- ., ~. - ~ Part II.' -A S,41nt or tt Brute. Y91r·' • Bu_t Y9u--fay, that they are M COWtOIU tU other men~ though they are more Rt:ligirnu. Bm this is as fuameful a faliho~d as the for– mer. Do we not fee the contrary in the open frmrs ? Covetous men are the forwarddl: to call other~Covetou-s, becaufe they would-_ have no body hinder or crofs them in their Covetous deGres or defigns. And then they are faying, [ 0 (uch a profeff~r ufed me thm, andfuch·a one di.dthus J; and ufually they parttally relate the cafe, as their own Covetous hearts encline them paffion:nely to judge·ir. And perhaps they may meet with aworld~y hy– pocrite that feemeth Religious; which is no more to the d1fgrace of Religion, then Chamwas in the Family of Noah, or A/;folom -in the houfe of Davia, or {udtU in the Family of ChrifL ?? n.ot: youcall your felves Chriftians your felves? And yet Chnft~ttmty is never the worfe, bc:caufe you ;1re wick_ed that profefs it. But fu~·e I am that the iervants of Chrifi are not c:ornparable to you m {ovetermfne(s.. For as I find God defcribing them in his Word ,. to be a people dead to the world, whofe converj(aion is in heaven~ fo I fee that they can fpare time from worldly buGnefs., while they ' and their houfoo/Js/erve the Lord-; and. fo cannot you : They are feeking Heaven, when you are feeking earth ; And we may know what a man loveth, if we know what he feeketh. And again I m1:1fi bear witnefs from my own e~eriem~e, that in this place where.! live, I haV>e reafon to believe, that where other men of their ability give apcm~]'tO the poor for charitable ufes, thofe that you tall precife and think too Religious-, do give fix, if nor twice fix, and fome of them much more then r will exprefs~ There are few weeks but we have occafion eo ~ry it hy ·vo-luntary collections . for fome needyperfons,or cha,)i{cable ufes; and therefore we han:· much opportuni~y· to know : befides contributions at Sacra– ments, aFJd other publick occafions. But you fay , that in former times t-here w.::u-more L.ove amfJng JJeighh.surs- tPlen is now, : Then there was mare fo~miliarity and' kjndne(t, a;aa le[s hatred, ~tnd malice, and contention, then now... .-,~~ Ianfwer, Am1not Jure by conftant e:,:perienc·e, t·hac there is far.... •· more love among rh~ godly then among you r Do l not fe~ hqw;.<: - aear theyare to on~ another? and how fweetly and familiarly they·~ .. converfe together , and joyn in prayer and holy e:Ker(ifes<, ·and conf~rr about their everlafiing !tare ? Do I not fee that tlrey are– ten ttmes more liberal to relin·e each other in di-il:refs , then yon– are ? Many and.rnany atime~ ~-a!e f~e!_l ~h~m gi!e ton or tWenty .· ' fhi/JiftJg__s
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