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and Chriftian reverence, we may endeavour ourselves to hear and to read his facred Scriptures, and inwardly fo to digeft them, as fhall be to the comfort of our fouls, fanctification of his holy name: to whom with the Son and the Holy Ghoft, three perfons, and one living God, be all laud, honour, and praife, for ever and ever.

Amen.

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AN

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HOMILY

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Alms-Deeds, and Mercifulness towards the Poor and

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Needy.

MONGST the manifold duties that Almighty God requireth of his faithful fervants the true Chriftians, by the which he would that both his name fhould be glorified, and the certainty of their vocation declared, there is none that is either more acceptable unto him, or more profitable for them, than are the works of mercy and pity fhewed upon the poor, which be afflicted with any kind of mifery. And yet this notwithstanding, fuch is the flothful fluggishness of our dull nature to that which is good and godly, that we are almost in nothing more negligent and lefs careful than we are therein. It is therefore a very neceffary thing, that God's people fhould awake their fleepy minds, and confider their duty on this behalf. And meet it is that all true Chriftians fhould defiroufly feek and learn what God by his holy Word doth herein require of them: that firft knowing their duty, (whereof many by their flackness seem to be very ignorant) they may afterwards diligently endeavour to perform the fame. By the which both the godly charitable perfons may be encouraged to go forwards and continue in their merciful deeds of alms-giving to the poor, and alfo fuch as hitherto have either neglected or contemned it, may yet now at length, when they fhall hear how much it appertaineth to them, advisedly confider it, and virtuously apply themselves thereunto.

And to the intent that every one of you may the better understand that which is taught, and alfo eafilier bear away, and fo take more fruit of that fhall be faid,

when

when feveral matters are feverally handled; I mind particularly, and in this order, to speak and intreat of thefe points.

First, I will fhew how earnestly Almighty God in his holy Word doth exact the doing of alms-deeds of us, and how acceptable they be unto him.

Secondly, How profitable it is for us to use them, and what commodity and fruit they will bring unto us.

Thirdly and lastly, I will thew out of God's Word, that whofo is liberal to the poor, and relieveth them plenteoufly, fhall notwithstanding have fufficient for himself, and evermore be without danger of penury and fcarcity.

Concerning the firft, which is the acceptation and dignity, or price of alms-deeds before God: know this, that to help and fuccour the poor in their need and mifery pleafeth God fo much, that, as the holy Scripture in fundry places recordeth, nothing can be more thankfully taken or accepted of God. For firft we read, that Almighty God doth account that to be given and to be beftowed upon himself, that is bestowed upon the poor: for fo doth the Holy Ghoft teftify unto us by the Wife Man, faying, He Prov. xix. that bath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord himself. And Chrift in the Gospel avoucheth, and as a moft certain truth bindeth it with an oath, that the alms bestowed upon the poor was beftowed upon him, and fo fhall be reckoned at the laft day. For thus he faith to the charitable alms-givers, when he fitteth as Judge in the doom, to give fentence of every man according to his deferts: Verily I fay unto you, whatsoever good and merciful deed you Matt. xxv. did upon any of the least of thefe my brethren, ye did the fame unto me. In relieving their hunger, ye relieved mine; in quenching their thirst, ye quenched mine; in clothing them, ye clothed me; and when ye harboured them, ye lodged me alfo; when ye vifited them, being fick in prifon, ye vifited me. For as he that hath received a prince's embaladors, and entertaineth them well, doth honour the prince from whom thofe embaffadors do come; fo he that receiveth the poor and needy, and helpeth them in their affliction and diftrefs, doth thereby receive and honour Chrift their Mafter, who, as he was poor and needy himfelf whilft he lived here amongst us, to work the mystery of our falvation, at his departure hence he promifed in his ftead to fend unto us thofe that were poor, by whofe means his abfence fhould be fupplied and therefore that we would do unto him, we must do unto them. And for this caufe doth the Almighty God fay unto Mofes, The land wherein you dwell shall Deut. xv.

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1. Theff. v.

Ifa. Iviii.

Tobit iv.

never be without poor men: because he would have continual trial of his people, whether they loved him or no, that in fhewing themfelves obedient unto his will, they might certainly affure themselves of his love and favour towards them, and nothing doubt, but that as his law and ordinance (wherein he commanded them that they should open their hand unto their brethren that were poor and needy in the land) were accepted of them, and willingly performed; fo he would on his part lovingly accept them, and truly perform his promifes that he had made unto them.

The holy Apoftles and Difciples of Chrift, who, by reafon of his daily converfation, faw by his deeds, and heard in his doctrine, how much he tendered the poor; the godly Fathers alfo, that were both before and fince Christ, endued without doubt with the Holy Ghost, and moft certainly certified of God's holy will; they both do moft earnestly exhort us, and in all their writings almost continually admonifh us, that we would remember the poor, and beftow our charitable alms upon them. St. Paul crieth unto us after this fort; Comfort the feeble minded, lift up the weak, and be charitable towards all men. Heb. xiii. And again, To do good to the poor, and to diflribute alms gladly, fee that thou do not forget, for with fuch facrifices God is pleafed. Ifaiah the Prophet teacheth on this wife: Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor wandering home to thy boufe. When thou feeft the naked, fee thou clothe him, and bide not thy face from thy poor neighbour, neither defpife thou thine own flesh. And the holy father Tobit giveth this counfel; Give alms, faith he, of thine own goods, and turn never thy face from the poor; eat thy bread with the bungry, and cover the naked avith thy clothes. And the learned and godly Doctor Chryfoftom giveth admonition: Antioch. Let merciful alms be always with us as a garment; that is, as mindful as we will be to put our garments upon us, to cover our nakedness, to defend us from the cold, and to fbew ourjelves comely; fo mindful let us be at all times and feafons, that we give alms to the poor, and fhew ourselves merciful towards them. But what mean thefe often admonitions and earnest exhortations of the Prophets, Apoftles, Fathers, and holy Doctors? Surely, as they were faithful to God ward, and therefore difcharged their duty truly, in telling us what was God's will; fo, of a fingular love to us ward, they laboured not only to inform us, but alfo to perfuade us, that to give alms, and to fuccour the poor and needy, was a very acceptable thing, and an high facrifice to God, wherein he greatly delighted, and had a fingular

Ad Pop.

Hom.

XXXV.

pleasure,

pleafure. For fo doth the Wife Man, the fon of Sirach, teach us, faying, Whofo is merciful aad giveth alms, he of- Ecclus. fereth the right thank-offering. And he addeth thereunto, xxxiii, The right thank-offering maketh the altar fat, and a sweet fmell it is before the Higheft; it is acceptable before God, and fball never be forgotten.

And the truth of this doctrine is verified by the examples of those holy and charitable fathers, of whom we read in the Scriptures, that they were given to merciful compaffion towards the poor, and charitable relieving of their neceffities. Such a one was Abraham, in whom God had fo great pleasure, that he vouchfafed to come unto him in form of an angel, and to be entertained of him at his houfe. Such was his kinfman Lot, whom God fo favoured for receiving his meffengers into his houfe, which otherwife fhould have lain in the street, that he faved him with his whole family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Such were the holy fathers Job and Tobit, with many others, who felt moft fenfible proofs of God's fpecial love towards them. And as all thefe by their mercifulness and tender compaffion, which they fhewed to the miferable afflicted members of Chrift, in the relieving, helping, and fuccouring them with their temporal goods in this life, obtained God's favour, and were dear, acceptable, and pleasant in his fight; fo now they themselves take pleafure in the fruition of God, in the pleasant joys of heaven, and are alfo in God's eternal Word fet before us, as perfect examples ever before our eyes, both how we fhall pleafe God in this mortal life, and alfo how we may come to live in joy with them in everlafting pleasure and felicity. For moft true is that faying which Auguftine hath, that the giving of alms and relieving of the poor is the right way to heaven. Via Coeli pauper eft; The poor man, faith he, is the way to beaven. They ufed in times paft to fet in highway fides the picture of Mercury, pointing with his finger which was the right way to the town. And we ufe in crofs-ways to fet up a wooden or ftone crois, to admonish the travelling man which way he muft turn, when he cometh thither, to direct his journey aright. But God's word (as St. Auguftine faith) hath fet in the way to heaven the poor man and his houfe, fo that whofo will go aright thither, and not turn out of the way, muft go by the poor. The poor man is that Mercury that shall fet us the ready way: and if we look well to this mark, we fhall not wander much out of the right path. The

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