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A24598 Christian charity to poor prisoners, especially those for debt communicated in a letter by a gentleman to a poor prisoner, his friend in prison in London, June 1694. P. A. 1696 (1696) Wing A22; ESTC R4517 6,962 16

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Christian Charity TO Poor Prisoners especially those for DEBT Communicated in a Letter by a Gentleman to a Poor Prisoner his Friend in Prison in London June 1694. Matth. 25. ●6 I was in Prison and ye came unto me LONDON Printed for Eliz. Whitlock near Stationers-Hall 1696. Christian Charity to Poor Prisoners especially those for Debt communicated in a Letter by a Gentleman to a Poor Prisoner his Friend in Prison in London June 1694. CAptivity and Imprisonment cannot as I humbly conceive but be accounted in Reason in the number of the greatest and sorest Evils of this Life to Mankind therefore not unfitly represented in those two Verses following which I have long since met with A Prison is a House of Care a Place where few can thrive A Touchstone for to try a Friend a Grave to Men alive For Man doubtless is a vigorous active Being Created for Action and Business for Society and Conversation yea to have entercourse even with the whole World and this is no wonder considering with Seneca their Divine Original therefore those Restraints which a Prison puts upon Men's natural appetites and desires in those outward Concerns of the World must needs be apprehended by Man as a very great Evil and Affliction and in truth very burthensome to Mankind Now to be Instrumental somewhat to alleviate this weighty Affliction of a Prison and to make it if not easie yet portable and comfortable in some measure but further also very advantagious and beneficial to the Poor Sufferers especially as to the Improvement of their Minds and conducive to their Eternal Welfare in the other World as it is the main end of this intended Discourse so it will I humbly conceive be no contemptible piece of Charity and what God may accept from him who is not in a Capacity for the other external Charities to the Body and therefore hopes it may find a favourable reception with God and with all honest and ingenuous Minds It is most true what the Scripture speaks Heb. 12.11 That no Affliction or Chastisement for the present seems joyous but grievous but yet afterwards yieldeth the peaceable fruits of Righteousness to them that shall be exercised thereby that is as I humbly conceive who shall be so affected with their sufferings as to cause them to break off their Sins by true Repentance and to see to the well regulating of their Lives when they can say with good David Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word and vers 71. It is a good thing that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes and vers 75. I know O Lord that thy judgments are right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me For then we may say truly O blessed Prison the shackling and fettering of the Body when it becomes a means of the freedom and enlargement of the Soul and Mind and to be thereby freed from the greatest Captivity and Slavery in the World the Drudgery and Bondage of Sin and Satan making us become the Servants of God the Favorites of Heaven This Blessing would make you to be free Prisoners indeed and give you cause to rejoice and triumph in your sufferings and say O blessed Prison and Confinement which caused me to consider of my ways and to become serious and wise to think of God and to consider my self and to make my Peace with Heaven and to make it my business to store my Soul with Grace and Vertue to capacitate me thereby for Eternal Happiness hereafter for as a late worthy Author discourseth since Man was Created for a supernatural and divine end so the Life which disposeth to that end is divine and supernatural according to that Maxim in Philosophy that the end and the means ought to be proportioned and of one and the same order And now may I not say that none but a Fool or a Mad-man but would desire that his Afflictions and Imprisonment might be thus blessed to him and made thus advantagious for his Eternal Welfare even a greater advantage than Joseph had from his Imprisonment in Egypt To the promoting of which great end may I present to your view those great benefits and advantage you may make by your Confinement to a Prison As first your Imprisonment hath freed you from many Temptations that usually attended you in your Trade and worldly Employments for as Solomon tells us Ecclesiast 27.2 As a nail sticks fast between the joyning of the Stones so doth sin stick close between buying and selling 2. You are in a present afflicted and suffering Condition and it is usually observed that the eye that sin shuts pain opens for if ever Men will be serious and consider and be wise it must be under sufferings And this in truth is God's end in sending them as the before-mentioned Scriptures with many others testifie That Holy Father St. Austin therefore says of himself Periissem nisi periissem i.e. I had perished and been undone for ever had I not been sorely afflicted in this Life for as another speaks Afflictio domat cupiditates ex erat fidem Coronat patientiam i. e. Affliction tames and subdues our lusts and vices quickeneth and exerciseth our Faith and Trust in God and Crowns our Patience 3. By your Imprisonment you have the great advantage of Time and Leasure for consideration reading meditating and performing your private Devotions which in the midst of the incumbrances of the World in your secular Employments and Trading here in this Life you could not enjoy for as the Son of Syrach speaks Ecclus 38.24 The wisdom of a learned Man cometh by opportunity of leasure and he that hath little business shall become wise Now consider these advantages you have from your Prison and make these wise uses of them More especially make use of your time and leasure in searching after Wisdom as after hid Treasure as Solomon adviseth Prov. 2.4 For indeed the Cause of all wickedness in the world ariseth from want of consideration men will not be brought to it It is observed by our Divines that inconsiderate Men are wicked Men therefore let your Afflictions make you serious wise considerate and let your Sufferings bring you Home as they did the Prodigal Son to his Fathers House Labour to improve your mind in necessary knowledge and in virtue and now ply your Devotions the Throne of Grace in Heaven stands open to you although you are never so close a Prisoner and you may rest assured if your Prayers are qualified as they ought to be and come from an honest and upright heart you will receive rich returns from Heaven for as Porphery a wise Heathen speaks viz. all wise Men in all Nations have been very diligent and frequent in Prayer And as St. James adviseth us James Chap. 5. vers 13. Is any man afflicted let him pray c. And you may there say as that honest Heathen in Plutarch Hermogenes did that the Gods