SERM." as we have opportunity;" others, as we have abiCLVIII. lity. fo that this expreffion may refer, either to the

occafions of our charity, or to the feafon of it, or

to the proportion and degree of it.

1. It may refer to the occafions of our charity, "as we have opportunity, let us do good," that is, according as the occafions of doing good fhall prefent themselves to us, fo often as an opportunity, is offered. And this is an argument of a very good and charitable difpofition, gladly to lay hold of the occafions of doing good; as it were to meet opportunities when they are coming towards us. This forwardness of mind in the work of charity, the apostle commends in the Corinthians, 2 Cor. ix. 2. "I know the forwardness of your minds, for which "I boast of you to them of Macedonia:" And this he requires of all Chriftians, Tit. iii. 8. that they fhould be ready to every good work;" and 1 Tim. vi. 18. that we be ready to distribute, willing to communicate." Some are very ready to decline these opportunities, and to get out of the way of them; and when they thrust themselves upon them, and they cannot avoid them, they do what they do grudgingly, and not with a willing mind.

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2. It may refer to the feafon of this duty, s Καιρὸν ἔχομεν, whilft we have time, ὡς for ἕως whilft this life lasts; so Grotius does understand and interpret this phrafe; and then the apostle does hereby intimate to them the uncertainty of their lives, especially in thofe times of perfecution. And this confideration holds in all times, in fome degree, that our lives are short and uncertain; that it is but a little while that we can ferve GOD in this kind, namely, while we are in this world, in this vale of mifery and wants. In the next world there will be no occafion,

no

no opportunity for it; we shall then have nothing to SERM. do, but to reap the reward of the good we have CLVIII. done in this life, and to receive that bleffed fentence from the mouth of the great judge of the world, "Come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the king"dom prepared for you, before the foundation of "the world: for I was hungry, and ye gave me "meat, &c." And, Euge bone ferve! "Well done, good and faithful fervant! thou haft been faithful "in a little, and I will make thee ruler over much." GOD will then declare his bounty and goodness to us, and open those inexhaustible treasures of glory and happiness, which all good men shall partake of, in proportion to the good which they have done in this world. Or elfe,

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3. (Which I take to be the most probable meaning of this phrase,) It may refer to the degree of this duty, in proportion to our ability and eftate; as we have ability, let us do good unto all men." And this the phrase will bear, as learned men have obferved; and it is very reasonable to take it in this fenfe, at least as part of the meaning of it, either expreffed, or implied. For, without this, we cannot exercise charity, though there were never fo many occafions for it; and then this precept will be of the fame importance with that of the fon of Sirach, Eccluf. xxxv. 10. "Give unto the most high ac<<cording as he hath enriched thee;" and with that counfel, Tob. iv. 7. "Give alms, Ex TWD Uπαр<< xówv, according to thy fubftance," and ver. 8. If thou haft abundance, give alms accordingly." And this may be reafonably expected from us; for where-ever his providence gives a man an estate, it is but in truft for certain ufes and purposes, among which charity and alms are the chief: and we must

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be

SERM. be accountable to him, whether we have difpofed it CLVIII. faithfully to the ends for which it was committed to us. It is an eafy thing, with him, to level mens eftates, and to give every man a competency; but he does on purpose suffer things to be distributed fo unequally, to try and exercise the virtues of men in several ways; the faith and patience of the poor, the contentedness of thofe in a middle condition, the charity and bounty of the rich. And, in truth, wealth and riches, that is an estate above what sufficeth our real occafions and neceffities, is in no other fense a bleffing, than as it is an opportunity put into our hands, by the providence of GoD, of doing more good; and if we do not faithfully employ it to this end, it is but a temptation and a fnare; "and "the ruft of our filver and our gold will be a wit"nefs against us ;" and we do but "heap up trea"fures together against the last day."

But what proportion our charity ought to bear to our estates, I fhall not undertake to determine. The circumstances of men have too much variety in them to admit of any certain rule; fome may do well, and others may do better; every man as GOD hath put into his heart, and according to his belief of," the recompence which shall be made at "the refurrection of the juft." I shall only say in general, that if there be first a free and willing mind, that will make a man charitable to his power; for "the liberal man will devise liberal things." And we cannot propose a better pattern to ourselves in this kind, than the king and queen, who are, as they ought to be (but as it very seldom happens) the moft bright and fhining examples of this greatest of all graces and virtues, charity and compaffion to the poor and perfecuted. I proceed to the IV. Thing

IVth thing confiderable in the text, viz. Our SER M. unwearied perfeverance in this work of doing good; CLVIII. "let us not be weary in well-doing." After we have done fome few acts of charity, yea, though they fhould be very confiderable, we must not fit down and fay we have done enough. There will still be new objects, new occafions, new opportunities for the exercife of our charity, fpringing up and prefenting themselves to us. Let us never think that we can do enough in the way of doing good. The beft and the happieft beings are most constant and unwearied in this work of doing good. The holy, angels of GOD are continually employed in ministring for the good of "thofe, who shall be heirs of falva"tion:" and the Son of GoD, when he appeared in our nature, and "dwelt among us," that he might be a perfect and familiar example to us of all holi-. nefs and virtue, "he went about doing good" to the bodies, and to the fouls of men. How diligent and unwearied was he in his work! It was his employment and his pleasure, his meat and drink, the joy and the life of his life. And GOD himfelf, though he is infinitely and perfectly good in himself, yet he ftill continues" to do good," and is never weary: of this bleffed work. It is the nature, and the perfection, and the felicity of GoD himfelf; and how can we be weary of that work, which is an imitation of the highest excellency and perfection, and the very effence of happiness!

V. And lastly, here is the argument and encoù.. ragement to the chearful discharge of this duty, "because in due feafon we fhall reap, if we faint not; therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men. In due feason we shall reap;"

that is, fooner or later, in this world, or in the

VOL. IX.

C

other,

SERM. other, we fhall receive the full reward of our wellCLVIII. doing.

And now I have explained this duty to you, as plainly and briefly as I could, the hardest part of my task is yet behind, to perfuade men to the practice the of it; and to this purpose I fhall only infift upon promise in the text, "be not weary in well-doing; "for in due feafon ye fhall reap, if ye faint not :" We shall reap the pleasure and fatisfaction of it in our own minds, and all the other mighty advantages of it in this world, and the vast and unfpeakable reward of it in the other.

First, We shall reap the pleasure and fatisfaction of it in our own minds; and there is no fenfual pleafure that is comparable to the delight of doing good. This Cato makes his boat of, as the great comfort and joy of his old age, confcientia bene actæ vitæ, multorumque benefa&ioram recordatio jucundiffima. The remembrance of a well-fpent life, and of many benefits and kindneffes done by us to others, is one of the most pleasant things in the world. Senfual pleasures foon die and vanifh; but that is not the worst of them, they leave a fting behind them; and when the pleasure is gone, nothing remains but guilt, and trouble, and repentance: whereas the reflection upon any good we have done, is a perpetual fpring of peace and pleasure to us, and no trouble and bitternefs enfues upon it; the thoughts of it lie even and eafy in our minds; and so often as it comes to our remembrance, it minifters fresh comfort to us.

Secondly, We fhall likewife reap other mighty advantages by it in this world. It is the way to derive a lafting bleffing upon our eftates. What we give in alms and charity is confecrated to GoD, and is one of the chicfeft and most acceptable facrifices in

the