the Hands of Their Allies: Then did He appear, and own Our Caufe; Then was the God of Hofts our Strength, and our Shield. Surely, There is no End of that Goodness, which continues thus to purfue us; which vouchfafes to establifh to Us, and to our Pofterity those Bleffings, under which we have been fo unthankful, and fo ingrateful already! and to give us fresh Opportunities of Praife, which I hope we fhall make better use of!

Let us, therefore, Offer unto God Thankf giving; and not That only, but Our felves alfo, our Souls and Bodies, to be a Reafonable, Holy, and Lively Sacrifice: Let us render him the Fruit of our Lips, and the Obedience of our Lives, that these Bleffings may not prove a Curfe to us; but that He may ftill be Our God, and we may be His People.

To him, with the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, be all Honour, Praife and Glory, henceforth and for Evermore. Amen.

The

The Power of Charity to Cover Sin.

A

SERMON

Preach'd before the

Prefident and Governours

Of the HOSPITALS of

Bridewell and Bethlehem,

IN

BRIDEWELL-CHAPEL,

AUGUST 16. 1694.

i St. PETER iv. 8.

Charity shall Cover the multitude of Sins.

Go

OD be thanked, the frequent Returns of fuch Pious Meetings as thefe, in this Rich and Charitable CITY, 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 thofe 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 Compass it takes, and fees fo many things at once, that it fees nothing diftinctly; I have chofen at prefent to point Your Thoughts only on One Particular Property of this Great Vertue, 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 -- Charity fball Cover the multitude of Sins.

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

Firft

First place, the feveral Explications that have been given of them, and fatisfie our felves, which of Thefe ought to take place. If,

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

If,

I.

II:

Thirdly, We eftablish the Truth laid III. down upon its Proper Grounds and Reafons. And if,

Fourthly, We make fome few ufeful De- IV. ductions from it.

After this is done, the little Time that is left will properly be spent in Applying what hath been faid more immediately to the Occafion of This Prefent Affembly.

Charity hall Cover the multitude of Sins. There is fcarce any man, I believe, who hears these Words, that is not ready to frame to himself This Sense of them; "That the Vertue of Charity "is of fo great price in the Sight of "God, that Thofe Perfons, who poffefs "and exercise it in any Eminent manner, are peculiarly Entituled to the "Divine Favour and Pardon, with re(( gard to numberlefs Slips and Failings in their Duty, which they D 2 c may

66

V:

༠