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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67760	An infallible vvay to farewell in our bodies, names, estates, precious souls, posterities : together with, mens great losse of happinesse, for not paying, the small quitrent of thankfulness : whereunto is added remaines of the P.A., a subject also of great concernment for such as would enjoy the blessed promises of this life, and of that ot come / by R. Younge ...	Younge, Richard.	1660 (1660)	Wing Y165; ESTC R3044	119,764	146

gteat pity the State does not by him as Epaminondas did by such another who having notice of a rich man that had no care of the poor but would answer them like churlish Nabal Shall I give my meat and drink unto men whom I know not Or like Cardan Doctor of Physick in Rome who when Out-landish Schollars came to him would answer them What have I to do with Forraigners I am Cardan I care for no man except he brings me money sent a poor man to him and commanded him under great penalty to give him presently six hundred Crowns who hearing it came to Epaminondas and asked him the cause thereof Who replyed This man is poor and honest and thou who hast cruelly robbed the Commonwealth art rich and so compelled him to be liberal in spight of his teeth Howbeit if they hanged him up as Atillus a good King of this Land did all oppressors of the poor and distributed their Goods to those they had impoverished they did him no wrong But for want of this like Horse-Leeches or a sort of Vermin too homely to name that have no place for voidance of their excrements being nevertheless very insatiable they swell with sucking of blood and so burst O the wretched and sad condition of a sordid sensual self-lover of a covetous miserly muck-worm and the small hope there is of his being better The salvage creatures as Lyons Tygers Bears c. by Gods appointment and instinct came to seek the Ark men did not onely slight it but scorned and scoffed at it Nebuchadnezzar was more a Beast before he grazed in the Forrest then while he did or afterward The death of Christ darkned the Sun shoke the earth clave the Rocks opened the Graves and raised the dead all could not put faith into the Jews hearts brutish yea even senseless Creatures are more sensible then corrupted reason And of all the rest of the Jews the Scribes and Pharisees who were covetous were the least sensible because they did shut their eyes stopt their ears and barrocado their hearts against all our Saviour did or said which is just the case of these men All objects to a meditating Solomon a wise and holy Christian are like wings to reare and m●●nt up his thoughts to Heaven But these sit like sots under the sound of Gods Word and are not at all sensible yea though they feel his Ax at the root of their consciences be smitten with some remorse yet they go on in sin But what became of Pharoah that would not hearken to Moses though he came with a Message from God Of the rich Glutton that made no more reckoning of Moses and the Prophets Of Lot's sons in Law that counted their Fathers fore-warnings a meer mockage The Birds of the Ayre seem to be wiser then we for when they know the Gin they will avoid it But we knowing the Devils illusions yet wilfully run into them Sin blinded Sampson so that finding Dallilah's treachery three times could not be warned although he never found her true in any thing Judg. 16. The case of all impenitent sinners but especially of the covetous as hereafter they wil acknowledge when Hell Flames hath opened their eyes which Covetousness hitherto hath blinded and made meer Atheists for they acknowledge no other God but Mammon Every covetous man is a close Atheist as thinking it weakness to believe wisdom to profess any Religion The Children of Israel would not believe Samuel before they saw a miracle 1 Sam. 12. 16. c. should the covetous man see as many miracles as Moses wrought before Pharoah he would be the same man stil and a rare miracle it wil be if ever he be saved as our Saviour shews Mar. 10 25. CHAP. LI. ANd so you have in this and the other two parts of the Poors Advocate the necessity the matter the manner the nature the kinds the quantity the subject the object the time or continuance the means the motives the ends the impediments the remedies of this most excellent Grace or Christian Duty so oft pressed patterned and commended in the Word It remains onely that I should apply them for I have more need to press the payment then prove the Debt though sure I am it is from the foulness of mens stomacks prevailing above the goodness of the food if what hath been delivered does not prove effectual Wherefore in the first place Hath God so strictly commanded it And is there such a necessity of shewing mercy to the poor members of Jesus Christ That there is no being saved without it hath God therefore given us all that we may impart some part thereof to others that want Shall God have glory by it Hath he promised to bless the merciful man in his temporal civil spiritual and eternal estate Is there no such way to grow rich as by being bountiful to the poor Is it the most certain and infallible way never to want Is sparing in this case the worst thrift Wil with-holding from the poor bring a man to poverty Shal we have the benefit of their prayers and their loins to bless us Is this the Way to obtain God's blessing upon our persons whereby we shall be kept in perpetual safety delivered from the malicious practises of all our enemies Will God hear us and send us succor in all times of need as we hear and pity the poor and even make our beds when we are sick Wil what we have this way distributed stand us in more stead at the hour of Death and Day of Judgement then all the Wealth in the World Shall the merciful be rewarded with illumination and conversion Wil these Works of Mercy bring such joy and peace confirm our hope and sweeten all our afflictions Are they evident signs of saving Graces And do they assure us of our future reward and fruition of God's presence hereafter Is it the onely way to an honourable and honest repute and report living and dead procuring all love and respect from good and bad Will God ●bless the merciful man with an happy match a godly off-spring Shall what we give be paid again unto our children and posterity with an addition of all other blessings who otherwise shall not prosper but be Vagabonds and beg their bread Is it a thing so pleasing to God that he accounts what is given to them as lent to him And so acceptable to Christ by reason of the near union that is between him the poor and us being but one mistical body whereof he is the Head that what we do to them his members he takes as done to himself and will accordingly reward it or plague the neglect thereof both upon us ours here and our bodies and souls hereafter Is it so that what we disburse in this World we shall receive again by Bill of Exchange in Heaven And that it is not so much given as laid up insomuch that we may truly say What we gave

the L●●d to provide for their childrens bodies not for their soules to shew that they begat not their soules but their bodies to leave faire estates for the worser part nothing for the estate of the better part They desire to leave their children great rather then good and are more ambitious to have their sons Lords on earth than Kings in heaven But as he that provides not for their temporall estate is worse then an Infidell 1 Tim. 5. 8. So he that provides not for their eternall estate is little better then a Devill The use which I would have you make of the premisses is this Let none refuse to give because they have many children but give the rather out of love to and for their children sakes that God who as you see hath ingaged himselfe may be their Guardian and provide and take care for them Or if not for their soules yet for thine owne For why shouldest thou love thy children better then thine owne person and in providing for them neglect thy selfe Yea why shouldst thou preferre their wealth before thine own soule and their flourishing estate in the world which is but momentany and mutable before the fruition of those joyes which are infinite and everlasting Will it nor grieve and gall thy conscience another day to thinke that for getting or saving some trifles for thy posterity on earth thou hast lost Heaven or to remember that thy children ruffle it out in worldly wealth and superfluous abundance when thou shalt be stripped of all and want a drop of cold water to cool thy scorching soul in hell CHAP. XXXV Thus I might go on and inlarge my selfe upon this and add thereunto many other reasons First in regard of God Secondly in regard of Christ. Thirdly in regard of the poore Fourthly in regard of others I should also according to the order first proposed shew what are the ends to he propounded in our giving almes and lastly the severall impediments that hinder men from giving but I finde which when I fell upon it I did not soresee matter representing it selfe like those waters in Ezekiel Chap. 47. which at the first were but anckle deep and then knee deep and then up to the loynes which afterwards did so rise and flow that they were as a River which could not be passed over Or like that little cloud which Elias his servant saw 1 Kings 18. Much hath been said of this subject but much more might be said for I could carry you a great way further and yet leave more of it before then behind But I am loth to tire my Reader or cause any to make an end before they begin as not seldome doth Addition in this case bring forth substraction and more writ cause lesse to be read Wherefore I will onely give you the sum of some few particulars briefly and leave the rest That little which I intend to deliver is First the neer communion that is between the poor and us with our head Christ. For besides the civill communion that is between all men as being of one fl●sh the off-spring and generation of God Acts 17 28 29. The sonnes of the same Father Adam and Noah and so brethren one with another and proceeding as so many flowers from one root many Rivers from one fountain many arteries from one hea●t many veines from one liver and many ●ine●s from one braine And likewise of the same Country Common-wealth yea of the same City and Corporation yea perhaps neer Neighbours and parishi●ners every of which the Holy Ghost maketh a sufficient argument to move us to do these works of mercy in relieving the poor Isa. 58. 6 7. There are many spirituall respects and divine relations which make a more neer communion between Christians one with another for we are elected to the same eternall life and happinesse we are not onely Gods workmanship created in Adam according to his owne glorious image but re●created and restored unto the divine Image lost by Adam in Christ the second Adam we are redeemed in our soules and bodies with the same precious blood of Jesus Christ we are partakers of the same calling whereby we are chosen out of the world and gathered into the Church and communion of Saints that we may inherit eternall glory together and that out of darknesse into marvellous light and out of a desperate condition to be partakers of the same precious promises And by vertue of this Calling we serve one and the same God are of one Church and family and have one Religion one faith one baptisme are invited guests to the same Table and Supper of our Lord are all Heirs and Co-heires of the same heavenly kingdome and therein annexed also with Christ our elder brother Finally we are brethren of the same Father the onely Spouse of the same heavenly Bridegroom and members of the same mystical body whereof Jesus Christ is the head so that the neerest and strongest communion that can be imagined is between Christians one with another and all of them with their head Jesus Christ And should not all this move us to relieve them Yea more then all this If we do good to our fellow-fellow-members the benefit will redound unto our selves who are of the same body even as the hand giving nourishment to the mouth and the mouth preparing it for the stomacke do in nourishing it provide nourishment for themselves also Yea more then all this there is such a neare and strong union and communion with the poor together with us and with our head Christ our Saviour That he esteem●th th●● as done to himselfe which is done unto them even as the head acknowledgeth the benefit done unto it which the meanest member of the body receiveth Yea in truth that is much more acceptable which we do for his poor members then if we should do it to his owne person as being a signe of greater love For it is but an ordinary kindnesse to confer benefits upon our dearest friends but to extend our bounty to the poorest and meanest that belong unto them is a signe of much greater love For if for their sakes onely we do good unto these how much more would we be ready to do it unto themselves if they had occasion to crave our help And as in this regard he much esteemeth this Christian bounty so he will richly reward it also at the day of ●udgeme●t For then these mercifull men who have relieved the poor for Christs sake shall with ravishing joy heare that sentence Come ye blessed of my Father because the works of mercy which they have done to the poor Christ will acknowledge as done unto himselfe And this will more rejoyce thy soale hereafter then it doth now refresh the others body when Christ shall say unto thee Come thou blessed and inherit the Kingdome Nor will it then repent thee that thou hast parted with a small part of what God hath given thee to the poor CHAP. XXXVI And

the day could not finish my wonted Devotions neither accomplish my usual prayer But wishing that all men might be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth I folded and wrapped my self in the snares of the Devil I got me unto the wicked Assembly I required of them to perform the Covenant made the night before and coming as I thought unto the Baptism I silly soul not knowing of any thing answered but in a word and became reproachfully defamed I spake without malice yet felt I their inveterate and deadly spite for instantly the Divel raised an Assembly about me who carried me to an Altar of theirs where a foul filthy Ethopian being appointed this option or choice was offered unto me namely Whether I would sacrifice to the Idol or have my Body polluted with that foul and ugly Ethiopian In which strait I having ever kept my Chastity undefiled and much abhorring that filthy villany to be done to my body brake out into many moans lamentations and cryes against both Yet O wretched man that I am at length yeilded rather to sacrifice Whereupon the Judge putting Incense into my hand caused me to set it to the fire upon the Altar for the which impiety I was delivered both from that and Martyrdom But upon my discharge the Devil raised such an out-cry in the City in pronouncing against me that just and yet unjust sentence Origen hath sacrificed Whereupon he was excommunicated out of the Church and driven with shame and sorrow out of Alexandria and going to Jerusalem and being there among the Congregation was requested by the Priests to make some Exhortation in the Church to the people the which he refused to do for a great while but at length being constrained through importunity he rose up and turning the booke as though he would have expounded some place of the Scripture he hap'ned upon read onely the 16. verse of the 50. Psalm where he found it thus written But God said unto the sinner What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldst take my Covenant into thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my Word behind thee Which being read he shut the Book and sate down weeping and wailing the whole Congregation weeping and lamenting with him he said unto the Church Wo is me my Mother which brought me forth as an high and lofty Terret yet suddenly I am turned down to the ground as a fruitful Tree yet quickly withered as a burning Light yet forthwith darkned as a running Fountain yet by and by dried up Wo is me that ever I was decked with all gifts and graces and now seem pitifully to be deprived of all The Lord hath made and ingrafted me a fruitful Vine but instead of pleasant Clusters of Grapes I brought forth pricking Thorns Let the Well-springs of tears be stirred up and let my Cheeks be watered let them flow upon the earth and moisten it for that I am soaked in sin and bound in mine iniquity every creature sorroweth and may well pity my case for that I was wont heretofore to pour out my prayers unto God for them all but now there is no salve for me Where is he that went down from Jerusalem to Jericho who also salved and cured him that was wounded of the Thieves Whenas I went about to enlighten others I darkned my self when I endeavoured to bring others from death to life I brought my self from life to death Oh blinded heart how didst thou not remember O foolish mind how didst thou not bethink thy self O witless brain how didst thou not understand O thou Sence of Understanding Where didst thou sleep But it was the Devil which provoked thee to slumber and sleep and in the end to slay thy unhappy wretched soul He bound my power and might and wonded me I bewail sometime the fall of Sampson but now have I faln far worse my self I bewailed heretofore the fall of Solomon yet now am I faln far worse my self I have bewailed heretofore the estate of all sinners yet now am I plunged worse then them all Sampson had the hair of his head clipt off but the Crown of Glory is faln off my head Sampson lost the curnal eyes of his body but my spiritual eyes are digged out Even as he was severed from the Israelites and held captive among Idolaters so I have separated my self from the Church of God and am joined with evil spirits Alas my Church liveth yet am I a Widower Alas my Sons be alive yet am I barren Alas O Spirit which camest heretofore down upon me why hast thou forsaken me O thou Devil what hast thou done unto me O Satan how hast thou wounded me It was the wiliness of a Woman that brought Sampson to his confusion but it was my own Tongue that brought me to this sinful Fall Alas every Creature rejoiceth and I alone forsaken and sorrowful Bewaile him that is bereaved of the Holy Ghost bewail me that am thrust out of the Wedding-Chamber of Christ bewail me that am tormented with the prick of Conscience for now it behoveth me to shed infinite tears for my great sin Who knoweth whether the Lord wil have mercy upon me Whether he will pity my fall Whether he will be moved with my desolation Whether he will have respect unto my humility and incline his tender compassion towards me Now let the Elders mourn for that the staffe whereto they leaned is broken Now let they young men mourn for that their School-Master is faln Now let the Virgins mourn for that the advancer of Virginity is defiled Now let the Priests mourn for that their Patron and Defender is shamefully falne from the Faith Assist me holy Spirit and give me Grace to repent Let the fountain of tears be opened and gush out into streams to see if that peradventure I may have the grace worthily and throughly to repent Why hast thou shut my mouth by the holy Prophet David Am I the first that have sinned Or am I the first that fell Why hast thou forsaken me and banished me from among the Saints and astonied me to preach thy Laws Saint Peter the Pillar of truth after his fall wiped away that bitter passion of forswearing his Master with monrnful tears and was purged from the venom of the Serpent in a short time Restore me again to my former health of salvation O all ye which behold my wounds tremble for fear least God forsake you and you fall into the like crime O wo is me that I am fevered from among the company of the blessed Assemblies I have my death's wound I see the Clouds in the Skye shadowing the Light from me and the Sun hiding from me his bright beams O Satan What mischief hast thou wrought unto me How hast thou pierced my breast with thy poysoned Dart Thinkest thou that my ruine will avail thee any thing at all Thinkest thou to procure unto thy self ease and rest whiles that