- '5 70 .. Spiritual PerfeC/ion. atlers are imminent, and nt::arly threaten the undomg of the ricbcfi Man: But God Who commands the Winds and the Seas, and governs the Wills of Men, whofe Providence order~ tbe mofl fortuitous Events, has _promifed,. that the liberAi_M~n, who. tk-vrftth lib:. ~alrlunx s, he fb•ll Jland' He has a fpeetal Prot.C.boo; and as he IS hke to God in giving fo he !hall be in not beio~ poorer for his giving .The Apoft le encourages Chriftian; n0t eo be covetous; by thts Ar~ument! God has fa1d~ I w:/1 never ~e.cve thee, nor for{ake ' "" ·. We may firm!~ rely on lusPromife; for Truth ts the fo undatiOn ofTrull, and reft on h1s Providence wh1ch IS Ommporcnt. Add to this Coofideratioo, there is an acceffiooal fecurity to the Charitable from the affiftancc of others. Man is focia ble by inftiotl:, and the civil Life that is proper to him will be dilfolv'd without mutual affiftan_ce.. 'Tis order'd by the Rule of Providence, tha; there IS no Mao fo compleatly fufficrent m htmfelf, fo abfolutely and mdependently happy but he wants the Couofi:l, the Courage, the Help of others. 'Tis ufual, that he wh~ polfe[es moft can do lcfs, and that he that has lefs can do more: From hence it foDows That t he Wealth of t he _one, and the Strength of the other; the giving that wherein on~ abounds, and the receiving that whtch the oth~~ wanes, makes fi1ch an equipoife between the Rich and the Poor, that they cannot be disJoyn'd. Experience declares, there is no. thing does more endear and engage the Atfetl:ioos of others to us, than atl:s of Kindnefs. Bi!nefi ct! nce Join'd with Innocence, render Men venerable and amiab le, conciliate Efteem and Love; for" f!.COd Man one would even dart to d7e :. Whereas the Covecous and Incom· palftonate, not only provoke God; (for he that abufes a Benefit , defpt!es the Benefatl:or; and by 1mpnfonmg the1r Treafures without domg Good, the abufe 1s as real, as by a no. tous wafting them) but are expofed to Hatred and Contempt; and if a Difafier furprizes tbem,_ a fecret Joy touches the Hearts of others. 2. ,Tis a means to increafe Riches: 'Tis a Rule not only in Spiriruais, but in Temporals; As a Man {orvs,_ fo he /haU reap, both in the Recompeoces of Juftice, and the Rewards of Mercy: He that fows bouotifullh !hall reap bountifully. Charity is a produtl:ive PtoV. J. 9 , Jo. Grace, that enn.ches the giver more than the receiver. Honor~r the Lord with thJ fubjlanre, and tht jirjl-fmrtsof thJ incrta{e; {o {ball thJ Barns be fined tvith plentr, and thJ Pref!es burjl out wuh new Wine. He that gn;es to the Poor, lends to the Lord: He figns himfelf our Debcor for what is laid out for him, and he will pay ic wit., Incercfi; noc only with Eternal Treafures hereafter, but in outward Bleffings here. Riche:s obtain'd by regular means, are the etfetl:s and effufions of his Bounty ; but fometimes by admirabl" ways, he gives a prefent Reward, as by his own Hand. As rhere are numerous Examples of God's blafting the Covetous, either by a gangrene in their Eflates, that confumes tho;..m before their Eyes, or by the Luxury .and Profufeoefs of their Children ; fo 'tis as vifi ble he profpers rhe Merciful, fomerimes by a fecret Bleffiog difpenfi:d by an iovifible Hand, and fometimes in fucceediog their diligent Endeavours in their Callings . But 'tis objetl:ed, the Liberal are not always profperous. To this a clear Aofwer may be given. '· Externa l AEl:s of Charity may be performed from vicious Motives, without a mixture of internal Affettioos, which make them accepted of God. 2. Suppofing a Chriftiao abounds in Works of Char ity, and isoot rewarded here, this fpecial Cafe does not infringe the truth of God '~ Promife ; for Temporal Pro_mifi:s are to be interpreted With an excepuon, unlefs the Wtfdom and Love of God fees tt better not to bellow them : But he a,lways rewards them in kind, or eminently in giving more ex· celleot Bleffiogs. The Crown of Life is a reward more worthy the defires of a Chrifiiao, than the things of this World. Our Saviour alfures the young Mao, SeD aU, andgivtto the Po9Y, and tbo" /halt hav< Trea[ur< in Htavm. Eternal Hopes are infinitely more deft- 't;m. 6. ' ' • rable than 'Temporal Polfeffioos. The A poll le chargn the Rich to do good, to be rich in 19· good works, ready to dijlribute, wiOing _to comm~nic41e, /a7ing ~~for themftlvts Ago~d foundA· t ion, (not ofmerit, but .JJt~rance) agamjl the time to c~me, laJI»f!, hold of Eternal Life: If I could direa: the Covetous, how ro exchange a weight of Silver for an equal we~ght of Gold, or a weight of Gold for an equal weight of Diamonds, how attentively_ would they hear, and earoefily follow fuch profitable Counfel? But what companfoo IS there between Earthly and Heavenly Treafures? Godlinefs, of which the Grace of Charity IS an excellent parr, u profitable for all things, it makes our Profit eternally profitable. 'Trs the Wifdom as well as Duty of Believers, to lay up Treafures, t_~Ot ~n Ear.th, the Land of their Baoifhment, but in the Celetlial Country, the Place of their Nauvtty. CHAP.
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