Next Part 5 (The SIXTH Commandment)

III. The positive duty implied in the command is, that we should do all the good we can to ourselves and others.

[1] In reference to others. We should endeavour to preserve the lives and souls of others.

[2] In reference to ourselves. We should preserve our own life and soul.

[1] In reference to OTHERS. We are to preserve the life of others. We should comfort them in their sorrows, relieve them in their needs, and like the good Samaritan, pour wine and oil into their wounds. "I was a father to the poor." Job 29:16. "The blessing of him who was ready to perish, came upon me." Ver 13. It is a great means of preserving the life of another to relieve him when he is ready to perish. When there was a great dearth in Rome, Pompey provided for its relief; and when the mariners were afraid to sail there in a tempest, he said, "It is not necessary that we should live—but it is necessary that Rome be relieved."

True grace makes the heart tender, it causes sympathy and charity. As it melts the heart in contrition towards God, and in compassion towards others. "He has dispersed, he has given to the poor." Psalm 29:9. This commandment implies that we should be so far from ruining others, that we should do all we can to preserve the lives of others. When you see the picture of death drawn in their faces, administer to their necessities; be temporal saviours to then; draw them out of the waters of affliction with a silver cord of charity. That I may persuade you to this, let me lay before you some arguments:

(1) Works of charity evidence grace. Charity evidences saving FAITH. "I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18. Works are faith's letters of credence. We judge of the health of the body by the pulse; so Christian, judge of the health of your faith by the pulse of charity. The Word of God is the rule of faith, and good works are the witnesses of faith. Charity evidences also LOVE. Love loves mercy; it is a noble bountiful grace. Mary loved Christ, and how liberal was her love! She bestowed on Christ her tears, kisses, and costly ointments. Love, like a full vessel, will have vent; it vents itself in acts of liberality.

(2) To communicate to the necessities of others is not left to our choice—but is an incumbent duty. "Charge those who are rich in this world—that they do good; that they be rich in good works." 1 Tim 6:17, 18. This is not only a counsel—but a charge. If God should lay a charge upon the inanimate creatures, they would obey; if he should charge the rocks, they would send forth water; if he should charge the clouds, they would melt into showers; if he should charge the stones, they would become bread. And shall we be harder than the stones, not to obey God when he charges us to "be rich in good works?"

(3) God supplies our needs, and shall not we supply the needs of others? "We could not live without mercy." God makes every creature helpful to us: the sun to enrich us with its golden beams; the earth to yield us its increase, veins of gold, crops of corn, and store of flowers. God opens the treasury of his mercy; he feeds us every day out of the alms-basket of his providence. "You open your hand, and satisfies the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16. Does God supply our needs, and shall we not minister to the needs of others? Shall we be as a sponge to suck in mercy, and not as breasts to milk it out to others?

(4) Herein we resemble God, to be doing good to others. It is our excellence to be like God. "Godliness is Godlikeness." When are we more like him—than in acts of bounty and munificence? "You are good—and do good." Psalm 119:68. "You are good," there is his essential goodness; and "do good," there is his communicative goodness. The more helpful we are to others, the more like we are to God. We cannot be like God in omniscience, or in working miracles; but we may be like him in doing works of mercy.

(5) God remembers all our deeds of charity, and takes them kindly at our hands. "God is not unrighteous to forget your labour of love which you have showed towards his name, in that you have ministered to the saints." Heb 6:10. The chief butler may forget Joseph's kindness—but the Lord will not forget any kindness we show to his people. "I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matt 25:35, 36. Christ takes the kindness done to his saints—as done to himself. God has a bottle for your tears, and a book to write down your alms. "A book of remembrance was written before him." Mal 3:16. Tamerlane had a register to write down all the names and good services of his soldiers; so God has a book of remembrance to write down all your charitable works; and at the day of judgment there shall be an open, and honourable mention made of them in the presence of the angels.

(6) Hardheartedness to others in misery, reproaches the gospel. When men's hearts are like pieces of rock, or as the scales of the leviathan, "rows of scales, closely sealed together," you may as well extract oil out of flint, as the golden oil of charity out of them. Job 41:15. They unchristianize themselves. Unmercifulness is the sin of the heathen. "Unmerciful." Rom 1:31. It eclipses the glory of the gospel. Does the gospel teach uncharitableness? Does it not bid us "Feed the hungry and help those in trouble." Isa 58:10. "Those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good." Tit 3:8. While you relieve not such as are in need, you walk in opposition to the gospel; you cause it to be evil spoken of, and lay it open to the lash and censure of others.

(7) There is nothing lost, by relieving the necessitous. The Shunammite woman was kind to the prophet, she welcomed him to her house, and she received kindness from him another way; he restored her dead child to life. 2 Kings 4:35. Such as are helpful to others, shall "find grace to help in time of need." Such as pour out the golden oil of compassion to others, shall have the golden oil of salvation by God poured out to them; for "a cup of cold water" they shall have "rivers of pleasure." God will make it up some way or other in this life. "The liberal soul shall be made fat." Prov 11:25. It shall be as the loaves in breaking multiplied; or, as the widow's oil—increased in pouring out. 1 Kings 17:16. An estate may be imparted, without being impaired.

(8) To do good to others in necessity, keeps up the credit of religion. Works of mercy adorn the gospel, as the fruit adorns the tree. When "one's light so shines that others see our good works," it glorifies God, crowns religion, and silences the lips of gainsayers. Basil says nothing rendered the true religion more famous in the primitive times, and made more proselytes to it—than the bounty and charity of Christians.

(9) The evil that accrues by not preserving the lives of others, and helping them in their necessities. God often sends a secret moth into their estate. "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." Prov 11:24. "If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Prov 21:13. "For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy." James 2:13. Dives denied Lazarus a crumb of bread, and Dives was denied adrop of water. "Then He will also say to those on the left—Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat." Matthew 25:41. Christ does not say, "You took away my food;" but "You gave Me nothing to eat;" you did not feed my people—my members, therefore "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!"

By all this, be ready to distribute to the necessities of others. This is included in the commandment, "You shall not kill." Not only you shall not destroy another's life—but you shall preserve it by ministering to his necessities.

It is implied that we should endeavour to preserve the souls of others: counsel them about their souls; set life and death before them; help them to heaven. In the law, if one met his neighbour's ox or donkey going astray, he must bring it back to the owner. Exodus 23:4. Much more, if we see our neighbour's soul going astray, we should use all means to bring him back to God by repentance.

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