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6. AND in this Vertue Women have, in former Ages, eminently excell'd: yea, fo effential was it, that we find Solomon thought not their character compleat without it; but numbers it among the properties of his Vertuous Woman, Prov. 31. 20. She ftretcheth forth her hand to the poor; and reacheth forth her hand to the needy. And it is a little obfervable, that after he has defcrib'd her Induftry and Diligence for the acquiring of Wealth, this is fet in the front of her disbursements as the principal ufe fhe made of it; and precedes her providing Scarlet for her houfhold, or fine Linnen and Purple for her felf, v. 21, 22. The application is very obvious, and admonishes all that own the fame title of Vertuous Women, to prefer the neceffities of others, before their own fuperfluities and delicacies. Nay, if they look farther, and confider who it is that is perfonated in the poor, that begs in every needy diftrefs'd fuppliant, and that will finally own every act of mercy as done to himself, methinks they should fometimes think fit to facrifice even their moft moderate enjoyments to their charity, be asham'd to serve themselves before their Saviour, or let him stand naked and hungry, whilft they are folacing with that which would relieve him.

7. BUT how then shall they answer it, who fuffer him to be fupplanted, not by their needs, but exceffes; who have fo devoted their hearts

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and purses, to vanity and luxury, that they have neither will nor power to fuccour the wants of others? How unequal and difproportionate is it, that those who study to fling away mony upon themfelves, cannot be tempted by any importunity or diftrefs, to drop an alms to the poor? What a prepofterous fight it is to fee a Lady, whofe gay attire gives her the glittering of the Sun, yet have nothing of its other properties, never to cheer any drooping, languishing creature, by her influence? Tis the counfel of the fon of Sirach, not to give the poor any occafion to curfe thee, Ecclus. 4. 5. But fure fuch perfons do it, if the poor happen not to have more Charity than they exemplify to them. For, when they fhall find fuch hard hearts under fuch foft raiment, them bestow so much upon the decking their own bodies, and do nothing towards the neceffary fupport of theirs; 'tis a fhrewd trial of their Meeknefs. Poverty is apt of its felf to imbitter the spirit, and needs not fuch an additional temptation.

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8. NAY farther, when a poor ftarving wretch fhall look upon one of these gay creatures, and fee that any one of the baubles, the loofeft appendage of her drefs, a fan, a busk, perhaps a black patch, bears a price that would warm his empty bowels; will he not have fharp incitations, not only to execrate her pride, and his own poverty; but confequently

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to repine at the unequal diftribution of Providence, and add fin to his misery? The denial therefore of an alms may be a double cruelty, to the Soul as well as to the Body. Tis faid of Xenocrates, that a chas'd Bird flying to his bofom, he refcu'd it with much fatisfaction, faying, He had not betray'd a fuppliant; but this is in that cafe revers'd, and in a higher inftance; for what can be more the betraying of a fuppliant, than instead of fupplying his wants, to rob him of his innocence, and be his fnare inftead of his refuge? This is a confideration I wish more deeply imprefs'd upon the Women of this Age and truly 'tis their concern it fhould be fo, for fince at the laft day, the inqueft fhall be fo particular upon this very thing, tis but neceffary they fhould examine how they are fitted to pass that test.

9. LBT them therefore keep a preparatory audit within their own breaft, reflect upon the expences of their vanity, what the delicacy of their food, what the richness and variety of their cloaths, nay, what the mere hypocrifies of their drefs, in falfe hair and complexions, have coft them to which they may alfo add the charge of their recreations and divertisements, thofe coftly arts of chafing away that time, which they will one day with to recall. Let them I fay compute all this, and then confront to it the account of their ChaH

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rity, and I much fear the latter will with many of them, be comparatively as undiscernable, as Socrates found Alcibiades's Lands in the Map of the whole World; be fo perfectly overwhelm'd, that it will appear little in their own fight, and nothing in God's. od ul

ro. FOR if the poor Widow's miteacquird a value merely from her poverty, that The had no more; by the rule of contraries we may conclude, how defpicable the feanty oblations of the rich are in God's account. If even their liberality, who gave much, was outvy'd by a farthing, Mark 12. 43. to what point of diminution muft their niggardly offerings, who give little, be reduc'd? especially when they fhall be compard, with the numerous and coftly facrifices they made to Pride and Luxury. Nay, I with fome were not guilty of more than the difproportion, even the total omif fion of Charity, that in a multitude of Taylor's bills, cannot produce the account' of one Garment for the Poor, that amidst the delicacies of their own dyet, (nay, perhaps of their dogs too) never order d so much as the crumbs of their Table to any hungry Lazarus. But let all fach remember, that there will come a time, when one of Tabitha's coats, Ads 9. 39. will be of more value than all their richest Wardrobes, tho' they could number Gowns with Lucullus's Cloaks, which the Roman Story reports to be sooo. And that when their luxurious

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luxurious fare fhall only feaft the worms, and render them paffive in that Epicurism they acted before; they will wifh they had made the bellies of the poor their refectory, and by feeding them, nourish'd themselves to immortality.

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II. LET this I fay, be feriously remember'd now, left hereafter they fall under the fame exprobrating remembrance with the rich Man in the Gofpel, Luke 16. 25. Remember that thou in thy life time receivd ft thy good things. and Lazarus that which was evil; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. A Text which S. Gregory profefles, was ever founding in his ears, and made him look with fufpicion and dread upon that grandeur, to which he was advanc'd, as fearing it might be defign'd as his final reward. With what terrour then may thofe look upon their prefent good things, who by engroffing them wholly to themselves, own them as their entire portion, and implicitly difclame their fhare of the future? For to that none must pretend, who receive their tranfitory goods under any other notion, than that of a Steward or Factor: as we may fee in the parable of the Talents, where those that had the reward of the five and ten Cities, were not fuch as had confum'd their Talents upon their own Riot and Exceffes; but fuch as had induftriously employ'd them according to the defign of their Lord. And

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