sight of all men. The apostle says, "Give none offence, neither to the
Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God," 1 Cor. x. 32. And he
adds his own example, "Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking
my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved," ver. 33.
Charity is not self addicted. It hath no humour to please. It can
displease itself to profit others. I do verily think there is no point of
Christianity less regarded. Others we acknowledge, but we fail in
practice. This scarce hath the approbation of the mind. Few do conceive an
obligation lying on them to it. But O how is Christianity, the most of it,
humanity? Christ makes us men as well as Christians. He makes us
reasonable men when believers. Sin transformed our nature into a wild,
beastly, viperous, selfish thing. Grace restores reason and natural
affection in the purest and highest strain. And this is reason and
humanity, elevated and purified,--to condescend to all men in all things
for their profit and edification, to deny itself to save others.
Whatsoever is not necessary in itself, we ought not to impose a necessity
upon it by our imagination and fancy, to the prejudice of a greater
necessity, another's edification. Indeed charity will not, dare not sin to
please men. That were to hate God, to hate ourselves, and to hate our
brethren, under a base pretended notion of love. But I believe,
addictedness to our own humours in things not necessary, which have no
worth but from our disposition, doth oftener transport us beyond the
bounds of charity than the apprehension of duty and conscience of sin.
Some will grant they should be tender of offending the saints. But they do
not conceive it is much matter what they do in relation to others, as if
it were lawful to murder a Gentile more than a Christian. That is a bloody
imagination, opposite to that innocent Christian, Paul, who says (Philip.
ii. 15.), we should be "blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation," among whom we
should shine "as lights." And truly it is humanity elevated by
Christianity, or reason purified by religion, that is the light that
shines most brightly in this dark world. And he says (in Col. iv. 5.),
"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without," and (1 Thess. iv. 12.)
"walk honestly toward them that are without,"--avoiding all things, in our
profession and carriage, which may alienate them from