THANKS is the least that can be render'd for any Gift; and unspeak­able Thanks the least for a Gift that is unspeakable. Let us consider the particular Gift here spoken of, and the Honour here done it, the Glory put upon it.

Some would have it to mean CHRIST Himself, who is indeed the greatest Gift of God to fallen Man, ineffa­ble, inconceivable. John iv. 10. If thou knewest the Gift of God! Eph. iii. 8. What is the Height and Depth, and Length and Breadth of the Love of Christ, which passeth Knowledge.

Some say Grace, the regenerating Grace of God; or (which is the same) the HOLY SPIRIT of God in all his saving Gifts, Graces and Comforts: And indeed all the [Page 2] Fruits of the Spirit ^(a) are unspeakable Gifts, "Love, Peace, Joy, Longsuffering, Goodness, Meekness, &c. My Context ^(b) speaks of this Gift, "God is able to make ALL GRACE to abound to you, that ye always having an Alsufficiency in all things, may abound to every good Work.

But after all, The Grace and the Gift by Grace here spoken of, is neither more nor less than the particular Grace of Charity and Liberality to the Poor and Needy; an enlarged Heart and open Hand to relieve and sup­ply them in their Wants and Necessities. — The whole Chapter is on this single Subject and Argument, touching Ministring to the Saints, v. 1. as a Master of Bounty, v. 5. sowing bountifully, v. 7. giving to the Poor, v. 9 supplying the Wants of Saints, v. 12. liberal Di­stribution to all Men: This is the exceeding Grace and unspeakable Gift, for which Thanks is here given to God.

And great is the Honour and Glory done it, in the Epithet UNSPEAKABLE, and in the THANKSGIVING to God for it.

"Who can by searching find out GOD, or any Gift of His, unto Perfection? Who can shew forth all his Praise? All is comprehended in the one Word LOVE. Yet my Text means not to dignify a Spirit of Liberality a­bove the other Exercises of Grace, save only as the Great­est of all is Charity ^(c), which is but perfected at Death and abides for ever, when Faith and Hope are swallow'd up in Vision. Nevertheless it must be added, that Love in this particular Mode and Ministration, of which my Text speaks, will soon fail; for there are no Objects of Charity in Heaven, none poor or needy there: How­ever, Benevolence, the Soul and Essence of Charity, reigns there in Glory for ever and ever.

Blessed be GOD that we have something and so much of it on Earth, in our Way to Heaven: "Thanks to Him for it, says my Text. The Glory is God's, for it is [Page 3] his Gift, & this is the Glory of the Gift that it is his; this makes it the unspeakable thing it is: Divine, Heavenly, Infinite, in its Origine, Influence and endless Effects.

GOD is the free and bountiful Author of this Grace in any, He gives it to Those that have it; the Ability and the Heart to do kind and liberal Things is from Him; He puts it into the Heart, and he enlarges it. "Even Power to eat our Bread is from Him, how much more to give of it to others, to seven and also to eight ^(d).

The liberal Man is God's Gift to the World; to the Place where he lives, to distant Places also, if he have a Hand full and strong eno' to scatter far and near. Some in the Churches of Macedonia were thus made to differ and excel: God ministred seed to them and they sowed plentifully; God curiched them unto all Bountifulness, and the Thanksgiving was abundant to God.

The Praise is not to the charitable Person, who de­vises the liberal Things, but to God who gives him the Heart. The good Man will be far from taking any of the Praise to himself, but to God's Name he gives the Glory. "It is not in me, said the Princely Joseph, when Pharaoh asked him of the unspeakable Gift he heard was in him; "God shall give Pharaob an Answer of Peace ^(e): He honour'd himself the more in the Sight of Pharaob and his Princes by assuming nothing to himself; "Can we find such a Man as this (said the King) in whom the Spirit of God is? for as much as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as Thou art.

We must have a great Care not to idolise those whom God pleases to honour, by sacrificing to them instead of God, who alone is to be worship'd. Yet the Man who is God's Hand, and his Gift, comes in for a civil Honour and Respect, a grateful Acknowledgment of his own Goodwill in shewing the Kindnesses of God: of which our Context is full, ‘For to their Power and beyond [Page 4]they were willing of themselves, praying us to receive the Gift and take on us the Fellowship;’ ‘Where­fore shew before the Churches the Proof of your Love, and of our boasting on your behalf; for I know the Forwardness of your Mind, and your Zeal has provo­ked many:’ ‘As it is written, He has dispers'd abroad, he has given to the Poor, his Righteousness endureth for ever, his Horn shall be exalted with Honour ^(f) While by the Experiment of this Ministration they glorify God for your professed Subjection to the Gos­pel; longing after you for the exceeding Grace of God in you.’

Having thus set my Text in its true and best Light, I shall endeavour to speak to this Doctrine from it,

"That a right charitable and liberal Frame of Spirit to the poor and needy is an unspeakable Gift of God; for which great Thankfulness is due to his glorious Name, and abundant Thanksgiving should be fervently render'd in the Churches of the Saints."

I am therefore to shew,

• 1. What we are to understand by a right charitable and liberal Spirit?
• 2. That it is an unspeakable Gift of God.
• 3. The abundant Thanksgivings to be render'd for it in the Churches of Christ.

I. By a right charitable and liberal Spirit, I understand a Mind and Heart prone and large, free and ready in Proportion to our Ability and the Occasions occurring to us, to pity and relieve the Wants of the Poor, more e­specially of the virtuous and religious Poor.

It is the religious Exercise of the Grace of Charity, which we are to preach to you from the Gospel of Christ; [Page 5]and my Context confines me to this Consideration of it, "as the Grace of God bestowed on the Churches, and the Fellowship of ministring to the Saints. So that a Principle of Grace in the Heart, and the Exercise of it in the Life, are here supposed: That is to say, a giving to the poor and needy from Faith in Christ and his Word, from Love to Him and his People, upon the Commandment and Pro­mises of the Gospel; in Obedience to the one, and Hope in the other.

It is not therefore meerly a humane, tender, generous natural Temper, or acquired Disposition towards a necessi­tous or compassionable Object; and yet this is a distin­guishing Gift of Providence to some more than others, which renders 'em more lovely and of a superior Spirit; but we must suppose a Soul of this Disposition sanctified, and acting upon religious Principles and Motives; or one of another Disposition changed by the Power of Di­vine Grace into this; and then what rais'd and enobled Souls do the one and other become? all their Things being done with Charity! from a reigning Love to God and Goodness as such, as there is Opportunity unto all Men, but especially unto the Houshold of Faith, proving their Love before the Churches.

In this Case a special Exercise of proper Evangelical Faith with Love is supposed, as in the Frame of Spirit, so in the chosen Objects, poor Saints and Members of Jesus Christ, for His sake, and as unto Him, and as He will accept and reward another Day; "Ye did it unto Me. This is Christ form'd in us, his Spirit ruling in us, a new Nature given to us, acting in new Manner, on new Principles, Ends and Motives; such as the meer natural Man perceives not, in equal or greater Benefac­tions; a Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God.

It is easy to the Power of God and worthy of his Mercy, so to change the Heart of the naturally Niggard & grudg­ing, into this Riches of Benignity and Beneficence, whereof there seem to have been many Instances in the first Days of the Gospel, upon the pouring out of the Spirit; when the Multitude of them that believed were [Page 6]of one Heart and Soul; neither said any of them, that ought of the things they possessed were their own, but they bad all things common, Acts iv. ult. An extraordinary Spirit of Love, at an extraordinary Time and Occasion! a wonderful Effusion of the HOLY GHOST, from the late crucified and ascended JESUS. The like therefore has not been known in ordinary Times, nor is it the standing Exercise of the Spirit in the sanctified. But the Want of what should be common among Christians at all Times, is a sad and dark Testimony of the Poverty of Grace; for there certainly are among us People of high Profession, who have no Heart to do almost any thing at all, in a way of Distribution to the Poor, or for pious Uses; no not a known Instance for Years together; while God is liberally giving to them, and they can lay up and lay out and make Purchases! but if you speak of giving, they hide themselves from their own Flesh, even tho' they be esteemed Members of Christ also.

Let us always see to it, that our Principle and End be right before God, genuine and truly Christian; that neither Vanity, Affectation or Ostentation, nor yet meer Humanity and good Nature, be pass'd on God for gra­cious Charity, on Whom it cannot; nor yet on Men, nor on our selves, which also is next to impossible under our Illuminations by the Gospel. Wherefore our Lord, according to the infinite Wisdom and Sanctity of God in Him, has warned us to take heed how we do our Alms, Iest we have no Reward from our Father in Heaven. Matth. vi.

II. I am now to show, that this Evangelical Christian charitable Frame of Spirit is an unspeakable Gift of God.

And here,

1. Literally true it is, that no Tongue of Man can duely speak of it, or enough praise and celebrate it. It is above all our Thoughts and Words, we can neither think or speak of it as it merits. Such is every Work and Gift of God in the Kingdom of Nature and Providence. [Page 7]"See that thou magnify these visible Works, which Eyes of Flesh behold. "His Work is honourable and glorious, and his Praise endureth for Ever. How much more his Spiritual Work, the Gift by Grace within thy Self and Others. The Angels of God pry silently into this, and we need their Eyes and Tongues to look into it and speak of it. "Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in Strength! and "awake up our Glory too, though we be but Babes and Sucklings in comparison of Them; for from our Mind and Mouth God has ordained Strength.—We lisp and stammer at a proper Word, and poorly apprehend many of the Great Words put into our Mouth. "Let Him teach us what we shall say! and shall it be told Him that we speak! who can utter his mighty Acts, or shew forth all his Praise! —Ac­cordingly the Apostle labours in my Context, to speak of the Gift of God; seems at a loss, speaks abundantly, over and over, and knows not when he has said enough of the excellent Grace: ‘Inriched, says he, in every thing, to all Bountifulness, which is abundant by many Thanksgivings to God, from those that long after you for the exceeding Grace of God in you.’— If a Man wou'd speak of a thing unspeakable, it must be just after this manner; it being literally true, that no Tongue of Man can fully speak the Praises of Christian Charity.

2. Unspeakable is the Good done in the World by a right charitable Frame of Spirit. Unspeakable are the Needs which Sin has brought upon us, not only on the poor and low of the World, but also on others, even on the richest and highest. We unspeakably need one anothers Help and Service, and unspeakable are the Benefits we receive from others in our Necessities. The poor serve the rich abundantly, more especially in their Sicknesses; and very often do it gratis, for nothing, out of pure Humanity, Respect and Compassion, and are never requited: Sometimes from Gratitude for Favours received, and as often (I would wish) from a Principle of Grace within them, it being all the Way they have to express a pious Love to God & their Neighbours.—Others to whom God has given Riches, and Largeness of Heart [Page 8]to do Good with it, give Portions to the Poor by sevens and eights, and by scores and hundreds; devising li­beral things, and casting their Bread upon the Waters. ‘The Bowels of the poor are refreshed by them, they are Eyes to the blind and Feet to the lame, Parents to the Fatherless, and they cause the Widow's Heart to sing; the Blessing of them that are ready to perish comes on them, and of him that is helpless.’ They are as the Heat and Rain to a thirsty and cold Earth, as the Light of the Morning and the Dews of the Even­ing to those among whom they dwell, who pass their Days and Nights the better for their Neighbourhood. ‘Their Glory is fresh in them, and their Bow is re­newed in their Hand.’ They live not to Themselves, but others glean by handfuls of what they plentifully sowe. God multiply their Seed sown, and increase the Fruits of their Righteousness; while the Loyns of the Poor bless them, warm'd with the Fleece of their Flock. These are the Men of whom we shall hear well another Day, but how will they be able to bear the Joy of the blessed Words! ‘I was hungry and ye gave me Meat, thirsty and ye gave me Drink, naked and ye clothed me, a Stranger and ye took me in’. Unspeakable (you see) is the Good done in this needy World, and Heaven ac­knowledges it to be so, and accordingly rates the Gift in the Book of Account.

3. Unspeakable is the Glory redounding to GOD from a right Christian charitable Frame of Spirit, in the noble humble Exercise of it thro' the Earth, and therefore is it an unspeakable Gift. This is a Reason or Argument that rises much higher than the former; for if it be a good and great Thing to do much Good to our Fellow-Crea­tures, how much more is it to be any Ways Instrumen­tal in any Glory and Honour to the Name of GOD? Yet HE is glorified (says my Context) by Others, on the Account of the Acts of Bounty done them by their mer­ciful Neighbour.

The Great and bountiful God makes much, makes the most of our little Alms and Offerings to Him: As our Saviour did of the Widow's two Mites; they were [Page 9]a rich Offering in his Eye, and he magnify'd it and her. So God shines on his own Works wrought in us and by us, and puts great Honour on 'em, makes great Account of 'em. And so in the last Day he will glorify Himself in glorifying his Elect, ‘In as much as ye have done it to the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto me.’

We are bid to ‘let our Lights shine before Men, that they seeing our good Works may glorify our Fa­ther which is in Heaven.’ The liberal Man does so, but not to be seen of Men. There is that is manifest, and cannot be hid. Men do not light a Candle and put it under a Bushel. A good Man blesses God for the Light that shines on others, as well as on Himself. If one is inriched to all Bountifulness, it causes in others Thanksgiving to God; yea is abundant by many Thanks­givings to Him, says my Context: "They glorify God for your professed Subjection to the Gospel, and pray unto God for you.

Now the least Glory to God is an unspeakable thing. What is Man, and what the World he lives in, and what the Riches thereof, and you will say what the poor of it, that GOD should have Glory from them! "Be­hold He putteth no Trust in his Saints, and the Heavens are not clean in his Sight! how much less Man that is a Worm! What then can Man think or speak of, ask or pray for, like to this! Father in Heaven, thy Name be hallowed!— for Thine is the Kingdom and Power and Glory for ever! Well is it made the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, in our Prayers. It must be the everlasting Law and Motive to us, respecting giving and receiving; 1 Peter iv. 11. If any Man minister, of the Ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ; to whom be Praise and Dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

4. The Good to our selves is unspeakable, in a liberal and bountiful Spirit, and therefore it is an unspeakable Gift to us and in us. Unspeakable is the present Comfort [Page 10]to a good Man by this Gift, and unspeakable is the future and eternal Reward of it in the Life to come.

1. If we consider only the Pleasure and Comfort of it to a Man in this Life, to be of a merciful and bountiful Eye, it is to him an unspeakable Gift. He is satisfied in Himself, God answers him in the Joy of his Heart. The greatest Pleasure of Life is to be good and do good. The Words of our Lord Jesus are to be had in everlasting Remembrance, "It is more blessed to give than to receive. The Man's State and Frame is more blessed; unless it be when the poor Man exceeds in Grace, in the manner of his receiving; and then the Tide turns on his Side.

Job tells us the Pleasure he found in Acts of Munifi­cence in the Days of his Prosperity; and it was unspeak­able: ‘When the Ear heard me, it blessed me! when the Eye saw me it gave witness to me! then said I, I shall die in my Nest, or multiply my Days as the Sand! my Root was spread out by the Waters, and the Dew lay all Night upon my Branch! my Glory was fresh in me, and my Bow was renewed in my Hand! they waited for me as for the Rain, and opened their Mouth wide as for the latter Rain! I chose out their Way and sat Chief, and dwelt as a King in his Army; as One that comforteth the Mourners.’

Even all the bitter Sorrows of Job could not take away the Comfort of the Remembrance of his past Joys in Acts of Charity & Mercy. "If (said he) I had with-held the poor from his Desire,"— O the Pleasure of yeilding them their Desire, when it is pious and just, and the Power be in our Hand, and our Heart be big enough;—or ‘if I caused the Eyes of the Widow to fail! If I eat my Morsel alone, and the Fatherless did not share with me! for from my Youth I was his Father, and Widow's Guide.’ —I tell you, that as the Heart knows its own Bitterness, so only the Heart of a Job knows the Comfort of a Con­sciousness of such a Frame and Exercise, as this which his own Words have spoken, and who can add to them? How did all the Good he had ever done to the Poor re­turn into his own Bosom, and flow out of his Lips from [Page 11]the Abundance in his heart! The Objects of Charity were always to him as his own Bowels, and how were his Bowels refresh'd hereby, at the Time and long after. He felt the ruling Power of Grace, and had Confidence toward God. The Joy of Faith and Hope accompanied and follow'd the Exercise of Love and brotherly Kind­ness.

2. But the Great and last, the infinite and eternal Re­wards of Grace, to the charitable and godly Man, are in the Blessedness and Glories of the World to come, and these render the Gift of Grace to him and in him un­speakable. ‘Eye has not seen this, nor Ear heard it, nor can it enter into our Hearts to conceive of it. When the Son of Man shall come in his Glory, and fashion his Elect and Merciful Ones after his own glori­ous Body, and say to 'em in the Hearing of all his holy Angels,—’ ‘Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World!’ for I was hungry and ye gave me Meat, &c. —O with what Rapture will they make the humble An­swer, "Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee, or thirsty and gave thee Drink?—The Day must reveal it, what the Joy of the Lord and of his Members will then be! then they shall be recompenc'd, at the Resurrection of the Just. It is worth waiting for the Joys of that blessed Day, which will be given in full Measure, pressed down and running over. ‘Then he that has sown boun­tifully shall reap bountifully: Then not a Cup of Water given as to a Disciple of Christ shall be for­gotten. The Rewards of free Grace will be found nothing less than a Crown and Kingdom,’ a Crown of Glory eternal in the Heavens. How unknown, unspeak­able, unsearchable is this! it is high as Heaven, what can'st thou know? Infinite as GOD Himself, who is thy SHIELD and exceeding great Reward; O Seed of ge­nerous Abraham! It is a far exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory.—We find and see many temporal things un­searchable, how much more those that are unseen and eternal. Wherefore,

[Page 12] III. The highest Thanksgivings are due from us to the blessed God, for this his unspeakable Gift to any of the Children of Men; and should be fervently render'd to Him in the Churches of his Saints. "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable Gift.

But (as was said before) what Thanks can we ren­der, when the Gift is unspeakable? O 'tis above all our Praises and Blessings! Yet as the Levites said to the August Congregation, Nehem ix. 5. "Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever! and bless­ed be thy glorious Name which is exalted above all Praise.

I shall only say two Things here,

1. They that receive the Gift should be very thank­ful to God for it. The charitable Person should him­self give Thanks to God for making him so, while yet he abases himself before the Lord, as an unprofitable Creature, and behaves humble and lowly before Men. Yet ought he to glorify God for any Heart to do good, and for any Means to do it. He must assume nothing to himself, but ascribe all to God; of Whom and to Whom are all things. "For what hast thou which is not receiv­ed? and if received, whereof hast thou to glory? The Glory belongs to Him who has given to thee, that thou may'st give to others. As, suppose a rich and charitable Person puts into my Hand a Sum or Sums of Money to distribute unto others in Want; it is his Gift and Bounty, and not mine; and I ought to be thankful to Him to­gether with those to whom I distribute. In like man­ner if GOD give You Ability and a Heart to do good to others, you owe the first Thanks to God, and shou'd be ready to say with the Church, "Not unto us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy Name be Glory.

You, my Brethren! that are honoured of God to give unto the poor, might have been your selves, and so your Families, among the indigent and necessitous! You might have been Receivers of the Charities of others, the Ob­jects of their Compassion.

[Page 13] Or yet worse, You might have been among the nig­gardly and covetous in the midst of Riches; not able to eat of your own Bread, and less to give unto others! An Evil too often seen and felt, a Misery too common under the Sun, which yet shines liberally on the niggard Soul.

Or still worse, You might have been among the frau­dulent and unjust, the Cheat, the Theif and the Robber; or (which is little better) the Gripe and the Extortioner, the Spoiler of the Widow, the motherless and fatherless! But who has made you to differ? made Thee a Bene­factor and Blessing to the World, among these Plagues and Curses in it? GOD, who is rich in Mercy, and So­vereign in his Gifts and Grace to Men, He has done it! "Who has Mercy because he will have Mercy. He that made Abel Cain's Brother, and gave to Abraham and Job and Moses their Grandeur of Heart.

Let free Grace therefore have all the Glory; as the Apostle teaches us, Ephes. 3.18. To me, who am less than the least of all Saints is this Grace given. So thou ‘by the Grace of God art what thou art, and his Grace given thee has not been in vain! And if you labour more than others, yet not you, but the Grace of God in You.’—So when David had done a kingly part, and his Princes a very princely one, in way of Offer­ings out of their Estates; then David said before the Lord, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. ‘But who am I O Lord God, and what is my People, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort! for all things come of Thee and of thy own have we given thee.’— Thus they that receive the Gift, should give Thanks for it.

2. Others, but especially the poor and needy, they should be very thankful to God. The Charitable are God's Gifts to Men, even to the rebellious; (and indeed such themselves among their Brethren) that the Lord God might dwell among us. I may lawfully transfer these Words from Ministers in the Church, to the liberal in the Flocks; for it is the same God and the same Grace that forms both the one and the other, to serve the [Page 14] Needs of Souls and Bodies. "We do you to wit there­fore of the Grace of God bestowed on the Churches, in both. The same Holy Spirit that descended on the Apostles in Tongues of Fire, came down on the Multi­tude of Believers at that memorable Time and they had all things common. And now the ordinary Gifts of your Ministers for the Service of your Souls, and the ordinary Spirit of Charity in our Churches, are from the same Fulness, of Christ; of Whom all do receive and Grace upon Grace. He puts the earnest Care for Soul and Body into the one and other; whether it be Titus or Gaius, doing faithfully for the Brethren or Strangers.

The Gifts and Graces of others, and the Use God pleases to make of them, should be pleasant to us and admired by us; and we should rejoice in all that we see of God in them. We should prize the good Examples they give us, give God the Glory of them, and be ex­cited to a holy Imitation. 1. Thess. iii. 9. For what Thanks can we render unto God for you? for all the Joy wherewith we joy before our God for your sakes.

The poor especially should be very thankful to God, for his unspeakable Gift to them, in all the Charities of the rich and bountiful. They should religiously accept the Gift of Heaven in those whom they must call their Benefactors. They should look thro' and above Men un­to God, who gives by their Hands. They must no more idolize Men, than they would bow down to an Image of Wood or Gold; no more than they would kiss the Calves, or their Hand to the Sun or Moon in their Bright­ness; for this were to deny the most high and first Be­nefactor. "Why look ye so earnestly at us? said Peter and John to the wondring and almost worshipping Peo­ple at the Gate of the Temple, when they had in the Name of Jesus given more than Silver or Gold to the Cripple, even Feet to walk and leap. What is a boun­tiful Donor to us, but a Steward and Almoner of God, his kind and open Hand! Who shall have the Praise? the King that orders his Medals to be strowed among the Crowd, or the Servitor that scatters 'em at his Com­mand? Jacob saw the Face of God in Esau's Affection, [Page 15]when he ran with open Arms and Eyes full of Tears to embrace him. So let the poor see the Face and Hand of God, in all the Heart and Care of others for them. They are what God makes 'em, and he has made 'em such [...].

God knows the irreligious poor, ungrateful to Him, unthankful and unholy, who receive and eat and give him not Thanks. It may be they how to Men, and treble their Thanks to them and bless 'em, and yet do not lift their Hearts at all to God. It may be they neither pray for themselves or others in secret, altho' their Depen­dance is so great on Providence and its Instruments; nor do they bless God when he sends 'em in Supplies.—God values the Thanks of the Poor as much as of the Rich, and they as much owe it to Him. Let 'em learn the Song of Hannah, and sing it with her gracious Spirit, 1 Sam. 2. init "My Heart rejoices in the Lord, my Horn is ex­alted in the Lord: He maketh poor and maketh rich; the hungry cease, and the rich have hired out themselves for Bread.

Having thus at large consider'd the unspeakable Gift of God, in a right charitable Frame of Spirit, and the Thanksgiving and Praise due from us unto God therefor, I might naturally go into a large Compass of Meditation on other the unspeakable Gifts of God to us, all of which are more or less related unto this that I have been speak­ing of; and it may be I could not well go into a more proper and profitable Application of the Subject.

As,

1. Look we within our selves, into our own Souls and Bodies, fram'd as they are for Thanksgiving to God, and for all Offices of Humanity and Charity to our Nei'bours; what a Gift of God is this Mind and Heart, and these Eyes and Hands; first to lift up to God, and then to look and reach out to his poor! this social Nature for wor­shipping and communicating! In every Relation and in all Offices of Human Life, publick and private, wherein God has plac'd us to serve and bless one another; what Gifts of God unspeakable ought every One to be unto [Page 16]his Correlate and therein to the Community! from the Consort, Parent and Child, up to the King on the Throne; and down again from all that rule under Him, to the lowest Subject in the State!—What a wide Compass of unspeakable Blessings wou'd every Person, in every Or­der, present us with? all under the Law of Kindness, and all their Things done with Charity.

2. What an unspeakable Gift therefore is a good Go­vernment, good Magistrates, wise, pious, faithful, pub­lic-spirited Rulers; great and good Kings, Princes, No­bles, Governours, Legislators, and Judges: Whom we are bid to pray for, and are bound to give Thanks for; while under them we are living quiet and peaceable Lives, in all Godliness and Honesty. 2 Sam. xxiii. 1,—4. He shall be at the Light of the Morning when the Sun ariseth, even a Morning without Clouds; and as the ten­der Grass springing out of the Earth by clear shining after Rain. Such Gifts from Heaven were Moses and Joshua, Samuel and David, Hezekiah and Nehemiah to the Israel of God, in their Generation.

3. What an unspeakable Gift of God to us is our Church-State, our spiritual Relation in Christ, our Fel­lowship in the Gospel, our Brotherhood, the Vocation wherewith we are called! to be a spiritual House, a Kingdom of Priests, a chosen Generation, a peculiar People and Treasure, to shew forth the Praises of our God and Saviour. Your Sabbaths, the preached Gospel, the Or­dinances of our God, and the Ministers of Religion; these are among the Gifts from the Ascended Jesus. As it is written, — ‘I gave them my Sabbaths for a Sign between Me and them that I am the Lord that doth sanctify them ^(g): He gave his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and Judgments unto Israel, He has not done so by many a People: He gave Prophets, Apo­stles, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, for the per­fecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Ministry, [Page 17]for the Edifying the Body of Christ.’ Enoch, Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, Peter and John and Paul, and many after them, in their Spirit, have been inva­luable Gifts to the Church; a Treasure in Earthen Vessels, that the Excellency of the Power may be of God and not of Man. Nor have there been wanting in the Churches of Christ, nor ever shall be, such Gifts from among their gra­cious Members, to and of whom we may take up the il­lustrious Words of the Apostle to the Philippians and the Thessalonians, in our Thanksgivings to God ^(h): ‘I thank my God upon every Remembrance of you, for your Fellowship in the Gospel! and we give Thanks always for you all, remembring without ceasing your Work of Faith, and Labour of Love, and Patience of Hope in our Lord Jesus Christ; and ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the Word with much Affliction and Joy in the Holy Ghost; because your Faith groweth exceedingly, and your Charity one to another aboundeth; so that we glory in You in the Churches of God for your Patience and Faith.’ Thus the meanest and poorest, on worldly Accounts, in the vi­sible Church, became unspeakable Gifts of Grace to it; and will be found so in the Church of the First-born, whose Names are written in Heaven.

But to leave all things here below, and to ascend up far above all Heavens, I add

4. and lastly, The unspeakable Gift of CHRIST and of the HOLY SPIRIT, the Saviour and Sanctifier of Souls; which two are one, equal in Godhead and Glory. Here triumph with me, my Hearers, in the adoring Contemplation of the ineffable Gift of God, his own Eternal Son, the Only-begotten of the Father, whose Glory was beheld in his Miracles of Mercy to the Bodies of Men, but more in his Compassions to their Souls; his holy Ministry, Labours and Sufferings for their Salvation; to save our Souls from spiritual and eternal Death, to cover a multitude of Sins, to make Reconciliation for [Page 18]Iniquity, to bring in an Everlasting Righteousness for the Justification of Sinners. The crucified Jesus is such a 2 Gift of God to the Sons of Men, as infinitely tran­scends the Tongues of Angels, when they would give Him the Glory of it. They desire to look into it, and give Glory in the Highest. The Elders with them pre­pare new Songs for ever, and cast their Crowns before the Throne.

How then shall the Tongues of Men below be able to speak of the Gift of God to us in the Incarnation, Obedience, Death, Resurrection and Intercession of CHRIST, or of his Coming again in Glory for the Salvation of those that believe in Him!—Here all Words are swal­lowed up, we are struck mute, & Praise sits silent. Isai. ix. 6. To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the Government shall be upon his Shoulder: And his Name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace!

This, this (my Brethren) is the unspeakable Gift of God unto us, to be in in Everlasting Remembrance with us in all our Worship before Him, secret, private and public; every Lord's-Day and all our Communion-Days: In every Ordinance of Worship He is offer'd to us for our thankful Acceptance, to be of God made unto us Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption! and we must be making the Offering of our Selves to Him, as bought with a Price, living Sacrifices, which is our reasonable Service, holy and acceptable to God. Grace to do this, is an unspeakable Gift indeed.

Therefore we must give equal Glory to the HOLY GHOST, yielding our Selves to Him, as the blessed Sanctifier, proceeding from the Father and the Son! One with the REDEEMER in Godhead and everlasting Love to Souls. John xiv. 16. The Comforter, whom I will send unto You from the Father, He shall receive of Mine and shew it unto you.

This Heavenly Gift rested on Moses and the Elders, Patriarchs and Prophets, sanctified and inspired them. [Page 19]He has formed every Saint thro' all the Ages of the Church. But the grand Effusion was the Glory of the New Testament, and the Promise is still flowing down to us: Isai. xliv. 3. ‘I will pour Water upon him that is thirsty, and Floods upon the dry Ground; I will pour my SPIRIT upon your Seed, and my Blessing upon your Offspring: And one shall say I am the Lord's, and another shall subscribe with his Hand to the Lord,’ &c. — Souls can need nor ask more. Christ has no more to offer to us. John vii. 37. In the last and great Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any Man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, and out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of living Water: This spake He of the SPIRIT which they that believe on him shall receive.

CHRIST and the HOLY GHOST are the One, inseper­able, undivided, infinite, eternal, and therefore unspeak­able Gift of GOD. Let us wait for it as for the Rain, and open our Mouth wide for it as for the latter Rain. God fill us with this Blessing of Blessings. Revel. xxii. 17. "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will let him take of the Water of Life freely.