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SERMON XXVIII.

MOTIVES AND ARGUMENTS TO CHARITY.

HEB. X. 24.

Let us confider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

THAT which is here recommended by the Apostle, as SERM. the common duty of Chriftians toward each other, upon XXVIII. emergent occafions, with zeal and care to provoke one another to the practice of charity and beneficence, may well be conceived the fpecial duty of those, whose office it is to inftruct and guide others, when opportunity is afforded with that obligation I fhall now comply, by representing divers confiderations ferving to excite and encourage us to that practice: this (without premifing any description or explication of the duty; the nature, special acts, and properties whereof I have already declared) I fhall immediately undertake.

I. First then, I defire you to remember and confider that you are men, and as fuch obliged to this duty, as being very agreeable to human nature; the which, not being corrupted or diftempered by ill ufe, doth incline to it, doth call for it, doth like and approve it, doth find fatisfaction and delight therein.

10.

St. Paul chargeth us to be els aaaýaes piaósopyoi, or to Rom. xii. have a natural affection one toward another: that fuppofeth a sogy inbred to men, which should be roused up,

SERM. improved, and exercised. Such an one indeed there is, XXVIII. which, although often raked up and fmothered in the

common attendances on the providing for our needs, and profecuting our affairs, will upon occafion more or lefs break forth and difcover itself.

That the conftitution and frame of our nature difpofeth to it, we cannot but feel, when our bowels are touched with a sensible pain at the view of any calamitous object; when our fancies are disturbed at the report of any dif after befalling a man; when the fight of a tragedy wringeth compaffion and tears from us: which affections we can hardly quash by any reflection, that such events, true or feigned, do not concern ourselves.

Hence doth nature so strongly affect society, and abhor folitude; so that a man cannot enjoy himself alone, or find fatisfaction in any good without a companiona: not only for that he then cannot receive, but also because he cannot impart afsistance, confolation, and delight in converfe for men do not affect fociety only that they may obtain benefits thereby; but as much or more, that they may be enabled to communicate them; nothing being more distasteful than to be always on the taking hand: neither indeed hath any thing a more pleasant and favoury relish than to do good; as even Epicurus, the great patron of pleasure, did confefs.

The practice of benignity, of courtesy, of clemency, do at first fight, without aid of any difcurfive reflection, obtain approbation and applaufe from men; being acceptable and amiable to their mind, as beauty to their fight, harmony to their hearing, fragrancy to their fmell, and sweetness to their tafte: and, correfpondently, uncharitable difpofitions and practices (malignity, harshness, cru

• Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἵλοιτ' ἂν καθ ̓ αὑτὸν τὰ πάντ' ἔχειν ἀγαθά. Arif. Eth. ix. 9. Hominem homini natura conciliat. Sen. Ep. ix.

Nullius boni fine focio jucunda poffeffio eft. Sen. Ep. vi.

Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς βουλόμενος συνδῆσαι πάντας ἀλλήλοις, τοιαύτην τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπέθηκεν ἀνάγκην, ὡς ἐν τῷ τῶν πλησίον συμφέροντι τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρω δεδέσθαι· καὶ ὁ πόσο μα ἅπας ὅτω συνέςηκε. Chryf. in 1 Cor. Οr. xxv.

elty) do offend the mind with a disgustful resentment of SERM. them. XXVIII.

We may appeal to the confcience of each man, if he doth not feel diffatisfaction in that fiercenefs or frowardnefs of temper, which produceth uncharitablenefs; if he have not a complacence in that sweet and calm difpofition of foul, whence charity doth iffue; if he do not condemn himself for the one, and approve himself in the other practice.

ἔργα ὑπὸ

This is the common judgment of men; and therefore Eis yag λανθρωπίας in common language this practice is ftyled humanity, as is best forting with our nature, and becoming it; and the Tσκευάσμεθα: principle whence it fpringeth is called good-nature: and Flavian. the contrary practice is ftyled inhumanity, as thwart- CP. Ep. in Syn. Chalc ing our natural inclinations, or divefting us of manhood; a. i. p. and its fource likewife is termed ill-nature, or a corruption of our nature.

It is therefore a monstrous paradox, croffing the common sense of men, which in this loose and vain world hath lately got fuch vogue, that all men naturally are enemies one to another: it pretendeth to be grounded on common observation and experience; but it is only an observing the worst actions of the worst men; of diffolute ruffians, of villainous cheats, of ravenous oppreffors, of malicious politicians, of fuch degenerate apoftates from humanity; by whofe practice (debauched by vain conceits and naughty customs) an ill measure is taken of mankind. Aristotle himself, who had obferved things as well as any of thefe men, and with as fharp a judgment, affirmeth the contrary, that all men are friends, and disposed to entertain friendly correfpondence with one another b; indeed to say the contrary is a blasphemy against the Author of our nature; and is spoken no lefs out of profane enmity

• Oikuïev räs ävIywæos åvdgwwy z píλov. Arift. Eth. viii. 1. Rhet. i. 11. ̓Ενέθηκε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς φίλτρον τῇ φύσει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, ὥσε ἀλλήλες ἀγαπᾶν. Chryf. in Eph. Orat. ii.

Συνδεσμῶν εἰς ὁμογνωμοσύνην ὁ ἀριςοτέχνης Θεὸς ἣν ἐδημιώργησε φύσιν τῇ διαθέσει tùs kóyy dininoujśrws ouviopiyži, &c. Proclus Conftantinopl. Syn. Chalc. A&.

πίν.

SERM. against him, than out of venomous malignity against men: XXVIII. out of hatred to God and goodnefs they would difparage

τις πάντα

and vilify the nobleft work of God's creation; yet do they, if we found the bottom of their mind, imply themselves to admire this quality, and by their decrying it do commend it for it is easy to difcern that therefore only they flander mankind as uncapable of goodness, because out of malignity they would not allow it fo excellent a quality.

II. Let us confider what our neighbour is; how near in blood, how like in nature, how much in all confiderable refpects the fame with us he is.

Should any one wrong or defame our brother, we fhould be difpleafed; fhould we do it ourfelves, or should we omit any office of kindness toward him, we should blame ourselves: every man is fuch, of one stock, of one blood with us; and as fuch may challenge and call for real affection from us.

Should any one mar, tear, or deface our picture, or fhew any kind of difrefpect thereto, we should be offended, Ar taking it for an indignity put on ourfelves; and as for Pases ourselves, we fhould never in fuch a manner affront or άλληλα συν- defpite ourselves: every man is fuch, our most lively Plato Symp. image, reprefenting us most exactly in all the main figures and features of body, of foul, of state; we thence do owe respect to every one.

άπτεσθαι.

Every man is another felf, partaker of the same nature, endued with the fame faculties, fubject to the fame laws, liable to the fame fortunes; diftinguifhed from us only in accidental and variable circumftances: whence if we be amiable or estimable, fo is he upon the fame grounds; and acting impartially (according to right judgment) we fhould yield love and efteem to him: by flighting, hating, injuring, hurting him we do consequentially abuse ourfelves, or acknowledge ourselves deservedly liable to the fame ufage.

Every man, as a Chriftian, is in a higher and nobler 'way allied, affimilated, and identified to us; to him therefore upon the like grounds improved charity is more due;

and we wrong our heavenly relations, our better na- SERM. ture, our more confiderable felves, in withholding it XXVIII. from him.

III. Equity doth plainly require charity from us: for every one is ready not only to wifh and feek, but to demand and claim love from others; fo as to be much offended, and grievously to complain, if he do not find it.

We do all conceive love and respect due to us from all men; we take all men bound to wifh and tender our welfare; we fuppofe our need to require commiferation and fuccour from every man: if it be refused, we think it a hard cafe, and that we are ill used; we cry out of wrong, of difcourtesy, of inhumanity, of baseness, practifed toward us.

A moderate respect and affection will hardly fatisfy us; we pretend to them in the highest degree, disgusting the leaft appearance of difregard or difaffection; we can scarce better digeft indifference than hatred.

This evidenceth our opinion and confcience to be, that we ought to pay the greatest respect and kindness to our neighbour for it is plainly unjust and ridiculously vain, to require that from others, which we refuse to others, who may demand it upon the fame title; nor can we without self-condemnation practise that which we deteft in others.

In all reason and equity, if I would have another my friend, I must be a friend to him; if I pretend to charity from all men, I must render it to all in the fame kind and measure.

Hence is the law of charity well expreffed in those terms, of doing to others whatever we would have them do Matt. vii. to us; whereby the palpable equity of this practice is demonftrated.

IV. Let us confider that charity is a right noble and worthy thing; greatly perfective of our nature; much dignifying and beautifying our foul.

It rendereth a man truly great, enlarging his mind unto a vaft circumference, and to a capacity near infinite; fo that it by a general care doth reach all things,

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