his bowels of compaffion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?..

practised.

Whenever it is in our power to practise this duHow to be ty of almsgiving, it ought to be performed with a merciful intention; not to court the applauses of men, or to serve any fecular defigns; but to exprefs our gratitude and duty to God, who hath filled us with an overflowing plenty for that very reafon, to do good therewith. If we givè our alms to ferve a worldly intereft, they proceed from selflove; and fuch pharifaical alms are fordid traffick for applause and intereft; and our Saviour cautions us, to take heed that we do not our alms before men, to be feen of them; otherwife we have no reward of our Father, which is in hea

ven.

Neither are we to give that in alms, which is Not by unnone of our own, fuppofing it hath a rightful ownjuft gain. er, to whom we can make a reftitution; but where there is no vifible owner, the property reverts to the hands of the fupreme Lord of the world, who hath fettled it as a penfion on our poor brethren. To feek after and exact unlawful gains, which we are obliged in justice to restore to the rightful owners, is to make ourselves the thieves, and the poor the receivers; if fuch practices are done with a view to gather riches for fuch purpofes: for to give away any Nor a credi- man's right to fupply another's neceffity, is not fo much an alms as a robbery in the fight of God. And debtors are obliged in confcience not to disable themselves from being juft to their creditors, by being merci ful to fuch as are in need.

tor's fub

ftance.

If we give alms out of mercy and compaffion, we must do it chearfully; by compaffion we make others miseries our own, and by relieving them, we relieve ourselves and are partakers with them in the comfort. When I see a man groaning under neceffity, if I relieve him, I refresh my own bowels; and nature within me melts into compaffion.

table.

Therefore when we bestow our alms with an When profi- unwilling mind, it is not charity, but shame or importunity that moves us; and there is no virtue in them, nor can we expect any reward: to contribute to

wards

wards another's relief, because we are ashamed to do otherwife, is rather paying a tax than giving an alms: and when nothing can be wrung out of me, but what is diftrained by importunity, I give not for the poor's relief but for my own quiet, as he did, who neither feared God nor man. Almsgiving ought to be performed liberally and bountifully, charity measures its alms and proportions them to the neceflities it fupplies, not only to rescue the miferable, but to render them happy; though I should give five times less than one, who hath ten times more, I fhould be as liberal as he according to my ability. So the widow's two mites are pronounced by our Saviour a more liberal alms than the rich caft into the treasury; because they caft in of their abundance, but the of her penury; wherefore tho' it is impoffible to determine the meafure of alms, because the measure of our abilities is fo various, charity exacts that they should be liberal in proportion to our circumstances. Our alms can never be unfeasonable to fuch poor as are always in want; because their neceflities do call for them always. But

There are particular seasons when their wants call louder, as times of fickness, scarcenefs of work, dearnefs of provifions, or on arrests, before the prison hath devoured them; or after a great loss, when their fortunes are dwindling away. When children are young and capable of work or inftruction, and parents not able to difpofe of them; when the placing them out to fome honeft calling may prevent their turning thieves or beggars, and render them ufeful to the world; or when they are fetting up their trades with an infufficient ftock, and a little help may encourage their diligence and advance them to a comfortable livelihood; thefe are the proper feasons of almfgiving, in which, by our helping hand, we may refcue many a poor wretch out of deplorable mifery, and render their future condition profperous and happy. But

If we do not manage our charities with pru- To whom. dence, we shall create neceffities by fupplying them, and multiply miferies, by an unfkilful endeavour to redress them: it is with alms as it is with eftates, where half doth confift in the difcretion of the owner; and charities diftributed by a blind fuperftition, or a foolish pity, many times do more

hurt

Not to va

hurt than good. What harvest can the world reap from this precious feed of our alms, when they are thrown on a heap to fuperftitious purposes, or fcattered at all adventures, without any diftinction of the cultivated from the fallow ground; fo that the birds of prey, vagrants, drones grants. and beggars eat them up, whilft the modeft impotent and laborious poor are utterly unprovided for? We must not therefore be tempted by the importunities of idle perfons, to prostitute our alms to their intemperance and floth. What a pity is it, that these good fruits of our charity should be thus abused, to pamper a company of vagrants that wander from door to door; whilft many a poor induftrious family, that hath more mouths to feed than hands to work, lies drooping under neceffities and wants! And though the former are not to be altogether neglected, when their needs are really urgent ; yet prudence will direct our charity to fuch persons as have fallen from riches to poverty, and less able to toil and drudge for bread; or to fuch as are worn out with labour, or disabled by fickness, or oppreffed with a numerous family. Prudence will advise us to fow the main of our charities in fuch good grounds as these, and not to throw it away with a careless hand upon the highways and barren rocks. The fame prudence will direct us to prefer those alms which may serve for a constant provision, and put one in a fixed way of living, before those which are tranfient, which do just hold him up from perishing for an hour, but do not take him out of the deep waters of affliction. And it is doubtless a prudent charity to contribute to the building and maintenance of publick workhouses for the poor, where they and their children may be provided with fuch work as they are capable of; and be accuftomed to industry, and enabled to support themselves in fome future ftate of life. Prudent charity gives its alms in kindrather than in value; gives cloaths to the naked, food to the hungry, phyfick to the fick, and books to the uninstructed: for, though money will answer all these needs, yet we are not fure it will be always laid out upon thofe neceffaries. But, As to the proportion of our charity, fince God In what pro- has not determined any thing concerning it, we muft leave men who beft understand their own

portion.

condition,

condition, to the guidance of their own confcience and dif cretion, who are to confider what is requifite to the discharge of their feveral obligations. For prudence doth not require of all the fame proportions of charity; but of every one according to their different circumstances and abilities: and chriftian prudence will direct us not to be partial to ourselves, in ftretching our needs and conveniencies beyond their juft bounds, to spare what may be decently fpared from too many fervants, idle meetings, unneceffary feafts, chargeable apparel and diverfions: and if we thus fpare in our needlefs expence, and lay afide the remans for charity, the confequence will be this; the poor will be more plentifully relieved, and we more able to do it; and we shall reap more pleasure and profit from laying out upon the poor, than from wafting it on the pomps and vanities of this wicked world. When any miferable creature would borrow or beg of us, prudence will advise us not to Manner. turn him away with fcorn, nor yet to remove him at a distance with disdain or violence; but if we fee reason to grant him his requeft, to do it with open hand, that fo the freedom of our charity may raise the comfort of it, and leave no fting in the mind of the neceffitous perfon. We ought not to opprefs the modefty of the humble, of those who have been wont to give and not to receive, nor to relieve them with lofty looks, or angry words, or a fevere behaviour; nor to expose their poverty by publishing our charity, or conveying it to them in the view of the world; but to hand our relief in fuch fecret and obliging manner, that they may receive it with chearfulness without confufion and fhame; it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath

not.

pay it.

In fine, as giving of alms is a real expreffion of our love and gratitude to God, and our Saviour God will reChrift, God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have fhewed towards his name, in that ye have miniftred to the faints, and do minifter, fays the apoftle. He may defer, but he never forgets; you may safely reckon that fo much as ye have bestowed in works of charity, fo much with increase you have fecured in the hands of God; who will either return it in temporal bleffings,

or repay it with intereft: not that any one should be so vain as to think we merit heaven thereby; nor may we prefume to drive a bargain with God, by putting our good works into the balance with an infinite and eternal reward.

SUNDAY XIV. CHAP. XIV.

I. Of Credit. II. Of Malice. III. Of Forgiveness. IV. Of Peace-making, Quarrels, Contention and going to Law. V. Of Humility or Humbleness of Mind. VI Of Selfconceit. VII. Of Pride and Paffion. VIII. Of Meekness; it prevents rafh Judgment, immoderate Refentments, and Hatred; promotes Reconciliation and good Neighbourhood, &c.

Of credit.

How ferviceable.

I.

A

S being members of fociety,we have a right to credit and to a fair character among our neighbours: and for this reafon men form themselves into focieties, that thereby they may aid and affist one another, and enjoy a delightful converfation void of fear, fufpicion and danger; and by exchanging their labours, advice, and commodities, may be mutually helpful and beneficial to each other; which ends, no man can ever attain without having a fair credit and character among those with whom he deals and converfes: for who will truft a man of a loft reputation; or, who would willingly have any fociety with one, in whom he cannot truft and confide? Therefore, fince all truft and credit is founded upon good repute, which every perfon, who hath not forfeited his good name, hath a natural right to; fo a good name is rather to be chofen than great riches, and loving favour rather than filver and gold. And

Of what con

On his good name depend his ability to do good féquence to himself, friends or neighbours, the fuccefs of his affairs, his comforts and interefts, and most of the conveniencies of life, yea and fometimes life itfelf depends upon it; and confequently whoever is guilty of defaming his neighbour