Com.8ì The right. tie of Riches. Chap. 8. 483 can live thereby and pay it again. Others arcfo impotent, that lending will not help them ; therefore God takes order for both, we mull lend to the firlt, and give freely to the other. Our Saviour joyneth both together, Give to him that asketh Mat, 5.42 andfromhim that would borrow turn thou not away. Again,St.Augufiine's counfel is, ifwe would have the word tö fru'tifie in us,not to let thorns grow aiming the feed, but to compafs the feedwith a hedge ofthorns, which is the proper ufe ofthem, and this is; whe our richesare bettowed in works. ofmercy, or elfe we mull inferere verbum finis, gr ft upon thefe thorns, by reliev- ing our poor brother. Here is a fcience'to be graft , we mullopen our hand and lend him, or if that will not ferve, we muffgive him. Thus we muffgraft, and then we may look for fruit in abundance. Chrift tells us , that God hath given us our talents to this pnrpofe. Negaria Luke 19. 13 mini damvenio. Occupy or Trade therewith till I come ; we mull imploy them for his advantage: , Now this occupying is , as himfelf faith in another place , by improving our talent,and laying ofit out for theufe ofthe hungry, the naked,and the Máí.2í.35,40 lick, if we expeët thebleffed reward from him : this is the bell way of inereafe, and the 'fureft way to bind him toreward us : For hebath to this purpofe 'madeanew promife in the Gofpel, that whatJhallbe done to the leaft oftheft his brethren, he will account it asdone to himfelf. As for thofe that the Wife man fpeaks of, which have vifeera crudelia, cruel bowels(the mercies ofthe wicked are cruel,) or as the Apoftle Prim; 20.10 fpeaks, Mina vifera,nobowels ,: or asSt.John fpeaks, Vifceraclaufa,clofebowels Phi1.2. i thut up, Co that no fruit of mercy comes from them; the love of God abides not in ' ''"n3' 7 them, nor can they expeel any part ofthis reward. Under theLaw God took fpecial order to meet with this fin ; fix years theywere Exod. 23.11 to plough and tow the land, and what fhould come of it, they were togather in for themfelves(the tenths both for the Prieft and poor fill dedufled) but in the feventh year, they muff let it lie, that thepoor of thepeople may eat ; and fo they were to do for the Vineyards and Olives. And when they did reap their fields, they werenot Lev. 19:9, io wholly to reap thecorners of their fields , nor to gatherthegleanings of the bar- veft,&c. but muff leave themfor the poor andflranger,and by an argument a compara- Deut.22,1 tis we may gather, that ifwhen a man Law his brothers. Afs goaffray; or any harm befall him, he muff not pafs by, but help him, much more muff he help hisbrother, ifany weaknefs befall him. Now becaufe our ownnecefïities mutt beregarded in the firftplace;forour direr tI- All rerfoldnc- on in this cafe, we mull know, that Divines fpeak ofa threefold neceffity, which cilli:y fome reduce to two, including the third under the Mil. Tho.2.2. 7.32: o. Necetas natura,the neceffity ofnature; thus every man isto provide forhim- ie. rem. 2. felf food, apparel, houfe room, and fuchneceffaries to fuftain nature: ' epufe. tra17.1. 2. Neceffitas perfona, perfonal necef ity, which extends not only to our felves,but v.6. to theftali of our houfhold, for which if a man providence, the Apoftle faith, he is Navar. Enviir. werfe than anInfidel: n24. n. 6. t Tìm.S g 3. The third is necetas ffatùs conclitianis. When befides the former, we would have wherewithal to liveaccording to our !late and condition, and this con= liftsnot in indivifbill, in anindivitible point,. but admits a great latitude according to the feveral ranks, callings, and conditions ofmen. Thus ifaman have three hun- dredpounds, he hath as much as will ferJe.him in his condition, and yet if another bath three thoufand pounds, he hath no more than will ferve him in another con- dition. Now when a man bath what is neceffary in the two Mil refpc li, thenhe mull prefer thenecellìties of the poor, before hisown in the third refpè t ; for then that precept of Chrift takes place, 21A4'11 -róv7a <Pirs issaµea,lµac give alms as much as >r ?á 4ór7a. i., you are able. That is, when the two heft necellities are ferved: for if there be ne- dem quad ,6-1 cellity either ofour nature or perfon, we are.not thenbound to give, but ofthefur- aá ¡AN, plufage, which we have over andabove, unlefs it be in cafe of extreain neceffity of quantum po. our brother, or of the publickneceiliities of the Church (our own i,ecefiìty not be- teffümaximè, ing prefent or extream) as thofe Gorinths commended by the Apoftle, who though ita refpondet theywere iv ß u, in deep poverty, yet they gaveto their peee, yea, and Ara(atr, ,ái,ti a. beyond theirability. Hebt. flPQ Deut: 16. TO P' pp 2 Chryfoffome 2 Cor. S. 23
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