important which is of magnitude and importance to him; and taking a concern in whatever concerns him: then ye ferve him by receiving from him, as in kindly accepting of his esteem, his commendation, his praife, his affection, his bounty, his advice, his affistance, and thus gratifying him by the fenfibility you discover to the fatisfaction which he feels from having obliged you and done you good. Now ye ferve your neighbour by bearing and fuffering, as, when you cannot correct him of his weakneffes and failings, or get the better of his ill humour, in keeping your temper and refraining from cutting reproaches, in willingly bearing burdens which otherwife he must bear, in facrificing your ease to his ease, your pleasure to his pleasure, your liberty to his liberty, in forgiving him his offences and not recompencing evil with evil, not requiting injuries by injuries then ye ferve him by actual affistance and relief, in removing stumbling blocks out of his way, affifting him in his work, refcuing him from fome danger, delivering him from trouble, relieving him in his neceflities, fupplying his deficiency or repairing his lofs, promoting his plans and eafing him in the discharge of his duty. Now in short ye ferve your neighbour by acting, contriving, undertaking, executing what pleafes him, what is ufeful and agreeable to him, what procures, him honour and fatisfaction, in acting and operating in his behalf and in his own way: then ye ferve him by not acting, as in not thwarting him in his progrefs, not disturbing

him in his occupations and enterprises, not defeating his fatisfactions, not interrupting his amusements, not molesting him in his application, and in abstaining from whatever may annoy or confufe him, what may cause him detriment or uneafiness in the profecution of fome defign. -How diverfified, my dear friends, how incalculably diverfified are therefore the methods whereby each of us may mutually serve the other, every day, every hour of our lives, in every situation, in every relative pofition, and administer the gift as every man has received it one to another, as good ftewards of the manifold grace of God, to the benefit of his whole family!

And now, my christian auditors, let none any longer complain, the poor no more than the rich, the man of low degree no more than him of high birth and station, the weak no more than the strong, that he is deficient in means and opportunities of doing good to others and of making himself useful to the public! Let every one only do the good, which agreeably to his station, to his abilities, in his fituation, in his connections he can and ought to do, and do it in fincerity of heart, fo will every one fulfill his duty, every one enjoy the pleasure arifing from beneficence in various ways, in numberless inftances be the benefactor of his brethren, and fo will human mifery infallibly be greatly diminished and human happinefs more and more promoted.

Oh well, everlaftingly well for him, who fhall collect to himself against that great day of judgment

and retribution, fuch evidences of his christian tem

per and conduct, and then can receive in the fight of heaven, and in the prefence of the affembled world, the approbation of his lord and the fruits of his good works!

SERMON XXV.

The Duty of loving our Enemies.

GOD,

thou art effential love.

With parental

tenderness thou embracest the whole of thy immense creation, and all thy creatures that are susceptible of happiness, are profpered and bleffed by thy bounty. Even the wicked thou pitieft, as a father pities his fon, even to the ungrateful and difobedient, the rebellious to thy government, thou fhewest infinite mercy. Daily doft thou cause thy fun to shine upon the wicked as upon the good, and fendeft rain and fertility on the field of both the just and the unjuft. Us alfo haft thou formed capable of affection, of generous, noble fentiments and actions. As thy dear children it behoves us to be followers of thee, and like thee with cordial benevolence to embrace all mankind as our brethren, and to do them all as much good as we are able. Like thee, our father in heaven, it behoves us to be kind, merciful, placable, to have patience and indulgence one towards another, and to forgive one another his trefpaffes, as we defire that thou wouldst forgive us. Far be it from us to complain of these

thy

thy precepts, or to doubt of their justice and equity.* No, we acknowledge, we are fenfible that they are an honour to man, that they elevate and ennoble his nature, that they open to him exuberant fources of perfection and happiness, and that the observance of them brings him nearer to thee, his creator and father, and renders him more capable of communion with thee. Did we but always inwardly perceive and feel, how holy and reverend is thy will, how good and righteous are all thy commands! Did we but even then not doubt of it when it behoves us actually to do thy will, and to execute thy commands! Here, while occupied in thy worship and in serious meditation on our duties, may we collect ftrength and vigour for the performance of them. Sanctify then to this end, what we shall even now conceive and hear. Grant that it may prefent the truth in full luftre to our minds, and fink fo deeply into our hearts, that we may willingly and conftantly follow its dictates. We implore it of thee in the name of our lord and faviour, and with the boldness that becomes thy children thus farther addrefs thee: Our father, &c.

MATTH. V. 44.

Love your enemies.

THE love of our enemies recommended to us by Jefus in our text, is a precept truly christian; a precept which, as inculcated upon us by Christ and