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determine what is meant in this Place by receiving a Prophet: Into whatsoever City or Town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence, V. II. In the 14th it follows, Whosoever fball not receive you, &c. that is, to abide with them; which Abode implies, not only House-room, but a Supply of such other Neceffaries as their Circumftances required; for it was to answer the Want of Gold and Silver, and fuch other Things as they were exprefsly forbidden to provide for themfelves.

The fecond Reason may be collected from the last Verse of the Text: And whosoever fhall give to drink unto one of these little Onés, a Cup of cold Water only, in the Name of a Difciple; verily, I fay unto you, he shall in no wife lofe his Reward. It is manifeft that our Saviour here fpeaks of giving a Cup of cold Water only, as the lowest Degree of that Virtue which he was then recommending; for to fhew how acceptable an Offering it would be to God, to receive a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet, he adds, that even a Cup of cold Water given in the Name of a Difciple, fhould not lofe its Reward. To receive a Prophet, therefore, and

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to give a Cup of cold Water to a Difciple, are Acts of the fame Kind, though differing in Degree; and confequently to receive a Prophet in this Place, is not an Act of Faith or Obedience, but of Charity and Beneficence.

To receive a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet, is to receive him because he is a Prophet; upon Account of his Character and Office, and near Relation which he bears to Chrift. To be kind to our Friends and Relations, and to adminifter Relief to the extreme Neceffities and Sufferings of our Fellow-Creatures, is, in fome Degree, to comply with the Cravings of Nature in ourselves, and to provide for our own Ease and Enjoyment: for the Pity and Compaffion, which miferable Objects raise in us, are attended with a Pain and Uneafinefs to ourselves, no otherwise to be allayed, but by relieving the Mifery that caufed them. But when we relieve the Members of Chrift, because of the Relation they bear to him, we act then in the Spirit of true Christian Charity; and fhew ourselves to be lively Parts of his Body: Rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and fuffering with those who suffer.

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The Excellency of Chriftian Charity is derived from this Dignity of its Object. In Morality we can rise no higher than to confider Men as Men, as Partakers of the fame common Nature with ourselves; and the natural Sense we have of Mifery, is the Foundation of our Tenderness and Compaffion towards others. In this Cafe, the Regard we have for others is derived from ourfelves; and our Love and Compaffion bear a Proportion to the Relation that is between us and them: our Children fhare as largely in our Affections, as they do in our Blood: next to them, our Relations and Friends have the Preference: and in all Cafes, the Love of ourselves is the Fountain from which our Love to others is derived. But Christian Charity flows from another Spring here all the Affections terminate in Chrift; and we know no other Relation but that which is derived from him, who is Head over the whole Family. And as the Love of Chrift is the Source of Christian Charity, fo is it the Measure of it too; and the Rule by which we must adjust our Love and Charity to others; he is our nearest Relation, who is nearest related to Chrift; and is therefore the most immediate Object D

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of our Love and Charity. He that receiveth you, fays our Bleffed Lord to his Apoftles, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that fent me. Then follow immediately the Words which I have now read to you, for the Subject of this Difcourfe. In treating on which, I beg Leave to obferve to you,

First, The feveral Degrees of Charity mentioned in them; and wherein the Excellency of one above the other confifts.

Secondly, How truly Chriftian, and excellent in its Kind, that Charity is, which is the End and Design of this annual Solemnity.

I. If we begin our Account at the Verfe immediately preceding the Text, we shall find four Degrees of Charity enumerated, and distinguished from each other, by the feveral and distinct Promises made to them. The first is, That of receiving an Apostle: He that receiveth you, receiveth me. The fecond, That of receiving a Prophet: He that receiveth a Prophet in the Name of a Prophet, fhall receive a Prophet's Reward. The third, That of receiving a righteous Man: He that receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man, fhall receive a right

a righteous Man's Reward. The fourth, That of relieving the meaneft of Christ's Difciples: Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of thefe little Ones, a Cup of cold Water only, in the Name of a Difciple, verily, I say unto you, he shall in no wife lofe his Reward.

Charity is diftinguished into thefe different Kinds and Degrees, by the Dignity of the Perfons who are the Objects of it. For fince receiving a Prophet, fhall entitle us to a Prophet's Reward; and receiving a righteous Man, to a righteous Man's Reward; it is plain that receiving a Prophet as far exceeds the Charity of receiving a righteous Man, as a Prophet is more excellent than he.

To receive a Prophet, because he is our Friend or Relation, is but a common Degree of Kindness; the Honour must be paid him because he is a Prophet; it must be done in the Name of a Prophet: fo that the Motive and Principle upon which we act, must be taken into the Account; and our good Deeds will receive their true and proper Value, from the Views and Regards with which they are done.

In this lies the Difference between the

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