fully ver 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the Night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein will be burnt up The same he repeats ver 12. which is conformable to what the Stoicks either from the light of Nature or from Tradition gather'd would be and to what Josephus saith of Adam That he prophecied the World should be destroy'd first by Water and afterward by Fire But then as it is ver 11. of the aforesaid Chapter seeing that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness Whether the Christians in St. Peter's time believed that the day of Judgment was at hand and that it should be upon them in that Age is not my business to enquire Now. That which makes the Exhortation seasonable at all times even at this day is the uncertainty of the time of Christ's coming to Judgment and whether this day of Judgment may come in this Age or in the next as it is probable it is not far off especially if the old saying of R. Hillel be true That the World shall continue two Thousand Years before the Law two Thousand under the Law and two thousand under the Messiah but as I said whether it will be this year or next is not material but this I am sure of that the day of our death is the most uncertain thing in the World and as Death finds us so will the Great day And since the day of our death is so uncertain the Inference drawn from the uncertainty of the day of Judgment will also fit the uncertainty of the day of our death It 's a marvelous thing how Men delay their Holy Conversation and Godliness even till Death comes and surprizes them I know this is a very common Theme but how can we forbear to speak of it when we see that Men instead of mending run deeper and deeper into the Gulf young and old Death comes Lord How unprepared doth it find most Men How few can welcome it How few can with Simeon rejoyce at its coming I know Pain and extremity of Misery makes many Men long for it but that alone is no rational ground while that Holy Conversation and Godliness is wanting We all dread an unprepared death and we pray against it We think sometimes in a serious fit how sad it would be with us if it should be our case And yet how few arm themselves against its Terrors and dreadful Consequences The Day the Hour is very uncertain and we see Men are catch'd and snatch'd away before they are aware yet we take no warning still we wait for a convenient Season for a fair Opportunity and when we have got in the World what we would have when we have setled our Affairs on such a Basis or Foundation once and when our Condition is better and our Circumstances more favourable then we 'll set about that seriousness which becomes Candidates of Eternity God sees our Folly and pities us for he sees how we fool our selves He calls and intreats us to redeem the time O that we were wise and would consider our latter End Heaven and Earth must pass away and we must pass away therefore this I say Brethren nay the Apostle says so 1 Cor. vii 19 It remains that they that have Wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passes away Indeed that which ought to make us reflect very seriously on all this is that the Word of God is unchangable which calls me to the last Proposition V. Sooner shall Heaven and Earth perish than the least tittle of Gods Word shall fail In this Sense the Words and Expressions used in the Text are sometimes taken so that here is a double Asseveration which makes the Truth Christ delivers here the weightier 1. Verily I say unto you In the Original it is Amen which the Jewish Interpreters of the Old Testament affirm to be an Oath and that 's a very immutable thing 2. Till Heaven and Earth pass i. e. Sooner shall these be hurl'd into their former Chaos and Confusion than the least tittle of his word shall prove false And if so then the Threatnings and Promises of the Gospel and of the Law of God will undoubtedly be fulfilled And I beseech you Beloved Hearers Consider what the Veracity of Gods Threatnings and Promises doth import If the Promises of the Gospel will certainly be fulfilled why cannot the wonderful Rewards promised prevail with you to fulfil the Conditions upon which those Rewards are promised God promises Eternal Life upon patient continuance in Well-doing the Kingdom of Heaven upon striving against Sin and conquering Temptations and a Crown of Glory to those who keep under their Bodies and bring their sensual Desires into Subjection Upon these Terms and no other the great Felicity is promised Will any of you after all these Protestations of God promise himself this Happiness upon other Terms and Conditions What then becomes of Gods Veracity If God be true to his Word then those who come not up to these Terms cannot enjoy the Bliss spoken of If God saves Men upon other Terms he cannot be true to his Word and then how can he be God To these Absurdities Men reduce themselves when they promise themselves Heaven without any regard to the Conditions upon which God doth promise it It 's God that must bestow it the same God that hath promised it and since he will bestow it only upon these Terms Why Christians why will ye feed your hopes with Air and Wind and Vanities Is it possible that God will prove false Is it possible that he will depart from his Word I am sure you cannot think so if you will consider it in cool Blood And shall the World and your present Gain and Profit blind you into Ruin The same must be said of the Threatnings of the Gospel Take but a serious View of them God protests for you believe the Scripture to be the Word of God That no unrighteous Person shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Covetous nor Extortioners nor Drunkards nor Lascivious nor Quarrelsom nor Envious nor Malicious Persons nor Men that mind Earthly Things altogether shall enter into that Glory The Scripture is full of these Protestations Is there any of you here that 's guilty of any of these Sins and yet do ye hope to be happy 'T is true you 'll say none can be so that continues in these Sins but I hope I shall leave them all before I die But why Man Dost thou know when thou
wonder ought we to look on that embroider'd and bespangl'd Sky that lower Heaven where so many Lamps and Lights and Stars do shine Good Lord what Art what Curiosity what Order what Harmony what methodical Motions do we see there enough to justifie David's saying The Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament his handy work If the outside be so gay what must be the inside How justly may we admire God's Goodness Wisdom and Power and cry out with the Psalmist How wonderful are thy Works in Wisdom hast thou made them all But with what Astonishment and Joy together ought we to look upon the third and the highest Heaven where the true Pleasures are Spiritual Great Infinite and Everlasting where God in a most eminent manner displays his Glory to Angels and to glorify'd Saints a place which we have hopes to come to If there were no other Promise made us but that of bare seeing it it were enough to oblige Curiosity to do all that 's possible to come to the sight of it How much more then are we obliged to do our utmost when we are promised not only to see but to enjoy it too even the Riches the Splendor and the Lustre of it and how this is to be compassed I need not tell you David having done it to my hand for having ask'd the Question Lord who shall ascend the Hill of the Lord or Who shall dwell in his Holy Place he answers He that walks uprightly and works Righteousness and speaks the Truth in his Heart He that back-bites not with his Tongue nor takes up a reproach against his Neighbour in whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear the Lord c. IV. We see here what a mean Opinion we are to have of this Earth wherein we dwell since it is God's Foot-stool It is God's Foot-stool and it ought to be ours too i. e. As God hath put it under his Feet so should we put it under ours i. e. undervalue and despise it not as it is God's Creature but as it tempts to seduce our Hearts from him who most justly claims them Poor Mortals How do we dote upon this Globe Creatures made for Heaven and designed to be Companions of Angels How highly do we prize these Inferiour Comforts How fond are we of this Dust How enamour'd with the Minerals of Gold and Silver which God hath hid in the Bowels of the Earth to keep them from being admir'd With what eagerness do we bring them forth and then fall down and worship them Where these grow they say nothing else will grow It is so with an Earthly Mind where that Rules no Grace no Vertue no Devotion thrives yet this is a Lesson which we will not understand nor consider how inconsistent the fondness of this Earth is with our love to Heaven We would enjoy both and lose neither would take our fill of the good things of this Life and of the Comforts hereafter though Abraham in the Mansions of Glory and he should know God's Mind was of another Opinion when discoursing to Dives rolling in Flames Son remember that thou in thy Life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luk. xvi 25 It 's true we must live and Converse and endeavour after a livelihood here but is it therefore necessary to cling with our warmest Affections to it Is it therefore necessary to rejoyce in it as in our greatest Felicity Is it necessary to grieve for the loss of these outward Blessings as if all our Happiness were gone Is it necessary to make them an impediment to our Duty an obstacle to Vertue or a stumbling-block in our way to the Mansions of Glory The Apostles were aware of these Excesses and therefore they lay down Rules for our deportment as to the comforts of this Life St. Paul especially 1 Cor. vii 29 The time is short it remains therefore that those who have Wives be as though they had none and those that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyc'd not and those that buy as though they possess'd not and those that use this World as not abusing it V. God is call'd a Great King here He is so greater than Herod whose Grandure the Jews at that time admir'd greater than the Roman Emperors whose Magnificence was cryed up in those Days by all the World greater than Sennacharib than Ahasuerus than Nebuchadnezzar than Darius and all the mighty Names which have filled the World with their Splendor But why do I mention these Bubbles All Nations before him are but as the Dust of the Balance and as a drop in the Bucket and if so what a small pittance of that little drop must the greatest Monarch be Is God so great a King and is it not reasonable we should come before him when we come to pray to him or to praise him with the deepest Humility and as St. Bernard speaks Conceive our selves to be entring into the Court where the King of Kings sits on a bright and shining Throne surrounded with an Host of glorious Angels and crowned Saints as poor Worms crawling out of our Holes vile Frogs creeping out of our Mud and approaching the Divine Majesty With such Thoughts let 's appear before him and whatever Greatness or Magnificence we see and observe in Princes and great Men here on Earth let 's conceive something infinitely greater in God which cannot be expressed And if his Greatness were duly represented to our Minds and preserved in our Hearts how devoutly should we pray how humbly should we beg how reverently should we adore him how readily should we stand in awe of him How circumspectly should we walk How diligently should we obey him How afraid should we be of offering him sleepy careless dull and drouzy Devotions the blind and the lame Services I mean the unwilling sick and hypocritical and such as our Governors would scorn and therefore God cannot but despise For Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his Flock a Male and Vows and Sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadful among the Heathen Mal. i. 14 VI. See here what poor weak and infirm Creatures we are since we are not able to make one Hair of our Heads white or black One would think so small and inconsiderable a thing shou'd be within the reach of our Power but it seems it is not and if we are not able of our selves to do the least how shall we be able to do the greatest thing i. e. become wise to Salvation So true is that Saying of the Apostle We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing that 's good as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. iii. 5 In natural common temporal and ordinary Concerns his help is absolutely necessary for
he hath promised though thou seeest them not The Reasons for the one are as convincing as the other In a word Believing God's Promises is to venture upon that Piety to which the greatest Blessings are promised And therefore not letting thy Light shine before Men it 's a sign thou dost not believe his Promises and not to believe his Promises is either to suppose that he hath made no such Promises or to think if he hath made any they are not true And what an injury this is to God judge you to whom God hath given Reason and Wisdom and Understanding to know that Heaven and Earth shall sooner perish than one jot or one tittle of his Word shall fail 3. It is an injury to Men too For by not letting the Light of your Piety shine forth you hinder others from the Ways of God Men are led by Example if you have an aversion from the Ways of Righteousness will not this tempt others to have an aversion too If you offer the Blind and the Lame will not others imitate you If to serve God be a weariness to you will it not be so to others It is true God may restrain them from following your example but if he doth not is not this the natural consequence of it It was very well said of St. Chrysostom There would not be a Heathen left in the World if we all of us labour'd to be Christians indeed and strictly obey'd the Counsels and Admonitions of the Gospel if being affronted we did suffer it if we did not render evil for evil if being cursed and abused we did bless if we render'd good for evil There is hardly any Man would be such a Brute as not to apply himself to the Fear of God whose Precepts cause such an admirable Temper if all of us shew'd the same Zeal for the Gospel But when we like Gallio care for none of these things we make others as careless as our selves We especially whom the meaner sort look upon as better Bred and more Knowing and having had the advantage of Education For this is the common Language Such a Man is a Scholar he can Read and Write and hath the Bible at his Fingers Ends If that Man believed these things were necessary he would certainly practise them But making no Conscience of them why should I who am not learned and know not so much as he doth So that this must needs be a manifest injury to Men for we make others regardless of Piety while we our selves do not place that Light on the Candlestick of our Lives and Conversations that it may give Light to all that are in the House But 4. This is not all for hereby we do not only hinder them from the Ways of Piety but we encourage them in Evil we harden others in their Sins help them to be miserable see them perishing and promote their Ruin Though we may not be so bad as others yet in not being so good as we might be and ought to be we confirm them in their Opinion that what they do is harmless And thus we turn Fiends and Devils teach others to Sin and prompt them to be Children of Perdition Our evil Actions are unhappy Schoolmasters to instruct others in the Art of Sinning We destroy Souls and instead of being helpers of their Faith we are helpers to hasten their Damnation And if this be not a signal Injury done to Men I know not what we can call Injury But it 's time I should III. In the last place shew you What the Advantages are of letting this Light of our Piety shine forth before Men. And though this be properly the subject of the next Verse yet something of it I will mention by way of preparation for the Discourse I intend upon that Exhortation of our Saviour 1. Are not we fond of Peace of Conscience Do not we talk of it Do not we commend it Do not we say all the kind things of it Do not we prize it in those that have it Do not we hear Men upon their Death-beds wish for it If it be so precious a thing why this is the way that leads to it even this letting the Light of our Piety shine forth How often have you heard that Saying of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World Ay this is the Spring the Fountain the Root the Vein from which Peace of Conscience flows It can no more arise from a sinful carnal sensual Life than Olive-berries can grow upon a Thorn-bush The Light of Piety causes Light in the Conscience this makes it easy and lightsome under all Burdens and gives a chearful merry Heart under the sharpest Dispensations of Providence All the Joys of Sinners and Hypocrites are not to be compared with it for they die when the Body dies and fill the Soul with Horrour But Peace of Conscience survives the mortal Part and leaps and skips and mounts with the Soul into the boundless Ocean of Eternity 2. Would you see and tast how sweet and gracious God is Why this setting the Light of your Piety on a Candlestick that it may enlighten all that are round about you is the way to it God can never appear truly Sweet to that Soul that hath an Aversion from his Service It is impossible that he should look amiable and charming to that Eye that delights in beholding Vanity It is the Holiness of God that makes him sweet and amiable to the Soul And how can that Soul delight in his Beauty that sees no Beauty in Holiness We wonder not that many Men stare and wonder and think we tell them Stories and Romances when we speak of the admirable Sweetness of God which a Soul enlightened from above is sensible of as well may a Horse understand the Study of the Mathematicks as He apprehend how sweet and amiable God is that rushes into Sin as the Horse rushes into the Battel But notwithstanding all this there is such a thing and the Soul whose pious Life shines before Men feels and sees and tastes how sweet and charming and lovely God the best of Beings is Sweet beyond Roses sweet beyond Perfumes sweet beyond Comparison sweet to Admiration sweet to Extasy And now I should add after all that this letting the Light of your Piety shine forth is the way to engage others what in you lies to Praise God But that must be the subject of my next Meditation However because it is very pertinent to my purpose I will add that which must be the beginning of my next Discourse Let your Light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and Glorifie your Father which is in Heaven I shall conclude with a word or two to those that intend this Day to partake of the Blessed Sacrament 3. Think what
Injury no doubt will be able to endure a less This is that policy a Christian is to make use of to Dissipate the Stratagems of the Devil and he that applies himself to this Method of resisting Revengeful Desires hath something to bear witness that he is become wise unto Salvation 2. This is an excellent sign that we have a huge command of our Passions and Affections Were I to shew a Christian in his Beauty I would shew him in this dress for he that is slow to Anger is better than the Mighty and he that rules his Spirit than he that takes a City Prov. xvi 32 The mighty Men whose Names sound big who have filled the World with Slaughters and made themselves masters of Kingdoms Cities Towns Countries have still been Strangers to this command of their Passions This command makes a Man a Christian for they that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with it's Affections and Lusts and no doubt he shews that he hath Crucified all these that rather than return Evil for Evil endures a greater Evil. 3. This is the most likely Method to make People admire and fall in love with Religion which gives Men such power and enables them to do what Nature Art and Philosophy are not able to effect We have a great instance of this in a case not very unlike that I speak of in a pious Man in India who Preaching the Gospel to those Barbarians as he stood in the Street discoursing of Christ Crucified an Indian full of Spight and Spleen having gathered what filth and nastiness he could came up to him and spit full in his Face The good Man not at all concerned at the Affront gently wiped away the Spittle and went on in his Discourse not moved in the least with the injury an Act so Astonishing to that barbarous People that abundance came in and professed themselves Proselytes of Christianity There are so few Men in this Age that practice these stricter Precepts of our Religion that that 's one Reason why so few are Converted or become Obedient to the Faith Such extraordinary acts of Patience under Injuries would make Sensual Men stand amaz'd at the mighty Power of God in our Souls and oblige them to yield their Members Servants of Righteousness unto Holiness 4. From hence flows the sweetest Peace and Satisfaction even from hence when rather than return Evil for Evil we are ready to suffer a greater Evil. Self-denial is the Key that unlocks the hidden Treasures of Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Hence came that mighty Peace we find in the Holy Apostles and their Followers St. Paul tells us a very strange thing of himself 2 Cor. vii 4 I am exceeding joyful in all our Tribulation This looks like the greatest Paradox What rejoyce in Chains in Hunger in Thirst and Nakedness What rejoyce in Dungeons in Prisons in Distresses by Land and by Water Is it possible to rejoyce in Persecutions in being made the filth and off-scouring of the World It had been something if he had said with Solomon Eccles. ii 4 I am exceeding joyful because I have made me great Works built me Houses planted Vineyards made me Gardens and Orchards planted me Trees of all kind of Fruits made me Pools of Water to water therewith the Wood that brings forth Fruit and gotten me Servants and Maidens and had Servants born in my House and because I have great Possessions of great and small Cattle and have gather'd Silver and Gold and the peculiar Treasure of Kings and have gotten me Singers and Women-Singers c. These are the gaudy things that make the Children of Men merry and joyful but to talk of being exceeding joyful under a very sorrowful scene of Misery this sounds as if the Apostle were besides himself But no the good Man was in his Wits his Reason strong and lively within him and he felt what he said and what could be the Reason of this Joy Why It was Self-denial and the greater the Self-denial is the greater is the Joy and what greater Self-denial could there be than what he mentions 1 Cor. iv 12.13 Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we entreat as if he had said Rather than return Evil for Evil we are ready to suffer a greater Evil Men in whom sense and love of the World reigns must needs be unacquainted with this Joy But thus it is not with Persons who live by Faith in the Son of God These both taste it and feel it and the reason is because they tread in the Steps of Christ Jesus who when he was reviled reviled not again and when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judges righteously 1 Pet. ii 23 Inferences 1. From these words it doth not follow that therefore the Office of the Magistrate is needless or that a Christian cannot lawfully and conscientiously be a Magistrate These words of our Saviour are indeed alledged to prove it and the Objection runs thus If we Christians are to endure Injuries patiently are not to demand Retaliation from the Magistrate and rather than Revenge our selves are to suffer a greater Injury the Office of a Magistrate which consists chiefly in revenging Wrongs and Injuries and in returning Evil for Evil is needless nay dangerous nor can a Christian conscientiously engage in an Office which obliges him to act contrary to the rule of Christ for what doth the Magistrate but resist the Evil Man and if he be not to be resisted how can a Christian safely execute or discharge that Office I answer That this Precept of our Saviour is given to private Christians or to Christians in a private Capacity and not to Magistrates will appear from the following Particulars 1. As Christ hath no occasion here to talk of Magistrates Christian Magistrates I mean so it cannot be rationally suppos'd that he prescribes any Law to them The Persons he speaks to were Disciples invested with no secular Authority and though he speaks to all his Disciples both those that were then and who were to succeed them yet he considers them still in the capacity of Christians not as they are or may be entrusted with Power and Authority for the Publick Good which respects must necessarily require other Measures 2. Christ did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfil it but if he had abolished the Office of Magistrates or made it unlawful he had destroy'd a considerable part of the Law of Moses which doth not only relate to Magristrates but makes the Office indispensibly necessary 3. Christ came to explain and revive the Law of Nature which Law requires Peace and Order in a Common-wealth and this not being to be had without Magistrates which may encourage those that do well and punish the Evil-Doers it must follow that Magistrates as Magistrates are not concern'd in this Precept 4. How can this Text be levell'd against the Power of Magistrates when Magistrates are the
been a sweet Odour a very unacceptable Sacrifice for though the needy Brother be actually reliev'd by the Gift yet the Giver can enjoy but little comfort of it since that which should have made it amiable and pleasing to God is wanting God doth not so much regard what we give as with what Heart we give A ready Mind like a magnifying Glass makes even a Cup of Water given to a Disciple of Christ look great in the sight of God whereas a richer Donative coming from us with an unwilling Mind looks mean and pitiful and like Objects seen through the wrong end of a Perspective dwarfish and inconsiderable 2. Give with Simplicity with holy good and warrantable Ends and with pious Intentions This is the Command Rom. xii 8 And we shall soon be convinc'd of the Necessity of it if we consider how it fared with the Pharisees whose sinister ends and designs in giving Alms drew upon them the threatning Christ speaks of Matth. vi 2 Verily they have their Reward To glorifie God with the gift to express our gratitude to the Donor of all we have to testifie our Compassion to our Fellow-Creatures and Fellow Christians in distress to discharge our Duty and to express our Obedience to the Commands of our Master c. These are Ends good and laudable and which a good Man may take satisfaction in and I doubt not but we may lawfully have an Eye to the future recompence in the Resurrection of the Just as we may conclude from what Christ saith Luke xiv 1 2 4. But to think to cajole the Almighty by the Gift and lull him into connivance at the Sins we are unwilling to part with or to hope for some temporal advantage by the Donation or to be able to give no better reason for our Giving than because Persons of our Rank and Quality have done the like Such designs as they are inconsistent with the Maxims of our Religion so its needless to tell you they must be laid aside when the meanest Capacity may easily conclude so much from the Premises 3. Give with Discretion This is requir'd Psal. xli 1 where we read Blessed is he that considereth the Poor In the Original it's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports Wisdom and Discretion in the distribution of our Charitable Gifts Mens Necessities being various some more urging others more tolerable Some are in greater Want than others the Rank and Quality and Station of some makes them greater Objects than those who were born to a poor and mean Condition some grow providentially Poor others through Debauchery and Idleness some with their Poverty are Sincere and Good and Religious others retain their Insensibleness of things Spiritual Sometimes our very Parents and nearest Relations crave our assistance as well as Persons recommended to us by our Friends and Acquaintance All which Circumstances require Direction and Prudence which Vertue though it be sometime made a Cloak for Covetousness yet is a Vertue still and to be practis'd by the best of Men though it be made a shelter under which wicked Men hide their Sin and Hypocrisie 4. Give proportionably Where God hath given much remember to give much too and let not Selfishness tempt you to call that little which all your Neighbours and understanding Men count a very large Portion And that you may be able to give much abate abundance of things which are superfluous and serve for nothing but to Feed your Luxury It 's impossible that he who hath much should give much if he be resolv'd to have every thing that the Men of the World have even all the Fineries and Gaudies and Pomp and Retinue and State which other voluptuous Sinners rejoyce in If every one of us be to lay up in Store for Charitable Uses as God hath prospered and blessed him in this World as we read 1 Cor. xvi 1 2. Certainly we cannot satisfie our selves that we give as we ought if we give not proportionably And the best guide to direct us in this proportion is Love The more fervent our Love is to our distressed Brethren the more liberal we shall be See how Love wrought upon the Macedonians for they went not only beyond proportion but beyond their power too in giving relief to the Churches of Judaea 2 Cor. viii 1 5. Give to all sorts not only to a Christian but to a Heathen too as there is occasion not only to a needy Relation but to a distressed Stranger too not only to a a Friend but even to an Enemy The Jews were abominably partial in their giving To a Jew one of their own Nation and Religion they were liberal but a Samaritan they thought no proper Object of Relief and therefore would not do the common Offices of Humanity to them or shew them the least Civility Our Religion rests upon better Principles and another Temper is requir'd of Christians And that 's the true import of that Command Luke vi 30 Give to every Man or to all that ask of thee i. e. to all sorts of Men confine not thy Charity to Persons of the same Faith and Party and Opinion but like God disperse and scatter thy Profits on all both good and bad whether just or unjust and do not deny thy help no not to Sinners and Publicans These without all peradventure are the true Qualifications of Giving but we are not to think that all the Duty requir'd here is incumbent on the Giver He that doth ask is to observe Rules as well as the Giver which if he doth not he makes himself incapable of receiving the Gift of the Giver 1. Give to him that asketh of thee and is a proper Object of Charity Of this a hint was given before and if any Necessitous Persons are excluded from being Objects they must be such as spend what is given them in Rioting and Drunkenness in Idleness and Laziness and live useless and unprofitable in the World I know abundance of Covetous Niggardly and Narrow-hearted Christians make this an excuse and rashly Censure all that ask of them as People Idle and delighting in the common Vices of the Age that they may have some colour for their backwardness in Giving but in Cases of this Nature we are not to go by Guesses and Fancies and precarious Imaginations but by our certain Knowledge and when we are ignorant of the manner and particulars of their Lives and Conversations our Judgment must be Charitable and Favourable where Experience and common Fame and rational Evidences do convince us of their dissolute way of Living we may lawfully with-hold our Hands for in this case we do not with-hold the Good from those to whom it is due Prov. iii. 27 the Persons we speak of falling under another Notion even of Men to whom Correction and Punishment and the severity of a Prison is due and whom to lash into better Manners is a very good act of Charity 2. Give to him that asketh provided he doth ask