Chap.z6 abo rt Charity. muff deliver Gods talents if we will be faithful ; they are Gods faiaors to whom we mull deliver our goods, and then God himfelf will ackno;,rledge the debt,and willfurely pay with advantage. Not canting companions ,.lazy loffels flurdy rogies, -profuf prodi;;als. For ,iThef.3.io,t2. fuch Add not eat; except in cafe of extremity : and then xon homrni,fedharnanicari, :not to theperfon, but to the cóinmon nature of riiankinde we give : But To the honcft labourer, and poor houf-keeper , who either, through the greatìieffe of their charge, or deadneffe of trade, croffes , lobes fickneff , &c. are 110t able to gettheir bread, or the blinde, and maimed,the aged, and decre- pid : ,Weakwidows, or youngorphans. Lev. 25.3 5. Pars facrite ii .11, r:spau- perúm dare non pauperibtu, lí s a kind offacriledge to give the pours portion to chore which are notpoor.Turpifmum o'enrwpert/ .ndi eft i cosrfulta donaria. Un- advifedgiving is theworft kindeofloofng : Yet the muff not be overfcrupulous in making our choice : we mutt not be fo bufie in examining their eflare, and deffrr,, that we can finde no feature to relieve their wants : t-ience,aThef.3.13 rîlär.io.4t. and zá.40. e[1. what tames fromwhencetbirchari u tyarifeth? linfw.Firft,Faith, which formalizes all the Chrifhans actions, and mainly differences their works from the fame works done by worldlings. Now todo a work in faith, andapproved in the fight ofGod, is not only to be truly perfwa- ded,and Allred that the thingwedo is warrantedby Gods Word , and allowed by him, but that we alto in Chritnare acceptedof him : ocherwife they are not accepted ;but arefin,Heb.t1.6. `17m.I4.23. Secondly, obedience to Godbecaufe he bath commanded it, therefore fuch aimes as are given without refpe;t to Cods command, our of natural pity, or for wörtdlyénds,as profit, andvain"glory,are no properties of an infallible bleffed man,'! t.6.z. Thirdly, Love unfeigned : Hence, zCar.8.4. Its called xdcts , becaufe given' out of ri,eer good will : elfe its not accepted , I (or.t 3.3. Tuch love not God, I ó7,.? try: and this mullarife , I.From our love to God, z Car. 8. 5. 2. From our love toour brethren, 2 Cor.g.5. Fourthly, mercy, andcompaffon : whenwe relieve themas fellow members, with a fenfeand feelingof their mifery, Ifa. 58. to. t 706.3.17. Its required, iIof.6.6. H 6.13.3. Sob 31.17,28. fueh are bleffed, Pray.1 d. 21. 2 Car. 8. y. elfeall our pity i; unprofitable, fam.z.s 5, &c. Hence, t Joh.3. 18. Lrt ere not love in word or tongue, but in deedand truth. iZuell.' lowmay we bellperform thefeworks ofmercy ? Ánfa. Ifwe not only take notice ofthe wants by report,but by often vifiting the poor,and fobeing eye-witneffesof their wants, and miferies, Jam.i.27. Mat. 25.36,43 and that for thefe reafons. 1. By vifiting the poor, we (hall be the better enabled to make a goodchoice, and to difcover who are truelypoor from thofe who are counterfeits : as alto, who are religious and induflnous -in their callings, from the profane and idle drones. 2. Hereby we flail be the better enabled to fit our alms to their neceflities , both in refpeet of the proportion, and alto the fpecial kinde of their wants, whereby the benefit will be much encreafed, Pfalme 112. 5. and 41. 1 2. It would prevent their flragling Abroad to begg neceffaries, which is forbidden , Deut. 15. y.. and fuch as neither care for haute orhome , like idle drones, would finde little relief, unlefle they earn it with the fweat of their browes. 4. It would provokeus to be themore companionate , when we fee their fmall 23 I.
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