charity will ever refer it thither: doth a fault admit any plea, apology, or diminution? charity will be sure to allege it: may a quality admit a good name? charity will call it thereby. It doth not Moyízeσłaι kaкòv, 'impute evil,' or put it to any man's account, beyond absolute necessity.

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It hopeth all things, and believeth all things;' hopeth and believeth all things for the best, in favor to its neighbor, concerning his intentions and actions liable to doubt.

It banisheth all evil surmises: it rejecteth all ill stories, malicious insinuations, perverse glosses and descants.

5. Another charitable practice is, to comport with the infirmities of our neighbor; according to that rule of St. Paul, We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves;' and that precept, Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.'

Is a man wiser than his neighbor, or in any case freer of defects? charity will dispose to use that advantage so as not to contemn him, or insult over him; but to instruct him, to help him, to comfort him.

As we deal with children, allowing to the infirmities of their age, bearing their ignorance, frowardness, untoward humors, without distasting them; so should we with our brethren who labor under any weakness of mind or humor.

6. It is an act of charity to abstain from offending, or scandalising our brethren; by doing any thing, which either may occasion him to commit sin, or disaffect him to religion, or discourage him in the practice of duty, (that which St. Paul calleth to defile and smite his weak conscience,') or which anywise may discompose, vex, and grieve him for, If thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably.'

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SUMMARY OF SERMON XXVIII.

HEBREWS, CHAP. X.-VERSE 24.

THAT which is here recommended as the common duty of all Christians, may well be thought the special duty of those appointed to instruct and guide others: various considerations therefore are offered to excite and encourage men in this practice.

I. We must remember that we are men, and as such obliged to this duty, since it is very agreeable to human nature, the which, not being corrupted or distempered by ill use, inclines to it, approves it, and finds satisfaction and delight therein. St. Paul, when he charges us to have a natural affection one toward another, supposes this affection to be inbred to men, which should be stirred up, improved and exercised this subject enlarged on.

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II. We should consider what our neighbor is, how near in blood, how like in nature, how much in all considerable respects the same with us. Should any one wrong or defame our brother, we should be displeased; should we do it ourselves, or omit any office of kindness towards him, we should blame ourselves: yet every man is such, of one stock, of one blood with us; and as such may challenge and call for real affection from us. Every man also, as a Christian, is in a higher and nobler way allied to us; whence an improved charity is due to him on that score.

III. Equity plainly requires charity from us: for every one is ready not only to wish and seek, but to demand and claim love from others, so as to be offended, and to complain, if he

do not find it. In all reason and equity, if I would have another my friend, I must be a friend to him: hence the law of charity is well expressed in those terms of doing to others whatever we would have them do to us.

IV. Let us consider that charity is a right noble and worthy thing, tending greatly to perfect our nature, and dignify our soul it is the imitation and copy of that immense love which is the fountain of all being and of all good: whilst therefore charity raises our nature towards that of heavenly beings, uncharitableness on the contrary debases us into an affinity with the meanest things, making us to become like beasts, or fiends.

V. The practice of charity is productive of many great benefits and advantages to us; so that to love our neighbor involves the truest love to ourselves: wherefore not only duty obliges, but interest encourages us in this matter, by a consideration of the manifold comforts and conveniences of life; some of which will be enumerated.

VI. 1. Charity frees our souls from those bad dispositions and passions which vex and disquiet them; banishing anger, envy, rancor, and revenge; stifling fear, suspicion, and jealousy of mischief intended against us; removing discontent or dissatisfaction in our state; curbing ambition and avarice, those impetuous, insatiable, and troublesome dispositions, &c.

VII. 2. It consequently settles the mind in a serene, calm, and cheerful state; in an even temper and harmonious order of soul.

VIII. 3. It preserves us from various external mischiefs and inconveniences to which our life is exposed; for if we have not charity towards men, we shall have enmity with them; and on that wait troops of mischiefs; this point enlarged on.

IX. 4. As charity preserves us from mischiefs, so it procures many sweet comforts and fair accommodations of life, by encompassing a man with friends, with many guards of his safety,

supports of his fortune, patrons of his reputation, succorers of his necessity, and comforters of his affliction.

X. 5. Charity does in every state yield advantages suitable thereto it renders prosperity not only innocent and safe, but useful and fruitful to us: it solaces adversity by the consideration that it does not arise as a punishment for doing ill to others, and that it is not attended with the ill-will of men.

XI. 6. We may consider that, without the exercise of charity, all the goods and advantages we have, our best faculties of nature and best endowments of soul, the gifts of Providence and the fruits of our industry, will become vain and fruitless, or noxious and baneful to us: this point enlarged on.

XII. 7. Charity greatly amplifies and advances a man's state, putting him into the possession or fruition of all good things: a charitable man can never, in a moral account, be poor, or vile, or miserable, except all the world should be cast into and distress; for whilst his neighbor hath any thing, he will enjoy it.

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XIII. 8. If therefore we love ourselves, we must love others, and do them good; since by this means we enable and dispose them to make grateful returns, and besides all other benefits, we get that of their prayers, which of all prayers have a most favorable audience and efficacy.

XIV. We may consider that charity is a practice specially grateful to God, and a most excellent part of our duty.

XV. Seeing also that God vouchsafes to esteem whatever is done in charity to our neighbors (if done with an honest pious mind, as to his friends) to be done unto himself, we become in a manner benefactors to him, and shall be accordingly requited.

XVI. We may consider that charity is a very feasible and easy duty, requiring no sore pain, no grievous trouble, no great cost for it consists only in good will, and that which naturally springs from thence.

XVII. It is the best, most easy, and most expedite way of performing all other duties towards our neighbor; for love is the fulfilling of the law.

XVIII. Charity gives worth, form, and life to all virtue; so that without it no action is valuable in itself, or acceptable to God: this subject enlarged on.

XIX. So great benefits doth charity yield: yet if it did not yield any of them, it would deserve and claim our observance; for it carries a reward and a heaven in itself, the very same which constitutes God himself infinitely happy, and beatifies every blessed spirit in proportion to its capacity and exercise thereof.

XX. Whereas the great obstacle to charity is self-love, or an extravagant fondness of our own interests, yet uncharitableness destroys that; for how can we love ourselves, if we have not charity? how can we appear lovely to ourselves, if we are destitute of so worthy an endowment?

These are some considerable inducements to the practice of this great virtue: others of a higher nature are reserved for another discourse.