"Lord,

my

heart and hand is

like manner, we may pray, open to others, let thine be so to me: I that am evil, am enabled by thee to give good things to others; and thou hast given me assurance, that thou wilt much more give good things to those that ask them."

The matter out of which these good works are to be done, must be,

1. Bona propria, ἐκ τοῦ ἔχειν ἔνοντα, ὑπάρχοντα, our own things. (Luke xi. 41, and xxi. 33. 2 Cor. viii. 11) We must not enable ourselves to do good, by doing evil first. God hateth robbery for burnt-offering. We must warm the poor with the fleece of our own sheep. (Job xxxi. 20) Ill-gotten goods are matter of restitution, rather than of distribution.

2. Bona superflua: We are to give out of our overplus and abundance; "That your abundance may be a supply for their want;" (2 Cor. viii. 14, Tò wepioσeuμa, that which remains and is to spare, after other necessary uses; (as Mark viii. 8. Luke xv. 17) though ardent charity will sometimes go beyond its power. (Mark xii. 44. 2 Cor. viii. 3) To know what these remains and overplus are, we must consider what things are necessary: Things are necessary upon a double ground:

1. Necessaria simpliciter;' without which, a man cannot maintain himself and his charge at all.

2. Necessaria ad decentiam status;' necessary to the decency and quality of a man's condition: that which is abundant for a tradesman, may be too little for a nobleman.

Now in case of extreme necessity of our brother, we ought to relieve him out of that which is necessary to our own decent condition:-he that hath two coats, to give to him that hath none, rather than to see him perish. (Luke iii. 11) In cases of ordinary necessity, we are to give out of our overplus and abundance, providing for the decency of our own condition, which is to give, as we are able", according to the blessing of God upon honest labours; so much the word evodτa importeth, 1 Cor. xvi. 2; which doth not hinder our endeavours to lay up and provide for our families and posterity; which the apostle requires, 1 Tim. v. 8. 2 Cor. xii. 14. The object or matter, circa quam,' of our good works,

are,

u Ezra ii. 69. Acts xi. 29.

First, The worship of God, and things subservient and conducent thereunto; as maintaining poor scholars in the nurseries of the ministry, and schools of the prophets; comforting and encouraging the able and faithful ministers of the gospel. For which, Hezekiah and Nehemiah are by God honoured in the records of scripture. (2 Chron. xxx. 22, and xxxi. 4, 11. Nehem. xiii. 10, 14) "Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things." (Gal. vi. 6)" Honour the Lord with thy substance." (Prov. iii. 9) They who sow unto you spiritual things, it is equal that you minister unto them carnal things. (1 Cor. ix. 11) David would not, when he might, offer unto the Lord of that" which should cost him nothing." (2 Sam. xxiv. 24) Ministers, that are faithful, dare not offer unto you that which costs them nothing. It costs them their time, their studies, their strength, their prayers, possibly their tears and sorrows, to see their work fall as fast as they set it up; as Chrysostom sometimes complained. Nay, if you will have a learned ministry, it must cost their purses too. The utensils of a minister are chargeable things; and therefore it is a worthy, honourable, and most beneficial work, to contribute unto public libraries for the service of the ministry, in universities, cities, and public places.

Secondly, The necessities of men; and here,

1. Kindred, friends, acquaintance,

house.' (1 Tim. v. 8. Acts x. 24)

Those of our own.

2. Those of the household of faith, who dwell before the Lord. (Gal. vi. 10. Isa. xxiii. 18) Pour your ointment above all, upon the feet of Christ.

3. Strangers. (1 Tim. v. 10)

4. Enemies themselves: "If thine enemy hunger, feed him." (Rom. xii. 20, 21)

In one word, All that are in misery and distress amongst them.

First, The most helpless, widows, fatherless, sick, maimed, aged, exiles, captives.

Secondly, The most hopeful, useful, and painful; as preg. nant wits for learned education, or other necessary employ

ments.

For the manner how, the apostle directeth us,

First, To do good works richly: They who are divites

opibus,' must be divites operibus' too: their fruit must be plentiful as well as their estate. There may be a narrow heart, a starved charity, where there is a large estate, as in Nabal. And there may be a large and bountiful heart, where there is but a poor and narrow estate, as in the poor widow, who, as our Saviour tells us, "cast in more than all others,” into the treasury; more in proportion, quia nemo sibi minus reliquit ;'-more in affection; she cast in her bowels; she cast in her prayers with her two mites. (Mark xii. 43) So the apostle testifieth of the Macedonians, that their poverty was deep, and yet their liberality was rich and abundant: (2 Cor. viii. 2) though they could not draw much out of their purse, yet they drew out their very soul to their brethren; (Isa. lviii. 10) as the apostle saith, That he “imparted his own soul" to the Thessalonians. (1 Thess. ii. 1) But you that are rich in estate, may be rich in good works, as well as in good affections; may be exercised to all bountifulness. (2 Cor. ix. 11) As there is a decentia status' for a man's expenses on himself; so is there for his bounty to the poor. The widow's two mites had been a mock, and not an alms, if a rich man had cast them in.

Secondly, To do them readily, evμeтadóτous elvai, To be casy, prompt, prone unto good works, not out of necessity, importunity, constraint, but willingly. This is a great mercy, when men are able to offer these sacrifices willingly. (1 Chron. xxix. 14) And hereunto are necessary such habits and principles, as do facilitate good works: As,

1. Piety to God; a desire to honour him with his own gifts, and to give him back again of his own, and thereby as to testify our professed subjection to the gospel, so to procure abundant thanksgiving unto God. (2 Cor. ix. 11, 12, 13)

2. Love to Christ, whose doctrine hereby we obey; (Luke xi. 41) whose example herein we imitate; (John xiii. 29) whose members hereby we refresh; and so, in his account, do it unto himself, (Matth. xxv. 40) and become his creditors: for "he that giveth to the poor, lendeth to the Lord." (Prov. xix. 17)

3. Love to our neighbour, which worketh tender-heartedness towards him in his affliction, and large-heartedness for his relief. (Prov. xxxi. 30) God requireth the doing of judgement, which, in some cases, may be done with sorrow,

as in the punishment of malefactors; but he requireth the loving of mercy. We must never go unwillingly about that; (Mic. vi. 8) our bounty must be in our eye, and so affect our

hearts. (Prov. xxii. 9)

4. Wisdom and skill, with prudent consideration to do a good work to the best advantage. A man is never ready and dexterous in a business, which he is unskilful in: there fore the Psalmist saith, "Blessed is he that considereth the poor." (Psalm xli. 1) We read (as I take it) in Seneca, or Plutarch, of one, who knowing the poverty and modesty of his friend, was fain to steal a gift under his pillow for him, who otherwise might have refused it.

5. Cheerfulness and speed, to do a good work without grudging or delay. "Say not to thy brother, go and come to-morrow." (Prov. iii. 28) Job did not withhold the poor from their desire. (Job xxxi. 16) He that sheweth mercy, must do it with cheerfulness; (Rom. xii. 8) for the Lord loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Cor. ix. 7) In many cases, delays are denials. A duty, done in season, is twice done.

Thirdly, To do them diffusively, xovavixous siva. We are not only to do good, to do it copiously, to do it readily and cheerfully, but to do it to many,' to 'community;' so to have the property in ourselves, as that the comfort may be diffusive, and redound to many others. And as here ayatoepysiv and xowvwvixoì are put together, so elsewhere (Heb. xiii. 16) soila and xowvwvía, doing good and communicating, are put together; and so it is used, Phil. iv. 15.

The word seemeth to import, First, To do good, so as that many may be better for it, that it may be a common and a public good. Such are the works of God; his sun shines, his rain falls, on good and bad, upon the barren rocks, as well as the fruitful valleys. Such are public works, building and endowing of schools, of churches, of lectures, of workhouses, of hospitals, of manufactories; furnishing of libraries, maintaining of public professors, legacies to the poor, repairing ways and bridges, loans to set up poor tradesmen ; and other the like benefactions which have a common and public influence.

Secondly, To do it as in communion, as members one of another; communion natural, upon principles of humanity; and communion spiritual, upon principles of Christianity.

To remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being ourselves in the body. (Heb. xiii. 3)

Thirdly, To do it sociably, modestly, humanely; to be not only bountiful, but to adorn both our wealth, and our good works, with suavity of conversation, with meekness, placidness, and facility of manners, with an amiable and communicative deportment towards all men. For a man's very charity may be so morose and austere, that tender stomachs may nauseate it; as physic that is wholesome, but bitter. Give me leave to press this duty upon you, which the apostle doth by so many and emphatical expressions, with such considerations as these:

1. From the example of God himself, who requireth us to imitate him in works of mercy. (Luke vi. 36)" His mercy is in the heavens ;" (Psalm xxxvi. 5) "The earth is full of his goodness;" (Psalm xxxv. 5) "His bounty is over all his works;" (Psalm cxlv. 9) " He punisheth unwillingly;” (Lam. iii. 33) "He watcheth to be gracious.” (Isa. xxxviii. 18) He chose mercy and grace as the choicest things, to make his name known unto his people by. (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7)

He gave his Son, his spirit, his love, his grace, his glory, himself unto us; and yet his mercy is free; he is not, by any law, bound thereunto. "He sheweth mercy to whom he will shew mercy." (Rom. ix. 18) Whereas we are but his stewards; and have riches, as the sun hath light, to disperse to others. We have the custody, but the comfort belongeth unto others; it is called another man's,' and not our own. (Luke xvi. 12) If a man were master of the light of the sun, we should esteem him extremely barbarous and inhuman, if he should let it shine only into his own house :-our money, our bread, our clothing, is as necessary for our poor brother, as the light of the sun; and therefore the inhumanity as great to withhold the one, as it would be to monopolize the other.

Secondly, From the example of Christ. He was his Father's almoner; mercy was his office: it belonged unto him, as the Son of David, to shew mercy. (Matth. ix. 27) Mercy was his practice; "He went about doing good." (Acts x. 38) All his miracles were in works of mercy, feeding, healing, raising, comforting: and though he be now in glory, yet