ly, whenfoever it pleafed God to lay his afflicting Hand either upon their Perfons, Families, or Countries, by reducing them to the Neceffities of Want and Poverty, they ftill offered up their Souls to him in deep; Refignation, being fatisfied that he that knew their Neceffities, would infallibly relieve them in his due time: Nay, fo firm was their Confidence, as that they hoped even against Hope, i. e. when there was no vifible Means of Efcape left; contentedly fubmitting all to the Will of God, whether he would pleafe to be glorified by their Life, or their Death; making that indeed their only Aim and End, that God might be glorified, and his Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven. This Divine Temper was, as it were, the Soul of their Souls; which, like an Holy Ferment, imparted a Sacred Warmth and Vigour to all their Actions; flaming out, upon every Occafion, in Heroick Acts of Charity to all their Brethren: So that whenfoever it pleased their Heavenly Father to bless them with plenty of this World's Goods, they took special Care not to abuse them to Luxury and Intemperance, but employ them to relieve the Neceffities of their Brethren. They liberally dealt their Bread to the Hungry, and fatisfied the Souls of the Afflicted: They brought the Strangers, and them that were caft out, into their Houses; and whomfoever they faw naked, they covered with Garments, Ifa. 58. They never with-held the Poor from their de fire, or caused the Eyes of the Widow to

fail;

fail; they never eat their Morfel by themfelves alone, without fuffering the Fatherlefs to partake with them. They could never endure to fee any perifh for want of Cloathing, or any Poor without Covering, but warmed them with the Fleece of their Sheep, Job 31. They were none of those. who made any trifling Excufe ferve to juftifie their love of Mammon, and who thought to relieve the Wants of the Needy. with Compliments and fine Words; but as living Members of Chrift's myftical Body, they thought themselves obliged to mourn with every one that mourned, and to rejoyce with thofe that rejoiced, viz. with fo ftrong a Sympathy, as to make the Sufferings of others their own, and to endeavour by comfortable Words, generous Alms, and affectionate Prayers to God, to procure them Relief and Comfort in their Afflictions. Such was the Charity of Job, David, Elijah, Tobit, Cornelius, and other great Saints and Servants of God. Such as thefe fhall be delivered in fix Troubles, yea in feven there fhall no Evil touch them; in the time of Famine God fhall redeem them from Death, and in War from the Power of the Sword; at Deftruction and Famine they fhall laugh, yea they fhall lift up their Faces without fpot. Pfal 33, They fhall be fteadfaft and fhall not fear: and 34. For the Eyes of the Lord are upon them to deliver their Souls from Death, and to keep them alive in Famine: Though the greedy Lions fhould lack; and fuffer Hunger, yet fuch as thefe fhall want no man

Job 5.

ner

⚫ner of thing that is good. The Lord fhall guide them continually, and fhall fatisfie their Soul in Drought, or in the great Droughts (n) fays the Hebrew; which may, I think, not unfairly be understood in the Senfe before us; though I freely acknowledge, that the LXXII understood it of Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, rendring it ang dupe i Jugo, Ifa. 58. II. which may very well be reconciled, that being indeed the moft deep and intimate Senfe of the Place, of which the other is only a Type or Shadow. Compare it with Pfal. 42. I.

ner hom.

§ 8. As to the Manner how, or the The ManMeans whereby it will please Almighty God to interpofe for their Prefervation, the Scriptures are filent; faving that they fhew us how God has dealt with many of his Servants in the Days of Old; how when the Famine has been fore in one Land, he has moved them to fly to another; and has commanded others to fuftain them there. So by a ftrange Series of providential Occurrences, Jofeph was advanced from being a Prifoner to be Vice-Roy of Egypt, only for this Reason, as he himfelf tells his Brethren, Gen. 45. 5, 7, 8. and So. 20. that he might make a Provifion for his Father and his Family, who were at that time the Peculium, the Heirs of the Promises,out of whofe Loins all the Families of the Earth were to be Bleffed. He being inftructed by the Spirit of the Moft High God that was in him, to foretel to Pharoah what was coming upon his CounH

try,

State.

try, and the Means to prevent the fatal Confequences of fuch a Calamity. So (to mention no more) in that great Famine foretold by the Prophet Elijah, 1 Kings 17. God Almighty provided for him in a particular Manner, having firft of all commanded the Ravens to fupply him with Bread and Flesh Morning and Evening, till the Brook that fupplied him with Water was dried up: After which he exprefly orders him to repair to the Widow of Zarephath, whom he had commanded to fuftain him; which the was enabled to do, by a miraculous fupply of Neceffaries, till God fent Rain upon the Earth. Whether it may be by this, or by any other Means, yet we may reft fatisfied, that God knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations, (or Trials,as in we may be better rendred) even as he delivered juft Lot, vexed with the Converfation of the Wicked, out of the Flames that confumed the Ungodly and faved Noah, a Preacher of Righteousness, from the Great Deluge that came upon the disobedient World,

2 Pet. 2.

An Ad- $9. To thofe therefore who are yet drefs to Strangers to this State, and to thefe Prothose who are Stran- mifes, it will not be amifs to apply the gers to this Advice given by the Prophet Daniel to King Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 27. That they break off their Sins by Righteoufnefs, and their Iniquities by fhewing Mercy to the Poor; it may be a lengthening of their Tranquillity, or a deferring of their Pu nifhment. As alfo that Paffage of St. Her mas, in the Third Vifion of the First Book,

which relates to the glorious Building of the Triumphant Church, and the various Sorts of Reprobates, (Vide Locum, Edit. Cotel.) which by many Paffages plainly refers to thefe Times; as alfo by the Title of the Chapter immediately following. (De Tentatione & Tribulatione, &c.) Where, when the Woman had fhown him the Myftery of the Building, and the various Sorts and Orders of Men that fhould be rejected, fhe comes at laft (§9.) to put him, and in him the whole Church (to whom thefe Truths were to be committed. See the End of the preceding Chapter.) in mind of fome Duties, the practice of which would be extreamly neceffary, in order to fecure their Part in this Spiritual Building; amongst which fhe gives this as the chief. Abundantiùs autem infpertite egentibus, &c. i. e. But give liberally to them that be in need; for fome by too free Feeding, contract an Infirmity in their Flesh, and do Injury to their Bodies; whilft the Flefh of others, who have not Food, withers away, because they want fufficiC ent Nourishment, and their Bodies are confumed. Wherefore this Intemperance is hurtful to you who have, and do not communicate to them that want. Prepare for the Judgment that is about to come upon you; ye that are the more Eminent, fearch out thofe that are Hungry, whilft the Tower is yet unfinishC ed. For when the Tower is finished, ye fhall be willing to do Good, and fhall not find any Place for it. See there

H 2

⚫ fore