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farther Thing; that the Rich Man must be ready to diftribute; that is, very free to part with his Money, according to the Proportion God hath bleffed him with, upon every Occafion of real and useful Charity: 1. Whether that Charity be of a more publick Nature; as, for Inftance, When it is expreffed for the advancing Religion, and the Service of God, or for the making ftanding Provifion for the Poor; or, laftly, Any way for the ferving the Neceffities, or increafing the Conveniencies of the Place where we live, by any publick useful Benefaction: Or, 2. Whether this Charity be of a more private Nature, extending no farther than to particular Perfons that come in our way, whom we are convinced to be real Objects of it; to these likewise we must be ready to distribute; every poor neceffitous Perfon hath a Right to part of what we have, if we can really fatisfie ourselves, that our Alms will do him a real Good, and will not be any great Prejudice to us. But,

4. And Laftly, The Apoftle adds another Thing to all this; and that is, that the Rich Man must be willing to communicate. If the Senfe of this Phrase be different from the former, it will feem to import yet a higher Degree of Liberality. It will import, that Rich Men fhould be of fuch publick Spirits, and fo little efteem their Wealth their own, that it fhould in a manner be made a common Thing, wherein all fhould fhare as there was Occafion. This is the Notion of noravia, or com→

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Imunicating, as it was used in the Beginning of Christianity. St. Luke in Acts 2. having told us, that the firft Chriftians continued in the Apoftles Doctrine, and in communicating, prefently explains what he meant by that Communion. All (faith he, v.44.) that believed, were together, and had all Things common, and fold their Poffeffions and Goods, and parted them to all Men, as every Man had need.

God be thanked, the Church of Christ is not now in fuch Circumftances, that it is either needful or reasonable, precifely, to observe the Practice of thofe Times as to this Matter. We are not only not obliged to part with the Propriety of our Eftate, and to live in common, as the firft perfecuted Chriftians did, but we should be highly indifcreet, not to fay injurious, both to ourselves and the Publick, if we did. But this, notwithstanding, their Practice, and the Charge here laid upon us, to be communicative, will thus far oblige us, viz. that we Chriftians fhould always retain that publick generous Spirit that they in the firft Times were acted with. We fhould fit fo loose from the World, and fo unconcerned in the Distinction of meum and tuum, that we should make it our Business to do Good with what we have, thinking our Wealth beft employed, when it is put to that Use. And when the Cause of God, and the common Intereft of our Chriftian Brethren doth require it, we should then as freely part with all we have, as our Predeceffors in Chritianity did; following herein the Precept of VOL. I. I

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our Lord, to the Young Man, who came to enquire of him, what he fhould do, that he might inherit Eternal Life; and who was thus answered by our Saviour, That though he had kept the Commandments, yet he wanted one Thing to make him perfect, (that is, to make him a true Chriftian) and that was, To fell all that he had, and give to the Poor, and come and follow him; and then he should have Treafure in Heaven, Mat. 19. 21.

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Thus have I given you a brief Account of each Particular of the Rich Man's Duty, as it is fumm'd up in the Text; and fome haps will think it is fevere enough; whether it be fo or no, I now difpute not, but I am fure it is feverely required of them. This we may gather from St. Paul's way of urging it, Charge them (faith he) that are Rich in this World, that they be not high-minded, &c. He doth not fay, Recommend this to them, as a Thing that is very reasonable in itfelf, and will highly become them; he doth not fay, Put them in Mind of it, as a Thing by which they may gain a great deal of Honour and Reputation to their Religion; he doth not fay, Exhort and perfwade them to it, as a Thing that will at laft conduce to their own Advantage: But he faith, Charge it upon them, intimating, that there was a Neceffity they fhould thus practife, it was a Duty indif penfably incumbent upon all of them; and this is the Second General Point I am to infifton.

And certainly this Order of St. Paul to Timothy is a ftanding Warrant, a perpetual Com

miffion

miffion to all Ministers of the Gospel, to charge the fame Thing upon all rich Men in all Pla ces and Times. But in the preffing and en forcing this Charge, I fhall not fo much have regard to the Three former Duties, as to the laft, which concerns the doing Good with our Wealth, the exercifing Acts of Bounty and Charity as we have opportunity. Charge I them that are rich in this World, that they do Good, that they be rich in good Works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.

Now in Four Refpects efpecially, rich Men are thus to be charged, and a Neceffity lies upon them to practife accordingly, viz.

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If all these put together do not make the Obligation indifpenfable, I know not what will. I will speak briefly of each Particular.

Firft, If rich Men do not thus employ their Wealth, they are guilty of great Ingratitude. That is the leaft evil Imputation they fall under, and yet to any ingenious Man it is heavy enough; for to call a Man Unthankful, is as great a Reproach as you can caft upon him.

Whoever acknowledgeth the Being of God, and owns his Providence in the World, muft neceffarily believe, that all that Portion of good Things which he enjoys in this Life, doth proceed from that God as the Author I 2

and

and Fountain, though they be immediately conveyed to him by the Miniftry of fecond Causes; and his Reafon and Humanity will fuggeft to him, that there are fome Returns of Gratitude to be made to Him, that of his free Bounty hath thus obliged him; but what Returns can he make to God for his Bleffings, Other than in communicating those Bleffings among his Fellow-Creatures? To think that a verbal Acknowledgment of God's Eavours is a fuitable Return, is against the common Senfe of Mankind, who know that there goes more to a Man's being truly grateful, than the entertaining the Perfon that obliged him with fair Speeches and Profeffions of his Obligations: And, on the other fide, to think of requiting God in a proper Senfe, by returning real Kindneffes to him for thofe he hath done to us, is equally abfurd; for all the Services we can pay to him, cannot add any thing to his infinite Bleffedness. How then muft we express our Thankfulness for the Wealth that he hath beftowed upon us? Why, he himself hath prefcribed the Way to us. He hath devolved his Right to our Kindness upon our Brethren: He hath deputed them to receive the real Teftimonies of our Gratitude to him, and whatfoever Obligations we put upon them, he takes them as an Expreffion of our Love and Thankfulness to him.

This our Saviour himself hath told us in exprefs Words, in St. Matthew 25. Inasmuch (faith he) as ye have done, i. e. done Acts of Kindness and Charity, to one of the least of

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