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thefe my Brethren, ye have done it unto me. And the charitable Contributions of the Hebrew Christians to their indigent Brethren, is by St. Paul, ftyled a Work and Labour of Love fhewed to God himself, Heb. 6. If therefore rich Men would not be unkind and ingrateful to him that gave them all they have, there is à Neceffity they fhould do Good, &c.

Secondly, The Practice of this must likewife be charged upon them in Point of Justice as well as Gratitude: It is a piece of Dif honesty not to do good with the Wealth that God hath given us; for it is falfifying our Truft, it is an embezling our Mafter's Goods, and putting them to quite other Ufes than thofe he gave us them for. We are not to think that God ever made a Man rich for his own fake alone, for the ferving his own Turnings, and the Satisfaction of his own private Defires, without refpect to the Community. No, at the beft, we are but the Stewards of God's Bleffings. A Stock of Ta lents he hath committed to all of us, to fome in greater, and to others in smaller Proportions, and out of this Stock he hath given us leave to make a Provifion for the Neceffities and Conveniencies of outfelves and our Families; but we must not think all our own that accrues to us, fo that it is at our Liberty, whether we will hoard it up, or spend it profufely. No, we must have regard to the reft of our Master's Servants. After we have ferved our own Needs, we muft difpenfe the Surplufage among the Family of God, otherI 3

wife

wife we are falfe and wicked Stewards, we a buse and mifemploy our Mafter's Talents, and a fevere Account we shall one Day render for fo doing.

Thirdly, Mens Religion and Christianity are alfo deeply concerned in this Point. Works of Charity are fo effential to all Religion, and more especially to that which we call Chriftian, that without them it is but an empty Name in whosoever profeffes it. Let Men pretend what they will, let them be never fo Orthodox in their Belief, or regular in their Conversation, or ftrict in the Performance of those Duties that relate to the Worship of God, yet if they be hard-hearted and uncharitable, if God hath given them Wealth, and they have not Hearts to do Good with it, they have no true Piety towards God. They may have a Name to live, but they are really dead. An unmerciful Cnriftian, or a religi ous covetous Man, are Terms that imply a Contradiction. For the fatisfying you of this, I fhall but need to put thefe following Que.ftions.

Can that Man be accounted Religious, that neither loves God nor his Neighbour? Sure he cannot; for thefe Two Things are the Whole of Religion, as the Holy Scripture of ten affures us; but now the covetous Man neither doth the one, nor the other. His Neighbours he doth not love, that is certain; for if he did, they would find fome Fruits of it; unless this be to be accounted Love, to give them good Words, to say to a Brother or a

Sifter that is naked and deftitute of daily Food, De- James 2. part in Peace, be ye warmed and filled; when, not- 14, 6. 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 World's 1 John 3. Good, and feeth his Brother have Need, and but- 17. teth up his Bowels of Compaffion from him, how dwelleth the Love of God in him? For he that loveth not Cap.4. 200 his Brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen.

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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-Jam.2.26. prefly told us. If we mean that our Faith fhould avail us any Thing, it must work (or be made perfect) by Charity, faith St. Paul; for Gal. §. 6. though a Man have all Faith, fo that he could remove Mountains, he. though he be fo heartily perfuaded of the Truth of Chrift's Religion, as in the Strength of his Belief to be able to work Miracles, as was usual in the first Times of Christianity, yet if he have not Charity, his Faith is nothing. If it be faid, that the Charity that St. Paul makes fo neceffary to effectual

I 4

¡Cor. 13.

7.

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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 Anfwer, 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 fide, none can have that Charity.
that he speaks of, but they will certainly ex-
prefs it in Alms and Bounty, as they have A-
bility 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 Ac-
count of this Matter is this, St. Paul fpeaks of
Charity, with refpect to its inward Principle
in the Heart, which confifts in an univerfal
Kindness and good Will to the whole Crea-
tion of God; and we fpeak of it with refpect
to the outward Fruits of it in the Life and
Converfation, which are all Sorts of good
Works, especially Works of Mercy and Boun-
ty: But both thefe come to the fame Thing
as to our Purpose; for the one always follows
the other where-ever there is Charity in the
Heart, it must of Neceffity fhew itfelf in
these kind of Actions, as there is Occafion,
otherwise the Charity is not true, but only
pretended; for as St. John hath told us, He
that loveth (ivaλnscía) in Truth; must love,
g) in Work and in Deed:

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

10, II.

Repentance unto Ifrael, the People asked him, faying, What shall we do? meaning, in what I manner they fhould exprefs their RepenItance: His Anfwer was this, He that hath Two Coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that bath Meat, let him do fo likewife; and fuitable to this, was the Prophet's Advice to the King of Babylon, when he exhort- a ed him to Repentance, Break off thy Sins, Dan.4.27. (faith he) by Righteoufness, 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 blessed 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

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