54Ö The Parable of the Vol. I, 3. Others fay they may come to want themfelves, and it is Prudence to pro- vide againft that. To this I anfwer, (z.) I believe that no Man ever came the fooner to want for his Charity. Da +,idhath an exprefs Obfervation to the contrary, Pfal. 37. 2.5. I have been young and now am old, yet have I notfeen the Righteousforfaken, nor his Seed begging bread. And tho' he ufes a general word, yet that by the righteous here he intended the merciful Man, is evident from the next words, he is ever merciful and lendeth. And betides David's Obfervation, we have exprefs Promifes of God to fecure üs againft thisFear. Pfal. 4r. r, z. Bleffedis, he that confidereth thepoor, the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble, the Lordwillprefervehim andkeep him alive, and he (hall bé bleJfed upon the Earth. Pro. z8. z7. He that giveth unto the Poor (hall not lack. (z.) Thou mayeft come to want tho' thou give nothing ; thou may'it lofe that which thou haft fpared in this kind as wéll as the refl ; thou may'ft lofe all and then thou art no better fecured againft want, than if thou hadit been cha- ritable. Befides that, when thou art brought to Poverty, thou wilt want the Comfort of having done this Duty, and may'ftjuftly look upon the negleét of this Duty as one of the .Caufes of thy Poverty. (3.) After all our Care to provide for our felves, we mull truft the Providence of God ; and a Man can in no cafe fo fafely commit himfelf to God as in well - doing. If the Providence of God (as we all believe) be Peculiarly concern'd to blefs one Man more than another, I dare fay the charitableMan will not have the leaft Portion. 4. There is a worfe Objeétion than all thefe made by fome grave Men, who would be glad under a pretence of Piety to flip themfelves out of this Duty ; and that is this, that it favours of Popery to prefs good Works with fo much ear- neftnefs upon Men, as if we could merit Heaven by them So that they dare not be charitable out of a pious Fear, as they pretend, left hereby they should entertain the Do&rine of Merit. But if the Truthwere known, I doubt Covetoufnefs lies at the bottom of this Objeétion : However it is fit it fhould be anfwered. And, (a.) I fay that no Man that is not prejudiced either by his Education or Inte- reft, can think that a Creature can merit any thing at the hand of God, to whom all that we can pobly do, isantecedently due ; much lets that we can merit fo great a Reward as that of Eternal Happinefs. (z.) Tho we deny the merit of good Works, yet we firmly believe the ne ceflïtyof them to Eternal Life. And that they are neceffary to Eternal Life, is as good an Argument to perfwade a wife Man to do them, as if they were meri- torious ; unlefs a Man be fo vain - glorious as to think Heaven not worth the ha- vingunlefs he purchafe it himfelf at a valuable Confideration. And now let me earneftly intreat you, as you love God and your own Souls, not to negleét this Duty ; left you bring your felves to the fame miferable Rate .with this Rich Man, to whom the leaft Charity that could be ask'd was denied. Our Saviour hath purpofely left this Parable on record, to be a teftimony and a witnefs to us ; left we being guilty of the fame fin, Jhouldcome into the fame place of torment. And if any ask me according to what proportion of his Eftate he ought tobe charitable > I cannot determine that. Only, let no Man negfeEt his Duty, be- caufe I cannot (and it may be no one elfe can) tell him the exact proportion of, his Charity to his Eftate. There are fotne Duties that are flriótly determined, as thofe of Juftice but God hath left our Charity to be a free will Offering. In the proportion of this Duty, every one mutt 'determine himfelf by Prudence and the Love of God : God hath left this Duty undetermined, to try the largeness of, our Hearts towards him ; only to encourageus to be abundant in this Grace, he bath promifed, that according to the proportion of our Charity, thall be the de- gree of our Happinefs, z Cor. 9. 6. He that fowetlr plentifully, fhall reapplenti- fully. But let us be fure to do fomething in this kind ; any part of our Elate rather than none. I will
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=