gofpel, in going to the law; nor lofe my love and charity, in feeking to defend my right and property. As I would not be a tale-bearer; fo neither a fuit promoter: but forbear the litigious trade, mortify the lufts warring in my members, from whence come wars and fightings, and not run things to the utmoft extremities, upon all offered injuries. No, I must bear with others; as I have the greatest need to be borne with myself, and not be eafy to be provoked; nor hard to be reconciled: but reckon condefcenfion to be more for my reputation; than to carry on, and lengthen out the contention: yea, and be more proud of the honour, to conquer myself, than my antagonist; unless it be, in kindness and and love, and fhew greater fharpness and feverity, in fuppreffing the enemies of my own houfe than any others. I will carry fair, and juft, and wary, in all the ways of my duty, that fo, pleafing the Lord, he may make my enemies to be at peace with me. And if that will not ftill keep me out of the briars ; yet will it give me peace within, to fupport and comfort me, under all the crofs occurrences abroad. 1 will ftudy to be quiet myfelt, and I will lay out my wit, and strength, and intereft, to make and keep peace between others. And where I cannot fo prevail, by any conduct of my own; I will apply myself to him, who fets bounds to the raging of the fea, and the madness of the people; to calm the tumultuous motions of contending parties, and to dispose all hearts, (which he has in his hands,) to feek peace, and enfue it; and to follow after all the things, that do make for it; that I may have the pleafant prospect, to see all about me, live in unity and love, and the peace of God; ftriving only, to do one another good; and who fhall exceed the reft, in all condefcenfion, courtesy, and obliging converfation.

THE

་་

THE PRAYER.

MY God! I would not be a man of ftrife, nor a troubler of the world; but peaceable " in my own temper and manners, and a promoter "of peace, and fair accord among my neighbours.

Such therefore as cannot think with me, O help "me to bear with them. And fuch as are againft "me, let me not fet myself against them: but by "yielding to them, and doing for them, ftrive tò conquer the enmity of my foes, and make them my friends. Yea, fuch as are thy enemies, O Lord, yet let me not reprobate, but compaffionate them; "and fo fairly deal with them, as to gain upon "them; and pray them, in Chrift's ftead, to be reconciled unto God. O make me meek and pa tient, humble and condefcending, courteous and obliging: to conciliate friendfhip, and imitate the "God of peace, who thus winneft our hearts, by thy "furprizing mercy, thy wonderful bounty, and thy utterly undeserved love, in Chrift Jesus. Amen."

MEDITATION LXXXIV.

Of the giving Charity.

MY foul, what, in all the word of God, is more recommended and commanded, than giving to the poor, and relieving the neceffity of fuch as are in extremity? and yet, alas, what in all the world doft thou fee more neglected, and flighted, by many that are most concerned, and that have the greatest ability? who, in stopping their ears to

the

the cry of their needy brother, do at the fame time alfo ftop them against the voice of their glorious Maker: when he not only fends the poor man, as his meffenger, to receive, of what he has put into their hands; but also charges them (as his ftewards,) to look upon fuch, and diftribute to them, accord ing to the exigence of their cafe. And fo he has made their gift indeed a debt: and it is not only an office of kindness; but a piece of juftice, for them to beftow it. And their Lord will reckon with them, not only as cruel, to his indigent creatures; but as rebellious against his righteous laws, to refuse it.

Yet Q the fhifts and excuses, and fometimes falfe doctrines, that they will coin, to fave the coin in their purfes: when it fhould go to any charitable purpose? and he shall be looked upon, even as a robber or oppreffor, that comes upon any fuch craving errand to them. Nay, even they that can spend, as if the world were under their feet, when it is to pro mote the defigns of debauchery; and care not what they throw away, upon fuch laudable occafions, to ferve their mafter, and help to people his black kingdom, can yet fhew themselves as pinching as any men in the world, to do any real good, with what they have of the world's good. They will pour down a fhilling, among their companions, as if it were nothing worth: but not part with a penny to any of the members of Chrift: no, the ravenous lufts leave nothing for God's poor: but back, and belly, liquorifh palate, extravagant fancy, or infinite ava rice, are the devouring gulfs, to swallow all, that fhould go to the ufes of mercy and charity.

But, O my foul, why has God given to fome, fo much more than he has to others; that they fwim in all abundance, when many of their poor brethren would be glad of the very scraps and crumbs which feed their dogs? is it, that they fhould be as a well fealed, to inclofe all to their own ufe? to wrap up

themselves

themselves within themselves; and keep the pelf fo fticking to their fingers, as if it were a part of their very felves? or only to maintain their own port and pomp, and pripe, and luxury? to regale themfelves with the fat, and the fweet; while others lie pining, and ftarving, and can hardly get, but to preferve life. No fure, the kind Parent of the universe had a wor thier defign, in his unequal diftributions: that the rich and full fhould be as fountains opened, and fprings running over; with their fuperfluities to water and refresh the lower grounds: that where God has given enough for all; there fhould be no lack to any. They are his almoners, appointed to difpenfe abroad, to the neceffitous objects that his providence lays before them; and to do even as themfelves, (in fuch narrow, and wretched circumstances) would reasonably expect, and be glad to receive. And if ever they think of making any account of their ftewardships, I cannot devife what good and comfortable account they can ever hope to make; who carry all like mere proprietors: as if the whole were fo clearly their own; that God and his poor had nothing to do with any of it. One would think, they never read or heard the xxvth chapter of St. Matthew; where works of mercy are made the main ftandard, by which the judge of quick and dead, will diftribute everlafting rewards and punishments to all, in the great and laft day; and they fhallihear, Depart, ye curfed, or come, ye bleffed, thereafter as they have been cruel or kind to the poor members of Chrift Jefus. When they fhall be called to answer, what they did with all that they had: whether they ho noured the Lord with their fubftance: and, according to his order, 1 Tim. vi. 18. did good, and were rich in good works: or elfe, minded only to ferve themselves, and to feed their own covetous or luftful humour, and were penurious and clofe-fifted to a diftitute brother; hated the fight of a poor man;

and

and would fooner give him a ftone, than bread. Though they may infift upon their juftice, and the liberty they have, to do what they will with their own, yet would they be wife to confider, that they are no fuch perfect owners; but what they poffefs is more another's, than theirs; and they are not to do any thing with it, but what is meet and good in his fight. They must not pinch upon his poor, to flesh themselves; nor hold their hands, where he has o bliged them to beftow. Deut. xv. 11. "I command

thee, faying, thou fhalt open thy hand wide to "thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy "land." Heb. xiii. 16. "To do good, and to com"municate, forget not, for with fuch facrifices God " is well pleased." Luke xi. 41, "Give alms of fuch

things as ye have." And the more is given to you, the more will be required of you: not only to do fome good, but to abound in fo doing: "ready "to diftribute, willing to communicate," 1 Tim. vi. 18. Do not therefore fuffer yourselves to be outdone, and put to fhame, by a charitable man, that has not peradventure the twentieth part of your ability; nay, when even the day-labourer, that may think, he has more need to steal, than to give, yet out of his honeft gains, (he) is to fpare fomewhat, for fuch as have not his ways of getting, to help themselves, Eph. iv. 28. For thofe then who come by it so easily, and fwell and abound in ftore, to engrofs all to themselves, and allow nothing to the poor, but fnarl, and hard words; O how cruel and intolerable! and to plead, that they took nothing from their neighbour, by any rapine, or injury; will that ferve for their apology? how idle is that thought? when we do not read, Luke xvi. that Dives was doomed to hell, for extorting from others: but for keeping all to himself, and letting Lazarus lie at his gate, and find no kindness but what he had from the dogs.

I could