to die, and after Death comes Judgment; the Apprehenfion of which is dreadful, and the Prefence of it is intolerable, unlefs by Religion and Sanctity we are difpofed for fo venerable an Appearance.

14. of the

9. To this may be useful that we confider the See the Great Eafinefs of Christ's Yoke, the Excellencies and Sweet Exemplar. neffes that are in Religion, the Peace of Confcience, Part 3. Dif the Joy of the Holy Ghoft, the rejoycing in God, the Eafinefs of Simplicity and Pleasure of Vertue the Intricacy, Chriftian Re Trouble and Bufinefs of Singoithe Bleffings and"" ligion. Health and Reward of that the Curses, the Sick neffes and fad Confequences of this, and that if we are weary of the Labours of Religion, we must cer tainly fit fill and do nothing: For whatsoever we do contrary too it, is infinitely madre full of Labour, Care, Difficulty and Vexation. Hoist od B

Confiderthis alfo, that Tedioufnefs of Spirit is the beginning of the most dangerous Condition and Eftate in the whole World. For it is a great Difpofitionoto, the Sin against the Holy Ghoft le is apt to bring a Man to a Backfliding and the State of Unregeneration to make him return to his Vomit and his Sink, and either to make the Man impatient, or his Condition fcrupulous, unfátisfied, irk fome and defperate And it is better that he had never known the way of Godliness, than after the Knowledge of it, that be full fall away. There is not in the World a greater Sign that the Spirit of Reprobation is begin ning upon a Man, than when he is habitually and conftantly, or very frequently, weary, and flights or loaths Holy Offices.

1. The laft Remedy that preferves the Hope of fuch a Man, and can reduce him to the State of Zeal and the Love of God, is a pungent, fad and a heavy Affliction not defperate, but recreated with fome Intervals of Kindnefs or little Comforts, or enter tained with Hopes of Deliverance: Which Condi tion if a Man fhall fall into, by the Grace of God hel is likely to recover, but if this help him not, it is infinite Odds but he will quench the Spirit.

on

o

Ove is communicated as Fire, as bufie and as active, and it hath four Twin-Daughters, extreme like each other; and but that the Doctors of the School have done as Thamar's Midwife did, who bound a Scarlet Thread, fomething to diftinguish them, it would be very hard to call themafünder. Their Names are, 1. Mercy, 2. Benificence, or Well-doing, 3. Liberality, and, 4.Alms; which by efpecial Privilege hath: obtained to be called after the Mother's Name, and is commonly called Charity. The first or eldest is feat-, ed in the Affection, and it is that which all the other must attend For Mercy without Alms is acceptable, when the Perfonis difabled to exprefs outwardly what he heartily defires. // But Alms without Mercy are like Prayers without Devotion,on Religion without Humility. 52. Benificence, or Well-doing, isi a Promptnefs and Nobleness of Mind, making us to do Offices of Courtefie and Humanity to all Sorts of Perfons in their Need, or out of their Need. g. Libeo rality is a Disposition of Mind oppofité to Covetouf› nefs, and confifts in the despite and neglect of Money: upon juft Occafions, and relates to our Friends, Chil dren, Kindred, Seryafits, cand other Relatives 4. But Alms is a relieving of the Poor and Needy. The first and the last only are Duties of Chriftianity.The fecond and third are Circumftances and Adjun&s of i thefe Duties: For biberality increafes the Degree of Alnis, making our Gift greater; and Benificence ex-t tends it to more Perfons and Orders of Men, fpreading it wider. The former makes us fometimes tor give more than we are able; and the latter gives tol more than need by the Neceffity of Beggars, and: ferves the Needs and Conveniencies of Perfons, and fupplies Circumitances Whereas properly, Alms are Doles and Largeffes to the neceffitous and calamitous

People,

People, fupplying the Neceffities of Nature, and
People, fupplying
giving Remedies to their Miferies..

Mercy and Alms are the Body and Soul of that Charity which we must pay to our Neighbour'sNeed: And it is a Precept which God therefore enjoyned to the World, that the great Inequality which he was pleafed to fuffer in the Poffeffions and Accidents of Men, might be reduced to fome Temper and Evennefs; and the moft miferable Perfon might be reconciled to fome Senfe and Participation of Felicity.

The Works of Mercy are fo many as the Affections of Mercy have Objects, or as the World hath Kinds of Mifery. Men want Meat, or Drink, or Cloaths, or a Houfe, or Liberty, or Attendance, or a Grave. In Proportion to these feven Works are usually affigned to Mercy, and there are feven Kinds of Corporal Alms reckoned, 1. To feed the Hungry. 2. To Mat, 25. 3.5. give Drink to the Thirsty. 3. Or Cloaths to the Naked. 4. To redeem Captives. 5. To vifit the Sick. 6. To entertain Strangers. 7. To bury the Dead. *But many more may be added. Such as are, 8. To "Mat. 26. 12. give Phyfick to fick Perfons, 9. To bring cold and 2 Sam. 2. §. ftarved People to Warmth and to the Fire; for fometimes Cloathing will not do it ; or this may be done when we cannot do the other. 10. To lead the Blind in right Ways. 11. To lend Money. 12. To forgive Debts. 13. To remit Forfeitures. 14. To mend Highways and Bridges. 15. To reduce or guide wandring Travellers. 16. To cafe their Labours by accommodating their Work with apt Inftruments, or their Journey with Beafts of Carriage. 17. To deliver the Poor from their Oppreffors. 18. To die for my Bro ther. 19. To pay Maidens Dowries, and to procure for them honeft and chaft Marriages.

Nobilis hæc effet pietatis rixa duobus,

Quod pro fratre mori veller uterque prior. Mart

R 3

Works

Works of Spiritual Alms and Mercy are,

"

1. To teach the ignorant, 2. To counfel doubtPerfons, 3. To admonish Sinners diligently, ing prudently, feafonably, and charitably: To which alfo may be reduced, provoking and encouraging to Heb. io. 24:good Works. 4 To comfort the afflicted. 5. To Thef. 5.14. pardon Offenders. 6. To fuccour and fupport the weak. 7. Το pray for all Eftates of Men, and for Relief to all their Neceffities. To which may be added, 8. To punifh or correct Refractoriness. added, 9. To be gentle and charitable in cenfuring the Actions of others. 1o. To eftablish the fcrupulous, wavering and inconftant Spirits. 11. To confirm the ftrong. 12. Not to give Scandal. 13. To quit a Man of his Fear, 14. * To redeem Maidens from Proftitution and Publication of their Bodies,

Puella profternit fed ad pedes; Miferere virginitatis meæ, nè proftituas hoc corpus fub cam turpi titulo. Hift. Apol. Tyan

To both thefe Kinds a third alfo may be added of a mixt Nature, partly corporeal, and partly fpiritual. Laudi due. Such are, 1. Reconciling Enemies; 2. Erecting pub zum apudvet. lick Schools of Learning; 3. Maintaining Lectures of Alla Divinity; 4. Erecting Colleges of Religion, and Rei a tirement from the Noifes and more frequent Temptaτις μένως tions of the World 35. Finding Employment for unκαλέπαυστο 1. bufied Perfons, and putting Children to honeftTrades. For the Particulars of Mercy or Alms cannot be nar rower than Mens Needs are: And the old Method of Alms is too narrow to comprize them all; and yet the Kinds are too many to be difcourfed of particu larly Only our bleffed Saviour in the Precept of Alms, ufes the Inftances of relieving the Poor, and Forgiveness of Injuries; and by Proportion to thefe, the reft whofe Duty is plain, fimple, eafie and neceffary, may be determined. But Alms in general are to be difpos'd of according to the following Rules.

Rules

Rules for giving Alms.

1. Let no Man do Alms of that which is none of his own: For of that he is to make Reftitution ; S. Greg. 71. that is due to the Owners, not to the Poor: For 110. Epift. every Man hath Need of his own, and that is first

to be provided for; Needs of the Poor. not his own, makes to be the Receivers.

confervetur

and then you must think of the He that gives the Poor what is himself a Thief, and the Poor This is not to be understood as if it were unlawful for a Man that is not able to pay his Debts, to give finaller Alms to the Poor. He may not give fuch Portions as can in any Senfe more Præbeat midifable him to do Juftice; but fuch which if they fericordi aut were faved could not advance the other Duty, may juftitia. retire to this, and do here what they may, fince ins. Aug. the other Duty they cannot do what they fhould. Prov. 3. 9. But generally Cheaters and Robbers cannot give Alms of what they have cheated and robbed, unless they cannot tell the Perfons whom they have injured; or the Proportions; and in fuch Cafes they are to give thofe unknown Portions to the Poor by way of Reftitution, for it is no Alms: Only God is the Supream Lord to whom thofe Efcheats devolve, and the Poor are his Receivers.

2. Of Money unjustly taken, and yet voluntarily parted with, we may and are bound to give Alms: fuch as is Money given and taken for falfe Witness, Bribes, Simoniacal Contracts: Becaufe the Receiver hath no Right to keep it, nor the Giver any Right to recall it, it is unjuft Money, and yet payable to none but the fupream Lord (who is the Perlon injured) and to his Delegates, that is, the Poor. To which I infert thele Cautions. 1. If the Perfon injured by the unjust Sentence of a bribed Judge, or by falfe Witnefs, be poor, he is the proper Object and Bofom to whom the Reftitution is to be made. 2. In Cafe of Simony, Decret Epi the Church, to whom the Simony was injurious, tit. de Sitno is the Lap into which the Reftitution is to be pou-nia, red; and if it be poor and out of Repair, the Alms,