The POWER of Charity to Cover Sin.

A

SERMON

Preached before the

Prefident and Governors

Of the HOSPITALS of

Bridewell and Bethlehem,

IN

BRIDE WELL-CHAPEL,

August 16, 1694.

I St. PETER iv. 8.

Charity fhall Cover the Multitude of Sins.

OD be thanked, the frequent Re- SER M.

G turns of fuch Pious Meetings as II.

these, in this Rich and Charitable CITY,

11.

SERM. have made the general Argument of CHARITY, the Nature and chief Properties, the feveral Grounds and Reasons of this Duty, fo well understood, that, to Entertain you with a Difcourfe at large on that Subject, would be a very needlefs and useless Attempt. So many Eminent Pens have gone before in this Way, as have left it very difficult for those who come after, either to say any thing which they have not faid, or not to fay That much worfe which They

have.

Upon this Account, and because, indeed, I take General Difcourfes, for the most Part, to be like Large Profpects, where the Eye is loft by the wide Compafs it takes, and fees fo many things at once that it fees nothing diftinctly; I have chosen at present to point Your Thoughts only on One particular Property of this Great Virtue, which hath been not often handled, I think; and even Then, not always well understood: It is That, which the Apostle St. Peter propofeth to Us, in thofe few Words I

have read to You,

the Multitude of Sins.

Charity fhall cover s ER M•

Few as they are, they will fufficiently employ our Thoughts at this time, if we confider, in the

First Place; The feveral Explications that have been given of them, and satisfy ourfelves which of These ought to take Place. If,

II.

1.

Secondly, We free That One True II. Genuine Meaning of the Words from the Exceptions which lie against it. If,

Thirdly, We establish the Truth laid III. down upon its proper Grounds and Rea

fons. And if,

Fourthly, We make fome few useful IV. Deductions from it.

After this is done, the little Time that V. is left, will properly be spent in applying what hath been faid more immediately to the Occasion of this prefent Affembly.

SERM,

II.

Charity hall Cover the Multitude of

Sins.

There is scarce any Man, I believe, who hears thefe Words, that is not ready to frame to himself this Sense of them; "That the Virtue of Charity "is of fo great Price in the Sight of God, that Thofe Perfons, who poffefs "and exercise it in any Eminent man

ner, are peculiarly Entitled to the "Divine Favour and Pardon, with re"gard to numberlefs Slips and Failings "in their Duty, which they may be "otherwife guilty of: This Great Chri"ftian Perfection, of which they are "Masters, fhall make many Little Im"perfections to be overlooked and un"observed; it shall Cover the Multitude of Sins."

This, I fay, is the Account which every Man naturally gives himself of thefe Words at his first hearing them; and it is for That very Reafon probably, that That is the True and Genuine Account of them. For, fuppofing the

Original

Original Text to be well and clearly ren- s E R M. dered in our Verfion, it will, I am of 11. Opinion, be found, that That Senfe of any Paffage, which, after tending to the Force of the Words, and to their Coherence with what goes before and what follows, Firft occurs to the Mind, is generally the Jufteft and Trueft.

This hath not however been always thought a good Rule in the present Cafe. For feveral Pious, and fome Judicious Men, finding the Words, in their plain and familiar Meaning, to carry fomewhat of a fufpicious Sound with them, and to border a little (as They thought) on the Papal Doctrine of Works Meritorious, have, therefore, taken fome Pains to give a Different Interpretation of them. I fhall offer, first, to your View fome of these miftaken Senfes, ere I come to confider that which, I think, was intended by St. Peter; because Each of these doth certainly propose a Clear and Appofite Truth to us, tho' perhaps not truly drawn from the Paffage now before us.