ners to him; all which they are bound to do, to the utmost of their Power, out of the Eftates which for thefe purpofes he hath entrusted with them. For thus they are exprefly commanded to honour the Lord with all their Subftance, or Riches, and with the Firft-Fruits of all their Increase, Prov. iii. 9. And the reafon is, becaufe God is the univerfal Proprietor, the Head Landlord of all the World, and we have nothing but what we hold under him; neither are we any more than Tenants at will to him, who may fine us at his own Plea fure, or throw us out of Poffeffion whenfoever he fees good. Now left we fhould forget this, even upon what Tenure it is that we hold our Eftates, God hath enjoyned us to pay him, as it were, a Quitrent, or Tribute out of what we poflefs, as an Acknowledgment that it is by his Favour and Bleffing alone that we do poffefs

So that whatsoever we do, or are able. to offer to him, is but a due Debt which we owe him, which if we neglect to pay him, we lofe our Tenure, and forfeit what we have to the Lord of the Mannor, the fupreme Poffeffor of the World. Hence it is, that in all Ages, they who were truly pious, and had a due fenfe of God upon their Hearts, were always very careful to pay this their Homage unto God; infomuch

that

that many of them never thought they could give enough to any pious Ufe wherein to teftify their Acknowledgment of God's Dominion over them, and his Right and Propriety in what they had. A notable Inftance whereof we have in the Children of Ifrael, for when the Tabernacle was to be built for the Service and Worfhip of God, they were fo far from being backward in contributing towards it, that they presently brought more than could be ufed in the building of it, Exod. xxxvi. 5, 6, 7. So it was too in the building of the Temple, which David, and the Chiefs or Nobles of Ifrael, made great Preparations for, 1 Chron. xxix. 6, 7, 8. And that they did this, thereby to acknowledge God to be the Lord and Giver of all, is plain from the following words, Ver. 11, 12, 13. The fame was alfo obferved in the building of the fecond Temple, as the raifing the first out of its Rubbish, wherein it had lain for many Years. And as for Chriftians, I need not tell you how forward those who have been truly pious, have always been in doing fuch works of Piety, seeing moft of the Churches in Chriftendom, or be fure in this Nation, have been erected by particular Perfons. And it is very obfervable, that the more eminent any Place or Age hath been for Piety and Devotion,

the

the more pious works have been always done in it, for the Service and Worship of Almighty God; which plainly fhews, that where fuch works are wanting, whatsoever Pretences they may make, there is no fuch thing as true Piety, and the Fear of God. And therefore, as ever we defire to manifeft our felves to be what we profefs, true Christians indeed, Men fearing God, and hating Covetoufness, we must take all Opportunities to exprefs our Thankfulness unto God for what we have, by devoting as much as we can of it to his Service and Honour.

2. BESIDES these works of Piety towards God, the Rich are enjoined also works of Charity towards the Poor, which though they have an immediate reference to the poor, yet God looks upon them as given to himself, Prov. xiv. 31. Ch. xix. 17. Matth. xxv. 40. Hence it is that God accepts of fuch works as these alfo, for part of the Tribute which we owe him; whereby we acknowledge the Receipt of what we have from him, and exprefs our Thankfulnefs unto him for it, without which we have no ground to expect a Bleffing upon what we have, nor that it should be really good to us. For, as the Apostle tells us, every Creature of God is good, if it be received with Thankgiving, not elfe, 1Tim. iv.4.

But no Thanksgiving is acceptable but that which is expreffed by works as well as words. And therefore it is necessary for us to pay this Duty and Service to God, out of what we have, in order to the cleanfing and fanctifying the Refidue of our Eftates unto us, without which we have not the lawful ufe of what we poffefs; but every thing we have is polluted and unclean to us, as our Saviour himself intimates, Luk. xi. 41. A thing much to be confidered. For I verily believe that the great reason why fo many Eftates are blafted fo foon, and brought to nothing amongst us, is because Men do not render unto God his Duty and Tribute out of what they have, and therefore it is no won der that God in his Providence turns them out of Poffeffion, and gives their Estates to other Perfons, who fhall be better Tenants to him, and be careful to pay him the Duties which he requires of them. And therefore, in order to Mens fecuring their Estates to themselves and Pofterity, it is abfolutely neceffary that they obferve the Duty which we are here recommended to charge upon all that are rich in this World, even to do good with what they have, and not only fo, but

2. To be rich too in good works; that is, not only to do good, but to do as much

good as they are able with their Riches, fo as to proportion their good works to the Riches which God hath given them wherewith to do them, according to the Apostle's Direction, 1 Cor. xvi. 2. Thus in the place before quoted, Luc.xi.41. where our Saviour bids the Pharifees to give Alms of fuch things as they have. His words are τὰ ὀνόντα δότε ἢ ἐλεημοσύνω, Give Alms as much as ye are able, for fo the words properly fignify. And verily whatfoever we do, unless it be as much as we can, God will not look upon us as doing any thing at all: For we muft not think to compound with him. When he hath gi ven us all we have, he expects that we render all that he requires of us, that is as much as we are able to pay unto him. As if a Man owes you Money, you will not accept of part inftead of the whole; fo neither will God from us; we all owe him as much as we are able to devote to his Service and Honour, and we must not think to put him off with part of it: For he reckons that he receives nothing from us, unless it be proportionable to what he hath bestowed upon us. But how little foever it is that we give or offer to him, if it be but anfwerable to our Eftates, it will be accepted by him. This our Savi our himfelf hath affured us of, Mark xii. 43, 44. From whence we may certainly

A

conclude