blocks and offences that are on our parts and the Lord will blesse us and hear our prayers and reward our worke and labour of love that we have shewed to his name and for ought we know he may turne their hearts to be otherwise minded then we expect It may be our stiffenesse hath been a cause of theirs and theirs of ours And so likewise may our yeelding and holding forth of love and condescention provoke them to doe the like And therefore let no excuses reâ—ard or hinder our speedy indeavours for mutuall Accordance But let us make iâ— our â—usinesse and that as a matter of greatest importance and concernement to us yea as a matter of life and death lest the Lord cometh and findeth us smiting our fellow servants c. And give me leave a little to inculcate and beat it home to our very consciences Consider it seriously did not the Lord himself inculcate this command upon his holy Disciples and that over and over again with argument after argument and command after command and shall we think it needlesse in this frozen age Nay Did he make it his businesse when he was ready to leave them and to give it forth chiefely as his will and testament and shall not we think it worthy to be made as our businesse and that of greatest concernement in this our age and generation because the love of many waxeth cold already However in this treatise I study brevity expecting that men better able will make it their businesse And yet if I seem to repeat and fall on againe with the same Scriptures it is to presse them further Consider therefore thus saith the Lord A new commandement I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another John 13.34 Consider it I say It is the commandement of Christ to all such as are and would be accounted and knowne by all men to be his Disciples which is the promise annexed vers 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Now the measure of this love is expressed in the latter part of the 34. ver to wit As I have loved you that ye also love one another And this measure of love is further explained as to the latitude and extent thereof in reference to the same command to wit John 15.12 13. This is my commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you And how is that See vers 15. Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends And that this is the true and proper meaning of Christ without any misticall dark sence See how the same Apostle that loving Disciple who is therefore truly called the beloved Disciple or the Disciple whom Jesus loved as though in comparison he had loved none 〈◊〉 him And certainâ— it is that though he loveâ— them all yet he loved John with a more peculiar transcendent affection then any of tâ—e rest and chiefly because that his doctrine of lovâ— and his commands thereof took more impression in him then the other Disciples and the love of God and the love of the brethren tooke more place in his heart as so it is manifest in his Epistles and Gospel by his treating more and more fully of love then all the other Disciples 1 Con. From whence I may gather by the way That they that love most are the most beloved and the most bent to the pressing and inculcating and communication of the doctrine of love unto their brethren 2 Con. And that they whomsoever that cannot cordially embrace and receive this doctrine are not cordially embraced and received of Christ and that in respect of the measure of our cordiallity 3 Con. Look how much more cordially we embrace and receive his doctrine of love by so much the more cordially we shall be and are embraced yea loved and received of the Lord Jesus Christ And thus much by the way Now for the proper extent of the manner and measure of this duty of love See 1 John 3.16 to wit Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren It is not sufficient to love in word and in tâ—ngue only but it must be in deed and in truth vers 18. especially if we would know that we are of the truth and that the love of God dwelleth in us and would have our hearts assured before him See ver 17.19 we must not shut up our bowels of compassion if we have this worlds good and see our brother hath need for in such case there is no appearance or manifestation that the love of God abideth in us No he that loveth not his brother abideth in death And whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and we know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him See vers 14.15 Read this Chapter throughout and Ch. 4. wherein it is so evident that the Apostle presseth this duty of love as the great and chiefest duty and command of Christ and that without which we cannot possibly be assured that we are yet passed from death unto life nor that God loveth us and we him nor that we keep his commandements and doe those things that please him nor that we know God or dwell in him and he in us nor that we shall have boldnesse in the day of judgment neither can our feare that hath torment in it be cast out nor can we prove our selves to be true men but lyars because it is impossible that he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seene should love God whom he hath not seen And this commandement have we from him that he who loveth God should love his brother also See Chap. 4. And this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning that we should love one another Chap. 3.11 See also 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfained And why is this called the end of the coÌ„mandement but because that he that hath loved another hath fulfilled the Law for no man can love his brother but he loveth God nor any man love God but he will also love his brother and upon this hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets to wit To love God above all and our neighbours as our selves And againe Because if this love be in us in perfection as it ought the naturall product of it will be suitable both in respect of our duties to God and to our neighbours for love worketh no evill against our neighbours much lesse against God See 1 Cor. 13. Now this main duty of love and the measures and necessity of it being sufficiently proved and that from such authority as no Christian can for shame gainsay it or oppose it in the least I shall proceed to answer some Queries
the prime efficient cause thereof and the most immediate as so it is yet as next immediate and as instrumentall causes whereby he workâ—th immediately he joyneth faith and love as co-operative and if I may so say as co-essenciall causes of all spirituall power and strength for working us up and making us capable and comprehensive to be filled with all the fullnesse of God for unlesse Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith and that we be rooted and grounded in love we cannot be able to comprehend with all Saints as vers 18. Nor can we be filled with all the fullnesse of God as ver 19. And consider also how no lesser meaâ—ures of the Spirit and Faith and Love will serve the turne to fulfill the desires and requests of the Apostle on their behalfe but that they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God which might teach us not to be content with any poor measures of his holy Spirit But to covet earnestly even the best gifts and the largest measures that are attainable and that we are capable of For he that hath bid us covet them and aâ—ke them can easily give them and make us capable and comprehensive of them through faith and love which are in Christ Jesus Now the spirit worketh faith and worketh by faith to make us capable of discerning all spirituall things for they being invisible as God himselfe cannot be seene with bodily eyes but only through an eye of faith And faith worketh by love and also worketh love See 1 Thess 1.3 Gal. 5.6 For what we cannot see through faith and apprehend to be lovely we cannot possibly love it I meane it of spiritualls and invisibles And therefore it followeth that if we have but a little faith a dim-eyed faith we have also but a little love and a little desire after spirituall things but are poor and content also to remain poor in all such respects See Rev. 3.7 8. But God hath chosen the poore of this world rich in faith to be heirs of his Kingdome And David also his eyes were upon the faithfull in the Land and upon the excellent that they might dwell with him Psal 101.6 But he was a man after Gods own heart where shall a man be found now in this generation that maketh his choice after the same rule to make them his associates and companions and delight and his counsellers as David did See Psal 16.3 James 2. 2 3 4 5. And why is it but for want of faith which worketh by love and worketh love to the choicest objects that are the most lovely and also the most loving for there is a reciprocacy in this respect in the sight of God as hath been shewed But if it be conceived that many doe in a great measure as David did I say let us take the Apostles counsell who beseecheth in such a case to increase more and more See 1 Thess 4 10. which sheweth that he would not have us rest content with any poore or scant measures but to be pressing forwards towards perfection in such respects wherein we can never goe beyond the mark that is set us and therefore it is that the Apostle biddeth seeing we desire and are zealous of spirituall gifts seeke that we may excell to the edifying of the Church See 1 Cor. 14 12. From which it is evident that we may and ought to seek that we might excell provided it be not to make our selves famous in the eyes of men but that our consciences may bear us witnesse in the holy Ghost that our end is mainly for the edifying of the Church Now this end can never sway us to any great zeal unlesse our love to the Church ingage us to it and the love of Christ must as it were constraine us as it did the Apostles yea and even Christ himselfe now where love engageth us it will not pervert the end of such ordinances which Christ hath left us for our edification to make them as stumbling blocks and as rocks of offence to obstruct our communion whereby we have occasion for edifying one another in faith and love But it will rather cast up and prepare the way and remove the stumbling blocks out of the way of his people See Isa 57.14 That so all the elect and beloved of God may accord with us and come in and consecrate with us in all Christian communion and brotherly fellowship for it is the nature of love to unite cordially for love is in the heart and therefore it was that in the primative times they that beleeved were of one heart and of one mind and the successe was they had all things common Now it is well known that cordiall love cannot be enforced but must be induced we cannot cudgell it into the hearts of any God is the Author and Fountaine thereof nor can our seperation and keeping a part ever induce it but it must be induced through loving and kind fellowship and communion together and therefore it is that God hath commanded fellowship Consider seriously this Text of Scripture what it clearely importeth I speak it as to wise men as the Apostle did to judge what I say of it to wit 1 Cor. 10.14 15 16 17. Wherefore my dearly beloved fly from idolatrie I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread one body for we are all partakers of that one bread From all which give me leave to aske you doth not his bidding us fly from idolatry imply that we may idolize the bread and wine as so not only the Papists do who account it the reall body and blood of Christ which they heare us doe and must containe till all things be restored But when we make account as if the bread and wine after consecration or blessing of them had any vertue in them to nourish our soules to eternall life â—hich were only left us as outward signes to be eate and drunke in remembrance of him and that by his body the Church so that when they gave thanks or blessed the bread and wine they did not pray that the bread and wine might be blessed to the people for their Spirituall nourishment But they prayed that the communion and fellowship of the misticall body might be blessed that is to say that their union and fellowship together might be a meanes oâ— their edification and that is faith and love and so might grow up together and hold close to the Head from which all the body being knit together by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred might increase with the increase of God See Coloss 2.19 And this is the end for which this Sacrament was ordained to wit for our edification in faith and love and that by having communion with Christ who hath
that may be made 1 Query The first and chief whereof is And who is our brother that so we may know whom we ought to love with so vast and boundlesse an affection as that for their sakes if need so require we should be willing even to lay down our lives for them and much more our goods and estates as so the command is clear and full and without exception Answ I answer I shall first shew whom we ought to account as brethren and such to whom we owe this measure and manner of love And secondly I shall shew whom we ought to account our neighbours and we ought to love them 1. All such ought to be owned and accounted our brethren whom we know to be professors of faith in God through our Lord Jesuâ— Christ and to be worshippers of God and that they doe not live in any scandalous known sin nor doe not hold and maintain any manifest convicted error after due admonition nor are not willfully schismaticall nor imperiously proud and arrogant and this I beleeve no rationall and sober Judicious Christian will deny 1. Considering that of necessity we must but judge according to the rules of charity in regard we have not any rules of certainty but such as wherein we may be deceived and it is far better to be deceived by extending our charity to the loving of such as doe not properly deserve it then through meer uncharitablenesse to deny such love and brotherly respect as our duty requireth to all the brother-hood and so to give them Just cause to be offended with us for it is dangerous to offend one of the least of those little ones that beleeve in him See Mat. 18.6 2. Considering the length and breadth of that love or charity which cometh of God Reas For if the love of God be shed abroad in our hearts really as it ought it is so charitable that it thinketh no evill Nay it beareth all things beleeveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things See 1 Cor. 13 5.7 Nay it suffereth long and is kind c. vers 4. It taketh not all things in the evill part it judgeth nothing before the time it quencheth not the smoaking flax nor breaketh the bruised reed and such like many Scriptures I might produce but these I hope are sufficient for any that understand them and the latitude of their sence 3. Considering the absurd unsavourinesse of judging or disowning any as brethren of whom we know so much as hath been said before of their profession and practise but have nothing to the contrary whereof to accuse them And they that are or should be the salt of the earth should by all means take heed they loose not their saltnesse or become unsavoury to whom they should season for who then shall season them that so they might be able or in a capacity to season others See Mat. 5. â—3 Mark 9.50 Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another saith our blessed Saviour And by this salt is meant the affection of love and charity for without the exercise of these though we had the tongue of men and Angells and such other gifts reckoned up by the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. yet we should be so unsavourie if together with those gifts we did not exercise charity us that we should profit nothing nor season any of those with whom we converse but seem as it were naucious unto them all other gifts would do us no good for edifying of the Church if Charity be wanting in us or if we doe not exercise them in a way of charity and as mixed with charity and powdred with the affection of love the which as salt to our corporall meat mâ—keth it savoury and seasoning to the hearts of others but if we step aside out of the ways of charity and cannot hold that forth as having it really in us and acting by it and in it It is because we have but little of it in our own hearts and then who can expect to be seasoned by us See 1 Cor. 1â— 31 Chap. 13 1 2 3. and compare the sence whether it be not so as hath been said Covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way that is to say get abundance of charity so as to exercise those gifts in the way and shew a manifestation of charity or else they are all worth nothing for edifying of the Church but like sounding brasse or a tinckling cimbal in which there is not much for the use of edifying No No knowledge indeed puffeth up but it is love that edifieth See 1 Cor. 8.1 But it may yet be demanded how this Scripture is to be understood how love edifieth considering love is an internall grace as so also is faith which cannot be communicated to others from us but are gifts of God I answer It is love which edifieth because love is the efficient cause of all Spirituall ministrations that are effectuall for edification It is the fountain and spring from whence doth flow forth such cordiall expressions as are effectuall for edification It is of the essence of the Spirit of God he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him So that when love ingageth us or is the efficient cause of any expressions or ministrations it may truly be attributed to the Spirit of God as the chief cause of such ministrations and they are certainly efficacious either as the favour of life unto life or of death unto death as the words of God nay as our Saviour saith the words that I speake unto you they are spirit and they are life See John 6.63 So words that come from the Spirit are Spirituall words they are cordiall fervent earnest and powerfull words They are words of life and power for edifying in the faith and provoking unto love and good works And therefore when men are acted and exercised from a root and principle of love they are properly acted and exercised by the Spirit of God And it is more proper to say so of them then that they exercise their gifts for it is their gifts to wit of the Spirit and Faith and Love which exercise them They are but the instruments God is the Agent It is God that granteth them according to the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith that they being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fullnesse of God See Ephe. 3.16 17 18 19. See here what large requests the Apostle putteth up and that in few words for the Ephesians and in how compleat an order For though he ascribeth the originall of all strength and might in the inner man to the Spirit of God as
promised his presence amongst us in case we follow his steps and walke in love as he hath loved us and so obey his commandement and love one another owning one another and having fellowship one with another and disowning none that are members of his body but receiving all his members even as he also hath received us to the glory of God the Father Then I say he will doubtlesse own us and be present with us and shed his lâ—ve abroad in our hearts aâ—d build us up in faith yea the whole body together till we come to be tall and strong so as to aske what we will with a joint consent and it shall be given us whereas whilest devided how can we expect that our prayers should be heard whiles we are not reconciled to our brethren which he hath bid us do first even as Joseph to his brethren Gen. 43 5. Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you even so saith our Saviour Goe first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift and leave thy gift on the Alâ—ar till then as if he should have said doe not expect thy gift shall be accepted till you be agreed you are both my sons I cannot indure you should live at variance come not here doe not expect to see my face till you be agreed I will not own thee in such a posture of spirit thy brother hath something against thee that is contrary to love go and agree with thy brother as I have commanded thee and then thou art welcome Aske and ye shall receive seeke and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you and by this all men shall know that ye are my Disciples if you make it appear that ye love one another Whereas on the other part how can any man thinke you are my Disciples or have any love to me or I to you if ye cannot love and own and have fellowship together one with another as brethren ought and as love ingageth where it is cordiall and not in word and tongue only but indeed in tâ—uth Nay how easie is it for any man to prove and that from Scripture that whoever denyeth this Christian-fellowship with his Christian brethren is yet in darknâ—ss and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth See 1 John 1.6 7. Mat. 5.23 24 Mat. 7.7 Yeâ— Dililah could say to Sampson How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me See Judges 16.15 And this we may justly say to our selves how shall we say for shame or how can we think that we love God if we have not a care to keep his commandements And can we keep his commandements and not love our brethren or can we say we love them and cannot agree with them but fall out by the way Object But it will be objected such and such are our brethren but thâ—y will not goe our wayes we are in wayes that we know to be right and they are in by wayes and are bewildred and will not be perswaded and how can we help it we are forced to leave them Answ If they be our brethren and that we see them out through weaknesse and that we thinke our selves strong we ought rather to bear the infirmities of the weake then to please our selves lest our father be angry with us and say why did ye leave my little children and overrun them in the dark night whilest they cannot see but be bewildred and so send us back to fetch them home and not suffer us to rest or come within doors till we bring them with us and it may be whip us also for leaving them at all without a guide It will not serve to excuse us to say our brethren were wilfull and pettish and would go their own wayes or go none at all they being but children No a father will not loose his children and danger to have them cast away because they are weak and pettish but will rather say why did ye not rather turne back and bring them to me that I might have corrected them taught them better but you must leave them in danger and in an angry mood could ye not have spoke them faire and in a loving way perswaded them as children Beloved brethren Consider it seriously for there is no father can be so choice and tender hearted towards his little children as the Lord is choice and tender hearted towards his little ones as hath been shewed before and though he will not deny us to be his children but own us as such in an overly-way yet he will not welcome us nor lodge us in his bosome with such sweet embraces and kisses of love nor entertaine us familiarly so as to know his counsells and his mind and secrets till at least we have indeavoured what in us lyeth to perswade our brethren to come along with us and that in love and meeknesse as a nurse useth to doe with children And when we have used the means cannot do it yet let us never cease to pray to our father saying father perswade them thou art able to doe it though we cannot The Lord perswade Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem. And then Canaan shall be his servant And doubtlesse it is already upon the hearts of many of the faithfull servants and messengers of God both to pray and preach for this Accordance though with little hopes of obtaining there desires because they see such stiffenesse in the hearts of the people and aversenesse to it and in some of their ministers which is sad and lamentable that the leaders of the people should cause them to erre and to remaine stiffe against the expresse commands both of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his holy Apostles and Prophets not to stoop at all nor submit theÌ„selves nor their wayes and judgments but as ascribing to theÌ„selves infalibillity of Spirit as if they could not erre See 1 Cor. 13.12 Consider I beseech you whence this stiffeness ariseth and whether it be not manifest that it springeth from the root of pride and self love and conceits of our own wisdome above others of our brethren that yet in account with others are as wise as we and it may be much wiser and that also in the sight of God But as I said before when the leaders of the people cause them to erre The case is lamentable and very dangerous lest they that are led of them be dâ—stroyed See Isa 9.13 14 15 16 17. And let me say to such stiffe spirited leaders of the people If they will but looke in the bottome of their hearts they shall certainly finde there a root of pride and selfe-love to be the originall fountain from whence this stiffenesse springeth and groweth up And they cannot but know who it was that called such like men blinde guides for straining out a gnat and swallowing a cammel and for omitting of
judgment mercy and faith and tithing of Mint Annisse and Cumin as hath been spoken to before Object But it will yet be objected shall not we be going on and pressing forwards but we must stay for them that will not pace with us but make stands by the way and are not satisfied that we goe the right way and therefore will not forward in the best and neerest pathes which we know are such and they will not be perswaded and some are not so able and zealous as yet to goe forward so fast as we and shall we stay for them Answ If they be our brethren we may well stay a while to perswade them and tell them what way our father directed us to goe and we cannot be sure our selves that he hath so directed us but we can easily shew it them and make it manifest But if it be their weaknesse and want of zeale let us take them by the hand as little children and help them forward and go their pace and not leave them behind as amongst the wolves our Father will be angry if we over-run them and whip us for it For this is not like as a nurse cherisheth her children as the Apostle dealt with the Thessalonians 1 Thes 2.7 8. It is not so gentle nor so affectionate for he being â—ffectionately desirous of them was willing to impart unto them not onely the Gospel but even his owne soule because they were deare unto him and so would also Silvanus and Timotheus whom in such respects we ought to follow and if we will indeed presse forward unto perfection let this be our marke and then we shall not over-run our little brethren whiles they are in non-age no though they be a little froward and pettish like children nor though they think themselves wise and strong and yet we know them to be weak and foolish For if we know them to be such we know them also to be but children and babes in Christianity in comparison with others of a riper standing for because they are weake or froward pettish or foolish shall we be so likewise Do we not shew our selves also to be but children in Christianity as well as they and are we not so far short of the Apostles practise and resolution before named It were but a bad nurse that should so carry towards little children Compare but such practices with the Apostles and it will convince And if we take in also that undenyable example of the Lord himselfe how he dealt with Israel who were a stiffe-necked people and how long he suffered their manners in the wildernesse See Deut. 32.11 12 13 14. How he dealt with them as an Eagle and bare them on his wings and lead them in the way through a desart wildernesse feeding them with oyle and milke and butter and honey so as they wanted nothing neither did he leave them nor forsake them for all their frowardnesse till they first forsooke him and served other gods though he said of them vers 20 They were a very froward generation children in whom was no faith And sure there cannot be much faith in us whilest we have so little love and regard so little to obey his first and great commandement wherein all the whole laws of God and the ends of them are so clearely contained and comprehended so as in obeying them we cannot choose but fulfill them all as hath been proved at large from sacred Scriptures And let us consider also another Scripture or two to wit Eph. 5.29 30. No man saith the Apostle ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord doth the Church for we are members of his body of his flâ—sh and of his bones And he gave himselfe for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish See ver 25 26 27. Now if Christ so loved and hath owned his Church as members of his own body and flesh and bones and hath given himselfe for it and made it his businesse to sanctifie and cleanse it c. And if we ought to be followers of God as deare children and to walke in love as Christ also hath loved us As vers 1 2. Then doubtlesse we ought also to make it our businesse and our maine businesse of all other to present all the members of his body the Church perfect we being also members one of another See Chap. 4.25 as a perfect and glorious Church without spot or wrinckle or any such thing And to that end we must let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evill-speaking be put away from us with all mallice And be kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us See Chap. 4.31 32. The Lord open our understandings to consider and discerne how much these sacred words of truth and faithfullnesse concern us all in these dayes of ours for his great names sake Amen FINIS