These perfections the ever blessed God communicates to mankind, according to their capacities; and in the exercise of these virtues, doth our true happiness confift.

It is not riches or greatnefs, or any worldly enjoyments, that can make our minds, or our lives happy. Then are we happy indeed, when we are holy as God is holy; when we are fincere and upright, conftant, patient, and juft, as God is; and above all, when our mercy rejoyceth over justice, as God's doth; when we put on bowels of mercy; when we are kind, and good, and tender-hearted, towards one another; when we forbear one another, and forgive one another; in short, when we love one another, as God himself loveth us all.

This is our great perfection; a perfection, recommended to us in fcripture, under fingular characters; above faith, or hope, or any other grace. And in the practice of this virtue, our truest happiness must needs confift; because it carrieth the greatest refemblance of the divine nature. God is love, faith the apoftle; that is, the perfection of love, goodness, and charity is in him. And it is to this that we are fo earnestly per

fuaded

fuaded by the apostle in my text, when he exhorteth us above all things to put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

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For charity is not one fingle duty only, but comprehendeth in it all other duties. And the nature of it, in fhort is this namely, it is fuch a principle of kindness and benevolence, as doth dispose us to do to others all the good we can; over and above that, which is their due, by the laws of common juftice.-And this is to be noted carefully, in the profecution of this fubject, that we may understand the difference, between justice properly fo called, and true christian charity.

The office of justice, is to do those things, which a man hath a civil right unto; things which he can claim and challenge; things which cannot be denied him, without manifeft wrong and injury. Now this, even unrighteous and hard-hearted people are capable of doing; nor is this always a virtue, because it proceedeth many times not from choice, but neceffity.

Charity is a tenderness and goodness of mind, which conftrains us to do more, than what human laws oblige us to. It is a

virtue that ftirs the bowels, that moves and works upon the affections, that extends our compaffion, and enlargeth our hearts beyond the common limits: A virtue, that inclines us to be benevolent unto all men; to wish them all the good their condition calls for; to be fupplicants for it, on their behalf, at the throne of grace; to aid and affift them towards the obtaining of it; and, for the love of God, and for religion-fake, to help them, not only to those things which are really due from us, but to those things alfo which are neceffary, fitting, and proper for them, tho' they be not debts in a strict fenfe and conftruction. In a word, it is a generofity of temper, that is apt to fuit it felf to the condition of others, according to the moving nature of their present circumstances.

The rule of righteousness is, to render every man his own; but this may be without charity; and therefore this alone, is beneath the generous, and noble disposition of a christian. It doth not come up to the perfect law of Chrift. Charity, tho' it hath a mixture of justice in it, yet it is a great deal more; and that it may be compleat, as

it should be, these two qualifications are very neceffary:

THE ONE is, That it be of the fame nature with that affection which we have for ourfelves.

THE OTHER is, That it refemble that great love which our blessed Saviour expressed for us all.

I SAY, First of all, Our charity to others, must be of the fame nature, with the affection which we have for our felves. This is the true rule of charity: efpecially as it is heightened and improved by the chriftian religion,-thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy felf; that is, with the fame good-natured and kind affection, tho' it may be not in the fame measure and degree.

There is indeed a fort of self love that is finful, a charity that not only beginneth at home, but ends there too; when a man is for pleafing himself only; when he feeketh his own only; when he makes himfelf the fole end of all his actions; and would fain ingrofs to himself, all that is good and defirable in this world, grudging

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to his neighbour any confiderable share or proportion of it. Now this is fo far from being a rule of charity, that there is nothing of charity in it; nothing more opposite to the true spirit of charity, than such a selfish temper..

But there is also an innocent kind of self love, which neceffarily rifeth out of a natural principle of felf prefervation; when a man, notwithstanding the greatness and largenefs of his mind, doth confult the good of others fo, as not to neglect his own, but takes a due care of himself in the first place. This natural affection every one hath for himself; and it is attended infeparably with the two following properties:

The one is this;-Every one loves himfelf, unfeignedly and fincerely. To be fure, there is no flattery, no pretence, no compliment in this cafe. Our affections may be believed and trufted, when they speak favourably on our own fide; for no man ever yet hated his own flesh. We cannot but wish our selves well; and those wishes always come from our very hearts.

And according to this rule, the christian law obligeth us, to measure out our charity

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