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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A44684 Of charity in reference to other mens sins by John Howe ... Howe, John, 1630-1705. 1681 (1681) Wing H3033; ESTC R19382 22,776 72

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Pedigree from Hell and acknowledg themselves spawn'd of the Devil and as a Summary of all unrighteousness as it is being taken as often for the duty of the second Table or as a very noted part of it taken in its utmost latitude Agreeably to that of our Saviour Joh. 8. 44. Ye are of your father the Devil he was a murderer from the beginning as every one is said to be that hateth his brother 1 Joh. 2. 15. If therefore we can reconcile God and the Devil together Heaven and Hell we may also Charity and rejoycing at other mens sins 2. The inconsistency of these Two will further appear by comparing this monstrous dis-affection of mind with the Inseparable concomitants of Charity or such things as are in connection with it And the argument thence will be also strong and enforcing if that concomitancy shall be found to be certain and the connection firm between those things and Charity I shall only give instance in four things which every one that examines will acknowledg to be so connected Viz. Wisdom and Prudence Piety and sincere devotedness to God and the Redeemer Purity Humility Moralists generally acknowledg a concatenation of the Vertues Those that are truly Christian are not the less connected but the more strongly and surely Which connexion of these now mentioned with Charity we shall see as to each of them severally and at the same time their inconsistency with this vile temper and practice 1. For Wisdom or Prudence it is so nearly ally'd to Charity that it is mentioned by the same name Jam. 3. 17. The wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaccable gentle c. The foregoing words v. 16. shew Love is meant These words represent the heavenly descent and the true nature of it both together That it is called Wisdom shews its affinity with it and that it partakes of its nature dwells in a calm sedate mind void of disquieting passions and perturbations which it is the work of Wisdom to repress and expel Indeed the name is manifestly intended to express generally the temper the genius the spirit of one that is born from above and is tending thither The contrary temper a disposition to strise envy or grief for the good of another which naturally turns into joy for his evil when his case alters is called Wisdom too but with sufficiently distinguishing and disgracing additions It is said vers 15. not to be from above but earthly sensual devilish And to have the contrary effects where envying and strise is there is confusion Tumult the word signifies or disorder unquietness disagreement of a man with himself as if his soul were pluckt asunder torn from it self and every evil work vers 16. There can be no charity towards another as hath been noted where there is not first a true love to a mans own soul which is the immediate measure of it Nor that where there is not prudence to discern his own best good and what means are to be used to attain it His true good he is not to expect apart by himself but as a member of the Christian community Not of this or that party but the whole animated body of Christ. In which capacity he shares in the common felicity of the whole and affects to draw as many as he can into the communion and participation of it So he enjoys as a member of that body a tranquillity and repose within himself But is undone in himself while he bears a disaffected mind to the true interest and welfare of the body Wherefore to rejoyce in what is prejudicial to it is contrary to prudence and charity both at once Put on saith the Apostle as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness bumbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of perfectness And let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also ye are called in one body Implying no true peace or satisfaction can be had but in vital union with the body Is he a wise or is he not a mad man that rejoyces he hath an unsound hand or foot or an ulcerated finger or toe rotting off from him or that is glad a Fire or the Plague is broken out in the Neighbourhood that equally endangers his own house and family yea and his own life 2. Piety and devotedness to God and the Redeemer is most conjunct with true charity By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God c. 1 Joh. 5. 2. For the true reason of our love to the one is fetcht from the other as hath been shewn And how absurd were it to pretend love to a Christian upon Christs account and for his sake while there is no love to Christ himself But can it consist with such love and devotedness to God to be glad at his being affronted by the sin of any man Or to Christ whose design it was to redeem us from all iniquity and to bless us in turning us away from our iniquities to rejoyce in the iniquity that obstructs and tends to frustrate his design Do we not know he was for this end manifested to destroy the works of the Devil And that the works of wickedness are his works Do we not know the great God is in and by our Redeemer maintaining a War against the Devil and the subjects of his Kingdom in which Warfare what are the Weapons on the Devils part but sins Who but sinners his Souldiers And who is there of us but professes to be on Gods part in this War Can it stand with our duty fidelity to him to be glad that any are foiled who profess to fight under the same Banner What would be thought of him who in battel rejoyceth to see those of his own side fall here one and there one He would surely be counted either treacherous or mad 3. Charity of the right kind is most certainly connected with Purity The end or perfection of the commandment or of all our commanded obedience is Charity out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. Sincere Christians are such as have purify'd their souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren and must see that they love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. Pagans have ●aught there is no such thing as true friendly love but among good men But how consists it with such purity to take pleasure in other mens impurities or make their sin the matter of jest and raillery 4. A further inseparable concomitant of Charity is deep humility We find them joyn'd and are required to put them on together in the already mentioned Context Put on kindness humbleness of mind above all put on Charity Col. 3. And do find it