____ D_r_·r_eB_r_·o_ns__ tv_h_at __ pa_r_t_o_f__ or_tr_E_~ _ at_~ __ w_e_fl~io_u_ld __ de_l_'o_te__ to__ cJ_,a_f_it_.tb_l_e~tif.~c-'s_ : _____ ~ !'lot think thr faf!_lC of occaficn4l Givint,, if men did bur perceive rh3t Givin~ accordirg m our abilit)', ts as furc and great a duty as Pra)'ing. Now eo your QueHion of the Proportion of our g;!ts. I J. We mufi difiingui0·1, I· Between them that have nO more than will fupply their own, and their families true r.rcdiides, and thofe char have more. · 2· Between them that have a Oock of mnncy whiCh yicldC:h them no incrc:afc, and dwft' rhu hlva inore increafe by their labour, bur lirrle Hock. . · , 3· Be~wcen t~em whofc increafe is like to be conjfant, and theirs that is unctrtain) fometime more~ and fomwmc lefs-. 1 , • . 4· Between them that have many childrm, or near kindrcdl that nature calhth upon them for re~ liet; and thofe that have few or no children, or have a competent proviii.onfor them, and have fc:w meciy kindred that they are c:fpecially o·btiged to relieve. 5· Between thofe that live in timu and placu where the neccffitics of rhe poor are very great, ot fomc great works of Piety are in hand: and thofe thar live where the poor are in nogre:H neceffirr, and no .confiderable opportunity for any greac work of Pietyor Charity doth appear. Thtfc diHiritS:ions premifcd, I anfwcr as followerh. ' I· It is certain that every true Sandifie.d Chrifiian, hath Devoted himft/fand aU tb:Jt he h.1th toGod, to be uli:d in obedience to his will, and tor his glory, 1 Cor. 6. 19, 20. 1 Cor. J o. 3 I· Luk,.e 18. 33~ Tht Q.tcfiion therefore is nor, whether the Tenth part of our clt.tte fhould be devoted to, and emplo;•– td in the fervice of God, one way, or other, as he direCTeth us: for it is out of Q!..t:llion that all is his, and we are but his llcward!'; and tnull give account of our fiewudG1ip, and of all our re– ceiving<, ( M•tth. 2 5·) Eut the Q uefiion is only what proportion is befi pleafing to God in our giving to others ? 2. A Chriflian being unfeignedly thus rtfolved in the Gmeral, to lay out that he hath or Oull have, as God would have him, and to his glory (as near as he can ; ) his next enquiry mull be (for fi:1d~ ing our the will of God ) to know iu the ordinary courfe of his difiribution, where God hathgone ~Ltorc him by any particular pre{cript, and rycd him to one certain way of giving, and where God h;o~th ~:mly given him fOme general1Jirel1ion, and h:ft him to difccrn his Duty in particular!, by thlt ge– neral Rule, and the fur_ther direCt: ion of objrUs and providence. And in this enquiry he wi~l find, I . That God bath hri\ prcfclibed to him in Nature, the nccdf"y fufientation of hi• own fife. And, , z, fhe necdfJTy maintenance of his children and family. 3· T he necdfary maintenance of the Preachers of the Gofpel, for the Worfhip of God, and the falvation ot men, 1 Cor. 9· Phi/. 4· ro, 11, If 1 17, 18. Lukt I O 7· 1Tim. 5· 17, r8. 4· The necdf•ry maintenance ot the Common~wealth, and paying tribute: to the higher powers, who arc the Minijlrrs of God tom for good: attending con:inuaUy upon this vtry tbing, Rom. I3•.f, 6. 5· T nc Living of the lives of thole chat are in apparent danger of famine or perifhing , within our light or reach, 1 Job• 3· 17· L•~• ro. 33· Thlls far God hath prefcribed to us, how he would have: us ufC our cttatc:s in an ordinary w~y. In m:my other things he hath left us to more General Directions. 3· To know among good works, which is to be preferred it principally concernerh Vs next to know, wh.Jt work.,s domoft contribute to our cbitft{i euds l which Gvd Hmoft bonoured by l which tend to tbe grtatcjt good l And here we 01all find that c.c:rrH paribur, . l· The Souls of men are to be preferred before their Bod;u, in efiirnation and intention : But in (imc, the Body is oft to be preferred before the Soul, becaufc if the Body be fuffered to perilh, the help– ing of the Soul will be pJ.It our power. 2•• And fo the Church is fi~taYy and eftimatively to be preferred before the Common-wealth; but thC Commo;z-wealth mull be firjt ferved in time, when it is neceJtary,to the Churches fupport and welfare; ., I' or the Church will elfe perifh with the {:omrnon~wealth. . 3. The good of ma11y is to be preferwr'before the Good of few, and publici(_ good to be valued above: prh·tJte, Rom• 9· 3. · 4• A co1zti1tued govd is grearcr than a fhort and tranfitory good. And fo necdfary is it to have chit{ rcfprll in all our works to our chiefcjl end ( the greatejf good,) that even when God fc~meth to have prcfcrihcd to us the way of our cxpenccs, yet that is but as to' our ordinary courfe, for if in an txtraordinary ca[e it fall out, that aHother w.Jy is more: to Gods glory and the common f,ood~ it mull be tbcn prtfC:rred. for all.mtans are to be judged of by the tnd, and ebo{tn, and u[td for it. For example, if rhc good of Cburcb and Common-~e~lth, or of the fouls of.rna~y do lhnd up againll out corpor"l provifion of our childrw or familiH, It IS to be preferred; wh1ch IS cafily proved a fortiort, bccaufe it is eo be preferred before our own govd, even the faving of our lives• . A good fubjell will iofc: his ltfc to (3.ve the life qf his King: and a good Souldier will. dye. to fave his General, or the Army. And a ufdefs member of the Church fhould be content to dye, 1f It he neccffary to fave the life of a i>dtor that is gr(:atly ufeful. If a poor ordinary Chrifiian then had been fo put to it, that ei.: ther Paul m- He mull: famifh, no doubt but his ultimate tnd would havt; commanded him to prefer the Apojllc b,forc himfdf; So that in extraordinary cafes, the end and grearcft good mufi be our guide. • 4· Though I may ordinarily prefer my own life before ;mothers, ~et I mufi no.t prefer my m~tr dtligbl nor hraltb, before anothcrs life; And though men muft provtde for .the l••es of thm chil– dren,
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