Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A91789
|
The cause of the poor pleaded. By Samuel Richardson.
|
Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658.
|
1653
(1653)
|
Wing R1404; Thomason E703_9; ESTC R207141
|
17,303
|
15
|
sheep let my arme fall from my shoulder blade and mine arm be broken from the bone Job 31. 16. 23. Go too now ye rich weep howl for the misery that is coming upon you your riches are corrupt your garments motheaten your gold your silver and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Jsa. 5. 1 2 3. Wee to them that are at ease and drink wine in bowles and are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph therefore they shal go into captivity Am. 6. 1. 7 8. They are waxen fat they judg not the cause the cause of the fatherles yet they prosper and the right of the needy do they not judge shall not I visite for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Jer. 5. 28 29. I am sore displeased with the Gentiles that are at ease for I was a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Zech. 1. 15. He shal have judgment without mercy that shewed not mercie Iam. 2. 13. 12. You are they against whom shall be pronounced that most terrible and dreadful sentence of Go ye cursed He shall say to them depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels for I was a hungry and ye gave me no meat thirsty and yee gave me no drinke a stranger and ye took me not in naked and ye cloathed me not sicke in prison and ye visited me not these shall go into everlasting punishment Mat. 25. 41 46. Oh that men would hear and be perswaded to their duty herein Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. To whom shall I speak give warning that they may hear Behold their ear is uncircumcised they cannot hearken behold the word of the Lord is to them a reproach they have no delight in it Jer. 6. 10. But whoso is wise will consider these things They that regard the word of the Lord wil be perswaded if they have but two coats to impart and he that hath meat to do likewise to those that have none as you desire not to have the omission thereof brought against you at the last day let it be your care to feed the hungry cloath the naked take them into your houses or provide dwelling for them Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Lev. 19. 18. Mat. 19. 19. a hard lesson for those in these last days wherein the love of many waxeth cold to God and man if he need and cannot help himself I am to care for him and provide for him as I would doe for my self else how do I love him as my selfe love is liberall in giving for he that loveth is wholy drawn to the service of him whom he loveth we are willing to share in all that Jesus Christ hath though we deserve it not it is but equal that he in his and others should share in all we have if they deserve it not we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 Joh. 3. 16 17. Aquila Precilla who for my life laid down their own necks Rom. 16. 3. 4. If so then we are to lay down our estates for them for that is less Pro. 21. 26. Praying us with much intreaty to receive the gift 2 Cor. 8. 2 3 4. It is not so now many need to be prayed with much intreaty to give to supply the wants of others it cannot but be a great grief to all good men that the poor should want bread yea some of our brethren and sisters if we belong to Christ should be so neglected that many a dog is better provided for then they are and that contrary to the word of the Lord I wonder at that seeming comfort peace of conscience some have that so abound in great plenty who fare like Dives deliciously every day and have all things in excesse while others are in great extreamity and want the destruction of the poor their poverty Pro. 10. 15. Two or 3 l. lent to an industrious man might preserve a family from sinking I have heard sad stories of the great extreamities of some who beg not We ought to part with our superfluities to supply others conveniences and with our conveniences to supply others necessities yea and to part with some part of that which is necessary for us to supply others in their extreamities those that wil not do so wil not sel their possessions much less dye for their brethren to feed the hungry belly and cloath the naked body of Jesus Christ who is hungry naked Mat. 24. 42 43. Christ and his people are one Heb. 2. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 12. If ye neglect them ye neglect him if ye grieve them ye grieve him if ye refuse to help them ye refuse to help him if ye afflict them ye afflict him In all their afflictions he was afflicted Isa. 63. 9. In as much as ye did it to one of these ye did it to me Mat. 24. 44. He that receiveth you receiveth me Mat. 10. 40. How canst thou say thou lovest Jesus Christ whilst thou hast cloaths and food enough and to spare and givest Christ none or the worst the Jews give to the poor the best of what they have because God is to have the best what is given to the poor for Gods sake is given to God Surely many would give much and enough to supply the wants of others but until things be put into some good way order if some who have great estates should sell them and give all away it would soon come to nothing If the poor were set to work c. and the rich joyntly help the poore might be comfortably provided for without burdening any it were better to wear less costly apparel to fare harder cut off needless expences then not to supply the wants of others Defend the poor and fatherless Ps. 82. 3. Deliver them oppress not the poor for he that is higher then the highest regardeth it Eccl. 5. 8. The Lord maketh poor Iam. 2. 17. The poor are despised Lam. 2. 6. Eccl. 9. 19. haâ—ed Pro. 14. 20. 19. 7. taxed Ezek. 22. 29. Oppressed Am. 4. 1. They buy the poor Am. 8. 6. tread upon them Am. 5. 11. grind their faces Jer. 3. 15. 10. 2. vex them Ezek. 22. 29. devour them Hab. 2. 14. As it was then so it is now but know for all these things God shall bring thee to judgment Eccl. 11. 2. The wants necessities and miseries of others have not been enough considered laid to heart and helped the poor able to work are suffered to beg the impotent aged and sick are not sufficiently provided for but almost starv'd with the allowance of 3 d. and 4 d. a piece a week why cannot this Nation set their poor on work and provide necessaries for those poor not able to work as well as
Holland that there may be no begging in England nor just complaint by reason of want this were a good work a blessed work very comfortable of great necessity attainable honorable to this Nation very acceptable to God and to those in want and to all good men The Lord preserve those precious and blessed men who have power and hearts to do so great good for those who cannot help themselves God shall give them a full reward 2 John 8. Surely God wil greatly bless them that further so blessed a work God delights in mercy more then in sacrifice A merciful man is strucken to the heart with the miseries of others and is compelled to help them if he can Let no man seek his own things but every man anothers wealth 1 Cor. 10. 24. Mordecai seeking the wealth of his people Est 10. 3. When this Nation shall seek the wealth thereof that each may enjoy the same mercies and comforts which they desire for themselves England shall be indeed a Common-wealth Many say they have little enough for themselves wives and children all seek their own thingâ— Phil. 1. 2. They are lovers of themselves 2 Tim. 3. 2. The wicked rich man was all for himself Soul take thou thine ease thou bast goods laid up for many years Luk. 12. 19. he laid up all for self they leave their substance to their babes Ps. 17. 14. They put wife and children into their Wils but leave out Christ and his children because they love wife and babes more then Christ but know He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more then me is not worthy of me Lu. 10. 37 38. If any man come to me hate not his father and mother and wife and children yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple Lu. 14. 26. Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee Mat. 19. 27. 29. Knowing in our selves that we have in heaven a better and an induring substance Heb. 10. 34. 2 Cor. 4. 18. He that provideth not for his family is worse then an infidell If thou art a believer Christs family is thy family Eph. 3. 15. Heb. 2. 6. They are thy brethren and sisters brethren and sisters are ever counted of one stock kindred and family and brethren are to provide for their brethren Lev. 25. 25. Num. 27. 11. Lev. 27. 35. If we be all members of one body we should think the discomodities of our brethren pertain to our selves men do wel to provide for wife and babes but not then when the present necessities of others cannot be supplyed without the same how did they in the 2. and 4th of the Acts provide for their families wives and babes when they sold their houses and lands and gave away all the money Were they worse then Infidels because they were more carefull to supply the present wants of the Saints then to provide for themselves wives and children 2 Cor. 8. 14. The leaving great estates to children makes them so much the greater sinners to spend their dayes in pride pleasure idleness uncleanness tyranny and oppression and in all excesse of wickednesse but this the rich father will not believe If men be not able to give it is excepted according to that a man hath 2 Cor. 8. 12. We should labour working with our hands to have to give to him that needeth Eph. 4. 28. Many spend so much on their lusts that they are not able to supply the wants of others The lusts of the flesh the lust of the eyâ— and the pride of life are chargeable they devour all and make poor they are able to spend thousands a year One said I have 12000. a year yet I want money as much as another man One sinner destroyeth much good Eccl. 11. 18. Rom. 18. 18. They have sought out many inventions Eccl. 7. 29. to consume their estates Obj. None doe their duty herein Answ. That will not excuse any we are to follow the word of the Lord and not men that walk contrary to it if none obey God the greater is thy sin not to do it Obj. I would give but I feare I shall want my selfe Ans. If you keep what you have you may want the comfort of it and the blessing of it and the peace of conscience You had better give and want it then keep it and sin but the Lord saith He that giveth to the poor shall not lacke Pro. 28 27. In the dayes of famine they shall have enough Job 5. 20. If you cannot trust him for your bodie how do you or how can you trust God with your soul which is the greater trust It 's only the unbelieving heart wch saith Can God furnish a table in the wilderness Can he give bread also Ps. 78. 19 20. Take no thought saying what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or wherewith shall we be cloathed Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of these things all these things shall be added unto you Take therefore no thought for the morrow for to morrow shall take thought for it selfe sufficient to the day is the evill thereof Mat. 6 31. Some say they know none in want but it will not be sufficient to say so so they will say Lord when saw we thee hungry and naked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 25. They knew no such thing nor did they enquire nor come whâ—re they might have seen it Luk. 9. 23. They were willingly ignorant The righteous considereth the cause of the poor but the wicked regardeth not to knowe it Pro. 29. 7. Many say professors of Religion are as covetous and miserable as others some have two or three great places of profit besides their owne estates but little good they do Alas what answer shall we give to this save only that there are many professors of Religion that are not possessors of it they have not heard Christ and so not learned of him as the truth is in Jesus therefore they have not known God nor the power or Religion If indeed they were converted and had the spirit of Christ they could not but be mercifull and liberall witness Zacheus and they in the 2d and 4th of Acts. These are the last times indeed men generally are all for themselves and some would set up such Having a forme of Religion without the power of it deceiving themselves and others whose end is destruction who minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. They pant after the dust of the earth Amos 2. 7. After these things seeke the Gentiles Mat. 6. 23. Those who are risen with Christ set their afections on things above and not on things on the earth Col. 1 2. The power of religion and godliness lieth in the practise of it Jam. 1. 22. By this shall all men know yee are my Disciples if ye love one another Joh. 13. 25. Every one that loveth is borne of God 1 Joh. 4. 7. Where love is there is