5ierríi. XLVI. under their Sufferingsfor Religion. 323 Devil to have the winnowing of us, there will be a great deal of Chaff found in the beet of us. What St. Paul faid of himfeif, 2 Cor. 12. 10. When I.amweak; then am I firong, we fhall all find true, when it comes to the Trial ; we are then firongeft, when, in a juft Senfe of our own W'eaknefs, we rely moft upon the Strength and Power of God. 6. Provided furthermore, that according to our Ability, we have been much in the exercife of Abets and Charity. For well doing, or doing good is fometimes taken in a narrower Senfe, not improper here to be mentioned, tho' perhaps not fo particularly intended here in the Text, for works of Charity and Alms. As Yeb. r 3 16. But to do good, and to communicate (that is, to the Neceffìties of the Poor) forget not, for with filch Sacrifices God is wellpleated. This kind of well- doing is a fpecial Prefervative in Times of Evil ; there is no kind. of Grace or Ver- tue to which there are in. Scripture more fpecial Promifes made of our Protetion and Prefervation from Evil and Suffering, of Support and Comfort under them; and Deliverance out of them, than to this of a Charitable and Compaffionate Confideration of thofe who labour under Want or Suffering, Pfal. 37. 3. Trufl in the Lord, anddo good, fofhalt thou dwell in the Land, andverily thou !halt befed : And ver. 19. fpeakingof Righteous or Merciful Men, They /hallnot be afhamed in the evil time, and in the days ofFamine they fhall befatisfied, Pfal. 41. t, 2. Bleffed is he that confìdereth the Poor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preferve' him, and keep him alive, and he Ad/ be bleffed upon the Earth ; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his Enemies. There are likewife in the Apocryphal Books Excellent Sayings for the encou- ragement of Charity, as that which will be particularly confldered and rewarded to us in the times of Danger and Difirefs, in the days of Affli&ion and Suffering, Tob. 4. 7, 8, 9, to. GiveAlms ofthy Subflance, and turnnot thyface from any poor Man, and the face of God (hall not be turned away from thee; if thou haft abundance, give Alms accordingly, if thou haft but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little, for thou layefi up for thyfelfa.good treafure againfi the day of neceJzty, becaufe that Alms do deliver from death, andfuffereth not to-come into darknefs. Ecçluf. 3. 31. Speaking ofhim that gives Alms, and is ready to do Kindnefs to others, He is mindful of that which may come hereafter; and when he falleth he (hall find a flay. And Chap. 29. 11, I2, 13. Lay up thy treafure according to the Commandment ofthe mofi High, and it (hall bring thee more profit than Gold, Phut up alms in thy florehoufes, and it ¡ball deliver thee fromall ap e-lion, it ¡hall fight for thee againfi thine Enemies, better than a mightyfhield, anditrongfear. I have often Paid it, andamverily perfwadedof it, that one of the bell figns of God'sMercy andFavour to this poor Nation, is, that God hath been pleated of late years to flit up fp general a difpofction in Men to worksof Alms and Charity, and thereby to revive the Primitive Spirit of Chrittianity, which fo eminently aboun- ded in this Grace, and taught thofe who believed in God, to be careful to maintain andpraiife good works. And nothing gives me greater hopes that God hachMer- cy {till in (tore for us, than that Men are fo ready to thew Mercy ; there are great Obje&s to exercife our Charity upon in this time of the general Sufpenfion of Trade and $ufinefs, from an apprehenfion of approaching troubles ; by reafon whereof, both the numbers and the neceffities of our Poor, are greatly and daily increafed among us ; and betides the Poor of our own Nation, God has fens us greatnumbers from abroad ; I mean thofe whoare fledhither for {helter; from that violent Storm of Perfecution which bath lately fallen upon them for the Caufe of our common Religion. According to the compafiìon we thew to them, wemay expel that God will either preferve us from the like Sufferings, or gra- cioufly fupport us under them. What do we know, but that God is now trying us, and bath purpofely put this opportunity into our hands, of preventing or mitigating,.or (hortning our own Sufferings, according as we extend our Cha- rity and Pity to thofe who have fuffered fo deeply for the Cauce of God, and his Truth. T t 2 y. Pro=
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