Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A44684
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Of charity in reference to other mens sins by John Howe ...
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Howe, John, 1630-1705.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing H3033; ESTC R19382
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22,776
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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 â—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
add to all their other wickedness that folly and madness as to count all men hypocrites that are not as bad as themselves And reckon there is no such thing as real Religion in the World A like case as if because sometimes spectres have appeared in humane shape one should conclude there is therfore no such creature on earth as a very man 2. But there are also other things that ought to come into practice in the case of other mens sinning very suitable to the case and not unsuitable to charity Which tho' they proceed more directly rather from some other principle yet are not inconsistent with this As the graces of Gods Spirit and the duties of Christians never interfere so as to obstruct or hinder one another Things which tho' Charity do not expresly command yet are otherwise commanded and which Charity doth not forbid As 1. That we labour to avoid the contagion of their example That we take not encouragement to sin from their sinning They are not our rule We have not so learned Christ. 2. That we take warning by it And endeavour that their example may not only not be tempting to us but that it may be monitory We should reckon such things are our examples for this purpose 1 Cor. 10. and were not only heretofore recorded and written but they are also in our own days permitted to fall out for our admonition We that think we stand should therefore take heed lest we fall And must remember we are to stand by faith and are not to be high minded but fear 'T is a costly instruction that is given us in such instances Consider the dolour and pangs that they may perhaps endure who are our Monitors If they do not cry to us to beware their case doth Reckon as the Psalmist Ps. 73. It is good for you to draw near to God they that are far from him shall perish Labour to be sincere living Christians Let me tell you what I have often inculcated A meer form of godliness will one time or other betray you And that it is not being of this or that party conjoined with a formal lifeless Religion that will secure you from being publick scandals on earth and accursed wretches in hell Let every one prove his own work and make through work of it so shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another Gal. 6. yea tho' he may have much cause of mourning for another For every one must at last bear his own burden and give an account of himself to God 3. Seriously bless God for being kept from gross and scandalous enormities Such words savour well spoken with deep humility and unfeigned sense of divine favour not with Pharisaical ostentation and scorn God I thank thee I am not as other men If the poor man was so transported and pour'd out his soul in tears of gratitude to God upon the sight of a Toad that he was not such a creature how much more cause is there for it upon the sight of a gross sinner For I should think Who made me differ Why was not I the example And reduc't to such a condition before which I would prefer the greatest sinless misery in all the world There is a threesold degree of mercy in our preservation from more hainous and reproachful wickedness We may owe it to nature that less inclines us to some sins as gluttony drunkenness c. to external succedaneous providence that keeps us out of the way of temptation Or to victorious Grace able to prevail both against corrupt inclinations of nature and what soever temptations also God is to be acknowledg'd in all He is the Author of Nature the Ruler in Providence the Fountain of Grace Under the first of these notions he ought more to be eyed and praised than the most are aware of I could tell you if it were seasonable of some and no despicable Heathen Philosophy which speaks of such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or goodness of natural temper though the word hath also another signification that is said to carry in it a sort of seminal probity and vertue Which when it shall be observed how some others have the seeds of grosser vitiosity and of all imaginable calamities more plentifully sown in their natures there is no little 〈…〉 be thankful for Tho' all are 〈…〉 nough by nature to be children of 〈…〉 and for ever miserable without 〈◊〉 mercy And tho' again none 〈…〉 so bad natures as to be thereby excusablâ— in wickedness they should endeavour and seek relief the more â—â—â—nestly yet some are less bad and their case more remedible by ordinary means and therefore the difference should be acknowledged with gratitude And surely there is no small mercy in being kept out of the way of temptation by the dispensation of a more favourable Providence that orders more advantageously the circumstances of their conditions in the world so as they are less exposed to occasions of sin than others are Which Providence I called succedaneous for distinctions sake because even the difference of natural tempers is owing to a former Providence But now who can tell what they should be or do in such circumstances as might have befal'n them 'T is a singular favour not to be exposed to a dangerous tryal whereof we know not the issue Nor yet should any satisfie themselves without that grace which can stem the tide Which they that possess how should they adore the God of all grace 4. Charity doth not forbid and the case it self requires that when others do grosly and scandalously sin we should at length upon plain evidence admit a conviction of the matter of fact For otherwise we cannot perform the other duty towards them unto which Charity doth most expresly oblige Nor discharge an higher duty which another love requires that ought to be superior to all other No Charity can oblige me to be blind partial unjust untrue to the interest of God and Religion When we are told in the Text it rejoyces not in iniquity 't is added in the next breath it rejoyces in the truth i. e. in equity and righteous dealing We are not to carry alike to good men and bad And are therefore sometime to distinguish them if there be a visible ground for it or to take notice when they manifestly distinguish themselves For it is necessary to what is next to ensue viz. That 5. We are to decline their Society i. e. when their hainous guilt appears and while their repentance appears not Scripture is so plain and copious to this purpose that it would suppose them very ignorant of the Bible for whom it should be needful to quote Texts We must avoid them for our own sake that we be not infected nor be partakers in their sin and guilt For theirs and so Charity requires it that they may be ashamed which may be the means of their reduction and salvation And which is most considerable for the honour of