674 Ofdoing Good. Vol. them to admit of any certain Rule ; fomèmay do well, and others may do better every Man, as God hath put into his Heart, and according to his Belief of the recompence which [hall be made at the refurreclion of the jug. I [hall only fay in ge- neral, that if there be frfi a free and willing Mind, that will make a Man chari- table to his Power ; For the liberal Man will devfe liberal things. And we cannot propofe a better Pattern to our felves in this kind, than the King and Queen, who are, as they ought to be (but as it very feldom happens) the molt bright and Mining Examples of this greateft of all Graces and Virtues, Charity and Com- paflìon to the poor and perfecuted. I proceed to the IV. Thingconliderable in the Text, viz. Ourunwearied Perfeverance inthis work of doing good, let us not be weary in well doing. After we have done Tome fewAda of Charity, yea tho' they Ihould be very confiderable, we mull not fit down and fay we have done enough. There will ftill be new Objeds, new Oc cafions, new Opportunities for the exercife of our Charity, fpringing up andpre- tenting themfelves to us. Let us never think, that we can do ètoough in the way of doing good. The bell and the happieft Beings are moli conftant and unwea- ry'd-in this work of doing good. The Holy Angels of God are continually em- ployed in miniJlring for the good of theft, who (hall hHeirs of Salvation : And the Son of God, when he appear'd in our Nature, and dwelt among us, that he might be a perfect and familiar Example to us of all Holinefs andVirtue, he went about doing good to the Bodies and to the Souls of Men. How diligent and un- weary'd was he in this work ! It was his Employment and his Pleafure, his Meat and Drink, the Joyand the Lifè of his Life. And God himfelf, tho' he is infinitely and perfeâly good in himfelf, yet he hill continues to do good, and is never wea- ry of this blefled work. It is the Nature, and the PerfeEtion, and the Felicity of God himfelf; and how can we be weary of that work, which is an Imitation of the higheft Excellency and Perfection; and the very E[fence of Happinefs! 'V. And laftly, Here is the Argument and Encouragement to the chearful di- fcharge of this Duty, becaufe in due feafon weJhall reap, if we faint not ; therefore as we haveopportunity, let us dogood unto all Men. In due feafon we Jhall reap, that is, fooner or later, in this World, or in the other, we fhali receive the full re- ward of our well-doing. And now I have explain'd this Duty to you, as plainly and briefly as I'could, the hardeft part of my Task is yet behind, to perfwade Men to the prshoe of it ; and to this purpofe I (hall only inlift upon the promife in the Text, le not weary in well - doing, for in due feafon ye 'hall reap, ifye faint not. We hall reap the píeafure and fatisfaction of it in our own Minds, and all the other mighty Advantages of it in this World, and the van and unspeakable Reward of it in the other. Fini, We {hall reap the Pleafure and Satisfaétion of it in our own Minds ; and there is no fenfual Pleafure that is comparable to the Delight Of Doing good. This Cato makes his boaft of as the great Comfort and Joy of his old Age, Con- fcientia benè atlas vitro, multorumque benefaftorum recordatio jucundifima. The re- membrance of a well-fpent Life, and of many Benefits and Kindneffes done by us to others, is one of themolt pleafant things in the World. Senfual Pleafures foon die and vanifh ; but that is not the worft of them, they leave a Sting be- hind them and when the Pleafure is 'gone, nothing remains but Guilt, and Trou- ble, and Repentance : whereas the Reflefhon upon any good we have done, is a perpetual Spring of Peace and Pleafure to us, and no Trouble and Bitternefs en- fees upon it ; the Thoughts of it lye even and eafie in our Minds, and fo often as it comes to our Remembrance, it minifters frefh Comfort to us. Secondly, We hall likewife reap other mighty Advantages by it in this World. It is the way toderive a lofting Bleffing upon our Eftates. What we give in Alms and Charity is confecrated to God, and is one of the cüiefeft and moll ac- ceptable Sacrifices in the ChriftianReligion ; fo the Apoftle tells us, Heb. r 3. 16. To dogood, and tocommunicate, forget not ; for with fuch Sacrifices Godis well plea- fed. It islike the Firft Fruits under the Law, which being dedicated and offered up to God, did derive a Blefling upon their whole Harvefl. And
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