The Poore-mans Preacher.
A SERMON Preached at S. Maries Spittle in LONDON, on Tuesday in Easter weeke, being April. 7. 1607.
By RO. WAKEMAN Bachelar of Diuinitie, and fellow of Ballioll College in Oxford.
LONDON, Printed by A. Hatfield for Iohn Bill, Ann. Dom. 1607.
THE POORE MANS Preacher.
WHen Salomon the mirrour of Wisedome and Knowledge (right honorable &c.) had taken a full view of all earthly things, hée found by his owne experience, that there was nothing vnder the Sunne either woorthie of mans impetuous pursuit, or able to effect mans true felicitie. Hée made himselfe many great works, he built many goodly houses, he planted many pleasant vineyards, orchards, and gardens, and trées therein of all fruit: he had seruants and maidens, béeues and [Page 2] shéepe, siluer and gold aboue all that were before him in Ierusalem. He prouided him his men-singers and his women-singers, and all the delights of the sonnes of men. Whatsoeuer his eies desired he with-held it not from them, neither did he withdraw his heart from any ioy, and yet sée his censure at the last of all these things, Vanitas vanitatum vanitas vanitatum, & omnia vanitas. Vanitie of vanities, vanitie of vanities, and al is vanitie: which lesson, whenas a good Preacher, hée had abundantly taught the faithfull in the precedent chapters of this booke, in this verse now read vnto you, he sets vp another marke wherat they are to aime, he shewes them another path that they must tread, he chalkes out another race for them to run, and he giues them another precept for them to practise. Cast, saith he, thy bread vpon the waters, for after many daies thou shalt finde it.
As if he had thus said vnto them. O yée sonnes of Adam, why doe you beat your braines and busie your heads in séeking after the vaine and transitorie things of this world? why doe you place your [Page 3] chiefest happinesse and delight in strength or beautie, or pleasure, or wisedome, or knowledge, or honour, or pompe, or wealth? Where is the strength that sicknesse hath not weakened? where is the beauty that age hath not withered? where is the pleasure that paine hath not pursued? where is the wisedome that folly hath not tainted? where is the knowledge that ignorance hath not blemished? where is the honour that care hath not accompanied? where is the pompe that time hath not ruinated? where is all the wealth and glorie of this world, that troubles haue not followed? what is the fruit of all these things? Possessa onerant, amata inquinant, amissa cruciant. In possessing them they burden you, in louing them they defile you, in loosing them they torment you: this is not a course to come to happinesse, this is not the way to attaine heauen. Cast away these trifles O man, lest they cast thée away frō thy God: rather be mercifull to thy poore brother, that God may be mercifull vnto thée. Giue him chéerefully of thy goods that God may liberally reward thée of his grace. Let thine owne [Page 4] bread féed him, thine owne house harbour him, thine owne apparell cloath him, and thine owne wealth minister to his want. Doe this to him that cannot doe it to thée againe, make choice of such as cannot returne the like, cast thine almes vnto such poore, as like water passe away, and will neuer bring agayne what thou giuest, yea loose thy money for thy neighbours sake. This is a meanes to purchase Gods fauour, this is a course to make thée blessed: for howsoeuer, thou doest not presently taste the fruit of this charitable deuotion, yet a time shall come when thou shalt finde this reward, if not of temporal things in this life, yet of an euerlasting inheritance in the resurrection of the iust. Cast thy bread vpon the waters, for after many daies thou shalt finde it.
Few words I confesse, beloued, yet the subiect of much matter. For as those waters in Ezechiel were first to the anckles, next to the knées, after to the loines, lastly such a riuer as could not be passed ouer, Ezech. 47. so the diuine riuers that flow from this heauenly fountaine to make glad the citie of God howsoeuer at the [Page 5] first view they may séeme but shallow to the shallow conceit of flesh and bloud, yet vpon further search they are found to bée most profound and plentifull in the streames of holsome doctrine to satisfie the thirst of our sinfull soules: and as hée said of that famous Historian, Verborum numero sententiarum numerum comprehendit, he spake as many sentences as he did words, or as Hierome said to Paulinus concerning the catholicke examples of Peter, Iames, Iohn, and Iude, breues esse pariter & longas, breues in verbis, longas in sententijs: that they were short, and yet they were long, short in respect of the number of the words, long in regard of the varietie of much matter in them contained: So I may as truely say the same of this text, that it is short, and yet it is long, short in the paucitie of words, long in the plentie of matter, euery word carrying his perfect waight, and euery syllable his substantiall sense, and almost euery letter his seuerall lesson. Cast thy bread vpon the waters, for after many daies thou shalt finde it.
For art thou rich and blessed with [Page 6] much wealth, the first word is for thy instruction, thou must not gather vnto thée, but cast from thée. Cast. Wilt thou know what to cast? thou must cast bread, that is, any thing necessary for the reliefe & helpe of the distressed. Cast bread. Wilt thou heare whose bread, thou must cast, not an others, for that is iniustice, but thine owne, for that is true charitie: cast thy bread: wilt thou vnderstand vpon whom to cast thy bread, vpon thy poore brethren, vpon whom whatsoeuer thou bestowest, thou must no more expect from them againe, then thou lookest for that which thou castest away into the sea. Cast thy bread vpon the waters: Wilt thou sée a reason of all this? the reason brings with it a reward, the time when this reward shall be receaued post dies multos, after manie daies for after many daies, the reward it selfe implied in the last words, thou shalt finde it: for after many daies thou shalt finde it.
So that you sée héere are many parts and circumstances to be considered: wheron if I should particularly insist, each of them might require a longer time then [Page 7] is allotted mée for the handling of the whole: but for breuitie sake, the summe and effect of all may be drawne into these two heads, and diuided into these two branches. Whereof the first is a precept of a dutie to be performed, in these words: cast thy bread vpon the waters: The second is a reason grounded vpon the promise of a reward to bée receaued, in the next words, for after many daies thou shalt finde it: the precept is giuen by way of exhortation to Christian charitie: cast thy bread vpon the waters: the promise is made by way of remuneration of Christian pietie, for after many daies thou shalt finde it. Cast thy bread vpon the waters, therein mans dutie is expressed: for after many daies thou shalt find it: therin Gods mercy is declared. Cast thy bread vpon the waters: behold our distribution to men of things temporall commanded, for after many daies thou shalt finde it: behold our retribution from God in things temporall and eternall promised: the one is the exercise of our good works héere on earth, cast thy bread vpon the waters: the other is the crowne of our good works [Page 8] there in heauen, for after many daies thou shalt finde it. The first we must practise for the time: cast thy bread vpon the waters: the latter we must expect in time to come, for after many daies thou shalt finde it.
These are the bounds and limits of my intended meditations vpon these words. God grant I may speake of them, directed by the same spirit they were indighted, and that all this great and honorable assembly may heare and receaue them to their owne instruction and consolation in Christ Iesus. And so by your Christian patience I now come to the handling of the parts as they lie in order.
Prima pars.
CAst thy bread vpon the waters. By the first word mitte, or proijce, cast: Salomon implies that our charitie must not onely be extended to such as are néere at hand, but also to those that are farre of, as Hugo Cardinalis doth expound it, and that we must giue our almes libenter & liberaliter non per extorsionem & quasi coacti: [Page 9] willingly and liberally, not constrained therunto by extorsion and compulsion, as Bonauenture will haue it: both of them aiming at Dauids admonition, If riches increase set not your harts vpon them, Psal. 62.10. we must not set our hearts vpon our wealth, but as readily cast them vpon others, as wée haue gréedily gathered them vnto our selues, knowing that a righteous man by the Psalmist, and out of him by S. Paul, is described to be not a griping and gréedy gatherer vnto himselfe, but a most chéerefull and friendly caster vnto others: dispersit, dedit pauperibus, he dispersed and scattered abroad, that is, he gaue his almes vnto the poore, Psal. 112.9. 2. Cor. 9.9. cast thy bread.
Thy bread: I am not héere of Melancthons and others opinion, who diuing after too spirituall a meaning, do by bread vnderstand Panem vitae, the bread of life, the word of God, which they would haue the Preacher thereof to distribute vnto the people: for howsoeuer this interpretation may be sound, and agréeable to the analogie of faith, yet certaine I am (and it is the iudgement of our best writers, [Page 10] ancient and moderne) that it is not for naturall and sutable to the circumstances of this text, I rather by bread vnderstand with Carthusian Corporalem refectionem, corporall refection; with Lauater, eleemosynam, almes; with Olympiodorus, omnem eleemosynam, euery almes; with Hugo Cardinalis, omne beneficium, euery good turne; with Pellican, omnem eleemosynam, & omne beneficium, both together; with Vatablus and Illyricus, quicquid ad vitam est necessarium, whatsoeuer is necessarie to mans life: for so bread in many places of holy Scripture and (one for all) in the Lords praier by a synecdoche doth signifie all things necessarie for the preseruation and sustentation of the life of man. Cast thy bread.
Panem tuum, thy bread: tuum non alienum, thine owne, and not anothers: for God will not haue vs robbe one, thereby to relieue another, nor to take away from this man to giue vnto that, he likes not such almes déedes, Siquidem & hoc rapina est, for this is no better then rapine saith S. Chrysost. conc. 2. de Lazaro, satius est non dare quam alterum spoliare: and better [Page 11] it were not to giue at all then to maintaine our charitie by vniust meanes, saith that good father, de verbis Apostoli, serm: 21. but he that will be truely charitable, must remember S. Pauls rule, not to giue away an other mans goods, but to labour and worke with his owne hands, that hée may haue to giue (of his owne) to him that néedeth, Eph. 4.28. and as Marie wiped the féet of Iesus with her owne haire: so must euery faithfull Christian couer the féete of Iesus, I meane relieue his poore members, at the least with the superfluities of his owne wealth: honora dominum de tua substantia, honour the Lord of thine owne riches, saith the wise man, Prou. 3.9. and the bountifull man is pronounced blessed, and why? because hée giueth of his owne bread vnto the poore, Prou. 22.9. Cast thy bread. Cast thy bread vpon the waters.
Vpon the waters. By waters are héere ment the poore and néedie. But this may séeme to some a strange thing, that Salomon will haue vs cast our bread vpon the waters: for whatsoeuer is cast therein, is vtterly lost, as the common prouerbe [Page 12] [...], and [...], in Aristophanes doe sufficiently declare, and will Salomon haue vs there to bestow our almes where there will no benefit come either to them or vs by the same? Surely beloued in our Lord and Sauiour, Salomon would haue vs giue not looking for any thing againe, and I confesse there are manie masterlesse rogues and sturdie beggers in the world, to whom whatsoeuer is giuen, it is but indéed cast into the waters: for being themselues euill beasts and slow bellies, they wastfully and wantonly and wickedly spend the charitable deuotion of the well disposed, and are nothing bettered in their estates: but those are not the onely waters whereon Salomon would haue vs cast our bread, although I grant euen those also as they are men and Christians, (their maners being corrected, and their persons respected) are not altogether to be excluded from our beneuolence. But who then are these waters whereon we must cast our bread? I answer still, the poore and néedie, who may be called waters in diuers respects.
[Page 13] 1. Respectu multitudinis, in respect of multitude: for as the Angell in the Reuelation told S. Iohn, that the waters which he saw were people, and multitudes, and nations, and toongs, Reuel. 17.19. so Salomon would vs know, that the waters which he héere describeth, are multitudes of nations and people, in number many, in condition poore, on whom we must cast the eies of compassion. Liberalitas hinc in multos commendatur, saith Illyricus, liberalitie to many is hence commended vnto vs: Cast thy bread vpon these manie waters.
2. Respectu agitationis, the poore are called waters in respect of continuall agitation and tossing: for as the waters are seldome at rest, but tossed hither and thither with winde and weather: so the poore and distressed are neuer at quiet, but alwaies vexed with the aduerse stormes of afflictions and tribulation, eleemosyna pauperibus afflictis est facienda, saith Bonauenture, the poore afflicted are to bée relieued with our almes: Cast thy bread vpon these troubled waters.
3. Respectu humectationis, the poore are called [Page 14] waters in respect of moistening: for as the waters doe not onely moisten the adioining shores, but sometimes also ouerflow the bordering fields: so they that are pinched with pouertie, are forced manie times not onely with Dauid to water their couch with their teares, but euen the bosome of their friends also, wéeping and wailing in remembrance of those manie calamities which haue fallen vpon them: O all yée that passe by haue pittie on these waters, I meane on such as are euen turned into watrie fountaines, quique propter casus aduersos vbertim lachrymantur, as Munster expounds it, and by reason of their miserable estate doe powre downe a sea of teares. Cast thy bread vpon those falt and brinish waters.
4. Respectu transitionis, the poore are called waters, in respect of their passing away from one place vnto another: for as it is true of all men, in regard of their dailie passage in this course of mortalitie, which the woman of Tekoah told the king, wée are all as waters spilt vpon the ground, which cannot bée gathered vp againe, 2. Sam. 14.14. so is it specially true of the [Page 15] poore, they are, shall I say, tanquam aquae diffluentes, as waters spilt on the ground, that cannot be gathered; certainly they are aquae transeuntes, waters currant vpon the ground that returne not againe what is cast into them: and to this sense manie reade the words of my text, mitte panem tuum super transeuntes aquas, and they be these aquae transeuntes, these waters transient, vpon whom we must cast our bread: call them if you will Gods pilgrims, qui de loco ad locum, de villa ad villam, de gente ad gentem transeunt, as Bonauenture and Hugo describe them, that passe from place to place, from towne to towne, from countrey to countrey, to craue our charitable almes. Cast thy bread vpon these running waters.
So then you sée, my brethren, how wise Salomon vnder this metaphoricall spéech, Cast thy bread vpon the waters, doth necessarily inforce this morall precept, distribute thy wealth vnto the néedie, giue thine almes vnto the poore: cast and cast bread, cast and cast thy bread, cast and cast thy bread vpon the waters, cast and cast it chéerefully, giue what thy hand is able [Page 16] saith the sonne of Syrach, with a chéerefull eie, Eccles. 35.10. and as euery man wisheth in his heart, so let him giue, not grudgingly, or of necessitie, for God loueth a chéerefull giuer, 2. Cor. 9.7. alacri animo facias eleemosynam, ne dum panem tristis dedisti, respondeat tibi Deus, panem & meritum perdidisti, saith S. Augustine vpon Psal. 42. Cast and cast spéedilie, delaies in giuing are dangerous, a quicke and a readie hand brings with it a double gift, quantum morae addidisti tantum gratiae subtraxisti, saith sententious Seneca, the more delaies thou hast vsed in giuing, the lesse thanks thou art to expect for thy gift. The Graecians say, [...], the swiftest graces are the swéetest: defer not then the gift of the néedie, Eccles. 4.3. and saie not to thy neighbor, go and come againe, and to morrow I will giue thée, if thou now haue it, Prou. 3.28. cast, and cast abundantlie, deliberanti consilium, tristi consolationem, erranti viam, captiuo redemptionem, nonsano medelam, peregrinanti hospitiū, nudo vestimentum, esurienti cibum, sitienti potum, & quod cui (que) est necessarium indigenti, saith that good father, cap. 82. Enchirid. ad [Page 17] Laurentium: if thy brother be simple and destitute of vnderstanding, affoord him thy counsell, if he be friendlesse, giue him thy comfort, if he be faultie, spare not thy brotherly correction, if he be ignorant, lend him thy instruction, if he be in prison, cast him thy siluer to redéeme him, if he be sicke, cast him thy salue to cure him, if he be harbourlesse, grant him thy house to couer him, if he be naked, cast him thy garment to cloth him, if he be hungrie, cast him thy meat to féed him, if hée bée thirstie, cast him thy drinke to refrsh him, if he be in anie want and necessitie, cast him this bread in my text, that is, whatsoeuer shall be requisite to preserue him: in a word, cast it sincerely without boasting, continually without fainting, chéerefully without repining, spéedily without delaying, wisely without misspending: cast it to the néedie, not to the wealthy, for there is no necessity: cast it fréely, not looking for anie thing againe, for that is no charitie, cast according to thy estate, not more then thou art able, for that is prodigalitie, cast of thine own, and not of others, for that is wrong & robbery, [Page 18] cast in secret, and as on the waters, not to be séene and praised of men, for that is méere hypocrisie. Thus must wée minister to the necessitie of our brethren, thus must we supplie our neighbours wants, thus must we relieue the poore and distressed, thus must we cast our bread vpon the waters. Cast thy bread vpon the waters.
They were the words of our Lord Iesus, that spake as neuer man spake, It is a blessed thing to giue rather than to receiue, Act. 20.35. and they were the words of an other Iesus, euen the sonne of Syrach in his booke, Let not thine hand be stretched out to receaue, and shut when thou shouldest giue, Eccl. 4.31. for as the schoole-men tel vs, bonum est sui diffusinum, & amor communicatinus eius quod habet, true goodnesse is of diffusiue & spreading nature, and vnfained loue is not for it selfe alone, but apt to participate and communicate what it hath vnto others: and the Philosopher through the windowes of naturall speculation, could sée as much, that vertues chiefest praise was rather, [...], [Page 19] in the action of distributing to others, than in the passion of receiuing from others. Shal I say with the Poet, res est ingeniosa dare, nay nather with a good father I may pronounce, [...], to giue is a thing most diuine, séeing the liberall giuer commeth néerer in imitation vnto God, who receaueth nothing from any, but giueth plentifullie vnto all life and breath, and all things, Act. 17.25. Giue therefore O man to others, if thou wilt be truely happie, distribute vnto others, if thou wilt be rightly vertuous, minister vnto others, if thou wilt be like thy selfe, cast vnto others, that thou maist be like vnto thy God.
A duty, beloued, commanded vnto vs in the Law, cōmended in the Gospel, approoued by nature it selfe, and practised by the faithful in al succéeding ages. In the booke of Exodus the people were commanded to till the land, to dresse their vines and oliue trées for the space of sixe yéeres, but in the seuenth yéere the Lord appointed them to let it rest and lie still, that the poore of the people might eate, Exod. 23.11. and it was the expresse will of almightie [Page 20] God, that in the time of haruest, they should leaue the gleanings of their corne, and after their Vintage the remainder of their grapes for the poore, Leuit. 19.9.10. Nay the precept of the Lord was generall, Si fuerit apud te egens quispiam, de fratribus tuis: If anie of thy brethren be poore within the land, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from him: but thou shalt open thy hand vnto him, and lend him that which is sufficient for his néed; thou shalt giue him, and let it not grieue thine heart to giue him, Deut. 15.7.8 10. And for this purpose in the same chapter, the Lord said, there should euer be some poore in the land, because they might euer haue occasion to exercise their charitie and beneuolence. This was that doctrine which Esay laid downe vnto the Iewes,, frange esurienti panem tuum, deale thy bread vnto the hungrie, bring the poore that wander into thy house, when thou séest the naked couer him, & hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh, Es. 58. O what a forcible argument is this to euerie Christian, to stretch out his hands vnto the néedie, considering [Page 21] that he who asketh our almes, be he neuer so base, is not a stranger vnto vs, but flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, a poore member with vs, of that mystical body wherof Christ Iesus is the head: hide not then thy face from thine owne flesh. This was the duty which Ezechiel taught his hearers, for describing a iust man, he speaks not of his strength and power, his dignitie and honour, his wealth and riches, but of giuing his bread vnto the hungrie, and couering the naked with his garment, Ezek. 18.7. and he taxeth it as a capitall sinne in Sodome, in that shée did not strengthen the hands of the poore and néedie, Ezech. 16.49. This was that which Iohn Baptist preached vnto the people, [...], he that hath two coats, let him part to him that hath none, and he that hath meate let him doe likewise, Luc. 3.11. This was that which our Sauiour so often pressed: Giue almes of those things which are within, Luc. 11.41. and, Sell that you haue and giue to the poore, Matth. 19.21. all which places are parallel to this of Salomon in my text, Cast thy bread vpon the waters.
What shall I say more, but as Iob speaketh, Aske the beasts and they shall tell thée, aske the fowles and they shall teach thée, speake to the earth and it shall shew thée, and to the fishes of the sea, and they shall declare this vnto thée: Naie looke O man vpon the heauens aboue, and on thy selfe below, and tell me whether all the creatures of God doe not after a sort preach this doctrine of casting and distributing vnto thée: the heauens cast thée their swéet influence, the Sunne his light, the Moone her light, and the starres their light, the clouds cast thée their fatnesse, the aire her swéetnesse, & the fire his warmnesse, the sea casts thee his water to wash thée, his fish to féed thée, and many rare things to delight thée, the earth casts thée her herbes, the herbes cast thée their flowers, the flowers cast thée their séedes, and the séedes cast thée their increase: euerie thing casteth something vnto man, to teach one man to cast somewhat vnto an other: and if all this doth not mooue thée, then looke O man into thy selfe, the little world: doth not thy hand cast meat into thy mouth, doth not [Page 23] thy mouth conuey it vnto thy stomacke, and is it not from thy stomacke distributed indifferently to the other parts, and all for the preseruation of the whole? haue not all the members in the body néed one of another? can the mouth say vnto the eie, I haue no néed of thée? or the eie to the hand, I haue no néed of thee? or the hand to the eares, I haue no néed of thée? or the eares to the féete, I haue no néede of thée? or the whole bodie to the heart, I haue no néede of thée? nay, doe not each of these members affoord their best helpe and furtherance vnto the rest? to teach vs who are all members of the same bodie, by giuing our charitable almes to supplie the seuerall wants and necessities one of an other: and whereas (as one obserueth) omnia animantia manus habentia illis terram attingunt praeter hominem, nature, or rather the God of nature, hath so framed & fashioned all other creatures, that with their hands, or forelegs which are instéed of hands, they touch the ground: man onely carrieth his hands lifted from the earth, to shew that he should not imploie them in earthly affaires, but rather in distributing [Page 24] of his goods, and diuiding of his substance, and giuing of his riches vnto the poore, and casting of his bread vpon the waters. Such a caster was holy Iob: If I haue restrained (saith he) the poore of their desire, or caused the eies of the widdow to faile; if I haue eaten my morsels alone, and the fatherlesse haue not eaten thereof; if I haue séene any perish for want of clothing, or any poore without couering: then let mine arme fall from my shoulder, and mine arme be broken from the bone, Iob. 31. Such a caster was good Zacheus, he was no doubt a very rich man, and yet he gaue no lesse then the one halfe of his goods vnto the poore, Luc. 19.8. Such a caster was faithfull Cornelius, who is registred by the spirit of God to all posteritie, for a deuout man, and one that gaue much almes vnto the people, Act. 10.2. such casters were those two renowned women, the one in the old Testament, the other in the new: the one was the widow of Sarepta, who relieued the prophet of the Lord with all the substance she had, euen a little meale in a barrell, and a little oile in a cruse, 1. Reg. 17.12. [Page 25] the other was that charitable Dorcas in the Acts of the Apostles,, who was rich in good works and almes which shée did, Act. 9.36. Finally, such casters were those woorthie instruments of Gods glorie, men and women of famous memorie, whom the Lord hath raised vp in this citie as especiall founders and benefactors in many woorthy works. (Héere report was made according to the custome of the place, of the number of poore children, and souldiers, and other impotent people, that this last yéere were maintained, cured, & by some meanes relieued within the Honorable citie of London, in the Hospitals of Christ, S. Bartholmew, S. Thomas, and Bridewell, which amounted in all to 4258.)
These are excellent things beloued brethren: so that as S. Paul said of Rome, in the time of her ancient puritie, that her faith was published thorow the whole world, Rom. 1.8. so we may pronounce of London, for these her singular déedes of charitie, that her faith, and the fruit of her faith, her many good works, are famous thorow the whole world: neither doe I [Page 26] thinke that any one citie hath giuen more woorthy testimonies of a true and liuely faith: but among all these, I finde one good worke yet wanting, & I wish it may be hereafter registred in this bedroule, it is that which heretofore many haue much desired, and I cannot at this time conceale it from you: that whereas this Honorable citie is aboue all the cities in this land, so well furnished with the choicest men for learning, sent hither wéekely to stand before the most solemne congregation, there is not some place prouided at the charges of this citie, and the well affected therein, for their better entertainement, but that they are constrained to take their diet and lodging in troublesome Innes, whereby their expenses are increased, their mindes disturbed, their meditations distracted. I speake not this, beloued, in mine owne behalfe, for blessed be God, I néed it not, and I haue no cause to complaine héerein, my selfe receauing so kind entertainment of a priuate friend: but I speake it out of a compassionate affection towards many of my poore brethren and fellow-labourers in the ministerie, [Page 27] who hauing but small meanes and maintenance, are by authoritie sent for from the Vniuersities, to supply, if not sometimes this, yet many times, that other solemne place. The course of their studie is héereby interrupted, their paines increased, their bodies wearied, their purse emptied, and yet their person, nay, their calling by many is little respected: for as that Leuite sometime said, I goe now to the house of the Lord, and yet no man receaueth me to house, Iud. 19.18. so many of our Leuits may as truely professe of themselues, that comming hither, they goe vnto Gods house to performe that part of seruice due vnto him, and yet there is no man receaueth them to lodging, no man entertaineth them in his house. Gaius was but a priuate man, & yet he was the host not of S. Paul onely, but of the whole Church, Rom. 16.23. Simon was but a poore Tanner, and yet he lodged S. Peter many daies, Act. 9.43. Lydia was but a purple-seller, and yet shée requested, nay, euen constrained the Apostles to come into her house, and to abide there, Act. 16.15. and will not London, [Page 28] so rich, and so religious through her many inhabitants, be as forward héerein as one man? Will not such a publike citie performe as much as a priuate person? will not they whose zeale in other matters (as S. Paul speaketh of the Corinthians) hath prouoked many, be prouoked by others to this good work? That good Shunamite shall euer be remembred while the world standeth, for her loue to the Lords Prophets. Marke I beséeh you her spéech vnto her husband, 2. Kings 4. I know this is a holy man of God that passeth by vs continually, let vs make him I pray thée a little chamber with walles, and let vs set him there a bed, and a table, and a stoole, and a candlesticke, that he may turne in thither when he commeth vnto vs. O that wise men would not scorne to imitate a weake woman, and that you (right Honorable my L. Maior, and the right worshipfull Aldermen of this citie) would vouchsafe in your méetings, among other your serious affaires, to entertaine this consultation, that as this holy woman of God mooued her husband, out of his priuate estate, so you would [Page 29] be as readie to mooue one another, that at the last out of the publike charge, there may be prouided for the Lords Prophets, a little chamber and a bed, and a table, and a stoole, and a candlesticke; I meane a place sequestred from tumult, and fit for meditation, whereunto they may betake themselues when they come vnto you. Know you not that he which is taught in the Word, should make him that hath taught him, partaker of all his goods, Gal. 6.6? know you not that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the temple? and they that waite at the altar, are partakers with the altar? who goeth a warfar at any time of his owne cost? who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof? or who féedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke thereof? 1. Cor. 9. They come to sowe vnto you spirituall things, and thinke you much they should reape your carnall things? they come to bring you heauenly Manna, and will you not affoord them your earthly mammon? they come to saue your soules, and will not you prouide for their corporall necessities? they come [Page 30] to féed you with the bread of life? and will not you bestow on them materiall foode? they come to comfort you with the waters of life, and will not you giue a cup of cold water to refresh them? they come to bring you to the kingdome of heauen, and will not you prepare for them a pilgrims lodging in an earthly mansion? wherefore as S. Paul told the Corinthians, 2. Cor. 8.7. so giue me leaue to vse the like exhortation: as yée abound in euery good worke, in faith and word and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your loue towards vs, euen so sée that yée abound in this grace also. Blessed shal he be that furthereth such a businesse: blessed, and thrice blessed he, that thus casteth his bread vpon these waters: such a good worke will be acceptable to Almightie God, comfortable to his Ministers, and honorable to this renowned citie. Consider my déere brethren what I haue héerein spoken, and the Lord God giue you a right vnderstanding in all things.
I might héere take occasion further to incite you to this and the like holy duties, by the example of many of your [Page 31] forefathers in this citie not yet named, who haue excelled in the works of mercy, and with a liberall hand haue cast their bread vpon the waters. But I will not presse this point any further: onely of them thus much I say, their remembrance wil be, as the composition of a perfume that is made by the art of the Apothecarie, swéet as honie in all mouthes, and as musicke at a banket of wine. They were the great Amners of the king of heauen, plentifull in the déeds of piety, abundant in the fruits of charitie, and full of the bowels of compassion toward the néedy. They are now dead & rest from their labours, and their works follow them; though I sée manie now liuing not to follow them in their works: for alas my brethren, how farre are some of vs degenerated from their steps, how farre are we fallen from their religious deuotion? aetas parentum peior auis tulit nos nequiores, mox daturos progeniem vitiosiorem. Well might our forefathers be great giuers, and bountiful casters, but surely now the world groweth woorse & woorse. We are fallen into that iron age wherein charitie, the life [Page 32] of Christianitie is waxen colde; and the loue to the poore in manie is abated, if not quite distinguished. The Naturall Historian writeth of the Eagle the prince of birds, and of the Lion the king of beasts, that when they haue satisfied themselues with their praie, they leaue the remaines vnto the inferior beasts and birds that are vnprouided: but contrariwise he obserueth of the Vulture, a rauenous bird, and of the Woolfe a deuouring beast, both of them of a lesse noble and generous race, that either they deuour their whole praie, or what they leaue, they craftily hide it from others, and couetously reserue it vnto themselues: Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, our forefathers soared as Eagles in their thoughts, and were Lion-like, truely noble and heroicall in all their actions: They contented themselues with a mediocritie, and as for their superfluities, they were willing to distribute them to the relieuing of others wants, & supplying the necessities of the néedie: but many of vs like the Woolfe and Vulture being of more base and ignoble spirits, kéepe all vnto our [Page 33] selues, and grudge that poore Lazarus should so much as féede on the crummes that fall from our table. I speake not this of all (for I know many in these latter daies as rich in good works, and it may be more truely sincere in the dooing of them, than they were in former times, as anon by Gods grace you shall heare more at large if time will permit) but I speake this, as condemning the backwardnesse of too too manie, who indéed by reason of this glorious manifestation of Christs Gospell, should abound in these good works answerable to their holy calling.
And héere I may take iust occasion to reprooue two sorts of men in our land. For my auditorie being somewhat generall, I will not leuell the line of my application to any one particular place. The first are they that spend much, but where they should not, and they are foolishly prodigall: the second are they that distribute nothing at all to any, and they are miserably couetous, both of them offending against this doctrine of king Salomon, of rightly casting their bread vpon the waters. Of the first sort are the great ones [Page 34] of this world whom the Lord hath blessed with much wealth and many possessions, but what are the fruits of so great abundance? the Prophet Amos will tell you in his sixt chapter: They stretch themselues vpon their iuorie beddes, they eate the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stal, they sing to the sound of the violl, and inuent to themselues instruments of musicke, they drinke their wine in bowles, and anoint themselues with the chiefe ointments: but no man is sorie for the affliction of poore Ioseph. O how woonderfull hath the spirit of God in this place, not pointed at a farre off, but euen toucht to the quicke, shal I say the princes of Israel, I may truly say many of the noble wantons, and wanton nobles of our age, who spend their whole patrimonies vpon their pleasure & riotous sensualitie, neuer remembring the afflictions of the distressed, neuer regarding the necessities of their poore brethren. S. Hierom in his 26. epistle, commends Pammachius a yoong noble man, for his extraordinarie loue vnto the poore, and cals him in respect thereof, pauperum munerarium, a liberall [Page 35] rewarder of the poore: and in his 9. epistle he gaue this testimonie of Nibridius, a man aduanced to great honour, quicquid & Imperatoris largitio & honoris infulae dederant, in vsus pauperum conferebat: Whatsoeuer he obtained either by the Emperors largesse, or by his honors prerogatiue, he spent it in charitable vses, towards the poore: good patterns for all those amongst vs, whom the Lord hath raised to great place and meanes, either in Church or Common-wealth, to put them in minde that they be pauperum munerarij, liberall rewarders of the poore, and to cast at the least a part of that vnto the néedie, which his Highnesse bountie and the honorable places they beare vnder him, hath cast vpon them. But alas my brethren how few of them are of Nebridius and Pammachius minde, how few that expose their talents euen their many talents to so good vses? for if they doe, where are the Colledges they haue founded, where are the Hospitals they haue erected? where are the Schooles they haue builded? where are the poore schollers they haue maintained? where are the Orphanes and impotent [Page 36] they haue reléeued? where are the naked and destitute they haue cloathed? where are the harbourlesse they haue housed? where are the sicke and néedie they haue visited? No, no, beloued, what they should bestow on these charitable vses, many of them spend it on their pride and brauerie, vpon their loosenesse and prodigalitie, vpon their riot and luxurie, vpon their surfetting and gluttonie, vpon their pleasure and sensualitie. And as Greg. in his Pastorall cau. 3. part. 1. cap. obserueth of such in his time, cùm fame crucientur Christi pauperes, effusis largitatibus nutriunt histriones; instéed of casting their bread vpon the waters, and giuing to the poore that are pinched with famine, they wastfully cast their substance to parasites and flatterers, to rymers and iesters, to players and tumblers, to dicers and dauncers, to cutters and hacksters, to roisters and swaggerers: they cast that to the diuell and his ministers, that they should cast to Christ Iesus and his poore members. When their dogges fawne vpon them at their table, they féede them with their daintiest meat, when the walles of [Page 37] their houses are bare, they cloath them with their richest arresse, nay their horses and mules whereon they ride, saith Saint Chrysostome, are furnished with stately foote clothes, and costly trappings, embossed with the purest siluer and finest gold. Their seruants attending them are arraied in the most gorgeous apparel that can be prouided: when in the meane space the poore seruants of Christ Iesus, members of the same bodie, children of the same father, their own brethren, their owne flesh, lie hunger-starued at their gates, and wander vp and downe naked in the stréetes, and yet they will take no pitie and compassion on them. It is reported in histories, that when Charles the Great made warre against the Saracens, that a prince of the Saracens came to intreat with him concerning the matter of a truce to be had betwéene them: this prince féeding at a table néere to the king, did wel obserue the order of his seruice, the gorgeous attire of his seruants, and the many dishes wherwith the table was furnished, whereon the king and his nobles and his seruants did vsually féed. At last [Page 38] he saw certaine poore men meanely apparelled, lying on the ground, and féeding on the reliques of the table: & demanding who they were, the king answered, that those poore men were the seruāts of God, for whose sake he there daily fedde them. Whereupon the Saracen angrily replied: What is this the Christians religion, to make more account of their owne seruants then of Gods seruants, to féed them that néed not with roiall chéere, & to cloath them with costly garments; and to suffer the poore to lie naked and almost famished on the ground? An imputation, beloued, howsoeuer vniust in respect of religion, yet certainly too true in regard of the want of charity, or at the least of the right vse of charitie in many of great place in these our daies: whose prodigall course the most barbarous Saracen may iustly condemne, in that they neglect the hungrie: Et illis mensam amplam adornant qui magis videntur fame ad digerendum cibum, quàm cibo ad nutriendum corpus indigere: and prouide dainty fare for them, who rather néede abstinence to digest their meat, than meat to nourish their bodies. [Page 39] But vnto these and all of this qualitie, I saie with Isod. lib. 3. de summo bono, Magnum est scelus, &c. It is a hainous sinne to put the poore mans meat vpon the rich mans table, and to cloath the rich with the poore mans garment: and with S. Hierome in one of his epistles, pars sacrilegij est rem pauperum dare non pauperibus: it is no lesse than sacriledge to giue any thing vnto the wealthy, that belongeth vnto the néedie: for as Elisha commanded the widow to powre her oile not into full but emptie vessels, 2. Reg. 4.4. so must the faithfull extend their charitable deuotion, not to the rich that are full, but vnto the poore that are emptie in respect of worldly meanes: according to that of our Sauiour; When thou makest a dinner or supper, call not thy rich neighbours, but the poore, the maimed, the lame and the blind, Luc. 14.13. knowing that the moist ground néedeth not the raine, nor the swelling Ocean the drops of water, nor the thicke forrest the addition of wood, nor the full belly the feast, nor the clothed backe more apparell.
The 2. sort of men that offend against [Page 40] king Salomons precept of rightly casting their bread vpon the waters, are all couetous and hard-hearted worldlings, whose eies neuer giue the poore any cōpassionate looke, whose eares are neuer open to their cry, whose hands are neuer stretched out to relieue them, whose hearts are neuer mooued with compassion towards them, whose bowels are neuer touched with any féeling of their iniuries. They are like the men of Succoth and Penuel, that deny a morsell of bread to poore Gedeon and his wearie souldiers, Iudg. 8. They are like churlish Nabal, who would not affoord so much as a bit of bread, or a cup of water, or a morsell of meat to Dauids seruants, but instéed of relieuing their necessities, they reuile their persons and condemne their cause. 1. Sam. 25. They are like sponges which with facilitie do sucke and draw in water, but we must first wring and squéese them if we will haue any iuice out of them. So these couetous cormorants doe easily sucke and draw to themselues the wealth of the world: but perswade them once to distribute vnto the poore, and then you must wring & squéese them, [Page 41] if you will do any good with them, Et citius clauū e manu Herculis extorqueas, aut aquam è pumice haurias, quàm ab illis terunc [...]um elicias, as one speaketh; Sooner may a man wrest Hercules his club out of his hand, sooner may a man draw water out of the drie pumice, nay sooner may a man plucke their very eies out of their heads, then get one penie of siluer from them to giue to the poore. Let poore Lazarus come to their gates, and the dogs will be more compassionate towards him then these men. Let a man begge of Iewes and Pagans, Turkes and Infidels, and hée shall finde more reliefe from them, then from these. Augustus Caesar a heathen Emperour, thought that day to bée lost wherein he did not benefit some poore person, and with money reléeue him from penurie: But these thinke the day lost, their mony lost, nay almost their life lost, wherin they cast the least quantitie of their goods vnto their poore brethren. [...], saith our Lord and Sauiour, I haue great compassion euen from my verie bowels, as the word signifieth, on the multitude, because they [Page 42] haue now continued with me thrée daies, and haue nothing to eate, Marc. 8.2. But these are so farre from the sympathizing with their brethren in their want, that they are nothing touched or affected though they want their ordinarie sustenance many yéeres; they are cruell, mercilesse, vnnaturall, murderers of their brethren, hoc est enim hominem occidere vitae ei subsidia denegare, saith S. Ambrose vpon the Psalmes, for they do as much as in them lieth kill men when they deny them their food & daily sustenance. They are the veriest fooles of ten thousand, saith Bonauenture, qui minùs Dei amorē quàm denarios reputant, that more estéeme their goods than their God, their peny than the poore, their bruit beast than their Christian brother.
We read in the booke of Kings, that when there was a great famine in Samaria, Ahab said to Obediah, Gouernour of his house, goe vnto the land, vnto all the fountaines of water, and to all the riuers, if so be we may find grasse to saue the horses and mules aliue, lest we depriue the land of the beasts, 1. Reg. 18.5. Marke I beséech you beloued, how carefull Ahab [Page 43] was for the preseruation of his horses and mules in the time of famine: but for the orphanes and widowes, for the poore and afflicted people of the land, he taketh no thought at all. And I would to God there were not too many such Ahabs now a daies in the world, qui canibus & equis plusquam fratrum necessitati prospiciunt, as a learned father speaketh of thē: That more regard the preseruation of their beasts than of their brethren, that take more care for their worldly and transitory commodities, than for the health and welfare of many Christians, that gape after their gaine like gréedy dogges that neuer haue enough, Es. 56.11. neuer regarding the burdens of Israel, neuer remembring the afflictions of poore Ioseph. Such were the bowels of compassion in holy Iob, that hée made another mans affliction to bée his own, he wept with him that was in trouble, and his soule was in heauinesse for the poore, Iob 30.25. but they are so far from this charitable commiseration, that when the poore come to craue their deuotion, their onely almes are euill words, their onely charitie is reproch [Page 44] and contumely, instead of a morsell of bread and a small péece of siluer which they should cast, they cast, saith S. Chrysostome, many termes of discouragement, and many titles of disgrace, and many tokens of their hardned hearts. As Iobs friends, those miserable cōforters, railed on him, and accused him of impietie, at nec pannum quidem quo vulnera sua mundaret ei porrexerunt. But among all their vncharitable tauntings, none did so much as affoord him a cloth to wipe and clense his wounds: So doe these, shall I saie friends, nay rather enemies of the poore, miserable comforters indéed, raile at & reuile their distressed brethren, they scorne them as the monsters of men, and the most abiect creatures of the earth, but at last they reléeue them not, they refresh them not, they send them away with emptie bellies and naked backes, to the weakning of their distressed bodies, and wounding of their afflicted soules.
Yea but me thinks I heare the worldlings apologie. If I cast my bread vpon these waters, I feare I shall my selfe want before I die. O but hearken what Dauid [Page 45] saith, I haue béene yoong, and now am old, yet did I neuer sée the righteous forsaken, nor his séed begging their bread, Psal. 37.25. Non memini me audisse aut vidisse mala morte mortuum qui opera misericordiae libenter exercuit: saith S. Ambrose in his Offices: I neuer remember that I saw, or heard of any man, that euer died miserably, that chéerefully performed the works of mercy. And the Lord for thy comfort hath said, I will neuer faile thée, I will neuer forsake thée. Yea but, I haue children to care for, and how shall I then cast my bread vpon these waters? O but S. Chrysostome answereth this in his 68. Hom. ad populum Antiochenum. Abraham had children, and yet he went foorth into the waies to receaue strangers to lodging: So had the widow of Sarepta, and yet it hindred not her charitie to the prophet. Vnum habes filium, saith S. Augustine, Christum putes alterum; duos habes, Christum putes tertium; decem habes, vndecimum Christum facias: Hast thou one sonne, yet let Christ Iesus be an other: hast thou two sonnes, yet let Christ Iesus be the third: hast thou tenne sonnes, yet let [Page 46] Christ Iesus be the eleuenth: giue of thy loue a portion of thine inheritance vnto him, who of his mercie hath giuen al vnto thée. And if thou wilt respect thy childe, & neglect thy Christ, then feare this iudgement from the Lord, either to leaue behinde thée no childe at all, or none to beare thy name, or if thou haue any, peraduenture they will prooue such, as shall as prodigally scatter abroad, as thou hast couetously, miserably, and iniuriously scraped and gotten together thy transitorie pelfe. Yea but though I now hold fast, yet at my death I purpose largely & liberally to cast my bread vpon these waters. O but remember what S. Chrysostomes opinion is of such an one in his 18. Hom. vpon the Ephesians, where making mention of a couetous churle that would neuer giue any thing in his life time, onely at his death he was content to leaue something to be distributed vnto the poore; hée thus speaketh of him, Non iam das ex tuis, sed ex ipsa necessitate, morti est gratia non tibi: it was necessitie, and not charitie that procured from thée thy almes, a man may thanke death and not thée for this deuotion. [Page 47] Yea but I haue but a little, and how should I then cast my bread vpon the waters? O but remember the widowes mite was but a little, and yet it was commended aboue greater gifts, Mark. 12.43. A cup of cold water is but a small thing, and yet it shall not be vnrewarded, Matth. 10.42. Magnitudo eleemosynae non ex multitudine pecumarum, sed ex alacritate dantium iudicatur, saith S. Hierome on the fift chapter of Amos: The greatnesse of our charitie is not estéemed according to the multitude of our gifts, but to the alacritie of the giuer. Mentem deus misericordem requirit, non pecuniae quantitatem, saith S. Chrysostome, God more respects a mercifull minde, than a masse of money. Coronat Deus intus bonitatem, vbi non inuenit facultatem, saith S. Augustine: yea our God crowneth a willing minde, where he finds not abilitie. And therefore if thou haue but a little, be not afraid to giue a little, Tob. 4.8. and if thou art not able by reason of thy estate, to giue any thing at all, yet at the least put on the bowels of mercie, as the Apostle speaketh, Colos. 3.12. and say with Peter, aurum & argentum non [Page 48] habeo, Siluer and gold haue I none, but such as I haue I giue vnto thée, Act. 3.6. Giue thy best counsell and aduice, if thou canst giue nothing else, Saltem loquere vt verbo iuues qui opere non potes: giue comfortable words if thou canst not performe charitable déeds. Yea but I suspect him to be a lewd-liuer, & why should I then cast my bread vpon such water? O but charitie is not suspitious, tribuamus non quaerentes cui sed quare, saith S. Hierome in one of his Epistles: Giue not, regarding the person what he is, but the cause why thou giuest. Laertius in his 5. lib. and 1. cap. reporteth, that when one reprooued a philosopher for giuing his almes to a vitious person, he answered, Dedi non homini malo sed humanae sorti: I pitied him as a man, not as an euill man. And so must thou do, saith S. Augustine, Et si peccator est qui petit, da non tanquam peccatori: quòd homo, opus dei est; quòd peccator, opus hominis est; da operi Dei, noli operi hominis. If a notorious sinner craue thine almes, giue him as hée is the worke of God, a man indued with a reasonable soule, and made after the similitude and likenesse of God; not as he is [Page 49] the worke of man, a most wicked and sinfull creature. And so was it with him in Gregory, non quia peccator, sed quia homo: I gaue him my beneuolence, not because I suspected him to be a sinner, but because I knew him to be a man, one of mine owne nature and condition; humanum est humanis casibus ingemiscere: and if thou wilt not giue him for the loue thou bearest to man, yet giue him for the loue thou owest to God. Such was the loue of Dauid to Ionathan, that he said to his sonne Mephibosheth, euen halting & lame Mephibosheth, Feare not, for thou shalt eate meat at my table continually, & I will shew thée kindnesse for Ionathan thy fathers sake, 2. Sam. 9.7. So such should our loue be to almightie God, that we should not scorne to féed his poore members at our table, & to shew them all the kindnesse we may: if not for their owne sake, yet for the Lords sake their and our heauenly father, euer thinking on that of S. Iohn, Whosoeuer hath this worlds good, and séeth his brother haue néed, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him? 1. Ioh. 3.17.
Wherefore O man, if either the necessitie of the néedie may constraine thée, or the bowels of charitie perswade thée, or the shame of the world inforce thée, or the rules of humanitie allure thée, or the feare of thy God compell thée, or the loue of thy brother intreat thée, giue at the last thine almes vnto the poore, cast thy bread vpon the waters. Remember that fearefull sentence of this wise Salomon in an other booke; Hée that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore, he shall one day crie and not be heard, Prou. 21.13. Remember that saying of a learned Father, Frustra manus ad Deum expandit qui has ad pauperes non extendit: In vaine he stretcheth out his hands in praier vnto God, that doth not exercise his hands in pitie vnto the poore. Remember that thou art Gods minister, as Origen speaketh, to distribute a portion to thy fellow seruants: [...]. Do not then like Iudas in carrying of the bagge cousen the poore; do not appropriate that to thy selfe, that belongeth to others: tua non sunt tua: saith S. Hierome in his 8. epistle ad Demetriadem: [Page 51] those goods which thou callest thine, are none of thine: It is the bread of the hungrie which thou doest detaine, it is the coate of the naked which thou lockest in thy wardrope; the shooes of the barefoote which lie drying in thy house, and the gold that should relieue the poore, that lies cankering in thy coffers, as Basil speaketh. Lastly remember this and remember all, it is the saying of Gregorie in one of his Hom. and woorthy to be remembred of euery faithfull Christian: Quod iacenti in terra porrigitis, sedenti in coelo datis: What thou giuest vnto the poore lying on the ground, thou giuest to Christ Iesus sitting in heauen: What the poore beggeth of thée, Christ beggeth of thée, it is Christ that asketh thy house to lodge him; it is Christ that craueth thy garment to couer him; it is Christ that desireth thy bread to féed him; it is Christ that intreateth thy drinke to refresh him. And therefore as Christ said to the woman of Samaria; If thou knewest who it is that saith, vnto thée giue me drinke, thou wouldest haue asked of him, and he would haue giuen to thée the water of life, Ioh. 4.10. So [Page 52] diddest thou consider that when the poore craueth, it is Christ that craueth thy charitable beneuolence, and when thou castest thy bread vpon the waters, thou castest it vpon Christ Iesus, thou wouldest not onely giue vnto him of thy transitorie treasure, but intreat of him a greater almes, euen the water of euerlasting life, and after many daies thou shouldest be sure to finde it. And so I come to my second generall part, to wit, the reward héere proposed, noted in the last words; For after many daies thou shalt finde it.
Pars secunda.
FOr after many daies thou shalt find it.] Although it might séeme sufficient which the holy Ghost by king Salomon had set downe in the first words of my text, to perswade vs to a Chrstian commiseration of the poore, for the will of a master is a sufficient reason vnto his seruants, and the good pleasure of a king vnto his subiects, and [...], he spake the word, gaue sufficient credit to the scholers of that Philosopher to beléeue [Page 53] the trueth, and follow the prescription of his precepts: yet the blessed spirit of God considering the dulnesse of flesh and bloud in any thing that might concerne their instruction in the way of godlinesse, and well waying how the nature of man is euer stirred vp by rewards, the rather to allure vs to this holie dutie, proposeth the promise of a reward to be receaued vpon the performance of this precept: For after many daies thou shalt find it. Wherein he frameth this argument, ab vtili, a most forcible argument of all other to flesh and bloud: Thinke not much to cast your bread vpon the water; to distribute your almes vnto the poore, yea to lose your money for your neighbours sake, for by this losse commeth great gaine, for this, after many daies you shall find many temporal blessings in this life, and eternall glorie in the life to come: for so the whole current of Interpreters expound these last words of my text. And héere my brethren as the carkase of Amasah lying in the midst of the way caused the people to stand still, 2. Sam. 20.12. So me thinkes in the verie entrance of [Page 54] this second part, there ariseth a scruple to staie my passage, and hinder my course, which when we shal remooue, we may the better procéed and goe forward in the same. For whereas the spirit of God by Salomon doth héere implicitè set downe a temporall and eternall reward to all them that are plentifull in their charitable déeds towards the poore: heereupon the aduersaries of the trueth misinterpreting the place, doe presently conclude, that these works of mercie did merit and deserue this reward at the hand of Almightie God. The vanity of which conceit, shall God willing plainly appéere vnto you, if you will vouchsafe héerein a little to affoord mée your Christian patience and accustomed attention. And if there be any héere present, that haue béene seduced to fauour the doctrine of popish merits, and are not yet fully satisfied and setled in the trueth, let mée desire them in the bowels of Christ Iesus (vnlesse they will obstinately continue in errour) to laie aside all preiudicate conceits, either of my person or of this cause, and with indifferent eares to heare, [Page 55] how in this one point, by the disciples of Antichrist, our Church hath béene wronged, these weake ones abused, the Scriptures peruerted, and the faithfull generally scandalized. For after manie daies they shall find it.
A temporall and eternall reward, saie they, is héere promised to him that casteth his bread vpon the waters, that giueth his almes vnto the poore, ergo this charitable almes merited this reward. And the Rhemists in their annotations vpon Rom. 2. sect. 2. affirme that Christians good works are meritorious, and the causes of saluation: and vpon 1. Cor. 3. sect. 2. men by their good works deserue heauen: & Bellarmine their great champion in his 4. lib. 3. cap. de bonis operibus, is of opinion, that good works, and namely almes déeds, (whereof Salomon héere especially speaketh) doe merit eternall life, not onely ex congruo, by a kinde of congruitie, which some of the Schoolemen allow, but also ex cōdigno, of condignitie, or worthines in the highest degrée, which many of the schoolemen doe denie. The reason of this their assertion they fetch from that place, Luc. [Page 56] 10.7. The labourer is woorthy of his wages; but the faithful are laborers, and eternall life is their wages promised, Matth. 20.8. ergo the faithfull are woorthy of, & by their works doe merit eternall life. But marke, I beséech you brethren, how like the ancient heretikes, our Romanists by their cursed glosses corrupt this Scripture, and violently wrest it from its true meaning: for whereas our Sauiour there saieth; The labourer is woorthy of his hire, he doth not by hire or wages vnderstand the kingdome of heauen or eternal life, but rather a temporall reward, as the circumstances of the text do manifestly declare it. For Christ Iesus there sending his disciples to preach the Gospell, biddes them carrie no bagge nor scrip, nor shooes with them: but into what house soeuer they did enter, they should tarrie there, eating and drinking such things as were set before them: for the labourer, saith he, is woorthie of his hire. His meaning there is nothing else but as Saint Paul speaketh, 1. Corint. 9. that his disciples preaching the Gospell, should liue of the Gospell, and sowing spirituall [Page 57] things vnto the people, should be rewarded with their corporall reliefe. Againe, suppose that wages or hire did signifie eternall life, as out of Matt. 20. they prooue, yet shall we thinke by our good déeds to demerit the same? séeing in that very chap. you shall finde, that they who were called at the last houre, had as large a reward as they that came at the first: which had neuer béene if merit had béene respected: and therefore as Saint Ambrose saith in his lib. 1. cap. 3. de vocat. gentium: Cùm hi qui in multo labore sudarunt, séeing they which were in all the labour receaued no more than the last, intelligant donum se gratiae, non operum accepisse mercedem: let them vnderstand they receaued a gift of Gods grace, and had nothing in them to merit this reward of their works.
Yea but in the Reuelation the words are more plaine, and the spirit there pronounceth them woorthy, Reuel. 3.4. Thou hast a few names yet in Sardi, which haue not defiled their garments, and they shall walke with me in white for they are woorthie. But how beloued? non [...], sed [...], they are not absolutely woorthy, [Page 58] but respectiuely in cōparison of those wicked ones in Sardi, that had consented to idolaters, and polluted their consciences with euill, and were altogether profane. So doth S. Ambrose expound it writing on the 2. Timoth. 1. quantum ad caeterorum comparationem digni sunt, quantum ad rem ipsam omnes indigni: in respect of others they are woorthy, but in regard of the thing it selfe, they are all vnwoorthie. Or else they are woorthy not simply of themselues, but because God did so accept them in Christ Iesus. Non ex operibus sed pura gratia: as a good writer will haue it: Not by the merit of their works, but by the imputation of Christs woorthinesse, not because they are clensed by their almes, but because their robes are made white in the bloud of the Lambe, Reuel. 7.14.
Yea but that place, Matth. 24. cannot be answered: Receaue the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world, for I was hungrie and yée fed me, naked and yée clothed me, &c. ergo, almes déedes are the efficient causes of euerlasting life, & the casting our bread vpon the [Page 59] waters, shall merit heauen for vs. Indéed my brethren this is the Scripture they most presse: but if you will a little consider this place with me, I doubt not, but as that Aegyptian was slaine with a speare taken out of his owne hands, 2. Sam. 23.21. So our aduersaries shall bée confuted out of these words, which they alledge for the defence of their own cause. For if we looke into the text, we shall find that this kindgome was prepared for them from the beginning of the world. Whence wée may frame against them this argument: If this kingdome were prouided for the faithfull before they had done any almes déedes at all, then did not the faithfull by their almes déedes as by precedent causes merit or deserue the same: But this kingdome was prouided for the faithfull before they had done any almes déeds at all, euen before the foundation of the world was laid: ergo, the faithfull did not by their almes déed merit or deserue the same.
Againe, our works are said to be meritorious, when we doe them of our owne frée will and pleasure, and not of due debt, [Page 60] for when wée doe that which wée are bound to doe, we doe no more but our dutie. But behold, beloued, and consider what the Apostle saith, We are his workmanship, created in Christ Iesus, to good workes, which God hath ordained wée should walke in them, Eph. 2.10. and the particular good works of almes déedes are in my text and in many other places of holy scripture required of vs. We are not left to our owne frée will and pleasure whether we will doe them or no, but as Saint Paul saith of himselfe concerning the preaching of the Gospell, Necessitie is laid vpon me, and woe be vnto me if I preach not the Gospell, 1. Cor. 9.18. So may all Christians say of themselues in this behalfe, there is a necessitie laid vpon vs to relieue the poore, to cast our bread vpon the waters, and woe be vnto vs if we doe it not. And shall we then make our almes meritorious, when necessitie requireth that at our hand? Did the master thanke his seruant because he did that which was commanded him? Luc. 17.9. and doe we thinke that when wée haue done all that is commanded vs, wée [Page 61] shall be in any better ranke then vnprofitable seruants? or doe we looke the Lord should thanke vs, or that he should bestow the kingdome of heauen on vs for the woorthinesse thereof?
Lastly, betwéene the worke and the reward there should be an equall proportion, otherwise it cannot be said to merit: for if the reward be more than the works, it is not a reward of desert, but a gift of good will. Whence it is manifest, that our best almes can neuer merit this kingdome of heauen, because none of them can equal it. What is a cup of cold water to eternall life? what is a morsell of bread to a crown of glory? what is a small mite to the kingdome of heauen? Nay what are our best works to such an immortall reward? All the afflictions of this life are not woorthie of that glory that shall be shewed vnto vs, Rom. 8.18. Quid possumus dignum facere praemijs coelestibus, saith S. Ambrose in his 20. serm. in Psal. 119. what can we doe to deserue heauen? Beatae vitae nullus potest aquari labor, nulla operatio, passiones nullae, saith Gregory in Psal. 142. to blessed life no labour, worke, or suffering can bée [Page 62] equall, Quid sunt merita nostra ad tantum gloriam? saith S. Bernard in his 1. serm. De Annuntiatione. What are all our merits, euen our best merits in comparison of so great glorie? To these I might adde the testimonies of S. Chrysostome, S. Basil, S. Hierome, S. Augustine, and the rest of the antient fathers of the Church, who in many places of their works (being rightly vnderstood) doe beat downe this monster of popish merits, to the shame of our fugitiue countrimen, who are not ashamed to publish to the world, that all the Fathers, Councels, Reasons, Scriptures, are in this point for them, & against vs. Whereas you sée the contrary hath béene in part, and might be in the whole prooued, if time would permit. And the word of God herein is so opposite vnto them, that I maruell not if that godly martyr was so thorowly perswaded of this trueth, that hée said vnto his enimies: He that can shew me in any Scripture that our almes déeds or best works doe merit heauen; for the first Scripture, I will without any further iudgement lose both mine eares, for the second my toong, for the third my [Page 63] necke, as in our Acts and Monuments it is reported of him.
Thus you sée (right Honorable, &c.) the Babel of selfe iustifying merits, whereby our aduersaries perswade thēselues they ascend vp into the highest heauens, is at the last fallen downe, because it is built vpon the sands of mans inuention, and not on the true rocke Christ Iesus: Vbi enim Christus non est fundamentum, nullum est boni operis aedificium, saith Gregorie: Where Christ is not laid as the corner stone for a good foundation, there will bée no place to erect the building of good works. I speake not this, nor any thing in this argument, to withdraw men from doing good, or to discourage them in their charitable deuotions, as our aduersaries in their bookes most falsly accuse vs, most vncharitablie slander vs, and most iniuriously traduce vs. For wée both allow of good works, and preach good works, daily call vpon our hearers as true professors to manifest their faith by these fruits, as this place this day, and many other places in this citie almost euery day can sufficiently witnesse. Nay, we confesse a necessarie [Page 64] vse of good works, by them we set foorth Gods glory, Matt. 5.16. by them our faith is made knowen for the good example of others, Iac. 2.18. by them our consciences are quieted, and our election daily made sure vnto vs, 2. Pet. 1.10. Yea wée attribute so much vnto them, that some of our Church haue published whole Treatises that good works are necessarie vnto saluation. What can they say more than we doe in the behalfe of good works, vnlesse they will forsake the trueth? And yet sée the malice of these men; notwithstanding we thus speake, and we thus write; they are not ashamed to say, that our Gospell is a Gospell of libertie, epicurisme, and sensualitie; that we haue slacked mens charitie, and quenched their deuotion, that we condemne good works as vncleane, sinfull, and hypocriticall; that we plucke them vp as wéedes by the roots, and cast them foorth of the doores as children of the bond woman, not woorthie to inherite with the frée borne; that we preach nothing but sola fides, sola fides; and wheras their bona opera haue built many goodlie Colledges and Schooles, and Hospitals, [Page 65] our sola fides hath pluckt them downe againe.
Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour, to remooue this false imputation: what our opinion of good works is, you haue already heard, what our practise in good works is, let the world iudge. Indéed in the time of Poperie the séely people were taught, that if they would doe such a good worke they should thereby merit heauen, and God were vniust if he did not giue it them. And if they would doe such a good worke, they should receaue pardon not onely for their owne sinnes, but also for the sinnes of their posteritie to many generations. No maruell then (being thus deluded by iugling friers) if in those daies they did plentifully cast their bread vpon the waters, if they did abound in distributing to the poore. For what will not a man giue to purchase heauen, and to saue his owne soule? and I confesse, that we liue in the dotage of the world, wherein our Sauiour hath told vs; Charitie shall waxe cold, and the hearts of many shall be hardned from doing good. Yet for all this I dare vndertake that for this last age, and in the [Page 66] remembrance of some yet liuing since the cléere sunshine of the Gospel hath enlightned the Hemisphere of our Church, there haue bene more Colledges founded, more Hospitals erected, more Schooles builded, more poore Schollers maintained, more Orphanes and impotent reléeued, more charitable déedes exercised, generally in our land, particularly in this famous citie, euer renowned for her good works, I dare be bold to say, than in any, I thinke I may truely say, than in many ages vnder poperie and superstition. Yet God forbid we should thinke that they who haue most excelled in those holy duties, did héereby merit heauen: For eternall life is the gift of God, Rom. 6.23. and yée are iustified freely by grace, Rom. 3.24. Gratis per Gratiam▪ gratia autem nullo modo est gratia, nisi omni modo sit gratuita. As hée speaketh; And by grace yée are saued through faith: not of your selues, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephes. 2.8.9. I confesse héere in my text is a reward proposed to our almes déedes, that if we cast our bread vpon the waters, after manie daies we shall [Page 67] be sure to finde it: but reward is as well of fauour as of debt, Rom 4.4. and if God in promising this reward be a debter vnto vs, it is but in that sense as S. Aug vpon the 83. Psal. speaketh, Debitorem ipse se dominus fecit non accipiendo, sed promittendo: non ei dicitur, redde quod accepisti, sed redde quod promisisti: God hath made himselfe a debtor vnto vs by promising, not by receauing any thing at our hands to deserue the same. Quicquid autem promisit, indignis promisit, vt non quasi operibus merces promitteretur, sed gratia gratis daretur: as the same Father speaketh: And whatsoeuer God hath promised, hée promised vnto those that were vnworthy, that it should not be promised as a reward vnto works, but as grace fréely giuen.
Wherefore to conclude this point, séeing the Lord hath promised euerlastingly to reward all them that cast their bread vpon the waters, not for the merit of their worke, but for his owne frée fauour and mercie, discamus de nostris diffidere meritis: Let vs hencefoorth learne to distrust our owne merits: quaerant alij meritum, nos gratiam inuenire studeamus: Let others, [Page 68] (such as all popish fauorits are) séeke after heauen by these meanes; but let vs labor to finde grace, saying with S. Bernard, Meritum meum miseratio domini, my merit is the Lords mercie: and with S. Augustine, Si misericordiae domini multae, multus ego in meritis: If God be rich in mercy, I shall surely abound in merits. Thus if wée conceaue humbly of our selues, God will estéeme highly of vs; & if with a lowly mind, we do good to others for Gods sake, God will with a liberall hand doe good vnto vs for his mercies sake: and if we will cast our bread vpon the waters, not thinking of any merit in so small a worke, God will cast euerlasting ioies vpon our soules, not respecting our many wants. And so passing from this controuersie, I come at last to the particulars of the rewards here proposed: For after many daies thou shalt finde it.
Wherin two things offer themselues to our consideration: first, the time when this reward shall be receaued, in these words, for after many daies. Secondly, the reward it selfe in the last words, thou shalt find it.
For after many daies.] Some read the [Page 69] words, in multitudine dierum, in the multitude of daies thou shalt finde it: as if hée said, Si in pauperes liberalis fueris, deus vitae tuae dies producet: If thou wilt be liberall towards the poore, God will prolong the daies of thy life. A true interpretation, for I doubt not but God doth many times blesse them with long life and many yéeres, that looke vpon his poore members with mercifull and compassionate eies.
Others, and those in number manie, and in iudgement most authenticall, doe thus read the words; Post dies multos, after many daies thou shalt finde it: thereby giuing vs to vnderstand, that howsoeuer God in his wisedome deferreth the remuneration of our Christian charitie, yet certainly he hath a reward in store for vs, which at the last we shall assuredly receaue. And this I take to be the naturall and proper sense of king Salomon in this place: For after many daies thou shalt find it. For whereas in the former part he had vsed a pretie kind of prolepsis, or preoccupation, which a worldly minded man to this purpose might haue vsed: Whatsoeuer I giue vnto the poore is assuredly lost, as if [Page 70] I cast my bread into the sea, and I shall neuer expect a recompence for the same: He now answereth this doubt, Et occurrit hominum impatientiae, qui, nisi è vestigio compensationem accipiant, ilico animum abijciunt: as one speaketh, and he héere méeteth with the impatiencie of those men, who presently despaire, if God reward not their almes out of hand: But Salomon héere tels them, that if the Lord hath not yet rewarded them, yet they must expect and waite his leasure, they must tarie a day and a day, nay many daies, and then at the last they shall be sure to receaue it: & if in the meane season they liue in want, and take vp the crie of those faithfull soules, Vsquequò domine, vsquequò? how long Lord, how long shall we expect our reward? the spirit shall testifie to their spirits, that Christ himselfe doth say vnto them; Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to giue to euery man according vnto his works, Reuel. 22.12. For so it is, beloued brethren, sometimes God presently rewardeth the charitable beneuolence of his children, as hée did the widow of Sareptah, who immediately [Page 71] vpon her reléeuing of Eliah, had her meale & oile increased according to the word of the Lord, 1. Reg. 17.16. Somtimes differtur retributio, non deficit, saith Bonauēture: Well may Christ deferre it for a time, but he doth not forget it for euer. It may bée that for thy loue to the poore members of Christ, God in his loue to thée wil in time increase thy corne, thy wine, thy oile, and thy stocke, and then in thy selfe and thine owne estate after manie daies thou maiest find it. It may be, that those poore children whom thou now feedest at thy table, and clothest with thy garments, may one day be so enabled by Almightie God in their estate that they may féed and cloath thy children, when they may bée brought to much want and miserable necessitie: and then in thy children, after manie daies thou maiest finde it. The summe and effect of all is this: God that is before all time in recompensing the good works of his children, will not bée tied to this or that circumstance of time: onely wée may be well assured, that one time or an other he will restore our liberalitie manifold into our bosome, by giuing vs, ant [Page 72] quod petimus, aut quod melius est, aut quod sufficit: either what wée desire, or that which is better, or that which is sufficient.
Learne then, my brethren, a similitude of the husbandman, he casteth his séed into the ground, the corne dieth, the winter commeth, frost and snow and tempestuous weather falleth thereon, and who would not thinke hée had laboured in vaine? yet the husbandman patiently abideth and tarrieth the time of haruest, and then he receaueth a plentiful increase. So when we giue our almes, what doe we else but cast, shall I say our séed, vpon the ground, nay (whereof there may bée lesse hope) our bread vpon the waters? Yet certainly as that, though in mans iudgement cast away, springeth and groweth, and beareth much fruite: So this in time shall returne vnto a happy haruest. Si enim non perit semen quod in terram proijcis, quid times periturum quod in domini manu reponis? If the séede perish not which is cast into the earth, much lesse shall that be lost that is left in Gods hand, that is laid vp in Christs store-house, the poore-mans bagge. Learne a similitude [Page 73] of great purchasers; they giue manie times great summes of money for reuersions, which themselues sometimes neuer liue to enioy, but their children after them receaue the benefit thereof: so let not vs thinke much to disburse our summes, our manie summes, towards the reliefe of our poore brethren, knowing that if the benefit héereof come not presently to our selues, yet it will come opportunely to our posteritie: For after many daies we shall finde it.
Yea but, will some men say, how is this true? I haue oftentimes cast my bread vpon the waters, giuen mine almes vnto the poore, and I haue a long time expected this reward, & as yet I can finde nothing. O but hearken what S. Chrysostome answereth in one of his Hom. Examine thy selfe O man, hath not God rewarded thy charitie with any blessing: who then hath giuen thée thy health, thy wealth, thy food and apparell: or if thou hast not yet in a full measure tasted héereof, expect notwithstanding, and waite the Lords leisure, surely hée deferreth these blessings for thine aduantage, that hée may [Page 74] pay thée at the last with the greater interest. For God is not like that king in Plutarch, who would alwaies say [...], I will giue to all men, and yet for all this, gaue nothing to any man. He is Yea and Amen in all his promises, and in time conuenient he will performe them. The promise of the womans séede was instantly made and opposed as a comfort against Adams fall, yet it was performed 3900. yéeres after in Christ Iesus. The promise of Israels returne out of Aegypt, is made a comfort vnto Abraham, yet 400. yéees seruitude must bée first indured, but in time conuenient this promise shall be performed. The promise of the Scepters continuance till Siloes comming is made to Iudah, yet shall many step in of other tribes; Moses out of Leuies tribe, Ioshuah out of Ephraims tribe, Saul out of Beniamins tribe; yet in time conuenient a poore Dauid shall be restored to the scepter of Iudah. Ioseph was not presently lifted vp aboue his brethren, but manie bitter gréefes were before indured. Iudah did not instantly finde release by Cyrus, but many sorowfull songs by the waters of [Page 75] Babylon must be chaunted: but at length the ones dignifying, the others deliuery, were in time conuenient performed. Hée that deferred the promised séed so manie hundred yéeres, and then sent; Israels deliuerance so many score of yéeres, and then wrought; crost Iudahs and Iosephs hopes so many waies, and then granted: why should we doubt but that the same God with whom the present and future tense is all one, will in conuenient time reward them that reléeue his? Why should we doubt but that if we thus lay out our money for the Lord, the Lord at the last will restore it? Why should we doubt, but that if we thus lend vnto the Lord, the Lord at the last will repay it? Why should we doubt, but that if we thus cast our bread vpon the waters, the Lord at the last will reward it, though we expect it manie daies? And so from the time héere specified, after manie daies, I now come to the reward it selfe héere proposed in the last words, thou shalt finde it, whereof by your patience a word or two, and so I will commit you to God.
Thou shalt finde it] inuenies illum, that [Page 76] is, saith Bonauenture, retributionem pro illo, a recompence for it. And what is this recompence? It is, saith one, septuplum, centuplum, millecuplum: seuenfold, an hundred fold, nay, a thousand fold more than the morsell of bread we cast vpon the waters, more than the measure of almes we giue vnto the poore: it is merces temporalis in hoc seculo & aeterna in futuro: a temporall reward of things transitorie héere on earth, & a full fruition of things eternall there in heauen: as the Caldie paraphrase and other interpreters doe expound it. And here you sée my brethren what a large field I haue yet to walke in, and what a sea of matter lies before me: but my purpose is not to tread euery path, nor to sound euerie Ocean. I will passe ouer this point tanquam canis in Nilo lambens, vel vt Ladas in puluere cursitans, as the dogs vse to lap in Nilus, and as Ladas trips it vpon the sands, catching a little here and there, and scarse leauing the print of my spéech any where: commending the rest to your priuate meditations, and to the effectuall operation of Gods holy spirit in your obedient hearts.
Thou shalt find it] That is both a temporall & eternall reward. First thou shalt finde a temporall reward. Honour the Lord, saith Salomon, by thy riches, that is, in distributing them vnto the poore: So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with wine, Pro. 3.9.10. For as a fountaine, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, the more it is drawne, the more it is filled with fresh, and, for the most part, swéeter water: So the more we draw the fountaine of our bounty, by casting vnto the poore, the more is our store replenished with a new supplie of manie blessings. And as when Iesus brake and distributed those fiue loaues to the fiue thousand mē, the bread was miraculously multiplied, to no lesse than twelue baskets full, Iohn 6. So when be breake our bread vnto the néedie, God doth as it were by a miracle multiplie the same, that in our basket and in our store, we may neuer want. When the widow of Sarepta made the Prophet a little cake with all her prouision, for this she was the richer, for behold the barrell of meale wasted not, and the oile in the cruse ceased not, 1. reg. 17. [Page 78] 16. when one Bonifacius gaue all his mothers corne vnto the poore, for this shée was the richer, for behold he praied and the Lord restored it in greater abundance than before, Greg. li. 1. dialog. ca 9. When Iohn the Patriarke of Alexandria, gaue fiue crownes vnto the poore, for this hée was the richer: for behold, a noble Ladie for these fiue gaue him fiftie crownes to the vse of his church, as Surius writeth in his life: Qui enim terrena subsidia largitur, ditior dando caelesti remuneratione redditur, saith S. Hierome on the Prouerbs: Hée that is made poore by giuing his almes, God makes him rich againe by rewarding his almes. He that thus scattereth is the more increased, Prou. 11.29. Would you then beloued learne the heauenly thrift, loe héere it is, bestow your treasure vpon the poore, and it shall bring you more profit then gold, Eccles. 29.11. Would you know where to finde much treasure, loe héere it is, a mans almes is a purse with him, and it shall pay euerie man his reward vpon his head, as it is in the 13. verse of the same chap. Would you liue in plentie all the daies of your life, lo [Page 79] héere it is, he that giueth vnto the poore shall neuer lacke, Prou. 28.27. Would you be assured of the reward of your charitie, loe héere it is, Cast your bread vpon the waters, and after manie daies you shall finde it. God is the same God still as able to requite, and as ready to reward the déeds of mercy as euer he was: And therfore if the bowels of thy charitie shall bée so farre inlarged, that thou cast all vnto the poore, and leaue nothing for thy selfe, yet be thou comforted with that which Tiberius the Emperour sometimes comforted himselfe withall, who hauing spent almost his whole treasury in the works of charitie, and being blamed by some of his friends for the same, returned them this answer: Though my money be gone, yet héere is my comfort, Deus non deerit fisco nostro, God will neuer be wanting in my exchequer: which afterwards he found true: for he did not so liberally giue to the poore, as God did liberally reward him with temporall blessings for the same, as Paulus Diaconus in his 3. libr. and 6. cap. of his Historie reporteth.
Hearken to this O all yée couetous [Page 80] vsurers and extortioners, you that beate your braines and busie your heads how you may make the greatest gaine and commoditie of your gold and siluer, shall I here teach you a new kind of vsury, a more cōmodious course, which I thinke you neuer yet heard of, or hearing it, I presume you neuer yet put in practise. If I should say vnto you as our Sauiour did to the rich man in the Gospell, Sell all that you haue and giue to the poore, and you shall haue a great reward in heauen; surely you would then saie, Durus est hic sermo, this is a hard saying, and with that rich man, you would not abide it. But yet let mée tell you, if you will purchase the greatest gaine by your riches, if you will set out your money to vsurie for the best commoditie, cast, if not all, yet the superfluities of your abundance vnto the néedie, and I will assure you by this meanes your gold shal bring you greater increase, than by all other kinds of vsury whatsoeuer: for you know the world is deceitfull, in setting your money to vsury; sometimes you are deceaued by a cousening Lawyer, and hée will teach your debtor a [Page 81] tricke to make your bond of none effect: Sometime you are deceaued by a beggerly bankabrupt, and where there is nothing, as the old saying is, not onely the subiect but euen the king must lose his right: and suppose the best, that both your debtor and his bond stand good, yet the most that you get by this meanes, is some ten in the hundred, or I will suppose twentie, and that peraduenture with such a perplexed conscience, as if all the furies in hell were already tormenting of you: But in this vsury which I propose, behold euery thing safe and certaine, Qui dat pauperi foeneratur domino, he that giueth vnto the poore sets out his money to vsurie to God, and he will recompence that which he hath giuen, Pro. 19.17. Here beloued, your debtor is a sure pay-master, almightie God: the bond or obligation wherewith he tieth himselfe vnto you, is his word, the least iot and tittle whereof shall neuer passe: the vse which he giueth, is not ten in the hundred, but more than ten times beyond the principall, manie temporall blessings in this world, which if it be too little, behold a greater reward, [Page 82] (which now commeth to be toucht in the last place) euerlasting happinesse in the world to come; & he that casteth his bread vpon the waters shall be sure to find it.
Thou shalt find it.] That is, thou shalt also finde this eternall reward. To cast our bread vpon the waters. To giue our almes vnto the poore, saith S. Chrysost. ad pop. Antioch. is, ars omnium quaestuosissima, the most gainfull arte of all other; for that is true of this kind of piety which S. Paul speaketh of godlinesse in generall, [...], it is profitable vnto all things, hauing the promise of this life, and of that which is to come, 1. Tim. 4.8. It is Viaticum in mundo, & thesaurus in coelo, instéed of our iourneying prouision, while we are wandring in this pilgrimage of our mortalitie, & a neuer failing treasure reserued in heauen for vs: Of the first you haue already heard; of the second how should you heare any thing, séeing flesh and bloud is able to speake therof little or nothing, it is too déepe a mysterie to be sounded, too intricate a point to be searched, too great a matter to be apprehended by the shallow conceit of a mortall [Page 83] man; had the Cherubin sanctified my lips as he did the Prophet Es. 6.7. had I the toong of men and angels, I were not able to expresse it: Let vs suppose all the pleasures and delights in this world composed in one, all the glorious shewes the eie hath séene, all the heauenly sounds the eare hath heard, all the pleasant odors the nose hath smelt, al the variety of swéet and mellifluous sauors the toong hath tasted, all the delightfull obiects the hands haue touched: Adde héereunto, not onely what nature, but whatsoeuer arte in her déepest knowledge can inuent, and al shall be nothing, but as a shadow in respect of that substance, as drosse in respect of that gold, as a cottage in respect of that pallace, as toies and trifles in respect of that heauenly reward, which these Amners of the Almightie God shall receaue in that daie. Then they that haue fedde the hungrie, and clothed the naked in this life, shall be made to sit downe at a table, and Christ himselfe shall come foorth and serue them: their meat shall be of the trée of life, in the midst of the paradise of God: their drinke shall be of the water of life, euer [Page 84] flowing and neuer wasting, their apparell shall be white arraie, their light shall be Christ himselfe, their companions shal be angels and archangels, their continual exercise shall be singing and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, which was, which is, and which is to come. Héere is that euerlasting reward of the louers of the poore: thus shall it be done to them in heauen, who haue pitied the néedy here on earth. O what a forcible argument should this be to euery one of vs, now with a liberall hand to cast our bread vpon these waters, séeing at the last we shall be so respected, séeing at the last we shall be so honored, séeing at the last wée shall finde so great and so glorious a reward! O what a cooling card will this be to thée, O thou hard hearted worldling, when thou shalt sée the liberall giuer rewarded with heauen, and thy selfe thrust downe to hell! for how wilt thou answer the Lord one for a thousand, when thou canst not giue account to the Lord of one part in a thousand, that thou hast giuen vnto the poore: How wilt thou answer him, when it shall be told thée, that thou wast [Page 85] but Gods steward of all that thou didst possesse, and therfore thou must make an account vnto him, how thou hast laid out all thy wealth and substance? What a miserable taking wilt thou be in, when thou canst not but confesse that thou hast spent thus much money on thy belly in daintie fare, and thus much money on thy backe in gaie apparell, and thus much money in vanitie, and thus much money in villanie, and thus much money in the sinne of wantonnesse, and thus much money in other wickednesse, and peraduenture scarce one pennie in the works of mercy? Nay what a miserable taking wilt thou bée in, when thou canst not but confesse that thou hadst so many thousand pounds abroad at vsurie, and so many thousand pounds at home rusting in thy treasurie, and yet in thy life didst neuer bestow one pound in the déedes of charitie? Let such rich and wretched men howle and wéepe, for the miseries that shal come vpon them: their riches are corrupt, their garments are moth-eaten, their gold and siluer is cankred, and the rust thereof shall bée a witnesse against them at the last day: [Page 86] Easier shall it bée for a camell to goe thorow the eie of a néedle, then for such to enter into the kingdome of heauen. And therefore let all such bunchbackt camels know, if they will be saued, they must cast away their burdens that hinder their course to this goale, they must pare away their bunches that hinder their passage through this strait and narrow gate: they must distribute their goods that otherwise will for euer barre them from their God. But to leaue them, and the torments vnlesse they repent, that shall neuer leaue them, and to conclude with our selues: Many of the ancient autors in their writings doe make report of a certaine countrey whose fashion was yéerely to choose their king, who had for that yéere absolute authoritie to doe what he list, but the yéere being ended, hée was deposed from his place, and thrust naked into a remote Iland, there to end his life in hunger and cold, and much want. Whereof one being aduertised, thought aforehand to preuent this inconuenience, and in that short time of his raigne, he sent ouer his wealth and treasure into that Iland, whereinto [Page 87] himselfe at the yéeres end being thrust naked and without meanes, he was relieued by that which carefully aforehand he had there prouided. Beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, were we all kings and princes neuer so noble, neuer so mightie, neuer so rich, we haue no assurance of any long continuance in this world, no not so much as for one yéere: for héere we haue no abiding citie, but we looke for one to come, Hebr. 13.14. our yere, that is, our short course of life, at last must haue an end: and as we came naked into the world, so must we returne naked out of the world, as Iob speaketh of himselfe, Iob 1.21. Let vs then my brethren with that wise king now in the time of plenty prouide against the future famine let vs now make vs friends of that vnrighteous mammon, that when we want, they may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations: let vs now make vs bags that waxe not old, a treasure that can neuer fail in heauē: let vs now send away wealth in distributing to the poore, Quod enim pauperi damus ante nos praemittimus, saith S. Aug. & hoc ibi inueniemus quod hic damus. And [Page 88] we shall finde that in heauen which wée giue them héere on earth. Let vs now play the wise merchants, as they venture much vpon the waters, so let vs vpon these waters. Regnum coelorū venale est, this day the kingdome of God is as it were set at sale vnto vs; O let vs sell all that we haue to buy this pearle: & yet we néed not sell all, for a small matter will buie it, an ouer-worne garment will buie it, a morsell of meat will buie it, a loafe of bread will buie it, a draught of drinke will buie it, a cup of cold water will buie it, a mite of siluer will buie it; not in respect of the merit of so small a gift, but in regard of the mercy of so great a God: for the word of God must bée true when euery man shall bée a liar: they that féed the poore when they are hungry, and refresh them when they are thirstie, and lodge them when they are wearie, and cloath them when they are naked, and visite them when they are sicke, shall then be comforted with a Come yee blessed, inherite an euerlasting kingdome. Cōtrariwise, they that haue hardned their hearts, & shut vp the bowels of compassion against them, [Page 89] shall receaue that dolefull sentence; Depart yée cursed into euerlasting fire, prepared for the diuel & his angels, Matth. 25.
Wherefore (right Honorable, &c.) to conclude all at the last: as Moses said to the people of Israel, I cal heauen and earth to record this day, that I haue set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both thou and thy séed may liue, Deut. 30.19. So our witnesses are both in heauen and earth, that this day both life and death are set before vs, the euerlasting reward which God hath prouided for the chearfull giuer, and the heauy iudgement which he hath prepared forthe couetous worldling. O then let vs follow the president of the one, and hate the practise of the other, that so wée may hope for comfort, that so we may liue for euer: let vs now admit the poore to our presence, that then we may be admitted to the presence of God: let vs now giue them our earthly mammon, that then God may giue vs heauenly manna: let vs now receaue them to our table, that then we may be receaued to eate & drinke in the kingdome of God: let vs now make [Page 90] them our companions in earth, that then we may be made cōpanions with angels & archangels in heauen. Let vs now helpe to sustaine their life in this pilgrimage of man, that then we may liue for euer in the citie of God: let vs now crowne them with our temporal blessings, that then we may be crowned with the crown of glory: let vs now cloath them with our apparel, that then we may be clothed with the garment of immortalitie: let vs now shew mercy vnto poore Iesus in them, that then our Iesus the God of mercy, may haue compassion vpon vs. Finally, let vs now cast our bread vpon these many and troubled, and salt, and running waters in this world, that then we may find bread and water, the bread of life & the water of life, the riches of Gods treasurie, & the abundance of his house in the world to come. Which the Lord of his infinite mercy grant vnto vs all to enioy after the miseries of this wofull and wretched life: not for our owne merits and deserts, but for the most glorious passion and ioyfull resurrection of Iesus Christ: to whom with the Father, and the blessed spirit be ascribed al honor and glory, &c.
The Author to the Reader.
BEing ouer intreated at this time to publish this Sermon, and hauing my selfe so manie necessarie imployments otherwise, I was constrained to send vnto the Printer, that one and only vnperfect copy which I had thereof; wherin if (by reason of mine owne absence) there happen to be many faults, the Christian and [Page] well disposed Reader, I hope, wil charitably censure them. As for the carping companions of our time, as I neuer desired to please them, so doe I not now seeke to satisfie them.