These are of a larger extent than the preceding graces; for, from a general love due to all, they act towards all, to men in the general; and this not from a bare natural tenderness which softer complexions may have, nor from a prudent moral consideration of their own possible falling under the like or greater calamities, but out of obedience to God, who requires this mercifulness in all his children, and cannot own them for his, unless in this they resemble him. And it is indeed an evidence of a truly Christian mind to have much of this pity to the miseries of all, being rightly principled, and acting after a pious and Christian manner towards the sick and poor, of what condition soever; yea, pitying most the spiritual misery of ungodly men, their hardness of heart and unbelief, and earnestly wishing their conversion; not repining at the long-suffering of God, as if they would have the bridge cut because they are over, as St Augustine speaks, but longing rather to see that long-suffering and goodness of God lead them to repentance, being grieved to see men ruining themselves, and diligently working their own destruction, going in any way of wickedness, as an oz to the slaughter, or a fool to the correction of the stocks. Certainly the ungodly man is an object of the highest pity.

But there is a special debt of this pity to those whom we love as brethren in our Lord Jesus; they are most closely linked to us by a peculiar fraternal love. Their sufferings and calamities will move the bowels that have Christian affection within them. Nor is it an empty, helpless pity, but it carries with it the real communication of our help to our utmost power.

And if our feeling bowels and helping hand are due to all, and particularly to the godly, and we ought to pay this debt in outward distresses, how much more in soulafflictions! the rather, because these are most heavy in themselves, and least understood, and therefore least regarded; yea, sometimes rendered yet heavier by natural friends, possibly by their bitter scoffs and taunts, or by their slighting, or, at best, by their misapplying of proper helps and remedies, which, as unfit medicines, do rather exasperate the disease: therefore they that do understand, and can be sensible of that kind of wound, ought

so much the more to be tender and pitiful towards it, and to deal mercifully and gently with it. It may be, very weak things sometimes trouble a weak Christian; but there is in the spirit of the godly an humble condescension learned from Christ, who broke not the bruised reed, nor quenched the smoking flax. The least difficulties and scruples in a tender conscience, should not be roughly encountered; they are as a knot in a silken thread, and require a gentle and wary hand to loose them.

Now this tenderness of bowels and inclination to pity all, especially Christians, and them especially in their peculiar pressures, is not a weakness, as some take it to be. This, even naturally, is a generous pity in the greatest spirits. Christian pity is not womanish; yea, it is more than manly, it is divine. There is most of natural pity in the best and most ingenuous natures, but where it is spiritual, it is a prime lineament of the image of God; and the more absolute and disengaged it is, in regard of those towards whom it acts, the more it is like unto God; looking upon misery as a sufficient incentive of pity and mercy, without the ingredient of any other consideration. It is merely a vulgar piece of goodness to be helpful and bountiful to friends, or to such as are within appearance of requital; this is a trading kind of commerce; but pity and bounty, which need no inducements but the meeting of a fit object to work ou, where they can expect nothing, save only the privilege of doing good, which in itself is so sweet, are god-like indeed. He is rich in bounty without any necessity, yea, or possibility of return from us; for we have neither any thing to confer upon him, nor hath he need of receiving any thing, who is the Spring of goodness and of being. And that we may the better understand him in this, he is pleased to express this his merciful nature in our notion and language, by bowels of mercy and pity, and the stirring and sounding of them; by the pity of a father, and by that of a mother; as if nothing could be tender and significant enough to express his compassious. O the unspeakable privilege to have him for our Father, who is the Father of mercies and compassions, and those, not barren, fruitless pityings, for he is withal the God of all consolations.

Do not think that he can shut out a bleeding soul that comes to him, or refuse to take, and to bind up, and heal a broken heart that offers itself to him, puts itself into his hand, and entreats his help. Doth he require pity of us, and doth he give it to us, and is it not infinitely more in himself? All that is in angels and men is but an insensible drop to that Ocean.

Courteous. The former relates to the afflictions of others, this to our whole carriage with them in any condition; and yet there is a particular regard to be paid to it in communicating good, in supplying wants, or comforting them that are distressed: that it be not done, or rather, I may say, undone with supercilious roughness, venting itself either in looks or words, or any way, as sours it, and destroys the very being of a benefit, and turns it rather into an injury. And generally the whole conversation of men is made unpleasant by cynical harshness and disdain. The courteousness which the apostle recommends, is contrary to this evil, and that not only in the surface and outward behaviour; no, religion doth not prescribe nor is satisfied with such courtesy as goes no deeper than words and gestures, and which sometimes is most contrary to that singleness which religion owns. These are the upper garments of malice; saluting him aloud in the morning, whom they are undermining all the day. Or sometimes, though more innocent, yet it may be troublesome, merely by the vain affectation and excess of it. Even this becomes not a wise man, much less a Christian. An over-study or acting of it is a token of emptiness, and is below a solid mind. Nor is it that graver and wiser way of external plausible deportment, that answers fully this word: it is the outer-half indeed, but the thing is a radical sweetness in the temper of the mind, that spreads itself into a man's words and actions; and this not merely natural, a gentle kind disposition, but spiritual, a new nature descended from heaven, and so in its original and kind far excelling the other; it supplies it where it is not in nature, and doth not only increase it where it is, but elevates it above itself, renews it, and sets a more excellent stamp upon it. Religion is in this mistaken sometimes, in that men think it imprints an un

kindly roughness and austerity upon the mind and carriage. It doth indeed bar and banish all vanity and lightness, and all compliance and easy partaking with sin. Religion strains and quite breaks that point of false and injurious courtesy, to suffer thy brother's soul to run the hazard of perishing and to share in his guiltiness, by not admonishing him after that seasonable, and prudent, and gentle manner which becomes thee as a Christian, and that particular respective manner which becomes thy station. These things rightly qualifying it, it doth no wrong to good manners and the courtesy here enjoined, but is truly a part of it, by due admonitions and reproofs to seek to reclaim a sinner; for it were the worst unkindness not to do it. Thou shalt not hate thy brother; thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy brother, and not suffer sin upon him, Levit. xix, 17. But that which is true lovingness of heart and carriage, religion doth not only in no way prejudice, but, you see, requires it; and where it is wrought in the heart, works and causes it there; fetches out that crookedness and harshness which are otherwise invincible in some tempers; makes the wolf dwell with the lamb. This Christians should study, and belie the prejudices which the world take up against the power of godliness. They should study to be inwardly so minded and of such outward behaviour, as becomes that Spirit of grace which dwells in them, endeavouring to gain those that are without, by their kind obliging conversation.

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In some copies, it is humble; and indeed as this is excellent in itself and a chief characteristic of a Christian, agrees well with and carries along with it this inward and real, not acted, courteousness. Not to insist on it now, it gains at all hands with God and with men; receives much grace from God, and kills envy, and commands respect and good-will from men. It is one of the world's reproaches against those who go beyond their size in religion, that they are proud and self-conceited. Christians, beware there be nothing in you justifying this. Surely they who have most true grace, are least, guilty of this. Common knowledge and gifts may puff up, but grace does not. He whom the Lord loads most. with his richest gifts, stoops lowest, as pressed down.

with the weight of them. The free love of God humbles that heart most, to which it is most manifested.

Ver. 9. Not rendering evil, for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.

To repay good with evil is, amongst men, the top of iniquity; yet this is our universal guiltiness towards God, he multiplying mercies, and we vying with inultiplied sins. The lowest step of mutual good amongst men is, not to be bent to provoke others with injuries, and, being unoffended, to offend none. But this, not to repay offences, nor render evil for evil, is a Christian's rule; and yet further, to return good for evil and blessing for cursing, is not only counselled, but commanded, Matt. v, 44.

It is true, most men have no ambition for this degree of goodness. They aspire no further than to do or say no evil unprovoked, and think themselves sufficiently just and equitable, if they keep within this; but this is lame; it is only half the rule. Thou thinkest injury obliges thee, or, if not so, yet excuses thee, to revenge, or, at least, disobliges thee, unties thy engagement of wishing and doing good. But these are all gross practical errors; for, first, the second injury done by way of revenge, differs from the first that provoked it, little or nothing, but only in point of time; and certainly no one man's sin can procure privilege to another to sin in that or the like kind. If another hath broken the bonds of his allegiance and obedience to God and of charity to thee, yet thou art not the less tied by the same bonds still.-Secondly; by revenge of injuries thou usurpest upon God's prerogative, who is the avenger, as the Apostle teaches, Rom. xii, 19. This doth not forbid either the magistrate's sword for just punnishment of offenders, or the soldier's sword in a just war; but such revenges as, without authority or a lawful call, the pride and perverseness of men do multiply one against another; in which is involved a presumptuous contempt of God and his supreme authority, or, at least, the unbelief and neglect of it.-Thirdly; it cannot be ge