of compaffion, affumed human nature, and fuffered the vile death, to fave him from the greatest miferies, can poffibly have a hard, contracted, unfeeling heart? Entering into the fpirit of this divine truth, and having his infinitely benevolent Saviour in full view before his eyes, his bofom must needs catch fire, his whole foul dilate, and his wide extended arms em brace all his brethren of mankind. Such is the real character of a genuine Chriftian. And a man of this character, if he has it in his power, will be hofpita

But ability is the principal queftion to be difcuffed here. Some are miferably poor, and it is not to be expected that their doors fhould be thrown open to entertain frangers. Yet the cottage of a peafant may exhibit noble fpecimens of hofpitality. Here diftrefs has often met with pity, and the perfecuted an afylum. Nor is there a man who has a house to fleep in, but may be benevolent to ftrangers. But the particular expreffions of liberality required of us are to be regulated by our circumftances, of which we thall hereafter more largely fpeak. In the mean time, as it is the wish of every good man to have it in his power to fall in with the admonition in our text; it may be of ufe to dwell a few moments on two virtues of the laft importance to be cultivated to that end: I Inean, induftry and economy.

Self-indulgence is the bane of charity; it contracts the foul, and makes it infenfible to the noble feelings of generous love. And floth, the ufual attendant of felf-indulgence, though it may not inftantly confume a man's property; yet prevents the improvement of It, and thereby precludes him from the ability of gra

tifying

tifying a focial difpofition. Self-indulgence and sloth, therefore, should be carefully guarded againft. Cherish in your breafts, Chriftians, love to others. Be happy in the idea of their happiness, and especially in that of being yourfelves the inftruments of promoting it! This godlike temper will roufe you from the foft flumbers of ignominious indolence, and prompt you to exertions that will quickly put it in your power, with the bleffing of God, to be at once hofpitable and happy. The man who is urged to diligence by a generous spirit, is more likely to fucceed in his affairs, than the wretch whofe object is to hoard up what he gets, or at best to confume it upon himself. His generofity will give vigour to his faculties, add spirit to his exertions, and fecure him the favour of all ingenuous people he has to do with. And as his affairs profper, fo his object, the gratification of this noble paffion for doing good will be attained: his friends will share the fmiling fruits of his hofpitality, and he feel a greater pleasure in communicating than they in receiving them. For "it is more bleffed," as our Saviour fays, "to give than to receive *."-Aquila was a diligent man; he wrought hard at the occupation of tent-making, God fucceeded his labours, and he had the joy of entertaining a Paul and an Apollos, and many other excellent people, in his house.

But, in order to our acquiring an ability to be hofpitable, it is neceffary that we should be prudent as well as induftrious. Extravagance is very nearly as inimical to this duty as floth: this prevents our obtaining the means of generofity, that deprives us of them as foon as we poffefs them, Oeconomy, there

*AQs x. 53.

fore,

fore, is to be ftrictly regardedon How the line is to be drawn between profufion and parfimony, in the ens tertainments we make for our friends, may be shewn hereafter. But this is not the only thing; economy is to be observed in the management of all our affairs. No idle unmeaning expence is to be incurred by any branch of the family. Waftes is on no account to be connived at under the notion of plenty. The fervants are to be narrowly watched, the daughters to be bred up to housewifery, and the prudent eye of the miftress to pervade through every department of her house. From fuch an unremitting attention to domestic concerns very great advantage will refult to the interests of hofpitality. The faving of this or that expence upon ourselves, and the ingeniously managing this or that entertainment; fo that it fhall be plentiful and yet not coftly; will enable us to receive more ftrangers into our houfe than we otherwife could.

Prifcilla we may be fure was as prudent, as her husband Aquila wasi is induftrious: for otherwife they could not have been fo hofpitable, as it ap pears from feripture hiftory they were. But, without referring particularly to characters of this fort, fuch as Abigail, Dorcas, and the like; it fhall fuffice to recommend the diligent study of the character of the virtuous woman in the Proverbs, in order to infpire miftreffes of families with economy, and to teach them its importance to the object before us. “

Of all thofe who have ability this duty is required. But there are perfons of certain characters and ftations in life who are more efpecially obliged to it: as particularly magiftrates and others in civil offices, who would forfeit the esteem of the public, and great

ly

ly injure their ufefulnefs; were they not to obferve the rites of hofpitality.But thofe whom the apoftle feems to have chiefly in his eye are minifters, and fuch private Chriftians as are qualified, by their par ticular offices in the church, and their affluent circum. flances, to be eminently useful in this way. As to the former, it is a qualification/exprefsly required of a Christian bishop, that he be "given to hospitality." Ne man ought to take upon him this office who is not of this difpofition: for with what an ill grace would he enjoin that upon others to which he is himself totally averfed! And occafions for the exercise of this fpecies of liberality are not infrequent, as their houfes are often on many accounts visited by perfons of every rank among their flock. What pity but they were all in a capacity to gratify fo humane and benevolent a temper! Their "being given to hospitality" evidently supposes them to poffefs at leaft a competency of the things of this life. And fince the duties of their office do not allow them the fame opportunities with others of improving their circumftances, it is highly incumbent on their people to put it in their power to comply with the apoflolic admonition. Indeed, he who tells bishops that they fhould be "given to hofpitality," does in effect charge it upon those they serve, to enable them to be hospitable. What Christian of a generous mind but must feel pain to see the table of his minifter, through the narrowness of his circumstances, so parfimoniously spread as not to admit a stranger to it!

1

They, too, who are called to offices in the church, which imply affluence in those who hold them, ought

to excel in hofpitality. Deacons bare godtoo ferve tables *"the table of Chrift, of the minister, and of the poor. And thus employed about the tables of others, it is but fit that they should have a tablesoff their own. Indeed this is the duty of all whom Prol? vidence has profpered, and who have zeal for religion, efpecially thofe whole fituation is peculiarly favoura¬ ble for the reception of pious ftrangers, who cannots otherwife be provided for. A great deal of this hofpitality there was in the primitive times, when a mule titude of itinerant preachers were fent out by the churches to propagate the gofpel through the Roman provinces. And in the epiftles not a few venerable names are recorded of perfons who, like Gaius, re"ceived the brethren and ftrangers into their houfes "and brought them forward on their journey after a godly fort "

SECONDLY, Our next enquiry is, To whom this duty is to be practifed?

The word Hofpitality fignifies, as we have obferved already, the fhewing kindness to firangers. Now the term Strangers hath two acceptations. It is to be understood of travellers, or perfons who come from a distance, and with whom we have little or no acquaintance, and more generally, of all who are not of our houfe-frangers as oppofed to domeftics.

With refpect to the first of thefe. In early times mankind lived after a different manner from what they do now. Some indeed dwelt in cities, cultivated the arts, and foon lofing fight of hofpitality degenerated into all the meannefs of ceremony, and the effeminaсу of luxury. But the patriarchs, following the ocgcupation.