the Gospel; that Meeknefs and Candor, that Brotherly Love and Charity, that is the Peculiar Characteristick of Chriftianity; Charity is the Life and Spirit of it, that fhines in every Part; it influences and governs the whole Chriftian Life; all the Thoughts, Words, and Actions of the True Christian.

Now amongst the many Acts of Goodnefs, that Chriftian Charity teaches us, and requires of us, fome of them, which most concern our present Subject, are fuch as these.

1. Chistian Love and Charity teaches us, and requires of us, to put the faireft Interpretation upon other Men's Actions; and and to make the best Conftruction we can, even of the worst Actions ; if either Youth or Ignorance, Mistake or Surprize, or any Thing else be to be pleaded in Favour or Excufe. Charity is not Jealous; endeavouring to flur and difcredit Mens good Actions, by Surmizes of fome fecret Evil, or bad Defign, or finifter Ends, couch'd under them; but making candid Interpretations of every Thing, and always Judging the Best.

How then do They observe this Rule of Charity, that rafhly Cenfure and Condemn without any juft Grounds, by

vain Surmizes or ill-natured Constructions; extenuating the Good others do,and aggravating the Evil? Sufpecting Men that live regularly and vertuously, not to be truly more Vertuous, but more Cunning and Cautious, than their Neighbours: Not truly more Pious and Conscientious; but more Defigning or Vainglorious, than other Men: Thus taking every Thing by the worft Handle, and fufpecting fome ill Principle or Motive in all the Good they do.

2. Chriftian Love and Charity does greatly delight to fee Goodness and Vertue flourish and profper: And as Chriftian Love and Charity transforms us into the Nature of Angels, fo it makes us, like them, defire and labour for the Good and Salvation of All; and ready to bear a Part in the Joy of that Heavenly Host, at the Converfion of a Sinner. Nor can a Good Chriftian be an indifferent Spectator of the Evils that befal others, whither Natural or Moral. Charity will incline a Man not only to pity the Afflictions and Calamities, but does truly grieve at the wretched Inconfideration, the Madness and Stupidity of Men, that will wilfully rush upon their own Ruin, and will mourn, and pray for them in fecret to their Heavenly Father, B 3

What

What kind of Chriftians then are They, or what is their Rule of Charity, that are so far from concerning themfelves for the Good and Amendment of others, that they rejoice to find out any fowl Mifcarriages? that delight to hear and whisper abroad Men's Sin and Shame, carrying the Secret from Place to Place, for the Entertainment of fuch as are ready to partake with them in their malicious Joy? and please themselves with spitefully defcanting on the Story. But is not this a very unchriftian Entertainment, to make Mens Misfortunes and Miferies the Sport and Paftime of our idle Hours? Yet I appeal to common Obfervation, whither this Cenforious Humour does not make up a confiderable Part of Visiting Converfation.

But a true Chriftian Spirit would rather choose to Conceal and draw a Veil over Mens Sins or Infirmities, than Publish and Proclaim them. I do not mean, that a Man muft fhut his Eyes and not fee; or not see the Faults that he does fee. No; Reproof is a chriftian Duty as well as Charity; nay, when Occafion requires, it is a neceffary Act of Charity; and the more charitable a Man is, the more careful will he be to warn Men of their Danger; He will try all Means; admonish, reprove, earnestly exhort and

intreat, when he fees Men madly undoing themselves. But then he will do it Prudently and Privately, in fuch Manner as may be most likely to Reclaim the Sinner, and not put him to an open Shame : And if he knows any Good of him, as there fhall be Occasion to speak of him Abroad, he will choose to fhow him to others in his Beft Colours. I do not mean that we are bound to fpeak well of others, contrary to our Conscience and Knowledge; but that if we will speak at all of them, Charity obliges us to speak the Beft of them that we truly ly can, and as well as the Cafe will bear.

Not but that in fome Cafes we may be obliged to Discover the Faults we know; that is, when the Caufe of God or Religion is concerned, or when they are of Dangerous Confequence to the Publick, or very injurious to Ourselves or Others; But then we must be very fure of the Truth of all that we Publish, as also of the Certain Ill Effects or Confequences of it; otherwife, we only fhew our Ill-nature and Uncharitableness to the Perfon, under Pretence of Love and Good Will to the Publick.

'Tis Certain, the Honour of God, and the Intereft of Religion and Vertue in the World, is what All Men ought to

B 4

have,

have, and Good Men will have, a Zeal and Concern for; But where a Vein of UncharitableReflection runs throughout, flantingly aiming at fome or other Neighbour, the Zeal will not be able to confecrate the Malice.

;

3. Charity is ready to Suppose and Believe and Hope the Beft. Charity not only takes in all that live within any Rules of Decency and Order, as always Suppofing Good Actions to proceed from Good Principles and Good Intentions But where Things do not at prefent Appear fo well, Charity is yet willing to hope well, and to hope even against Hope. Nay, when Men Appear fo very Bad, that we can neither Think nor Believe well of them, yet we may ftill charitably Hope, that even the Worft of Sinners may amend, and become wiser and better Men: And Charity will be glad to administer what it may to their Repentance and Salvation.

The Sum is this; Chriftian Love and Charity teaches and requires us, to be Candid Interpreters of Men's Words and Actions; to turn all to the Best Sense; to be ready to excufe or mitigate Men's Faults, or to ftifle and conceal them, where the Discovery of them serves to no good End; to turn the Best Side of

a Man