200 Dire[/. 7· Dire[/. 8. Dire/1. 9· Tirell. 10· V'itefl. r r. ··.1 DireBions for doing Good. tics. And as ~e kcrp a daily account of our own and our fcrvants bufincfs in ourp.nticular Calling~ fo Chould we much more of our employment of our Mafiers Talents in his Service : And if a Heiltht:' Prince could fJy with lamentation, Alas, I h:zve lojf a day, if a day had paH iq which he had done n~ one gocd, how much more O)ould a ChrillianJ who is better infirud'ed to knowthe comfons arid re· wards of doing good. Direct. 7· Give not only out of your /itperjlwitieJ, when the flrfo iJglutted with ar much a 1 it defireth but labour h.1rd in your Cal/in~r, and be thrifty and [a'Ding from aU unneceJJ4ry expencu, and den; th, de fir,"~ of eafe and julnep a~d pride and curiojity, that y~u m.:ty have the more ta do good with. Thrifti: nefs for M:Jrks of Chanty u a great and necttf.uy duty, thoug~ Coverous thriftinefs for the love of riches be a great fin. H•.: that wafleth one half his mafiers goods through lloathfulncfs or excdfes and then is Charitable with the other half, will make but a bad account of his Stewardlhip. Much more he th:H glutt~th his own and his J:'~milies and ret~iners fle!hly defires firU, and then giveth to the poor only the lcavmgsof luxury, and fo much as thctr flefhly lufis can fpare. le is a dearer a Ja... borious and a thrirry charity, that God dothcxpe6t of faithful Stewards. ) ~in0': 8. Dd~y .nnt an)' good w~r~ which you have pre{ent ability. and opporwni!V. to perform. De– lay h&mheth unw11!mgnds or neghgc:nce. Love and Zeal are adwe and expedtuous. And delay doth frequently fruthat~ i?ood intentions•.. The per[ons may dye that you intend to do good to; or )'OU may dye, or )'OUr ab1l1tyor opportunities may ceafe : That may be done to day which cannot be done to morrow. The Devil is not ignorant of your good intentions, and he wiJI do all that pof– fibly he can to make them of no effect; And the more time you give him, the more you entble him to hindcr ·you. Yen little forefee what abundance of impediments he may can before you: and fo m1kc that impoffibk which once you rni~ht ~ne done with e~fc. Prov. 3· 28. Say not. to thy Neigh· bour, Ga and come again,andto morrow I wzUgtve, when thou hoft tt bythu.ProV.27·l· Boajf ntJt thy ftlf oft(} morrow,fi'r tbou ~nowtjf not what a day m,:zybringforth. . Diner. !I· Dijlr•Jl not GodJ providencefor thy own provijion. An unbelieving man will needs be a God to himtdf, ar.d trufi hirnfdf only for his proviiions, bccaufe indeed he 'annot trufi God. But you will find that your labour and care is vain, or worfe than vain without Gods bleUing. Say not dinru!Hully, what O>alll have my felf when.I am old? Though I am not perfwading you to make no provifion, or to give away all ; yet I mull tell.y?u, that it is exceeding folly to put off any prcfent duty, upon difirufi of God, or expectation of hvmg tG be old. He that over-night faid, 1 have eno•t.h laid 11 pfor many yeari, did quickly hear, ThoH fool, thi1 night jhaU thy foul be required of tbu: and rrhofe thCHjhJU the thingJ he "'hich thou haft provided? Luk. 12· 20· Rlther obey that Eccl. 9 • 10 • JFhatfot'V£r thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might :. For there. is 110 work_ nor device, nor JtnQwledgt nnr n·ifdomin the grave uhither tbon goeft. Do you thmk there 1.s not an hundred thoufand whotC: dlates are now confumed in the: fl.J.mes of London, who could wtfh that all that had been given to pious or charitable ufes? Do but believe from the bottom of your hearts, that he that bathpity on the p·'or,lcndcthtotbeLord,andthatwhichhe la)'ttb o~t he wiU pay him agai11, Prov.19• 17. And that M<~tth. 1o. 40,41, 42· He tb:zt receivtth you, recuveth me, amJ he that rtceivetb me, receivrth him tbal Jent me: He tlu~r recciiJeth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet,jhaU receive a Prsphets reward; andbe that receivrth a rigbteoHJ man in the name of a righteouJ man,jhaUrective a rigbteosu mans reward: andwho.. jOcvcrjhaUgive to drink,. 19 one of the[e little ontJ, acnp of coldwater only. (i. e. when he hath no better) iil the name. of a Difr:iple, verily I fay unto you, he jhall in no wife ~u[e hl-f reward. I fay, Believe this, and you wiil make halte to give while you may 1 ldt your opportunuy lhould ovedlip you. DinCl:. 10• what you cannot do yDur felves, provoke orhers to do who are more able: Pr~voktont. anotl~cr to loveand to good worl!J. Mo&fty doth not fo much forbid you to beg for others as for y 8 ur folt•eJ. Some want but information to draw them to good \Yorks: And forne that are unwilling, may be .,,~,d ro it, to avoid the flume of uncharitablcnefs : And though fuch giving do little good to thtm[clvcs, it may do good to others. Thusyou may have rhc reward when the cofl is anothers, as long as the Charity is yours. . . . · . Dired-. 11 • HtaJken to nodo6hme wh1ch IS an ent:my to Chanty or good work.!; nor yet which tcacheth you to trufi in them for more than their proper part. He that afcribeth to any of his own works that which is proper to Chrift, doth turn them into heynous fin. And he that afCJibcth not to thu~ all that which Chrill: afcribcth to them, is a finner alfo. And whatever ignorant men may prate, the time is c~ming, :vhcn nc~the~ Chrifi without our Charity, nor our Charity without Chrifi / but in fubordinattcn to hlm,) w1ll euher comfort or favcour fo~<~ 1 c, CHAp;
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