Matt. v.

44.

36.

Rom. xii.

10.

8.

1.

Col.iii.14.

mandment, faith our Saviour, that ye love one another; and again, love your Enemies, and do good to them that hate you; and aLuke vi. gain, be merciful, as your Father which is in Heaven is merciful. Be kindly affectioned one towards another, faith St. Paul, and put on 1 Thef. v. the Breaft-plate of Faith and Love. Follow 1 Cor. xiv. after Charity, and above all Things put on Charity. And fo alfo St. Peter, Be pitiful 1 Pet. iii. and courteous, and love as Brethren; add to 2 Pet. i. godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly Phil. i. 9. kindness Charity. Thus do they all command, and teach, and pray that our Love 1 Cor. xvi, may abound; and exhort, and intreat that we take fpecial Care, that all Things that we do, be done with Charity, and that above all Things we have fervent Charity among ourfelves.

8.

14.

'Tis worth while to obferve with what a particular Regard the Apoftle ushers in his Exhortation to the Practice of this Duty; and how careful he is to recommend it to us above all Things; fuch a Form of Expreffion denotes the great Importance of the thing that is recommended, and the great Neceffity we lie under of having it; and therefore ought to engage us to the utmost Care, and the greatest Industry in the pursuit after it.

3

We

We are to obferve too, that the Charity, which is here recommended, is fervent Charity; fuch a Charity as is active in its Opcrations, and intenfe in its Degree, and is not weary in well-doing; which doth not only express itself in outward Acts of relieving the Poor, and fuccouring the Afflicted, but also warms the Heart, and difpofes us to a tender Pity and Compaffion for them; fuch as in a manner makes us feel the Hunger and Cold and Anguish which they endure; and gives us an inward Sympathy with them in their Mifery: 'Tis the good Difpofition of the Heart, together with the ready Affistance of the Hand, that makes us charitable, that makes us love in Deed and in Truth.

This is the Charity which the Apostle fo much preffes upon us, and fo earnestly exhorts us to have one for another. Above all Things have fervent Charity among yourfelves.

In difcourfing on which Words, I fhall confider the Nature of this great Duty, and explain it by examining and describing its chief Properties and Operations; and in the Defcription of its Properties, I fhall intermingle fuch Reflexions and Obfervations, as may encourage us to be in love with this Duty, and may engage us, and oblige us above all

1 John iii.

18.

Things to have fervent Charity among ourSelves.

And then in the Conclufion, I fhall fhew, how we may certainly know whether we have in us the Grace of Charity or not; and if we have it not, how infinitely it concerns us to lay out our Time and our Pains in the Pursuit of it, and not to leave off pursuing, till we have obtain'd it.

I. Then I fhall confider the Nature of this great Duty of Charity, and explain it by examining and defcribing its chief Properties and Operations.

And how can I better do this, than by laying before you that lively, and admirable Defcription of Charity, which St. Paul hath given us in the xiiith Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians? His Breaft was full of Love; his Zeal and Affection to the Brethren appear'd in all his Actions; how ardently did he defire their temporal Good, and what Difficulties did he undergo to promote their eternal Welfare? He truly felt Love within himfelf, in all its various Workings and Motions; and follow'd the Dictates of it in all its outward Acts and good Offices; he himself fhew'd much Love, and therefore who more proper to teach others the Duty? His own Heart was inflam'd with Love to Chrift, to

the

the Saints, and to all Men: and therefore none more able to inftruct us in the Knowledge of the Virtues, and Efficacy of this excellent Grace.

But before I proceed to a Defcription of the Properties, and Operations of Charity, it may not be amifs to observe to you, that a true Charity exerts itself in an exalted Love of God as well as of Men; and makes us endeavour in all our good Works to promote his Glory, as well as their Good. All outward Acts of Charity to our Brother are but of little Value in the Sight of God, unless they proceed from the inward Principle of a fincere Love to Christ. If we expect that our good Actions fhould be acceptable to Heaven, we must have an Eye to God, and muft refpect his Command in the doing of them; there is nothing good that we do, but what flows from Love, and Obedience to the chiefeft Good; nothing that we perform is pleafing to God, but what is founded upon Love to him. If we perform our good Works out of Love to Chrift, out of pure Obedience to his Command, fuch a Difpofition as this will wonderfully recommend them to the Acceptance of God. 'Tis

a Charitas eft virtus, quâ fincere diligitur propter fe Deus, & propter Deum proximus; eft enim eadem virtus charitatis, quæ Deum amat, & proximum fub Deo & propter Deum. Davenant. in Col. 3. 14.

fuch

fuch a Difpofition of Mind, that makes the vatt Difference between moral Virtues, and Christian Graces: Morality teaches us to do the thing that is commanded; but Chriftianity teaches us to do it, because it is commanded. That is no Chriftian Grace, that doth not act upon fuch a Principle as this; neither is that a good Work, in the GospelSenfe, that is done upon any other Principle. If we would act like Chriftians, we muft intend God's Glory in the good Works we do to Men; we must not content ourfelves merely to do good Works; this the very Heathen could do; but we must do them out of a Regard to God, and to the Authority that he hath over us; out of a Principle of Love and Obedience to Him that made us, and hath commanded us to do good; and in this the very Effence of true Chriftian Charity doth confift. But here I am not to be understood, as if we are oblig'd to have an actual, explicit Intention of loving and obeying God, at every such juncture of Time, when we do a good Work; this cannot poffibly be requir'd of us, because there are fo many Opportunities of doing good, that are conftantly offering themselves to us; and of these not a few even in our worldly Affairs and civil Employments; and because our