Therefore the apostle, after he
had commanded the Corinthians to deliver to the devil the
abominable fornicator who forbore not the bed of his own father's
wife, yet after he had been a while accursed and punished for his
sin, the apostle commanded them charitably to receive him again and
give him consolation, "that the greatness of his sorrow should not
swallow him up." And therefore, when God sendeth the tempest, he
will that the shipmen shall get them to their tackling and do the
best they can for themselves, that the sea eat them not up. For
help ourselves as well as we can, he can make his plague as sore
and as long-lasting as he himself please.
And as he will that we do for ourselves, so will he that we do for
our neigbour too. And he will that we shall in this world have pity
on each other and not be _sine affectione,_ for which the apostle
rebuketh them that lack their tender affection here. So of charity
we should be sorry too for the pain of those upon whom, for
necessary cause, we ourselves be driven to put it. And whosoever
saith that for pity of his neighbour's soul he will have no pity of
his body, let him be sure that, as St. John saith, "He that loveth
not his neighbour whom he seeth, loveth but little God, whom he
seeth not," so he who hath no pity on the pain that he seeth his
neighbour feel before him, pitieth little (whatsoever he say) the
pain of his soul that he seeth not.
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