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uncertain Riches. But what are we then to trust in, if not in thefe Things? This t St. Paul fhews in the Words following, which make it

The Third Inftance of the Rich Man's Duty, Let them (faith he) truft in the living God, who giveth to all Men richly to enjoy. The Senfe of it is this Let them, from the Bottom of their Hearts, acknowledge God to be the Author and Giver of all that they poffefs: How much foever their Heads projected, or their Hands laboured, or their Parents and Friends were kind to them, yet it is the Providence of the Almighty to which they owe all. The fame Divine Forefight and Contrivance that feeds the Fowls of the Air, and cloaths the Flowers of the Field, doth alfo give them richly all Things to enjoy; and therefore upon that Providence are they entirely to depend, as much exercifing Faith in God, and repofing Confidence in him, as if they had no visible. Provifions made for them: And as heartily returning Thanks to their great Benefactor for every Bleffing they have, (feem it never fo much their own already) as a hungry Man, that knows not where to get a Meal, would to him that should give him a plentiful Entertain ment. In a Word, those that have all Things in this World muft as devoutly look up to God, both in gratefully afcribing to him every Enjoyment either past or prefent, and in a.full Truft and Reliance upon him, for what is to come, as those that live from Hand to Mouth, fince it is the fame Divine Providence that feeds and maintains both the Poor and the

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Rich, and of his Infinite Goodness, gives to all that fear him, even to the Poor as well as the Rich, all Things to enjoy; and though to the one more plentifully, yet to the other perhaps with as much Content, though not in fo great Abundance.

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The Fourth and laft Part of the Rich Man's Duty here mentioned, concerns the right Ufe of that Wealth that God hath given him. Now the right Ufe of Riches, according to the Text, doth confift in thefe Things; That thofe that have them do Good with them, that they be rich in good Works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to communicate.

If we fuppofe every one of these diftin&t Phrafes in the Text, to denote a diftinct Thing, then we are to give this Account of the Paffage, That St. Paul here ufeth a Gradation in his Speech, begins with the lowest and most general Expreffions of Charity, and fo goes on to higher Degrees of it; in each following Phrafe intending to fay fomething more great or particular than what he had faid in the former, which is a most usual and elegant Scheme of Rhetorick. According to this Account, (as the Words are very capa ble of it) there are Four Things here prefcribed to the Rich Man, in the Ufe of his Riches.

1. That he do Good with them, that is the moft general Point; that is, that he employ them fome way or other for the Benefit of others. He muft not live to himfelf alone, he muft defign greater Things than the get

ting an Estate, or the raifing a Family; if others be not advantaged by him, he is rich to no Purpose. And therefore it will concern him to do Kindneffes and good Offices where he can, to be liberal and hofpitable, to oblige his Friends and Relations all ways poffible, to affift all about him with his Counfel, to encourage them by his Example; in a Word, to make ufe of that Intereft and Reputation that his Fortune hath given him above others, to do Kindneffes to them.

2. He muft not think it fufficient to do this Good now and then, upon particular and more rare Occafions; but he muft abound in Acts of Goodness: That is the Meaning of the Apostle's fecond Expreffion of being rich in good Works. He muft fo ftudy and improve in the Art of doing Good, that his good Deeds do equal his Riches; nay, the Words import that his true Riches are only placed in, and to be measured by his good Deeds. He is not to think himself farther rich than he is rich in good Works. The more plentifully God hath bleffed him with worldly Wealth, the more diligent and induftrious and folicitous he must be to do Good with it; otherwise he is poorer than those that perhaps he now and then out of Charity relieves. And,

3. Left this doing Good, and being rich in good Works, fhould only be interpreted of doing fuch Kindneffes and good Deeds that coft us nothing but the Expence of our Time, or the Employment of our Pains, or the Ufe of our Intereft with others; the Apoftle adds this

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farther Thing; that the Rich Man must be ready to diftribute; that is, very free to part with his Money, according to the Propor tion God hath bleffed him with, upon every Occafion of real and useful Charity: 1. Whe ther that Charity be of a more Publick Na ture; as for Inftance, when it is expreffed for the advancing Religion and the Service of God, or for the making ftanding Provifion for the Poor; or finally, any way for the ferving the Neceffities, or increafing the Conveniencies of the Place where we live, by any publick useful Benefaction:: Or, 2. Whether this Charity be of a more private Nature, extending no farther than to particular Perfons that come in our way, whom we are convinced to be real Objects of it; to these likewife we must be ready to distribute; every poor neceffitous Perfon hath a Right to Part of what we have, if we can really fatisfy Qurfelves, that our Alms will do him a real Good, and will not be any great Prejudice to us. But,

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4. And Laftly, The Apostle adds another Thing to all this; and that is, that the Rich Man must be willing to communicate. If the Senfe of this Phrafe be different from the former, it will feem to import yet a higher Degree of Liberality. It will import, that Rich Men fhould be of fuch publick Spirits, and fo little efteem their Wealth their own, that it fhould in a manner be made a common Thing, wherein all fhould fhare as there was Occafion. This is the Notion of xowvia, or com

municating,

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municating, as it was used in the Beginning of Chriftianity. St. Luke in Acts 2. having told us that the firft Chriftians continued in the Apostles Doctrine, and in communicating, prefently explains what he meant by that Communion. All (faith he, v. 44.) that believed were together, and had all Things common, and fold their Poffeffions and Goods, and parted them to all Men, as every Man had need.

God be thanked, the Church of Christ is not now in fuch Circumstances, that it is cither needful or reasonable, precisely, to ob ferve the Practice of thofe Times as to this Matter. We are not only not obliged to part with the Propriety of our Eftate, and to live in common, as the firft perfecuted Chri ftians did, but we should be highly indiscreet, not to fay injurious, both to ourselves and the Publick, if we did. But this, notwithstanding their Practice, and the Charge here laid upon us, to be communicative, will thus far oblige us, viz. that we Chriftians fhould always retain that publick generous Spirit that they in the first Times were acted with. We fhould fit fo loose from the World, and fo unconcerned in the Diftinction of meum and tuum, that we should make it our Business to do good with what we have, thinking our Wealth beft employed, when it is put to that Ufe. And when the Caufe of God, and the common Intereft of our Chriftian Brethren do require it, we fhould then as freely part with all we have, as our Predeceffors in Chriftianity did; following herein the Precept of

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