had both ſteadily aflented ro the truth of Goſpel Propofitions,” and | alſo received Chriſt, » Utterance, by which they were inabled/ either to ſpeak with Tongues, or ro God in Prayer, or to men by | Prophecy and Exhortation. .*. Knowledge both of things Divine | and Humane, þ And in Love to the Miniſters of the Goſpel, which if it did nor appear in all, yer it did inmany of them. q And from hence he fercheth an Argument to preſs them ro be compleat in this habit of Grace, The force of the Apoſtles Argument lies in the duty of all Chriſtians, to ſtrive after perfeRion, and thar natural de- fire which is in all ingenuous people, to be perfe& in that good of which they have 2 taſte in leſs perte& degrees,
8 | ſpeak not by commandment 7,but by occaſion of the forwardneſs of others s, and to prove the ſincerity of your lover. ys IO
7 I do not ſpeak in an imperious way, as one that commandeth you; or rather God hath no where giver an expreſs command as tothe quantum of what you ſhould give : 5s Bur the forwardneſs of others makes me thus peak ro you, as not being willing you ſhould In good works come behind any Churches. t And thar I might prove the fincerity of your love, To God, to me, and to the pooy «fiifttd Saints thar are in Fudez, Tho? God hath not dire&ed the particular Sums we ſhould give to thoſe that are in need, yet he hath given us general Rules ; That we ſhould give as God hath pro- ſpered us, x Cor. 16, 2. And ſoas there may be ſome equality (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh v., 14.) So, as the fincerity of our love to God de- pendeth in ſome meaſure upon the proportion of what we give ar his command, ſo doth alſo the ſinceriry of our loye to thoſe poor Members of Chriſt that are in want 3 that there may bed moderate
upply for their want, from our abundance.
9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt «,
roy poor x, that ye through his poverty might be TICH y, , i
4 Call to mind the free love of your Lord and Maſter Jeſus Chriſt, Which you know, believing the Goſpel which gives you a true ac- count of it, and having in your own Souls experienced the bleſſed elteCts of it, w He was rich, being the Heit of all things, the Lord of the whole Creation, Heb. I. 2. all things were put under his feer. * Yet that he might accompliſhthe work of your Redemprion, and purchaſe his Fathers love for you, he rook upon him the form of a Seryanr, ſtripped himſelf of his Robes of Glory, and clothed him- ſelf with the Rags of Fleſh, denied himſelf in the uſe of his Crea- res, had not where to lay dawn his Head, . was maintained from Alms, People miniſtring ro him of their Subſtance. y And al! this Ut You might be nads richz with the Riches of Grace and Glory
had, that is, in a proportion to what God had bleiſed them with ; for he tells them that ir is the willing mind which God acceprerh, not the quantiry of the Gifr. God doth not require of Peop'e things nor in their power z yer bare velletties, or prerended wil- lings are nor accepted : There muſt be an ating according to our power to juſtify rhe finceriry of our willing mind ; and men vainly pretend to will that towards the performance of which they never moye, Tho' God requirech not of us chings char are nor within our power, yer he requireth of us che putting forch of our power indoing what he hath commanded us, fo far as we are able 3 which indeed canalone juftifie the willingneſs of our mind to be more than a mere pretence, A preſent imporency, if contratted by our own faulr, will not excuſe us from che performance of thoſe As ro which it doth extend, to which we are bound by rhe juſt Laws of God or men: Bur ic is very unreaſonable co think, it ſhould excuſe as to thoſe AAs to which ic doth not exrend, and as co which it can- not be pleaded,
13 For 7 mean not that other men be eaſed, and you burdened f.
f I do not preſs you to ſuch proportions in giving as ſhould make your afflited Brethren rich, and you poor,
14 But by an equality g - that now at this time your abundance may be a ſupply for their want þ, that their abundance may be alſo a ſupply for your want z, that
there may be equality k.. | |
2 But only co bring you and them ro ſome equality, that they mighr nor ſtarve, while you have plenty, and what you may well enough ſpare. h I do not urge you to make your necefſaries a ſup. ply for others wants. I would only have a ſupply for their wants our of your abundance. # That their abundance may aiſo be a jupply for your want : Some by their abwndence underſtand their aboundings in the good things of this life: They are now in diſtreſs by reaſon of the great Famine that is in Zudea, or by reaſon of the great ſtorm of. perſecution that is there raiſed againſt Chriſtians 3 yer God may turn the Scales, he may ſend a Famine in thoſe parts where you live, and there may be plenty in 7udea 3 then their abundance may ſupply your wancs. Orhers interprer their abundance, of the aboundings of their Grace, which may quicken them up to pray for you for the ſupply of ſuch Grace co you as you ſtand in need of, & Thar ſo there may be an equalicy, they being Inftru- ments of Spiritual Blefſings co you, as you arc Inftrumenrs of Tem- poral Bleſſings and good things to them,
15 As it is written, He that had gathered much, had
nothing over;and he that had gathered litrle,had no w_ L. 13
Chap. VIIL
F x Ccr.
7. 2 Gs * Proy.
19. 17. PO Macth, 16,
+ Gr. to be | willing. 5 * Chap.
* Mark
I 2. 43» Luke 21,
»
Chap: VIII.