unto thee any facrifice, yet I beseech thee to accept this my bounden duty and fervice; not weighing my merits, but pardoning my offences, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; by whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghoft, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.

The Meditation for Friday Evening.
Upon univerfal charity.

Above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. Coloss. iii. 14.

My foul! our thankfulness cannot be heightened, but by the reviving in our minds the memory of the be nefits we have received; and we are very properly led to thefe, when we are cele brating the great inftance of God's love to mankind, in his Son Jefus Christ. Our charity to all others can never be more effectually improved, or inflamed, than when we take our obligations to it from the love of God to ourselves, shown forth in the commemoration of the death of Christ; and from our being all united in one body under him our head.

2. Thou knoweft that faith without charity is dead; and as I am but duft and afhes, thou muft quicken me, or

fhall

fhall not be able to profit any thing from all these good resolutions thou haft brought

me to.

3. Hitherto we have been fetting ourfelves right toward God; but I am told that this is not all, we muft proceed further, and inquire how the heart ftands toward our neighbour, fince we are exprefsly forbidden to offer up any gift or oblation unto God, if our hearts are leavened with malice, hatred, or revenge. For as Chrift prefers mercy before facrifice, we muft forgive all manner of injuries, before we prefume to eat of that bread or to drink of that cup. And it is exprefsly faid, that our prayers are not accepted, nor our pardon fealed in heaven, until fuch time as we forgive men their trefpaffes; fo that we can never be welcome or worthy guefts at this heavenly feaft, where Jelus the Saviour of penitents, and Prince of Peace, is fpiritually prefent, unlefs our repentance reconcile us to God, and our charity to all mankind. Wherefore we are told that it is requifite to be in charity with all men. Flesh and blood thinks this a hard leffon. Tell me, then, what if my friend prove falfe, injurious, and endeavours to undo me; muft I ftill truft him, love him, and favour him as I used to do? what if he

feek

feek to take away my eftate, to hurt my reputation, or affault my perfon; muft I endure this patiently, and feek no remedy, but treat him ftill in the friendly manner I was wont?

4. I remember that thou haft told me, how Chriftianity obliges us to hate no man; to do no man any injury; to feek no revenge; nor to take any, though it might be done with fecrecy and fafety; nay, moreover, that it, obliges us to pray to God for the forgivenefs of fuch as may have injured us in the highest measure, and obliges us to deny them nothing that is due in juftice, in humanity, and mercy: fo that,

5. Their enmity and ill ufage will ne ver excufe me from doing them any fort of good turns that are due to them, as men or Chriftians. But tell me, can this hinder me froin defending myself from any injury or violence? from recovering what is my own? or, from bringing upon them whatever mischief the law will inflict upon fuch tranfgreffors?

6. Shall Chriftianity hinder me from breaking off friendship with one who has fhowed himself unworthy of it? Nay, I am well fatisfied that the doctrine of Chrift is of greater purity, than to require me to continue him in that confidence

and

and truft, he has heretofore been in, but now forfeited by falfehood and ill ufage. I know there can be no communion between the difciples of God and Belial, so that if we must not hate, yet we may diflike any one that injures our reputation, fortune, or our perfon.

7. This I understand to mean, that we may cease our friendship as to opinion, but not our readinefs to do all good offices; as for example, if I have injured any one, I must be reconciled and make amends; and if any one has injured me, I must pray to God to forgive him, and fo forgive him myfelf, as not to return evil for evil, nor take any advantage against any one to their prejudice.

8. Therefore, my foul! it concludes in this: if our adverfary be unreasonable, and will not be reconciled to us, it is enough that we have defired it, and fhown ourfelf difpofed to it. Only I fhall always learn of thee to have immediate recourfe in all difficulties, which may happen in like cafes, to fome prudent and good fpiritual guide, who will eafily tell me what is to be done in the matter; and especially I fhall remember, that to be on the forgiving fide is wifdom, and pleafure, and fuperiority; yea, it is to do bravely, and to be a good Christian.

The

The Hymn on Friday Evening.

Upon univerfal Charity.

HAD I the tongues of Greeks and Jews,
And nobler Speech than angels ufe,

If love be abfent, I am found,
Like tinkling brass, an empty found.
Were I infpir'd to preach and tell
All that is done in heav'n and hell:
Or could my faith the world remove,
Still I am nothing without love.
Should I diftribute all my ftore
To feed the bowels of the poor:
Or give my body to the flame
To gain a martyr's glorious name:
If love to GOD and love to men
Be abfent, all my hopes are vain.
Nor tongues, nor gifts, or fiery zeal
The Work of Love can e'er fulfil.

Another.

CHARITY, decent, modeft, easy, kind,

Softens the high, and rears the abject mind, Knows with just reins, and gentle hand to guide, Between vile fhame, and arbitrary pride. Not foon provok'd, fhe easily forgives, And much fhe fuffers, as she much believes. Soft peace he brings, wherever he arrives: She builds our quiet, as fhe forms our lives;

Lays