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-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
therein to be followers of Christ 3. Because this duty is one of the highest degrees of our obedience unto Christ observe the words so fulfil the law of Christ it is not a perfect but solidum complementum a solid or substantial fulfilling of the Law of Christ It is not said of other sincere performances that we fulfil the Law of Christ it is not said of thy praying thy hearing c. that thou dost fulfil the Law of Christ but of this duty of Love Love is the fulfilling of the Law Bearing of one anothers burdens which is an eminent act of Love is the fulfilling the Law of Christ Without this all other offices of Love are but slight superficial acts of obedience he that doth not do this nihil habet saith Calvin he hath nothing of a man nothing of a Christian nothing of a disciple of Christ nothing of Christian Love in him There is a Sect not long since risen among us calling themselves High-attainers boasting that they have attained to perfection of Holiness and therefore need not the help of ordinances But these deluded wretches do come as short of perfection as the Earth doth of Heaven but now those who do Christianly bear one anothâ—rs burdens are High-attainers indeed for they fulfil the Law of Christ I know there may be strong Love in mens hearts toward some persons without any partaking of the Love of God and the spirit of Regeneration and this Love may have something commendable in it but it is nothing in respect of Gods gracious acceptation such men do rather Love in obedience to the Law of nature than in obedience to the Law or Gospel of Christ therefore their Love loseth acceptance with the Lord. I say they love in obedience to the Law of Nature for men have some parts of the Law of Nature remain written in their hearts How men love in obedience to the Law of nature since the Fall of Adam as the Apostle sheweth even concerning the Gentiles or Heathens themselves Rom. 2.14.15 which Law I take to be more than the light of Nature for otherwise methinketh it should rather be called the Doctrine or the instructions of Nature than a Law for a Law carrieth Authority with it and a binding power but a light or a doctrine doth but only shew and teach But that which was written by Nature in the hearts of the Gentiles the Apostle saith was written as a Law and so it carried a kind of Authority over their Hearts and Consciences not only shewing them what should be done but also enclining and bowing their spirits unto â—t So at this day this law of Nature may encline the hearts of many as a law to love their Neighbors and they do it in obedience to this law of Nature that is they yield to this natural enclination of their hearts and according to it do love some persons whom their natures do encline them to love until this Law be countermanded by a stronger law the law of Sin and Corruption enclining the heart to cast off love and to entertain bitterness of spirit or the like and until it be over-born by outward occasions which tend to quench Love For this law of Nature is weak and soon loseth its authority and command I mean so far as it hath any thing good in it so far as it is a broken piece as it were of the Image of God But if we take the law of Nature for Nature corrupted which is the law of Sin that is very strong and hath a great command over the heart and is hardly resisted Now then they that have any commendable love in them towards others in their natural estate they do but herein follow the inclination of their hearts which is the same that I said before that they do it in obedience to the law of Nature not in obedience to the law of Christ Bâ—t a Christian that will approve his heart to God must love others in the name of Christ and in obedience to his Gospel which cannot be unless we partake of the love of God in Christ and have embraced Christ in the Gospel Now I coâ—ceive there may be more heat sometimes in that natural love than in this Spiritual and Christian love and especially in that sinful love which is between divers persons which deceiveth many and maketh them apt to bless themselves as if they were truly possessed of the spirit of Love because they find some strength of natural affection in themselves But a little of that heat which cometh from the Sun-beams is of more vertue and excellency than a great deal of Kitchen-fire A little of the heavenly affection of Love which is a proper heat of the spirit of Christ and floweth from the love of God apprehended by saith is more worth than a great deal of natural affection CHAP. XVII SECT I. IN the next place I shall speak of the order of our love one to another 1. We must love our own Souls next to Jesus Christ God is to be loved above all as the chief and supream good and our own Souls next as being more worth than a whole world and if the love of any thing should stand between God and our Souls we must hate that thing as our deadly enemy that seeks to rob us of our chiefest good 2. We must love our Neighbors soul next to our own soul above our own bodies 3. Among our Neighbours we must love those that are most godly the excellent of the earth those that excell in goodness In them is all my delight saith David God's Jewels must be in our account most precious one pearl is more worth than a million of pibbles God loveth all men but the riches of his lovâ— he giveth to his Saints 4. Among the godly those of our own Nation are to be especially beloved O pray for the peace of Jerusalem They shall prosper that love thee Psal 122.6 Saint Paul could even wish himself accursed for his Countrymen the Jews and for their sakes Moses could even be blotted out of the book of life As Christ came from the Jews so he came to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel in the first place 5. Among them I am to love those who are my Kindred above others who are not Nature calls for love but Grace calls for more 6. We are in a special manner to love those of our Family A Christian is to labour to make his ally his friend but especially his Wife and Children such as may be lovely and acceptable How did David mourn for his son Absalom and Abraham pray for Ishmael 7. Above all a man is to love his Wife A man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his Wife and they shall be one flesh Gen. 2.24 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it Ephes 5.25 This is the order of our Love SECT II. Quest Here it may
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
man in Love So ye may see how these two are joyned together as it were in one commandment 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his Commandment that we believe in his son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us commandment So that the Doctrine of the Gospel commanding Faith is but an imperfect Law if it be not joyned with the commandment of Love The commandment of Faith and Love together make up a compleat Law Therefore I doubt not but as the one so the other also was delivered in the Beginning Abraham knew this well who lived long before the Law was published on mount Sinai and therefore he walked in Love and laboured to cherish Love and to pâ—◠〈◊〉 the breach of Love and thereupon saith to Loe I pray thee let there be no strife between me and thee for we are brethren So it appeareth likewise by his carriages mother cases And it 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—eds be so for the same way of Salvation for the Substance is and hath ever been operâ—â—â—â— and shewed unto men The same good worâ—share ordained for the people of God to walk 〈◊〉 throughout all ages therefore they must have the same rule to walk by in all sages Now Love and the Fruits of Love is the Substance of the Law therefore this was from the Beginning CHAP. VI. Vse 1. THis sheweth the Excellency of the Law of Love and of the Duty of Love commanded in this Law It is ancient it is from the beginning Ancient Laws are fundamental Laws and ought especially to be regarded and observed That Law of Ceremonies delivered to Moses and by him to the people of Israel was a new Law in comparison of this and therefore it was no fundamental Law of the Church of God and so it was abrogated in the fulness of time but this Law of Love is both an ancient Law from the beginning and so a fundamental Law of the Church of God without which the Church cannot stand for if Love be taken away there can be no Church Therefore men do little consider what they do when they allow themselves in the neglect of Christian-Love and in the duties thereof They sin against a most ancient and fundamental Law without which the Church of God cannot stand Malice Hatred want of Love is a sin against the foundation of Obedience and Holiness As there be fundamental Errors viz. Errors against the foundation of Faith so there be as it were fundamental sins sins against the fundamental Law of Love Every failing in the duties of Love is a sin against this Law but the want of Christian-Love and the nourishing of Malice and Enmity in the heart are more directly against this ancient and fundamental Law This Law of Love then being an ancient and fundamental Law delivered from the beginning doth commend unto us the excellency of Christian and Brotherly-Love and shew the odiousness of the contrary sin None can rest upon Christ the Foundation and Corner-Stone of the Church which hath not this fundamental Law of Love written in his heart which hath not his heart enclined to Love Therefore St. Paul saith That the Tongues of men and Angels faith to remove mountains abundance of knoledg all these if a man had them without Love cannot profit no though a man should give all his goods also to the poor and his body to the fire and why Because he wanteth a fundamental and principal Grace required in this fundamental and ancient Law the want whereof proveth him not to be grounded nor built upon Christ the Foundation and Corner-Stone of the Church because he hath not the Spirit of Love which is in Christ How should this move every one of us then to search our hearts diligently lest any Lees or Dregs of Malice should settle there lest as the Apostle saith any root of bitterness should remain there and spring up in us How should it move us to purge out all affections contrary unto Love CHAP. VII II SEeing this Commandment of Love was from the beginning it should teach us That no injuries which men have done or can do against us should make us think our selves discharged from the duty of Love towards them This Law of Love pleadeth prescription against all such wrongs and injuries whatsoever It was before them and it is to take take place before them and against them all The Law of Love which is so ancient even from the beginning should cause us to walk in Love and to do the offices of Love above all those new injuries which men have done us or may do us These should not prevail so to draw us to Malice and Hatred or to extinguish Love in us as that should to beget and encrease Love The Apostle disputing about the Law and the Gospel in the Epistle to the Galathians saith That the Law as it was published by Moses being four hundred years after the Promise of the Gospel given to Abraham could not disanul that Promise and make it of none effect much less can any injuries disanul this law of Love which is many thousand years more ancient than any injury which we have received therefore still this ancient Law standeth in force and bindeth us to love even those who do most of all wrong and provoke us Is it not then a most unchristian thing when men cannot lay down old enmities nor purge out old grudges nor forgive old injuries Are any so old as this most ancient law of Love which is from the beginning There is a wicked hereditary enmity between some Families and Kinreds which descendeth from father to son c. and they will not give it over because it is so ancient What if it were Five hundred years old yet this law of Love which is above Five thousand years old since the delivery of it to Mankind should prevail so far with us as to make us forget them and to walk in Love III. The Antiquity of this law of Love should cause us to consider of that great Day of the Lord which shall be in the end of Time even at the end of the world when all the breaches of this law not being blotted out by repentance that have been from the beginning are now and shall be to the end of the world shall be punished with everlasting vengeance Oh the innumerable Transgressions against this law in all ages which then shall be called to account and brought to the Barr of the highest Tribunal even before the judgment Seat of Christ Oh the horrible murthers massacres cruelties oppressions extortions thefts rapes persecutions tyrannies of Princes and States malitious plots and practises contentious courses wrongs injuries and among the rest those bloody Wars and destroying of Nations with fire and sword which if they be not lawfully undertaken and lawfully mannaged are to be accounted among the most notorious breaches of this royal and most ancient Law and beside these all fraudulent and unjust dealings together with other things of like nature What
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
blood So now the greatest Potentate and the poorest beggar the most civil and the most savage Nations are of one blood originally the English and the Muscovitae the Laplanders Tartarians yea the Beasilians and Canibals are of one blood originally God could have made a man and woman for every province and part of the world and so have given a several Original to every Nation but he in his wisdom did rather please to make one man out of whose loyns one woman out of whose womb all the Nations of the earth should issue that so all Nations might be made of one blood and all might be of kin and that so there might be a natural bond of union brotherhood and love between them So then a child of God is a brother to a natural person for thâ—y that are the children of God are the children of men too and of the same blood with others therefore when natural persons do not love the children of God it is a sign they do abide in death When the graces of the godly and the fruits of grace in their conversation and practice are so distastful unto men that for this they cast off love and affection towards them though they be their brethren by nature and of the same blood with them originally whereas this should encrease their love towards them this sheweth that such do abide in death 2. He that liveth in the Church of God and accounteth himself a child of God if he be a child of God indeed all the children of God are his brethren and sisters both by Nature and Grace If God be his father the children of God are his brethren and sisters but if he doth not love them as brethren it sheweth that he abideth in death and deceiveth himself he is not born of God nor passed from death to life SECT III. III. HAters of others especially of the godly they are murderers 1 Job 3 15. He that hateth his brother is a murderer Every act of hatred is a mortal wound given to a godly man Some think St. John speaketh by way of allusion to Cain who was an actual murderer of holy Abel and that God accounteth all haters of godly men as hainous sinners as damned Cain is and their hatred as abominable a sin as his actual murder Dost thou see a man hating scoffing opposing persecuting godliness for godliness sake Thou maist point at him and say yonder goeth a Cain a murderer of a righteous man 1. Malice and hatred is murder affectu desiderio in affection and desire it makes a man to desire wish and rejoyce in the death or destruction of those whom he hateth This the Heathens saw by the light of Nature therefore one of them said Quem oderunt periisse expetunt whom men do hate his death they do desire Now what is this but murder It is true that in respect of the person hated the hurt done to him by hating him is much less than when he is actually murdered and his blood spilt It is true also that the actual commission of murder in outward act doth add much to the guilt of his conscience that hateth his brother because there is both the inward hatred or murder of the heart and the outward cruel act of murder added to it there is the beginning and the consummation the accomplishing and finishing of this bloody sin But yet the inward malice and hatred of the heart which maketh those that harbour malice in their hearts to wish the death and destruction of those they hate or to rejoyce in it is murder in the sight of God Men that have malice festering in their hearts against others causing a desire of their destruction may hold their hands from shedding of blood for want of opportunity for fear of the Law for fear of infamy among men yea out of a slavish fear left their own conscience as a revenger of blood should pursue them with restless horror and terror and never let them enjoy merry hour in this life besides the dismal effects of it in the life to come And on the other side they are not restrained from murther by Love in any degree That appeareth by this that though themselves are loth to shed blood yet they that are malicious generally could be content that those whom they hate should perish by the hands of others they have a secret dâ—sire of this and are well enough pleased with it in the retired thoughts of their hearts if such a thing happen by the hands of others 2. Mâ—lice is the root of Murther and therefore it is murther virtualiter et eminenter Murther is conceived in the womb of Malice Malice is the Seed of which this foul and bloody Monster of Murther and Bloodshed is hatched As the Child is in the Fathers Loyus ere it be born or conceived so murther is in the Bowels of Malice before it is brought sorth As poyson is in the young Brood of the Viper before it is able to put forth the sting so murther lyeth a breeding in the womb of Malice and Hatred before it break forth into Blood Malice maketh a bloody Heart and Murther maketh bloody hands Murther is oftentimes the effect of Hatied and Malice first Cain did hate Abel he was wroth with him then he killed him Absalom's Hatred made him to kill his Brother Amnon Thus Persecutors hating the Professors of Truth took away their Lives from them They set their Wits on work to invent Torments for the painful death of Gods Saints Hatred of godliness did kindle the fire of Martyrdom 3. The Scripture calleth it Murther to shew how great a Sin hatred of Godliness is Aquinas disputing what was the greatest sin as a man man could commit against his Neighbour his resolution was that Odium proximi est gravissimum peccatorum it was Hatred of our Neighbour Much more grievous it is when a man shall hate any one because he followeth the thing that good is and hateth a man because he laboureth to be like unto God To shed mans Blood who was made after the Image of God and to do that murther that ever was committed with the least degree of malice that any was is a most fearful and damnable sin but I conceive that there may be a greater sin committed in harbouring abundance of malice and bitterness in the heart though without Bloodshed than in some Cases when Blood is unlawfully spilt In the malice of our powder-Traytors this is apparent which though by the Providence of God it was restrained from shedding of Blood was far more grievous than many an act of murther which hath been committed But besides this when men do neither actually shed Blood nor purpose and plot bloodshed I conceive their malice may be more sinful than some acts of Murther I doubt not but that many a man sinneth far more in malice against his Neighbour than David in killing Vriah though it was a grievous sin for what is sin but the
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 desire of love but only with an angry man Do not take them ever for Friends and Companions In another place he saith Walk not with the froward for fear of learning his ways and getting a snare unto thy soul Chrysostome calleth furious angry men Chrysost Hom. ad pop Antioch Daemoniacks men possessed with the Devil for as they rage and blaspheme and are set upon mischief so men in their anger are for any mischief the Devil at that instant suggesteth to them Oh how prompt and ready are men in their wrath to do what mischief they can to their Brethren 2. Take heed of the sin of Envy which is a sin that breaketh the nearest bond of Nature and the strongest bond of Love Envy did so fret in the heart of most of Jacob's Sons that they decreed the death of Joseph their innocent Brother and though afterwards they spared his life yet they robbed him of his liberty and exposed him to those dangers which were worse than death banishing him out of the Church and giving him occasion to fall from the true God had not the Lord been gracious to him Gen. 37.20.28 Therefore labour by the spirit of Love to purge out this bitter affection left it alienate your hearts from your Brethren 3. Take heed and beware of Covetousness This sin makes men even to desire the death of their own Parents and Brethren that they may have their lands or goods and so to commit a secret murther in their hearts This sin I fear is too common and little laid to heart But as our Saviour saith He that looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart So may we not say he that looketh on the estate and goods of a Father Brother Kinsman c. and longeth for their death hath committed murther already in his heart This sin of Covetousness also maketh men to break the bonds of natural affection when it bringeth them to defraud or wrong those in their goods which are neerest to them The prophet Jeremy sheweth how corrupt those times were which were a little before the destruction of Jerusalem when he saith Jerem. 9.4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbour will walk with slaunders 4. See that Pride root not it self in your hearts Pride lifteth up the heart in high thoughts of its own worth it breedeth unthankfulness to God and men Pride breedeth scorn and contempt of others it breedeth revengefulness and will not suffer us to stoop so far as to suffer wrongs and to overcome evil with good Pride cannot endure to be reproved or admonished it breedeth self-will and stubbornness it will be served before God himself it will so carry away a mans heart that that cost which should be bestowed for the glory of God and the relief of others shall be employed to set forth Pride in superfluitics of apparel sumptuous feasts buildings c. This may teach us to beware of men as our Saviour saith Sin breaketh the Law of Friendship and neerest relations it dissolveth the bond of Brotherhood A Brother seeketh the destruction of a Brother or if not the shedding of his blood yet his utter undoing So the Father is not safe in respect of his Child sometimes the Neighbour in respect of his Neighbour This is not meant for this end that Towns Families Kinreds c. should be filled with causless and uncharitable suspicions of one against another whereby Christian Love is weakened or extinguished but that wisdom or watchfulness should be used especially when men have to do with such as either are notoriously wicked or give shrewd signs of Hypocrisie that we should not be too open toward such nor by liberty of speech about matters too high for us to meddle in or by opening secrets to give them power to hurt us we know not how far the malice of Satan together with the corruptions of their own hearts may carry them A wise and watchful carriage in keeping out of their danger need not hinder us from performing any office of Christian Love unto them The Spirit of God in the Proverbs giveth many directions of this Nature which Christians are to practice And albeit we may think our words are such as cannot justly be blamed yet when we use unnecessary liberty of speech though we seem to keep within our bounds how â—asiâ—y may ignorance mistake or malice pervert that which hath been spoken and so we may be snared in the words of our mouth Nay not only such as I spake of are to be taken-heed of but even many others in whom we see not those evidences of notorious sins or Hypocrisie for we know not what alterations there may be in men It were much to be wished that our speeches might be such whereby our selves or others might be edified and not whereby our selves or others should be entrapped or endangered yea the Scripture that highly condemneth worldliness carking-cares covetousness and neglect of that one thing necessary yet doth commend Christian providence in managing these outward things and therefore it is a Christian duty and not only a point of good husbandry to take heed of rashness in betraying our outward means to the will and pleasure of other men without just cause and therefore rash suretyship is condemned in Scripture and many that run into bands they care not how say afterwards when it is too late they had thought such and such would never have dealt with them as they have done CHAP. XXV NOw beloved see that you abound in love to the Brethren think that you can never love them enough To encrease in Love is a thousand times better than to encrease in wealth it is more necessary and more excellent Therefore St. Paul saith to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4.9.10 As touching Brotherly Love ye need not that I write unto you for ye your selves are taught of God to love one another and indeed ye do it towards all the brethren that are in all Macedonia but we beseech you brethren that ye encrease more and more As if he had said I do not provoke you to encrease in Wealth but to encrease in Love and he that thriveth most in Love is the richest man He that aboundeth â—oâ—t in the grace of Love is most truly rich he is rich in God and possessed of an excellent treasure whereas many an one that hath full bags great lands or stock hath a beggarly Soul and Spirit destitute of this most excellent riches And now my Brethren when you come to the Table of Lord and see it spread and furnished before you I desire you to take special notice that as this Sacrament is a Seal of the Lords unspeakable love unto us in Christ if we come fitted and prepared for it so it is a Sacrament of mutual and brotherly love between those that are the Lords invited guests