quires public delation and censure, even these will be sweetened in that compassion that flows from love. If it be such a sore as must not be let lie covered up, lest it prove deadly, so that it must be uncovered, to be lanced and cut, that it may be cured, still this is to be done as loving the soul of the brother. Where the rule of conscience urges it not, then thou must bury it, and be so far from delighting to divulge such things, that, as far as without partaking in it thou mayest, thou must veil it from all eyes, and try the way of private admonition; and if the party appear to be humble and willing to be reclaimed, then forget it, cast it quite out of thy thoughts, that, as much as may be, thou mayest learn to forget it more. But this, I say, is to be done with the tenderest bowels of pity, feeling the cuts thou art forced to give in that necessary incision, and using mildness and patience. Thus the Apostle instructs his Timothy, Reprove, rebuke, exhort, but do it with long-suffering, with all longsuffering. And even them that oppose, instruct, says he, with meekness; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.

4. If thou be interested in the offence, even by unfeigned free forgiveness, so far as thy concern goes, let it be, as if it had not been. And though thou meet with many of these, charity will gain and grow by such occasions: and the more it hath covered, the more it can cover, cover a multitude, says our Apostle; covers all sins, says Solomon; yea, though thou be often put to it by the same party, what made thee forgive once, well improved, will stretch our Saviour's rule to seventy times seven times in one day'.

And, truly, in this, men mistake grossly, that think it is greatness of spirit to resent wrongs, and baseness to forgive them; on the contrary, it is the only excellent spirit scarce to feel a wrong, or, feeling, straight to forgive it. It is the greatest ¶ chap. ii. 25.

P2 Tim. iv. 2.

r

Mat. xviii. 21, 22.

I

and best of spirits that enables to this, the Spirit of God, that dove-like spirit that rested on our Lord Jesus, and from him is derived to all that are in him. pray you think, is it not a token of a tender sickly body, to be altered with every touch, from every blast it meets with? And thus is it a sign of a poor weak sickly spirit, to endure nothing, to be distempered at the least air of an injury; yea, with the very fancy of it, where there is really none.

Inf. 1. Learn then to beware of these evils, that are contrary to this charity. Do not dispute with yourselves in rigid remarks and censures, when the matter will bear any better sense.

2. Do not delight in tearing a wound wider, and stretching a real failing to the utmost.

3. In handling of it, study gentleness, pity and meekness. These will advance the cure, whereas thy flying out into passion against thy fallen brother, will prove nothing, but as the putting of thy nail into the sore, that will readily rankle it, and make it worse. Even sin may be sinfully reproved; and how thinkest thou, that sin shall redress sin, and reduce the sinner.

There is a great deal of spiritual art and skill in dealing with another's sin; and it requires much spirituality of mind, and much prudence, and much love, especially a mind clear from passion, for that blinds the eye, and makes the hand rough; so that a man neither rightly sees nor handles, the sore he goes about to cure. And many are lost through the ignorance and neglect of that due temper to be brought to this work. Men think otherwise, that their rigours are much spirituality; but they mistake it'; Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

4. For thyself, as an offence touches thee, learn. to delight as much in that divine way of forgiveness, as carnal minds do in that base inhuman way

$ Gal, vi. 1.

of revenge. It is not, as they judge, a glory to bluster and swagger for every thing, but the glory of a man to pass by a transgression. This makes him godlike. And consider thou often that love that covers all thine, that blood that was shed to wash off thy guilt; needs any more be said to gain all in this, that can be required of thee.

Now, the other fruit of love, which is doing good, is, 1. Expressed in one particular". Then dilated to a general rule, which will be considered below.

Ver. 9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging.

HOSPITALITY or kindness to strangers, is mentioned here as an important fruit of love; it being in those times and places, in much use in travel, and particularly then needful to be often exercised among Christians one to another, by reason of hot and general persecutions. But under this name, I conceive, all other supply of the wants of our brethren in outward things to be here comprehended.

Now, for this, the way and measure, indeed, must receive its proportion from the estate and ability of persons. But certainly the great straitening of hands in these things, is more from the straitness of hearts than of means. A large heart, with a little estate, will do much with cheerfulness and little noise, while hearts glued to the poor riches they possess, or rather are possessed hy, can scarce part with any thing, till they be pulled from all.

Now, for supply of our brethrens necessities, one good help is, the retrenching of our own superflui

ties.

Turn the stream into that channel where it will refresh thy brethren, and enrich thyself, and let it not run into the dead sea. Thy vain excessive entertainments, thy gaudy variety of dresses, these thou dost not challenge, thinking it is of thine own; but know, as follows, thou art but steward of it,

and this is not faithfully laying out; thou canst not answer for it; yea it is robbery; thou robbest thy poor brethren that want necessaries, whilst thou lavishest thus on unnecessaries. Such a feast, such a suit of apparel, is direct robbery in the Lord's eye, and the poor may cry, that is mine that you cast away so vainly, by which both I and you might be profited'; With-hold not good from him therefore to whom it is due, &c.

Without grudging.] Some look to the actions, but few to the intention and posture of mind in them? and yet that is the main; it is indeed all, even with men, so far as they can perceive it; much more with thy Lord, who always perceives it to the full. He delights in the good he does his creatures: He would have them so affected to one another, especially would see his children to have this trace of his likeness. See, then, when thou givest alms, or entertainest a stranger, that there be nothing either of under grumbling, or crooked self seeking in it. Let the left-hand have no hand in it, not so much as know of it, as our Saviour directs, not to please men, or to please thyself, or simply out of a natural pity or consideration of thy own possible incidency into the like case, which many think very well, if they be so moved: But if there be here a higher principle moving thee, love to God, and to thy brother, in, and for him, this will make it cheerful and pleasant. to thyself, and well-pleasing to him, for whom thou dost it. We lose much in actions, of themselves good, both of piety and charity, through disregard of our hearts in them; and nothing will prevail with us, to be more intent this way to look more on our hearts, but this, to look more on Him that looks on them, and judges, and accepts all according to them.

Though all the sins of former ages gather, and fall into the latter times, this is pointed out as the grand evil, uncharitableness. The Apostle St. Paul, tells us, that in the last day, men shall be covetous, a Prov. iii. 27, 28. b Mat. vi. 3.

c 2 Tim. iii. 2.

slanderers, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God: But how, from whence all this confluence of evils? The spring of all is set first, and that is the direct opposite of Christian love; they shall be [pinauro] lovers of themselves. This is it, that kills the love of God, and the love of our brethren, and kindles that infernal fire of love to please themselves; so that riches make men voluptuous and covetous, &c. Truly, whatsoever become of mens curious computation of times, this wretched selfishness and decay of love, may save us the labour of much chronological debate in this, and lead us from this certain character of them, to conclude these to be the latter times, in a very strict sense. All other sins are come down along, and run combined now; but truly uncharitableness is the main one. As old age is a rendezvous or meeting place of maladies, but especially subject to cold diseases: thus is it in the old age of the world, many sins abound, but especially coldness of love, as our Saviour foretells it, that in the last days the love of many shall war cold. As the disease of the youth of the world, was the abounding of lust, so of its age, decay of love: And as that heat called for a total deluge of waters; so this coldness for fire, to the kindling an universal fire, that shall make an end of it and the world together.

But they alone are the happy men, and have the advantage of all the world, in whom the world is burnt up beforehand, by another fire; that divine fire of the love of God, kindled in their hearts, by which they ascend up to him, and are reflected from him upon their brethren, with a benign heat and influence for their good. Oh! be unsatisfied with yourselves, and restless till you find it thus, till you find your hearts possessed with this excellent grace of love, that you may have it, and use it, and it may grow by using and acting, I could, methinks,

f

tatis.

d Mat, xxiv. 12.

e Gen. vi. Aqua propter ardorem libidinis, ignis propter teporem chari