give all my goods (fays he) to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. You fee, that in the apoftle's account, almsdeeds may be without charity; that is when vanity or oftentation is the principle from whence they flow. But tho' they come from a right principle, from a kind and compaffionate heart, yet are they but a little part of charity; as we find by St. Paul's defcription of its feveral branches in this chapter, of which my text containeth divers instances: Charity fuffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not it felf, is not puffed up.

FIRST; Charity suffereth long, and is kind. By this is meant, that a charitable perfon is tender, compaffionate, and beneficent, both in difpofition and actions; ready in every refpect to do all the good he can. By giving us a defcription, St. Paul fhews us a duty and his meaning is, that inftead of hating, and doing evil to one another, we should be tenderly affected, and useful to each other, ready from our hearts to do to one another all the good offices which lie in our power.

Now for the due practising of this matter, the laws of charity require of us, in the first place, that we have a true inward fenfe of other mens wants and afflictions. This is that which the holy Scripture calls tenderheartedness, bowels of mercy, and having compaffion one of another. By which expreffions is meant, that we should sympathize with all that are in diftress, and have a fellow-feeling of one another's afflictions, For where mens hearts are so hard, that their brethrens calamities make little or no impreffions upon them, there it is impoffible for charity to be fo kindly, free, and generous, as the laws of chriftianity do require,

This was one great reason, why the fon of God was pleased to take human nature upon him; that he might be sensible of our common miseries. In all things, fays the apoftle, it behoved him, to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. And again; We have not an high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted (that is, tried by afflictions, acquainted with forrows and griefs,) like as we are,

His own thorough fenfe of the hardships of the world, made him the more willingly go about doing good, during his abode in the flesh; and the more merciful to mankind now; fince all power in earth and heaven hath been put into his hands.

And this will be in us, the principle of right christian charity to one another; to be painfully affected with the sufferings of others. And to this end we should use all poffible means, to mould our hearts rightly, to foften them into a tender and compaffionate temper; and to let all moving confiderations fink deep into them. Because we are the body of Christ, and all of us members of it, joined together by the fame bonds of faith and hope; we should be all animated with the fame spirit of charity too; we fhould have, as St. Paul fpeaks, the fame care one for another; fo that if one member fuffer, all the members fhould fuffer with it.

But this (if it be all) is not enough. It is poor kindness, juft to be troubled for another, and to say, God help him. Grief, and forrow, and anguish, and good wishes, muft break out into action; elfe, all the reft is but good-natured compliment. The laws

of charity bind us, not to be barren, or unfruitful, but to be full of good works, according as our own capacities, and according as the wants and neceffities of other people are.

First, to do to their fouls all the good we can. This is the nobleft work of charity, because it is done to the nobleft part of man. And because there is a neceffity for the foul, upon its parting from the body, to pass into an everlasting, unchangeable state, either of happiness or misery; greater charity there cannot be, than to minifter fuch helps and means to it now, as ferve to prepare it for a bleffed eternity: As, to inftruct it in the paths of duty, to teach it the true fear of God, to fubdue its finful and inordinate appetites, and to bring it to an habitual practice of all manner of piety and virtue.

Moreover; Charity obligeth us to express a tender regard to the worldly neceffities of others alfo, according to our abilities. God, who hath ordered all things in number, weight, and measure, hath of his great goodness and wisdom, made variety of conditions among mankind, and hath fo fuited mens capacities, fortunes, and abilities, to

their feveral ftates of life, that every one is to be useful in fome refpect or other to the reft,

And because no man can live alone, or fupport himself in a state of utter feparation from all others; common neceffity ties us all together, like fo many limbs and members into one body, that each may minifter its affiftance, towards the maintenance of the whole.

Now fo far as any one wants, and becomes feeble, so far it is disabled and hindred from lending its own help to its fellows. So that were nothing else to be considered, but the preservation, and common interest of human fociety; that alone would be enough to fet all hands at work, upon extending themselves in acts of charity.

But our obligations to it are the greater ftill, because the divine being, who careth for us all, hath made that which is a civil duty, to be a part of our religion too; that which the neceffities of human fociety call for, he himself requires as necessary, in order to our eternal intereft.

Upon both accounts therefore, as we are men, and christians also, we must be very careful