it in every Company he comes in; but adds, it is great pity, he otherwife excels in many things, but in this he cannot be excused.] Thus far my Author.

There is, faith Solomon, Prov. 12. 18. that fpeaketh like the Piercings of a Sword: And Prov. 18. 8. The Words of a Tale-bearer are as Wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the Belly. Curfe the whif perer and double-tongued, for fuch have deftroyed many that were at peace, faith the Son of Syrach. This, if any thing, is point blank contrary to Charity, for Love covereth all Sins: Prov. 10. 12. Charity hideth all things,

11. Yet farther,Charity believeth all things, hopeth all things. It maketh us to believe all the good of others we have the leaft probable ground for, and to hope that which we have no reason to believe. We very easily believe thofe things to be, which we before-hand wish were true; and therefore Charity being a wishing well to all Men, must needs incline us to believe well also of them: this daily Experience tells us, that where we love, there we are very unapt to difcern Faults, tho never fo plain and obvious to the impartial and difinterested; witness the strange Blindness Men generally have towards their own, tho never fo grofs and foolish. The Judgment of Charity is very large and comprehenfive, it takes in all, and believes well of every one who continues within the Pale of the Christian Church; doth

never presume to judg Men's Hearts, and into their fecret Intentions.

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Nay, where there is some reason to doubt of a Man's Truth and Sincerity, yet Charity hopeth the best. It defpairs of no Man's Repentance and Salvation, but entertains fome hopes that even the worft of Men, the most refractory and difobedient will at length amend and grow wifer. Whoever fins, Charity hopes it is out of Weakness, or Surprise, or Inadvertency, and not out of Wilfulness or habitual Custom: whoever mistakes, Charity hopes the Error proceeds from Ignorance only, or unavoidable Prejudice, or unhappy Education, and not from a bad and wicked Mind, or from any worldly fenfual Interest. And in this particular is the Charity of our Church much to be commended, who contents her felf with propounding an undoubted fafe way to Heaven, without paffing any reprobating Sentences and Anathemas on all other Churches and Societies of Profeffors, and excluding them from all hope of Mercy or poffibility of Salvation. And indeed it concerneth us all to take great care rightly to discharge this Office of Charity, fince according as we judg others, fo fhall we our felves be judged; it is our Intereft as well as our Duty, to be very mild and merciful in our Cenfures of others, and to judg of them with Favour and Allowance, fince with what measure we measure unto others, it shall be measured unto us again.

12. Lastly,

12. Laftly, Charity endureth all things; never will be wearied or tired out; is not fickle and wavering; thinks nothing too much to do, nothing too great to undertake, nothing too hard to undergo for the good of others. Love fticks not at any thing, nay makes any Duty or Labour cafy and pleafant; as Jacob after his difappointment grudged not to ferve the other feven years for the fake of Rachel. Love is Strong as Death, many Waters cannot quench it, nor the Floods drown it; nothing can allay the heat of its Endeavouts, or stop its Progrefs; it easily furmounts all Difficulties, and triumphs over all Oppofition: tho we meet with great Ingratitude, Contradiction, and unworthy Returns from thofe whom we have obliged, yet Love is not apt to repent of the Good it hath done, but ftill perfeveres, endeavouring to overcome Evil with Good, Unkindneffes with Courtefies. Love doth not invent Excuses, or feek Delays when a fair Occafion of exercifing it felf is offered; it makes us willing for fome time to leave our own Business, tho of near Concernment to us, to expose our selves to Heat and Cold, to wearifom and painful Journies, to deny our felves our own Eafe, and Pleasure, and Profit in fome measure, rather than to forfeit an Opportunity of fhewing a great Kindness. Charity endu reth all things.

This now is that Affection of Love which we ought to bear one towards another: this is that kind, benign and gracious Temper,

which manifefts us to be the Children of God, and to partake of his Nature, and to be like unto him who is good and doth good; which fhews us to be the Followers of our Saviour in deed and in truth, who went about doing good, and which alone can fit us for that Kingdom wherein true Love, undisturbed Peace, and universal Charity dwells and reigns for ever

more.

To convince you of the Neceffity of this Frame and Temper of Spirit, let me only put you in mind of what St. Paul faith in the beginning of this Chapter, that tho a Man fhould be able to speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels, had the Gift of all Languages, and could difcourfe with the greatest Eloquence and Efficacy, yet without this Charity he would be but as founding Brass, or a tinkling Cymbal. Tho a Man had the Gift of Prophecy, and could foretel things to come, were infpired from above, and able to convert others to the Faith, and propagate the Christian Religion in the World; tho he could understand all Myfteries, expound all Scripture, and give an account of the most difficult and fublime Truths, and had all Knowledg and all Faith, nay the highest degree of that Faith by which Miracles are wrought, fo that he could remove Mountains; yet without this Affection of fincere Love he would be nothing worth: nay, tho a Man should part with his whole Estate, and beftow all his Goods to feed the Poor, tho he should exercise the highest Acts of Bounty

and

and Liberality; nay,laftly,tho he should give his Body to be burned for his Religion, and die a Martyr for the Faith of Jefus Chrift, yet if he hath not Charity, if he cannot patiently bear and pardon Injuries and Affronts, if he delights not to do good, and rejoiceth not in the Happinefs of other Men; if he be envious, and malicious, and implacable, of a narrow contrac ted Spirit, it profiteth him nothing.

II. I only beg your Patience whilst in à very few words I recommend this more excellent way, as St. Paul calls it, this Spirit of Love to you especially, who have enjoy'd the Advantages of a liberal and ingenuous Education. And if ever I could hope to prevail and perfuade, I should certainly expect no little Succefs in fuch an Affembly as this, confifting of Perfons well taught and bred, whose Natures have been refin❜d and polish'd, and Minds improv'd and cultivated, and new-moulded and fashioned by the Care and Skill of those excellent Perfons, to whofe Charge we were committed.

I think it ought not over-flightly to be taken notice of, that in fuch an Age as this, there are yet fo many Perfons of Fashion and Quality who are not afham'd to own their Education, and therefore may be reasonably thought yet fenfible of the Benefits that may have accrued to them from it: I fay, in fuch an Age as this, wherein the first thing almoft that Gentlemen affect, after they have once

got