Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/44

 things, nothing illiberal nor sordid is to be found in charity, nothing proud, charity knoweth not schism, charity moveth no sedition, charity devoteth all things in love, in charity all the elect of God becomes perfect, not that I believe that one half of the bulk of man was elected from all eternity to be saved and the other half to be assigned to hell, for the Lord said look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, Ish. 45 c. 22 v. without charity nothing is acceptable unto God, in charity God takes us unto himself, by reason of that charity which the Lord Jesus Christ hath extended to us, he gave his blood for us, according to the will of God, and his flesh for our flesh, and his soul for our souls; you may see brethren how great and marvellous is charity; its perfections are not to be declared, who is to be found in it except those whom God has deemed worthy, let us pray therefore and beseech with entreaties that we may be esteemed worthy of it, and that blameless, we may pass our lives in charity, those who live in love and charity would rather that they themselves, not their neighbors, fall into misfortune; the generous self devotion of Moses as related in the 32d chapter of Exodus, who thus continues, oh, mighty charity! oh, insuperable perfecfection! his servant freely speaking to the Lord, entreateth pardon for the people, or desireth that he himself may be destroyed with them, this is great charity indeed. About 352 years after the flood Abraham was born, according to my calculation; second, about 140 years after the death of Joseph, God delivered the children of Israel; before Christ 1499 years, God gave the law on Mount Sinah, at that time there was a small glimmering light which gave the people of God great encouragement, still to look forward and trust in the Lord, but more especially when Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, seeing that they were severely scourged for their transgressions, being bit by the serpent then seeing the wonderful cure by looking on the brazen serpent that Moses made; that was a type of Christ which was a great light unto them, Num. 21 c. 7, 8, 9, vs., Joh. 3 c 14 v. and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, that the people might see him and be cured; now in our day we as ministers lift him up in