is anothers.
And there is good reaſon in perillous times, to be giving, becauſe this is the way to have Gods bleſſing in the time of trouble; Bleſſed is the man that conſidereth the poor: the Lord ſhall deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preſerve him and keep him alive; and he ſhall be bleſſed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languiſhing; thou wilt turn for him all his bed in his ſickneſs, as the Pſal. in the 41. Pſal. 1, 2, 3.
The poor you have always with you, ſaid our Saviour. And we do not ſee by theſe times how it is not like to be ſo ſtill with us. But this we have no reaſon to complain of, but to be thankful to God, that he hath given us an ability to do good, that he hath given us a minde to do good, and that he hath provided for us objects to exerciſe this virtue upon. God doth not only provide for us, but alſo for our virtues: he provides proſperity for the improvement of our humility; he provides affliction for the improvement of our patience; he provides poverty in others for the improvement of our charity. What ſhould Chriſtians do if it were not for the poor?
And therefore it is ſaid of one of the ancient Chriſtians, that he was wont to fall down upon his knees to bleſs God, when he met with any poor body: thinking that God had done him a great favour to lay in his way ſuch an occaſion of doing good. We are not wont to be pleaſed with the providence of ſuch objects: he thanked God for them. As if he had been mindeful of our Saviours ſentence; It is a more bleſſed thing to give then to receive, Act. 20.35. Nay this giving is a way to receive too more then was given by what God will give. Give ſomewhat, and take ſomewhat, was an old rule: this is Gods Law; Forgive, and it ſhall be forgiven; give, and it ſhall be given, good meaſure, preſſed, ſhaken, running over ſhall men give into your boſom, Luk. 6.38 As if there were no ſuch good husband as the liberal man, as if he did thrive more by what God had in his hand of his, then by what he had in his own hand: It is received by God, and it remaineth with him in Divine acceptation; and he giveth thee his word, a Bill for it; his word in Scripture; Prov. 19.17. He that ſheweth pity to the poor lendeth to the Lord: and the Lord will return him a retribution: lendeth unto the Lord as upon uſe; and the Lord will return him a reward or retribution.
Many have been undone by lending to men: but no body ever loſt by God. And if men did believe this, they would not be ſo miſerable. As faith works by love, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks: ſo love would work by faith. Did we give any credence to Gods faithfulneſs, we could not make ſuch ſcruples of a little courteſie to the poor.
In the 6. of St. Luke, the 35. we have a precept to lend hoping for nothing again, foreign, ſo we muſt conſtrue it in relation to the verſe antecedent. Some would interpret it, as not deſpairing, for ſo the word ordinarily ſignifieth: we may eaſily compound the difference thus; lend, hoping for nothing again from man; (And this is againſt uſury) but alſo not deſpairing of a reward from God: for the reward ſhall be great in heaven; and ye ſhall be the ſons of the Higheſt; for he is kinde to the unthankful and to the wicked; as it follows.
What will you give to be ſons of the Higheſt? What will you give? Give, give alms to the poor. And yet thou giveſt him that which is Gods: thou giveſt unto God that which is Gods, thou giveſt him of his own: and he will give thee more then is thine own. He will give thee that inheritance which thou haſt forfeited. Some virtues in Chriſtians ſeem to be operative from him, as meekneſs, and righteouſneſs; and yet they redound again to him in comfort and joy ſpiritually: but this charity which ſeems to be moſt operative from him to God and others, doth again return to him not only in his conſcience ſpiritually, but to his perſon temporally.
Had thoſe who have profeſſed faith unto juſtification, been ſo careful, as they ſhould have been of good works, it would never have been made ſuch a controverſie, whether we be justified by good works: but becauſe men have ſeparated good works from faith in their practice, others have added good works to juſtification in the controverſie. Merit of good works came in, as we may imagin, upon this regard, to raiſe the ſpirits of men to the performance of them. And ſo that which was brought in in way of Rhetorick, crept in afterwards into Divinity. And the word which was not intended in the Fathers ſenſe to this purpoſe, received occaſion to be urged ſo, as if we might purchaſe Heaven by that which is due; and not our own; and not any way proportionable, if it were more perfect.
If I would love my ſelf indeed, I would do more of this kinde: becauſe he loveth himſelf ſurely beſt, who loveth himſelf in that which is beſt: And this ſelf-love the Philoſopher commends; which conſiſts in the care and ſtudy of virtue.
Becauſe this liberal action is not common, do the more; for there is the more need. And if this argument were multiplyed, it would ſtarve the virtue and the poor together.
Take it for an honour from God, that he hath made thee able to be like him in doing good. As he ſaid, it is good to be Gods Alms-man: but it is better to be his Almoner.
Becauſe the Papiſts think to merit by their good works, do thou communicate more, leſt thou doſt decline their errour by another. Diſtinguiſh betwixt their Subſtantives and their Adjectives in Religion. Shall not we pray or faſt, becauſe they make a ſat is faction in them? Their actions in Religion are due in their ſubſtance: their conceit of merit is added. When two do the ſame thing, it is not the ſame thing done, as the rule is. Becauſe others herein deal with God by way of commutative justice, wilt thou ſhew no mercy to the poor? Becauſe others require infinite uſe for their money given, by manner of debt; wilt not thou put out thy money to uſe upon Gods favour; ſuch uſe as will not bite thy neighbor, and yet may increaſe thy own? Let us vindicate our Doctrine from their ſlanders by our works. And let us ſhew it to be as neceſſary for us to do good works, as for them, though we do not hold them to be meritorious; and more, becauſe no man can rightly be ſaid to be bound to merit: but when ſalvation is freely given us, we are the more obliged to do good works, in duty, and thankfulneſs, and ingenuity. We are not at liberty herein, becauſe we are plenarily redeemed by Christ without any purchaſe of ours: but becauſe we are thus redeemed, we are more bound.
I have heard of one who commended in three ſorts of men, three ſeveral things; good works of the Papiſt: ſound faith of the Proteſtant: good chear of the Puritane. But let the ſound faith of the Proteſtant work by love, and chear the poor; that the Pontifician may be aſhamed to impute the want of our practiſe to the ſeverity of our tenet. Whoſoever ſeparated that which is juſt from that which is profitable, is under Socrates's curſe, as Clem. Alexandrinus hath it: and to be ſure he that ſeparateth true charity from right faith is not like to have Gods bleſſing. And he is not like neither to have a good word given him from man, that will not do a good work to man.
Do not thou ſhut up thy bowels, Chriſtian, but open thy heart and thy hand; and do not ſay the times are hard; for if thou pleadeſt that thou canſt hardly live with that thou haſt, how ſhall they live who have nothing, nor work, but good works of others to live upon?
But charity begins at home. Yes, therefore communicate; lay it out for advantage; traffique with it; Improve it. Pay Tithes, that you may be rich, as the Jew ſaid: and ſcatter thy ſeed, and give it to the poor, that thou mayſt have a good harveſt. Riches are rather in the uſe then in the poſſeſsion, ſaid he in his Rhetoricks. And he is rich, not that hath much, but that hath given much; as St. Chryſoſtom. Dorcas was full of good works which ſhe had done, Act. 9.36. She had done them, as we may gloſs, and ſhe was full of them. We are full of nothing more then that we have done well.
Shall I give my bread and my meat? But who ſaid it? Nabal, and folly was with him. The fool, nabal, hath ſaid in his heart there is no God: They think there is no God, to whom theſe things in propriety do belong: In reſpect of one another we have a propriety; but in reſpect of God we are but as Stewards and diſpenſers of theſe things; to all as they have need; but ſpecially to the houſhold of faith. All the world is Gods great houſe; we are to take care of all; but ſpecially of his children. Yet we cannot be deceived in the object, if we finde him to be man. God hath given him in his nature a ticket to thee for his entertainment. If thou doſt ſhut him out of thy houſe, take heed God doth not ſhut thee out of heaven.
If he be bad; yet it is good for thee to do him good, that he may be better. Thou canſt not do ill in doing as God doth. And he doth good to them who are not good. Either thou art not good: or thou haſt been not good; if thou art not good, what would become of thee, ſhould God deal with thee, as thou dealeſt with him? if thou haſt been naught, remember what merciemercy God hath ſhewed to thee: and do thou likewiſe.
Therefore let thy love be as univerſal as man. There is no man a ſtranger to thy nature. And did not he that made thee make him? Have we not al one Father, as is ſaid? Abraham ſaid of Sarah, that ſhe was indeed his ſiſter, for ſhe was the daughter of his father, though not the daughter of his mother; although the tearms be taken largely according to the manner of the language: ſo he, whoſoever he is, is thy brother, and he is the child of thy Father, God; though he be not the childe of thy Mother, Ieruſalem which is above, (which is the Mother of us all, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks.) Were he thine Enemy, yet thou muſt love him: otherwiſe thou art not thy heavenly Fathers own childe. A Chriſtian is one that hath no enemy; as one of the Fathers ſaid; he hath enemies, and he hath not enemies: he hath enemies to him; ſuch as hate him: but he hath no enemies from him; ſuch as he hates. There is not ſuch another creature in the world, as a Chriſtian, if he be right: as there is not a worſe creature in the world, if he be falſe. For then he is a white Devil: and worſe as white, then as Devil. What ſhall we do with him? where ſhall we have him? If he were not a promiſing Chriſtian, we would not truſt him. If he were not an hypocritical Chriſtian, he would not deceive us.
But a true real Chriſtian is one of the Admirables under heaven; Nay, indeed there is none but he. And declaratively towards men, all that he is, he is by charity; whereby his ſpirit and affection goeth over all the world in an univerſal diffuſion, and would do, had it efficacy, good to all the Earth at once; but would ſerve thoſe which are good in a ſpecial intention. Firſt it wraps all men together in one community of notion: but in particular conſideration would prefer thoſe whom God hath preferred. Thou haſt not where withal to give thy neighbor grace, for it exceeds morality: but have the grace to give more to thoſe who are virtuous, becauſe it is more of charity.
As for any exhortations to this virtue, there is no need of any to thoſe who know more delight in it then in any thing elſe. We have reaſon to love it: for it is love. He that doth not, hath a miſery in the negative, greater then in the contrary. St. Paul giveth it the prelacy, 1 Cor. 13. ult.
Thoſe three are the three Worthies amongſt the Theological virtues: And he that was wrapt up into the third Heaven, makes this the chief of the three, becauſe this will go up thither to be perfected there. There is no more ſubſtantial virtue here: for the very matter of it is ſubſtantial; beſide the morality of the affection, and the ſpirituality of the end, the very matter of this object is profitable unto others. And ſo is not the matter of ſome other virtues.
2. Other virtues, even thoſe two, faith and hope, they both draw towards us; faith unites to the perſon, and hope expects to the perſon: but this charity as it hath relation to others puts from us, and moves upon the inferior ſphere of others. Faith takes in into the minde, hope looks out for the perſon; but charity gives out. Faith ſees it and believes it as exiſtent: hope holds out the head to wait for it as coming: but charity deals out that which is preſent to the uſe of others. Without faith we could have no hope: without hope we could not ſtay for our reward; the heart would break: but without charity faith were dead, and hope too, and the poor could not live, and we ſhould have no reward. In the time of the Law, none were to appear before the Lord empty: at that great day none muſt appear before the Lord of glory, empty of good works; With ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed, Heb. 13.16.
3. According to the minde of St. Paul, Charity is the greater virtue of the three, becauſe charity is that virtue which ſhall remain in heaven; becauſe that is the fruitive virtue: for by mediation of it we are joyned to God the chief good in glory. Love is an affection of union unto the chief good, which is the chief object; and according to the degrees of the good which are apprehended, ſo is the degree of this love; and therefore the infinite good when it is acknowledged, muſt infinitely raviſh. So the Schoolmen, ſummum bonum, the chief good being clearly ſeen, doth raviſh the will. Therefore when in heaven we ſhall clearly ſee God to he the chief good, we cannot chuſe but infinitely as we are able deſire him, and delight in him; for there we ſhal have as much as we can deſire; for it is alwayes preſent. We are as in the Ocean of goodneſs; and we have as much as we can take in. Here we ſee him but confuſely as it were to be the chief good: and the interpoſition of other temporal good things doth hinder our clear ſight of him: yet according as we ſee him here, we love him here: but as the light in heaven ſhall be cleared, ſo the love in heaven ſhall be perfected. Faith which is in the nature of it imperfect (though ſufficient for its uſe) ſhall ſink into Viſion. Hope which is alſo imperfect in the nature (though ſufficient for its uſe) that ſhall alſo ſink into fruition: thoſe two graces ſhall not be perfected in heaven, though they be imperfect here; becauſe their imperfection is in nature, not in degree, and therefore their imperfections ſhall not be made up in heaven, but they ſhall ceaſe in their acts, which in the kinde of them were imperfect and accommodated only for this ſtate here below: but charity which hath alone the capacity of fruition proper to it, that ſhall be perfected in heaven, which was imperfect here; becauſe the imperfection of it was not in the nature of it, but in the degree. This virtue Theological in the nature of it is diſpoſitive to go into the happineſs of the chief good. Here it hath not a full ſight of the chief good, but ſhall have in heaven; then this virtue ſhall be always at ful.
And therefore he that hath not charity here, which in the flame of it goeth up to God, but with the heat of it warmeth thoſe near it; he ſhall not have glory: for he hath not that which goes into glory by the perfection of its degrees. He hath not that grace which ſhall be made glory. Wherefore let not thoſe talk of heaven, which yet have nothing in them towards it. God doth receive into the life of glory immediately upon his love of complacency, which reſpects his children, as being like him in goodneſs. He cannot delight in for ever thoſe who have not here ſome likeneſs to him; and in what but charity? For faith and hope belong not to God; becauſe they are imperfect in their kinde. So then if we will not be charitable, we muſt be miſerable.