, 19:t 'DireElions what part of 011r Eftates tv~ jhould de1Jote to clwitable ufes. -------------------------------------------~- ·-·c).6. ~-~·7· An[w. According as it is like to do mofi good : But none !hould nccdltfly dtlay. Both is bell. ~efi. 6. Should one devote or {et by a certain part of d.lily incomes ? O!!,.efi. 7· What proportion U a man bound to g~ve to tbe poor 1 . . Anfw. T~e[e two. Q2eftions having a~fwered in .a Letter to ~r. '[h~m.u GfJuy,e now printed, and the Book bemg not m many hands, I w•ll hele recite that Letter as 11 IS· pub!iChed. Mo{l Dear, a11d very much H0110urcd Brother, EVen the Philofopher bath taught me fo to efieem you, who faid, that He ;, lilzeft ~ G,d i .»etdttk fewcft thing! for birn{tlf, and dotb moft good to others. And Chrift tellcth us, that' :~~ vcrjat chartt)', ( extcndmg even to them that h6te and per[ecute 11i) doth m:ike us, as hU Children like our beavenly. Fathtr, Manh. 5· 44, 45, 46, 48. As Hating and HurtiHg their neighbours, js rh; mark of the Ch1ldren of the Devil, (John 8. 41-- ) fo Loving and Doin~ Good, is the mark of the Children of God. And it is obfervable, that no one: treateth fo copioufly and pathetically of Love ( both of Chrifls love to us, and ours to him ) as the b!dfed Difciplc, whom Jefus is faid to have eminently Loved ( as]olm 13- 14, l), 16. & 17• & 1 John. !hew. J ! It bath often pleafed me to hear how dearly you were bdoved, by that exceeding great and popu– lous Po~oriili, where iatcly you were Preacher, for your eminent Charity to their fouls and bodies! And ~o fee that fiill you rake it for your work and·calling, to be a provolter of others to Love and to Goud Work.J, Hcb. xo. 24· whilcfi many that are taken for goBJ Chriftianr, do deal in fuch works as Rari– tiu or Recreations, only a little: now and then upoii the by, and whilefi Satans Minifiers arcprovo~nl othtrs toHatred and to Hurtfulnefs. Your Labour is fo amiable to me, that it would contribute to my comforts, if I were able to con· tribute any thing eo your allifiancc. rYou dc.::fire me to give you my judgement of the quota pars; What proporti9n it H mtet for moft men to.devote to Charitable ufu ; Whether the 1enth Part of their jncreafe be not ordi1tarily a fi• propornon? The rcafon why I ufe not to anfwcr fuch Q!eflions without much difiinguiChing ( wh<n lazy im· patient Readers would have them anfwercd in a word) is, becaufe the real difference of particular cafes is fo great, as maketh it neccffary; unlds we will deceive men, or leave the matter as dark ar.d unnfolvcd as we found ir. 11 J_ Before I anfwer your Q!efiion, I !hall pn:mife, that I much approve of the way which you ;nfiil upon, of {ctting fo much conjtantly apart ar H fit for IH to give, that it may bt tal{en by 111, to be M '!devoted or conficrated thing. And rncthinks chat there is much of a Divine Direction for the time._ m 1 Cur. x6. 1, 2· together with ~he praCtice: of the anticnt Church, [That upon the firjl: day of the week.., evtr) ont lay by him in flore, tu God bath pro[pered him. J And it will do muc~ to cure Pha~ rilaical Sabbatizing, when the Lords Day;, jlatedly u[<d in sbw, with holy worl«; and w1lltcach Hypo– critts to k1:ow what this meaneth, I wiU have mercy and not {acrifict, Macth.9. I.j· and 12. 7• And that works of Charity are an odour, a frvect JmeU, a facrifict acceptable aHd wtU pleafin;r. to God, who of 1he riches ofh'is Glory in Chrijl, wiU fupply aU tht mrd of fuch, as bring forth fuch fruit to abound unto their .2ccoum, Phil 4· 17, 18, I9· So it be done without any enfnaring vows, or raili engage– ments to unnecdfary things.; this confiant fetting apart ~certain proportion for pious and charitable ufes, will have thtfe advantages. . 1. Our difiriburion will be made deliberattly and prudently, when before-hand we fiudy a due proportion, and determine: accordingly; whereas they that give only occafionaUy as feme object fud– dtnly inviteth them, will do it at undome, without due: refpeCl to their own accounts, whether the proportion given be anfwenble to their own cfiate and duty. z, This fiated way will make mens charity much more cxttnjivt : When objeGts of charity arc not in their light, they will inquire after them, and they will ferk.. forthe needy, if theneedyfeek not unto them: bccaufc they have fo much by them to difpofe of, which is devoted to God. But thofc who give but as occafional objects draw it from them, will give to none but thofe that crave, or will pa[s by many as needy, whom they fee not, while they relieve only thofe few that thcy hap to fee. 3· And it will make mens charity alfo to be mort conftanl, and done obediently as a Chrifiians dally work and duty :, when occafiomtl charity will be more rartiJ and unconftantly exer,ifed. In a word, as the obftrvation of the LOrds Day, whicp is a fiated proportion of timc-, fecureth the.holy impwvemmt of our time, much !tetter than if God be ferved but occafionaUy, withou.t a fiated ttmc; <tnd as a cm{lant jl~Ited ciJur{e of Preacbing, exa:lleth meer occajional exhortations ; even fo a conft,snt e 014 ,jt of Gil-iJt; , wifolyft;~ted, will tind out objetb, and overcome temptitions, and difcharge our Dury \•ith much mon: inrcgrity and fucccfs. And if we can cafily perceive that oecajionaJ Praying will not [, well difchar6cthe duty of prayer, as a conHant Hated courfe will do; why !hou!d we not
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