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SERM. of it, which will appear, if we confider, that it is CLVIII. the imitation of the higheft excellency and perfecti

on. To do good, is to be like GoD, who "is good "and doth good;" and it is to be like him, in that which he esteems his greatest glory. It is to be like the Son of GOD, who, when he was pleased to take our nature upon him, and live here below, and to dwell amongst us, "went about doing good." And it is to be like the bleffed angels, the highest rank and order of God's creatures; whofe great employment it is to be miniftring fpirits, for the good of men. So that for a man to be kind, and helpful, and beneficial to others, is to be a good angel, and a faviour, and a kind of god too.

It is an argument of a great, and noble, and generous mind, to excite our thoughts and cares to the concernments of others, and to employ our Interest, and power, and endeavours for their benefit and advantage whereas a low, and mean, and narrow fpirit, is contracted and fhriveled up within itself, and cares only for it's own things, without any regard to the good and happiness of others.

It is the most noble work in the world, because that inclination of mind, which prompts us to do good, is the very temper and difpofition of happinefs. Solomon, after all his experience of worldly greatness and pleasure, at last pitched upon this, as the great felicity of human life, and the only good ufe that is to be made of a profperous and plentiful fortune. Ecclef. iii. 12. "I know" (fays he, fpeaking of riches)" that there is no good in them, but for "a man to rejoice and do good in his life." And certainly the best way to take joy in an eftate, is to do good with it and a greater and wifer than Solomon has faid it, even he "who is the power and " wisdom

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"wisdom of GOD" has faid it, that "it is a more SERM. " blessed thing to give than to receive."

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great

Confider farther, that this is one of the great and substantial parts of religion, and next to the love and honour, which we pay to Almighty God, the most acceptable service that we can do to him; it is one table of the law, and next to the first and commandment, of "loving the LORD our GOD," and very like to it. "And the fecond is like unto it," (fays our SAVIOUR) "Thou fhalt love thy "neighbour as thyfelf;" like to it, in the excellency of it; and equal to it, in the neceffary obligation of it. "And this commandment (fays St. John, 1 epift. chap. 4. v. 21.) "have we from him, that he who "loveth Gon, love his brother alfo." The first commandment indeed excels in the dignity of the object, because it enjoins the love of God; but the second seems to have the advantage in the reality of it's effects for the love of GoD confifts in our acknowledgment, and honour of him; but our "righte"oufnefs and goodness extend not to him;" we can do him no real benefit and advantage: but our love to men is really useful and beneficial to them; for which reafon, GoD is contented in many cafes, that the external honour and worship, which he requires of us by his pofitive commands, fhould give way to that natural duty of love and mercy which we owe to one another. "I will have mercy" (fays GoD in the prophet Amos) "and not facrifice."

CLVIII.

And to fhew how great a value GoD puts upon this duty, he hath made it the very testimony of our love to himself; and for want of it, hath declared that he will reject all our other profeffions and teftimonies of love to him, as falfe and infincere. "Whofo hath this world's good," (faith St. John, 1 epift.

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SERM. 1 epift. iii. 17.) " and feeth his brother have need, CLVII. and fhutteth up his bowels of compassion from "him, how dwelleth the love of GoD in him?”

And again, chap. iv. ver. 20.
"If a man fay,
"I love GOD, and hateth his brother, he is a liar;
"for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath
"feen, how can he love GOD, whom he hath not
"feen ?"

You fee the duty here recommended, both in the extent and in the excellency of it; "let us do good." I proceed to confider, in the

Ild place, the extent of this duty, in respect of it's object, which is all mankind, but more especially Chriftians, thofe that are of the fame faith and religion. "Let us do good unto all men, especially "unto thofe that are of the houshold of faith." So that the object, about which this duty is converfant, is very large, and takes in all mankind; "let "us do good unto all men." The Jews confined their love and kindnefs to their own kindred and nation; and because they were prohibited familiarity with idolatrous nations, and were enjoined to maintain a perpetual enmity with Amalek, and the feven nations of Canaan, whom GOD had caft out before them, and devoted to ruin; they looked upon themfeives as perfectly discharged from all obligation of kindness to the reft of mankind: and yet it is certain, that they were exprefly enjoined by their law, to be kind to firangers, because they themselves had been strangers in the land of Egypt. But our SAVIOUR had reftored this law of love and charity to it's natural and original extent; and had declared every one that is of the fame nature with ourselves to be our neighbour, and our brother; and that he is to be treated by us accordingly, whenever he stands

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in need of our kindness and help; and to fhew that SERM. none are out of the compafs of our charity, he hath CLVIII. exprefly commanded us to extend it to those who of

all others can leaft pretend to it, even our enemies and perfecutors.

So that if the queftion be about the extent of our charity in general, these two things are plainly enjoined by the christian religion.

1. Negatively, That we fhould not hate nor bear ill will to any man, or do him any harm or mischief. "Love worketh no evil to his neighbour," (faith the apostle) Rom. xiii. 10. And this negative cha

rity every man may exercise towards all men, without exception, and that equally, because it does not fignify any pofitive act, but only that we abstain from enmity and hatred, from injury and revenge, which it is in every man's power, by the grace of God, and the due care and government of himself, to do.

2. Pofitively, the law of charity requires, that we fhould bear an univerfal good-will to all men, and wish every man's happiness, and pray for it, as fincerely as we wish and pray for our own; and if we be fincere in our wifhes, and prayers for the good of others, we shall be fo in our endeavours to procure and promote it.

But the great difficulty is, as to the exercise of our charity, and the real expreffions and effects of it, in doing good to others; which is the duty here meant in the text, and (as I told you before) does more particularly relate to the relief of those who are in want and neceffity. And the reafon of the difficulty is, because no man can do good to all in this kind, if he would; it not being poffible for any man to come to the knowledge of every man's neceffity and distress; and if he could, no man's ability

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can

SERM. can poffibly reach to the fupply and the relief of all And indeed this limitation the text

CLVIII.

mens wants.

gives to this duty; "As we have opportunity" (fays the apostle) "let us do good unto all men;" which either fignifies, as occafion is offered, or as we have ability of doing, or both; as I fhall fhew afterwards.

So that it being impoffible to exercise this charity to all men that stand in need of it, it is neceffary to make a difference, and to ufe prudence and difcretion in the choice of the moft fit and proper objects. We do not know the wants of all men, and therefore the bounds of our knowledge do of neceffity limit our charity within a certain compafs; and of those whom we do know, we can relieve but a small part for want of ability; from whence it follows, that though a man were never so charitably difpofed, yet he must of neceffity fet fome rules to himself, for the management of his charity to the best advantage. What thofe rules are, cannot minutely and nicely be determined; when all is done, much must be left to every man's prudence and discretion, upon a full view and confideration of the cafe before him, and all the circumstances of it; but yet fuch general rules may be given, as may ferve for the direction of our practice in most cafes; and for the rest, every man's prudence, as well as it can, muft determine the matter. And the rules which I fhall give, shall be these.

First, Cafes of extremity ought to take the firft place, and do for that time challenge precedence of all other confiderations. If a perfon be in great and prefent distress, and his neceffity fo urgent, that if he be not immediately relieved, he muft perifh; this is fo violent a cafe, and calls fo loud for present help, that there is no refifting of it, whatever the perfon be; though a perfect stranger to us, though

most

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