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SERM.

It is faid in the Canticles, Many waters cannot quench XXVII. love, neither can the floods drown it: charity would hold Cant. viii. out against many neglects, many provocations.

7.

Ανέχεσθαι

λλλ

ἀγάπῃ.

Hence the precepts; Walk with all lowliness and meeknefs, with long-fuffering, forbearing one another in love: Eph. iv. 1, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: Put off anger, wrath, malice, &c. a Be flow to wrath.

2.

Eph. iv. 31.

1 Theff. v.

14.

pangod.

2. It is a proper act of charity to remit offences, fupCol. iii. 8. preffing all defigns of revenge, and not retaining any grudge: for,

a Jam.i. 19.

1 Cor. xiii.

7.

Charity wávra séy, doth cover all things; and in this fenfe doth hide a multitude of fins: all difpofitions, all in1 Pet. iv. 8. tents to do harm are inconfiftent with it, are quite repugnant to it.

Prov. x. 12.

Jam. v. 20.

Col. iii. 12,

13.

Hence thofe precepts; Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-fuffering, forbearing one another, and popøv. forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against Eph. iv. 32. any, even as Chrift forgave you, fo alfo do ye: Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another ; even 1 Theff. v. as God for Chrift's fake hath forgiven you: See that none render evil for evil, but ever follow that which is good both among yourselves and to all men: and many the like precepts occur in the Gospels, the apoftolical writings; yea 14. v. 44. even in the Old Teftament, wherein charity did not run in fo high a strain.

15.

1 Pet. iii. 9.

Rom. xii.

17.

Matt. vi.

Prov. xx.

22.
XXV. 21.

Phil. ii. 2.

Acts iv. 32.

Phil. ii. 2.

i. 27.

3. It is a duty coherent with charity, to maintain concord and peace; to abftain from contention and ftrife, together with the fources of them, pride, envy, emulation, malice.

We are commanded to be σύμψυχοι, and ὁμόφρονες, of 1 Pet. iii. 8. one foul, of one mind, (like the multitude of believers in Eph. iv. 3. the Acts, who had one heart and one foul;) that we should keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; that we Cor. i. 10. fhould be of one accord, of one mind, ftanding faft in one. Spirit, with one mind; that we should all speak the fame Rom. xv. thing, and that there be no divifions among us, but that we be perfectly joined together in the fame mind, and in the

2 Cor. xiii.

11.

5, 6. xii.

16.

Phil. iii.16.

XXVII.

i. 11. iii. 3.

fame judgment; that there be no factions, or fchifms in SERM. the body; that all diffenfions, all clamours, all murmurings, all emulations should be abandoned and put away 1 Cor. xii. from us; that we fhould pursue and maintain peace with 25. xi. 18. all men: obedience to which commands can only be the 2 Cor. xii. refult of charity, efteeming the perfon and judgment of phil. ii. 14. our neighbour; defiring his good will, tendering his Heb. xii. good; curbing thofe fleshly lufts, and thofe fierce paffions, Rom. xii. from the predominancy whereof difcords and ftrifes do 18. fpring.

14.

2 Tim. ii.

22.

1 Tim. vi. 4.

4. Another charitable practice is, being candid in opi- Jam. iv. 1. nion, and mild in cenfure, about our neighbour and his Gal. v. 20. actions; having a good conceit of his perfon, and reprefenting him to ourselves under the best character we can ; making the most favourable construction of his words, and the fairest interpretation of his defigns.

Charity difpofeth us to entertain a good opinion of our neighbour; for defiring his good we fhall be concerned for him, and prejudiced, as it were, on his fide; being unwilling to discover any blemish in him to our own difappointment and regret.

Love cannot fubfift without efteem; and it would not willingly by deftroying that lofe its own fubfiftence.

Love would preferve any good of its friend, and therefore his reputation; which is a good in itself precious, and ever very dear to him.

Love would bestow any good, and therefore its efteem ; which is a confiderable good.

Harth cenfure is a very rude kind of treatment, grievously vexing a man, and really hurting him; charity therefore will not be guilty of it.

It difpofeth rather to overfce and connive at faults, than to find them, or to pore on them; rather to hide and fmother, than to disclose or divulge them; rather to extenuate and excufe, than to exaggerate or aggravate them.

Are words capable of a good sense? charity will expound them thereto : may an action be imputed to any good intent? charity will ever refer it thither: doth a

SERM. fault admit any plea, apology, or diminution? charity XXVII. will be fure to allege it: may a quality admit a good name charity will call it thereby.

1 Cor. xiii.

5.

1 Cor. xiii.

7.

1 Tim.vi. 4.

Acts xx. 35.

It doth not λoyigeodas xaxòv, impute evil, or put it to any man's account, beyond absolute neceffity.

It hopeth all things, and believeth all things; hopeth and believeth all things for the best, in favour to its neighbour, concerning his intentions and actions liable to doubt.

It banisheth all evil furmifes; it rejecteth all ill stories, malicious infinuations, perverse gloffes and defcants.

5. Another charitable practice is, to comport with the infirmities of our neighbour; according to that rule of St. Avrixida Paul, We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of ἀσθενῶν. the weak, and not to please ourselves; and that precept, 1 Theff. v. Bear one another's burdens, and fo fulfil the law of Chrift. Rom. xv. 1. Is a man wiser than his neighbour, or in any case freer Gal. vi. 2. of defects? charity will dispose to use that advantage fo as not to contemn him, or insult over him; but to instruct him, to help him, to comfort him.

14.

2 Μολύνεται.

Τύπτοντες

σιν ἀσθενε

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As we deal with children, allowing to the infirmities of their age, bearing their ignorance, frowardness, untoward humours, without distasting them; fo fhould we with our brethren who labour under any weakness of mind or humour.

6. It is an act of charity to abstain from offending, or 1 Cor. x. 7. fcandalizing our brethren; by doing any thing, which Tuin- either may occafion him to commit fin, or difaffect him to religion, or discourage him in the practice of duty, (that 1 Cor. viii. which St. Paul calleth to a defile and fmite his weak confciRom. xiv. ence,) or which anywife may discompose, vex, and grieve him: for, If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now ἀγάπην walkeft thou not charitably.

12.

15.

Οὐκέτι κατὰ

περιπατεῖς.

1 Cor. x.

32. viii. 13.

Rom. xiv.

.-21.

SERMON XXVIII.

-MOTIVES AND ARGUMENTS TO CHARITY.

HEB. X. 24.

Let us confider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

THAT which is here recommended by the Apoftle, as SERM. the common duty of Chriftians toward each other, upon XXVIII. emergent occafions, with zeal and care to provoke one another to the practice of charity and beneficence, may well be conceived the fpecial duty of those, whofe office it is to inftruct and guide others, when opportunity is afforded with that obligation I fhall now comply, by representing divers confiderations ferving to excite and encourage us to that practice: this (without premifing any description or explication of the duty; the nature, special acts, and properties whereof I have already declared) I fhall immediately undertake.

I. First then, I defire you to remember and confider that you are men, and as fuch obliged to this duty, as being very agreeable to human nature; the which, not being corrupted or diftempered by ill ufe, doth incline to it, doth call for it, doth like and approve it, doth find satisfaction and delight therein.

St. Paul chargeth us to be sis áraýaes piλósopyoi, or to Rom. xiê. have a natural affection one toward another: that fup- 10. poseth a 5ogy inbred to men, which should be roused up,

SERM. improved, and exercifed. Such an one indeed there is, XXVIII. which, although often raked up and fmothered in the

common attendances on the providing for our needs, and profecuting our affairs, will upon occafion more or less break forth and discover itself..

That the conftitution and frame of our nature difpofeth to it, we cannot but feel, when our bowels are touched with a fenfible pain at the view of any calamitous object; when our fancies are difturbed at the report of any difafter befalling a man; when the fight of a tragedy wringeth compaffion and tears from us: which affections we can hardly quafh by any reflection, that fuch events, true or feigned, do not concern ourselves.

Hence doth nature so strongly affect fociety, and abhor folitude; so that a man cannot enjoy himself alone, or find fatisfaction in any good without a companiona: not only for that he then cannot receive, but also because he cannot impart affiftance, confolation, and delight in cone verse: for men do not affect fociety only that they may obtain benefits thereby; but as much or more, that they may be enabled to communicate them; nothing being more distasteful than to be always on the taking hand: neither indeed hath any thing a more pleasant and favoury relish than to do good; as even Epicurus, the great patron of pleasure, did confefs.

The practice of benignity, of courtefy, of clemency, do at first fight, without aid of any difcurfive reflection, obtain approbation and applause from men; being acceptable and amiable to their mind, as beauty to their fight, harmony to their hearing, fragrancy to their fmell, and fweetness to their tafte: and, correspondently, uncharitable difpofitions and practices (malignity, harshness, cru

· Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἔλοιτ' ἂν καθ ̓ αὑτὸν τὰ πάντ' ἔχειν ἀγαθά. Arift. Eth. ix. 9. Hominem homini natura conciliat. Sen. Ep. ix.

Nullius boni fine focio jucunda poffeffio eft. Sen. Ep. vi.

Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς βουλόμενος συνδῆσαι πάντας ἀλλήλοις, τοιαύτην τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπέθηκεν ἀνάγκην, ὡς ἐν τῷ τῶν πλησίον συμφέροντι τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρα δεδέσθαι· καὶ ὁ κόσ KO Üzαs ŸTW ovvísnne. Chryf, in 1 Cor. Or. xxv.

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