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SPITTAL-SERMON

Preached at

St. BRIDGET'S Church,

Before the right honourable the

LORD MAYOR, &c.

On Eafter-Tuesday, April 7, 1707.

St. MATTH. xxv. 40.

Verily Ifay unto you; inafmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leaft of my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

T. Paul being brought unto the Areopagus, or highest court in Athens, to give and account of the doctrine he had preached concerning Jefus, and the refurrection, fitly took that occafion to imprint on the minds of thofe magiftrates, before whom he stood, the belief of a future judgment, and to fhew, what connexion there was between the rifing of Jefus from the grave, and his coming to judge the world. "God," faid he, "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the

world

world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given afsurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead," Acts xvii. 31. The rifing of Jetus from the dead, was an irrefiftible evidence of the truth of his doctrine; and one part of his doctrine was, that he would judge the world. By rifing from the dead, he took poffeffion of his kingdom (all power being then given unto him both in heaven and in earth Matth. xxviii. 18. and was to reign, til all his enemies were put under his feet, 1 Cor. xv. 25. that is, till evil men, and evil fpirits were judged; which was the laft and most illuftrious inftance, wherein his kingly power was to be exercifed: And then (and not till then) he was to deliver up his kingdoms to the Father. 1 Cor. xv. 24. On thefe (but more efpecially on the former of these) accounts, did God give affurance unto all men, that he would judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he had ordained, in that he raifed him from the dead.

The festival of our Lord's resurrection we have already celebrated; and may now therefore turn our thoughts not improperly to confider the chief confequence of his refurrection, a judgment to come: that branch of it especially, which relates to the enquiries that our Judge will then make concerning our obedience to his great commandment of charity; the enforcing of which, is the pious and peculiar defign of these annual aflem. blies.

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In the account of that folemnity, which our bleffed Saviour himself hath given us, we are told, that he will "then say to them on his right-hand;

Come,

Come, ye bleffed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirfty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger and ye took me in; naked, and ye cloathed me; I was fick, and ye vifited me; I was in prifon and you came unto me." Amazed at this merciful fentence, and no ways confcious of any fuch deferts, these good and humble perfons are faid to reply;" Lord, when faw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? when faw we thee a ftranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or, when faw we thee fick, or in prifon, and came unto thee?" To which our Saviour makes this memor able and gracious return; fit to be engraven in the hearts, and to be for ever founding in the ears, of all induftrious promoters of charity: "Verily I fay unto you, inafmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye have done it unto me." True it is, Me in perfon ye never relieved, fupported, comforted; but, fince ye performed thefe kind offices to others (who belonged to me) at my command, and for my fake; I take what you did to them [even to one of the least of them] as done to myself, and fhall, under that notion, now give you an exceeding recompence for it. Come, therefore, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!

I do not think, this account is to be understood literally, but with fuch allowances as are ufually made in the explication of our Saviour's parables; which hold, not in every particular circumftance, VOL. II.

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but

but only as to the main fcope and drift of them. Now the general design of this relation manifeftly is, to propofe to us two confiderations, which are powerful inducements to the practice of charity: One, "That upon this head we shall chiefly be "examined and tried, at the great day of ac"count;" The other, "That acts of mercy done "to the poor fhall then be accepted, and rewarded, as done to our Saviour himself."

Of these two points, the former is fufficiently im plied throughout the tenor of our Lord's difcourfe, wherein all the inftances mentioned relate to the fingle head of charity: The latter is directly affirmed in very emphatical words, and with a folemn preface, never ufed by our Saviour but to give us warning of fome remarkable truth that is to follow. "Verily I fay unto you, inafmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

The words therefore afford proper matter for our devout reflexion, under the two following heads of enquiry:

I. First, Why, in the account given of the proceedings at the day of judgment, acts of mercy alone are mentioned?

II. Se ondly, In what fenfe, and for what reafons it may be prefumed, that our Saviour will then accept the acts of mercy we now do to his poor brethren (fuch he vouchfafes to call them) as done to himself.

I. As to the first of these enquiries, it is to be confidered,

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