Men who had hitherto lived in ftrife, 66 hateful "and hating one another," now felt their fierce and malevolent paffions fubfide and die away, and their bofoms glow with all the godlike ardour of divine friendship and love.

Of this character the apostle Paul was an eminent instance. No man better underflood the gospel, and no man ever drank more deeply into the spirit of it, than he did. In his fermons and epiftles he foberly reafons on the great truths of Christianity, and in the courfe of his life fhews what admirable effects the belief of those truths is capable of producing. Perfuaded of their divine authority, and feeling their efficacy on his own heart, he suffers himself to be transported, under the influence of the nobleft enthusiasm, into a series of the most benevolent exertions for the good of mankind. With a difinterestedness that reflects a real luftre upon his character, he affures the Philippians in this context, that the fpread of the gofpel, though it were by men, whofe motives were base and unfriendly to himself, afforded him a fublime joy. And however he could not but ardently with, fatigued as he was with the inceffant labours of his public ministry, to be difmiffed hence to the fociety of the blessed above, yet "for their furtherance and joy of faith, "he was willing to abide in the flesh." And having thus, upon the moft generous grounds, conciliated their affections to himself, he improves the intereft he had therein to the purpose of animating them to the duties of a public fpirit. "If there be," fays he, "any "confolation in Chrift, if any comfort of love, if a

ny fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mer"cies; fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, hav

66 ing the fame love, being of one accord, of one mind. "Let nothing be done through ftrife, or vain-glory, "but in lowlinefs of mind let each efteem other better "than themselves." And fo he adds in our text, "Look not every man on his own things, but every "man alfo on the things of others."

No pains, I prefume, need be taken to shew that this admonition is as properly addreffed to us as to the Philippians, efpecially those of us who are united in the bands of Chriftian fellowship. It confifts, you fee, of two parts. The apoftle earneftly diffuades us from a private felfifh fpirit, and as paffionately exhorts us to a public and benevolent spirit.

FIRST, Each of these tempers we will explain. And then,

SECONDLY, Confider our obligations to avoid the one, and to cultivate the other.

FIRST, Let us explain the evil we mean to diffuade you from, and the duty we wish to recommend.

I. The evil we are cautioned against is, a private and selfish spirit-Look not every man on his own things. In the fame manner, the apoftle addreffes the Corinthians, "Let no man feek his own: but every man "anothers, wealth *;" reminding them, in another place, that "Charity feeketh not her own +." By our own things he means our own proper intereft, emolument, or advantage : and by looking on our own things, the confidering of our intereft, being anxious about it, and taking every neceffary measure to promote it. Now the prohibition is not abfolute.

This is

is evident from the reafon and nature of the thing, and from the apostle's ufing the connective particle alfo in the latter claufe of the text: "Let not every man look on his own things," that is on his own things only," but also on the things of others." Here then it will be of importance to enquire, how far, and under what restrictions, we may be allowed to confult our own intereft. Our interefts may be confidered as either Spiritual or temporal.

By our Spiritual interefts we mean the health, profperity, and final falvation of our fouls. It is of infinite confequence to a guilty depraved creature, that he be restored to the favour and likenefs of his offended Creator; and fo efcape the wrath to come, and attain to the happiness of heaven. Wherefore, if dread of mifery, and defire of happiness, are paffions connatural to us, and if the evils and bleffings just mentioned are the greatest imaginable; doubtless it is not only allowable, but our incumbent duty, to take every poffible measure to avoid the former, and obtain the latter. To be indifferent about our falvation, is highly criminal; to make it our firft and principal object, highly commendable. Such is the language both of 1eafon and fcripture. And it were easy to fhew, that the minding religion is not only infinitely beneficial to a man himself, but is the direct means to difpofe him to look after the interefts of others, and to enable him more effectually to promote them. If however, under a notion of taking care of their fouls, and acquiring an extraordinary degree of exalted piety, men retire from fociety into filence and inactivity, they give too fad evidence that they are of a private felfish fpirit and it is much to be questioned, amidst

all

all their fplendid profeffions, whether they have any juft idea of the nature of religion, or have ever entered into the genuine fpirit of it. But the conduct we are cautioned againft in our text, hath refpect chiefly to our temporal interefts.

Now our temporal interefts may be all comprehended under the ideas of health, profperity, and reputation. And furely no one will affert that thefe are to be treated with perfect indifference and contempt. Indeed enthufiafm, under the fpecious pretence of piety, has precipitated fome people into aufterities ftrongly expreffive of this. But enthufiafm itfelf can never make men fall in love with poverty and mifery. The utmost it can do is to reconcile them to these

evils upon the idea of acquiring applaufe, a kind of good which in their apprehenfion will more than balance all their painful feelings. For this boafted mortification of theirs is only a bartering two forts of earthly good, namely eafe and wealth, for a third, fame, which they account more fplendid. But the truth is, these enjoyments, in their proper place, have, each of them, their value.

As to Health, we not only may, but ought to take care of it. The fame apoftle who fpake the words of our text, bids us "do ourselves no harm *," and affures us "that no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it +." Nor is it merely for the purpose of enjoying life that we are to covet health, but for the further purpose of usefulness. For it is impoffible that a man oppreffed with pain and fickness should attend with vigour, however benevolent his heart may be, to the active duties of focial

cial life. If, therefore, we would ferve our generation, we may, we ought, to take every measure in our power, to preferve and establish our health.

In like manner, we may affirm concerning Wealth, that it is a real good. It will procure us the neceffaries and accomodations of life, and put it in our power to make multitudes of our fellow-creatures happy. There is, therefore, neither wisdom nor virtue in treating riches with an air of haughty contempt, as certain vifionaries have done. Indeed, as to these men, it is to be apprehended, without breach of charity, that a criminal paffion for eafe and floth is at the bottom of all this affected felf-denial of theirs. No. Induftry is a virtue. "He that is diligent in business shall "ftand before kings, and not before mean men*." And he who provides not for his own, efpecially. "for thofe of his own houfe, has denied the faith, and "is worse than an infidel †.” Study to be quiet," fays our apostle, "and to do your own business ‡.” And in another place, " If a man will not work, nei"ther fhould he eat ." The ingenuity, fhrewdness, and ftrength our Creator has endowed us with, are applied to their proper objects, when used, under the restrictions that will be hereafter mentioned, to the purposes of improving our worldly circumftances, and fo augmenting our own happiness and that of others.

66

And if bodily health and worldly prosperity may be lawfully defired and purfued, fo may reputation and honour likewife. It is an argument of a benevolent heart to wish to please, and of a generous mind to aim to excel. "A good name is better than pre

*Prov. xxii. 29.

1 Theff. iv. II.

ti Tim. v. 8.

2 Theff. iii. 10.

cious