Laws, according to that of Our Saviour, If ye love Me keep my Commandments, so in a particular manner and eminent degree God has made the Obedience to this Command a Sign of our Affection and a Teft of our Love to Him. And the highest Pretences without This are in his Sight no better than a Lye and abominable Hypocrify: Whofe hath this World's good, and feeth his Brother have need, and butteth up his Compassion from Him, how dwelleth the Love of God in Him?

How was it poffible for our Saviour to make us more fenfible of this than by telling us, that denying fuitable Reliefs to the Hungry and Thirfty, the Naked and the Stranger, the Prifoner and the Sick, are all fo many Acts of Cruelty and Unmercyfullnefs to Him? In as much as Ye did it not to one of the leaft of thefe, Ye did it not unto Me. As on the other hand he accounts every A& of Mercy and Bounty to the Poor, as beftow'd upon Himself. Verily I say unto you, In as much as Ye have done it unto one of the leaft of thefe my Brethren, Te have done it unto me. What a Saying is this? Can a Man be Profitable to God? as Job asks the Question: and as Elihu If thou be Righteous, what giveft thou Him? or what do's He Receive at thy Hands? Alas! my Goodness extendeth not to Thee, is the Confeffion of the Man after God's own Heart. Yet fee here the infinite

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Condefcenfion of our Saviour, he has found out a way how We may Give Somewhat even to Him who is already Lord of all, be Mercyfull to the Fountain of all Mercy, and do Good even to Goodness it self, in that he places to his Own Account and graciously accepts as Done to Himself whatever we do to his afflicted Members for his fake. And for this very Reafon has order'd that fince we should not have Him always with us, as he speaks, yet We fhould have the Poor always, that whenever We will we may do them Good, Mark 14. 7. He has left them here his Representatives that we might never want whereupon to Exercife our Love to Him, even to the end of the World. And therefore this Saying of our Saviours and that of Mofes in the 15th of Deuteronomy to which it refers, The Poor fhall never Cease out of the Land, are not to be look'd upon by us barely as True Prædictions, but as Gracious Promifes. For their Poverty shall make our Riches truly Bleffings by affording us Opportunity of Employing them to their nobleft and beft ufe, the comforting our Brethren, and the continual fetting forth the Honour and Love which we always Owe, and ought always to be paying to our Lord.

It is from no defect or failing of the inexhaustible stores of God's Goodness, that there

there is fuch a thing or name as Poverty among the Sons of Men. Had it been as agreeable to his Infinite Wifdom as it was eafy to his Almighty Power, He might have made the same Abundance and Plenty common to all Mankind, and left no room for the foolish Cavils against Providence, which are made by the Atheistical Murmurers at the prefent unequal Diftribution of the good things of this World. Or, fince it did pleafe God to make this World confift as it do's of Rich and Poor, He who thro' the whole Scripture declares fuch a Regard and profefles fo great a Care for the Poor might Tupply all their Necesitys with his Own hand. He that fed the Ifraelites in a barren Wilderness with Angels food and bread dropt from Heaven, and preserv'd their Garments from wearing out or waxing old, He that fed his Prophet by Ravens, and bless'd the Poor Widows handfull of Meal and her Cruife of Oyl fo that neither wasted or fail'd, could ftill if he faw it good, without calling in the help of the Rich, relieve all the wants of his Creatures Himself. And

This perhaps fome would be apt to think more fuitable to his Wifdom, and more conducing to his Glory, becaufe this would be dayly to Exert and make visible an Almighty Power, and befides make them whom he thus fuftain'd have a more near regard

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to the hand that fed 'em, and have an ab folute and immediate Dependence upon God alone. But his Thoughts are not as our Thoughts, nor his Ways as our Ways. He as much furpaffes us in Wisdom as in Power, and for wife and just Reasons has rather chose to send Man to Man for a Relief, both as a Tryal, as has been faid, of our Faith and Affection to Him, and alfo on purpose to endear us to Each other, and diffufe continually thro' the whole Creation that Divine Principle which mov'd Him first to Create, Love. By which he exalts our Nature to the highest Pitch of Dignity and Happynefs that it is capable of, for queftionless 'tis both the greateft Honour and the perfecteft Felicity to be like God, and it is Certain that Nothing makes Man fo like God as Charity. Nay it makes a Man be inftead of God (what can be faid or imagin'd higher) to his wanting Brother. And as the Poor are the Representatives of Chrift in his Weak and Suffering Humanity, fo the Charitable Rich who feed and sustain them Represent Him in his Powerfull and Allfufficient Divinity. And do's not this way of God's providing for his poor Creatures, by thus powerfully inclining Men's Affections to execute the Good that he Wills, (for all our Charity to Others proceeds meerly from God's Grace to us) redound

as

as much to his Honour as if he fed them himself immediately from Heaven? Nay do's it not more? Since to turn the Heart of Man is a more illuftrious Proof of a Divine Power, than to ftrike a River out of a Rock or to fpread a Table in the Wildernefs. And fince hereby he do's good not only to Thofe he relieves, but much more to the Relievers themselves, those that he honours fo far as to be the Inftruments and Conveyers of his Goodness, This brings in both from the Givers and Receivers a never failing Tribute of Adoration and Praise to the Almighty, and as the Apoftle speaks, The Adminiftration of this Service not only Supplys the Want of the Saints, but is abundant alfo by Many Thanksgivings unto God. Whilft by the Experiment of this Miniftration, they glorify God for your profefs'd Subjection to the Gospel of Christ, and for your li beral Diftribution unto them, and unto all Men, 2 Cor. 9. 12,13. When Your Light thus fhines before Men, when your Beams do not only Enlighten, but your Influence and Heat Cherish and Warm'em too, when they do not only See but Feel your Good Works, how can they choose but Glorify your Father which is in Heaven?

There is yet behind One great Inftance of the Excellence of Charity, and that is it's fingular Virtue in the purging us from Sin, which

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