_Last_ place, to exhort all of you, high and low, rich and poor, one
with another, to practice this valuable and commendable duty of charity.
It is not rolling in your coaches, taking your pleasure, and
not considering the miseries of your fellow-creatures, that is
commendable or praise-worthy; but the relieving your distressed poor
fellow-creatures, is valuable and praise-worthy wherever it is found.
But alas! how very few of our gay and polite gentlemen consider their
poor friends; rather they despise, and do not regard them. They can
indulge themselves in the follies of life, and had much rather spend
their estates in lusts and pleasures, while the poor all round them
are not thought worthy to be set with the dogs of their flock. If you
have an abundance of the things of this world, then you are esteemed
as companions for the polite and gay in life; but if you are poor, then
you must not expect to find any favour, but be hated, or not thought
fit for company or conversation: and if you have an abundance of the
things of this life, and do not want any assistance, then you have
many ready to help you. My dear brethren, I do not doubt but your
own experience is a proof of my assertions; as also, that if any come
into distress, then those, who promised to give relief, quite forget
what they promise, and will despise, because Providence has frowned.
But this is not acting like those who are bound for the heavenly
_Jerusalem_; thus our hearts and our actions give our lips the lie: for
if we profess the name of CHRIST, and do not depart from all iniquity,
we are not those, who are worthy of being esteemed christians indeed.
For, if we have not charity, we are not christians: charity is the
great duty of christians: and where is our christianity, if we want
charity? Therefore, let me beseech you to exercise charity to your
distressed fellow-creatures. Indeed, my dear brethren, this is truly
commendable, truly valuable; and therefore, I beseech you, in the
bowels of tender mercy to CHRIST, to consider his poor distressed
members; exercise, exercise, I beseech you, this charity: if you have
no compassion, you are not true disciples of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
I humbly beg you to consider those who want relief, and are really
destitute, and relieve them according to your abilities. Consider,
that the more favourable Providence has been to you, it should make
you the more earnest and solicitous to relieve those whom you may find
in distress: it is of the utmost consequence, what is well pleasing to
your fellow-creatures, and doing your duty to GOD.
When you are called from hence, then all riches and grandeur will be
over; the grave will make no distinction; great estates will be of
no signification in the other world; and if you have made a bad use
of the talent which GOD hath put into your hands, it will be only an
aggravation of your condemnation at the great day of account, when GOD
shall come to demand your souls, and to call you to an account, for the
use to which you have put the abundance of the things of this life.
To conclude, let me once more beseech each of you to act according to
the circumstances of life, which GOD, in his rich and free mercy, has
given you.
If you were sensible of the great consequences which would attend your
acting in this charitable manner, and considered it as a proof of your
love to GOD, the loving his members; you could not be uncharitable
in your tempers, nor fail to relieve any of your distressed fellow
creatures.
Consider how easy it is for many of you, by putting your mites together,
to help one who is in distress; and how can you tell, but that the
little you give, may be the means of bringing one from distress into
flourishing circumstances; and then, if there is a true spirit of a
christian in them, they can never be sufficiently thankful to GOD the
author, and to you as the instrument, in being so great a friend to
them in their melancholy circumstances: consider also, once more, how
much better your account will be at the day of judgment, and what peace
of conscience you will enjoy. How satisfactory must be the thought of
having relieved the widow and the fatherless? This is recommended by
the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and has been practised in all ages of the church:
and therefore, my brethren, be ye now found in the practice of this
duty.
I have been the larger upon this, because our enemies say we deny
all moral actions; but, blessed be GOD, they speak against us without
cause: we highly value them; but we say, that faith in CHRIST,
the love of GOD, and being born again, are of infinite more worth;
but you cannot be true christians without having charity to your
fellow-creatures, be they friends or enemies, if in distress. And,
therefore, exert yourselves in this duty, as is commanded by the
blessed JESUS: and if you have true charity, you shall live and reign
with him for ever.
Now to GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghost, be
all honour, power, glory, might, majesty, and dominion, both
now and for evermore. _Amen._