Page images
PDF
EPUB

greatest zeal and vigour : for then it will be an inftance of SERM, felf-love to exercise charity; then both these inclinations XXVI. confpiring will march evenly together, one will not extrude nor depress the other.

It may be hard, while our concerns appear divided, not to prefer our own; but when they are coincident, or confpire together, the ground of that partiality is removed.

Nor is this an imaginary courfe, but grounded in reafon, and thereby reducible to practice: for confidering the manifold bands of relation (natural, civil, or spiritual) between men, as naturally of the fame kind and blood, as civilly members of the same society, as fpiritually linked in one brotherhood; confidering the mutual advantages derivable from the wealth and welfare of each other, (in way of needful fuccour, advice, and comfort, of profitable commerce, of pleasant converfation ;) confidering the mifchiefs which from our neighbour's indigency and af fiction we may incur, they rendering him as a wild beast, unfociable, troublesome, and formidable to us; confidering that we cannot be happy without good nature, and good humour, and that good nature cannot behold any fad object without pity and dolorous refentment, good humour cannot fubfift in prospect of fuch objects; confidering that charity is an inftrument, whereby we may apply all our neighbour's good to ourselves, it being ours, if we can find complacence therein; it may appear reafonable to reckon all our neighbour's concerns to our

account.

That this is practicable, experience may confirm; for we may observe, that men commonly do thus appropriate the concerns of others, refenting the difafters of a friend or of a relation with as fenfible difpleasure as they could their own; and anfwerably finding as high a fatisfaction in their good fortune. Yea many perfons do feel more pain by compaffion for others, than they could do in fustaining the fame evils; divers can with a flout heart undergo their own afflictions, who are melted with those of a friend or brother. Seeing then in true judgment

[blocks in formation]

SERM. humanity doth match any other relation, and ChriftiXXVI. anity far doth exceed all other alliances, why may we

not on them ground the like affections and practices, if reafon hath any force, or confideration can any wife fway in our practice?

4. It will greatly conduce to the perfect obfervance of this rule, to the depreffion of self-love, and advancement of charity to the highest pitch, if we do ftudiously contemplate ourselves, ftrictly examining our confcience, and seriously reflecting on our unworthinefs and vilenefs; the infirmities and defects of nature, the corruptions and defilements of our foul, the fins and mifcarriages of our lives: which doing, we fhall certainly be far from admiring or doting on ourselves; but rather, as Job did, we Job ix. 20. fhall condemn and abhor ourselves: when we see ourselves fo deformed and ugly, how can we be amiable in our s? how can we more efteem or affect ourselves than others, of whose unworthinefs we can hardly be fo confcious or fure? What place can there be for that vanity and folly, for that pride and arrogance, for that partiality and injustice, which are the fources of immoderate selflove?

xlii. 6.

own eyes

5. And lastly, we may from many confpicuous experiments and examples be affured that fuch a practice of this duty is not impoffible; but these I have already produced and urged in the precedent difcourfe, and fhall not repeat them again.

[ocr errors]

SERMON XXVII.

THE NATURE, PROPERTIES, AND ACTS OF
CHARITY.

EPHES. V. 2.

And walk in love.

ST. Paul telleth us, that the end of the commandment (or SERM. the main scope of the evangelical doctrine) is charity, out XXVII. of a pure heart and a good confcience, and faith unfeigned; 1 Tim. i. 5. that charity is a general principle of all good practice; (let all your things be done in charity ;) that it is the fum 1 Cor. xvi. and abridgment of all other duties, fo that he that loveth 14. another, hath fulfilled the whole law; that it is the of the theological virtues; the prime fruit of the Spirit, and the band of perfection, which combineth and 13. confummateth all other graces.

Gal. v. 14.

chief Rom. xiii.

divine

8, 9.
1 Cor. xiii.

Gal. v. 22.
Col. iii. 14.

St. Peter enjoineth us that to all other virtues we should 2 Pet. i. 7. add charity, as the top and crown of them; and, Above 1 Pet. iv. 8. all things, faith he, have fervent charity among your

felves.

St. James ftyleth the law of charity vóμov Bariλixov, the Jam. ii. 8. royal, or fovereign, law.

St. John calleth it, in way of excellence, the command- 1 John iii. ment of God; This is his commandment, that we should 23, 11. iv. love one another.

21.

xiii. 34.

Our Lord claimeth it for his peculiar law; This is my Johnxv.12. commandment; and a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another. And he maketh the obfervance of it the special badge and cognizance of his followers;

SERM. By this shall all men know that ye are my difciples, if ye XXVII. love one another.

John xiii. 35.

21.

It being therefore a duty of fo grand importance, it is moft requifite that we should well understand it, and faithfully observe it; to which purposes I fhall, by God's affistance, endeavour to confer somewhat, first by explaining its nature, then by preffing the obfervance of it by feveral inducements.

The nature of it will, as I conceive, be beft understood by representing the feveral chief acts, which it compriseth or implieth as neceffary prerequifites, or effential ingredients, or infeparable adherents to it; fome internally refident in the foul, others difcharged in external performance; together with some special properties of it. And fuch are those which follow.

I. Loving our neighbour doth imply, that we should value and esteem him: this is neceffary, for affection doth follow opinion; so that we cannot like any thing which we do not esteem, or wherein we do not apprehend fome confiderable good, attractive of affection; that is not amiable, which is wholly contemptible; or fo far as it is fuch.

But in right judgment no man is fuch; for the Wife Prov. xiv. Man telleth us, that he that defpifeth his neighbour, finneth; and, He is void of understanding that despiseth his neighbour: but no man is guilty of fin or folly for defpifing that which is wholly despicable.

Prov. xi.12.

It is indeed true, that every man is fubject to defects, and to mischances, apt to breed contempt, especially in the minds of vulgar and weak people; but no man is really despicable. For,

Every man living hath ftamped on him the venerable image of his glorious Maker, which nothing incident to him can utterly deface.

Every man is of a divine extraction, and allied to Heaven by nature and by grace; as the fon of God, and broJob xxxi. ther of God incarnate. If I did defpife the cause of my man-fervant or of my maid-servant, when they contended with me; what then fhall I do when God rifeth up? and

13, 14, 15.

when he vifiteth, what fhall I answer him? Did not he that SERM. made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion XXVII. us in the womb ?

8.

Every man is endued with that celeftial faculty of reafon, infpired by the Almighty, (for, There is a Spirit in Job xxxii. man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding,) and hath an immortal spirit residing in him ; or rather is himself an angelical spirit dwelling in a visible tabernacle.

Every man was originally defigned and framed for a fruition of eternal happiness.

Every man hath an interest in the common redemption, purchased by the blood of the Son of God, who tasted death for every one.

Every man is capable of fovereign blifs, and hath a crown of endless glory offered to him.

In fine, every man, and all men alike, antecedently to their own will and choice, are the objects of his love, of his care, of his mercy; who is loving unto every man, Pf. cxlv. 9. and whofe mercy is over all his works; who hath made the Job xxxiv. Small and the great, and careth for all alike; who is rich, wild. vi. s. in bounty and mercy, toward all that call upon him.

19.

Rom. x. 12. iii. 22.

5.

How then can any man be deemed contemptible, having so noble relations, capacities, and privileges? How a man ftandeth in esteem with God Elihu telleth us; God, Job xxxvi. faith he, is mighty, and defpifeth not any: although he be pf. Ixix. 33. fo mighty, so excellent in perfection, so infinitely in state exalted above all, yet doth not he flight any; and how can we contemn thofe, whom the certain voucher and infallible judge of worth deigneth to value? Indeed God fo valued every man as to take great care, to be at great coft and trouble, to ftoop down from heaven, to affume mortal flesh, to endure pinching wants and fore diftreffes, to tafte death for every one.

We may ask with St. Paul, Why doft thou fet at nought Rom. xiv. thy brother?

10.

Is it for the lownefs of his condition, or for any miffortune that hath befallen him? But are not the best men, Jam. ii. 5. are not all men, art not thou thyself obnoxious to the

Pf. xxxvii. 33. cxlvi. 9.

« PreviousContinue »