and Interest which in other things determine our Choice and Resolution As these are main Topicks of Persuasion great Motives to Action and high Encouragements to Perseverance against all Difficulties and Obstacles in the way So much more should they be to us in our Charitable endeavours in this our Christian Race and Warfare 1st Then we are bound in Duty to the Religious practice of this excellent Catholick Charity because 't is strictly enjoin'd us by the Highest i. e. the Divine Authority from whence all Human Power is deriv'd This is positively requir'd of us by our Lord who hath most Right to our Love and Obedience upon our Creation Redemption and continual Preservation which do World and the Devil which obliges us in Conscience and Honour to continue his faithful Soldiers to our lives end and not cowardly Debase our selves or Dishonour him by Disobedience and Neglect of his Almighty Power like the Reviling Blasphemous Jews who thus Crucify'd the Lord of Life All Sin is contagious in its own Nature but nothing more so than disrespect to Superiors as 't is notoriously plain that the World is apt to follow Example more than Reason in this case So fatal to others as to ur selves will be our Treacherous Rebellious Disobedience As nothing can be more Dishonorable Mischievous and Ungrateful which proceeds from that Earthly Sensual Devilish Wisdom mention'd James 3.15 not regarding the true Wisdom from above so full of this Excessive Universal Charity the very Temper of Heaven the Image of the Divinity which is first Pure then Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be intreated full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality and without Hypocrisie and the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace of them that make Peace v. 17.18 which 3dly Shews our Obligations upon Interest Peace Internal External and Eternal flowing from this Principle of Charity is our only real Happiness and consequently our only true Interest Thus for instance the truely Charitable Person beyond all the greatest Heroes of the World is Master of himself has conquer'd his Passions and corrupt Affections humbled his Soul before God and cast out all Devils by Fasting and Prayer is Regenerate and Spiritualiz'd renders to all their due is as faithful to God and his Church or his Ministers as to Caesar and the State matth 17.21 c. 22. v. 21. Wrongs no Man does good to all especially the Houshold of Faith owes no Man any thing but Love Gal. 6.10 Rom. 13.8 provides for his own and uses Hospitality 2 Tim. 5.8 1 Pet. 4.19 depends upon Grace and Providence submits patiently and thankfully to the Divine Will in all things trusts in the Merits of his Saviour and who obtains his blessed Legacy of Peace Joh. 14.17 c. 16. So is he secure from the Strokes either of Justice or Violence None but a Tyrant or Villain indeed would injure such a Person who as one truly speaks is so far from the Designs of Dishonesty c. that his hands are oblig'd to be employ'd in Charity and so far from exasperating others by unruly Provocations that his very Enemies may expect because they must have his Love and those that curse him his Prayers Matth. 5.44 Thus his Life is safe from the Stroke of Justice and Injustice too if Christianity might be admitted to represent unto the Russian the Obligation that she lays on her Disciples to affront no Man However if Barbarity prevails he knows to whom Vengeance belongeth and he is not overcome of Evil but overcomes Evil with Good Rom. 12.19.21 And if he can't heap Coals of Fire on his Enemy's Head to melt him by Charity into Love and Compassion if Love will not beget Love in his hardened Heart yet after the Example of our dying Lord he will charitably forgive and interceed for his very Murtherers Luke 23.34 So he bears good Will to and is in Charity with his most inveterate Foes as he can't be an Enemy to any but is always a Friend and Benefactor to Mankind in general by good Wishes and Prayers at least where 't is not in his Power to act thus charitable may the poorest be So farther he enjoys the continual Feast of a good Conscience and the blessed Peace of Mind both in Time of Adversity and Proserity having plac'd his Treasure and set his Heart and Affections upon things above and not below Col. 3.1 2. avoiding the Snares and Temptations of Riches by doing good with them 2 Tim. 6.9 17 18 19. And being assur'd of God's Protection and Blessing upon the due Improvement of his Talents in Love and Fidelity knowing that he shall not be tempted above that he is able but in all Trials shall happily escape 1 Cor. 10 13. So in the midst of Storms and Tempests Crosses and Afflictions Wars and Desolations he remains unmov'd like an invincible Rock upon stedfast Faith and Hope in the God of his Love Psal 46. Who will certainly deliver him from all Evil the Evil of Sin and Punishment here and hereafter as in all time of Tribulation in all time of Wealth in the Hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment when he 'll be receiv'd into the Joy of his Lord Matth. 25. Which now sufficiently manifests our Obligations upon Interest as well as Duty and Gratitude to exercise this Christian Charity or comprehensive Love in full observance of the Divine Commandments whch is the only demonstration of our Love to Christ that he will accept of For he only that hath his Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth him Joh. 14.21 If therefore as now by way of Christian Application we find this effect in our Actions we may be sure the Cause is within our Hearts But if this alone be wanting all our Pretences to Christianity are vain yea all other Offices of Religion our Prayers our Repentance our Confidence our Fasting our Alms are no manner of Arguments of our Love of God and Christ because they are not used as means to this end which alone can give them the denomination of Religious Actions which plainly signifies the vast difference between Real and Nominal Christians between the faithful and pretended Lovers of Christ who are all known by their Fruits Matth. 7.15 If there were no other way to judge of the Reality of Mens Affections than the Greatness of their own Pretences there might not be devis'd a more impertinent waste of time than in a Christian Congregation to endeavour to perswade Men to love their God and Saviour We call our selves Christians after his Name we build Churches for his Worship where we often appear as on this day with bended Knees and lift up hands to send up our Prayers and Praises to him if we may be believ'd we hate them that hate him as tho' they were our Enemies We fight his Battles and propagate his Religion with the hazard our own Friends and Relations for his sake Our Saviour's Prophecy Luk. 12.51 to 54. has been notoriously verify'd
Universal CHRISTIAN CHARITY As Comprehending all True Religion and Happiness Demonstrated from Scripture and Reason IN A SERMON Preach'd before the RIGHT HONOURABLE Lord Chief Justice Treby AT THE ASSIZES held at Maidstone in Kent March the 17th 1696. By THO. WATTS Vicar of Orpington and St. Mary Cray London Printed for Eliz. Whitlock near Stationers Hall 1697. To his ever Honour'd Friends Benefactors and Loving Neighbours NOT to insist upon the Publick Approbation wherewith this Discourse was Honour'd nor tho many particular Engagements lying on me thus to appear and under so general a Dedication In Gratitude to you whose Beneficent Examples give life to the Doctrine asserted I would only thus far declare to the World thereupon that where-ever any Obligation lies upon a Man Common Honesty leads him to pay the Debt so may this be accepted as an honest Instance of my Duty and Thankfulness tho' it is impossible for me according to my small Talent to discharge the total Summ Yet would I make this Publick Acknowledgments to be Just and Thankful For the Apostle make Ingratitude the Compendium of all Impiety in 2 Tim. 3. 2. These two words Unthankful Unholy And tho' in general all Men who receive Favours ought to be Thankful yet certainly every single Person has as much right to chuse the way of expressing his Thanks as he has a Propriety to his Complexion and Fortunes Moreover the truest Notion of Gratitude is never to give real occasion that our Benefactor should Repent that he bestowed his Benefit upon us Now as I would thus live and behave my self to my Friends so would I give none any just occasion to become mine Enemies but yet we must look for Tribulation in an uncharitable World and Peace only in Christ and not expect to fare better than himself and his Apostles and the best Christians did here How Innocent Peaceable or Beneficent soever we may be we shall meet with Foes in abundance and be ever Persecuted with the Virulent Tongues or Malicous Deeds of Selfish Moross Proud Ill natur'd Angry Wretches whom I do heartily Pity and Pray for as even those who can Prophanely trample upon things Sacred Proudly Insult over their Spiritual Guides and Hipocritically Devour or Sacrilegiously Invade the Churches Patrimony which Jews and Heathens have abborr'd to do How Constantly and Faithfully soever we sow our Spiritual things in greatest Charity to Mens Souls yet are we deny'd the Grateful Just and Meanest Returns and basely accounted Mens Enemies for telling them the Truth But of you my Friends have I happily Experienc'd better As Charity is your Glory and will be your Reward So Prayeth your most Obliged Orator T. W. A SERMON 1 Cor. XIII 13. And now abideth Faith Hope Charity these three But the greatest of these is Charity THis Text which affords such useful Meditations for all times may not improperly be consider'd upon this occasion and in this our solemn Lent-Season as it concludes St. Paul's most Noble Description of the sublimest Grace and compleatest Vertue in a whole Chapter which begins with very great and surprizing Assertions shewing that all Gifts how excellent soever are nothing worth without Charity to Verse 4. where by Charity must certainly be understood that grand Principle of true sincere Love both to God and Man residing in our Hearts enlivening our Souls purifying our Desires seasoning our Intentions and influencing all our Words and Actions without which we can neither think speak or do any thing that will deserve the Name of pious good or vertuous nor ever become real Christians Theresore the Apostle instanceth in these extraordinary Gifts of the Spirit which God was pleas'd to bestow upon his Church in the First Ages of Christianity Verse 1 2. Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Charity I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cimbal The Gift of Utterance equal at least to the Angelical and far exceeding all humane Eloquence were the Apostles first endow'd with when the Holy Ghost actually descended upon them in Cloven Tongues like as of Fire Acts 2.3 wherewith St. Peter converted 3000 Souls in his first powerful Sermon Verse 41. which otherwise had been no better than a loud and insignificant noise without the charitable Design and Endeavour of Conversion And what better are the wittiest Sayings the most elegant Speeches or highest Strains of Rhetorick without Intention of Good 'T is the Charity express'd in the Angel's happy Message to the blessed Virgin that makes his Salutation renown'd Luk. 1.28 Some Persons may please their Humours with nauseous Flattery others satisfie their idle Fancies with meer Flourishes or tingle their itching Ears with Clamours and such may raise Pyramids to their Orators given them an aiery Exaltation in a popular Vogue But how ridiculous and empty is all that whereby neither the Speakers aim at nor the Hearers receive any Benefit What signifies the most Learned Harangues or florid Panegyricks And what less the windy Sounds Groans and Acclamations to rouse up Peoples Affections and set them a-gazing when their Understandings are no ways improv'd nor their Wills rectify'd while all they are taught lye only floating on the Surface of the Brain having no Root nor Foundation lower nothing deep enough laid for the Glorious Building upon the Heart in Christian Edification through Love Eph. 4.16 So farther says the Apostle and tho' I have the Gift of Prophecy and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge and tho' I have all Faith so that I could remove Mountains and have no Charity I am nothing Thus Prophecy and the deepest Knowledge in the Mysteries of Religion and the Glorious Power of working Miracles were in themselves of no more Account than the other unless well us'd to a good end unless tending purely to God's Glory and the Salvation of Souls otherwise they that have prophesied and cast out Devils or done many wonderful Works in Christ's Name shall be cast off at last among the Workers of Iniquity Matth. 7.22 23. Whose best Actions are corrupted through By-ends False Principles or Vanity As again Verse 3. And tho' I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have no Charity it profiteth me nothing Here St. Paul asserts the same concerning the greatest Liberality to the Poor and Martyrdom it self the laying down our very Lives which seems to be the utmost that can possibly be requir'd of us upon any occasion the greatest Love imaginable as may be suppos'd from that noted Text Joh. 15.13 But yet here it is manifestly imply'd as a late pious Bishop observ'd hereupon that a Man may part with his whole Estate and his Life too and yet that he may want Charity This may seem a very strange and surprizing Supposition to us who can see no farther than the bare outside and appearances of Things but God who is intimately acquainted with all the secret Motions and Imaginations of the
Heart knows that too often the most specious external Acts may proceed from a false or corrupt Principle and then tho' they may be highly esteem'd and magnify'd in the Opinion of the World they cannot be acceptable to him who is pleas'd with nothing that does not flow from a sincere and truly pious Disposition of the Soul From that Charity which arises from the Love of God which loves him as the Supreme and Original Good and loves every thing else for his sake that admires and adores his infinite Fulness and esteems other things as the Streams and Emanations from that inexhaustible Fountain When we have not a due regard to this Heavenly Standard of our Affections our Love will quickly degenerate into a silly Fondness or a covetous Desire or some turbulent uneasie violent or exorbitant Passion But when the love of God rules in our Hearts when it presides over our very Thoughts and governs the most secret and inward Motions of our Spirits it will keep all steddy and even in a due Composure without any Excess or Irregularity and I may add in a constant readiness to do good Now this is that excellent Principle of Charity which is only able to give any real Value to all other Endowments whatever and which accordingly is described in the next place by some of the most genuine and proper Effects of it to Verse 8. as that it suffereth long that it is kind that it envieth not vaunteth not it self or is not rash is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh to Evil rejoiceth not in Iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth or with the Truth Beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Thus it includes Patience Benificence Contentment Humility Decency Generosity Publick-Spiritedness Meekness Temperance Good Nature Piety Devotion Truth Fidelity Joy and Compassion Peace and Union Faith Hope and the bravest Christian Fortitude with all the blessed Fruits of the Holy Spirit yea with all manner of Goodness and Morality to make us both truly wise and happy So next St. Paul commends it from its duration because that all the other Gifts and Abilities how necessary soever they might be for the propagation of the Christian Religion c should yet fail cease and vanish away as things that should be of no farther use in the other World But this alone should never fail but continue with us for ever in that Blessed State of Happiness and Perfection as you may read to my Text wherein now lastly our Apostle mentions the three most eminent Graces Faith Hope and Charity but gives the preference to the last concluding positively the greatest of these is Charity which is evident from the whole Chapter as we have thus far briefly consider'd it From whence now to proceed methodically I shall First illustrate the Words of my Text in short Secondly Endeavour to demonstrate to you this excellent Grace of Charity as comprehensive of all True Religion and Happiness from Scripture and Reason together And so Thirdly I shall manifest some grand Obligations to the due Practice thereof from the Points of Duty Gratitude and Interest First Then consider the Just shall live by Faith Heb. 2.4 Rom. 1.17 We are purify'd sanctify'd justify'd and saved by Faith Acts 15.9 c. 26 18. Rom. 5.1 Eph. 2.8 But then it must be such a Faith as worketh through Love Nothing else availing in Jesus Christ Gal. 5.6 Hope is an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast Heb. 6.19 And by Hope are we comforted and saved Rom 8.24 For this were the Scriptures given that we might have hope Rom. 15.4 which worketh Patience and Assurance unto Life Eternal Tit. 2.13 c. 3 7. Among our Spiritual Armour we are to take for an Helmet the hope of Salvation 1 Thes 5.8 This is our rejoicing and will be our Glory in the Lord Col. 1.27 Heb. 3.6 But yet this must be grounded and rooted in Love and he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure to be like him in singular Love above all as becometh his Sons 1 Joh. 3.1 2 3. Again Faith is the Substance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 which gives us all Assurance and some Enjoyment of Heaven upon Earth affords us some Antepasts of Life and Glory But here they end at the Celestial Gate here is the Accomplishment of our Faith and Hope while Charity the very Bond of Perfectness uniteth us to the most Amiable the Divine Nature while Love wings our Souls into the Regions of Bliss and Immortality abides with us there and happily employs us unto all Eternity Thus Charity is the greatest of all Graces and Vertues as influencing and perfecting all nearest resembling the Supreme Deity and glorifying our Natures For Love is of God and God is Love 1 Joh. 4.7 But he that loveth not knoweth not God Verse 8. How can such then hope for Heaven Or like the bold Fiduciary presume upon Faith which only worketh by and is dead and ineffectual without Love Jam. 2.3 4. Love which is the Light that shines before Men to the Glory of our Heavenly Father in all good Works Matth. 5.16 Love which is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 and the New Commandment of the Gospel Joh. 13.34 The true Spirit of all the very distinguishing Badge Cognizance and Characteristick of Christ's true Disciples Which now secondly with all that has hitherto been said may be a sufficient Demonstration of the Comprehensiveness of this excellent unbounded universal beatifying Christian Charity Whereto both Scirpture and Reason give such ample undeniable Testimonies as may yet farther appear from many clean convincing Proofs As there is such an Uniformity and happy Agreement between the Old and New Testament that the one seems to be but the Counter-part of the other or rather the Gospel is both the Improvement and Fulfilling of the Law and an higher advancement of Human Nature than ever it was bless'd with either by its own Light or preceding Revelation So they all concenter together in this one Grace of Charity which carries its own Reward with it in a much more real Sense than the best Philosophers held of Verture This Charity implies the whole of Man both his Duty and Happiness which the Royal wise Preacher concludes with the Fear of God and keeping his Commandments so to be prepared for future Judgment Eccl. 12.13 14. And what is all this but the plain Effect and sure Demonstration of our Love which our Lord so positively requires of us John 14 15. If ye love me keep my Commandments In this therefore does he summ up all the Law and the Prophets from Deut. 6.5 c. 10 12 13. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul with all thy strength and with all thy mind This is the first and great Commandment And the second from Lev.
through the Christian World and as much as any-where in this unhappy Kingdom where the pretended Love of Christ and his Religion has set Father against Son Brother against Brother c. Ver. 53. And this has taken such entire Possession of our Affections that has sadly crowded out all Charity for one another But none of these Pretences are sufficient Proofs of our Love of Christ nay some are the greatest Arguments against it For take it how we will he that pretends to Love God and hates his Brother is justly pronounced a Lyar 1 Joh. 4.20 And it holds not only in the case before-nam'd but in all other Instances whatever where our Pretences to the Love of Christ are not seconded and made out by an entire Obedience to his Commands as himself requires Joh. 14.15 21. Eph. 1. Moreover what an impudent Affront is it to him and contradiction in themselves for the Subjects of the Prince of Peace to be contentious and bloody as for the Disciples of the holy and immaculate Jesus to be prophane and impure yea as too many are worse than all other People and Nation So Christendom is too fatally become the vilest part of the World a Sink of all those Abominations which even Barbarians detest O the Horror and Misery Thus is Christ smitten in the House of his Friends crucify'd by his Votaries his seamless Coat divided by his Disciples his Spouse the Church's Bowels torn out by her own Sons Christianity destroy'd by its base uncharitable Professors and the Gospel subverted by surious pretended Zealots whose Condemnation will be the heavier Whos 's Judgment now of a long time lingreth not and their Damnation slumbreth not For The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptations and to reserve the Vnjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished as chiefly the Unclean and Rebellious the Presumptuous and Self-will'd that fear not to speak Evil of Dignities 2 Pet. 2. to v. 11. Among those damnable Hereticks who even deny the Lord that bought them and so bring upon themselves swift Destruction 2 Pet. 2. to v. 11 and so to the end All which proceeds from the want of this solid Principle of real Love or operative Charity Wherein how easie soever 't is to deceive others and what 's more our selves into an Opinion that we love Christ c. when at the same time we do nothing less or how dexterously soever we can put the Cheat upon the World and get the Name of Religious at so cheap a rate as the Trouble of a well dissembled Hypocrisie c. yet Christ sees the Heart and will not be impos'd upon God will not be mocked Gal. 6.7 Neither will all their Professions or Devotions save such Workers of Iniquity Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 7.21 And Luk. 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say So was he revil'd by his Crucifiers But what Lord or Governor what Parent or Master would endure such heinous Mockeries and daring Contradictions Can we think then that the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords will bear with the Contradictions of Sinners against himself forever No certainly unless they repent and amend and resolve to do his Will in Love which must be our principal if not only Motive to Obedience Otherwise 't is no Argument that we love him if we do it not for his sake who requires it And because there can be no other Reason given of our Saviour's requiring this Instance of our Love but as 't is the Effect of that Cause If therefore any By-end or Self-Interest such as the getting a Reputation in the World the driving on of secular Designs or Worldly Advantages by that means be the end of our compliance with Christ's Commands He has no reason at all to look upon it as any Argument of our Affection to him or to reward it as such 'T is Carnal or Worldy Policy and not Religion 'T is the Love of Our selves and not of Christ And as its Motives are Worldly so will its Rewards be Such a Man has nothing else to expect for a Retribution of such Services but to attain in the end that for which they were perform'd namely vain Popularity and humane Applause And to what wretched pupose has such a Man been at the Pains to keep the Commandments who has thus literally labour'd for the Wind. As he is no less faulty whose Obedience is Peace-meal and Partial For he that offends in one point is guilty of all James 2.10 Charity is Universal and 't is this grand Principle which is signified in all this Discourse this pure Christian Love which will surely Direct Regulate and Compleat our Obedience and Happiness Wherefore let us practice accordingly and then God will reward such Love both with Temporal and Eternal Blessings as the Scriptures abundantly testifies God sheweth mercy unto thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments Exod. 20.6 he keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments Neh. 1.5 the Lord preserveth all them that love him Psal 145.20 and we know that all things works together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 the same are known of him 1 Cor. 8.3 are without fear and may have boldness in the day of Judgment 1 Joh. 4.18 19. The Lord hath promised a Crown of Life and a Kingdom to to them that love him Jam. 1.12 c. 2.5 and hath prepared glorious Mansions invisible Joys in Heaven for those that love him Joh. 14.2 1 Cor. 2.9 Take good heed therefore unto your selves that ye love the Lord your God Josh 23.11 and in Love let each one both high and low make Joshua's Pious Resolution c. 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord Which how can we Christians refuse upon consideration of the Divine Infinite Unparallel'd Love to us God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in whose Name we are Baptiz'd Matth. 28.19 Those ever Blessed Sacred Three in One who bear Record in Heaven having so exceedingly lov'd us and left us United Witness on Earth in the Spiritual Ministry of his Word and Sacraments 1 Joh. 5.7 8. all testifying our Redemption by the Son of Love v. 9 c. that only begotten and well-beloved Eternal Son the Brightness of his Father's Glory and the express Image of his Person by whom all things were made and whom all the Angels of God do Worship Heb. 1.1 2 c. that ever living Word Wisdom and God manifest in our Flesh who thus alone could satisfie infinite Justice for us Joh 1.1 c. 1 Cor. 1.24 30. 1 Tim. 3.16 He reliev'd us in our most forlorn Condition and remediless Misery He beyond all the instances of endearing vertuous Friendship beyond all the Examples of Mankind stept in between the just Indignation
well-founded Government which if any will venture to disturb and to break the Peace will dare to injure other Mens Persons or invade their Properties c. the Sword of Justice which the Magistrate is not to bear in vain must be drawn upon such Yea to punish Malefactors is both Justice and Mercy wherein themselves can't complain of any wrong done them when they receive their Reward the just retribution of their own Demerits Yet all due care must be taken of their Souls and Repentance may plead for Pardon as the Great Judge of the World so mercifully condescends to the vilest Sinner Thus Rulers are ordain'd of God with an irresistable Power Rom. 13.1 to suppress the Wicked and protect the Righteous to Condemn the Guilty and Absolve the Innocent But woe to those that do otherwise Prov. 17.15 Isa 10.12 Now this is the Blessing of all Good Government as particularly to right the Poor the Fatherless and the Widow and what is all this but reasonable Charity and to do as we would be done by Even so are we justly oblig'd to speak and act without guile to be True Sincere Upright and Honest in all our ways and dealings for our common Welfare and Felicity The longest day has a night and the most continu'd Serenity a full Period in which Storm and Tempest Darkness and Horror succeed The uncertain variety of Man's Condition makes the Application very easie and natural The longest Felicity upon Earth is but short-liv'd and never fails to meet with an interruption at last And in what a wretched condition were the best and strongest of us all if left to our selves in our Calamities if God had not made Compassion a natural Inclination as well as a Law if Mens Consciences had learn'd no such Language as Pity if there were no Springs in Nature to stir up our Affections not only to Commiserate but to be Helpful and Assistant to one another I say without an Obligation to this Vertue we should be left alone to struggle with those Diseases which we often find enough for our selves and our Friends and be forsook by our Neighbours in the greatest Extremities of Oppression Poverty or Sickness as the wounded Deer is abandon'd by the Herd So for Temperance and Chastity what can be better Calculated to serve the Interests and provide for the Safety of Mankind Which is notoriously evident from the dismal inconveniencies that Excess and Debauchery bring upon Men. Shortness of Life and Rottenness of Bones Pains and Aches Diseases and Infirmities are the constant attendants upon the constant breach of these Commandments which to practise with the rest upon this Principle of Universal Charity is certainly more easie and pleasant and more becoming Rational Souls and Christians than all the contrary Vices and Transactions Wherefore in love to God should we abominate all manner of Prophaneness Irreligion Perjury and Sacrelige In Charity to our selves should we avoid all manner of Intemperance and Uncleanness Pride Vanity and Hypocrisie And in Charity to our Neighbour should we abhor all manner of Injustice and Unmercifulness Malice Detraction and Covetousness the Root of all Evil 1 Tim. 6.10 Thus a Charitable Disposition will eschew evil and do good Seek Peace with God and Man and ensue it 1 Pet. 3.11 will ever encrease it selfe in all Godliness and find it truly profitable unto all things as it hath the promise both of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Thus is every thing good and happy included in Charity Charity the immediate Off-spring of Heaven Man's summum bonum the Fountain of all Goodness and Felicity the Joy of Angels and Glory of Men Now who wouldnot thus with Love it self go about doing good Acts 10.38 whatever he may suffer for the same when God must be obeyed rather than Man Act. 4.19 c. wherein Love knows no Difficulties nor fears any Tribulations He that is made perfect in Love being free from all distracting Cares Worldly Anxieties or servile tormenting Fears 1 Joh. 4.18 Love secures him in the Pious Filial fear of God alone and to make him undoubtedly persist with his loving Favour in all well-doing and contented suffering Following his steps as call'd thereunto 1 Pet. 21. as in cases of Persecution happy are they that suffer for Christ's or Righteousness sake Mat. 5. tho' it is not our Love and Obedience but others Hatred and Disobedience that does us any mischief thereupon For all Christ's Love and Commandments are not only consistent with but productive of the common Peace and Good of Mankind and therefore if all Men would unanimously obey his Gospel as they ought then no body could ever suffer by it However is it not more commendable and glorious to suffer patiently for well-doing than evil doing in any case whatever 1 Pet. 2.19 20. and will not Charity rejoyce exceedingly in being revil'd and persecuted for Conscience sake and even Bless and Pray for all its Slanderers Enemies and Persecutors when so great a Blessedness as the Kingdom of Heaven will be the Reward and everlasting Glory Crowns the Martyr Matth. 5.10 11 12. Nay who would not upon any account even through many Tribulations enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 14.22 When all who thus love their God and Saviour are assur'd of enjoying that Mysterious endless Bliss and Happiness in the Beatifical Vision which can neither be seen express'd nor conceiv'd on this side Heaven 1 Cor. 2.9 as those Charitable Persons shall be pronounc'd Blessed in the last General Assize of all by our great Lord and Judge himself and joyfully admitted into that Kingdom prepar'd for them where Charity hath fed the Hungry cloathed the Naked visited the Sick c. Matth. 25.34 35 36. hath reliev'd the Oppress'd and redeem'd the poor Captive and Prisoner whether Friend or Enemy This is Generous and God-like thus to love Mercy This is preferr'd before Sacrifice by our Divine Law-giver and this with the Acts of Justice and Piety instead of all the costly laborious Services and Sacrifices of Nature God hath shewed thee O Man to be good under the Old Law Mic. 6.8 as thus the Gospel teacheth us to deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts and to live Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this present World looking for that blessed Hope and Glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who will then receive us into the Arms of Eternal Love who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People Zealous of Good Works Now these things we most Charitably teach and exhort and as we may too rebuke with all Authority and let no Man despise us for thus the Love and Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all Men Tit. 2.11 to the end So I come in the third and last place to manifest some grand Obligations to the due practice hereof but very briefly from the points of Duty Gratitude
of the Judge and the Condemned by substituting his Person in their stead and suffering the Execution of the dismal Sentence to them He descended from the Throne of Heaven Miraculously assuming Human Nature freely offering himself a Sacrifice and so died for his very Enemies by intolerable Tortures and by the most Ignominious Shameful and Accursed Death He underwent all the Reporach and Shame all the bitter Penalties due to Malefactors by his own voluntary Act and free Choice from no other Motive and for no other end but his own Love and for the eternal Welfare of those wretched Miscreants who as he well knew already had and together with their Posterity for ever would be repeated Transgressions of the most equitable Laws ungratefully provoke him and his Father Here is Charity compleatly admirable most singular and unutterable O what Tongue of Men or Angels can express what Heart can conceive the unfathomable depth of this unparall'd Loving-kindness Thus he died for our Sins and rose again for our Justification and now liveth to make Intercession for us reigneth for ever our Mighty Prince and Saviour adorable by all and will come again in Glory to Judge and Reward all according to their Charity Ma. 25. Rom. 4.25 Heb. 7.25 Acts 5.31 Matth. 16.27 Now what returns of Love can we make him What Obedience ought we to pay him who has so greatly Merited even Purchas'd us with his own Blood and laid such irrequitable Obligations upon us Who has so wonderfully wrought our Redemption and rescu'd us from the just Vengeance of his offended Father into a state of Grace and Reconciliation with him and possibility of being certainly happy with him and his Father in another World Which now lastly is a thing of so mighty concernment to us that but for that alone we had better never have been born and the greatest Prosperity of this World could signifie no more to our Happiness than the fatal Finery of those poor Beasts which the Heathens put upon them before the Sacrifice The Frailty and Mortality of our Natures those cruel Legions of Diseases Death keeps in pay against us the instability of our Fortunes and uncertainty of all Conditions upon Earth with the frequent Diseases and fatal Revolutions attending the most flourishing States and the fading Vanity of all Sublunary things may really cause the Great Solomon's Vexation of Spirit Eccl. and embitter all our Felicities here or rather our Mockeries and Shadows of Happiness Nay upon other Considerations moreover profess wisely the true Christians with St. Paul 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable But now the assurances which his Death and Resurrection give us of a future state of Immortal Love and Bliss may well encourage and oblige our constant unlimited Charity and let nothing separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.35.39 So I conclude with one of our Churches most Comprehensive Excellent Collects for this O Lord God who hast taught us that all our Doing without Charity are nothing worth send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our Hearts that most Excellent Gift of Charity the very Bond of Peace and of all Vertues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ his sake To whom three Persons and one God be ascrib'd as is most due all Adoration Love Glory and Power in Heaven and Earth for ever Amen FINIS