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Account rich Men must make, who do not by good Deeds lay up Treasures in Heaven, but either hoard up, up, or hide their Talent in a Napkin, or fpend their Income in the way of Luxury and Prodigality. And bleffed are they who are diligent now to fupply Christ's poor Members; for he will amply reward them in the future State, to which we are all haftening apace.

Inf. 2. The other Inference I would make, is with relation to that higher Improvement of this Duty enjoined by our Saviour, as to the Difference in the Manner between our Charities and Alms, and those of the Scribes and Pharifees. And it fhall confift briefly of these three short Advices, and I have done. 1. The First I give you in the Words of St Paul, Rom. xii. 8. He that giveth, let him do it with Simplicity; that is, let him clear his Heart of all finifter and By-ends in giving, but let him do his Charities out of a pure fingle Intention to please God; with which, if he joins the Love of his Neighbour, and a Defire to further his own Salvation, they are no way inconfiftent. 2. Let us in doing our Charities, avoid Oftentation and Vain-glory, and both prudently chuse the fecreteft and discreetest Ways of doing them, and when they are done, let us avoid trumpeting them either by ourselves or others. 3. Let us, as much as is poffible, avoid the complacent feeding of our own Minds with Self-conceit and Flattery, from the inward Contemplation of our own good Deeds; or by admitting the Praifes and Commendations of others for them. But let us ftill give all the Praise, and Honour of them to God. Let us praise him that we had any Thing to give; and let us praife him.

that

that we had a Heart to give it; and let us praise him that we are not proud of what we have given; but own it to be more his Gift than ours; both the Matter of the Gift, and the Grace to bestow it in the right Manner: Saying, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be the Praife.

Now to this great God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Praise, Honour, and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

SERM.

SERMON III.

MATT. VI. 2.

Therefore when thou doft thine Alms, do not found Trumpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do, in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Men. Verily I fay unto you, they have their Reward.

Ver. 3. But when thou doft Alms, let not thy left Hand know what thy right Hand doth:

Ver. 4. That thine Alms may be in fecret: and thy Father which feeth in fecret, himself shall Reward thee openly.

I'

The Second Sermon on this Text.

N a former Difcourfe on these Words, I took

notice of two Things contained in them: A Duty enjoined, concerning the right Intent in doing our Works of Charity, and the right Manner of doing them, with Secrecy and Humility: Then the Reasons for enforcing that Duty, namely, that the Neglect of it equals us with Hypocrites, and cuts us off from the great Reward in Heaven, which is annexed to good Works, when fincerely defigned for the Glory of God; and

reduces

reduces us to those low Rewards upon Earth, which commonly attend external good Works.

After a general Description of the Duty, the Particulars I propofed to confider from the Words, were, First, fome Things fuppofed or implied in the Text, namely, 1. That the Duty of Almsgiving was practifed by the Scribes and Pharifees. But 2. That in this Duty they had low selfish Regards to Vain Glory, and other worldly Interests, and did not perform it chiefly with an Eye to God. 3. That Alms, and other Works of Charity, are in their own Nature apt to gain the Love and Efteem of Men. Then I propofed to confider fome Cautions interpofed in the Words, of which the first and principal was concerning the Intention and Defign we ought to propofe to ourselves in our Works of Charity, namely, the Glory and Honour of God. And thus far we proceeded at that Time.

.. There are three Cautions more I obferved from the Words, namely,

II. That we are to be watchful against Vain Glory, and all other By-ends of our own Covetoufness or Ambition, in our Alms-deeds, and other good Works.

III. That as to the Manner of doing our good Works, we are to be careful to do them with Humility and Secrecy.

IV. That if any accidental Praise or Credit comes to our felves from our Works of Charity, we do not feed our felves with the Thoughts and vain Pleasure of it, but that we fupprefs all fuch Infurrections of Pride, and employ all that Credit for God's Service.

Thefe

1

These three Cautions, together with the Reasons for enforcing the Duty, I propofe for the Subject of our prefent Meditation.

II. Secondly then, We are to be watchful against Vain Glory, and all other By-ends of our own Covetoufnefs or Ambition, in our Almsdeeds, and other good Works. Therefore when thou doft thine Alms, do not found a Trumpet before thee, as the Hypocrites do in the Synagogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Men. In fpeaking to which Caution I shall briefly confider,

1. The Aim of these Perfons, here faid to be, that they may have Glory of Men.

2. The Actions they do to attain this End, here called the founding of a Trumpet before them.

3.

How liable Men are to fall into this Sin. And,

4. Some Confiderations, fhewing the Unreafonableness of it.

1. First, We are to confider the Aim of these Perfons, which is to have Praise and Glory of Men. This may be confidered, either as merely a vain-glorious Design, if this Glory is pursued only for its own Sake; then it is a Branch of Pride, which is an unfit and unbecoming Thing for a Man. Or this Praise and esteem of Men, is with a farther Eye of employing it to ferve the Ends of Covetoufnefs, Ambition, Faction, Luft, or fome fuch finifter Purpose, and fo principally pro-ceeds from other bad Designs, or is entangled and involved in them. But which foever Way it fteers its Course, it leads a Man quite out of the Way of Duty; it fets up the Humours and Interefts of Men, instead of a Confcience of Duty;

and

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