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SERMON II

† COR. xüj. 4.

Charity Suffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not; Charity vaunteth not it felf, is not puffed up.

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HE Apostle having spoken of the Neceffity of Charity, in the three former Verfes, now goes

on to commend this Grace unto us from the Properties and Effects of it; fome of which he reckons up in this Verse, the reft follow afterwards. Now concerning thefe Properties of Charity, fome Things may be obferved in the general, before I defcend to speak of them particularly, as they offer themfelves in the Text.

1. These Properties are fuch, as 'tis evident that the Charity which the Apoftle here defcribes and characterifeth, is that which refpects Men: For he all E 2 along

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along fets forth the nature of Charity, with relation to our carriage towards Man, and our deportment towards one another. But yet however, in our Charity towards our Neighbour, our Love to God is implyed, and neceffarily fuppofed. No Man loves his Brother as he ought, but he who loves him in relation to God, for his fake, and upon his account. And this,

(1.) With respect to God's Command, and in Obedience thereunto. God hath Lev. 19. injoined him to love his Neighbour as himself, to love his very Enemies, and out of Love to do them any good OfMatth. 5. fice; Bless them that curfe you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully use you and perfecute

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you.

(2.). Because he refembles God, and bears his Image; at least in refpect of his Natural Perfections and Endowments, especially the Dignity, Immortality, and excellent Faculties of his Soul. And if he be one who is regenerated, he is moreover renewed after the Image of God in Righteousness and` true Holiness, as the Apostle fpeaks, Eph. 4. 23, 24. and in that regard ought he to have fo much the more Love from

him ; and the more ftill as he fhall come still more to resemble God in that which is the chief part of his Image in Man.

2. Whereas these Properties of Charity are many, we may obferve that divers of them are fo nearly allied, and of so near affinity to one another, that 'tis not eafie to distinguish them exactly, or to say any thing of one of them, that may not as properly fall under fome other of them: As for Example, That Charity Suffereth long, ver 4. is not easily provoked, ver. 5. beareth all things, endureth all things, ver. 7. And as 'tis hard to determine precisely wherein these do differ, fo perhaps 'tis not very neceffary that we should perfectly and exactly distinguish or difference them. For why might not the Apostle use divers words and expreffions almost of the fame importance, and fignifying much the fame thing, the more fully to express his fenfe, and fet forth the nature of the Grace he was difcourfing of? Thus we know the Scriptures often describe and set forth the fame Thing by variety of Expreffions, all tending to the fame Purpose, and fignifying the E 3 fame

fame Thing. Neither is this done without refpect to our Benefit feveral ways. (1.) Hereby the Things treated of, are conveyed into our Understandings with greater evidence and clearness.

(2.) We are also more affected with the Things by the redoubled impreffions that are made, while they beat and rebeat upon our Minds, under those various terms by which they are exprefs'd.

(3.) As to the defign of the Apostle in this large defcription of Charity, by fo many Properties and Effects thereof, we may well conceive that though he chiefly intended to commend Charity unto them, to make them the more in love with it, and the more effectually to ftir them up to labour after it; yet he had alfo other fubordinate and lefs principal Ends therein. While he thus defcribes the nature and properties of Charity, and how it frames and difpofeth the Hearts and Carriage of Men towards their Brethren, 'tis probable that he thereby further intended;

1. Indirectly, and by the way, to tax the Corinthians for their contrary Carriage towards each other, whereby they bewrayed their want of, or great deff

ciency in this Grace, how much foever they abounded in Gifts.

2. To help them and all others, to try the truth and measure of their Charity by these characters and properties thereof.

3. To lay before them, and all other Christians, the chief Offices and Duties of Charity, which all should make Confcience of, and endeavour to perform; and especially those who would be thought to have attained greater meafures of that Grace, than many others. And fo much in the general: I come now to speak of the feveral Properties of Charity in order as they lye in the Text. This one Verse contains five of thofe Properties; of which the first is, That Charity Suffereth long. Divina plane Charitatis defcriptio profecta ex pectore ejus pleno A Divine Description of Charity, proceeding from a breaft that was full of it, faith a Learned Man, None could better defcribe Charity than St. Paul, whofe Heart was fo full of Love to Christ, and Love to the Saints, and Love to all Men, whofe fpiritual and everlasting Good he fo affectionately and ardently defired, and fo induftriously and reftlefly indeavoured to promote

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