ference to our particular or temporal, not our eternal intereft; and that it is no more, is plain from the argument our Saviour ufes to encourage this felf-denial, the promife of a far greater happiness than that we deny; no man that forfakes father or mother for my fake, but shall have eternal life: and proportionably we are to underftand those commands of loving Chrift more than ourfelves, that is, more than any temporal intereft.

IV. The manifeftation of any of God's perfections, neither ought, nor can reasonably be propounded by us, as an end feparated from, or oppofite to our eternal bleffedness; that is, we cannot naturally or reasonably defire the glory of God fhould be advanced, though it were to our final ruin, either by annihilation or eternal mifery.

1. We cannot either naturally or reasonably defire. God fhould be glorified by our annihilation.

ift, Not naturally. Becaufe fuch a defire would be directly contrary to the natural defire of felf-prefervation, which God hath planted himself in us, and is most intimate and effential to our nature.

2. Not reafonably. Because it is utterly unimagin able how God can be glorified by the annihilation of a creature. All the attributes that we can imagine can be manifefted herein, are power and fovereignty; his power hath already been as much manifested in creat ing and making the creature out of nothing, as it can be by reducing it into nothing; for to create is the very fame demonftration of power as to annihilate. And, as for his fovereignty, God will never manifest that in contradiction to his goodness, or wifdom, or any other perfection of the divine nature. To unmake a creature, and take away the being which he had given, would argue either a failure of his goodness towards the creature, or that he did repent he had made it, which would reflect upon his wifdom and conftancy. I do not fay, that in justice God cannot annihilate a creature; far be it from me: for what we have was his own, and he may, without any wrong to the creature, take it again.

3. Much lefs can we naturally defire that God fhould be glorified in our eternal mifery. The reafons which I

VOL. VII.

R

give

:

give about annihilation are stronger here; therefore we cannot naturally defire it, nor reasonably, for the demonstration of his power, or fovereignty, or justice, or holinefs, which I think are all the attributes which we can imagine to be glorified hereby not as the manifeltation of his power, for that would be as much manifefted in the happiness as mifery of the creature: not of his fovereignty; for God will not manifeft that in contradiction to his goodness, upon which nothing can reflect more, than merely, pro arbitrio, for his pleasure, to make an innocent creature for ever miferable: not his juftice, and holiness; for thefe pre-fuppofe fin and demerit in the creature, out of hatred to which he makes it miferable; but God hath declared that he esteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures, than by their fin and deftruction; and if it were reasonable to defire the juftice and holiness of God might be glorified in my eternal ruin, which I have deferved by fin; this would plainly follow from it, that it were reasonable to fin, that justice might abound, which of the two is a greater abfurdity than that which the Apoftle condemns, of finning, that grace may abound.

V. There is a ftrict and inviolable connexion between the greatest glory of God, and our obedience and happiness; I fay, between his greatest glory, because he efteems himself more glorified by the obedience and happiness of his creatures, than by their ruin and mifery and that we may believe it, we have his oath for it; As I live, faith the Lord, I delight not in the death of a finner, but rather that he should turn and live. And it is obfervable, that the Apostle, in 1 Cor. x. 31. 32. 33. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God; giving none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God, even as 1. pleafe all men, in all things, not feeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be faved; explains the glorifying of God, by edifying and promoting the falvation of others.

VI. We may confider the glory of God, as fome ways distinct from our happinefs; that is, we may confider the manifestation of his goodness, and mercy, and wifdom, in our happinefs, as that which refults from it:

but

but this is not enough to make it a diftinct end, but the fame diverfly confidered; as the publick good is that which refults from the general good of particular perfons, but cannot reafonably be propounded by any man, as an end diftinct from the general happiness of particular perfons, without ruining and deftroying the notion of publick good.

VII. Though confidered as we are particular beings, we can have no greater end than our own happiness, in which God is eminently glorified; yet, as we are part of the whole creation and workmanship of God, which is the nobleft confideration of ourselves, the glory of God, which refults from the manifeftation of all his perfections in and about his creatures, is precifely our ultimate end, and yet not an end really distinct from our own happinefs; and therefore it is most proper, and becoming, and agreeable to the wife ftile of scripture, to give our end its denomination, not from the more particular and narrow, but the more noble confideration of ourselves, as we are parts of the whole creation and workmanship of God; as it is more generous and becoming for the members of a civil fociety to mention the publick good as their end, than their private happinefs and advantage, though that be fo really and effectually promoted by the publick good.

Thus I have finished what I propofed on this argu ment, and concerning the attributes of God in general; Of whom, and through whom, and to whom, are all things. To him be glory for ever.

Amen.

SERMON

Of doing good.

CLVIII.

A Spital fermon, preached at Chrift-church on EasterTuesday, April 14. 1691.

GALAT. vi. 9. 10.

Let us not be weary in well-doing; for in due feafon we fball reap, if we faint not: As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith.

T

HE Apostle, in these words, recommends unto us a great and comprehenfive duty, the doing of good; concerning which, the text offers thefe five particulars to our confideration:

1. The nature of the duty itself, which is called welldoing, ver. 9. and doing good, ver. 10.

2. The extent of this duty in respect of its object, which is all mankind; Let us do good unto all men, efpecially unto them who are of the houshold of faith.

3. The ineafure of it, As we have opportunity.

4. Our unwearied perfeverance in it; Let us not be weary in well-doing.

5. The argument and encouragement to it; because in due feafon we fhall reap, if we faint not: therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good, &c.

I. I will confider the nature of the duty itself of welldoing, and doing good. And this I fhall explain to you as briefly as I can, by confidering the extent of the act of doing good, and the excellency of it. And,

1. The extent of the act. It comprehends in it all those ways wherein we may be beneficial and ufeful to one another. It reaches not only to the bodies of men, but to their fouls, that better and more excellent part of ourselves, and is converfant in all thofe ways and

kinds, whereby we may ferve the temporal or spiritual good of our neighbour, and promote either his prefent, or his future and eternal happiness.

To inftruct the ignorant, or reduce those that are in error; to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and reclaim those that are engaged in any evil course, by good counfel, and feasonable admonition, and by prudent and kind reproof; to refolve and fatisfy the doubting mind; to confirm the weak; to heal the broken-hearted, and to comfort the melancholy and troubled fpirits : these are the nobleft ways of charity, because they are converfant about the fouls of men, and tend to procure and promote their eternal felicity.

And then to feed the hungry, to cloath the naked, releafe the imprisoned; to redeem the captives, and to vindicate thofe who are injured and oppreffed in their perfons, or estates, or reputation; to repair those who are ruined in their fortunes; and, in a word, to relieve and comfort those who are in any kind of calamity or diftrefs.

All these are but the feveral branches and instances. of this great duty here in the text, of doing good; though it hath, in this place, a more particular refpect to the charitable fupply of those who are in want and neceffity; and therefore, with a more particular regard to that,, I fhall difcourfe of it at this time. You fee the extent of the duty. We will, in the

2d Place, Briefly fay fomething of the excellency of it; which will appear, if we confider, that it is the imi tation of the higheft excellency and perfection. To do good, is to be like God, who is good, and doth good and it is to be like him in that which he esteems his greatest glory; it is to be like the Son of God, who, when he was pleased to take our nature upon him, and live here below, and to dwell among us, went about doing good. And it is to be like the bleffed angels, the highest rank and order of God's creatures, whofe great employment it is to be miniftring fpirits, for the good of So that, for a man to be kind, and helpful, and beneficial to others, is to be a good angel, and a faviour, and a kind of God too..

men.