I 28 'The Juperior Excellen~y thofe who_can: if he bath no money to redeem captives, yet will he e1nploy his in– terdl: in the court of heaven for their de– liverance: though he cannot recover ady- · ing child to the a:(Hieted parents, yet vvill he endeavour to perfuade them to fu bmif- . fion and refignation, which will render thcn1 more happy; and will go hard, but · he \:vill find fome way, either to benefit or oblige every man with whorn he conver– feth. Let no 1nan upbraid us with the c.:)ntrary pracrices of n1any high pretenders to religion, who are notedly felfiih and . churliih perfons. We are not to defend the aCtions of all who would be thought godly: nor mufi· you take your n1eafures of piety fro1n what you obfervc in tl1em. But look through the gofpel, and you !hall find charity and bounty fo paffionatdy re– comnlended, fo frequently inculcated, and fo indifpenfably required, that you may eafily conclude there are no Chriftians in earnefi, but thofe who praetife it. Yea, fo peculiar is this liberal and benign temper to holy and religious perfons, that nothing but a faint refetnblance and fa-lfe imitation is ·to be found elfcwhere in the world. Other mens feeming bounty is always mar– red by the bafe principle it proceeds from, . . · and
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