But I shall not press you any farther to charity in general; I shall confine my Discourse to one little piece and parcel of charity towards your fellow-Citizens, that are in want and necessity. You are this day to dine together; my hearts desire is, that this dinner may be a Feast of Charity. In the Primitive times the Christians had their [Greek or Hebrew], their Love-feasts, on purpose to maintain Brotherly love;1 these Feasts Jude calls (according to our translation) Feasts of Charity, because in such Feasts the poor were always remembered; my humble suit is, that this dinner may be a Feast of Love and Charity, that some real good may be done at it, that you ⟨p. 41⟩may not only feast as good Citizens, but as good Christians; and therefore you have a Sermon here this morning, on purpose to prepare you for this Feast, that so it may not only be a civil, but a religious meeting. The Apostle Jude tells us of spots that were in the Primitive Feasts of Charity, 2these spots were certain wicked and heretical persons, which crept into their Feasts, and defiled and polluted them; I hope their will be no such spots amongst us this day. The last year there were spots in our Feast of Charity, mistake me not, I do not mean it in Judes sense, I am far from thinking, that there were wicked and heretical men amongst us, my meaning only is, that there were defects and blemishes in our last years meeting.3 The Reverend Brother that Preached here the last ⟨p. 42⟩year, hath told the World thus much in Print; But he adds very wisely and discreetly, and (I hope) truly, that this was not for want of affection, but of contrivance; not for want of liquor, but vent, not matter, but method, not conception, but obstetrication; you did not want a fountain of charity, but only a channel cut out wherein your charity might stream it self; This channel is now cut out for you, there are indeed four channels, four glorious designs proposed by the Stewards, for to draw out your charity and liberality, towards your fellow-Citizens; give me leave to read them to you,4 as they were sent me in writing.
But I shall not press you any farther to charity in general; I shall confine my Discourse to one little piece and parcel of charity towards your fellow-Citizens, that are in want and necessity. You are this day to dine together; my hearts desire is, that this dinner may be a Feast of Charity. In the Primitive times the Christians had their 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, their Love-feasts, on purpose to maintain Brotherly love;1 these Feasts Jude calls (according to our translation) Feasts of Charity, because in such Feasts the poor were alwaies remembred; my humble sute is, that this dinner may be a Feast of Love and Charity, that some real good may be done at it, that you ⟨p. 41⟩may not onely feast as good Citizens, but as good Christians; and therefore you have a Sermon here this morning, on purpose to prepare you for this Feast, that so it may not onely be a civil, but a religious meeting. The Apostle Jude tells us of spots that were in the Primitive Feasts of Charity, 2these spots were certain wicked and heretical persons, which crept into their Feasts, and defiled and polluted them; I hope their will be no such spots amongst us this day. The last year there were spots in our Feast of Charity, mistake me not, I do not mean it in Judes sense, I am far from thinking, that there were wicked and heretical men amongst us, my meaning onely is, that there were defects and blemishes in our last years meeting.3 The Reverend Brother that Preach'd here the last ⟨p. 42⟩year, hath told the World thus much in Print; But he addes very wisely and discreetly, and (I hope) truly, that this was not for want of affection, but of contrivance; not for want of liquor, but vent, not matter, but method, not conception, but obstetrication; you did not want a fountain of charity, but onely a chanel cut out wherein your charity might stream it self; This channel is now cut out for you, there are indeed four chanels, four glorious designes proposed by the Stewards, for to draw out your charity and liberality, towards your fellow-Citizens; give me leave to read them to you,4 as they were sent me in writing.
- 1Jude 12.
- 2Jude 12.
- 3Dr. Horton.
- 4Four several sorts of persons upon whom the Charity gathered at the Londoners meeting is to be bestowed.
