The plea of the poor. Or A treatise of beneficence and alms-deeds teaching how…The plea of the poore. Or A treatise of benificence and almes-deeds teaching how…

The second bond which bindeth us to this duty, is the communion which the poor, together with us, have with our head Christ; which is so near and indissoluble, that our Saviour esteemeth that as done unto himself, which is done unto them; even as the head acknowledgeth the benefit done unto it which the meanest member of the body immediately receiveth. Yea in truth that is much more acceptable which we do for his poor members, than if we should do it to his ⟨p. 180⟩own person, as being a sign of greater love; for it is but an ordinary kindness to confer benefits upon our dearest friends, but to extend our bounty to the poorest and meanest that belong unto them is a sign of much greater love. For if for their sakes only we do good unto these, how much more would we be ready to do it unto them-selves if they had occasion to crave our help? And as in this regard he much esteemeth this christian bounty, so also he will richly reward it at the day of judgement; for then these merciful men who have relieved the poor for Christs sake, shall with ravishing joy hear that sentence, Come ye blessed of my Father; because the works ¹of mercy which they have done to the poor, Christ will acknowledge as done unto him-self. Now what can be a more forcible reason to make our hearts relent though they be never so stony, and our bowels to earn with pity and compassion towards the poor, though they were of brass and iron, than to consider that our dear Lord and Saviour in them doth crave relief? For who is so more than brutishly ingrateful, that can turn him away empty-handed, who being infinitely rich in all glory and happiness, was content for our sakes to become poor, that by his poverty he might communicate