their union with the God of love, with the Emmanuel, God most nearly approaching us, God with us, collecting and gathering us in unto him as our common centre, whence the blessed spirit of holy love is to diffuse itself through the whole body, all enlivened by that spirit, and formed by it unto all kindness, benignity, goodness, and sweetness! With what significancy can I do so, (though I were never so well satisfied with the external forms and modes myself,) if it be apparent (I say, if apparent) I must cast in my lot and join myself with them, (were they generally such,) whose souls are under the dominion of the quite contrary spirit, that fills them with malignity, with mischievous dispositions and purposes, 2. And of how vast importance this is towards our es towards many a sincere lover of God, that cannot be satis-tablishment, the confirming, fortifying, and uniting of our fied with those forms and modes, and who decline them hearts, and our joint preservation in our Christian state, only from a sense of duty to God, and a fear of offending (the main thing we are to design, and be solicitous for,) we against the high authority of their blessed, glorious Re- may see in these particulars. deemer !

Christ, clearly and with assurance understood and ac- or endeavoured to be understood! Most content themselves knowledged. Such a faith will not be without its pleasant to profess it only as the religion of their country, and relishes. 'Tis an uncomfortable thing to suffer either for which was delivered to them by their forefathers. And so the mere spiritless, uncertain, unoperative notions and are Christians but upon the same terms as other nations opinions, or for the unenlivened outward forms of reli- are Mahometans, or more gross pagans, as a worthy writer gion, that we never felt to do us good, in which we never some time since took notice. How few make it their tasted sweetness, or felt power, that we were really noth-business to see things with their own eyes, to believe, and ing ever the better for. But who will hesitate at suffering be sure that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! for so great things as the substantials of the Gospel, which How far are we from the riches of the full assurance of he hath clearly understood, whereof he is fully assured, understanding! How little practical and governing is the and which he hath practically acknowledged and em- faith of the most! How little doth it import of an acknowbraced, so as to feel the energy and power of them, and ledgment of the mystery of God, viz. of the Father, and relish their delicious sweetness in his soul? And though of Christ! How little effectual is it! which it can be but by such suffering he himself perish from off this earth, his in proportion to the grounds upon which it rests. When religion lives, is spread the more in the present age, and the Gospel is received, not as the word of man, but of God, propagated to after-ages; so seminal and fruitful a thing is it works effectually in them that so believe it, 1 Thess. the blood of martyrs! as hath always been observed. And ii. 13. as such a faith of the mystery of the Gospel appears to have this tendency to the best, firmest, and most lasting union among Christians, and the consequent preservation of the Christian interest, this mystery being more generally considered only; so this tendency of it would be more distinctly seen, if we should consider the more eminent and remarkable parts of it; the mystery of the Redeemer's person, the Emmanuel, God uniting himself with the nature of man; his office, as reconciler of God and man to each other; his death, as a propitiatory sacrifice to slay all enmity; his victory and conquest over it, wherein is founded his universal empire over all; his triumphant entrance into heaven, whither he is to collect all that ever loved, trusted, and obeyed him, to dwell and be conversant together in his eternal love and praises. How directly do all these tend to endear and bind the hearts and souls of Christians to God, and him, and one another, in everlasting bonds!

Thus then we have the answer to our question in the two parts of the text. The former pointing out to us the subjects of our union, with the uniting principle by which they are to be combined with one another; the other the centre of it, with the uniting principle whereby they are all to be united in that centre.

Use. And what now remains, but that we lament the decay of these two principles, and, to our uttermost endeavour the revival of them.

2. Let us endeavour the revival of these principles. This is that in reference whereto we need no human laws. We need not edicts of princes to be our warrant for this practice, loving one another, and cleaving with a more grounded lively faith to God and his Christ. Here is no place for scruple of conscience in this matter. And as to this mutual love: what if others will not do their parts to make it so? What, shall we only love them that love us, and be fair to them that are fair to us, salute them that salute us? Do not even the publicans the same? What then do we more than others? as was the just expostulation of our Saviour upon this supposition, Matt. v. 47. And let us endeavour the more thorough deep radication of our faith, that it may be more lively and fruitful: which this apostle you see (not forgetting his scope and aim) further presses in the following verses, testifying his joy for what he understood there was of it among these Christians. Though I be absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ, ver. 5. And exhorting them to pursue the same course. As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving, ver. 6, 7.

And what also, must we suspend the exercise and improvement of our faith in the great mysteries of the Gos1. We have great cause to lament their decay; for how pel, till all others will agree upon the same thing? Let us visible is it and how destructive to the common truly do our own part, so as we may be able to say," Per me Christian interest! It was once the usual cognizance of non stetit, It was not my fault, but Christians had been those of this holy profession, "See how these Christians combined, and entirely one with each other, but they had love one another, and even refuse not to die for each been more thoroughly Christian, and more entirely united other!" Now it may be, "How do they hate! and are with God in Christ, that Christianity had been a more like to die and perish by the hands of one another!" Our lively, powerful, awful, amiable thing. If the Christian Lord himself gave it them to be their distinguishing cha- community moulder, decay, be enfeebled, broken, disracter. "By this shall all men know that ye are my dis-pirited, ruined in great part, this ruin shall not rest under ciples if you love one another." Good Lord! what are my hand." We shall have abundant consolation in our they now to be known by ? own souls, if we can acquit ourselves, that as to these two things, we lamented the decay and loss, and endeavoured the restitution of them, and therein, as much as in us was, of the Christian interest.

And what a cloudy, wavering, uncertain, lank, spiritless thing is the faith of Christians in this age become! How little are the ascertaining grounds of it understood,

n Pink's Trial of a Christian's love to Christ.

OF CHARITY

IN RESPECT OF OTHER MEN'S SINS.

THE PREFACE.

A PROPOSAL was made to me, by some friends, for publishing of these papers; which I cannot doubt, proceeded from charity, both to the reader, whose good they intended in it; and to the author, that they could think so slender a performance was capable of serving it. I cannot, indeed, think it unseasonable, to take any occasion of recommending charity, though this subject led me only to consider one single instance of it. But if the practice of it, in this one, would redress so great an evil, what might we not expect from its universal exercise, in all cases upon which it might have influence? Even the tongues of men and angels, as (with our apostle) they are insufficient to supply its absence; so nor are they more than sufficient fully to represent its worth. We vainly expect, from either eloquence or disputation, the good effects, which charity alone (could it take place) would easily bring about without them. How laboriously do we beat our way in the dark! "We grope for the wall, like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon-day, as in the night, but the way of peace we have not known." Human wit is stretched to the uttermost; wherein that comes short, the rest is endeavoured to be supplied by anger and all to bring us under one form, which either will not be; or if it were, could be to little purpose; while in the mean time, this more excellent way is forgotten of our foot, and we are far from it. Which shows, it is God that must cure us, (the God of love and peace,) and not man.

How soon and easily would a mutual universal charity redress all! For being on one side only, it could never cement both. And limited only to a party, it is not itself, and acts against itself, divides what it should unite. But a genuine, equally diffused charity, how would it melt down men's minds, mollify their rigours, make high things low, crooked straight, and rough places plain! It would certainly either dispose men to agree upon one way of common order, or make them feel very little inconvenience or cause of offence in some variety. But without it, how little would the most exquisite, unexceptionable form (universally complied with, in every punctilio) contribute to the church's welfare! No more to its quiet, and repose, than an elegant, well-shaped garment, to the ease and rest of a disjointed, ulcerous body: nor longer preserve it, than the fair skin of a dead man's body would do that from putrefaction and dissolution.

What piety is to our union with God, that is charity to our union with one another. But we are too apt, as to both, to expect from the outward form, what only the internal, living principle can give; to covet the one with a sort of fondness, and deny the other. One common external form in the church of God, wherein all good men could agree, were a most amiable thing, very useful to its comely, better being, and the want of it hath inferred, and doth threaten, evils much to be deplored, and deprecated. But this divine principle is most simply necessary to its very being. Whatsoever vidates it, is the most destructive, mortal schism, as much worse than an unwilling breach of outward order, as the malicious tearing in pieces a man's living_body, is worse than accidental renting his clothes. And indeed, were our eclesiastical contests, about matters that I could think indifferent, as long as there is such a thing as distinction of parties, I should readily choose that where were most of sincere charity (if I knew where that were.) For since our Saviour himself gives it us, as the cognizance of Christians, (by this shall all men know ye are my dísciples, if ye love one another,) I know not how better to judge of Christianity than by charity. Nor know I where, among them that profess, there is less of either, than with them that would confine and engross both to their own several parties; that say, here is Christ, and there he is; and will have the notions of Christian, of saint, of church, to extend no further than their own arbitrarily assigned limits, or than as they are pleased to describe their circle. We know to whom the doing so hath been long imputed; and it were well if they had fewer sorts of imitators. Nor doth it savour more of uncharitableness in any, to think of enclosing the truth, and purity of religion, only, within their own precincts, than it doth of pride and vanity, to fancy they can exclude thence every thing of offensive impurity. We are never like to want occasions, even in this respect, of exercising charity: not to palliate the sins of any, but recover sinners. God grant we may use it more to this purpose (when the case so requires) and need it less.

JOHN HOWE.

OF

CHARITY IN RESPECT OF OTHER MEN'S SINS.

1 COR. XIII. 6.

REJOICETH NOT IN INIQUITY.

THE subject spoken of must be supplied from the fore- | (not more separable from one another than from it,) And going verses; where we find the matter all along, in discourse, is charity; which it is the principal business of the whole chapter to describe, and praise. And this is one of the characters that serve (as they all do) to do both these at once. For being in itself a thing of so great excellency, to show its true nature, is to praise it. Whatsoever is its real property, is also its commendation.

to be exercised towards it more explicitly, in a higher de- | Rom. i. Men are too prone to justify themselves by the gree, or with more frequency. As man therefore hath more example of others, against their common rule. "Others in him of Divine resemblance, of God's natural likeness take their liberty, and why may not I?" And so they go and image; good men of his moral, holy image; we ought (as Seneca says sheep do) non quà eundum est, sed qua to love men more than the inferior creatures; and those itur, the way which is trodden, not which ought to be. that are good and holy, more than other men; and those 2. From an undue and over-indulgent love of themwith whom we are more concerned, with a more definite selves. Whence it is, that (as the case may be) they take love, and which is required to be more frequent in its pleasure to think there are some men, that perhaps outdo exercise. But all from the attractive of somewhat Divine them in wickedness, and offend in some grosser kind than appearing in the object. So that all rational love, or that they have done. And so they have, they count, a grateful is capable of being regulated and measured by a law, is occasion, not only to justify themselves, that they are not only so far right in its own kind, as we love God in every worse than other men, but to magnify themselves, that thing, and every thing upon his account, and for his sake. they are not so bad; as the Pharisee in his pompous, hypoThe nature and spirit of man is, by the apostacy, be- critical devotion, "God, I thank thee (that attribution to come disaffected and strange to God, alienated from the God, being only made a colour of arrogating more plausiDivine life, addicted to a particular limited good, to the bly to himself) that I am not as other men, extortioners, creature for itself, apart from God; whereupon the things unjust, adulterers," &c. Luke xviii. 11. whereby the hypomen love, are their idols, and their love idolatry. But crite, while he would extol, doth but the more notoriously where, by regeneration, a due propension towards God stigmatize himself. is restored, the universal good draws their minds, they become inclined and enlarged towards it; and as that is diffused, their love follows it, and flows towards it every where. They love all things principally in and for God; and therefore such men most, as excel in goodness, and in whom the Divine image more brightly shines. Therefore it is, most especially, Christian charity that is here meant, i. e. which works towards Christians as such. For compare this with the foregoing chapter, and it will appear that charity is treated of in this, which is the vital bond of holy, living union in the Christian church supposed in the other. Whereby as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that body being many, are one body; so also is Christ, v. 12. This principle refined, rectified, recovered out of its state of degeneracy, and now obtaining in the soul as a part of the new creature, or the new man which is after God, as it hath man for its object more especially, and more or less according to what there appears of Divine in him, is the charity here spoken of. Now of this Divine charity it is said, which we are to consider,

2. In the second place, It rejoices not in iniquity. Hereof it cannot be needful to say much by way of explication. The thing carries a prodigious appearance with it; and it might even amaze one to think, that on this side hell, or short of that state, wherein the malignity of wickedness attains its highest pitch, any appearance should be found of it. Yet we cannot think, but these elogies of charity do imply reprehensions, and tacitly insinuate too great a proneness to this worst sort of xatpeκakía or rejoicing in evil. Gnostics (or the sect afterwards known by that name) gave already too great occasion for many more express and sharp reproofs of this temper; which were not thrown into the air, or meant to nobody. The Scripture saith not in vain, The spirit which is in us lusteth to envy. With which, what affinity this disposition hath, we shall have occasion to note anon. Rejoicing in iniquity may be taken (if we abstract from limiting circumstances) two ways: either in reference to our own sins:-or to other men's. Our own; when we take pleasure in the design, or in the commission, or in the review and after-contemplation of them: converse in that impure region, as in our native element, drink it in like water, find it sweet in the mouth, and hide it under the tongue, &c. Other men's; when 'tis counted a grateful sight, becomes matter of mirth and sport, to see another stab at once the Christian name, and his own soul. The scope and series of the apostle's discourse, doth here plainly determine it this latter way: for as charity (the subject of his whole discourse) respects other men; so must this contrary disposition also. De iniquitate procul dubio alienâ, &c., saith Cajetan upon this place: 'Tis, without doubt, unapt to rejoice in the sins of other men ; for neither can it endure one's own. And this aptness to rejoice in the iniquity of others, may be upon several accounts. It may either proceed from an affection to their sins,-from an undue self-love, or from an excessive disaffection to the persons offending.

3. From a disaffection they bear to the offenders; whence they are glad of an advantage against them: that they have occasion to glory in their flesh, and insult over their weakness. It must be that rejoicing in other men's sins, which is most contrary to charity, that is here more especially meant. And that is manifestly the last of these; such as proceeds from ill will to the person that offends; whereupon we are glad of his halting, (which perhaps we watched for before,) and when his foot slippeth, magnify ourselves against him. Now rejoicing at the sins of other men, upon this account, may be either-1. Secret, when only the heart feels an inward complacency, and is sensibly gratified thereby; or-2. Open, when that inward pleasure breaks forth into external expressions of triumph and insultation, into derision, scoffs, and sarcasms.

II. And how inconsistent this is with the charity which our apostle so highly magnifies, it is now our next business to show. And it will appear by comparing this rejoicing in other men's sins; 1. With charity itself,-2. With what it is, ever, in most certain connexion with.

1. With charity itself; and so we shall consider it,— 1. In its own nature, abstractly and absolutely:-2. In relation to its original, and exemplary cause. And shall compare this rejoicing in the sins of other men with it both ways.

1. Consider charity in its own nature; and so it is the loving another as myself, so as to desire his welfare and felicity as my own: where we must note, that love to ourselves, is the measure of the love we owe to others. But ye are also to consider, that this measure itself is to be measured: for we are not to measure our love to others, by the love we bear to ourselves, otherwise, than as that also agrees with our superior rule; which obliges us so to love ourselves, as to design and seek our own true felicity, and best good; to" lay hold on eternal life, to work out our own salvation." If in other instances we were not so to understand the matter, (since the particular precepts extend no further than the general one,) any man might, without transgression, destroy another man's goods, when he hath learned to be prodigal of what he is master of himself; and might make himself master of another man's life, whensoever he cares not for his own. And so by how much more profligately wicked any man is, he should be so much the less a transgressor.

We are not so absolutely avrekovaio, or so much our own, that we may do what we will with ourselves. We are accountable to him that made us, for our usage of ourselves; and in making ourselves miserable, make ourselves deeply guilty also. We were made with a possibility of being happy. He that made us with souls capable of a blessed state, will exact an account of us, what we have done with his creature. He that commits a felony upon his own life, injures his prince and the community to which he belongs. The one is robbed of a subject, the other of a member that might be useful; wherein both had a right. No man is made for himself. And therefore the fact is animadverted on, and punished as 1. From a great affection and inclination unto the same far as is possible in what remains of the offender, in his kind of sins which they observe in others. Whereupon posterity, from whom his goods are confiscate; in his they are glad of their patronage; and do therefore not only name, which bears a mark of infamy, and is made a pubdo such things, but take pleasure in them that do them. | lic reproach. How unspeakably greater is the wrong done