Sifter that is naked and deftitute of daily Food, De- James 2. part in Peace, be ye warmed and filled; when, not 14, .. withstanding, they give them not thofe Things that be needful for the Body. But this kind of Love St. James hath long ago declared not to be worth any thing. And as for the Love of God, another Apoftle hath put it out of doubt, that the uncharitable Man hath no fuch Thing in him. Whofo (faith St. John) bath this 1 John 3. World's Good, and feeth his Brother have need, 17. and fhutteth up his Bowels of Compaffion from him, how dwelleth the Love of God in him! For he cap. 4.20. that loveth not his Brother whom he hath feen, how can be love God whom he hath not feen?

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Can he be thought a Religious Man, or a true Chriftian, that wants the Two main Qualifications that go to the making up a Difciple of Chrift, that is to fay, Faith and Repentance? Yet this doth he that is rich in this World, but is not rich in good Works. Good Works are the very Soul of Faith, and it is no more alive, without them, than the Body is without the Spirit, as St. James has ex- James 2. prefly told us. If we mean that our Faith fhould avail us any Thing it muft work (or be made perfect) by Charity, faith St. Paul; for Gal. 5. 6. though a Man have all Faith, fo that he could remove Mountains, i. e. though he be fo heartily perfwaded of the Truth of Chrift's Religion, as in the Strength of his Belief to be able to work Miracles, as was ufual in the firft Times of Chriftianity, yet if he have not Cha-Cor.13. rity, his Faith is nothing. If it be faid that the Charity that St. Paul makes fo neceffary to effectual

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effectual Faith, is not giving Alms, but quite another Thing; for according to him, a Man may give all his Goods to feed the Poor, and yet want the Charity he speaks of: I answer, It is true, a Man may give Alms, and very largely, and yet want that Charity that St. Paul here fo much recommends; but then on the other Side, none can have that Charity that he speaks of, but they will certainly exprefs it in Alms and Bounty, as they have Ability and Opportunity: So that for all this Suggestion, Alms and Bounty are abfolutely neceffary to the Efficacy of Faith, if there be Opportunity of doing them: The plain Account of this Matter is this, St. Paul speaks of Charity with refpect to its inward Principle in the Heart, which confifts in an univerfal Kindness and good Will to the whole Creation of God; and we fpeak of it with refpect to the outward Fruits of it in the Life and Conversation, which are all Sorts of good Works, especially Works of Mercy and Bounty: But both thefe come to the fame Thing as to our Purpofe; for the one always follows the other: where-ever there is Charity in the Heart, it must of neceffity fhew it felf in these Kind of Actions, as there is occafion, otherwise the Charity is not true, but only pretended; for St. John hath told us, He that loveth (ev arndez) in Truth, muft love (3) in Work and in Deed,

And then as for. Repentance, Charity and Alms-giving is a neceffary Ingredient to that Luke 3. alfo. When St. John Baptift came preaching Repentance

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Repentance unto Ifrael, the People asked him faying, What shall we do? meaning in what manner they should exprefs their Repentance: His Answer was this, He that bath Two Coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and be that bath Meat, let him do fo likewife; and fuitable to this was the Prophet's Advice to the King of Babylon, when he exhorteth him to Repentance, Break off thy Sins, Dan.4.27. (faith he) by Righteoufnefs, and thy Iniquity, by fhewing Mercy to the Poor; that is, Evidence thy Repentance by thy Alms-giving and Charity.

Furthermore, Can he be either a good Man or a good Chriftian, that lives in the habitual Neglect of that, which of all other Vertues God in Scripture feems to fet the greateft Value upon; and contrary-wife practiseth that which God hath moft particularly declared his Hatred and Averfion to? Yet thus doth he that is not charitable with what he hath. So highly acceptable to God are Works of Mercy and Charity, that they are declared to be the Sacrifices with which he is well-pleafed, Heb. 13. 8. the Things in which he doth delight, Jerem. 9. 24. and bleed and happy are they pronounced that do them, Prov. 22. 9. cap. 14. 21. for hereby Men become the Children of God, Luke 6. 35. and intitled to his more efpecial Care and Protection, Pfal. 41. 1, &c. nay, fo dear do they render a Man to his Maker, that the wife Son of Sirach fcrupled not to recommend the Practice of them in thefe Terms, Be thou

10.

Ecclus. 4. (faith he) a Father to the Fatherless, and in ftead of a Husband unto their Mother; fo fhalt thou be as the Son of the Moft High, and he shall love thee more than thy own Mother doth.

Eph. 5.5.

On the other Side, if we will believe the Scripture, there is nothing more odious to God than the contrary Qualities and Practices. 1 Tim. 6. The Love of Money, which is the Foundation of all Uncharitableness, is in Scripture called the Root of all Evil, as certainly the greatest Evils and Mifchiefs in the World, do often take their beginning from thence. Thofe that are covetous are ftiled by the Name of Idolaters, than which no more hateful Appellation can be given to a Man in the SaPfal.10.3. cred- Language. It is fait of the Covetous, that God abhorreth them; which implies the útmoft Averfion that the Divine Nature is capable of, to any Sort of Men or Things. The uncharitable and hard-hearted Men, God hath declared, he will have no Mercy Jam.213. on; but they fhall have Judgment without Mercy, that have shewed no Mercy.

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Fourthly and Laftly, A Neceffity there is, that thofe that are rich in this World, fhould do good, and be rich in good Works, &c. upon their own Account.Though there were no other Tie upon them, yet Self-love and Selfprefervation, would oblige them to it. I meddle not here, how far in point of worldJy Intereft they are concerned to be charitable, though even the Motives drawn from hence are very confiderable. For certainly, Charity is a Means, not only to preferve and

fecure

fecure to them what they have, and to make them enjoy it more comfortably, but also to increase their Store! No Man is ever poorer for what he gives away in ufeful Charity; but on the contrary he thrives better for it. Gødsfeldom fails, in this World, aniply to repay what is thus lent to him, befides the other Bleffings that accompany his Store, and go along with it to his Children after him. This I am fure is folemnly promifed, and in the ordinary Difpenfations of Providence we fee it generally made good: Whereas to the greedy and penurious Man, all Things fall out quite contrary; he may have Wealth, but he hath little Comfort in it; for a Curfe generally attends it, of which he feels the fad Effects in a various miferable and vexatious Life, and often in either having none, or an unfortunate Pofterity.

But this is not the Thing that I mean to infift on. This World lafts but for a while, and it is no great matter how we fare in it; but we have Souls that muft live for ever. If therefore Men have any Kindness for them, if they mean not to be undone to all Eternity, it is abfolutely neceffary they hould do good with what they have. O that uncharitable rich Men, would think upon that Woe that our Saviour pronounceth against them, Woe unto you that are rich, for Luk.6.24 ye have received your Confolation. O that they would ferioufly confider, and often remember thofe Words of Abraham to the rich Man in Hell, Son (faith he) remember that Luke 16. thou 25.