Sense of his words and confining it without necessity to any other of less concern and weaker efficacy as most clearly that is which respects only the sins of other men But that which most strongly confirms this to be the special Sense of the Apostles words is to be collected from the Connexion of this Verse with the foregoing wherein he forewarneth the Jewish Christians to whom the Epistle is directed of a Fatal End that was near at hand and thereupon adviseth them what they should do to secure themselves in that event The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity will cover a multitude of sins Whether by the end of all things be meant the End of the world according to the common Interpretation and that said to be at hand in a certain Latitude of sence because it was now the last time the last hour the last days as was elsewhere frequently declared by himself and his fellow Apostles 1 Pet. 1.5 and 2 Pet. 3.3 Heb. 1.2 Jam. 5.3 1 Jo. 2.18 Jude 18. Meaning the last Age of the World whereof although the duration was not to be so short as might then be imagined from such words as these yet it was not to be long in the eyes of God with whom a thousand years are but as one day as he advertiseth them in his second Epistle Chap. 3.8 I say whether it be the end of the World or which is more probable to be the Apostles meaning the Fatal Destruction of the obdurate Jews their Nation Politie Royal City and Temple foretold by Christ himself and often spoken of by his Apostles which was then very near indeed This being the ground and occasion of the Apostles Exhortation to fervent Charity leads us to the most reasonable Interpretation of these latter words of the verse For Charity will cover a multitude of sins That is when the end of all things which is near at hand shall come fervent Charity added to and joyned with Repentance signified by the foregoing expressions of Sobriety Watching and Praying is the likeliest means to propitiate the wrath of God deserved by a multitude of sins and to save you from the formidable judgement of God which is to be expected I appeal to any indifferent Person whether this coherence of the Apostles words doth not determine his meaning to relate to the sins of the Charitable Person much rather than the sins of others For although it be no less true that the same Vertue of Charity will cover a multitude of sins in other men in such a sence as shall be declared afterward yet how that should be referred as by the Context in this place it is to the end of all things That is how Charity should cover a multitude of sins in other Persons when the end of all things is come is hard to conceive but easie enough to understand how it may then cover a multitude of sins in the Charitable Person as shall be shewed in its due place The most rational Objection against this Interpretation and Argument for the preference of the other Sense is raised from a parallel Text Prov. 10.12 Hatred stirreth up strife but Love covereth all sins And if the Apostles words seeming to be borrowed from that Sentence must receive the same Interpretation with that it must necessarily be understood of other mens sins by the two contrary effects of Love and Hatred set forth in that Text the one stirring up strife the other preventing it by covering the faults of other men by not taking notice of them or looking favourably upon them in order to a peaceable and friendly living with them But to this Objection it may be answered 1. That it is not evident that St Peter did intend any quotation of that Proverb there being no such intimation in the Apostles words as usually there is when any Text of the Old Testament is cited in the New by those words as it is written or other like not found in this place But to this Objection together with some others a fuller answer shall be made afterward § 2. The probability of this Sense being thus declared from the Context the Truth of it remains to be further confirmed from many other Texts of Scripture but I suspend the addition of them till I have answered the second Question viz. Supposing the sins spoken of in this Sentence to be the sins of the Charitable person the question is what 's meant by the word Covering or in what Sense they may be said to be covered by Charity The Answer to this Question is to be collected from the ordinary use of the same Phrase in other places of Scripture wherein it is frequently used to express the pardon or forgiveness of sin as Rom. 4.7 quoting Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered So Psal 85.2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy People thou hast covered all their sins In these Texts I suppose no doubt can b◠made but that the Covering of sin signifies the same thing with the Forgiving So Neh. 4.5 Cover not their iniquities an◠let not their sin be blotted out i. e. let i◠not be forgiven And because Covering a◠thing is one way of hiding therefore ou◠Translators have rendred the same Greek word used in another Text of like signification by the word Hiding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.20 He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitudes of sins i. e. shall procure the Pardon of them as the words are commonly interpreted or shall obtain the Forgiveness of a multitude of sins in himself as the learned Grotius and Dr. Hammond interpret them agreeable to the fore-given sense of the same Words in our Text. The converting of a sinner from the errour of his Way is an eminent act of Charity whensoever it is industriously sought and intended whatever the success be Nor is there any appearance of Incongruity to say or suppose that to endeavour the Conversion of an other man and thereby to procure the Pardon of his sins should be available towards the obtaining of a pardon of sins in the charitable Procurer For if that Sense which I have given of the words of St. Peter be admitted to import a certain Truth as I doubt not to evince from many other Texts afterward the like Sense of this of St. James whether by him intended or not will necessarily follow to contain the same Truth The Converting of a sinner or the sincere and earnest Endeavour thereof being as before was said an eminent act of Spiritual Charity But for the probability of that Sense of St. James his words I must at this time refer the Reader to the Notes of the forenamed Doctor upon the Text because it would be too great an Excursion to undertake the Confirming
to serve him for the time to come in his own Person and then to bring over all Israel with him to the Obedience of the King 2 Sam. 3.10 And that the Practice of this great vertue of Charity in other Instances as well as this of endeavouring to Convert sinners from their evil Ways is the best Means of Satisfaction to God or appeasing his Wrath for sin may appear by these two Reasons 1. Because it is in it self most pleasing and acceptable to Him as most agreeable to his own Goodness 2. Because it tends to the procuring of much Glory to his Name as otherwise so by the Thanksgiving of many engaged by the Benefit of Charity extended to them redounding to the Glory of God 2 Cor. 1.11 4.15 If a Man hath incurred the just Displeasure of any Man what better means can be used to recover his Favour than by doing of such things as he knows to be most pleasing and acceptable to him or if he hath any way Dishonoured him what better Satisfaction can be done him towards the repairing of that Injury than by Endeavouring to promote his Honour effectually some other way CHAP. III. HAving thus sufficiently illustrated that Sense of the Text which seemeth to me most probable I am sensible of the Necessity of a further Confirmation thereof Wherein I think this Demand should not be denied me by any Indifferent Judge namely That if the Doctrine collected from this Interpretation be proved to be True and sufficiently Confirmable from other Scriptures this Interpretation hath a fair advantage of Preference before the other from the before noted Scope of the Context and the far greater Validity of the Argument thus understood to enforce the Exhortation that precedes it And therefore towards the better satisfaction of some prejudiced Readers whose Objections shall be considered in due place it will be necessary to shew the undeniable Truth of this Doctrine from other Texts of both Testaments which for their Number are far more than are absolutely necessary for the Confirmation of any Doctrine Nor should I think it reasonable to quote so many of them as I shall do were it not that by the same Labour I hope not only to demonstrate the Truth of this Doctrine but also to promote the Practice of the Apostles Exhortation upon this singular Motive added to many others which fall not within the compass of this Text. I say that by the many Texts by which I hope to make it appear that Charity to our Neighbours for Gods sake and with respect to his Will and good Pleasure is so much conducible to the Pardon of our sins the Practice of this Vertue will also appear more advisable to them that are least disposed to it than perhaps hath been formerly considered or understood by them And whereas most of the Texts which I shall alledge to this Purpose do seem to speak of a full and final Remission of all sins at the Day of Judgment I suppose it will be easily yielded by the Argument from the Greater to the Less that if Charity be available for Deliverance from the Eternal punishment of the Life to come it may well be concluded it may also avail for a Redemption from Temporal punishments in this Life which are justly to be feared or for an Abatement The first Argument which I shall produce for the Truth of this Doctrine shall be taken from those Texts which speak of such an Act of Charity as is more commonly understood in this Text namely That whereby we Cover the sins of others by Forgiving them their Trespasses against our selves And the express words of our Saviour Mat. 6.14 15. are that if ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you but if ye forgive not Men their Trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you By which Text it appears plainly that the Truth of that Sense of St. Peters words which I plead for is no other then a just Consequence of the other more commonly received That if it be true that Charity will cover a Multitude of sins in other Men it will also procure the same Effect to the Charitable Person that is cover a Multitude of sins in him he that forgives shall be forgiven And in another Evangelist we find our Saviour expresly directing us to this Work of Charity for the same End namely that our sins may be forgiven Mar. 11.25 When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father which is in Heaven may forgive you your Trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your Trespasses That which our Saviour himself directs us to do for this End may it not be done by us to that End And is it not confidently to be believed to be Effectual and Available thereunto And is not the same Effect as manifestly implyed in that Prayer which our Saviour hath taught us Forgive us our Debts i. e. our sins as we forgive our Debters i. e. them that trespass against us Luke 11.4 Where the Particles As in the one Evangelist and For in the other do signifie the same thing namely A Motive used by our Saviours direction to promote the Effect of our Petition confirmed by an express Promise Luke 6.37 Forgive and ye shall be forgiven Add to this from the beginning of the same Sermon of our Blessed Saviour Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the Mercifull for they shall obtain Mercy and as Mercy in us is a Branch of Charity so the Covering or Pardon of sins is an eminent Part of that Mercy that is to be obtained thereby These Sentences of our Blessed Saviour together with divers others to the same Purpose I suppose might be alluded to by St. James in that Saying Jam. 2.13 For he shall have Judgement without Mercy that hath shewed no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement Mercy in the Text comprehends all works of Charity as well in the latter as in the former Clause They that would have the latter Clause to be understood only of the Mercy of God triumphing over his Justice seem not to consider the Context before and after these Words which apparently speaks of such Mercy and Charity as is to be exercised by Men toward their Brethren which being also the undoubted Meaning of the Word in this Verse the plain sense of the whole Verse can be no other than this that the Unmercifull man shall find no Mercy in the day of Judgment On the contrary that Mercy or the Mercifull man shall have his Judgment so tempered with Mercy as to give him cause of Rejoycing in that Day for Deliverance or Salvation from the Judgment of Condemnation or the Fear of it This Goodness or Mercy found in Men if it be true and sincere being the Effect of Gods Grace doth dispose and fit Men for Divine Mercy Mercy in the Person to be judged qualifies him for the Mercy of the Judge
signifie that Happiness which is promised to him that hath mercy on the poor to consist in the non-imputation covering or remission of his sins But a more indubitable Testimony out of the same Book to confirm this Doctrine is in Chap. 16.6 by mercy and truth iniquity is purged The vulgar Latin reads redimitur is redeemed Junius and Tremellius expiatur is expiateâ— agreeable to the proper signification of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placavit expiavit so the meaning of the words is that by the practice of these Vertues the Pardon of sin is impetrated or obtained And one would think this Exposition of the wise mans words should be past all doubt But because the admission of it imports an irrefragable confirmation of the Doctrine which we labour to defend some Interpreters out of meer prejudice against that Doctrine have found out another meaning of the words affording no manner of favour to this conclusion Namely that the Mercy and Truth spoken of in this Text are to be referred to God only and not at all to Men making the Sence to be that iniquity is purged by the Mercy and Truth of God without any respect to those Vertues as practised by Men. But whether this Interpretation be not forced to comply with the opinion of them that advance it or to be preferred before the other which is so obvious and plain must be left to the judgement of the Impartial and Ingenuous Reader because I am not willing to trouble him with a tedious confutation of it Another Text to this purpose is that of Daniel 4.27 Wherefore O King let my counsel be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness or by Alms Vulg. Latin Septuagint Munster Syriack Arabick de Dieu c. as the word is there rendred by many learned Translators and as the same word is often used in the Old Testament and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor if it may be a lengthening to thy tranquillity or a healing of thine error as it is in the Margent where to let pass the contest about the Translation of the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether it ought to be as we have it according to other Protestant Translations break off or as it is in the Septuagint vulgar Latin Syriack Arabick and very many other Translators redeem thine iniquity it is evident that the Prophets counsel to the King was given to the end that he might obtain some remission of his sin and avoid the extremity of the threatning declared in the foregoing verses And the matter of that counsel consisting in the practice of Charity it is likewise evident that in the judgement of the Prophet such Charity is a thing available to that end otherwise his counsel was vain and unprofitable The like counsel is given by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 1.16 17 18. verses to the people of Judah after a severe remonstrance of Gods displeasure threatning their Destruction and rejecting their hypocritical services He tells them what they should do to escape that Punishment of their sin and gain a full remission thereof Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be us wooll If these words uttered by the Prophet in the name of the Lord do not confirm that Sense of the Apostle which we contest for I know not what words will do it He that is not abundantly satisfied with the Evidence of these Texts of the New and Old Testament may see more to the same purpose Psal 41.1 Isai â—8 from the 7 tâ— verse to the 12th Ezek. 18.7 Mic. 6.8 Luke 19.8 9. And when he hath considered these Canonical Texts he may cast his eye upon two or three Apocryphals Tob. 4.7 8 9 10 11. and Chap. 12.9 For Alms doth deliver from death and shall purge away all sin Ecclesiasticus 3.30 Water will quench a flaming fire and Alms maketh an Atonement for sin The authority of these Texts doth not so much test upon the particular Authors as upon the general Sense of the Jewish Church which they are justly presumed to deliver especially while their Doctrine is found so agreeable to the Canonical Scriptures which were the Rule of their Faith To transcribe all the Texts which are to be found in the Bible to this purpose and make such particular Remarks upon them as we have done upon those few which we have cited before would swell the Discourse and be a Work of Supererogation by which we cannot hope to merit so much of the Reader as perhaps we may do by sparing his pains and our own CHAP IV. HAving now sufficiently as we think confirmed the General Doctrine founded upon this Text of St. Peter we are to proceed according to our promise to the answering some Objections which have been or may be made against this Sence of the words And I shall begin with that which seems to be most considerable I. Objection Namely that these words of the Apostle are quoted or borrowed from a Proverb of Solomons Prov. 10.12 Hatred stirreth up strife but love covereth all sins Where by the Antithesis of the two parts of the Sentence it is past all doubt that the sins to be covered by love must be the sins of others and not of the Charitable Person Answer To this may be answered 1. That it is no way evident that the Apostle did intend any quotation of that Proverb there being no such intimation thereof in this Text as is usual in other quotations out of the Old Testament by those words as it is written or the like used by this same Apostle in this Epistle Chap. 1.16 Because it is written be ye Holy as I am Holy And as it is evident that he doth not quote the whole Proverb whiles he leaves out the first part Hatred stirreth up strife so that he doth not cite the second part verbatim is plain by comparing the Texts Whereof one saith love covereth all sins the other only a multitude of sins But in the Septuagint which is generally followed in quotations out of the Old Testament in the New a far greater difference is found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So it is in the Septuagint not agreeing so much as in one word with St. Peters supposed quotation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew Text indeed is something more agreeable to St. Peters words But then 2ly Suppose that the Apostle did allude unto the words of that Proverb as is not improbable it doth not therefore follow that he intended the same Sence it being very usual with our Saviour himself and the Evangelists and Apostles by way of accommodation to
Where by all Faith undoubtedly is meant all the Faith that can be had without Charity and needs not to be restrained to the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extraordinary Gift of the Faith of Miracles whereof he speaks in the former Chapter ver 12. To this Purpose St. James Chap. 2.22 saith Faith is made perfect by Works not excluding any sort of Good Works but specially treating of the works of Charity as appears by the Context from verse the 13. to the 18. And whereas he saith Faith is made perfect by Works he speaks not only of a Gradual Perfection or of the Consummation or Preservation of Faith or of the Ornament Demonstration or signal evidence of Faith as some would have it but of such an essential and formal Perfection as is necessary to the nature of Truth and sincerity of Faith as appears by that repeated Sentence both before and after these Words ver 17. Faith without Works is dead and ver 26. As the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Whether by the Spirit he means the Breath as some take it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sometime signifies no more or rather the Soul which is the most usual Sense of the word in Scripture the Meaning comes all to one signifying that an idle or fruitless Faith hath no more of Spiritual Life or Reality in it than a Body can have without Breath or without a Soul and therefore is no more a true and unfeigned Faith than a dead Carcass is a human Body Indeed the true justifying saving Faith in the practical Notion which is the only true Notion of it includes Charity together with all other Good Works as I have elsewhere largely shewed So that if Faith be necessary to the Covering or Remission of sin Charity is so too But the common Answer to these and all other Texts produced to evince the Necessity of Charity and Good Works to the Salvation of a sinner is that they prove only a necessity of Presence and Concomitancy or at most a necessity of Consequence not of Efficacy that is that this Necessity doth not respect the End or Effect of Faith in the Justification or Salvation of the Believeer but proceeds only from the common nature and principle of that Faith which is an effect of the Spirit of God the necessary Fruits whereof do consist in Love Joy Peace Long-suffering c. which distinct Vertues with their proper Works do not contribute any thing to the Effect of our Justification but are meer Concomitants or at most but gratefull Effects of that Faith which justifieth us Which useth to be illustrated by a Similitude borrowed from the natural and animal Life wherein the particular faculties of Seeing or taking hold of a thing by the Touch do necessarily imply such a common Principle of sensitive Life as doth also comprehend the powers and faculties of Hearing Smelling and Tasting yet none of these Faculties or any act of them do or can contribute any thing efficiently to the effect of Seeing Apprehending or laying hold of an Object So the Grace of Charity or Love to God and Man together with all those other Fruits of the Spirit which are mentioned by the Apostle and all the Effects and Works which do proceed from them are indeed necessary Concomitants of such a Faith as justifies or saves a Man but do contribute no more nor have any more Efficacy to this effect of Justification and Salvation than the distinct Faculties of other Senses do to the effect of Seeing This I take to be a true Account of their Sense that assert the Doctrine of Justification and Pardon of sin by Faith only as that imports a habit or act really distinct though not separated from other Christian Vertues In opposition to this Opinion contradicting the Doctrine which I maintain to be the Sense of the Apostle in this Text confirmed as hath been seen by many others I am engaged to prove that Charity and Good Works are necessary to the Justification of a sinner that is to the Remission of his sin not only by way of Concomitancy or joint Presence with Faith or consequent to it but also by way of moral Efficacy as a Condition or Means to obtain that Effect This I hope will be sufficiently done by the following Arguments this one postulate or conclusion which I suppose will not be denied being first granted me viz. That if any thing else beside the habit or act of Faith considered as really distinct from other Christian Vertues or Acts be effectual or available to the Remission of sin then Charity is or may be so in as much as that is one of the most Excellent of Christian Vertues most agreeable to the Nature of God and consequently most pleasing to him So that if that be not available to this End nothing else besides Faith can be so This Proposition being granted I argue as followeth 1. Argument If it be certain from Scripture and we be bound to believe that nothing which can be done by us besides such a Faith as is supposed to be really distinct though not separate from all Good Works can be of any Efficacy towards the remission of our sins then ought nothing else to be done by us towards that end because every such other act done to this end would by this supposition be perfectly vain and unreasonable and not so only but also contrary to our obliged belief And then to pray for the forgiveness of our sins that being an act distinct from Faith would be not only needless and useless but unlawful especially if it should be acted with any opinion hope or belief that such a prayer could avail us any thing in order to this end or that this end could any way be promoted by our Prayers But this is directly contrary to our Saviours Precept in that Form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use wherein we are directed to pray that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And contrary to the advice of St. Peter to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Where also it is to be noted that the Apostle adviseth him not only to pray for the forgiveness of his sin but also to repent of it in order to the same end The same advice is given by the same Apostle to the Jews in the first Sermon which he made unto them after the reception of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.37 38. Having convinced them of their hainous sin in the murder of the Lord Jesus and made them sensible of it Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptizid every one of you in the