observed, that he that gives to the poor on right or truly Christian motives, will by the same be induced to give also to Churches. The primary motive, which ought to induce us to give to the poor, is the love of God; as for love to the poor themselves, it ought to be but the secondary motive. This is evident from I Cor. xiii. 3. "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Whence may be learned these two things: first, that charity in its primary or principal acceptation in Scripture, denotes the love of God himself, not of the poor. For as by charity is here denoted the love of God, so it is expressly distinguished from the love of the poor, and that in such a degree as to bestow all one's goods to feed them. Secondly, from the forecited text we learn, that our love to the poor, even in so high a degree as to bestow all our goods to feed them, yet profiteth us nothing without the love of God, or charity, properly and primarily so called; that is, our bestowing all our goods to feed the poor is not a truly Christian act, and conse

quently is not in the least acceptable to God or available to salvation, unless it proceeds from our love to God.

Charity in

common

Now this remark is the more useful and necessary, because common language among us has as it were perverted the true sense of charity according to Scripture, by appropriating in a manner the said word to signify only or

speech is taken in a different sense from that wherein it is primarily

taken in Scrip

ture; and the ill conse

quence there- principally love to the poor, whereas according to Scripture language, it signifies properly and primarily, love to God. Now this different use of the word charity in common language, from the use of it in Scripture, I take to be one means of misleading even some well-meaning persons into the mistake I am laying open, while upon account hereof they are apt to understand all the great and glorious things which are said in Scripture of charity, of the charity commonly so called, or love to the poor, not (as they ought) of charity properly and primarily so called in Scripture, or the love of God.

From the remark here made it plainly ap

pears, that not only charity, according to Scripture, primarily denotes the love of

God, but also that charity to the

The inference from the

foregoing re

mark concerning the prima

y

significa in Scripture.

tion of charity

poor profiteth nothing (as the Apostle speaks) unto salvation, without it proceeds from charity or love to God; or (as it is above expressed, and which comes to the same) he that gives to the poor upon right or truly Christian motives, will by the same be induced to give also to Churches; forasmuch as the primary motive, which ought to induce us to give to the poor, is the love of God. But now, whosoever has a true love for God, will heartily promote his honour and service all the ways he can; and therefore will liberally contribute to the building of Churches for the public honour and service of God, and also to the beautifying and adorning Churches, that they may be the more suitable to the dignity of the Divine Majesty, and withal serve the more to set forth His glory and honour.

Again, whosoever has a true Christian love for the poor, will by no means content himself

with relieving only their temporal wants, but

He that truly loves the poor, will relieve their spiritual as well as temporal wants; and principally the former.

will readily do what he can to relieve much more their spiritual

wants, as being of far worse conse

quence. Their temporal wants at the very worst can destroy only their frail and mortal bodies, which must otherwise come to the dust in no long time; whereas their spiritual wants tend to destroy both body and soul, and that eternally in hell fire. Wherefore, he that has a truly Christian love for the poor, as he will thereby be induced liberally to relieve the temporal wants of the poor, so will he by the same be induced liberally and principally to relieve the spiritual wants of the poor; and consequently to contribute liberally toward the building or rebuilding of Churches; that so the poor may come thereto to have their spiritual wants relieved, as by receiving spiritual instructions, so also by partaking of the spiritual benefits of the public prayers, and of the spiritual food of the Lord's supper.

Lastly, it is observable, that the true state of the question relating to the matter under

consideration, is, not whether we

ought to

contribute to Churches rather than The foresaid

pretence is really nothing to the purpose.

to the poor; but whether we ought not to contribute to both according to the best of our ability, and in order thereto ought not to retrench our expenses on ourselves or family, in respect of our way of eating and drinking, in respect of apparel and attendance, in respect of our pleasure, and lastly, in respect of our own sumptuous buildings and furniture. So that he that pretends to excuse himself from contributing to Churches, by saying, that he thinks it a greater act of charity to give to the poor, is not only mistaken, as has been above largely shewn, but also says nothing to the purpose. For, by being called upon to contribute to Churches, he is not desired to leave off or abate giving to the poor; but to perform his bounden duty to God in one respect as well as the other.

I have been the longer on shewing the weakness, and indeed wickedness of such a pretence, because it is (as has been

The sum of

this chapter.