the Glory, and others partake of the Benefit of his Gifts. Nor is it conceivable, how any Man can be beneficial in the World, by his Wisdom, fuppofe, and not be sensible of it; or do good by his Example, and not be Conscious of the worthyness of his Actions: the danger therefore does not lye in knowing his Endowments, nor his Humility in denying them: but in making himself the Author of them, there lyes the Crime; and here is Humility, in Fixing and Applying them to an higher Original.

In a word then, fo long as we do not Vainly magnify our felves, and Establish our fuppos'd Worth, upon our own Stock and felf Sufficiency; God will not repent his Gifts, nor fhall we forfeit the true Character of Humility.

Again, Thirdly and laftly, every good Gift and every perfect Gift is from above; and therefore we are obliged to exprefs our Gratitude to the Author of them. That is, to be thankful to him for what we enjoy, and to love him accordingly, who is our Donor and Benefactor: Not to return thanks to an ordinary Patron and Benefactor,

for

for Kindneffes received, is ufually and justly esteemed Clownishness and ill Breeding: And then, not to acknowledge our infinite Obligations to Almighty God, both for the many Temporal Bleffings we enjoy, and alfo for the Spiritual Gifts and Benefits he hath conferr'd on us; would be the greateft Stupidity, Baseness and Ingratitude imaginable: As we ought therefore to pay him our humbleft Acknowledgments, and render him our juft Praifes, fo fhould we be moved to love him, who is our exceeding great Reward; our Greatest Benefactor. Tis natural to love thofe that are our Friends and Affiftants, who do us kind Offices, and are always readily difpofed, as far as lyes in them, to promote our Welfare and Happiness in the World: we are apt to have a Kindness even for those that only wish us well, and fpeak advantagioully of us: What infinite reafon then have all of us, to adore and love that Supreme Being, who is love it felf, as St. John expreffeth it, and is continually showering down his Benefits upon us: Our love fhould rife proportionably to his Mercies, but that thefe are infinite and we are not: and therefore

therefore all that we are required to do, is this; to love him with all our Heart, and Mind, and Strength.

The Variety of Gifts and Graces, of Mercies and Deliverances, of which he is the Author, call juftly for our loudest Thanks, and our deepest Love; and this Love, this Gratitude, will naturally ingage us to Piety and Obedience: And fince almighty God hath affured us of his Grace to affift us, and his Bleffings to reward our Obedience; we may hopefully conclude with that expreffion of the Pfalmift, he will give Grace and Glory, and no good thing will he withold from those who live a Godly Life.

SER

SERMON XI.

267

MATH. V. 16.

Let your Light so shine before Men, that they may fee your good Works, and glorify your

Father which is in Heaven..

T

Hefe Words are one of those many Excellent Precepts,which our Blessed Saviour deliver'd to his Difciples on the Mount; a Precept that fufficiently declares the Nature and Defign of the Christian Religion, which He came to establish in the World, who was the Original of it himself, and the lively Pattern of the Doctrine that he Taught. Never Man fpake like him, according to the Confeffion and Acknowledgement of the Jews: and certainly,never Man liv'd like him,without Error, and without Sin. Upon which Accounts, we may truly fay, in the

Words

Words of Nicodemus, That He was a Teacher come from God, as well as for the Miracles that were wrought by Him.

He was the true Light, and his Life was the Light of Men; as the Divine Evangelift St. John teftifies; The great Exemplar of Piety and Vertue for all to follow and imitate, that own his Authority, and make Profeffion of his Holy Religion.

The Character of fuch, we have in this Chapter, metaphorically defcrib'd in these three Things, a City upon a Hill; the Salt of the Earth; and the Light of the World: To fhew us the Refemblance that the Lives of Christians fhould bear to them, by fuch a Course and Conduct, as may be Confpicuous, Useful, and Illuftrious. Thus Verse 13, fays our Lord, Te are the Salt of the Earth: From whence this is the Inference, Let therefore your Example be like that, Savoury and Useful. Again, Te are a City upon a Hill; let it alfo be like that, Glorious and Confpicuous. Ye are the Light of the World: Let it therefore, like that, be Bright and Illuftrious: Or, altoge ther in the Words of the Text, Let your Light fo fine before Men, that they

may