Holy living in which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every virute, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations : together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion occasians [sic], and furnished for all necessities / by Jer. Taylor.

Motives to Charity.

* 1.1The motives to this duty are such as holy Scripture hath propounded to us by way of consideration and proposition of its excel∣lencies, and consequent reward. 1. There is no one duty which our blessed Saviour did recommend to his Disciples with so re∣peated an injunction as this of charity and Almes.* 1.2 To which add the words spoken by our Lord, It is bet••er to give then to re∣ceive; and when we consider how great a blessing it is that we beg not from door to door, it is a ready instance of our thankful∣nesse to God, for his sake to relieve them that do. 2. This duty is that alone whereby the future day of judgment shall be transa∣cted. For nothing but charity and almes is that whereby C••rist shall declare the ju∣stice and mercy of the eternal sentence. Mar∣tyrdome

it self is not there expressed, and no otherwise involved, but as it is the great∣est charity. 3. C••rist made himself the greatest and daily example of almes or cha∣rity. He went up and down doing good, preaching the Gospel, and healing all dis∣eases: and God the Father is imitable by us in nothing but in pu••i••y and in mercy.* 1.3 4. Almes given to the poor redound to the emolument of the Giver both temporal and eternal.* 1.4 5. They are instrumental to the re∣mission of si••s. Our forgiveness and mercy to others being made the very rule and pro∣portion 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ur confidence and hope, and our prayer to be forgive•• our selves. 6. It is a treasure in Heaven, it procures friends when we dye. It is reckoned a•• done to Christ whatsoever we doe to our poor bro∣ther; and therefore when a poor man begs for Christ his sake, if he have reas••n to ask for Christ his sake, give it him if thou canst. Now every man hath title to ask for Christs sake, whose need is great, and himselfe unable to cure it, and if the man be a Christian. Whatsoever charity Christ will reward, all that is given for Christs sake, and therefore it may be asked in his name: but every man that uses that sacred name for an endear∣ment, hath not a title to it, either he nor his need. 7. It is one of the wings of prayer, by which it flyes to the throne of grace. 8. It crowns all the works of piety. 9. It causes thanksgiving to God on our behalf. 10. And the bowels of the poor blesse us, and they pray for us. 11. And that portion of our estate, out of which a tenth, or a fifth

or a twentieth, or some offering to God for religion and the poor goes forth, certainly returns with a greater blessing upon all the rest. It is like the effusion of oyl by the Si∣donian woman; as long as she poures into empty vessels,* 1.5 it could never cease running: or like the Widows barrel of meal, it con∣sumes not as long as she fed the Prophet. 12. The summe of all is contained in the words of our blessed Saviour: Give almes of such things as you have, and behold all things are clean unto you. 13. To which may be added, that charity or mercy is the pecu∣liar character of Gods Elect, and a signe of predestination; which advantage we are taught by S. Paul: [Put on therefore as the elect of God,* 1.6 holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindnesse &c. forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against any. The result of all which we may read in the words of S. Chry∣sostome: To know the art of almes, is greater then to be crowned with the Diadem of Kings. And yet to convert one soul is greater then to poure out ten thousand talents into the bas∣kets of the poor.

But because giving almes is an act of the virtue of mercifulnesse, our endevour must be by proper arts to mortifie the parents of unmercifulnesse, which are 1. Envy, 2. An∣ger, 3. Covetousnesse, in which we may be helped by the following rules or in∣struments.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. 6.4. & Math. 13.12.33. & ••5.30. Luk. 11.41,
• * 1.2

  1 Tim 1.
• * 1.3

  ••hilip. ••.17.
• * 1.4

  Acts. 10.4. Heb. 13.6. Eccles. 3.1. Dan 4.27.
• * 1.5

  Nunquam memini me l••gisse ma à morte mort••∣um qui liben¦ter ••yera cha∣rita•••••• exer∣cuit. S. Hie∣ron. Ep. ad Nepot.
• * 1.6

  Coloss 3 12.