Use 2. Let us imitate our Lord, and learn of him to do all things well ; for Christ's excellencies must leave an impression upon us. In our religion all is good. There is a good God : Ps. cxix. 68, ' Thou art good and doest good.' From him cometh every good and perfect gift: James i. 17, ' Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variable- ness, nor shadow of turning.' A good Christ ; you have heard how he went about doing good to the bodies and souls of men. There is a good Spirit : Neh. ix. 20, ' Thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them.' And what is the operation of the Spirit of Christ ? First, to make us to be good : ' We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works,' Eph. ii. 10 ; and then to quicken us to do good : Eph. v. 9, ' For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth.' There is a good word: Heb. vi. 5, 'And have tasted the good word of God.' Now what remaineth but that we be a good people ? Goodness should be the constitution of our hearts, and doing good the business of our lives. Certainly that is a good religion which only employeth men to do good. Now we must not do good coldly and carelessly, but with a zeal : Titus ii. 14, ' Zealous of good works.' And to whom must we do good ? Gal. vi. 10, ' As ye have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, but especially unto them who are of the household of faith.' Nay, your enemies are not excepted : Mat. v. 44, ' But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless
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370 SERMON UPON MARK VII. 37,
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you.' And this doing good God expecteth from us in every relation and capacity. Magistrates, because of their eminent and public influence : Kom. xiii. 4, ' For he is 'the minister of God to thee for good.' So also ministers : ' Barnabas was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost,' Acts xi. 24, and there- fore ' much people were added unto the Lord.' A man of a selfish, froward spirit hath no true zeal for God, nor compassion over souls, and is likely to do little good. And we must do good to one another : Eom. xv. 14, ' I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.' Husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants, all are to do good in their several relations : Eph. vi. 8, ' Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.' They that are not good in their relations are nowhere else good ; and therefore every one should make conscience of being good, and doing good in his relation, calling, and place ; and so if there be any good thing done, though it be by a poor bond-servant, God will take notice of it. Now the motives to this are these —
1. God's great goodness to you in Christ. God will be served not as an imperious sovereign, but as the God of love ; and we must serve him not as slaves, but as children ; therefore his love should be instead of all motives to us : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us/ With all readiness of mind we should set ourselves to do good, out of a deep sense of his goodness to us in Christ.
2. The great reward which is appointed for us : Gal. vi. 9, ' And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.' His free grace hath provided a rich reward for those that imitate Christ's example ; they shall enter into the glory he is possessed of, and then they shall enjoy the full comfort of their labo- rious and expensive obedience.
3. This will honour our profession in the eyes of the world. Good- ness and usefulness gaineth esteem much more than a rigid innocency: Kom. v. 7, ' Scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.'
4. You will mollify the hearts even of your most froward adver- saries : Eom. xii. 21, ' Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.' Goodness will reconcile their minds to the truth ; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on their heads, melt them into kind- ness and gentleness.
SERMON UPON 2 CORINTHIANS IV. 17.
For our light affliction, which is hut for a moment, ivorhethfor us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. — 2 Gok. iv. 17.
These words give us a reason why we should not faint under trouble, or when we are exercised with things unpleasing and distasteful to the flesh. He had urged one reason before, ver. 16, the increase of spiritual blessings. The inward man, dvafcaivovrcu, is invigorated by afflic- tions, they tend to promote the spiritual life ; but because we are more affected with outward comforts than inward benefits, though never so choice and necessary, therefore he addeth another reason, that afflictions do not only promote the spiritual life, but also life eternal, which, if it were more thought of by us, would very much mitigate and allay the bitterness of our grief. The afflictions and troubles of the godly have not such bitterness in them if compared with the infinite good of eternal glory. We are altogether filled with the sense of short evils, aod do not lift up our minds to that blessed eternity which is at the back of them. If this were well looked to, we should find that light which we thought heavy, that short which seemed long and tedious, ' For our light affliction,' &c.