'Dirc[lioiiS wl1at part of our Eft.ates weJhould de)Jote to ckt~ritab!e ufes1~ 2· That we be fenfible ?f his abundant love in Chrifl to us, in giving pardon and eternal life ; and that from the fenfe of th1s our thankful hearrs are moved to do good to others. 3· That therefore we do it ultimately, as to Chrifi himfelf; who takcth that which is done for his ca.ufe and fervants, as done to him, Nlatth. 2 5· 40• 4· That .we conquer the curfed fin of ftlftjlmefs, which makes men little regard any but themfelves. 5· That we, love our Neighbours as our felves, and love mofi, where there is moll: ofGod and goodnefs, and not according to felf-intercfi: And that as mt'mbers of the fame Body we take our brethrens wants and futfcrings as our own; and then we (hould be as ready to help' them as our felvcs. 6. That we know the vanity of worldly riches, and be not emhly·mindcd, but regard the intc· retl: of God and our fouls, above all the treafures of the world. 7· That we unftignedly believe the promifcs ofGod, who hath engaged himfdf to provide for us, and cverlafiingly to rewa~d us in ~lory with himfclf. If thcfe feven qualifications be wrought upon the Heart, good works wJll plentifully follow. Make but the Tree good, and the fruit will be good. But when the Htlrt is void of the root and life which ihould produce them, the Judgement will not be perfwaded that fo much is neceffary, and required of us; and the will it felt" will fiill hang back, and bedelaying to do good, and doing all pinchingly and hypocritiCllly, with unwillingnefs and diOruO. . No wender if good works are fo rare, when it is evident that to do them fincerety and heartily as our Trade and bufinefs, it is necdTary that the whole foul be thus renewed, by faith, and love, and ftlfdmJ'al, and mortification, and by a Heavenly h~pe and mind. They are the fruits and works of the nerv creature (which, is alas, too rare in the-world : ) For we art h;J work.!na;ifhip, created in Chrijt Je[uJ unte good JrOT~J, which God bath befnre ordained, that: we jhould walk._ in them, Ephef. 2· 10. Therefore our tit!\ and chiefdllaboudhould be to be fure that we arc furnifhed with fuch hearu, and then if we haue wherewith to do good,[uch hearu will be fure to do it; Sttch !Jtaru will befi difccrn' the timeand mta{ure, as a hcalthful mtns appetite will in eating : }'or they will take it for a 11)ercy and happimfs to do good,and know, rhat it is tl)(y that give, that are the great n:ceivers.Ir is b'ut a little money or alrns,that the poor receive ofus,but it is Gods acceptance, and favour,and reward that we re– cei~e, which is in th~ lift a hundred fold (in value) and in the world to come eternal life, Matth. 19· 29. But if we have but little or nothing to givt, Jiuh aheart is accepted , as if we had given as much as we defire to give ; fo that if you have a heart that w~uld ~ive thoufoHtJr if you ,had it, God will fet down upon your account, fo many thou{andJ given ( mdchre. ) Your ~wo mitu lhall be valued above all the fuperfluities of fcnfual worldlings .: For if there be firft • wiUing mind, it !r accepted according to tiJat a man hath, ~nd not according to that he bath 1JOt: 2 Cor. 8. I 2· But God taketh,not that for a wiDing mind, which only faith, I would give if I fh•uld fuffer ·nothing by it my [elf, or Dtre fure Ijhould 11ot want: But that which faith, I R'iUJerve God M well aJ I can with my ejlate while I have 'it, and deny my jltjh, that I may have to do good witb, and- 1trujt God for my provifion anel re– ward; for if there be • readinefs to wiU, there wi/J be a performance al{o out of that. which yon ht~,Ve, 2 Cor. 8. 11· 12. Such a holy ftlf-denying Charitable hmt, ,Oith the help of prudence, irtbt be,ff Judge of the due Proportion 'R'hicb we jhoultl give : For this wiUing readine[s being fuppofed, PrutltHCt will difcern the fittcft objel1t, and the fitte/f time, and the fitteft meaficre, and will {uit the meant unto the end : When once a mzns heart is [et upon doing good, it will not be very hard to perceive how much our felves, oUr families, the poor, and religious ufes lbould have; for if fuch af}erfon be PrUdent him~ felf, he hath alwayes with him, a conftant CounfoUor, with a general Rule, •and dire!ling Providmce: If he want Prudence fuffi~ient to be his own Dirtllor , he will take Direllion from the Prudence of others. f 1 I3· Such a truly willi11g mind, rviU not. be much wanting in the General, of doing good, bnt one wa)l. er other, will fervt God with hid eftate; and then if in any particularJ he fhould come jhort, ft wiU com~ pariltively be a very fmtttl fin, whe~ it i1 not f_or JP.snt of n;iUingneji, but of. Jkj~. The"will is the chief (eat of all mor:al (,_ood and evd: There IS no more vtrtNe than l~ere 1s wtU, nor_ no_more fin or vice, than there IS wtU. H: t?at Jtnowrth n?t b?w. much he firo~ld .gtve~ bccau_fe he ts not wjUing 10 give it,, and therefore not w1llmg to know tt, ts mdecd the mtfer and finfully Ignorant; but if ic' be not for want of a wiUing miml that we mifiake the proportion, it will be a very p1idom.ble mifia~e. · 14 , TDttr proportim of the 1mtb pail, if tog much for fomt, and mucb roo little for otferr, ~ut fpr the moft, I think.. it a1 likely a prvportion a1 it Hfit: for another to prefcribe hi particular, JPit!J tbtfi foUorl'iHg explication/• 1 • r. He that hath a full flock of money, ansl no increaft by it, mu(\ give proportionab!y out of his floc!;.; when he that hath little or no fiQck, but the.truitsof his d>ily indufiry and labour, may poffibly be bound to give lefs than the other. 2· It is not the Tenth of ottr increafe, deducting firft all our families prdvjfion , that you 'mean when you direct to give the Tenth ( for it is far more, if not aU, that .after fuch pr~vifian m~(\ be given;) But it is the 1enth without deductiOn that you mean: Therefo,re when family necef!arier cannot [pare the Tenth, it may be too much ( elfe even 'the Receivers !"u~ · tll be Givers:) But\rhetl family nmffitier can fpare much more than the 1entb, then the 1enth ·ts not enough. · 3· In. l9S
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