The Most Difficult Duty Made Easy, Conclusion
I will conclude with Apoſtolical Balſam. So will I name St. Paul's deſcription of Charity. Bleſſed Dr. Manton hath left a Sermon of it; I preſent but a ſhort Gloſs. And wiſh that it be not more than will be Applicatively read. I have made my Pages ſo Few, that Readers might be many.
Sweet Love! whither art thou fled? Return, return thou bleſſed of the Lord, return, return, and bleſs us! Thus the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 13.
Charity ſuffereth long.
A Charitable Man is not a VVaſp. When he is Injured, he does not preſently put forth his Sting; but waits for two things, for his Enemies Repentance, and for his own Deliverance. Our Saviour received the worſt of Provocations, but never gave one ill Word for them.
Charity is Kind. A Charitable Man forbears doing Evil, and is Forward to do Good. He not only Stabs not, but he Salutes diſobliging Creatures. Not only Starves them not, but Feeds them, yea Feaſts them.
Charity Envieth not.
A Charitable Man hath not the Spirit of Cain. He ſaith, as the Baptiſt of old, when occaſion is; I muſt Decreaſe, and this Man muſt Increaſe. His Eye is not Evil, becauſe God's is Good. He is not made Sick, to ſee any Man made Well.
Charity Vaunteth not it ſelf.
A Charitable Man abhors Oſtentation: He allows not himſelf to let forth his own, and to call for other Mens Vices, with the Sound of his Vertues. They that needleſly raiſe themſelves, do Irritate others. But he takes no Praiſe but to give it unto God.
Charity is not puffed up.
A Charitable Man is not incident into the Tympany. He knows a Knowledg that pulleth down, from Pride and Scorn of any Men. He knows, it is rare that the beſt Man is not in ſome Vertue, inferior to him whom he Contemns.
Charity behaves not it ſelf Ʋnſeemly. A Charitable Man is a Modeſt one. He is aſhamed of offenſive Words, and very Looks; Deeds, and very Habits or Dreſſes of his Body. The divine Charge [whatſoever things are Lovely, think on theſe] runneth in his Mind.
Charity ſeeks not her own.
A Charitable Man is not like a VVen, that draws all to it ſelf. He ſeeks not his own Intereſt, ſo as to Neglect others. He ſo cares for his own Cabin, as to wiſh very well to the whole Ship.
Charity is not eaſily Provoked.
A Charitable Man, can be Angry and not Sin. Be Hot, and not in a Feaver. Be VVarm, and not Boil ſo as to let Scum run over. When Neceſſitated to Anger, he Tempers the Fire with holy Water. He is a Man of broader No ſtills than his Neighbours. And neither takes he Anger ſo ſoon, or Keeps it ſo long as others.
Charity thinketh no Evil.
A Charitable Man Plots none. And what is more, he is not haſty to impure any. He ſuſpects no Evil, if he can find a ſenſe that is Good, in which to take Mens Words and Works. Yea, where he ſees Evil, he doth not as a Vixon, brawl and upbraid with Outrage; exclaiming of more than he ſees.
Charity rejoiceth not in Evil.
A Charitable Man is ſorry for all Evil under the Sun. For the Evil of Doing, and the Evil of Suffering. Revenge is others Meat and Sauce; but 'tis his Wormwood and Poiſon.
Charity rejoiceth in the Truth,
[or the Sincerity of Goodneſs in any.] A Charitable Man, welcomes the News of Goodneſs in any, and of Goodneſs unto any one. He is of that Countrey, where they all Love one another as themſelves.
Charity beareth all things,
[Covereth all.] A Charitable Man, hides all the Faults, that he can without Sin and Faultineſs. He is the moſt forward to confeſs his own, and to cover others Infirmities.
Charity believeth all things.
A Charitable Man, Credits all good Reports, as readily as all Evil ones; when they are not prevalently contradicted. Of things apparently Falſe, Belief is as Impoſſible as Unjuſt.
Charity endureth all things.
A Charitable Man puts up all Wrongs done unto himſelf. Rather than not be Kind to his Enemy, he will make it ſaid that he is not Juſt to himſelf. Whatever he can let go unpuniſhed, without breach of Law; he will non-ſuit without breach of's Peace.
Charity never fails.
A Charitable Man, ſhall Eternally hold his Love of God and Men. His Love of both, ſhall Live in Heaven as on Earth. It ſhall ever Grow here, and Flouriſh for ever there.
May I ſhut up with the ſtupendous practice of David's memorable Piety; and our Saviour's rebuke of his Diſciples Wrath, though it ſeemed very Pious. The firſt is Pſal. 35.11, 12, 13, 14. Falſe witneſſes did riſe up, they laid to my Charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me Evil for Good, to the ſpoiling of my Soul. But as for me, when they were Sick, my clothing was Sackcloth: I humbled my Soul with Faſting, and my Prayer returned into mine own Boſom. I behaved my Self as though he had been my Friend, or Brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that Mourneth for his Mother. The next is, Luke 9.51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56. And it came to paſs, when the time was come, that he ſhould be received up, he ſtedfaſtly ſet his Face to go to Jeruſalem. And ſent Meſſengers before his Face, and they went, and entred into a Village of the Samaritans to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, becauſe his Face was as though he would go to Jeruſalem. And when his Diſciples James and John ſaw this, they ſaid, Lord, wilt thou that we command Fire to come down from Heaven, and conſume them even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them, and ſaid, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to deſtroy Mens Lives, but to ſave them. And they went to another Village.
Reader, farewel! Superfluous Books, are indeed additions to that heap of our Vanities, which needs them not. Whether this be ſuch, I am content that thou be the Judg, if thou wilt but firſt remember Dr. Hammond's memorable Words; Of all Errors and Ignorances there are none ſo Worthy of our Pains to Cure, or Caution to Prevent, as thoſe that have [moſt] influence on Practice. I add thoſe of Mr. Howe wherewith he ſhuts up his Treatiſe of the Carnality of Religious Contention. Words moſt worthy of aweful Memory. Do we think we ſhall carry Strife to Heaven, Envyings, Heartburnings, Animoſities, Enmities, Hatred; ſhall we carry theſe to Heaven with us? Let us labour to diveſt our ſelves, and ſtrike off from our Spirits, every thing that cannot go with us thither. Now,
The God of Love and Peace, make our Chriſtian Societies leſs like unto Mahometan Janizaries! And every one that nameth the Name of Chriſt, to follow after Peace! And, to be Kind one to another, tender-hearted, FORGIVING one another, even as God for Chriſt's ſake, forgiveth them! Amen, and Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Daniel Burgess, The Most Difficult Duty Made Easy (1694)