The Whole Duty of Divine Meditation, Part 2 · Meditation 18
MED. XVII. Of Love and Charity.
2 Pet. i. 7.
And to brotherly-kindness, charity.
TRUE and Sincere Love is an inseparable Property of a Pious Person. No Christian can subsist without Faith; and where that Vertue is, Charity is not wanting. Where the Lustre of Charity is extinguish'd, the Heat of Faith must consequently be quenched. Thou may'st as well rob the bright Luminary, the Sun, of his Light, as deprive Faith of the Gift of Charity. Charity is the External Act of the Internal Life of a Christian. The Body is dead without the Spirit, and Faith is dead without Charity, Jam. 2. 26. He is not a Member of Christ, that is not inspired with his Spirit; and he is not endued with his Holy Spirit, that is destitute of the Gift of Charity.
II. THIS Theological Vertue, is the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5. 22. And by the Goodness of the Fruit, the Tree is demonstrated. Charity is the bond of Christian perfection, (saith the Apostle, Col. 3. 14.) As the Bodily Members are united together by the Spirit, so the true Members of the Mystical Body are united by the Holy Spirit in the Bond of Charity. Solomon's Temple was all covered with Gold, within and without, 1 King. 6. 21. So our Bodies and Souls, which are the Almighty's Spiritual Temples, ought in like manner, both within and without, to be beautified with Love and Charity. Let this regent Vertue exercise its Efficacy in moving thy Heart to Compassion, and thy Hand to Contribution: For one, without the other, is not effectual.
III. FAITH receiveth all from God▪ the Fountain of all Goodness; and from that Stream, Charity, as a Channel, conveys it to her Neighbours. By Faith, we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature, who is Love, 1 Joh. 4. 8. Therefore, where Charity manifesteth not Externally, Faith Internally doth not inhabit. No Man believes in the Lord Jesus, which doth not express Affections of Love to Him; and none can fulsil that New Commandment, except he loves his Neighbour. None can really apprehend the Benefits of Christ, with a Heart unfeigned, which has not Bowels of Compassion to the distressed.
IV. CHARITY is the Seminary of all Vertues; and nothing can be of good growth, which proceeds not from that Root. And this Vertue truly delineated, is the Soul's Spiritual Relish; for unto it alone are all things dulcified, all Adversity, Pain, Anguish, Trouble, nay, even Death it self: And And the Wise Man confirms this, That Love is as strong as Death, Cant. 8. 6. And indeed, I think I may invert the Wise Man's Text, and with Assurance proclaim, That Love is stronger than Death: For Love brought down a Saviour to die for us Sinners, that the Sting of Death might be removed from us: He, when he had overcome the sharpness of death, did open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Oh, let us then embrace this Love, and die unto Sin daily, that we may live unto Righteousness.
V. ALL the Works of the Most High proceeds from this lovely Attribute, even Punishments, Denunciations, and Judgments: The Two great Luminaries, and the Constellations of Heaven, illuminate not themselves, but us wretched Creatures. Fire, Air, Earth, and Water, were created for our Necessity: The Beasts, Herbs, Plants, Trees, Birds, Fish, and Fowls, were all for our Use. And as God has been so gracious to give thee Plenty of these Blessings, so do thou distribute to thy Neighbours according to their Necessities. And this must be done freely, with true Amity, Affection and Compassion, else all our Charity is nothing worth, but will prove like sounding Brass, or a tinkling Symbal.
VI. CHARITY is patient, 1 Cor. 13. 4. For no Man is easily enraged with those whom he truly affects. Charity likewise is bountiful: And he who has been so liberal, as to resign his Heart to his Friend, will, without all question, not with-hold from him any temporal Enjoyments for the Relief of his Necessity. Charity envieth not; it thinketh no Evil, is not puffed up, and behaveth not it self undecently: Next, she seeketh not those things which are her own, neither is she provoked to Anger; she imagineth no Mischief, nor rejoyceth not in iniquity; but she beareth all things, believeth, hopeth, and endureth all things: she refuseth not to do unto others, as she desires them to perform unto her. Tongues and Prophecies shall cease, and Arts and Sciences be destroyed, but Charity shall never be extinguished.
VII. LET us then study this Lesson of Love and Charity; and howsoever thy Friend or Neighbour be qualified towards thee, yet remember Christ vouchsafed to lay down his Life for him: Therefore, refuse not to relieve that Soul whom Christ hath so dearly purchas'd. Let us not, while upon Earth, live in Discord; but observe the Psalmist's extolling of Tranquillity, Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity, Psal. 133. 1. We are all the Servants of One Lord, all Members of One Body: we have all One Father that Created us, One Saviour that Redeemed us, and One Holy Ghost that Inspires us. Should thy Neighbour prove thine Enemy, yet love him; for in so doing, thou obeyest the Will and Pleasure of the Almighty.
VIII. TAKE no cognizance of what Trespasses Man commits agrinst thee, but consider what thou standest guilty of against Omnipotency: Observe not what Injuries are offer'd to thee, by thy Enemies; but remember the Benefits conferr'd on thee, by thy Redeemer, who commanded thee to love thine Enemies. We are Neighbours, by the State of our Earthly Nativity; and Brothers, by the Hope of our Celestial Inheritance. Let us therefore fervently love one another: And do Thou inflame in us, O God, the Fire of Love and Charity, by the Inspiration of Thy Blessed Spirit.