SER M.lifh this doctrine, thus much at least they XVII. must allow to be plain and undeniable from

hence; namely, that if the heart is right in the point of almfgiving, we fhall rather exceed than come short. If there be a difpofition of mind truly charitable, it will ever prompt us rather to err on the right fide, than fail of the utmost of what God may require of us; to venture an extraordinary dependance upon providence, rather than any distrust of it: And in all our doubtings concerning how much we fhall give to charitable ufes, we shall conclude the most we think of to be always best; and herein in fome degree to imitate the good widow, who, to remove all fcruple, decided the point against her felf, and gave all the had.

Vthly. I think it a remark upon this excellent act of the widow's charity not to be pafs'd over because it is fo obvious; namely, that it was performed while fhe was in life and health; fo as to be able to dispose of it with her own hands, nay though perhaps the might have ventured her life for it, it being all her living. If fcraping, and hoarding all that is to be gotten, for fear of beggary and ftarving; and then only leaving all we have heaped together to charitable uses, when it can be of no farther ufe to our felves, was ever commendable, it must have been in the perfon of this woman: But the favourable notice Christ takes of her is for the contrary, the giving while fhe was in a condition of want

ing her felf. From whence we learn that SER M. when men defer what they give in charity till XVII. they are going out of the world, though they firmly purpose to perform bountifully then, it lofes all that which renders it acceptable to God; the felf-denial there is in it, and fparing from oufelves; the chearful and ready mind, together with faith in the promises of God, and dependance upon his providence.; Nay it is in effect a giving away what they have no title to difpofe of, for as the Lord Bacon obferves, be who defers charities till death, is rather liberal of another man's than of his own. The right of all our worldly fubstance at the hour of death devolves upon God, who then transfers it to another. He who has pity on the poor, lendeth unto the Lord; but fure it is a strange time to begin to lend to him when he is taking all from us, and that we can keep it no longer; and it is plain, if such a perfon could carry his money with him, he would leave none behind for charitable uses. Thou fool, fays our Saviour, of the rich mifer, this night fhall thy foul be required of thee, and then whofe hall those things be? That is, any man's in the world rather than his who heaped them together.

Take therefore the Apoftle's advice, and do good unto all men as you have opportunity. And that of Solomon's, give when thou hast it. by thee, and fay not unto thy neighbour, To-morrow I will give thee; that to-morrow is ever coming to the worldly and covetous man,

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SER M. and it is never to day with him till he fees XVII. his laft, and that the next morning is to be in another world. It is a wretched thing for a man to live to no other purpose but to hinder great fums of money from circulating and doing good either to himself or any one elfe; whilft he lives the poor may perish, and when he dies the poor may live: He keeps all from them as long as he can, and at last leaves that for others to do, which he could never find in his heart to do himself. If this Widow had done the fame by her two mites, and if the reft who gave plentifully upon the fame occasion, had forbore giving whilft they were alive, under a notion of fome great and bulky charity at their death, how would the temple have gone to ruin? The publick worship of God ceafed? And what multitudes of the poor and indigent had perifhed for want of the neceffaries of life?

This is in truth no other than deferring the practice of one of the greatest and most indifpenfable duties till that time when the exercife of all virtues and graces in this world ceases: Nor is it only thus abfurd in itself, but a manifeft inconfiftency with all the precepts in the fcripture relating to deeds of charity and almfgiving. Is that a time to be rich in good works, when you cannot work at all? To bring the poor to your houfe, when you are your felf in your grave? To lay up ftore for the time to come, then only when time is past? To give when you can do it neither with fim

plicity,

plicity, nor mercy, nor chearfulness? To doSER M. your alms in fecret, when all the world muft XVII. know of it? In fhort, to begin to fow, when you should reap; and to think then to make a friend of the Mammon of unrighteousness at a juncture when he is to commence your everlafting enemy? But above all, is that a time to vifit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, when your friends are invited to your funeral? I was fick and ye vifited me, I was in prison and ye came to me; these two words are remarkable and worthy the divine wisdom, which are not to be taken only in the figurative, but even in the literal fenfe, and are defigned to fignify the actual going to see the poor; viewing their condition and circumftances with our own eyes; finding them out, and acquainting our felves with their miferies and often giving them our alms with our own hands. As the very prefence of those who relieve them is a comfort to the diftreffed and afflicted; and as we are hereby enabled to fute our felves to their feveral wants, and to diftribute our bounty more feasonably and prudently; fo it is no small improvement to our felves. Such as live an eafy and pleasurable life, and know not the want of a meal's meat, have no notion of the miseries of the poor; and are therefore very bad judges of the real worth of this woman's charity. It is natural for them to think a farthing was as little to her, as to them; and that he parted with it because it was not worth keeping; but one

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SER M. vifit to any of thofe many cells or cottages XVII. where hunger and thirst and nakedness have Wtaken up their refidence, would make them

alter their opinion. If they were eye witneffes of the ftrength and difficulties many poor housekeepers ftruggle with, who have no work or employment, and are afhamed to beg; and if they did but hear their children's cries for bread when they have none to give them, this would bring them to a merciful temper and difpofition; it would make them truly fenfible of the bounty of God towards themselves; it would teach them to value his bleffings; it would create in them a true humility and lowlinefs of mind, as feeing what they themselves would be if they were in the fame condition. And now let any one tell me what effect or influence all thefe precepts can have upon a dying man? Or how they can operate to all the wife ends and purposes of them upon him when he is dead? And this naturally leads us in the

VIth place to observe, what an excellent act of faith this woman's charity was, and of a firm dependance upon the providence of God. At the fame inftant fhe threw into the treasury all her worldly dependance, the must have refigned her body and foul into his hands to whom he made the prefent. This extraordinary act of a publick charity in one who must have been herself an object of charity, and stood in need of an alms, could have pro

ceeded