SERM. with his humour, with his defire in matters lawful, or in XXVII. a way confiftent with duty and difcretion. Rom. xv. 2. Such charity St. Paul did prescribe; Let every one please his neighbour, for his good to edification: fuch he 1 Cor. x. 33. practised himself, Even as I please all men in all things, not feeking mine own profit; and, I have made myself a fervant to all, that I might gain the more. ix. 19. Rom. xv. 3. Such was the charity of our Lord, for even Chrift John ii. 2. pleafed not himself: he indeed did ftoop to converfe with forry men in their way, he came when he was invited, he accepted their entertainment, he from the frankness of his conversation with all forts of perfons did undergo the reMatt.xi.19. proach of being a winebibber, a friend of publicans and finners. Luke vii. 84. It is the genius and complexion of charity to affect nothing uncouth or fingular in matters of indifferent nature; to be candid, not rigid in opinion; to be pliable, not stiff in humour; to be smooth and gentle, not rugged and peevish in behaviour. It doth indeed not flatter, not footh, not humour any man in bad things, or in things very abfurd and foolish ; it would rather choose to displease and crofs him, than to abufe, to delude, to wrong, or hurt him; but excepting fuch cafes, it gladly pleaseth all men, denying its own will and conceit to fatisfy the pleasure and fancy of others; practifing that which St. Peter enjoined in that precept, Be of one mind, be compaffionate, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous b; or as St. Paul might intend, Eph. iv. 32. when he bid us, xapígedas àλλýλ015, to gratify, to indulge one another. Col. iii. 13. IX. Love of our neighbour doth imply readinefs upon all occafions to do him good, to promote and advance his benefit in all kinds. It doth not rest in good opinions of mind, and good affections of heart, but from those roots doth put forth » Ομόφρονες, συμπαθεῖς, φιλάδελφοι, εὔσπλαγχνοι, φιλόφρονες. 1 Pet. iii. 8, abundant fruits of real beneficence; it will not be fatisfied SERM. with faint defires or fluggish wishes, but will be up and XXVII. doing what it can for its neighbour. Love is a bufy and active, a vigorous and fprightful, a Love is ftrong as courageous and induftrious difpofition of foul; which will death. prompt a man, and push him forward to undertake or un- Cant. viii. dergo any thing, to endure pains, to encounter dangers, to furmount difficulties for the good of its object. 6. 8. Such is true charity; it will difpofe us to love, as St. 1 John iii. John prefcribeth, epyq xai àλndeig, in work and in truth: James ii. not only in mental defire, but in effectual performance ; 16. not only in verbal pretence, but in real effect. νεσθαι τῶν 14. γοψύχους. 14. all 17. xxxi. 32. 12. Hence charity will render a man a general benefactor, 'Avriabáin all matters, upon all occafions; affording to his neigh- ἀσθενέντων. bour all kinds of affiftance and relief, according to his Acts xx. 35. neighbour's need, and his own ability: it will make him τῶν ἀσθενῶν. a bountiful difpenfer of his goods to the poor, a com- 1 Theff. v. forter of the afflicted, a vifiter of the fick, an inftructor of audithe ignorant, an adviser of the doubtful, a protector of s the oppreffed, a hofpitable entertainer of ftrangers, a re- i Theff. v. conciler of differences, an interceffor for offenders, an job xxix. advocate of thofe who need defence, a fuccourer of that want help. The practice of Job describeth its nature; I, faith he, Job xxix. delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The bleffing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caufed the widow's heart to fing for joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame: I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not I fearched out and I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the Spoil out of his teeth. If IJob xxxi. have held the poor from their defire, or have caufed the eyes of the widow to fail; or have eaten my morfel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof; if I håve feen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering. The Stranger did not lodge in the fireet; but I Job xxxi. opened my doors to the traveller. Such is a charitable man; the fun is not more liberal 16. 32. SERM. of his light and warmth, than he is of beneficial influXXVII. ence. He doth not fpare his fubftance, being rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate: and where his estate faileth, yet the contribution of his endeavour will not be wanting; he will be ready to draw and prefs others to beneficence; fo doing good not only according to his power, but in a manner beyond it, making the ability of others to supply his own weakness, and being liberal with their wealth. The defcription of Corn. Nep. Cimon is a good character of a charitable man, Nulli fides ejus, nulli opera, nulli res familiaris defuit. in Cimone. (1 Cor. iv. 11.) 2 Cor. vi. 10. πολλὲς δὲ the Thus may the poorest men be great benefactors: fo poor Apostles, who had nothing, yet did enrich many ; not only in fpiritual treasure, but taking care for supply so, of the poor, by their precepts and moving exhortations : wλrigoris.and he that had not where to lay his head, was the moft 2Cor.viii. 9. bountiful person that ever was; for our fake he became poor, that we by his poverty might be made rich. Afa. lviii. 7 -10. Ezek. xviii. 16. In all kinds charity disposeth to further our neighbour's good, but efpecially in the concerns of his foul; the which as incomparably they do furpass all others, so it is the trueft and noblest charity to promote them. It will incline us to draw forth our foul to the hungry, and to fatisfy the afflicted foul; to bring the poor that are caft out to our houfe; to cover the naked, to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppreffed go free, to break every yoke; to supply any corporal indigency, to relieve any temporal distress: but especially it will induce to make provision for the foul, to relieve the fpiritual needs of our neighbour; by affording him good inftruction, and taking care that he be informed in his duty, or conducted in his way to happiness; by admoEis wagoğu- nition and exhortation quickening, encouraging, provoking, fpurring him to good works; by refolving him in his Heb. x. 24. doubts, and comforting him in his troubles of confcience; 'Avogdá(lifting up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees;) Heb. xii. 12. by feasonable and prudent reproof: by all ways ferving to σμὸν καλῶν ἔργων. σατι. 1 Theff. v. 14. convert him from the error of his way; and fo faving a SERM. foul from death, and hiding a multitude of fns; which is XXVII. the proper work of charity; for charity, faith St. Peter, Jam. v. 20. cavereth a multitude of fins. 1 Pet. iv. 8. Prov. x. 12. ix. 35. This was the charity of our Saviour: He went about As x. 38. doing good, healing the bodily infirmities, (every fickness Matt.iv. 23. and every difeafe among the people,) fatisfying their bodily neceffities, comforting them in their worldly diftreffes, fo far as to perform great miracles for thofe purpofes; (curing inveterate maladies, restoring limbs and fenfes, raifing the dead, multiplying loaves and fishes:) but his charity was chiefly exercised in fpiritual beneficence; in purveying fuftenance and comfort for their fouls, in feeding their minds by wholesome instruction, in curing their fpiritual distempers, in correcting their ignorances and errors, in John xiv. 1. exciting them to duty by powerful advices and exhorta- xv. 11. xvi. tions, in supporting them by heavenly confolations against Matt. v. 10. temptations and troubles. 33. viii. 7. XX. 35. Rom. xv. Thus alfo did the charity of the holy Apoftles principally exert itself: they did not neglect affording relief to Aas iii. 6. the outward needs of men; they did take care by earnest V. 15, 16. interceflion and exhortation for fupport of the poor; but xxviii. 8, 9. efpecially they did labour to promote the fpiritual benefit of men for this they did undertake fo many cares, and 26. toils, and travels; for this they did undergo fo many. hardships, fo many hazards, fo many difficulties and trou- Gal. ii. 10. bles; a Therefore, faid St. Paul, I endure all things for the 7. elects' fake, that they may also obtain the falvation which is 2 Cor. ix. 1. in Chrift Jefus with eternal glory. 1 Cor. xvi. 2 Cor. viii. 1 Tim. vi. 18. 10. X. This indeed is a property of charity, to make a man deny himself, to neglect his own intereft, yea to defpife a 2 Tim. ii. all selfish regards for the benefit of his neighbour: to him that is infpired with charity, his own good is not good, when it standeth in competition with the more confiderable good of another; nothing is fo dear to him, which he gladly will not part with upon fuch considerations. Liberty is a precious thing, which every man gladly would enjoy: yet how little did St. Paul's charity regard SERM. it? how abfolutely did he abandon it for his neighbour's XXVII. good? Though, faid he, I am free from all men, yet I have Пão ipav-made myself fervant (or have enflaved myself) unto all, Toy idea. that I might gain the more: and he did exprefs much fatisfaction in the bonds which he bare for the good of his Phil. i. 12. brethren. I Paul, faith he, the prifoner of Jefus Chrift for you Gentiles;-I fuffer trouble as an evil-doer, even unto Πᾶσιν 1 Cor. ix. 19. Eph. iii. 1-13. 2 Tim. ii. bonds;-endure all things for the elects' fake. 9, 10. 33. 1 Cor. x. 22. Every man loveth his own humour, and would pleafe 1 Cor. ix. himself: but the charity of St. Paul did rather choose to please all men; making him all things to all men, that by all means he might fave fome: and the rule he commended Rom. xv. 1. to others, and imposed on himself, was this, We that are Strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to pleafe ourselves. Profit is the common mark of men's defigns and endeavours; but charity often doth not aim thereat, but waveth it for its neighbour's advantage: for uǹ oxoteÏTE, Phil. ii. 4. Aim not every man at his own things, but every man also at the things of others, is St. Paul's rule; and, Not to feek his own profit, but the profit of many, that they might be faved, was his practice. 1 Cor. x. 24. To fuffer is grievous to human nature, and every man would fhun it; but charity not only doth fupport it, but joyeth in it, when it conduceth to its neighbour's advanCol. i. 24. tage; I rejoice, faid that charitable Apostle, in my fuffer2 Cor. i. 4, ings for you. 6. vii. 4. 9. Eafe is a thing generally desirable and acceptable; but charity doth part with it, embracing labour, watchings, travels, and troubles for its neighbour's good: upon this 1 Theff. ii. account did the holy Apostles undertake abundant labours, as St. Paul telleth us; and to this end, faith he, do I labour, 8. "Striving according to his working, which worketh in me 2.Cor. xi. mightily: to what end? that we may prefent every man perno- fect in Chrift Jefus: this is that xóños ayúлns, that labour of love, which they did commend in others, and so notably themselves exercise. Eis vi. 5. πιῶ ἀγωνιζό Col. i. 29. 31, 35. Life of all things is held moft precious and dear; yet Heb. vi. 7. this charity upon urgent occafions will expofe, will fa 'Theff.i.3. ་ |