Cola. 4. Of .ork c of mercy to beperformedon this clay. Chap.7. But it is an caí k matter for flefh and blood to find ObjcElions, again(} - performing there works of mercy. As how know I, whether a man be hungry or not ? I fee Ot e!f.i. none go naked, and fo of the refl. To this we anfwer with the fathers, P01'1144 ell occurrere necejlitati, quern firecurrere, Sol. It is better to prevent or keep a man from mifery, than to help himoutof mifery, And for the prac`life of that they fo taught, the monuments of their charity which they have left behind them thew, that they were more frequent in works of mercy than we. And their rule was, In die domini ne cerendo mantesadDeum, nifi extend Aug. adpaupers ; If you flretch not your hands to thepoor on the Lords day, it Will be in vain tofiretch out your hands to God. And indeed when God requireth thy alms to the poor, he asketh but his own, and that whichhe gave thee, and but that which thou canif not keep long. He requireth but pauzi/um, a very little from thee for them, meaning to repay thee Centuplum, a hundred fluid for it. He askethof thee but Cadueum, that which is frail and tranfitory, to reward thee in arernum, eter- 'nally. z. And as there were in their time force, fo are there now more, that plead their-ebjeít inability torelieve the poor. Our anfwer to this miff be as theirs was, Si tibi non fufficient res tux ad ufus Chri sot. f?niìios, parcendurn efi, ur ru fufficias ellie: If thou haft not fufficient for pious ufes, be the better husband., that thou mayIbeenabled to do forne good, though never fo little; for God regardeth not the quantum, how much thou giveft, but ex panto, out of what thou halt to give. The widows mites were more accepted by God, than the gifts the rich men cat} into the Treafury; why ? disa mulrum obtatlir,qua pa. Luke s .r. rum fibs relquit, She offered much, that left but little to"herfclf: Laftly, There were foute then, as there are now, that having given alms on the eenday, would recover it the other days of the week, either by opprefing, and dealing hardly with the poor, or by undermining thofe they dealt with : Therefore the lath caution mutt be out of the Prophet, The Lord of hofts (hall be exalted in Eta) st 6: judgment, the holy Ghoff (hall be fanAified in jufice, that is, a mans tïiércy mull not make him unrighteous. So that the conclufion of this point is, if a mando dare rem foamDeo, 6 fe ; ereato, ant demoni, give his fub1l nce to God, and hirníelf to fin or the devil, and thereby give quod minus eft Creatori, Pi quod majus, inimico, the' lefs to his Creator, and the greater to his Enemy , he is far from keeping the Sab- bath aright inthe point of performing the works of mercy:... ___ Now concerning the fpiritual part of. the.works of n ercy, which is to be done to z. the fpirit of him that needs it, S. Hulse 'ine faith, Eff qua,/am charitasqua de facculo Sp`ite,ar works non erogarur ; there is a charity which is not.taken out of the bag or purfe, inch mer- °t merit'. cies are called Spir:tttales Elemazynx, or mofericordix , fpiritual alms, which are fo much more excellent than the other, as theydo moderi moferie prïncipalïoris partis, take order for the relief of the moreprincipal part of man, the foul ; and there are (even of this kind, r. The fiirfI concerns the good which is to be performed , to draw him to it, and it conGfts of three branches. s. The infirudhion of the young, and others that are ignorant, the Prophet defcribes the reward of filch, They that turn many to righte- oufnefs, (hall Thine as the Stars for ever. z. The.fecond branch is, the giving of good Dewar ,,. and chriffian advice to him that is in doubt; hearty counfel by a friend, isby'Solomon Da 12.3. compared có ointment and perfume that rejoice theheart. 3. The laff is the exhor- yr;°' 7 9 ting him that is flack in force good duty, fo did the Prophet David. And this was p°ä, 5'14; one of the inftrukions Se, Paul gave to Timothy, tocharge rich men to do good, i Tim.6.r7. and be rich in good works, 6-e, 2 2. Another is comforting them that are in di(trefs, St. Paul calleth this comforting r Theft4.r4ä themwhichare introuble, and fupporting the weak, and fiere cumflente/sue. weeping Romer: rs. with them that weep. 3. A third is that workof fpiritual mercywhich our Saviourmade a part of Church- Marts rs, difcipline, reproving of our brother privately for his fault, and the A of}le biddeth ' Thefl:5.i4' us to warn them that are unruly. P March 614. 4, A fourth is, the pardoning of thofe that offend us, according to our Saviours 5_aÆ` Rule , we muf}-firfh be reconciled to our brother, before we offer our gift at the Altar,
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