Chap. 3 t. tan í*xpofitian upon the Took of J o B. Verl. 17. 463 are given to true hofpitality. The former is the abhorrence ofa meere Civili man, the latter is both the duty and commendation of aGodlyman. Moderate feafting offriends is love, and feed- ing of the poore in charity, is an ornament to the Gofpel and a fruit of Grace. As their tan is great who lavifh out the creature in furfering and drunkennes, or whomake provifion for the Hefh to ful lfillthe lufts of it ; fo all() is theirs who bately (pare the creature andwill not make provifion eyther for their friends to r.ourifh love,or for the poore to relieve their meet fiïies. Secondly , Confider who were fobs guests ? moftly the poore and fatherleffe, and he names them only. Hence obferve. The ho fpitalitie ofgood men ischiefly defignedfor the helps of the neceftoue', thepoore and the fatherlsfe. 'Tis molt acceptable to God when we feed the poore,though it be not unlawfull to inviteandTeaft the rich. Indeed Chrift be- ing invited to eatebread at the houleof a Pharifee, laid to bim_. that bade him ( Luk. I4. 12, 13. ) when thou make/ a dinner, or a/ripper' call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinfrren, nor thy rich neighbour, lef} they alfo bid thee againe, and a recom pence be made thee. But when thou makefÈ afeaft, call the poore, . the maimed, the lame, the blinde. This is Chrifts rule, and 7okt pra&ife anfweredit ; the fatherieffe did eate with him. Yet the Scripture laft mentioned is not an abfolutely reftrit°tive command to invite the poore and none elle ; for weare commanded to fife hofpitalitie one toanother withoutgrudging (t Pet. 4 9,) that is to give reciprocal! entertainments ; He doth not only fay tile ho/pitalitie, but ufe it one to another, or mutually,which cannot be underftood ofentertaining the poore only; for they are not able to invite their inviters.Therefore aswhen the Lord faith (Hof. 6. 6. ) 1 defiered mercy andnot facrifice ; he doth not prohibit facri- fice, that is, outward performanceof duties, or the performance ofoutward duties, but fhewes that he is more and rather pleated withmercy then with facrifice, or that facrifice without mercy doth not pleafe him at all. So when Chrift faith call the poore not the rich to thy table, he doth not forbid the bidding of the rich, but chargeth us rather tobid the poore, and ifwe have not enough for both, then, what wehave to (pare muft be for thole wha
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