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lating Words, the good and beneficial Actions of Mercy, fink with fuch deep Impreffion into our Souls, do fo affect and melt down our fenfible Nature, and refresh our Bowels, that our Relief feems to over-balance our Sufferings, and we could well-nigh be content to be miferable to receive Mercy. When the Days of Affliction have taken hold of us, and our Calamities rush in upon us like a wide breaking in of Waters; when we are reduced to say with the Pfalmift, Thy Rebuke hath broken me, I am full of Heaviness, I look'd for fome to have pity on me, but lo! there was none, neither found I any to comfort me ; if Compaffion approaches a Soul in this State, if its Condition be but lamented and not affifted, the deep Affections which transfuse it, can be express'd by no Tongue, nor conceived by any Heart, but fuch as have felt them. It is recorded as an Instance of the Goodness

of

of God, That he made all thofe, that carried away the Children of Ifrael into Captivity, to pity them.

As there is no Capacity of our Nature fo abundantly furnish'd with Objects and Occafions for its Exercife, fo the Gratification of it yields us a more fincere Pleasure than any other whatsoever; it is most agreeable to our Reason, and delightful to our Consciences; the largest and most repeated Indulgence of it leaves behind it no Loathing or Weariness. Most of our other Affections are grofs and more material, narrow and felfish, and too often outrageous and violent, difordering our whole Fabrick by their impetuous Sallies: Mercy is more mild and generous; it has a Softness and Tenderness in its Principles as well as Effects; and yields the Agent, as well as Patient, an inexpreffible Complacency.

St.

St. Paul compares the Church of Christ to a Human Body, and afferts that there's a like Senfe of the Mifery or Happiness of particular Members in each; Whether one Member fuffers, all the Members fuffer with it; or one Member be honoured, all the Members rejoice with it. It is impoffible to fet the officious Courtesy of a Society of Men, Masters of their Affections, in a stronger Light; neither can we conceive a better Teft of Church-Membership than this is.

It is difficult to give up a Subject fo engaging and copious; but I proceed particularly to the Case of the Stranger.

As God has fet before us his Mercy as the Example of our Imitation; as he continually, throughout the Scriptures, expreffes his especial Regard to the Stranger; fo, would we be Followers of God as dear Children, would we be merciful as our heavenly

heavenly Father is merciful, we must obferve thofe Rules of Mercy which he has prefcribed to himself and us, and direct it to thofe Objects which he has pointed out to us. He loveth the Stranger, in giving him Food and Raiment; love ye therefore the Stranger.

Deut. 10. 18, 19.

If we blindly follow thofe Impulses which are merely animal, 'tis not unlikely but our whole Beneficence may be directed to thofe few Perfons who may be endeared to us by Relation, Conversation, or Similitude of Temper; but if we admit our Guide, Affifted Reafon, it will foon break off this narrow Commerce, and extend our Loving-kindness: It will fhew us that our whole Species are our Brethren, and the Samaritan our Neighbour; that every one who wants our Relief, is the proper Object of it; and he who wants it moft, the most

proper.

And

And here the Cafe of the Stranger will appear very strong, who is not only equally expos'd with other Men to the ordinary Calamities of Life, but must neceffarily be deftitute of all thofe Comforts which arife out of Friendship and Converfation; befides this, he must be more obnoxious to Injuries and Abuses, Affront and Ridicule; and these must fall with a double Weight on him who has no Friend to refort unto to unbofom his Soul; no Advocate for his Caufe, or Avenof his Quarrel. There feems to be fomething very emphatical in this Denunciation of God's on his People; I will deliver you into the Hands of Strangers, and will execute Fudgments among you. Where thou art a Stranger, fays the Son of Sirach, thou dar'ft not open thy mouth. The Widow, the Fatherless, and the Stranger, are commonly joined together in the Scriptures as Perfons under the most

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forlorn

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