hand can reach and receiue a gift of it selfe but the hand cannot cut any thing of it selfe without a knife or some such like instrument euen so Faith as the hand of the soule is able to ascend vp to Christs crosse and to apply his merits vnto the soule but faith cannot of it selfe bring forth the workes of the first and second Table yet as if you put a knife into the hand the hand vvill cut so ioyne Loue to Faith and then faith working by Loue doth performe all those Christian duties which GOD requireth of vs in his Law Hence a Christian man is not vnfitly compared to a Conduit to vvhich there is a Spring vvhence the Water floweth a Leaden Pipe through vvhich the Water is conueyed a Cysterne to receiue the Water and a Cocke to open and let forth Water to all which stand in neede So euery Christian is as a Conduit the Spring-head from whence the Waters of Life doe flow is IESVS CHRIST the Leaden Pipe whereby these liuing Waters are conuayed is a true and a liuely Faith the Cysterne vvhich doth receiue these Waters is the Soule of man now Loue must be as the Cocke to open and bring forth all deedes of mercy to all those which stand in neede Lastly one member in the body doth tremble to be cut and seuered from another so should vvee feare and tremble to be separated one from another by hatred and dissention The soule giueth life vnto the body and to euery member of the body yet not vnlesse they be vnited and ioyned to the body for cut off the hand or the foote and then the Soule ceaseth to giue life to them but presently they dye So Almighty GOD giueth life vnto the Soule of euery man but not vnlesse vvee be vnited and ioyned one to another in loue and charitie For hee which loueth not 1 Iohn 4.8 knoweth not God for God is Loue but if wee loue one another God dwelleth in vs Verse 12. and his loue is perfect in vs So that hee vvhich liueth in hatred and dissention seeking reuenge is a meere Atheist no true Christian for as Saint Iohn saith If any man say Verse 20. I loue God and hate his Brother hee is a lyar And S. Gregory If they shall be the Children of God which are peace-makers then surely they are the Children of the Diuell which are peace-breakers Therefore euery Christian man must be like vnto a Mason vvhich hath two hands vvith the one hee holdeth fast on the Ladder to keepe himselfe from falling vvith the other hee reacheth out Tyle and Morter to his fellow labourers Euen so in building Gods Church and house euery one must haue two hands the one the hand of Faith vvhereby hee himselfe may climbe vp to the Crosse of CHRIST and so be saued from falling into the pit of Hell the other must be the hand of Loue to reach forth deedes of mercy and of Christian affection to our Fellovv-labourers and Builders of Gods house To draw to a conclusion the loue of men in this age is like vnto a Tree but it is the Figge-tree CHRIST cursed in the Gospell vvhich brought forth Leaues and no fruit so vvee are louing in shew not in deede vvhereas our loue should be like vnto a Tree vvhich is rooted deepe in the earth and beareth branches vpward and fruit vvhich hangeth downeward so our Loue must be rooted in Humilitie he vvhich vvill runne vp a high steepy mountaine must goe stooping not bolt vpright Heauen is a high hill he which vvill runne thither must haue no high aspiring thoughts but be humble Obserue among all the beatitudes which our Sauiour reckoneth vp hee saith Matth. 5. Blessed are the hungry for they shall be satisfied blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth but blessed are the poore in spirit that is the humble minded man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for theirs already is the kingdome of Heauen Againe our Loue must beare branches vpward to loue God aboue all that though the Sorcerers of Aegypt made many Serpents before Pharaoh Exod. 7.12 yet the Serpent of Moses did deuoure them all so though mans loue haue many obiects yet the loue of GOD must ouer-come them all Lastly our Loue must bring forth fruit hanging downeward to our neighbour as our selues Vt quem potuerit hominem saith Saint Augustine vel beneficentiae consolatione Epist 52. vel doctrinae informatione vel disciplinae coerâ—ione adducat ad colendum Deum That in as much as vvee can wee should bring euery man to worship GOD eyther by comforting him vvith deedes of mercy in his distresse or by instructing him in knowledge if hee be ignorant or by curbing him with the rod of correction when he is faulty The loue of men in this age is like vnto fire whose nature is to consume all that it layeth hold on so wee striue to eate vp one another by cosening by Vsury by Symony and Briberie vvhereas indeede our loue should be like vnto fire First the nature of fire is to ascend so our loue must ascend vpward to loue GOD aboue all our Loue must de Deo Lib. de sub stat amoris cum Deo ad Deum currere saith Saint Augustine runne from God as being grounded in him vvith God as being obedient vnto his Lawes vnto God as resting in him alone Secondly the nature of fire is to shine and to giue light so the light of our loue must so shine before others Matth. 5.16 that they seeing our good vvorkes may learne to glorifie our Father which is in Heauen Wee must euery one be like Iohn Baptist vvho was Lucerna ardens lucens a burning and a shining Lampe in Gods Church Thirdly the nature of fire is not to giue heate to one or two but to all that come neere vnto it so our loue must not extend it selfe onely to our selues and to our Children but to all the members of Christ Iesus yea to all mankinde be hee a good man nay be hee a bad man he must be relieued Charitas non iudicat de meritis sed de miserijs Charitie doth not iudge of our brothers merits but of his miseries And then remember when thou deniest loue to one which is wicked that if God were extreame to marke what is done amisse O Lord who might abide it Fourthly the nature of fire is neuer to goe out if there be Coale or Wood or matter to burne euen so our Loue should neuer be weary of vvell doing neuer vveary of forgiuing Musculus saith very well Vt nequit miserecordiae praescribi modus ita nec operum certus numerus As none can prescribe a meane how farre mercy should be extended so no man can set downe a finite number how many vvorkes of mercy are to be performed for as the miseries of man are infinite so the vvorkes of loue must be infinite Now a man is sicke and so needeth reliefe
saying Quatuor sunt c. There are foure things especially to be beloued one which is aboue vs that is God another what wee are that is our selues the third which is neere vnto vs that is our neighbour the fourth vvhich is beneath vs that is our bodies This present occasion offereth to speake onely of the third and here one may aske with the Expounder of the Law Luke 18.29 Who is my neighbour Indeede the Iewes in Christs time esteemed none their neighbours but their friends the simple sort thinke them onely their neighbours who dwell neere vnto them In 22. Mat. Saint Chrysostome hee saith By neighbour is vnderstood Iesus Christ because hee is the true Samaritane which poureth Oyle and Wine into our soares But Saint Augustine most truely telleth vs Proximus hoc loco Epist 52. non sanguinis propinquitate sed rationis societate pensandus est in qua socij sunt omnes homines Our Neighbour is not to be esteemed him which is neerest to vs in bloud or in place but hee which is our companion in reason now euery man being a reasonable Creature euery man is therefore our neighbour Againe Ser. 59. de temp the same Father sheweth three things in which we are all neighbours first in that wee are all borne alike secondly in that wee all dye alike thirdly in that vvee all hope alike for the heauenly inheritance And Saint Hierome giueth a most vvitty and pithy reason why euery man is our neighbour In 4. ad Ephes be hee friend or foe Christian or Infidell and that because it is commaunded Thou shalt not lye with thy neighbours Wife now if Neighbour be onely Christians and friends then it were lawfull to lye and commit adulterie with Turkes Iewes Infidels and with our enemies but this is most wicked and therefore by consequent euery man is our neighbour And thus hauing shewed you by Neighbour is vnderstood euery particular man of what Country or condition soeuer let mee now vrge among many three speciall arguments to moue vs and to stirre vs vp to loue our Neighbour The first reason enforcing loue besides the infinite places in Scripture commanding vs is taken from necessitie 1 Iohn 4.8 Hee that loueth not knoweth not God for God is Loue so then as the body seuered from the soule is nothing else but a dead carkasse and a senselesse truncke so the soule vnited to the body and yet voyde of loue is dead and senselesse in spirituall things for as the Apostle saith Hee which hateth his brother is a man-slayer 1 Iohn 3.15 and wee know no murderer hath eternall life abiding in him And indeede how can we loue Christ which is our head and hate our neighbours which are his members If a man should stroake one on the head vvith his hand speake him faire vvith his tongue and yet in the meane time did beate and cut his body with a sword no man would thinke he loued that man Euen so how can wee loue Christ which is our Head and yet hate one another which are his Members Wherefore let this teach vs 1 Iohn 4.11 that if GOD so loued vs then ought wee to loue one another now God so loued vs as to dye for vs when wee were his enemies then must wee loue one another though vvee are enemies one to the other for to requite good for good is the part of humanitie to requite euill for euill is the tricke of a beast to repay euill for good is the property of a Diuell but to repay good for euill to blesse him which curseth thee is the dutie of euery true Christian whatsoeuer he be For Iohn 13.35 by this shall all men know if yee be my Disciples if yee loue one another The second reason mouing vs to loue is taken from our Creation Wee finde not in the Bible that GOD made all the Angels of one Angell or all the Fishes of the great Whale or all the Birds of the surmounting Eagle or all the Beasts of the huge Elephant or all the Plants of the tall Cedar but vvee reade in the Scripture that GOD made all mankinde of one and the same Adam which teacheth vs thus much saith S. Augustine De bono coniug contra Ioum. that wee should all liue like brethren and loue as one because we proceede from one And Lactantius saith very well Lib. 6. cap. 10. if we all proceede from one man whom God did make then are wee all of consanguinitie and therefore it is a great sinne to hate euen a wicked man Looke also a little vnto our procreation and bringing forth into the world the Trees haue height to resist the violence of Beasts strong Armes to wrestle with the force of windes Leaues to keepe from them the heate in Summer and Barkes to defend the colde Frosts in Winter among the Birds the Eagle hath her claw the Porcupine her quils the Crane her bill the Hawke his tallent among the Beasts of the Forrest the Lyon hath his tayle the Beare his paw the Bull his horne the Boare his tuske among the Fishes of the Sea the Sepia hath a mist of Incke the Crabbe his shell the Polypus his change of colours thus euery creature commeth forth with some defence for it selfe with offence for it foe onely man poore miserable man commeth naked into the vvorld whereby Nature her selfe the common parent of all doth teach vs that man of al creatures should be most louing and peaceable one to another as hauing speech giuen vnto him which is denied to other Creatures to make him more sociable Wherefore let there be that loue betweene man and man as is betweene beast and beast If one Sheepe be faint the vvhole flocke will stand betweene it and the Sun vntill it be comforted Among the Bees aegrotante vna lamentantur omnes If one Bee doe waxe faint all the whole Hiue doth mourne If a man will not be as kinde to man as Beasts are among themselues yet let men be as kinde to men as the beasts are to men Wee reade of thankfull Lyons kinde Eagles louing Dogs Wolues haue nourished some men Beares haue suckled others in the Scripture wee reade how Elias was fed by Rauens 2 Kings 17.6 Dan. 6.22 Luke 16.21 Actes 28.5 Daniel was safe in the middest of Lyons Dogs did licke the soares of poore Lazarus the Viper did not hurt S. Paul O cum detestandam humanae malitiae crudelitatem Aues pascunt Ferae parcunt homines saeuiunt saith Saint Cyprian O the most detestable cruelty of mans malice the Birds feede vs the Beasts doe spare vs and yet one man is a Wolfe yea a Diuell to another well yet let one man be as louing to another as the Diuels are among themselues for they vvill ioyne together to the destruction of man as vvee see by him vvho said his name vvas Legion because vve are many Marke 9. and so let vs loue together
to destroy the Diuell All men of one trade will alwayes ioyne together for the maintenance of their trade The Kings Apologie for the oath so wee being all Christians hauing one Father one Redeemer one Sanctifier one Mother the Church partakers of one Baptisme one Faith and hoping for one kingdome in Heauen must needes vnite our selues in hearty Loue and Christian charitie thereby the better to ouercome the World the Flesh and the Diuell The third reason to stirre vs vp to loue our neighbour is taken from nature which teacheth the perfection of all things to consist in vnitie Looke vpon the heauens there is one motion of the Sunne another of the Moone another of the Starres yet they are all carryed about motu primi mobilis by the motion of the first moueable descend lower to the foure Elements Fire Water Ayre Earth vvhat more differing then their qualities hot and cold moyst and drye yet all these agree together to the making of one mixed body and solled substance come to those creatures which haue life and motion as Plants Hearbs Trees In the Tree there is the body the Barke the Bowes the Leaues all those parts differ one from another yet all haue their perfection from one and the selfe-same roote which is grounded in the earth Looke vpon the Beastes and Fowles no one Beast or Bird of the same kinde will hurt another as the Hawke flyeth after the Partrich not another Hawke the bloud-Hound pulleth downe the Deere not another Hound and so man should not haue vvarre with man but with the Deuill Come vnto man the most excellent creature in nature and see how euery thing in him tendeth vnto vnitie for his outward parts the eye cannot say to the foote I haue no neede of thee but the eye guideth the foote the foote beareth the eye one member receiueth into the body what is necessary another euacuateth and casteth out of the body vvhat is superfluous yet all seruing for the good of the vvhole body View the inward parts of man how many seuerall Nerues and sinewes are there in the body yet all from one head the braine how much blood dispersed thorow seuerall veines yet all from one fountaine the liuer how many spirits and motions yet all from the heart from these three principall parts the Head the Liuer the Heart are diffused into the vvhole man Life Sence and Motion yet these three haue but one head vvhich is the soule of man and as Philosophy telleth vs Anima est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte The soule is alike whole in the vvhole body as in the little finger and alike whole in the little finger as in the whole body wherefore embrace loue seeke peace Heb. 12.14 vvithout vvhich no man shall see GOD. Is then thy enemy greater then thou art be quiet tibi parce spare thy selfe meddle not with one that is mightier then thy selfe The Toade may swel till he burst before he be so bigge as the Oxe Is thy enemy lesse then thy selfe impar congressus Achilli parce sibi spare him it is no glory for a man to beat a Boy no credit for a great rich man to oppresse a poore meane man the Lyon will seldome meddle with a vvoman but neuer with a little childe Is thy enemy thine equal Salomon telleth thee that the discretion of a man deferreth his anger Prou. 19.11 and his glory is to passe by an offence Thou wilt spend fiue pounds to make him spend ten this is but to be the enuious man It was once granted that the enuious man and the couetous man should both haue their wishes and hee which wished last should haue the first mans vvish doubled so they did much striue vvho should vvish last in the end it vvas graunted to the couetous man heereupon the enuious man vvished one of his eyes to be put out vvhich done the couetous man hath both his put out so then to spend twenty pounds to make thy neighbour spend fortie is to be but enuious make the best of it It is but like too boyes at boxes the one getteth a blew face the other a bloody nose but both of them are well beaten Aesope telleth vs a fable how the Mouse and the Frog would needes fight together and in the middest of the battell came the Kite and deuoured them both euen so take heed while neighbors are at variance among themselues seeking to doe mischiefe one to other suddenly commeth death and taketh them all away and vvhen they are thus dead in their hatred and malice let the diuell alone to torment them all Serm. cap. 168. de tempore To shut vp this point with S. Augustine his counsell saying Seeing euery man as hee is a man is thy neighbour but as hee is an euill man and offereth vvrong he is not onely thy enemy but his owne foe therefore loue in him his soule and his body that is loue thy neighbour whom God hath made but hate and detest his malice and other sinnes vvhich the Diuell hath by temptations worked into his soule so shalt thou be like a wise Phisition who loueth his patient and hateth his disease Thus much for the obiect vvhom we must loue our neighbor let mee now speake of the last thing considered namely how farre our loue must be extended As thy selfe Hom. 21. in Genesi As Saint Chrysostome saith very vvell Neque vel sillaba vel apiculus est in sacris Scripturis in cuius profundo non sit grandis quispiam thesaurus There is not one sillable or tittle in the holy Scripture but searching thereof some great and hidden treasure may be found for if it be a true axiome in Philosophie Natura nihil facit frustra that nature doth nothing in vaine then it must be much more true of the God of nature that he vvill speake nothing in vaine and that in his holy vvrit This is partly seene in this vvord As the vvhich hath foure seuerall significations in the Bible First it signifieth the likenesse of a thing but not the truth of a thing as in Saint Matthew Matth. 26.55 Ye came out as against a thiefe with bils and with staues Secondly this word As signifieth the truth of a thing but not the likenesse of a thing in Saint Iohn Iohn 1.14 Wee saw the glory of him as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father Thirdly it signifieth both the likenesse and the truth of a thing as to the Hebrewes God offereth himselfe vnto you Heb. 12.7 as vnto children Lastly it signifieth rei qualitatem sed non aequalitatem the quality but not the equalitie of a thing Luke 6.36 as in S. Luke Be ye mercifull as your Father is mercifull Where the meaning is wee should be as well mercifull as God not as much for that is impossible and in this last signification is this word As taken in this place Loue thy