à majori from the greater to the less If Christ did lay down his Life for us then ought we much more to lay down our lives for the Brethren 1. Christ was infinitely above us in Glory and Majesty yet laid he down his Life for us much more ought we to lay down our Lives for the Brethren who are of the same Mould with our selves by nature and also partakers of the same pretious Faith by Grace 2. Christ being greatly offended by our sins laid down his Life for us being his enemies much more ought we to lay down our Lives for those who are not enemies but Brethren and that by the best bond viz. the bond of Regeneration 3. Christs Death for us was a matter of Humiliation and abasement to him who was the Prince of Life and Lord of Glory But our death for our Brethren is an advancement unto us Some office and employment which would be an abasement and dishonour to a Prince may be a great Honour and Preferment to a mean Subject So in this case Christ though he were the Lord of Glory the Prince of Life yet was content to dye for us though his Death were a great abasement to him in regard of his infinite excellency and divine Majesty But for us who are sinful and so mortal and must return to dust it is an advancement and improvement of our death when we are called to give our Lives for the Brethren SECT IV. I Come now to the Condition supposed that is If we be called unto it For this we must know that many things are absolutely commanded and all Christians are to perform them in general without exception such as the duties of Beleeving and Repenting and of bringing forth fruits meet for repentance which all Christians ought to perform by vertue of their general Calling Some other are enjoyned too as well as the former but not without a more special Calling The duty of relieving the wants of others is one of those duties that is very much pressed in the Scripture scarce any more yet this is to be understood of those that have a special calling to it namely those whom God hath enabled with outward means for this purpose more or less So the duty of preaching the Gospel is straitly enjoyned but not to be exercised without a lawful Calling to the work of the Ministry Of this latter sort is the duty of laying down our Lives for the Brethren which is not to be exercised without a special calling As for the madness of some fond Sectaries whereof we read in the ancient Stories of the Church who would force men to kill them that they might become Martyrs it could not but proceed from the suggestion of that wicked Spirit who is a Murtherer from the beginning Therefore this work of laying down our Lives for the Brethren is not imposed upon us by vertue of our general calling but must be done upon supposal of a special Call Yet thus much we know that there is a difference and distinction to be made between the will and the deed in such cases The will must be present with us by vertue of our general calling as we are Christians the deed and performance it self must not be undertaken without special calling that is As we are Christians and have given up our names to Christ we must have our hearts so possessed with the Spirit of Brotherly and Christian Love in conformity to Christ and his Love as that we must have a ready and willing mind to undergo it if the Lord shall call us to it So the poorest Christian that is so far from being able to give to another that he needeth to receiv◠himself yet must be so possessed with Christian Love and Compassion that he would give if he had ability He must have a pitiful heart such an heart as would open his hand if he had what to give So in this case a Christian must labour to bring his heart to be willing in Love to dye for his Brethren But for the actual performance of this work in laying down our lives for the Brethren it requireth a more special call As the Apostle saith to the Philippians Vnto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to beleeve but to suffer for his Name Phil. 1.29 Where he sheweth that suffering is a thing given a priviledg bestowed upon some Beleevers whereunto all Beleevers are not called that is not in an eminent manner Scarce any Beleever can live any long time in the world after his effectual calling and conversion but that he shall suffer for the name of Christ in some kind or other but to suffer in a more special and eminent degree is given but to some who are in a special manner called unto it SECT V. THat we must have a special Call before we lay down our Lives will thus appear 1. We have a general◠Command to preserve Life We must labour to preserve the Life of an Oxe or an Asse when it is in danger much more of a man and if the Life of others then our own also inasmuch as the Love we owe to our selves is the rule of our love towards others Therefore so far is it from being a duty imposed upon us to thrust our selves rashly and of our own heads into the mouth of death without a Calling that we are bound not to desire it lest we be found guilty of our own Blood 2. To lay down our Life for the Brethren without a special Call and Warrant may be a wrong to the Brethren rather than a benefit because thereby we bereave our selves of doing them any further good in that way of Christian Love wherein we are to walk towards them here in the world by suffering death without a warrant Yet when we have a Call we must not give back under pretence that we desire to to do them good by our Lives but rather believe that the wisdom of God who calleth us to suffer seeth that thus dying for them we shall more benefit them and glorifie God than we could by escaping death and continuing in the world among them 3. We cannot suffer death by the hands of Persecutors for the Brethren without the Sin of others viz. of those that shed our Blood Now a Christian without a Call from God hath no warrant to give occasion to others wilfully to commit such a bloody Sin but when we are called to it we must take heed we do not sin our selves in giving back under an hypocritical pretence of being loth to give others an occasion of offending 4. Our blessed Savviour himself although he came into the world purposely to lay down his Life for the Brethren yet did not willingly run upon his death but did divers times shun the rage of his enemies and even in his Infancy fled from Herods cruelty And when his hour was come though he shewed himself many ways to be willing to lay down his Life yet
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
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
alone to themselves they would never have regarded Salvation at all All our care would have been how to sin how to fulfil our Lusts we should never have prayed Lord send thy Son into the world to dye for us to save us to redeem us from Sin and Damnation therefore it was his Mercy occasioned by our Misery meerly his Love that made him to dye for us When Gods Justice was pleading hard for the damnation of sinful men What do such Rebels here on earth Why dost thou not O Lord make these wretched Sinners to smart for their Rebellion as Thou hast turned them out of Paradise so turn them out of the World into Hell Let them know what it is to taste of the Forbidden Fruit Then did Christ without suing to him plead as hard for us Father spare them and punish me bless them let me be made a Curse be at peace with them let me endure thy Wrath I will go and keep thy Law because they have broken it let the Sorrows of Hell compass me about that they may enter into thine unspeakable Joys Love therefore must be the meer Motive Had we desired Christ to have laid down his Life for us there were some extrinsical Motive yet Love still but in that Christ was found of them that sought him not and in that he is made known to them and given to them and for them that never sought after him it is meer and wonderful Love 4. Because he was very willing to dye for us Greater Love hath no man then for a man to lay down his Life for his Friend It is maximus fluxus maximum opus maximum beneficium argumentum irrefragabile dilectionis The greatest Flux of Love the greatest work the greatest benefit an irrefragable argument of Love saith Parisiensis And to shew his willingness Christ saith of his Passion desiderio desideravi with a desire have I desired it Christ did earnestly desire to drink of the Cup of his Fathers Wrath that we might not taste it would he have drunk of such a bitter Cup if he did not love us His willingness to dye for us is the commendation of his Love He laid down his Life for us it was not in the power of Pilate and all the Jews his enemies to take away his Life from him Christ did willingly dye Indeed Pilate condemned him the Jews cried out Crucifie him crucifie him they carried him to Calvary as a Malefactor with Spears yet if he had pleased they could not have put him to death Had not his own free Love opened his heart no Souldier could ever have opened his side no though Pontius Pilate should have had all the Roman Legions and the whole Power of the Empire under his charge They might as soon have plucked the Sun out of his Orb as have sundered Christs Soul from his Body As soon have brought a Sea of Waters out of a Rock as have spilt one drop of his Blood unless he had yeelded himself to death Walk in love saith the Apostle as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5.2 Would ye but walk a few turns with Christ in the Garden where he felt the Agony in his Soul Would ye go up to Calvary and see what our blessed Saviour did there endure then would ye say Herein we perceive the Love of Christ in that he laid down his Life for us When the Jews saw Christ weeping over Lazarus they cried out Behold how he loved him but go ye up to Mount Calvary look through his Stripes and Wounds into his heavy and tormented heart look upon his striped back upon his buffeted Face upon his pierced side his bloody head hands and feet see what he did and suffered for us then ye cannot but say behold how he loved us Oh what manner of Love is this SECT III. NOw we must love one another even as Christ hath loved us Now if Christ of his meer Love hath laid down his Life for us then we ought also to lay down our lives for the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.16 This would have seemed an hard saying to us if it had been nakedly proposed in such terms as these we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren but the Apostle having before laid down such a strong Argument aforehand doth in a most convincing manner infer this upon it as an undeniable conclusion which cannot with any shew of reason be gainsayed or contradicted Christ the eternal Son of God hath manifested his singular Love in laying down his Life for us we must therefore follow the Captain of our Salvation in this incomparable act of Love We were dearer to him than his blood than his Life so the Saints good must be dearer to us than our hearts blood than our pretious Life Here I will lay down this Proposition That Christians being called unto it ought to shew so much Love to their Brethren as to lay down their Lives for them In this Proposition two things are to be considered 1. The Thing required 2. The Condition supposed The Thing required is this That Christians should lay down their Lives for the Brethren The Condition supposed is this If they be called unto it For the former we must know that although Christians must not think their Lives too dear for the Brethren yet it is in this as it is in other duties of Love and Mercy towards men the first and greatest Commandment must give Life unto the second which is like unto it The first Table must have the chiefest respect in our obedience to the second That is the Love of God and our regard of his Glory commanded in the first Table which is called The first and great Commandment must have the chief sway in our hearts to encline us to the duties of Love towards man enjoyned in the second Table for we must love our Neighbour in the Lord and for the Lord and so the Love of God must have a constraining and over-ruling power over us the Love of God must first move us to lay down our Lives for the Brethren and then the Love of our Brethren being as it were comprehended in our Love of God must move us thereunto The Glory of God must be the principal end that we must aim at in doing good to others So especially in this great fruit of Love when we lay down our lives for them then the good of our Brethren must be respected in the second place in as much as God is glorified in that good which they receive by that means So then when any do in Christian Love lay down their Lives for their Brethren they do not dye for them only but for the Lord chiefly and principally This the Apostle strongly proveth to be required of Christians because Christ hath shewed such wonderful Love in laying down his Life tor us This indeed is an Argument unanswerable but holdeth strongly
he did not thrust himself into the hands of his enemies but left them to contrive his death among themselves and so to take the guilt of his blood upon them He could have saved the Priests that cost they bestowed upon Judas to hire him to commit that most horrible treason He could have prevented Judas that he should not have taken that booty which cost him so dear but he let them take their course and exercise their malice He suffered Judas to make his bargain the High-Priests servants to apprehend him and carry him to their Master he would not of himself come among them till they fetched and carried him in the nature of a Prisoner SECT VI. Quest NOw then the question is What that Call is which is supposed as a condition in this case without which a Christian is not bound to lay down his Life for the Brethren Resp I answer A Christian may be called to this in such Cases as do more immediately concern God and in such as do more immediately concern the Brethren As for those cases as do more immediately concern God in which we may be called to die for our Brethren they may be divers as 1. When we are persecuted for the Name and Gospel of Christ and are called to confess the truth with apparent danger of death in such a case we are to lay down our lives for Christ and in such a case in an inferiour respect we are also to lay down our lives for the Brethren inasmuch as we should rather chuse to die than to give any just occasion of offence or stumbling unto them by denying the truth And on the other side we should be content to dye for their encouragement in the profession of the truth Now though this be a case that doth more directly and immediately concern God than our Brethren yet it doth concern our Brethren also in an inferiour respect So in this regard I think there were few of those many thousand martyrs which have suffered for Christ but also they have suffered for their Brethren and in such sufferings they are to have regard to their Brethren though principally to the Lord. Now we are called thus to suffer when we are brought before those in authority and put to it either to deny the truth or to suffer death 2. When the Preachers of the Gospel cannot without danger of death declare the whole counsel of God in things needful to Salvation they must be content to hazard their lives rather than not to be faithful in that commission which the Lord hath put them in This doth immediately concern the Glory of God and the discharge of their Consciences toward him But it doth also concern the Glory of God in an inferiour degree and they must refuse both to deliver any unsound Doctrine to them to the endangering of their Souls and abhor to keep back any necessary truth from them although their own lives should be in apparent danger by that means SECT VII ON the other side there are cases that do more immediately concern the Brethren wherein we may be called to lay down our lives for them yet in these our principal aim must be at the Glory of God As for Example 1. If we be put to it to confess some things by others of the Godly which may bring them into danger through the malice of wicked men In this case we should rather dye than hurt them by such confessions lest we be accessory to the mischief which by that means the Adversaries are like to bring upon them I have read of one Firmus an holy Bishop of Tagesta St. Augustine's Countrey in Africk who when the Emperor not then a Christian required delivery or at least the discovery of a Christian which he had with great care hidden from the Tyrant resolutely answered Nee prodam nee mentiar I will neither lye nor betray my Brother from which resolution no torments then inflicted which were many and sharp could draw or enforce him Mr. Fox in his acts and monuments tells us of Cuthbert Simpson who being Deacon of the Protestant Congregation in London in Queen Maries days was apprehended and charged to discover the names of those that were Members of the Congregation which he utterly refused to do and would not yeeld to do it by any torture but constantly suffered death and cruel wrackings also before his death insomuch that bloody Bonner did openly in the hearing of divers persons extoll him for his wonderful patience So if Christians living under Popish Persecutors should be driven to meet together in Ships or Woods or other private places to perform the Worship of God together if any Christian should be privy thereunto although himself might escape untoucht in Body Goods Liberty upon condition only that he would detect and discover them he ought rather to endure the spoiling of all his Goods or the loss of Liberty or of Life rather than serve the malice of the Adversaries in laying open the Brethren unto the cruelty of malicious Enemies 2. When any necessary duty is required at our hands for the good of the Brethren and of the people of God which we are bound to perform although with hazard of our lives we must be content to put our lives in our hands and not withdraw our hand from helping them in such a case So those that are in any Countrey called to the wars in defence of the Church against the Pope and his adherents or against the Turk against Gog and Magog and to stand up in defence of the Gospel In like manner those that are called by any special relation to others or any special office to supply others in time of the Pestilence or other infectious diseases ought in Love to hazard their Lives for their good and not be wanting to them unless in some Cases when by helping some they are like to hinder many more Therefore it is generally held That the Ministers of the Gospel are not tyed to visit those that are sick of contagious diseases because it would make their people to shun thâ—m in the publick Congregation and so be an occasion of depriving the people of the Ordinances of God although themselves should escape the infection But yet where there are divers Ministers in the same place I should conceive it fitting that one or more according to the number of the infected should be employed in this work and that the publick service of the Congregation should be discharged by others As when the Plague was at Geneva in Calvin's time there being divers Ministers in in the City three of them whereof Calvin was one offered themselves to this service and so it was to be decided by Lot which of the three should be the man Such cases likewise may happen concerning the necessary relief of the Godly who are imprisoned or banished by Popish Persecutors as many were in Queen Maries days In a word When any necessary duty which we owe to the people of