Fifthly. God remembers all our deeds of charity, and takes them kindly at our hands: Ileb. vi. 10., " God is not uni'igh- teous to forget your work and labour of love whicli you have shewed towards his name, in that you have ministered unto the saints." The chief butler may forget Jo- seph's kindness, but the Lord will not for- get any kindness we shew to his people : Mat. XXV. 35., " I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat ; thirsty, and ye gave me drink." Christ takes the kindness done to his saints, as done to himself. God, that hath a bottle for your tears, hath a book to write down your alms, Mai. iii. 16., " A book of remembrance was written before him." Tamerlane had a register to write down all the names and good services of his soldiers : so, God hath a book of re- membrance to write down all your charita- ble works, and at the day of judgment tliere shall be an open and honourable men- tion made of them in presence of the angels.
Sixthly. Hard-heartedness to them in misery reproacheth the gospel. \^'hen men's hearts are like pieces of rocks, or as
the scales of the leviathan, ** shut up to- gether as with a close seal," Job xli. 15., you may as well extract oil of flint, as the golden oil of charity out of their hearts. These unchristian themselves. Unmerci- fulness is the sin of the heathen, Rom. i. 31. Without mercy. It eclipseth the glo- ry of the gospel. Doth the gospel teach uncharitableness ? Doth it not bid ua " draw out thy soul to the hungry ?" Isa, Iviii. 10. Tit. iii. 8., " These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works." While you relieve not such as are in want, you walk antipodes to the gospel ; you cause it to be evil spo- ken of, and lay it open to the lash and cen- sure of others.
Seventhly. There is nothing lost by re- lieving the necessitous. The Shunamite woman was kind to the propliet, she wel- comed him to her house, and she received kindness from him another way ; he restor- ed her dead child to life, 2 Kings iv. 35. Such as are helpful to others, shall " find mercy to help in time of need." Such as pour out the golden oil of compassion to o- thers, God will pour out the golden oil of salvation to them ; for " a cup of cold wa- ter" they shall have " rivers of pleasure." Nay, God will make it up some way or o- ther in this life, Prov. xi. 25., " The liberal soul shall be made fat ;" as the loaves in breaking multiplied ; or, as the widow's oil increased in pouring out, 1 Kings xvii. 10. An estate may be imparted, yet not impair- ed.
Eighthly. To do good to others in ne- cessity, keeps up the credit of religion. Works of mercy adorn the gospel, as the fruit adorns the tree ; when ' our light so shines that others see our good works,' this glorifies God, cr<)wns religion, silenc»'th the lips of gainsayers. Basil saith, nothing ren- dered the true reli<non more famous in the primitive times, and made more proselytes to it, than the bounty and charity of the Christians.
Ninthly, and lastly. The evil that doth accrue by not preserving the lives of others, and helping them in tiieir necessities: God sends oft a secret moth into their estate, Prov. xi. 24., " Tliere is that withholdctb
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mere than is meet, but it tendeth to pover- ty," Prov. xxi. 13., " Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also sliall cry Iiimself, butshall not be heard," James ii. 13., " He shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy." Dives denied Lazarus a crumb of bread, and Dives was denied a drop of water. Mat. xxv. 41, 42., " Depart from me, ye cursed ; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat." Christ saith not ye took away my meat ; but " ye gave me no meat;" ye did not feed my members, therefore, " depart from me." By all this, be ready to distribute to the ne- cessities of others. This is included in the commandment, ' Thou shalt not kill.' Not only thou shalt not destroy his life, but thou shalt preserve it by ministering to his ne- cessities.
2. It is implied, that we should endeav- our to preserve the souls of others ; counsel tliem about their souls, — set life and death before them, — help them to heaven. In the law, if one met his neighbour's ox or ass going astray, he must bring him back again, Exod. xxxiii. 4. : much more, if we see our neighbour's soul going astray, we should use all means to bring him back to (lod by repentance.