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A96106
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A plea for almes delivered in a sermon at the spital, before a solemn assembly of the city, on Tuesday in Easter week, April. 13. 1658. / By Thomas Watson Minister of Stephens Walbrook. Lond.
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Watson, Thomas, d. 1686.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing W1137; Thomason E2125_1; ESTC R230810
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21,949
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77
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eodem luto they are fellow-members of the same body The members do by a Law of equity and sympathy contribute one to another the eye conveyes light to the body the heart blood the head spirits That is a dead member in the body which doth not communicate to the rest Thus it is also in the body politick let no man think it is too far below him to minde the wants and necessities of others it is pity but that hand should be cut off which disdaines to pluck a thorne out of the foot It is spoken in the honour of that Renowned Princesse the Emperesse of Theodosius the great that she did her self visit the sick and prepare relief for them with her own imperial hands Arg. 6 Argument 6. We are not Lords of an estate but Stewards and how soon may we hear that word redde rationem Give an account of thy stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Luk. 16. 2. An estate is a talent to trade with 't is as dangerous to hide our talent * as to spend it Mat. 25. 25 30. If the covetous man keeps his gold too long it will begin to rust and the rust of it will witnesse against him * Arg. 7 Argument 7. The examples of others who have been famous and renown'd for acts of Charity 1. Our Lord Christ a great example of Charity He was not more full of merit than bounty Trajan the Emperour did rend off a piece of his own robe to wrap his souldiers wounds Christ did more he made a medicine of his body and blood to heale us Isaiah 53. 5. By his stripes ye are healed Here was a pattern of Charity without a parallel * 2. The Jewes are noted in this kind 'T is a rabbinical observation that those who live devoutly among the Jewes distribute a tenth part of their estate among the poor and they give so freely saith Philo the Jew as if by giving they hoped to receive some great gratuity now if the Jewes are so devoted to workes of mercy who live without Priest without Temple without Messiah shall not we much more who professe our faith in the blessed Messiah 3. Let me tell you of Heathens I have read of Titus Vespasian he was so inured to works of mercy that remembring he had given nothing that day cried out diem perdidi I have lost a day 'T is reported of some of the Turkes that they have servants whom they employ on purpose to enquire what poor they have and they send relief to them and the Turkes have a saying in their Alcoran that if men knew what a blessed thing it were to distribute Almes rather than spare they would give some of their own flesh to relieve the poor and shall not a Christians Creed be better than a Turkes Alcoran But Right Honourable and Beloved we are not left this day without witnesse I desire to speak it to the glory of God and the Renown of this City there hath been both in the dayes of our worthy Progenitors and is still to this day among many of you a spirit of sympathy and compassion Regia crede mihi res est succurrere lapsis When poor indigent creatures have been as Moses laid in the Ark of bulrushes ready to sink in the waters of affliction you have been temporal saviours to them and have drawn them out of the waters with a golden cord When they have been ready to make their own grave vou have built them Hospitals The milk of your Charity hath nursed them up and while they have sate under your vines they have eat the sweet grape we reade that they shewed Peter the garments and coates which Dorcas made Acts 9. 39. And may we not this day behold the COATS which have been made to cloath the indigent Go on still to do worthily in Ephrata and by these your acts of munificence to blazen your Coat of Armes and eternize your fame Argu. 8 I shall use but one Argument more to perswade to Charity and that is the reward which followes Almes-deeds Giving of Almes is a glorious work and let me tell you 't is no unfruitful work * They that sow mercy shall reap mercy Whatsoever is disbursed to the poor is given to Christ Mat. 25. 40. Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me The poor mans hand is Christs Treasury and there is nothing lost which is put there * There is a reward 1. In this life The Charitable man is crown'd with a blessing He is blessed 1. In his person Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considers the poor God casts a favourable aspect upon him 2. Blessed in his name So it is in the Text his horn shall be exalted with honour and Psalme 112. 6. He shall be had in everlasting lasting remembrance his name shall be gloriously enbalm'd 3. Blessed in his estate Omni rerum copia affluet Prov. 11. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat He shall not onely have the venison but the blessing 4. Blessed in his posterity Psal. 37. 26. He is ever merciful and lendeth his seed is blessed He shall not onely leave an estate behinde but a blessing behinde to his children and God will see that the Entail shall not be cut off 5. Blessed in his negotiations Deut. 15. 10. For this thing the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto The Charitable man shall be blessed in his building planting journying whatever he is about a blessing shall empty it selfe upon him Quicquid calcaverit rosa fiet He shall be a prosperous man The honey-combe of a blessing shall be still dropping upon him 6. Blessed with long life Psal. 41. 2. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive * He hath help'd to keep others alive and God will keep him alive Is there any thing then lost by Charity It spinnes out the silver thread of life Many are taken away the sooner for their unmercifulnesse because their hearts are streightned their lives are shortned 2. The great reward is in the life to come Aristotle joynes these two together {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} liberality and utility God will reward the merciful man though not for his workes yet according to his works Revel. 20. 12. I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the bookes were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their workes As God hath a bottle to put your teares in so he hath a book to write your Almes in As God will put a vail over his peoples sinnes so he will set a Crown upon their workes The way to lay up is to lay out Other parts of your estate you leave behinde * but that which is