Serm. XXVI. The Bleffednefs ofGood .Men, after Death. 19 i IL Here is a mighty encouragement to Piety and Virtue, to confider that all the good we do in this World will accompany us into the other. Bleffed are the dead which die in the Lord ; for their works accompany them. When we come to die, we can call nothing our own but the Good Workswhich by the Grace of God we have been enabled to do in this Life. Thefe will Rick by us, and bear us company into the other World, when we shall be script of all other Things, and forc'd to part from them, whether we will or no. Our Riches and our Honours, our Senfual Pleafures and Delights will, all take their leave of us, when we leave this World ; nay, many times theydo not accompany us fo fat as the Grave, but leave us very unkindly and unfeafonably, when we have the greatelt need and de of them. There is one way indeed, whereby we may fecure our Riches, and make fure Friends to our felves of them ,, by laying them out in Charity. By this means we May fend them before us, and confign them over to another World, to make way for our reception there. So our Lord affures us, Luke 12. 33. that by giving Alms we provide our felves bags which wax not old, a treafure in the Heavens which faaileth not ; and Luke 16. g. that by this waywe may make to our felves friends of the Mammon ofunrighteoufnefs ; that when we fail, they may receive us into everla/ling habitations. The Mammon ofunrighteoufnefs, What is that ? It is what the Scripture elfewhere calls deceitful riches ; becaufe in other ways, in which Men commonly lay them out, they turn to no certain account, but one way or other do deceive and fruftrate our Expeftation : by difpofiug of them in Charity, to the relief of the Poor and Perfecuted, we make fore Friends of them, and confign the Effefts of them to our certain Benefit and Advantage in another World. And as Charity, fo likewife all other Graces andVirtues are that goodpart which cannot be taken awayfrom us. All the good Altions that we do in this Life, will go with us to the'Grave, and bear us company into the other World, and will Rand by us, when we come to appear before our Judge, and through the Merits of our Bleffed Saviour will procure for us, at the Hands of a Gracious and Merciful God, a moft Ample and Eternal Reward. And what an encouragement is this to HolineE and Virtue, to confider that it will be all our own another day, and turn to our unfpeakable advantage at our great Account! To be affured, that whoever ferves God faithfully, lays up fo much Treafure for himfelf, which he may take along with him into the other World ; And does provide for himfelf failing Comforts and faithful Companion% which will never leave him nor forsake him ; a HappinefsLarge as his Defires, and Durable and Immortal as his Soul ! Let us then do all thegood that poffibly we can, whirl We have opportunity : Let us ferve God induftrioufly, and with all our Might, knowing that no good Aftion that we do shall be loft and fall to the ground, that no Grace and Virtue that we praftife in this Life, nor any Degree of them, fhall lofe their Reward. If we faithfully improve the Talents, which are committed to us, to our Matters ad= vantage ; when he comes to call us to an Account, and finds that we have doge fo, we (hall not fail to receive both his Approbation and Reward. And what a Com- fort will it be to any oneof us, to hear thofe Bleffed words from the Mouth of our Lord ; Well done thougoodandfaithful fervant, thou hall been faithful in a little, Iwill make thee ruler over much ; enter thou into thejoy of thy Lord ! We fhall not need to plead our Services to him, and put him in Mind of them : Our Judge himfelf will celebrate our good Deeds upon the Theatre of the World, and commemorate them to Our advantage; and interpret every good Office we have done, to any of his Poor and Ali-lilted Members, as if it had been a Kindnefs im- mediately done to himfelf. So our Lord reprefents the Proceedings of the great Judge and Kingof the World, in the great day of Recompense, Matth. 25. 34. Thenfhall the King fayunto them on his right hand, Comeye blessed of-My Father in- herit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World. For Iwas an hungred, and ye gave me meat : I.was thirsty, andye gave nee drink : I was a franger, andye took me in; naked andye cloathedme : I was lick, and ye vi- frred
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