ON CHARITY.

CHARITY is a found acceptable to all; and

all contending parties are ready to reproach each other with the want of it. But perhaps no expreffion is more constantly used in opposition to the apoftolic fense of it than this.

Paul gives us the most particular description of it in his firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, chapter 13. After having fhewn, that all gifts and virtues wherein a man may excel without it, are of no real benefit to him, he proceeds to fet before us the general tendency of it in these words: Charity fuffereth long, and is kind: so imitates the divine long-suffering and kindnefs toward men. Then he declares what it is opposed to: Charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, (or is not provoked to revenge), thinketh (or devifeth) no evil.

Thus far we fee charity oppofed to pride, and the various ways wherein men are influenced and conducted thereby. Then he comes to fhew pofitively, wherein the peculiar nature of charity confifts, what is the hinge on which it turns, or what is the center of its delight. He fays, It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth WITH the truth (for thus the original fhould be rendered). The great truth, that God is well pleafed in his beloved Son, proved by his refurrection from the dead, is the center of the joy of charity. The apoftle amplifies this defcription, by giving us to understand, that charity beareth all things reported in the truth, or all infpired defcriptions of it, how

ever oppofite to the corruption of human nature, fo counts none of them hard sayings, or unfit to be borne; that it believeth all things imported in the great truth, or all the inferences which the apostles have deduced from it, as being well affected to the amiable fource from whence they flow; that it hopeth for all things promised in it, and endureth all things, or patiently fuffers all the afflictions that can attend a steady attachment to it and he crowns the defcription, by declaring, that charity never faileth, fo is greater than its temporary companions, faith, and hope.

The

The bleffednefs of God confifts in the confcicufnefs of his own boundless perfections. Thefe are fully difplayed only in the atonement. fulness of the divine good-pleasure and delight, then, can only be manifested there. If we speak then of God as made manifeft to his creatures, we must say that the atonement is the center of his delight. This is alfo the center of the joy of charity. Charity then is fellowship with the true God in his bleffednefs.

Yea, if we take in the notion of Deity which the fcripture is writ to exhibit, we muft fay, that the love manifested in the atonement, is the only true God; and that there is no God befides that love. Thus only can we perceive the propriety of the apostle JOHN's words, He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.-He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. And he fums up all that he hath to say of love and happiness, in one idea, in the close of his Epistle, This is the true God and eternal life.

The fufferings of Chrift, with the glory by which they were crowned, are known to us only by report. Charity then, on this fide the grave, is the love of that report. So PETER, fpeaking,

of

of Chrift, fays, Whom having not feen, ye love; in whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy, unspeakable and full of glory.

Charity delights in the character of the true God drawn in the truth, and has no regard for any other, though drawn by the wifeft men, and applauded by multitudes.-Charity does not refpect men for any of thofe things, on account of which one man glories over another; but it delights in all who are of the truth, for the truth's fake dwelling in them.-Charity has a facred regard for all the inftitutions of worship delivered in the New Teftament, as baptifm, the Lord's day, and the feveral ordinances wherein the first Chriftians continued ftedfaftly on that day; as all these have the truth evidently stamped upon them, and serve to bring it to remembrance, and fo promote the happinefs refulting from it. But it has no regard to any inftitutions of worship founded on traditions or commandments of men, though authorised by the grandeft assemblies cn earth. Charity is well affected to the great commandment of Jefus Chrift, Love one another, as I have loved and to all the fervices and exyou; preffions of that love appointed in the New Teftament, however ridiculous in the eyes of the world.—In a word, charity despises all the little fingularities of parties, but it has a high veneration for the public ftatutes of the kingdom of heaven, which all ferve to promote righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. Charity bears GOODWILL to all men, and is ready to do them good as opportunity prefents; but its Joy is confined to thofe in whom the truth dwells. We may in PAUL, who was an eminent pattern of charity, how it rejoices with the truth. Speaking of his felf-denial and condefcenfion toward all forts of

fee

men,

men, to recommend the gospel to their attention, as well as for the benefit of them who believed, he fays, And this I do for the gofpel's fake, that I may be partaker thereof with you, or (to tranflate it more accurately) its partaker. He chofe to join in partnership with the gofpel, and to run all risks with it for the falvation of mankind, in hopes of partaking of the glory promised in it. So he fays in another place, I endure all things for the elect's fake, that they may also obtain the falvation, which is in Chrift Jefus, with eternal glory. Charity, then, is benevolence toward all men for the elect's fake, as knowing none but whom God may fave by bringing them to the knowledge of the truth. So its BENEVOLENCE toward all men, proceeds from the joy it has in the truth. But the COMPLACENCE of charity can be mutually exercifed only among them who love the truth. Charity, then, is the imitation of the divine goodness. God shews kindness to all, making his Jun to rife on the evil and on the good, and fending his rain on the juft and on the unjuft: but he taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in them that hope in his mercy.

Charity contains the fum of all holiness of heart and life. No action, however highly.commendable, no character, however highly efteemed, that is not formed upon the love of the truth, can be well-pleafing to God. All love to the truth is influenced by the Holy Ghoft, the Spirit of the truth, who is therefore likewife called the Spirit of love. And thus we fee the true difference betwixt the Spirit of God, and the spirit of the world, or the spirit of pride, by which men fortify themselves in their difobedience to God, and flatter one another down to eternal perdition.

In

In PAUL'S defcription of charity, iniquity ftands opposed to the truth; as all iniquity proceeds upon falfehood, or the truth of God changed into a lie, according to which men are emboldened to fin with hopes of impunity. In the profeffion of Christianity, all iniquity is promoted by fome perverfion of the gofpel. Thus Jefus Chrift foretold, Many false prophets shall arife, and fhall deceive many; and because iniquity fhall abound, the love of many fball wax cold. And PAUL fpeaking of the great apoftacy, as prefigured by ancient idolatry, calls it the mystery of iniquity, and fays it comes with all deceivableness of unrighteousness. And he declares, that it comes as a judgment on them who received not the love of the truth;—but had pleajure in unrighteoufnefs. Thus we have an extenfive view of his account of charity, as it rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth.

As charity then always holds pace with the truth, and keeps company with it wherever it goes; fo it is very jealous in its behalf, as finding all its joy in it. No injury can be done to the truth, but charity feels the wound. Christian zeal is nothing else but the fervency of charity; and as there are many counterfeits of the truth, fo are there likewife of charity. We may eafily know then what fort of charity any man has, by enquiring what does he hold for truth, or what is his justifying faith. The faith of fome is nothing else but a good opinion of themselves, as helped to excel others by fomething that they call grace; and they maintain, that this faith is the only true principle of holiness. Whatever charity then fuch people pretend to be influenced by, we have good ground to fay, that they are influenced by the fpirit of pride, and all their works of holinefs are indeed the works of pride.-The fpirit