this diffusive ointment saith he is the love and unity of Brethren which gives a tincture to all the parts of Aaron to the whole body of Gods worship and service in all the duties of the same not only to the participation of the great mysteries of our salvation in the Sacraments which is the Head of Aaron but also to every quotidian meditation upon God to every frequent admonition of our Brother the skirts of Aaron even all must smell of this precious ointment of charity wherefore it is above all others thirdly in the universality of its Influence Fourthly In the Duration of its being 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity never faileth but whether there be prophesies they shal fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away All other both Gifts and Graces must suffer a kinde of dissolution before we can enter heaven but charity never dies continuing as immortal as the soul that bears it Indeed we may say of the duration of all other graces as S. Paul spake of Mans Mortality 1 Cor. 15.51 They shall not all die but they shall be changed Faith shall be changed into vision and Hope into fruition Patience into triumph Penitence into praise c. But Charity shall not so much as undergo this change for it shall be the same in its kinde though greater in its degree in Heaven as it was on the Earth so that it is a grace that receives Enochs Translation without S. Pauls Mutation passing into Heaven with us and that without a change no other graces do the like and therefore above all others lastly in the Duration of its being You have seen the Precedence and also the Preheminence of charity and in both the Importance which is the second part of the Text from these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Before or above all things have charity Come we now to the Third part to wit from the Importance to the Complexion or Temperature of the duty in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated fervent charity It is not every flash of friendship nor formal fit of courtship that is the charity extold by the Apostle but it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent charity which if we will take the advantages of the original without restraining our selves to the translation we shall finde it as fit a word for our purpose as can be found in the whole treasury of the Greek tongue For it is one word which in the force of the several constructions it usually bears gives us all the most requisite Dimensions or Admeasurements of Christian charity to wit both the Extension Intention and protension 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being used frequently in all three sences as you shall see in the pursuit of each particular 1. It intimates that Christian charity must be an extended charity towards all for the Bredth of it 2. That it must be an Intended or intense or fervent charity proceeding from the sincerity of the heart for the depth of it 3. That it must be also a protended i. e. a lasting a continued charity not discouraged by any personal disobligements whatsoever for the Length of it as if Providence had fitted it only for this place as if it were an Adjective made on purpose for this substantive First if our charity must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then it must be an extended and an enlarged charity even unto all which we must needs confesse is the native and most literal construction of the word which is originally compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying literally to Extend or enlarge in breadth or to stretch forth to a great distance in this sence is it used by S. Luke Acts 26.1 Then Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stretched forth the hand and answered for himself so is it likewise used by S. Matth. 14.31 suddenly Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stretching forth his hand c. saved Peter from sinking Answerably therefore if true charity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it must be a stretched forth and an enlarged charity True Christian charity therefore enjoyned in this Apostolick precept is not a limited nor inclosed affection impaled onely within the bounds of narrow relations either natural or contracted as of Countrey Friends Benefactors Kindred or the like but it is a Campaigne and a Common Grace knowing no other bounds or limits but the universal relation in which all men stand towards God who is the common cause in whom all concenter and agree and this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extended charity practised to the full by our Saviour Christ who set us copies as well as imposed precepts and taught us by his Example as well as by his Doctrine in whose life I know not any generation of people whom he excluded from the charity of his miracles The Centurion a Roman the Woman at the Well-head a Samaritan the Woman that interceded for her Daughter a Dog a Syrophenician the churlish Gadarene the scandalous Publican the Lepers the Demonaick the Deaf the Dumb the Blinde the Lame the Sick and the Dead all nations sexes conditions and ages of Men did partake of the benefit of his extended love giving in these outward Evidences Symbols of the love of Christ spiritually to mankinde in the salvation of their souls Tit. 2.11 The love of God hath appeared unto all men and Chap. 3. verse 4. The love of Christ towards Man appeared he was as Themistius saith a good King should be neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not a friend onely to the house of David nor yet to the house of Abraham not to the Jewes his Brethren after the flesh these are too narrow relations for such a boundlesse charity but his Love towards Man appeared which is a specifick denomination applicable to Turks to Negroes to Indians to all that own the title of Reasonable Creatures even to all the Genealogies of our Ancestors from Adam to this Age Rev. 1.4 that now lie buried in the land of forgetfulnesse for Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God that was to all that now breathe upon the face of Gods earth for Christ is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God that is and to all that ever shall be to the last dissolution for he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God that is to come But Secondly his precept of Love is as large as his practise It s true the tenor of the Law in S. Luke 10.27 is Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self as if Strangers and Enemies were excluded from the Obligation of this Precept but S. Paul the best Interpreter of Christs Doctrine rehearsing the same Law Rom. 13.8 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not our Friend our Companion or Familiar but he
love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God God is love ve◠8. The original then of this religious love is Gods grace which is the first part of the description Secondly consider the Object of this love which is said in the description to be extended not onely to Kindred Friends or Benefactors but unto All in the capacity and latitude of Religion The generick Object of all love is one and the same and that is a present good either real or appearing the vilest wretch yet never loved evil Sub ratione mali not as evil but at least under the appearance of good But the Specifick Objects are vastly different nay to shew the wonderful power of Grace over Nature their Objects are contrariant and directly opposite one to another Matth. 5.43 44. In old time it was thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thy Enemy this is the voice of Nature and of the Old Man in the old time But I say unto you verse 44. which is the voice of Grace and Christ Love your enemies blesse them that curse you and do good to them that hate you Hence is it that the Scripture makes no difference in Offices of love and mutual relief between Friend and Foe but he that in one Precept is called our Enemy in the recital of the same Precept in another place is called our Brother and both to be loved and served alike as appears Exod. 23.4 compared with Deut. 22.1 In one place it is If thine enemies Ox or his Asse go astray thou shalt surely bring it back in the other which is the recital of the same Law it is Thou shalt not see thy brothers Ox or his Asse go astray but thou shalt in any case bring him back So that whether he be Enemy or Brother it is all one in the eye of Religion and both to be alike beloved assisted and relieved Which although it be very severe to Nature yet the Christian Law of love requireth it at our hands never seeking to comply with but to over-rule all our unregenerate affections in so much that a new man at his first conversion is in nothing more an Ephraimite like a young Heifer unaccustomed and strugling under the Yoke of Grace then in respect to those impulsions and checks which Gods Spirit imposeth upon mans Affections For indeed if you observe the Law of Grace and the Gospel this contrariety is not found only in this one affection of Love but all the rest of the passions by the power and constraint of Grace are not only diverted but inverted turned cleer backward in their motions to objects diametrically opposite to their former Thus for our Hatred We must hate Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren Sisters and our own lives also or we cannot be Christs Disciples Luke 14.26 Next for our Joy We must joy in persecutions reproaches calamities and be exceeding glad Mat. 5.13 Nay Leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Christs word in S. Luke chap. 6.23 when men hate you and reproach you and so in all the rest Which although it may seem to be a very sharp usage of Nature yet is it not without sufficient reason and abundant compensation in regard that by vertue of the divine Chimistry of Grace Good even spiritual good is brought out of natural evils according to S. Pauls word of consolation Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Even enemies reproaches and persecutions Which is a Paradox to Nature because it is beyond her Ken or Comprehension the Back cannot feel any good in cold and nakednesse nor the Belly in hunger and emptinesse and on the other side they cannot apprehend there is any Evil in food and raiment and as they judge so they love and so they hate But Grace comes and findes Wantonnesse in fulnesse of bread and Pride in gorgeous apparel and on the other side it findes Humility in rags Chastity in hunger and abstinence it findes Patience under afflictions triumphs under persecutions and thus they work together for the good of them that love God And thus much of the Object Thirdly consider the End of Christian charity which is said in the Description to be Not upon any humane or natural designe but for pious and Christian ends and considerations There are three Stages of all Mans actions Himself his Brother and his God Now 1. to love meerly for a mans own good and upon self interest is basely Carnal nay 't is Ethnick Do not even the Heathen the Publicans the same Nay 't is Brutish for the Beasts love their Feeder for his food but if he withholds his hand and hunger begins to gripe those Savages Exasperatur mitigata torvit as they flye in his face that nourished them and make a prey of their Benefactor And Secondly to love our Brother meerly for our Brothers sake at best is but moral in which respect though Man even under depravation excels the bruit Beasts whose love if I may so call it reacheth no further then the first sort loving all things as they are agreeable or serviceable to their own sensitive appetites whereas this moral love in Man admits not of such mean mercenary reflections and is bestowed upon no other considerations then the goodnesse vertue and merit of the person beloved as a debt due to his worth goodness which is the love of Philosophers and that which is called Amor Amicitiae or Benevolentiae the love of Friendship and Good-will yet is this love as far below the duty of the Text and the affection of true Christians as it is above the lust of Beasts and brutish Men. Thirdly therefore there is another sort of love which is neither for our own sakes nor our Brothers but for Gods sake and that not only in obedience to Gods Commandment of love which is the Evangelick Law and the New Command nor for the conservation of the peace of Gods Church which is fortified by love but also and principally when it is bestowed in consideration of that spiritual relation which our Brethren by grace have to God as instruments of his praise as Members or as Ministers of his Church as parts of the houshold of faith c. This is to love our Brother for Gods sake Or in our Saviours phrase when we love a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Mat. 10.41 42 and a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and a righteous Man in the name of a righteous man That is when we love them under that relation in which they stand towards God and Religion which ought to be so predominant in every good heart that it should give Law and Rule to all inferior relations whatsoever whether Natural or Moral in so much that if ever their interests stand in opposition these subordinate indeerments ought to be utterly superseded and neglected which is the reason our Saviour saith That unlesse we
Praying Hearing Communicating and the like external acts of Religion the intire order that these hold in the state of our obedience is only to spiritual ends and purposes and therefore although we are required to worship and glorifie God in our Bodies and in our Spirits which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 Yet God himself being a most pure spirit unto which all these outward acts of piety and worship tend and in whom they fully End it is therefore very improper to the nature of them that they should be accepted in and for themselves but only as they derive a devout influence from and have an original dependance upon the sincerity and zeal of the Inner man and the spirit from whence they proceed For doubtless that argument of our Saviour drawen from the nature of that God we serve Joh. 4. 24. is unanswerable when he saith That God is a Spirit and therefore must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Wherefore to return to our purpose although Relief and Brotherly supply is the whole End of operative Charity consisting in the outward offices of Love which is sufficiently satisfied if those offices are performed yet if we take the duty of Christian charity in the whole state of the duty and not by parcel-meals we shall finde that operative charity is not the half part of that required in this precept of Love for this as all duties of the Second Table hath a double respiciency in it the immediate respect is towards our Neighbour the ultimate respect is towards God which is a consideration that makes the duties of love to become offices of piety to God as well as of charity to our Brother Now looking upon this duty in its immediate respect to our Neighbour I confesse if Gods Law were to be considered no otherwise then the Statute Lawes of the Land which for the substance of the precepts forbid the very same particulars as are expressed in the Second Table as Rebellion Murder Theft Adultery False witnesse c. and enjoynes also the same duties of Justice and Charity to our Brethren Now I say if Gods Law reached no further then Mans operative charity would fulfil the whole duty Mans Law looking no farther then to the restraining or enjoyning the outward act But seeing Gods Law ought to be considered as the first Law written in our hearts and the Law of Nature as well as of God in this consideration the inward principle of those offices of love from whom they proceed must be considered as well as the external acts themselves for as much as God at the first did so absolutely and to all purposes instruct and furnish our natures that look whatever outward duty he required at our hands he placed an answerable principle in our hearts to incline and carry us through the performance of that work required of us as conceiving it to be too severe a usage of man above all other works of the creation besides to require him to do that duty unto which God had not first imprinted a propension in his nature as to command him the outward offices of Society and Hospitality without giving him the inward principle of love or the duties of succouring the distressed or relieving the needy without the inward principle of pitty and commiseration and so in all the rest And truly though I deny not but many a good almes hath been given for vainglory to be seen of Men many through the importunity of our needy Brother and many through custome yet these are not natural but equivocal productions of charity much like the generations of Frogs and Flies and other Insects which are often ingendred of putrefaction and not from their own kindes which we call Imperfect Generations in Philosophy Even such unkindly productions are such sorts of good works in the Law of Charity that come besides the common order of Nature God therefore originally not only enjoyning the Act but administring the proper and univocal principle of that act in the spirit of Man By the Law of Nature rectified we are required to take both into consideration and not onely to be hospitable to our Brethren but also to love them not onely to help the miserable but also to pity and compassionate them so that the inward fervency of the spirit in works of charity is necessary in the first place Necâ—ssitate principii as Natures proper principle for such acts But Secondly if we look upon charity as reflecting upon God we shall finde yet more cause why this fervency of the heart is requisite in this duty Because in this capacity it is a duty of piety as all other duties of Religion and worship are which have their outward acts as I have said purely in order to inward and spiritual purposes and grateful onely as they proceed from sincere and spiritual principles Now that charity bears such a reflection upon God and therefore becomes as it were a duty of the First Table is intimated by the Wiseman Prov. 14.31 where it is said That he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker not only by his act of disobedience against the positive Law of God who by adding to this duty his divine sanction made that moral which was at first natural whereby you see the Heart is likewise necessary in this duty Secondly Necessiâ—ate praecepti but also reproacheth his Maker in respect to that order and relation in which they stand towards God having a supreme interest in all men but especially in the poor and needy and of these chiefly in them who together with their outward indigencies are poor in spirit also of whom Christ saith Matth. 25.40 In as much as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Now if offices of love and charity to our Brethren be performed to God and to Christ himself we knowing whom we serve know likewise our charity must be affectionate and fervent as well as operative and that as you see Thirdly Necessitate medii as a proper means of service answerable to that God we serve Vse 1 Away then 1. With Negative Friendships and Cold Neighbourhoods the universal practice of this uncharitable Age wherein Men think they discharge their duties sufficiently in this Law of Love if they do no wrong and offer no violence and are not professed Enemies alas this is too cold a disposition for this hot climate of Love true charity is a grace that puts the heart of a Christian into a fermentation and a fervent working of the bowels upon our Brethren for Love leavens the soul as well as Malice and there is a heat in both only the one is by a fire from Hell and the other from Heaven But this cold indifferency hangs between these two fires like the middle Region between Heaven and Earth in a perpetual frost having neither celestial grace enough to inkindle the kindly warmth of love nor infernal malice nor mischief enough or at least not courage