in Extremity. To convince us of this we SERM. I. need only reflect, that if the Son of God had regarded Sinners with the fame unpitying Eye, Mankind had never been redeemed. Had God hated Sinners after this Manner the World itfelf had long ago been annihilated. No: if fuffering Innocence only gave a Title to Compaffion, the Sun had never rofe on the Unjuft; no, never perhaps on Thee, who denieft that Mercy to fuffering Vice, which Thou doft expect from God. Our Pity, the univerfal Language of Nature, calls loudly upon us to relieve both the Good and the Bad, who are just ready to perish. Those then are the most proper Objects of Relief, who are incapable of relieving themselves. But, adly, The best Charity we can give to the Poor that have Ability and Strength, is to employ them in Work that They may not contract an Habit of Idlenefs; and fo the Public not only lofe the Advantage of their Service, but likewife become chargeable with an ufelefs Incumbrance. But yet, if fuch be not able to earn a competent Livelihood; if the Produce of their Labour be not proportionable to the Demands of a numerous Family; then still SERM. I. they are proper Objects of our Charity. Nor can there well be a more pitiable Case than that of those whofe daily Drudgery, after the utmost they can do, will not procure daily Bread for themselves and their Household. To confider a Parent, who has toiled out the live-long Day in Hardship, who yet at Night, instead of finding Reft, fhall find a Pain more infupportable than all his Fatigues abroad the Cravings of a small helpless Family which He cannot satisfy; this is enough to give the most lively Touches of Compaffion to every Heart that is not past Feeling. Certainly when the Poor have done all they can for a Supply of their Neceffities; the Rich do not do all they ought, if they do not make up, what is wanting, out of Their Abundance. If there be any Cafe more deplorable it is, 3dly, That of Theirs, who, after having been accustomed to Eafe and Plenty, are, by fome unavoidable Reverse of Fortune, by no Folly or Fault of their own, condemned to bear, what they are the least able to bear, the galling Load of Poverty: who, after having been perhaps Fathers to the Fatherless in the Day of their Profperity, are now become the Objects of that Charity Charity they were wont fo liberally to dif-SERM. I. pense. These Objects plead the more ftrongly for our Relief, because they are the least able to reveal their Misery, and make their Wants known. But, 4thly, Fatherless Children particularly demand our Care, to fence their tender Bloom of Years against the early Blasts of Vice; to conduct them with a fafe but gentle Hand through the dangerous Stages of Infancy, Childhood, and Youth. To give them at an Age, when their Minds are moft fufceptible of good Impreffions, and their Memories the most tenacious of any Impreffions; to give them early Notices of Piety, to enable them to become useful Members of Society; who if turned a-drift and left defenceless would, without the extraordinary Grace of God, become fo many Pefts and Nuisances to it. And is it not much more difcreet and rational to apply our Charity to fuch Objects, where there can be no Danger of Mifapplication, than to run the Rifque of mifplacing it upon Vagrants and common Beggars? who, for ought we know, may be Counterfeits whose greatest Want may be that of Virtue. ; VOL. II. C I would SERM. I. I would not however be misunderstood: When there are ftrong Appearances and Symptoms, that thefe laft are in extreme Neceffity, the good-natured and charitable Part is to be preferred. If it happen to be an Error, it is at the worst an Error on the right Side. ; 5thly, Another Sort of Perfons that have a Right to our Charity are the Sick. Solomon hath obferved long ago, that when Heaviness in the Heart of a Man maketh it Roop, then a good Word maketh it peculiarly glad. Reflect therefore seriously and tenderly on the Condition of fuch Perfons for they fometimes fuffer a good deal from the mere Inattention of those about them, who yet could not be brought on any Terms to do deliberately, what they apprehended to be cruel or unkind. Let us, in the Language of afflicted Job, (for afflicted Perfons know beft how to fpeak of Affliction) let us put our Soul into their Soul's Stead: let us patiently bear those Instances of Peevishness and Fretfulnefs into which, under fuch a Preffure, they may be apt to fall; imputing them to their Diftemper, and not to themselves. In a Word, let us endeavour to ease their Sufferings as heartily heartily as if they were our own; and to SERM. I. bear our own as patiently and refignedly as we generally do thofe of others. Some indeed of the tender and compaffionate Make feem to feel fo much for and with others, that one cannot help wishing they might feel as little as poffible for themselves. They are fure at least of fuffering nothing alone. Every one that hath the leaft Tincture of Humanity must suffer with them in Distress; with them, from whom they are fure to suffer nothing; nothing by an unkind Word or Deed. This Point, though well deferving our Attention, is but feldom touched upon; for which Reason I have dwelt the longer upon it. III. I now proceed to my third general Head, which was to confider the Manner in which we are to difpenfe our Charity. Acts of Mercy, public and private, have both their peculiar and distinguishing Ex To cellencies: neither are to be omitted. |