he Epiftle Dedicatory. 1 with-new wine, god will certainly blefs t heir fabflance, who honour him with their fubflance. The Jews at this day, though they are not in their own Countrey, and though they have not a Levitical Prieflhood, yet thole who will be reputed Religious among ft them do difiribute the tenth of their increafe to the poor, being perfwaded that God cloth Uefs their increafe the more ;for they have among them a very elegant Proverb to tbat purpofe s De- cima ut dives fias, Pal thy tythes that thou mayefl be rich. The poor mans hand. is Chrifis Treafury, and he *ill not lofe his reward that cafts his mites into that Treafury. It is fabled of Midas, that what ever he touched he turned st_into gold. But this is moft fure, that whatever the hand of charity taucheth, it turneth it into g Id ; be it but a cup of cold water, nay into heaven it ftlf, Mat. to. 42. And whofoever !hall give to drink,un- to one of thefe little ones, a cup of cold water only, in the name of a Difciple, verily I fay unto you,, he than in no wife lofe his reward. coldJvater having not fuel to heat it, cold water which coil not the charge of fir, to warm it. A Sea of pleafures, a heaven of blef- fings attends,,men of charitable minds, though their charity can extend no further than to a cup of cold wa- ter ; for god meafures mens deeds by their minds, and not their minds by their deeds. The Kenites in Sauls time, that were born many Ages after Jethro's death received life from his duli, and favour from his hofpita. lity; nay,the very Egyptians, for harbouring,and at firfl dealing kindly with the Ifraelites, though without any re- fpeel to their righteoufnefs, were preferved by Jofeph in Ithat fore famine, and kindly dealt with -ever after by Gods fpecial command. I have read a fiery of one Eva. grius a rich man, who lying upon his death-bed, and be- ing Godro . 777. The fafefl is the poor mans Box. God will never for- get your chari- ty to his, lleb. 6. i o. Cicero could fay, that to be richis not to poifefs much, bat to de much And Seveca could rebuke them that fo. fiudied to en- creafe their wealth,- that they forget to de it.
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