3. This ought the more to move us, if the necessitous be our chris- tian brethren, for it is in the text, * seeth his brother hath need.' We ought to do good to all sorts who are real objects of our charity. The necessitous in general should be more welcome to us than the rich who may requite us; for then we make a market of our kindness and courtesy, if kind only to the opulent and the wealthy. No ; our sweetest influences should fall on the lower grounds. The fashion of the world is to be obsequious to a degree of servitude, to the mighty, the noble, the rich ; as all waters run into the sea, where there is enough already. We must do good to all that need, but chiefly to the brethren our fellow-christians : Kom. xii. 13, ' Distributing to the necessities of the saints.' There are pauperes diaholi, the devil's poor, those that have wasted their estates by luxury and prodigality ; and pauperes mundi, the world's poor, those that«are reduced to poverty by the acci- dents of the present life ; and pauperes Christi, such as fear God, who are in a straitened condition. The rule is. Gal. vi. 10, ' Do good to all, especially to the household of faith.' To all the wicked, our enemies not excepted, in their necessities. But then the members of God's family and household are in an especial manner obliged to love one another, and to be beneficial to one another under their necessities and straits, into which God doth often suffer those of his family to fall for their good, if they profess the same faith with us, and do evidence the reality of the same faith by a holy life and conversation ; for this is a closer relation than to be fellow-citizens of the world, fellow-servants, or brethren in the family.
VeR. 17, 18.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 149
4. That we should show bowels of compassion and tenderness to- wards others in their distress, for in the text it is, *If he shnt up his bowels of compassion from him.' There must be an inward affection and disposition accompanying and going along with the outward act of beneficence, and whatsoever is done must be done cordially and com- passionately, that the heart may ever accompany the gift : Ps. xxxvii. 21, ' The righteous showeth mercy and giveth.' To be spectators of the miseries of others, and not to be affected with them, argueth a marble heart and iron sinews : Isa. Iviii. 10, ' If thou draw out thy heart to the hungry.' It must be done freely, liberally, and compas- sionately: Eph. iv. 32, 'Be kind to one another, tender-hearted.' Tender-heartedness, that is, commiseration, must go along with our kindness, as really pitying their misery as if it were our own.
5. Though charity begin in the heart, it must not cease there. God requireth the heart, but not for the heart, that it may terminate there. But with respect to these acts of mercy wherewith God is delighted, three things are required — (1.) Love and pity on tlieir wants ; that must be in the heart ; (2.) Kind expressions on the tongue ; (3.) Then bountiful acts for their relief. So that there are these three things, the motion of the heart, the expression by the words, and effectual performance. Without the last all else is but counterfeit. The root of charity is a proneness or good-will to help others, but that lietli underground and out of sight. Unless it appear in visible fruits, we cannot tell whether we have it, yea or no. Suppose it appear in good words, they are but as leaves, and we count that a barren tree that bringeth forth nothing but leaves. Not in word and tongue only, but the fruit abounding to our account is the work itself. Therefore though God expecteth bowels, yet bowels must put us upon some further act, but that act is not words. God will not be paid with words instead of things ; but God expecteth that we should freely impart what we have and can do for our neighbours' good, as well as wish well and speak well to them. Love must show itself forth, and that not in speech only but in deed ; otherwise we only seek to cover a false heart.
6. To withhold and deny this relief argueth a defect and want, not only of love to our neighbour, but to God, ' How dwelleth the love of God in him ? '
[1.] Because the love of God and his children are inseparable, they are necessary branches of the same law: Mat. xxii. 38, 39, 'This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself ; ' 1 John v. 1, ' Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God ; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.' Therefore we cannot love God if we do not love our brother. The same law that requireth the one requireth the other ; the same grace that inclineth to the one inclineth to the other ; the same reason that enforceth the one enforces the other. God for his own sake, and his children for God's sake, because somewhat of the divine nature and excellency of God is in them ; they are 'the excellent of the earth,' Ps. xvi. 3. A deep sense of God's love to us begets love in us to God again ; therefore we love God, and everything that belongeth to God.