-are not these pregnant evidences, that it was truly said in the story, The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and he loved him as his own soul9?

Did not the Psalmist competently practise this duty, when in the sickness of his ingrateful adversaries he clothed himself with sackcloth, he humbled his soul with fasting; he bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 1?

Were not Elias, Jeremy, and other prophets, as much concerned for the good of their countrymen as for their own, when they took such pains, when they ran such hazards, when they endured such hardships, not only for them, but from them; being requited with hatred and misusage for endeavouring to reclaim them from sin, and stop them from ruin?

May not the holy apostles seem to have loved mankind beyond themselves, when for its instruction and reformation, for reconciling it to God, and procuring its salvation, they gladly did undertake and undergo so many rough difficulties, so many formidable dangers, such irksome pains and troubles, such extreme wants and losses, such grievous ignominies and disgraces; slighting all concerns of their own, and relinquishing whatever was most dear to them (their safety, their liberty, their ease, their estate, their reputation, their pleasure, their very blood and breath) for the welfare of others; even of those who did spitefully malign and cruelly abuse them?

Survey but the life of one among them; mark the wearisome travels he underwent over all the earth, the solicitous cares which did possess his mind for all the churches; the continual toils and drudgeries sustained by him in preaching by word and writing, in visiting, in admonishing, in all pastoral employments; the imprisonments, the stripes, the reproaches, the oppositions and persecutions of every kind, and from all sorts of people, which he suffered; the pinching wants, the desperate hazards, the lamentable distresses, with the

9 Ps. lxxviii. 70; 1 Sam. xxiii. 17; xviii. 1; xx. 17.
1 Ps. xxxv. 12.

which he did ever conflict2: peruse those black catalogues of his afflictions registered by himself: then tell me how much his charity was inferior to his self-love? Did not at least the one vie with the other, when he, for the benefit of his disciples, was content to be absent from the Lords, or suspended from a certain fruition of glorious beatitude; resting in this uncomfortable state, in this fleshly tabernacle, wherein he groaned, being burdened, and longing for enlargement? Did he not somewhat beyond himself love those men, for whose salvation he wished himself accursed from Christ, or debarred from the assured enjoyment of eternal felicity; those very men by whom he had been stoned, had been scourged, had been often beaten to extremity, from whom he had received manifold indignities and outrages?

Did not they love their neighbours as themselves, who sold their possessions, and distributed the prices of them for relief of their indigent brethren? Did not most of the ancient saints and fathers mount near the top of this duty, of whom it is by unquestionable records testified, that they did freely bestow all their private estate and substance on the poor, devoting themselves to the service of God and edification of his people? Finally,

Did not the Lord himself in our nature exemplify this duty, yea by his practice far outdo his precept? For, he who from the brightest glories, from the immense riches, from the ineffable joys and felicities of his celestial kingdom, did willingly stoop down to assume the garb of a servant, to be clothed with the infirmities of flesh, to become a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief; he who for our sake vouchsafed to live in extreme penury and disgrace, to feel hard want, sore travail, bitter persecution, most grievous shame and anguish; he who not only did contentedly bear,

4 2 Cor. v. 1, &c.

5 Rom. ix. 3; 2 Cor. xi. 24, 25; 1 Thess. ii. 15.

6 Acts iv. 34.

but purposely did choose to be accused, to be slandered, to be reviled, to be mocked, to be tortured, to pour forth his heart-blood upon a cross, for the sake of an unprofitable, an unworthy, an impious, an ingrateful generation; for the salvation of his open enemies, of base apostates, of perverse rebels, of villanous traitors'; he who, in the height of his mortal agonies, did sue for the pardon of his cruel murderers; who did send his apostles to them, did cause so many wonders to be done before them, did furnish all means requisite to convert and save them: he that acted and suffered all this, and more than can be expressed, with perfect frankness and good will; did he not signally love his neighbour as himself, to the utmost measure? did not in him virtue conquer nature, and charity triumph over self-love? This he did to seal and impress his doctrine; to show us what we should do, and what we can do by his grace; to oblige us and to encourage us unto a conformity with him in this respect; for, Walk in love, saith the apostle, as Christ hath also loved us, and hath given himself for us; and This (saith he himself) is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you: and how can I better conclude, than in the recommendation of such an example?

Now, our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work1.

7 Rom. v. 6. 8. 10; 1 Pet. iii. 18; Eph. ii. 1; Col. ii. 13. Chrys. in Eph. Or. vii. in 1 Cor. Or. xxxii.

8 Heb. xii. 2.

Eph. v. 1; 1 John iii. 16; John xv. 12; xiii. 34.

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1

2 Thess. ii. 16.

SERMON X.

THE NATURE, PROPERTIES, AND ACTS OF CHARITY.

EPHES. V. 2.

"And walk in love."

ST. PAUL telleth us, that the end of the commandment (or the main scope of the evangelical doctrine) is charity, out of a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned1; that charity is a general principle of all good practice (let all your things be done in charity); that is the sum and abridgment of all other duties, so that he that loveth another hath fulfilled the whole law; that is the chief of the theological virtues; the prime fruit of the divine Spirit, and the band of perfection, which combineth and consummateth all other graces 3.

3

St. Peter enjoineth us, that to all other virtues we should add charity, as the top and crown of them; and, Above all things (saith he) have fervent charity among yourselves *.

St. James styleth the law of charity, vóμov Baridikòv, the royal, or sovereign law 5.

St. John calleth it, in way of excellence, the com

mandment of God; This is his commandment, that we should love one another 6.

Our Lord claimeth it for his peculiar law: This is my commandment; and, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. And he maketh the observance of it the special badge and cognizance of his followers: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another".

It being therefore a duty of so grand importance, it is most requisite that we should well understand it, and faithfully observe it; to which purposes I shall, by God's assistance, endeavour to confer somewhat, first by explaining its nature, then by pressing the observance of it by several inducements.

The nature of it will, as I conceive, be best understood by representing the several chief acts, which it compriseth or implieth as necessary pre-requisites, or essential ingredients, or inseparable adherents to it; some internally resident in the soul, others discharged in external performance; together with some special properties of it. And such are those which follow:

I. Loving our neighbour doth imply, that we should value and esteem him: this is necessary, for affection doth follow opinion; so that we cannot like any thing which we do not esteem, or wherein we do not apprehend some considerable good, attractive of affection; that is not amiable, which is wholly contemptible; or so far as it is such.

But in right judgment no man is such; for the Wise Man telleth us, that he that despiseth his neighbour, sinneth; and, He is void of understanding that despiseth his neighbour; but no man is guilty of sin or folly for despising that which is wholly despicable.

It is indeed true, that every man is subject to defects and to mischances, apt to breed contempt, especially in the minds of vulgar and weak people; but no man is really despicable. For,

Every man living hath stamped on him the venerable

6 1 John iii. 23. 11; iv. 21.

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7 John xv. 12; xiii. 34, 35.

Prov. xiv. 21; xi. 12.