Introduction

CHARITY in the Soul of Man is the very Picture of the Godhead, taken as it stands in the fairest Light. Wisdom and Holiness, Power, Sovereignty and Justice are various Features of the Deity: They are indeed his very Nature and Essence; yet the Scripture rather chooses to express, that God is Love, and that twice in one Chapter, 1 John 4:8, and 16. The beloved Disciple that leaned on the Bosom of Jesus, took peculiar Delight in the Contemplation of God, under this Character. This appears in his Gospel as well as in his Epistle. The other Glories of that infinite Beauty shine with awful Beams, and command my Reverence: But I think, I love to look upon so glorious a Being in his most condescending Air, and to converse with him in his mildest and most inviting Aspect.

Charity in Man is a Grace of that alluring Sweetness, that my Pen would gladly be attempting to say something in Favour of it: I find a strange Pleasure in discoursing of this Virtue, hoping that my very Soul may be moulded into its Divine Likeness. I would always feel it inwardly warming my Heart. I would have it look through my Eyes continually, and it should be ever ready upon my Lips to soften every Expression of my Tongue. I would dress myself in it as my best Raiment, I would put it on upon my Faith and Hope, not so as entirely to hide them, but as an upper and more visible Vesture, constantly to appear in among Men. For our Christian Charity, is to evidence our other Virtues.

Uncharitableness is a loathsome Part of the Image of the fallen Angel: It is akin to the Hatred of God. For he that loves not his Brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 1 John 4:20. He that hates his Fellow-Christian, and brings railing Accusations against him for a Difference in little Opinions, how can he expect to be beloved of God, who beholds in the best of us so many monstrous Follies, and Guilt of a more aggravated Nature? By the Word Uncharitableness here, I would not include our Neglect of Charity to the Poor and Hungry, nor our Aversion to Errors of the grosser kind, but I mean our Aversion to such Persons who not only profess to be Christians, but who also agree with us in the chief Doctrines of Christianity, (namely) the Pardon of our Sins by the atoning Sacrifice of Christ, and the Sanctification of Men by the powerful Operations of the Holy Spirit, and the Necessity of Faith in Christ, and Good Works, and so forth. I mean our Aversion to those who differ from us in little Punctilios of Doctrine or Duty which are not expressly and plainly written in the New Testament; those who maintain such an Aversion to their fellow Christians, as to pronounce Damnation upon them, or some terrible and unchristian Censures, because they do not come up to our Sentiments and Practices in things which are of little Moment, while we agree in all fundamental Points, and such as are of most Importance.

This Uncharitableness is a Vice attended with such a Train of Mischiefs, that I would set all my biggest Powers in Array to fight against it. It is a Fountain of such bitter Waters, that I would gladly dam up the Spring. It is a Plant of so poisonous a Product, that I would dig deep and search for the Roots, and tear up all the Fibres of it, though they twined about my Heart-strings.