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ing, and Useless, and Unactive manner, are Culpable and Inexcufable.

We are instructed, that we must not live unto our SELVES, but unto the LORD; and that whatsoever we do, we must do all to the Glory of God: And our Saviour teacheth us, How we are to promote God's Glory; * Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much Fruit. All Holy Men have, in their feveral Proportions, answer'd the Character of the Baptift, who † was a burning and a fhining Light. They have been eminent for their Acts of Piety, teftifying their Conftancy and Fervency in the Worship of God; Eminent in the utmost Dangers, for the open Declaration and Profeffion of their Faith, for the Inftigation and Encouragement and Confirmation of others in it, in Oppofition to Profane and Gainfaying Men; Eminent for their Liberality and Charity, ‡ honouring God with their SUBSTANCE, as Solomon expreffeth it; Eminent for their Earneft Labours in Relieving the

John xv. 8.

† John v. 3.

+ Prov. iii. 9.

Oppreffed,

Oppreffed, Reducing the Vicious, Inftructing the Ignorant, Convincing the Erroneous, Strengthening the Weak, Satisfying the Doubtful, Exciting the Negligent, and Guarding Religion from the Attempts of its Enemies on every Side.

St. Paul's Greatest Glory is, that he Laboured more abundantly than they all, in promoting the Glory of God. When thefe Vigilant and Active, these Induftrious and Strenuous Inftruments of God's Honour shall appear in the Judgment, how Beautiful and Joyful, how Refplendent and Glorious will their Appearance be? And how contemptible, and difmal, and dejected must those other Thoughtless Creatures appear, who have fuffer'd their Lives to run down in Sloth and Indolence, Neglecting the Honour of their Maker? Whilft the One inherits the Glory of Good Works; the Other, having been unfruitful, muft fink under Shame and Confufion of Face. But,

2. The Actual Performance of Good Works will further appear necessary, when confider'd in Refpect of our Neighbour. For, next to the Advance

ment

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ment of God's Glory, which is the chief End, and therefore fhould be the chief Aim of every Rational Creature, the Good of Mankind demands the Exercife of Goodness at our Hands. And as it is observed above, that our Obligation to Glorifie God, does lay us under a Neceffity of all fuch Pofitive Duties, as may be fubfervient to that Great Purpose and does not confift in the pure Avoidance of Wicked Actions, which would reflect Dishonour upon him; fo here it is obvithat the Good which we are to do unto our Brethren, is Direct and Pofitive, and does not only confift in our forbearing to Hurt and Annoy them.

ous,

Under the Great Conflicts betwixt Kingdoms, in the direful State of War, That which Succours and Supports Another, in the Defence of its just Rights and Privileges, is intitled to the proper Glories of Beneficence; but that which ftands Neuter, deferves no Acknowledgments, because it confers no Benefits, and is but One Degree removed from the State of a professed Enemy. 'Tis by no means a fufficient Juftification,

which Men commonly offer in their own Favour, That they have done no Injury to their Neighbours; for wide is the Difference betwixt an Oppreffour and Benefactour, betwixt the Charitable and Injurious. It may eafily happen, that He who is not fo defperate as to become the One, is not yet found in the hopeful State of the Other. No Man can value himself, for Adding much to the Happiness of Mankind, purely on this Account, that he is not a Thief or a Robber. 'Tis not our keeping to the Letter of the Sixth Commandment, that fils up the Measure of Duty to our Neighbour, in regard to his Life; for as we must not destroy it, we stand Further obliged, to Protect it, and to Crown it with Comforts, by proper Acts of our own, to the utmost of our Power. 'Tis not fufficient that we do not Hate our Neighbour; but we must moreover Actually and Ardently love him, and give all poffible Demonstrations of that Love, by fuch Fruits of it, as may be most Beneficial to him: 'Tis not fufficient, that we do not covet any Thing that is His,

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but

but we must moreover communicate unto him that which is our Own, as His Exigencies require, and Our Abilities allow.

Thofe have little Reafon to expect Admiffion into the Society of the Bleffed Above, who do not Contribute their utmost to the Happiness of Humane Society upon Earth. When we are taught that the Fruitless Tree must be cut down, that it may not be an Incumbrance upon the World, which receives nó Advantage from it; what can thofe Unprofitable Souls think of themselves, which serve to no other Purpose, but to drag their Bodies through the Benefits of the Air, which they scarce deserve to breath in? Let them fo far apply the Parable, as to confider, that though they are let alone for this Year alfo, yet God's Long-fuffering will have a Period; and when they are Hewen down, they shall be cast into the Fire.

These Two Particulars are the Weightieft Arguments of our Obligations to Pofitive Duty, or the Actual exercise of Goodness; but ftill there are fome O

ther

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