Fourth, Again, Christ gave that that ivas his own, his own body, his own life, for his sheep ; and his own endeavour, whatsoever he gave, was his own. So if we will be kind to others, we must do it of our own ; we must not do good with that that we have gotten from others by unjust means. For the ' sacrifice of the wicked,' in this kind, ' is an abomination to the Lord,' Isa. i. 13. Let us have interest in that we give. Christ gave his own life, and God gave his own Son for us.
■■■■•■ Tliat is, 'anticipated.' — G. t Isa. Iviii. 7, 10.— Ed.
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Fifth, And as Christ gave bis own self, so he gave himself in life and death fur us ;* he did not reserve all for his death ; but for us be was bom, for us he lived, for us he died ; ho deferred not all till his dcatli. Christ did us wondrous good by his death ; and men may do much good when they die. Ikii let us endeavour to be like Christ in both ; to do good while we live, and do good when we die likewise. The common speech is, the gifts of dying men are dying, dead gifts. It is a speech tending to the disparagement of gifts in that kind, because they are not so acceptable as the gifts of living men in many respects ; notwithstanding, let not men be discouraged from doing good even when they die. Indeed, it is most com- fortable to do it while they live, because,
(1.) It is an evidence then that they have a spirit of faith, to depend upon the promise of God, It is no exercise of faith, to give when a man can keep it no longer.
(2.) Again, he that doth good while he liveth, he hath the prayers of others ; he is under the blessing of the poor ; and that is a sweet thing. Suppose the poor be barbarous base people, that they bless not a man with their words, yet their ' sides bless him.'f Now those that defer all till they die, they want this comfort ; they are not under the blessing of the poor. The rule of our religion is, that we have no good| by the prayers of others. I will not discuss that point now. But undoubtedly it is a sweet comfort that we have of that we do while we live, by the blessing and prayers of the poor, to whom we do good.
(3.) Then again, in civil respects, it is our own, and ice are sure it is weU bestowed. When we are dead, the propriety is gone from us. It comes into the possession of another man, and we know not how he will dispose of it. Perhaps he may die before thee that needs thy help ; or thou mayest die ; or thou mayest not have the same mind. Therefore while thou hast a heart and opportunity to do good, forget not to do it presently. We have need to be urged in these cold dead times, to labour that the grace of Christ may be eflectual in our hearts, to do all the good we can, in our life time, as Christ did.
Sixtli, And let us labour to do it as he did, constantly, that we may ''never be iveary of ivell-doiny ,' Gal. vi. 9. ' In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand rest,' Eccles. xi. 6. It is comfort enough that it is called seed. Who grieves to cast his seed into the ground ? He knows he shall have a plentiful return. So all that we give, it is seed. We see it not for the present. No more we do the seed that is sown. But ' cast thy bread upon the water, and after many days thou shalt find it,' Eccles. xi. 1. Though we see not this seed for the present, 3-et we shall have k plentiful harvest. Only labour to do it with discretion. For men do not sow upon the stones, nor upon the fallow ground ; they do not scatert their seed in any place. Sowing is a regular thing. Men cast seed into ground that is prepared. Therefore there must be spiritual discretion, the wisdom of a steward in this kind : Ps. cxii. 5, ' The just man doth all things with wisdom and discretion.'
Quest. But must we not be liberal, and kind, and bountiful to all ?
Ans. Yes, in case of necessity. Then w^e are to look to man's nature, because he is a partaker of our nature. And he is such an one as may be a member of Christ, and one for whom Christ died. For aught we know, he now bears the image of Christ ; and he may come to the obedience of
* In the margin here, ' seasonably.' — G. J Qu. ' that we have good ' ? — G.
t Cf. Job xxxi. 20.— G.
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Christ ; and our kindness may be effectual to bring him to goodness. Therefore, as we, if we be in need, do not stand upon it, but receive kindness from wicked men, so when wicked men are in need, we must not stand upon it, but give to wicked men. Wo must do as we woukl bo done by, in such cases, in necessity.