13. He seeks the public good of others above the private good of himself

Another singular action of a sanctified Christian, is, To seek the public good of others above the private good of himself.

The sentiment of Plato, an heathen, is worthy to be adopted by every Christian: "I was not born for myself alone; for my country claims a part, my relations claim a part, and my friends claim a part in me." As we are not born by ourselves, so we are not born for ourselves.

Baruch, the man of God, was forbid to make self the centre of his wishes: Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not. For saints to set their hearts upon that whereon beasts set their feet, is as if a king should abdicate his throne, to follow the plough; or, as if a man should desert a golden mine, to dig in a pit of gravel. When we search ourselves, it denotes that we are virtuous; but when we seek ourselves, it denotes that we are covetous.

I am unwilling to draw a defective feature in any man's picture; yet how many are there, who have occupied public places with private spirits! While they pretended to undertake every thing for the good of others; it has appeared, that they undertook nothing, but for the good of themselves. Such suckers at the roots have drawn away the sap and nourishment from the tree. They have set kingdoms on fire, that they might roast their own venison at the flames. These drones stealing into the hive, have fed upon the honey; while the labouring bees have been famished.

Too many resemble ravenous birds, which at first seem to bewail the dying sheep; but at last, are found picking out their eyes. These people never want fire, so long as any yard affords fuel. They enrich their own side-board with other men's plate.

There is a proverb, but none of Solomon's, 'Every man for himself, and God for us all.' But where every man is for himself, the devil will have all. Whosoever is a seeker of himself, is not found of God. Though he may find himself in this life, he will lose himself in death.

The public spirit of Seneca is a sharp censure to many private-spirited Christians: 'I would so live,' said he, 'as if I knew I received my being only for the benefit of others.'

How justly might that complaint be taken up, which was so sadly laid down by Paul: For all men seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's! If some heathens excel Christians, it is not because Christianity does not surpass heathenism. A selfish man will not sow his seed, except he reap the whole harvest; nor plant the vines, except he press all the grapes into his own vessel. The wheel of his diligence will not move, except the oil of profit be in it. It may be said to many, as a great personage once said to his servant; 'Your rise, has been my fall.'

If Dives be tormented because he refused to impart his own; what shall their torment be, who avidiously take that which is another's! If those fingers be cut off which so closely clap their own property; what will become of those hands, which are always open to grasp at other men's!

It was Israel's lamentation, That those who were once clad in scarlet, embraced the dunghill. It may now be England's lamentation, That many who once embraced the dunghill, are now, by injustice, clothed in scarlet. Every man's private interest is best secured in the public good. A drop of water will soon be dried up if alone; but, in the ocean, it will retain its moisture. A single beam of light is suddenly obscured; but in the body of the sun, it retains its splendour.

Too many, in all ages, have turned a common weal into a common woe. They have spun themselves superfine suits, out of the nation's fleece. Many noble birds have been deplumed, that their wings might be richly feathered. When any springs have been opened, they have laid pipes to convey the water into their own cisterns. Such pretended pilots have steered the ship of plenty into their own haven; but justice will certainly squeeze such spunges, and leave them as dry at last as they were at first. All those moths shall be destroyed, which eat into other men's garments.

For a man to advance his interest out of another's property, is to keep all the meat in his mouth, and starve all the body beside. Naturally every man is his own Alpha and his own Omega. He has his beginning from himself, and his ending in himself.

That was a morose speech of Cain to the Almighty; Am I my brother's keeper? He thought it was not his duty to be his brother's keeper, but did not consider that it was against his duty to be his brother's assassin. There are many who will not be their brother's keepers, and yet will be their butchers. They have riveted themselves to their possessions by the bones of their murdered brethren; and paved causeways to honour with the sculls of honest men.

Self-seeking has been so long pulling the ropes, that it has rung the passing-bell of many nations. It is sad to see the house in flames, while the chamber is being furnished; the ship sinking, while the cabin is filling; or the tree falling, while the nest is a building. But better fruit cannot grow upon the trees of cruelty, than wantonness and oppression. God will compel them to drink the vgregs of that cup, which they have so unjustly mingled for others.

Queen Esther was a singular saint; for she preferred the public to her private good. If I perish, I perish. For how can I endure to see the evil which shall come upon my people? This Israelitess was not more comely in appearance than benevolent in her disposition. She did not prefer her own life to her people's, but her people's to her own.

When Theodosius lay on his dying pillow, he was more studious how to do his kingdom good, than how to sustain his torturing pains; as appears by his counsel to his sons, to whom he left it. 'I counsel you to be deeply concerned for the promotion of religion, and the good of man; for by this (said he) peace will be preserved, and wars no more known.'

Though the eagle be the queen of birds, as the lion is the king of beasts; yet she was not offered up in sacrifice, because she lived upon the spoil of others. Grace teaches a Christian not only to act like a man to God, but also like a God to man.

Our Lord Jesus Christ pleased not himself; that thereby, he might eternally profit us. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor; that ye through his poverty might be rich. A drop of his blood is worth more than a sea of ours; and yet he died our death, that we might live his life; and suffered our hell, to bring us to his heaven. He lay in the feeble arms of his mother, that we might lie in the tender bosom of his Father. His love began in his eternal purposes of grace; and ends in our eternal possession of glory.

Why was the bread of life an hungred, but to feed the hungry with the bread of life? Why was rest itself weary, but to give the weary rest? Why did he hang upon the cross on Mount Calvary, but that we might sit upon the throne on Mount Sion? His shining face was covered with spittle, that our disfigured faces might be enamelled with glory! Why did this Jonah cast himself into the sea of his father's wrath, but to save the ship of his church from sinking? Christ is not only the vessel in which the waters of life are contained; but he is also the pipes through which they are conveyed.

If the mountains overflow with moisture, the valleys are the richer: but if the bead be full of ill humours, the whole body is the worse. Happy are those persons, whom God will use as besoms, to sweep out the dust from his temple; or who shall tug at an oar, in the boat where Christ and his church are embarked.

David was a king that ruled in righteousness, and studied not so much to make himself great, as to make his people happy. For David, after he had served his own generation, by the will of God, fell asleep. His royal services were not swallowed up in the narrow gulf of self. He did not draw all his lines to the ignoble centre of his own ends. Such birds are bad in the nest; but worse when their wings are fledged, to fly abroad. He served his own generation, not the preceding; for that was dead before he was alive; nor the succeeding, for he was dead before that was alive.

Every gracious spirit is public; but every public spirit is not gracious. God may use the mid-

F wifery of the Egyptians to bring forth the children of Israelites. An iron key may open a golden treasury; and leaden pipes convey pleasant waters. Though earthly blessings may be communicated to a spiritual man, yet spiritual blessings will not be communicated to a carnal man.

While meteors keep above in the firmament, they yield a pleasing lustre; but when they decline, and fall to the earth, they come to nothing.

Though the name of the author of Psal. cxxxvii. be not recorded; yet his generous disposition should ever be admired. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I do not prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. Good old Eli mourned more for the loss of religion, than for the loss of his relations. His heart was broken before his neck. If the church be lost, Christians cannot be saved; if the church be saved, Christians cannot be lost.

Augustus Cæsar possessed such an entire attachment to his country, that he called it his own daughter, and refused to be called its master; because he ruled it, not by fear, but by love. After his decease, his disconsolate people lamented over him, saying, 'O would to God that he had never lived, or that he had never died!' Those whose lives deserve no praises, their death deserves no tears.

A self-seeker lives unrespected, and dies unlamented. When once a man becomes a God to himself, he then becomes a devil to others. Such an one cares not who sinks, so he does but arrive safe at shore. Those execrable wretches, whose conduct is recorded in the Acts, cared not whether a whole city lost their souls, so that a few shrine-makers might but preserve their gain.

It is reported of Agrippina, the mother of Nero, who being told, 'that if ever her son came to be an Emperor, he would be her murderer,' she made this reply, 'I am content to perish, if he may be Emperor.' What she expressed vain-gloriously, that we should do religiously: 'Let us perish, so our neighbours, our relations, and our country be bettered; or the gospel, or the Saviour, be honoured.' But there are many who entirely reverse this language; if not in words, yet in heart they say, 'Let relations, neighbours, country, and religion perish, so we are benefited thereby.'

Such was the public spirit of Moses, that when the Lord proposed to him to destroy Israel, and to make a great nation of him, he became intercessor for them; yea, even when they were ready to stone him. His affection, as a ruler, was stronger than his affection as a father. Thus Joshua, his honourable successor, so far imitated him, that he first divided Canaan into several allotments and portions for the tribes of Israel, before he made any provision for his own family. Give me such carvers as lay not all the meat upon their own dishes.

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