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The bleffed angels, who behold the face of GoD con-S ERM. tinually, are as it were perfectly transformed into the image of the divine goodnefs, and therefore the work which with fo much chearfulness and vigour they employ themselves in, is to be "miniftring fpirits for the "good of the elect," to bring men to goodness, and to encourage, and affift, and comfort them in well-doing. And our bleffed LORD, when he was upon earth, did in nothing fhew himfelf more like the Son of God than in "going about doing good." And the wonderful works which he did, gave teftimony of his divinity, not fo much as they were acts of power as of goodness, and wrought for the benefit and advantage of men. And the true advantage of greatness, and wealth, and power, does not confift in this, that it fets men above others, but that it puts them in a capacity of doing more good than others. Men are apt to call them their betters, who are higher and richer than themfelves; but in a true and juft efteem of things, they only are our betters who do more good than we. From the meanest creature below us, up to God himself, they are the best and happiest and most perfect beings, who are most useful and beneficial to others, who have the moft power and the ftrongest inclinations to do good..

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III. To give," that is, to be beneficial and to do good to others, hath the happiness of a great reward. There is no grace or virtue whatfoever, which hath in fcripture the encouragement of more and greater promises than this, of happiness in general; of tem'poral happiness in this life; of happiness at death; and of everlasting happiness in the world to come.

1. For promifes of happiness in general. "He hath difperfed, he hath given to the poor, his righteoufnefs endureth for ever," that is, fhall never be forgotten, fhall not pafs unrewarded. Prov. xiv, 21. "He

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SERM." He that giveth to the poor, happy is he." Matt. CCXIII. v. 7. "Bleffed are the merciful, for they fhall obtain

mercy." Luke vi. 38. "Give, and it fhall be gi"ven unto you, good measure, preffed down, and "fhaken together, and running over, fhall men give "into your bofom: for with the fame measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again;" that is, according to our goodness and compaffion towards others, we must expect to find the charity of men, and the compaffions of GOD towards us. Job fpeaks as if some eminent and peculiar bleffing did attend and follow acts of charity, Job xxix. 13. "The bleffing "of him that was ready to perish, came upon me." 2. Promises of temporal happiness in this life. Pfal. xxxvii. 3. "Truft in the LORD, and do good: fo "fhalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou fhalt "be fed." Prov. xxviii. 27. " He that giveth to "the poor, fhall not lack." Nay, Gon hath promised to have a particular respect to fuch as do good, in every condition, and all kinds of troubles that befal them. Pfal. xli. 1, 2, 3. "Bleffed is he that con"fidereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in "time of trouble. The LORD will preferve him, and "keep him alive, and he fhall be bleffed upon the "earth; and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will "of his enemies. The LORD will ftrengthen him "upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all " his bed in his fickness."

3. Of happiness in death, "The righteous," saith Solomon, Prov, xiv. 32. "hath hope in his death." By the righteous in fcripture is frequently meant the merciful and good man. And fo it is to be underftood, as appears from the context, "He that oppref"feth the poor, reproacheth his Maker: but he that “honoureth him, hath mercy upon the poor. The

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"wicked is driven away in his wickednefs: but the S ERM. righteous hath hope in his death." If Gon defign to send calamities upon the earth, upon the place where the good man lives, which it would grieve him to fee, or which he might be involved in, fo as either: to make his life uncomfortable, or to cut him off by a violent death; GOD confiders the merciful man, and removes him out of the way, into a better and fafer place, Ifai. lvii. 1. "The merciful man is taken

away from the evil to come."

4. The promises of eternal life and happiness in the world to come. Luke xiv. 13, 14. "But when thou "makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame " and the blind: and thou shalt be bleffed. For they "cannot recompenfe thee: for thou shalt be recompenfed at the refurrection of the juft. And chap. xvi. 9. "And I fay unto you," faith our LORD, "make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness," that is, to do good with what you have," that when ye fail, they may receive you into "everlasting habitations." 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19.

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Charge them that are rich in this world, that they "be not high-minded, nor truft in uncertain riches; "but in the living God, who giveth us richly all "things to enjoy that they do good, that they be "rich in good works, ready to diftribute, willing to "communicate, laying up in store for themselves a

good foundation against the time to come, that "they may lay hold on eternal life." And the more to fix upon our minds the neceffity of doing good, especially in ways of mercy and charity, our LORD reprefents this as the great matter of enquiry at the great day of judgment. How they have behaved themfelves in this kind, what good they have done, or omitted and neglected to do, especially to those who

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SER M. are in mifery and want: and as if the fentence of eCCXIII. ternal happiness and mifery would accordingly pafs

upon them. And this, methinks, fhould make a mighty impression upon us, to think that when we fhall appear before the great judge of the world, we are to expect mercy from him according to the meafure that we have fhewed it to others.

And now if men be thoroughly convinced of the happiness of this temper, methinks it fhould be no difficult matter to perfuade them to it. If we believe this faying of our Logp, that it is more bleffed to "give, than to receive;" let us do accordingly.

I know that to carnal and earthly-minded men, this muft needs feem a new and wrong way to happinefs. For if we may judge of men's perfuafions by their practice (which feems to be a reasonable and good fure way of judging) I am afraid it will appear, that few believe this to be the way to happiness. If we mind the courfe of the world, and the actions of men, it is but too evident that moft men place their greatest felicity in receiving and getting the good things of this world; " almoft all feek their own things, and but "few the good of others. Many fay, who will fhew "us," who will do us "any good?" but few afk that queftion," what good thing fhall I do, that I may

inherit eternal life ?" And when our LORD tells men, that they muft "give to to the poor," if they would have "treasure in heaven;" that they must be charitable, if they would be happy; that "it is a more "blessed thing to give, than to receive;" thefe are fad and melancholy fayings to those who have great poffeffions; and most men are ready with the young man in the gospel, to part with our LORD, and to -break with him upon these terms.

But let us remember, that this was the faying of our

LORD

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LORD JESUS, whom we all profefs to believe, and to S ERM. imitate in all things: but more especially let us do fo in this, because it was not a bare speculation, a fine and glorious faying, like thofe of the philofophers, who faid great and glorious things, but did them not; but this was his conftant practice, the great work and bufinefs of his life. He who pronounced it the most blessed thing to do good, spent his whole life in this work, and "went about doing good." To this end all his activity and endeavours were bent. This was the life which GOD himself, when he was pleafed to become man, thought fit to lead in the world, " giving us " herein an example, that we should follow his fteps." He made full trial and experience of the happiness of this temper and fpirit; for he was all on the giving hand. He would receive no portion and share of the good things of this world; he refused the greatest offers. When the people would have made him a king, he withdrew and hid himself; he was contented to be worfe accommodated than the creatures below us. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have "nefts: but the Son of man hath not where to lay his "head." He would not fo much as have any fixed abode and habitation, that he might be at liberty" to

go about doing good." He received nothing but injuries and affronts, base and treacherous ufage from an ungrateful world, to whom he was fo great and fo univerfal a benefactor. The whole business of his life was to do good, and to fuffer evil for fo doing. So fixed and steady was he to his own principle and faying, "It is a more bleffed thing to give, than to re"ceive." He gave away all that he had to dous good, he parted with his glory and his life, "emptied himfelf, and became of no reputation; and being rich, for our fakes became poor, that we through his po"verty might be made rich."

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