Page images
PDF
EPUB

and they feemed to him but a few days for the love he had SERM. to her.

This is the root, from whence voluntary obedience doth naturally grow; if it be planted in our heart, we need not fear but that all kind of good fruit will sprout forth into converfation and practice ".

But without it we fhall not ever perform any good work perfectly, steadily, in a kindly manner: no other principle will ferve; if we are only moved by whip and fpur, driven on by fear, or incited by hope, we fhall go forward unwillingly and dully, often halting, ever flagging those principles which do put flaves and mercenaries on action, as they are not fo noble and worthy, fo neither are they fo effectual and fure; as ambition, vainglory, felf-intereft, defign of fecurity, of profit, of compliance witht hxpectation of men, &c.

XXVIII.

1 Cor. Or.

XVIII. Charity giveth worth, form, and life to all vir- Chryf. in tue, fo that without it no action is valuable in itself, or acceptable to God.

Sever it from courage; and what is that, but the boldnefs or fiercenefs of a beaft? from meeknefs; and what is that, but the foftnefs of a woman, or weakness of a child? from courtefy; and what is that, but affectation or artifice? from juftice; what is that, but humour or policy? from wisdom; what is that, but craft and fubtilty?

XXV.

What meaneth faith without it, but dry opinion; what hope, but blind presumption; what alms-doing, but ambitious oftentation; what undergoing martyrdom, but ftiffness or sturdiness of resolution; what is devotion, but glozing or mocking with God? what is any practice, how fpecious foever in appearance, or materially good, but an issue of self-conceit or felf-will, of fervile fear or mercenary defign? Though I have faith, fo that I could 1 Cor. xiii. remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing; though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though

η Ο γὰρ φιλῶν οὐχ οὕτως ἐπιτάτίων, ὡς ἐπιταττόμενος χαίρει, &c. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Or, xxxii.

[blocks in formation]

2, 3.

SERM. I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it proXXVIII. fiteth me nothing.

But charity doth fanctify every action, and impregnate all our practice with a favour of goodness, turning all we do into virtue; it is true fortitude and gallantry indeed, when a man out of charity and hearty design to promote his neighbour's good doth encounter dangers and difficulties; it is genuine meekness, when a man out of charity, and unwillingness to hurt his neighbour, doth patiently comport with injuries and difcourtefies; it is virtuous courtesy, when cordial affection venteth itself in civil language, in respectful deportment, in obliging performances; it is excellent juftice, when a man, regarding his neighbour's cafe as his own, doth unto him as he would have it done to himfelf; it is admirable wisdom, which fagaciously contriveth and dexterously manageth things with the best advantage toward its neighbour's Gal. v. 6. good: it is a worthy faith, which being spirited and actuated by charity, doth produce goodly fruits of beneficence; it is a found and folid hope, which is grounded on that everlasting foundation of charity, 1.Cor. iii. 9. which never doth fail, or fall away; it is fincere alms, which not only the hand, but the heart doth reach forth; it is an acceptable facrifice, which is kindled by the holy fire of fervent affection; it is a pure devotion, Tim.ii. 8. which is offered up with a calm and benign mind, Matt. v. 23. refembling the difpofition of that goodness which it adoreth.

James ii.

26.

[ocr errors]

If therefore we would do any thing well, if we would not lofe all the virtue, and forfeit all the benefit of what 1 Gor. xvi. we perform, we must follow the rule of St. Paul, to do all our works in charity.

14.

XIX. So great benefits doth charity yield; yet if it did not yield any of them, it would deferve and claim our obfervance; without regard to its sweet fruits and beneficial confequences, it were to be embraced and cherished; for it carrieth a reward and a heaven in itfelf; the very fame which conftituteth God himself infinitely happy, and which beatifieth every bleffed fpirit,

in proportion to its capacity and exercise thereof: a man SERM. doth abundantly enjoy himself in that fteady compofed- XXVIII. nefs, and favoury complacence of mind, which ever doth attend it; and as the prefent fenfe, fo is the memory of it, or the good confcience of having done good, very delicious and fatisfactory.

As it is a rafcally delight (tempered with regret, and vanishing into bitterness) which men feel in wreaking fpite, or doing mischief; fuch as they cannot reflect upon without disgust and condemning their base impotency of foul: fo is the pleasure which charity doth breed altogether pure, grateful to the mind, and increasing by reflection; never perishing or decaying; a man eternally enjoying the good he hath done, by remembering and ruminating thereon. In fine,

XX. Whereas the great obstacle to charity is felf-love, or an extravagant fondness of our own interefts, yet uncharitableness destroyeth that: for how can we love ourfelves, if we do want charity? how can we appear lovely to ourselves, if we are deftitute of fo worthy an endowment? or if we can difcern those unworthy difpofitions, which accompany the defect of it; can we efteem fo mean, fo vile, fo ugly things as we then are? Ariftotle faith, that bad men cannot be friends to themselves, becaufe having in themfelves nothing amiable, they can feel oisir pan no affection toward themselves; and certainly, if we are ὐθὲν φιλικὸν not ftark blind, or can but fee wrath, fpite, envy, revenge ráXNOI. in their own black and ugly hue, we must needs (ifrift. Eth. they do poffefs our fouls) grow odious and despicable to ourselves. And being they do rob us of fo many great benefits, and bring fo many grievous mifchiefs on us, we cannot be otherwise than enemies to ourselves by cherishing them, or suffering them to lodge in us.

τὸν ἔχοντες,

These are some very confiderable inducements to the practice of this great virtue; there are divers others of a higher nature, derivable from the inmoft bowels of our religion, grounded on its peculiar constitution and obligations, which I fhall now forbear to mention, referving them for a particular discourse by themselves.

SERM. O Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without XXVIII. charity are nothing worth; fend thy Holy-Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Chrift's fake.

Quinquag. Sund.

SERMON XXIX.

OF A PEACEABLE TEMPER AND CARRIAGE.

ROM. xii. 18.

If it be poffible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

THIS chapter containeth many excellent precepts and SERM. wholesome advices, (fcarce any portion of holy Scripture XXIX. fo many in fo little compafs.) From among them I have selected one, alas, but too seasonable and pertinent to the unhappy condition of our distracted age, wherein to observe this and fuch like injunctions, is by many esteemed an impoffibility, by others a wonder, by fome a crime. It hath an apt coherence with, yet no neceffary dependence upon, the parts adjoining; whence I may prefume to treat upon it diftinctly by itfelf: and without farther preface or circumftance we may confider several particulars therein.

I. And first, concerning the advice itself, or the subftance of the duty charged on us, signvsús, (to be in peace, or live peaceably,) we may take notice, that whether, according to the more usual acception, it be applied to the public estate of things, or, as here, doth relate only to private converfation, it doth import,

1. Not barely a negation of doing, or fuffering harm, or an abftinence from ftrife and violence, (for a mere strangeness this may be, a want of occafion, or a truce, rather than a peace,) but a positive amity, and disposition to perform fuch kind offices, without which good correspondence among men cannot subfift. For they who by

« PreviousContinue »