he ceased to exercise his long-suffering toward you?

Objection 3. But you may object, again, that your enemies will be encouraged to go on with their injuries; excusing yourself by saying, that if you bear injury, you will only be injured the more. But you do not know this, for you have not an insight into the future, or into the hearts of men. And, beside, God will undertake for you, if you obey his commands; and he is more able to put a stop to the wrath of man than you are. He hath said (Romans xii. 19), "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord." He interposed wonderfully for David, as he has for very many of his saints; and if you do but obey him, he will take part with you against all that rise up against you. And in the observation and experience of men, it is generally found, that a meek and long-suffering spirit puts an end to injuries, while a revengeful spirit does but provoke them. Cherish, then, the spirit of long-suffering meekness, and forbearance, and you shall possess your soul in patience and happiness, and none shall be permitted to harm you more than God in wisdom and kindness may permit.

LECTURE V.

CHARITY DISPOSES US TO DO GOOD.

Charity suffereth long and is kind."-1 CORINTHIANS Xiii. 4

In the last lecture from these words, it was shown, that charity or Christian love is longsuffering, or that it disposes us meekly to bear the injuries received from others. And now it is proposed to show that it is kind, or in other words,

THAT CHARITY, OR A TRULY CHRISTIAN SPIRIT,

WILL DISPOSE US FREELY TO DO GOOD TO OTHERS.

In dwelling on this point, I would, 1, briefly open the nature of the duty of doing good to others, and 2, show that a Christian spirit will dispose us to it.

I. I would briefly open the nature of the duty of doing good to others.-And here, three things are to be considered, viz.: the act, doing good; the objects, or those to whom we

should do good; and the manner in which it should be done, freely. And,

1. The act which is the matter of the duty, which is, doing good to others.-There are many ways in which persons may do good to others, and in which they are obliged so to do, as they have opportunity. And,

First, Persons may do good to the souls of others, which is the most excellent way of doing good. Men may be, and oftentimes are the instruments of spiritual and eternal good to others; and wherein any are so, they are the instruments of greater good to them than if they had given them the riches of the universe. And we may do good to the souls of others, by taking pains to instruct the ignorant, and to lead them to the knowledge of the great things of religion; and by counselling and warning others, and stirring them up to their duty, and to a seasonable and thorough care for their soul's welfare; and so again, by Christian reproof of those that may be out of the way of duty; and by setting them good examples, which is a thing the most needful of all, and commonly the most effectual of all for the promotion of the good of their souls. Such an example must accom

pany the other means of doing good to the souls of men, such as instructing, counselling, warning and reproving, and is needful to give force to such means, and to make them take effect; and it is more likely to render them effectual, than anything else whatsoever; and without it, they will be likely to be in vain.

Men may do good to the souls of vicious. persons, by being the means of reclaiming them from their vicious courses; or to the souls of neglecters of the sanctuary, by persuading them to go to the house of God; or to the souls of secure and careless sinners, by putting them in mind of their misery and danger; and so may be the instruments of awakening them, and the means of their conversion, and of bringing them home to Christ. Thus they may be of the number of those, of whom we read (Daniel xii. 3), "that turn many to righteousness," and who "shall shine as stars forever and ever." Saints, too, may be the instruments of comforting and establishing one another, and of strengthening one another in faith and obedience; of quickening, and animating, and edifying one another; of raising one another out of dull and dead

frames, and helping one another out of temptations, and onward in the divine life; of directing one another in doubtful and difficult cases; of encouraging one another under darkness or in trial; and generally, of promoting each other's spiritual joy and strength, and thus being mutually fellow-helpers on their way to glory.

Second, Persons may do good to others in outward things, and for this world. They may help others in their external difficulties and calamities; for there are innumerable kinds of temporal calamities to which mankind are liable, and in which they stand much in need of the help of their neighbors and friends. Many are hungry, or thirsty, or strangers, or naked, or sick, or in prison (Matthew xxv. 35, 36), or in suffering of some other kind; and to all such we may minister. We may do good to others, by furthering their outward estate or substance; or in aiding their good name, and thus promoting their esteem and acceptance among men; or by anything that may truly add to their comfort and happiness in the world, whether it be in the kind word, or the considerate and benevolent deed. And by endeavoring thus