which is truly his; and a debt, whereby I owe him something of that which is mine own. And this I do both unto God's image in him; for, "every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten:" (1 John v. 1) and unto mine own image ;-for "his flesh is as mine own flesh." (Neh. v. 5) "He that made me in the womb, made him," saith Job: (Chap. xxxi. 15) and "when I hide myself from him, I hide from mine own flesh." (Isa. lviii. 7) "Homo sum; humani nihil à me alienum puto."

And

Fifthly, For the credit of our reformed religion, that the mouths of adversaries may be stopped, who falsely charge us with preaching, and you with professing, a naked, empty, fruitless faith. We preach St. Paul's faith, "a faith which works by love;-remembering your work of faith." We preach St. Peter's faith, a faith which hath virtue, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and godliness, and brotherly kindness, and charity added unto it. we tell you with him, That if these things be lacking, you are blind; and your knowledge is worth nothing, so long as it is barren and unfruitful. We preach St. James's faith, a faith which hath works, which may be shewed, which visiteth the fatherless and widows in their afflictions; -Abraham's faith, that hath a bosom for poor Lazarus ;Rahab's faith, which had a harbour for endangered strangers. We preach St. Jude's faith, "a most holy faith, a faith delivered to the saints;" such a faith, as who indeed hath it, is not a cloud without water, nor a tree without fruit. We preach St. John's faith", "to believe on the name of Christ, and to love one another;" and to shew this love by opening our bowels of compassion to our needy brother, and loving him not in word only, but in deed and truth. We tell you, if you trust in the Lord, you must do good: If you believe either the truth, or the terrors, or the promises of God, you must not withhold the poor from their desire, nor cause the eye of the widow to fail. This is the faith we preach; this is the charge we give. We tell you, without this, your faith is hypocritical, your religion vain, your hope delusion, and all your expectation but as a spider's web.

Sixthly, Let me press upon London, the example of London, an easy argument, one would think, to desire you to be like yourselves. I might make a large recital of great and public works of piety done by this famous city: I might mention multitudes of ample munificences and benefactions, by very many worthy members thereof since the Reformation; whereby they have refuted the calumnies cast upon our religion by papists, as if it made us careless of good works. A large catalogue hath been made of them to mine hand by a learned writer, Dr. Andrew Willet, to the honour of God, and credit of our religion. I shall content myself to give you a report of the general sum, which, upon computation, he telleth us, doth amount, in the space of sixty years, unto above six hundred thousand pounds. So that, by an equal distribution, through the whole time, this famous city did allow ten thousand pounds per annum, for threescore years together, unto works of piety and charity; (besides all which was done in a private and unobserved way) an example, I believe, hardly to be paralleled in any city under the Roman jurisdiction. More than forty hospitals built, above twenty free-schools, besides granaries, conduits, water-works, loans to poor workmen, exhibitions to poor scholars, churches, munificent gifts to the universities and colleges there :-so that I may say unto you, as Paul to the Thessalonians, touching brotherly love," You need not that I speak unto you; for you have been taught of God;" only I beseech you, "that you abound more and more;" (1 Thess. iv. 9, 10) that you may receive the same honourable testimony and memorial from Christ, which the church of Thyatira hath received, I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works," (they are twice mentioned) "and the last to be more than the first." (Rev. ii. 19) "Be not weary of well-doing; in due time you shall reap, if you faint not." (Gal. vi. 9) "Lose not the things which ye have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward." (2 John, ver. 8) And this leads me to the last consideration, viz.

Seventhly, The reward which is set before you. It is a sowing of seed;' (2 Cor. ix. 6) a scattering which tendeth to increase. (Prov. xi. 24) There is no duty, which hath more copious promises of reward, than this of mercy and

Synopsis Papismi, Edit. 5. P. 1223–1232.

good works.-Rewarded with plenty; "thy soul shall be as a watered garden." (Isa. Iviii. 11) "For this thing, the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works." (Deut. xv. 10) Rewarded with honour: " he hath dispersed and given to the poor, his horn shall be exalted with honour." (Psalm cxii. 9) Rewarded with the blessings of the poor: "the blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon me." (Job. xxix. 11, 13) Rewarded with the grace of God: "God is able to make all grace abound towards you." (2 Cor. ix. 8) Rewarded with a pure and comfortable use of what we enjoy ourselves; "give alms of such things as you have; and behold all things are clean unto you." (Luke xi. 41) Rewarded with a lengthening of our present tranquillity. (Dan. iv. 27) Rewarded with God's acceptation; (Heb. xiii. 16) with the mercy of God; (Mat. v. 7) with the mansions of God. (Luke xvi. 9) Good works are bills of exchange, which return our estates into another country.

This laying out is laying up; mercatura est, amittere ut lucreris.' It is like putting a basin of water into a pump, which draws out a great vessel full. It is a sacrifice; and sacrifices were offered for the benefit, not for the damage, of the offerers. A man scatters his seed in the furrow; but he lays up his crop in the barn; it is a scattering which ends in a laying up. The backs of the poor, the bellies of the hungry, are the bank of heaven.

And it is laying up for ourselves. Men lay up usually for others; their children, their heirs, and executors meet with it at the last; but works of mercy are all expended upon a man's self; he hath the comfort here, and the reward hereafter. It is money lent to God; and he will repay it to ourselves. In law, he which sows, must reap; and so says the apostle, "He that soweth bountifully, shall reap bounti fully."

Quas dederis, solas semper habebis opes.

And it is laying up a foundation; a way to make our uncertain riches sure and stable; that whereas other riches

f

f Si amicus tuus intraret in domum tuam, et inveniret te in loco humido frumenta posuisse, daret tibi hujusmodi consilium, dicens, Frater, perdis, quod cum

take unto them wings and fly away, those which are thus laid out, are laid up as safe, as unmovable as the stones of a foundation, as the bottom of a rock. A foundation not by way of merit towards God, but by way of evidence in regard of ourselves, as testimonies of our reconciliation and peace with God. A learned writer makes θεμέλιος καλός to answer to the Hebrew a which is the bond,' or 'instrument,' securing to a creditor the money which he hath lent. ̓Αποθησαυρίζειν θεμέλιον καλὸν, is ‘Bona nomina facere: God becomes surety for the poor to repay us there, "where neither rust, nor moth, nor thief can enter."

And it is a foundation, siç rò méλλov, for the time to come, for the life to come, when none of our glory will follow us. Wealth hath wings; it is here to day, it is gone to morrow: but good works are a bank in heaven. When all other men's wealth doth stay behind them, and betake itself to other masters; a good man's, being turned into good works, doth follow him, and enrich him in a life to come.

And this life to come, a life which may be held, a life which can never be lost :—when the last general conflagration shall have consumed and melted all the treasures of the world, our good works will abide that trial. The inheritance unto which they follow us, "is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in the heavens for us."

And now, right honourable and beloved, to give you all in a view,-you have heard the charge of the God of heaven, to the rich men of the earth: it is my petition, it is his command: I beseech you, he enjoins you, "not to be highminded;" not to let that which comes from the deep place of the earth, exalt you, and make you forget that you are earth; not to let the thick clay make the thin dust proud. It cannot add a cubit to your stature; let it not add so great a sin to your souls. It is gift, it is not property; God's, not yours. You are the fiduciaries, the depositaries only; why should you glory," as if you had not received it ?"

Let me add this one word more,-let not your riches make

magno labore collegisti : in loco humido posuisti; paucis diebus ista putrescent.'— 'Et quid facio, Frater?' Leva in Superiora.'—Audires amicum suggerentem, ut frumenta levares de inferioribus ad superiora, et non audis Christum monentem ut thesaurum tuum leves de terra ad Cœlum? Aug. in Psalm 148. & Sam.

Petiti, Var. Lect. 1. 1. c. 11.

you low-minded neither, to glue your hearts, to bend your affections to things below. Let them make you heavenlyminded, and then they will make you humbly-minded. The more of heaven in any mind, the more of humility.

"Not to trust in riches," not to let his gifts be used to his own degrading. Who would trust in an unstable thing, which he cannot keep? Riches are uncertain."-In a false thing which he cannot credit? Riches are deceitful.-In a nothing which is not? He that trusts in riches, makes them an idol, and "an idol is nothing in the world."-Who would trust in a dead idol, that hath a living God to trust in? Who would trust in a useless nothing, who hath a bountiful God who gives all things, to trust in?

You have another charge, " To do good, to be rich in good works;" to do them cheerfully, to do them diffusively. And though God might stop at the charge, his sovereignty and dominion would bear him out, to command you only; yet being full of love and mercy, he is pleased to encourage as well as command you. He encourageth you' antecedenter,' by that which goes before your duty, his own example ;-he encourageth you' consequenter,' by that which follows after your duty, his great reward. His example you have; he gives, you do but lend; he gives, you do but render back to him of his own. He gives to you He gives to you "all things;" the earth empties into your coffers her silver and her gold: the pastures send you in cattle; the fields, corn; the sea, fish; the air, fowl; one country sends you in wine, and another, spices; one, silks,-and another, furs; one, delicates,-another, ornaments. He gives you the light of the sun, the influences of the stars, the protection of angels, the righteousness of his Son, the grace of his Spirit, the hope of his glory. He gives you himself, and his own allsufficiency for your portion. And now, if heaven and earth be all, if grace and glory be all, if God and Christ be all; he hath given you "all things richly to enjoy:" for many of these gifts bring their joy and fruition with them. So the example far exceeds the imitation: you lend, you do not give; you lend something, you do not give all things: you lend to the necessities of your brother, you do not give to his delights and