there nothing so impertinently uttered in all the whole book of the Bible, but may serve to spiritual purpose in some respect, to all such as will bestow their labours to search out the meanings. These may not be condemned, because they serve not to our understanding, nor make to our edification. But let us turn our labour to understand, and to carry away such sentences and stories, as be more fit for our capacity and instruction.

And whereas we read in divers Psalms how David did wish to the adversaries of God sometimes shame, rebuke, and confusion; sometime the decay of their offspring and issue, sometime that they might perish and come suddenly to destruction, as he did wish to the captains of the Philistines: Cast forth, saith he, thy lightning, and tear them; shoot out thine arrows, and consume them; with such other manner of imprecations: yet ought we not to be offended at such prayers of David, being a Prophet as he was, singularly beloved of God, and wrapt in spirit, with an ardent zeal to God's glory. He spake not of a private hatred, and in a stomach against their persons: but wished spiritually the destruction of such corrupt errors and vices, which reigned in all devilish persons set against God. He was of like mind as St. Paul was, when he did deliver Hymenecus and Alexander, with the notorious fornicator, to Satan, to their temporal confusion, that their spirit might be saved against the day of the Lord. And when David did profess in some places, that he hated the wicked, yet in other places of his Psalms he professeth, that he hated them with a perfect hate, not with a malicious hate, to the hurt of the soul. Which perfection of spirit, because it cannot be performed in us, so corrupted in affections as we be, we ought not to use in our private causes the like words in form, for that we cannot fulfil the like words in sense. Let us not therefore be offended, but search out the reason of such words before we be offended, that we may the more reverently judge of such sayings, though strange to our carnal understandings, yet to them that be spiritually minded, judged to be zealously and godly pronounced. God therefore, for his mercies sake, vouchsafe to purify our minds through faith in his Son Jesus Christ, and to instil the heavenly drops of his grace into our hard stony hearts, to supple the same, that we be not contemners and deriders of his infallible word; but that with all humbleness of mind

and Christian reverence, we may endeavour ourselves to hear and to read his sacred Scriptures, and inwardly so to digest them, as shall be to the comfort of our souls, sanctification of his holy name: to whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost, three persons, and one living God, be all laud, honour, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

AN

HOMILY

OF

Alms-Deeds, and Mercifulness towards the Poor and Needy.

A

MONGST the manifold duties that Almighty God requireth of his faithful servants the true Christians, by the which he would that both his name should be glorified, and the certainty of their vocation declared, there is none that is either more acceptable unto him, or more profitable for them, than are the works of mercy and pity showed upon the poor, which be afflicted with any kind of misery. And yet this notwithstanding, such is the slothful sluggishness of our dull nature to that which is good and godly, that we are almost in nothing more negligent and less careful than we are therein. It is therefore a very necessary thing, that God's people should awake their sleepy minds, and consider their duty on this behalf. And meet it is that all true Christians should desirously seek and learn what God by his holy Word doth herein require of them: that first knowing their duty, (whereof many by their slackness seem to be very ignorant) they may afterwards diligently endeavour to perform the same. By the which both the godly charitable persons may be encouraged to go forwards and continue in their merciful deeds of alms-giving to the poor, and also such as hitherto have either neglected or contemned it, may yet now at length, when they shall hear how much it appertaineth to them, advisedly consider it, and virtuously apply themselves thereunto.

And to the intent that every one of you may the better understand that which is taught, and also easilier bear away, and so take more fruit of that shall be said,

when several matters are severally handled; I mind particularly, and in this order, to speak and intreat of these points.

First, I will show how earnestly Almighty God in his holy Word doth exact the doing of alms-deeds of us, and how acceptable they be unto him.

Secondly, How profitable it is for us to use them, and what commodity and fruit they will bring unto us.

Thirdly and lastly, I will show out of God's Word, that whoso is liberal to the poor, and relieveth them plenteously, shall notwithstanding have sufficient for himself, and evermore be without danger of penury and scarcity

Concerning the first, which is the acceptation and dignity, or price of alms-deeds before God: know this, that to help and succour the poor in their need and misery pleaseth God so much, that, as the holy Scripture in sundry places recordeth, nothing can be more thankfully taken or accepted of God. For first we read, that Almighty God doth account that to be given and to be bestowed upon himself, that is bestowed upon the poor: for so doth the Holy Ghost testify unto us by the Wise Man, saying. He Prov. xix. that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord himself. And Christ in the Gospel avoucheth, and as a most certain truth bindeth it with an oath, that the alms bestowed upon the poor was bestowed upon him, and so shall be reckoned at the last day. For thus he saith to the charit able alms-givers, when he sitteth as Judge in the doom, to give sentence of every man according to his deserts: Verily I say unto you. whatsoever good and merciful deed Matt. xxv. you did upon any of the least of these my brethren, ye did the same unto me. In relieving their hunger, ye relieved mine; in quenching their thirst, ye quenched mine; in clothing them, ye clothed me; and when ye harboured them, ye lodged me also; when ye visited them, being For as he that hath resick in prison, ye visited me.

ceived a prince's embassadors, and entertaineth them well, doth honour the prince from whom those cmbassadors do come; so he that receiveth the poor and needy, and helpeth them in their affliction and distress, doth thereby receive and honour Christ their Master, who, as he was poor and needy himself whilst he lived here amongst us, to work the mystery of our salvation, at his departure hence he promised in his stead to send unto us those that were poor, by whose means his absence should be supplied: and therefore that we would do unto him, we must do unto them. And for this cause doth the Almighty

Dent. IV.

1 Thess. v.

Heb. xiii.

Isa. lviii.

Tobit iv.

Ad Pop.
Antioch.
Hom. xxxv.

God say unto Moses, The land wherein you dwell shall never be without poor men: because he would have continual trial of his people, whether they loved him or no, that in showing themselves obedient unto his will, they might certainly assure themselves of his love and favour towards them, and nothing doubt, but that as his law and ordinance (wherein he commanded them that they should open their hand unto their brethren that were poor and needy in the land) were accepted of them, and willingly performed; so he would en his part lovingly accept them, and truly perform his promises that he had made unto them.

The holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ, who, by reason of his daily conversation, saw by his deeds, and heard in his doctrine, how much he tendered the poor; the godly Fathers also, that were both before and since Christ, endued without doubt with the Holy Ghost, and most certainly certified of God's holy will; they both do most earnestly exhort us, and in all their writings almost continually admonish us, that we would remember the poor, and bestow our charitable alms upon them. St. Paul crieth unto us after this sort; Comfort the feeble minded, lift up the weak, and be charitable towards all men. And again, To do good to the poor, and to distribute alms gladly, see that thou do not forget, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Isaiah the Prophet teacheth on this wise: Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor wandering home to thy house. When thou seest the naked, see thou clothe him. and hide not thy face from thy poor neighbour, neither despise thou thine own flesh. And the holy father Tobit giveth this counsel; Give alms, saith he, of thine own goods, and turn never thy face from the poor; eat thy bread with the hungry, and cover the naked with thy clothes. And the learned and godly Doctor Chrysostom giveth admonition: Let merciful alms be always with us as a garment; that is, as mindful as we will be to put our garments upon us, to cover our nakedness, to defend us from the cold, and to show ourselves comely; so mindful let us be at all times and seasons, that we give alms to the poor, and show ourselves merciful towards them. But what mean these often admonitions and earnest exhortations of the Prophets, Apostles, Fathers, and holy Doctors? Surely, as they were faithful to God ward, and therefore discharged their duty truly, in telling us what was God's will; so, of a singular love to us ward, they laboured not only to inform us, but also to persuade us, that to give alms, and to succour