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work of the greatest natural importance, which tends to no great benefit to mankind, and he may proceed without any extraordinary impediment. But let him have any great design for the common good, in things that tend to destroy sin, to heal divisions, to revive charity, to increase virtue, to save men's souls, yea, or to the public common felicity; and his impediments shall be so multifarious, so far-fetched, so subtle, so incessant, and in spite of all his care and resolution, usually so successful, that he shall seem to himself like a man that is held fast, hand and foot, while he sees no one touch him ; or that sees a hundred blocks brought and cast before him in his way, while he sees no one do it."

I have transcribed this passage for the purpose of preparing you to expect opposition. O thou doer of good, expect a conflict with wicked spirits in high places, to clog all the good thou dost propose to do. Expect their ceaseless endeavours to overwhelm thee by instilling into the minds of men vile ideas concerning thee, and by putting into their mouths calumnies against thee. These will be some of their devices to defeat all thy proposals: "Be not ignorant of Satan's devices."

Yea, and if the devil were asleep, there is malignity enough in the hearts of wicked men themselves, to render a man who wishes to do good very offensive and troublesome to them. They are the offspring of him who "slew his brother, because his works were righteous ;" and they will malign a man because he is useful to other men. Indeed, "To be spoken ill of by the wicked is to be praised."

Wicked men will curse a man because he is a blessing. O base and wicked disposition!

I happened once to be present in the room where a dying man could not leave the world until he had lamented to a minister, whom he had sent for, the unjust calumnies and injuries which he had often east upon him. The minister asked the poor penitent what was the occasion of his abusive conduct; whether he had been imposed upon by any false reThe man made this horrible answer: ports. 66 No, Sir; it was nothing but this; I thought you were a good man, and that you did much good in the world, and therefore I hated you. Is it possible, is it possible," said the poor sinner, "for such a sinner to find pardon?" Truly, though other causes may be assigned for the spite and rage of wicked men against a fruitful doer of good, yet I shall not be deceived if I fear that frequently a secret antipathy to the kingdom of God lies at the bottom of it. Or, in proud men it may frequently be pale envy, enraged that other men are more useful in the world than they, and vexing themselves with worse than Sicilian torments, at the sight of what God and man do for other men. 66 They see it and are grieved." "Sirs, he is not a good man who has not goodness enough to call forth envy and hatred." But, now for such causes you must not "think strange of the trial," if men "speak evil of you," after you have done good to many, yea, to those very persons who thus speak. It will not be strange if you should "hear the defaming of many;" if the men who do not love the holy ways of the Lord in his churches,

should have no love to you; if javelins should be thrown at you with the most impetuous rage; and if pamphlets filled with falsehood and slander should be published against you. God may wisely and in much faithfulness permit these things," to hide pride from you." "O, how much of that deadly poison, pride, still remains within us; for which nothing short of poison is an antidote !" Alas! while we still carry about us the grave-clothes of pride, these rough hands are the best that can be employed to pull them off. If you should meet with such things, you must bear them with much meekness, much silence, great self-abasement, and a spirit to forgive the worst of all your persecutors. "Being defamed, you must entreat." Be well pleased if you can redeem any opportunities to do good. Be ready to do good even to those from whom you suf fer evil. And when you have done all the good in your power, account yourself well paid if you es cape as well as the crane did from the wolf; if you are not punished for what you do. In short, be insensible of any merit in your performances. Lie in the dust, and be willing that both God and man should lay you there. Have your spirit reconciled to indignities. Entertain them with all the calmness and temper imaginable. Be content that three hundred in Sparta should be preferred before When envious people can fix upon you no you. other blemish, they will say of you, as they said of Cyprian, that you are a proud man, because you do not jog on in their heavy road of slothfulness. Bear this also, with a yet more profound humility. It is

the last effort usually made by the dying "pride of life," to bear the charge of pride with impatience.

Ye useful men, your acceptance with your Saviour, and with God through him, and your recompense in the world to come, are to carry you cheerfully through all your 66 essays" at usefulness. To be "reprobate for every good work," is a character from which it will be the wisdom of all men to fly, with the greatest dread imaginable. But then, to be "always abounding in the work of the Lord" is the truest and highest wisdom. It is the "wisdom which is from above, full of mercy and good fruits.” The slug

gards who do no good in the world, are "wise in their own conceit;" but the men who are diligent in doing good, can give such a reason for what they do, as proves them to be really wise. Men "leave off to be wise," when they leave off to "do good." The wisdom of it appears in this: it is the best way of spending our time; that time is well spent which is spent in doing good. It is also a sure and pleasant way, effectually to bespeak the blessings of God on ourselves. Who so likely to find blessings as the men that are blessings? It has been said, "He who lives well, always prays." And I will add, "He who acts well, prays well."

Every action we perform for the kingdom of God, is, in effect, a While we are at

prayer for the blessing of God.

work for God, certainly he will be at work for us and ours: he will do for us far more than ever we have done for him; "more than we can ask or think:" There is a voice in every good thing that is done; it is this: "O do good unto those that are good!"

Thus my Bonifacius again comes to bear the name of Benedictus, also. Yea, and there may be this more particular effect of what we do: while we employ our invention for the interests of God, it is very probable that we shall sharpen it for our own. We shall become the more wise for ourselves, because we have been "wise to do good." And of the man who is compared to a "tree that brings forth fruit," we read, "Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Nor can a man take a readier way to "live joyfully all the days of the life of his vanity, which God hath given him under the sun:" for, in this case, our life is not thrown away in "vanity," nor do we "live in vain." My friend, "Go thy way," and be joyful," for God accepteth thy works." Our "few and evil days" are rendered much less so, by our doing good in every one of them, as it rolls over us: yea, the Holy Spirit of God, who is the quickener of those who "do good without ceasing," will also be their "Comforter." Every day in which we are active for the kingdom of God, will be in some degree a day of Pentecost to us; a day of the Holy Spirit coming upon us. The consolations of God" will not be small with the man who is full of contrivances for God, and for his kingdom. In short, we read, "the valleys are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." We may be in low circumstances, but if we abound in the fruits of well-doing, and if we bless many with our services, we shall find our valley "covered over with corn." When this is the case, we shall "shout for joy, and also sing." The consciousness of what we

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