First, That common Humanity obliges us to do all the Good we possibly can to our Brethren by Nature, (d) to those who are made after the same Image of God with our selves; who have the same original Perfections, and Imperfections too; and whose Wants we cannot but know, and even feel in some Measure, by a Consciousness of the same in our selves, and a Sense of Uneasiness under them, till we have happily found a Relief and Supply for them. The universal Likeness of all Men to one another in the Effentials of a common Nature, speaks loudly for a sympathizing Regard to the most distant Partakers of it, when it is in our Power to shew it. This makes every Man a Citizen of the World, and not of one particular Place only; and ic founds a near and close Relation between those Inhabitants of the Earth, who

(d) Quæ eft igitur melior in hominum genere natura, quam eorum qui se natos ad homines juvandos, tutandos, confervandos, arbitrantur? Tullii Tuscul. Quæst. Lib. 1. Cap. 14

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who are the most remote from one another. Col. iii. In this respect also there is neither Jew nor Gentile, Barbarian, Scythian, Bond nor Free, but every Man is a Brother, and should be a Friend to every Man, as they are all derived from the same common Parent, and partake of the fame common Nature. Upon this Account therefore it is highly just and reasonable that we should wish well to all Mankind, and do them all the Good we possibly can. That we should conclude, whatever we find a real Blessing to our felves, will be so to them too when they have it; and that we cannot, without being void of natural Affection, withhold it from them when it is in our Power to confer it. Nay, it is even in some Measure starving our own Bowels when we do so, and punishing our selves in others, and disowning with intolerable Pride and ill Nature the common Relation of Humanity between our felves and the reft of Mankind.

Secondly,

Secondly, The Obligation to act as the general Proposition requires, with respect to the Communicating to others a Share in those Blessings we enjoy our selves, arises from hence also, that they are, for the most part at least, given to us by the Author of all Blessings, with this View, that we should be as willing to confer them upon others, as we are to enjoy them our selves; and (as our blessed Saviour expressed it to his Apostles, with respect to the Gospel in particular) to give as freely as we Matt. have received: And this Confideration makes it matter of Duty and Obedience to God, as well as common Humanity, to let others partake of the Bleffings we enjoy our selves. (e) As it is the Nature of most of the Blessings God be stows upon us, that they are communicable to others; fo has he all along declared it to be his Will and Pleasure, that we should communicate those that

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(e) Partes boni viri exsequere, aliumre, alium fide, alium gratiâ, alium confilio, alium præceptis falubribus ad juva, Seneca de Beneficiis, Lib. 1. Cap. 2.

are so; that we should not think it enough to enjoy them our selves, tho with never so much innocent Freedom, Gratitude, and Thankfulness; but should delight in Spreading the Divine Bounty as far as ever we can, Refreshing the Souls and Bodies of other Men out of the same Fountain that we water ouf own, and filling their Hearts too with Joy and Gladneß when our own Corn, or Wine, or Oil increases upon us. Nay, this is one effential part of that Gratitude we owe to God for any of his Blessings, which does not confist either in a bare not abusing them, or in the Praifes of the Lips only, or in an inward Sense of our own particular Happiness in the Enjoyment of them; but in a Readiness to distribute, in a Gladness to communicate, in a Zeal to make the beneficial Light of them so strongly to shine upon and warm others, that they also feeling the comfortable Virtue and enlivening Heat of them, may be moved, as well as our selves, to glorifie our Father which is in Heaven. This Return then of Thanks

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and Praise God expects at our Hands when he bestows any of those Blessings upon us which are in themselves communicable to others. And therefore in Obedience to him, as well as out of Compassion to our Brethren by Nature, we should never grudge them a Share in the Blessings we enjoy our selves, and the Want of which Blessings must needs be an Affliction and a Loss to them. But,

Thirdly, There is a kind of Obligation upon us all to act thus, from the Pleasure of the Action its felf, as well as from the Ties of common Humanity, and our Duty to God. If in other Cafes we are often tempted to enter upon Action by the Pleasure that naturally attends it, or at least that the Mind proposes to its self, or expects from it; (and it is not always wrong to be moved by this Principle) there is something so highly delightful in communicating Good to others, that few, who are qualified for it, would want this Addition to all their other Enjoyments,