Love of Mercy and Help 3. The Love of Courtesie and Gentleness 4. The Love of Familiarity and Friendship CHAP. X. Sets down five reasons why we are to love all men and four reasons why Publicans and Sinners do return all offices of Love t those that love them CHAP. XI Sheweth how we must manifest our Love in general to the wicked of what we must beware and what we must do two reasons of it CHAP. XII Sect. 1. Of our Love to our enemies What this Love is and wherein it consisteth shewed in five things That this Love exceedeth that of Publicans shewed three things Sect. 2. Sheweth how far wicked men may love their enemies laid down in two things yet that no wicked man doth truly love his enemy shewed in three in things Sect. 3. How our Love must be extended to the enemies of God of his Church and People shewed in two things 3. Reasons why imprecations were sometimes uttered against Gods enemies A Question how Godly men are or may be said to hate wicked men answered in three things CHAP. XIII Sheweth That Godly men must especially love one another CHAP. XIV Sets down Nine reasons why Godly men must shew special Love one to another CHAP. XV. Sect. 1. Discovereth the manner how we are to love one another 1. As our selves Sect. 2. As Christ loved us The greatness of Christs Love in laying down his Life for us shewed in four things Sect. 3. Sheweth That Christians being called to it ought so to love their Brethren as to lay down their Lives for them wherein is handled the thing required Sect. 4. Sheweth The Condition supposed Sect. 5. That we must have a special Call before we lay down our lives shewed in four things Sect. 6. Sheweth What this Call is a Christian may be called to it in two cases that more immediately concern God Sect. 7. Sheweth two cases that concern our Brethren Sect. 8. Sets down two reasons thereof CHAP. XVI Sect. 1. Of Christians bearing one anothers burdens Of bearing outward burdens A Question whether forwardness in relieving others he always a sign of one that loveth God answered negatively in three Particulars Sect. 2. Of Christians bearing one anothers inward burdens wherein it consisteth shewed in five things Sect. 3. Sheweth that in so doing we fulfil the Law of Christ which is the Law of Love 2. Questions about this resolved How men do love in obedience to the Law of Nature is shewed CHAP. XVII Sect. 1. Of the Order of our Love one to another shewed in seven things Sect. 2. Question first Whether I am bound to love godly Strangers above my wicked Kinred or Relations Question 2. What if some of our Kinred are Godly and poor others are wicked and rich Resolved CHAP. XVIII What true Christian Love to the Saints is shewed in five things CHAP. XIX Sect. 1. Sets forth the woful condition of those that hate the Saints Sect. 2. Sheweth five reasons of theeir hating of them Sect. 3. A Question Why men within the visible Church should hate the Saints answered An Object But I do not hate the Saints answered That the want of Love where Love is due is Hatred shewed in particulars CHAP. XX. Sect. 1. The greatness of this sin of hating the Saints shewed It is an argument such love not God himself Sect. 2. He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death A Question How the Saints can be Brethren to those that abide in death answered in two particulars Sect. 3. Sheweth That Haters of the Godly are murtherers manifested in three things Sect. 4. The aggravations and occasions hereof considered Sect. 5. Sheweth How malice makes men most contrary to God and most like the Devil CHAP. XXI An Exhortation to Christians to love one another especially Ministers CHAP. XXII Sheweth The dignity necessity excelleney usâ—fulness of this Grace and duty of Love CHAP. XXIII Of loving not in word and in tongue but in deed and in truth CHAP. XXIV Advice to take heed of those sins that break the bond of Love CHAP. XXV Sheweth That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a Sacrament of mutual and Brotherly Love CHAP. XXVI Layeth down arguments to encourage the Godly to suffer the Hatred of the world CHAP. XXVII Setteth down some rules for a Christians carriage in the time of the worlds Hatred CHAP. XXVIII The Conclusion with an Exhortation to the continuance of Brotherly Love PHILADELPHIA OR A Treatise of BROTHERLY-LOVE 1 John 3.11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning that we should love one another CHAP. I. SECT I. SAint John had this Eminence of Happiness above the rest of Christ's Disciples That he was the beloved Disciple And as it is said of Lazarus in Heaven That he lyeth in Abraham's Bosom so our Apostle had this Heaven on Earth To lean on Christs Bosom Who drew such love from Christ that he became the Apostle of Love The main Argument of this Epistle is This Grace of Love First He largely sets forth God s Love to us God is Love and Christ is Love he found it so when he lay in the Bosom of Christ Then mainly he exhorts us to mutual-love Shewing How Saints should live together like Brethren and love another It is no new command that he lays upon them but that which they had heard before that they should love one another The words of the Text are the first Reason or Argument to confirm the Truth of the former Proposition shewing that one main Property of the Children of God is laid down here in this verse where we may note 1. The Substance of this Argument 2. The Circumstances of this Argument The Substance lyeth in this That God hath commanded this duty of Mutual-love towards each other Now those that are of God have his law written upon their hearts which are framed to obey him The Circumstances are these 1. That this Commandment is sent as a message from heaven to earth from God to man 2. That it is an ancient message it is from the beginning How it is said to be from the beginning seemeth somewhat doubtful There are diverse interpretations of this word beginning 1. Some understand it from the beginning of the publishing of the Law in Mount Sinai delivered to the Ancients by Moses in an open and solemn manner which is a Law of Love and commandeth us to love our Neighbours as our selves 2. Others understand it from the beginning of Christ's preaching of the Gospel and the Apostles immediately after him This being the great commandment that Christ laid upon his Disciples A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another Joh. 13.34 And again that which the Apostles laid upon all the Saints Some understand it from the delivery of the Gospel unto these Christians to whom the Apostle here writeth But 3. By the Beginning may be understood from the creation of Man The law of nature stampt upon mens hearts in the
Children of God do love each other is towards Strangers whom they never saw nor are like to see when they hear of their Graces and of their zeal and forwardness in the ways of God and for his glory as St. Paul was affectionate towards those of the godly who had not seen his face in the flesh 2. Then doth a man truly love the godly when he can love all Saints as well as some and this floweth from the former If I love a câ—ild of God because a child of God I must love all the children of God A quatenus ad omne valet consequentia If I love gold because gold I love all gold so if I love grace because grace I cannot but love grace in all If I love the Image of God in one I must needs carry the same affection to all that have this Image There is the same ground reason motive and object in all Saints as well as in one particular Saint To love one Saint and not another is to make spiritual love carnal a divided a factious love as the Apostle speaks to the Corinthians for while one saith I am of Paul another saith I am of Apollos are ye not carnal So when men shall say I love such a man he is a good man but cannot endure the name of another godly man their love is carnal He that loveth not all Saints loveth no Saint at all he that loveth not the poor Saint as well as the rich the low and mean Saints as well as the noble and honourable he doth not truly love any There is great reason why we should love all Saints as well as one be their outward conditions never so contrary God the father loveth all his Saints alike All the Saints have an equal share in the love of Jesus Christ he shed his blood for all alike he giveth his merits and righteousness to all alike Yea Jesus Christ himself calleth all the Saints his brethren even the meanest of his Saints The heart of the meanest Christian is the Temple of the Holy Ghost as well as the heart of the most honourable and shall not we love all whom the Lord thus loveth Godly love is like the Center in the midst of a Circumference or circle which hath an equal respect to all parts of the circle so true Christian love hath respect to all parts of the circle so true Christian love hath respect to all Saints equally 3. When they go beyond us in grace when they excell us in holiness when we love them the more we see them excell us in grace and in all spiritual gifts whatever relation they have unto us yea though their gifts and graces should eclypse ours yet then if we can as truly rejoyce in their gifts as if we our selves had them and do more entirely love them by how much the more we see those gifts and graces shining in them this is true Christian love like that of Moses Num. 11.29 when one came and told them that Eldad and Medad prophecyed Moses was glad to hear it Would God saith he that all the Lord's people were Prophets Are others as good or better than I am would God that he or they and all others were better than I. Only he loveth the Saints truly that can love them for their graces and the more grace the more to love them Let it satisfie thee that thou art a door-keeper in God's house although thou art not made high Priest to enter into the holy of holies it is well that thou art admitted into Christ's School although thou art not placed in the highest form it is well that thou art a beloved disciple of Christ although thou hast not the same priviledg with St. John to lie always in the bosom of Christ 4. When we can love the Saints constantly at all times as well as at one time when the Church of God is overwhelmed with troubles and nothing but stormy clouds hang over the heads of God's people then to love them as in the serenest calm when the Church enjoyeth peace and quiet round about when there are no fears troubles nor persecutions this is the man that loveth the godly Doth the state of a Christian alter and decay yet thy charity doth not decay Is a Christian friend fallen into disgrace with the world yet thou dost truly make much of him Is he persecuted every where yet thy love followeth him Is he fallen into poverty and necessity yet thy love faileth not for all this certainly thy love to the godly is a peculiar love It is not affliction that shall divide the Soul of Jonathan from the Soul of David True Christian love owneth the people of God in all conditions it uniteth and knitteth the heart to the children of God and maketh a man one with them and so maketh their case ours 5. When we can heartily love godly men when they most of all reprove us check us The Rebukes of friend are better than the Flatterings of a foe and he that loveth with austerity is better than he that killeth with delicacy admonish us and as gladly receive an holy reproof as a kindness from them Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindness let him râ—prove me it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head but yet my prayer shall be in their calamities Psalm 141.5 David had rather be quickened up with holy reproofs then tickled with fond and flattering soothings such men he would pray for in their calamities and love them best This often times turneth the love of wicked men into hatred who pretend love as long as the godly are silent at their evil ways but if they begin to reprove they will cease to love Thus Ahab dealt with Elijah and Hâ—rod with John Baptist and the Galatians with St. Paul men that did love St. Paul as dearly that they could find in their hearts to pluck out their eyes for him yet was he reputed as an enemy because he told them the truth Mutual reproof is a sign of true Christian love to each other if thou lovest a child of God love him when he reproveth thee as when he doth not CHAP. XIX SECT I. THis then may shew unto us the woful condition of those that are enemies to the children of God and of all others almost that love them least in whom there are most signes of true godliness yea hate them because of their religious lives hate them for those very practises wherein the godly labour to be like their heavenly father and to approve themselves his children hate them because they hate sin and fear to offend their Father which is in heaven not only in the greatest sins but also in those which seem very light and small offences or none at all in the eye of the world they hate them because they shew their dislike of their courses which tend to God's dishonour and because they do not sooth them in an evil estate
mighty numbers of notorious Offenders shall then be arraigned and endited for the breach of this ancient Law which was from the beginning What numberless Catalogues and huge Bills of Offences against this Law shall then be brought to Tryal The thought of this might make mens hearts to shake and their knees to smite together as Belshazzar's did If we consider That as he saw an hand miraculously writing his Doom upon the wall so the hand of God hath written and doth write all these Offences in the Tables of men's Consciences where they shall stand recorded until the last day unless in those who have washed out this Hand-writing by the Blood of Christ sprinkled by Faith joyned with unfeigned Repentance and Reformation of Heart and Life How should we bewail the fearful Transgressions against this most ancient and sacred Law committed now among our selves to whom the Gospel of Love and Peace is preached in which Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace hath especially as in his last Testament bequeathed Peace and commended Love unto us I say in this Testament sealed with his own most precious blood which he shed in Love towards us to make Peace between God and us That so we might be at peace among our selves CHAP. VIII I come now to the main thing in my Text and that is Christian-Love And thence shall observe Sect. I. Observ THat it is the message and solemn charge of God and Christ That Christians should love one another It is not an Arbitrary thing That we should love one another but the Command of God a great Command and that which is joyned to believing in his Son Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 3.23 The one is as truly necessary to Salvation as the other Let men talk of Believing while they will on the Son of God yet if they have no Love one to another Their Faith is a dead Faith because God stands much upon this To have his people live together in Love At the beginning of the verse he saith it is his Commandment and at the end of the verse he saith he gave us Commandment It is also observable that he saith of the Commandment of Love he gave us that Commandment It is a gift we should not only submit to it as being bound by the Authority of it but we should open our hearts to it and cheerfully embrace it as a Gift from God Love is an affection of the Heart arising out of an Apprehension of God's Love to us and embracing others in the Lord 1 Joh. 4.11 If God so loved us we ought also to love another He sheweth whence this spiritual love springeth even from an Apprehension of God's Love to us Now from this Love to God ariseth our Love to others Ver. 20. If a man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a Lyar and ver 21. This Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also So that as our Love to God ariseth from God's Love to us so this spiritual Love to men ariseth both from God's Love to us and our Love to God And it is in the Lord True spiritual Love carrieth a respect to God and not so much to outward things It loveth others either with respect to God's Graces in them or with respect to God's Command either because God hath put his likeness upon them or because God hath commanded them to love them In the former respect this Love embraceth the Godly in the second All men because God hath commanded us to love all under the name of our Neighbour For that answer of Saviour to the question Who is my Neighbour is appliable to any And Christ who speaketh peremptorily I say unto you Love your enemies excludeth none Now that this Love is sound only in the sanctified Soul is easily proved by the Description it self for it ariseth from an apprehension of God's Love to us Now wheresoever this is rightly apprehended there is some degree of Sanctification and the heart is in some measure purified For God's Love is apprehended by a sound Faith and a sound Faith purifieth the heart Yea the Love of God prevaileth so far as to brinâ— the heart out of Love with Sin and so to purge and cleanse out those sinful dispositions and affections of the heart which are contrary to the Love of God and so purifieth the heart A new commandment I give unto you saith our Saviour to his Disciples That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another Joh. 13.34 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you Joh. 15.12 SECT II. THere are two remarkable things about this Christ calleth it a new Commandment and he calleth it his Commandment He calleth it a new Commandment for these reasons 1. Because it is given after a new manner The Law commandeth us to love our Neighbour as our selves Whâ—â—e our Love to our selves is the Rule of our Love to our Neighbour But Christ in his Gospel commandeth us to love one another sicut ego dilexi vos as I have loved you saith he We must Love each other even as he hath loved us Where Christ's Love to us must be the Rule and Measure of our Love to the Saints and to all men The Law saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour Christ extends it further and saith Thou shalt love thy very Enemies Our Love must be like the Sun in the Firmament that shineth upon the Good and the Bad. Our Love like the Clouds must drop on the barren Heath as well as upon the rich and fruitful Soyl. We must do good to them that do us evil bless them that curse us 2. It is called new in respect of the excellency of this Grace and so it is an Hebraism It was the Hebrew custom to call excellent things new quia nova aut sunt aut videntur meliora quà m vetera because new things either are or seem to be better than old As if our Saviour had said Many a Commandment have I delivered unto you but this is instead of all Love one another Love will make you to keep all the other Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. It is called new as Maldonat thinketh not because it is a new command or delivered in a new manner but because our Saviour commendeth this above all and commandeth and presseth it to his Disciples as if it were a new command brought from heaven as if they never heard of such Truth before Love one another Novitas respicit studium diligendi non mandatum 4. It is called a new Commandment as the Gospel is called a new Testament 5. Because it must be renued every day We must love and yet moreover we must pay this this debt of Love continually and yet still stand in debt Christ calleth it his Command for two reasons 1. Because among all the Commands of the Moral Law he presseth this most of all As
Hence sprang all those fearful curses and imprecations that David in many Psalms doth wish against the wicked for their enmity against God and hatred of him Read Psal 109. and see how David there doth curse Judas and all the enemies of the Gospel These imprecations against Gods enemies are uttered sometimes 1. Per modum pronuntiationis non per modum optionis by way of prediction what will befall them As for instance Let them O Lord be confounded and put to shame This is not so much to wish their confusion as a prediction that they shall be confounded and put to shame Sometimes when the destruction of the enemies of God is wished or desired desiderium optantis ad justitiam punientis non ad poenam refertur the wish is directed to Gods Glory not so much desiring the misery and punishment of the wicked enemies So Psal 58.10.11 The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance be shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked so that a man shall say Verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth Gods Glory manifested in the destruction of the wicked is matter of rejoycing to the Saints not simply their destruction 3. It is ad remotionem culpae non ad destructionem peccantis that Sin might be removed not that the Sinner should be destroyed Quest But how are godly men said to hate and how may they hate wicked men Resp 1. We must hate their sins not their persons all their sins as well as one sin and in all wicked men as well as in one wicked man 2. We must hate them as they are Gods enemies not as they are our own particular enemies David did humble himself for his own enemies but as for the enemies of God and his Church them he hated with a perfect hatred 3. Our hatred must be with hope and desire of their conversion and not with despair And in this there is more Love shewn than hatred we must hate them as Gods enemies yet not plot their evil in any thing but pray for their good and do them all the good we can as occasion serveth Grace only can do this Here see the excellency of Grace it makes a man truly to hate sin in all and yet to love all likewise CHAP. XIII IN the fourth place I am to shew That Godly men must especially love one another True Love saith St. Augustine is motus animi ad fruendum Deo propter ipsum se proximum propter Deum A motion of the Soul to the enjoying of God for himself and himself and his Neighbour for Gods sake Wherefore as God is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that beleeve So a Christian is to be a lover of all men but especially those of the houshold of Faith Every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Job 5.1 And this he doth as being a better argument of true goodness than his beleeving For if the Question be whether a man be good it is not demanded saith the same Father what he beleeveth but what he loveth This love is strictly required of all Christians 1 Pet. 1.22 See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently our Love to the Saints must be fervent Love then pure and unfeigned Love As the Angels are called Seraphims from burning as some think because they burn in Love to God and to his Saints so there must be this Seraphical burning Love in the Godly to the Godly David saith Psal 16.3 All my delight is in the Saints In the foregoing verse he acknowledgeth he can bestow nothing upon God My goodness extendeth not to thee therefore he manifesteth his Love to God in loving his Saints that are in the earth them he esteemed the excellent of the earth Godly men are the truly excellent Grace is the truest dignity of a man In whom is all my delight I take no delight in any Company more than in the sweet and Godly fellowship and communion of Saints Therefore Philemon is commended by St. Paul for his Love to all the Saints Col. 3.14 Above all things put on Charity The Apostle verse 12 presseth them to get and exercise sundry Graces put on bowels of mercy kindness and humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing and forgiving one another and above all things put on charity The Apostle alludeth to Garments the other Graces are the inward Graces of a Christian Love is the glorious Raiment of Needle-work Charity must be the vestis exterior the outward Garment the cloathing of Gold But Calvin expoundeth the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by propter and not by super for all these things put on Charity This is the Queen commandeth all other Graces Love produceth the actions of all other Graces non elicitivè sed imperativè it is Love that makes men merciful and full of pity and compassion to their distressed Brethren Where no Love is there is nothing but Fury Wrath and Madness Envy and Contentions It is Love that makes men humble preferring one anothers Gifts and Graces rejoycing in one anothers Prosperity Where this Godly Love is not there is nothing but repining at one anothers Prosperity rejoycing in the Evils of each other It is Charity that makes men meek and long-suffering it will make a man put up many reproaches wrongs and injuries It is the want of this Love that makes men account it cowardice to put up wrongs Oh say they it is not the true mark of a Gentleman to put up wrongs but sure I am it is the true mark of a Godly Christian Will men prefer Gentility before Christianity and carnal wisdom which is Devilish and cometh from Hell above that wisdom which cometh down from Heaven and is Gentle and Peaceable Love will make us to forgive one another even as God for Christs sake forgiveth us as heartily as freely as fully as Christ doth pardon our sins It is the want of this Love that makes men so revengful Hence Love is said to be the bond of perfectness in regard of the Church Love uniteth all the Members of Christ together and makes them to perform their several duties to each other 2. In regard of all the Graces of Gods Spirit Love stirreth them up and sets every Grace to do their several offices Hence Love is stiled the fulfilling of the Law it keeps men from doing evil it sets men upon doing all good CHAP. XIV THe Reasons why Christians must shew special Love one to another are these 1. Because God himself bestoweth his most special Love the riches of his Love upon the Godly his everlasting Love is towards Jacob. As a man loveth his whole Family but his special Love is to his Wife and Children So God although he loveth all the world all his Creatures yet his special Love is to his Saints God's common and ordinary Love to all mankind
on all things he sets his hand unto So must thou pray for others with the same fervency which thou usest in praying for thy self pray for that which will do them most good that they may every way be the better for thee that thou maist find by experience as Laban did That the Lord hath blest them for thy sake 4. Who doth not endeavour his own good with all his might The like care must thou have of thy Neighbours good especially of the Saints Love is a diligent Affection and the Fountain of Diligence Diligentia may well be derived à diligendo Diligence from Dilection or Loving the things as one saith are conjugate no less than the names Thy Love must be a labouring Love a Love that is full of mercy and good fruits The Apostle ascribeth Work and Labour unto Love because Love refuseth no pains it will spend and be spent even there where is least Love returned for most expended 5. Who doth not rejoyce in his own good Thou dost never envy thy self thine own Happiness So must thou rejoyce in the Gifts Parts Graces and Prosperity of others To envy at one anothers good is some of the Poyson of the old Serpent which he spitteth It is the principal quality of Devils to envy the Saints Happiness 6. Who is there that is weary in doing good to himself When doth a man cease to do good to himself So must thou do to others Thou must never be weary in well-doing to them A Friend a true Christian Friend loveth at all times Prov. 17.17 Let thy Love to thy Brother be without envy in Prosperity and without weariness in Adversity When the feigned Lover is to his Friend as the Cuckoo that affords you his company till you be weary of him in Summer but before Winter cometh takes his leave Be thou to thy Brother as the Black-bird that keeps constantly with us and is of use if need be to feed us in Winter Every man knoweth what is good for himself thence doth a good man conclude if Justice Mercy Knowledg Grace Credit be good for me then are they good for my Brother also and he will labour to procure them that he may serve his Brother through love Gal. 5.13 intending his good more than his own in loving of him True it is a man in loving another may have some respect to himself if he be Wise Judicious Learned to learn of him If Humble Loving Holy to imitate him If any way beneficial to be a Gainer by him in a way of God not of Lust or of the World But this is not the first and principal thing for which the Christian loveth another but as the result not as the moving Cause but as the Reward of Love as Man and Wife by shewing more Love to each other for Love's sake do reap more Love from each other SECT II. II. WE must love one another as Christ loved us Christ loved us when we were enemies to him Herein is the Love of God commended to us that when we were enemies Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 Yea when we were enemies to Christ and he might have wrought our destruction yet then he sought to us for our Love entreating us to be reconciled unto him he came to seek the lost Sheep of the house of Israel What surpassing Love is this That the great God should come and seek to his own Creatures for their Love that the Cedar should make suit to the Thistle What had Christ lost by it if every Son of Adam had been turned into Hell Could he not have made another World of Men to have glorified him and to reign with him in Glory yet that he should seek to us to be reconciled to him here is surpassing Love So must we love one another Are we injurious to one another and at variance one with another then let us seek to one another for reconciliation Christ so loved us that he was willing to lay down his Life for us Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his Life for us 1 Joh. 3.16 Christs could not shew greater Love to us than in dying for us Christs Love to us is the ultimum resolubile the last thing into which all his actions in the work of our Redemption is resolved Do ye ask Why God was incarnate why he suffered death why he endured such contradiction of Sinners such Mockings such a bloody Agony in the Garden this answereth all Because he loved us I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself to death for me Gal. 2.20 The Apostle speaks here in the Person of all Beleevers These following Reasons may demonstrate to us that Christs Love was the Cause that made him to lay down his Life for us R. 1. Because there was no desert in us It is not our Love to him first that made him to love us no we love him because he loved us first Our Love to him is the effect and consequent of his Love to us not the cause of his Love What is there in any man considered as fallen from God that can deserve such incomprehensible Love as that God should dye for us Can Sin deserve the Love of Christ What is a natural Man but a very Body of Sin We do not nor can we Love God because we are enmity to him Amor descendit non ascendit There is more Love in a Father to a Child than in a Child to a Father His Love did first descend to us before our Love could ascend to him The Prophet Ezekiel sets forth the odious and most undeserving condition of Man under a Parable of a polluted Infant when we were most forlorn polluted and most helpless then was the time of Love Ezek. 16. When thou wast wallowing in thine own filthiness then was the time of Love 2. Because Christ reaps no good by us What if Adam and all his Posterity had been damned he had lost no whit of his Blessedness he was infinitely happy from everlasting and so is to everlasting and would be had not a man been partaker of his Glory therefore it must needs be his meer Love to us and such a Love as doth earnestly desire and tender our everlasting good and Salvation It was for our Reconciliation and Justification that he endured Wrath he died for our Redemptoin he shed his Blood for us miserable Creatures to make us eternally happy Sons of God and Heirs of Salvation What Motive or Ground had Christ to dye and suffer if it were not his meer Love to us so that we may well cry out with St. Augustine O Lord thou hast loved me more than thy self because thou wouldst dye for me and not for thy self 3. Because Christ laid down his Life being never desired of us therefore meer Love to us did encline him to dye for us Had Men taken Counsel together to devise a means to pacifie Gods Wrath had men been let
be demanded Seeing special love is due to the Saints next to Christ because they make one body with him am I bound to love godly men that are not my kindred above my wicked kindred whether I am to love a godly stranger before a wicked Wife or Child Resp 1. There is a double Love Amor approbationis complacentiae Amor optationis vel desiderii a love of approbation and complacency a love of wishing or desire I may love a Stranger that is godly with the love of delight and approbation for his graces shining in him more than I do those that are neer to me that are wicked Thus Jonathan did love godly David more than he did wicked Saul that was his Father but with the love of desire and wish of the Salvation of my VVife and Children and Kindred wishing them grace and glory herein I may shew more love to my wicked VVife Husband and Children than to godly Strangers It is true in regard of wishing Salvation I am to love a godly Stranger and my Kindred alike but in regard of the earnest desire of Salvation I may more earnestly desire the Salvation of my Wife than theirs Thus Abraham did earnestly desire the Salvation of wicked Ishmael Oh that Ishmael might live in thy sight 2. That Christian love is not measured by carnal effects but being spiritual love it is most shewn in Spiritual things as in holy cleaving of hearts together in mutual prayers in mutual comforting in mutual delighting in one anothers gifts and graces in mutual exhortation of one another to love and good works With this love I may love a godly Stranger more than any of my nearest Kindred that are not godly when as my natural affection may be stronger to my wicked Kindred than to godly Strangers as in providing for them the things of this Life I must nourish my Wife and Children when as I may suffer Saints to perish with famine if I have not sufficient means to relieve both but if I have sufficient means for both then must I feed an hungry Saint and cloath a naked Lazarus Quest But what if some of my Kinred are godly but poor others are wicked but rich some of my Children are godly but are not so witty and handsom and so industrious for the world as others of my Children that are wicked What shall I do in this dase Resp I answer Thy godly Kinred be they never so poor and yet in an equal relation with thy rich Kinred that are wicked are to have thy special Love And if thou dost not shew more Love to such thou dost not love Grace but Riches so likewise for Children Jacob loved Joseph more than all his other Sons because more godly Wo to that Father that shall dishearten a godly Child and give more encouragement unto and be more fond over a riotous Prodigal a scoffing Ishmael What is this but for a man to love sin in his Child more than godliness the Image of the Devil more than the Image of God It is true that where there are more relations of Kinred Neighbourhood Co-heirship of Grace and the like there Love admitteth of multiplication and encrease but this draweth not the Lover from God who is the Author of those Relations and the Rule of Love also Carnal Lovers first please their fancy and then their affection must act let the object be what it will to them godly or ungodly are much at one they make no difference between the houshold of Faith and the fraternity of evil men although God make a difference between Jacob and Esau yet they will make none they resemble those Sons of God that seeing the Daughters of men to be fair took them Wives of all they liked best for their Beauty without respect to their goodness Many a Parent considers not what Child is best deserving but most pleasing and usually those Children please them best that do least please God CHAP. XVIII THe next thing I am come to do is to shew When a man may be said to love the Children of God To this end consider these following particulars 1. True Christian Love to the people of God is a peculiar kind of Love whereby a man loveth them as they are the Children of God and as Brethren be they Strangers or Acquaintance Kinred or not rich or poor mean or mighty honourable or base it is all one if they be righteous persons In natural Love there is a peculiar Love of a Brother towards a Brother distinct from the Love of a Neighbour a man may have a natural Love to a Neighbour but another kind of peculiar Love to a Brother So if a man do love the Children of God as he ought he loveth them with a peculiar Love as â—hey are the Children of God A man may loâ—â—nother for some good quality of Art or Nature though he be not a Child of God but there must be a peculiar Love to the Children of God though there be not the same qualities of Art or Nature in them he must love them as made near unto him by Grace and joyned with him in partaking of the same precious Faith he must love them for Holiness sake because they fear the Lord and follow after righteousness Some men have no peculiar Love to the people of God but their peculiar and familiar Love is for some natural persons who suit best with their carnal affections these are their bosom-Friends This is a sign of unsound Love when a mans most intimate Friends are wicked persons although he may bestow a good look upon some of the people of God and sometimes carry himself somewhat fairly towards them If they seem to love some of the people of God it is for some other respect and not because they are the Children of God it may be there is some special gift in them either of Body or Mind common to them with natural men and for this they love them and sometimes delight in their company but as for other good men not so qualified yet as sincere as the former and as rich in Grace they do not affect them He that loveth Religion in a man because he is rich or comely or a man of parts c. â—ut slighteth it in a poor Lazarus in a mean â—n though he be all glorious within he doth not love a godly man And as Alexander said of two men one was his Friend the other was his Flatterer Hic amat Regem I le Alexandrum This man loveth me because I am a King and can prefer him but that man loveth Alexander he loveth my very person So it may be said of such as love Religious persons because rich or noble Hic amat divitias honores ille amat religionem These men love riches and honours not religion only he that loveth a righteous man in nomine justi because he is righteous he loveth the godly with a peculiar love So the true love by which the
entrance and may take possession and breed all bitterness of affections and bring forth in the practice all actions and fruits of malice and ill-will and this want of Love layeth open the heart unto all these So then either ye must love out of a pure heart unfeignedly or else the Lord will account you as haters of your Brethren Our Saviour made no middle-way between love and hatred in the ordering of our hearts and affections towards enemies but when he corrected the Pharisees gloss which was this Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy He saith But I say unto you love your enemies c. Some man might have expected that he should rather have said concerning loving or hating of enemies as Balâ—k speak to Balaam of blessing or cursing of Israel neither bless them at all nor curse them at all carry thy self indifferently between me and them so some out of carnal reason might have looked that our Saviour should have pointed out a middle way and said Neither love your enemies nor hate them but carry your selves indifferently towards them But our Saviour saith expresly Love your enemies and do good unto them and that as they will approve themselves to be the children of their heavenly father So that not to love those whom we ought to love is to hate So then as we will avoid the damnable sin of hatred we must labour to be possessed of the grace of love and that principally to the Children of God and to all the Children of God high and low rich and poor of better or of meaner gifts and parts and on the other side to be possessed with hearty love towards all men in general and in particular toward those that have done us injuries and unkindnesses otherwise we are haters of them CHAP. XX. Sect. I. IN the next place I will set forth the greatness of this sin of hating the people of God or others 1. It is an argument that such persons love not God himself If a King should say of some certain men about him These men are very dear unto me and as I love them in a special manner so I will have all that love me to love them I will make this as a note by which to know a faithful subject from a traitour viz. love to these whom I dearly love he that loveth not them I will not account them loyal and true hearted to me Whether these persons deserve the love of all or not yet this would be a greater argument of the King 's extraordinary love to such men so in this case the Lord saith in effect of every child of his He that loveth not thee I will take him for none of my friends for none of my children he that looketh for love and favour from me must bear true love to thee How great then is the love of God toward his children he will not acknowledg that any love him who hate them When the unbelieving Jews told our Saviour we have one father even God he answered If God were your father ye would love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither come I of my self but he sent me Joh. 8.41 42. So in this case it may be said to many carnal persons who think thâ—mselves the children and people of Cod. If God were your father ye would love them that do most of all labour to honour and please God and are most careful not to sin against him Such is God's love to his people that he taketh none for his own that do not love them There be many that say they love God and yet love not his children Well! the Lord will none of thy love unless it be such as maketh thee also to love his children If thou sayest thou lovest God and yet lovest Drunkards Swearers Worldlings more than his children who are zealous for his glory thou maist keep thy love to thy self God will not accept of it To all that live in the visible Church and come to the ordinances and take the name of God in their mouths and do hate the godly the Lord saith in effect why dost thou not love me in that thou lovest not my children thou lovest not me such tender love doth the Lord bear to his people This our Saviour expressed sweetly in that speech to St. Peter after his Resurrection from the dead when by a three-â—old confession of his love to him he seemed as it were to put him to penance for his late three-fold denial of him Simon son of Jonah lovest thou me Peter answered thrice Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee Yea but Peter if thou wilt have me tast of the fruit of thy Love to me if thou dost love me indeed and wilt have me to accept of thy love as sound and true love them whom I love love them and love me and shew it by thy care of their Souls and by thy diligence in feeding them with my word go feed my Sheep and Lambs SECT II. II HE that loveth not his brother abideth in death 1 Joh. 3.14 All by nature are in a state of death and void of Christian love but all do not abide in death some do not continue in the state of death but those that love the brethren are passed from death to life Now those who want this Christian and brotherly love these are not only dead in sins by nature but they abide in death They abide in the death of guilt the guilt of all their sins lieth upon them they abide under the dominion and power of sin they abide in a state of wrath the wrath of God abideth on them as long as they abide in the hatred of the brethren they abide in a death of condemnation As St. John saith We know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren So also we may know that those are dead in sin lie obnoxious every moment to eternal death who hate the brethren Now I conceive that the Apostle speaketh of a brother in the same sense as he did before viz. a brother by grace a child of God Quest But how can such be brethren to those who abide in death Resp 1. That all men and women as they 〈◊〉 men and women are brethren and sisters by a natural relation all coming of one man and one woman originally viz. Adam and Eve St. Paul taught this learning to the Scholars of Athens Act 17.26 viz. that God hath made of one blood all Nations of men that dwell upon all the face of the earth The Athenians as proud as they were in despising other nations as barbarous yea other Cities of Greece in comparison of themselves yet were not of any better stock or blood originally than the meanest of them The Athenians were not of one blood and the Argives of another and the Bâ—aetians of another c. no the very Scythians were of as good a stock originally as they even of the same
Transgression of the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now there may be a more strong bent of the heart against the Law of Love in deep-setled malice long continued in the heart and soul full of implacable rage and bitterness than in some acts of murther The hurt done to a mans Neighbour is incomparably greater in murthering him than that which is done by meer malice concealed and kept close in the heart be it never so great But the greatness of sin I suppose though against the second Table is not always to be measured by the hurt done to a Neighbour but by the greater or lesser opposition to the Law of Love And I am perswaded that some men going on with restless malice and bitterness of spirit against their Neighbour may be more guilty in the sight of God than some others that have committed that fearful sin of murther so great and hainous a sin is the sin of malice before the Lord who is Love SECT IV. 1. HEre let us consider What the occasions have been which have bred distast and diâ—content whether they have been wrongs indeed or wrongs only in appearance or whether being rightly considered their deeds which we have distasted and taken occasion to hate them for have been good tending to the discharge of their consciences and our reformation If they have been indeed wrongs and injuries yet nevertheless to harbour malice against them is to commit murther It is true that Hatred in such a case is not so great a sin as in the other cases mentioned yet in this case it being no less than a degree of murther we are to lament and to be humbled â—or it as for a sin exceeding hainous On the other side If it hath been for some actions which were not real injuries but only taken for such by reason of our own weakness partiality self-love prejudice against their persons c. then is our Hatred a sin of an higher Nature than in the former case and so we are accordingly to be affected with it Again if they have been such words or actions as have tended to the discharge of their consciences and for the reformation of us in our course or for the righting of others whom we have wronged if for any of these we have hated them and been malicious against them then is our sin yet more grievous and abominable So Jonathan dealt plainly with his Father Saul laying open the greatness of his sin in hating David to the death if the Father had had Grace to have made use of his Sons faithful dealing with him 1 Sam. 19.4 Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his Father and said unto him let not the King sin against his servant against David because he hath not sinned against thee and because his works have been to thee-ward very good For he did put his life in his hand and slew the Philistine and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel Thou sawest it and didst rejoyce wherâ—fore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood to slay David without a cause Thus when men hate others that admonish and reprove them in publick or in private and seek their restraint in sin or reformation or those that punish them being Magistrates or in office c. this is a bloody kind of malice and for this we are to be deeply humbled If malice be murther when injuries are received how much more when others have laboured to do us good if thou hast hated any for crossing thee in an evil way in word or deed thou hast sinned in an high degree and hast cause to be greatly humbled for it 2. Let us also examine how our hearts have been stirred less or more in hatred or bitter affections against any others for there is great difference of degrees in this as in other sins how hardly we have been brought to reconciliation how implacable What bitterness hath broken forth out of our hearts in words or actions against them what offence or evil example we have given to others by these means and accordingly should we charge our Consciences before the Lord. I fear many do very lightly pass over this sin of malice especially it having not much shewed it self openly but having for the most part part layen in the depths of their malicious hearts Owe nothing then to any man but to love one another Do not in malice think that thou owest ill will or an ill-turn to any but that thou owest love to all malice to none for whosoever hateth his Brother is a murtherer and ye know that no murtherer hath eternal Life abiding in him SECT V. IV. MAlice and Hatred makes men most contrary to God and most like unto the Devil It makes a man most contrary to God for God is Love 1 Joh. 4.16 It is the Nature of God to love men He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is of a most glorious lovely and loving Nature and is the Author of all Love in us This sheweth what a God he is to us and every Creature findeth him to be a loving God a loving Father As the Sun is Light and the Fountain of Light and gives Light to the Stars of Heaven and to all sublunary things so God is Love it self and the Fountain of all Love he filleth the Angels in Heaven with Love he filleth the Saints on earth with mutual and spiritual Love and the natural Love and Affection that are in men one to another are sparks and rays of Gods Love all the Creatures are objects of his Love every Creature of God is good therefore beloved of God Do ye think God would vouchsafe to call himself by the Name of Love if there were not a wonderful excellency in Love now he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him he that embraceth the Love of God by Faith and thereupon unfeignedly loveth God and his Brethren dwelling continuing or abiding in this Love he continueth or abideth in God and God in him If in any Love it be true That the Soul is where it loveth it is most true in this Love of a Child of God to his heavenly Father and to all the Saints his Soul is with God with Christ his Beloved in Heaven and abideth in him This our Saviour knew full well when he taught us Mat. 6. Lay not up for your selves Treasures on earth but lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven for where your Treasures are there will your hearts be also His delight also is in the Saints that are on the earth in those that excel in Grace and Holiness One that was full of holy Love was wont to answer all questions therewith Whence camest thou from Love Whither goest thou to Love Where dwellest thou in Love God is such a ones dwelling-place his home his resting-place and Christ is the Door by which he entreth into this dwelling by Christ he entreth and dwelleth in God Now malice makes men most like unto the Devil
of the world into subjection and challengeth an uncontroled authority over them we may justly say From the beginning it was not so no nor for many ages after the Church of God a long time acknowledging no one supream Head but Christ as is manifest by many things which were written many hundred years before Luther was born Therefore all proud papal Spirits who are more like the Pope in a proud contempt of their Brethren than they are to Peter in Meekness and Brotherly Love they cease to derive their Pedigree from the Apostles until they do more truly express their Graces and follow their Example CHAP. XXII NOw let me press all Christians to muâ—â—al and Brotherly Love Let all Christians who have tasted of the Love of God shew their Love to God in loving their Brethren out of a pure heart fervently This to the end of the world is a badg of Christs true Disciples and this sheweth that the same mind is in them that was in Christ Jesus who loved them and washed them with his own blood to make them Kings and Priests unto his heavenly Father God is Love and he that loveth in and for the Lord is born of God and beloved of God And we should labour more and more freely to taste of the Love of God that our hearts may be more seasoned with Christian Love towards others How can it stand together that Christians should be led by one Spirit and yet be so cross and contrary in their affections to each other Is Christ divided saith the Apostle Can the Spirit of Christ which is the Spirit of Peace and Love be the cause of division in those who are all possessed with one and the same Spirit It were strange to see the members of the same body which are animated and quickened with one the same Soul to fight one against another one limb to tear another off the same body the hand to pluck out the eye or one hand to cut off the other because all the members have one Soul which kniteth them all together in Love So for the faithful who profess themselves be â—overned by that one Spirit of Christ to be â—t variance is in a sort monstrous Now that I may move you to Brotherly Love I desire you to consider 1. That it is an honourable thing for Brethren to love one another We have a notable example of this Brotherly Love in two Heathens viz. Eumenes and Attalus This Eumenes was King of Pergamus and left his Wife and his Kingdom and travelled abroad shortly after whose departure news was brought to Pergamus that Eumenes was cowardly slain by one Persius whereupon Attalus taketh his Brothers Kingdom and his Wife not long after Attalus heareth news of his Brothers Life and speedy return He doth not then as policy would have done prepare to keep the Kingdom he had usurped and to hold out his Brother in hostile manner at point of spear but he meeteth him with Musick as glad of his return and resigneth to him his Wife and Kingdom His Brother having power in his hand again only said thus in his ear Thou shouldst not have taken my Wife unless thou hadst seen me dead and never gave him bitter word afterwards and dying left him his Kingdom in ample sort And to requite this favour his brother dying maketh his Son his heir to his Fathers Kingdom notwithstanding he had many Sons of his own This singular example of Brotherly Love among these Heathens will be laid to our charge if we come short of them in this duty II. Love is a very necessary thing Christian Love is as necessary as Life As a man cannot live the Life of Nature without breath so neither can he live the Life of the Spirit without Love St. James saith As the body without the spirit is dead or the body without breath is dead even so faith without works is dead also it is breathless and liveless without works Now what are works here spoken of by the Apostle but the Acts and Fruits of Christian Love So then the Soul without Love is dead in sins and hath no spiritual Breath nor Life It is in vain to say We live unless we love unless we have the truth of Christian and Brotherly Love we may think our selves to be alive but indeed are dead St. Paul notably sheweth the necessity of this Grace 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. Though I speak with the Tongues of men and of Angels and have not charity or Christian Love I am become as sounding brass or as a tinckling cymbal And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledg And though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing So ye see that Love is so absolutely necessary that all is nothing without it Though a man where an Angel for gifts and abilities though he should spare neither body nor goods yet without Christian Love all is nothing for all these without true Love are but the works of a dead man separated from God the Fountain of Life and destitute of the spirit of Christ who is the spirit of Love and Life So all gifts and works without Love are but the dead works of dead men and therefore nothing in the sight of God If I have not charity I am nothing saith the Apostle Whatsoever I have else whatsoever I do I am nothing I have not the Essence and Being of a Christian my Soul is an empty Carcase Though a man should build Churches Colledges Hospitals Alms-houses Though he should spend his strength in preaching though he should spend his time in praying and reading yet he is nothing in the eyes of God if he have not the Grace of Christian Love he hath not the Being and Essence of a Christian and of one born of God In 1 Cor. 15.10 the Apostle saith By the grace of God I am that I am Why St. Paul was not all grace not all spirit there was something in him that was of Nature and something of Education before ever he tasted of the Grace of God but the Apostle counted all this nothing his legal righteousness nothing his learning nothing his natural abilities his whole self nothing only that was his Being which was newly breathed in him by the work of Gods saving Grace and sanctifying Spirit This was the only something that he made account of even this new Being and new Nature which was of the Grace of God So when a man hath the Spirit of Love and power and of a sound mind then he is something then is he something towards God then is he one of those that God makes a reckoning of one of the Lords own number Ye find Rev. 7.4 c. that there were sealed of the twelve Tribes of
bring our hearts to it else we shall have no evidence to our Souls that we are the children of God Who is Love Thou wilt say perhaps that he hath given thee cause to hate him oh then remember that God hath sent thee a message that thou oughtest to love him Can the wrongs that he hath done thee discharge thee of that obedience which thou owest to the Lord's message and commandment Can any enemy give thee sufficient cause to disobey the Lord's commandment None can free a man from owing obeence to the lawful commands of lawful Authority but some higher Authority the Supream and highest Authority commandeth thee to love thy Brethren Neighbours and enemies all whomsoever though not all in the same degree Now the wrongs of any of these can by no means discharge thee from that bond of Love which the Authority of God layeth upon thee It is not enough to rule the tongue or hands and to abstain from open wrongs in word or deed and in the mean time to carry a bitter Spirit in our breasts against others Nay it is not enough to carry our affections upon terms of indifferency and neutrality so as neither to love nor hate as some men may flatter themselves and think they do well enough if they do not hate them though they do not love them As Balak said to Balaam concerning the Israelites neither bless them at all nor curse them at all sith he could not perswade him to curse them he would fain have had him not to bless them but to carry himself indifferently betwixt him and them so many men because they are forbidden malice and revenge do think they do well if they abstain from these albeit they bear no love to their Neighbour in their hearts especially if he be one that hath wronged them But this is not enough the Lord hath sent thee a message that thou shouldst love thy Neighbour Oh then labour to get the Spirit of Love and Power and of a sound mind to frame thy heart to love others because thou findest that God hath loved thee and commanded thee to love thy Brethren and thine enemies then thou wilt not think how ill such and such persons have deserved thy love CHAP. IV. II. INasmuch as the Lord hath sent a message of love unto men this sheweth That they are contrary unto God who carry messages between men that tend to the overthrow of love and breeding of ill-will and malice between men and men These cross the message of God which is a commandment of love betwixt man and man they think to get some carnal love from others towards themselves by seeking to alienate their hearts from others But let all take heed how they go about to separate those whom God would have to be joyned together in love III. This point sheweth how hardly men are brought to unseigned love toward each other Men are so alienated from this duty of Christian-love that the God of Love sendeth a message of Love from Heaven to bring them to it and to encline their hearts to love It is a sign that men are much bent upon Enmity and Variance when a King is fain to send an Embaâ—â—ge of Love Peace unto them from a far countrey to set them agreed So it is a sign that men are much alienated from Christian-Love and enclined to the contrary when the King of kings seeth cause to send a message from heaven to earth to unite them to each other in Love All that live under the Gospel profess one Faith partake of one Baptism eat and drink all at one Table of the Lord c. Yet all this will not bring them truly to embrace each other in Christian-Love But God seeth there is need to send a message of Love from heaven to earth to unite them together CHAP. V. HAving considered the first Circumstance I come to the second which sheweth the Antiquity of this Doctrine of Love it was from the beginning whence I observe Observ That the Commandment of Love is from the beginning It is true we do not find that it was in express words given in command at the beginning of the world I mean we do not find any Record in the Word mentioning any such express Command of Love delivered in the beginning but it is certain that such a command was givâ—n for otherwise Cain had not been guilty when he did so notoriously transgress the Law of Love in hating and murthering his Brother for where no Law is there is no Transgression But it is manifest that Cain did grievously transgress as appeareth by the wrath of God against him by his arraignment and punishment of him therefore there was a Law of Love given in the beginning against which this man that was the first man born of a woman offened grievously and for which he was severely punished Now it is out of Question That it was written in Adam's heart before his Fall for it was a special part of that holy Image of God in him But then it may be said that this Image of God was lost by the Fall and so the Law of Love as well as other parts of holiness was blotted out of his heart I answer that though it were blotted out of his heart yet I do not believe it was blotted out of his head and understanding but that still he retained a knowledg of this duty although his heart was now so corrupted and his affections so perverted and disordered that he could not frame his heart to obey this Law of Love He had lost that inclination to entire and perfect Love which he had by Creation and by which he resembled God who is Love But howsoever the writing the Law in the heart of Adam at his Creation or the remaining of this Law in the mind and understanding of Adam I conceive not to be meant here by this message of God sent to men and requiring them to love each other for that was not lex tradita sed insculpta not a Law delivered by way of message but a Law engraven and a Character of Love imprinted in the mind of Adam But this spoken of here is the delivery of a Law as a message sent from God to man Therefore I conceive That this Law of Love was by the Spirit of God revealed to Adam and to other holy men who were stirred up of God to teach and deliver it unto men and to propagate this Doctrine of Brotherly-love as men multiplied and encreased upon the earth So it appeareth in that soon after the the Fall the Doctrine of the Gospel and Salvation by Jesus Christ was delivered to Adam as a gracious message of Life Now this was the Doctrine of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith and Love are inseparable and always go together as the Graces of Faith and Love are always joyned For in Christ who is promised in the Gospel not only God is reconciled to man but also man is knit to
if he had said Moses from God commandeth you many things I command this Love ye one another This is the Royal Law which ye must obey 2. Because he is most delighted in it It is the joy of Christ when he seeth Brethren to dwell together in Love and Unity Psal 133.1 It is like the precious Oyntment of Aaron How sweet was that It is like the Dew of Hermon How fruitful is that For there the Lord commandeth his Blessing even Life for evermore Eternal Life is the Crown the Reward the blessing of Brotherly Love How pleasant how comly is that This is one of those weightier things of the Law which our Saviour speaks of Mat. 23. Yea the weight of the Law lieth upon it as it were For the Law is fulfilled by Love not excluding Faith but presupposing it This is the order first Faith secondly Love to God thirdly Love to man Faith apprehendeth God's Love to us in Christ God's Love apprehended by Faith makes us love God Our Love to God maketh us to love our Neighbour And where this Order is not framed in the Heart and Soul there is no right orderly frame of Holiness but meer disorder and confusion There may be some confused motions now and then towards heavenly things and some disordered purposes to lead a new life but there is not Christ formed in the heart nor holiness framed there nor Kingdom of Christ set up there nor Image of God imprinted there nor the Law of God written there CHAP. IX IN the prosecution of this point I will handle these four Conclusions 1. I shall shew That we must love all men 2. That Godly men must love even the wicked 3. That Godly men must love even their very Enemies 4. That the Godly must especially love one another 1. That we must love all men Here first Let us observe these Differences of Love 1. There is a Love of Pity and Compassion This Love is due to all men good and bad who are in misery This will make thee weep with them that weep not shedding the tears of a Crocodile as Ishmael the Son of Nethaniah did Jer. 41.6 But rather of our Saviour who not only raised Lazarus but also wept over him to make it appear how he loved him Joh. 11.35 The Jews said Oh how be loved him He that is a man of much natural affection will be kindly affectioned with brotherly-Brotherly-Love for where there is no Bowels of Compassion there can be no true love either of Man or of God True Love to any is manifested chiefly to their Souls Dost thou see men to go on in sin and in a desperate neglect not to regard the Salvation of their own Souls then mourn for them being moved with the consideration into what misery these wretched Creatures are like to plunge themselves in Seest thou a vain Sensualist spend his days in the eager pursuit of carnal delights never considering his latter end mourn for his Sorrows hereafter Seest thou a Neighbour drunk or hearest thy Friend swear and curse let thy heart pity him Alas poor Soul What will he do when Christ cometh to judgment Poor wretch methinks I see him weeping and wailing and wringing his hands although now he spend his days in mirth and jollity This Love was in Christ towards the wicked Jews Luk. 19.41 For even in his Triumph when the people was making great joy he then wept over Jerusalem This was the burden of his Lamentation O Jerusalem that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes O Jerusalem thou that now triumphest I cannot but weep when I consider how the things of thy peace are going and thy fearful destruction is hanging over thee the sword of God's vengeance is drawn out against thee So when thou seest any wicked man merry and jovial pity him O poor wretch Thou that art so merry now O that thou knewest the things that belong unto thy peace before they be hid from thee I do even see how the sword of Divine Wrath hangeth over thine head and thy Damnation slumbereth not This Love of Compassion was in David Rivers of tears saith he run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law I mourn when I see wicked men to be jolly in their sins So St. Paul saith There are some of whom I tell you weeping that are enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction II. There is a Love of mercy and help due to all in their Afflictions This is plainly shewed by the parable of the good Samaritan The wounded man was not his Companion he found him in misery by chance as he was passing by the way-side whether he were Jew or Gentile or Stranger this Samaritan did comfort him relieve him and took great care to recover him See what use our Saviour made of this Go do thou likewise the same Dost thou see a man in misery be not like the Priest and the merciless Levite but be a good Samaritan to him speak comfortably to him and let thy heart joyn with thy tongue and thy hand with thy heart be as ready to do good as to wish well to him that he may bless God in thee and for thee If thou canst not do all thou wouldst yet be willing to do all thou canst and where thou canst do no more turn thy wishes into prayers and from prayer conclude for those that are Godly My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Jesus Christ Suppose a wicked man is in misery and it is in thy power to help him yet give something humanitati if not homini The Sun shineth upon the good and the bad the Clouds water both the Creatures tell thee what thou shouldst do A good man saith Solomon is merciful to his beast then much more will a good man be merciful to a man in misery In the Law God ordained that if a man did see his Enenâ—mies Oxe or Asse in a ditch or pit he should help him out Doth God take care for Oxen and for Asses and not much more for men Remember Dives is tormented in Hell for his hard-heartedness towards distressed Lazarus III. The Love of Courtesie and Gentleness We owe Kindness and Gentleness to all men This is a Fruit of the Spirit A surly dogged harsh temper is unbeseeming a Christian such persons are more fit to be Monks and Anchorets than Christians God himself is said to be a God of a great Kindness so must his children be A gentle Spirit puts forth it self to all gentle and curteous behaviour drawing affection and delight from others See how sweetly our Saviour carried himself towards all When the man came in not having the Wedding-garment Friend saith he how camest thou in hither It is Parabolical indeed but yet our Saviour sheweth with what gentleness courtesie and kindness he carried himself Some there are indeed that turn Love
into Complements and affected Phrases and Gesticulations that will make great Protestations of Love and Kindness when their heart is not with you Prov. 23.7 Such a one will say he is your servant at your command he will kiss your hand or the hemm of your Garment but it is with the kiss of a Joab or a Judas he carrieth two Faces under one Hood but the true Christian is little in Circumstances but striveth to abound in the Substance of Love David and Jonathan contended together in weeping not in crying Your Servant Sir in real friendship not in empty words It cannot be denied but some Ceremonies that is outward Expression in the very Gestures and Countenaunces of Friends will thrust in with true Love not so much for Love-sake as for respect the witness and acknowledgment of desert which is the Ground Nurse and Guardian of Love Therefore Love makes no difference between affected Complements and downright rudeness but shunneth both alike that it may neither wast Complements nor neglect that respect which Civility Modesty and Religion require as a part of the debt of Love But to be a Master of the Art of Ceremonies as one saith and to assert such a necessity of them as to exceed in their use as it favoureth not of a simple sincere ingenuous Spirit so it sets the Teeth of true Love on edg The Christian's main care should be to love not in word or tongue but in deed and in truth IV. There is the Love of Familiarity and Friendship This we owe not to all but to the Saints As the School-men say of God There is Amor in Deo erga omnes non amicitia God loveth all but God saith not to every one You are my Friends but only to the Godly In this respect he saith Esau have I hated Jacob have I loved Jacob is my Friend whom I love with my special Love So there may be in the Godly Love to the wicked but not Friendship and Familiarity The wise man saith Walk not with the frowa d for thou thy self-shalt learn frowardness Wicked men will defile the Godly by intimate and constant Communion Israel must not marry with Ashdod no Canaanite or Gibeonite must be of the Communion of Saints What Fellowship hath a Member of Christ with the Children of Belial Yet I shall shew you how we are to love the wicked hereafter CHAP. X. NOw I come to give you the Proofs and Reasons why we are to love all For Proofs take these places of Scripture Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good to all men but especially to them that are of the houshold of faith While we have time so some read that is While we live let us do good to all men as opportunity serveth let us do good to every man but especially to the Saints Our Saviour bids us to love our enemies Mat. 5.44 and there speaks in opposition to that Pharisaical Tradition That a man was bound only to love his Friends He therefore requireth our Love to be extended to enemies even to such as curse and hate us The Reasons hereof are 1. Because where ever we see any part of Gods goodness we are to love it It is said that our Saviour beholding the rich young man that came unto him loved him Mar. 10.21 There is some Print of Gods goodness in many that are not Godly which ought to draw our affection to it Goodness being the Object of Love This is the reason why God himself loveth all his Creatures because there is a participation of his Goodness in them There are some Reliques of Gods Image in prophane men that God beareth a general Love unto that we also may do the like 2 Love is a due debt to every man Rom. 13.8 Owe nothing to any man but to love one another this debt is owing from every man it must be continually paying and yet ever owing The Book of Love must never be crossed although ye do never so many kindnesses one to another yet still you owe morâ— He payeth not his dâ—bts that rendereth not Love This is a debt that grows due faster than it can be can be paid and must be always paying 3. Because all are partakers of the same humane Nature That thâ—y are men and reasonable Crâ—atures and made as thou wast after the Image of God natura communis societas rationis the common nature and participation of Reason with us should draw our Love to them The most brutish Creatures that are and the most cruel yet are loving to one another of the same kind though one beast of another kind hath Antipathy against another Shall man be more brutish and savage than Bears Lions and Tygers As Solomon bids the the Sluggard to go learn of the Pismire Diligence so we may bid the hard-hearted man to learn of Wolves and Tygers to be loving one to another 4. Because we know not who among men belong not to Gods Election of Grace therefore we are to love them and to wish them all Grace and Glory And the reason of the School-men is because every man being a reasonable Creature is capable of Grace and Glory The prophanest man in the world is not altogether an hopeless man unless it be such a one as hath sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost 5. Because a good man must be perfect in his Love even as God is perfect He loveth the good and the bad he causeth his Sun to shine upon the just and the unjust Be ye perfect therefore saith our Saviour as our heavenly Father is perfect To love them that love you what reward have you Do not even the Publicans the same If you salute your brethren only what do ye more than others do not even the Publicans the same The first Argument is ab utili inutili If ye love them which love you only what reward have you That is ye lose your reward ye shall have no reward from God who doth neither for the present nor for the future reward such Now because our Saviour mentioneth reward we must not therefore think any merit in our Love The Reward which God giveth is of Grace not of Debt Good works are rewarded because God hath promised a Reward They are not meritorious because they have no proportion to the Reward The second Argument is drawn à comparatis Do not even the Publicans the same but yet there is a vast difference implied If you love them only that love you then there is no difference between my Disciples and Publicans my Disciples do no more than they do but your Love must be far more extensive than their Love ye must love such whom they do not Love ye must do more good than they can or will do ye must exceed Publicans Sinners Heathens Pharisees in Love and the Offices thereof The Publicans among the Jews were such as received and gathered up the Roman Emperour's Customes Taxes and Tribute who were a
member of a Family and seest thou sin to grow there in any Person thou art faithfully to reprove and admonish Hast thou kinred or friends whom thou dearly lovest walking in evil ways then reprove and admonish Do any of thy Familiars sin in thy company then reprove and admonish them Art thou in the Company of Strangers that swear and curse and prophane the holy Name of God give a loving check to them Why do ye curse and swear Perhaps ye will say they regard it not It is no matter Thou dost thy duty Ye will reply We have done so and they do not reform Yet still reprove them God may make thy reproofs effectual one time or other God is patient and long-suffering so must we be also You will say they scoff and scorn at reproof I answer Then avoid their fellowship as much as thou canst We do express more Love to one another by reproving one another than by any thing it is a sign we desire the good of one anothers Souls True Love is mixed of sweetness and sharpness It is a kind of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter-sweet it hath not only sweet meats but pills corrosives as well as healing plaisters it can wound as well as heal yea it must wound that it may heal If a Christian see seculent matter that nourisheth vice cleave to any one true love will cause him to strain a point of kindness to purge it out albeit with more rough than pleasing Physick faithful are the wounds of such a friend Prov. 27.6 Melius est cum severitate diligere quà m cum lenitate decipere Better is a severe kind of Love than a deceitful Lenity There are two reasons why we must in Love to the wicked thus behave our selves 1. Because our Love to them must principally aim at their conversion reformation and salvation As God laboureth by his goodness to draw men to repentance so must we by our Love and what better course can we take than by reproving them by telling them of the fearful danger they are in and that such courses will undoubtedly bring them to Hell When wicked men shall see we dislike their courses and grieve at them God may set it home upon them to make them the more sensible of their own sins Should we not shew our dislike of such courses we should harden and confirm them in their sins and so to be an occasion of their desperate impenitency 2. Because otherwise we shew neither Love to them nor to our selves we make our selves partakers of their sins neglect of reproof is a tacit consent to them in their sins should we any way encourage them we should be abettors of them Should we any way delight in their sins God would lay them to our score CHAP. XII Sect. 1. THE third thing I am to treat of is Love to our Enemies Here in the first place Let us consider what this Love is and wherein it consisteth 1. It is not a Love in word and in tongue but an affectionate Love a Loving in heart and in deed Rom. 12.10 be kindly affectioned one to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be naturally affectionate as the Dams among Creatures are naturally affectionate to their young ones Gods command Love thine enemies reacheth the heart and enjoyns thee to affect them as well as the tongue to speak loving words unto them 2 It is a Love that sets us upon the exercise of all duties of Love toward them 1. To love them with a Love of benevolence to bless thâ—m that curse you to wish them good when they wish you evil to speak well of them when they speak all manner of evil of you this is to love our enemies 2. To be willing to pardon their private injuries done unto us So the Parable of the two debtors teacheth us Mat. 18.25 The King pardoned one which owed him ten thousand talents and he was to pardon his fellow that owed him an hundred pence which thing because he would not do his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the Tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him Prov. 19.11 The discretion of a man defers his anger and it is his glory to pass over a transgression Men think it but baseness and cowardliness to put up wrongs but God saith it is his wisdom his glory his discretion Suppose thine enemies have done thee great wrongs and many injuries the more is thy love manifested 3. Heartily to rejoyce in the gifts and parts of our enemies and in whatsoever is is excellent in them and to be glad of their prosperity and to lament when it is otherwise with them Thus David made Lamentation for Saul 2 Sam. 1. v. 19. The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places v. 24 25. Ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul who clothed you in scarlet with other delights who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battel 4. To love them with a Love of beneficence To do them all the good we can to do all the good we can to their bodies to do them good speedily and without delay and constantly without any willing neglect when it lieth in our power Love your enemies do good to them that hate you Mat. 5.44 If thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head Rom. 12.20 either coals of conversion or coâ—ls of confusion 5 To love them with a religious Love Love your enemies pray for them which despitefully use you Luk. 6.28 Pray for their health when they are sick pray for their lives when they are in the gates of death pray for their deliverance when they are compassed about with dangers or oppressed with troubles pray for their Conversion Pardon and Salvation Suppose wicked men vex thy Soul as the Sodomites did Lot for righteousness sake and hate thee for thy Love yet pray for them So David did Psâ—l 109.4.5 For my Love they are my adversaries but I give my self unto prayer Suppose they persecute thee even to the death yet thou art to pity them and pray for them Thus our Saviour prayed for his enemies Father forgive them they know not what they do St. Stephen also prayed heartily for all his Persecutors Lord lay not this Sin to their charge He prayed heartily for them when they were stoning him to death When Davids enemies were plotting his death he prayed for their good he humbled his Soul with fasting and cloathed himself with Sackcloth Psal 35.13 So St. Paul 1 Cor. 4.12 Being reviled we bless c. being defamed we entreat The hellish rage of enemies must move you to shew your heavenly love to them This is the Love we must shew to our enemies and this Love exceeds that of Publicans and that for these reasons 1. Because their Love is extended no farther than to their brethren their benefactors where they
God may be likely to endanger our Lives we must not shrink back to save our Lives SECT VIII THe Reasons hereof are these R. 1. Because the Salvation of the Brethren must bâ— preferred above all our outward things whatsoever their Souls must be preferred above our own Bodies therefore if our suffering loss of Liberty and Life be any way advantagious for their Salvation we are to endure the worst in this Life that they might gain Life eternal Our Saviour laid down his Life for their Salvation we must do so also St. Paul gladly endured any thing for the Elects sake he could wish himself to be an Anathema a Curse for the Jews his Brethren and Moses would be blotted out of the Book of Life that the Israelites might live in the presence of God A miserable wretch St. Paul was for Christs sake and for the Salvatioh of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.10 We are fools weak despised naked hungry buffeted persecuted made the off-scouring of the world God makes the like Covenant with us as Moses did with the two Tribes and half which dwelt on the other side Jordan that they should go in before their Brethren and fight for them to expell the Canaanites and when they had placed their Brethren in Canaan then they were to return and enjoy their Inheritances Thus must we hazard our Lives to bring others to Heaven if called unto it and neglect our own Lives that others might enjoy the heavenly Canaan together with us 2. Because this will wonderfully confirm the Brethren in the truth delivered to them and protessed by them otherwise our Cowardice and Apostacy may cause them to waver and draw them off from the ways of Gâ—d and be a means to destroy them for whom Christ died It is an old and a true saying Sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclâ—siae That the Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church the Martyrs Blood made the Church fruitful the Christians did wax more bold through Paul's Bonds Curtius feared not to die for Rome Mencotheus for Thebes And shall not we suffer that for Christ his Saints which Pagans suffered for their Countrey Christ was the more boldly professed by the new Converts by how much St. Paul was more constant and cheerful in his sufferings for Christ and his Gospel St. Basil tells us how forty Martyrs did encourage one another to dye for Christ and his Gospel We see how prodigal Soldiers are of their Lives to shew their fidelity to their King and Countrey and shall not Christians much more be prodigal of theirs for God and his Church Let all then that would be acknowledged for Gods Children labour for so much power of Christian Love as may dispose their hearts to be content to resign up their Lives for the Glory of God and the good of others It is the want of Faith and Love that makes this seem hard and grievous to us for if these Graces were in us and did abound they would swâ—eten the bitterness of death it self and of the most grievous sufferings and enable us to overcome death and the world and to break all those cords and tyes which fasten us to this present world and the things of this life and make us so unwilling to lay down our Lives for Christ and his Church If the arms of the inner man were strengthened in the power of these two Graces all those Cords which I spake of would break asunder like those that Sampson was bound with when the Philistines came upon him Are we not Members of the same Body with the people of God and doth not one Member adventure it self to save another so should it be among the Members of the mystical Body of Christ CHAP. XVI Sect. I. THere is one great Office of Love which we must perform one to another even those that are not called to lay down their Lives for the Brethren must do this that is to bear one anothers Burdens Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 This duty is mutually to be performed to one another Thou must bear thy Brothers Burdens and he must bear thine He that expects others should ease and help him let him be willing to ease others Christians in their journey to Heaven must do like loving Travellers who have a Burthen to carry sometimes one carrieth it sometimes the other in so doing both will go on with the greater cheerfulness and with ease perform their journey To this course of Travellers as Estius conceiveth the Apostle alludeth Estius in Galat. 6.2 when he saith Bear ye one anothers burdens Calvin saith That Christians must shew their Humanity one to another which teacheth men to afford mutual help in their necessities by bearing one anothers burdens This duty concerneth every Christian it is not only the duty of strong Christians to bear the burdens of the weak but also the weak may and must bear the Burdens of the stronger Both have their Burdens the strong hath his the weak hath his both need help and ease both are subject to faint under their Burdens therefore we must bear one anothers burdens even that which lieth heavy and presseth down our Souls and Bodies There are outward Burdens and inward Burdens As to outward Burdens those that have ability must be merciful to their Brethren who are in want St. Paul biddeth Timothy to charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded c. that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.17.18 Do then the rich bear the Burdens of the poor when they are rich and plentiful in giving to those that are in need To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased Heb. 13.16 It is given in charge as a thing especially to be remembred and by no means to be forgotten And St. John sheweth that those who are able and relieve not their poor Brethren are void of the Love of God 1 Joh. 4.20.21 If a man say I love God and hateth his brother he is a lyar for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also Where ye see that the profession of Love to God without Love and Compassion towards others cannot stand with truth And the same Law of Love that commandeth us to love requireth us to love our Brethren and Neighbours also But with what kind of Love that the Apostle sheweth in 1 Joh. 3.18 not a Love made up of words or rooted in the tongue but a Love that is Love indeed and Love in truth a Love seated in the heart and bringing sorth the fruits of Love Quest But here it may be demanded if the want of a compassionate heart and hand towards the needy in those that are
world is no enemy to the Church and Children of God SECT III. Object BUt some will say perhaps It were not strange for the world without the Church to hate it but for men within the visible Church to hate the people of God is very Strange Sol. I answer not a whit for the world is but a world still whether it be within or without the Church Coelum non animum c. they change the air not their hearts by joyning with the people of God they draw breath in the ordinances of God but their hearts are still the Devil's Chappels even while themselves are in the Temple or Church of God And why should it be thought new or strange was not Cain within the Church when he slew his brother and Ishmael when he persecuted Isaac and Esau when he breathed blood and murther and the Jews when they conspired to smite Jeremy with the Tongue and Pashur when he put him in the Stocks If a man enclose some bad ground it is apt for nothing but briers and thorns within his garden-pale or wast it will bring forth such kind of evil plants still unless some further means be used to alter and better the nature and manure of it So let part of the world and some children of Satan and the World be enclosed within thâ— Lord's Garden within the compass of hâ— Church they will be as bad or worse than before and as full of enmity against the people of God unless the Lord be pleased to change and renew their hearts Tares will be tares still though they grow among the wheat thorns will be thorns although they spring up among the Lillies Therefore it is great weakness to be astonished at the malice of the wicked against the godly within the Church it self What Religion and the power of godliness opposed and hated in a Land or Kingdom where Laws and Statutes maintain the Gospel yea why not unless we think that these have power to converâ— all the subjects of the same Kingdom which none can do but the power of God's grace and spirit It were a new and strange thing indeed if the World should grow so unlike it self in these days as not to hate the people of God This were to be marvelled at and men might ask hath the old Serpent lost his sting his poyson Is the world turn'd upside down Therefore Readers if it happen to be any of your cases as it may be very well to tast of the world's malice and bitter enmity not only in the ordinary way of scoffes slanders c. but in a more furious and violent manner marvel not it is no news this was the old course Antiquum obtinet the world doth but keep its old wont Be not dismayed thus it dealt with your Master your Saviour your Head your King your Captain thus with his Servants Soldiers Subjects Members of former and later times Is not this a common thing among us who have sewer friends than the godly who are more distasted and disliked generally Do not men look upon them usually as upon Strangers yea rather as upon Adversaries they are counted signes and wonders Oh that God would convince men of their dangerous Estate who love not the Children of God who like men the worse for fearing God and walking in his ways who like a Father or Mother an Husband or Wiâ—e a Child or Servant Neighbour or Kinsman the worse because he feareth the Lord such persons are in a dangerous estate they are in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Object But thou wilt say perhaps I do not hate the Children of God I do not meddle not make with them Sol. Oh but this will not serve thy turn if thou dost love them the less delight in them the less because they are godly it is enough to prove thee to be an enemy to them If thou couldest love another better if he were not religious or if he were not so religious it is an argument thou art not a child of God How common is this case Many see something or other in some of the godly for which they could love them if they were not religious or if they were at least less forward in religion then they are whatever such pretend they love not the generation of the Righteous Now the want of love where love is due is hatred in the sight of God and it appeareth thus 1. Love doth joyn and encline the heart to those whom it loveth and ought to love now then the want of Love disjoyneth the heart from such it is an aversion and morning the heart from them and this aversion of the heart through want of love towards those to whom love is due is an hatred of them as the aversion and turning the heart away from God through want of love to him to whom the highest pitch and perfection of love is due is hatred of him so it is in this case I am speaking of touching the want of love to the Children of God 2. We may see this by the light of nature in natural things for as the want of sight in those Creatures to whom the faculty of sight or seeing belongeth is blindness as the want of sight in Men Beasts Birds c. so the want of love in those that ought to love towards those that ought to be beloved is hatred 3. We may also see it by comparing the general sum of the second table of the law with the particular Commandments of that Law and there yoâ— shall see that all the six Commandments except the first of them Honour thy father and thy mother c. are negative forbidding such and such sins Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit Adultery c. Now our Saviour and the Apostle do shew that the sum of this Law is this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self So then the want of true Christian and holy Love is hatred which is the â—oot of murther and whorâ—dom and theft and slanders and coveting c. The sum of obedience to those Commandments is Love the sum of disobedâ—ence is hatred or want of Love Now it is true that the particular and direct bending of the heart in bitterness of affection against some certain persons is a greater degree of hatred than meer want of love is 4. Compare affections and outward actions together not to save life when a man may by lawful means is to murther not to provide for a man's family is to take from them their due â—onor to love is to hate 5. Compâ—re it with the nature of sin in general the want of holiness is sin the want of righteousness is unrighteousness the want of purity is impurity so the want of love is hatred 6. The want of love is the deficient cause as it were of all the fruits and effects of malice and hatred Where the heart is empty of true Christian love there that evil and malicious Spirit hath a free
whose continual exercise is malice and malicious practices against God and man Such was his hellish malice that seeing man in happiness and the favour of God he entised the woman and by her the man to that sin and rebellion which brought all mankind into a most miserable Condition and what is his continual practice but to sin and to draw men and women into sin Now those that harbour malice in their hearts they are in a special sort like to Satan when it is against the persons not the sins of others only Malice is properly a setled Hatred a rancour of heart by which men are provoked to deal spitefuâ—ly and mischievously with those whom they love not either wishing them ill or doing them ill Wickked Shimei railed upon David when he was in an heavy strait and cursed him Come up thou bloody man thou son of Belial and when a godly man is brought into misery malicious persons say Aha aha so would we have it Godly men walk in the narrow way their lives are strict and holy the wicked are in the broad way walking in all excess of riot Repugnans quâ repugnans est causa odij When one crosseth another in his Happiness in his pleasures he is counted an enemy Can a wicked man as a wicked man have a greater enemy than such as will not give them Elbow room in their sins but cross them in their Prophaness When the water-courses are stopt the waters swell high so when the godly man laboureth to dam up the courses of ungodliness the wicked swell with hatred against such It is true what Lactantius said Veritas ideo semper invisa est eò quod is qui pâ—ccat vult habere liberum peccandi locum Wicked men hate godliness for no other cause but that it will not afford them room to sin freely without control Now the Devil is ever stirring up the wicked to hate the godly that Prince of malice is ever filling the hearts of the wicked with malice It is one of the Devils main plots to raise evil surmises in wicked mens hearts against the godly and to disgrace the way of Holiness as a thing that tendeth to nothing else but to curb men from their pleasures and to be an hook in their Nostrils Now as God is Love so Satan is full of malice and as they that cherish in their hearts true Christian Love and walk in the Spirit of Love are of God and do bear his Image so they that do not purge their hearts of Hatred Malice and bitterness are of the Devil CHAP. XXI LEt me now exhort all Christians to love one another 1 Joh. 4.7 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God Every one that loveth the Children of God unfeignedly is born of God and is acquainted with him and knoweth him as the Child knoweth his Father Were I to speak in an assembly of Ministers I might in a special manner direct my speech to them that they should labour to abound in Brotherly Love as towards others of the godly so especially towards each others as Fellow-labourers called to the same work and employed to build up the same spiritual house of God that they should be of one mind and speak the same things the same Truth not envying nor despising each other but rejoycing in each others Gifts and Graces and in those fruit of each others labours not like those who grudg to hear of others labours while themselves are lazy and looking on them with an evil eye refusing to be their fellow-labourers and maligning them because they will not be their fellow-loyterers What Brotherly love and amity was there among the Apostles of Christ St. Peter calleth Paul his beloved Brother So when Paul and Barnabas returned from the preaching of the Gospel to divers Nations we read with what love they were entertained by the rest of the Apostles at Jerusalem Act. 15.4 And when they were come to Jerusalem they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders And the Apostles and Elders in their Epistle sent to the Churches speak thus Act. 15. v. 25.26 It seemed good unto us being assembled together to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Saul men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Where they both profess their entire love unto them and also in Brotherly love give them special Commendation So afterwards when St. Paul returned from another long voyage we see what demonstration of Brotherly love there was between him and St. James Act. 21.18.19.20 Paul went in with us unto James and all the Elders were present and when he had saluted them be declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry And when they heard it they glorified the Lord and said unto him Thâ—u seest Brother hâ—w many Thousands of Jews there are which believe c. So when Paul and Barnabas had made known to the other Apostles the Doctrine which they had taught Paul saith When Jamâ—s and Cephas and John three eminent Apostles who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace that was given to me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellow-ship Gal. 2.9 The reason is plain for as they excelled in admirable gifts for the service of the Church so they abounded in saving-graces and especially in that grace of Christian and Brotherly love which purged their hearts from envy and carnal emulation of the gifts or success of each other and so they kept the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Moreover they knew well that they were as a City set on an Hill and that the eye of the world was fixed upon them and therefore they were careful to walk in Love as towards all sorts so especially towards each other that they might not give occasion to the enemies to blaspheme that they might not offend the Church of God nor blemish his Glory They knew well that this was needful for the furtherance of the Gospel of that great work of the Apostleship to which the Lord had called them that they should with one mind and one Spirit joyn together in the work of the Lord. This may discover to us the intolerable pride of the Pope who instead of embracing the godly Ministers of Christ with Brotherly Love as St. Peter doth embrace Paul as his Brother and equal doth first lift up himself above them and in a cruel manner tyrannize over them St. Peter did not lift up over the head of Paul the scepter of Dominion and Papal Supremacy nor offer him his foot to kiss as the Pope his pretended Successor but in all Brotherly Love and in the spirit of meekness giveth him the right hand of fellowship as to his equal in place and dignity Therefore when the Pope bringeth not only Ministers of the Gospel but also the Kings and Emperors
Israel twelve thousand of each Tribe which made up an hundred forty and fourthousand These ye see were numbred and sealed and these followed the Lamb and stood with him upon mount Sion Now there were abundance of the people of Israel besides these but there was no reckoning made of them they were not numbred and so not sealed they came not into the Lords account they were nothing they wanted the grace of Love and the spirit of Life they wanted the Being and Essence of Saints and Children of God So beloved a man may be something in the visible Church he may have a place and a name among the people of God yea he may be of special use in the Church and do some special service yet if he have not the Spirit of Love which is the Spirit of Life he is nothing in Gods account he standeth for a Cyphar he is none of the Lords number How necessary then is this Grace of Christian Love It is far more necessary to love than to be beloved Though a man should be as friendless as Job and David in their afflictions and find as little Love as they did yet if he himself in the mean-time be possessed with the Spirit of Love he is a living man an happy man a child of God one born of God who is Love This grace of Love whereof his Heart and Conscience beareth him witness shall yeeld him more sweet and sound Comfort than all the worlds affection towards him On the other side if a man were the worlds Minion and Darling and had the Love of a whole Countrey in an high degree yet if he himself have not this grace of true Christian Love he were nothing let the world make as much as she can of him God will make nothing of him he will not number him nor write him among the living his name is not written in Heaven Thus ye see how necessary this grace of Love is In that place of St. James fore-cited it is said Faith without works is dead Now how doth Faith work but by Love An Handy-crafts-man may as well work at his Trade without a hand as a man may do the works of Faith works that are witnesses of a lively saving Faith without true Christian Love A man may do many things which for the outside may look like the works and fruits of Faith without Love but they want the heart and soul of works acceptable unto God they are but the outward cases of good works Therefore saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.14 Let all your things be done with Love if they be done without Love they be done without Life and they cannot be done with Love unless with hearts possessed with the Spirit of Love How miserable then should we think our selves without Love Men often complain for wâ—nt of necessaries when as many times those thâ—ngs that they complain of the want of may well be spared and are rather superfluities than necessaries But alas what is so necessary as true Christian Love many think they have enough of it who yet have not one spark of this heavenly fire in their hearts they think they have love enough to others but not love enough from others whereas it is a thing much more to be looked after that we have fervent and sincere love towards others than that we may tast plentifully of the fruits of Love from others And in desiring an encrease of Love in others we should rather desire it for the glory of God and as a seal of their effectual calling and a means to further their account whose Love we desire than to enjoy the fruits of their Love for our own outward benefit or contentment As St. Paul speaking of some Christians bounty and commending it saith Not that I desire a gift but I desire fruit that may abound to your account That is I desire your benefit in giving rather than my own benefit in receiving and so in others fruit of Love 3. Consider the excellency of this grace of Christian Love It is a most noble and excellent grace it sheweth who are of the seed Royal who are the Children of the King of Kings it discovereth who be the Heirs of glory and belonging to the Kingdom of God It is as it were the heart of the new Creature This new Creature hath its several parts and faculties as well as the natural man and Faith is as it were the brain of the new man yet so that it hath an influence upon the heart and active powers of the new Creature That bringeth in Light and apprehendeth the Lord Jesus Christ shining graciously in the Gospel who is the brightness of the Fathers glory But Love is the heart of the new Creature that which warmeth the new man and is the first mover in the actions of obedience whether of Love and Holiness toward God or of Love and Righteousness towards man Now ye know that the heart is a principal part in any Creature that hath that part and the more excellent the Creature is the more excellent is that part of it Now no Creature under Heaven is comparable for excellency with the new Creature which is the immediate frame and work of the sanctifying Spirit an effect of one of his most divine Operations I mean the whole frame of Regeneration and Sanctification in one born of God now Love is the heart of this new Creature the heart in a man is said to be primum vivens et ultimum moriens the first part that liveth the last that dieth But Love which is the heart of the new Creature never dyeth Faith and Hope have their periods Love out-liveth them and is everlasting for Faith is of things not seen 1 Cor. 13.8 c. But when all the glorious things promised and beleeved lye open to the sight of the Saints at a full view Faith as it is the evidence of things not seen shall cease Hope is of things to come but when all shall be in present possession and the Soul can neither expect nor receive any more Hope shall cease But Love is for ever and ever and this shall be in full perfection when this Life shall end when there shall be nothing in them that love nor in them that are to be loved which may hinder Love when they shall wholly dwell in God who is Love and be filled with the fulness of God and so with fulness of Love And if he could say of his earthly kind of wisdom that if it were visible and to be seen with the eyes of men it would make men strangely enamoured with it how much more may it be said of this Christian Love which is from above that if it were in a visible shape and had an outward beauty answerable to the excellency of its Nature it would enflame the affections of men and women towards it 4. Love makes men useful and helpful to others Plato saith of those men that are malicious and contentious that they
do break the order of nature For whereas the Philosophers affirm a man by nature to be animal politicum malicious and contentious persons make themselves unfit for society being no better than firebrands of sedition and Satans Instruments to sow dissention Therefore St. Augustine saith that all companies are not to be called a people but only those who are joyned by consent of Laws And the same Father saith thus Give me that unum necessarium that one thing necessary viz. Love and Unity and thou shalt have a people well ordered Take away this and thou shalt have a rout a confusion and all out of order for where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3.16 Love is an uniting grace we read 1 Sam. 18.1 that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David the reason followeth and Jonathan loved him as his own soul This made him very helpful to David upon all occasions The Apostle sets down many good fruits of this grace of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 Charity suffereth lâ—ng and is kind envyeth not vaunteth not her self or is not rash is not puffed up 5. Doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil 7. Beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things If another do him an injury a man that hath this grace of Love suffereth it if his friend be froward he is kind if fallen he vaunteth not himself over him nor is rash in censuring if far behind him in parts he is not puffed up if provoking him to passion he doth not behave himself unseemly if a self-seeker he seekâ—th not his own if he vex him daily he is not easily provoked if he carry himself so doubtfully that he knoweth not what to make of him he thinketh no evil if he load him with reproaches he beareth all things if he promise amendment he beleeveth all things if he doth not make good his word he hopeth all things and if in all things he be cross and thwarting the true Châ—â—stian Lover endureth all things Love is easie to be entreated it never is implacable or inexorable whatsoever or how great soever the wrongs or injuries be They that cannot be reconciled that will not be pacifyed or appeased are far from Christian Love True Christian Love is not barren it will make men use the gifts of several kinds which God hath given to the supply and benefit of the people of God according to their several wants So those of Macedonia supplied the wants of the Saints at Jerusalem Nehemiah improved his favour with the King of Persia for the good of the Church of God in Judea So did Daniel improve his favour with Nebuchadnezzar for the advancement of Shadrach Mesech Abednego and Mordecai improved his dignity for the benefit of the Church That Love which is true will be fruitful now these fruits of Love are of divers kinds according to the several parts of the Second Table As all duties of love towards the Souls of others in Ministers Masters Parents Neighbours Acquaintance c. preaching the Word catechizing instructing admonishing comforting reproving publickly privately in praying for them c. And towards their bodies goods good names in relieving their wants in defending them to our power in cleering them according to our knowledg against slaunders false accusations c. and so for all other duties which man oweth to man These things every Christian must practi e and he must do them out of the truth of Christian Love As that is not true Love which doth not bring forth such fruits of Love so those works are not accepted which are not done in Love though they may be such works for the matter as are commanded in the Law of Love CHAP. XXIII LEt us then labour to put in practice that exhortation of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.18 My little Children let us not love in word and tongue but in deed and in truth Where the Apostle doth not condemn profession and expression of Love in words and with the Tongue for he himself used it I think no man more yea he useth it in that place exprâ—ssing tenderness of heart and fatherly affection in this very exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My little children c. So he expresseth much Love in words in this Epistle But he condemneth that shew of Love which is meer words and a bare profession of Love A Tree is not to be liked the worse because it beareth a fair Leaf together with good fruits but rather the better for it is both an ornament to the Tree and maketh the fruit the more savoury and of a better relish But this maketh the Tree ready for the Ax and for the Fire when it beareth Leaves and no Fruit or little Fruit so a Christian is not to be liked the worse for cloathing his fruits and works of Love with expressions professions and words of Love but the better rather for they are both an ornament to him in his Christian course and besides they give grace and relish to those works and fruits Yea Christian speeches in many cases are themselves very good and wholesom fruits good arguments of Sanctification and very profitable to the hearers ministring grace unto them and winning them so some liking of the ways of God yea good words of admonition consolation are as necessary alms as any other for many though not so acceptable to the most But as a Tree that beareth store of good fruit though it have but a ragged Leaf is much better than another that is rough and full of green and fair Leaves with none or little fruit so a Christian full of good works though not fairly-spoken is far to be preferred above one who hath a fair tongue and a close hand The thing then which the Apostle exhorteth unto is That we should not rest in a Love that sheweth it self only in words and tongue but that which is in deed and in truth CHAP. XXIV THis should make us in the next place to take heed of those sins that do especially stir up the heart to break the bond of Love 1. Take heed of suffering Anger to settle and take root in your hearts cure it while it is but a green wound before it turn into a Canker or festered sore of malice and hatred quench it when it is but a spark or when it beginneth to kindle let not the Sun go down upon thy wrath Anger engendereth malice unless it be suppressed Persons overcome with anger the Lord thinketh them unworthy of his peoples society Prov. 22.24 Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go God doth not brand any created passion seated in the Soul of man as he doth anger Though all the passions seated in the soul of man when extream are vicious yet God doth no where forbid us to make friendship with a man of grief of fears of hope