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he would be never the nearer Heaven for them ; but it may be, through his abule of them, a great deal the farther off.

Ufe 4. Let even the weakest fincere Christian, and true Believer, though his Faith fhould feem to be but as a grain of Mustard-feed, I fay, let him be greatly thankful for any measure of Grace. If God hath beftowed on you but a little true Grace, he hath therein done more for you, than if he had enriched and adorned you with all the rare Gifts that Humane Nature is capable of. If you perfectly understood all Languages, and could fpeak all the Tongues in the World; if you were exactly acquainted with all the Secrets of Nature, and all the depths and profound Mysteries of the Gofpel, and could difcourfe of thefe Things to the admiration and aftonishment of all your Hearers; if you had Faith to work more Miracles than all the Prophets in the Old Testament, and than Christ and his Apostles in the New, yet would not all this without Charity bring you to Heaven: You might with all these rare Gifts be turn'd into Hell, and eternally perish.

In

1 Cor. 15. 14.

In the next place the Apostle pronounceth the fame of Doing and Suffering, which he had pronounced of Gifts.

First, Of Doing: Though I beftow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing. Whence we may obferve,

That the best Duties, the higheft Performances, without Charity, avail nothing.

Several of the Particulars by which the former Point was confirmed, might ferve for the Confirmation of this also. But not here to infist on them again, I fhall add two other Reasons.

1. Charity is intrinfecally and abfolutely neceffary to the due and acceptable performance of every Duty: For God prescribes not only the substance of that Duty which he requires of us, but likewife the manner of performance, that the Things to be done by us, be done from Love. Let all your Things be done with Charity. So then Charity runs through the whole Law, and must be mingled with every Duty, and influence every Duty as the Principle from

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whence it proceeds, and by which 'tis acted.

2. What is not from Love, is evermore from fome other bafe and finful Principle as from Pride, Vain-glory, refpect to our Worldly Advantage, an Opinion of Merit, or the like. Now fuch undue and finful Motives, vitiate, corrupt, and poyfon all that we do, and cause the most fpecious, the most glorious Performances, as to outward appearance, to be odious unto God and inftead of being an Odour of a Sweet Smell, a Sacrifice acceptable, wellpleafing to God, as the Apostle fpeaks, Phil. 4. 18. to fend up a loathfome ftink into his Noftrils. Now to apply this Point.

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Ufe 1. We may hence difcern the Reason why the Apostle preffeth Charity so earnestly, and fo frequently. Let all your Things be done with Charity, 1 Cor. 16. 14. the place a little before mentioned. Follow after Charity, 1 Cor. daxils, pursue it. Above all Things put Col.3.14. on Charity, be ye clothed with it. And fpeaking unto Timothy, he faith, Be Tim.4. thou an Example in Charity. And, Follow Righteousness, Faith, Charity. And 22.

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fo the Apostle St. Peter, Add to Godlinefs Brotherly-kindness, and to Brotherly1Pet. 4. kindness Charity. Above all Things have fervent Charity among your felves. The Reafon why Charity is fo much pressed, is, because without it whatfoever we have elfe fignifies nothing.

Ufe 2. This fhews how much it concerns us to look into, and examine the Principles of our best Actions and higheft Performances. How fpecious and beautiful foever they may appear outwardly, if Charity be not within, if that be not the Root and Principle of them, the fecret Engine by which we are moved and acted in what we do, all our Labour is loft; God values it not. Men may be apt to think they have done much Good feveral ways; but the Question hereafter will not be how much they have done, but how they have done it. When upon a narrow View and impartial Inquiry into the Motives and Principles of their good Actions, all fhall be caft afide as reprobate Silver, as meer refuse and nothing worth, that hath not the ftamp of Charity upon it, that is not from Love, olr how little will there remain to turn to

their Account! And where Charity hath had fome influence upon their good Actions, yet oh how fmall a fhare hath Charity had in the good Things which they have done, and how great a ftroke have other by and finifter Motives had! Now if you inquire how you may attain this excellent Grace of Charity: I Anfwer,

1. Set your felf against all thofe Things that are contrary to it, and destructive of it: Efpecially fet your felf againft, and refift what is contrary to the Love of God, which is the root of all true and fincere Love to your Neighbour. I fhall inftance in three Things The Love of the World, the Love of your Self, and the Love of any endeared Luft or darling Sin.

(1.) Set your felf against the Love of this World; the immoderate and inordinate Love thereof. The Apostle pronounceth the Love of the World to be utterly inconfiftent with the Love of God. Love not the World, nor the 1 Jok. 23 Things that are in the World; if any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. He who hath any acquaintance with himself, and is not too much a stranger to his own Heart,

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