Observation I shall raise from them is this That the last and great Command of our dying Saviour is that Christians should love one another as Christ hath loved them In Handling of which I shall observe this Method 1. I shall inquire who are the Objects of this Love 2. In what respects must we love one another as Christ hath loved us 3. Make some Practical improvement of the whole Discourse 1. The Objects of this Love 1. There is a common Love due to Men as Men all Men are God's Workmanship bearing his natural Image and capable of being serviceable to his Glory Thus Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self all Men are our Neighbours as partakers of the same Nature and capable of the same Happiness Special love to Christians doth not diminish but enlarge our common love to Men Wherever we see any part of Gods Image we must love it Our Saviour when he beheld that rich young Gentleman Mark 10. 21. he loved him he could not but be well pleased with his Morality though he was displeased he went no further Thus all the footsteps of Divine Goodness must be lov'd Vertue even in an Heathen is to be admired This will constrain us to Pity Pray for and hâ—lp all in distress according to our ability We must not be like the unconcerned Priest and merciless Levite in the Parable Luke 10. 30. who passed by the wounded Man and would not relieve him but like the good Samaritan who spoke comfortably to him supplied his Wants and bound up his Wounds 2. There is a Love due to Enemies Other Mens Faults and Sins against us give us no dispensation for the non-payment of this great Debt of Natures Law Loving all of the same kind Christ came to mortifie all Inclinations to Rage and Revenge and commands Affections and Words and Actions of Kindness and Benignity to those that have expressed the contrary unto us We must love our Enemies Mat. 5. 44. be cordially affected towards them wish them all the good in the World especially when they most need the good of their Souls Their Conviction Reformation and Amendment Other Mens Enmity must not pervert or blind our Judgments or hinder us from discerning what is amiable in them nor must it corrupt our Affections or hinder us from loving what is truly lovely We must bless them that curse us Not render reviling for reviling but give them friendly courteous words though they rail against us We must do good to them feed and cloth them if hungry or naked rescue them if in danger comfort them if in distress and all without the least Tincture of Malice or Revenge We must pray for them Forgive them our selves and pray to God to forgive them too Thus did our Saviour in the midst of his dying Agonies forgets not this Testimony of his Love to his imbitter'd Adversaries and with a generosity beyond Example pleads excuses for their Sin saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luke 23. 34. 3. There is a special Love due to all whom we charitably hope to be true Christians To this we are directed by the Text. Whoever makes a seemingly serious profession of Faith and Holiness and doth not disprove it by a contrary practice is to be allow'd the Name and special Love of a Christian. 'T is Gods Prerogative to see the Heart 'T is our Duty to observe the Life and he that makes a credible Profession and doth not live in wilful Sin is charitably to be esteemed as a Member of Christ. Though he differ from us in many Points yet if he holds the Foundations of the Christian Faith and manifests the Grace of God in his Life 't is uncharitable for us to judge he is not the object of Gods special Love and therefore it is unreasonable he should not be the object of ours Though he be weak in Parts and Gifts subject to many Passions and Infirmities consistent with real Grace though his Profession reach not to that heigth as to make him Eminent and his Conversation be not so exact as to make you confident of his Sincerity yet if he profess to be a true Christian and live not in any Sin which is the certain mark of an unbeliever he is to be lov'd as Christ hath loved us Gods Love indeed is Guided by Infallibility he loves none with a special Affection but sincere penitent Believers but our Love must be guided by our own weak and fallible discerning Where we see the Fruits of Piety in Mens Lives we must judge of the truth of their Graces according to the probability which those signs discover Though all be not so Eminent in Grace as Peter Iames and Iohn yet as the weakest Disciples it sincere are accepted by God so ought they to be embrac'd by us Christ will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Nor ought we to despise the Babes in Christ but love them as Members of the same Body and Heirs of the same Inheritance 2. In what respects must we love one another as Christ hath loved us Ans. Not in all Respects Christ so loved us as to purchase Grace and Glory for us But we are not capable of thus Loving one another We cannot pay down a valuable satisfaction for our own Sins much less can we super-erogate or purchase pardon for others Our own Oyl must be perfum'd with the Incense of Christs Merits before it can make our Faces shine before God and we have so little for our selves that we have none to spare for our Brethren Christ alone paid down a compleat satisfaction for them and us nor can we love our Brethren with an equal degree of Love to what Christ did He had not the Spirit by measure but the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him and therefore he lov'd us without any sinful mixture or imperfection but our Love as well as other Graces admit of very great defects The word As therefore doth not denote equality in degree but likeness in kind Our Love to one another must bear some likeness and resemblance of Christs Love to us 1. In the Inward Properties of it 2. In the outward Expressions of it 1. In the inward Properties of it 1. Our Love must be sincere and unfeigned as Christ's was Christ did not Hypocritically pretend Love or Dissemblingly feign Affection to us but sincerely lov'd us His Protestations of Love were all real and hearty not in Word and in Tongue only but in Deed and in Truth Thus ought our Love to be without Dissimulation Rom. 2. 9. A pretended Disciple indeed may like Iudas kiss and betray make large Protestations of kindness to the Saints and under this pretext of Affection hide a malicious heart and contrive their ruin But the true Christians Professions of Love as well as Prayers to God proceed not from feigned Lips 2. Our Love to one another must be fervent as Christ's was 'T was Love incomprehensibly great
and ardent that brought our Lord from Heaven to Earth carry'd him through the difficulties of Poverty Reproach and Scorn enabled him to bear the contradiction of Sinners and the pain and shame of the Cross herein Christ as well as God the Father commended his love towards us Rom. 5. 8. rendred it great and admirable beyond all expression or parallel In that while we were yet Sinners Christ died for us We must act according to this pattern Love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1. 22. Our Love must not be cold and indifferent frozen or congeal'd but we must entertain a fervent Affection one for another 3. Our Love must be prevailing as Christ's was Christ lov'd us above Gold or Silver or Earthly Pomp and Greatness above his own Temporal Ease and Delight and was ready to wade through Storms and Dangers and Difficulties for our sakes So must we love our Brethren above our Carnal Interest Honour Wealth and Pleasure Thus Moses evidenc'd his Love to the people of God by forsaking the dazling Honours and bewitching Pleasures of Pharaoh's Court and chusing Affliction with them rather than Sin Thus must we be willing to renounce our own Ease and Liberty for their sakes when God and his Honour calls Nay we must Love them better than the nearest ungodly Relations Christ lov'd those that were related to him in the Spirit far better than the nearest ungodly Relations according to the Flesh. There is indeed a natural sensitive Love and Propension towards near Relations and we are ordinarily bound in the first place to provide for them supply their wants and give them these outward effects of our Love But still we must have a higher rational esteem of the godly and value their Graces above the most lovely natural perfections of others and the best must be prefer'd in point of Honour though others may be prefer'd in point of Maintenance 4. Our Love must be impartial and universal as Christ's was He did not confine it to his own Countrymen the Jews and die to procure Pardon Grace and Glory for them only but for us Gentiles also while he was upon Earth The Faith of the Centurion and importunity of the Canaanitish Woman tho' Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel attracted his Esteem and Admiration and where-ever he beheld the Grace of God and Image of Holiness he lov'd it 'T is very observable he is more sharp and severe in his Invectives against the Pharisees than any other Persons because of their stingy narrow Spirit confining Religion to their own particular Sect and scorning and despising all that were not of their own Party as if all the rest of Mankind were in a Reprobate Damnable State Our Christian Love must thus resemble our Saviours It must be enlarg'd to all Saints to the whole Fraternity of Christians To be partial in our Love is a sign 't is unsound to make our own Opinions the Shiboleth to distinguish between a true and counterfeit Christian is very unreasonable Where there is a Profession of the Baptismal Covenant the Essentials of the Christian Faith and a Life in some measure answerable we must love such as Christians not withstanding their mistakes and erroneous Principles in lesser points We justly condemn the Church of Rome for confining Salvation to themselves and Damning all the World besides Let us take heed how we condemn our selves by contracting the Church of God into a narrower compass lest we censoriously damn those whom Christ will save and perhaps place on higher Seats of Glory than our selves We know who it was that said Lord I thank thee I am not as this Publican when he was really in a far worse condition Our Love to a Party must not blind our Judgments or pervert our Affections as to all the rest Keep up therefore an impartial universal Love to all professed Christians as such and hate a dividing Spirit Take heed how you stigmatize those with the Name of Hereticks who shall stand at the Right Hand of Christ and take not up the Devils accursed Imployment to become Accusers of those that are really your Brethren 5. Our Love must be proportion'd to the degrees of their Grace as Christ's was Christ that certainly knows who are most furnish'd with Divine Grace must needs love these with an higher degree than others of a lower Form and Classis in Christianity St. Iohn who it seems had the most ardent love and Eminent degrees of Grace among the Apostles was his peculiar Favourite and Darling Disciple had the highect place next his Lord lay in his Bosom according to the custom of those Eastern Countreys which was to lye and not to sit at Meals and is call'd the Disciple whom Iesus loved John 13. 23. Christs love was not a fond unaccountable Passion but the result of his Reason and Judgment Because he lov'd him best we may therefore justly conclude he was really above the rest in Piety Thus must our love be proportion'd Some are but weak Christians and we can have but small and doubtful perswasions of their sincerity Others are stronger and we may be more confident as to them The one must be lov'd as Christians but the other with an higher degree as bearing more lively representations of the holy God We must not respect the Persons of any but their goodness and love those best that are really so This Property will discover the Hypocrisie of many who will bear with Holiness in a lower degree and speak well of those who though Godly in the main are too remiss and careless in their Conversations but swell with Rage and Malice against those that are most Eminent for Piety What doth this Temper shew but a Graceless Heart if we bear not the highest Love to the best Christians how dwelleth the Love of God in us Alas can infinite perfect Holiness be lov'd by him that loves not the best Representations of it that this imperfect state affords If the light of the Moon which is not without its spots doth offend us how can we bear the far more resplendent brightness of the Sun it self How unmeet is he for the Communion of Angels and perfected Spirits that is not pleas'd much more that is offended with the highest degrees of Holiness in this state of Imperfection The true Christian having a prevailing Love to God will Love his Image where-ever he finds it and where it is more clear and unsullied and drawn out in more Beautiful Characters his Love will be proportionably greater and more affectionate 6. Our Love must be compassionate and sympathizing Christ could not refrain from weeping when he beheld Ierusalem where was the then visible Church of God and laments her foreseen destruction When Peter deny'd him not once but thrice with Curses and Imprecations He did not disregard him as he might justly do such a perfidious Servant but though he was unconcern'd for himself and silently bore the
slanders of the Witnesses yet he manifests his concern for Peter by his compassionate looks testify'd his sorrow for his Sin and drew not his Eyes away till he had look'd him into Repentance Nay tho' our Head be now in Heaven yet he hath a compassionate sense of the Extremities of his Members and accounts all the Affronts Persecutions and Reproaches offer'd to them as done to himself Thus when Saul then a Persecutor breath'd out nothing but Blood and Slaughter against the Churches He cries from Heaven Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9. 4. He is a merciful faithful High-Priest that is touch'd with a feeling of our Infirmities and bears a compassionate Love to all his Members in Misery And the same mind ought to be in us that was in him we ought to sympathize with our Fellow Members in distress and remember the afflicted as being our selves in the Body Heb. 13. 2. liable to the same Tryals and Parts of the same Mystical Body of Christ. If any Member be in pain all the rest are discompos'd and when some of the Members of Christ are discompos'd 't is natural for the rest to sympathize with them and be compassionately sensible of their trouble Thus we are commanded to weep with them that weep Rom. 12. 15. To bear one anothers Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ Gal. 6. 2. 7. Our Love must be constant and abiding as Christ's love was Christ's love to us was not for a small space of time but lasting and uninterrupted He loved his own and he loved them to the end John 13. 1. And the nearer his end appeared the higher marks of his Love did he give them the failings and miscarriages of his Disciples did not remove his Love or cause him to withdraw his affection their ignorance and unbelief after all his Teachings and Instructions their fiery unseasonable Rage against the Samaritans their Pride and Ambition Rashness and Cowardise and the base Perfidiousness of Peter did not incline him to lay aside his Thoughts of Love or leave the work of our Redemption unfinished but he still loved them to the Death Thus must we love our Brethren overlook their Failings pass by their Infirmities admire what is lovely and neglect what may cool our Affections This new Commandment must be every day renewed by us this is a Lesson we must be always Learning and a Duty we must be always imploying our selves about We must still be abiding in our Love till we enter among that happy Society where all Sins and unlovely Imperfections shall be done away and we shall always solace our selves with pleasing views of the Divine Purity and Holiness and the numerous Pictures and Representations of it among Angels and Glorified Saints 2. Our Love to one another must resemble Christ's Love to us in the outward Expressions of it 1. In the intimacies of our Friendship and Familiarity one with another Christ so loves all true Christians as to enter into the strictest bands of amity with them he is nearly united to them as their Head and Husband and calls them his Friends and his Spouse he is the Head and they are the Members the Vine and they are the Branches the Foundation and they are the Building the Root and they are the Fruit. The Communications of his Grace the quickening assistances and influences of his Spirit are imparted to them he writes his Law in their Hearts and causeth them to run in the way of his Commandments sanctifies their Natures pardons their Sins prevailingly intercedes for them and prepares them by Grace for Glory He hath communion with them in his Ordinances familiarly converseth with them in his Sacraments and is continually sitting them for that happy Fellowship with Father Son and Holy Spirit which glorified Saints injoy While he was on Earth he selected some few Persons prepared them by Grace for his Society and then made them his familiar Friends To them he clearly revealed the Mind and Will of God to them he unfolded the Mysteries of his Love and Commands of his Father to them he explained what was spoken to others in Parables these he blessed with his Heavenly Discourses and Pious Instructions with the special tokens of his Love and familiar Expressions of his Friendship Indeed he did entertertain a Iudas in his Family but he made a strict Profession as well as the other Disciples and was not known to be Hypocritical by any but Christ himself and had not the wisdom of God designed by his means to bring about the great work of our Redemption no doubt but this Son of Perdition would have been discarded and disown'd He did indeed eat with Publicans and Sinners but though for this he was falsly accused as their Friend and Companion yet he was not so he eat with them as their Physician and not as their Companion did not own them for his Friends but sought by his holy Discourse and obliging Carriage to make them so And the same Mind ought to be in us that was also in him Though Christianity allows not moroseness and incivility towards others yet all needless familiarity with Wicked Men is forbidden Our Eyes with Davids ought to be upon the Faithful in the Land Psal. 101. 6. To delight in wicked Company may justly fill us with doubts of our own sincerity we may know we are passed from Death to Life if we love the Brethren 1 John 3. 14. And we have just reason to fear we are yet in a state of Death if we delight in the Ungodly Common civilities may be paid to Wicked Men but special friendship is to be reserved only for those who we hope are the Friends of God If we love God above all surely we shall associate most with them that may warm our Hearts and raise our Affections and provoke us by their Example to an holy imitation We ought to imitate the Royal Psalmist who was a Companion of all them that feared God Psal. 119. 63. The Poverty and Meanness of such did not lessen his delight he priz'd a Saint in Rags beyond a Wicked Man though cloathed in Princely Robes or Imperial Purple We ought to have a friendly regard to all true Christians and though some because of their eminency in Grace suitableness to our Temper Neighbourhood and the like reasons may be our more intimate Friends Yet must not we despise any because of their meanness but as we have opportunity give them the special tokens of our Friendship too Vile Persons must be contemned and Scandalous Professors must especially be avoided but our intimate Acquaintance ought to be the Servants of God and the more Holy any are the more ambitious should we be of their Friendship and Converse 2. In our hearty Prayers one for another Christ was very earnest in his Prayers for true Believers they were the peculiar objects of his Love and purchase of his Death and therefore he prays for them in a peculiar
Heart to quake and tremble As for Paul he is rude in Speech homely in his Expressions and hath no Majesty nor Presence in a Pulpit I admire therefore their Ignorance that are for him I am for Apollos A Third I am for Cephas How doth he stoop to the lowest and meanest capacity doth not Preach about such deep Mysteries as Paul nor with such flaunting Eloquence as Apollos but feeds us with the sincere Milk of the Word and teaches so plainly that the most Ignorant may understand him I wonder therefore he is no more followed and that Paul and Apollos are preferred before him I am for Cephas Thus we may suppose the Corinthians might jangle among themselves for which St. Paul so sharply reproves them and may not we take his Reproofs to our selves are not we apt to heap up to our selves Teachers and have Mens Persons in admiration so to value some as unreasonably to scorn and slight others forgetting that they are all the Servants of Christ deputed and sent by him that in much Wisdom and Mercy hath given them various Gifts for the Edification of the Church that as one is eminent in some respects so in others 〈◊〉 Brethren may exceed them 〈◊〉 must consider they all Preach 〈◊〉 same Doctrin and direct to the same way to Salvation and it is more the fault of our own corrupt Hearts than of the Minister if we profit not by their Labours 2. Be much in Contemplation of the Love of God in Christ This will blow up a holy Flame of Love to him and all his Members when we remember how dearly and tenderly Christ loves all his Saints this will constrain us to lay aside all Wrath and Bitterness and live in Peace such a glorious precedent must needs be a cogent Argument and can hardly be resisted Love and Peace is the very Image of our Heavenly Father the Copy Christ hath set us and the Lesson he hath written for our Learning in Lines of his own Blood An hearty Love to God will engage us to be at peace with the whole fraternity of Christians and love them without Dissimulation 3. Make the great design of Religion yours viz. the advancement of Holiness and recovery of the Image of God in the Souls of Men Remember Religion is not designed meerly to fill your Heads with airy notions to tip your Tongues for Discourse or enable you to talk plausibly for the truth that it consists not in little Speculative Opinions or Ceremonious Trifles but the great design of it is to direct us in the government of our Passions subduing our Lusts and conquering the Impediments that hinder our Recovery and Salvation In a word Religion consists in a penitent return to God by Faith in Christ and Obedience to his Gospel let us take this to be our main business then we shall have so much work to do at home that we shall have little inclination to pry into the Infirmities of others or quarrel with them That Man would be esteemed by all as bereav'd of his Wits that should be picking causless Quarrels with his Neighbours about a Chip of Wood or a broken Hedge when a Fire in his House is consuming his Goods and Children We all stand on the Borders of the Grave and Confines of Eternity our great business is to quench the Flames of Lust which otherwise will prepare us for Everlasting Burnings and therefore surely we should not waste our precious Minutes in strife and contention 4. Avoid Extreams in disputable Points Every Truth lyes in the middle between two Falshoods and he that goes far from one is apt to slip into the other After all the confidence and boast of disputers there will be uncertainty in lesser Points and when we travel in uncertain Roads 't is best to chuse the middle here we may be sure to meet with Charity and Peace and very probably Truth in their Company The great occasion of our Differences hath been that Men have look'd so much at the evil of one Extream as to forget the Error on the other side like an ignorant Physician who to Cure a Man of a dead Palsie casts him into a Phrenzy I dare with some confidence affirm that most of those Disputes that are so hotly agitated among Protestants are in the Extreams and consist more in words than things because the Curse of Babel has so confounded our Languages that though our Sentiments are much the same we understand not one anothers meaning And if Men would but hearken to calm dispassionate Reason they might soon find out such healing Reconciling Principles as would quickly make us one among our selves and a terror to our Romish Adversaries Let the Apostles Counsel be in this sense therefore obeyed Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all Men. 5. Avoid unpeaceable Dividers those who make it their work to soment Differences and stir up Strife and sow Seeds of Discord among Brethren are said to be an abomination to the Lord take upon them a very ill imployment and carry on a design quite contrary to the Gospel of Peace and therefore are to be avoided that they may be ashamed I speak not this of my self but the Apostle Paul is very earnest in the same Advice Rom. 16. 17 18. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrin which ye◠have learned and avoid them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own Belly and by good Words and fair Speeches deceive the Hearts of the Simple 6. Frequently joyn together in the same Exercises of Religious Worship When Christians come together in the same Assemblies this naturally tends to abate their strangeness calm their Spirits remove unreasonable Jealousies and Suspicions and inclines them to a Cordial Endeared Love This was one great means of promoting that hearty affection which was among the Members of the primitive Church They continu'd stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrin and Fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayer Acts 2. 42. And the same method would retrieve that love and peace the want of which hath crumbl'd us into parties and been the unhappy occasion of so many woful Effects Did we but more frequently resort to the House of Prayer more diligently hearken to and more faithfully improve Ministerial Instructions more readily submit to Pastoral Discipline more carefully watch over one another and more tenderly advise and reprove and edifie one another more solemnly pray with and for one another and more constantly celebrate that uniting Ordinance the Lords Supper together we should soon see the Blessed peaceful effects of so doing Did Neighbouring Churches counsel each other and maintain mutual correspondences for the advancement of Love and Holiness occasionally communicate together when convenient and look upon themselves not as divided Bodies or carrying on separate Interests but all united under the same Head acting according to the same Rule and for the
manner For Peter he prays for strengthening confirming Grace Luke 22. 31. and he put up a famous Prayer for his Disciples and all that should believe on him Iohn 17. that they might persevere in the Faith live in Unity increase in Grace and at last be translated to Heaven and abide with him in Glory And he hath laid a special Obligation on us to do likewise Hence in that excellent Form and Directory of Prayer Mat. 6. 9. he teaches us to say Our Father intimating that if we would gain acceptance for our selves we must come to God as in union with Christ and his universal Church Our Prayers must not be only for our selves but for the whole Church of God throughout the World we must hold Communion with all Christians in Faith and Love and an holy Profession thereof and while absent in Body must be as present with them in Spirit and still beg of God for them a freedom from the same Spiritual Evils and enjoyment of the same Spiritual Priviledges we would desire for our selves If the Psalmist under the old Law pray'd for the Peace of Ierusalem Psal. 122. 6. 137. 5 6. and makes such solemn Protestations never to forget her surely it is our great duty now the Church is surrounded with Enemies so potent and numerous never to forget Spiritual Zion but always be mindful of our Ierusalem If the legal Priests and Watchmen were bound to be God's Remembrancers and give him no rest till he establish and make Ierusalem a Praise in the Earth Isa. 62. 6 7. Then surely it is the duty of Spiritual Watchmen under the Gospel to put up their Petitions with fervour for the distressed Christian Churches and Servants of God We ought with the Apostle to give Thanks to God always for all Saints and make mention of them in our Prayers Eph. 1. 16. Be compassionately sensible of all their Troubles and continually bow our Knees before God that all his dealings may tend to their good that their Lives may be a credit to their Profession and that their Faith and Love and Patience and Humility and Self-denial may be effectual to convince Unbelievers enlarge the Kingdom of Grace and add new Inhabitants to the Kingdom of Glory 3. In forgiving one another Christ so loved us as to forgive all the injuries and affronts we have offered to him pardon of Sin is the great purchase of his Death And though our Sins be more numerous than the Hairs of our Head and exceed the Sands of the Sea for Multitude yet if we sincerely repent of them we may be assured they shall be forgiven And as Christ doth thus testify his love to us so must we testify our love to one another Have they wrong'd and injur'd us we must not bear a Spirit of Revenge but freely forgive them God will not forgive us except we forgive others Mat. 6. 11 14 15. Where God pardons any he gives them a heart to forgive others That Servant in the Parable was very disingenuous who when his Lord forgave him Ten Thousand Talents cast his Fellow Servant into Goal and would not forgive him an Hundred Pence Mat. 18. 23. And are not we guilty of the same disingenuity who when we know what numerous Talents God hath forgiven us cannot pass by a small injury of our Brother against us This act of Christian Love you see is strictly required and a special degree of it is due to true Christians above all others We are bound indeed to forgive Enemies while continuing and remaining such so far as not to return Evil for Evil to entertain no revengeful Thoughts and perform all general Offices of Justice and Charity towards them But a Friend and true Christian that hath offended us and returns to his Fidelity must be forgiven and again treated and entrusted as a Friend if he gives sufficient Evidences of his Sorrow and Repentance for former Faults For is he the Friend of God and shall he be esteemed as our Enemy Is God reconciled to him and shall we still retain our Enmity against him Surely if God be his reconciled Father we ought to be his reconciled Brethren also Account him no longer an Enemy but a Brother beloved Philem. 16. 4. In our Alms and Bounty to the Necessitous Christ though he himself lived on the Charity of others and had not a sufficient supply for himself and Disciples yet we find he did out of that small pittance give something to the Poor for in this Chapter Iudas who was the Steward of Christ's Family bore the Bag and was to disburse Mony for those uses for which his Lord designed it When he went out after his receiving the Sop the Disciples thought he was gone either to buy Provisions for the approaching Passover or to give something to the Poor John 13. 29 thereby implying it was our Saviour's custom to give to the Poor And if he thus loved his poor Members surely we ought to do so likewise Those who have a fruitless love to others have but a fruitless Faith to themselves They who pretend love to their Brethren and yet relieve them not according to their ability their Professions of Religion are vain We are bound indeed to supply the Wants of all even of Strangers and Enemies according to our ability and opportunities But to true Christians we are bound to open our hands more wide and be more liberal and bountiful Do good to all especially to the Houshold of Faith Gal. 6. 10. God hath made us but Stewards of the Earthly Blessings we injoy and given us our Stock of Worldly Goods that we might lay them out on those whom Providence hath made the Objects of our Charity he interprets that as done to himself which is done to his Servants and Christ's distressed Members Christ is resolved at the day of Judgment to insist on this Duty more than on any other The true Christian is himself devoted to God and therefore will devote all he hath to him will honour him with his Substance and the first Fruits of his Increase expend the Blessings received to Cloath Feed and Supply the Naked Hungry and Distressed If God hath intrusted him with many Talents he will not be so unreasonable as to think he hath therefore liberty given to pamper his Lusts or gratify his Fleshly Appetite but like a Wise Steward will seek out fit Objects for his Charity and seeing his Lord Redeemer out of that little which he had gave to the Poor will imitate his great Example 3. and because much is given will be proportionably liberal and bountiful 5. In our Counsels and admonitions Christ was very frequent and earnest in his pious Counsels and Instructions he did not only heal the Diseases of Mens Bodies but the chief design of his coming was to free the Sons of Men from all their Spiritual Maladies and Distempers Throughout his whole Life he was still explaining to Men the whole Will of God and