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SERMON

XVIII.

The example of Jefus in doing good.

A crs x. 38.

Who went about doing good.

Word, and the reftoring of man to the image of

Hen Almighty God defigned the reformation of the

God, the pattern after which he was firft made, he did not think it enough to give us the most perfect laws of holiness and virtue, but hath likewife fet before us a living pattern, and a familiar example, to excite and encourage us, to go before us, and fhew us the way, and as it were to lead us by the hand, in the obedience of thofe laws. Such is the fovereign authority of God over men, that he might, if he had pleafed, have only given us a law written with his own hand, as he did to the people of Ifrael from Mount Sinai: but fuch is his good. nefs, that he hath fent a great ambaffador from heaven to us, God manifefted in the flesh, to declare and interpret his will and pleasure; and not only fo, but to fulfil that law himself, the obfervation whereof he requires of us. The bare rules of a good life are a very dead and ineffectual thing, in comparifon of a living example; which fhews us the poffibility and practicablenefs of our duty; both that it may be done, and how to do it. Religion indeed did always confit in an imitation of God, and in our refemblance of thofe excellencies which fhine forth in the best and most perfect being; but we may imitate him now with much greater eafe and advantage, fince God was pleased to become man, on purpofe to fhew us how men may become like to God. And this is one great end for which the Son of God came into the world, and was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and converfed fo long; and familiarly with mankind, that,. in his own person and life, he might give us the example of all that holiC c. 2.

nefs

And as he

he's and virtue which his laws require of us. was in nothing liker the Son of God, than in being and doing good; fo is he in nothing a fitter pattern for our imitation, than in that excellent character given of him here in the text, that he went about doing good.

In which words two things offer themselves to our conAderation.

1. Our Saviour's great work and business in the world; which was, to do good; os sinnbev lupytlav, who employed himfelf in being a benefactor to mankind. This refers more efpecially to his healing the bodily diseases and infirmities of men: God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppreffed of the devil; in-. timating to us, by this inftance of his doing good, that he who took fo much pains to refcue mens bodies from the power and poffeffion of the devil, would not let their fouls remain under his tyranny. But, though the text inftanceth only in one particular, yet this general expref-, fion of doing good comprehends all thofe feveral ways, whereby he was beneficial to mankind.

2. Here is his diligence and induftry in this work: He went about doing good; he made it the great bufinefs and conftant employment of his life.

I fhall propound to you the pattern of our Saviour in both thefe particulars.

1. His great work and bufinefs in the world was, to des good; the moft pleafant and delightful, the moft happy! and glorious work in the world. It is a work of a large extent, and of an univerfal influence; and comprehends in it all thofe ways whereby we may be ufeful and bene. ficial to one another. And indeed it were pity that fo good a thing thould be confined within narrow bounds and limits. It reacheth to the fouls of men, and to their bodies; and is converfant in all thofe ways and kinds whereby we may ferve the temporal or fpiritual good of our neighbour, and promote his prefent and his future happiness. What our bleffed Saviour did in this kind, and we in imitation of him ought to do, I fhall reduce to these two heads. 1. Doing good to the fouls of men, and endeavouring to promote their fpiritual and eternal happiness. 2. The procuring of their temporal good,

and

and contributing as much as may be to their happiness in this prefent life.

1. Doing good to the fouls of men, and endeavouring to promote their spiritual and eternal happiness, by good instruction, and by good example.

ift, By good inftruction. And under inftruction I comprehend all the means of bringing men to the knowledge of their duty, and exciting them to the practice of it; by inftructing their ignorance, and removing their prejudices, and rectifying their mistakes, by perfuafion,, and by reproof, and by making lasting provision for the promoting of thefe ends.

By inftructing mens ignorance. And this is a duty! which every man owes to another as he hath opportu nity, but especially to those who are under our care and charge; our children, and fervants, and near relations,, thofe over whom we have a fpecial authority, and a more immediate influence. This our bleffed Saviour made his great work in the world, to inftruct all forts of perfons in the things which concerned the kingdom of God, and to direct them in the way to eternal happiness; by pu blic teaching, and by private converfation; and by ta-king occafion,, from the common occurrences of human life, and every object that prefented itself to him, to inftil good counfel into men, and to raise their minds to the confideration of divine and heavenly things. And: though this was our Saviour's great employment, and is. theirs more particularly whose office it is to teach others; yet every man hath private opportunities of inftructing. others, by admonishing them of their duty, and by di recting them to the beit means and helps of knowledge;: fuch as are books of piety and religion; with which they, that are rich may furnith rhofe who are unable to provide: for themfelves.

And then by removing mens prejudices against the: truth, and rectifying their mistakes. This our Saviour found very difficult; the generality of thofe with whom he had to do being strongly prejudiced against him and his doctrine, by falfe principles, which they had taken a in by education, and been trained up to by their teachers.. And therefore he used a great deal of meeknefs in inftructing thofe that oppofed themfelves, and exercised abundances

C. c. 3.

bundance of patience in bearing with the infirmities of men, and their dulnefs and flownefs of capacity to receive the truth.

And this is great charity, to confider the inveterate: prejudices of men; efpecially thofe which are rooted in education, and which men are confirmed in by the reverence they bear to thofe that have been their teachers. And great allowance is to be given to men in this cafe, and time to bethink themselves, and to confider better: for no man that is in an error thinks he is fo; and therefore, if we go violently to rend their opinions from them, they will but hold them fo much the fafter; but if we have patience to unrip them by degrees, they will at last fall in pieces of themfelves.

And when this is done, the way is open for counsel and perfuafion. And this our Saviour administered in a moft powerful and electual manner, by encouraging men to repentance, and by reprefenting to them the infinite advantages of obeying his laws, and the dreadful and dangerous confequences of breaking of them. And thefe are arguments fit to work upon mankind; becaufe there is fomething within us that confents to the equity, and reafonablenefs of God's laws. So that whenever we perfuade, men to their duty, how backward foever they may be to the practice of it, being ftrongly addicted to a contrary courfe; yet we have this certain advantage, that we have their confciences, and the moft: inward fenfe of their minds, on our fide, bearing witness that what we counfel and perfuade them to, is for their good.

And, if need be, we must add reproof to counfel. This our Saviour did with great freedom, and fometimes with fharpness and feverity, according to the condition of the perfons he had to deal withal. But because of his great. authority, being a teacher immediately fent from God, and of his intimate knowledge of the hearts of men, he is not a pattern to us in all the circumftances of discharging this duty; which, of any other, requires great prudence and difcretion, if we intend to do good, the only end to be aimed at in it: for many are fit to be reproved, whom yet every man is not fit to reprove; and in that. cafe we must get it done by thofe that are fit;. and great

regard

regard must be had to the time and other circumftances of doing it, fo as it may moft probably have its effect.

I will mention but one way of inftruction more; and that is, by making lafting provifion for that purpofe; as, by founding schools of learning, efpecially to teach the poor to read, which is the key of knowledge; by build. ing of churches, and endowing them; by buying or giving in impropriations, or the like. Thefe are large and lafting ways of teaching and inftructing others, which will continue when we are dead and gone; as it is faid of Abel, that being dead he yet fpeaks. And this our Saviour virtually did, by appointing his apoftles, after he had left the world, to go and teach all nations; and ordering a conftant fucceffion of teachers in his church, to inftruct men in the Chriftian religion, togee ther with an honourable maintenance for them. This we cannot do in the way that he did, who had all power in heaven and earth: but we may be fubfervient to this defign in the ways that I have mentioned: which I. humbly commend, to the confideration of those whom God hath bleffed with great cftates, and made capable of effecting fuch great works of charity.

2dly, Another way of doing good to the fouls of men, is by good example. And this our bleffed Saviour was im the utmost perfection: for he fulfilled all righteousness, had no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. And this we fhould endeavour to be, as far as the frailty of our nature, and imperfection of our present ftate, will fuffer for good example is an unfpeakable benefit to mankind, and hath a secret power and influence upon those with whom we converfe, to form them into the fame difpofition and manners. It is a living rule, that teacheth men without trouble, and lets them fee their faults without open reproof and upbraiding: befides that it adds great weight to a man's counfel and perfuafion, when we fee that he advifes nothing but what he does, nor exacts any thing from others from which he himself. defires to be excused. As, on the contrary, nothing is more cold and infignificant, than good counsel from a bad man; one that does not obey his own precepts, nor follow the advice which he is fo forward to give to others..

Thefe

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