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Jude xii.

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that there be no Spots in this your Feast of 9 ER M. Charity. That no Handle be given to Adverfary that may lie in wait to calumniate these our Meetings, either to reproach us for our Parfimony, or Intemperance, as if we understood not the Defign of affembling ourfelves together: But let all our Things according 1 Cor. xvi. to St Paul's Rule, be done with Charity: That 14. whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we may do all to the Glory of God. Thus we Ib. x. 31. fhall pay the due Honours to the prefent Solemnity, and rightly answer the Ends intended in its Inftitution, by making it a happy and fortunate Juncture to our poor Relations, and ufing it as a feasonable Occafion of innocent Rejoicing ourselves. A Day of Bleffing to us both.

Let us then carry our Hearts duly feafon'd with Christian Love from the Houfe of God, to the House of Banqueting. This prior Invitation into the Courts of the Most High, to partake in a more refined and Heavenly Entertainment, and join in Anthems of Praife unto our Maker, is defigned to fanctify and soften our Difpofitions, before we fit down to the ensuing Feaft of Love. Not as a Prelude

SER M. to usher in a meer Senfual Repaft, but as a

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due Preparative to our true Chriftian Sacrifice of doing Good, and diftributing to the Poor, wherewith, we are affured, God is well pleased, and that our Souls being filled with a grateful Senfe of God's Goodness and Bounty to us at the fame Time that our Bodies are refreshed with His Creatures, we may open our Hands wide unto our Brethren, and in a Gospel Senfe, give Meat unto the Hungry, and Drink to the Thirty: And thereby dispose our Heavenly Father to shower down more Bleffings upon our Heads, than by our Prayers we can obtain, or can deferve by all our other Services.

O Lord who hath taught us that all our Doings without Charity are nothing worth, &c.

A CHA

A CHARITY-SERMON, preach'd in the Parish-Church of All-Saints, in Newcastle upon Tyne; on the Feftival of All-Saints.

Acts xx. 35.

And to remember the Words of our Lord Jefus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

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Paul in this Chapter, has been exhort- S ER M. ing the Elders of the Church of Ephefus, in a most elegant and paffionate Oration, to perfevere in the Labours of their Ministry, as they could witness he had done, during the Time of his Refidence among them. And now at parting, knowing he should never fee them more, he endeavours to leave a strong Impreffion upon their Minds of that Duty, which is the greatest of all, and the Sum of all, CHARITY. He calls them to record that he himself had not been wanting in any

* Acts xx. 17.

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Acts

Acts xx. 25. Cor. xiii. Rem. xiii.

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SER M. Acts of Kindness: I have fhewed you all Things, II. how, that fo labouring ye ought to support the weak. Could any Thing affect them more, than this Appeal to his own Example? Yes, there was a Maxim of our Bleffed Saviour's, which, confider'd with his divine Life and Converfation, was more perfuafive and convincing than any Thing,

utter.

meer Man could This the Apostle quotes, and with this he concludes his Exhortation, That they would remember the Words of our Lord Jejus, bow be faid, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (To be the Author of another's Good, than be the Subject of another's Kindness). Words never to be forgotten, because they proceeded from His Mouth, who was the greatest Benefactor to Mankind that ever appeared in the World, and yet the greatest Sufferer that ever appeared in it too. The Blessedness of receiving be might fpeak of with divine Certainty, but not from human Experience; for he of all Men had the leaft Share of the good Things of this Life: Yet, furely if there be a Bleffedness in giving, we muft allow Him, even as Man above all others, to have known

Rom. xiii. 35. f John vii. 48. & Matt. viii. 20.

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it experimentally, who was the Mirrour of S ERM. boundless Charity; who gave even himself for Others, and in Himself gave all that could make Men happy. And He it was, my Brethren, that used to fay, It is more bleffed to give than to receive.

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Bleffed Lord! thou haft the Words of Eter-, nal Life; and haft taught us, that if a Man keep Thy Saying, he shall live. Imprint these divine Words upon our Minds; give us am habitual Remembrance of this Thy Saying; and fend Thy Grace upon me, and all here prefent,: whilft I endeavour to fhew them, by Thy Authority, the Way to draw down true Bless ings upon themselves.

The particular Occafion, my Brethren, upon which we are now met together, will I hope, excite your Attention to a Difcourse upon the Subject of Charity: And if it can be shewn to you, that a more than ordinary Bleffedness attends you in the Performance of this great Duty in General; it will neither be difficult nor unseasonable afterwards, to fhew you what Reason you will have to expect a peculiar Share

of

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Gal. i. 4. Eph. v. 25. viii. 51, 52.

-i John vi. 68.

k John