And let us confider that many of us are a great SERM. way already on our journey towards the grave, that CCхи. our day is declining apace, and the shadows of the evening begin to be stretched out, therefore that little of our life which is yet behind us should be precious to us, ut effe folis gratius lumen folet, jam jam caden=tis, we should improve that which yet remains, as it were for our lives, always remembring that our only - opportunity of working, of designing and doing great and happy things for ourselves, is on this side the grave, and that this opportunity will expire and die with us; " for there is no work, nor device, nor " knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither we " are going."

" Now God of his infinite mercy grant, that we may all of us know in this our day, the things " which belong to our present peace and future hap" piness, before they be hid from our eyes, for his " mercy's fake in JESUS CHRIST; to whom with "thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all ho

nour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, now and " for evermore.

SER

78

SERMON

CCXIII.

SERM.
CCXIII.

Of the blefsedness of giving, more than that of receiving.

ACTS xx. 35.

And to remember the words of the LORD JESUS, bow he faid, it is more bleffed to give, than to receive.

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The whole Verse runs thus,

I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring, ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the LORD JESUS, how he said, it is more blessed to give, than to receive.

T

HE words which I have read to you, have this particular advantage to recommend them to our more attentive confideration, that they are a remarkable saying of our LORD himself, not recorded by any of the evangelists among his other fayings and difcourses, but remembred by the apostles, and by fome of them delivered to St. Paul, and by him preserved to us in his farewel-speech to the elders of Ephefus. In which, after he had given them some needful advice, and commended them to the grace of GOD, he appeals to them concerning the integrity of his conversation among them; that he was so far from seeking his own advantage and from coveting any thing that was theirs, that he had not only fupported himself, but also relieved others by the labour of his own hands; giving them herein a great example of charity, which, it seems, he was wont to enforce up

4

on

on them by an excellent saying of our Lord, "It is SERM. " more blessed to give, than to receive."

And it is really a particular endearment of this saying to us, that being omitted by the evangelifts, and in danger of being loft and forgotten, it was so happily retrieved by St. Paul, and recorded by St. Luke. The common fayings of ordinary persons perish without regard, and are spilt like water upon the ground, which no body goes about to gather up; but the little and short fayings of wife and excellent men are of great value, like the duft of gold, or the leafts sparks of diamonds. And fuch is this saying of our LORD, which is not only valuable out of refpect to it's author, but for the fake of that admirable sense which is contained in it.

Some interpreters have needlefly troubled themselves to find these words, or fomething equivalent to them in the gofpel. That the sense of them may be inferred from several passages in the gospel, none will deny; but that they are either exprefly to be found there, or that there is any saying that founds to the same sense, I think no body can shew. Befides that St. Paul cites a particular fentence or saying of our Lord, that was pῶς, and in those very words spoken by him."

And there is no reason to imagine, that the gospels are a perfect and exact account of all the sayings and actions of our LORD, though St. Luke calls his gospel

a treatise of all things that Jesus did and spake;" that is, of the principal actions of his life, and the substance of his discourses, at least fo much of them as is needful for us to know: for St. Luke leaves out feveral things related by the other evangelifts. And St. John exprefly tells us, that JESUS did innumerable things not recorded in the history of his life and there is no doubt but the disciples of our LORD remem ber'd many particular sayings of his, not fet down in

the

CCXIII.

SERM. the gospels, which upon occasion they did relate and communicate to others, as they did this to St. Paul.

CCXIII.

The words themselves are the proposition I shall speak to, " It is a more blessed thing to give, than to " receive." This, I know, seems a parodox to most men, who know no happiness but in hoarding up what they have, and in receiving and heaping up more; but as strange as this saying may appear, the sense of it is owned and assented to by those great oracles of reason, the wisest and most confiderate heathen; τῆς ἀρειῆς μᾶλλον τὸ ἐν ποιεῖν ἢ τὸ ἔυ πάσχειν, “ it is a " more virtuous thing to do than to receive good," says Aristotle; which according to his opinion was to say, it a greater happiness, because he placed happiness in the practice and exercise of virtue. To the fame purpose is that saying of Plutarch, ἓν ποιεῖν ἤδιόν ἐσιν ἢ πάσχειν, " there is more pleasure in doing a " kindness, than in taking one." And that of Seneca, Malim non recipere beneficia, quàm non dare; "the two, I had rather not receive benefits, than not " bestow them." And that the heathen have spoken things to the same sense with this saying of our SAVIOUR'S, is so far from being any prejudice to this faying of our SAVIOUR, that it is a great commendation of it, as being an argument that our SAVIOUR hath herein said nothing, but what is very agreeable to the best notions of our minds, and to the highest reason and wisdom of mankind. In the handling of this proposition, I shall do these two things.

" of

First, endeavour to convince men of the truth and reasonableness of it.

Secondly, to perfuade men to act suitably to it. First, to convince men of the truth and reasonableness of this principle, that " it is more blessed to give, " than to receive." And this will fully appear by confidering these three things. I. That

:

I. That it is an argument of a more happy spiritSER M.

and temper.

II. Of a more happy state and condition. And,

III. That it shall have the happiness of a greater

reward.

I. To be governed by this principle, is an argument of a more happy spirit and temper. To do good, to be useful and beneficial to others, to be of a kind and obliging disposition, of a tender and compassionate spirit, sensible of the straits and miseries of others, so as to be ready to ease and relieve them (for to this kind of goodness and charity the apostle applies this faying of our SAVIOUR, as appears by the context) this certainly is the happiest spirit and temper in the world; and is an argument of a noble, and generous, and large heart, that is not contracted within itself, and confined to little and narrow designs, and takes care of no body but itself, envying that others should share with it, and partake of its happiness; but is free and open, "ready to do good, and willing to " communicate," and thinks it's own happiness increased, by making others happy.

It is the property of narrow and envious spirits, to think their own happiness the greater, because they have it alone to themselves; but the noblest and most heavenly dispositions defire that others should share with them in it. Of all beings God is the farthest removed from envy and ill-will, and the nearer any creature approacheth to him, the farther it is from this hellish disposition. For it is the temper of the devil to grudge happiness to others; he envied that man should be in paradife, and was restless till he had got him out.

Some perfections are of a more folitary nature and disposition, and shine brightest when they are attained to but by few, as knowledge and power: but the naVOL. XI.

F