After what nsanner muff we give Alms, Secm, i i. Ad opes diono iefque expelen etas, ad casmu la7dnA èli iti ,es,f-saiof' efl rto(lra libido, infrni`a eaeptdi Caly. Inít.1.3 r.c.7. I Cora 6.I,2. * Mr..7)so.Gata ker, in his Fu neral Sermon at the Burial of Mr. jo.Parker, Merchant and Citizen of Len - do4. oing a flock by thee for th,t very end and purpofe. All men naturally are hard- hearted, and clofe-handed, and thereupon are very hardly perfwaded to part with any thing contiderable for charitable ufes. But this confer,acing before-hand a part of thine eflatefor theufe of the poor, will caufe thy charity to flow out more freely and bounti- fully. Now a facred flock for thePoor maybe raifed two wales ? I. ByPetting apart fomething every Lords Day, out ofthy comings in the weekbefore, accordingad Godbath profpered thee ; which pra&ice we find prefcribed unto us, by the Dire&ion of the Holy Ghofl,and warranted unto us by the Apoflolical authority, for faith the Apoftie Paul co the Corinthians, Now concerning the collet-lion for the Saints, as Ihave given order to the Churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. Upon the firft day of the weel; ( which is the Lords Day ) let every one of you lay by him inflare, .0 God bath prosfBred him ; that is, according to the ability wherewith God bath bleed hirer, let him fet apart fomething for the relief of the poor,efpecially thepoor Saints. . This rule I would commend to fuch who live upon their daily la- bour. But for chofe Merchants,Citiz,ens, and'Yrades-men, who fell much of their wares upon trufl,and know not certainly at the weeks-end what theyhave gained ; I would advife fuch, when they have call up their accounts at the years end, to fet apart fomething oftheir comings in that year, according as Godhath profpered them, for charitable ufes ; as theyex- pe& Gods blefling upon their trading the year following. 2. By confecrating unto God a certainportion of thyyearly incomes and revenuesfor charitable ufes. What this portion (hould be I darenot de- termine, the Scripture being filent therein, only in the General weare Commanded togiveout proportionably to what God bathgivenonto us, that they who are rich in than worldsgoods, be rich ingood works; But this I can fay, that the moil that I have heard or read of, who have taken this courfe to confecrate unto God a certain portionof their elate to chari- tableufes, have followed the exampleof Jacob, in giving a tenth part unto God. And as God did exceedingly biefs Twob after his vow, fo likewife hath he bleffed divers others after their vowuntoGod. An * eminent Divine ofthis City; nowwith God, in his Funeral Sermon, at theBurial of a Merchant, fpeaking of his Charily, faith, that at his firi effeClual call, amongother things he then refolvedupon, this
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