to us whatever difcovery or enjoyment of him we have! Here all comes in to us in the way of Ordinances, and then we fhall have no need of them, we shall be above them.

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Use 3. Let us therefore be perfwaded as to fet an higher Price upon Charity, fo to lay out more of our pains in the pursuit of it. The latter we shall never do unless we do the former less we prize it we shall never take pains to get it. For the former of these, namely, the value thereof, befides the durableness of Charity, there are these things that fet forth the worth of it, and commend it to us.

1. There is nothing that renders us more like unto God than Charity doth. Every one that Loveth is born of God, 1 Joh. 4. and therein bares the lively Image of him whose Child he is.

2. There is nothing that brings us nearer unto God, and fits us for more close and intimate Communion with

God. God is Love, and he that dwel- ■ Joh. 4leth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God is.

in him.

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3. 'Tis the great Commandment of Chrift that we should Love one another; the Commandment which he prin`cipally infifted on, which he most urged and inculcated when he was about to leave this World as to his Bodily prefence. A new Commandment give I unto jou, that love one another, as I have loved you, that ye alfo love one another, John 13. 34. This is my Commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, John 15. 12. These things I Command you, that love one another, John 15. 17. This Commandment of Chrift St. John urgeth; This is the Meffage, or the Commandment which ye heard from the Beginning, that we should love one another, 1 John 3. 11. This is his Commandment, that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jefus Christ, and love one another as he gave us Commandment, 1 John 3. 23. This Commandment of Love St. James calls by way of eminency, the Royal Law, Jam. 2. 8.

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4. Love is the Sum and Abridgment of the Law. He that loveth another bath fulfilled the Law, Rom. 13. 8. The whole Law is briefly comprehended in this Saying, namely, thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy felf, ver. 9.

All

All these things fhew the excellency of this Grace: and he that is fully perfwaded thereof, will be willing to be at the expence of fome pains to get it. And the means for attaining it are,

1. Earnest Prayer unto God that he would be pleased to infuse it into our Hearts. But then this must not be done by fits and starts, but we must make it our conftant and most importunate fuit unto him, who certainly will not deny us that which he hath fo frequently and earnestly enjoyned on us, and recommended to us.

2. To be much in the acts and exercife of Love, taking all occafions of doing Offices of Love to any that need them, and performing them out of Love. The frequent exercife of any Grace or Habit whether Moral or Intellectual, will increase and strengthen it. But then, as was faid, thofe Offices of Love must be performed out of Love. Herein we may eafily deceive our felves if we be not very heedful. We may do many good Offices to our Neighbour from other Principles and Motives rather than from Love. When we do the very fame things which Love requires,and which Charity should prompt

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us to, we may be acted from Pride, Vain-glory, a defire to please others, who will like it well; or because we think fuch Offices are expected from us, and we shall be thought wanting to our Duty if we neglect them; or purely from the convictions of our Consciences which put us on, and will not suffer us to be quiet unless we do them. Wherefore this is a great thing, and indeed, all in all, that we fee that in all our Offices of Love, True Love be at the bottom.

3. Obferve your Heart narrowly, take notice of all inward motions, workings of Corruption, and Diftempers contrary to Love, and fupprefs them. Affoon as you difcern them, strive against them, and pray them down,

So much of the 8th Verfe. Now in the 9th and 10th Verfes the Apostle confirms what he had faid, concerning Knowledge and Prophefie. Prophefie muft fail, and Knowledge muft vanish away. For (faith he) we know in part, and we Prophefie in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part fhall be done away. In which words we have these two things,

1. The imperfection of our Knowledge here: We know in part, and we Prophefie in part.

2. The Ceflation or Abolition of our imperfect Knowledge when we shall attain to Perfection; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. Of both these in order. A little more largely of the former; but very briefly of the latter. Concerning the former of thefe, the imperfection of our Knowledge here, the Apostles affertion is full and plain. We know in part, and we Prophefie in part. We know in part; that is, we have in this Life only a partial and defective Knowledge of Heavenly things 3 fome things we know, and many other things we are ignorant of. And fo also we Prophefie in part; for how fhould it be otherwise if we know but in part ? 'Tis not poffible that we should declare and make known to others more than we know our felves. Neither is this to be understood only of weak Christians, or of fuch as are of the tower Forms in the School of Christ, but even of those whose attainments are higheft, of the most enlightned and most knowing Christians. The Apostle, although he

had