fuch as will do no good from right motives, shall do fome by their very vices. But then the good done by luxurious expensiveness is very unequally done; and to fuch, for the most part, as need and deserve it leaft: befides that, all the while, it doth infinite harm both to private and public virtue and happiness. Ufelefs profeffions are increased and enriched, while the more neceffary ones are left deftitute of hands, or empoverished by the exorbitant price of labour: a fuperfluous number, well able to work, are maintained in idlenefs, and too commonly in wickedness alfo; while true objects of compaffion are left to the fcanty allowance of the law. Besides, other evils, abfolutely infeparable from luxury, would greatly -over-balance the above-mentioned accidental good confequences arifing from it, were they much more confiderable than they are. It gives, in many refpects, a very wrong turn to the minds of the great; and excites a moft pernicious emulation of their follies and fins in thofe below them: tempts. both to fuch behaviour, and entangles both in fuch difficulties, as have every where proved the final ruin of all virtue and all happiness public and private. But were it to do no harm at all, and ever so much good; yet who, that indulges himself in it, can seriously say he intended that good; intended any thing indeed, but the gratification of his own vanity and voluptuoufness? Whereas, enjoying one part of a large income, with decent moderation, and difpofing of the other in prudent liberalities, produces good every way; may better, both here and to eternity, the condition of those who partake of fuch bounty; and must be beneficial in the highest degree to him, who beftows it from a fenfe of duty which is the fecond particular wherein the value of true charity was propofed to be fhewn.

The wife Author of our beings hath kindly formed us all with a natural tenderness towards each other: which, as it gives us pain on the feeing or hearing of the miseries of our fellow-creatures, unless we wickedly harden ourselves against them; fo it rewards us, when we relieve them, with the fweeteft joy that we are capable of experiencing: a joy that neither is fucceeded by uneafy reflections, like many others; nor vanishes quickly into nothing, like mofit others but which the heart dwells upon with lafting delight and humble felfapprobation. But were this pleasure much lefs, than who

ever habituates himself to it will find it to be, the fame goodnefs of nature, which is the parent of charitable beneficence, is alfo the best qualification for enjoying the fatisfactions and moderating the vexations of focial life: and therefore we cannot do a more prudent thing, than to ftrengthen it by exercise. Befides, good-will to others gives us the fureft claim, that any thing can give, to good-will in return; the proofs of which we may easily come to want on many occafions. But though the world, and even thofe perfons in it whom we have ferved, recompenfe us ever fo ill, yet not the fmalleft kind action, that we have either done or defigned fhall be loft. For God fees them all; and will be proportionably gracious, not only to the virtues, but even the failings of thofe, who have made it their faithful care to fhew the mercy which they hope to receive.

:

And this is that never-failing motive to univerfal benevolence, which the text urges have fervent charity among yourfelves: for charity fall cover the multitude of fins. Not that either the outward acts, or even the inward temper, of this one virtue, though it were extended to all our fellow-creatures, and much lefs if only to some small part of them, nor that perhaps the most deferving, fhall excufe the wilful and unrepented neglect, either of due reverence to God, or moral government of ourfelves in other refpects. But feldom, indeed, will it happen, if at all, that the profane or debauched, let them be called the beft-natured men that ever were, fhall do near so much good as harm in the world, were the whole confequences of their behaviour well computed. Eut could this be ever fo much otherwife, yet to honour and worship our Maker, in the manner which he hath appointed, is one of our effential obligations, and to obferve the rules of chastity and temperance, decency, and order, is another. Now what we are bound to obferve, we cannot poffibly be left at liberty to break through cr defpife. And therefore be not deceived: God is not mocked *. Whoever lives in the known and indulgent tranfgreffion of any duty, or commiffion of any fin, whatever excellencies in other points he may feemingly or really have, shall not enter into the kingdom of God. Great promifes are made to other fingle virtues, in other paffages of fcripture,

Gal. vi. 7.

fcripture, as well as to charity in this. And the meaning is not, that we may get to heaven by any one good quality that we please: for surely there will no one be found fo bad as to have none but each of them is fuppofed, though practifed more eminently than the reft, to be accompanied by them; not separated from them, and fet up against them: a fuppofition made with ftill more reafon in the prefent cafe, than any other of the fame kind: because the true love to our neighbour not only comprehends every good difpofition towards him, but flows from love to God, and faith in our bleffed Redeemer, and dutiful regard to the motions of the Holy Spirit. Indeed all these united, in the poor degree that we poffefs them, can by no means merit paiden for our failures in all; but only qualify us for obtaining that mercy which St. Peter, in the beginning of this epiftle, afcribes to the Sprinkling of of the blood of Jefus Chrift*. And nothing lefs than a prevailing habit of every virtue will complete our qualification for final acceptance: but that of each particular one fall contribute towards it, in proportion to its value. And as beneficence, practifed in its whole extent on right principles, is of the highest value, the text very properly teaches, and was defigned only to teach, that charity, kindnefs to our fellow-crea tures, practised from a principle of confcience, in every way that we have opportunity, fhall contribute in a diftinguished, manner, to fit us for receiving forgiveness from our Creator, and thus fhall cover the multitude of our fins at the last day. Since, therefore, being good to our brethren will give us a peculiar claim to the goodness of our heavenly Father: whoever is fenfible of his paft cffences, let him take this way ef pecially of evidencing his repentance; and whoever would intitle himself after death to the nobleft of rewards, let him ferve God throughout life in this moft excellent of all duties.

I Pet. i. 2.

SER

SERMON XI.

ON DOING GOOD.

GAL. vi. 10.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men ; efpecially unto them, who are of the household of faith.

WE

E are all born with a natural principle of love to our kind: we all fee and feel the exercise of it to be fit and right and the continual need which we have, of the service and friendship of others, continually reminds us to be serviceable and friendly in our turns. Were men universally fo, the world would be as happy as our endeavours can make it. And though it is not univerfally fo, but far otherwise; yet whoever determines to practife this duty himself, let thofe around him do as they will, is fure to find his account in the courfe which he takes. For he will generally acquire a large share in the esteem, and good offices of mankind; especially of thofe whom he values: and he will always experience a delightful confcioufnefs of intending well to them, and defervng well from them. But his chief advantage beyond comparifon is, that if his kind actions proceed from a devout fenfe of God's commanding them; and humble trust in the aid of his Holy Spirit for performing them; and a lively faith in the merits of his bleffed Son for the acceptance of them; he will then be intitled to the prefent protection and final approbation of his Maker and Judge: who hath declared, that our treatment of our brethren fhall be a principal rule, by which he will go in his treatment of us. The truth of these things is univerfally acknowledged the inference, that we are most highly concerned to be mutually useful, is ex

tremely

tremely evident and yet of how very little ufe are most of us, compared with what we might be; and how much do we lose and suffer by our neglect !

The causes of fo general a failure undoubtedly are various. Reciprocal provocations and refentments are both a powerful and a common one. Another, still more extenfive, is, that wrong judged selfishness, which poffeffes men with fuch a blind eagerness for their own intereft, that they cannot allow themfelves to stay and think, in what it confifts; and thus they fail of receiving, as well as communicating, the fatisfaction, which a different conduct would produce. But befides these, others, by no means ill difpofed towards their fellow-creatures, contribute much less to their benefit and comfort than they might, either from not obferving how frequently occafions for it prefent themfelves, or from not diftinguishing rightly the proper objects of their humane intentions. And therefore it may promote confiderably the practice of this duty, if we make fome reflexions, as the text leads us,

I. On the opportunities, which we have, of doing good.
II. On the choice of the persons, to whom we do it.'

I. The opportunities. Now thefe are fo many, of one fort or another, that fome have understood the apofile to fpeak here of our whole life, as one continued opportunity. And therefore, in the fentences before the communion, his words are tranflated, While we have time, let us do good unto all men. Life is the time allotted for this purpose. It must be for fome end, that we are placed together in fociety and it could not be for a worthier, than to copy and perfect in ourfelves the image of our Maker, by cultivating and exerting benevolent fpirit, one towards another. We were purposely made so necessitous and mutually dependent, that means for the exercise of mutual goodness might never be wanting. And indeed scarce a fingle part of our behaviour is of fo wholly an indifferent nature, but some of thofe about us will be, more or lefs, the better or the worse for it.

Confider, what unceafing opportunities there are of acting agreeably or difagreeably, even in the flightest intercourses of human life. One fhall be, as the fon of Sirach expreffes it, like a lion in his house *: terrible to all who approach him, ef

Ecclus iv. 30.

pecially