Ecclesiastes 11

Ver. 1, 2. Cheerfully lay out thyself to bestow the necessaries of life upon the poor, who are entirely unable to requite thee: and so God shall plentifully reward thee for it in this life, or in that which is to come. And, however great the number of needy objects be, bestow that which is necessary upon them all, according to thine utmost ability; for the opportunity of liberality may soon be lost to thee, and an evil time may quickly come, in which thou wilt infinitely need God to be the supplier of thy own wants. 3, 4. He bestows plenty upon men, in order that with it they may do good to others. And, however undeserving the objects be on whom they religiously bestow their charity, they shall not lose their reward.—They that withhold it till every objection be answered, will never bestow it. 5, 6. As thou knowest not how the human soul is created or united to the body, or operates in and on it, nay, nor even how the child is formed in the womb, even so thou knowest not how God may deal with thee or thy estate; and therefore neglect no opportunity of doing or receiving good: and, without any curious prying into futurity, leave it entirely to God to recompense thee. 7, 8. Life, and its comforts, are desirable: but, let men enjoy created comforts as long as they may, the lasting period of troubles, death, and eternity, will infallibly succeed, and manifest the emptiness and insufficiency of all outward enjoyments. 9, 10. Whatever temptations young persons may have to indulge their own foolish and wicked inclinations and fancies, let them remember, with the deepest concern, that God will, in his awful judgment, call them to account for every part of their conduct. Let them then take care to prevent those perplexities and miseries which sinful indulgence will at last bring upon them: for all the empty and short-lived pleasures of youth can never in the least balance the dangers of inexpressible and overlasting misery

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XI.—What a plain, profitable, and important, duty is that of giving to the poor! Nothing is a more certain mean of making men rich. No objections, drawn from our right to what we have, from the narrowness of our circumstances, from the discouragements which we have already met with in it, or from our not knowing how it can be made up to us, ought to make us neglect so much as one opportunity of charity. But, above all, it is most sinful and foolish for either old or young to indulge their lusts, and live unconcerned about Jesus Christ and his salvation, when heavy troubles, an important death, an awful judgment, and an endless eternity, are before them, and they know not how near!