Chap. 31. An Expofitioo upon ehe Boole c f j o B. Verf. 16. 457 We ought not only to belpe the poore, but to belpe them 11,eedily. Speedy reliefe, is double reliefe ; He that gives at once, gives twice. Therefore as Solomon advifeth ( Pro 3.28.) Soy net to thy neighbour, goe, and come .gain and to morrow Iwill gc-toe, when thew hall it by thee. As we muff not fay, but doe, fo we fhonld not defrre to doe.'Tis dangerous to fay, we wit'; give to morrowwhen we knownot whether a to morrow (boll be given us. Ifwe have it now togive, let us give it now, for who knows whether he ¡hall have any thing to give hereafter.And if delaves are not denial's of helpe to man, yet they are of obedienceJto God ; who as he commands us to give , fo to give now. The poore are ready to flarve, & fhall we beunready to give what we have ready by us ? The poore may perífh today, and whit good will your Almes doe them to morrow ? As Godwill not beare it that we fhould fay to him we will obey him to morrow, when he calls for obedience to day (take heed ofmaking the Lords eyes faile in waiting) fo God will not beare it, ifwe fay to the poore goe and .come againe to morrow, he requires it to day, though the poore doeonly entreate it. The Apoftlesxule is (Rom. t z.8 ) He that fheweth mercy withchearefulneffe. And againe (2 Crr.g. 74 The Lord loveth a chéarefooll giver. Now that which a man Ta,de re"enn- doth chearefully he will:doe it fpecdily. And every good thing irnr>< eft. Pro- the fowler it is done, the better it,is done. Nor ean.thet be done prima elf liben- toa fpeedily, which fhould be done prefently. To doe acharity, ter fecicntú or to doe Juice late is next doore ro the not doing it at all. As `Ito facet e. be that askes faintly befpeakes a denyall,fo he that grants flowiy, S"rec: gives with a kind ofdenyall; And to be lure fo much of the bene- ficiallnesofany benefit is taken offfrom thole to whom 'tis gi_ ven,:s allo fo much of the thankes from thole who give ir, as de- lay is made in the givingof it. As the Lord gives fometimes pre- ventingly (Ifa.6j. 24.) Before they call Iwill anfwer, or makes Ta rcnintagis q his grant contemporary,or beare the fame date with our requells tin eia re dem,n , (as it follows in the fame verle) andwhile: they areyet ffeaking quantum more I willdoe ; fo fho:ld we in our p.oportion doe to thofe who adijci,. Senec. make fuites and requefts to us. de Benef. lib. How contrary to this rule ofgiving and doing good to others "P' 5 are they who ferme to take a kinde of pleafure to put others to the paine ofexpectation ; They love to bewaited on. And they N n n there
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