LIBRAEY OF THE Theological Seminary, NCETON, N. J. BV 4500 .S44 1847 Select works of James, Venn, Wilson, Phillip and Jay . . • A DONATION FROM deceived _ fff-7 * SELECT WORKS OF JAMES, VEM, WILSON, PHILLIP AND JAY ; CONSISTING OP CHRISTIAN CHARITY, FAMILY MONITOR, AND CHRISTIAN FATHER'S PRESENT; B^ THE REV. JOHN ANGEL JAMES. THE COMPLETE DUTY OF MAN; BY THE REV. HENRY VENN. TRAVELS ON THE CONTINENT OF EUROPE; BY DANIEL WILSON, BISHOP OP CALCUTTA. SACRA privata; BY THOMAS WILSON, BISHOP OF SODOR AND MAN. THE MARYS; BY" THE REV. ROBERT PHILLIP. THE CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATED; BY THE REV. WILLIAM JAY. NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER, 58 CANAL STREET; PITTSBURG: 56 MARKET STREET. 1847. CHRISTIAN CHARITY EXPLAINED OR, TKB INFLUENCE OF RELIGION UPON TEMPER STATED JN AN EXPOSITION OF THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF THE FIRST Eri?TLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. EY JOHN ANGELL JAMES, 49IH08 OP THE CHRISTIAN FATHER'S PRESENT, SC. " Truth and Love are two of the most powerful things in the world ; and when they both f o tcre- tner, they cannot easily be withstood. The golden beams of Truth, and the silken cords of Lcve, twisted together, will draw men on with a sweet violence, whether they will or no."— Oiidworth. PREFACE. A work which the author published a few years since, on the Duties of Church Members, concludes with the following sentence: — " Let us remember, that humility and love are the necessary fruits of our doctrines, the highest beauty of our character, and the guardian angels of our churches." To prove and elucidate this sentiment, and to state at greater length than it was possible for him to do in that treatise, the nature, operations, and importance of charity ; he was induced to enter upon a series of Discourses on the chapter which is the subject of this volume: these Discourses were heard with much attention, and apparent interest. Before they were finished, many requests were presented for their publication ; a promise was given to that ef- fect, and the intention announced to the public. On a further inspection of his notes, the author saw so little that, was either novel, or on any account worthy to meet the public eye, that he had for two years quite abandoned his intention of printing. Circumstances which need not be mentioned, toge- ther with frequent inquiries from his friends after the forthcoming treatise, drew his attention again to the subject a few months since, and revived the original purpose of sending from the press the sub- stance of these plain and practical Discourses. That intention is now executed ; with what results, the sovereign grace of J-hovah, to which it is hum- bly commended, must d ;termine. The author offers .his volume primarily and chiefly to his own friends, to whom it is dedicated. He has, however, by publishing it, placed il within the reach of the public, though he can truly say, that he does not expect much interest to be produced by his work, in the minds of many, beyond those who are prepared, by friendship, to value it above its intrinsic merits. One thing is certain, the sub- ject is confessedly important, and it is as plain as it is important. It requires little argument to explain or to defend it; and as for eloquence to recommend and enforce it, the only power that can render it ef- fectual for practical benefit, is the demonstration of the Spirit : without this aid, a giant in literature could do nothing, and the feeblest effort, by such as- sistance, may be successful. Too much has not been said, and cannot be said, about the doctrines of the gospel ; but too little may be said, and too little is said and thought, about its spirit. To con- tribute something towards supplying this deficiency in the treasures of the temple, the author offers this small volume; and though it be but as the widow's two mites, yet, as it is all he has to give, as it is given willingly, and with a desire to glorify God, he humbly hopes that however it may be despised by those, who he rejoices to know, are so much richer than himself in intellectual and moral afflu- ence, it will not be rejected by him, who more re- gards the motive than the amount of every offering that is carried to his altar. The author can easily suppose, that among many other faults which the scrutinizing eye of criticism will discover in his work, and which its stern voice will condemn, one is the tautologies, of which, in some places, it appears to be guilty. In answer to this, he can only remark, that in the discussion of such a subject, where the parts are divided by such almost imperceptible lines, and softened down so much into each other, he found it very difficult to avoid this repetition, which, after all, is perhaps not always a fault — at least not a capital one. Edgbastan, April 22, 1828. CHRISTIAN CHAMT V. CHAPTER I. THE OCCASION OF PAUL'S DESCRIPTION AND ENFORCE- MENT OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY. The credibility of the Gospel, as a revelation from heaven, was attested by miracles, as had been pre- dicted by the prophet Joel. " And it shall come to pass afterwards, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions ; and also upon the servants and the handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit." This prophecy began to re- ceive its accomplishment when our Lord entered upon his public ministry, — but was yet more re- markably fulfilled, according to the testimony of Peter, on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples " were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance ;" and still continued to be fulfilled till the power of working miracles was withdrawn from the Church. Our Lord Jesus Christ ceased not, dur- ing his continuance on earth, to prove, by these splendid achievements, the truth of his claims as the Son of God; and constantly appeal to them in his controversy with the Jews, as the reasons and the grounds of faith in his communications. By him the power of working miracles was conferred on his apostles, who, in the exercise of this extraor- dinary gift, cast out demons, and " healed all man- ner of sickness, and all manner of disease." Christ also assured them that, under the dispensation of the Spirit, which was to commence after his decease, their miraculous powers should be so much en- larged and multiplied, as to exceed those which had been exercised by himself. This took place on the day of Pentecost, when the ability to speak all lan- guages without previous study was conferred upon thein. The apostles, as the ambassadors and mes- sengers of their risen Lord, were authorized and enabled to invest others with the high distinction; for, to confer the power of working miracles, was a prerogative confined to the apostolic otfice. This is evident from many parts of the New Testament. — But while apostles only could communicate this power, any one, not excepting the most obscure and illiterate member of the churches, could receive it; as it was not confined to Church officers, whether ordinary or extraordinary. It is probable that these gifts were sometimes distributed among all the ori- ginal members of achurch : asthe society increased, they were confined to a more limited number, and granted only to such as were more eminent among the brethren, till at length they were probably confin- ed to the elders; thus being as gradually withdrawn from the Church as they had been communicated. These miraculous powers were of various kinds, which are enumerated at length in the epistle to the Romans. " Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion (ana- logy) of faith ; or ministry, let us wait on our mi- nistering : or he that teacheth. on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; or he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity ; he that ruleth, with diligence ; he that showeth mercy, with cheerful- twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinth- ians. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of admin- istration, but the same Lord. And there are diver- sities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal : for to one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom ; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit ; to another, faith by the same Spirit ; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy ; to ano- ther discerning of Spirits ; to another divers tongues: to another the interpretation of tongues." It is not necessary that we should here explain the nature, and trace the distinction, of these en- dowments— a task which has been acknowledged by all expositors to be difficult, and which is thought by some to be impossible. But vague and general as is the idea of them which we possess, we can form some conception of the strange and novel spectacle presented by a society in which they were in full operation. They constituted the light which fell from heaven upon the Church, and to which she appealed, as the proofs of her divine origin. It is not easy for us to conceive of any thing so strik- ing and impressive, as a community of men thus re- markably endowed. We may entertain a general, though not an adequate, idea'of the spiritual glory which shone upon an assembly, where one member would pour forth, in strains of inspired eloquence, the profoundest views of the divine economy, and would be succeeded by another, who, in the exer- cise of the gift of knowledge, would explain the mysteries of truth, concealed under the symbols of the Jewish dispensation;— where one, known per- haps to be illiterate, would rise, and in a language which he had never studied, descant, without hesi- tation and without embarrassment, on the sublime- est topics of revealed truth; and would be followed by another, who, in the capacity of an interpreter, would render into the vernacular tongue all that had been spoken ; where one would heal the most inveterate diseases of the body with a word, and another discern by a glance the secrets of the mind, and disclose the hypocrisy which lurked under the veil of the most specious exterior. What seeming confusion, and yet what real grandeur, must have attended such a scene! What were the disputa- tions of the schools, the eloquence of the forum, or the martial pomp, the accumulating wealth, the literary renown of the Augustan age of the Roman Empire to this extraordinary spectacle 1 Yea, what was the gorgeous splendor of the temple of Solomon, in the zenith of its beauty, compared with tins'? Here were the tokens and displays of a pre- sent though invisible Deity, a glory altogether un- earthly and inimitable, and on that account the more remarkable. For the possession and exercise of these gifts, the Church at Corinth was eminently distinguished. — This is evident from the testimony of Paul, — " I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Christ Jesus; that in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance, and in all knowledge ; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you : so that ye come be- hind in no gift:" and in another place he asks them nes ." They are set forth still more at length, in the! "What is it, wherein ye Wv,rn inferior to othe CHRISTIAN CHARITY. Churches'!" It is, indeed, both a humiliating; and an admonitory consideration, that the Church which, of all those planted by the apostles, was the most distinguished for its gifts, should have been the least eminent for its graces; for this was the case with the Christian Society at Corinth. What a scandalous abuse and profanation of the Lord's Supper had crept in ! What a schismatical spirit prevailed ! What a connivance at sin existed ! — What resistance to apostolic authority was set up ! To account for this, it should be recollected, that the possession of miraculous gifts by no means im- plied the existence and influence of sanctifying grace. Those extraordinary powers were entirely distinct from the qualities which are essential to the character of a real Christian. They were pow- er? conferred not at all, or in a very subordinate degree, for the benefit of the individual himself, but were distributed according to the sovereignty of the Divine will, for the edification of believers and the conviction of unbelievers. Hence saith the apostle, — " Tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serv- eth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe." Our Lord has informed us, that miracu- lous endowments were not necessarily connected with, but were often disconnected from, personal piety. " Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name done many wonderful works 1 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you ; depart from me ye workers of iniquity." Paul supposes the same thing in the commencement of this chap- ter, where he says, — " Though I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cym- bal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge: — and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." — This hypothetical mode of speech certainly implies, that gifts and grace are not necessarily connected. This is a very awful consideration, and, by show- ing how far self-deception may be carried, ought to be felt as a solemn admonition to all professing Christians, to be very careful and diligent in the great business of self-examination. It is evident, both from the nature of things, and from the reasoning of the apostle, that some of the miraculous powers were more admired, and there- fore more popular, than others. The gift of tongues, as is plain from the reasoning in the fourteenth chapter, appears to have been most coveted, because eloquence was so much cultivated by the Greeks: to reason and declaim in public, as a talent, was much admired and as a practice, was exceedingly common : schools were established to teach the art, and places of public resort were frequented to dis- play it. Hence, in the Church of Christ, and espe- cially with those whose hearts were unsanctified by Divine grace, and who converted miraculous ope- rations into a means of personal ambition, the gift of tongues was the most admired of all these extra- ordinary powers. A desire after conformity to the envied distinctions of the world, has ever been the snare and the reproach of many of the members of the Christian community. Where distinctions exist, many evils will be sure to follow, as long as human nature is in an imper- fect state. Talents, or the power of fixing attention and raising admiration, will be valued above vir- tues ; and the more popular talents will occupy, in the estimate of ambition, a higher rank than those that are useful. Consequently, we must expect, wherever opportunities present themselves, to see on the one hand, pride, vanity, arrogance, love of display, boasting, selfishness, conscious superiority, and a susceptibility of offence ; whiie on the other we shall witness an equally offensive exhibition of envy, suspicion, imputation of evil, exultation over failures, and a disposition to magnify and report of- fences. Such passions are not entirely excluded from the Church of God, at least during its militant state ; and they were most abundantly exhibited among the Christians at Corinth. Those who had gifts, were too apt to exult over those that had none ; while the latter indulged in envy, and ill-will to- ward the former : those who were favored with the most distinguished endowments, vaunted of their achievements over those who attained only to the humbler powers; and all the train of the irrascible passions was indulged to such a degree, as well nigh to banish Christian love from the fellowship of the faithful. This unhappy state of things the apostle found it necessary to correct, which he did by a series of most conclusive arguments ; such, for instance, as that all these gifts are the bestowments of the Spirit, who in distributing them exercises a wise but irresponsible sovereignty — that they are bestowed for mutual advantage, and not for personal glory — that this variety is essential to general edifi- cation— that the useful ones are to be more valued than those of a dazzling nature — that they are de- pendent on each other for their efficiency; and he then concludes his expostulation and representation, by introducing to their notice that heavenly virtue which he so beautifully describes in the chapter un der consideration, and which he exalts in value and importance above the most coveted miraculous powers. "Now, ye earnestly desire (for the words should be rendered indicatively, and not impera- tively,) the best gifts, but yet I show unto you a more excellent way." " Ye are ambitious to obtain those endowments which shall cause you to be es- teemed as the most honorable and distinguished persons in the Church; but, notwithstanding your high notions of the respect due to those who excel in miracles, 1 now point out to you a way to still greater honor, by a road open to you all, and in which your success will neither produce pride in yourselves, nor excite envy in others. Follow af- ter Charity, for the possession and exercise of this grace is infinitely to be preferred to the most splen- did gift." Admirable encomium — exalted eulogium on Charity! What more could be said, or be said more properly, to raise it in our esteem, and to im- press it upon our heart 1 The age of miracles is past; the signs, and the tokens, and the powers which accompanied it, and which, like brilliant lights from heaven, hung in bright effulgence over the Church, are vanished. No longer can the mem bers or ministers of Christ confound the mighty perplex the wise, or guide the simple inquirer after truth, by the demonstration of the Spirit, and of power: the control of the laws of nature, and of the spirits of darkness, is no longer intrusted to us; but that which is more excellent and more heavenly re- mains : that which is more valuable in itself, and less liable to abuse, continues; and that is, Charity. Miracles were but the credentials of Christianity, but Charity is its essence; miracles but its wit- nesses, which, having ushered it into the world, and borne their testimony, retired for ever : — but Cha- rity is its very soul, which, when disencumbered of all that is earthly, shall ascend to its native seat — the paradise and the presence of the eternal God. CHAPTER II. THE NATURE OP CHARITY. In the discussion of every subject, it is of great im portance to ascertain, and to fix with precision, th CHRISTIAN CHARITY. meaning of the terms by which it is expressed; more especially in those cases where, as in the pre- sent instance, the principal word has acquired, by the changes of time and usages of society, more senses than one. Formerly, the English word cha- *iiy signified good-will or benevolence: when re- stricted to this meaning, it was significant enough of the Greek term employed by the apostle in this chapter; but in modern times the word charity is often employed to signify almsgiving — a circum- stance which has thrown a partial obscurity over many passages of Scripture, and has led, indeed, to the most gross perversion of Divine truth and the circulation of the most dangerous errors. That the charity which is the subject of the present treatise cannot mean almsgiving, is evident from the asser- tion of the apostle, where he says — " Though I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." The meaning of the term is Love, and so it is rendered in many other pas- sages of the New Testament ; such, for instance, as the following: "Love worketh no ill to its neigh- bor.1' " The fruit of the Spirit is love." " Love is the fulfilling of the law." "Faith which worketh by love." It is the same word in all these texts, which in the present chapter and in the following passages, is rendered charity. "The end of the commandment is charity." — " Charity covereth a multitude of sins." The em- ployment of the term charity, instead of love, in the last quoted passage, is peculiarly to be regretted, as in consequence of the modern meaning attached to it, many have taken up the false and dangerous no- tion, that pecuniary liberality to the poor will make an atonement for human guilt; an error which could have had no countenance from Scripture, had the word been rendered as it is in other places. — "Love covereth a multitude of sins." This is not the only case in which our translators, by the ca- pricious employment in different places of two English words for the same Greek term, have helped to confuse the English reader of the Holy Scriptures. We shall in this treatise substitute for charity the word Lovk, which is a correct translation of the original. If, however, the word charily should be tonally used to avoid a too frequent repetition of lout; we beg that it may be understood as syno- nymous with that term. Of what kind of love does the apostle treat 1 Not of love to God, as is evident from the whole chap- ter, for the properties which are here enumerated have no direct reference to Jehovah, but relate in every instance to man. It is a disposition founded, no doubt, upon love to God, but it is not the same. Nor is it, as many have represented, the love of the brethren. Without all question, we are under special obligations to love those who are the child- ren of God, and joint heirs with us in Christ. " This is my commandment," says Christ, " that ye love one another." " By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." Our brethren in Christ should be the first and dearest objects of our regard. Love to them is the badge of discipleship— the proof, both to ourselves and to the world, that we have passed from death unto life. — And although we are "to do good to all men," yet we are especially to regard " the household of faith." But still, brotherly love, or the love of the brethren as such, is not the disposition, any otherwise than as included in it, which is here enjoined. A far more comprehensive duty is laid down, which is lovk to mankind in general. As a proof of this I refer to the nature of its exercises. Do they not as much respect the unconverted as the convert- ed ; the unbeliever as the believer 1 Are we not as much bound to be meek and kind, humble, forgiv- ing, and patient, towards all men, as wc are towards our brethren ] Or, may we be envious, passionate, proud, and revengeful, towards " those that arc without," though not towards those " that are with- in V We have only to consider the operations and effects of love as here described, and to recollect that they are as much required in our intercourse with the worid, as with the Church, to perceive at once, that it is love to man, as such, that is the sub- ject of this chapter. Nor is this the only place where universal philanthropy is enjoined. * The apostle Peter, in his chain of graces, makes this the last link, and distinguishes it from "brotherly kindness," to which, says he, add "charity,'' or, as it should be rendered, " love." The disposition inculcated in this chapter is, that love which Peter commands us to add- to brotherly kindness; it is, in fact, the very state of mind which is the compendium of the se- cond table of the moral law. " Thou shalt love Iky neighbor as thyself." The temper so beautifully set forth by Paul, is n most lively, luminous and eloquent exposition of this summary of duty to our neighbor, which is giver, us by our Lord. Strange, indeed, would it be, if Christianity, the most perfect system, of duty as well as of doctrine, that God ever gave to the world, should contain no injunction to cultivate a spirit of general good-will. Strange, indeed, if that system, which rises upon the earth with the smiling aspect of universal benevo- lence, did not breathe its own spirit into the hearts of its believers. Strange, indeed, if, while God loved the world, and Christ died for it, the world in no sense was to be an object of a Christian's regard. — Strange, indeed, if the energies, the exercises, and propensities of true piety, were to be confined with- in the narrow boundaries of the Church, and to be allowed no excursions into the widely extended re- gions that lie beyond, and have no sympathies for the countless millions by which these regions are peopled. It would have been regarded as a blank in Christianity, as a deep wide chasm, had philan- thropy gained no place, or but a small one, amidst its duties : and such an omission must ever have presented a want of harmony between its doctrines and its precepts; a point of dissimilarity between the perfection of the divine, and the required com- pleteness of the human, character. Here, then, is the disposition inculcated: a spirit of universal love; good-will to man ; a delight in human happiness; a carefulness to avoid whatever would lessen, and to do whatever would increase, the amount of the feli- city of mankind : a love that is limited to no circle; that is restricted by no partialities, no friendships, no relationships; around which neither prejudices nor aversions arc allowed to draw a boundary; which realizes, as its proper objects, friends, strang- ers, and enemies ; which requires no recommenda- tion of any one but that he is a man, and which searches after man wherever he is to be found. It is an affection which binds its possessor to all of his kind, and makes him a good citizen of the universe. We must possess domestic affections, to render us good members of a family ; we must have the more extended principles of patriotism, to render us good members of the state; and for the same reason, we must possess universal benevolence, to render us good members of a system which comprises the whole human race. This is the generic virtue, the one simple principle out of which so many and such beautiful ramifications of holy benevolence evolve. All the actings of love, so finely described by the apostle, may be traced up to this delight in happi- ness; they all consist in doing that which will pro- mote the comfort of others, or in not doing that which will hinder their peace ;— whether they con- sist in passive or in active properties, they have a direct bearing on general well-being. CHRISTIAN CHARITY. It will be proper to remark here, that by universal benevolence, we mean nothing that bears the most distant resemblance to the spurious philanthropy ad- vocated some few years since by a school of modern infidels, who resolved all virtue into a chimerical passion for the public good ; and the characteristic feature of whose system it was, to build up general benevolence on the destruction of individual tender- ness. Reason and revelation unite in teaching us, that in the development of the passions we must advance from the private to public affections, and that extended benevolence is the last and most per- fect fruit of individual regards. But although we represent this love as consisting in a principle of universal benevolence, we would remark that instead of satisfying itself with mere speculations on the desirableness of the well-being of the whole, or with mere good wishes for the hap- piness of mankind in general ; instead of that indo- lent scntimentalism which would convert its inabili- ty to benefit the great body into an excuse for doing good to none of its members : — it will put forth its energies, and engage its activities, for those which are within its reach : it would, if it could, touch the extreme parts ; but as this cannot be done, it will exert a beneficial influence on those which are near ; its very distance from the circumference will be felt as a motive to greater zeal in promoting the comfort of all that may be contiguous ; and it will consider that the best and only way of reaching the last, is by an impulse given to wkat is next. It will view every individual it has to do with as a representa- tive of his species, and consider him as preferring strong claims, both on his own account and on the account of his race. Towards all, it will retain a feeling of good-will, a preparedness for benevolent activity ; and towards those who come within the sphere of its influence, it will go forth in the actings of kindness. Like the organ of vision, it can dilate, to comprehend, though but dimly, the whole pros- pect ; or it can contract its view, and concentrate its attention upon each individual object that comes under its inspection. The persons with whom we daily converse and act, are those on whom our be- nevolence is first and most constantly to express itself, because these are the parts of the whole, which give us the opportunity of calling into exer- cise our universal philanthropy. But to them it is not to be confined, either in feeling or action ; for, as we have opportunity, we are to do good to all men, and send abroad our beneficent regards to the great family of man. Nor are we to confound this virtue with a mere natural amiableness of disposition. It is often our lot to witness a species of philanthropy which, like the painting or the bust, is a very near resemblance of the original; but which still is only a picture, or a statue, that wants the mysterious principle of life. From that mere good-will to man, which even un- converted persons may possess, the love described by the apostle differs in the following particulars. 1. It is one of the fruits of regeneration. " The fruit of the Spirit is love." Unless a man be born of the Spirit, he can do nothing that is spiritually good. We are by nature corrupt and unholy— des- titute of all love to God — and till renewed by the Holy Ghost in the spirit of our mind, we can do no- thing well pleasing to God. " If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ;" and this love of our species is a part of the new creation. It is, in the strictest sense of the term, a holy virtue, and one great branch of holiness itself; for what is holiness, but love to God, and love to man 1 And without that previous change which is denominated being " born again," we can no more love man as we ought to do, than we can love God. Divine grace is as essentially necessary f#r the production and the exercise of philanthropy, as it is for piety ; and the former is no less a part of religion than the lat- ter. Love is the Divine nature, the image of God, which is communicated to the soul of man by the renewing influence of the Holy Ghost. 2. This love is the effect of faith : hence it is said by the apostle, " In Christ Jesus neither circum- cision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which toorketh by love." And by another in- spired writer, it is represented as a part of the su- perstructure which is raised on the basis of faith: — " Add to your faith — love." It is certain that there can be no proper regard to man, which does not re- sult from faith in Christ. It is the belief of the truth which makes love to be felt as a duty, and which brings before the mind the great examples, the pow- erful motives, furnished by the Scriptures to pro- mote its exercise. Nothing spiritually excellent can be performed without faith. It is by faith aione, that any thing we do is truly and properly religion : this is the identifying Christian principle, separate and apart from which, whatever excellence men may exhibit, is but mere morality. By faith we submit to the authority of God's law ; by faith we are united to Christ, and " receive from his fulness and grace for grace ;" by faith we contemplate the love of God in Christ ; by faith our conduct becomes acceptable to God through Christ. 3. This love is exercised in obedience to the authori- ty of God's u-ord. It is a principle, not merely a feeling ; it is cultivated and exercised as a duty, not yielded to merely as a generous instinct ; it is a sub- mission to God's command, not merely an indul- gence of our own propensities ; it is the constraint of conscience, not merely the impulse of constitu- tional tenderness. It may be, and often is, founc where there is no natural softness or amiableness of temper : where this exists, it will grow with greater rapidity, and expand to greater magnitude, and flourish in greater beauty, like the mountain ash in the rich mould of the valley ; but it still may be planted, like that noble tree, in a less congenial situation, and thrive, in obedience to the law of its nature, amidst barrenness and rocks. Multitudes, who have nothing of sentimentalism in their nature, have love to man ; they rarely can melt into tears, or kindle into rapture — but they can be all energy and activity for the relief of misery, and for the promotion of human happiness: their temperament of mind partakes more of the frigid than of the tor- rid, and their summer seasons of the soul are short and cold ; but still, amidst their mild and even love- ly winter, charity, like the rose of Pactum, blooms in fragrance and in beauty. This is their motto — " God has commanded me to love my neighbor as myself; and in obedience to him I restrain my na- tural tendency, and forgive the injuries, and relieve the miseries, and build up the comfort, and hide the faults, of all around me." 4. It is founded upon, and grows out of lore to God. Wc are to love God for his own sake, and men for God's sake. Our Lord has laid down this as the order and rule of our affections. We must first love God with all our heart, and soul, and mind, and then our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there can be no proper religious affection for our neigh- bor, which does not spring out of supreme regard for Jehovah ; since our love to our neighbor must respect him as the offspring and workmanship of God : " and if we love not him that begat, how can we love him that is begotten of him 1" Besides, as we are to exercise this disposition in obedience to the authority of God, and as no obedience to his au- thority can be valuable in itself, or acceptable to him, which is not an operation of love, no kindness to our neighbor can come up to the nature of the duty here enjoined, which does not arise out of a CHRISTIAN CHARITY. proper state of heart towards God. We love any thins; more truly and properly, the more explicitly we acknowledge and love God in it ; upon the view of those strokes and lineaments of the divine beauty, and the characters of his glory, which are discerni- ble in all his creatures, our love should someway be commensurate with the occasion, and comprehend the universe in its large and complacential embraces. Though, as any thing is of higher excellency, and hath more lively touches and resemblances of God upon it, or, by the disposition of his providence and law more nearly approaches us, and is more imme- diately presented to our notice, converse, use, or engagement ; so our love should be towards it more explicitly, in a higher degree, or with more frequen- cy. As man, therefore, hath in him more of divine resemoiance of God's natural likeness and image — good men, of his moral holy image — we ought to love men more than the inferior creatures, and those that are good and holy more than other men ; and those with whom we are more concerned, with a more definite love, and which is required to be more frequent in its exercise: bur all from ibf attraction of somewhat divine appearing in the object. So that all rational love, or that is capable of being re- gulated and measured by a law, is only so far right in its own kind, as we love God in every thing, and every thing upon his account, and for his sake. — The nature and spirit of man is, by the apostacy, become disaffected and strange to God— alienated from the divine life— addicted to a particular limit- ed good, to the creature for itself, apart from God ; whereupon the things men love are their idols, and men's love is idolatry. But when, by regeneration, a due piopension towards God is restored, the uni- versal good draws their minds; they become in- clined and enlarged towards it ; and, as that is dif- fused, 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 ex- cel in goodness, and in whom the Divine image more brightly shines.* Let us, then, remember that the beautiful super- structure of philanthropy, which the apostle has raised in this chapter, has for its foundation a su- preme regard for the great and blessed God. The utmost kindness and sympathy ; the most tender compassion, united with the most munificent liberal- ity ; if it do not rest on the love of God, is not the temper here set forth — is not the grace which has the principle of immortality in its nature, and which will live and flourish in eternity, when faith and hope shall cease. Human excellence, however dis- tinguished, whatever good it may diffuse upon others, or whatever glory it may draw around it- self, if it be not sanctified and supported by this holy principle, is corruptible and mortal, and cannot dwell in the presence of God, nor exist amidst the glories of eternity; but is only the flower of the grass which shall wither away in the rebuke of the Al- mighty. For want ofthi , vital and essential prin- ciple of all true religion, how much of amiable com- passion, and of tender attention to the woes of hu- manity— how much of kindly feeling and active he- nevolence, — is daily ex; iich,whileil yields its amiable though unrenewed professor much honor and delight, has not the weight of a feather in the scaler of his eternal destiny. 5. This disposition is cherished in our heart by a tense of God's lore in Christ Jesus to vs. There is this peculiarity in the morality of the New Testament; — it is not only enforced by the consideration of Divine power, but by a distinct and repeated reference to Divine goodness. Not * Howe on Charity in Reference to other Men's Sins. that any motive is absolutely necessary to make a command binding upon our conscience, beyond God's right to issue it ; the obligation to duty is complete, in the absence of every other considera- tion than the rightful authority of the command: but as man is a creature capable of being moved by appeals to his gratitude, as well as by motives ad- dressed to his tear, it is both wise and condescend- ing, on the part of Jehovah, thus to deal with him, and to i: make him wilting in the day of his power." He thus not only drives us by the force of his ter- rors, but draws us by the cords of his love. The great evangelical inducement to mutual affection between man and man, is God's love in Christ Jesus to us. God has commended and man- ifested his love to us in a manner that will fill im- mensity and eternity with astonishment : He has "so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This stupendous exhibition of divine mercy is presented by the sa- cred writers, not only as a source of strong consola- tion, but also as a powerful motive to action; we are not only to contemplate it for the purpose of joy, but also of imitation. Mark the beautiful reason- ing of the apostle John — " Herein is love, not that wc loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." — Similar to this is also the inference of Paul — :' And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake haJh for- given you. Be ye therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children, and walk in love as Christ who hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savor." How forcible, yet how tender is such lan- guage ! there is a charm in such a motive, which no terms can describe. The love of God, then, in its existence and arrangements from eternity ; in its manifestation in time by the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ; in its topless height, its fathomless depth, its measureless length and breadth ; — is the grand inducement to universal affection : and is it not enough to soften a heart of stone — to melt a heart of ice 1 The love spoken of in the chapter under consideration, is that impulse towards our fellow- men which is given us by the cross of Christ : it is not mere natural kindness, but it is love for Christ's sake; it is not the mere operations of a generous temper, but it is the feeling which moved in the apostle's breast, when he exclaimed, " The love of Christ constraineth us;" it is not natural religion, but Christianity; it is, so to speak, a plant which grows on Calvary, and entwines itself for support around the cross. It is a disposition which argues in this way: " Has God indeed thus loved me, so as to give his Son for my salvation ? and is he kind to me daily for the sake of Christ ] Has he for- given all my numberless and aggravated transgres- sions'? Does he still, with infinite patience, bear with all my infirmities and provocations! Then what is there, in the way of most generous affection, T ought not to be willing to do. or to bear, or to sa- crifice, for others 1 Do they offend me, let me bear with them, and forgive them ; for how has God for- borne with me, and blotted out my sins ? Do they /'•«///, let me be forward to supply "their necessities; for how has God supplied mine!" Here, then, is love — that deep sense of God's love to us, which shows us the necessity, the reasonableness, the duty, of being kind to others; the feeling of a heart, which, laboring under the weight of its obliga- tions to God. and finding itself too poor to extend its goodness to him, looks round, and gives utter- ance to its exuberant gratitude in acts of kindness to man. CHRISTIAN CHARITY. (J. It is ikut good-will to 'man which, while its prox- i'i't'ir wS it if Ike wi\f*re cf our fellow-creatures, is V: V* Ht.j atrcaed to the glory of God. It is the sublime characteristic of every truly Christian virtue, that whatever inferior ends it may seek, and through whatever intervening medium if may pass, it is directed ultimately to the praist- o\. Jehovah: it may put forth its excellences before the admiring eyes of mortals, and exert its energies for their happiness; but neither to attract their ap- plause, nor to build up their interest-.-, n.ust be its highest aim. The rule of our conduct, as to its chief end, is thus explicitly and comprehensively laid down: "Whether tneiefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God/' — This is not mere advice, but a command — and it is a command extending to all our conduct. To glo- rify God is to act so as that his authority shall be recognized and upheld by us in the world ; it is to be seen submitting to his will, and behaving so as taat his word and ways shall be better thought of W vc^iY-Hd Oa.T ftCticjiiS must appear to have a ; if* a «, .o Cr'oa ; and without this, they cannot partake of the character of religion, however ex- cellent and beneficial they may seem. But perhaps this disposition of mind will be best illustrated by exhibiting an example of it ; and where shall we find one suited to our purpose 1 Every mind will perhaps immediately revert to Him who was love incarnate; and we might indeed point to every action of his benevolent career as a disi.'av of the pidest philanthropy : but as his ex- ftS.f.e Wi.. hereafter be considered, we shall now select one from men of like passions with ourselves; but we must go for it to "the chamber where the good man meets his fate," rather than to the resorts of the healthy and the active ; for it seems as if the brightest beauties of this love were reserved, like those of the setting sun, for the eve of its departure to another hemisphere. How often have we beheld the dying Christian, who, during long and mortal sickness, has exhibited, as ha smod on the verge of heaven, something of the spirit of a glorified im- mortal. The natural infirmities of temper, which attended him through life, and which sometimes dimmed the lustre of his piety, disquieted his own peace, and lessened the pleasure of his friends, had all departed, or had sunk into the shade of those holy graces which then stood out in bold and com- manding relief upon his soul. The beams of heaven now falling upon his spirit were reflected, not only in the faith that is the confidence of things not seen — not only in the hope which entereth with- in the veil, — but in the love which is the greatest in the trinity of Christian virtues. How lowly in the heart did he seem — how entirely clothed with hu- mility J Instead of being puffed up with any thing of i:s own, or uttering a single boasting expres- siciv, li "was ] ke a wound in his heart to hear any one remind him either of his good deeds or dispo- sitions ; and he appeared in his own eyes less than .ever, while, like his emblem, the setting sun, he expanded every moment into greater magnitude in the view of every spectator. Instead of envying the possessions or the excellences of other men, it was a cordial to his departing spirit that he was leaving them thus distinguished : how kind was he to his friends !— and as for ins enemies, he had none; enmity had died in his heart, he forgave all that was manifestly evil, and kindly interpreted all that was only equivocally so. Nothing lived in his recollection, as to the conduct of others, but their acts of kindness. When :n..*cl!i? race reached his ear of the misconduct of those who had been his adversaries, he grieved in spirit, even as he rejoiced when told of their coming back to public esteem by deeds of excellence. His very opinions seemed under the influence of his love; and, as he wished well, he believed well, or hoped well, of many of whom he had formerly thought evil. His meek- ness and patience were touching, his kindness in- describable ; the trouble he gave, and the favurs he r-^eived, drew tears from his own eyes, and were acknowledged in expressions that drew tears from all around. There was an ineffable tenderness in his looks, and his words were the very accents of benignity. He lay a pattern of all the passive vir- tues; and having thus thrown off much that was of the earth, earthy, and put on charity as a gar- ment, and dressed himself for heaven, in his ante- chamber, his sick room, he departed to be with Christ, and to be for ever perfect in Love. There was a man in whom this was realized, and some extracts from his invaluable Memoir, will prove it ; I mean Mr. Scott, the author of the Com- mentary. "His mind," says his biographer, {: dwe'd much upon love- God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Faith worketli by love. He seemed full of tenderness and affection to all around him. ' One evidence,' he said, " I have of meetness for heaven: I feel much love to all mankind— to every man upon earth— to those who have most opposed and slan- dered me.' To his servant he said, ' I thank you for all your kindness to me. If at any time I have been hasty and short, forgive me, and pra> to Jod to forgive me ; but lay the blame upon me, not upon religion.'" " His tender affection for us all is astonishing in such a state of extreme suffering, and cuts us to the heart. He begged his curate to forgive him, if he had been occasionally rough and shaip. ' I meant it for your good, but, like every thing of mine, it was mixed with sin ; impute it not, however, to my religion, but to my want of religion.' He is so gentle and loving — it is so delightful to attend upon him, — that h: s se v-. its, finding themselves in dan- ger of contention which should wait upon him, agreed to tik? it V,' *?*•■*)«, that each might have her due share of the pleasure and benefit; and yet he is continually begging our forgiveness for his want of patience and thankfulness. His kindness and affection to all who approached him were carried to the greatest height, and showed themselves in a singularly minute attention to all their feelings, and, whatever might be for their comfort, to a de- gree that was quite affecting — especially when he was suffering so much himself, often in mind as well as body. There was an astonishing absence of selfish feelings: even in his worst fours he thought of the health of us all ; observed if we sat up long, and insisted on our retiring; and w>s much afraid of paining or hurting us in any way. Mr. D. said something on the permanency of his Com- mentary; 'Ah!' he cried, with a semi-contemptu- ous smile ; and added, ' you know not what a proud heart I have, and how you help the Devil.' He proceeded : ' There is one feeling I cannot have, if I would : those that have opposed my doctrine, have slandered me sadly ; but I cannot feel any resent- ment; I can only love and pity them, and pray for their salvation. I never did feel any resentment towards them ; I only regret that I did not more ardently long and pray for their salvation.' — This is love, and how lovely is V1" Can we conceive ot a more beautiful exemplifi- cation of the virtue I am describingl and this is the temper we ought all to seek. This is the grace, blended with all our living habits, diffused through all our conduct, forming our character, breathing in our desires, speaking in our words, beaming in CHRISTIAN CHARITY. oar eyes ; in short, a living part of our living selves. And Ws, be it remembered, is religion— practical re.igion. CHAPTER III. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS NOT TO BE CONFOUNDED WITH THAT SPURIOUS CANDOR WHICH CONSISTS IN INDIF- FERENCE TO RELIGIOUS SENTIMENT, OR IN CONNIV- ANCE AT SINFUL, PRACTICES. A separate and entire section is devoted to this dis- tinction of love from a counterfeit resemblance of if, because of the importance of the subject, and the frequency with which the mistake is made of confounding things which are so different from each other. No terms have been more misunder- stood or abused than candor and charity. Some have found in them an act of toleration for all reli- gious opinions, however opposed to one another or to the word of God, and a bull of indulgences for all sinful practices which do not transgress the laws of our country : so that, by the aid of these two words, all truth and holiness may be driven out of the world; for if error be innocent, truth must be unimportant ; and if we are to be indulgent towards the sins of others, under the sanction and by the command of Scripture, holiness can be of no con- sequence either to them or ourselves. If we were to hearken to some, we should con- ceive of Charity, not as she really is — a spirit of ineffable beauty, descending from heaven upon our distracted earth, holding in her hand the torch of truth, which she had lighted at the fountain of ce- lestial radiance, and clad in a vest of unsullied purity ; and who, as she entered upon the scene of discord, proclaimed "glory to God in the highest," as well as " peace on earth, good-will to men ;" and having with these magic words healed the troubled waters of strife, proceeding to draw men closer to each other, by drawing them closer to Christ, the common centre of believers; and then hushing the clamors of contention, by removing the pride, the ignorance, and the depravity, which produced them.* No: but we should think of her as a lying spirit — clad, indeed, in some of the attire of an angel of light, but bearing no heavenly im- press, holding no torch of truth, wearing no robe of holiness ; smiling, perhaps, but like a sycophant, upon all without distinction; calling upon men, as they are combating for truth and striving against sin, to sheathe their swords and cast away their shields, to be indulgent towards each other's vices and tolerant of each other's errors; because they all mean and feel so substantially alike, though they have different modes of expressing their opi- nions and of giving utterance to their feelings. Is this charity 1 — No: it is Satan in the habiliments of Gabriel. * An anonymous American writer has given the following eloquent description. "Her thrones seemed ivory, and over her white robes floated an azure mantle besprinkled with drops of heavenly lustre. On her head was a chap- let of such flowers as spring in the region* of bliss; and the summit of the diadem, was distinguished by a centre of rays that resembled the morning star. The bloom of eternal youth was in her coun- tenance, but her maje>tic form can only be describ- ed in the language of that world where she is fully known. In her right hand was "the Sword of the Spirit," and at her side the symbols of power and majesty. Beneath her feet the clouds were con- densed in awful darkness, and her chariot was borne along by the breath of the Almighty." That there is much of this spurious candor in the world, and that it is advocated by great names, will appear by the following quotation from Dr. Priestley : — " If we could be so happy, as to believe that there are no errors but what men may be so circumstanced as to be innocently betrayed into; that any mistake of the head is veiy consistent with rectitude of heart ; and that all differences in modes of worship may be only the different methods by which different men, who are equally the offspring of God, are endeavoring to honor and obey their common parent ; — our difference of opinion wou.d have no tendency to lessen our mutual love and es- teem." Dr. Priestley, and the followers of his re- ligious system, are not peculiar in this sentimer.U Pope's Universal Prayer is to the same effect. "Father of all, in every age, In every clime adored, By saint, by savage, or by sage, Jehovah, Jove, or Lord." The well-known metrical adage of this poet Is adapted, to the full extent of its spirit and design by great multitudes who suppose that they are quite orthodox both in opinion and practice, and who per- haps boast of their charity, while they exclaim — "For modes of faith, let graceless zealots fight; His can't be wrong, whose life is in the right.''' It is, I imagine, generally thought, by at least a great part of mankind, that it is of little conse- quence what a man's religious opinions are, pro- vided his conduct be tolerably correct; that charity requires us to think well of his state ; and that it is the very essence of bigotry to question the validity of his claim to the character of a Christian, or to doubt of the safety of his soul ; in other words, it is pretended that benevolence requires us to think well of men, irrespective of religious opinions ; and that it is almost a violation of the rule of love to attempt to unsettle their convictions, or to render them uneasy in the possession of their sentiments, although we may conclude them to be fundament- ally wron?. But does this disregard of all opi- nions— at least, this disposition to think well of per- sons as to their religious character, and the safety of their souls, whatever may be the doctrines they hold, — enter essentially into the nature of love? Most certainly not ; but actually opposes it. Be- nevolence is good-will to men, hut this is a very different thing from a good opinion of their princi- ples and practices; so different, that the former may not only o> :st in all its force without the latter, but be actually incompatible with it ; for if I believe that a man holds opinions that endanger his safety, benevolence requires, not that I should shut my eyes to his danger, and lull him into false confi- dence, but that I should bear my testimony and ex- press my fears concerning his situation. Benevo- lence is a very different thing from complacency or esteem. These are founded on approbation of character ; the other is nothing more than a desire to promote happiness. The question, whether love is to be confounded with indifference to religious principle, — for such does the spurious candor I am contending against amount to, — is best decided by an appeal to Scrip- ture. "Ye shall know the truth," said Clinst; " and the truth shall make you free/' " This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." "He that be- lieveth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not sec life, but the wrath of God abidethon him." With what em- phasis did the apostle speak of the conduct of those who attempted to pervert the great doctrine 10 CHRISTIAN CHARITY. of justification by faith, by introducing the obsolete ceremonies of the Jewish law. "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be ac- cursed." Now, certainly, this is any thing but in- difference to religious opinion; for, be it observ- ed, it was matter of opinion, and not the duties of morality, or of practical religion, that was here so strenuously opposed. The apostle commands Timothy " To hold fast the form of sound words ; and to give himself to doctrine." The apostle John has this strong language : — " Whosoever trans- gresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine, of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, re- ceive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed, is par- taker of his evil deeds." Jude commands us to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." From these, and many other passages which might be quoted, it is evident, not only that truth is important and necessary to salvation, but that error is guilty, and in many instances is con- nected with the loss of the soul. " If a man may disbelieve one truth, and yet be free from sin for so doing, he may disbelieve two; and if two, four; and if four, ten; and if ten, half the Bible; and if half the Bible, the whole : and if he may be a Deist, and yet be in a safe state ; he may be an Athiest and still go to heaven." To such awful lengths may the principle be pushed, that there is no guilt in mental error. " Let those," says Dr. Priestley, " who maintain that the mere holding of opinions (without regard to the motives and state of the mind through which men may have been led to form them,) will necessarily exclude them from the favor of God, be particularly careful with respect to the premises from which they draw so alarming a conclusion." Nothing can be more sophistical than this passage; for we do not in maintaining the guiltiness of a false opinion, leave out the stale of the heart ; but contend that all errors in the judgment have their origin in the depravity of our nature, and, in so far as they prevail, discover a heart not brought into subjection to Christ. A per- fectly holy mind could not err in the opinion it de- rived from the word of God : and it may be most fairly presumed that there are certain fundamental truths, which cannot be rejected, without such a degree of depravity of heart, as is utterly incom- patible with true piety towards God. It is to be recollected, that the holiness required in the word of God, is a very superior thing to what is called morality. Holiness is a right state of mind towards God, and it. is enforced by motives drawn from the view which the Scriptures give us of the Divine nature, and of the Divine conduct towards us. If our views of God, and of his scheme of mercy, be incorrect, the motives which influence us cannot be correct. Hence all risht feeling and conduct are traced up by the sacred writers to the truth. Do they speak "of regeneration 1 they tell us we are " begotten by the incorruptible seed of the word." Do they speak of sanctification 1 they ascribe it, so far as instrumentality is concerned, to the truth; and the truth itself is characterized as a " doctrine according to godliness." It is evident, that without the truth, or in other words, without right opinions, we can neither be born again of the Spirit, nor partake of true holiness. The whole process of practical and experimental religion is carried on by the instrumentality of right senti- ments,; and to suppose that holiness could be pro- duced in the soul as well by error as by truth, is not only contrary to revelation, but no less contrary to reason. If truth sanctify, error must in some way or other pollute ; for to suppose that two causes, not only so distinct but so opposite, can produce the same effect, is absurd ; and the Scriptures every where insist upon the importance of the truth, not merely on its own account, but on account of its moral effect upon the soul. If this view of the subject be correct, Christian charity cannot mean indifference to religious senti- ment; for if so, it would be a temper of mind in direct opposition to a large portion of Scripture : nor are we required, by this virtue, to give the least countenance to what we think is error. We may, indeed, be called bigots; for this term in the lips of many, means nothing more than a reproach for attaching importance to right sentiments. No word has been more misunderstood than this. If by bigotry is meant such an overweening attachment to our opinions, as makes us refuse to listen to ar- gument ; such a blind regard to our own views, as closes the avenues of conviction; such a selfish zeal for our creed, as actually destroys benevolence, and causes us to hate those who differ from us ; — it is an evil state of mind, manifestly at variance with love : but if, as is generally the case, it means, by those who use it, only zeal for truth, it is perfectly consistent with love, and actually a part of it; for "charity rejoiceth in the truth." It is quite com- patible with good will to men, therefore, to attach high importance to doctrines, to condemn error, to deny the Christianity and safety of those who with- hold their assent from fundamental truths, and to abstain from all such religious communion with them as would imply, in the least possible degree, any thing like indifference to opinion. It does ap- pear to me, that the most perfect benevolence to men, is that which, instead of looking with com- placency on their errors, warns them of their dan- ger, and admonishes them to escape. It is no mat- ter that they think they are in the right — this only makes their case the more alarming; and to act towards them as if we thought their mistaken views of no consequence, is only to confirm their delu- sion, and to aid their destruction. It is true we are neither to despise them nor per- secute them; we are neither to oppress nor ridicule them ; we are neither to look upon them with haughty scorn, nor with callous indifference;— but while we «et ourselves against their errors, we are to pity them with unaffected compassion, and to labor for their conversion with disinterested kind- ness. We are to bear, with unruffled meekness, all their provoking sarcasms; and to sustain, with deep humility, the consciousness of our clearer percep- tions; and to convince them that, with the steadiest resistance of their principles, we unite the tender- est concern for their persons. And, if charity do not imply indifference to reli- gious opinions, so neither does it mean connivance nt sin. iThere are some persons whose views of the evil of sin are so dim and contracted, or their good nature is so accommodating and unscriptural, that they make all kinds of excuses for men's trans- gression's, and allow of any latitude that is asked, for human frailty. The greatest sins, if they are not committed against the laws of society, are re- duced to the mere infirmities of our fallen nature, which should not be visited with harsh censure; and as for the lesser ones, they are mere specks upon a bright and polished surface, which nothing but a most fastidious precision would ever notice. Such persons condemn, as sour and rigid ascetics, all who oppose and condemn iniquity; revile them as uniting in a kind of malignant opposition to the cheerfulness of society, the very dregs cf puritan CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 11 ism and barbarism ; and reproach them as being destitute of all the charities and courtesies of life. But if candor be a confounding of the distinctions between sin and holiness, a depreciating of the ex- cellence of the latter, and at the same time a dimi- nishing of the evil of the former ; if it necessarily lead us to connive with an easy and good natured air at iniquity, and to smile with a kind and gentle aspect upon the transgressions which we witness; — then it must be something openly at variance with the letter and the spirit of revelation: and surely that candor which runs counter to the mind of God, cannot be the love on which St. Paul passes such an eulogium in this chapter. We are told by the word of God, that sin is exceedingly sinful : that it is the abominable thing which God hates; that the wages of it are death; that by an unholv feeling we violate the law : we are commanded to abstain from its very appearance ; we are warned against excusing it in ourselves, or in each other; we are admonished to reprove it, to resist it, and to oppose it, to the uttermost. Certainly, then, it can- not be required by the law of love, that we should look with a mild and tolerant eye on sin. Love to man arises out of Love to God ; but can it be pos- sible to love God, and not to hate sin 1 it is the fruit of faith, but faith purifies the heart ; it is cherished by a sense of redeeming love; but the very end of the scheme of redemption is the destruction of sin. Indulgence of men in their sins, connivance at their iniquity, instead of being an act of benevolence, is the greatest cruelty: hence the emphatic language of God to the Israelites—" Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart ; thou shalt in any wise re- buke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." Would it be benevolence to connive at that conduct by which any individual was bringing disease upon his body, or poverty into his circumstances 1 If not, how can it be benevolent to leave him, without a warning, to do that which will involve his soul in ruin. To think more lightly of the evil of sin than the word of God does; to call that good, or even indifferent, which by it is called evil ; to make allowances which it does not make, for human frail- ty; to frame excuses for sin which it disallows; to lull the consciences of men, by considerations in extenuation of guilt which it forbids; or to do any thing to produce other views and feelings in refer- ence to iniquity, than such as are warranted by the Scripture,— is not charity, but a participation in other men's sins. It is the nature of charity, I admit, not to be hasty to impute evil motives to actions of a doubtful na- ture : not to take pleasure in finding out the faults of others; not to magnify them beyond the reality, but to make all the allowance that a regard to truth will admit of; to hope the best in the absence of proof; and to be willing to forgive the offence when it has been committed against ourselves : but to car- ry it beyond this, and let it degenerate into a com- plaisance which is afraid to rebuke, or oppose, or condemn sin, lest we should offend the transgressor, or violate the law of courtesy, or subject ourselves to the reproach of being a censorious bigot ; which courts the good-will and promotes the self-satisfac- tion of others, by conniving at their sins; which seeks to inzra'iate itself in their affections, by being indulgent to their vices; is to violate at once the law both of the first and of the second Table ; istoforgel every obligation which we are laid under, both to love God and our neighbor. If this be candor, it is no less opposed to pit take more pains with himself than one who has sound health —and he will, after all, look more sickly than the other ; but as his bodilv malady does exist, he must give himself this trouble, or he cannot rationally expect the least share of health : so it is with the soul, if the disease of an evil temper be there, im- mense and unwearied pains must be taken to resist and suppress it. This is ivhat is meant by our " plucking out a right eve, or cutting off a right hand ;" by " denyipg ourselves ;" by " mortifying the deeds of the body;'' by "the spirit struggling against the flesh;'' by " casting aside every weight, and the sin which doth most easily beset us." The subjection of our cemper to the control of religion, is a thin°- which wust be done. It is that to which we must^applv, as to a matter of indispensable ne- cessity ; it is an object which we must accomplish by any mortification of feeling, and by any expen- diture of iabor. The virtues which we are about to consider, will spring up in no soil without cul- ture ; but there are some soils peculiarly unfriendly to their growth, and in which productions of an op- posite kind thrive spontaneously, and grow with frightful luxuriance : with these greater pains must be taken, and greater patience exercised, till at length the beautiful imagery of the prophet shall be realized — " Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree ; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off." But for effecting such a transformation, there must be a degree of labor and painstaking, which very few are willing to endure: "This kind goeth not forth but by prayer and fasting." To obtain this victory over ourselves, much time must be spent in the closet — much communion with God must be maintained — much strong crying with tears must be poured forth. We must undergo what the apostle calls, by a term very appropriate, as well as strikingly descriptive, a "crucifixion;" — " we must crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof;" — "we must keep," or as the word signifies, " beat, under our body;" — we must bring: our mind, from time to time, under the influence of redeeming grace; we must ascend the hill of Cal- vary, and gaze upon that scene of love, till our cold h'^nrts melt, our hard hearts soften, and all the cruel selfishness of our nature relaxes into gentleness; we must make all the doctines of the gospel, with all the motives they contain, bear upon our nature: the example of the meek and lowly Jesus must be con- templated, and admired, and copied; and especial- ly, after all, must we breathe forth internal longings for the influence of the Holy Ghost, without whose aid our souls will no more yield to the influence of motives than the polar ice will melt by the feeble beams of the ?reat northern constellation. We must pray for the Spirit, lon