2 q,o Of Brotherly Kindnf and Charity. SERM, of happinefs to be obtained by them. Piety IX. is one of thefe things, and charity is another. `mom Propofe to any man, fo as he (hall underftánd them, the moral perfections of the Supreme Being, and the relations we bear to him as his creatures and beneficiaries, preferved by him, and daily receiving favours from him, and he will immediately acknowledge that reverence, love, truft, fubmifl'ion, and obe- dience are due to him. After the fame man- ner, if the mutual relations of men are re- prefented, it will appear that kindnefs and beneficence are amiable and praife- worthy. But thefe two great branches of our duty are connected together, and efpecially, the for- mer has a neceflisry influence on the latter. To this purpofe we have an exprefs declara- tion of the apoftle St. 'ohn *, which (hews that the natural tendency of the love of God, the fum of godlinefs, is to produce love to our brethren with the genuine fruits of it. But whofo bath this world's good, and feeth his brother have need, and Jhutteth up his bowels of compafon from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? We cannot have a jufter notion of religion than that it confifts in an imitation of the * l John iii. 17. moral ANI
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=