AS there is no Virtue more excellent in its Na­ture, more honourable to our selves, or more useful to Mankind than that of Charity; so I do not know of any that has more Topicks to re­commend it. The Occasions of exercising this Duty are many and frequent, and they are often such as call upon the Ministers of the Gospel to inculcate and press it, and yet the Subject is not exhausted, but af­fords still ample Matter for our Meditation.

This Anniversary Meeting which we now celebrate, gives a succession of fit Opportunities for a Discourse of this Nature. And, blessed be God! it is a very noble Demonstration that these Discourses are not in [Page 2] vain; that they do move the Hearts and Affections of the Hearers, and that the Seed sown produces a plen­tiful Crop, to the Relief of Multitudes, some of which are the Ornament and Glory of the present Solemnity. And it must needs be a solid Comfort to all that are truly zealous for the Honour of our Holy Religion, to find, that among all the Corruptions of the Age which are so justly complain'd of, there is yet such a Spirit of Charity visible in this great City, as plainly shews that Christianity has a Life and Vigor among us, and that there are not wanting Numbers of those who make it appear that they love the Lord Iesus Christ, by their Pity and Compassion to his suffering Mem­bers.

What I am now to read to you is an ample Testi­mony in this Matter, viz.

These are indeed very good Tokens of a Christian Disposition among us; and it is the continuance, the growth, and the propagation of this Christian Dispo­sition, that is the main End of this Day's Assembly. And it must be confessed, that the Assembly it self is a very forcible Motive to it, where the Beauty, the Comfort, and the Usefulness of it appears by those numbers of poor Creatures who are relieved by it. And this cannot but have its effect upon all that see it, and must be felt without my Direction.

But the great Festival now depending determines my Thoughts to Arguments of another nature, and the Commemoration of the Resurrection of our Lord, which must enliven the Hopes of our own, urges me to press you to Charity and Compassion at this time, rather from the Fruit you your selves shall reap from it in another World, than that Support your indigent Brethren shall receive from it in this.

[Page 7] And for that reason I have made choice of these words, which are a part of the account that our Sa­viour himself gives of the great Resurrection, and of his coming to judgment at the end of the World. Which he begins at the 31. Verse, telling us, that When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall sepa­rate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And then follow the Words of my Text, Then shall the King say un­to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Fa­ther, &c.

Now these Words contain the most noble Arguments for mercy and pity, that can possibly be applyed to the mind of Man: All acts of compassion done to our wanting Brethren, are represented here as done to our Saviour himself, and are declared to be so taken and accepted. This acceptance is farther illustrated by the glorious Reward that attends them, a Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, and that will last when this World shall be no more: And further yet, by the particular place these works have, in the reason that is given for this wonderful retribution; for I was hun­gry, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink, &c. Where 'tis observable, that no other good works [Page 8] are mention'd, but those of Charity and Mercy; from whence, though we must by no means gather that good actions of other kinds will not be regarded, yet the least we can conclude, is, that these will have a peculiar degree of acceptance, and that the Charitable Man shall have a distinguishing share of the Character, The blessed of the Father. Now if Charity at the Re­surrection shall be, before Angels and men, thus ac­cepted, thus rewarded, and thus distinguish'd, and that by our Saviour himself, sitting in all the pomp of the last judgment; 'tis not easie to imagine any thing that can be so persuasive to move us, not only to exercise this Virtue, but to be zealous in promoting it, and desirous to excel in it: 'Tis a Consideration that will work on our Reason, our Gratitude, our Interest, and our Ambition, the most vigorous and active springs in human Nature; and it must be either not well illu­strated by the Preacher, or very ill considered by the hearers, if it does not make a very sensible and lasting impression on our Hearts.

I shall therefore confine my present discourse, to this threefold Argument for Charity and Pity, repre­sented in my Text; and shall distinctly offer to your reflection the several parts of it.

I. Our Saviour's accepting the Charity we shew to our distressed Brethren as done to himself.

[Page 9]II. The Reward which it shall meet with in the Re­surrection.

III. The distinction, and peculiar degrees of glory, that shall attend the Charitable Man in another Life.

I. I begin with the first, Our Saviour's accepting the charity we shew to our distressed Brethren, as done to him­self. That he does thus accept it, is sufficiently evident from the words in the Text, I was hungry and ye gave me meat, &c. But to make it yet more plain, and consequently the more to enforce the Duty, he frames an Answer from the Righteous, v. 37. &c. When saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? &c. Intimating, that they could not i­magine how they should be entitled to the merit of so many services to him, whom they had never seen in his state of humiliation; and that therefore, how great soever their Love to him were, they could not pretend to have had such occasions of expressing it; and this Answer our Saviour makes for them, to usher in his own reply. v. 40. Then the King shall answer, and say unto them, verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

If then, by this repetition and asseveration, it be put out of all doubt, that our Saviour does accept our Charity to his and our poor Brethren, as done to [Page 10] himself; it must be out of all doubt too, that it ought very nearly to affect us, and that whether we consider these words as giving a Rule for our direction, or an occasion for our gratitude.

I. If we consider this as a Rule for our direction, then the strength of it will be briefly this. Our Saviour is intimately affected with the wants of our Brethren, pi­ties their afflictions, commiserates their pain, grieves himself at their grief and sorrows, and has a fellow-feeling of their miseries; his tenderness is so great for them, that he reckons them his Friends, his Brethren, yea even Members of his Body, and parts of himself; the comfort or relief that is administred to them, is so acceptable to him, that he professes himself to feel a mighty satisfaction and comfort in it; and what can the consequence be less than, go thou and do likewise? Is there any better pattern for us to imitate? Or can we regulate our judgment and affections by a nobler Mo­del? Is the blessed Iesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, so nearly concerned for those that suf­fer? And shall we who carry his name, believe his Doctrine, and profess to imitate his example, have no concern at all, or but a cold and disproportion'd one? This sure is highly unfit and unreasonable; and there­fore, while our head professes this tenderness for all his Members, the Members ought to have a like compassi­on one for another, and whether one member suffer, all [Page 11] the members should suffer with it; or one member be com­forted, all the members should rejoyce with it; 1 Cor. 12. 26. Such force has the pity of our Saviour to command ours, if we consider him barely as our pat­tern and Example. But there are two reflexions un­der this head, which will make the impression yet deeper.

(1.) The first is, that our Saviour is in Heaven, at the right hand of his Father, remov'd far from all possi­bility of Suffering in his own person: He has over­come mortality, and all its Appendages, troubles, in­firmities, and even Death it self; and is in possession of a Kingdom, Glorious, Eternal, and exempt from all misfortunes; and yet in this state of immutable Hap­piness, he has this tender compassion for those who are combating with the calamities of this lower World. How much greater reason then have we, to have bow­els of Mercy toward those who suffer, since we our selves are in the same condemnation? Our persons and our condition are both here frail and uncertain, and we are subject to the very same miseries that any of our fellow Creatures suffer, and we do not know how soon providence may call us to be tryed by them. Now 'tis a moving Argument to pity, that the case we com­miserate may one day be our own; and the very re­flexion on what we would then desire for our selves, must melt us into Charity toward other men.

[Page 12](2.) And this puts us in mind of a second reflexi­on; that our Saviour has no other spring to move him to this tender regard of those who suffer, but his own infinite mercy and compassion; he can receive no real Retribution, and no Accession to his Happiness by it. He neither wants their prayers, their thanks, nor their returns. But our case is quite otherwise; the Alms we give may be amply repaid in fervent prayers, that will pierce the Skies for us, and not return till they have gain'd a Blessing on our persons or designs; the thanks and acknowledgments that follow our bounty, may increase our good name or our interest in the World; and an exemplary Charity to the poor and distressed, may entitle our selves or descendants to an universal assitance, when it shall be our turn to want it: And all these things have a strong influence upon human Nature, and must suggest, that if we are bound to imitate our Saviour, and to be merciful after his Example, barely for the fitness and rectitude of the thing in it self; then certainly we are still under grea­ter obligation, not only to tread in his steps, but to do it with zeal and constancy, when there are such con­current Arguments as these to quicken our resolutions and endeavours.

2. But our Saviour's acceptance of Charity as done to himself, does not only affect us as a Rule for us to i­mitate, but urges to the practice of this duty toward [Page 13] our Brethren, in gratitude to our Saviour to whom we owe so much. Our returns, as I before hinted, can­not properly reach him, nor can we really repay what he has done for us; and therefore if he directs our acknowledgments to any other Objects, whom he shall make his Proxies and Receivers, our debt to him must oblige us to pay what we can there. Since then our Saviour declares that the pity and the relief which we afford to persons distressed, shall be accounted as if it had been applyed to himself in person, the very same Arguments must move us to Charity and com­passion to the poor and miserable, that call for our gratitude to our Saviour and Redeemer. And one would think there should be no need to mention these; they are so many, that some of them must be always before us, and they are of that force that it is very hard to resist them. But since human Nature is too apt to be insensible, or cold, or forgetful, I shall crave leave to excite your Charity, as it is a piece of gratitude to our Saviour, on these four accounts.

(1.) As he is one that loves us; and that with such a degree of tenderness, as human affections can never measure, and human expressions can never de­scribe; he who is God blessed for evermore, left the bosom of his Father to dwell among us; he uni­ted himself to us, not in appearance only, but in na­ture; took our flesh and blood upon him, made us [Page 14] his Friends, his Brethren, and even Members of himself, undeserving, unprofitable, and rebellious as we were! And for no other reason that we can fathom, but his own good will and unmerited kindness, he distin­guish'd Man from those Noble Beings, that wanted a Redeemer as much as we; for he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but he took upon him the seed of Abra­ham. Now the most natural effect of Love, is to be­get Love again, and a Love resembling that which calls for it. And can we see what has so lov'd us, and what we ought so to love again, poor, and naked, and hungry, and griev'd, and grant no compassion or relief? And yet this is our case, when we are hard-hearted and uncharitable to our afflicted Brethren. 'Tis our Saviour that suffers in them, and calls for our help; and when we commiserate their condition, and supply their wants, we are but obliging and grateful to him that first lov'd us.

(2.) Our gratitude is due to our Saviour as he is our great Benefactor, as one whose love has not been bare Benevolence, but has flow'd to us in streams of unspeakable bounty; he has not only pityed our igno­rance and blindness, but has illuminated our minds, by a clear Revelation of the Will of God, and the Duty of Man; he compassions our weakness, and he sup­ports it by his constant Encouragement and Assistance; he intercedes for our pardon daily, when we do amiss; [Page 15] and he as daily offers his Grace, to enable us to do bet­ter; he protects us and guides us in this World, and has prepared Mansions for us in a future. And can we live under these, and infinite more continued blessings of the like nature, and never think of doing any thing in return? Benefactions do certainly create a debt, and though, may be, civil Laws do not take notice of it, or cannot enforce it, yet the Law of Na­ture does oblige us to re-payment. And if we can pay such debts as these, only by communicating some of our conveniences, perhaps only our superfluities, to Creatures like our selves, whose wants call for it, and whose comfort and ease, and sometimes even Life and Being depend upon it, sure we ought to be pleased with the occasion and to close with it, and rejoyce that our Saviour affords us any means, especially so rea­sonable and so grateful ones, of demonstrating our sense of his Love, and our gratitude for his Benefactions.

(3.) The compassionate Iesus is not only our Benefactor, but our Deliverer too, and has rescued us from the most intolerable Evils that human Nature could groan under; from the tyranny of sin, the wrath of God, and everlasting death. This is indeed one of his Benefactions, but I mention it distinctly, be­cause our sense of Evil is much more quick and af­fecting than that of Good, and deliverance from what hurts or torments us, does infinitely more oblige than [Page 16] additions made to our happiness; kindnesses and good turns that are done us in our prosperity, very often lose their price with us; our negligence overlooks them, or our pride undervalues them, or reckons them as due. But the Evils we lye under convince us of our frailty, and emptiness, and represent our deliverers as fraught with favour and obligations. How do we respect those who restore us to our health, from a painful or a tedi­ous sickness! How do we honour them who deliver us out of captivity or imprisonment, and bless them for the sweets of that liberty, which we regain by their help! And how do we magnifie that conduct, and that courage, which rescues us from a Tyranny on our Consciences, or oppression in our Rights or Estates! No Honour, no Zeal, no Service is thought enough; and truly scarce any is enough, to shew the inward feeling we have of such benefits. Now would we but apply this Argument to the present case, it would have more weight than it can in any other instance. No Deliverer can free us from such Evils as our Saviour has done; no Physitian can heal us like that Physitian of our Souls; no Conqueror can retrieve us from such a Captivity as that we were under to sin, or from such a Tyranny as that we were opprest with by Satan, who led us away captive at his will. And then the na­tural result must be, that all that we can do to testifie our acknowledgment is here most justly applyed, that [Page 17] whatever we can return is still too little, and our mind must always owe, what our actions cannot sufficient­ly express; and this should make us desirous of occa­sions for our Charity, ready in embracing 'em, and zealous in promoting the end of them. We should think we could never do good enough, to express our thankfulness to him who has deliver'd us from so much Evil; nor could we reckon our selves worthy of the Happiness we enjoy, while we could see any poor Members of our Saviour in misery, calling for our aid, and yet unreliev'd.

(4.) But there is one further reflexion, that im­proves all that has been yet said; and that is, that our Saviour rescued us from misery, by undergoing it himself, and became our Deliverer by becoming our Sacrifice. And this raises the Obligation to its full heighth, and must put the Soul upon its utmost stretch to answer it. All the other Topicks of gratitude car­ry along with them some invitation to the person that obliges us. To love even the unworthy, is the exercise of the most beautiful and charming quality of the mind; to do kindnesses to those about us, is a very pleasant way of being kind to our selves; to succour those who want it, and to relieve the oppressed, is to succour our own persons, and to relieve those yearn­ings, which the misery of others creates in us, by a kind of sympathy in human Nature. But suffering has [Page 18] nothing in it to make it agreeable, humanity shrinks at it, and cannot be reconciled to it; no resolution or courage embraces it for it self, and therefore he that suffers for us, cannot do it for his own, but meer­ly for our sakes, and so lays on us the purest and most improv'd obligation. But this our Saviour has done, and has suffer'd for us beyond what we can conceive, because we cannot comprehend the dignity of him that suffered, nor the weight of that wrath of God which he bare for us, and had a perfect sense of; in one word, he laid down his life, and underwent a painful and igno­minious death for us, upon the accursed Tree; and should we not account then that he has bought us with a price, and that our Life, our Bodies, and Souls are his? And if he may justly call us, to lay down even our lives for his sake, shall we be backward when he calls but for a small portion of what we can well spare, to his poor Family that wants it? Should any Man have so wonderful a love for another, as to lay down his own Head to save him from Execution, and should the Relations or Children of that very person fall to poverty and want, would not he that was sav'd by him from Death, reckon all that he had due to their relief? Now our Charity is dispensed not to the Relations or Family, but the very Members of our Sa­viour, nay to himself, for he alone still lives after Death, and is sensible of this return. And let this be [Page 19] considered, and I think the obligation cannot be further improv'd: Let a Man but reflect that the merciful Iesus was Scourged, and Pierc'd, and Crucifi'd for him; and let him but fancy that the hungry, the blind, and the Lame, in one word, all the miserable are the Members, the body of this bleeding and ex­piring Saviour, and then let him be hard-hearted and cruel if he can.

I have been the longer upon this Topick for our Charity, the gratitude we owe to our Saviour, be­cause I think it is the most moving one to a gene­rous disposition, and Charity should always flow from a disposition that is generous, and above the narrow designs of interest and self-love; but be­cause we cannot have too many tyes to so excellent a Virtue, and so great an ornament of our Nature, I must pass on to those which may work even upon them, who have some tincture of the Mercenary and Ambiti­ous. For,

II. The second motive to Charity contained in the Text, is an Argument of interest viz. The Reward it shall meet with in the Resurrection, expressed in these words, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. Now this is an expression that hints to us both the greatness and the continuance of that Happiness which the Charitable Man is encouraged to expect▪

[Page 20]The World has nothing greater than a Kingdom, at least nothing that men generally think greater, or covet more; and therefore since our conceptions of a future state, must be framed by notions taken up in this, there is no other way to describe it, but by an allusion to those things which are here the object of our desires or enjoyments. And for this Reason eternal Happiness is call'd a Kingdom, a Crown, a Throne, and the like; be­cause men who are in possession of these are supposed (how truly they best know who have them) to be in possession of all that is desirable in this Life; but since these are expressions suited to our conceptions, the mean­ing of them must be, that the Joys of Heaven shall e­qual, not what these things are in reality, (for perhaps that would not be worth our wishes,) but what our imaginations fancy they are; or that the ambitious can­not promise himself such charms in a Crown, as the charitable Man shall find in Heaven. But then, that Heaven may not lose its value with those men who judge best, that is, those who see the vanity of all, even the greatest things on Earth, the Scripture often sup­plies the defect of such similitudes as these by plainer Language; and assures us, that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to con­ceive, the things that God has laid up for them that love him. And we may add, for them who love their Brethren too.

[Page 21]Such is the weight of the glory that shall one day be revealed in the Charitable Man, and 'tis not the least Article in it, that it is a Glory which shall not be done away; for 'tis a Kingdom prepared from the Founda­tion of the World. 'Tis true, these Words seem at first sight only to denote the Certainty of this Reward, as that which the eternal purpose of God, which cannot fail, has prepared for good men; but they very well imply the Eternity of that state, and intimate that it is a part of that blessedness which God himself enjoys, which was before the World, and for that reason must be after it. They are created things only that are mortal, and what was from Eternity before this World was made, must be to Eternity when it is dissolved.

So that these two Considerations seem to involve all that can possibly be desired in any state, that it is per­fect Happiness, and that it will always be so; and if this be the Reward of the Charitable Man, then I think these three things are very plain.

1. That what we give away in Charity, is not lost; it is not a waste made of the good things we enjoy, as the selfish Man is apt to imagine, who thinks that pe­rished, which is remov'd from himself; 'tis but lent, and will be repaid in due time; for he that pityeth the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and look what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again. A little expectation will re-imburse us, and we may throw our bread upon the waters, and it [Page 22] will return to us after many days. It will probably enough find us on this side the Grave, but if not, it will make a sure return beyond it. The poor whom we relieve may never be in a capacity to recompense us, but their surety always is, and he will recompense us at the Resurrection of the just.

2. What we bestow in Charity, is better preserved for us, than it can possibly be by any other method. All the Matter of our Charity is subject to decay, and is corruptible in it self; 'tis Charity only that can pre­serve it for ever. The Bread we deal to the hungry, and the Drink we reach to the thirsty, would but mould and sour if we kept them by us. The Garments where­with we Cloath the naked, would be eaten up by Moths and Rottenness, if they were not employ'd. And even our Silver and Gold is exposed to Rust and Rapine, and at best can serve us no further than this present Life. Now this is but an insignificant moment of the great duration of man, which is to all Eternity. And for this reason that Virtue must be of wonderful Advantage to us, that can render these immortal, and make them use­ful in another Life. And yet this is certainly done by Charity and pity. He therefore is the wise Man, who does not lay up for himself treasure upon earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal, but lays up for himself treasure in heaven, where nei­ther rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thieves do not [Page 23] break through and steal. And he is the best friend to him­self, who is a kind friend and Benefactor to others, who makes to himself friends of the mammon of unrighteous­ness, who, when it fails, will receive him into everlasting habitations.

3. What we bestow in Charity is more improv'd, and brings us in greater advantage, than all our policy and success can produce by any other means. And this is the Argument that generally works upon an avaricious tem­per; the Covetous Man does not love barely to have his Gold kept, but to have it increase and multiply; and will be willing to place it, where he may be sure to receive his own again with usury. Now the encrease here is too visible to want illustration: We give a small Alms, and receive a Kingdom; a short repast, and have a continual feast for it: We Administer some of the com­forts of this Life, and are paid with the Ioys of a future; or we keep our Brother a little longer alive on Earth, and for it we live for ever with our Father which is in Heaven. Charity then does but sow for a wonderful Crop, and in due time it must reap above a thousand­fold if it faint not.

And what other way have we to bestow our wealth with such wisdom, in such security, and to such Advan­tage? Would we lock it up, and do no body good; or spend it in Luxury, and do our selves mischief by it? Would we throw it away vainly and prodigally, and [Page 24] be laught at; or make it an Instrument of Oppression, and be hated? Would we render our Riches Baits to raise the Desires of the strong, and provoke them to rob us; or to move the Envy of the malicious, and tempt them to destroy us? Or which is yet worse, would we lay up our Rest in them, make them our dependance, and place our Confidence in our Wealth; and so af­front Almighty God, and call down his Vengeance to dissipate our Fortunes, to plague our Bodies, and to damn our Souls? All other ways do but make what God design'd for our Comfort, to be to us an occasion of fall­ing. And who would not then take Charity for his Director in distributing his Worldly Goods, to please his God, to oblige his Saviour, to give his Brethren Support, and himself Immortality?

III. We come now to consider our third and last Motive to Charity. The Distinction and peculiar degrees of Glory which shall attend the Charitable Man in another Life. This is indeed an Argument proper to work upon our Ambition, and therefore may be thought to have no place here, since we can hardly imagine that there is room for Ambition in Heaven. The least Mansion in that blessed State will sufficiently fill all our Desires, and even surpass our Hopes; and to be a Door-keeper in the House of our God, will be a more honourable and happy Employment, than to govern in the Palaces of Princes.

But yet God represents to us in Scripture, that there [Page 25] are degrees of Happiness in another Life; and God ne­ver represents any thing in vain, but expects it should have its influence upon us. If he reveals to us that there are some Places in Heaven it self more desirable than others, it is for this end, that we may more desire them, and be more enflamed in our Affections, and more ear­nest in our Pursuit of them: For there is the very same reason for our more zealous prosecution of a greater Good, as there is for our prosecuting of Good at all. So that when greater degrees of Glory are proposed to in­vite us to Charity, 'tis that we may particularly en­gage in this Work, and promote it with more than ordinary Zeal; 'tis that we may endeavour to excel and be eminent in this Christian Duty here, as we would excel and be eminent in the Triumphant Church of Christ hereafter.

We do not know wherein will consist the distinction between Saints in Heaven, but whatever it is, it will be something that is excellent and desirable, and an Ac­cession to our Happiness; and we ought to believe it is worth striving for; and 'tis commendable, and what God expects from us, to aspire after it.

If it consist in greater Perfection in our selves, a no­bler exaltation of our Nature, and improvement of our Faculties; the common Principle of Self-love will carry us to desire it; and besides, all Perfection bringing us the nearer to God's Image, the Love of God too, which [Page 26] we shall have in Heaven in the greatest degree, and should have here in some proportion, should urge us to covet it as far as possible, and to endeavour to be as like him as we can.

If it consist in being more esteemed by the Angels and blessed Spirits, and more belov'd by the Saints, many of whom the Charitable Man may have reliev'd in their militant State; there is no good Man but would ear­nestly wish to approve himself to the Iudgment, and u­nite himself to the Affections of such glorious Beings as far as possibly he could; especially, since they are to be his Company to all Eternity; and the enjoyment of their Society is one great part of his Happiness.

Or if it consist in a greater share of the Love of God and our Saviour, a nearer approach to them, or a closer Insight into the glorious Excellencies of the Di­vine Nature; we cannot desire too ardently to have all possible Advantages for so delightful and ravishing a Contemplation, to come as near as we can to our God, the Fountain of all Perfection, to be as much as possible with him, and as dear as possible to him. Sure there is nothing more desireable than to follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth, and to be the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb.

There can be no question of this, that the greatest degrees of Glory in Heaven are to be endeavour'd af­ter with the greatest degrees of Affection and Earnest­ness; nor can it be doubted, but that our temporal Goods [Page 27] are most wisely dispensed in such acts of Pity and Charity, as may give us an expectation of this exceeding and eternal weight of Glory; all the difficulty is to find out the reason of this Distinction; and to know upon what grounds it is, that the Charitable Man is entitled to this wonderful Advantage, and that an Alms on Earth should find such acceptance in Heaven.

Now though we ought always to be entirely satisfy'd with the Justice and Reasonableness of God's Conduct, and to conclude that it must be necessarily wise and good, though we cannot see distinctly the reasons of it; yet because Man does not love an arbitrary Dealing, but is desirous to have his Understanding go along with his Will; and because it may perhaps be some further Motive to quicken our Charity, I shall point out two or three of those grounds, which we may probably guess do give Occasion to this Procedure; and those I shall but hint very briefly, and so conclude.

1. Because the Charitable Man most resembles God, in that Attribute which he professes himself most to de­light in, viz. his Mercy and Compassion. So that if there be different degrees of Happiness in Heaven, and these are to be attained by different degrees of Goodness on Earth, and this Goodness be nothing else but the Imita­tion of the Divine Perfections; then it may reasonably follow, that though the copying God's Iustice, Truth &c. may entitle us to a Reward, yet the copying of his Mercy [Page 28] will entitle us to the noblest part of it; because this mercy is what God is pleased himself to give the first place to, and which he exalts above all the rest of his Attributes.

2. Because the Charitable Man gives the truest signs both of the Love of God and of his Neighbour, which are the two great springs of all our Duties. He shews he loves God, because he will part with what men gene­rally love best for his sake, and that is his worldly pos­sessions. And he shews he loves his Neighbour, because he cannot bear that he should be afflicted, but brings him relief even without constraint. Now it seems but fit and agreeable, that he that best approves his love to God, should have distinguishing marks of God's love to him; and that he that best loves Mankind, should have the first place in the Happiness of Man.

3. Because the Charitable Man is one who most truly imitates our Saviour Iesus Christ, all whose Life among men was but one continued act of Charity to them. He went about doing good, healing the Sick, restoring sight to the blind, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, &c. nay 'tis very observable, that those very miracles which he did for the Confirmation of his Doctrine, which was directed to the good of the Souls of men, were generally such things as brought relief to their Bodies. Now if God has highly exalted the Man Christ Jesus, and given him a name above every name, and if our fol­lowing [Page 29] our Saviour to Heaven, depends upon our tread­ing in his steps here, the Charitable Man is prepared to be the nearest him in his Kingdom, who most resembles him in his Conduct.

4. Lastly, Because the Charitable Man is most like to be stored with all other Virtues and Graces that a­dorn a Christian; a generous contempt of this World, an unshaken Faith in the Promises of God, a relyance on his Providence, trust in his Protection, and obedience to his Authority; so that the command of being merciful as our heavenly father is merciful, very well Answers to the other, be perfect as your father which is in heaven is per­fect. And then, if Charity do thus draw after it all the rest of those Ornaments, which distinguish good Christi­ans in a mortal state, 'tis no wonder if it appears in the front of them in an immortal one, and that the Charita­ble men do shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father.

Thus have I endeavour'd to represent to you, as ful­ly as my short time would permit; the three moving Arguments to Charity and Compassion, contained in my Text. And what now remains, but earnestly to exhort all that hear me, that they would duly and frequently re­flect on these things; that they may be convinced, affect­ed and persuaded by them? If God does give us such encouragements as these, he does expect that they should not be given in vain; but that we should carefully at­tend [Page 30] to them, and be regulated by them, otherwise they will be but an Article to encrease our condemnation; and the three Sermons that this place yearly furnishes, will be a triple Testimony that will rise up in Iudgment a­gainst us▪ if they do not soften our hearts, and melt us into Compassion.

But God be thanked, it may be truly said to the Ho­nour of his great Name, and to the Reputation of this great City, that there is a plentiful spring of Charity flowing among us, and abundance of good men are rea­dy to give, if they did but know how to give wisely and discreetly; but shoals of vicious and idle Beggars fill our Streets, and call louder for the Correction of the Magistrate, than the Compassion of the people, and even the Charitable are afraid (and they have reason for it) that they shall Encourage Vice while they relieve the importunate.

Now this Assembly furnishes such good men with un­suspected Objects for the most abundant Charity, and with the most rational methods of dispensing it. The fi­delity and prudence of the Managers of the several Corpo­rations here before you▪ of which so much experience has been had, give a sufficient security, that what is be­stowed here, will be certainly laid out, with the great­est discretion, and to the greatest Advantage; and the variety of poor Creatures under their several care, gives us opportunity of gratifying the most different humours and inclinations.

[Page 31]Have we a Compassion for poor innocent Children and help­less Orphans; would we preserve their Lives, and make those Lives comfortable; would we bring them up in the Fear of God, and render them useful to the World, here is a Place, and Methods, and Objects; and nothing wanting but our Encou­ragement.

Do we pity the wounded, the sick, and the maimed, and would we administer Balm to their Comfort; here we may at present enliven their Hearts, by the sight of our Bounty; and in God's due time restore their Limbs or their Health by the application of it.

Have we an hospitable Care of the Stranger, and of those whom Necessity or Misfortune hath remov'd from their Friends and Relations; here we may act the part of Neighbours and Re­lations our selves; relieve their Wants, and conduct them home; and may at the same time exercise, though a harsher, yet as necessary and wholesome a piece of Charity, in contributing to the Correction and Confinement of the loose and vagrant, whose Example would be contagious, and their Impunity a snare to o­ther Men.

Are we truly sensible of the pityable Condition of those poor distracted Persons, who have not sense enough to pity them­selves; our Charity may here give them, I do not say Meat and Drink, but by the Blessing of Heaven, even Sense and sound Iudgment too; and we may raise up, from a kind of Death, our lost Brethren to a rational Life, who will be sure to sing the Praises of God, and of their Benefactors too, with their reviv'd Understandings.

Or have we in the last place a just Indignation at that Sloth and Beggary, into which Naughtiness and want of Discipline leads our poor Families; would we bring them to a sense of their Duty, and a love of honest Industry; would we prevent their being Vagabonds, or Thieves, or any thing that is worse, and make them useful Members of the Publick; here are the [Page 32] Instruments ready, and they want but our Assistance to perfect so glorious an Undertaking. And we have great reason not only to be exemplary in this sort of Charity, but to be diligent in persuading others to it, and earnest in our Prayers to God, that he would propagate the Example of this City through the Nation, and that he would open the Eyes of the whole King­dom, and move their Hearts, to joyn both Hands and Purses to this Reformation of the Poor; since it is the truest Compassion to their Souls and Bodies, and I may say, to the Publick it self, which groans under the Evil of their disorderly Lives, and will be never well reform'd, without such a Remedy:

The very Circumstances of all these plead for them more than any Arguments of human Eloquence, but not so much as the divine Rhetorick of the Text; we owe them Love, as they are Men; and Pity as they are miserable; but we owe them the most grateful and tender Returns, as they are Members of our Saviour. 'Tis him we comfort, 'tis the blessed Iesus himself we relieve, in these distressed Objects: For so we must believe, since he tells us himself, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren, you have done it unto me.

And yet, when all is done, the greatest Comfort is to our own Souls, and our Alms return into our own Bosom. What we sow in corruption, is raised in incorruption. and while we give to the poor and miserable on Earth, we do but purchase a glorious Inheritance in Heaven. Let us therefore go on vigorously in this Duty, and abound plenteously in this work of the Lord, and persevere in it; as knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; and if ever Coldness or Selfishness should obstruct our Progress, let us but bring before our Eyes the Sentence in the Text; he will hardly be backward who reads this Invitation, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. To which may God of his infi­nite Mercy bring us all. Amen.