Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

II.

SER M. joined with purity, good confcience, and faith, is obviously the great inftrument for this purpofe; and therefore muft needs poffefs the chief and primary place in the laws of God.

[ocr errors]

Accordingly, throughout the New Teftament, it is uniformly prefented to us in the fame light in which it is placed by the text. This is known to all who have any acquaintance with the facred books. Charity is termed the fulfilling of the law, and the bond of perfectness. It was affumed by our bleffed Lord as the characteristical distinction of his difciples; and in that magnificent eulogium which the Apostle Paul pronounces upon it, in the thirteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians, it is expreffly preferred by him to faith and hope. This deferves to be seriously. confidered by those who are apt to undervalue charity, as an appendage of what they contemptuously call Morality; while they confine true religion to fome favourite tenets and obfervances of their own, which they confi

der

II.

der as comprehending the sum of what S ER M. is acceptable to God. Such persons show themselves profoundly ignorant of the nature of religion, and may too often be fufpected of being ftrangers to its influence. For, as the apostle John reasons, He that loveth not his brother, whom he hath feen, how can he love that God whom he hath not feen* ?

AT the fame time, while I ascribe to charity that high place in the system of religion, which juftly belongs to it, I am not to be understood as confining all religion to this difpofition alone. With much wisdom and propriety, the text hath annexed to it certain adjuncts, without which neither the character of a good man can be completed, nor charity itself exercised to advantage. To the confideration of these I now proceed; and I enter the more readily on this branch

of

* 1 John iv, 20,

II.

SER M. of the fubject, as there is ground to be lieve, that many pretend to poffefs charity, without properly understanding its nature and efficacy. There has been always an unhappy tendency among men to run to extremes, on one fide or other, in matters of religion. As one fet of men, who employ all their zeal on right belief, are prone to undervalue good practice fo another fet, who wish to be esteemed rational Chriftians, are inclined to reft the whole of their duty on charitable deeds, while they overlook certain difpofitions and habits which ought always to accompany them. It is therefore of importance, that the mistakes of both these claffes of men fhould be rectified, in order that religion may be held forth to the world in its complete form, and in its full and undiminished luftre.

THE first qualification of charity pointed out in the text is purity; charity out of a pure heart. Purity includes the virtues which belong to the individual,

confidered

[ocr errors]

II.

confidered in himself, and with refpect s ER M.. to the government of his defires and pleasures. It hath its feat in the heart; but extends its influence over fo much of the outward conduct, as to form a great and material part of the character. They are only the pure in heart, we are told by our Saviour, who can fee God*. It is also true, that they are only the pure in heart who can properly discharge their duties towards mankind. Inordinate love of pleasure, intemperance, fenfuality, and a course of irregular life, are inconfiftent, not only with the general character of a good man, but also with the peculiar exercises of charity and benevolence. For nothing is more certain, than that habits of licentious indulgence contribute to ftifle all the good affections; to harden the heart; to nourish that selfish attachment to our own vitious pleafures which renders us infenfible to the circumftan

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

SER M.ces and wants of others. A profligate

II.

man is feldom found to be a good hufband, a good father, or a beneficent neighbour. How many young perfons have at first set out in the world with excellent difpofitions of heart; generous, charitable, and humane; kind to their friends, and amiable among all with whom they had intercourse? And yet how often have we seen all thofe fair appearances unhappily blafted in the progrefs of life, merely through the influence of loose and corrupting pleasures; and thofe very perfons who promised once to be bleffings to the world, funk down, in the end, to be the burthen and nuifance of foiciety? The profufion of expence which their pleasures occafion, accounts in a great measure for the fatal reverse that takes place in their character. It not only drains the fources whence the streams of beneficence fhould flow, but often obliges them to become oppreffive and cruel to those whom it was

their

« AnteriorContinuar »