cere and Obedient Servants of God. And in Perfons Thus qualified for Hope, the Want of it, fo far as it relates to the Mind, and is not Occafion'd by any Indisposition in the Body, is owing to the Want of Juft thoughts concerning God, and involves men in the Sin of Def pair.

But there is perhaps Lefs occafion of inlarging upon the Neceffity of Hope, than of fome Other virtues, because men are Usually more apt to Exceed, than to be Defective in it. Some few Phlegmatick tempers there are, where Hope does not eafily find Admiffion: But Generally mens Difpofitions are of the Sanguine kind, and Apt to carry their Expectations, at least as Far as they fhould go. We are Commonly as Little moved by those Arguments, which are offer'd for a Proper Restraint of Hope, as by those which are urged for the proper Extent of Charity; which is,

3. The Third Chriftian Grace to be confider'd, and which muft needs be thought very Extenfive, fince this One word includes the Two great Command

ments,

ments, on which hang all the Law and the Prophets. For Charity denotes the Love of God, and of our Neighbours alfo, for His fake, and, fo far as our Love of Them is grounded upon, and Consistent with the Love of Him. And the Scripture represents Both thefe branches of Love, under fuch Terms of Warmth and Intenseness, that Cold and Languid affections do fcarce bear the leaft Refemblance of Either.

We are Commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, and with all our ftrength; Which Implies, That we should very frequently Contemplate the High Perfections, which are in God, in order to Raife and Preferve the Highest Admiration of them within our Selves: That this Admiration fhould not affect our Understandings alone, but defcend upon our Hearts, and move Full Complacency There: That we should be Exceedingly Delighted with the Thoughts of him, who hath given us our very Power of Thinking: That we fhould above all things rejoyce in the fole Author of all our Joys: That his Gracious Forbear

M 4

Forbearance and Loving Kindness towards Us, after all our Trefpaffes and Provocations, fhould Endear us to the Utmoft, and draw our Warmest Affections toward Him: That our Love of Him, whofe Goodnefs to us is Boundlefs, fhould, rife to the Higheft, and admit of no Bounds but its own Incapacity of rifing Higher: That the Enjoyment of Him, in whofe Pleasure is Life, should fill up the measure of our Wishes and Defires, and that every Other Enjoyment, which ftands in Oppofition to it, or Competition with it, fhould at once be Neglected and Difdain'd: That our Love of God fhould be fo Delightful to us, as to render us earnestly Defirous of Loving him ftill more, and Earnest in Praying, that we may be filled with the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost given unto us; and, That we fhould prove the Sincerity and Fervency of our Love, by the Sincerity and Conftancy of our Obedience: For this is the love of God, the Proper and Neceffary Evidence and Effect of Divine love, that we keep his Commandments,

and

and Particularly, the New Commandment, as it is ftyled by our Saviour, wherein the Second Branch of Charity is enjoyned; for this Commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, love his brother alfo.

* that

And under This are contained all the Other commandments, which concern our Regards and Behaviour to One another. For fo the Apostle exprefly declares, and on this account adds, love is the fulfilling of the law, that is, if Love it felf be Fulfilled and Perfect; for then 'tis the Model, upon which all our Duties to our Brethren are Formed and Finished. But if This be either totally Wanting, or Confined and Imperfect, then the very Fountain fails, from whence all our Sentiments and Difpofitions, as well as Actions, relating to our Brethren should be Derived, and Diffused through the Whole course of our Conduct towards them.

The Neceffary and Indiffoluble Connexion betwixt our Goodwill and our

* Rom. xiii. 9, 10.

Good

Good Works, betwixt the entire Love of our neighbour and proper Acts of Beneficence towards him, is in many Other places of Scripture fully represented, and hath been very often, and very Accurately treated of, upon this Occafion. But the Apostle's Defign in this place, is, not fo much to enforce the Neceffity of Good Works, as to lay the proper Foundation, upon which they should be built. Though I beflow all my Goods to feed the poor, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing, . 3. Charity, as the Principle of all our Thoughts and Deportment, is what he is labouring to Fix and Establish. All our Behaviour towards our Brethren, be it ever fo Specious in it Self, or ever fo Beneficial unto Them, will be to our Selves Unprofitable, if it does not proceed from an Inward Principle of Charity. It should therefore be our Chief Care and Study, to attain and keep up Charitable Thoughts of our Neighbour, and Charitable Affections towards him. And yet it cannot be denied, that men may poffibly be found in fuch Circumftances, that a perfect Good Opinion of

them