Of charity in reference to other mens sins

And it is that sort of [Greek or Hebrew] which hath most of horror, and the very malignity of Hell in it: As the sin of another, wherein this joy is taken, is an evil against the great God (which there will be occasion more directly to consider hereafter), as well as to him that commits it; a wrong to the former, and an hurt to the latter: Whereas other infelicities are evils to him only whom they befall.

And it is that sort of 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 which hath most of horror, and the very malignity of Hell in it: As the sin of another, wherein this joy is taken, is an evil against the great God (which there will be occasion more directly to consider hereafter), as well as to him that commits it; a wrong to the former, and an hurt to the latter: Whereas other infelicities are evils to him only whom they befal.

2. Consider Charity in relation to its Original, and Exemplar. And so it is immediately from God, and his very image. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him, 1 Joh. 4. 16.

And what sort of love is this, which is made so identical, and the same thing with the very Being, and Nature of God? Not a turbid, and tumultuous, not a mean, and ignoble, not an imprudent, rash, and violent, least of all, an impure polluted passion: But a most calm, wise, ⟨p. 21⟩majestic, holy will to do good to his creatures, upon terms truly worthy of God. Good Will, most conjunct with the other inseparable perfections of the Godhead: Whence, with expressions of the most benign propensions towards his Creatures, he still conjoins declarations of his hatred of sin, upon all occasions. That he is not a God that takes pleasure in wickedness, nor can evil dwell with him. That sin is the abominable thing which his soul loathes. That he is of purer eyes, than to look on iniquity. What can now be more contrary to the pure, and holy love, which shall resemble, and be the image of his, than to rejoice in iniquity? For as God, while he loves the person, hates the sin, men do in this case, love the sin, and hate the person.