A20764:419
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 plea of the poor. Or A treatise of beneficence and alms-deeds teaching how these Christian duties are rightly to be performed, and persuading to the frequent doing of them. Necessary for these times, wherein the works of mercy are so much neglected, or so undiscreetly practiced. Published by John Downame Bachelor in Divinity.The plea of the poore. Or A treatise of benificence and almes-deeds teaching how these Christian duties are rightly to be performed, and perswading to the frequent doing of them. Necessary for these times, wherein the workes of mercy are so much neglected, or so vndiscreetly practized. Published by Iohn Downame Bachelour in Diuinitie.
London: printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mabbe, 1616
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sect. 1. That God will repay us with great increase▪
Sect. 1. That God will repay vs with great increase▪
BY that which hath been said, it appeareth, that by giving alms we shall be no losers, seeing God will repay what is thus laid out. Now let this consideration further induce us to the performance of this duty, that we shall not only receive our own again, but with great increase, according to that Luk. 6. 38. Give and it shall be given 1unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. And the Wiseman telleth us, that if we will thus honour the Lord with our substance, our barns shall be filled with plenty, and our presses shall burst out with new wine. Pro. 3. 9. 10. And if we thus scatter the seeds of our beneficence, they shall 2be the more increased; whereas if contrariwise we with-hold more than is meet, it is the ready way to bring us to poverty, as it is, Pro: 11. 24. 3And hereof it is that alms-giving is compared to sowing of seed: so in my Text the Psalmist saith, that the blessed man hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; and the Apostle saith, that he 4which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully; to note unto us, that there is no loss in giving to the poor, but great gain and advantage, even a fruitful harvest, yielding 30, 40 or an 100 fold ⟨p. 200⟩