Where by all Faith undoubtedly is meant all the Faith that can be had without Charity and needs not to be restrained to the particular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or extraordinary Gift of the Faith of Miracles whereof he speaks in the former Chapter ver 12. To this Purpose St. James Chap. 2.22 saith Faith is made perfect by Works not excluding any sort of Good Works but specially treating of the works of Charity as appears by the Context from verse the 13. to the 18. And whereas he saith Faith is made perfect by Works he speaks not only of a Gradual Perfection or of the Consummation or Preservation of Faith or of the Ornament Demonstration or signal evidence of Faith as some would have it but of such an essential and formal Perfection as is necessary to the nature of Truth and sincerity of Faith as appears by that repeated Sentence both before and after these Words ver 17. Faith without Works is dead and ver 26. As the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also Whether by the Spirit he means the Breath as some take it because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritus sometime signifies no more or rather the Soul which is the most usual Sense of the word in Scripture the Meaning comes all to one signifying that an idle or fruitless Faith hath no more of Spiritual Life or Reality in it than a Body can have without Breath or without a Soul and therefore is no more a true and unfeigned Faith than a dead Carcass is a human Body Indeed the true justifying saving Faith in the practical Notion which is the only true Notion of it includes Charity together with all other Good Works as I have elsewhere largely shewed So that if Faith be necessary to the Covering or Remission of sin Charity is so too But the common Answer to these and all other Texts produced to evince the Necessity of Charity and Good Works to the Salvation of a sinner is that they prove only a necessity of Presence and Concomitancy or at most a necessity of Consequence not of Efficacy that is that this Necessity doth not respect the End or Effect of Faith in the Justification or Salvation of the Believeer but proceeds only from the common nature and principle of that Faith which is an effect of the Spirit of God the necessary Fruits whereof do consist in Love Joy Peace Long-suffering c. which distinct Vertues with their proper Works do not contribute any thing to the Effect of our Justification but are meer Concomitants or at most but gratefull Effects of that Faith which justifieth us Which useth to be illustrated by a Similitude borrowed from the natural and animal Life wherein the particular faculties of Seeing or taking hold of a thing by the Touch do necessarily imply such a common Principle of sensitive Life as doth also comprehend the powers and faculties of Hearing Smelling and Tasting yet none of these Faculties or any act of them do or can contribute any thing efficiently to the effect of Seeing Apprehending or laying hold of an Object So the Grace of Charity or Love to God and Man together with all those other Fruits of the Spirit which are mentioned by the Apostle and all the Effects and Works which do proceed from them are indeed necessary Concomitants of such a Faith as justifies or saves a Man but do contribute no more nor have any more Efficacy to this effect of Justification and Salvation than the distinct Faculties of other Senses do to the effect of Seeing This I take to be a true Account of their Sense that assert the Doctrine of Justification and Pardon of sin by Faith only as that imports a habit or act really distinct though not separated from other Christian Vertues In opposition to this Opinion contradicting the Doctrine which I maintain to be the Sense of the Apostle in this Text confirmed as hath been seen by many others I am engaged to prove that Charity and Good Works are necessary to the Justification of a sinner that is to the Remission of his sin not only by way of Concomitancy or joint Presence with Faith or consequent to it but also by way of moral Efficacy as a Condition or Means to obtain that Effect This I hope will be sufficiently done by the following Arguments this one postulate or conclusion which I suppose will not be denied being first granted me viz. That if any thing else beside the habit or act of Faith considered as really distinct from other Christian Vertues or Acts be effectual or available to the Remission of sin then Charity is or may be so in as much as that is one of the most Excellent of Christian Vertues most agreeable to the Nature of God and consequently most pleasing to him So that if that be not available to this End nothing else besides Faith can be so This Proposition being granted I argue as followeth 1. Argument If it be certain from Scripture and we be bound to believe that nothing which can be done by us besides such a Faith as is supposed to be really distinct though not separate from all Good Works can be of any Efficacy towards the remission of our sins then ought nothing else to be done by us towards that end because every such other act done to this end would by this supposition be perfectly vain and unreasonable and not so only but also contrary to our obliged belief And then to pray for the forgiveness of our sins that being an act distinct from Faith would be not only needless and useless but unlawful especially if it should be acted with any opinion hope or belief that such a prayer could avail us any thing in order to this end or that this end could any way be promoted by our Prayers But this is directly contrary to our Saviours Precept in that Form of Prayer which he hath taught us to use wherein we are directed to pray that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And contrary to the advice of St. Peter to Simon Magus Acts 8.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee Where also it is to be noted that the Apostle adviseth him not only to pray for the forgiveness of his sin but also to repent of it in order to the same end The same advice is given by the same Apostle to the Jews in the first Sermon which he made unto them after the reception of the Holy Ghost Acts 2.37 38. Having convinced them of their hainous sin in the murder of the Lord Jesus and made them sensible of it Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptizid every one of you in the
Concern Above all things have fervent Charity among your selves And then urged with a strong argument or motive drawn from a special Effect and Consequent thereof For Charity shall cover a multitude of sins The Design of my present Discourse is chiefly upon this particular Argument or Motive which being well understood and firmly believed may be enough to save me the labour of adding many more found in other Texts some of which have been briefly touched in the foregoing Chapter and all or most of them amply set forth by others Dr. Is Barrow especially by a late worthy Person in his excellent Sermon upon the Subject of Charity Whereas that particular Argument which is alledged in this Text though it may have been mentioned by others hath not to my knowledge been so distinctly and largely discussed as the Weight and Efficacy of it seems to deserve There being no argument or motive to the practice of this Vertue more like to prevail with persons sensible of the multitude and danger of their sins than this if it may be admitted in the Sense hereafter declared For this is most notoriously known to have been the greatest and most effectual Motive to that one common and eminent branch of this great Vertue that hath in vulgar Speech monopolized the name of Charity viz. that of Alms and Beneficence This one simple Motive specified in this Text hath I believe prevailed more to this effect in all parts of Christendom with all sorts of Persons in their life time and at their death than all the rest And this especially with such People as being much sensible of their sins have desired to verifie the truth of their Repentance by bringing forth fruits worthy of it Amongst which there is none to be compared to the works of Charity Though indeed there be many other Fruits worthy of repentance in a just sense but not equal to this Such are all acts and works of extraordinary Devotion all practices of Pennance and Mortification which the Apostle calls judging of our selves 1 Cor. 11.31 And Revenge proceeding from a Godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.11 The Schoolmen from the Latine Fathers especially St. Cyprian express them by the word Satisfaction an innocent word if rightly interpreted These are such as do chiefly consist in Fasting Watching and Afflicting the body by abstinence from lawfull Injoyments with various expressions of penetential Sorrows for sin and Subjugation of carnal lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle calls keeping under the Body and bringing it under subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 Not sparing the Body Col 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bodily Exercise he calls it elsewhere and acknowledges it to be profitable though but a little in comparison of true Godliness 1 Tim. 4.8 Hereunto belongs all that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard usage of the Body practised by the Asceticks in the ancient Church especially in the East where the severities of Monastick Life began and most prevailed in their course Diet hard Lodging and Clothing of Sackcloth and Haircloth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Humicubation lying upon the ground c. which things have been over-acted and still are in the Greek and Roman Churches These things being cleared from that Superstition which they are liable to in the kinds and measures of them as also from such Hypocrisie as was practised by the Pharisees and is notorious in the later Ages of the Church are not to be rejected or denied to be proper and reasonable fruits and testimonies of Repentance as exercise of Self discipline and judging our selves that we may not be judged 1 Cor. 11.31 There are a multitude of Texts in the Old Testament wherein such Afflicting of our selves in testimony of repentance are not only approved but expresly enjoyned by God himself Lev. 16.29 31. cap. 23.27 32. Numb 29.7 Ezr. 8.21 Isa 58.3 as may be seen in the Texts quoted in the Margin many others that might be added And that this was no point of meer Jewish and Ceremonial Discipline may be confirmed from the Examples before quoted particularly from St. Paul in his own practice and the approbation of it in the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.17 and the express precept of St. James Cap. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep Such affliction as naturally agreeable to the affection of Sorrow whiles we are mixt Creatures consisting of Body as well as Soul may be either imposed for satisfaction of Scandal and testimony of Repentance or voluntarily undertaken and practised by true Penitents to express before God their Humiliation and Godly sorrow But none of these things are in their kind such worthy fruits of Repentance or so acceptable to God as the special exercises of Charity Because none of them have any such intrinsick Goodness in them as is opposite to the Evil repented of or can be reasonably presumed to balance it none so available as Charity for the remission or expiation of the sin pardon that Word for the present which I shall interpret afterward in such a Sense as will appear to be nothing prejudicial to the Expiation by the Blood of Christ Charity is â—herefore most acceptable to God because most beneficial to Men and most agreeable to his own natural and essential Goodness Therefore doth God prefer Mercy which â—s but a branch of Charity before Sacrifice and all manner of outward Worship not Ceremonial only but also Moral and Natural as of Prayers and Praises Vid. Isa 1. v. 11. to the 19. To relieve the oppressed to judge the fatherless and to plead for the widow are named for things so acceptable and prevalent with God that he promiseth an intire pardon of the grossest sins to all them that joyn these things with the Essential duties of Repentance expressed ver 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine Eyes cease to do evil learn to do well seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be like crimson they shall be as wooll that is the deepest dye and stain of them shall be quite taken out But of this more hereafter Come we now to the express Doctrine oâ— the Apostle in the words of the Text Charity doth will or shall cover a multitude of sins Such a variation of Lection iâ— found in the Greek Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alià s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the difference is not considerable Now concerning the nature of Charity with the Extent and various Effects thereof Though I might presume them to be so well known to any Reader that will be capable of understanding the future Discourse designed to be as plain as I am able to make it as makes it unnecessary to give any large Description thereof yet do I not judge it altogether needless to give any Account at all of it
Sense of his words and confining it without necessity to any other of less concern and weaker efficacy as most clearly that is which respects only the sins of other men But that which most strongly confirms this to be the special Sense of the Apostles words is to be collected from the Connexion of this Verse with the foregoing wherein he forewarneth the Jewish Christians to whom the Epistle is directed of a Fatal End that was near at hand and thereupon adviseth them what they should do to secure themselves in that event The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer And above all things have fervent Charity among your selves for Charity will cover a multitude of sins Whether by the end of all things be meant the End of the world according to the common Interpretation and that said to be at hand in a certain Latitude of sence because it was now the last time the last hour the last days as was elsewhere frequently declared by himself and his fellow Apostles 1 Pet. 1.5 and 2 Pet. 3.3 Heb. 1.2 Jam. 5.3 1 Jo. 2.18 Jude 18. Meaning the last Age of the World whereof although the duration was not to be so short as might then be imagined from such words as these yet it was not to be long in the eyes of God with whom a thousand years are but as one day as he advertiseth them in his second Epistle Chap. 3.8 I say whether it be the end of the World or which is more probable to be the Apostles meaning the Fatal Destruction of the obdurate Jews their Nation Politie Royal City and Temple foretold by Christ himself and often spoken of by his Apostles which was then very near indeed This being the ground and occasion of the Apostles Exhortation to fervent Charity leads us to the most reasonable Interpretation of these latter words of the verse For Charity will cover a multitude of sins That is when the end of all things which is near at hand shall come fervent Charity added to and joyned with Repentance signified by the foregoing expressions of Sobriety Watching and Praying is the likeliest means to propitiate the wrath of God deserved by a multitude of sins and to save you from the formidable judgement of God which is to be expected I appeal to any indifferent Person whether this coherence of the Apostles words doth not determine his meaning to relate to the sins of the Charitable Person much rather than the sins of others For although it be no less true that the same Vertue of Charity will cover a multitude of sins in other men in such a sence as shall be declared afterward yet how that should be referred as by the Context in this place it is to the end of all things That is how Charity should cover a multitude of sins in other Persons when the end of all things is come is hard to conceive but easie enough to understand how it may then cover a multitude of sins in the Charitable Person as shall be shewed in its due place The most rational Objection against this Interpretation and Argument for the preference of the other Sense is raised from a parallel Text Prov. 10.12 Hatred stirreth up strife but Love covereth all sins And if the Apostles words seeming to be borrowed from that Sentence must receive the same Interpretation with that it must necessarily be understood of other mens sins by the two contrary effects of Love and Hatred set forth in that Text the one stirring up strife the other preventing it by covering the faults of other men by not taking notice of them or looking favourably upon them in order to a peaceable and friendly living with them But to this Objection it may be answered 1. That it is not evident that St Peter did intend any quotation of that Proverb there being no such intimation in the Apostles words as usually there is when any Text of the Old Testament is cited in the New by those words as it is written or other like not found in this place But to this Objection together with some others a fuller answer shall be made afterward § 2. The probability of this Sense being thus declared from the Context the Truth of it remains to be further confirmed from many other Texts of Scripture but I suspend the addition of them till I have answered the second Question viz. Supposing the sins spoken of in this Sentence to be the sins of the Charitable person the question is what 's meant by the word Covering or in what Sense they may be said to be covered by Charity The Answer to this Question is to be collected from the ordinary use of the same Phrase in other places of Scripture wherein it is frequently used to express the pardon or forgiveness of sin as Rom. 4.7 quoting Psal 32.1 Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered So Psal 85.2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy People thou hast covered all their sins In these Texts I suppose no doubt can b◠made but that the Covering of sin signifies the same thing with the Forgiving So Neh. 4.5 Cover not their iniquities an◠let not their sin be blotted out i. e. let i◠not be forgiven And because Covering a◠thing is one way of hiding therefore ou◠Translators have rendred the same Greek word used in another Text of like signification by the word Hiding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.20 He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitudes of sins i. e. shall procure the Pardon of them as the words are commonly interpreted or shall obtain the Forgiveness of a multitude of sins in himself as the learned Grotius and Dr. Hammond interpret them agreeable to the fore-given sense of the same Words in our Text. The converting of a sinner from the errour of his Way is an eminent act of Charity whensoever it is industriously sought and intended whatever the success be Nor is there any appearance of Incongruity to say or suppose that to endeavour the Conversion of an other man and thereby to procure the Pardon of his sins should be available towards the obtaining of a pardon of sins in the charitable Procurer For if that Sense which I have given of the words of St. Peter be admitted to import a certain Truth as I doubt not to evince from many other Texts afterward the like Sense of this of St. James whether by him intended or not will necessarily follow to contain the same Truth The Converting of a sinner or the sincere and earnest Endeavour thereof being as before was said an eminent act of Spiritual Charity But for the probability of that Sense of St. James his words I must at this time refer the Reader to the Notes of the forenamed Doctor upon the Text because it would be too great an Excursion to undertake the Confirming
healed Which seems to be the sence of another Phrase often used by our Saviour in like cases to them that came to him for the healing of their Diseases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.22 Thy faith hath saved thee i. e. hath made thee whole as 't is there rendred in our English Translation agreeable to the following words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the woman was made whole from that hour Not that I suppose this to be all the Benefit that he ever intended to any Person to whom he uttered those words thy sins are forgiven thee amongst whom it is more than probable there were some whose Faith did qualifie them for a better remission of their sin But it is not evident that every one of those Persons that were cured of their bodily Diseases by him were endued with such an unfeigned Faith as did render them capable of an absolute Remission of all their sins as to another Life For to think as some Divines have said that our Blessed Saviour never cured the body of any Patient but he cured their souls also seems to be but an improbable opinion But supposing this Remission of sin as relating only to Temporal Punishments in this Life to be granted as a Reward of an Insincere Charity the Question may be moved whether the like Charity or any works thereof may not be available also to some degree of Remission or covering of sin in the Life to come at the last Judgement To this Question I shall not presume to answer dogmatically as not remembring at present any particular Testimony of Scripture whereby that Question may be determined either in the Negative or Affirmative notwithstanding my Opinion inclines to the Affirmative viz. that although such an infincere Charity can avail nothing towards a total Remission at the last Judgement or the Salvation of the Person whereof no man can be capable whithout an unfeigned Repentance and such a true Faith as works by sincere Love to God and his Neighbour yet that even such Good Works as do indeed proceed from Charity and are not done hypocritically for self Interest Worldly ends or carnal Motives only may abate the Degrees of the future Punishment in another Life My reason for this Opinion is grounded upon that Fundamental Principle of all Religion That all men shall fare in the life to come 2 Cor. 5.10 according to the things done by them in this Life whether they be good or whether they be bad Which Rule is understood not only of the respective states of Salvation and Damnation but also of the degrees of Reward and Punishment in that state As for the state of Punishment no question hath been or can be made concerning the difference of its degrees expressly declared in Scripture signifying that it shall be more tolerable for some Mat. 10.15 chap. 11.22 Luke 12.47 48. than for others in that day wherein some shall be beaten with many stripes and some with fewer And the Question that is made about the degrees of Glory is but a novel one none of the Ancients that I know of and very few Modern Divines have embraced the Opinion that asserts the equality of that state The Catholick Doctrine founded upon Scripture supposes as much disparity of degrees of Glory and Happiness in Heaven as of Punishment in Hell and that the respective measures of each condition will be allotted and assigned according to such proportion of Good and Evil as upon an exact and infallible Evidence before an Impartial Judge shall be found in the Persons to be judged with Relation to the bodily Life past So is that Judgement described by St John Rev. 20.12 And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their Works And that among all sorts of Good Works those of Charity to our Brethren will then have a special Confideration is sufficiently intimated by the words of our Saviour in his own Description of the last Judgement Mat. 25.31 to the end of the Chapter I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me c A Text which I shall have occasion to speak more largely of afterward in the Confirmation of this Doctrine And as by this Declaration of our Saviour himself who is to be Judge at that day it is evident that Works of Charity proceeding from an unfeigned Faith will then be specially considered as a qualification for the General Reward so that the Degrees and Measures of that Reward will be proportion'd to the Measures of Charity seems no less evident by the words of the Apostle speaking also of the same sort of works 2. Cor. 9.6 He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And in the words of our Saviour in the forementioned Text it is likewise added as a Reason of the Sentence of Condemnation to be denounced against them on the left hand verse 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gave me no meit I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. Signifying that one just cause of that just Sentence will be the neglect of this great Duty of Charity whence it will follow upon a reasonable account that look how much that sin of neglect or omission shall be found to be abated by any thing done by the Person to be judged and condemned for that fault so much will be abated of the Punishment And though some Works of Charity bearing no proportion to the ability of him that doth them may be reckon'd as none in the Sense of our Saviours words and in reference to a mans discharge from the Substance of the Sentence yet it cannot be said that he that hath done some Works of Charity is altogether so guilty of the omission of that Duty as he that hath done none And consequently cannot be equally liable upon that account to the same degrees of Punishment And therefore his Charity how defective soever it was will save him from some degrees of Punishment in that state Besides all the validity it had to exempt him from Punishments and to procure any Temporal Reward in this Life What other Consideration may be had by the Judge at that day of Works of Charity done by any Person that then shall be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reprobate and so fall into condemnation towards any counterpoise of his other sins or of the abatement of the degrees of their Punishment I cannot tell But this is certain that what ever can be equitably plended for the abatement of Punishment will be considered by that Judge who is infinitely Wise and Just knowing
exactly the Merits and Circumstances of every mans case that is to be tryed before him and who will be Advocate as well as Judge for every sinner as far as his case will bear And therefore as in humane Judicature or Exercise of distributive Justice amongst men when a Criminal is to be judged although his case be such as can neither admit of a Justification nor yet of a Plenary Pardon yet it is thought no more than reasonable that some consideration should be had of the rest of his Life especially if there be any Good Evidence of any Special Laudable Actions done by him they may be considered toward the abatement of utmost severity in the Penalty where any such abutement is possible as in Punishments which are not Capital So though I cannot assure any man that it shall be so in the case of any Persons falling under the necessary Sentence of Condemnation yet I think there is some Reason to hope that he that hath shewed Mercy to Men in this Life though he be not saved may find some Mercy in the degrees of his Punishment And that not only upon the account of such an abatement of his Guilt as was before signified respecting his sins of omission but also with respect to his sins of commission That there will be some kind of Counterpoise or Ballance of Good and Evil Works in the Divine Judgement and execution of Justice is not in my opinion to be rejected as a meer Rabinical or Platonical conceit Mal poâ—se qui ne contre poise Is the French Prov. though it be so too but seems to be in some measure probable as it is agreeable to the nature of Justice exercised amongst men privately and publickly The Summ of what I have said in the Explication of that Sense of the Apostles words which I here maintain is this That Charity if it be sincere as the Fruit of an unfeighed Faith and Repentance will be available towards a plenary Covering or Remission of a mans sins at the last Judgement If it be not so yet it will procure him some Remission at least if not Exemption from temporal Punishment in this Life besides other positive Rewards ordinarily given to the practice of this Vertue and may also be available towards the Abatement of the Degrees of positive Punishment in the Life to come I say of Positive Punishment commonly called Paena Sensûs Pain or Punishment of Sense because the Privative Punishment Poena Damni the Punishment of Loss can admit of no degrees of Abatement For the loss of Eternal Life will be equal to all that are not saved and can be no other from the Nature of the thing though the sense and affliction of that Loss may differ much according to the different capacities Men were in to obtain that Life and the inequality of the Means thereof received and rejected or neglected For in this respect the Loss of Eternal Life will be more tolerable as our Saviour saith for Sodom and Gomorrah for Tyre and Sidon that never had the like means of Salvation though they were not excluded from all means or possibility thereof then it will be for Bethsaida or Capernaum And so it will be proportionably for all People under like Inequality of the means of Life neither is it possible for any Person that never had any such Means as some other had and therefore cannot be guilty of Rejecting or Neglecting them I say it is not possible for any such Person to fall under the same Degrees of that necessary Punishment of the never-dying Worm as that is supposed to signifie the anguish and torment of the guilty Conscience This natural punishment of the Afflicted or afflicting Conscience for the same Reason must needs be abated also to him that hath done some Good works of Charity in this Life because his Conscience cannot charge him at the same rate as it must needs do him that hath totally neglected them under an equal or larger Ability Whether the substance of this Interpretation of the Text either necessary or most probable must be left to the judgment of the Reader but that it is neither Popish nor Singular as some may be ready to charge it I must take leave to challenge whiles I find that this Sense of the Words hath neither been received by all Papists nor rejected by all Protestants Some of the Pontificians baulking this Interpretation as Estius Tirinus and others which I insist upon do give the same which is given by most Protestants namely That Charity will cover the sins of other Men not the sins of the Charitable Person in such a Sense as is hereafter to be declared And some Eminent Protestants do admit that other Sense which I prefer as most probable And that not only in this Text but also in that of St. James wherein the same Phrase is used Jam. 5.20 He which converteth a sinner from the Errour of his ways shall save a Soul from Death and shall hide a Multitude of sins The origiginal Words are the same in both Texts and are thus Paraphrased by a Learned Doctor of our own Church Dr. Hammond It is a most excellent glorious Work which he hath wrought the Effect of which is that God will free him on whom this Change is wrought from Death eternal and perhaps from present temporal Death through Sickness fallen upon him for that sin vid. v. 15. And besides he will accept and reward the Charity of him that hath wrought that good Work with the free Discharge of whatsoever sins he hath formerly been guilty of but hath now repented of See the same Authors Annotation upon the Text. This Sense is agreeable to the words of the Prophet Daniel Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever viz. in Heavenly Glory which necessarily implyes a Remission of their sins And why the zealous Endeavouring to convert sinners from the Error i. e. evil of their Way should be available to procure the Covering of a multitude of sins in him that makes it his care and study so to do a very good Reason may be given from the nature of the Act which imports one of the best Testimonies of Repentance that can be In that Penetential Psalm wherein David sues to Almighty God for the Pardon of his gross sins of Murder and Adultery he urges this as a Motive towards the obtaining of his Request Psal 5.13 Then will I teach Transgressors thy Ways and sinners shall be converted unto Thee And surely no greater Reparation can be made by sinfull man to Almighty God for the dishonour done to his Majesty by his own sins than when the penitent sinner together with his own Hearty repentance and amendment of Life shall endeavour also as much as lies in his power the Conversion of other sinners unto God So did Abner design to make his peace with King David after his professed Enmity and Rebellion first by Promising
to the Ability of the Giver signified by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth indeed import something of a true and real Purification of the Heart as it is an effect of Charity which is the best Fruit of an unreigned Repentance whereby the soul is cleansed from the guilt and pollution of sin For there are two Parts of Repentance the First is to cease to do Evil and the Second to learn to do Well As 't is described by the Prophet Isay Chap. 1. v. 16 17 18. A Text which I am to urge afterward as a pregnant Confirmation of the Doctrine asserted in this Discourse John the Baptist preaching the Baptism of Repentance for the Remission of sins presseth this upon his Auditory that they should bring forth Bruits worthy of Repentance So did St. Paul in all places where he preached Acts. 26.20 exhorting them to repent and turn to God and do Works meet for Repentance such indeed are all manner of Good Works and Abstaining from Evil And works of Mercy and Alms-giving being most eminent amongst Good Works are by a common Synechdoche of the Part for the Whole put for all Good Works And the whole business of Repentance is sometime described by them as shall be shewn from several Texts of the Old Testament which remain to be quoted in their due place But as to the Sense of that Speech of our Saviour which I am yet speaking of it seemeth to agree with that of St. Paul Tit. 1.15 Vnto the Pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their Mind and Conscience is defiled Where St. Paul speaks of all sorts o◠Meats and other Creatures of God as our Saviour doth in this Speech declaring the Use of them to the Pure i. e. to all penitent Believers opposed to them that are defiled and unbelieving whose Mind and Conscience is defiled with sin unrepented of are pure The only Difference of these two Sayings seemeth to be this That whereas St. Paul speaks of a general Purity our Saviour expresseth the same thing Synechdochically by a particular eminent Instance of Good Works supposed to proceed from a common principle of Sanctification Purity of Heart To conclude my Animadversion upon the Text that which our Saviour means is as if he had said to go about to cleanse the Body without regard to the Soul is vain and unprofitable But on the contrary the Soul being cleansed by Repentance testified by such an eminent Fruit of it as is the giving of Alms supposed to be considerable in their Measure and proportionable to the Ability of the Giver all things not forbidden by God are clean and free to be used without fear of Pollution and with confidence of his Blessing If this be not the Meaning of our Saviour in this obscure Text. I know not what it should be But if it be so it plainly and fully confirms the Doctrine which I have in hand viz. that Charity is a special and effectual means for the Covering of sin which is all one with the Cleansing from the Guilt of it But some Protestant Expositor prejudiced against this Doctrine have utterly changed the Sense of our Saviour in this Speech which they will not allow to be designed by him for any Direction or Declaration of the means of Cleansing men from the Guilt of sin But to be spoken Ironically in reference to a common Opinion and Doctrine of the Jews See Dr. Lightfoots Horae Hebr. viz. that Alms is equipollent to all the precepts of the Law and enough to purge away sin and save from Hell and this Sentence to be cited from them by way of Irrision and Reprehension rather then with Approbation and so not to be uttered as his own words or meaning but this Interpretation seems to be forced as having no other Foundation then the Prejudice of the Authors against the Doctrine which we are treating of confirmed by this and the forementioned Saying of our Saviour I shall add but one Text more out of the New Testament viz. that of St. Paul Hebr. 13.16 To do good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Where I shall not insist upon the Latine Translations which may seem more expressly to favour our Doctrine by the words promeretur vulg placatur vel conciliatur signifying God to be appeased reconciled and made friends by works of Charity But content my self with our English Translation most literally agreeable to the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is well pleased Which word doth as truly though not so expressly confirm our Doctrine as any of the Latine Words forementioned used by Learned Interpreters do For whatsoever Good Works God is truly pleased with must needs be profitable to the averting his Displeasure from the Person that doth them if he be any ways liable thereto and whatsoever tends to the Averting his Displeasure tends equally to the Averting the Punishment of sin which is the Sense that I assert of St. Peters phrase of Covering of sins Nor can God be well pleased with any Action of a sinner till he be in some measure at least reconciled to him and disposed to the Pardon of his sin Other Texts out of the New Testament will be alledged afterward in Answer to the Objections against the Doctrine At present I shall only add a few more of equal Authority out of the Old Testament beginning with that of Solomon Prov. 14.21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth but he that hath mercy on the poor happy is he The English Annotation upon this Text commonly attributed to the Assembly of Divines is remarkable in these words He that will not give to the poor shall be punished as a sinner although he takes nothing from them or because it is the Propriety and Priviledge of Charity to cover a multitude of sins Jam. 5.20 and 1 Pet. 4.8 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth may be also and is by some interpreted shall be found a sinner all his sins shall be reckoned unto him and he shall be punished without any mitigation So 1 Kin. 1.21 I and my son shall be sinners that i◠shall be proceeded against as offenders sin will be imputed unto us Where we find the same Interpretation of the Text in St. Peter which is given by us allowed by these Annotators who are far enough from all suspicion of favour to any Popish Doctrines Notwithstanding the same Interpreters do give the other Sence of St. Peters words only in their Notes upon that place making them to relate to the sins of others thereby making peace But this Interpretation is grounded only upon the parallel Text of the Proverbs cited by them and as they think by the Apostle which Objection hath been answered before Now the forementioned Sence of the first Branch of the Text Prov. 14.21 given by the Annotator doth determine the second by way of opposition to the first to