DISCOURSE XXXVIII, PART II. IT remains now that we confider in what fenfe the Apofile's affertion is to be understood, that charity fhall cover the multitude of fins. To cover fins fignifies to excuse them, to exempt them from wrath and punishment: in any other fenfe it is impoffible for fins to be covered in the fight of God, who cannot be deceived or imposed on, or fo over delighted with the good we do, as not to fee and note our evil actions. With respect to the judgment of men, this expreffion will bear a ftronger expofition: for, whether we confider the charitable perfon judging of other men's fins, it may very well be, that his charity may incline him to think much better of finners than they deferve; or, whether we confider others judging of the charitable person's offences, it is natural enough for men to be charmed with the goodness and excellency of charity, and not to fee, or not to attend to, the defects which appear in fo good company. Which of these two expofitions ought to prevail, depends upon a farther inquiry; namely, whether the Apoftle in his affertion, that charity fhall cover the multitude of fins, had refpect to the judgment of God, or the judgment of men. Nor is this the only inquiry neceffary in order to fix the determinate meaning of the text for we must confider alfo of whofe fins the Apoftle fpeaks; and whether he means to affirm, that charity fhall cover the charitable perfon's offences, or the offénces of other people. There are probable reafons to be given for the support of each of thefe interpretations: and it will be proper to examine thefe reafons, and to confider how far each interpretation may be admitted within the limits of reafon and fcripture. T Firft, There are good reafons to be affigned for limiting the Apoftle's affertion concerning charity to the judgment of men. Hatred, fays the wife King of Ifrael, firreth up ftrifes, but love covereth all fins: where covering of fins being oppofed to firring up frifes, the meaning needs muft be, that as hatred perpetually begets complaints, animofities, and refentments, fo love allays thefe intemperate heats, and disposes to peace and friendship, and inclines men to overlook and to forgive the offences of each other. In this place therefore it is evident, that love is faid to cover all fins with regard to the judgment that men make of each other's of fences. And the expreffion in St. Peter is fo much the fame with this in Solomon, that it is very probable the Apostle borrowed it from hence, and applied the faying of the wife King in support of his general precept, Have fervent charity among yourselves. . : In this view then the Apostle recommends mutual charity, as the only thing that can render life comfortable and supportable to us, and deliver us from perpetual vexations, and put the mind in a proper pofture to confider and prepare for the great change at hand for thus his reasoning ftands, The end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore fober, and watch unto prayer; and above all things have fervent charity among yourselves. A man drunk with paffion, and engaged in perpetual ftrifes, is no more capable of making a due preparation for the great change which is near, than one intoxicated with wine. Temperance and charity are the properest state we can put ourselves into to wait for the coming of our Lord. And the Apostle had learned to subjoin this advice to the mention of the great day from his bleffed Mafter, who had denounced judgment without mercy to all fuch as fhould be found, at his fecond coming, void of charity and fobriety: But and if that fervant fay in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to beat the menfervants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and be drunken; the Lord of that fervant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in funder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. In conformity to this declaration of our bleffed Lord, the Apostle having given warning of the end of all things being at hand in the verse before the text, immediately exhorts to fobriety, prayer, and charity, that we may not be found in the number of those, who are beating their fellow-fervants, or abufing the gifts of God to luxury and intemperance. Charity therefore, as it naturally inclines us to overlook and to forgive the offences of our brethren, fo it puts us into that ftate of peace and ferenity of mind, which is neceffary to enable us to prepare for the reception of our great Judge. } In this fense of the words St. Peter's affertion agrees exactly with the accounts given us of charity in other places of holy Scripture. St. Paul is very particular in describing the properties of charity; and tells us, that it fuffereth long, and is kind, and is not eafily provoked; but beareth all things, endureth all things. What is it now that charity suffereth, beareth, and endureth? Not its own offences furely, but the offences and provocations of others. Men who are void of charity can be kind enough to themselves, and are apt to bear but too long with their own offences: but this is not the praise of charity, to overlook its own faults; but it is its glory to bear with the faults of others, and to fuffer much, and yet not be much provoked. And what is this but, in the expreffion of Solomon and St. Peter, to cover a multitude of fins; to draw a curtain over the infirmities of our brethren, and to fpread our own richest garment over the nakedness of our friends? Befides, the expreffion here made use of by St. Peter, The multitude of fins, leads to this interpretation. When our Saviour exhorted his difciples to forgive men their trefpaffes, St. Peter put the queftion to him; Lord, how oft fhall my brother fin against me, and I forgive him? till feven times? Our Lord answered, I fay not unto thee, Until feven times & but, Until feventy times feven. From which anfwer St. Peter could not but learn, that it was the property of charity to cover the multitude of our brother's fins; to forgive him, not only when he of fended against us feven times, but even when he tranfgreffed seventy times feven: a large number; and the larger, because it is not fet down to mark the precife number of offences which charity may forgive, but rather to denote, that there is no num÷ ber which charity ought not to forgive, Moreover, it is much more reasonable to think, that a truly charitable man fhould meet with a multitude of fins in other people for the exercise of his charity, than that he fhould have a multitude of his own to cover. We meet with no fuch defcription of charity in holy writ, as may lead us to imagine that it is confiftent with a multitude of fins. Charity is the fulfilling of the law, as the Apoftle to the Romans informs us; and it proceeds, as he farther acquaints us in his Epiftle to Timothy, out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned. Now, how can the multitude of fins, fpoken of in the text, be confiftent with fulfilling the law? How can it be fuppofed to dwell in a pure heart? to be joined with a good confcience? and to have fellowship with faith unfeigned? We may afk the fame queftions here, which the Apostle to the Corinthians does in another cafe: What fellowShip hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darknefs? and what concord hath Chrift with Belial? So that, confidering how inconfiftent these things are, the hopes which men conceive of compounding their fins by the means of charity, are in great danger of being over |