James v. 4. 15. 6. SERM. prayers; the which of all prayers have a most favourable XXVIII. audience and affured efficacy: for if the complaints and curses of those who are oppreffed or neglected by unDeut. xxiv. charitable dealing do certainly reach God's ears, and pull Ecclus. iv. down vengeance from above; how much more will the interceffions and bleffings of the poor pierce the heavens, and thence draw recompence! feeing God is more ready to perform his proper and pleasant works of bounty Pfal. Ixii. and mercy, than to execute his Strange and unpleafing work of punishment; efpecially the bleffings of the poor Ifa. xxviii. being always accompanied with praises and glorifications of him, who enableth and difpofeth men to do good; the which praises will ever be reckoned on the account of him who drew them forth by his beneficence: it will be, Phil. iv. 17. as the Apostle faith, fruit redounding to his account, while it aboundeth by many thanksgivings to God. 12. Mic. 7. 18. 21. 2 Cor. ix. 11. viii. 19. So in virtue of charity the pooreft man amply may requite the wealthiest; and a peasant may outdo the greatest prince in beneficence. XIV. We may confider, that charity is a practice specially grateful to God, and a moft excellent part of our duty; not only because he hath commanded it as fuch with greatest earneftness; nor only because it doth constitute us in nearest resemblance of him; but as a peculiar expreffion of love and good-will toward him: for if we love him, we muft for his fake have a kindness for his friends, we must tender his interefts, we must favour his reputation, we must defire his content and pleasure, we muft contribute our endeavours toward the furtherance of these his concerns. Seeing then God is an assured friend to all men, seeing he hath a property in all men, (for he is God and Lord of all,) feeing he much concerneth himself for all men's welfare; feeing from the profperity, from the virtue, from the happiness of every Ezek. xviii. man he gaineth honour and praise; seeing he is greatly fatisfied and delighted in the good of men; we also must love them; otherwise we greatly fhall difoblige and difguft him. Is it not indeed a practice guilty of notorious enmity toward him, inconfiftent with the maintenance of any SERM. friendship or peace with him, to difcord in affection from XXVIII. him, maligning or difaffecting those whom he dearly loveth and favoureth; who are fo nearly allied to him by manifold relations, as his creatures, his fubjects, his fervants, his children, whom he defigneth and defireth to crown with eternal glory and blifs i? XV. Seeing God vouchfafeth to efteem whatever is done in charity to our neighbour (if done with an honest and pious mind, as to his friends) to be done unto himself; that in feeding our indigent neighbour we refresh him; in clothing our neighbour we comfort him; we do by charitable beneficence oblige God, and become in a manner benefactors to him; and as fuch affuredly shall be requited by him: and is not this a high privilege, a great honour, a mighty advantage to us? If a man had opportunity to do that, which his prince would acknowledge a courtefy and obligation to him, what a happiness would he account it! and how far more confiderable is it, that we can so easily do that which the Lord of all, in whose disposal all things are, will take so kindly at our hands! XVI. We may confider, that charity is a very feasible and very easy duty; it requireth no fore pain, no grievous trouble, no great cost for it confifteth only in good-will, and that which naturally springeth thence; willingness Rom. xii. 8. and cheerfulness are neceffary ingredients or adjuncts of it; the which imply facility: whence the weakest and poorest man is no lefs able to perform it than the greatest potentate; his heart inay be as charitable, though his .2 Cor. ix. 7. viii. 12. hand cannot be fo liberal: one of the most noble and Lukexxi.2. 1 Ὅταν συγῇ τις ἄνδρα, τὸν Θεὸς φιλεῖ, οὗτος μεγίςην μωρίαν κατεισάγει, φανερῶς yàg auTậ Tậ Oiã nogúvostai. Vid. Anthol, Δεῖ γὰρ φιλεῖν ἐκεῖνον, ὃν Θεὸς φιλεῖ. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Οr. xxxii. κ Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη μετὰ τοῦ κέρδος πολλὴν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν, καὶ πόνον οὐδένα. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Or. xxxii. Ποῖος πόνος μὴ κακῶς εἰπεῖν ἐδένα ; ποία δυσκολία ἀπαλλαγῆναι φθόνου καὶ βάρο κανία; ; ποῖος μόχθος μὴ κακῶς εἰπεῖν μηδένα ; Chryf. "Ανδρ. ή. SERM. most famous charities that ever was, was the giving two XXVIII. mites; and the giving a cup of cold water is the instance' of that beneficence, which fhall not fail of being rewarded 1. Matt. x. 42. 10. Gal. v. 14. XVII. We may confider that charity is the beft, the moft affured, the moft eafy and expedite way or inftrument of performing all other duties toward our neighbour: if we would difpatch, love, and all is done; if we would be perfect in obedience, love, and we shall not fail in Rom. xiii. any point; for love is the fulfilling of the law; love is the bond of perfectnefs: would we be secure in the practice of juftice, of meeknefs, of humility toward all men, of constant fidelity toward our friends, of gentle moderation toward our enemies, of loyalty toward our fuperiors, of benignity toward our inferiors; if we would be fure to purify our minds from ill thoughts, to restrain our tongues from ill speaking, to abstain from all bad demeanour and dealing; it is but having charity, and infallibly you will do all this: for love worketh no ill to its neighbour; love thinketh no evil; love behaveth not itself unseemly. Rom. xii. 5. It is winged. It is fire. Would we discharge all our duties without any reluctancy or regret, with much fatisfaction and pleasure? love will certainly difpofe us thereto; for it always acteth freely and cheerfully, without any compulsion or ftraining; it is ever accompanied with delectation m: if we would know its way and virtue of acting, we may fee it represented in the proceeding of Jacob, who being inspired by love did contentedly and without regret endure fo long and hard toil, fuch difappointments and fuch affronts: Gen. xxix. And Jacob, faith the text, ferved feven years for Rachel; 20. At nunc cum omnia quæ difficiliora funt vel modica ex parte faciamus, hoc folum non facimus quod et factu facilius eft, et abfque quo caffa sunt univerfa quæ facimus: jejunii corpus fentit injuriam, vigiliæ carnem macerant-hæc omnia funt qui faciant, fola charitas fine labore eft. Hier. in Gal. v. 13. m Εἰ γὰρ ἅπαντες ἠγάπων καὶ ἠγαπῶντο, οὐδὲν ἂν ἠδίκησεν οὐδεὶς, &c. Chryf. in Cor. Or. xxxii. Amor obfequitur fponte, gratis obtemperat, libere reveretur. Bern, ad Eug. Prol. Vid. Bern. Ep. xi. p. 1404. and they seemed to him but a few days for the love he had SERM. to her. XXVIII. . 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 conversation and practice n. 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 shall go forward unwillingly and dully, often halting, ever flagging: those principles which do put flaves and mercenaries on action, as they are not so noble and worthy, fo neither are they so effectual and fure; as ambition, vainglory, felf-interest, design of fecurity, of profit, of compliance witht hxpectation of men, &c. 1 Cor. Or. XVIII. Charity giveth worth, form, and life to all vir- Chryf. in tue, so 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 fierceness of a beast? from meekness; and what is that, but the foftness 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 prefumption; what alms-doing, but ambitious oftentation; what undergoing martyrdom, but stiffness or sturdiness of refolution; what is devotion, but glozing or mocking with God? what is any practice, how fpecious foever in appearance, or materially good, but an iffue of felf-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 . Ὁ γὰρ φιλῶν οχ οὕτως ἐπιτάσιων, ὡς ἐπιταττόμενος χαίρει, &c. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Or. xxxii. 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 defign 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 courtefy, when cordial affection venteth itself in civil language, in respectful deportment, in obliging per formances; 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 himself; it is admirable wisdom, which fagaciously contriveth and dexterously manageth things with the beft 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. 8. 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, 1 Tim.ii. 8. which is offered up with a calm and benign mind, Matt. v. 23. refembling the difpofition of that goodness which it James ii. 26. adoreth. If therefore we would do any thing well, if we would not lose all the virtue, and forfeit all the benefit of what 1 Cor. 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 fweet 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 spirit, |