Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	heart_n	heaven_n	love_v	5,566	5	5.9099	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97258	The poores advocate in 8 parts. Shewing, what an incomparable favour it is to the rich: that there are poor to accept of their charity, had they the wit to know it. Wherein is also made plain, that bounty and frugality is the best and surest way to plenty: with many other rational, and strong inducements to make men liberal; were it but for their own ends. Being enough (with the blessing of God) to change even a Nabal into a Zaccheus. By R. Yonnge [sic], florilegus. Who most earnestly begs of all rich men especially, and that for the poors sake, for Christs and the Gospels sake, but most of all for their own (even if their bodies, names, estates, precious souls and posterities) sake; to lay to heart, what is herein propounded to them out of Gods word, touching the poor: and then certainly, they will neither spend so excessively, nor heap up wealth so unmeasurably as they do; when millions of their poor brethren (for whom God would become man and die to redeem) are in such want, that I want words to express it.	Younge, Richard.	1654 (1654)	Wing Y173; Thomason E1452_3; ESTC R209561	58,165	58

God so strictly commanded this duty and shall not we make conscience thereof The Lord by Moses but spake to the Rock and it gave water to the thirsty Israelites he but commanded the cloudes to rain down Manna and the winde to bring them in Quails for the satisfying of their hunger and they did so Yea he but bade the Ravens bring bread and flesh to Elijah and they did it And shall we be harder then Rocks more insensible and rebellious then the sensless Clouds more inhumane then the Ravenous fowls Certainly they that obey not the voice of their Maker and Redeemer are more stubborn then the very Winde and Sea Matth. 8.27 Worse then Lions Dan. 6.22 Or Bears 2 Kings 2.24 Yea lesse compassionate then fire it self Dan. 3.27 Again Is it not he as Hannah speaks that maketh poor and maketh rich that bringeth low and lifteth up that raiseth the poor from the dunghil to set them among Princes and maketh them to inherit the throne of glory Do we enjoy all things through Gods blessing and can we think to keep our riches by disobeying his Commandements But CHAP. V. SEcondly God hath not only commanded it but so that without it there is no being saved There needs no other reason of our last and heaviest doom then ye have not given ye have not visited For at the great and dreadful day of judgement the upshot of all or main point which Christ shall scan will be you have or you have not shewed mercy to his poor members Matth. 25.35 36 42 43. Mark it I pray you for so does the reward of everlasting happinesse through the free grace and goodnesse of God belong to these works of mercy that the doing or neglecting them is accompanied with eternal blessednesse or endless misery for the sentence of absolution or condemnation shall be pronounced either for or against us accordingly as we have performed or omitted them To those that have fed the hungry cloathed the naked visited the sick c. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world and contrariwise to those that have not done these works of mercy Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels But for the further confirming of this hear how terrible Saint James the Apostle of mercy is to those Monsters among men that live without bowels James 2.13 There shall be judgement without mercy to him that shews no mercy To which may be added that of our Saviour with the same measure that ye mete with all it shall be measured to you again Luk. 6.38 And that of the Wise man Who so stoppeth his cares at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard Prov. 21.13 In vain they cry to us for charity and for mercy we shall cry in vain to God Thou hast not been merciful sayes Basil and thou shalt not finde any thou hast not opened thy gates to the poor and Heaven gates shall be shut against thee thou hast not given them a morsel of bread and the bread of life shall be denied thee But to add weight to the former Scriptures Our Saviour hath given several imstances that we may the rather lay it to heart Dives would not give Lazarus a crum of bread here to asswage the pinching hunger of his body therefore Lazarus shall not give Dives a drop of water hereafter to quench the thirst and cool the heat of his scorching soul And the like in that cruel servant Matth. 18. who for want of shewing mercy to his fellow as his Lord had done to him was delivered to the tormentors and cast into hell Verse 28. to the end of the Chapter which I would wish all cruel and unmerciful men to read and lay to heart if ever they look to be saved As take notice I beseech you and for ever remember that although his Lord had immediately before been moved with compassion to loose him and forgive him the whole debt yet now he hath his pardon cancelled because he would not shew mercy as he had found mercy this new sin of his called all the rest to rememberance O that all cruel and unmerciful Naballs would hear believe and lay this to heart before they feel the truth of it in those everlasting flames with Dives and that unthankful and unmerciful servant And certainly were not men stark mad or at least dead drunk with the love of their money the very consideration of this alone would be a sufficient motive to stir them up to the doing of these good works though there were no other reason for if we either love Heaven or fear Hell if we would be everlastingly rewarded or would not be everlastingly punished and tormented If we desire with unspeakable considence and joy to appear before our gracious Saviour and to our inestimable comfort hear that blessed sentence or would not be astonished and perplexed with that horrour and guilt which shall make us to cry out to the Hills and Rocks to fall down and cover us from the presence of our terrible Judge we will spare some thing from our superfluities yea if need require even from our necessaries that we may relieve and cherish the poor distressed members of Jesus Christ And thus we see that unmerciful men shall be cast into Hell not only for hurting the poor but for not helping them not for taking away their bread drink cloaths but for not giving these things unto them which shews what a few what a very small number of them that call themselve Christians shall go to Heaven according to those sad Predictions Matth 7.13 14. John 5.19 Revel 20.8 13 16. Isaiah 10.22 Rom. 9.27 2 Tim. 2.26 2 Cor. 4.4 Ephes 2.1 to 4. Phil. 3.18 John 8.44 14.30 And yet there is scarce a man of us but thinks or at least hopes that he shall be saved so deceitful are our hearts and so subtil is Satan CHAP. 6. BUt Thirdly lest what hath been said should not be sufficient to convince men of the necessity of this duty Lo God the chief Owner● hath only intrusted men as his servants and Stewards with what the● have not giving them full authority to dispose thereof at their pleasure● but hath limited them to employ the same to those uses which he hat● appointed and determined in his Word for his honour and service 〈◊〉 which this is one of the chief that they give some considerable portic● of them to the relief of the poor Men may flatter themselves and pretend their goods are their own ●●d therefore they may dispose of them at their pleasure and choose ●hether they will give ought to their poor neighbours or no be their ●ants what they will But they shall one day finde that their riches are ●ot absolutely their own but Gods talents which he hath committed ●●to them not to mispend them in satisfying of their wordly

Authour All have their several gifts from God and therefore they may justly be improved to the honour of the giver Truth sayes St. Ambrose By whomsoever uttered is of the Holy Ghost and so ought to serve the Church of God Every mans wisdome and learning is Gods and his children have right to such their fathers blessings wheresoever they find them And so much by way of Preface WHen Vertue came down from Heaven as the Poets feign Rich men spurn'd at her wicked men abhorr'd her Courtiers scoft at her Citizens hated her and being thrust out of doors in every place she came at length to her sisters poverty and affliction and of them found entertainment where she hath abode ever since But Chariy her Niece finding that every one in this last Age even from the least unto the greatest is given unto covetuousness Jer. 1.13 That all gape after gain And that how to get is each mans dream from Sun to Sun she hath taken her wings and is quite flown out of the World without hope of ever return●ng as our Saviours words seem to imply Matth. 24.12 Because iniquity shall increase love shall wax cold It is said Luke 18.8 When the Son of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth So when the Son of man commeth shall he finde Charity on the earth I fear no. For as now we have a great deal of faith such as it is and but little or no Charity such as it should be so then will he finde neither Faith not Charity When Abrahams servant saw the charity courtesie and great care which Rebecka shewed to him and his being a stranger it is said He wondred at her and held his peace Gen. 24.18 to 22. It were a wonder indeed to see the like in our dayes Be not forgetful saith the Apostle to lodge strangers for thereby some have received Angels into their houses unawares Heb. 13.2 So did Abraham and Lot and many others but for all this possibility of happiness few will put it to the venture And were they indeed Angels without Angels in their purses to pay for it they should finde but cold entertainment Again our blessed Saviour tells us He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me And that Whosoever shall give unto one of these little ones to drink a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple Verely I say unto you he shall not lose his reward Matth. 10.40 41 42. But for all that should Christ come to Rich men in these dayes in his own person as he did to the woman of Samaria and demand a small matter of them he should receive but a flowt and a churlish denial as then he did John 4.7 to 13. They will rather hazard the loss of such a friend as Christ himself then the least loss by a friend of his sending In Deut. 16.17 Every man is commanded to give according as God hath blest him And so in 1 Cor. 16.2 And a man would think that upon whom God bestoweth most of his outward blessings of them he should receive the greatest inward thanks But it would amaze a man to see How many Rich men whom God hath blest with mighty estates together with all that heart can wish perhaps raised them from beggers to be the best in their Parishes and yet like beasts or blocks they are so far from returning the least thanks to the giver that notwithstanding our so much means of light and grace they have not the least knowledge or fear or love of God in them but even hate him and his people and oppose all proceedings that may promote the glory of God and the Churches good In so much that their unthankfulness hath striven with Gods goodness for the victory as Absolon strove with David whether the Father should be more kinde to the son or the son more unkinde to the Father They have been fatted with Gods blessings and now they spurn at his precepts Resembling the Leopard who wrongs him most that gives him most fodder But ô the sordidness of these swine In reason we may well afford our superfluities where we owe our selves and all that we have or hold And that by how much we receive more blessings then others we should 〈◊〉 more thankful then others but it-seldome proves so with these Nabal these natural bruit beasts Beat with me for it is not possible to expresse either their basenesse or blockishnesse It is to be observed that generally men are most thankful in a mean or middle condition As when David had but two Tribes he was most thankful yea he was never so tender as when he was hunted like a Partridge 1 Sam. 26.20 Jonah was at best in the Whales belly And daily experience teacheth That as we grow rich in temporals we grow poor in spirituals Yea not seldome have good men in our apprehension been lifted up so high with their wealth and greatnesse as to lose the sight both of the ground whence they rose and of the hand that advanced them For as fat men are more subject to diseases of the body so are Rich men to those of the minde T is the misery of the poor to be neglected of men Prov. 19.7 't is the misery of the rich to neglect their God The full gorged Faulcon will not know her Master or turn unto him Many receive Millions from God yet are not so thankful as they who have received nothing but from hand to mouth The poor saith Christ receive the Gospel though the rich are more bound And the truth is pride and forgetfulness is commonly all the return we make to God for his blessings as a world of instances prove of which these are pregnant and well worth thy turning to Jer. 22.21 Job 22.17 18. Psal 10.4 5 6. Deut. 32.15 18. Whence it is That the Lord so oft fore-warneth men to beware lest they forget him and their hearts be lifted up so soon as he hath blest and advanced them for which see that notable place Deut. 6.10 11 12 8.11 to 15. for I am so tied to brevity that I cannot stand to repeat every Scripture CHAP. 2. ANd indeed this is the main reason why the best are not always the wealthiest but the contray For when the Al-wise God does fore-see that men will serve him as the prodigal son served his father who only prayed until he had got his patrimony and then forsook him and spent the same in riot to the givers dishonour even as the cloud that is lifted up advanced by the Sun obscures the Sun in this case he either denies them riches in mercy as he denied S. Paul in his suit 2 Cor. 12.8 9. and our Saviour himself Mat. 26.39 or grants them their riches in wroth as he did a King to the Israelites Hosea 13.11 and Quails wherewith he fed their bodies but withall sending leannesse into their souls Psal 106.15 First that the

particularly determined in the Scriptures because there are so many circumstances which alter the case that no certain rule could be given but it is left in some kinde to the discretion of the prudent Christian to give according to the occasion offered more or lesse as he shall be perswaded in his minde And therefore the Apostle exhorting the Corinthians to abound in this grace addeth that he speaketh not this by commandement but by the occasion of the forwardness of others 2 Cor. 8.7 8. and afterwards 2 Cor. 9.7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart so let him give not grudgingly or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver And this the nature of the work requireth for giving is a free and liberal action and therefore is to be done freely and willingly and consequently cannot be done by all in the like proportion because their hearts are not alike enlarged with love and bounty But yet this in the general is required that we give our alms not with a strait and niggardly hand but bountifully and largly the which is implyed by the Metaphor that the Scripture useth of scattering and s●wing seed fitted by the Apostle to this action of giving alms 2 Cor. 9.6 which is usually done with a bountiful and full hand as also by that phrase of opening the hand wide to the poor and needy Dent. 15.11 and of stretching and reaching out to the poor which phrase Solomon useth to expresse the bounty of the vertuous woman Prov. 31.20 And in regard hereof the act of giving alms is by the Apostle tearmed by the name of bounty and opposed to covetousnesse as being contrary unto it 2 Cor. 9.5 And plainly expressed where he perswadeth to this bounty by annexing that gracious promise 2 Cor. 9.6 He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully and maketh it to be an especial grace of the Spirit to abound in these works of mercy Verse 8. and an undoubted signe of the sincerity of our love 2 Cor. 8.8 Whence his advice to them is As ye abound in everything in faith in word and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love towards us even so see that ye abound in this grace also 2 Corinth 8.7 Now he only is liberal and bountiful who distributeth what he is able and according as God hath enriched him as the Apostle Peter enjoyns 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Yea that we may be the more able and so the more bountiful and plentiful in good works we are commanded to be careful diligent in preserving and increasing of our estates by all lawful means in acquisition getting by our honest painful labour in our callings and by our frug al husbanding and thrifty spending of our goods that so having greater plenty we may be the richer in good works Which being so let every man I say as God hath enabled him do good and they more good then others who have received more goods then others CHAP. XXIII BUt because this rule also may seem yet too general for that the quantity and proportion is not particularly set down the best way will be to examine what others have done in this case for where the Law written does fail we ought to observe what hath been the practice of the godly that have gone before us To which end take these instances Jacob thought he could not discharge his duty nor expresse his thankfulnesse to God this way except he gave a tenth-part of his substance his vow is of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee again Gen. 28.22 and his hand did second his tongue Zaccheus gave half he had to the poor Luke 19.7 8 9. The Primitive Christians exceeded him Acts 2.44 45. and 4.22 King Alfred the first King of the Anglo-Saxons bestowed the sixth part of his riches and rents upon the poor strangers of the Countrey and sent every yeer little lesse to forreigne Caurches without the Realm John of Alexandria sirnamed the Almoner did use yearly to make even with his revenues and when he had distributed all to the poor he thanked God that he had now nothing left him but his Lord and Master Jesus Christ to whom he longed to flie with unlimed and unintangled wings The Lord Harrington gave the tenth of his allowance to the poor and other good uses besides what he gave as he walked and travelled abroad which was not seldom not little Reverend Master Whateley Minister of Banbury also gave the tenth both of his spiritual and temporal means and was earnest upon all occasions in private and publike in pressing this duty of liberality upon others Bishop Hooper at his house in Worcester had every day a great table full of poor people appointed by course which he fed with wholesome meat who were first examined and instructed by himself or others appointed by him in the chief principles of Religion He was said to be spare of diet sparer of words sparest of time and only liberal in relieving the poor Queen Anne of Bullen ever carried about her a purse for the poor as thinking no day well spent wherein some had not fared the better for her yea she kept her maids and such as were about her always employed in sewing and working garments for the poor that there was neither time for idlenesse nor leisure to follow foolish pastimes so resembling Dorcas and the good houswife in the Proverbs Chap. 31.19 Master Bradford Martyr counted that houre lost wherein he did not some good with his tongue pen or purse Yea in a hard time he thought not much to sell his chains rings and jewels for others relief M. George wisebeart a Scotch Martyr to the end he might do the more good forbore one meal in three and one day in four for the most part except something to comfort nature and would lie upon straw in course new canvas sheets which when ever he changed he gave away Giles of Brussels Martyr gave all he could possible spare to refresh some with meat some with clothes some with houshold stuff and withall did minister wholesome exhortation and good instruction to those he relieved and amongst the rest one poor woman being brought to bed wanting a bed he sent his own bed lying himself in straw Yea when he was in prison he ministred to the rest of his fellow-prisoners the best of his fare and contented himself with the very coursest Doctor Taylors custome was once in a fourtnight to call upon Sir Henry Doyle and others of his rich Parishioners to go with him to poor folks houses and there to see what they wanted in meat drink clothing lodging and other necessaries and the like to others that had many children or were sick being himself no lesse free in his spiritual alms as wanting other Master Fox that wrote the Book of

appointed to receive that which would be voluntar●●● given to effect this good work there would be stock enough to do it and to supply all wants Yea the people of this Nation have been so bountiful that a Law was made to restrain them fearing that all the whole Land would be given to the Poor The Papists will rise up in judgement agains● many of this generation and is it not a sad thing that they should be more forward upon a bad principle then Protestants upon a good one This were a good and blessed work very comfortable of great necessity attainable and honourable to this Nation very acceptable to God and to those in want and to all good men Surely God would greatly blesse and preserve those precious men that having power should also have hearts to further so blessed a work and do so great good for those who cannot help themselves God would give them a full reward 2 John 8. Nor do I utterly despair of seeing it effected some thing a●d to purpose hath been done already as I heart And my hope is that ou● no lesse pious and charitable then valiant and Noble Protector will not let it stick there nor is my hope groundlesse for it is known he gives more money to the poor then any I have heard of in our dayes thousands a year I would the rich would follow his steps It is expected the Lord will use him to do great things for the good of this Nation especially to ease the oppressed and to help those that cannot help themselves The benefit and good whereof will I presume more and more appear to the glory of God and the welfare of this Nation maugre all the peoples rage But wo to those mercilesse men that do hinder as too many instead of helping the poor do rob the poor One even a Justice of the Peace gave in his account of the poors money five hundred pounds short as can be proved it were a good deed to name him for example to others or that would not be ready to further such a work As consider I beseech you what ought to be done in this case what is our duty and what will be our doom if we do not prevent it by a timely breaking off our sins by righteousness and our iniquities by shewing more mercy to the poor Dan. 4.27 of which Christ hath given us a fair warning beforehand Matth. 25. from Verse 41. to the end of the Chapter which is a Book-case plain and easie for each of us to understand that would not feel those flames It is not sufficient to give the poor something unless they have sufficient for their need Thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth Deut. 15 7 8. So they parted their goods to all men as every one had need Acts 2.44 45. Neither was there any among them that lacked distribution was made according as he had need Acts 4.34 35 37. If ye give not those things that are needful to the body what doth it profit James 2.16 1 John 3.17 That their abundance might be a supply of their want that there might be an equality 2 Cor. 8.13 14. I say not such an equality for every one to have and wear and fare alike but that the necessities of every one may be supplied Yet it may be observed that when God sed his people in the Wilderness there were among them Princes and Rulers God could but would not provide more nor better for them then others one meat for all Also God prescribed a like measure an Homer for each man the poorest had no lesse the richest had no more What else doth it signifie to us besides his bounty but this that it is the will of God that there should not be such an extream inequality of living among his people Exod. 16.16 17 18. Also that we should not think any thing too much nor too good for the meanest of the Saints for Manna is called Angels food and meat from Heaven But do we in any proportion what we ought or what the former Scriptures enjoyn As consider Parishes allow their poor perhaps four pence a week for house-rent a peny a week for apparel and houshould-stuff a peny a week for washing a peny a week for firing a peny a week for meat and drink an allowance able to make their skin cleave to their bones or to make a mans hair stand an end that shall hear of it If our selves were confined to this allowance how soon should we be weary of it and yet if they do cry to Church-wardens Collectors for the poor c. for what is allowed them if they could alwayes have it duly paid they must so crouch and creep and be so checkt and controlled that it would make them scorn to accept of it did not hunger so pinch them that they are compelled whether they will or no not daring to anger their good masters for fear of being cut short of that little CHAP. XXVI FIrst But let men take heed what they do and how they use these poor despised ones for Christ and his people are one Heb. 2.11 1 Cor. 12.12 He is hungry and naked in his members Matth. 25.42 43. If we neglect them we neglect him if we give them we give to him Isai 63.9 Matth. 25.44 10.40 Secondly The precept runs thus Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Levit. 19.18 Matth. 19.19 a hard lesson for men in these dayes wherein the love of many waxeth cold to God and man yet as hard as it is Christians must learn it If we see one in need that cannot help himself we are to care for him and provide for him in some proportion as we would do for our selves else how do we love him as our selves We are willing to share in all that Jesus Christ hath though we deserve it not it is but equal that he in his should share in what we have though they deserve it not We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren 1 John 3.16 17. Aquila and Priscilla who for my life laid down their own necks Rom. 16.3 4. If so then are we to lay down our estates for them for that is lesse But Thirdly If on the contrary we neglect them we our selves shall be neglected you have lived without shewing mercy and you shall die without receiving mercy Thou in thy life time hast received thy pleasure sayes Abraham to Dives and likewise poor Lazarus pains now therefore is he comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 It is the poor mans comfort if he be pious that his condition is far better then the rich misers for if he have but a small share in this world the other shall have less in the world to come Fourthly They are thine own flesh Hide not thy self from thine