dance and regard, what patience and reasonableness they should have expected from those to whom they paid it; and what thankful acknowledgments, for discharging an office but tolerably well, which must be in itself a melancholy and unpleasing one.

There are fome, and I hope the more usual, of the numberless cafes, in which we should all be folicitoufly careful to do to others, as we would they should do to us. Indeed were we to aim at taking one step further, and a little exceed the goodnefs, which we conceive we might equitably demand, we should feldom go beyond the rule, but only make fomewhat furer not to fall short of it a point, of which it concerns us in the highest degree to make fure. For when God is so gracious as to appeal to our hearts, and govern us by a law, as it were, of our own enacting: (a law which we cannot be ignorant of, cannot except againft, and one should think can hardly forget or mifapply;) we must be dreadfully inexcuseable before him, when we disobey it. Indeed the general difobedience to it which there is in the world, affords us a deplorable view of the ftate of mankind; and should excite us to a strict examination of our past, and a diligent watchfulness over our future conduct. We have all tranfgreffed even this most obvious and unexcерtionable rule: let us all beg that pardon, which our Saviour hath merited, for what we have done ill; and apply for that grace of the Holy Spirit, without the help of which we can do nothing well.

VOL. I.

SER.

1

SERMON Χ.

ON CHARITY.

1

1 PETER iv. 8.

And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselvesz for charity shall cover the multitude of fins.

A RELIGION, the precepts of which are all just and good, must immediately be acknowledged to be so far true; but if, befides, the general temper from which it appoints every particular duty to be done, be the proper and right one, then the argument in its favour strengthens. And if, lastly, the means which it prescribes to form this temper, be well adapted to produce it in the worst of men, and raise it still higher in the beft, nothing more can be wanting to prove the practical part of fuch an inftitution, which is always the most important part, worthy of him, who alone perfectly knows both the obligations arifing from our original nature, and the assistances needful in our present circumstances.

Now this is evidently the case of Christianity. Its injunctions comprehend every dictate, the very purest and fublimest, of natural piety and virtue, without any fingle article contradictory to them: whereas all religions of human invention have both omitted right things, and commanded wrong ones. The precepts it hath added, peculiar to itself, are few and unexceptionable. And the motives from which the whole is to be practifed, are two, the most rational and excellent that can be conceived: the first and great commandment, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart; and the fecond like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself*: both which have

•Matth. xxii. 37, 38, 39.

one

one original source; that inward esteem of moral goodness and rectitude, which must incline us to adore it in our Maker, cultivate it in ourselves, and exercise it towards our fellow-crea

tures.

This is the genuine spirit of the gospel: and it is plainly the worthiest and noblest that our nature, or any nature, is capable of; too noble, indeed, for human minds, weak and depraved as they are, to be wholly influenced by at first. And therefore we are trained up to it gradually, by a preparatory difcipline of threatenings to restrain, and promises to excite us; of religious appointments to remind us of our duty, visible figns to make stronger impressions of it, worldly trials of many kinds to exercise and confirm us in it; till, through a course of this improving education, we grow up to our maturity; and that which is perfect being come, that which is in part be done away *. Then God in his own good time shall tranflate us into a better world, and removing, as fuperfluous, now, those temporary aids, which, in fome degree, obfcured the building they contributed to raise, its beauty shall appear complete, and its duration eternal.

Therefore, in every act, and every thought of religion, we should always remember, that the only true measure of our improvement, is the increase of that virtuous affection, which St. Paul hath declared to be the end of the commandment †, love to God, and love to his whole creation, especially our own species, or as large a proportion of it as our behaviour can affect. The former part of this blessed temper, that which regards our Maker, hath been taught so unintelligibly, and perverted fo wildly, by fome, and, partly in consequence of that, rejected with fuch scorn, or admitted with such diffidence, by others; that to the great difadvantage and dishonour of religion, it hath obtained but little place in the fouls of men, even of those who think themselves pious and devout. And yet, if goodness be the natural object of love, and infinite goodness of the highest love that we can exert, surely the meaning of love to God is as plain, and the obligation to it as indispensable, as the feeling of it is delightful, and the fruits excellent.

Love to our fellow-creatures, the fecond precept of our bleffed Lord, which in the text is rendered charity, the original word

Ο 2

† 1 Tim. i. 5.

word being the very fame, hath indeed so far escaped better than the first, as to be in general terms well spoken of by all the world. But, at the fame time, its nature hath often been ill understood; and its worth feldom confidered near enough, yet fometimes exalted a great deal too much.

For thefe reafons, I shall endeavour,

I. To fettle the right notion of this virtue.

II. To shew the just value of it: particularly its influence in what both St. Peter and St. James afcribe to it, covering of fins.

I. To fettle the right notion of it: a thing the more neceffary, because the word, by which it is here expressed, hath greatly altered its meaning. Charity, in common speech at present, almost constantly fignifies, either judging favourably of the actions and intentions of others, or relieving their diftreffes: whereas, in the New Testament, it never fignifies these particularly, and scarce ever any fingle virtue, but that general benevolence of difpofition, which prompts us, on all occafions, to mild thoughts and beneficent deeds; and on which, wrought in us by the grace of our Redeemer, depends their true worth and acceptance with God. For this reason, St. Paul very justly supposes a cafe poffible, which else might well seem a very strange one, that of a man's bestowing all he hath to feed the poor, and not having charity; for he may only have vanity or ambition; and as justly determines upon it, that fuch liberality shall profit him nothing*. Charity, therefore, is an inward principle of universal kind affection: and the feeds of it are fown in that constitutional goodness of nature, of which, notwithstanding our lamentable degeneracy by the fall, every man hath some remaining degree; the larger the happier, if we manage it with due care. For in this, as in every part of our frame, watchful conduct and judicious culture of our powers and propenfities, promoting their growth in some instances, restraining it in others, and directing it in all, is highly necessary to their attaining maturity, and bringing forth valuable fruit. When properly regulated, the most terrible of our paffions, anger, becomes the minister of good; and, when left to run wild, the most amiable of our inward feelings, good-nature, is often almost wholly useless, and fometimes the parent of much evil.

Thus, to fay nothing of those whose pretences to it are mere affectation, who extoll benevolence to the skies in talk, but give no proof of it in any thing beyond talk: the good-nature of fome, who have a fort of it, is intirely notional and romantic. They can be affected most deeply by a moving story; weep over even a feigned distress, when well defcribed, or barely reprefented to them by fancy; and perhaps weep a fecond time at reflecting on their own meritorious tenderness: yet, in real cafes that come before them, can fee the heaviest afflictions without being moved; nay, can even produce them with a moft unrelenting steadiness, when their pleasures, or interests, or favourite schemes, require it. And thus they cultivate, in idea, the most refined and exalted sentiments of humanity, which no one living is ever the better for.

Some again are a little more in earnest than this comes to : but so very little, that, instead of fervent charity, it amounts to no more than languid ineffectual good-will. They wish well, it may be, to all the world: applaud others highly, when they relieve the distressed; approve it, are fincerely glad of it; will, on occafion, folicit and press them to it: but if they themselves are called upon to do likewife, know not how to part with any thing worth naming, be they possessed of ever so great fuperfluity; and have a thousand reasons to alledge, why they cannot, or need not do, what most evidently they both can and ought.

Another fort of persons will give their money freely enough for they have no regard to money. But if they are wanted to bestow a little pains or contrivance towards extricating any one out of difficulties, that is too hard a task, though it would do ever fo much good. To think of the distress of a fellow-creature is grievous to them; but to fet about helping him would be more fo: and therefore, instead of condemning and throwing off their indolence, they turn their eyes another way to make themselves easy, and let every thing grow as much worfe as it can.

The goodness of a fourth fort is very warm, but extremely fhort-lived. They will promife wonders, and mean all they fay; but forget it in a day's time and just then would do every thing for a man, whom in their next turn of humour they will do nothing for. So that, till they are known, they millead