THE DEAN of CHICHESTER's Spittal-Sermon. On Easter-Tuesday, 1700.   

Levett, Mayor. Martis nono die Aprilis, 1700. Annoque R. R Gulielmi tertii Angliae, etc. duodedecimo.  
THIS Court doth desire Doctor Hayley, Dean of Chichester, to Print his Sermon Preached before the Lord Mayor, aldermans and Governors of the several Hospitals of this City, at the Parish-Church of St. Bridget, on Tuesday in Easter-Week last.  
Goodfellow.   

A SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable THE Lord Mayor of London And the HONOURABLE the Court of ALDERMEN AND GOVERNORS Of the several Hospitals of the City, AT St. Bridget's Church, on Easter-Tuesday, 1700.  
BEING One of the Anniversary Spittal-Sermons.  
By William Hayley, D. D. Dean of Chichester.  
LONDON, Printed for jacob Tonson, within Grays-Inn-Gate next Grays-Inn-Lane, 1700.   
MATT. XXV. 34, 35, 36. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 
AS there is no Virtue more excellent in its Nature, more honourable to ourselves, or more useful to Mankind than that of Charity; so I do not know of any that has more Topics to recommend it. The Occasions of exercising this Duty are many and frequent, and they are often such as call upon the Ministers of the Gospel to inculcate and press it, and yet the Subject is not exhausted, but affords still ample Matter for our Meditation.  
This Anniversary Meeting which we now celebrate, gives a succession of fit Opportunities for a Discourse of this Nature. And, blessed be God it is a very noble Demonstration that these Discourses are not in vain; that they do move the Hearts and Affections of the Hearers, and that the Seed sown produces a plentiful Crop, to the Relief of Multitudes, some of which are the Ornament and Glory of the present Solemnity. And it must needs be a solid Comfort to all that are truly zealous for the Honour of our Holy Religion, to find, that among all the Corruptions of the Age which are so justly complained of, there is yet such a Spirit of Charity visible in this great City, as plainly shows that Christianity has a Life and Vigour among us, and that there are not wanting Numbers of those who make it appear that they love the Lord jesus Christ, by their Pity and Compassion to his suffering Members.  
What I am now to read to you is an ample Testimony in this Matter, viz.  

A true REPORT of the great Number of Poor Children, and other Poor People, Maintained in the several HOSPITALS, under the Pious Care of the LORD Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens of the City of LONDON, the Year last passed.  

Christ's Hospital.  
CHildren put forth Apprentices, and discharged out of Christ's Hospital, the Year last passed, 225; ten whereof being instructed in the MATHEMATICS and NAVIGATION, were placed forth Apprentices to Commanders of Ships, out of the Mathematical School, Founded by his late Majesty King Charles the Second of Blessed memory— 125  
Children Buried the year last passed— 7  
Children now remaining under the Care and Charge of the said Hospital, which are kept in the House and at Nurse elsewhere 309, And 54 newly admitted, amounting in all to— 363  
The Names of all which are Registered in the Books kept in the said Hospital, and are to be seen, as also when and whence they were admitted.  
Which being so many in number, and the charge of keeping them very great, (and being still depressed by the very great loss, which was sustained by the late Dreadful Fire) it's hoped many worthy and good Christians will liberally assist towards so useful and beneficial a Charity.   

St. Bartholomew's Hospital.  
THere have been Cured and discharged from the Hospital of St. Bartholomews the Year last passed, of Wounded, Sick and Maimed Soldiers and Seamen, and other diseased Persons, from several parts of the Dominions of the Kings most Excellent Majesty, and from Foreign parts, many of which have been relieved with Moneys and other necessaries at their departure, tho' (as it hath pleased God) the greatest part of the Revenue of the said Hospital was consumed by the late dreadful Fire— 2217  
Buried this year, after much charges on them— 109  
Persons remaining under Cure in the said Hospital— 278  
The difficulty of the times being such, and the Contingent Charities exceedingly lessened, the ordinary revenue is not sufficient to support above a Moiety of the charge of the whole, by which means the numbers received in and cured this year are fewer than the preceding, and without the charity of well disposed persons are not capable of being advanced.   

St. Thomas Hospital.  
THere have been▪ cured and discharged from St. Thomas' Hospital in Southwark, this last Year, of Sick, Wounded, and Maimed Soldiers and Seamen, and other diseased Persons, from several parts of his Majesty's Dominions, and from Foreign parts; many of which have been relieved with money, and other necessaries at their departure; tho' much of the Revenue of the said Hospital has been destroyed by several dreadful Fires in London and Southwark; and most of the Buildings of this Hospital being very old, low, damp, and incommodious for the reception of sick and wounded persons; the Governors have rebuilt a great part thereof, in which they have already laid out of their own free gift many thousands of pounds; and have maintained the same number of Patients for cure, whilst the same building has been carried on. To complete the whole, there is some part now building, which, without the assistance of charitable persons, cannot well be accomplished: the yearly revenue being much less than will defray the constant charge. 1952  
Buried this Year after much charge in the time of their sickness— 148  
Remaining under Cure at the charge of the said Hospital— 330   

Bridewell Hospital.  
REceived this last Year into the Hospital of Bridewell, Vagrants, and other indigent and miserable people, many whereof had both Clothing, and such other Relief as their necessities required, being in great Distress, and sent by Passes into their Native Countries. 1406  
Maintained in the said Hospital, and brought up in divers Arts and Trades, at the only Charge of the said Hospital, Apprentices; notwithstanding it pleased God, the Hospital, and all the Houses within the Precinct thereof, (which was the greater part of its Revenue) were wholly consumed by the late dreadful Fire; besides the great loss sustained in the Remains of its Revenue by two terrible Fires, the one in june 1673. and the other in November 1682. which happened in Wapping. 101   

Bethlem Hospital.  
THe Hospital of Bethlem is of great necessity for the keeping and curing Distracted Persons, whose misery, of all others, is the most deplorable, because they do not apprehend the same, it disabling the Mind, as well as the Body.  
Brought into the said Hospital the last year, distracted Men and Women— 60  
Cured of their Lunacy, and discharged thence the said year— 45  
Distracted persons buried the last year— 10  
Now remaining there under Cure, and provided for with Physic, Diet and other Relief, at the charge of the said Hospital— 131  
The Charge whereof is great, and the Revenue of the said Hospital so small, as not to amount to one half part of the yearly Expenses thereof; and the Building of the old Hospital of Bethlem being Ruinous and not Capacious to receive and contain the great number of distracted Persons; for the Admission of whom, daily Applications are made to the Governors thereof.  
Upon a Christian and Charitable Consideration of the Premises, the Lord Mayor, aldermans, and Common Council of the City of London, did lately grant sufficient Ground to erect a more commodious House for the keeping and curing the said Lunatics, and distracted Persons: In the Building and Finishing whereof, the Governors of the said Hospital have laid out and disbursed above Seventeen Thousand Pounds, whereby not only the whole Stock of the said Hospital is expended, but the Governors thereof have been necessitated to take up several great Sums of money, for the finishing the same. And therefore the said Hospital is a very fit object of all good men's Charity, to do as God shall enable them, toward the relief of the said poor Lunatics, and Payment of their Debts; there having been, and daily are, by the blessing of God, and the charge of the said Hospital, and the Care of those that are entrusted therewith, divers reduced to their former Senses.   

Beside what is done toward the Relief of so many in these several Hospitals, the Precedent and Governors of the Corporation for the poor of the City of London, lately erected, have begun an admirable design for the employing the common Poor, and clearing the Streets of idle Beggars and Vagrants; and for carrying it on, they have advanced a considerable Loan of Money out of their own private Cashes, wherewith they have provided Work-houses and neceassry-Implements; and have already taken into their care, out of the several Parishes in the City, above 200 Children, whom they provide with Diet, Clothing, and Instruction, and bring them up to work at our Manufactures; and they have contracted for the teaching about 800 more, whom they will likewise constantly employ, and take their Work off their hands for the best Price.  
And they hope that, by the generous Contribution of Charitable Persons, they shall be able in a short time to set to work all the Poor of the City of London and the Liberties thereof; and likewise to employ all poor Mechanics, in the several Employments they have been bred to, or shall be capable of, and to take off all the Work they make, tho' they should lose thereby, that so they may prevent any of their Inhabitants from living idly, and wanting Work, whereby many are forced to beg, steal, or to have recourse to other dissolute, vicious and unlawful Practices.  
This being a work of so great Use, and of such excellent Example, they trust all good Men will lend their Assistance toward it; especially since it is now in its beginning, and most wants Encouragement: And should it fail, would probably discourage other Parts of the Nation from attempting the like; but if it succeed and flourish, it may in time spread over the whole Kingdom, to the unspeakable Advantage of the Public, not only in increasing our Manufactures, but in bettering the Manners of the poorer sort of People.    
These are indeed very good Tokens of a Christian Disposition among us; and it is the continuance, the growth, and the propagation of this Christian Disposition, that is the main End of this Day's Assembly. And it must be confessed, that the Assembly itself is a very forcible Motive to it, where the Beauty, the Comfort, and the Usefulness of it appears by those numbers of poor Creatures who are relieved by it. And this cannot but have its effect upon all that see it, and must be felt without my Direction.  
But the great Festival now depending determines my Thoughts to Arguments of another nature, and the Commemoration of the Resurrection of our Lord, which must enliven the Hopes of our own, urges me to press you to Charity and Compassion at this time, rather from the Fruit you yourselves shall reap from it in another World, than that Support your indigent Brethren shall receive from it in this.  
And for that reason I have made choice of these words, which are a part of the account that our Saviour himself gives of the great Resurrection, and of his coming to judgement at the end of the World. Which he gins at the 31. Verse, telling us, that When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And then follow the Words of my Text, Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, etc.  
Now these Words contain the most noble Arguments for mercy and pity, that can possibly be applied to the mind of Man: All acts of compassion done to our wanting Brethren, are represented here as done to our Saviour himself, and are declared to be so taken and accepted. This acceptance is farther illustrated by the glorious Reward that attends them, a Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, and that will last when this World shall be no more: And further yet, by the particular place these works have, in the reason that is given for this wonderful retribution; for I was hungry, and ye gave me meat; thirsty, and ye gave me drink, etc. Where 'tis observable, that no other good works are mentioned, but those of Charity and Mercy; from whence, though we must by no means gather that good actions of other kinds will not be regarded, yet the least we can conclude, is, that these will have a peculiar degree of acceptance, and that the Charitable Man shall have a distinguishing share of the Character, The blessed of the Father. Now if Charity at the Resurrection shall be, before Angels and men, thus accepted, thus rewarded, and thus distinguished, and that by our Saviour himself, sitting in all the pomp of the last judgement; 'tis not easy to imagine any thing that can be so persuasive to move us, not only to exercise this Virtue, but to be zealous in promoting it, and desirous to excel in it: 'Tis a Consideration that will work on our Reason, our Gratitude, our Interest, and our Ambition, the most vigorous and active springs in human Nature; and it must be either not well illustrated by the Preacher, or very ill considered by the hearers, if it does not make a very sensible and lasting impression on our Hearts.  
I shall therefore confine my present discourse, to this threefold Argument for Charity and Pity, represented in my Text; and shall distinctly offer to your reflection the several parts of it.  
I. Our Saviour's accepting the Charity we show to our distressed Brethren as done to himself.  
II. The Reward which it shall meet with in the Resurrection.  
III. The distinction, and peculiar degrees of glory, that shall attend the Charitable Man in another Life.  
I. I begin with the first, Our Saviour's accepting the charity we show to our distressed Brethren, as done to himself. That he does thus accept it, is sufficiently evident from the words in the Text, I was hungry and ye gave me meat, etc. But to make it yet more plain, and consequently the more to enforce the Duty, he frames an Answer from the Righteous, v. 37. etc. When saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? etc. Intimating, that they could not imagine how they should be entitled to the merit of so many services to him, whom they had never seen in his state of humiliation; and that therefore, how great soever their Love to him were, they could not pretend to have had such occasions of expressing it; and this Answer our Saviour makes for them, to usher in his own reply. v. 40. Then the King shall answer, and say unto them, verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.  
If then, by this repetition and asseveration, it be put out of all doubt, that our Saviour does accept our Charity to his and our poor Brethren, as done to himself; it must be out of all doubt too, that it ought very nearly to affect us, and that whether we consider these words as giving a Rule for our direction, or an occasion for our gratitude.  
I. If we consider this as a Rule for our direction, than the strength of it will be briefly this. Our Saviour is intimately affected with the wants of our Brethren, pities their afflictions, commiserates their pain, grieves himself at their grief and sorrows, and has a fellow-feeling of their miseries; his tenderness is so great for them, that he reckons them his Friends, his Brethren, yea even Members of his Body, and parts of himself; the comfort or relief that is administered to them, is so acceptable to him, that he professes himself to feel a mighty satisfaction and comfort in it; and what can the consequence be less than, go thou and do likewise? Is there any better pattern for us to imitate? Or can we regulate our judgement and affections by a nobler Model? Is the blessed jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, so nearly concerned for those that suffer? And shall we who carry his name, believe his Doctrine, and profess to imitate his example, have not concern at all, or but a cold and disproportioned one? This sure is highly unfit and unreasonable; and therefore, while our head professes this tenderness for all his Members, the Members ought to have a like compassion one for another, and whether one member suffer, all the members should suffer with it; or one member be comforted, all the members should rejoice with it; 1 Cor. 12. 26. Such force has the pity of our Saviour to command ours, if we consider him barely as our pattern and Example. But there are two reflections under this head, which will make the impression yet deeper.  
(1.) The first is, that our Saviour is in Heaven, at the right hand of his Father, removed far from all possibility of Suffering in his own person: He has overcome mortality, and all its Appendages, troubles, infirmities, and even Death itself; and is in possession of a Kingdom, Glorious, Eternal, and exempt from all misfortunes; and yet in this state of immutable Happiness, he has this tender compassion for those who are combating with the calamities of this lower World. How much greater reason than have we, to have bowels of Mercy toward those who suffer, since we ourselves are in the same condemnation? Our persons and our condition are both here frail and uncertain, and we are subject to the very same miseries that any of our fellow Creatures suffer, and we do not know how soon providence may call us to be tried by them. Now 'tis a moving Argument to pity, that the case we commiserate may one day be our own; and the very reflection on what we would then desire for ourselves, must melt us into Charity toward other men.  
(2.) And this puts us in mind of a second reflection; that our Saviour has no other spring to move him to this tender regard of those who suffer, but his own infinite mercy and compassion; he can receive no real Retribution, and no Accession to his Happiness by it. He neither wants their prayers, their thanks, nor their returns. But our case is quite otherwise; the Alms we give may be amply repaid in fervent prayers, that will pierce the Skies for us, and not return till they have gained a Blessing on our persons or designs; the thanks and acknowledgements that follow our bounty, may increase our good name or our interest in the World; and an exemplary Charity to the poor and distressed, may entitle ourselves or descendants to an universal assitance, when it shall be our turn to want it: And all these things have a strong influence upon human Nature, and must suggest, that if we are bound to imitate our Saviour, and to be merciful after his Example, barely for the fitness and rectitude of the thing in itself; then certainly we are still under greater obligation, not only to tread in his steps, but to do it with zeal and constancy, when there are such concurrent Arguments as these to quicken our resolutions and endeavours.  
2. But our Saviour's acceptance of Charity as done to himself, does not only affect us as a Rule for us to imitate, but urges to the practice of this duty toward our Brethren, in gratitude to our Saviour to whom we own so much. Our returns, as I before hinted, cannot properly reach him, nor can we really repay what he has done for us; and therefore if he directs our acknowledgements to any other Objects, whom he shall make his Proxies and Receivers, our debt to him must oblige us to pay what we can there. Since than our Saviour declares that the pity and the relief which we afford to persons distressed, shall be accounted as if it had been applied to himself in person, the very same Arguments must move us to Charity and compassion to the poor and miserable, that call for our gratitude to our Saviour and Redeemer. And one would think there should be no need to mention these; they are so many, that some of them must be always before us, and they are of that force that it is very hard to resist them. But since human Nature is too apt to be insensible, or cold, or forgetful, I shall crave leave to excite your Charity, as it is a piece of gratitude to our Saviour, on these four accounts.  
(1.) As he is one that loves us; and that with such a degree of tenderness, as human affections can never measure, and human expressions can never describe; he who is God blessed for evermore, left the bosom of his Father to dwell among us; he united himself to us, not in appearance only, but in nature; took our flesh and blood upon him, made us his Friends, his Brethren, and even Members of himself, undeserving, unprofitable, and rebellious as we were! And for no other reason that we can fathom, but his own good will and unmerited kindness, he distinguished Man from those Noble Being's, that wanted a Redeemer as much as we; for he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but he took upon him the seed of Abraham. Now the most natural effect of Love, is to beget Love again, and a Love resembling that which calls for it. And can we see what has so loved us, and what we ought so to love again, poor, and naked, and hungry, and grieved, and grant no compassion or relief? And yet this is our case, when we are hardhearted and uncharitable to our afflicted Brethren. 'Tis our Saviour that suffers in them, and calls for our help; and when we commiserate their condition, and supply their wants, we are but obliging and grateful to him that first loved us.  
(2.) Our gratitude is due to our Saviour as he is our great Benefactor, as one whose love has not been bare Benevolence, but has flowed to us in streams of unspeakable bounty; he has not only pitied our ignorance and blindness, but has illuminated our minds, by a clear Revelation of the Will of God, and the Duty of Man; he compassions our weakness, and he supports it by his constant Encouragement and Assistance; he intercedes for our pardon daily, when we do amiss; and he as daily offers his Grace, to enable us to do better; he protects us and guides us in this World, and has prepared Mansions for us in a future. And can we live under these, and infinite more continued blessings of the like nature, and never think of doing any thing in return? Benefactions do certainly create a debt, and though, may be, civil Laws do not take notice of it, or cannot enforce it, yet the Law of Nature does oblige us to re-payment. And if we can pay such debts as these, only by communicating some of our conveniences, perhaps only our superfluities, to Creatures like ourselves, whose wants call for it, and whose comfort and ease, and sometimes even Life and Being depend upon it, sure we ought to be pleased with the occasion and to close with it, and rejoice that our Saviour affords us any means, especially so reasonable and so grateful ones, of demonstrating our sense of his Love, and our gratitude for his Benefactions.  
(3.) The compassionate jesus is not only our Benefactor, but our Deliverer too, and has rescued us from the most intolerable Evils that human Nature could groan under; from the tyranny of sin, the wrath of God, and everlasting death. This is indeed one of his Benefactions, but I mention it distinctly, because our sense of Evil is much more quick and affecting than that of Good, and deliverance from what hurts or torments us, does infinitely more oblige than additions made to our happiness; kindnesses and good turns that are done us in our prosperity, very often lose their price with us; our negligence overlooks them, or our pride undervalues them, or reckons them as due. But the Evils we lie under convince us of our frailty, and emptiness, and represent our deliverers as fraught with favour and obligations. How do we respect those who restore us to our health, from a painful or a tedious sickness! How do we honour them who deliver us out of captivity or imprisonment, and bless them for the sweets of that liberty, which we regain by their help! And how do we magnify that conduct, and that courage, which rescues us from a Tyranny on our Consciences, or oppression in our Rights or Estates! No Honour, no Zeal, no Service is thought enough; and truly scarce any is enough, to show the inward feeling we have of such benefits. Now would we but apply this Argument to the present case, it would have more weight than it can in any other instance. No Deliverer can free us from such Evils as our Saviour has done; no Physician can heal us like that Physician of our Souls; no Conqueror can retrieve us from such a Captivity as that we were under to sin, or from such a Tyranny as that we were oppressed with by Satan, who led us away captive at his will. And then the natural result must be, that all that we can do to testify our acknowledgement is here most justly applied, that whatever we can return is still too little, and our mind must always owe, what our actions cannot sufficiently express; and this should make us desirous of occasions for our Charity, ready in embracing 'em, and zealous in promoting the end of them. We should think we could never do good enough, to express our thankfulness to him who has delivered us from so much Evil; nor could we reckon ourselves worthy of the Happiness we enjoy, while we could see any poor Members of our Saviour in misery, calling for our aid, and yet unrelieved.  
(4.) But there is one further reflection, that improves all that has been yet said; and that is, that our Saviour rescued us from misery, by undergoing it himself, and became our Deliverer by becoming our Sacrifice. And this raises the Obligation to its full height, and must put the Soul upon its utmost stretch to answer it. All the other Topics of gratitude carry along with them some invitation to the person that obliges us. To love even the unworthy, is the exercise of the most beautiful and charming quality of the mind; to do kindnesses to those about us, is a very pleasant way of being kind to ourselves; to secure those who want it, and to relieve the oppressed, is to secure our own persons, and to relieve those yearnings, which the misery of others creates in us, by a kind of sympathy in human Nature. But suffering has nothing in it to make it agreeable, humanity shrinks at it, and cannot be reconciled to it; no resolution or courage embraces it for itself, and therefore he that suffers for us, cannot do it for his own, but merely for our sakes, and so lays on us the purest and most improved obligation. But this our Saviour has done, and has suffered for us beyond what we can conceive, because we cannot comprehend the dignity of him that suffered, nor the weight of that wrath of God which he bore for us, and had a perfect sense of; in one word, he laid down his life, and underwent a painful and ignominious death for us, upon the accursed Tree; and should we not account then that he has bought us with a price, and that our Life, our Bodies, and Souls are his? And if he may justly call us, to lay down even our lives for his sake, shall we be backward when he calls but for a small portion of what we can well spare, to his poor Family that wants it? Should any Man have so wonderful a love for another, as to lay down his own Head to save him from Execution, and should the Relations or Children of that very person fall to poverty and want, would not he that was saved by him from Death, reckon all that he had due to their relief? Now our Charity is dispensed not to the Relations or Family, but the very Members of our Saviour, nay to himself, for he alone still lives after Death, and is sensible of this return. And let this be considered, and I think the obligation cannot be further improved: Let a Man but reflect that the merciful jesus was Scourged, and Pierced, and Crucifi'd for him; and let him but fancy that the hungry, the blind, and the Lame, in one word, all the miserable are the Members, the body of this bleeding and expiring Saviour, and then let him be hardhearted and cruel if he can.  
I have been the longer upon this Topick for our Charity, the gratitude we own to our Saviour, because I think it is the most moving one to a generous disposition, and Charity should always flow from a disposition that is generous, and above the narrow designs of interest and self-love; but because we cannot have too many ties to so excellent a Virtue, and so great an ornament of our Nature, I must pass on to those which may work even upon them, who have some tincture of the Mercenary and Ambitious. For,  
II. The second motive to Charity contained in the Text, is an Argument of interest viz. The Reward it shall meet with in the Resurrection, expressed in these words, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. Now this is an expression that hints to us both the greatness and the continuance of that Happiness which the Charitable Man is encouraged to expect▪  
The World has nothing greater than a Kingdom, at lest nothing that men generally think greater, or covet more; and therefore since our conceptions of a future state, must be framed by notions taken up in this, there is no other way to describe it, but by an allusion to those things which are here the object of our desires or enjoyments. And for this Reason eternal Happiness is called a Kingdom, a Crown, a Throne, and the like; because men who are in possession of these are supposed (how truly they best know who have them) to be in possession of all that is desirable in this Life; but since these are expressions suited to our conceptions, the meaning of them must be, that the Joys of Heaven shall equal, not what these things are in reality, (for perhaps that would not be worth our wishes,) but what our imaginations fancy they are; or that the ambitious cannot promise himself such charms in a Crown, as the charitable Man shall find in Heaven. But then, that Heaven may not lose its value with those men who judge best, that is, those who see the vanity of all, even the greatest things on Earth, the Scripture often supplies the defect of such similitudes as these by plainer Language; and assures us, that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things that God has laid up for them that love him. And we may add, for them who love their Brethren too.  
Such is the weight of the glory that shall one day be revealed in the Charitable Man, and 'tis not the least Article in it, that it is a Glory which shall not be done away; for 'tis a Kingdom prepared from the Foundation of the World. 'Tis true, these Words seem at first sight only to denote the Certainty of this Reward, as that which the eternal purpose of God, which cannot fail, has prepared for good men; but they very well imply the Eternity of that state, and intimate that it is a part of that blessedness which God himself enjoys, which was before the World, and for that reason must be after it. They are created things only that are mortal, and what was from Eternity before this World was made, must be to Eternity when it is dissolved.  
So that these two Considerations seem to involve all that can possibly be desired in any state, that it is perfect Happiness, and that it will always be so; and if this be the Reward of the Charitable Man, than I think these three things are very plain.  
1. That what we give away in Charity, is not lost; it is not a waste made of the good things we enjoy, as the selfish Man is apt to imagine, who thinks that perished, which is removed from himself; 'tis but lent, and will be repaid in due time; for he that pityeth the poor, dareth unto the Lord, and look what he layeth out, it shall be paid him again. A little expectation will re-imburse us, and we may throw our bread upon the waters, and it will return to us after many days. It will probably enough find us on this side the Grave, but if not, it will make a sure return beyond it. The poor whom we relieve may never be in a capacity to recompense us, but their surety always is, and he will recompense us at the Resurrection of the just.  
2. What we bestow in Charity, is better preserved for us, than it can possibly be by any other method. All the Matter of our Charity is subject to decay, and is corruptible in itself; 'tis Charity only that can preserve it for ever. The Bread we deal to the hungry, and the Drink we reach to the thirsty, would but mould and sour if we kept them by us. The Garments wherewith we Cloth the naked, would be eaten up by Moths and Rottenness, if they were not employed. And even our Silver and Gold is exposed to Rust and Rapine, and at best can serve us no further than this present Life. Now this is but an insignificant moment of the great duration of man, which is to all Eternity. And for this reason that Virtue must be of wonderful Advantage to us, that can render these immortal, and make them useful in another Life. And yet this is certainly done by Charity and pity. He therefore is the wise Man, who does not lay up for himself treasure upon earth, where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thiefs break through and steal, but lays up for himself treasure in heaven, where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt, and where thiefs do not break through and steal. And he is the best friend to himself, who is a kind friend and Benefactor to others, who makes to himself friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, who, when it fails, will receive him into everlasting habitations.  
3. What we bestow in Charity is more improved, and brings us in greater advantage, than all our policy and success can produce by any other means. And this is the Argument that generally works upon an avaricious temper; the Covetous Man does not love barely to have his Gold kept, but to have it increase and multiply; and will be willing to place it, where he may be sure to receive his own again with usury. Now the increase here is too visible to want illustration: We give a small Alms, and receive a Kingdom; a short repast, and have a continual feast for it: We Administer some of the comforts of this Life, and are paid with the joys of a future; or we keep our Brother a little longer alive on Earth, and for it we live for ever with our Father which is in Heaven. Charity then does but sow for a wonderful Crop, and in due time it must reap above a thousand-fold if it faint not.  
And what other way have we to bestow our wealth with such wisdom, in such security, and to such Advantage? Would we lock it up, and do no body good; or spend it in Luxury, and do ourselves mischief by it? Would we throw it away vainly and prodigally, and be laughed at; or make it an Instrument of Oppression, and be hated? Would we render our Riches Baits to raise the Desires of the strong, and provoke them to rob us; or to move the Envy of the malicious, and tempt them to destroy us? Or which is yet worse, would we lay up our Rest in them, make them our dependence, and place our Confidence in our Wealth; and so affront Almighty God, and call down his Vengeance to dissipate our Fortunes, to plague our Bodies, and to damn our Souls? All other ways do but make what God designed for our Comfort, to be to us an occasion of falling. And who would not then take Charity for his Director in distributing his Worldly Goods, to please his God, to oblige his Saviour, to give his Brethren Support, and himself Immortality?  
III. We come now to consider our third and last Motive to Charity. The Distinction and peculiar degrees of Glory which shall attend the Charitable Man in another Life. This is indeed an Argument proper to work upon our Ambition, and therefore may be thought to have no place here, since we can hardly imagine that there is room for Ambition in Heaven. The least Mansion in that blessed State will sufficiently fill all our Desires, and even surpass our Hopes; and to be a Doorkeeper in the House of our God, will be a more honourable and happy Employment, than to govern in the Palaces of Princes.  
But yet God represents to us in Scripture, that there are degrees of Happiness in another Life; and God never represents any thing in vain, but expects it should have its influence upon us. If he reveals to us that there are some Places in Heaven itself more desirable than others, it is for this end, that we may more desire them, and be more inflamed in our Affections, and more earnest in our Pursuit of them: For there is the very same reason for our more zealous prosecution of a greater Good, as there is for our prosecuting of Good at all. So that when greater degrees of Glory are proposed to invite us to Charity, 'tis that we may particularly engage in this Work, and promote it with more than ordinary Zeal; 'tis that we may endeavour to excel and be eminent in this Christian Duty here, as we would excel and be eminent in the Triumphant Church of Christ hereafter.  
We do not know wherein will consist the distinction between Saints in Heaven, but whatever it is, it will be something that is excellent and desirable, and an Accession to our Happiness; and we ought to believe it is worth striving for; and 'tis commendable, and what God expects from us, to aspire after it.  
If it consist in greater Perfection in ourselves, a nobler exaltation of our Nature, and improvement of our Faculties; the common Principle of Self-love will carry us to desire it; and besides, all Perfection bringing us the nearer to God's Image, the Love of God too, which we shall have in Heaven in the greatest degree, and should have here in some proportion, should urge us to covet it as far as possible, and to endeavour to be as like him as we can.  
If it consist in being more esteemed by the Angels and blessed Spirits, and more beloved by the Saints, many of whom the Charitable Man may have relieved in their militant State; there is no good Man but would earnestly wish to approve himself to the judgement, and unite himself to the Affections of such glorious Being's as far as possibly he could; especially, since they are to be his Company to all Eternity; and the enjoyment of their Society is one great part of his Happiness.  
Or if it consist in a greater share of the Love of God and our Saviour, a nearer approach to them, or a closer Insight into the glorious Excellencies of the Divine Nature; we cannot desire too ardently to have all possible Advantages for so delightful and ravishing a Contemplation, to come as near as we can to our God, the Fountain of all Perfection, to be as much as possible with him, and as dear as possible to him. Sure there is nothing more desirable than to follow the Lamb whither soever he goeth, and to be the first Fruits unto God and to the Lamb.  
There can be no question of this, that the greatest degrees of Glory in Heaven are to be endeavoured after with the greatest degrees of Affection and Earnestness; nor can it be doubted, but that our temporal Goods are most wisely dispensed in such acts of Pity and Charity, as may give us an expectation of this exceeding and eternal weight of Glory; all the difficulty is to find out the reason of this Distinction; and to know upon what grounds it is, that the Charitable Man is entitled to this wonderful Advantage, and that an Alms on Earth should find such acceptance in Heaven.  
Now though we ought always to be entirely satisfied with the Justice and Reasonableness of God's Conduct, and to conclude that it must be necessarily wise and good, though we cannot see distinctly the reasons of it; yet because Man does not love an arbitrary Dealing, but is desirous to have his Understanding go along with his Will; and because it may perhaps be some further Motive to quicken our Charity, I shall point out two or three of those grounds, which we may probably guests do give Occasion to this Procedure; and those I shall but hint very briefly, and so conclude.  
1. Because the Charitable Man most resembles God, in that Attribute which he professes himself most to delight in, viz. his Mercy and Compassion. So that if there be different degrees of Happiness in Heaven, and these are to be attained by different degrees of Goodness on Earth, and this Goodness be nothing else but the Imitation of the Divine Perfections; than it may reasonably follow, that though the copying God's justice, Truth etc. may entitle us to a Reward, yet the copying of his Mercy will entitle us to the noblest part of it; because this mercy is what God is pleased himself to give the first place to, and which he exalts above all the rest of his Attributes.  
2. Because the Charitable Man gives the truest signs both of the Love of God and of his Neighbour, which are the two great springs of all our Duties. He shows he loves God, because he will part with what men generally love best for his sake, and that is his worldly possessions. And he shows he loves his Neighbour, because he cannot bear that he should be afflicted, but brings him relief even without constraint. Now it seems but fit and agreeable, that he that best approves his love to God, should have distinguishing marks of God's love to him; and that he that best loves Mankind, should have the first place in the Happiness of Man.  
3. Because the Charitable Man is one who most truly imitates our Saviour jesus Christ, all whose Life among men was but one continued act of Charity to them. He went about doing good, healing the Sick, restoring sight to the blind, ears to the deaf, feet to the lame, etc. nay 'tis very observable, that those very miracles which he did for the Confirmation of his Doctrine, which was directed to the good of the Souls of men, were generally such things as brought relief to their Bodies. Now if God has highly exalted the Man Christ Jesus, and given him a name above every name, and if our following our Saviour to Heaven, depends upon our treading in his steps here, the Charitable Man is prepared to be the nearest him in his Kingdom, who most resembles him in his Conduct.  
4. Lastly, Because the Charitable Man is most like to be stored with all other Virtues and Graces that adorn a Christian; a generous contempt of this World, an unshaken Faith in the Promises of God, a reliance on his Providence, trust in his Protection, and obedience to his Authority; so that the command of being merciful as our heavenly father is merciful, very well Answers to the other, be perfect as your father which is in heaven is perfect. And then, if Charity do thus draw after it all the rest of those Ornaments, which distinguish good Christians in a mortal state, 'tis no wonder if it appears in the front of them in an immortal one, and that the Charitable men do shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father.  
Thus have I endeavoured to represent to you, as fully as my short time would permit; the three moving Arguments to Charity and Compassion, contained in my Text. And what now remains, but earnestly to exhort all that hear me, that they would duly and frequently reflect on these things; that they may be convinced, affected and persuaded by them? If God does give us such encouragements as these, he does expect that they should not be given in vain; but that we should carefully attend to them, and be regulated by them, otherwise they will be but an Article to increase our condemnation; and the three Sermons that this place yearly furnishes, will be a triple Testimony that will rise up in judgement against us▪ if they do not soften our hearts, and melt us into Compassion.  
But God be thanked, it may be truly said to the Honour of his great Name, and to the Reputation of this great City, that there is a plentiful spring of Charity flowing among us, and abundance of good men are ready to give, if they did but know how to give wisely and discreetly; but shoals of vicious and idle Beggars fill our Streets, and call louder for the Correction of the Magistrate, than the Compassion of the people, and even the Charitable are afraid (and they have reason for it) that they shall Encourage Vice while they relieve the importunate.  
Now this Assembly furnishes such good men with unsuspected Objects for the most abundant Charity, and with the most rational methods of dispensing it. The fidelity and prudence of the Managers of the several Corporations here before you▪ of which so much experience has been had, give a sufficient security, that what is bestowed here, will be certainly laid out, with the greatest discretion, and to the greatest Advantage; and the variety of poor Creatures under their several care, gives us opportunity of gratifying the most different humours and inclinations.  
Have we a Compassion for poor innocent Children and helpless Orphans; would we preserve their Lives, and make those Lives comfortable; would we bring them up in the Fear of God, and render them useful to the World, here is a Place, and Methods, and Objects; and nothing wanting but our Encouragement.  
Do we pity the wounded, the sick, and the maimed, and would we administer Balm to their Comfort; here we may at present enliven their Hearts, by the sight of our Bounty; and in God's due time restore their Limbs or their Health by the application of it.  
Have we an hospitable Care of the Stranger, and of those whom Necessity or Misfortune hath removed from their Friends and Relations; here we may act the part of Neighbours and Relations ourselves; relieve their Wants, and conduct them home; and may at the same time exercise, though a harsher, yet as necessary and wholesome a piece of Charity, in contributing to the Correction and Confinement of the lose and vagrant, whose Example would be contagious, and their Impunity a snare to other Men.  
Are we truly sensible of the pityable Condition of those poor distracted Persons, who have not sense enough to pity themselves; our Charity may here give them, I do not say Meat and Drink, but by the Blessing of Heaven, even Sense and sound judgement too; and we may raise up, from a kind of Death, our lost Brethren to a rational Life, who will be sure to sing the Praises of God, and of their Benefactors too, with their revived Understandings.  
Or have we in the last place a just Indignation at that Sloth and Beggary, into which Naughtiness and want of Discipline leads our poor Families; would we bring them to a sense of their Duty, and a love of honest Industry; would we prevent their being Vagabonds, or Thiefs, or any thing that is worse, and make them useful Members of the Public; here are the Instruments ready, and they want but our Assistance to perfect so glorious an Undertaking. And we have great reason not only to be exemplary in this sort of Charity, but to be diligent in persuading others to it, and earnest in our Prayers to God, that he would propagate the Example of this City through the Nation, and that he would open the Eyes of the whole Kingdom, and move their Hearts, to join both Hands and Purses to this Reformation of the Poor; since it is the truest Compassion to their Souls and Bodies, and I may say, to the Public itself, which groans under the Evil of their disorderly Lives, and will be never well reformed, without such a Remedy:  
The very Circumstances of all these plead for them more than any Arguments of human Eloquence, but not so much as the divine Rhetoric of the Text; we own them Love, as they are Men; and Pity as they are miserable; but we own them the most grateful and tender Returns, as they are Members of our Saviour. 'Tis him we comfort, 'tis the blessed jesus himself we relieve, in these distressed Objects: For so we must believe, since he tells us himself, Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren, you have done it unto me.  
And yet, when all is done, the greatest Comfort is to our own Souls, and our Alms return into our own Bosom. What we sow in corruption, is raised in incorruption. and while we give to the poor and miserable on Earth, we do but purchase a glorious Inheritance in Heaven. Let us therefore go on vigorously in this Duty, and abound plenteously in this work of the Lord, and persevere in it; as knowing that our Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; and if ever Coldness or Selfishness should obstruct our Progress, let us but bring before our Eyes the Sentence in the Text; he will hardly be backward who reads this Invitation, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World. To which may God of his infinite Mercy bring us all. Amen.  
FINIS.