Serfn. LXXXIX. Of doing Good, this Expreflion may refer, either to the Occafions of our Charity, or to the Sea- fon of ir, or to the Proportion and Degree,of it. x. It may refer to the Occafions of our Charity, as we have Opportunity let us do good, that is, according as the Occafions of doing good(hall prelènt themfelves to us, fo often as an Opportunity is ofíer'd. And this is an Argument of a very good and charitable Difpofition, gladly to lay hold of the occafionsof doing good ; as it were to meet Opportunities when they are a coming towards us. This for- wardnefs of Mind, in the work of Charity, the Apoftle commends in the Co- rinthians, z Cor. 9. 2. I know the forwardnefs ofyour minds, for which I boats of you to them of' Macedonia : And this he requires of all Chriftians, Tit. 3. xo.That they fhould be ready to every good work ; And t Tim. 6. x8. That we be ready to bute, willing to communicate. Some are very ready to decline thefe Opportuni- ties, and to get out of the way of them ; and when they thruft themfelves upon them, and they cannot avoid them, they do what they do grudgingly, and not with a willing mind. 2.. It may refer to the Seaton of this Duty, ws "j el'p ?'utv, whit(' we have time, «is for gvs, whilft this Life lafts ; fo Grotius does underhand, and interpret this Phrafe ; and then the Apoftle does hereby intimate to them, the uncertainty; of their Lives, efpecially in thofe times of. Perfecution. And this Confideration, holds in all times in force degree, that our Lives are fhort and uncertain, that it is but a little while that we can ferve God in this kind, namely, while we are in this World, in this Vale of Mifery and Wants. In the next World there will be no Occafion, no - Opportunity for it ; we (hall then have nothing to do, but to reap the Reward of the good we have done in this Life, and to receive that blef- fed Sentence from the Mouth of the great Judge of the World, Come ye blejfedof my Father, inherit the Kingdomprepared for you, before the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, andye gave me to eat, &c. And Fug boneferve l Well done good and faithful Servant ! thou hall been faithful in a little, and Twill make thee Ruler over much. God will then declare his Bounty and Goodnefs to us, and open thofe inexhauftible Treafuresof Glory and Happinefs, which all good Men (hall par- take of, in proportion to the good which they have done in this World. Or elfe, 3. (Which I take to be the molt probable meaning of this Phrafe) It may re- fer to the Degree of this Duty in proportion ro our Ability and Eftate ; as we have Ability, let us dogoodunto all Men. And this the Phrafe will bear, as Lear- ned men have obferv'd ; and it is very reafonable to take it in this Senfe, at leaft, as part of the meaningof it, either exprefs'd or imply'd. For without this we cannot exercife Charity, tho' therewere never fo many Occafions for it ; and then this Precept will be of the fame Importance with that of the Son of Sirach, Ecd, 35. 1o. Give unto the moll high according as -he bath enriched thee ; and with that Counfel, Tob. 4. 7. Give Alms, cx o v v7rapx4lmv, according to thy Subflance, and 8. v. If thou haft abundance, give Alms accordingly. And this maybe reafonably expelled from us ; for where-ever his Providence gives a Man an Eftate, iris but in Trutt for certain Ufes and Purpofes; among which Charity and Alma is the chief : And we mull be accountable to him, whether we have difpofed faithfully to the Ends for which it was committed to us. It is an ealie thing with him to level Mens Eftates, and to give every Man a Competency ; but he does on purpofe fuf er things to be diftributed fo unequally, to try and exercife the Virtues of Men in feveral ways ; the Faith and Patience of the Poor, the Contentednefs of thofe in a middle Condition, the Charity and Bounty of the Rich. And in truth, Wealth and Riches, that is, an Elate above what fufhceth our real Occafions and Necellities, is in no other fence a Biding, than as it is an Opportunity put into our Hands, by the Providence of . God, of doing more good ; and if we do not faithfully employ it to this end, it is but a Temptation and a Snare ; and the Rug of our Silver andour Gold will be a witnefs againfl us ; and we do but heap up Treafures together againfl thelaß Day. But what Proportion our Charity ought to bear to our Eftates, -I fball not un- dertake to determine. The Circumftances of Men have too much variety in Rrrr them 673
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