neglected at this day as if it were not in the Bible Be not forward to pronounce judgment rashly concerning others Christ the Judge sayes to Christians Judge not Mat. 7. 1. You that speak so much of standing up for the Kingly office of Christ do not usurp his place and office by becoming Judges of your Brethren do not cast that great command of this King of Kings behind your backs Love one another Avoid partiality in speaking of others if you extenuate greater crimes in those of your own party and endeavour to conceal them and aggravate lesser things in those of another party and blaze them abroad you respect persons and are convinced of the law as transgressors Jam. 2. 9. and so far as there is partiality so far there is hypocrisie Jam. 3. 17. O Tongues of Professors How long will it be e're you be quiet How long shall your breath be liâ—â— the East-wind blasting all about you When shall all your words be agreeable to the Word of God when shall your lips feed many and hurt none your reproachful backbiting railing language your lies and falshoods have been your sin and shame and the shame of Religion repentance and amendment is absolutely necessary else Salvation still will stand at a distance Isa 63. 8. For he said Surely they are my people Children that will not lye so he was their Saviour USE III. Of Exhortation to abound in Love which is so much for the Churches Edification My Exhortation I second with these Arguments 1. God is Love his love is unconceivably great towards his whole Church and every true member of it There is not the meanest or most mistaking Christian in the World but if sincere God sets his love and an high pricâ— upon Ungodly men are but like common stones but Believers are Gods Jewels and peculiar treasure above all people Exod. 19. 5. And if God thus loves them all surely they ought to love one another 1 Joh. 4. 11. And they that dwell in love dwell in God now to dwell in God is to dwell safely for he is the Rock of Ages and in Him Mercy and Grace and light and peace and joy are to be found 2. Christ the Head is full of love to all the Members among these therefore there should be a most ardent affection one to another and a great and sweet agreement Comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 18 19. And how will you be able to slander or injure or be bitter against any whom Christ loves with a love that passes all understanding 3. Love is preferr'd before Faith and Hope 1 Cor. 13. ult And now abideth Faith Hope Charity but the greatest of these is Charity Faith and Hope cease when we come to see and enjoy but Love never falls or ends Faith receives and Hope expects but Love gives the Heart to God and for his sake it gives liberally to its Neighbour Love is the bond of perfectness Col. 3. 14. Charitas multos multa unit Love ties all other vertues together and makes them more perfect and acceptable and it unites the members of the Church together which Church is the Worlds perfection Psal 50. 2. Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined 4. Love is a debt Rom. 13. 8. Owe no man any thing but to love one another You are not just to your Neighbour unless you love him and love to shew mercy to him He that loves not another defrauds him of what is due to him nay he is not only a Thief but a Murtherer 1 Joh. 3. 15. Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murtherer and ye know that no Murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him And if he that wants love is a Murtherer 't is less to say that he is a Schismatick but he may truly be called the greatest Schismatick that is most void of love Haeresis fidei opponitur Schisâ—a Charitati Heresie is opposed to Faith and Schism to Charity and if so then they are furthest from Schism that are fullest of love and they are most Schismatical who are fullest of bitterness and rancour against their Brethren 5. The greater your love is and the more Catholick 'tis it makes every one of you the more common good the more Catholick blessing The Church is beholding to you and so is the world God himself is pleased to see your Charity so diffusive and active and your labour of love shall not be forgotten shall not miss of a reward USE IV. Of Direction How love may be revived and increased 1. Observe the great defects of love in you and be very much ashamed and abased before God How few of your actions and speeches have favoured of Love what workings have there been in your hearts contrary to it Judge not want of love a small offence since 't is so much call'd for both in Law and Gospel 2. Seriously lay to heart how much Christ himself is concerned in and for all his Members though their opinions may be different from yours This good Shepherd loves all his flock and he gave his life a ransom for every one of them Backbite not discourage not persecute not and especially destroy not any one for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. Every particular believer should love the Universal Church and should have an interest in the Universal Churches love 3. Search the Scriptures that light may be increased The more true knowledge the more unity Eph. 4. 13. All sincere hearts have a strong disposition to agree together in the truths of God when once they are revealed to them Pray against Errours for as Errours are contrary to truth which in all the parts of it agrees with it self so they often contradict one another and naturally tend to make divisions 4. Be very bumble and self-denying There must be great yielding on all sides putting up many things or love will not be revived Humbleness of mind and meekness are the Companions of Charity and cherish it exceedingly Col. 3. 12 13 14. Put on as the elect of God bowels of mercyes kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any Even as Christ forgave you so also do ye and above all these things put on Charity Abhor pride which is the cause of contention That is good counsel which I find in those Rabbinical Rhythins which if followed would increase love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus in English Let Wisdom above all possessions be Before Preferment chuse Humility Every ill property be sure depresse But principally stiff tenaciousnesse 5. Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them They that agree in Doctrine and in the main things of Christianity should not easily be divided They should think more of those
Love to unite Christians and to make them one since divisions strike at Christ himself and harden the World in its infidelity 5. Love enlarges the Heart and frees it from the bonds of selfishness and makes its desire others welfare as well as our own Love to our Neighbour breaths forth in servent wishes that it may be well with him both in Time and to Eternity We are in every respect to consider our Brethren and true love will make us long that every way they may be benefited that they may not want any needful fecular comfort and encouragement especially that they may be blessed with all Spiritual blessings And above all that they may attain Eternal Happiness and Salvation The Apostles love vents it self in a Prayer for the Corinthians temporal prosperity and increase 2. Cor. 9. 10. Now he that mimistereth seed to the Sower both Minister brend for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruits of your Righteousness So St. John writing to his beloved Gaius wishes him health and prosperity 3 Joh. 2. Beloved I wish above all things that thou mayst prosper and be in health even as thy Soul prospereth But the Apostles wishes that Souls might be sanctified and saved were most vehement and most pathetically expressed Rom. 10. 1. Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved Phil. 1. 8. God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth again until Christ be formed in you Behold how the Apostle loved Souls I don't wonder that he wishes his love as a blessing to the Church 1 Cor. 16. 24. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus Amen 6. Love is the fulfilling of the Law the doing of which is so much for our Neighbours benefit Rom. 13. 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law As love to God includes the whole first table of the Law so love to our Neighbour includes the second with reason 't is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law for it causes an affectionate and obediential respect unto every Commandment of the second table and there is not one of these precepts but 't is hugely for the good of Mankind 1. Love has a regard â—o the Honour and Authority of Others That honour which is due to Natural Parents love is ready to yield They that were instrumental in giving us our very Being and that nourished us with such tenderness and care when we were not ablâ— to shift for our selves may rightfully challenge obedience from us Upon a supposition that Parents are fallen into decay that piety that Children shew them in relieving them is called a Requiting them 1 Tim. 5. 4. so that Childrens disobedience as 't is unnatural so it has a great deal of ingratitude in it Love ascends higher than our Natural Parents and reaches the very Thrones where Kings and Princes are placed Kings are Patriae Patres Fathers of their Countrey all the inhabitants of a Kingdom are the Children of the King and as a Common Father their very hearts should love and reverence him It was not a Court complement or a strain of Rhetorick but an expression of religious Loyalty when the Prophet call'd the Anointed of the Lord the breath of the peoples nostrils Lam. 4. 20. and signifies how dear his life should be unto them all Love will cause tribute and custom to be willingly paid fear and honour to be rendred Rom. 13. 7. Christian Princes according as it was prophetically promised Isa 49. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Ecclesiae Nutritij the Churches Nursing Fathers The Church of Christ in this world is not arrived to such matâ—uity but it stands in need of nursing the Magistrates care is needful and his Authority is a good fence unto the Christian faith And if the Doctrine of the Gospel has a legal establishment how should this endear the Supream Magistrate unto all inferiours Where Christian love reigns in the hearts of Subjects there Christian Kings will reign with greater security Love and rightly informed Conscience wherever found will do more than Rods and Axes though these are also necessary to support and defend the Civil Government 2. Love has a regard to the Lives of Others The guilt of blood is great the cry of blood is loud Murther how does it wound the Murtherers Conscience and defile the very land which receives the blood of him that is murthered Love utterly abhorrs cruelty and slaughter It considers the meekness and gentleness of Christ When James and John would by miraculous fire have consumed a Samaritan village that would not receive their Lord He rebukes them and sayes ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Luk. 9. 55 56. Love is so far from thirsting after blood that it will not allow of malice in the heart nay rash and causelefs anger it dislikes for that will make a man in danger of the judgment Mat. 5. 22. Were but love every where revived it would put an end to the Iron one and cause the Golden age to return Swords would be beaten into Plough-shares and Spears into Prâ—ning-Hooks and Nations would not learn Warr any more 3. Love will not violate others chastity Lust is strongly inclined to such a violation but the grace of love is of an holy and clean nature and abhorrs all obsceneness It is so far from consenting to defile anothers body that it will not allow the heart where 't is by a filthy thought or desire to be defiled for our Lord sayes Whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Mat. 5. 28. Love looks upon the bodies of Christians as Members of Christ as temples of the Spirit now the Members of Christ are not to be polluted the temples of the Spirit are not to be profaned How little of true love is there in this lustful Age in this adulterous generation An affection that is indeed Christian is rarely to be found but a reprobate and brutish concupiscence is very rise both in City and Countrey though hereby both are ripening apace for vengeance Jer. 5. 7 8 9. They assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses they were as fed Horses in the morning every one neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nature as this 4. Love will not steal away the substance of another It abhors to be injurious to any it is for following that which is altogether just It is ready to distribute willing to communicate to the poor according to that charge 1 Tim. 6. 18. and the poorer any are it is so much the more communicative Love is liberal for he that
the excellent ones and his delight was all in them as the most eligible and suitable Society Psal 16. 3. Love is exceedingly pleased with the holy and unblameable and exemplary Lives of others it finds a Melody and Sweetness in their gracious and edifying Discourses when their Hearts are warm and their Graces are in vigorous exercise the delight is greatest when Saints are most like themselves discovering most of real Sanctity and least of sinful Infirmity Love is for Communion with all Saints though of different perswasions He that likes Saints of his own Judgment onely 't is a sign he is fond of his own Opinion and that his Complacency is not so truly in the Image of God wherever it shines 'T is want of light that makes Saints of different sentiments in Religion and 't is want of Love that makes them so shye to look so strangely to speak so strangely and to act so strangely one towards another 9. Love causes a joy in the good of others In the natural Body if one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. Christians in like manner are to rejoyce with them that do rejoyce Rom. 12. 15. It was an excellent Spirit in John the Baptist and it argued the Truth of his Love to the Messiah of whom he was the forerunner that he rejoyced to see Christ increase though he himself decreased Joh. 3. 29 30. The Apostle was perswaded of the Corinthians affection to him when he said I have confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all 2 Cor. 2. 3. The more Love abounds the more the joy of one Christian will be the joy of every one Love rejoyces to see the Spirit of God poured out in the most plentiful manner to see useful and excellent gifts distributed to others It is really glad of their highest attainments their enlargements their comforts their honour and esteem following upon all this We are all Members one of another and why should we not rejoyce in one anothers honour since we are really honoured one in another and the honour of all redounds at length to our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Head of all 10. Love covers a multitude of sins and Infirmitieâ— 1 Pet. 4. 8. Not that there is any merit in this Grace of Charity to deserve the pardon of sin in our selves but instead of spreading the faults of others it spreads a veil over them Love makes us tender-hearted and kind ready to forgive others as we our selves for Christs sake have been forgiven And indeed the offences and injuries done to us by others are but like the debt of a few pence compared with our offences against God which amount to many Millions of Talents The Apostle Peter asked Christ Lord how often shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say unto thee not till seven times but untill seventy times seven Mat. 18. 21 22. Some think that there is allusion to the custom of the Jews to shew favour every seventh year but especially in the year of Jubilee As there is a greater measure of light in the Christian Church than there was in the Jewish so ought there to be a greater measure of love We must not only forgive to seven times or seven times seven but seventy times seven a certain â—umber for an uncertain intimatinâ— we must pardon our trespassing Brother without any stint or limitation Our Lord calls the time of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the acceptable year Luk. 4. 19. Christians should abhorr all manner of revenge and be as charitably inclined to pass by their Brethrens faults as if their life were a perpetual Jubilee Where is the love of those who not only harbour in their hearts a grudge against their Brethren but their mouths are like Trumpets to sound forth their failings Nay they tarry not to examine whether failings or no but boldly and blindly conclude them to be such and proclaim and exclaim against them Nay their eager tongues tarry not for a certain Information but whether reports to the disparagement of others be true or false they make them run like wild-fire What 's become of Love the mean while Love hiâ—es a multitude of sins but these persons won't conceal one Love covers real Crimes but these forbear not spreading false reports The Tongue by Drexelius is called Orbis Phaethon the Phaethon of the World that sets it in a flame If as the Apostle sayes an unruly tongue defiles the whole body and he that seems religious and bridles not his tongue does but deceive his own heart and his Religion is in vain Jam. 1. 26. Let a multitude of Professors at this day tremble and be astonished and cry out Who among us shall be saved 11. Love is projecting and designing the good of others Thus the Apostle abased himself that others might be exalted and sought not his own profit but the profit of many that they might be saved 1 Cor. 10. 33. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour but is very fruitful in contriving and operative in promoting his Neighbours welfare Love is not in not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3. 18. It will not only say depart in peace be ye warmed and filled but 't is ready to cloath the naked and to feed the hungry nay it deviseth liberal and charitable things and considers the wants of Souls as well as Bodies cordially according to its capacity endeavouring that both may be supplyed The Apostles love to the Corinthians was very active notwithstanding a woful failing on their side 2 Cor. 12. 14 15. I seek not yours but you and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you in the Greek 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for your souls though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved Thus have I explained the Nature of Love In the Second place I am to speak of the Properties which the Scripture attributes to it and requires should be in Love 1. Love must proceed from a pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. A heart must of necessity be made a new one before this Grace of Love can dwell there If Satan cannot make us hate our Brother he will endeavour to defile our Love There is need of the greater care that our Love be not defiled by selfishness or lust and filthiness Our affections should be pure and clean as Angels may be conceived to love one another All impure motions must be detested utterly and our hearts being first circumcised to love a God of Holiness must love Saints for their holiness sake Our love should alwayes have an holy aim and never degenerate so as to design the polluting of others or our selves with them 2. Love must be joyn'd with a good Conscience 1 Tim. 1. 5. A Christian should not be conscious to himself of any sinful or by-ends that he has in
a great many particulars discovers true love and Charity and I shall make it evident how in every particular 't is much for edification 1. Love suffers long and is kind God is long suffering and so is Love It enables us to rule our own spirits which argues true greatness and strength of Soul Prov. 16. 32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a City Love is so far from revenging injuries already done that it will bear new ones and that 's the meaning of our Lords Injunction Mat. 5. 39. I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also Nay Love though it suffers long is kind notwithstanding 'T is much to put up an injury but much more to be kind to the Injurer This love in Churches how would it unite them and the more they are united the more they are strengthened Provocations to wrath would be turned into provocations to love and evil would be overcome by goodness and the World hereby is likely to be convinced and converted The Proto-Martyr Stephen was kind to those that stoned him How does he pray that their sin might not be laid to their charge but that their Souls might be saved though they thirsted after his blood and took away his life from him This Prayer was heard and Saul at length is converted and proves a Master-builder of the Church of God 2. Love envies not It is not grieved and troubled at anothers excellency neither does it grudge at the comfort or prosperity of another How much of Hell is there in the temper of an envious man The happiness of another is his misery the good of another is his affliction He looks upon the vertue of another with an evil eye and is as sorry at the praise of another as if that praise were taken away from himself Envy makes him an hater of his Neighbour and his own Tormenter Love flies from Envy as extreamly diabolical for the root of it is pride and ill will is its Concomitant What sad work has Envy made in Churches not to speak of the mischief it has done all the World over When Christians have been desirous of vain-glory provoking one another envying one another which the Apostle so much dehorts from Gal. 5. ult When Pastors have been envious at one anothers Parts Gifts Preferments Success and Estimation the poor Church has suffered and its Edification has gone on like Pauls work but very slowly Envy makes the builders to fall out to weaken one anothers hands to hinder one another in the work of God Where envying and strife is is there Edification No such matter but there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3. 16. Love instead of being troubled at the grace or usefulness or esteem of another rejoyces therein and the more there are that honour God and adorn the Gospel and benefit the Church it rejoyces the more 3. Love vaunteth not it self neither is it puffed up The word which the Holy Ghost uses for vaunting is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Greek word of a Latine derivation coming from perperan which signifies amiss An ancient Greek Father St. Basil propounds this question What is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and returns this answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love is against doing things for shew and ostentation and excludes vain-glorious boasting Puffing up relates to the Heart vaunting to the words and actions Love refuses to do either It makes a man not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think but to think soberly Rom. 12. 3. those Precepts are much minded Rom. 12. 10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another and Phil. 2. 3. Let each esteem other better than themselves And as Love hinders the heart from being puff'd up so the tongue from vaunting it self or debasing another It will not defame or disparage others as if its own reputation were to be built upon the ruine of theirs Now this kind of temper is very subservient to the Churches interest For while Christians are thus low in their own eyes and are ready both in word and deed to honour and encourage one another great grace a shining lustre is upon them all and God himself delights in them to make them flourish and encrease 4. Love does not behave it self unseemly What more unseemly than a lofty look than an haughty carriage as if others were not good enough to unloose the latchet of our shoes but Love does banish pride and scornfulness and makes us humble in our converse which is the most seemly behaviour in the world The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies any unseemly behaviour So that Love studies exactness of carriage that Religion may be the more commended unto all When Professors do that which is unseemly the Church and Religion suffer by it but a conversation without rebuke which manifests a love both to God and Man is the way to win many a man to God that before was estranged from him An unseemly behaviour opens many a mouth against the Gospel creates new prejudices and confirms the World in their natural enmity against it But a seemly conversation makes Religion amiable well-doing puts ill tongues to silence and forces them to give glory to God 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorify God in the day of visitation 5. Love seeketh not her own and consequently inclines us to edify and to seek the good of others The Apostles meaning is not that Love causes us to cast off all care and regard of our selves but only that which is immoderate and which proceeding from a blind self-love makes us disregard what becomes of others Christ himself is a pattern to Love in this respect and Love follows him He was humbled that we might be exalted He was condemned that we might be justified He became poor that we through his poverty might be rich He was made a curse that we might receive the blessing even life for evermore Love will make a Christian seek the wealth of another the reputation and especially the Salvation of another Nay Charity will prevail with us to suffer reproach loss imprisonment nay death it self when God calls us to it for the Churches good 1 Joh. 3. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God because he layed down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren And Col. 1. 24. Who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church Hence 't is apparent sayes Calvin Quam non sit ingenita nobis à natura charieas that true Charity is