184 SERMONS upon the SERDn. XXIII. the Flefh ; Bid the Poor they have alwayes with them : Kindnefs to thefè, is Kindnels to him. Again, Among thefe he dotti not mention the molt Eminent, the Pro- phets and Apoftles, or the great Inflruments of his Glory in the. World ; but the leaf' of his Brethren ; even thofe that are not only little and defpicable in theelleem of the World, but thofe that are little and defpicable in the Church, in refpe b of others that are of more eminent Ufe and Service. Again, The leaf' I(jndnefs ffiewn unto them ; Mat. s o. 42. Whofoever fhalIgive to drink; to one cf ti% little ones; a Cup of cold water in the name of a Difciple ; verily I fay unto you, he !hall in no wife lofe his reward. He had fpoken before of kindnefs to Prophets, and righte- ous Men, Men of Eminent Gifts and Graces ; then ordinary Difciples; among, there, the leaf' and moil contemptible, either as to outward Condition, or State of Life, or to Ufe and Service ; and, it may be, inward Grace. Now all this fhew- eth what value Chrift fets upon the meanefl Chriftians, and the fmallefl and mean- eft Refpen that is fhewed them : The, finallnefs and meannefs of the Benefit, fhall - not diminilh. -his Efleem of your Affenion : any thing done to his People, as his People, will be owned and noted. When the Saints, that newly came, from the Neglens and Scorns of an unbelieving World, (hall fee and hear all this, what caufe will they have to wonder, and fay, Lord, who path owned thee in the/e ? Alas, in the World all is quite contrary : Let a Man profefs Chrift, and refemble Chrift in a lively manner, and own Chrifl, thoroughly ; prefently he is .( ) let up for a Sign of Contradiction ; and that, not only among Pagans, but Profef. fing Chriftians ; yea, by thofe that would feem to be of great note in the Church, as the Cornerfone was refufed ,by the Builders, t Pet. 2.. 7. And therefore, when Chrift taketh himfelf to be fo concerned in their Benefits and Injuries, they have caufe to wonder.: Chrift was in there, and the World knew it not. (3.) At the Greatnefs of the Reward : That he fhould not only take notice of there Aas of Kindnefs, but fo amply remunerate them. In the Rewards of Grace God worketh beyond humane Imagination and Apprehenfion : r Cor. 2.9.. Eye bath not feen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred into the Heart of Man, the things God bath prepared for them that love him. We cannot, by all that we fee and hear in this World, which are the Senfes of Learning, form a Conception large enough for the Bleffednefs of this Eflate : Enjoyers and Beholders will wonder at the Grace, and Bounty, and Power of their Redeemer 'Tis tranfcendent, hyperbolical weight of Glory, 2 Cor. 4. r 7. Where is any thing that they can door fuller, that is wor- thy to be mentioned, or compared with fo great a Recompence ? When thefe Bo- dies of Earth, and Bodies of Duff, !hall chine like the Stars in Brightnefs ; thefe fublitne Souls of ours fee God face to face; thefe wavering and inconflant Hearts of ours !hall be immutably and indeclinably faffned, to love him, and ferve him, and praife him ; as without Defe&ion, fo without Iatermillion and Interruption ; and our Ignominy turned into Honour, and our Mifery into everlafling Happiness. Lord, what Work of ours can be produced, as to bè rewarded with fo great a Bleffednefs ! U S E. That which we learn from this .2uefion of theirs, fuppofed to be con- ceived upon thefe Grounds, is, (s.). An humble Senfe of all that we do for God. The Righteous remember not any thing that they did, worthy of ChrifPs Notice ; and we fhould be like-minded : Nehem. 13. 22. Remember me, 0 my God; concerning this alfo, and /pare me according to the Greatnefs of thy Mercy. When we have done our bell, we had need to be fpared and forgiven, rather than rewarded. On the contrary, Luk. x8. r r. The Pha- rifee flood and prayed thus to himfelf : God I thank thee, that I am not as other Men are, Extorioners, Vnjuft, Adulterers, or even as this Publican. And thofe, /fit. 58. 3. Where- fore- have we failed, fay they, and thou feel? not ? wherefore have have aficled our Souls, and thou takelt no Knowledge. They challenge God for their Work. None more apt to reft in their own Righteoufnefs, than they that have the leaf' Caufe. Formal .Duties do not difcover Weaknefs ; and fo Men are apt to be puffed up : they fearch little, and fo rell in fume outward things. 'Tis no great Charge to maintain pain- ted Fire. The Subftántial Duties of Chriftianity, fuch as Faith and Repentance, im- ply Self - humbling ; but external things produce Self exalting." They put the Soul to no it refs. Loaden Boughs 'hang the Head moll ; fo are holy Chriftians molt humble : None labour fo much as they do, in working out their Salvation ;- and none
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