God in their faces, administer to their the wants of others? "We could necessities, be temporal saviours not live without mercy." to them,-draw them out of the makes every creature helpful to waters of affliction with a silver us; the sun doth enrich us with cord of charity. That I may its golden beams-the earth yields persuade you to this, let me lay us its increase, veins of gold, before you arguments :crops of corn, store of flowers. First. Works of charity evi- God opens the treasury of his dence grace. mercy; he feeds us every day out of the alms-basket of his providence: "Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing," P's. cxlv. 16. Now, doth God supply our wants, and shall not we minister to the wants of others? Shall we be only as a sponge to suck in mercy, and not as breasts to milk it out to others? 1. Faith. James ii. 18., "I will show thee my faith by my works." Works are faith's letters of credence to show. We judge of the health of the body by the pulse where the blood stirs and operates: Christian, judge of the health of thy faith by the pulse of charity the word of God is the rule of faith, and good works are the witnesses of faith. 2. Love. Love loves mercy: it is a noble bountiful grace. Mary loved Christ, and how liberal was her love! She bestowed on Christ her tears, kisses, costly ointments. Love, like a full vessel, will have vent; it vents itself in acts of liberality. Secondly. To communicate to the necessities of others, is not arbitrary (it is not left to our choice whether we will or no), but it is a duty incumbent, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18., Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good, that they be rich in good works." This is not only a counsel, but a charge. If God should lay a charge upon the inanimate creatures, they would obey; if he should charge the rocks, they would send forth water; if he should charge the clouds, they would melt into showers; if he should charge the stones, they would become bread. And shall we be harder than the stones, not to obey God when he chargeth us to be rich in good works?" Thirdly. God supplies our wants, and shall not we supply Fourthly. Herein we resemble God, to be doing good to others. It is our excellency to be like God: godliness is God-likeness.' And wherein are we more like to him, than in acts of bounty and munificence ? Ps. cxix. 68., "Thou art good, and doest good.' "Thou art good,"-there is God's essential goodness; and "doest good,"-there is his communicative goodness. The more helpful we are to others, the more like we are to God; we cannot be like God in omnisciency, or in working miracles, but we may be like him in doing works of mercy. Fifthly. God remembers all our deeds of charity, and takes them kindly at our hands: Heb. vi. 10., " God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his name, in that you have ministered unto the saints." The chief butler may forget Joseph's kindness, but the Lord will not forget any kindness we shew to his people: Mat. xxv. 35., “I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink." Christ takes the kindness done to his saints, as done to himself. God, that hath a pour out the golden oil of salvabottle for your tears, hath a book tion to them; for "a cup of cold to write down your alms, Mal. water" they shall have "rivers iii. 16., "A book of remembrance of pleasure." Nay, God will was written before him." Ta- make it up some way or other in merlane had a register to write this life, Prov. xi. 25., “The down all the names and good ser- liberal soul shall be made fat;" vices of his soldiers: so, God as the loaves in breaking multihath a book of remembrance to plied; or, as the widow's oil inwrite down all your charitable creased in pouring out, 1 Kings works, and at the day of judg-xvii. 10. An estate may be imment there shall be an open and parted, yet not impaired." honourable mention made of them in presence of the angels. "" our Eighthly. To do good to others in necessity, keeps up the credit Sixthly. Hard-heartedness to of religion. Works of mercy them in misery reproacheth the adorn the gospel, as the fruit gospel. When men's hearts are adorns the tree; when like pieces of rocks, or as the scales light so shines that others see our of the leviathan, "shut up toge- good works," this glorifies God, ther as with a close seal," Job crowns religion, silenceth the xli. 15., you may as well extract lips of gainsayers. Basil saith, oil of flint, as the golden oil of nothing rendered the true religion charity out of their hearts. These more famous in the primitive unchristian themselves. Unmer- times, and made more proselytes cifulness is the sin of the heathen, to it, than the bounty and charity Rom. i. 31. Without mercy. It of the Christians. eclipseth the glory of the gospel. Ninthly, and lastly. The evil Doth the gospel teach unchari- that doth accrue by not preservtableness? Doth it not bid us ing the lives of others, and help"draw out thy soul to the hun- ing them in their necessities: God gry ?" Isa. lviii. 10. Tit. iii. 8., sends oft a secret moth into their "These things I will that thou estate, Prov. xi. 24., “There is affirm constantly, that they which that withholdeth more than is have believed in God, might be meet, but it tendeth to poverty.' careful to maintain good works." Prov. xxi. 13., "Whoso stoppeth While you relieve not such as are his ears at the cry of the poor, he in want, you walk antipodes to the also shall cry himself, but shall gospel; you cause it to be evil not be heard." James ii. 13., spoken of, and lay it open to the" He shall have judgment withlash and censure of others. Seventhly. There is nothing lost by relieving the necessitous. The Shunamite woman was kind to the prophet, she welcomed him to her house, and she received kindness from him another way; he restored her dead child to life, 2 Kings iv. 35. Such as are helpful to others, shall "find mercy to help in time of need." Such as pour out the golden oil of compassion to others, God will out mercy, that hath shewed no mercy." Dives denied Lazarus a crumb of bread, and Dives was denied a drop of water; Mat. xxv. 41, 42., "Depart from me, ye cursed; for I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat." Christ saith not, ye took away my meat; but “ ye gave me no meat ;" ye did not feed my members, therefore, " depart from me.' By all this, be ready to distribute to the necessities of T 2. It is implied, that we should endeavour to preserve the souls of others; counsel them about their souls, set life and death before them, help them to heaven. In the law, if one met his neighbour's ox or ass going astray, he must bring him back again, Exod. xxxiii. 4.,; much more, if we see our neighbour's soul going astray, we should use all means to bring him back to God by repentance. preserve our own life, so especially) to preserve our own souls. Omnia perdas animam servare memento. It is engraven upon every creature, as with the point of a diamond, that it should look to its own preservation. If the life of the body must be preserved, then much more the life of the soul. If he who doth not provide for his own house is worse than an infidel, 1 Tim. v. 8., then much more he who doth not provide for his own soul. This is a main thing implied in the commandment, a special care for the preserving our souls; the soul is the jewel, the soul is a diamond set in a ring of clay; Christ puts the soul in balance with the world, and it outweighs, Mat. xvi. 26. The soul is a vine glory shine; it hath in it some faint idea and resemblance of a Deity; it is a celestial spark lighted by the breath of God. The body was made of the dust, but the soul is of a more noble "God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.” 1. The soul is excellent in its 2d. In reference to ourselves. The commandment, "Thou shalt not kill," requires that we should preserve our own life and soul.-glass, in which some rays of di1. It is engraven upon every creature, that we should preserve our own natural life. We must be so far from self-murder, that we must do all we can to preserve our natural life; we must use all means of diet, exercise, and law-extract and original, Gen. ii. 7, ful recreation, which is like oil to preserve the lamp of life from going out. Some have been under temptation; Satan has suggested they are such sinners as do not nature. It is a spiritual being,deserve a bit of bread, and so they it is a kind of angelical thing,have been ready to starve them- the mind sparkles with knowselves this is contrary to this ledge, the will is crowned with sixth commandment "thou shalt liberty, and all the affections are do no murder;" it is implied, we as stars shining in their orb. The are to use all means for the pre- soul being spiritual, (1.) It is of servation of our own life, 1 Tim. quick operation. How quick are v. 23., "Drink no longer water, the motions of a spark! How but use a little wine for thy sto- swift the wing of a cherubim! mach's sake." Timothy was not So quick and agile is the motion by drinking too much water to of the soul. What is quicker overcool his stomach, and weaken than a thought? How many nature, but we must use means miles can the soul travel in an for self-preservation, "drink a instant! (2.) The soul, being little wine," &c. spiritual, moves upward,-it contemplates God and glory, Ps. lxxiii. 25., "Whom have I in 2. This commandment requires that we should endeavour (as to heaven but thee? The motion would but take as much care for of the soul is upward; only sin the saving of your souls, as you hath put a wrong bias upon the do for the getting of an estate: soul, and made it move too much nay, I will say this, do but take downward. (3.) The soul being as much care for the saving your spiritual, hath a self-moving souls as the devil doth for depower; it can subsist and move stroying them. O how induswhen the body is dead, as the trious is Satan to damn souls! mariner can subsist when the How doth he play the serpent in ship is broken. (4.) The soul, his subtle laying of snares to catch being spiritual, is immortal, æter- souls! How doth he shoot fiery nitatis gemma,— a bud of eter- darts; the devil is never idle; nity.' SCALIGER. the devil is a busy bishop in his diocese, he "walketh about seeking whom he may devour," 1 Pet. v. 8. Now, is not this a reasonable request, to take but as much care for the saving of your souls, as the devil doth for the destroying of them? 2. As the soul is excellent in its nature, so in its capacities. It is capable of grace, it is fit to be an associate and companion of angels. It is capable of communion with God, of being Christ's spouse, 2 Cor. xii. 15., That I might espouse your virgin souls to Christ. It is capable of being crowned with glory for ever. 0 then, carrying such precious souls about you, created with the breath of God, redeemed with the blood of God, what endeavours should you use for the saving of these souls! Let not the devil have your souls. Heliogabalus fed his lions with pheasants: the devil is called a roaring lion, feed him not with your souls. Besides the excellency of the soul, which may make you labour to get it saved, consider how sad it will be not to have the soul saved; it is such a loss as there is none like it; because, in losing the soul you lose a great many things with it. A merchant in losing his ship, loseth many things with it; he loseth money, jewels, spices, &e. so he that loseth his soul loseth Christ, the company of angels in heaven; it is an infinite loss, and it is an irreparable loss; it can never be made up again. Two eyes but one soul, CHRYS. O what care should be taken of the immortal soul! I would request but this of you, that you QUEST. How shall we do to get our souls saved? fied. Ans. By having them sanctiOnly the pure in heart shall see God." Get your souls inlaid and enamelled with holiness, 1 Pet. i. 16. It is not enough that we cease to do evil,' (which is all the evidence some have to shew), this is to lose heaven by short shooting; but we must be inwardly sanctified; not only the unclean spirit' must go out, but we must be filled with the Holy Ghost,' Eph. v. 18. This holiness must needs be, if you consider God is to dwell with you here, and you are to dwell with him hereafter. 6 First. God is to dwell with you here. God takes up the soul for his own lodging, Eph. iii. 17., "That Christ may dwell in your heart." Therefore the soul must be consecrated. A king's palace must be kept clean, especially his presence-chamber. "The body is the temple of the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. vi. 19., then the soul is the sanctum sanctorum: how holy ought that to be? Secondly. You are to dwell you love your souls, and would have them saved eternally, endeavour after holiness! By this means you will have an idoniety and fitness for the kingdom of heaven, and your souls will be saved in the day of the Lord with God. Heaven is an holy OF THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT. Exod. xx, 14., Thou shalt not commit adultery. GoD is a pure, holy spirit, and ii. 2. The first miracle he hath an infinite antipathy against wrought was at a marriage, when all uncleanness. In this com- he turned the water into wine. mandment, he hath entered his Marriage is a type and resemcaution against it, non machabe-blance of the mystical union beris,—“ Thou shalt not commit tween Christ and his Church, adultery." The sum of this com- Eph. v. 32. Concerning marmandment is, the preservation of riage, corporal purity. We must take 1st. There are general duties.heed of running on the rock of 1. The general duty of the husuncleanness, and so making ship- band is to rule, Eph. v. 23., wreck of our chastity. In this "The husband is the head of the commandment, there is something wife." The head is the seat of tacitly implied, and something rule and government; but he expressly forbidden. must rule with discretion. He is head, therefore must not rule without reason.-2. The general duty on the wife's part is submission. Eph. v. 22., " Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord.' is observable, the Holy Ghost passed by Sarah's failings, he doth not mention her unbelief, but he takes notice of that which was good in her, her reverence and obedience to her husband, 1 Pet. iii. 6., "Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord." I. Something tacitly implied, viz. That the ordinance of marriage should be observed. II. Something expressly forbidden, viz. The infecting ourselves with bodily pollutions, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." It I. Something implied, that the ordinance of marriage should be observed, 1 Cor. vii. 2., "Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed 2d. Special duties belonging to undefiled," Heb. xiii. 4. God did marriage, are love and fidelity. institute marriage in paradise'; 1. Love, Eph. v 25., Love is the he brought the woman to the marriage of the affections. There man, Gen. ii. 22. He did, as it is, as it were, but one heart in were, give them in marriage. two bodies; love lines the yoke And Jesus Christ did honour and makes it easy; love perfumes marriage with his presence, John the marriage relation, without |