Saul Saul why persecutest thou me it is hard for thee to kick against the pricke And I answered Act. 9.4.5 who art thou Lord and he said I am Iesus whome thou persecutest Yet were they indeed the Christians and the bodies of the Saints which he cast into prison and lead them bound vnto Hierusalem But note I pray you out of the place of Mathew that hee reckoneth there with the wicked on his left hand not for any other sins or for the want of that loue which properly appertaineth vnto himself but that which properly appertaineth vnto his brethren because it is best seene by louing his howe wee loue him For that sometimes toucheth the purse where loue is best tryed and that loue of the lip Lord Lorde deceiueth many and therefore Iohn saith He that hath this worlds good and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him And therefore Christ our Sauiour doth not there challenge them simply and generally for the want of loue towards his brethren but the outward workes and deedes of loue are specified of feeding and drinking of clothing and harbouring and the like For loue being once inwardly inflamed like fire it breaketh out and worketh outwardly as neede requireth or it is no loue and nothing worth and sometimes angereth more then rebuke Prou. 27 9 Therefore Salomon saith in the seauen twentieth of Prouerbs Better is open rebuke then secret loue And it gawleth the needie Brother more to heare that in Iames Iam. 2 16 Departe ye in peace be ye warmed and be ye filled when wee giue them not those things which are fitte for the body it greeueth them I dare say more that wee seeme thus to wish them well and doo them no good indeede then if wee were silent and sayd nothing And Saint Iames reiecteth it thus saying VVhat profit is in this my brethren euen as wee may also and say What loue is this my brethren it is no loue but a shadowe of loue For loue though an affection is all in action and such kinde of action that faith it selfe cannot shewe it selfe nor worke without loue which therefore is necessarily engendred of her as the heatâ— and light which issue from the Sun by which hee sheweth his force and vertue Therfore the Apostle in the fifth to the Galathians writeth thus Gal. 5 6 In Iesus Christ neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue both inwardly and outwardly when and as oft as need requireth and means are notwanting vnto the worke And further to note the propertie and worke of loue in the first of the first to the Thessalonians hee sayth VVee giue thankes vnto God alwayes 1. Thes 1 3 for you all making mention of you in our prayers without ceasing remembering your effectuall faith and diligent loue As if without labour and diligence there were no loue euen as faith without effect or efficacie and not effectuall is no faith at all And therfore in the matter of almes Paul trieth the naturalnesse as hee speaketh of the loue of the Corinthians This say I saith he not by commandement 2. Cor. 8 8 but because of the diligence of others therefore prooue I the naturalnesse of your loue And because those works of loue do shew her most which bring most good and profit to that which is loued and none can adde to the Almightie Looke vnto the heaven sayth Elihu in Iob and see and beholde the cloudes which are higher then thou Iob. 5.5 .7 If thou be righteous what giuest thou vnto him or what receiueth he at thy hands This also is another cause why the Apostle without any expresse mention of God and the loue which we owe vnto him turneth ouer our loue vnto the brethren and setteth it a working there as if wee had nothing to doo with God who onely of his own good pleasure may haue pleasure in vs and in that wee doo but no profit at al by vs or by ought of ours that onely appertaineth vnto the Brethren God may profit vs and wee by loue may profit them and God is pleased in this loue as himselfe loued in it and therfore indeed do we loue the Brethren This Dauid expresseth in the sixteenth Psalme Saue me O mightie God psal 16 1 2 3. sayth he lo he fetcheth good from God he bringeth none to him for in thee haue I put my trust O my soule say vnto God thou art my lord good from me commeth none to thee All my delight is in the Saints that are in the earth and in them that excell in vertue This also I thought good to adde least any man should thinke the Apostle in prescribing this loue as onely due vnto the Brethren had forgotten himself or the first and cheefest parte of the Law which saith Thou shalt loue God aboue al things For al loue I confesse is not due vnto the Brethren but most specially is declared in and on the Brethren For which cause the Apostle doubteth not to say expresly as heere he doth Loue the Brotherhood or fellowship of brethren Who also when hee biddeth to loue the the brethren forbiddeth not to loue God but rather in bidding of the one secretly and by impliment hee biddeth both because of necessitie they go together Why then deerely beloued and why againe are wee so vaine to skippe the brethren and to leaue that wee shoulde loue and loue that wee shoulde leaue or it will leaue vs I meane the world and the things of the world Of which Iohn sayth 1. Ioan. 2 15. Loue not the worlde nor the things of the world If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him and much lesse the loue of the Brethren which are his children and are not loued but for the fathers sake Alas then for the Brethren which haue lost their loue of all the worldlings who can loue nothing but this world and the things which are in this worlde But of this it is sayde All that is in the world as the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes Verse 16 17 and the pride of life is not of the Father but of this worlde and the worlde passeth away and the lust thereof And therfore thrise alas yea and a wo to them because they loue and loose their lust for the world perisheth to them and they vnto the world And therefore how much better were it for them if they could loue the brethren of which is sayde in the words next following Verse 17 But hee that fulfilleth the will of God abideth euer And this is his will and commandement as before we haue heard that wee loue one another Ioan. 15 12 as hee hath loued vs and so louing togither may liue togither againe 1. Ioan 3 14 VVe know that we are translated from death vnto life because
for our owne offences towards them with great care yea 3 Cor. 7 11 with clearing of our selues yea with indignation yea with fâ—are yea with great desire yea with zeale yea with punishment for reconciliation till the strong Citie bee wonne and one contentions though as harde to breake as the barre of a pallace be yet broken a sunder and our selues reunited in the loue of brethren So all at the last was forgiuen and forgotten betweene Ioseph and his brethren and their loue brast out in teares and they wept and reioyced and kissed and embraced and theyr hearts were comforted in the loue of brethren Gen. 45 The second consideration which we haue of our loue is the encrease of the same Of the which the Apostle in the fourth of the first to the Thessalonians 1. Thes 4 9 14 writeth thus But as touching brotherly loâ—â— fayeth hee yee neede not that I write vnto you for ye are taught of God to loue one another Yea and that thing verelie yee doo vnto all the brethren which are throughout all Macedonia but wee beseech you brethren that you increase more and more VVee are not therefore to stande at a stay in loue but still to walke forwarde from loue to loue For this is the way of the righteous and of it Salomon sayeth in the fourth of the Prouerbs Prou. 4.18 The way of the righteous shyneth as the light that shyneth more and more vnto the perfect day And the right loue of brethren is as fire which still increaseth and inflameth them with a certaine naturall affection and inclination to embrace one another of which the Apostle in the twelfth to the Romans saith Rom. 12 10 Bee affectioned to loue one another with brotherly loue And this affection or inclination cannot stay it self vntill it come to the highest degree of loue and leadeth vs to that which Peter requireth in the first Chapter of this Epistle namelie 1 Pet 1 22 That wee loue one another out of a pure heart vehementlie or as our English translation giueth it Feruentlie with all the heart and with all the soule and with all the might and so our loue become zeale which hath eaten vs vp we all in a zeale do loue the brethren Which condemneth my brethren the loue of these times the last I thinke in which it is come to passe as our Sauiour foretold that because iniquitie shall abounde the loue of manie yea manie brethren I had almost said towards brethren is waxen colde But to come to the third and last point whether wee loue little or whether wee loue much according to the measure of grace which wee haue receiued let vs yet loue purely and that loue which wee haue let it bee loue in deede Not euerie one sayeth Christ that sayth vnto me Lorde Mat. 7 22. Lorde that is which professeth himselfe my seruaunt shall enter into the Kingdome of Heauen but hee that dooth the will of my Father which is in Heauen Not euerie one that sayeth Brother Brother shall haue the prayse of true loue but hee that will doo for his brother indeede 2. Sam. 20 9 10. Not as Ioab which saluted Amasa and sayde Art thou in health my brother Faigned loue and hee tooke Amasa by the â—eard with the right hand to kisse him But with his sword he smote him in the fifth rib and shedde out his bowelles to the â—round This was not loue but dissimulation which ought to bee farre from the loue of brethren So the Apostle commaundeth in the twelfth to the RomaÌ„s Let loue saith he be without dissimulation Rom. 12 9 And Peter in the first Chapter of this Epistle requireth brotherly loue vnfaigned 1. Pet. 1 22 VVith brotherly loue vnfaigned saith hee not of a pure heart loue ye one another feruently Therefore this loue which kisseth killeth which marrieth and burieth all in a day is not worthy of mention with the loue of brethren No nor a better loue then this Idle loue a better I call it because it doth no harme and yet is not good inough because it dooth no good If a brother or asister saith Iames be naked Iam. 2 15 16 and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto him Depart in peace beeye warmed and be yee filled not withstanding yee giue them not those things that are needefull for the body what helpeth it This lip-loue Saint Iames refuseth and Saint Iohn wil none of it saying in his first Epistle and third Chapter My little children let vs not loue in word neither in tongue onely but in deede and in truth 1 Ioan. 3 18 As if there were no trueth in loue without the deede if do it can and doth it not And yet againe there is another loue not aright which doth some good and leadeth to some duties which are profitable but not for loue sake but because wee receiued some good before or may receiue profit by the fame againe And this we may call a seruile loue Seruile loue because it worketh for wages and nothing els and is no better as our Sauiour teacheth vs but that sinners and Publicans may haue the like Matth 5 46 47. Luke 6 32 33. But to leaue these loues which are none of ours to note that which indeede the Apostle meaneth Simple loue it is a simple loue pure voyde of all respects loueth the brethren for the brethrens sake Of which we may say as SalomoÌ„ speaketh in the fourteenth of Prouerbs of the sense and iudgement of the mind towards mirth or mourning The mind saith hee acknowledgeth his own bitternes Prou. 14 10 or what is better to it selfe and in the mirth therof no strange thing doth mixt it selfe That is it trieth al things and taketh what it loueth leaueth what it liketh not And euen so this loue of brethren it hath her proper iudgemeÌ„t nothing it aloweth but what is like hir self It admitteth no respects of rich or poore wise or vnwise strong or weak profitable or vnprofitable but looketh to the brotherbood or coÌ„pany of brethren as Peter requireth in the name of brethreÌ„ as Christ speaketh in the tenth of Matthew Matth. 10 that is as brethren and in the onely nature of Brethren it embraceth them and nothing in them besides Paul saluteth Timothie thus Vnto Timothie my naturall Sonne in the faith 1. Tim. 1 2 so calling him because he had a true and a naturall faith For there is a naturall faith which bringeth foorth a naturall loue of which wee speake and there is a bastard faith of which is ingendred a bastard loue of false Brethren These also are amongst vs but they are not of vs and how little worth their loue is I neede not speake the white of in egge or a sticke hath as much tast as it And these as they lie in out way needes wee must deale with them
of sâ—attery that I am ashamed to name it and yet many make a pride and a vertue of it as if vertue were made of words as the wood of trees therfore thus forsooth father brother vncle cosen captaine master when indeed there is no such maner link or baÌ„d between theÌ„ And when they light on any of these or any other their louers friends vpoÌ„ whom they will bestow any of this court-holy-water theÌ„ cap knee smooth fine words low curtify and broad imbracing as if we would reach them a peece of our heart But if any of these need our help that is honor in deed then S. Iames his charitie Abite cumpace calesâ—ite saturaâ—ini Goin peace bee yee warmed and filled but we giue them not the things that are fit for the bodie I am 2 6 VVhat profite is in this saith the Apostle And yet wee are so vsed to this vnprofitable yea reprochfull honour that wee cannot leaue it but euen when wee haue in hande some mischiefe towarde men they shall yet haue some of this honour therwhile to hide it like that was bestowed on our Sauiour Haile King of the Iewes and smite him on the face Or as Iudas Haile Maister kisse him and betray him And yet my brethren neither this nor any thing which before hath beene taught vs is brought to abridge all outwarde honour or shew of outward reuerence Which wee acknowledge also to bee due Suo modo in a certaine manner euen from all men to all men and from each man to each and euerie man as is the other honour in fact before meÌ„tioned Which as it is indeed harder and asketh cost and therfore also is more high and excellent so this likewise is of that praise price that it ought not to be neglected but embraced of vs. For God hath so imprinted his owne Image in vs that each man moued with a proper and serious sense of his sinnes acknowledgeth his owne basenesse and giueth reuerence vnto him which scarcely will acknowledge it to bee due vnto him because hee feeleth his sinnes as the other doth And here is a right good straining of curtesie when as Peter willeth vs in the fifth Chapter of this Epistle we submit our selues euerie man one to another 1. Pet â— 5 According also to that golden rule of the Apostle in the second to the Philippians Let euerie man thinke better of another then of himselfe And in the 12. Philip. 2 3 to the Romans In giuing honour Rom. 12 10 go one before another This would take vs downe from the vpper ende of the table and make vs of our selues seeke the Luke 14 7 8 c. lower roomes first and then the maister of the house woulde set vs vp highen For this modestie is amiable and this humilitie honourable And therefore no maruaile if the good man of the house be so delighted with it that he vouch safeth it the highest roome at the ende of the Table This is meant by our Apostle in the 5. chapter and 5 vers of this Epistle saying Decke your selues inwardly with low lines of mind 1. Pet. 5 5 Marke there is a maruellous decking beautie ornament in modestie But he saith It is inward in the hid man of the heart and yet so that it sheweth it selfe outwarde or else it were nothing worth as Salomon sayeth in the 27. of the Prouerbes Better is open rebuke then secrete loue Yea it so sheweth it selfe in the bodie prou 2â— 5 that it decketh adorneth and beautifieth the bodie so as all men shall honour vs when the bragger shall go by with contempt and scorne For so it is added by the Apostle as a reason to perswade vs to embrace this dutie For God sayeth hee resisteth the proude VVhat is that To wit this Proude persons looke for more then is due vnto them but they shall not haue it They would be honoured of all Tanquâ—â— minores Dii as little Gods but they shall bee broken of their willes For as they haue measured vnto others so shall it be measured to them againe They haue shewed in the pride of their mindes contempt and disdain to others and they shal reape it seuen fold again into their bosoms For thus I take Saint Peter to expounde that place of the Prouerbes the third Chapter the soure and thirtieth verse prou 3 34 VVith the scorner he scorneth Then it followeth in the verie words that Peter alleageth But hee giueth grace that is to say fauour loue honour and acceptation both with God and men vnto the lowlie As it is saide of our Sauiour Christ that hee grewe in wisedome Luke 2 52 and stature and in fauour both with God and men And why Because as well in this lowlinesse and humilitie no doubt as in all other vertues it was necessarie that hee shoulde bee our most perfect patterne and leaue vs an example that wee shoulde followe his steppes and acknowledge no lesse by his personall humilitie then by his doctrine taught vs in the fourteenth of Luke that hee that exalteth him selfe shall bee brought lowe Luke 14 and hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted Fie vpon therefore this outwarde flaunt of apparell this bragging behauiour and coy countenaunces of manie in this age of most corrupt manners which would seeme to snatch honour to themselues and euen force it from vs. But they must remember as Aristotle sayth Honorest in honorante non in honorate Honour is in him that honoureth not in him that is honoured And therefore thou maist happily be despised of others euen when thou deseruest to bee honoured much more shalt thou be sure to go without this honour when by this ambitious humour of crauing honour thou deseruest no honour but contempt But heere wee are to obserue a distinction For as before in the honour of fact hee owed most that had receiued most to doo good vnto others according to his quantity so in this outward honour or honour of outwarde reuerence it falleth our contrarie that hee oweth most vnto others that hath receiued lesse then others For so it is in the ciuil bodies and bodies politike at in the natural bodie wherein one member hath receiued more or lesse honour then another and all lesse then the head as Paul also sheweth vs in the 12. of the first too the Corinthians that in a certaine varietie as well in this as in sundry other things there might be a maruailous consent and harmony For God is not the author of confusion but of peace 1. Cor. 14.33 And as one starre differeth from another starre in glorie for the beauty of the heauens so one man differeth from another in glory to the beauty of the earth And therfore there is now in some the honour of age which is not in others in some the honor of wisedom vertue not in others in some the honor of
yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee And in the seuenteenth of Iohn Iohn 17 2 Those that thou gauest mee haue I kept and none of them is lost saue the childe of perdition that the Scripture might bee fulfilled Where he descendeth to account for euerie particular which the Father had giuen him and so must we for euery brother whome hee commendeth vnto our loue But note I pray you out of the place of Matthew Verse 40 a distinction of brethren For he saith Vnto one of the least of these my brethren Therefore some are greater and some are lesse not in the brother hood it selfe or nature of brethren wherein all are alike but in some outwarde respects wherein they may be and are vnlike as here in this place of Mathew the 25. there is mention of hungrie and thirstie of naked and harbourlesse and prisoned brethren who in this respect are lesse as the Lord hath humbled them then those brethrē which are full and clothed housed and at libertie hauing other furniture also somtime of pompe and dignitie The one sort Saint Iames in the first Chapter of his first Epistle calleth Brethren of low degree Iam. 1 9 and the other he calleth rich Thus there are poore abiect brethren low and little and there are great and rich and flourishing brethren and we must loue all But yet out loue is chiefly approued as before was shewed by such outwarde works and duties which we do vnto our lesser brethren for our greater brethren need them not as Paul speaketh of the members of the naturall bodie 2. Cor. 12 23 And vpon those members sayeth hee of the bodie which wee thinke to bee the lesse honourable wee put on more honour and our vncomely parts haue more comelinesse for our comely parts need it not Thus the hunger and nakednesse the wants and distresses the bands and prisonments of our little Brethren should be our care and the matter especially to fire our loue much lesse should wee set light of them because they are little Saint Iames compareth the prophane rich men of the world with the rich Brethren and reproueth the loue of the faithfull to whom hee writeth for preferring the one before the other And what do wee else if in respect of their riches their pompe and dignitie wee preferre in our loue and the duties of loue our greater Brethrē before the lesse but let vs heare his words Iam. 2 1 2 seq My brethren sayth hee haue not the faith of our glorious Lorde Iesus Christ in respect of person For if there come into your companie a man I adde a brother with a gold ring and in goodly apparrell and there come in also a poore man to wit a brother in vite raiment and yee haue a respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and say vnto him sitt◠thou neere in a goodly place and say vnto the poore stand thou heere or sit heere vnder my foote-stoole are yee not partiall in your selues and are become iudges which haue euill thought Hearken my beloued brethren hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde that they should bee rich in fayth and heyres of his kingdome which he promised to thē that loue him but yee haue despised the poore Heere he toucheth the boyle For there is a kinde of estimation which belongeth vnto men of dignity as the Lord hath diuided degrees in the world some brethren hauing more honour some lesse But our loue vnto all must bee alike as well poore as rich And wee must haue somewhat the more care of the poore that we exclude them not for Saint Iames his reason because the greater number of vs I meane the brethren are poore and not rich weake not strong base and not honorable foolish not wise Hearken my beloued brethren saith he hath not God chosen the poore of this world Verse 3 that they should be rich in faith and heyres of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him not that he excludeth the rich but more commonly generally in this choyse respecteth the poore as Paul also sheweth in the first of the first to the Corinthians Brethren saith he you see your calling that is who 1. Cor. 1.26 seq and what manner of men amongst you are called and come vnto Christ not many wise men after the flesh not manie mightie not many noble But God hath chosen the foolish things of the worlde to confounde the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confounde the mightie and vile things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things that are that no flesh should glorie in his sight And therefore I feare if my heart giue a better welcome to a rich brother then to a poore that I loue not the brethren as I ought Wherefore let not the carnall and outwarde beautie of Brethren beguile our mindes The Kings Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45 14 Hebr. 13 2. Angels may bee strangers as in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and the beautie of a brother may be hid vnder a very sorie weede The same may bee saide for the weake brethren of whome somewhat already hath bin spoken And therfore briefly thus be their weaknesse neuer so great euen as of children in Christ and their infirmities neuer so many lacke they knowledge or conscience sometimes in somethings For who can say sayth Salomon Prou. 20 9 I haue cleansed my heart I am cleane from sinne Wee must take them with all their faults as wee are taken and loue them as wee are loued and were loued euen when we were enemies as saith the Apostle the weaker our brethren are Rom. 510 the more must be our care and our burthen the greater to beare them and make them better Brethren saith the Apostle in the sixt to the Galathians◠if a man be preuented in any fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse Gal 6 1 considering thy selfe least thou also be tempeed Beare yee one anothers burthen and so fulfill the law of Christ And thus much touching the first general point of this sentence what or whom we must loue to wit the brotherhood or fellowship of brethren none excepted Nowe somewhat of the loue it selfe and so an ende And first when as the Apostle here saith exhorteth saying Loue the brotherhood hee meaneth not that the faithfull to whome hee writeth and in whom he acknowledgeth all the graces of God were simply void of loue or that they had not some loue alreadie when he wrote vnto them but that they should continue in loue and increase in loue and loue more perfectlie then before For otherwise for the Brethren to loue together is as kind and as naturall as for the birdes to flie together for
the heardes to feede and to lie together yea for the members of the body to liue moue together for loue is as it were the life and soule of the Brethren And therfore it is monstriloco a monster to see Brethren not to loue together And when it fel out otherwise in the Church of Corinth it seemed so absurd and strange to the Apostle that he maketh as it were an outcrie vpon it as if they had lost their wisedome and almost their wits that some brethreÌ„ fel out others could suffer it I speake it to your shame saith he is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you 1. Cor. 6 5 6 seq no not one that can iudge betweene his Brethren but a Brother goeth to Lawe with a brother and that vnder the Infidels Now therefore there is altogether infirmitie in you in that you go to Law one with another VVhy rather suffer yee not wrong VVhy rather sustaine yee not harme Nay you your selues doo wrong and doo harme and that to your Brethren There is the wonder But to speake more distinctly of this loue we may shortly consider in it these three points before mentioned first the continuance secondly the increase and thirdly the perfection or rather the synceritie and puritie of our loue For the first in the thirteenth to the Hebrewes and first Let brotherly loue continue Heb. 13.1 saith the Apostle that is see that it breake not off but run in one threed and hold together vnto the end For the reward is certain For as the apostle exhorteth the Galathians saying Gal 6. â— Let vs not be wearie of well doing for in time wee shall reape if wee faint not So because nothing is better then loue let vs not be wearie of louing for in time wee shall reape if we faint not And indeed why should we leaue so good a thing which wee cannot do but we are in danger to fall into the contrarie For anger it selfe what is it but a breach of loue of which the Apostle faith Be angry and sinne not Ephes 4 26 Let not the Sunne go downe vppon your wrath neither giue place vnto the diuell who quickly taketh it and tempteth vnto discord And besides it is a goodly thing to see the streame of loue runne cleare without troubling as Salomon speaketh of the prosperitie and aduersitie of the righteous in the fiue and twentieth of Prouerbs Prou. 25 29 As a fountain trampled with the feete or a spring mard so is the iust which is remooued before the wicked The prosperitie of the iust is the cleare spring and the aduersitie of the same is the spring troubled and euen so the course of our loue continued is the cleare spring and it is a goodly thing to see it cleare as stil it woulde bee were it not for troubling And therefore Paule in a certaine holy impaciencie and zealous desire of the continuance of the loue of the Galathians exclaimeth thus Vtinam abscindantur qui vos conturbant Gal 5 12 I woulde they were euen cut off that trouble you And also wee ought to looke the more vnto our loue that it breake not with any brother that loueth vs because the kinde heart is soonest and deepest wounded and the cure thereof is verie hard Of which Salomon sayeth in the eighteenth of the Prouerbs Prou. 18 19 A brother offended is harder to win then a strong Citie and their contentions are like the barre of a Pallace And yet wee denie not but as the Sunne sometimes is darkned by the Clowdes engendred of some grosse exhalations from the earth so the light of our loue is misted and the heat thereof rebated by some sinister and corrupt affections of our fleshly nature And as in phrenetical persons we see that they haue their lucida interualla bright and calme inter missions which are not in the nature of the disease So the louing brethren haue turbida interualla their troubled fittes which are not in the nature of their loue And therefore as the Sunne at the last breaketh through the mist and cloude and those that are taken with the phrenzie returne to their madnesse as before so the brethren to their loue which no more can bee parted or depart from their hearts then the light from the Sunne or life from the soule which is impossible And therefore as Pharaoh notwithstanding his sundrie pretenses yea his purposes and permissions and at the last his owne fact in letting the Israelites go out of his land returned to his owne nature repenting where bee should not and followeth after the same people to bring them backe whome himself by commandement had sent away so on the other side brethreÌ„ notwithstanding for a season they haue a bent another way which leadeth from their loue as blinded with errour tempted by Satan and carried with the violence of their affections yet time will trie them and if they bee brethren they will come to themselues and their loue agained notwithstanding some vnkindnesse for a season For greater is hee that is in vs sayeth Iohn then hee that is in the worlde 1 Iohn 4 4 And as Paule in the fifth of the first to Timothie 1. Tim. 5 24 25 speaketh of two sorts of Ministers the one hypocriticall deceiuing the Church at the first and prouing bad at the last of whom he sayth some mens sinnes or faults are open before hande and go before vnto iudgement but some mâ—â—â— follow afâ—â— and the others such who â—houghâ—â—â— yâ—â—leâ—iâ—e and are negâ—ligent and buâ—â—â— their giftes for a season yet comming to themselues againe and as it were reuiâ—ing doo afterwardes shewe the fruits of their labour and approue themselues to the Church of God and of these he sayth in the words next following Likewise also the good workes are manifest before hande and they that are otherwise 〈◊〉 bee hid So may wee say comparing the brethren vnto this better sort of Ministers that though some of them sometimes breake off from that course of loue which they ought to continue and sleepe in the forgetfulnesse of their dutie as of both sorts of virgins both the wise and the foolish it is sayde they slepâ—â— yet the brethren euen all cope haue Oyle in their Lampes and their loue awaketh with them and embraceth the brethren whome before it did not And the good workes of their oâ—e which at their first calling appeared and were manifest to all men yet altered â—orâ— a time and carried into other behauiors and bee seeming the course which first began cannot be hid as sayeth Paule but shall be seene to be â—â—â—o such at the last as they were at the first For loue breaketh through all lettes and passeth by 〈◊〉 couereth the multitude of sinnes suffering all things 1. Cor. 13 7 â—â—â—â—â—ning all things hoping all things â—ddâ—â—ing all things at the handes of our brethren And with a godlie sorrowe worketh repentaunce and reformation