the use of the Needy, return with advantage and ufury,

A remarkable Example whereof I cannot but alledge upon this occafion. In Nifibia there was a Religious Woman, who had a Man that was a Heathen for her Husband. They were poor, yet by hard Labour had got Fifty Pounds together; whereupon the Husband thought good to put it out to Intereft, that they might not spend upon the main stock. His Wife, being a Chriftian, readily told him, that none paid a greater Intereft for Money lent him, than the God of the Chriftians. The Man pleased with the news, demands where this God was to be met with? The Woman told him at such a Church, where he had Deputies to receive the fum. They take Money and to the Church they go, where they faw fome poor Widows fitting; These are the Deputies of the God of the Chriftians, faid the Woman, who will receive your Money, and pay you Interest. The Man, not much pleased with his fecurity, yet over-perfwaded by his Wife, let's the poor Widows have the Money, who not knowing the Man's intent, thankfully received it.

A quarter of a year after, the Man finding himfelf pincht for want of Neceffaries, bids his Wife go and demand a quarter of a years Intereft; to which the replies, that if he would go to those poor Widows, and demand the Ufe, the did not doubt but he might have it.

He goes and expoftulates with these perfons; but what he had given them was confumed, and they were so far from paying him Interest, that

they

;

they were ready to beg more of him; with that he goes fad and forrowful out of the Church but in going, fpies a piece of Gold, one of them pieces he had given to the poor, which accidentally it feems he had dropt in his distribution of the Sum upon the floor; he takes it up, goes home, complains to his wife of the cheat those poor Widows had put upon him. She bids him truft that God whom he had lent the Money to, and take that piece he had found, and buy neceffaries for their Family. He goes his way to the Market-place, and among other things buys fome Fish, which were to be drefs'd for Dinner.

His Wife opening one of the Fifhes, finds in the Belly a precious Stone which betrayed its Worth by its unusual glittering. The Man carries it to a Jeweller, who prefently gives him three hundred Pounds for the Jewel, at which the Man transported, falls a praifing of the God of the Chriftians, and himself becomes one, aftonished with the Providence which had fo miraculously difpofed of the fecond Causes for his fignal Profit and Emolument.

Confideration would let them fee how various God's Temporal Bleffings are, which very often light on the Head of a ferious Religious Man; and tho' he had no Trade which stands in need of Augmentation, but a standing Revenue, how yet God may watch over him fo, that he fhall lofe little, and all he undertakes fhall profper; that his Houses fhall be preserved from fire, and his Cattel from decay; that his Fields fhall bring forth plentifully, and his Lands be as the garden of the Lord; that he fhall fee his Pofteri

ty

ty advance in Wealth and Honour, and his Childrens Children grow as the Lillies, and spread their Branches as the Cedars in Lebanon.

Confideration would let them fee how a whole Kingdom thrives, where Seriousness and the Fear of God is encouraged with vigour and fincerity; What a darling a ferious Prince is to his Subjects, how well they love him, how highly they esteem him, and how plentifully and contentedly they live under his shadow. This would lay before them the Examples of David, of Solomon, of Hezekiah, of Jofiah,of Antonine, Princes for whom their Subjects would have in a manner pull'd out their own Eyes, and given them to them; the Riches, the Honours, the Triumphs, the Victories, the Careffes of Foreign Monarchs that were heap'd upon them, and all because they did that which was right in the fight of God. This would refresh their Memories,how upon a publick Humiliation God hath been entreated, and the Judgements under which a Nation groan'd, have been averted; and the Heavens, which before were turned into Brass,have vifited the Earth again with Showers, and the former Scarcity hath been transformed into Plenty and Abundance; and how God hath feen their Works,that they turned from their evil ways,and hath repented himself of the evil he hath faid he would do unto them, and hath not done it.

Confideration would let them fee,that though a serious Man should decay in the World, and his Conscientiousness be the Cause of his Ruin, yet he would have more to fupport him under his Loffes than another Man: For how fhould

not

not he be able to fupport himself, that hears the Son of God faying to him, That there is no Man that hath left Father and Mother, Lands and Houses, Brethren and Sifters for his fake, or for Righteoufnefs-fake, whether voluntary or forced to it by Enemies, but shall receive a hundred fold in this life, that is, in Grace and Comforts of the Holy Ghost, and in the World to come everlasting life? Mark 10. 29, 30. And it could not but be a very great fatisfaction, that it was not any Vice or Licentiousness that broke him, but a good Confcience, which is its own Reward, and the best Preservative against Murmuring, Repining and Despair, and very often a Prefage that God will fet him up again; and, as it was in Job's Cafe, make the latter part of his Life more profperous than the former.

By fuch Representations as thefe, Confideration would scatter the Suggestions of the Devil, That a finful Life is the only gainful and advantageous Life. But what Argument can prevail against Experience, and where Men have found already that their Sins have proved profitable, and that their carelesness of Religion hath procured them no fmall Advantages? Their great care and study now must be, that they do not put themselves into a way of lofing them; and therefore exhort them to confider what the end of these things will be, and whether this be a likely courfe to get a title to the Inheritance incorruptible, referved in Heaven for Believers. They'll be ready to reply, What! part with my Livelihood? Quit that which must support my Family? Would you have me starve and perifh?

Will your Righteousness give me Bread? Would you have me precipitate my felf into Ruin? Will nothing lefs ferve the turn, than leaving all, and following Chrift? Why should I despair, when God bleffes me; and think ill of my way of living, when God by profpering my Endeavours, declares his Approbation of my Deportment? My Gain is his Mercy; and if he did not allow of what I did, he would with-hold his Benedi&tion. His giving fuccefs to what I do, fhews his Love; and I have reafon to believe he is not angry with me for taking this courfe, because he never cross'd it by his Thunders. God would have me live in the World, and fince I have no other way to thrive but this, I muft fuppofe it's that which God hath called me to. My Industry is in Obedience to his Command, and why fhould I fright my felf with his Indignation, when my profperous Fortune speaks his Smiles and Sunshine?

Confideration would let them fee, That God doth not bless them for their Sins, but doth it to invite them to Amendment. That though God's Bleffings flow in upon them while they fin, yet thofe Bleffings are no Approbation of their Sins, but Diffuafives rather; Marks of God's Befeechings, and Characters of his Entreaties that they would not be fo base and unworthy, as to fight against him with his Mercies, nor make use of his Kindness against him; Signs whereby God lets them know, that he had rather hear their Hallelujahs in Heaven, than their Groans in Hell. Nay, this would fuggeft to them, That it may not be God that bleffes them,but the