.

SECT. XX.

Charity or the unfeigned fervent Love of God above all things, proved by Scripture to be Righteousness, or the fincere keeping of the whole Law of God.

O the Reafons formerly given (Sect. 11.) why Charity is Righteousness, or the fincere keeping and fulfilling of the Law of God, I fhall add the Teftimony of Scri pture for a full Confirmation of the Truth thereof. When a certain Lawyer asked Chrift, faying, Mafter, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? He Said unto him, What is written in the I am? how readeft thou? And he anfwering, faid, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy ftrength, and with all thy mind, and thy Neighbour as thy felf. And he said unto him, thou hast answered right, this do and thou fhalt live, Luke 10.25, 26, 27, 28. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with him, John 14. 23. Love is the fulfilling of the Law, Rom.13. 10. All things work together for good to them

that

that love God, Rom. 8. 28. All Gifts how excellent foever, the best of Doings, and the worst of Sufferings, are nothing worth without Charity, 1 Cor. 13. 1, 2, 3. Charity rejoyceth not in iniquity, but rejoyceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, 1 Cor.13. 6, 7. Charity is the Bond of perfectness, Col. 3. 14. "It is evident, faith Dr. Ham"mond in his Paraphrafe on 1 Cor. 13. 13.

that as Faith, Hope and Charity are far to "be preferred before all other Gifts of the Spirit which are given men for the benefit

of others, verf. 2. fo of those three Graces "or Divine Virtues, Charity is the moft ex"cellent, whether confidered in it self, or "in the duration of it. In it self it is the "most neceflary Grace here, v. 1, &c. and "all the other, whether Graces or Virtues, are but Means for the working of this our Fath teacheth it, and our Hope excitesit, and Charity is the End of the Commandment; and Faith must be perfected by it, "and without it all the Gifts mentioned, v. 1, 2. are nothing worth, and are given men for the working of that in others and fo likewife in refpect of duration, the t Gifts were foon to vanifh (and are now vanished long fince, the Gift of Mi

แ

દ

"racles,

"racles, of Languages,&c.) and Faith and "Hope will vanifh with this Life; for Faith "is of things not feen, and therefore ceafSeth when Vision cometh and fo Hope, if "it be feen, is not Hope; but Charity fhall "never be out-dated, but laft and flourish when we come to Heaven, and be then a "fpecial Ingredient in our Happiness, which indeed confifts in loving God, and having common Defires with him, and loving all "whom he loves (not the Damned, who are "Veffels of Wrath) and that eternally. If what this excellent Perfon here faith, be a true Comment on the Text, my Dif courfe on Charity is fufficiently avouched by it, as being but as it were an enlargement of his Paraphrafe on the Place.

Object. 1. The mentioned Quotations from Scripture, comprehend Man's Love both to God and his Neighbour, at least some of them; yea, there is an exprefs Text, that be that loveth another

πω

TOY THEAD ] bath fulfilled the Law, Rom. 13. 8. And therefore Charity as it is taken for the fincere Love of God above all things, doth not alone justifie.

Solut. One and the fame Word, a, is ufed in Scripture for God's Love to Man, for Man's Love to God, and one Man's Love

to

another so that no Argument can be drawn from the bare Word, Love or Charity, (for it is rendred both ways in Holy Writ) to make it clearly out in what Love or Charity Righteoufnefs is placed. And therefore although it be infallibly true, that be that loveth another [ò davrov étter hath fulfilled the Law; yet the Reafon thereof is not, that the Love of ones Neighbour doth formally juftifie; but because it is impoffible for any man to love his Neighbour as he ought to do, until, and by reason he loveth God in fincerity of heart above all things, (Sect. 18. Par.7, 8, 9, 10.) by which he is formally juftified. And alike impoffible it is for him that loveth God with fincerity of Affection, but that he fhould alfo love his Neighbour as himself (Sect. 11. Solut. of Obj. 2. and fect.18. par.9,10.) confonant whereunto are the Words of, the Beloved. Difciple, If a Man fay, I love God, and hateth his Brather, he is a liar, 1 John 4. 20. It is no wonder then that he that loveth his Neighbour, is faid to have fulfilled the Law, albeit the Love of God alone be that which formally justifies (fect. 11. par. 6, 7,.8.) 21 Object. 2. No man in this Life can love God with all his heart, with all bis Soul, with all his strength, and with all

bis

his mind; therefore no man alive is justified by Charity.

Salut. Because no man can fo love God in this Life by reason of the Frailty of the Flesh, 'twill rightly follow, that none is perfectly juftified or clear from all impurity while he breaths a mortal Life. But there is an imperfect Righteousness, or a state of Grace, here confifting in fincere Charity (fect. 113 par. 6,7,8.) which is plainly held forth by Scripture ; TheEnd of the Commandment is Charity, out of a pure Heart, and of a good Conference, and of Faith unfeigned, 1 Tim. 1, 5. And fuch Charity or Righteousness is attain able in this Life: There is no Condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the Flefb, but after the Spirit, Rom.8.1. Neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adul terers, nor Effeminate, nor Abufers of them Jelves with Mankind, nor Thieves, nor Cove tous, nor Drunkards, nor Revilers, nor Extortioners fhall inherit the Kingdom of God; and fuch were fome of you;but ye are washed, but je •are fanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God, i Cor. 6. v. 9, 10, 11. In a word, the love of the World, and the falfe Pleasures thereof, are fo diametrically oppofed to the Love of God and the folid Delight of the

fame,