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of love rejoices only in the works of Christ, and delights to imitate them; and has no pleasure either in the direct or reflex acts of felf-conceit, wherein the fpirit of pride delights to exercife itself.

The fpirit of pride, which is the spirit of the world, under the borrowed name of charity, always opposes the truth. Yea, it can take pleafure in any thing but the truth. Among fome devout people, it takes the name of CATHOLIC. CHARITY; among the more fashionable, that of UNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE. But whatever name it affumes, it always looks with an evil eye on the truth, as a narrow way of thinking, exceedingly odious to it: and whenever it fmells the breath of ancient charity, it is ready to oppose it with the fame temper as it did of old, Say we not well, that thou art a Samaritan, and haft a devil? It always charges ancient charity with fome malignant difpofition.

The profeffion of charity muft proceed on fome profeffion of the faith. Anciently men were acknowledged as Chriftians, or objects of charity, on what they had to fay of Chrift, or on their calling Jefus, LORD. The Ethiopian eunuch was acknowledged for a Chriftian, when he faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the Son of God. Among many devout people now, the expreflion of mutual charity proceeds on fome fuch profeffion as this: "Thus and thus I endea"voured, and was accordingly affifted; I underftand the cafe is the fame with you:-I fincerely "confider you as a gracious perfon, and a good "Chriftian; and I prefume you can think no lefs "of me." Having thus founded their charity toward each other, they comfort one another with the popular doctrine concerning the perfe

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verance of the faints. And though one who has thus become an object of what is called charity, fhould not appear to be much influenced by the precepts of the gospel, nor to enjoy the comfort of it; yet it is ftill prefumed that the root of the matter is in him. Thus the spirit of the world, which always fortifies men in a fenfe of their own importance, worth, and excellency, speaks comfort to thousands walking in the broad way to deftruction.

The fpirit of love, as it works in them that believe, leads them to a careful jealoufy over each other, as well as every one to be in the first place jealous over himself. Charity delights in the juft living by faith; yet it is ready to join with God, in faying, If he draw back, my foul shall have no pleafure in him. The language of charity to its favorites may be thus fummed up. "If ye know "Chrift, as I am bound by your profeffion to "judge ye do, happy are ye if ye obey him." Charity regards its favorites only for the truth's fake dwelling in them, and is grieved at every thing about them unbecoming the truth. Hence it is led to rebuke them; and when they repent, fo return to the truth, to forgive them; and if they repent not, to reject them as hypocrites and unbelievers. Charity is indeed of fupernatural birth. It learns its notions of what is good and. profitable to mankind, not from the maxims of worldly fociety, the duration of which is but fhort, and faft draws nigh to its final period; confequently all its maxims are no longer of any fignificancy: but it learns them from Him who only knows the true intereft of mankind; from Him who "made of one blood all nations of "men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth;" from Him who gave his Son to take part in flesh

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and blood with men of all nations without difThus charity alone knows how to honour all men, and to difregard all the little diftinctions, on account of which they either envy cr undervalue each other. All the works of charity serve to promote the interefts of one grand fociety, arifing out of all nations, and whofe union will not appear till the final diffolution of worldly fociety. That charity which feeketh not her own, can give no juft caufe of umbrage or jealousy to any party contending for influence or power in the world. As charity has no worldly project in view, fo neither has it any baits to allure the paffions of men, or spirit up any worldly faction. Yet charity promotes fuch a fcheme of univerfal benevolence, as always did and ever will, while this world lafts, provoke the hatred, and contempt of all ranks of men in every nation, as was both exemplified and foretold by Jefus Chrift, in whom alone divine charity fhone forth in perfection. When he came into the world, he alone truly understood, and faithfully pursued what was moft beneficial to mankind. But what was the iffue? All ranks thought him unworthy to live. And before he died, he warned his difciples never to expect to find the world in a better temper towards them, while they kept his word.

No works but those of charity will be rewarded in the New Jerufalem. Worldly fociety can never want baits fufficient to prompt men to run all risks in its fervice. And if it has not sufficient rewards to beftow on all occafions, it will never want leaders in religion, zealous enough to affign happy abodes in fome Elyfian field or other for those whom it cannot otherwife reward. And fuch leaders will always be fondly liftened to,

while worldly fociety lafts. Though charity does not fire a man's breast with ambition; yet it can never make him a bad, fubject, neighbour, or member of worldly fociety, while it binds himto venture his life at the command of thofe in authority, and while it will not fuffer any Christian fociety to retain a member who is difaffected to the fovereign. And as no caufe can be fufficient to make a Christian rebel against the worst government, he must have a grateful affection toward one which is good and gentle.

All the relations formed by charity are eternal. All relations, natural or civil fhall be diffolved, when the fashion of this world paffes away." Marriage, the origin of all natural relations amongst mankind, shall have no place in the world to come. But no tie. made by mutualcharity, can ever be loofed. The meaneft fer

vices of charity will turn to account in the world to come; for "God is not unrighteous to forget them." Whereas the works which make the moft fhining figure in hiftory, as of greatest account to worldly focieties, though praised by cotemporaries, and admired by pofterity, fhall be buried in oblivion with thofe focieties, whofe

praife-was their proper reward.

Charity, while abfent from the grand things, hoped for, has the truth for its companion and comforter, while it labours in felf-denial for the falvation of mankind, holding forth the word of life to them, at the risk of their greatest displeafure. Charity utters with delight the encou raging found, He that believeth, fhall be faved; and it adds, with benevolent concern, He that believeth not, fhall be damned; that men may be warned in time of their real danger. Charity refpects the meanest peasant, who loves the truth,

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as a prince in the kingdom of heaven; while it fcruples not to call the most eminently devout perverters of the truth, dogs, evil and deceitful workers, minifters of Satan transformed as minifters of righteoufnefs, &c. It were easy to fhew at large, and illuftrate by facts, how a perverted gofpel ferves to promote in its votaries a temper of mind the reverse of charity, or fuch as charity is all along oppofed to, in PAUL'S defcription of it; as that it leads them to grudge others the benefit of the divine long-fuffering and kindness, and cherishes the roots of envy, vaunting, and all the other fruits of pride.

But let us now proceed to obferve the hinge of that charity which may properly be called modern. Formerly the fpirit of the Chriftian world fhewed itself, in zealously promoting and maintaining uniformity in religious opinions and prac➡ tices. To be convicted of what was called herefy, was worse than being convicted of felony. Public uniformity was the hinge of this charity; and nothing was more odious, or heretical in the of this charity, than the ancient gospel.

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The spirit of the Christian world has now, for fome time, been working upon a new plan, by promoting, among people of very different religious perfuafions, a friendly intercommunity of charity at least, if not of worship alfo. As thist friendly intercommunity is but forming as yet," different parties are not fully agreed on what common foundation it ought to reft; though good advances are already made towards this agreement. Hence it is that we have as yet no fixed name or title for this common foundation. It is called by many, foundness in the fundamentals of religion. In Scotland it is commonly called, the being right in the main. It is true the more

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