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SER M. Administration of which he referves to himXVI. felf, how common and univerfal are They?

His Sun fhines, and his Rain falls, indifferently on All: and why then should not thofe Bleffings which He has entrusted with the Rich Men of this World, be freely and univerfally diftributed, as the Neceffities of poor Men require? What would the Richest of them all do, were the Supreme Creator, and Governour, of all things, quite Regardless of Them, and of their Well-being here below? They could not breath one Moment without his Concurrence; and he affords it them. They could not live, without his Sun, and his Air, and his Rain; and all thefe, by his Command, contribute to their Support. And this is a moft powerful Argument, That, when Others want what they have in Abundance, and what they can spare; They ought, with all Readiness to communicate it to their FellowCreatures. To refufe to do this, is indeed a moft ungrateful Return to that God who fhews himself, every Day and Hour, fo goodto Them. For to refufe to imitate Him in this, is not to thank him. Nay, it may juftly be taken as an affront to Himself, that, when He has communicated to Them of the Fullness of his own Happinefs, They have fo little a Sense of the Beauty of such Bene

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volence, as not to think it worthy of the SER M. moft natural Regard of Imitation. But,

3. We are obliged to this Beneficence, as we are Chriftians, to be guided now, and judged hereafter, by the Gospel We pretend to embrace. In that We are plainly taught, That whatever we have, over and above the Neceffities and Conveniences of Ourselves, and those in whom we are moft nearly concerned, is intrufted to Us for the Ufe and Benefit of Those who want it. To see our Brother have need, and to shut up our Bowels of Compaffion against him, is condemned by the fame Gospel, as a Sin: And if in Sins there be Degrees; We may fay that This is One of the moft unpardonable of all. The Duty of loving, that is, doing Good to, all our FellowCreatures, when their Diftreffes call upon Us, is fo often there repeated, and inculcated, that it is needless to be more particular. The Example fet before Us, in That, is Chrift Jefus, who was never weary of exerting his Power for the Relief, and Comfort, and Support, and Happiness, of all the World around him. The Account there given of the Day of Judgment, and the great and folemn Audit to come, turns all upon Charity; and reprefents the Cafe in this Manner. Have you fed the Hungry, clothed the Naked, enterZ 2 tained

XVI.

SERM. tained the Stranger, vifited and relieved the XVI. Sick, fupplied the Wants of all Mankind, as Wfar as you were able? If You have; You are

Thofe happy Difciples, to whom our Lord will fay, Come, ye bleffed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the Foundation of the World. If You have not; the Other Sentence is declared to belong to you, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting Fire. What can be a greater Demonftration of how great Value, in the Eyes of God, this univerfal Charity is, and of what a heinous Nature the contrary Vice is? And what can be a greater Argument to Us, to avoid the One, and practise the Other?

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of

Of the DUTY of CHRISTIANS under AFFLICTIONS.

SERMON XVII.

HEBREWS xii. II.

Now, no Chaftening for the prefent, feemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterwards, it yieldeth the peaceful Fruit of Righteousness, unto them which are exercised thereby.

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HIS, and the foregoing Verfes, certainly had reference to that Scene of Perfecution, to which the Profeffion and Practice of the Chriftian Religion expofed Men, in the first Ages of the Gospel. But the Application of them is fo natural to the common Calamities and Troubles which Men meet with in this World, even when the outward Profeffion of their Religion is secure and eafy that We may, very well, take Occafi

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SERM.

XVII.

SER M. on from them to discourse of thofe Afflictions, XVII. which Mortals feem to be born to, in this

State; the fevere Trials of their Faith and Trust in God, here; and the great Inftruments of Reward and Glory, hereafter, to Those who bear them as They ought to do, And, in order to treat this important Subject, in a manner which may be most useful to the Perfons moft deeply concerned in it,

I. I shall obferve the little Reason we have, any of us all, to expect to pass through this World without our Portion of Trouble and Affliction.

II. I fhall endeavour to fhew after what Manner we ought to bear thofe Afflictions, which may be faid to be our almost unavoidable Portion.

III. I fhall point out the great and prevailing Arguments there are, to engage us to bear them after the best and most reasonable Manner. And

IV. I fhall confider the great and unspeakable Advantages of thefe Afflictions to Thofe who are exercised therein, and who undergo them after this good and becoming Man

ner.

I. I fhall

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