III. Charity doth imply a complacence or delightful SERM. fatisfaction in the good of our neighbour; this is confe- XXVII. quent on the former property, for that joy naturally doth refult from events agreable to our defire: charity hath a good eye, which is not offended or dazzled with the luftre of its neighbour's virtue, or with the splendour of his fortune, but vieweth either of them steadily with pleasure, as a very delightful fpectacle; it beholdeth him to profper and flourish, to grow in wealth and repute, not only without envious repining, but with gladfome content: its property is to rejoice with them that rejoice; to partake of Rom. xii. their enjoyments, to feast in their pleasures, to triumph in their fuccefs. 15. 26. As one member doth feel the health and the delight 1 Cor. xii. which another immediately doth enjoy; fo hath a charitable man a fenfible complacence in the welfare and joy of his neighbour. His profperity of any kind, in proportion to its importance, doth please him; but especially his fpiritual proficiency and improvement in virtue doth yield matter of content; and his good deeds he beholdeth with abundant fatisfaction. 9. 1 Theff. iii. This is that inftance of charity which St. Paul fo fre- 2 Cor. xiii. quently doth exprefs in his Epiftles, declaring the ex- Phil. ii. 2. treme joy he did feel in the faith, in the virtue, in the or- iv. 1. derly converfation of those brethren to whom he writeth. 9. ii. 19. This charity poffeffed St. John, when he said, I have no 3 John 4. greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 7, 10. This is the charity of heaven, which doth even cheer the angels, and doth enhance the blifs of the blessed spirits there; of whom it is faid, There is joy in heaven over Luke xv. every finner that repenteth. Hence this is the difpofition of charitable perfons, fincerely to congratulate any good occurrence to their neighbour; they are ready to confpire in rendering thanks and praise to the Author of their welfare, taking the good conferred on their neighbour as a bleffing and obligation on themselves; fo that they upon fuch occafions are apt to say with St. Paul, What thanks 1 Theff. iii. can we render to God for you, for all the joy wherewith we 9. all SERM. joy for your fakes before God? and, We are bound to thank XXVII. God always for you, brethren, because that your faith grow→ 2 Theff. i. eth exceedingly, and that the charity of every one of you toward each other aboundeth: and, I thank my God al(Phil. i. 3. ways on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given Eph. i. 16. you by Jefus Chrift, that in every thing ye are enriched by 3. Rom. i. 8. Col. i. 3. 1 Theff. i. 2.) him. It is a precept of St. Paul, Give thanks always vwèp távEph. v. 20. Tw; which is tranflated for all things, but it might as well be rendered for all perfons, according to that injunc1 Tim. ii. 1. tion, I exhort, that firft of all fupplications, prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: not only prayers are to be made, but thanksgivings are to be offered for all men, out of general charity. Κλαίειν. Rom. xii. 15. IV. Correspondently, love of our neighbour doth imply condolency and commiferation of the evils befalling him : for what we love, we cannot without displeasure behold lying in a bad condition, finking into decay, or in danger to perish; fo, to a charitable mind, the bad state of any man is a moft unpleasant and painful fight. It is the property of charity to mourn with thofe that mourn; not coldly, but paffionately, (for it is to weep with thofe that weep,) resenting every man's case with an affection fuitable thereto, and as he doth himself resent it. Is any man fallen into difgrace? charity doth hold down its head, is abashed and out of countenance, partaking of his shame: is any man disappointed of his hopes or endeavours? charity crieth out alas, as if it were itself defeated is any man afflicted with pain or sickness ? charity looketh fadly, it figheth and groaneth, it fainteth and languifheth with him: is any man pinched with hard want? charity if it cannot fuccour, it will condole: doth ill news arrive? charity doth hear it with an unwilling hear and a fad heart, although not particularly concerned in it. The fight of a wreck at fea, of a field spread with carcafes, of a country defolated, of houses burnt and cities ruined, and of the like calamities incident to mankind, would touch the bowels of any man; but the very report of them would affect the heart of charity. It doth not fuf- SERM. fer a man with comfort or ease to enjoy the accommoda- XXVII. tions of his own ftate, while others before him are in diftress it cannot be merry while any man in presence is forrowful: it cannot feem happy while its neighbour doth appear miferable: it hath a fhare in all the afflictions which it doth behold or hear of, according to that inftance in St. Paul of the Philippians, Ye have done well, Zvyxovthat ye did communicate with (or partake in) my afflic- Heb.xiii.8. tions; and according to that precept, Remember those which are in bonds, as bound with them. νάντες. Such was the charity of Job; Did not I weep for him Job xxx. that was in trouble? was not my foul grieved for the poor? 25. 12, 13, 14. Such was the charity of the Pfalmift, even toward his ingrateful enemies; They, faith he, rewarded me evil for Pl. xxxv. good to the Spoiling of my foul; but as for me, when they were fick, my clothing was fackcloth, I humbled my foul with fafting. I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother; I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother. 29. Such was the charity of St. Paul; Who is weak, faid 2 Cor. xi. he, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? with fervent compaffion. : 14. Such was the charity of our Saviour; which fo reigned in his heart, that no paffion is so often attributed to him as this of pity, it being expressed to be the motive of his great works. Jefus, faith St. Matthew, went forth, and Matt. xiv. faw a great multitude, xai éonλayxvían en autois, and was 11. moved (in his bowels) with compaffion toward them, and he healed their fick : and, I have compaffion on the multi-λayxíζημαι. tude, because they have nothing to eat and I will not fend Matt. xv. them away fafting, left they faint in the way: and, Jefus 32. xx. 34. had compaffion on them, and touched their eyes and, Jefus, moved with compaffion, put forth his hand and Mark i. 41. touched him, (the leper,) and faith unto him, I will; be thou clean: and, When the Lord faw her, (the widow of Luke vii. Naim, whofe fon was carried out,) he had compassion on her: and, He beheld the city, and wept over it, confidering Luke xix. the miferies impendent on it, as a just punishment of their 13. 41. SERM. outrageous injuries against himself; and when the two XXVII. good fifters did bewail their brother Lazarus, He groaned John xi. in fpirit, and was troubled; and wept with them whence 33, 85, 36. the Jews did collect, Behold how he loved him! 158. Thus any calamity or misfortune befalling his neighbour doth raise diftafteful regret and commiferation in a charitable foul; but especially moral evils (which indeed are the great evils, in comparison whereto nothing else is evil) do work that effect: to fee men difhonour and wrong their Maker, to provoke his anger, and incur his disfavour; to see men abuse their reason, and difgrace their nature; to fee men endamage their spiritual estate, to endanger the lofs of their fouls, to difcoft from their happiness, and run into eternal ruin, by diftemper of mind and an inordinate converfation; this is moft afflictive to a man endued with any good degree of charity. Could one see a man sprawling on the ground, weltering in his blood, with gaping wounds, gasping for breath, without compaffion? And feeing the condition of him that lieth groveling in fin, weltering in guilt, wounded with bitter remorfe and pangs of conscience, nearly obnoxious to eternal death, is far worfe and more deplorable; how can it but touch the heart of a charitable man, and stir his bowels with compaffionate anguish? Such was the excellent charity of the holy Pfalmift, Pr. cxix. fignified in thofe ejaculations, I beheld the tranfgreffors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word: and, cxix. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law. Such was the charity of St. Paul toward his incredulous and obdurate countrymen, (notwithstanding their hatred and ill treatment of himfelf,) the which he fo earRom. ix. neftly did aver in those words, I fay the truth, I lie not, my confcience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghoft, that I have great heaviness and continual forrow in my heart for them. 1, 2. Such was the charity of our Lord, which difpofed him as to a continual fenfe of men's evils, fo upon particular occafions to grieve at their fins and spiritual wants; as Matt.ix. 36. when the Pharifees maligned him for his doing good, he, SERM. it is faid, did ouλλuïda, grieve (or condole) for the XXVII. hardness of their heart; and, When he faw the multitudes, Mark iii. 5. he was moved with compaffion on them, because they fainted, and were fcattered abroad as Sheep having no Shepherd: and when he wept over Jerufalem, because it did not know Luke xix, in its day the things which belonged to its peace, (either temporal, or eternal.) 41. Luke i. 78. Jer. xxxi. 15. This is that charity, which God himself in a wonderful and incomprehenfible manner doth exemplify to us: for he is the Father of pities; oλúσλayxvos, full of bowels ; James v.11. his bowels are troubled, and do found, when he is (for upholding justice, or reclaiming finners) conftrained to inflict 20. punishment; of him it is faid, that his foul was grieved for Ifa. Ixiii. the mifery of Ifrael; and that he was afflicted in all the Jud. x. 16. (ὠλιγώθη. afflictions of his people. So incredible miracles doth infi- LXX.) nite charity work in God, that the impaffible God in a Ifa. Ixiii. 9. manner fhould fuffer with us, that happiness itself should partake in our misery; that grief should spring up in the fountain of joy. How this can be, we thoroughly cannot well apprehend; but furely thofe expreffes are used in condefcenfion to fignify the greatly charitable benignity of God, and to fhew us our duty, that we should be merciful Lukevi. 36. as our heavenly Father is merciful, fympathizing with the Eph. v. 1: miferies and forrows of our brethren. (Hof.xi. 8.) (Luke xvi. 20.) This is that duty which is fo frequently inculcated; Col. iii. 12. when we are charged to put on bowels of pity, to be e- Eph. iv. 32. λayxvi, tender-hearted, to be σvμñades, compaffionate 1 Pet. iii. 8. one toward another. Hence it is, that good men in this world cannot live in any briskness of mirth or height of jollity, their own enjoyments being tempered by the difcontents of others; the continual obvious fpectacles of forrow and of fin damping their pleasures, and quafhing exceffive transports of joy for who could much enjoy himself in an hospital, in a prison, in a charnel? V. It is generally a property of love to appropriate its object; in apprehenfion and affection embracing it, pof |