It is not the preaching of that morality, which most of our pulpits now bring forth, that is sufficient to bring you from sin unto GOD. I saw you willing to learn, and yet were ignorant of the necessity of being born again, regenerated, of having all old things done away, and all things becoming new in your souls: I could not bear, my brethren, to see you in the highway to destruction, and none to bring you back. It was love to your souls, it was a desire to see CHRIST formed in you, which brought me into the fields, the highways, and hedges, to preach unto you JESUS, a crucified JESUS as dying for you. It was charity, indeed it was charity to your souls, which has exposed me to the present ill treatment of my letter-learned brethren.
Therefore, let me advise you to be charitable to the souls of one another; that is, by advising them with all love and tenderness, to follow after CHRIST, and the things which belong to their immortal peace, before they be for ever hid from their eyes.
I now proceed, in the
_Third_ place, to shew when your charity is of the right kind.
And here, my brethren, I shall shew, _First_, When it is not; and, _Secondly_, When it is of the right kind.
1. _First_, Your charity is not of the right kind, when it proceeds from worldly views or ends.
If it is to be seen of men, to receive any advantage from them, to be esteemed, or to gain a reputation in the world; or if you have any pride in it, and expect to reap benefit from GOD merely for it; if all, or each of these is the end of your charity, then it is all in vain; your charity does not proceed from a right end, but you are hereby deceiving your own souls. If you give an alms purely to be observed by man, or as expecting favour from GOD, merely on the account thereof, then you have not the glory of GOD, or the benefit of your fellow-creatures at heart, but merely yourself: this, this is not charity. Nor,
_Secondly_, Is that true charity, when we give any thing to our fellow-creatures purely to indulge them in vice: this is so far from being charity, that it is a sin, both against GOD, and against our fellow-creatures. And yet, this is as common, as it is sinful, to carry our friends, under a specious pretence of charity, to one or the other entertainment, with no other view, but to make them guilty of excess. Hereby you are guilty of a double sin: we are not to sin ourselves, much less should we endeavour to make another sin likewise. But,
_Thirdly_, Our charity comes from a right end, when it proceeds from love to GOD, and for the welfare both of the body and soul of our fellow-creatures.
When this is the sole end of relieving our distressed fellow-creatures, then our charity comes from a right end, and we may expect to reap advantage by it: this is the charity which is pleasing to GOD. GOD is well pleased, when all our actions proceed from love, love to himself, and love to immortal souls.
Consider, my dear brethren, that it was love for souls, that brought the blessed JESUS down from the bosom of his Father; that made him, who was equal in power and glory, to come and take upon him our nature; that caused the LORD of life to die the painful, ignominious, and accursed death of the cross. It was love to immortal souls, that brought this blessed JESUS among us. And O that we might hence consider how great the value of souls was and is: it was that which made JESUS to bleed, pant, and die. And surely souls must be of infinite worth, which made the Lamb of GOD to die so shameful a death.
And shall not this make you have a true value for souls? It is of the greatest worth: and this, this is the greatest charity, when it comes from love to GOD, and from love to souls. This will be a charity, the satisfaction of which will last to all eternity. O that this may make you have so much regard for the value of souls, as not to neglect all opportunities for the doing of them good: here is something worth having charity for, because they remain to all eternity. Therefore, let me earnestly beseech you both to consider the worth of immortal souls, and let your charity extend to them, that by your advice and admonition, you may be an instrument, in the hands of GOD, in bringing souls to the LORD JESUS.
I am in the next place to consider,
_Fourthly_, Why this charity, or grace of love never faileth.