SERM. like? Hath not God declared that he hath a fpecial reXXVII. gard to fuch? And are not fuch things commonly dif pofed by his hand with a gracious intent? Is it for meanness of parts, or abilities, or endowments? But are not these the gifts of God, abfolutely at his difposal, and arbitrarily distributed or preferved; fo that thou who art fo wife in thy own conceit to-day, mayeft, by a disease, or from a judgment, deserved by thy pride, become an idiot to-morrow? Have not many good, and 1 Cor. i. 26. therefore many happy men, wanted those things? Is it for moral imperfections or blemishes; for vicious habits, or actual misdemeanours? Thefe indeed are the only debasements and disparagements of a man; yet do they not expunge the characters of Divinity impreffed on his nature; and he may by God's mercy recover from them. And are not we ourselves, if grace do not uphold us, liable to the fame? Yea, may we not, if without partiality or flattery we examine ourselves, difcern the same within us, or other defects equivalent? And, however, is not pity rather due to them than contempt? Whofe chaLuke xviii. racter was it, that they trusted they were righteous, and 9. xvi. 15. defpifed others? That the most palpable offender should not be quite despised, God had a special care in his Law, for that end moderating punishment, and restraining the Deut. xxv. number of ftripes; If, faith the Law, the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, the judge fhall caufe him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number. Forty firipes he may give him, and not exceed: left, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many ftripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee. 2,3. We may confider that the common things, both good and bad, wherein men agree, are far more confiderable than the peculiar things wherein they differ; to be a man is much beyond being a lord, or a wit, or a philosopher; to be a Christian doth infinitely furpass being an emperor, or a learned clerk; to be a finner is much worse than to be a beggar, or an idiot. The agreement of men is in the substance and body of things; the difference is in a cir cumstance, a fringe, or a shadow about them; fo that we SERM. cannot despise another man, without reflecting contempt XXVII. on ourselves, who are fo very like him, and not confiderably better than he, or hardly can without arrogance pretend to be fo. We may therefore, and reafon doth require that we should value our neighbour; and it is no impoffible or unreasonable precept which St. Peter giveth us, to honour all 1 Pet. ii. 17. men; and with it a charitable mind will eafily comply: it ever will defscry something valuable, fomething honourable, fomething amiable in our neighbour; it will find fomewhat of dignity in the meaneft, fomewhat of worth in the bafeft, fomewhat hopeful in the moft dege- 1Cor.xiii.7 nerate of men; it therefore will not absolutely flight or scorn any man whatever, looking on him as an abject or forlorn wretch, unworthy of confideration. It is indeed a point of charity to see more things eftimable in others than in ourselves; or to be apprehensive of more defects meriting difefteem in ourselves than in others; and confequently in our opinion to prefer others before us, according to thofe apoftolical precepts, Be Rom. xii. kindly affected one toward another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another. In lowlinefs of mind let Phil. ii. 3. each esteem other better than themselves. Be fubject one to 1 Pet. v. 5. another. II. Loving our neighbour doth imply a fincere and earnest defire of his welfare, and good of all kinds, in due proportion for it is a property of love, that it would have its object moft worthy of itself, and confequently that it fhould attain the best state whereof it is capable, and perfift firm therein; to be fair and plump, to flourish and thrive without diminution or decay; this is plain to experience in refpect to any other thing (a horse, a flower, a building, or any fuch thing) which we pretend to love: wherefore charity fhould dispose us to be thus affected to our neighbour; fo that we do not look upon his condition or affairs with an indifferent eye or cold heart, but are much concerned for him, and put forth hearty wishes for his interefts: we fhould with him adorned with all 10. SERM. virtue, and accomplished with all worthy endowments of XXVII. foul; we should with him profperous fuccefs in all his ἐπιποθῶ defigns, and a comfortable fatisfaction of his defires; we fhould with him with alacrity of mind to reap the fruits of his industry, and to enjoy the best accommodations of his life. Not formally and in compliment, as the mode is, but really and with a cordial fenfe, upon his undertaking any enterprise, we should with him good speed; upon any profperous fuccefs of his endeavours, we should bid him joy; wherever he is going, whatever he is doing, we should with him peace and the presence of God with him we should tender his health, his fafety, his quiet, his reputation, his wealth, his prosperity in all respects; but especially with peculiar ardency we should defire his final welfare, and the happiness of his foul, that being incomparably his chief concern. Hence readily fhould we pour forth our prayers, which are the trueft expreffions of good defire, for the welfare of our neighbour, to him who is able to work and be ftow it. Such was the charity of St. Paul for his countrymen, Rom. x. 1. fignified in thofe words, Brethren, my heart's defire and prayer to God for Ifrael is, that they may be faved; fuch was his love to the Philippians, God is my record, how greatly I long after you all, in the bowels of Jefus Chrift:* 2 Cor. xiii. and this I pray, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment. ὑμᾶς. Phil. i. 8. 9. Such was St. John's charity to his friend Gaius, to 3 John 2. whom he faid, Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayft profper and be in health, even as thy foul profpereth. Such is the charity, which we are enjoined to express 1 Tim. ii. 3. toward all men, by praying for all men, in conformity to the charity of God, who will have all men to be faved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Luke xxiii. Such is the charity we are commanded to use toward Matt. v. 44. our enemies, bleffing those who curfe us, and praying for thofe who defpitefully ufe us, and perfecute us; the which Acts vii. 60. was exemplified by our Lord, by St. Stephen, by all the 34. 1 Cor.iv.12. holy Apoftles. III. Charity doth imply a complacence or delightful SERM. fatisfaction in the good of our neighbour; this is confe- XXVII. quent on the former property, for that joy naturally doth refult from events agreable to our defire: charity hath a good eye, which is not offended or dazzled with the luftre of its neighbour's virtue, or with the fplendour of his fortune, but vieweth either of them fteadily with pleasure, as a very delightful spectacle; it beholdeth him to profper and flourish, to grow in wealth and repute, not only without envious repining, but with gladsome content: its property is to rejoice with them that rejoice; to partake of Rom. xii. their enjoyments, to feaft in their pleasures, to triumph in 15. their fuccefs. 26. As one member doth feel the health and the delight 1 Cor. xii. which another immediately doth enjoy; fo hath a charitable man a fenfible complacence in the welfare and joy of his neighbour. His profperity of any kind, in proportion to its importance, doth please him; but especially his fpiritual proficiency and improvement in virtue doth yield matter of content; and his good deeds he beholdeth with abundant fatisfaction. 9. 1 Theff. iii. This is that inftance of charity which St. Paul fo fre- 2 Cor. xiii.. quently doth express in his Epiftles, declaring the ex- Phil. ii. 2. treme joy he did feel in the faith, in the virtue, in the or- iv. 1. derly converfation of those brethren to whom he writeth. 9. ii. 19. This charity poffeffed St. John, when he said, I have no 3 John 4. greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. This is the charity of heaven, which doth even cheer the angels, and doth enhance the blifs of the bleffed fpirits there; of whom it is faid, There is joy in heaven over Luke xv. every finner that repenteth. Hence this is the difpofition 7, 10. of charitable perfons, fincerely to congratulate any good occurrence to their neighbour; they are ready to confpire in rendering thanks and praise to the Author of their welfare, taking the good conferred on their neighbour as a bleffing and obligation on themselves; so that they upon fuch occafions are apt to fay with St. Paul, What thanks 1 Theff. iii. can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we all SERM. joy for your fakes before God? and, We are bound to thank XXVII. God always for you, brethren, because that your faith grow2 Theff. i. eth exceedingly, and that the charity of every one of you toward each other aboundeth: and, I thank my God al(Phil. i. 3. ways on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given Eph. i. 16. you by Jefus Chrift, that in every thing ye are enriched by 3. Rom. i. 8. Col. i. 3. 1 Theff. i. 2.) him. It is a precept of St. Paul, Give thanks always inèp návEph. v. 20. Twv; which is tranflated for all things, but it might as well be rendered for all perfons, according to that injunc1 Tim. ii. 1. tion, I exhort, that first of all fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men : not only prayers are to be made, but thanksgivings are to be offered for all men, out of general charity. Κλαίειν. Rom. xii. 15. IV. Correspondently, love of our neighbour doth imply condolency and commiferation of the evils befalling him : for what we love, we cannot without difpleasure behold lying in a bad condition, finking into decay, or in danger to perish; so, to a charitable mind, the bad state of any man is a most unpleasant and painful fight.⠀⠀ It is the property of charity to mourn with those that mourn; not coldly, but paffionately, (for it is to weep with those that weep,) refenting every man's cafe with an affection fuitable thereto, and as he doth himself refent it. Is any man fallen into difgrace? charity doth hold down its head, is abashed and out of countenance, partaking of his shame: is any man disappointed of his hopes or endeavours? charity crieth out alas, as if it were itself defeated is any man afflicted with pain or fickness? charity looketh fadly, it figheth and groaneth, it fainteth and languisheth with him: is any man pinched with hard want? charity if it cannot fuccour, it will condole: doth ill news arrive? charity doth hear it with an unwilling hear and a fad heart, although not particularly concerned in it. The fight of a wreck at fea, of a field spread with carcafes, of a country defolated, of houfes burnt and cities ruined, and of the like calamities incident to mankind, would touch the bowels of any man; but the very report |