274. The Evil andVnreafonablenefr, &c. Vol. I. Thirdly, Others would fain excufe themfelves from this Duty at prefent by telling what they intend todo when they come to die, that is, when they can keep what they have no longer. It feems then thou wilt leave it to thy Exe- cutor to do good in thy Head. This thews thou haft no great heart to the Bu- ' finefs, when thou defertefl it as long as ever thou canit. But why wilt thou tru4 another with the difpofal of thy Charity, rather than thy felf? This is hardly to offer either a Reafonable, or a Living Sacrifice toGod, to do good on- ly when we are dead. It is well that God hath made all MenMortal, and that it is appointed for all Men once to die g otherwife Come Men would never do good at all. Wherefore fettingafide thefe, and all other Excufes, which will not be ad- mitted, nor will any of us have the face to plead them at the Day of Judg- ment ; I fay, fetting afide all Excufes whatfoever, let us refolve to do good with what we have whilft we can ; and to that end let us lay afide fore Portion of what God has bleft us withal, for the ufes of Piety, and Charity, and let it bear fore decent Proportion to what God hath given us. There is never want of proper Objells for our largefl Charity, and now lets than ever. Betides thefe at home, which prefent themfelves to us in great num. bers every day, God bath fent us many from abroad, who call loud upon us for our pity and help, both as they are reduced to the greatefl extremity, and are Sufferers in the bell Caute, that of our common Religion, which ought now to be dearer to us than ever. Let us thew Mercy now, as we expeft Mercy from others, in any day of our diflrefs in this World, and as ever we hope, when ever we come to appear before theJudgment Seat of Chrifl, tofind Mercy with the Lord in that Day. Confider what I havePaid upon this Argument, and let this extraordinary kind of Caution. which our Saviour here gives, make a deep Impreffion upon your Minds ; Take heed andbeware of Covetoufnefs g for a Man's Life conffletb not in the abundance of the things which he poffeletb. SER-
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