SERM. XII. (7.) Charity doth hugely advance and amplify a XXVIII. man's ftate, putting him into the poffeffion or fruition of all good things: it will endow, enrich, ennoble, embellith us with all the world hath of precious, of glorious, of fair; by appropriation thereof to ourfelves, and acquiring of a real intereft therein. What men commonly out of fond felf-love do vainly affect, that infallibly by being charitable they may compass, the engroffing to themselves all kinds of good: most easily, most innocently, in a compendious and fure way, without any fin or blame, without any care or pain, without any danger or trouble, they may come to attain and to enjoy whatever in common esteem is defirable or valuable; they may, without greedy avarice, or the carkings, the drudgeries, the difgraces going with it, procure to themselves abundant wealth; without fond ambition, or the difficulties, the hazards, the emulations, the ftrugglings to which it is liable, they may arrive to great honour; without fordid voluptuousness, or the fatieties, the maladies, the regrets confequent thereon, they may enjoy all pleasure; without any wildness or wantonnefs, pride, luxury, sloth, any of its temptations and fnares, they may have all profperity; they may get all learning and wisdom without laborious ftudy, all virtue and goodness without the fatigues of continual exercife: for are not all these things yours, if you do esteem them fo, if you do make them fo by finding much delight and fatisfaction in them? doth not your neighbour's wealth enrich you, if you feel content in his poffeffing and ufing it? doth not his preferment advance you, if your fpirit rifeth with it in a gladfome complacence? doth not his pleasure delight you, if you relish his enjoyment of it? doth not his profperity bless you, if your heart doth exult and triumph in it? do not his endowments adorn you, if you like them, if you commend them, if the ufe of them doth minister comfort and joy to you? This is the divine magic of charity, which conveyeth all things into our hands, and inftateth us in a dominion of them, whereof nothing can diffeize us; by vir2 Cor. vi. tue whereof being, as St. Paul speaketh of himself, forrow ful, we yet always rejoice; having nothing, we yet poffefs SERM. all things. Neither is this property in things merely imaginary or fantastic, (like that of lunatics, who fancy themselves mighty princes or rich aldermen,) but very fubftantial and real; yea far more real to the charitable perfon, than it is commonly to thofe, who in legal or popular account are mafters of them: for how is propriety in things otherwife confiderable, than for the content and pleasure which they yield to the prefumed owner? the which if a charitable person abundantly draweth from them, why are they not truly his? why is not the tree his, if he can pull and taste its fruits without injury or blame? yea doth not the propriety more really belong to him as to the grofs poffeffor, if he doth equally enjoy the benefit, without partaking the inconveniences and impurities adherent to them; if he tafte them innocently and purely, without being cloyed, without being diftracted, without being puffed, without being encumbered, enfnared, or corrupted by them? A charitable man therefore can never, in a moral account, be poor, or vile, or anywife miferable; except all the world fhould be caft into penury and distress: for while his neighbour hath anything, he will enjoy it; rejoicing with thofe that rejoice, as the Apoftle doth enjoin. XIII. (8.) If therefore we love ourselves, we must love others, and do others good; charitable beneficence carrying with it so many advantages to ourselves. We by charitable complacence do partake in their welfare, reaping pleasure from all the fruits of their induftry and fortune. We by charitable affistance do enable and dispose them to make grateful returns of fuccour in our need. We thence affuredly shall obtain their good-will, their esteem, their commendation; we shall maintain peaceable and comfortable intercourfe with them, in fafety, in quiet, in good humour and cheer. Befides all other benefits we fhall get that of their XXVIII. James v. 4. 15. Ecclus. iv. 6. SERM. prayers; the which of all prayers have a most favourable XXVIII. audience and affured efficacy: for if the complaints and curfes of those who are oppreffed or neglected by unDeut. xxiv. charitable dealing do certainly reach God's ears, and pull down vengeance 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 pleafant works of bounty Pfal. Ixii. and mercy, than to execute his ftrange and unpleafing work of punishment; especially the bleffings of the poor Ifa. xxviii. being always accompanied with praises and glorifications of him, who enableth and disposeth men to do good; the which praifes 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 2 Cor. ix. it aboundeth by many thanksgivings to God. 12. Mic. 7. 18. 21. 11. viii. 19. So in virtue of charity the poorest man amply may requite the wealthieft; 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 earneftnefs; nor only because it doth conftitute 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 muft tender his interefts, we muft 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 affured friend to all men, feeing 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 satisfied and delighted in the good of men; we also must love them; otherwise we greatly shall disoblige 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 blissi? XV. Seeing God vouchfafeth to esteem 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 such 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 courtesy and obligation to him, what a happiness would he account it! and how far more confiderable is it, that we can fo eafily do that which the Lord of all, in whofe difpofal all things are, will take fo 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 coft: for it confifteth only in good-will, and that which naturally fpringeth thence; willingness Rom. xii. 6. and cheerfulness are neceffary ingredients or adjuncts of it; the which imply facility: whence the weakest and pooreft man is no lefs able to perform it than the greatest potentate; his heart may be as charitable, though his .2 Cor. ix.7. viii. 12. hand cannot be fo liberal: one of the most noble and Luke xxi.2.. 1 Όταν ζυγῇ τις ἄνδρα, τὸν Θεὸς φιλεῖ, οὗτος μεγίςην μωρίαν κατεισάγει, φανερῶς γὰρ αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ κορύσσεται. Vid. Anthol. Au yàg Pikuv intïvov, öv Osòç çıxaï. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Or. xxxii. * Ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη μετὰ τοῦ κέρδος πολλὴν ἔχει καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν, καὶ πόνον οὐδίνα, Chryf. in 1 Cor. Or. xxxii. Ποιος πόνος μὴ κακῶς εἰπεῖν ἐδένα ; ποία δυσκολία ἀπαλλαγῆναι φθόνου καὶ βασ κανίας η 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 inftance 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 best, 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 perfectness: would we be secure in the practice of juftice, of meeknefs, of humility toward all men, of conftant fidelity toward our friends, of gentle moderation toward our enemies, of loyalty toward our superiors, of benignity toward our inferiors; if we would be fure to purify our minds from ill thoughts, to reftrain 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 unfeemly. 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 straining; it is ever accompanied with delectation m: if we would know its way and virtue of acting, we may fee it reprefented in the proceeding of Jacob, who being inspired by love did contentedly and without regret endure fo long and hard toil, fuch disappointments and such 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 funt 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 ἀγαπῶντο, 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. |