ftle has told us, If any man provide not for his own, efpecially thofe of his own household, he is worse than an heathen, and hath already denied the faith. Nor muft their present maintenance be your only care, but likewise their future well-being: for the fame reasons which oblige you to lay up in ftore for yourself against future calamities, oblige you to do the fame for your family. But what is the meafure, you will fay, of this provifion for futurity? Who can guess how much himself or his family may want hereafter? And when fhall we fatisfy this duty, fo as to be able to begin the other of being charitable to our poorer brethren? Our own present wants must be fupplied; and therefore he who can get no more than is neceffary for the prefent maintenance of himself and family, is under no obligation to give to charity: but when we get beyond this neceffity, we are then obliged to provide for our own future wants, and the prefent wants of the poor; fo that I reckon to lay up in store for ourselves, and to give in charity to others, are concurrent duties.

But it must be allowed, that charity is naturally the duty rather of the rich than the poor. And if it be the duty of the poor to give to charity out of the little their hands can earn; how much more will it be expected from fuch, to whom God has given more than enough! who are appointed ftewards over his household, and are entrusted with the good things of the world, that they may use them to the honour and glory of his name, and to the comfort and relief of their poor brethren! He has given you plentifully, and made the things you

enjoy to be your own; he has fecured to you your poffeffions, and commanded that no man rob or fteal from you, on purpose that you may fhew your love by the freedom of your offering. Look down and behold the toil and labour of mankind, how in the sweat of their brow they eat their bread; how their hands are galled with work, and their fhoulders with burdens: and then look up to Him, who has exempted you, and given you a life full of ease and comfort; and reflect what it is you owe to this kind, to this bountiful God. The time will come when you muft quit your lands and your houses; when you shall be fuitors for mercy and favour: make to yourselves therefore friends of the mammon of unrighteoufnefs, that when all fhall leave and forfake you, you may be received into the habitations of righteousness, where there is mercy, and peace, and joy for evermore.

DISCOURSE XXXVIII.

PART I.

I PETER iv. 8.

And above all things have fervent charity among yourJelves; for charity ball cover the multitude of fins.

THE exhortation in the text being joined with other exhortations to fobriety and watchfulness in prayer, to hofpitality, and to a faithful use and exercife of the gifts and graces of God bestowed on the several members of the church; and yet, being introduced in this diftinguishing manner, Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves, plainly fhews how highly the Apoftle efteemed this great virtue of charity; and that it is the perfection of a Chriftian, the very life and foul of all other duties, which without this are empty performances, and of no value in the fight of God.

This excellency of charity, which we collect from the peculiar manner in which St. Peter recommends it to the practice of Chriftians, is fully and exprefsly fet forth by St. Paul in the 1 Cor. xiii. where speaking in his own person, he says, Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brass, or a,

tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all myfteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, fo that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. It is to be observed, that St. Paul does not merely compare and prefer charity before all spiritual gifts and attainments, before liberality and almfgiving; but he declares, that these without charity are nothing, of no value in the fight of God, of no profit to the falvation of man. Is it not therefore of great confequence to us rightly to understand this great virtue, that we may use proper methods to attain it; fince it is that only which can fanctify our offerings to God, and make either our prayers or praises, or our alms and oblations, acceptable in his fight; fince it is that only which can make the gifts and abilities bestowed on us of any ufe, or render them a proper means to fave ourselves and others?

It is nceeffary to enter into the confideration of the nature of this great virtue, that we may rightly apprehend the meaning of the text. St. Peter affirms, that charity fhall cover a multitude of fins. Whatever we are to understand by this expreffion, it is evident that this great promise or effect must be ascribed to that virtue only, which the Apostle had in his mind, and which he meant to express in the words of the text; and if we apply it to any thing else, we abuse his authority, and deceive ourfelves. I fhall therefore confine this discourse to two inquiries:

Firft, What that fervent charity is, which the Apostle in the text fo earnestly recommends; and, Secondly, What is the true meaning of the Apoftle's affirmation concerning this charity, that it shall cover the multitude of fins.

As to the first inquiry, it will appear by the language made ufe of by St. Peter, that he is not recommending any particular duty, much lefs any particular acts of duty. (The words in the original, rendered by our tranflators fervent charity, are άɣánny intεvñ, continual or uninterrupted love.) Love is a principle, or a good habit of mind, from which many duties flow, but does not denote any one kind of duty more than another; and therefore the charity spoken of in the text has no more immediate relation to alm/giving (as the use of the word in our language often leads people to think it has) than it has to patience, forgivenefs of injuries, or any other natural effect of love or charity. It is therefore the principle of charity, or a general beneficence of mind towards one another, which the Apoftle recommends. And this must be conftant and regular, not fubject to the efforts of paffion or refentment; it muft prefide with a fuperiority over all the defires of our heart, that neither wantonness and luft, nor anger and revenge, nor covetousness and ambition, may carry us afide from the ways of righteousness and equity in our dealings one with another.

This description diftinguishes the virtue of the Gospel from what the world means by good-nature, which seems to be a quality refulting rather from the conftitution, than from the reafon of a man,