[I] SERMON I. ECCLESIASTES XI. I. Cast thy Bread upon the Waters, for Thou shalt find it after many days. I 'N thefe Words we have an Exhortation from the Royal Preacher to a generous, a diffufive, and difinterefted Cha rity. And for an Encouragement to the performance of fo noble, and withall fo indifpenfable a Duty, there is a Promise annex'd to it of a Certain, tho' not always a speedy Reward; an Affurance that That Bread, which in the wretched Worldling's Eye feem'd to be lavishly fquander'd away, and quite loft,and which the frank beftower himself gave without the leaft prospect or hopes of Return, yet fhall certainly, tho' A after after many days be found again, fhall furely at laft come back into his own bofom with Intereft and Encrease, either in this World or a better. In the Text therefore there are plainly these two things to be confider'd, ift, The Duty Enjoyn'd. I. The Duty, in These Words, Caft thy Bread upon the Waters, which Expreffion being Figurative and very Comprehensive, has afforded room to the feveral Commentators upon the place, to give feveral Expofitions of it, yet all of 'em very agreeable to the Truth, and very confiftent with each Other. Which I fhall therefore briefly offer, because from them we may form a right Understanding of the Nature and Qualifications of this Duty, and the manner in which it ought to be perform'd. And their feveral. Interpretations put together amount to this, that these Words import a Command that our Charity should be, ft, Plentifull and Liberal. 2dly, Willing and Chearfull. 3dly, Univerfal and without Exception. 4bly, Without Design or Hopes of Requital. ift, Plenti ft, Plentifull. The Word in the Text, Caft thy Bread, implying a Liberality even to Profufenefs, a fcattering our Benefits freely without measure or referve, as it is exprefs'd by the Pfalmift, He has difpers' d abroad, he has given to the Poor, his Righteouf nefs endureth for ever, or as God himself by his Servant Mofes, Deuter. 15.11.I command Thee, Thou shalt Open thy Hand wide unto thy Brother, to thy Poor, and to thy Needy in the Land. It is indeed impoffible to determin precifely the Proportion of our Charity, nor can any general Rule be laid down,how much we ought to allot to this Ufe; Men's Circumftances being fo different, that That may be a very noble Gift from One, that would be scandalously mean from Another, as the Widows two Mites were, by the Judgment of Our Saviour himself, efteem'd a greater Offering than all the Rich Men had caft into the Treafury, tho' they Caft in Muth. Every Man therefore is left to his Own Discretion, and the Direction of his Own Conscience, as to the Measure of his Alms, tho' when he comes to deliberate upon this point, it will be ever more adviseable and more fafe to Err on the Liberal and Bountifull fide, if there can be an Error in that, than on the Other; left by a Judgment like that which fell on Ananias and Sapphira, by being partially Charitable A 2 and and doing his good Deeds by halves, he gain nothing by all that he niggardly gives, and perish for that which he unjustly detains. 2dly, Our Chariry ought to be Willing and Chearfull. We fhould be Ready to Give and Glad to Diftribute, as St. Paul speaks to Timothy, and as elfe where he exhorts the Corinthians, that Every Man give not grudg ingly and of Neceffity, for God loveth a Chearfull Giver. He would not of old accept an Offering towards his Tabernacle, Exod.25.2. but of every Man that gave it willingly with his Heart; and again, Exod. 35. 5. But whofoever is of a Willing Heart, let Him bring it,an Offering of the Lord. And the fame temper of Mind He requires in all that for his fake we bestow upon his Living Temples, his poor Servants. It was commanded to the Ifraelites, Deut. 15. 10.Thou shalt furely give Him, thy Poor Brother, and thy Heart ball not be griev'd when Thou givet Him: The Ready Compliance of the Will, and the Promptnefs and Alacrity of the Affections, are fo Neceffary and Effential to the Right Exercifing of every Religious Duty, that it is no wonder that they should be the Very Life and Soul of This, the most Excellent of all Other Duties of a Chriftian. Nay, it is impoffible to be truly Charitable,without being Pleas'd with being fo, for tho' it might be Enough for a few, that His Heart fbould not be Griev'd, the utmoft that Mofes commanded; yet it comes not up to the Dignity of the Chriftian, if his Heart is not Delighted too when He gives. 3dly, Our Charity ought to be Univerfal and without Exception. 'Tis St. Paul's advice, As We have Opportunity Let us do good to All Men. He adds indeed Efpecially to the Houfbold of Faith. Which is highly Reafonable, and if a Chriftian and an Heathen, a Member of our Own and One of another Communion, or a Good and Lefs Good or ViciousMan ftand at the fame time inEqual Need of our Charity, and our Abilities will not reach to the Relief of both, there is no place for doubt to which the preference ought to be given. But This ftill does not take off our Obligation of extending our Bounty as far as our Power, and if That could ftretch it felf out to all Mankind, our Beneficence ought to do so too. There is None fo Bad, but if he is in Real and Preffing Neceffity, is a true and fit Object of our Compaffion. Let the Perfon be what he will, his Wants give him a Title to part of our Abundance, and tho' here, as was before said, we may and ought to make Use of our Chriftian Prudence and Discretion yet it will be a good and fafe Rule to avoid being over Prudent and over Discreet in |