which are thus acquired by them, is the firm- SER M. eft Bond of human Society, without which it III. would be impoffible for Men with any comfort to fubfift together. It is therefore neceffary that all be allowed to enjoy, use, and difpofe of things which are their own: And in allowing them to do fo, without ufurping their Property, or detaining any part of it from them, the virtue of Juftice confifts. Contrary to which, is the taking away the Life of any Man at pleasure, or when he has done nothing to forfeit it; the wounding or maiming of his Body; the depriving him of his Liberty; the blemishing his Reputation; the dishonouring his Bed; the robbing or ftealing from him. any part of his Eftate; the deceiving him in matters of Commerce, and in Compacts; and the retaining his Debts beyond the time of Payment. All these practices are violations of the Properties and Rights of others, and if we would act a just and equitable part, we must carefully avoid them; or, if we be fenfible that we have offended in any of thefe Particulars, we muft, to the utmost of our power, make a Reparation of the Injuries which we have done to our Neighbours; for till we do this, their Rights are violated, and our Injustice to them is still continued by us.

The next Virtue which our Saviour here mentions,

F 4

SERM. mentions, is Mercy. This confifts in a DifpoIII. fition to pity, and to endeavour by all means

the deliverance of those who are in mifery, or are liable to it. The Foundation of it is laid in that Tenderness or Compaffion which is natural to us, which we must feel whenever any Objects of Distress are presented to our view: This Compaffion for the Miferable, directly leads us to relieve and affift them. And when, in pursuance of the tender and humane Propenfions of our Nature, we afford such Perfons all the Relief and Help in our power, we then discharge this important Duty of Mercy. The Affiftance which we are to give to the Miferable, must be of different kinds, according to the nature of the Diftreffes in which they may happen to be: These may in different ways affect either their Minds or their Bodies, and fo our Relief and Help must reach to either as there is neceffity, and appear in all those Inftances, whereby we may promote either the fpiritual or temporal Good of our unhappy Brethren, and deliver them either from present or from future Mifery. Thus, for example, the inftructing the Ignorant; the reclaiming the vicious, by good Counfels and Advices, and difcreet and kind Reproofs; the Gal. vi. 1. refloring those who have been overtaken in a I Theff.v. .fault, in the fpirit of meekness; the fupporting

14.

the

the Weak; and the comforting the Feeble-mind- SER M. ed; are Acts of Mercy which are due to un- III. happy Souls, and they are indeed the most noble and momentous Expreffions of it, as they deliver Men from the greatest Evils, and make them partakers of the most real and durable Happiness. Again: The visiting and comforting the Sick; the defending the Oppreffed; the feeding the Hungry; the cloathing the Naked; the vindicating the Credit of those whom we know to be falfely accused; the repairing the Fortunes of fuch as from a plentiful Condition may have fallen into Want, by lending to them freely, hoping for nothing Luke vi. again, and remitting to them all fuch Debts, 35as cannot be expected but by Severities which will quite opprefs and ruin them; the giving warning to those who are like to be enfnared by crafty Men; the moderating our Refentment of the Offences which Men commit against us, the abating as much as we can of the Punishment to which the Rigour of Juftice would expose them, and the putting them to no more pain and uneafiness than is neceffary for the correction of their Tempers, the Safety of the Publick, and our own Reparation and Security for the future: These are Acts of Mercy, which we are to perform to our unfortunate Brethren, with respect to their

temporal

18.

SERM, temporal Concerns. This Relief and Affistance III. of the Distreffed, is the most fuftantial Expreffion of Mercy that can be ; and without it, it is certain, that all the Pity that we can entertain for them, and all our kind Wishes for their Prosperity, and all the good Words that we can give them, will fignify nothing at all. St. John cautions us against expreffing our Kindness to our Brethren only in civil and courteous Words, and exhorts us to make it 1 John iii, appear in more real and lasting Effects. My little Children, let us not love in Word or in Tongue, but in Deed, and in Truth. And St. James teaches us the Vanity and Unprofitableness of giving bare Complements to our miferable Brethren, while we with-hold from them that Support which we are able to afford them. If a Brother or a Sifter be nak15, 15. ed and deftitute of daily Food, and one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, Be ye warmed, and Be ye filled; notwithstanding ye give them not thofe things, which are needful to the Body, what doth it profit? Such fair Speeches are of no use to unhappy Men, nor do they prove us to be Persons of a humane and merciful Difpofition. The Principles of Humanity and Compaffion must certainly have but very little force in our Hearts, when the utmost Effect of them confifts in kind

Jam ii.

Words,

Words, and they do not appear in those be- SER M. neficent Actions, which we have an Opportunity and Ability for performing.

Another important Duty here mentioned by our Saviour, is Faith. By this we are not to understand what is commonly meant by the word Faith in Scripture, the Affent of the Mind to the Truth of fome Propofitions or Matters of Fact, upon the Authority of God, who reveals them; but Faithfulness or Fidelity in our Conversation and Dealings with all with whom we have any thing to do. This the word frequently fignifies, and it appears to be the Meaning of it in this place, because this Faithfulness is a Virrue of the fame Rank and Kind with the other Virtues which our Saviour speaks of, which are all good and amiable in themselves; whereas the Belief of Divine Revelation has no intrinfick Goodness, but derives its whole Value from the Principles from whence it fprings and the Efficacy which it has for producing the Virtues which are effentially worthy and lovely in us. This Fidelity confifts in having a ftrict Regard to Truth in our common Converfation with Mankind, and in ufing fuch fimplicity and plainness of Expreffion that they may easily understand our real Meaning; in performing all our religious Vows and Promifes

to

III.