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(according to the ordinary Course and Event of Things) in what Condition or Circumftances foever he is placed, than to do all the Good he can in his Life; fo that though a Man that lays out himself in this way, seems only to refpect the Good of other People, yet in true Reckoning he most confults his own Profit.

For to do Good, is the natural way to raise us Friends, who fhall be oblig'd to contribute their Endeavours to the furthering our honeft Defigns; to the upholding and fecuring us in our Profperity, and to the fuccouring and relieving us when we are in any evil Circumftances. Such is the Contrivance and the Conftitution of this World, that no Man can fubfift of himself, but ftands in continual Need of others, both for their comfortable Society, and their neceffary Affiftance in his Affairs. Now of all Men living, the good Man, who maketh it his Business to oblige all about him, is most likely to be the best befriended.

To do Good, is the trueft way to procure to a Man's felf a good Name and Reputation in the World; which, as it is a Thing defirable upon many Accounts, fo it is a fingular Advantage to a Man for the carrying on his fecular Defigns. Nay, to do Good, is to embalm a Man's Name, and to tranfmit it with a Prov. 1o.grateful Odour to Pofterity. The Memory of a good Man fhall be bleffed. And the Senfe of Mankind has always been, that too much Honour could not be given to the Name of

7.

thofe

thofe that have done good in their Gene

ration.

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

Nay, farther, to do Good, is to entail a Bleffing upon our Children after us. I have been Ib. v. 25. joung, and now am old, (faith the fame Pfalmift) yet faw 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) fuch an one faw I never forfaken, nor his Seed begging their Bread.

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

Exercife of Charity and Beneficence is tru ly a Gratification of our natural Inclinations and Appetites, as any other Action or Thing that causeth 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 must the Delight that arifeth from that Gratification, be more exquifite. So that it was no very great Hyperbole of our Divine Poet, when he said, that

All Foys go leß,

Than that one foy of doing Kindneffes.

And, which is farther to be confidered, it is not with this Pleasure, as it is with most 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 permanent 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 Anguifh and Torment to us upon our Reflections on them, these 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 eafy at our Death, let us do all the Good we can.

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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 purfue 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 those visible 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 despicable, but yields us Opportunities of doing Good. There is neither 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 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 Chriftians 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 Use 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 Chrift, and with every Body Politick. There is a Neceffity both in the Church and in the State, that there fhould be variety of Functions and Callings, and Degrees and Conditions. There must be some to govern, and fome to be governed; there must be some more confpicuous, fome more obfcure; fome whofe Gifts and Endowments lie this way, and fome whofe Talents lie in another way; and yet there is not one of thefe 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 Respects every individual Perfon that is a Member of

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