After what manner moli wegive Alms, Serm fear of want ? Nay, rather cloth he not with a plentiful hand fow his feed, that he may prevent want ; being confident that by fow- ing his feed, he (hall in due time reap it again with fuch increafe, that he (hall thereby be inabled co futtain himfelf and family. So that this Objetion is a groundlefs fear, arifing from a didrufiful heart, contrary to that of the Wife-man, Prov. 28. 27 He thatgi- veth to the poor (hall not lack, viz. any thing which God feeth to bee good and needful for him. Nay, by not giving, thou art like- lie!( to come to want,for faith the fpitit of God,There is that with-hold- ProY'.t 1.24 eth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. So that keeping back and hoarding up, is the readied way to want and penury, whereas giving to the poor, according to that God bath given unto us,ts the be means to prevent penury. 2. Thou needfl not fear want by giving, for thereby thou wilt both fecure thy flock, and increafe thy flore. 1. What thou givefl to the poor, with an honed and fincere hearr; will fecure the redof thy elate. For as in a Elate Politick, theLeiger- Ambaffadours that are fent abroad to lye in forraign Kingdoms, fecure terrenaferva4- our peaceable Elate at home. In like manner, that which thou dif do amittìntus, perfef and fended abroad CO the poor, Both fecure the red at largiendorer home. So that intrude our earthly goods are loft by keeping, and kept by vanrzs, Ifiodor. giving away. 2. That which thou givefl away to the poor will increafe thy Luk.6.3S. (lore. For Give, faith our Saviour, and it fhall be given unto you, goodmeaftrre, prefled down, and fhaken together, and running aver. By which variety of expreffìons, our Saviour declareth, that charitable men (hall not only receive back again from God, what they give to the poor, but abundantly more; which the Wife-man implieth, Prove 1.14. where he faith, There is that fcattereth and yet increafeth ; intima- ting, that the more we fcatcer the feeds of our beneficence, the greater our increafe will be. And as it foliowech in the next verfe, The liberals foal hhall be made fat ; i. e. he that is bountiful towards others, (hall be enriched himfelf. And he that watereth, viz. others with his flore, (hall be watered alfo himfelf; i. e. (hall be abundantly watered with the Wei-ling of God, that he may have wherewith to do more good. Whereupon faith the ApoiilePawl, a. Cor,9.6. He that foweth ffraringl, [hall reap fparingly, but he that foweth boun- tifully, ¡hall reap bountifully : Thereby hinting unto us, the great gain and encredfe that we {hall receive by a free and liberal con- tribution,
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