called from Quarrels, Contentions, and Strifes, to stand before the Judgment-feat of God?

you

Secondly, There may be Reasons for expounding the Text of the Judgment of God, and yet the Apostle's Affertion may still relate to the Sins of others, and not to the Sins of the charitable Perfon. But what, will fay, may one Man's Sins be covered in the Sight of God by another Man's Charity? Yes, they may; and in this Senfe the very Expreffion of the Text is made use of by St. James: Brethren, if any of you do err from the Truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth the Sinner from the Error of his Way, fhall fave a Soul from Death, and fhall hide a Multitude of Sins. Where it is evident, that the Sins to be covered are the Sins of the Soul to be faved from Death; that is, the Sins of the Perfon converted from the Error of his Ways, and not the Sins of the Converter: And the doing fo great a Good to a Brother, as the faving his Soul, and hiding the Multitude of his Sins, is propofed as an Incitement to every charitable Perfon to labour the Converfion of a Sinner. Join other Cafes: It is very plain, how much Sin and Folly proceed from the mutual Paffions of Men labourVOL. III.

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ing defpitefully to vex and provoke each other; and how much might be prevented on both Sides, had one of them only Reason and Discretion enough to put an end to Strife. This Part the charitable Man is ever ready to act; and when he does, his paffionate Adversary owes it to his Goodnefs, that in his Anger he did not fin against God. This the Prophet David faw and acknowledged in his own Cafe, and bleffed the happy Inftrument which prevented his Hands from shedding Blood: He had sworn in his Wrath to deftroy Nabal, and all his Family with him; but the Wife of Nabal with gentle Intreaties put a Stop to his Revenge, and faved him from committing the great Crime. David no fooner recovered himself from his Paffion, but he faw how much he was indebted to his Petitioner; and cried out, Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, which fent thee this Day to meet me; and bleed be thy Advice, and bleed be thou, which haft kept me this Day from coming to fhed Blood, and from avenging myself with mine own Hand. This Speech every paffionate Man may have Reason to make to his charitable Neighbour, who gives way to his Wrath, and by gentle and kind Treatment faves him from the Ex

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travagances,

travagances, which a warm Opposition would hurry him into. And is it not a great Encouragement to put on Meeknefs and Charity, fince by bearing with the light Offences of our Brethren against ourselves, we may poffibly fave them from much greater Offences against God, and be instrumental in delivering them from that Judgment, which, by their own Bitterness of Spirit and Thirst after Revenge, they would certainly draw upon themselves?

Were we to go through the feveral Works of Charity, and confider it inftructing the Ignorant, encouraging the Weak, rebuking the Prefumptuous, in a word, giving an helping Hand to every good Work; it would appear, in many Instances, how inftrumental Charity is in covering the Sins of others. But I haften to the

Third and laft Inquiry, What Encouragement we have from Reason and Scripture to expect, that by Charity we may cover our

own Sins.

In the Verse before the Text the Apostle gives us this Warning-The End of all Things is at hand. To this folemn Notice he sub

joins a proper Exhortation: Be ye therefore fober, and watch unto Prayer; and above all M 2

Things

Things have fervent Charity among your felves. The Reason of the latter Part of this Exhortation he gives in the Words now under our Confideration, For Charity fhall cover the Multitude of Sins. Thefe Things laid together create a Prefumption, that the Apostle might mean to instruct each Man how to cover his own Sins, and to prevent the ill Effects naturally to be feared from them, when the End of all Things should come. When we think of Judgment, of whofe Sins do we think, or for whofe Offences do we tremble, but our own? When the Preachers of the Gospel warn us of the great Day of the Lord, it is a ftrong Call to Repentance, and for whofe Sins but our own? Since therefore the Apostle calls on us to use the best Means to cover the Multitude of Sins, in Expectation of the great Change that is at hand, whofe Sins can we more naturally think on than our own? And if this be indeed the Cafe, then is Charity recommended to us, as a proper Means to cover or excuse our own Sins in the Sight of God.

Befides, the Exhortation to mutual Charity being fubjoined immediately to the Mention of Prayer, may be a farther Argument of St. Peter's Intention to inftruct us how to

hide our own Offences. He well knew upon what Condition our Lord had taught us to afk Forgiveness of our Sins: Forgive us our Trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trespass against us. This being the Condition upon which the Pardon of God is promised, what have we to cover our Sins in the Sight of God without Charity? that Charity which beareth all Things, endureth all Things, which hideth the Trespasses of our Brother from our Eyes, and for that Reason will cover our own Offences, when the Lord fhall come to judge the Earth.

But farther: The Nature and Extent of Charity confidered, there arises a farther Argument to confirm the charitable Man in the Hopes of Pardon for his own Tranfgreffions: For Charity is the fulfilling of the Law; it is the Royal Law, as St. James calls it, which whosoever fulfills fhall do well. And in this View, St. Peter's Advice, to have fervent Charity, that it may cover the Multitude of Sins, is equivalent to Daniel's Advice to Nebuchadnezzar: O King, let my Counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy Sins by Righteoufnefs, and thine Iniquities by fhewing Mercy to the Poor. Charity is indeed the breaking off of Sin; it is Righteousness and

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Mercy;