Do a Good Work

Do a Good Work
Use 1. Oh, beloved, that we had the spirit of St Paul, and the Spirit of Christ, to set us a work to do good while we are here, 'to deny ourselves,' Titus 2:12. Oh, it would be meat and drink, as it was to our blessed Saviour Christ, to do good all kinds of ways. Consider all the capacities and abilities we have to do good, this way and that way, in this relation and that relation, that we may be trees of righteousness, that the more we bear the more we may bear. God will mend his own trees. He will purge them and prune them to 'bring forth more fruit,' John 15:2. God cherisheth fruitful trees. In the law of Moses, when they besieged any place, he commanded them to spare fruitful trees. God spares a fruitful person till he have done his work. We know not how much good one man may do, though he be a mean person. Sometimes one poor wise man delivereth the city, Ecclesiastes 9:15; and the righteous delivereth the land. We see for one servant, Joseph, Potiphar's house was blessed, Genesis 34:3. Naaman had a poor maidservant that was the occasion of his conversion, 2 Kings 5. Grace will set anybody a-work. It puts a dexterity into any, though never so mean. They carry God's blessing wheresoever they go, and they bethink themselves when they are in any condition to do good, as he saith in Esther iv. 14, 'God hath called me to this place, perhaps for this end.' We should often put this question to ourselves, Why hath God called me to this place? for such and such a purpose?
Now, that we may be fruitful as Paul was, let us labour to have humble spirits. God delights in an humble spirit, and not in a proud spirit, for that takes all the glory to itself. God delights to use humble spirits, that are content to stoop to any service for others, that think no office too mean.
2. Get loving hearts. Love is full of invention, how shall I glorify God? How shall I do good to others? how shall I bring to heaven as many as I can? Love is a sweet and boundless affection, full of holy devices.
3. Labour to have sufficiency in our places, that you may have ability to do good. Oh, when these meet together, ability and sufficiency; and a willing, a large, and gracious heart and a fit object to do good to, whet a deal of Good is done then!
4. And when we find opportunity of doing any good, let us resolve upon it, resolve to honour God, and serve him in spite of flesh and blood; for we must get every good work that we do out of the fire, as it were; we must get it out with travail, and pains. We carry that about us that will hinder us. Let us therefore labour to have sincere aims in that we do to please God, and then resolve to do all the good we can.
To stir us up to be more and more fruitful in our places, let us consider we live for others, and not for ourselves, when we are good Christians once. It was a good speech of that godly Palsgrave, great grandfather to him that is (Frederick the godly they called him), when he was to die, 'It is enough for you,' saith he, 'I have lived hitherto for you, now let me live for myself.' We live here all our life for others, therefore let us think while we live, how we may do most good in the church of God.