Arnf ver to the pretences of men &c. 473 Toànfwer forhe pretences of men that hinder this worke of _ tnerc y. Say force, I am, poor and mean, --- There is a Scripture tes few that even poor people ftould be merc full, though thou canlf do but little, do fointhing, you know the poor widdowes mite, was accepted more then all the rich miens treasure ; 2 Cor. 8, I. Moreover, brethren, wedoyou to wit of the gracesf God bellowed on the Churches of víecedonia ; how that for a great tryall ofafffiílions, the aboundaace of their ,toy, and tl,;-c.r deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberallity. It's as elegant an expreffion as we can have in any Author about fuch a bufineffe, it's fuch an high hhrafe as we cannot imagine a higher, they were poor, and it was a depth of poverty, and yet their deepe poverty did aboknd to the r ches of their fiberaility, Secondly, You will fay, our effaces are very uncertaine, we have fomewhat now, but it may be all may quickly be gone,we had bell to ref erve fomwhat , There's an excellent Scripture for this, that this fhotld be no hindrance from mer- cy, the I I of Ecclef beginning, Calf thy bread upon the waters for.thoufhalt find it after many days ; give a port:on to (even C7' 'a If to eight,for thou Inowell not what evill ( hall be neon the earth; Here the Holy Ghoft makes that which thou wilt make an ar- gument againfa it, to be an argument for it ; what faith the Holy Ghoff, is it like there may come evills upon !h'e earth, is it like there may come troublefonse times, let us fpare for our (elves, nay flirt' the Holy Gho0r, give the rather, if thou beefs afraid of evill times give the rather, and be more abundant in the works of mercy 'ecaufe of that :. If the cloud: be .fall of Rain, they empty thcmfelves upon the earth, as if the Holy G ;off fr,ould fay, look, do you fee how the clouds are gathe- red by many vapours from the earth . and then are filled with rain, they do not keep it to themfelves, but empty . thenifelve:, upon the earth : So you that have efiates, you have gathered it from many in your imployment, from this providence and the other, and now you are fill, let it not lé
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