it cannot be denied but the Apostle doth preach up the preheminence of this duty above all that went before Psal 133. And truly when I consider that holy David hath spent a whole Psalm 1 Cor. 13. and St. Paul a whole Chapter upon no other subject then the excellency of this duty of Charity I cannot thinke my selfe able to perform the same work in any Competent measure in a small part of a Sermon yet since it is fallen in our way according to my time and talent I shall shew you the preheminence of this duty above all others in these Foure particulars In the perfection of its acts In the sweetness of its nature In the Vniversality of its Influence and lastly in the Duration of its Being First it is above all in the perfection of its acts 1 Cor. 13.13 Now abideth Faith Hope and Charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity The advancement of this grace will prove a very easie worke if we can set it above Faith it selfe and since the holy Ghost hath said it we must make it good and that in two particulars First Charity is greater then Faith in respect to the Efficacy of their acts For Charity gives life at least it gives activity to Faith and therefore is greater read this assertion at large verified by St. Iames Chap. 2. from the 14. to the 23. Faith without works is dead if a brother be naked or want Food and ye say be be warmed and filled but give him nothing what doth this profit Faith is dead if it be alone for the Devils beleeve and tremble and v. 22. he saith that Abrahams faith wrought by works and by works faith is perfect And St. Paul makes up St. Iames's argument by the specification of those works which actuate faith Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 It is love then which actuates yea which in St. Iames his phrase perfects faith thus Charity is greater then Faith first in the efficacy of their acts it actuates it perfects faith Secondly it is greater then faith in the Absoluteness of its acts Faith qua talis in its own nature implyeth imperfection not only in matter of degrees for so Charity also is imperfect in this life but even in its own kinde the most perfect act of Faith if it be but Faith hath this imperfection in it to wit the Absence of the object For saith the Apostle It is of things not seen whereas charity is the grace of union Heb. 11.1 and it is the caressing of the heart in the actual Fruition of the object and therefore is perfect in its own kinde For which reason it abideth and Faileth not with Faith hope and other imperfect graces which by reason of their imperfections are unfit for Heaven without a charge as also are all those that imply misery in others such as pitty and compassion c. which in the very natures of their acts forespeak themselves unfit for that state where there is Fulness of joy for ever more whereas this grace of Charity abideth the same in Heaven as on Earth in its kinde though in degrees it is more perfect and for no other reason but because the acts and operations of Charity even as they are performed here on Earth do not imply any Essential inherent imperfections which as you see are to be found in all other graces Therefore Charity is Above all others First in the Perfection of its Acts. Secondly In the sweetness of its Nature There is no duty of Religion that comes so neer to the delight of nature as the duty of Brotherly love as man is naturally a sociable creature so consequently must he be as naturally a loving and affectionate creature Love being the congregating and uniting passion of the soule whereby the object is drawn close to the affection so that Love simply in its own nature is the most consonant to our natural inclination even above all other duties of Religion whatsoever which the Psalmist plainly intimates when he cryes out Psal 133.1 Behold how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Faith repentance self-denial taking up the Cross and all duties of mortification instead of pleasure hold in their very acts rather a displeasure and contrariety to nature but how pleasant is unity among Brethren wherefore above all other Secondly in the sweetness of its nature Thirdly in the Vniversality of its influence Charity transfuseth an universal vertue through the whole body of Gods worship and service in all the duties of the same if they are performed as they ought to be whereas other duties are particularly stated within their own limits Meditation is a distinct duty from hearing of the word preached and Hearing is a distinct duty from prayer and Receiving the Sacraments distinct from both but the duties of Love and Charity must have an universal influence in all Charity being among the Graces much as Iustice among the vertues 1 Cor. 16.14 The Apostle particularly exhorts the Corinthians to Watchfulness to magnanimity to Constancy in their particular and distinct natures but v. 14. he enjoyns Charity as an Vniversal requisite to the performance of these and all other particular duties whatsoever Watch ye Stand fast in the Faith quit you like men be strong here are the particular duties and in the next verse Let all things be done with Charity like as it was under the law an abundance of sacrifices there were of proper and distinct kindes some of Sheep some of Bullocks some of Lambs some for peace some for praise some for sin But all were kindled by the same holy fire that was kept alwayes alive upon the holy Altar for these several services And even thus is it with the grace of Charity it is that holy Fire which is ever kept alive in the Altar of the good mans heart whereby he enkindles all his evangelical sacrifices which he offereth unto God and therefore he that cometh with his gift to the altar before he be reconciled to his Brother in effect expects to offer a burnt offering without Fire let him leave his gift First Fetch this Fire then let him kindle his Sacrifice and perform the whole state and series of the duties of Religion quickned with this common Catholick grace which is to the other inferior duties of Gods worship as the Sun is to the lesser Stars though they have a native beauty and light of their own yet do they all borrow the chiefest part of their lustre from this great ruling light of Charity I need no better evidence of the universal influence of this grace then the resemblance the holy Psalmist gives us Psal 133.2 where he tells us that the love of Brethren is that precious ointment of Aaron which was poured upon his head and ran down to his beard and descended even to the skirts of his garments and so gave a pleasant tincture to every part of Aaron from head to foot
Praying Hearing Communicating and the like external acts of Religion the intire order that these hold in the state of our obedience is only to spiritual ends and purposes and therefore although we are required to worship and glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 Yet God himself being a most pure spirit unto which all these outward acts of piety and worship tend and in whom they fully End it is therefore very improper to the nature of them that they should be accepted in and for themselves but only as they derive a devout influence from and have an original dependance upon the sincerity and zeal of the Inner man and the spirit from whence they proceed For doubtless that argument of our Saviour drawen from the nature of that God we serve Joh. 4. 24. is unanswerable when he saith That God is a Spirit and therefore must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Wherefore to return to our purpose although Relief and Brotherly supply is the whole End of operative Charity consisting in the outward offices of Love which is sufficiently satisfied if those offices are performed yet if we take the duty of Christian charity in the whole state of the duty and not by parcel-meals we shall finde that operative charity is not the half part of that required in this precept of Love for this as all duties of the Second Table hath a double respiciency in it the immediate respect is towards our Neighbour the ultimate respect is towards God which is a consideration that makes the duties of love to become offices of piety to God as well as of charity to our Brother Now looking upon this duty in its immediate respect to our Neighbour I confesse if Gods Law were to be considered no otherwise then the Statute Lawes of the Land which for the substance of the precepts forbid the very same particulars as are expressed in the Second Table as Rebellion Murder Theft Adultery False witnesse c. and enjoynes also the same duties of Justice and Charity to our Brethren Now I say if Gods Law reached no further then Mans operative charity would fulfil the whole duty Mans Law looking no farther then to the restraining or enjoyning the outward act But seeing Gods Law ought to be considered as the first Law written in our hearts and the Law of Nature as well as of God in this consideration the inward principle of those offices of love from whom they proceed must be considered as well as the external acts themselves for as much as God at the first did so absolutely and to all purposes instruct and furnish our natures that look whatever outward duty he required at our hands he placed an answerable principle in our hearts to incline and carry us through the performance of that work required of us as conceiving it to be too severe a usage of man above all other works of the creation besides to require him to do that duty unto which God had not first imprinted a propension in his nature as to command him the outward offices of Society and Hospitality without giving him the inward principle of love or the duties of succouring the distressed or relieving the needy without the inward principle of pitty and commiseration and so in all the rest And truly though I deny not but many a good almes hath been given for vainglory to be seen of Men many through the importunity of our needy Brother and many through custome yet these are not natural but equivocal productions of charity much like the generations of Frogs and Flies and other Insects which are often ingendred of putrefaction and not from their own kindes which we call Imperfect Generations in Philosophy Even such unkindly productions are such sorts of good works in the Law of Charity that come besides the common order of Nature God therefore originally not only enjoyning the Act but administring the proper and univocal principle of that act in the spirit of Man By the Law of Nature rectified we are required to take both into consideration and not onely to be hospitable to our Brethren but also to love them not onely to help the miserable but also to pity and compassionate them so that the inward fervency of the spirit in works of charity is necessary in the first place Necâ—ssitate principii as Natures proper principle for such acts But Secondly if we look upon charity as reflecting upon God we shall finde yet more cause why this fervency of the heart is requisite in this duty Because in this capacity it is a duty of piety as all other duties of Religion and worship are which have their outward acts as I have said purely in order to inward and spiritual purposes and grateful onely as they proceed from sincere and spiritual principles Now that charity bears such a reflection upon God and therefore becomes as it were a duty of the First Table is intimated by the Wiseman Prov. 14.31 where it is said That he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker not only by his act of disobedience against the positive Law of God who by adding to this duty his divine sanction made that moral which was at first natural whereby you see the Heart is likewise necessary in this duty Secondly Necessiâ—ate praecepti but also reproacheth his Maker in respect to that order and relation in which they stand towards God having a supreme interest in all men but especially in the poor and needy and of these chiefly in them who together with their outward indigencies are poor in spirit also of whom Christ saith Matth. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Now if offices of love and charity to our Brethren be performed to God and to Christ himself we knowing whom we serve know likewise our charity must be affectionate and fervent as well as operative and that as you see Thirdly Necessitate medii as a proper means of service answerable to that God we serve Vse 1 Away then 1. With Negative Friendships and Cold Neighbourhoods the universal practice of this uncharitable Age wherein Men think they discharge their duties sufficiently in this Law of Love if they do no wrong and offer no violence and are not professed Enemies alas this is too cold a disposition for this hot climate of Love true charity is a grace that puts the heart of a Christian into a fermentation and a fervent working of the bowels upon our Brethren for Love leavens the soul as well as Malice and there is a heat in both only the one is by a fire from Hell and the other from Heaven But this cold indifferency hangs between these two fires like the middle Region between Heaven and Earth in a perpetual frost having neither celestial grace enough to inkindle the kindly warmth of love nor infernal malice nor mischief enough or at least not courage
or opportunity or provocation enough to blow up the fiery combustions of wrath and revenges And yet with shame we may speak it if we look into City and Countrey we shall finde this degree of charity to be all that is practised in obedience to the whole precept of love Nothing but a bare Non-enmity and a Negative friendship not fighting not revenging not provoking not injuring and this is all which is a disposition that gives to Man but one remove from Wolves and Beares for we cannot love one minute or scruple lesse then this degree but we must degenerate into plain Savages and exercise profest acts of cruelty and hostility one against another And yet we think if we can speak in the Pharisees dialect Not an Extortioner not a Murderer not an Enemy we shall be justified in this law of love and that we are friends sufficient to our Brethren Which is the more to be lamented because it seems to be not onely a defect in our practice but also an error of our judgements as appears by our behaviour in most solemn and sacred severities to wit in those great administrations of Religion which call for an exact view and examination of every Mans soul such as are the holy Sacraments Wherein Men do imploy all their spiritual labour to approve their Faith to be lively and efficacious and their repentance to be truly contrite and humble their mortifications to be truly mental in subduing their lusts and not only in disfiguring their faces and using corporal severities But in this spiritual surveigh when they consider themselves in this duty of charity perhaps if they are at open defiance and professed variance with any Man they will think it fit to skin over this festering sore with a false formal reconciliation but if you examine their charity as to the rest of their Brethren they 'l say They bear them no ill will they never did them any injuries or wrongs either in person goods or good names they never medled nor made with them and they are enemies to no Man living and this is the cold negative account they give of their duty towards their Brother whom God commands them to love with as fervent an affection as they love themselves whereas if they should be thus negative in the accounts of their other graces instead of coming with their wedding garments to Gods Table they would come stark naked If thy Faith should be onely a belief that thou shouldest be saved not by Baal not by the Idols of the Heathen not by the Turks Mahomet not by the Jewes Talmud not by the Papists Legends and Traditions And thy Repentance should be only a temporary forbearance of the acts of sin a not being drunk or not swearing or not stealing or the like But whilest thou art sufficiently convinced in thy judgement that thy faith should be positive and lively and a firm belief that Jesus Christ is thy Saviour relying with a bold and lively affiance of thy heart upon his promises for life and salvation and also that thy repentance should be truly humble and contrite both a compunction and sorrow of soul for sins past and a pious purpose of the heart never to commit the like sins again yet in this fervent duty of charity if thou canst say I have done no Man wrong and bear them no ill will and am an enemy to no man living thou thinkest in thy own judgement that thou hast said enough we may call this indeed a putting off of malice and professed enmity But it is not as the Apostle requires Col. 3.14 A putting on of charity but it is a miserable and a forlorn denudation of the soul and a stripping it stark naked whereas charity if it be well put on is a Garment that keeps him warm that wears it that heart shall never feel the chilnesse of negative friendships that is truly furnished with the grace of fervent charity Secondly away with the false and deceitful charity of the Tongue practised in Court and Countrey by all who are more liberal of good words then either of good wishes or good deeds who when their brethrens necessities require either their purse counsel favour or interest to help them out of their present distresse presently in the Apostles phrase they fall to tuning their tinkling Cymbals 1. Cor. 13.1 and give them a liberal acknowledgement of all former favours and how joyful they should be to make a grateful return of so much kindnesse and professe their readinesse to do them any service that lies within the compasse of their powers with much more of this French charity But when it comes to the point of assistance they begin to bewail their unhappinesse that they are not able to serve them in this one request either their money is out of the way or their favour is eclipsed and interest abated or twenty pretended occasions of importance draw them another way and thus they stretch out the expectation of their needy brethren with nothing but the winde of fair words and leave them as helplesse as they found them Nay perhaps at that very time are contriving and meditating secret stratagems how to over-reach or undermine them in those very affairs in which they craved their assistance which is no new piece of Courtship among great ones that use more flatteries to their friends then Fucasses to their faces whereas indeed the one can be call'd no more true charity then the other true beauty Holy David was troubled with such Courtiers Psal 55.13 Mine equal my guide my acquaintance His words were smoother then butter and softer then oyl when war was in his heart verse 21. Which practice is so far from fervent charity that 't is fervent malice and fervent envy Others there are guilty of a more harmlesse sort of charity that will give nothing but the cheap almes of good words to him that asks needs out of the chargeableness of the duty like S. James's Eleemosynaries James 2.16 that say to the naked and to the hungry be ye warmed and be ye filled but neither give food nor raiment alasse what do words profit them Breath indeed is a cheap dole but 't is cold and comfortlesse it may cool the naked but it cannot clothe him and winde may swell the hungry with a false expectation but it cannot feed him There are no words that perform the ends of charity but his who spake the word and Israel had bread from Heaven and garments that were not old by wearing even the word of him that feeds the Ravens and clothes the Lilies by whose Word we live more then by our own bread Matth. 4.4 Let us therefore love not in word nor in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 John 3.18 In deed that our charity may be profitable and in truth that our charity may be sincere and fervent Therefore away in the second place with the comfortlesse charity of the Tongue Thirdly if true charity must
be fervent Away with the extended charity of the Hand the charity of Scribes and Pharisees that give onely to be seen of men who although many a poor soul may have been refreshed by their Almes clothed in their Liveries and recovered by their Physick yet at the last account they will find they had as good never have given at all as have given at the sound of a Trumpet for vain-glory and applause without any true sincere charity in their soules â—ar be it from me to speak against the poor mans interest God knowes he lives in hunger and rags notwithstanding all â—e incomes of charity yea though we take in those also which â—portunity or custome which pride or vain-glory or any other â—arisaical motives of beneficence may bring into the poor mans Store-house I onely tell the rich the best way to husband their charity and that they may at the same rate purchase to their own hearts and consciences the true satisfaction of Christian and religious benefactours as they now give to buy onely the ayre of a good name and the vain reputation of munificence It is but onely altering the disposition of the Heart the Hand hath already learn'd its duty And unlesse the heart be changed you may call it vanity and ostentation but you exceedingly wrong this sweet and spiritual grace of Christianity to call it charity And if this seems a mystery and a soloecisme against the common dialect of the World to deny almes-deeds to be charity go and learn the meaning of S. Pauls Paradox 1 Cor. 13.3 That a man may give all his goods to feed the poor and yet have no charity Judges 4. Or what think you of Jaels kindnesse to Sisera who brings her Milk and Butter in a Lordly Dâ—sh to the faint and the weary Captain and gives him house and harbour entertainment and lodging if we did not see the Nail and the Hammer we should be ready enough to call this pure compassion but when we read of the fatal effect of this kindnesse how should we wrong the integrity and simplicity of this lovely grace to give to such usages the name of charity And when I consider how many Jaels favours are bestowed in the World only upon a designe to work in Men the greater confidence of their fidelity that so they might destroy with the greater assurance and advantage I cannot but think it high time to preach up the charity of the heart and to tell you that the liberality of the hand alone is nothing but the price of hypocrisie nay perhaps it may be the very pretexts of treachery a piece of charity which the Devil practised who had good nature enough to offer Christ the glories of the world when he suffered hunger and solitude in the waste wildernesse and the same foul spirit that once thought to make Job curse God by Taking Iob 1.11 Chap. 2.5 now tryes whether he can make our Saviour blesse the Devil by Giving And even such and no other are the deceitful charities of the Hand where the Heart is not sincere and upright and thus much for reprehension Vse 2 Now in one word of Exhortation if Charity must bee fervent Bee yee then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kindly affectioned one towards another with brotherly love Rom. 12. rest not in the cold formalities of vulgar freindship nor in the outward complements or uncertain offices of Love but let your hearts erne over your brothers necessities and fellow-feele in all their miseries doutless Religion makes Charity a very secret and mentall grace when it 's call'd in Scripture by the name of Bowels Col 3.12 Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved Bowels of mercy and in another place to shew us whence every outward act of Charity should proceed the denyall of assistance to the poor and needy is called a shutting up of our Bowels 1 Joh. 3.17 Whoso hath this worlds good and seeth his brother hath need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him the holy Ghost in this place takes no notice of any of those equivocal productions of Charity which may proceed either from custome importunity or vain-glory accounting no ourward office of Love worth naming but what proceeds from open bowels that is from a Christian tender compassion of our Brethrens needs If yee wil but change the name and call Charity Love you will soon see the necessity of the heart in this duty love being an affection ever naturally fixed and seated there and it is as improper for men to love with their hands or to love with their tongues as it is to see with their ears or hear with their eyes Which secret and sacred seat of this divine grace the holy Apostle evidently discovers 1 Tim. 1.5 Where hee calls it Charity out of a pure heart a good Conscience and faith unfained Outward offices of love where they are found alone are but Charity 's out of uncleane hands but the true Apostolical Christian Love is Charity out of a prue heart Excellently expressed by God Isa 58.10 where he calls it a drawing out of the soul to the hungry it is not so much a drawing out of our treasures our cruise and our Barrel but wee must set our souls on broach and draw out even the secret compassions and ernings of our own bowells over the necessities of our needy brethren and by this means how slender and narrow soever thy share is of the good things of this World thou shalt discover a rich fountain of Love sufficient to answer all the necessities of thy brethren for whereas treasures may bee exhausted and the cruise may fail and the barrell cease but the overflowing Fountain of Christian pitty and compassion in the good mans heart shall never bee drawn dry for so saith the Text v. 11. If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry then thou shalt bee as a spring of waters whose waters fayl not which leads us to the last construction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 protended or lasting Charity Which is the third dimension of this grace to wit the length of it True Christian Charity to our brother doth not live and die with our own ends and interests it doth not last till our turnes are served nor cease upon any personal indignities or disobligements but it is in the Philosophers phrase pertinax bonitas Senec. a grace which as no worldly inducements wrought in us so no worldly discouragement can blast but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lasting and perpetual Charity which construction of the word I need not crave aide of profane Authors to justifie though Suidas and others frequently use it for jugis and assiduus but I can give you express Scripture for it Act. 12.5 Peter was kept in Prison and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. it is not translated fervent prayer But Prayer without ceasing was made by the Church to God for
the end is at hand ye are not in the beginning of your journey and therefore you must not rest onely in Ceasing from sin for the end is at hand therefore you must do good and holy duties of Sobriety and Piety verse 7. Be sober and watch unto prayer of Love ver 8. Ahove all things have love or charity of Hospitality verse 9. Be harborours one to another of ministring mutual Consolation and Instruction verse 10. As every man hath received the gift so let him minister as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God and verse 11. If any speak let him speak as the Oracles of God that God in all things may be glorified of Constancy under persecutions from verse 12. to the end of the Chapter Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal verse 16. If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed verse 17. Judgement must begin at the house of God c. And lastly of the ultimate resignation even of their soules in suffering for Gods cause verse the last Let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator And thus you have seen how this Chapter containes an exact platform of a Christians race in which my Text points at one of those good duties which the Apostle requires of them that are not onely to cease from sin but to work righteousness and that not of the least account neither for after duties of sobriety and piety it comes in with a But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But above all things have fervent charity among your selves Which if we may make Divisions in a Text of Love may be divided into Four Parts 1. Here is the Duty it self enjoyned and that is Love or Charity Have Charity 2. Here is the Importance of that Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things have charity 3. Here is the Qualification or Complexion of that Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Fervent Charity 4. Here is the Reciprocation of that Duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among your selves But above all things have fervent charity among your selves First the Duty it self enjoyned is Love or Charity Have Charity which is not in this place 1. That Cardinal Grace as I may so call it so highly extold by S. Paul 1 Cor. 13. which abideth in Heaven even after Tongues and Prophesies and Knowledge shall fail and which is preferr'd before Hope and Faith it self which in that place is a comprehensive name including in it the perfection of all Graces and Duties both towards God and towards our Neighbour in which respect it is said Ro. 13.10 That Love is the fulfilling of the law Neither Secondly is this Love onely and meerly a Moral Love arising from a complacency in a present good found in Heathens and Unbelievers and meer Natural Men mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 5.46 If ye love them that love you what reward have you do not even the Publicans the same which is a Natural affection and not a Christian grace a Humane passion and not a Religious duty Neither Thirdly is this Charity a bare Eleemosynary Charity of Almes and Good deeds which in a strict sense is usually called Charity by attributing the inward affection of the minde to the outward action of the hand mentioned 3 John 6. But this Charity in my Text is a Divine grace and a Religious duty whereby we are to extend our bowels of love and Christian compassion one towards another not under the narrow relations of Kindred Friends or Benefactors but unto all in the common capacity of Religion and that not upon any humane or natural designes which love is meerly a moral passion but onely for Pious and Christian ends and considerations which turns Nature into Grace and a Humane Passion into a Christian Affection Which being thus described unto us from the Original the Object and the End by treating briefly of each of them apart you will know sufficient of the whole duty it self And First for the Original of Christian love It is the grace of Gods holy Spirit Indeed Love 1. As it is a passion of the Soul ariseth meerly from Nature which is an affection placed originally in Man by the great Creator whereby he takes complacency and content in the good things of the Creature which God hath made for him without which all the blessings of this life were but in vain created and were no more delicious to Man then to a Stock or Stone That the pleasant acceptation therefore of all Gods good things might not be lost did he indue Man with this natural affection of Love But Love as it 2. is an inordinate passion ariseth not from Nature Qua talis but as corrupted and depraved by Sin whereby the soul is Praeter institutum naturae carried beyond the mediocrity of natural appetite towards the creature and created blessings While Man only loved the Creature according to the Law of Nature and God according to the Law of God then he loved it in a mean and in a moderate subordination to the love of God who was to be loved with all our Might Heart and Strength But when as by sinne Mans heart forsook his God then that earnest and zealous love Ad ultimum posse before bestowed upon the Almighty was irregularly added to that mean and moderate Fountain of love of the Creature according to the Law of Nature which great addition coming to the force of natural love makes the soules of all corrupt unregenerate men run over their old banks towards the Creature in a most inordinate measure and a most irregular manner loving the Creature from two violent inforcements one from Nature the other from Lust Wherefore to endeavour to reform this violent passion only by Precepts of Morality or Rules of Depraved Reason or the like Philosophick aides will prove as great a folly as to set obstacles in the midst of a strong torrent to prevent Inundation they may perhaps give a check for a time and make lust suspend a while the actual exercise of her inordinacy but in the mean while she gathers strength and will as soon as ever those violent restraints be remitted which cannot be perpetual overflow our soules with the greater flood of concupiscence and carry our hearts without possibility of resistance down the stream from God towards the World So that there is no means left to weaken this torrent and to keep it within its due limits but by dealing with the Fountain the Heart must be changed and renewed and the inclinations and desires of our soules must be altered which thing is neither in the power of Nature nor Reason but only of the grace of Gods Spirit to effect which is able to re-inkindle that religious love in our hearts with which Man at first loved both God and his Brother which was the ground of S. Johns exhortation 1 Ep. 4.7 8. Let us love one another for
spirits before we first allay the stormes of variance discord and injustice towards our Brethren Patience and Temperance and Meeknesse and Humility and Contentation and the like are all Domestick graces that constantly keep house in ordering the private and particular affairs of our soules Justice and Charity are publick graces that walk abroad in ordering our affections and conversations towards our Brethren and truly if we practice instead of Justice and Charity Oppression Malice and Revenge towards our Brethren our soules can enjoy no more inward and domestick peace in respect to the other graces of Sobriety under such publick oppressions and revenges then a private family can expect in the midst of a Civil War the publick blood and violence and rapine upon the innocent in City and Countrey take away all the quiet and security from a mans own house and it is no otherwise with a mans soul in respect to his Brother if he once raiseth the stormes of wrath in his heart he must expect Fluctuations and Fomings upon the waters and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do as Christ did First rebuke the windes and then the Sea will soon be calm First allay thy tempestuous spirit towards thy Brother by the duty of Love and Charity and then thou maist expect all the tranquil graces of sobriety in thy own soul Patience Meeknesse Temperance Contentation and Humility are gentle graces that grow only under the Wind and Sun the tempests and blusterings between Brethren soon wither them How did Ahabs choler against Naboth turn his own stomach 1 Kings 21.4 He could not eat bread saith the Text he was sick because he was angry and he lost his love and his health together And truly as was this natural effect of wrath in him such is the spiritual effect of it in every Man it turns the uncharitable Mans soul into a distemper and as to those private and personal graces of sobriety his constitution is thereby clearly altered being truly as we may say soul-sick verifying the Wise mans Proverb in a spiritual sence Prov. 14.30 That envie is the rottennesse of the bones so was it with Ahab naturally so is it with every malicious Man spiritually it rots his soul and corrupts and poysons all his domestick graces of sobriety that whilest he endeavours to work vengeance on his Brother by the violence of his own impetuous spirit he disquiets and distempers and therefore destroyes his own soul As the Philosopher said of Charybdis that it was Ipsius maris naufragium quis ibi salvus ubi ipsum mare perit a Gulf where the waters moved with such violence that it seemed to be a shipwrack of the Sea it self and what ship can be safe there where the Sea it self is drownd and truly such is the violence of the malicious spirit it is Ipsius animae naufragium a torrent so violent that it is a shipwrack to it self shattering and destroying him that would destroy his Brother if therefore thou wouldest have thy own soul prosper in the personal graces of sobriety let thy spirit glide gently in all Offices of Love and Charity towards thy Brother This is the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before all things that is Before all duties of Sobriety have Charity Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before all things that is Before all duties of Piety watch unto prayer verse 7. But before all things have charity I need name no other place of Scripture for proof but that very expresse doctrine of our Saviour in his Sermon upon the Mount Matth. 5.24 If thou bring thy gift to the altar and there remember thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way First be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy gift Forbear to tread in Gods Sanctuary and to approach his Altars until thou comest with feet shod with peace all sacrifices without this grace are like Cains that slew his Brother a stink in Gods nostrils It s a proper trophy to bring Goliahs sword into Gods house 1 Sam. 21.9 The spoyles of Gods and his Churches incorrigible enemies are matter of triumph and praise to God in the great Congregation But to hang our Brothers sword over Gods Altar and to bring evil dispositions of malice and revenge against our Brother when we come to crave mercy for our selves what an unwarrantable presumption is this and how expresly and sadly do we sue for our own condemnation whilest we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us First therefore be reconciled then come and offer thy gift And in the Apostles order Heb. 12.14 Follow peace and then holinesse first Peace with thy neighbour then Holiness to thy God Malice is such a Sowre Leaven that it sowres the whole lump of Religious Duties purge out first therefore that Old Leaven and then thy Hearing and Reading thy Meditations and thy Prayers and all will be according to the preparation of the Sanctuary Which is the reason S. Peter 1 Pet. 3.7 exhorts Husband and Wife to that degree of mutual love correspondence and cohabitation That their prayers be not hindred And if I should say that even Martyrdom it self were but a vainglorious blaze and a fruitlesse fool-hardinesse without Love I should say no more then S. Paul hath said before me 1 Cor. 13.3 If I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing God spake the same thing in Analogy to holy David 1 Chron. 22.8 9 10. when he told him that he should not build Gods house because he had shed much blood and made great warres but his son shall be a Man of peace his name shall be Solomon peaceable and he must build Gods house If God would not esteem his material Temple well built by hands dipt in blood can we imagine he will accept of the spiritual and most sacred Duties of Religion and Divine Worship performed with a heart stained with malice and revenge He that is acceptably conversant in these holy things must be a Solomon a Man of peace and love towards his Brethren therefore again first be reconciled before thou buildest Gods house Watch unto prayer but before this and before all things have Charity Thus you have seen how Charity goes before both duties of Sobriety towards our selves and duties of Piety towards God which is the first part of the importance of the duty to wit the Precedency of it gathered from the Latine translation of the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before all things have charity Secondly come we to the other part of its Importance to wit its preheminence drawn from the English Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things have Charity or if you think this Good greek but ill translated in this sence take the same doctrine in indubitable words from St. Paul Col. 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Above all things put on Charity when
love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God God is love ve◠8. The original then of this religious love is Gods grace which is the first part of the description Secondly consider the Object of this love which is said in the description to be extended not onely to Kindred Friends or Benefactors but unto All in the capacity and latitude of Religion The generick Object of all love is one and the same and that is a present good either real or appearing the vilest wretch yet never loved evil Sub ratione mali not as evil but at least under the appearance of good But the Specifick Objects are vastly different nay to shew the wonderful power of Grace over Nature their Objects are contrariant and directly opposite one to another Matth. 5.43 44. In old time it was thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy this is the voice of Nature and of the Old Man in the old time But I say unto you verse 44. which is the voice of Grace and Christ Love your enemies blesse them that curse you and do good to them that hate you Hence is it that the Scripture makes no difference in Offices of love and mutual relief between Friend and Foe but he that in one Precept is called our Enemy in the recital of the same Precept in another place is called our Brother and both to be loved and served alike as appears Exod. 23.4 compared with Deut. 22.1 In one place it is If thine enemies Ox or his Asse go astray thou shalt surely bring it back in the other which is the recital of the same Law it is Thou shalt not see thy brothers Ox or his Asse go astray but thou shalt in any case bring him back So that whether he be Enemy or Brother it is all one in the eye of Religion and both to be alike beloved assisted and relieved Which although it be very severe to Nature yet the Christian Law of love requireth it at our hands never seeking to comply with but to over-rule all our unregenerate affections in so much that a new man at his first conversion is in nothing more an Ephraimite like a young Heifer unaccustomed and strugling under the Yoke of Grace then in respect to those impulsions and checks which Gods Spirit imposeth upon mans Affections For indeed if you observe the Law of Grace and the Gospel this contrariety is not found only in this one affection of Love but all the rest of the passions by the power and constraint of Grace are not only diverted but inverted turned cleer backward in their motions to objects diametrically opposite to their former Thus for our Hatred We must hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren Sisters and our own lives also or we cannot be Christs Disciples Luke 14.26 Next for our Joy We must joy in persecutions reproaches calamities and be exceeding glad Mat. 5.13 Nay Leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Christs word in S. Luke chap. 6.23 when men hate you and reproach you and so in all the rest Which although it may seem to be a very sharp usage of Nature yet is it not without sufficient reason and abundant compensation in regard that by vertue of the divine Chimistry of Grace Good even spiritual good is brought out of natural evils according to S. Pauls word of consolation Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Even enemies reproaches and persecutions Which is a Paradox to Nature because it is beyond her Ken or Comprehension the Back cannot feel any good in cold and nakednesse nor the Belly in hunger and emptinesse and on the other side they cannot apprehend there is any Evil in food and raiment and as they judge so they love and so they hate But Grace comes and findes Wantonnesse in fulnesse of bread and Pride in gorgeous apparel and on the other side it findes Humility in rags Chastity in hunger and abstinence it findes Patience under afflictions triumphs under persecutions and thus they work together for the good of them that love God And thus much of the Object Thirdly consider the End of Christian charity which is said in the Description to be Not upon any humane or natural designe but for pious and Christian ends and considerations There are three Stages of all Mans actions Himself his Brother and his God Now 1. to love meerly for a mans own good and upon self interest is basely Carnal nay 't is Ethnick Do not even the Heathen the Publicans the same Nay 't is Brutish for the Beasts love their Feeder for his food but if he withholds his hand and hunger begins to gripe those Savages Exasperatur mitigata torvit as they flye in his face that nourished them and make a prey of their Benefactor And Secondly to love our Brother meerly for our Brothers sake at best is but moral in which respect though Man even under depravation excels the bruit Beasts whose love if I may so call it reacheth no further then the first sort loving all things as they are agreeable or serviceable to their own sensitive appetites whereas this moral love in Man admits not of such mean mercenary reflections and is bestowed upon no other considerations then the goodnesse vertue and merit of the person beloved as a debt due to his worth goodness which is the love of Philosophers and that which is called Amor Amicitiae or Benevolentiae the love of Friendship and Good-will yet is this love as far below the duty of the Text and the affection of true Christians as it is above the lust of Beasts and brutish Men. Thirdly therefore there is another sort of love which is neither for our own sakes nor our Brothers but for Gods sake and that not only in obedience to Gods Commandment of love which is the Evangelick Law and the New Command nor for the conservation of the peace of Gods Church which is fortified by love but also and principally when it is bestowed in consideration of that spiritual relation which our Brethren by grace have to God as instruments of his praise as Members or as Ministers of his Church as parts of the houshold of faith c. This is to love our Brother for Gods sake Or in our Saviours phrase when we love a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Mat. 10.41 42 and a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and a righteous Man in the name of a righteous man That is when we love them under that relation in which they stand towards God and Religion which ought to be so predominant in every good heart that it should give Law and Rule to all inferior relations whatsoever whether Natural or Moral in so much that if ever their interests stand in opposition these subordinate indeerments ought to be utterly superseded and neglected which is the reason our Saviour saith That unlesse we