those that have done good in their Gene ration.

But, which is a great deal more than all this, to do Good is the moft certain effectual Means to procure the Bleffing of God upon our Endeavours, and to entitle' ourselves to his more especial Care and Providence, and Protection: So that, let what will come, in all Circumftances and Conditions, the good Man has the greatest Affurance, that all Things shall at least be tolerably well with him, and that he shall never be miferable. Trust in the Lord (faith David) and be doing Good, fo Pfal. 37. fhalt thou dwell in the Land, and verily thou Ver.3. fhalt be fed.

Nay, farther, to do Good, is to entail a Bleffing upon our Children after us. I have been Ib. v. 25. young, and now am old, (faith the fame Pfalmift) yet far I never the Righteous, (that is the merciful and good Man, for that is the Notion of the Word in that Place, and in most others) such an one saw I never forfaken, nor his Seed begging their Bread.

Laftly, To conclude this Point, to do Good (befides all these Advantages that attend it) is moft to confult our own Peace, and to make the best Provifion poffible for our Pleasure and Delight. Charity (as Dr. Hammond ufed to fay) is really a Piece of Senfuality. And Epicurus himself, the great Master of Voluptuousness, would confefs, that it was not only more brave, but more pleasant, to do Kindneffes, than to receive them. And certainly every good Man will find it fo; for as the

Exercise

Excrcife of Charity and Beneficence is truly a Gratification of our natural Inclinations and Appetites, as any other Action or Thing that caufeth Pleasure to us; fo it is alfo a Gratification of thofe Appetites, which are the highest and the nobleft we have. Now, by how much the Appetite that is gratify'd is more noble and divine, by fo much muft the Delight that arifeth from that Gratification, be more exquifite. So that it was no very great Hyperbole of our Divine Poet, when he faid, that

All Foys go lefs,
Than that one Joy of doing Kindnesses.

And, which is farther to be confidered, it is not with this Pleafure, as it is with moft others that vanish with the Enjoyment, nay, often leave Bitterness and Melancholy upon the Mind after they are gone off: For to do Good, is a parmanent Pleasure, a Pleasure that will last as long as our Lives. The Memory of our good Actions will always be accompanied with Delight and Satisfaction: when all our other paft Enjoyments prove Matters of Anguish and Torment to us upon our Reflections on them, thefe will be a Refreshment: and the nearer we approach to Death, ftill the more Comfort we fhall find in them. Would we, therefore, treasure up to ourselves a Stock of lafting Peace and Joy to fupport us in all Conditions of our Life, and fo make our Paffage easy at our Death, let us do all the Good we can.

I think

I think I have faid enough to convince any one of the Truth of Solomon's Propofition, that there is nothing better for a Man, nothing that more concerns him either in point of Duty or Happiness, than to do Good in his Life. Much more might be faid, and what hath been said, might have been faid with more Advantage, and greater Evidence, if it had been fit to infift upon every Particular: But I will pursue this Argument no farther, but proceed to the Second General Point I propos'd: which is to fet before you the Practicableness of this great Duty, by fhewing the feveral Ways which every Perfon, though in the meaneft Circumftances, is capable of doing Good.

A great many there are, that are as ftrongly convinced as may be, that 'tis both their Intereft and Duty to be doing Good in their Lives; but they complain that it is not in their Power, they have not any Means or Opportunities for it, and they bemoan themfelves fadly upon this Account, as thinking their Lives ufelefs, because they have not thofe vifible Capacities of being ferviceable to the World that others have.

To fuch as thefe, let me fay, This in the general: There is no Condition in the World) fo mean and defpicable, but yields us Opportunities of doing Good. There is either Old nor Young, Man nor Woman, Rich nor Poor, High nor Low, Learned nor Unlearned, but in their Sphere, by a good Husbandry of thofe Talents that God has intrufted to their Care and Management, they may be very VOL. I. ufeful

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useful to others, and prove Inftruments of much Good in their Generations.

This Truth St. Paul moft elegantly fets forth in 1 Cor. 12. where he compares the Society of Christians to a natural Body. There he fhews, that as in the natural Body there are many Members, and all thofe Members have not the fame Dignity and Honour, nor the fame Ufe or Office; and yet every Member (even the meaneft) hath its particular Ufe, by which it doth real Service to the Body; nay, fo useful it is, that the Body cannot be without it: So it is with the Church of Christ, and with every Body Politick. There is a Neceffity both in the Church and in the State, that there should be variety of Functions and Callings, and Degrees and Conditions. There must be fome to govern, and fome to be governed; there must be fome more confpicuous, fome more obfcure; fome whose Gifts and Endowments lie this Way, and fome whofe Talents lie in another Way; and yet there is not one of these but in his Degree and Station, either is or may be as useful as any that belong to the Society. So that the Eye cannot fay to the Hand (as our Apostle there expreffeth it) I have no need of thee. Nor again, the Head to the Feet, I have no need of you: Nay, more, thofe Members of the Body (as he continues) that feem to be most feeble, are yet very necessary.

To reduce the Apoftle's Notion to its Particulars, or to fhew in how many Refpects every individual Perfon that is a Member of

a So

à Society, is neceffary to the Publick and either doth, or may ferve the Weal of it, and fo do Good in his Life, is a Task too great for me to undertake at this Time; let it fuffice at the present, to propose to you these General Heads.

First of all, None can want Opportunities of doing Good that is in a Capacity of performing any Acts of Mercy or Charity, ftrictly fo called, whether that Charity be fhewn to the Bodies or Souls of Men. Now the Inftances and Expreffions of this Way of doing Good are infinite, as infinite as are the Wants and Neceffities of Mankind.

To the Bodies of Men we do Good, whenéver we contribute to the relieving and easing them of the outward Preffures and Wants, and Neceffities they lie under: fuch as Sickness, Pain, Poverty, Hunger, Nakedness, Debts, Imprisonment, or any other outward Afflicti on that falls upon them; whether that Ease and Relief be effected by our Purse, or by our Counsel and Advice, or by our Labour and Pains.

And fure some of thefe Three Things, there is none fo mean or inconfiderable in the World,but it is in his Power to benefit his poor Neighbour with.

To the Souls of Men we do good, whenever by our Difcourfes or other Endeavours, we make Men better or wifer; when we inftruct the Ignorant, when we fatisfy the Doubtful, when we reduce those that are mifled by Error, when we establish the Weak,

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when