growing impracticable. And whether there be not any of that nature, which relate to the poor (fince they have been fuffered fo long to breed and multiply in a vagrant, unfettled condition;) I fhall leave to wiler judges. But if I muft err myself, I had rather do it, on the charitable fide; and fhall never be glad of the occafion, to fave my confcience, and my purfe, both together; upon the difcovery of any one's notorious villany. Though, here I fhall make a difference, and proceed with the beft caution and prudence that I am mafter of, to inquire into the ftate of the beggars; whether they be poor of God's making, and fuch as are unable for bufinefs, or cannot have it; and if I have work for them, or could direct them to employment, I fhould count it much greater kindness to them, and to the public, by fetting them a-work, to redeem them from a forry, useless, lazy, vicious life, and make them good for fomewhat, than to nuzzle them up in idlenefs, of which comes no goodness.

As I have ability and opportunity for it, I will endeavour to do good to all men. And as far as I can know them, I will do good, efpecially to them that are of the houfhold of faith. And the better I find them, the better I would use them. Yea, though they deceive me, yet will I not count the charity loft, which I well defigned, however it may prove mifplaced. Let him that receives it be never fo unworthy, yet worthy is he to be obeyed, who commands me to give. Yea, he is worthy also to be imitated, in doing good even to the evil; and when I know how exceeding unworthy I am myfelf, that shall check me from criticifing too feverely upon the unworthinefs of others, and from seeking to be so much over-wife, in placing the charity, that my difcretion fhould fwallow up and devour all the compaffion. I will not pretend a tendernefs of confcience for the hardness of my heart,

and

and to hold my hand for fear of doing more hurt than good, when the Lord knows, that a covetous parfimony, and predominant love of the world, is at the bottom, as the main pull-back and ready forger of every excufe, to indemnify the purfe. And who fo witty here, as they, that to do their fouls any faving good have no knowledge! who fo full of evafions, as they that are emptieft of real goodness? fome of the worst men, can fhew themselves best skilled in defending their adorned Mammon; and cry out, how naught they are who beg, when indeed it fprings from the root of all evil, that themfelves do not give. They fay, they dare not give, for fear of finning; when the true reason, why they will not give, is the fear of spending. I defire therefore, to learn of fome better examples; and not to fufpend my charity, becaufe fuch as thefe will not bear me company. Nor will I refuse to give unto a wicked man; if there be but any probability, fo to prevent his growing worfe; or to make him ever the better. Nay, fometimes I would give to the ill man before to a better, when his neceffities are much greater, as I would help up a beaft rather than a child; if the beaft were ready to perish, and the child in no danger. But all beggars fhall not be ftruck out of my alms-book; (for that name of difgrace :) when I find, that the great God does not difdain, to "lift "up the beggar from the dunghill," Sam. ii. 8. And he that fuffered them to drop fo low, might have laid me in their room; and for the fake alfo of Lazarus and Bartimæus, and other beggars by the way-fide, whom our Lord, and his apoftles, fo took notice of, that inftead of rating at them, they reached out relief to them: I will look with mercy and fympathy upon all my own flesh, whom I fee in ftraits and mifery. And where I cannot do as I would for all; yet will I minifter, as I can, to them that lie neareft, and come in my way faireft;

and

and by whom I am moft importuned, or to care for whom I am moft obliged. Yet all that ever I do this way, I will not count it any work of fupererogation, as if I did fome mighty matter to be proud of; but only my moft needful duty, which I pray God gracioufly to accept, not for the work fake but for his Chrift's fake, the great and kind patron of the poor, who once was pleased to make himself so poor, that he had not where to lay his head: though now (for fo humbling himfelf) he is moft high exalted, and lives and reigns over all, bleffed for ever.

THE PRA Y E R.

G given

RACIOUS GOD! I blefs thee, that thou haft given me the honour and advantage of dif "penfing thy kindness; and enable me to return "unto thee fome of thy own, by thy poor re"ceiver's hands. O let it not be my trouble, but

66

my pleasure, fo to bestow it. Let it flow from "me, as out of the spring, which thou filleft; and "not be squeezed out, as from the fponge, that "fucks and keeps all to itself. Let me open my "bowels, together with my hands, to the needy. "That I may be refreshed myself as much in giv. ing, as they can be, in receiving. O what can "I give thee, Lord, but of thy own! but I beseech "thee, give me thy grace, to'do it heartily, as to the Lord. And gracioufly accept it from me, "together with all due thanks to thee, for any "fuch ability, that thou haft given me of thy mere mercy, in Jefus Chrift. Amen."

MEDITATION LXXXV.

Of fome great mens feverity to the Poor.

MY foul, how often does it make me fad, and pierce my very heart, to hear not only the cry of the poor, but the teftimony of fo many others, fhewing how much reafon there is for that cry; of the cruel hard ufage they find with those, who turn their power of doing them good, into an opportunity of throwing them down, yet lower than they are: and their over-matching, and crushing them to pieces? when, if they look upon the poor wretch at all, it is with fuch infinite fcorn; as if, inftead of being their own flefh, he were fome horrible mon fter; to put them all in hideous disorder, at fuch a fpectacle. And here, amidst all their mightiness, they might please to make fome observations upon their own weakness: when even he who lies fo extremely below them, has yet fuch a power over them, that they cannot quickly recover themfelves out of the uneafinefs, which his very prefence gives them. If they ever will enter into parley with the contemptible creature: that uttering of their mind to fuch a one, fhall be taunt rather than talk: and for the comfort of any alms, or relief, he must bear the thunder of their roaring threats, and many a curfe. But let him dare to take the smallest thing, from them who will give them nothing, let him make the leaft invafion upon their rank fuperfluities, to fupply any of his pinching neceflities: and then the advantage fhall ftraight be fnatched hold of, with both hands, as a piece of their triumph over the miferable

miferable vaffal: and nothing will ferve the turn, but the intolerable malefactor must be pounded in their mortar, and ground to powder. All the cry is then for juftice; how the thief, the villain, must be trounced, and made an example. Ay, and the leaft favour not to be talked of, it would be fuch a wrong to the country, a protection of wickedness, and hardening of the rogues. How good are they then all in a fudden, and what warm preachers of righteousness? all for keeping the laws of God and man! what fearful exclamation, of the abomination, when it touches their fticks or their sports! if the poor man's ax make an affault even upon the most worthlefs fhrub in their wood; or if his illegal cur be fo rude, as to run in between their dogs licentiate, that they are by law eftablished for the game, then the world would prefently fink under the weight of fuch an offence; if the ftrictect courfe of prevention were not taken. O dear Juftice! when it is their fervant, to secure all to themselves, and fet fuch a fence round about the whole which they have; that none must offer to take the smallest scrap from them. No encomiums then too high, for thefe good laws : O what neceffity of them! O what advantage by them! then it is not enough to be righteous, but they must be righteous over-much. Even they that defpife all law; and exalt themselves above it; when it obliges them to do the juftice, which they own to their neighbours; to keep their promifes, and pay their debts, and discharge the duties of their places, and the laws that ferve to promote the honour and pleasure of their great Mafter in heaven; if they do not most notorioufly break thefe laws themselves, in their blafphemy, fwearing, drunkenness, lewdness, and profanation of the hallowed season : yet are they not for executing them, upon any even the moft horrid tranfgreffors. Because fuch (it may be) are either their match, to dare them, and try what valour indeed is in them: or they are their favourites, VOL. I.

3 F

and