Advice To Distribute To The Poor Poem by Rees Prichard

WOE to the rich, and mercilessly-proud,
Who stops his ears against the beggar's cry!
Unheard, unpity'd, he shall cry aloud
From Hell's abyss, where he shall ever lie.

Whilst his relations and his children live
In luxury, and quaff the richest wine,
He, in th' infernal prisons pent, shall grieve,
And for a single drop of water pine.

In good St. James's holy page, 'tis said,
That he's in faith and ev'ry virtue poor,
Who does not, in distress, the widow aid,
And to the needy deal his hoarded store.

Saint John too tells us, that if any man
Beholds a brother troubled and distrest,
And does not give him all the help he can,
The love of God dwells not in such a breast.

Christ said, a camel, through a needle's eye,
Might with as little difficulty go,
As wealthy misers up to heaven fly,
Who no compassion to their brethren show.

Christ made us stewards of his treasures, here
Which we are bound to deal among the poor;
Then let us freely, lest we vex him, share
Among the weak and indigent our store.

Shou'd there but one of them thro' hunger fall,
His guiltless blood upon our heads shall lie,
Not all the riches of this earthly ball,
Shall make atonement for him, shou'd he die.

Without reserve, be lib'ral to the poor,
If thou art rich, thy riches do not spare -
A little give, if little is thy store -
Yet give it with a free and cheerful air.

Bestow thy bounty with a look serene,
The willing giver 'tis that God does love:
Whate'er thou givest, give with placid mien -
Reluctant alms Christ never does approve.

Though to the poor thou but a part hast shar'd
(Although the whole was his) for Jesu's sake,
Yet has he promis'd thee a large reward,
Because thou didst on them compassion take.

Ne'er till to-morrow foolishly delay
To do the good, which thou to-day canst do -
Give freely - give with pleasure, and ne'er stay:
Unpleasing is the gift, that's grudg'd and slow.

Give alms, says holy Paul, whilst yet you may,
And, whilst you've time allotted to you, do good:
For he that is a sov'reign prince to-day,
To-morrow may be seen to beg his food.

Dives most sumptuously at dinner far'd,
On various messes, exquisite in taste:
But was of water, e'er 'twas night, debarr'd,
And forc'd amidst infernal flames to fast.

That morn, of all the cates that deck'd his board,
The offals he to Lazarus deny'd -
That night, although for it he loudly roar'd,
He cou'd not, e'en with water, be supply'd.

The world, and all therein, he'd now give up
For one small sup, to cool his fev'rish tongue;
But he can not obtain a single sup,
Though he shou'd beg and pray for't, e'er so long.

He cannot boast, of all he once possess'd,
A single drop of water now in store :
(The miser, who has now the fullest chest,
Perchance to-morrow may be quite as poor.)

He went from hence as bare and naked quite,
As when he first on this world's stage was set ;
And, if he heav'n cou'd purchase for a mite,
That single mite he by no means cou'd get.

To-day, the rich may have it in their pow'r
Much alms, upon the wretched, to bestow :
To-morrow, they may thro' mishap grow poor,
And be reduc'd to beggary and woe.

Let us then give, what we've to give, to-day,
(Perhaps to-morrow we of nought can boast)
To the distress'd, their hunger to allay,
And unto those that want assistance most.

Give bread to ev'ry one that's in distress,
And God will with increase improve thy store :
Thou shalt not find thy meat, or money, less,
For what thou kindly givest to the poor.

The Widow of Sarepta did not know,
For what she spar'd Elijah, more distress;
Though meal and oil she did to him bestow,
Yet still her meal and oil were not the less.

I've seen the rich oft beg from door to door,
Because they did the indigent aggrieve;
But never did I see him truly poor,
Or much distress'd, who did the poor relieve.

Knav'ry, oppression, vanity, excess,
The woeful want of several have wrought ;
But none to tribulation or distress,
Have by their charity been ever brought.

Happy the man (the royal Prophet says)
Who to the needy does assistance give!
The Lord himself shall (in his worst of days)
That man from his adversity relieve!

God, from all trouble will his servant take,
God, from his enemies his friend will keep,
God, will himself his bed vouchsafe to make,
When he through pain and sickness cannot sleep.

Whate'er they want unto the needy lend,
And God himself will deign to be their bail:
If thou shalt them in their distress befriend,
Christ will the debt repay thee, and ne'er fail.

Who, but a Jew, wou'd not his cash lay out,
When he might have his int'rest on the day?
Who, but a Jew, wou'd such a debtor doubt,
Who cent. per cent. for his money pay?

You often trust to Chapmen that are worse,
Tho' you have got a debtor to your mind:
Trust then your Saviour freely with your purse
Better security you ne'er can find!

An hundred fold is given by the Lord
To ev'ry Christian for his pounds and pence;
Dull is the userer, who won't afford
The poor some cash, on int'rest so immense!

No money e'er to better use is lent,
Than that which Charity can fairly boast :
Since it returns the lender cent. per cent.
E'en at the moment that he wants it most.

There are no treasures, all the world around,
That equal price with Charity can hold:
When troubles come, it will be better found
Than ready money, or than bullion gold.

Silver will rust, and gold with use will waste,
Rich lawns and silks to moths will prove a prey,
Our bread will mould, our liquors lose their taste;
But never will beneficence decay.

When houses, lands, and ev'ry worldly store,
Shall in one common conflagration rise -
Then Charity above the flames shall soar,
And, till thou comest, wait above the skies.

When pale-fac'd death to summon thee shall come,
At Christ's tribunal naked to appear,
Then Charity will, on the day of doom,
Be the best store, thou canst bring with thee, there.

When houses, lands, and ev'ry timid friend,
Shall leave thee in the fangs of Death alone -
Then Charity thy footsteps will attend,
And guide thee to thy great Creator's throne.

More gains shall to the charitable soul
Accrue, who did the indigent relieve,
Than to the needy, who receiv'd the dole:
Since, for a
little,
he shall
much
receive.

Manna shall, there, for a few crumbs be had,
And, for plain water, floods of joy be given!
Each Christian, there, by Jesus shall be clad,
For some few rags, in the gay robes of heaven.

Employ your riches properly and well;
Secure their friendship, e'er the day of doom,
That they may haul your happy souls from hell,
And with you to the blissful regions come.

Thy treasures in the upper regions lay,
Sell all thou hast, and give it to the poor,
Nor, like an Idiot, foolishly delay
To part with earth, that thou to heav'n may'st soar.

Before thee, by the poor, thy treasures send
To that safe place, which robbers can't annoy;
For whatsoever thou, to them, dost lend,
Thou shalt from Christ receive again with joy.

Whate'er, unto thy children, thou may'st grant,
Thy wife, or friends, belongs to them alone:
But what thou givest Christ, and those that want,
Is hoarded for thyself - 'tis all thy own!

Before thee send thy wealth to Paradise,
Then light thy lamp; for darksome is the way ;
And make thyself ('tis Jesus' own advice!)
A purse that knows no bottom, nor decay.

Whilst time permits thee, freely sow thy grain,
As God has bless'd thy labours with increase,
And thou an hundred fold shalt reap again;
Unless thy labours shall, ere harvest, cease.

Among the poor and hungry share thy bread,
And clothe the naked, shiv'ring with the cold;
Give to the needy wanderer a bed:
All this to thee by God himself is told!

Be thou, instead of eyes, unto the blind,
Let thou the lame still find support in thee,
Assist the Widow, be to strangers kind,
And, to the fatherless, a father be.