which followeth upon all the former for since he neither justly giveth nor quickly taketh offence and keepeth himself from gross sins in the course of his Conversation no wonder if he enjoies a serene calm in his soul and though wicked men may be offended at him yea raise storms of persecution against him yet he is at peace within Excellent to this purpose is that of St Ambrose Charitas pellit omnes tribulationes non ut non eveniant sed ut non nâ—ceant quia licet exterius tribulationes insurgant tamen vir justus interius non turbatur Charity driveth away all troubles not that they do not come upon but that they shall not do hurt to him because though tribulations arise outwardly he is not molested inwardly That Adage of the Wiseman No evill shall happen to the just the Vulgar Latine reads Non contristabit justum quicquid ei acciderit what ever happen to the just shall not vex and grieve him and to use Hugo's Philosophicall comparison as an accident is present and absent without the corruption of the Subject so tribulation when present as well as when absent doth not perplex and disturbe the just Indeed there is nothing occasions offence to such a man but sin and therefore abiding in the light he is not stumbled at affliction If you cast a sparke of fire into the water how soon is it quenched so are all fears cast into a good Conscience when the Skie is black with Clouds the Stars though they seem to be obscured yet retain their proper lustre and good men when they seem in affliction to be clouded with sorrow saith St Chrysostomâ— are not sorrowfull but rather rejoycing And now what other use should we make of all that hath been said then to press upon us that Apostolicall exhortation walk in love Indeed what way better for us to walk in then this which is so bright and lightsome so plain and cleare so pure and pleasant It is Solomons assertion The way of the righteous is made plain it is no less true of the charitable in the way of love there is nothing to offend or molest whilst purity is the track and tranquillity our companion you then that have not experienced this begin and you that have begun go on I think I need not bid you your own experience cannot but encourage you in this sweet way till you come to that Countrey whither this way leads you where the Law is Charity the League Unity and the life Eternity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes OPposita juxta se posita magis illucescunt saith the Logician things of greatest distance set near in place do one illustrate the other The Sun never appeareth so gloriously as when breaking through a Cloud A Freeman most prizeth his liberty when he seeth the Prisoners Fetters and captives chaines and Sara becometh doubly beautifull when surrounded with the swarthy Aegyptians The dolorous noise of War is the best language to proclaim the sweetness of peace Health is never so acceptable as when it brings letters of commendation from sickness and virtue becometh more amiable when the contrary vice is represented For this reason no doubt it is that as Painters draw black shadows to set off their Pictures with a greater lustre and some I feare proud Ladies are wont to wear black patches that their faces may seem the more lovely So do Orators frequently set virtues and vices together that the evill of the one may the more advance the good of the other This way of illustration is that which is very observable in the Penmen of sacred writ especially those two whom I may well call Heavens darlings Solomon who is stiled Jedidiah and John the beloved Disciple the one you may observe in his Parables very often setting prudence and folly with such like contraties one by the other and the other in this Epistle and more properly in these Verses that he might the more commend the goodness of love enlargeth his discourse in discovering the badness of hatred He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother c. It is that part of the Text I am now to handle The Antithesis or Opposition set down in the 9 and 11 Verses But before I enter upon the severals in this part it will not be amiss once for all to take notice of that which we shall find very usuall in this Epistle Namely the Repetition and Ingemination of the same sense yea sometimes of the same sentence This indeed is the first time we have fully met with this for though in the first Chapter we finde the Subject of one proposition if we say we have no sin and the predicate of another cleansing from all sin yet we meet not with one entire proposition twice mentioned till now where these words He that hateth his Brother is in darkness is both in the 9 and 11. Verses Indeed this repetition is not without some variation In the 9. Verse there is an enlargement of the Subject it is not barely He that hateth his Brother but He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother and in the 11. Verse there is an amplification of the predicate not only he is in darkness but he walketh in darkness c. Yet still it is for substance the same thing which is intended and the same words are repeated in both the Verses And indeed it is that which is easily observable not only in this but the rest of the sacred Bookes That of David the sweet singer of Israel is remarkable who twenty six times warbleth over the same note For his mercy endureth for ever and of Christ that unparallel'd Preacher who as probably appeareth by comparing the two Evangelists preached the same Sermon twice Nor are these Repetitions vain Tautologies It is not without good reason that the Penmen of sacred writ do sometimes take this course in respect of themselves the matter of their writing and those to whom they wrote 1. Those holy Penmen by these Repetitions did declare the zeale and vehemency of their spirits in pressing what they wrote upon the people What was it which caused Solomons Father as himself relates it to multiply expressions to the same purpose yea to iterate the same expressions in dehorting him from evill company enter not go not avoid pass by turne from pass away but his sense of the danger and desire that he might avoid it And again what moved his Mother to amplifie her appellations in the beginning of her counsell to him What my son and
should you if any doctrine have had a kindly influence upon your spirits entreat the reiteration of it who knoweth what a second birth may bring forth and if at any time you hear the Minister beating upon the same anvil pressing the same doctrine or rebuking the same sin reflect upon thy self and say surely I have not yet sufficiently learned this lesson I have not enough repented of this sin and therefore I will give new attention though it be an old instruction And thus much I have thought fit to discourse of this Subject by way of Apology not for St John whose divinely inspired writings need none but for my self if in the handling of this Epistle I should sometimes have occasion to discuss the same things and perhaps use the same expressions More particularly in this ingeminated opposition be pleased to observe The sin specified in these words He that hateth his Brother The state of the sinner described in the rest of the words and that Imaginary wherein he supposeth himself to be He saith he is in the light Reall in which indeed he is set forth in severall Characters in the end of the 9th and the greatest part of the 11th He is in darkness even untill now and again He is darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes 1. The first of these is the hinge upon which the Antithesis turneth and therefore I shall be the more large in unfolding it To which end I shall discuss it two waies by way of Restriction and by way of enlargement and accordingly discover exclusively what hatred is not within the compass of this sin and then extensively how far this hatred reacheth which is here declamed against The exclusive restriction of this hatred will appeare in these insuing propositions 1. There is a Positive and there is a Comparative there is an Absolute and there is a Relative hatred It is very observable That Jacobs loving Rachel more then Leah is called in the very next Verse hating Leah That which we less love then another we are said to hate in comparison of that love we bear to the other and thus it is not a â—â—n but a duty to hate our Brother to wit in comparison of Christ It is our Saviours own assertion If any man câ—me to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea his own life also he cannot be my Disciple an expression seemingly very harst but easily understood if compared with the other Evangelist St Matthew where he brings in Christ saith He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth Son or Daughter more then me is not worthy of me We ought then to hate our nearest relations that is not love them more nay which is the meaning of the phrase love them less then Christ Hence it is that when Christs glory and truth cometh in competition with the dearest of our relations we must neglect Children cast off Parents reject the Wife of our Bosome rather then deny Christ yea we must be averse to them if they go about to direct us from Christ Thus that devout Paula as St Hierome saith Nesciebat se matrem ut Christi probaret ancillam that shee might approve her self Christs Handmaid forgot that shee was a Mother and that same Father else where asserteth it Pietatis genus est impiumesse pro domino it is a part of piety to be in some sense impious and out of love towards God to hate our Brother and therefore this is not here to be understood 2. It is one thing to hate our Brother and another thing to hate the sins of our Brother it is solidly determined by Aquinas Love is due to my Brother Secundum id quod a Deo habet in respect of that which is communicated to him by God whither nature or grace or both but it is not due to him Secundum id quod habet a seipso diabolo according to that which he hath from himself and the Devill to wit sin and wickedness and therefore it is lawfull to hate my Brothers sin but not his nature much less his grace Laudabile odium odisse vitia faith Origen to hate evill is a commendable hatred and that where ever we finde it not only in the bad but the good the enormities of the one but the infirmities in the other not only in strangers and enemies but kindred and friends spying beames nay motes in these as well as those and abhorring them we must hate this serpent where ever we find it though in a garden nay though in our own habitations indeed as Aquinas excellently Hoc ipsum quod in fratre odimus culpam defectum pertinet ad fratris amorem this hatred of the vice is an effect of love to the person so much is intimated when it is said Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebvke him and not suffer siâ— upon him by shewing hatred to his sin in rebuking we shew our love to him and if we wish good to him we cannot but hate what we see evill in him This hatred is so farre from being sinfull that it is not only lawfull and laudable but excellent not a wicked but a pious yea a perfect hatred according to that of St Austin Perfectio odij est in Charitate cum nec propter vit a homines odeâ—imus nec vitia propter homines amemus it is at once the perfection of hatred and an argument of love when we neither hate the man for the sins sake nor yet love the sin for the mans sake but fixe our love on the man and our hatred on the sâ—nne 3. There is odium abominationis and odium inimicitiae an hatred of aversation and an hatred of enmity by the one we flye from by the other we pursue after look as in love there is a benevolence whereby we will good to and a complacence whereby we take delight in another so in hatred there is a strangness whereby we avoid the society and an enmity whereby we seek the mischief of another the former of these is not forbidden but required and practised godly David saith of himself I hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked and that of his practise was justifiable and imitable since we must not only flie from the sin but the sinner yea that we may shun the one we must avoid the other Timon was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man-hater because he kept not company with any man save Alcibiades and we should all of us be hatres of wicked men shunning all needless converse and much more familiar acquaintance with them It is St Pauls counsell to the Ephesians Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull wâ—â—kes he meaneth workers
excusation when of one that hateth us To hate a friend is inhumane to hate an enemy is unchristian not only to retaliate good for evill but evill for evill is against St Pauls precept and as well he that is second as he that is first in hating his Brother is guilty how consonant soever it may seem to corrupt reason yet it is dissonant to true Religion for a man to pay another in his own coyn and return cursing for cursing nor is it enough for us not to offer an inâ—â—ry but we must not so much as return it not only a velle laedere a will to hurt but vindicare to revenge an hurt yea not only to will and endeavour a greater but an equal nay a less wrong to my brother then he hath done to me is to hate him 4. It is not only hurting but hating our brother which is prohibited Indeed on the one hand a man may hurt him whom he doth not hate through meer casualty and then it is no sin or through carlesness and then it is not so great a sin Again on the other hand a man may hate his brother and yet through want either of ability or opportunity not hurt him nor is his sin therefore the less Look as a rich man may relieve his brother and yet not love him and a poor man may love his brother and yet not relieve him so a charitable man may hurt his brother and yet not hate him and a malicious man may be said to hate his brother when he doth not hurt him the outward execution is not a sin against charity unless there be an inward intention and the inward intention is a sin though there be no outward execution True it is the further a sin proceeds from thought to desire desire to endeavour endeavour to action it is so much the worse but still the very desire of injuring though it be not accomplished is a sin and here called hating our brother 5. Yet lastly Whatever falleth short of the duty of loving cometh within the compass of hating our brother It is a moral axiome Omnis recessus à viriute est vitium whatever â—ecedeth from vertue is a vice it is true in this particular every departure from love is a degree of hatred the affections of love and hatred are like the qualities of heat and cold and look as the ceasing of heat is by an accession of cold so where there is a defect of love there is the infection of hatred Hence it is that an unjâ—â—â— or unadvised Anger with our brother is a degree of hating him indeed not all anger for there is an anger of love as well as hatred but when it is an anger not of just reprehension but vain contention not with moderation but excess it is at least a disposition to hatred Hence it is that not only willing evil but not willing good to our brother is an hating him Look as in point of equity not dealing faithfully is cosening so in point of charity not loving is hating It is a vain fancy yea a lying deceit with which some men please themselves in respect of an enemy I do not hate him and yet I do not love him I will not do him any harm but I will not do him any good the one is as well a sin as the other and when our Apostle here opposeth hating to loving he seemeth to intimate that if we do not love we hate our brother And now beloved what great reason have all of us to reflect upon our selves first and next on the men among whom we live sadly observing and bewailing the general prevalency of this sin of hatred amongst us To this end consider a few particulars 1. Are there none who hate those most who are the best to whom not only their brother but his religious conversation is hatefull therefore reviling deriding yea persecuting him because he maketh conscience of his wayes Such are those sonnes of Belial men at once both prophane and uncharitable who because they hate godliness hate the professors and practisers of it whoever will swear and whore and quaffe run to the same excess of riot with themselves is in their account an hatefull Precisian whosoever frequenteth Gods house observeth religious duties in his own house taking all opportunities according to his place and power of instructing the ignorant rebuking the obstinate exhorting the negligent is with them an abominable Puritan True it is there are many too many nor were there ever more then in this Age whose dissimulation and hypocrisie are manifest who are very strict in the duties and zealous against the sins which respect the first Table and yet notoriously irregular in matters of the second Table these are they whose practises are bewailed and abhorred by all good Christians and through the sides of these Religion is wounded by prophane Atheists Indeed some ungodly wretches are apt to pretend when by occasion of such Pharisees they inveigh against the strict profession of Christianity that it is not Religion but dissimulation piety but hypocrisie which they oppugn but I shall only desire them to consider whether they be not thus invective against all that are zealous as if they were hypocrites though they know nothing by them whether it be not the very exercises of Religion their reading praying hearing and the like which they detest since else why do they not imitate those good duties themselves as well as abhor the hypocrisie which they lay upon those who performe them and yet once more whether to hear of or know any gross sin by one who is carefull of these duties be not an object rather of their joy then sorrow as being glad when they can pick an hole in the coat of a professor and surely if their consciences accuse them as guilty in answer to these Queries whatever they may account themselves they will be found haters yea the worst sort of haters because of the best sort of brothers 2. Are there none who are so ungratefull as to repay courtesie with injury love with hatred who instead of loving those that hate them hate those that love them Thus Jehoram sought to slay Elisha who had been friendly to him Saul intended ruine to David who had been faithfull to him and the Jews crucify Christ who came to save them It is St Austins complaint Alas no wonder if we cannot perswade you to love your enemies when you hate your brethren Certainly they are farre from Christian love who are guilty of such unnatural hatred 3. Again how many are there whose hatred as Solomon expresseth it iâ— covered with deceit who have sharp teeth with soft gums who like the Panther which with sweet breath allureth other creatures to him and then devoureth them speak fair whilest seven abominations are in their heart and surely as Divinity reckoneth the first sort so Morality these among the worst sort of haters since a false friend is more pernicious then
an open enemy and ex magno appetitu â—â—â— mâ—â—tat modum loquendi it is the greatness of hatred which puts him upon this pretence of love 4. Yet again are there not some whose hatred is so deadly to their brother that they will be content to do themselves a loss so they may do him a great Injury That Apologâ—e of Cupidus and Invidus the covetous and the envious man is very observable to this purpose Jupiter promised that whatsoever the one asked the other should have double whereupon they much strove one with the other who should ask first the covetous man refused because he was desirous of the double portion and the envious man was no less unwilling as repining that the other should have more then himself At length the envious man resolveth to be the first in asking but what did he ask That Jupiter would 〈…〉 of his eyes because he then knew the other must lose both Such malicious men there are and that among Christians who care not to deprive themselves if they may disappoint their brother This is that hatred which is fetcht from hell witness Dives who desireth not that he might come to Lazarus but that Lazarus might come to him as if he had rather Lazarus should be miserable with him then he happy with Lazarus But if there be as I hope there are many who can acquit themselves from these effects of hatred at the height yet I feare we may observe those Symptomes in the most which discover them to be somewhat sick of this disease When the eye is evill because God is good doth it not discover that besides the black which nature hath put in the eye as the seat of its perfection there is another black which envy hath put into it as a seat of corruption What doth the smoake of detraction stander calumnie cursing rayling scoffing back-biteing which cometh forth at the lips of many men but argue a fire of malice burning in their hearts whence cometh betraying quarrelling fighting plundering yea killing one another but from this lust of hatred in mens minds Indeed who can consider the hatefull practices which are continually acted among us and not acknowledge the great predominancy of this sin Drop down ye Heavens and let the Skies poure down righteousness saith the Prophet Drop down ye Heavens and let the Skies poure down charity and love may we say for it hath left the earth yea instead thereof the smoake of hatred ascending out of the bottomless pit hath filled it What calling or profession of men is free from this vice I would to God the black Coate were not besmeared with it What state and condition of men is not guilty of it Oppressours plainly tread in the footsteps of hatred and I would to God sufferers did not harbour the lust of revenge How needfull then is a dehortation to disswade you from this sin and indeed this very name Brother if it be as you have already heard an argument of love may well be a disswasive from hatred if he be a Brother in the highest notion he is Christs Brother as well as thine and wilt thou hate him whom Christ loveth if in the lowest degree he is flesh of thy flesh and wilt thou hide thine eyes in contempt and haired from thine own flesh St Paul saith No man ever yet hated his own flesh and wilt thou be so unreasonable But if this consideration be too weake go on and view the description which followeth of the state of such a sinner and that is the next generall which God willing the next time shall be set before your eyes that if possible this sin of hatred may be eradicated out of your hearts THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes AMong the manifold excellencies of Gods Law this is not the least that it is according to St Pauls phrase a spirituall Law and that not only effective because dictated by Gods Spirit but Objective because extending to Mans spirit Indeed it is one of the differences between humane and divine Precepts that those only reach the outward these the inward man those only order the conversation these our cogitations Finally those take hold of words and works these of thoughts and desires This is evident in matters of Religion towards God Man requireth the externall observance but Gods internall devotion Man forbideth prophane Oaths but God blasphemous Imaginations nor is it less true in regard of our duty towards Man Humane commands inhibit the gross acts of uncleanness but Divine lustfull affections and to instance in no more whereas only actuall injuries of our Brother come within the compass of Mans cognisance God prohibits the very hatred and enjoyneth the contrary affection of love to him as here we see in the words He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother c. Having discussed the first generall part of the opposition Namely the sin briefly specified He that hateth his Brother we are now to go on to the other which is the state of the sinner as it is largely described in the 9th and 11th Verses 1. That which first occurreth in this description is the sinners own imagination what he fancyeth himself to be He saith he is in the light What is meant by this phrase of being in the light needs not again to be insisted on It is as much as to say he is in Christ he savingly knoweth Christ or he is in a state of grace This is that which he that hateth his Brother may say Indeed this cannot be in truth for St John saith of him He is in darkness and to be at once in the light and in the darkness is impossible but yet he may say so though it be not so and that two waies namely in opinion and profession 1. He that hateth his Brother may think himself to be in the light and so say it in his heart For 1. He may be acquainted in a great measure with the mysteries of Christian Religion and much conversant in divine speculations and for this reason imagine himself in the light The Pharisees though a generation of Vipers for their venemous nature say it of themselves we see and no doubt as to the letter of Moses his Law did see and know much so may Hypocriticall malicious Christians be versed in the Theory of Christianity 2. He may be frequent in Religious performances and upon this account fancy himself to be in the light Those Israelites whose hands were full of blood and therefore their hearts full of malice made many Prayers and offered multitudes
that our Apostle useth it in a Metaphoricall construction and his design in it is double Namely that this Appellation might be both a testimony of his affection towards them and a monitor to them of their duty and in both these considerations there was a great deale of reason why our Apostle should use this title of little Children 1. He calls them little Children to testifie that Fatherly affection which he did bear to them and this no doubt that hereby he might gain a filiall affection from them towards him and an affectionate regard to his Doctrine It is no small piece of policy in an Orator to make way for his instruction by giving evidence of his affection what appeareth to be spoken is commonly taken in love no wonder then if St John Ad majorem benevalentiam induâ—endam filiolos appellat as Justiuian appositely for the gaining of their good will to him declareth good will towards them by calling them little Children And truly so much the more cause had our Apostle to endeavour this in respect both of what he had and was to deliver He was now about to disswade them from loving the world a lesson to which they might probably be very averse it being so hard for us while we are in the world not to be intangled with the love of it nay perhaps they might think he was an enemy to them in requiring them to be enemies to the world it being strange he should will them to contemn that whereof they had continuall use Now by calling them Children and thereby insinuating that he spake to them as a Father they might justly perswade themselves that he advised them to nothing but what was for their good Our blessed Saviour strongly argueth from the Love of a Father If his Son ask bread will he give him a stone or if he ask a fish will he give him a Serpent A question intending a negation doubtless he will not nay rather if he ask him stones or a serpent he will give him bread or â—â—sh Fathers do not use to give nor yet to advise their Children what is hurtfull but usefull for them and therefore by calling them little Children he would let them know that how prejudiciall soever this counsell of not loving the world might seem to them it was given by him as a Father and that which he knew would be beneficiall to them Again He had but now sharply reproved those among them who did hate their Brethren and least they should account him guilty of the sin he reproved as if his reprehension of them proceeded from hatred he presently manifesteth his love by this sweet appellation little Children There is never more need of insinuating into Auditors an opinion of our candid affection towards them then when we use bitter invectives against their sins men being very apt to misconstrue our hatred of their sins as if it were malice against their persons and truly what expression could more represent affection then this of Children Solomon saith The wounds of a Friend are better then the kisses of an enemy and good reason since there is more love in the ones wounds then the others kiss and if the wounds of a Friend much more the reproofs of a Father are from love if it be a rod the Childe must kiss it because it is virga Patris the rod of a Father and surely then though it be a sharp rebuke the Childe must embrace it because it is verbum Patris the word of a Father amor saith the old man in the Poet est optimum salsamentum love is that sauce which giveth a relish to things that are otherwise most distastefull and loathsome Brotherly love saith St Austin and it is no less true of Fatherly Sive approbet me sive improbet me diligit me whether it approve or reprove me it still loveth me and where love is the sweet spring though the waters be the waters of Marah I may chearfully drinke them That therefore our Apostle might render his severe reprehension the more acceptable he would have them know it was from that sincere and tender respect he bare to them and that he might convince them of this cordiall respect he bespake them as a Father with this affectionate title little Children 2. He stileth them little Children to minde them of that duty which concerneth all Christians in becoming as little Children and according to his masters Precept whose language he much delights to follow Indeed it is that which is not to run parallel in all respects and therefore saith Jansenius the imitation of little Children is either good or bad according to the things wherein we resemble them St Paul in one place bids us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew our selves men not women by cowardize no nor yet Children by inconstancy nay he expresly forbids Be not Children in understanding and again Be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every winde of Doctrine we must then be unlike and like to little Children We must not think like little Children for they only minde what is present whereas wisdome teacheth to look afar off and think of hereafter and yet we must think as little Children for their thoughts are not carking and distrustfull about what they should eat or drink or wherewith they should be cloathed we must not desire as little Children do for they ofttimes desire things that may prove hurtfull and destructive to them and yet we must desire as little Children for their desires are earnest and important after the dug we must not understand as little Children for they are but weak and defective in knowledg and yet we must understand as little Children for they are docile and facile to learn we must not speak as little Children for they speak rashly and yet we must speak as little Children for they speak truly we must not like them speak all we think and yet like them we must speak nothing but what we think In few words would we know wherein especially we ought to be as little Children look backward and forward to the sins here forbidden and we shall finde little Children fit monitors of avoiding both and perhaps therefore our Apostle maketh choice of this appellation as very sutable to these instructions 1. Little Children are innocent and harmeless free from hatred and malice they do not plot nor act mischief to others they seek not revenge upon others and this is that wherein chiefly we must resemble little Children To this purpose St Jerome Christ doth not require of his Apostles that they should be little Children in years but innocency and Theodoret on that in the Psalms Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast ordained strength asking the question Who are those Babes and Sucklings answereth Qui lactentium puerorum innocentiam imitati sunt they who imitate the innocency of Sucking Children what need we a better Expositor
age whereas in secular matters every man followeth his particular occupation Tractant fabrilia fabri as the Poets expression is The Smith meddleth with his Anvill the Carpenter with his Rule the Shoomaker with his Last Sola Scripturarum arâ— est quam sibi omne vendicant The profound art of opening Scripture is that which all sorts presume to assume to themselves Every pratling Gossip and doting Foole and malapert Boy will be medling with the Scriptures and instead of deviding mangle it expounding wrest it taking upon them to teach whilst yet they have more need to learn Politicians say that Anarchie is worse then Tyrany and it were better to live where nothing then where all things are lawfull and truly in the Church it is hard to determine which is worse the Papisticall Tyrannie of forbidding all to read or the Anabaptisticall Anarchie of allowing all to expound the Scriptures To clâ—st up this How great is our happiness did or would we know who live in the bosome of such a Church which as she denyeth an unjust so she indulgeth to us our just liberty and how great is both our unhappiness and wickedness whilst some boldly intrench upon the one and more carelesly neglect the other Let it then be the practice of all both old and young to read these holy writings thinke it not enough to hear them read in the Church but In domibus vestris aut uos legite aut alios legentes requirite at home either read them your selves or cause them to be read to you let not any excuse themselves saying Non sum monachus I am no monke seculars are bound to this duty Non novi literas I am not book-learned the greater thine and thy Parents negligence and however thou maist obtain to have them read to thee And when in reading or hearing these sacred Books you meet with difficulties repaire to the Priest whose lips preserve knowledg knock once and again by Prayer for the spirit of illumination and in this case make use of Solomons counsell leane not to thy own understanding These things are written to you Fathers be not you strangers to them exercise your selves in these Books make them with David your delight and your counsellers they are written unto you young Men follow the Psalmists counsell and by taking heed to this word learn to clense your waies They are written to you little Children do you begin to acquaint your selves with them It is recorded for the praise of Timothy that from a Childe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his first years wherein he was capable of learning and instruction he knew the holy Scriptures It is observed that the 119th Psalm is disposed according to the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet perhaps to intimate that Children when they began to learn their Alphabet should learn that Psalm The Jews as a learned Popish Bishop hath noted Filios suos quinquennes ad saera Biblia adaptabant began to acquaint their Children at five years of age with the Bible and pudeat Christianos what a shame is it for Christians not to begin as early as the Jews It was the charge Ignatius gave to the Parents that they should bring up their Children in the nurture of the Lord and to that end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should teach them the holy Scriptures What if Children cannot for the present understand yet they can remember what they read in the Scriptures and the reading of them maketh such impressions upon their minds which are of singular use to them afterwards nor is it any prophanation of those holy writings for Children to take them into their mouths though they cannot read them with that knowledg and consequently devotion as is required in and expected from young Men and Fathers It is very unlikely that those Children knew the meaning of Hosanna whom yet Christ forbade not to utter it It is both piety and prudence to deal with little Children according to their capacity let them first be accustomed to read and then to remember and by this meanes in due time they will be brought to understand and affect those holy writings Though withall prudence adviseth that in reading there be a graduall order observed beginning with such parcels of holy writ as are most necessary and easie to be known The Lords Prayer The Commandments The Sermon of Christ upon the Mount many of the Psalms of David Proverbs of Solomon and such like Portions of Scripture would first be taught to Children and young Men would be advised to be conversant in not attempting to look into the more darke and mysterious parts of Scripture till they have attained by being Catechized by hearing Sermons and other godly helps some good measure of divine knowledg and then in reading what they cannot understand with humility to admire and modesty to enquire into the sense and meaning of such Scriptures 2. But further If we refer this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I write to that command of Love which is prescribed in the preceding Verses that which is here intimated is that Love is such a command as belongs to all sorts of Christians and ages of Men. 1. It belongs to all sorts of Christians little Children weake Christians are obliged to Love patience under the Cross joyfullness in tribulation spiritualness in duty and such like qualifications are not attained till we come to be young men nay Fathers but Brotherly Love is to be Practised by and is expected of them who are but little Children in Christianity Indeed this is one of the first graces which discovers it self in a Saint and even then when a weak Christian cannot say I beleeve in Christ yet he can say I Love my Brother Nor is this duty to be laid aside when we come to be young Men yea Fathers strong yea perfect Christians since as we abound in other graces so especially we must abound in this and the perfecting of a Christian consists much in the perfecting of his Love Indeed when many other graces shall cease Love shall remain the great employment of glorified Saints being to praise God and Love one another 2. It belongs to all ages of Men none but ought to practice and have need to be admonished of it The poyson of anger and hatred is apt to creep into us betimes little Children are prone to fall out and quarrel and fight one with another and young Men being in heat of blood very often boyle over with rage yea old Men are apt to be peevish and froward so that every age stands in need of this bridle of Love to restrain their passion one of the first lessons a little Childe is capable of learning is Love and old Men when they can do nothing else yet may Love it is that grace which is never out of season it is that grace which will fit all Sexes all sizes all Ages and is never out of fashion 3. Lastly If we take
forgiven for his names sake Indeed it is that which this argument presseth in three severall waies 1. In a way of imitation the Brethren are Gods Darlings he loveth all men so far as to forbear them but he loveth them so as to forgive them and surely fit it iâ— that where God forgiveth we should and whom he loveth we should Besides God loveth us so as to forgive us and forgiving to give all blessings to us and shall not we be mercifull and kind and loving to one another after his pattern 2. In a way of Gratulation Thus Naâ—gorgeus urgeth it So great a benefit as forgiveness Facilè persuadet ut eâ— benefaciamus strongly perswadeth that we should returne somewhat to him who and for whose sake we are forgiven Non Christo quidem sed membris this we cannot to him in himself but in his Members Quibus ille jussit To whom he hath commanded us to shew our affections Indeed the good Christian cannot but thus reason with himself If God hath at my request forgiven me pounds and given me Talents shall not I at his command forgive my Brother pence and give him Mites That love he hath shewed to me is infinitely surpassing that love which he expected I should shew to my Brother So that it is impossible for him who is truly affected with his Fathers goodness not to be inflamed with Brotherly kindness as therefore the cold stone or iron being warmed by the â—ire casts forth and reflects that heat which it hath received upon that which is adjacent to it So doth the sincere Christian reflect the heat of Gods Love which is shed abroad in his heart and sheds it abroad in Love to his Brethren 3. In a way of Impetration The comfort of this benefit of forgiveness lieth in the knowledg of it Indeed whosoever hath his sins forgiven is Really but he only who is assured that they are forgiven is sensibly blessed A well grounded assurance cannot be obtained but by finding those graces wrought in us which accompany Remission amongst which this of Brotherly Love is not the least If I can justly say That I Love my Brother for his names sake then and not till then I can comfortably say My sins are forgiven for his names sake When therefore we finde these passions of hatred envy â—â—lice and uncharitableness to boyle in our hearts against others for thoâ—e injuries which either they have or at least we conceiâ—e they have offered to us What better Antidote can we use then a serious meditation of Gods free and full underserved and unmeasutable Love towards us notwithstanding our manifold sins against him Which that we may duly imitate for which that we may be truly thankfull and of which that we may be comfortably assured it concerneth us and accordingly St John writeth to us to Love the Brethren THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 13 14. VERS I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because ye have overcome the wicked one I write unto you little Children because ye have known the Father I have written unto you Fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning I have written unto you young Men because ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have over come the wicked one PHilosophy not unfitly distinguisheth of a threefold naturall Life Vegetative Sensitive Rationall The first discovereth it self by growth and Augmentation The second by Motion and Sensation The third by Discourse and Ratiocination The first is only in Plants the first and second in Beasts all three in Man nor would it be passed by how Man doth as it were gradually put forth these severall Lives living in the Wombe the life of growth so soon as he cometh into the World the life of sense and after the expiration of some years beginning to live the life of reason And as thus there are three Lives so there are three Ages of Mans life which are to be reckoned from that time he begins to act as a man and make use of his reason Namely Childehood Youth old Age Our life is a day whereof Childehood is the Morning Youth the Noon and old Age the Evening After which succeedeth the night of death our life is a journey which consisteth of three Stages Childehood wherein we go up hill Youth in which we run forward and old Age in which we run down hill to the Grave Finally Our Childehood is as a budding Spring our Youth as a flourishing Summer our old Age as a withering Autumn after which followeth the Winter of death With all these our Apostle hath here to do and as every one of them is capable of instruction he directeth his writing to them not only joyntly buâ— severally in the words now read I write to you Fathers because ye have known c. The particular Reasons why our Apostle wrote to every one of these Ages do yet remain to be discussed and before I enter upon them in particular there are two things I will briefly premise 1. That two of them are repeated namely that which respects Fathers and young Men whereas that to little Children is only once mentioned and if we well view it we shall finde there might be good cause for the Iteration of them and so no need to blame the Scribe as if the fourteenth Verse were beedlesly added Besides that one namely that which concerneth young Men is not a naked Repetition but withall an Amplification there is a double reason maybe assigned why he writeth to Fathers and young Men twice and but once to Children 1. Because his discourse was principally intended for Fathers young Men look as in our Preachings though sometimes occasionally we instruct little Children yet we must frequently direct our discourse to those who are drawn up to years of discretion so no doubt our Apostle designed this Epistle for and therefore directeth his writing to the young and old Christians 2. Because the things about which our Apostle writeth are such which young Men and Fathers have more need to be minded of then little Children There is not so great danger of little Childrens being infected with the world because they know not what belongs to it whereas young Men having so much imployments in are apt to be entangled with the world and old Men having been so long acquainted with cannot easily weane their affections from it Little Children are not so sensible of injuries and therefore not so apt to be enraged with hatred as young Men and Fathers are No marvell if he write again and again inculcating the argument by which he would perswade them to Love their Brother and disswade them from the Love of the World 2. That all of them are laudatory Characters commending that good which he observed in them the Fathers for their knowledg of Christ the young Men for their victory and spirituall
here especially observed is that our Apostle speaking of the love of God calls it the love of the Father nor is it without good reason and that upon a double account 1. To informe us under what notion chiefly God is the Object of love True indeed in himself he is good nay goodness which is loves Object but yet this goodness is known to us by its communication and it is good as known which causeth love so that we love God chiefly under those mercifull relations in which he stands to us nor is there any relation of greater goodness towards man then that of a Father He is our King our Master our Judge but under these notions he is especially to be feared as he is our Father principally he is to be loved 2. To insinuate how greatly we are obliged to love God rather then the world The world at the best is but a servant at the worst our enemy as our servant it is to be used not loved at least not with a choice love as our enemy it is to be not loved but hated and trampled on Now God is our Father and there is a naturall affection due from Children to their Parents whom should we love if not our Father so that to love the world before God is as if one should preferre his Servant nay his enemy before his friend his Lord his Father then which what can be more monstrous And when I find the Apostle here disswading from worldly love upon the account of its inconsistency with the love of God I am apt to believe that he purposely phraseth it the love of the Father to render the love of the world which is so repugnant to the love of God so much the more odious to us But to let go the phrase The design of this proposition is manifest there is no positive love of God in him in whom there is a Superlative love of the world he that loveth the world chiefly doth not love God truly he that is a lover of pleasure or wealth or honour more then God is not at all a lover of God Indeed a worldling may be in shew a Saint and as farre as words will go a friend of God so may an Harlot seem kinde to her Husband but as she who giveth her heart to another beareth no reall love to her Husband so he who loveth the world hath no sincere affection to God Upon which account St James calleth worldly sinners Adulterers and Adulteresses so that to speak after our Apostles phrase elsewhere He that saith he loveth the Father and yet loveth the world is a lyar and there is no truth in him It is that indeed which holds true both waies as it is with a paire of scales the one goeth up the other goeth down so it is with these two Loves 1. On the one hand The Negation holds firme the proposition being inverted If any man love the Father the love of the world is not in him Moses rod swallowed up the Magicians so doth the love of God all other loves It is observed of the Sun beames that if they shine bright and hot upon the fire they put it out so do Heavenly affections extinguish Earthly Postquam Amarillis nos tenuit Galatea reliquit When divine love enters in carnall goeth out The command of love to God is of a large extent Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy might and if the love of God take up the whole there is not so much as a corner for left worldly love St Bernard commenting upon that precept thus expounds it and that aptly to our present purpose thou shalt love God withall thy heart soul might that is dulciter prudenter fortiter sweetly wisely strongly and where this love is predominant as that Father hath excellently observed there is no roome for worldly lusts he that loveth God sweetly withall his heart tasteth no sweetness in carnall things which is the lust of the flesh he that loveth God wisely with all his soul is not curicus or covetous of temporall things which is the lust of the eyes he that loveth God strongly so as to indure all things for him regards not honours which is the pride of life Nor is it less true in the direct then in the inverted notion If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Indeed one who hath been a lover of the world may be won to be a lover of God yea he who loveth the world in the second may love God in the first place but as St Gregory hath pithily and aptly exprest it Utraque sâ—mul aequaliter amari non possunt both cannot together be equally loved when the inferior sensitive powers of the soul are vehemently affected the superior rationall faculties are hindred in their operations so is spirituall love by carnall The trees which spread in breadth grow not in height those who extend their love to the things below ascend not in love to the things above Pharaohs leane Kine did eate up the fat so doth the pining love of the world devoure the love of God which is the Fat and Marrow of the soul It is very observable that St Paul describing the wicked conversation of false teachers brands them with these three lusts whose belly is their God the lust of the flesh who glory in their shame or as some read it whose glory is their shame the pride of life who minde earthly things the lust of the eyes to all which he opposeth that one character of himself and the rest of the teachers but our conversation is in Heaven thereby intimating that they who give themselves to worldly lusts are strangers to an Heavenly conversation and consequently to divine affection by which especially we climbe to and converse with God in Heaven To give you yet more fully the sense of this proposition if you compare it with parallel Scriptures you shall finde it will admit of a double enlargement to wit in regard of the predicate and the copula the thing denied and the manner of denying it 1. The love of the Father is not in him nay The hatred of the Father is in him so St James his assertion runs Know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God and that he might bring the charge home to their consciences he repeats it with the change of the Abstract into the Concrete Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God It is true as hath been already intimated he may be a seeming friend but he is a reall enemy and so much the worse enemy because a seeming friend I know if this Question were put to many lovers of the world Do you hate God they would say in Hazaels language Am I a dead Dog that I should do this thing I say my Prayers frequent the Church and thinke
the most part end in a shamefull sadness those in a gladsome success God many times is pleased to blast the hopes cross the desires and evacuate the hopes and endeavours of wicked men in their sinfull waies according to that threat in the Psalmes The desire of the wicked shall perish Hence it is that their desires create a great deale of sorrow and perplexity to them and who would give way to such lusts which prove so often suecessless and being disappointed end in grief and impatiency 2. They pass away that is being fulfilled they are soon glutted in this sense worldly men like Children are soon weary when they have what they desire It is an excellent saying of St Austine Laetitia seculi cum magnâ expectatione speratur ut veniat praeterit cum venerit men are big with hopes of a great deale of content and joy in the accomplishment of their desires and alas delight is no sooner come but it is gone and to the same purpose Seneca saith of worldly pleasures Fluit transit paenè antequam veniat aufertur it is of a Fluid transient nature and is taken away almost as soon as enjoyed The truth is many times whilst the things themselves stay with us our lust to love of and delight in them ceaseth in which respect the world may fitly be compared to the grass and our lust to the flower of the grass for as the flower fadeth away before the grass so our lust passeth away whilst yet the worldly Object continueth yea ofttimes our longing is turned into loathing and our love into hatred witness the story of Amnon and Thamar That observation of St Gregory is very apt to this purpose concerning the difference between corporall and spirituall delights these Cum non habentur in fastidio cum habentur in desiderio whilst we want them they are loathed when we have them they are loved but those Cum non habentur in desiderio cum habentur in fastidio whilst we want them are desired when we have them they are loathed Hence it is that as weake stomachs must have choice of diet so worldly desires call for change of Objects Why did Solomon study such variety of pleasures but because they soon satiate and the wanton appetite is still calling for a new Object Nothing more easie then to surfeit of earthly enjoyments and for those things which being absent were our earnest desire by their continued presence to become an heavy burden Oh let us learn to abhorre these lusts which will of themselves at last end in abhorring 2. Once more Whatever enjoyment we may have of or contentments in these lusts whilst we live they shall all cease when we dye When death cometh the covetous man shall graspe no more wealth the ambitious shall gape no more after honour nor the luxurious neigh after his Dalilah As there is no wisedome nor counsell so there is no desire or delight in the Grave whither we are going These lusts will leave thee when thou dyest how much better is it for thee to leave them whilst thou livest 3. There remaineth yet one branch more of the position and that is though not exprest yet implyed concerning the worldly lover himself For in the other clause the person who doth Gods will is said to abide for ever and so by way of analogie this passing away must be understood not only of the things and the lust but the person who lusts after these things Indeed we are all in this world as in a ship not only the ship it selfe moves but the passengers are carried away in it yea which is the Riddle The Passengers go faster then the ship since even whilst the world continues the inhabitants pass away Paulinus desired St Austin to write somewhat de statu humanae vitae of the state of humane life he presently corrects him telling him he should have said de cursu humanae â—itae of the course of humane life our life being a swift race to the Goale of death And well were it if we would still joyne in our meditations our own and the worlds passing away together If these things do not leave us yet we must leave them and as Esau said I dye and what good will my birthright do me so let us often thinke I must be gone and what good will my honours riches pleasures do me It is the Question and Answer of St James What is your life it is even a vapour which appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away some Expositors observe an emphasis in the your you that are so much in love with this life and the things of it how brittle fraile and transitory are they and it Nor yet is this all that is here implyed since not only that which is common to worldlings with other men is here asserted to wit the passing away by death but such a passing away as is peculiar to him in opposition to the happy estate of them that love God and then the meaning is this he passeth away not only by a first but a second death he loseth this life so as never to enjoy another he so passeth away as to perish not by annihilation but by condemnation he passeth from the worlds joyes to Hells torments Oh the dismall change which a worldling maketh when he dyeth all his good things are taken from him and horrour anxiety despaire and everlasting misery seize upon him So true is that of an Ancient Amor mundi non solum peritorius sed peremptorius Worldly love is not only vain but deadly killing not only the body but soul of the sinner to all eternity To bring this home in a brief Applecation 1. Oh that every one of us would be convinced of the worlds instability Indeed in this as well as in many others the world is a juggler that though it be so inconstant yet it promiseth continuance Fully to this purpose St Gregory The vaine joyes of this present life Quasi manendo blandiuntur sed amatores suos citò transeundo decipiunt flatter us as if they would stay with us and on a sodain by passing away they cheat us Looke as the Sun Moon and Stars to borrow that similitude of Philo the Jew though they move with a most swift and rapid motion seem to the vulgar eye to stand still at least move slowly so do these sublunary things in a worldlings eye That rich man in the Gospell who said to himself Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eate drinke and be merry is called a fool for so saying a foole he was in many respects in that he thought his soul could take any concent in his barnes in that he expected to finde ease in the things of this world which are as thornes in that he supposed those things were only given him to eate drinke and be merry with but the worst foole of all in that
doth not tend to and end in Obedience And so much for the Antithesis by which the Thesis is illustrated Proceed we to the Last particular in this first proposition Namely The Argument by which it is proved laid down in these words Who so keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected Calvin indeed conceiveth these words to be annexed as a description of Obedience so that if we would know what it is to keep the Commandments the answer is It is to have the Love of God perfected in us to this purpose is it that Moses saith What doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to love him And Christ summeth up all the Commandements in those two precepts of love towards God and our Neighbour yea St Paul saith expresly That love is the fulfilling of the Law not only effectivè because it inableth us to keep it but reductivè because the whole Law is reducible to that of love But though this Construction be true yet I conceive it is not so genuine and congruous to the Apostles scope And therefore I rather look upon these words as a confirmation of the preceding clause he that knoweth God will keep his Commandments because he that knoweth him loveth him and he that loveth him cannot but keep his Commandements The strength of this Argument will the better appear if we put it into a Syllogism which we may take briefly thus The Love of God is perfected in all and only those who keep his Word In whomsoever there is a right knowledg of God the Love of God is perfected Therefore Whosoever knoweth God aright will keep his Word And now acording to this Interpretation here are two positions to be insisted on The one whereof is the Minor the other the Major in the Syllogism the one tacitely intimated and the other positively expressed 1. That which is here implyed is that where there is a Knowledg there is also the Love of God and Christ The Love of God may admit of a double reference either Charitas quâ amat or quâ amatur actively the love whereby God doth love or passively the love whereby he is beloved Illyricus understandeth the former and no doubt it is a truth that Gods love is fixed on him who keepeth his Word He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them saith Christ my Father will love him Yea whereas God vouchsafeth a generall love to all men he hath a more speciall favour to obedient persons but if we thus understand the Love of God in this place the phrase of perfected will sound very harsh since there is nothing in God but it is absolutely and infinitely perfect and therefore I reject it More generally and probably Expositors here understand that love which we have to God and so it is an undoubted truth they who know him cannot but love him The truth is therefore is divine knowledg effective because it is affective it commands our actions because it commands our affections and if we know him we keep his Commandements because if we know him we love him It is a rule among the Hebrews that verba notitiae connotant affectus the phrase of knowing noteth such an act of the understanding as carrieth the affections along with it And indeed it is impossible but the affections should be carried on toward the Object when it is rightly known It is a saying of St Austin Qui vult habere notitiam Deâ— amet he that will know God must love him since love causeth acquaintance and it is as true Qui vult habere amorem Dei noscat he that will love God let him know him The necessary connexion between these two appeareth upon a double ground 1. The one in respect of Gods Nature which is good and goodness it self The proper Object of love is good and it is impossible Vt quis bonum cognitum non amaret that good known should not be beloved Be a thing never so good if the goodness of it be not known to us it cannot be loved by us and if our understandings are fully and clearly convinced of its goodness it cannot but draw our love towards it now God is good the chief good a full Universall Originall good There is no goodness in any Creature which is not from him and after a more eminent way in him and therefore he that knoweth him apprehending him infinitely good cannot but be enamored with him Indeed he that rightly knoweth God knoweth him to be justice it self and therefore cannot but fear him Truth it self and therefore cannot but trust him Goodness it self and therefore cannot but love him 2. The other in respect of the Spirits efficacy and operation Idem spiritus qui illuminat inspirat conformem affectum the same spirit is both a spirit of Knowledg and Love Like the fire which giveth both light and heat and wheresoever the spirit worketh savingly there is not only an illumination of the minde but a sanctification throughout whereby the will is inclined to the love as well as the judgment enlightned with the knowledg of God Content not thy self then with a sapless heartless Knowledg Though Christ as God knoweth all persons and things yet he knoweth not them whom he loveth not and therefore he saith himself to the workers of iniquity I know you not and though a man as St Paul specifieth in his own person have all knowledg yet if he have not Charity it is nothing to wit in Gods account and though it may be profitable to others yet it can neither be acceptable to God nor beneficiall to himself 2. But further that which is here expressed and therefore chiefly to be insisted on is that whoso keepeth his Word in him verâ—ly is the love of God perfected The Subject of this clause whoso keepeth his Word is the same for substance with that in the third verse If we keep his Commandements and therefore need not be again handled only the different term of Word would not be passed by The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath especially a double signification both of which may be here made use of to wit ratio and sermo reason and speech According to the former acception Christs Commandements are so called because in them is set before us ratio vivendi the way to order our Conversation aright And there is nothing in them but what is rectae rationi consonum most agreeable to right reason According to this Notion it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St Peter is rendred by the Vulgar Latin Lac rationale and that for this reason quia rationem tradit credendi rectè vivendi because the word set down a just rule but of a right belief and a good life and this by the way may be a strong Obligation to the keeping of what Christ requireth because he requireth nothing but what is just and reasonable According to the latter construction Christs
mortality can and this is that which all ought to aspire after yea some do attain to and may be called a perfection of proficiency 4. Lastly To love God Quantum nulla alia res diligitur so much as no other thing besides is loved by us to love God above all and all in and for God This is that to which every true Christian attaineth even in this life and is called a perfection of sincerity In this last notion Interpreters generally and rationally expound it here So among others Beda and Beza Charitatem perfectam videtur Apostolus eam intelligere quae est vera sincera saith the one the Apostle understandeth by perfect sincere love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hoc in loco non declarat aliquid perfecte consummare sed mendacio simulationi inani opponitur saith the other perfected doth not here signifie to make a thing compleat but is opposed to lying and hypocrisie In this respect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemeth to be a corrective of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he doth not say in him the love of God is fully but verily or truly perfected In this sense he that keepeth Gods Word is said to have the love of God perfected in him upon a double account 1. Because he that keepeth Gods Word doth reipsa praestare really performe love to him Look as a tree is then said to be perfected when it hath not only buds and leaves but fruit so is the love of God perfected when it is not only in desire and profession but practice Indeed love begins at the judgment by a surpassing estimation of God as the chiefest good from thence it acts in the will by ardent desires after and frequent delight in the enjoyment of him but still the reall part of love is that by which the integrality of it is as it were consummated is obedience in doing what he requireth from us 2. Because he that keepeth Gods Word doth hereby plenè manifestare fully declare and manifest that his love to God is sincere in this respect the Greek Scholiast renders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giveth this as the reason because by our good works our love appeareth to be perfect nor is this an unusuall acceptation of the phrase When Gods strength is said to be made perfect by weakness it no doubt intends no more but that it is discovered to be perfect and when Abrahams Faith is said to be made perfect by works Aquinas giveth this as the reason because these were the Operations and so the manifestations of his Faith Thus the keeping of Gods Word perfects our love because it doth discover the perfection of it By this it appeareth to be true and not fained since though fained love may shew it self by words it is only sincere love that expresseth it self by works and were not love deeply rooted in the heart it would not bring forth good fruits in the life Nay indeed by this it appeareth to be strong as well as true look as it argueth nature to be strong in a man when he can perform with vivacity the operations of nature so it manifesteth grace to be strong when a man doth readily performe gratious actions The fire which flameth forth is not only kindled but is fervent and our love manifesteth it self not only sincere but strong when it breaketh forth in our observance of Gods Word throughout the course of our Conversation And now what remaineth but that every one of us approve our love to God by keeping his Word Love to God is that which we all pretend and which is the riddle even profane wretches are ready to say He that loveth not God is not worthy to live but in vain is love to God professed by us in our words whilst it is not perfected in us by our deeds How canst thou say thou lovest me said Dalilah to Sampson since thy heart is not with me It may no less truly be objected how can we say we love God whilest our hands are not lift up to his Precepts The truth is amori cedunt omnes affectus all the affections attend on love it is full of fear of grief of joy of desire He that loveth God cannot but be grieved when he offends him glad when he pleaseth him fearfull to do anything which may provoke desirous and carefull to do whatsoever may delight him and no wonder if where these affections are active there be an endeavour to avoid what he forbids and perform what he requireth I end all let every one of us conceive that Christ saith to us in those words which he is pleased to ingemminate to his Disciples If you love me keep my Commandments and again If any man love me he will keep my word and therefore let us at once both testifie and justisie the truth of our love by the reality of our service ever remembring what this blessed Disciple asserts in conformity to his Masters lesson Who so keepeth his Word in him verily and none but him is the love of God perfected THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. the lat part of the 5 and the 6. Verse 5. Hereby know we that we are in him 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk as Christ walked IT is an amiable excellency in any superiour to become a precedent of that whereof he giveth a Precept and shew himself an Acter in that whereof he is an Exacter from others It was the praise of Caesar that his Word to his Souldiers was not Ite but Venite go but come Nor much unlike was that of Gideon to the people Look on me and do likewise Indeed by this means a Governour layeth a double and so a strong obligation upon the Inferiours whilst he doth at once both enjoyne by his commands and invite by his pattern For this reason no doubt it is that the Captain of our Salvation as he hath prescribed us Laws so he hath given us an Example not imposing that on us to which he did not some way or other expose himself To this purpose are those phrases which are used by him in the Gospel of coming after him and learning of him and for this reason his beloved Disciple here enjoyneth these two together and as in the former verses he calleth upon us to keep his Commandments so here to walk as he walked Hereby we know c. The second principall position is that which cometh now to be handled wherein we have two things observable The Christians being and his operation his state and his work his dignity and his duty The being state and dignity of a Christian is expressed in those phrases We are in him and he abideth in him The Operation Work and Duty of a Christian is signified in those ought himself so to walk as he walked both which we shall consider apart in themselves and then joyntly in the dependance
not commanded nor forbidden by any law need not be imitated by us nor doth this walking as he walked extend to them 3. But lastly Christ walked in a way of Obedience to the Morall Law humbling himself and becoming obedient even to the Death and these footsteps of his Morall Actions we are to tread in For the fuller Explication of this be pleased to know that 1. Our Lord Christ is to speak in Ennodius his phrase Clara Epitome virtutum an exact Epitome of graces in St Bernards language Cardinalium virtutum exemplum a spotless example of the Cardinall virtues or if you will in Tertullians stile cumulata perfectionis massalis summa an accumulated heap of spirituall perfections Suitable hereunto it is that Cresolius cals him a Seminary of graces Temple of Religion Tabernacle of goodness and Habitation of Virtue Indeed there is no grace nor duty either towards God or our selves or others whereof Christ hath not set us a coppy Those graces of trust feare love and obedience which we are to exercise towards God those Virtues of loyalty to Kings Subjection to Parents equity and Charity which are due to man Finally those Ornaments of Humility Temperance Patience by which we possess our selves were all eminent in him as it were easie to demonstrate would the time permit or did the Text require it What he in Lucian said concerning Solon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In seeing Solon you see all that is good may more truly be affirmed of Christ in whom are all treasures of graces as well as knowledg That of the Apostle concerning himself and the rest of the Saints our Conversation is in Heaven may not unfitly be applied to this duty of the imitation of Christ he hath his Conversation in Heaven who leads it according to Christs example and good reason since as Athanasius excellently Christ whilst on earth did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carry Heaven about with him This Sun of Righteousness went through the Libra of justice Leo of fortitude Virgo of chastity Taurus of industry Gemini of love to God and man Indeed the Firmament is not more full of Starres then he is of Graces It is a rule in Philosophy Primum in unoquoque genere est mensura reliquorum that which is the first in any kind is to be the measure of the rest and Christ being the first the grand exemplar of virtue no wonder if we are required to walk as he walked 2. One singular end of Christs comming into the world was that he might become a pattern of duty Indeed the chief and primary end of his advent was to be a Saviour but a Secondary was to be an example Upon this account is it that St Basil saith one end of Christs coming was that in him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in a picture we might behold the lineaments of all virtues and accordingly learn to order our Conversation aright When Christ had washed his Disciples feet he saith to them I have given you an example and truly for this cause he lived that he might give yea according to St Peter for this end he dyed that he might leave us an example that we should follow his steps 3. To endeavour as far as we can that all those graces which Christ practised may shine forth in our Conversations is to walk as Christ walked so that this as here specified admits both of an extent and a restraint 1. Of an Extent As that is in all those morall steps wherein he walked thus Tertullian saith To walk as Christ walked is to observe the Discipline of that Piety and Patience Justice and Wisdome which flourished in Christs life And Prosper putting this Question What is it to walk as Christ walked returneth this Answer it is Contemnere omnia prospera quae contempâ—it non timere adversa quae pertulit libenter facere quae fecit c. To contemn what he contemned suffer what he suffered and do what he did Indeed to imitate Christ but in some things is only to step as he stepped but to walk as he walked is to imitate him in all not onely to be lowly but holy just but charitable as he was go about doing good but suffering evill as he did it is to imitate him in his active and in his passive Obedience to follow him in his Life yea in his Death For as St Austin observeth when Christ was fixus in cruce fast nailed to the Cross he walked in the wayes of constancy courage patience charity towards his enemies which we must practice when at any time we are called to suffer we cannot have a better Expositour of the Disciple then the Master and Christ saith to follow him is to deny our selves and take up our Cross 2. Of a restraint It being an as not of equality but quality nor doth it require an exactness of performance but only a sincerity of purpose Christs phrase is following and coming after him which we may do though non passibus aequis we come far behind him Excellent to this purpose are those Expressions of an Ancient Proderit imitari et si nemo valeat adaequare persequi debemus et si consequi non possimus non eisdem passibus sed eodem tramite eisdem vestigijs insistendum Made equall we cannot conformable we may be to him to attain to his measure is impossible to press hard towards it is necessary to go with the same speed and evenness is not expected but to go in the same path tread in the same steps is required In one word those graces which did flame forth in Christs life must at least sparkle in ours which did shine bright in his must twinkle in ours which were perfectly in him must be sincerely in us so shall we fulfill this Apostolicall dictate to walk as he walked I end this Naturale homini alium imitari Man is naturally a Mimicke and loves to follow and what fuller fitter better pattern can be made choyce of then this here set before us Oh then as Moses did all things in making the Tabernacle according to the pattern which God shewed him in the Mount so let us order all our actions according to the pattern Christ taught in the Mount and as he taught so did in the course of his life Iâ—â—s the command of God to Abraham in the Old Testament walk before me it is the voice of Christ to his Disciples in the New come after me and both very usefull we must walk before God by a continued remembrance of his eye we must come after Christ by a due observance of his steps and so walking as having God to be our Spectatour and Christ to be our guide we cannot wander This is that which hath still been the practice of holy men to set Christ before them as their example this did St Paul who adviseth others to follow him as he did Christ thus did
more do we plead for the Baptizing of Infants Is it not because as Origen and Austin assure us it is a practice which the Church received from the Apostles and so an Apostolicall tradition which the more plainly appeareth because in St Cyprians time though there was a Controversie about Baptizing Infants upon the Eight day yet the thing it self is supposed as a practice then in use and though we do not read totidem verbis in the Scripture that the Apostle Baptized Infants yet it is very probable when as St Paul cald the Children of a believing Parent holy if he do not by the very phrase intend as the Learned Dr Hammond not improbably conceiveth yet that he did allow Baptism to those Children and where we read that whole Families were Baptized the Children might be among the number In one word It is the glory of the Church of England that her Doctrines are exactly consonant to Universall and Primitive antiquity nor do we desire any other rule to examine them by then this which here is laid down by our Apostle The old Commandment is the word which we have heard from the beginning 2. To let this go That which is chiefly to be considered is the Minor of the Syllogisme That the Commandment of love was from the beginning Now that which would here be enquired into is whence this beginning taketh its date Indeed haec vox pro materiâ substratâ varié accipi potest this word beginning may admit of a several reference and I find no less then four several expositions of it here all of which are not repugnant to but consistent with each other from the beginning of their conversion of Christian Religion of the Mosaical administration and of the Creation 1. Some Interpreters render the sence of the words thus from the beginning that is from the time you became Christians and first gave up your names to Christ and were called to the faith according to which sence our Apostle seemeth to assert that one of the first lessons of Christianity is love St Paul speaketh of milk for babes and meat for strong men intimating that there are some Commandments and Doctrines which are only fit for grown Christians but this Commandment of love as it is meat for the strongest so it is milk for babes 2. Others give this construction of the words from the beginning that is From the beginning of the Gospels Publication ever since the Faith of Christ was made known to the world Soon after Christian Religion was revealed there were many who endeavoured to bring in other Gospels but this Commandement which St John wrote of was as old as Christianity and what he delivered to them he received from Christ himself In that Sermon of Christ which is first mentioned by the first of the Evangelists St Matthew this Precept of love is expressed and in the last Sermon that ever he preached this lesson of love is commended to them and being taught by Christ himself it must needs be from the beginning of Christianity 3. Many take the date of this beginning a great deal higher even as high as Moses That which you Israelites had of old in the writings of Moses delivered to you So that we now give no other Commandement in charge to you then that which God cmmanded Moses and the Prophets to preach It is the exposition which I most incline to For since it is not improbable as hath been already suggested that those to whom this Apostle wrote were if not only yet principally the Jews and the design of St John by these words being to prove that what he wrote was no new but an old Commandement it is improbable that he would prove it by a date of not much above sixty years nor would it especially to the Jews have been any conviction of the antiquity of his Doctrine that it was from the beginning of Christian Religion when as in their opinion Christs Religion was a new Doctrine Upon this ground it seemeth a more rationall construction to referre this beginning to Moses and our Apostle could not use a more prevailing Argument to the Jews then by letting them know that the command he gave them was as old as Moses and before enjoyned by him There is only one Objection to be Answered that if this from the beginning be taken so far of how doth the Apostle say not only which you had but which you heard whereas this beginning was many hundred years before they were But the learned Grotius hath framed a fit Answer to my hand interpreting vos by majores vestri you that is your Ancestours according as it is to be taken where it is said whom you slew and did not Moses give you the Law That then which according to this construction is here asserted is that the Commandment of Love was from the beginning of Moses and required in the Law as well as in the Gospell This is that which in some sence is granted by all even the Socinians but so as that they assert something to be added to it by Christ and that upon that account it is called in the next Verse a new Comandment In what sence this Epithete of new belongs to it shall be by and by discovered In the mean time that which the Orthodox assert and I shall endeavour to make good is That the Evangelicall command of Love was from the beginning of the Law and so nothing new enjoyned by Christ which was not before by Moses To this end Be pleased to know that the command of Love may be considred either Extensivè or Intensivè Extensively in regare of the Object or Intensively in respect of the Act. In both these respects say the Socinians Christ hath added to the Law for whereas say they the Law requireth the Jews only to love their Countrymen their Friends the Gospell requireth us to love our enemies and so the extent of the Object is larger And whereas the Law required only of the Jews an Active Love the Gospell requireth a Passive so far as to lay down our lives for the Brethren The chief ground on which they build the former is that of our Saviour You have heard that it hath been said thou shalt love thy Neighbour and hate thine Enemy but I say to you love your Enemies and the foundation which they lay of the latter is that the Law commanded only to love their Neighbours as themselves but the Gospell To love one another as Christ loved us which is in effect to love others better then our selves by laying down our lives for them which is more then the Law required To enervate both these Arguments and establish the truth of the Orthodox Assertion Be pleased to know 1. That Neighbour which is set down as the Object of Love in Moses his Law includeth Enemy as well as Friend To clear this I shall propose a double demand
1. Whither is not Neigbour to be taken in the same latitude when it is said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as when it is said Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour and again Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours Wife nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that is thy Neighbours If this be denied that will be enough to evince it that the particular commands of the second Table are but severall Explications of the generall command Thou shalt love thy Neighbour and therefore it is the same Neighbour to whom we must express our Love by not bearing false witness against him and the like and if it be granted then certainly Neighbour must include Stranger nay Enemy Since the Jews were not to bear false witness against their Enimies or to covet unjustly what belonged to them To this purpose is the note of a Rabbin upon these words of the Psalmist He that doth no evill to his Neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his Neighbour understanding it of enemies as well as friends 2. When our blessed Saviour repeateth this Law of Moses whither did not Christ understand it in the same sense with Moses If he did noâ— then he affixed another sense to Moses his words then what he intended which is not to be imagined if he did then either Moses meant them universally or else Christ did not and so Christ hath added nothing in this particular to Moses As for that passage in our Saviours Sermon Thou shalt love thy neighhour and hate thine enemy it is doubtless to be understood as Abulensis hath well noted only as a Tradition of the Scribes and Pharisees Indeed St Austin and St Hilary seem to be of opinion that hatred was allowed in the Old Testament Yea Oecumenius in this place harpeth upon the same string but by the leave of those Reverend Fathers upon what ground it doth not appear since it is no where written in the whole Body of the Law Thou shalt hate thy Enemies and therefore it is well observed that our blessed Saviour doth not say You have heard that it hath been said by Moses or in the Law but You have heard that it hath been said to wit by the Scribes and Pharisees those corrupt Interpreters of the Law To all this for the further Confirmation I may add That Solomon expresly requireth in his Proverbs and St Paul from him enjoyneth in his Epistle If thine Enomy â—e hungry give him Bread to Eat And if he be thirsty give him water to drink so shalt thou heap coals of fire on his head and the Lord will reward thee That God in the Law gave strict charge concerning the beast even of our Enemy If thou meet thine Enemies Oxe or his Ass going astray thou shalt surely bring it back to him Again If thou see the Ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden and wouldest forbear to help him thou shalt surely help him And certainly he that required them to assist their Enemy in rescuing his beast did not allow them hatred and malice to his Person Nay yet once more in the forementioned place where Moses saith Thou shalt love thy Neighbour is prefixed Thou shalt not avenge nor bear grudge which refers to an Enemie that hath done one an injury As for that lex talionis Law of retaliation though as appeareth by our Saviour it was otherwise construed by the Pharisees yet doubtless it was only intended by God as a rule for the publique Magistrate in his Administrations of justice and is no less in this sense allowable now And though they were to exercise acts of Hostility towards the Nations about them in making no peace with the Ammonites casting out the Cananites and cutting off the Amalekites yet this was by a speciall command from God which both then and now may dispence with a generall Precept and withall their being the Instruments of Gods vengance upon the Heathen did not hinder but that they might be free from any private revenge and so fulfill the generall Precept as well as any Headsman who notwithstanding he is the Executor of Justice may yet love that Person whom he doth execute 2. That Love which the Law requireth may very well in some cases be raised up to that heighth of suffering death Briefly to clear which know That laying down our life in reference to our neighbour is only required in one of these two cases the one when the publique the other when the spirtuall good of others necessitateth to it To lay down a mans life for the publique good is so far from being purely Christian that even Heathens have done it and therefore is no doubt included in the Mosaicall Precept which we may the rather believe because we find himself willing to be blotted out of the Book of Life for the preservation of the People and if it be said that this is to love our Neighbour more then our selves I answer It is not if we take Neighbour Distributively and if we take it Collectively for the Generality even nature teacheth us and surely then Moses his Law did require to prefer the puhlique before the private Wellfare a Generall before a Particular good 3. But that dying which is especially an act of Love is when we are willing to lose our own temporall life for the eternall good of others An example of this we have in the Old Testament What else meant Davids wish in regard of his Son Absalom when he said Would God I had died for thee Desiring no doubt to prevent that eternall death into which he had reason to think his Son dying in Rebellion against his King his Father was now plunged by the loss of his temporary life And in truth though this be to love our Neighbours Souls better then our Body yet it is not to love our Neighbour better then our selves and therefore exceeds not the Mosaicall Precept Caeâ—eris paribus let there be an equality every way and a Christian is as much bound now to prefer himself before his Neighbour as a Jew was and in way of inequality a Jew was bound to dammage himself for his Neghbours good as well as a Christian I am not to love my Neighbours Soul more then my own Soul nor his Body more then my Body nor his Estate more then my own Christian charity in this respect as well as Jewish begins at home only when it is my Estate or Body and my Neighbours Soul which come in Competicion this must be valued above those and this is required by Moses as well as Christ In one word That addition as thy self was certainly intended not as a Limitation or Restriction but rather as an Amplification and Inlargment of this duty of love that look how dear and entire and cordiall that love is which men bear to themselves the same they ought to have towards their Neighbours And therefore I shut up this
by him are very imperfect in comparison of the Gospell Revelations 3. If you like to retain the common signification of true as opposite to false you must take in the Verb shineth and so the sense will be clear the true light shineth only in the Gospell and therefore the Law is called darkness True there was a light a true light in the Law but it did not shine forth it was as it were hid under a Bushell and so a state of darkness in comparison of the shining light in the Gospell It is very observable to this purpose that all things were covered and wrapt up to the Jews when they carryed the Brasen Altar in the wilderness they covered it with a Purple Cloth when they carryed the Ark it was covered with three coverings a Vail a Badgers skin and a Cloth of blew the Table of the Shew Bread had three coverings and except the laver every thing was covered in the Temple Yea the Temple it self had a Vaile When Moses came from the Mount his Face was vailed the Priests bare the things which they might not see and all this to signifie what a concealment there was of divine knowledg under the Law To this purpose St Gregory allegorizeth these words of the Psalmist Tenebrosa aqua in nubibus Dark water in the Clouds that is Occulta scientia in Prophetis the darkness of knowledg in the Law and Prophets It is true Eternall life Salvation by Christ and those other sublime truths are to be found in the Law but as a Face under a Mask as a Sun in a Cloud Heavenly wrapt up in Earthly promises Christ involved in Types and Figures There were but few that knew any thing of these truths in comparison of the multitudes now and that they did know was but obscurely in comparison of the clearness now Divine knowledg was then as an Oyntmennt kept close in an Alablaster Box now the savour thereof perfumeth the whole house Then it was at best but as the dawning of the Day now it is full Noon and those Doctrines which were velata inveteri folded up in the Old are revelata in novo unfolded in the New Testament To this tends that expression used by St Paul concerning Christians We all with open face behold the glory of the Lord. The Jews faces were vailed ours are open they according to the Apostles phrase elsewhere saw afar of and so darkly we as it were near hand and so clearly To summe it up Look as the true shining light of the Gospell in comparison of that beatificall Vasion so the typicall instruction of the Law in comparison of Evangelicall teaching is but darkness or at best a shadow Indeed the Triumphant Church is in intimis the holy of holies The Christian Church Militant in atrijs the holy place But the Jewish in extimis the outward Court When God gave the Law the second time he commanded the people to stand at the foot of the Mount Aaron Nadab Abihu and the Seaventy Elders of Israel to worship afar off in the middle of the Mount and Moses ascends to the top of the Mount even within the Cloud by which three one hath represented the three states of the Church By those who stood at the bottome the Jewish By them who worshipped in the middle the Christians And by Moses the glorified Church In one word to use St Ambrose his phrase Umbra in lege imago in Evangelio veritas in Cael◠the Truth is in Heaven the Image in the Gospell but in the Law only the shadow 2. The just fitness of those Metaphors darkness and light in reference to the Law and Gospell being manifested that which next is more briefly to be considered is that which is predicated concerning both Namely That the one is past and the other now shineth Indeed the word for passing is in the Present Tence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth pass away for when St John wrote this Epistle it was only in fieri passing not past those Legall Ceremonies began to dye at Christs Passio◠then in signification thereof was the Vail of the Temple not only perforatum or attritum or laceratum worn or torn a little but rent in twain from the top to the bottome but they were not dead and buried till the destruction of the Temple it self so that during the space between Christs Passion and Jerusalems desolation they were passing away and the Evangelicall Administration did more and more display it self Thus as when the house is built the Scaffold is pulled down when the Sun ariseth the Starrs disappear when the Prophet himself came the staffe was taken off and when Christ increased John the Baptist decereased so when the Gospell was published the Legall Administrations vanished away And surely the Consideration hereof should teach us on the one hand to bewaile the hardned Jews who though the darkness be past and the true light now shineth shut their eyes against the light and love to abide in darkness St Hierome very aptly compareth the Jews before Christ to those that eat the flesh Christians under the Gospell to those who eat the Marrow but the Jews now to the dogs that gnaw the bone Indeed those Legall observances at the best were only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shadow but now they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 darkness exitiall to those who still embrace them Oh let us pitty and pray for the blinded Jews that the vaile may be taken from their faces and they may behold the light which shineth so brightly nor is there less cause of gratulation in respect of our selves then lamentation in regard of the Jews It was a great benefit to learning when the obscure hyeroglyphicks of the Aegyptians were changed into letters and Platoes dark writings were brought down to more easie conceptions by Aristotle but surely farre greater is the benefit which the Church hath now the Evangelical Administration suceeding in the room of the legall Oh how fitly may that expression of the Psalmist be taken up by us Christians God is the Lord which hath shewed us light a clear full glorious light let us be glad and rejoyce in it To winde up this first Interpretation by considering the words in this sense as an argument why this command of love ought to be true in us Namely Because we live under the Christian dispensation Indeed hatred and malice were not tollerable in the Jews but they are abominable in us Christians who should live in love if not we to whom the love of God and Christ is so clearly revealed Oh my brethren how sad is it to think though the shadow as some read it the darkness as others be past and the true light now shineth yet we may too truly complain that the shadow remaineth nothing but shadows of grace fancies of godliness found among us nay the darkness of envy and hatred and all uncharitable walking prevaileth among us Oh be we exhorted since we
some measure of strength to performe this command darkness is hatefull but light is lovely the darkness of sin causeth hatred but the light of grace love if the wild Beast of envy and malice range abroad in thy Conversation it is a plain argument that as yet it is might with thee For a close of this particular I have already told you that according to this sense these words true in you are to be read Affirmatively and so they are a commendation of those to whom our Apostle wrote and intimate that this command which he was to impose on them was already true in them and his designe hereby no doubt was to encourage them the more in the practice of this duty Since according to that of the Oratour Trabimur omnes laudis studio all men love to be commended and praise is a spurre to Virtue This is that policy which our blessed Saviouâ— himself is pleased to use in all his Epistles to the Asian Churches except that of Laodicea owning and praising those graces which he saw in them The like we may find practised by all the Apostles in their Epistles St Paul writing to the Corinthians Now I praise you Brethren to the Galathians you did run well St Peter Whereunto you do well that you take heed It were easie to instance in each and surely this practice is deservedly imitable by Ministers towards their People Superiours towards Inferiours Yea all men one towards another Render to all their dues honour to whom honour belongeth saith St Paul It is a breach of that justice which is due from man to man not to give due commendations Indeed flattery is abominable and therefore there must be Salt as well as Honey in our praises commendations are then commendable when they are done with fidelity and exceed not verity having just ground and ayming at a right end we may we ought to acknowledge and declare the good which we see in others as here St John doth But perhaps you will say if this were true in them already what need our Apostle write this Commandment to them is it not in vain to bid a man do that which he already doth I answer No and that upon a double account 1. That which was true must be still true and so a command may be given to enjoyn the continuance in as well as the entrance upon any duty As the Devill diverteth some from so he interrupteth others in the performance of what is good we had need to be called upon once and again least we faint in the race 2. That which was true ought to be more true in them we fulfill no command so exactly but we may complain of manifold defects nor do we ever so well but still we may do in all better the truth of Love and every grace is in whom the true light shineth and on whom regeneration is confer'd but the strength of grace may still be deficient and therefore there is continuall need of writing and Preaching this Commandment even to those who practice it To end all What remaineth but that this large and excellent Preface with which our Apostle ushereth in his discourse of love have an effectuall influence upon our hearts and lives to prepare us for the Doctrine and excite us to the practice of it It is a command and that not antiquated but still in force it was practised by Christ himself and all his holy Apostles it is most suitable to the Gospell Administration under which we live yea if we have the true light of grace in us this cannot but be in some measure exercised by us And therefore that we may obey this old and new Commandment which God hath given us that we may follow that choice and excellent pattern which Christ and his Apostles have set us that we may walk worthy of the Gospell which shineth among us Finally That we may declare our selves to be indeed what we profess brought from darkness to light let us attend to and set upon the performance of the following instruction which should now be handled but that the time prevents and therefore must be referred to another opportunity THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 9 10 11. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even untill now He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him He that hateth his Brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes WHat humidum and calidum the naturall heat and radicall moisture are to the body that are repentance and love to the soul nor are those more necessary to the conservation of our temporall then these to the sustentation of our spirituall life Indeed the principall grace is Faith this brings as it were the copula that which knits Christ and the Christian together in Union with whom consists our life but the maintaining of this life is by the moysture of godly contrition for our sins and the warmth of holy affection towards God and Man no wonder if we find as Faith and Repentance so likewise Love frequently inculcated in holy writ upon all Christians Indeed this latter is one of the principall Subjects of this Epistle so that though our Apostle minds us of Repentance in confessing our sins and Faith in believing on the Name of Jesus Christ yet he chiefly insists on loving and that as God so our Brother which is the design of the Verses I have now read He that saith he is in the light c. Having dispatched the preamble inciting contained in the two former Verses I am now to procced to the Doctrine instructing laid down in these three for whereas before he had mentioned a Commandment concerning which he did now write to them and withall adorned it with very amiable Characters he now plainly and expresly declareth what this Commandment is Namely That of loving our Brother for so Interpreters well observe these Verses to be an Exposition of the generall commendation in those and having by his large praises endeavoured to inflame them with desires after the knowledg and practice of it he goeth on to informe them what it is and wherein it consists Nor would it be passed by that our Apostle in handling this Doctrine of Love pursueth that Metaphor which he made use of in the former Chapter where he layeth down the generall scope of his Epistle hereby no doubt intending to intimate to us that this duty of Brotherly Love is a primary step of that walking in the light which intituleth to fellowship with God and so on the contrary hatred of our Brother a chief step of that walking in darkness which depriveth us of that communion so that we are now come to the fourth step of that divine walk which St John designeth to chalke out in this Epistle The first whereof is Repentance
The second Obedience The third Imitation of Christ And now the fourth which we are from these verses to discourse upon is The love of our Brethren He that saith he is in the light c. In these three Verses we have two generall parts considerable A Grace proposed The Vice opposed The proposition is in the 10. Verse The opposition in the 9 and 11. Verses And inasmuch as the grace is in order of nature before the vice and according to that Geometricall maxime Rectum est Index sui obliqui the way to know when we commit the sin is to understand the nature of the grace and yet further since the opposition is intended as an amplification of the proposition I shall therefore in handling these Verses begin with the middlemost wherein is contained The Thesis or grace proposed He that loveth his Brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him In the discussion whereof be pleased to observe two things the nature and the benefit of the grace the former in the Subject the latter in the praedicate of the proposition 1. The Subject of the proposition He that loveth his brother So that the grace here set before us is the love of our Brother St Austin speaking of love hath observed a foure fold Object whereabout it is conversant Quod supra nos quod nos sumus quod juxta nos quod infra nos The first above us namely God The second our Selves The third about Vs The fourth beneath us our Bodies and as he well observeth two of them are so naturall that there is no need of a Precept to wit our selves and especially our bodies and therefore the command of love is expressed in these two the Love of God and of our Neighbour the latter of which our Apostle here calls for If you look backward upon the 5. Verse of this Chapter you find the Apostle speaking of the Love of God that being indeed the primary Object of Love and here he adviseth to the love of our Brother these two being not contrary but subordinate a little after he speaketh of two Loves which are inconsistent the Love of the Father and the Love of the World but it is not so with the Love of God and our Brother nay Indeed the former is a â—ause of the latter and the latter a testimony of the former Love to our Brother is effected by our love to God and our Love to God is perfected by love to our Brother and therefore very fitly doth our Apostle here speak of the latter having before mentioned the former because he is now about to describe the word or Commandment the keeping whereof perfects that is declareth our love to God to be perfect or sincere which is no other then Brotherly love For the better unfolding of which I shall briefly resolve these two queries What that Love is which we owe to our Brother Who that Brother is whom we are so to Love Not to discourse of Love at large be pleased to know That to Love our Brother as Zanchy well defineth 't is To have our mind so inclined towards him as that we will and to the utmost of our power conferr good upon him Suitable hereunto is that description of the Philosopher Love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To will that which is good to and as far as we are able to do that which we will for another If then you ask what is the formal act of this love I answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benevolence If what is the proper effect of it The answer is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficence nor can love be where either of these is wanting on the one hand if there be beneficence and not benevolence it is not love When St Paul saith Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity it profiteth me nothing he intimateth that it is possible for a man to bestow his goods on the poor and yet want love liberality being sometimes a fruit rather of vain glory then charity On the other hand if there be benevolence and not beneficence it is not love since it is only vellâ—â—tas not voluntas a wishing and woulding not a serious willing Trahit secum animorum propensio omnem beneficentiam saith Gualter a cordial propension carrieth with it a vigorous prosecution In this respect St James chideth those who when a Brother or Sister is naked and destitute of daily bread say to them depart in peace be you warmed be you filled notwithstanding they gave them not those things which were needfull for the body that is not charity which only expresseth it self in words not works love being an emanation of the will in a way of adhaesion to its object cannot but will all good to the object loved and since the will is the Queen Regent of the whole man in which regard the actions of all the other faculties are called the imperate acts of the will commanding the execution of its inclination it must needs follow that he who seriously wills cannot but really endeavour his brothers good and therefore that velleity which like an empty cloud vanisheth away without efficacy is not an act of love in which respect some not unfitly give the sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to move every â—â—one and use all meanes for accomplishing the good we will only that caution according to our ability must be here inserted for as S Paul saith in this very case If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not where there is want of ability benevolence though it cannot be profitable to our Brother yet is acceptable to God and ought to be to him without beneficence The one then namely a good will is absolutely and alwayes necessary The other to wit good works conditionally and with this limitation so farre as they are within the sphere of our activity and compass of our ability Besides this general definition of love it will not be amiss somewhat more particularly to enquire into the several wayes of exercising it that we may see how many lines meet in this centre of love which may both fully and briefly be delineated by a double reference 1. To the present condition of our brother who Either hath the good already and then love first blesseth God and next congâ—atulateth him rejoyceing him at the presence and willing the continuance yea encreasing of it so farre as may be good and expedient for him Or else he wants the good and is distressed by some kind of evil and then love beareth a part with him in his sufferings by sympathie wiping away his teares with the spunge of her compassion yea not only so but endeavoureth to relieve him in and deliver him out of his affliction above all praying with earnest prayer and supplication to God for
him 2. To the several kindes of good which concerne this life and that which is to come Thus love 1. willeth and endeavoureth chiefly the spiritual good of his soul instructing his ignorance rebuking his wickedness exciting his negligence supporting his weakness resolving his doubtfullness laying forth readily what gifts God hath vouchsafed to her yet still within the compass of her calling for the edification of others 2. Next she wisheth well to and taketh care of his temporal advantage in body name estate feeding the belly cloathing the back of her brother and so making the one her barn and the other her wardrobe and both her treasury concealing those secret faults which might and confuting those false slanders which do impair his credit finally seeking the things of another his outward welfare gain prosperity as well as her own yea when need requireth throwing the fat dung of her wealth upon the barren soyl of her brothers mean estate By this time you see both the intent and the extent of the aâ—â— of love which is here required Pass we on to the object whereabout it ought to be conversant and so to a resolution of the second Question Who this brother is whom we ought thus to love To this end you may please to take notice of a double fraternity to wit carnal and spiritual the one is by the bloud of man the other by the bloud of Christ 1. Carnal Brotherhood in its utmost latitude reacheth very farre nor can we too farre extend the meaning of brother in the Text according to this notion For the clearing whereof observe these particulars 1. Brother in the strst and strict acception is predicated of those who have the same immediate parents the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coming from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 uterus intimateth as much one that cometh out of the same womb the same loynes hath the same Father and Mother with another is most properly a brother 2. Brother is sometimes enlarged further to affinity and so kinsmen are in Scripture phrase called brethren The Jewes say concerning Christ Is not this the Carpenter the sonne of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his Sisters here with us whenas yet we rationally conceive that the blessed Virgin never had child besides him and as he is caled her first born because none before him so we read not of any she had after him and therefore He her only one So that his kindred and aâ—â—yes are called his brethren and sisters according to the usual form of speech among the Jewes 3. Brother is sometimes yet more largely applied to all those who are of the same countrey thus where the Jewes are forbid to take usuâ—y of a brother and required to set him King over them whom the Lord their God should choose from among their brethren brother is manifestly taken in opposition to a stranger one of another nation so that not only cognatione but natione by kindred but countrey there cometh in a Brotherhood 4. Brother is yet capable of a farre greater extension and so taketh in all men inasmuch as there is not only identitas naturae a specifical identity of nature but originis a numerical identity of original He is in strict sense a brother who hath the same immediate parents well may he be a brother in a large sense who hath the same mediate parents thus all men came from the loynes of one man Adam and from the womb of one woman Eve in which respect the Apostle saith he hath made of one bloud all the nations of the earth Indeed all Angels have the same intellectual nature one with another but they did not all come from one Angel but were severally and immediately created whereas God though he could have created millions made but one man and ordained that out of him all the race of mankind should proceed in which regard every man is brother to another And therefore â—ertullian writing to the Heathen saith Fratres etiam vestri sumus jure naturae matris unius we Christians and you Heathen are brethren in a natural way as having the same original Thus as Circles in the water do enlarge themselves one greater then the other so do the acceptions of this word If now you shall ask me in what acception brother is here to be taken I answer with Augustine Estius and Danaeus Hoc loco fratrem omnem hominem debemus accipere in the largest as including every man St Gregory speaking of this duty of love well observeth Aliud est quod sponté impenditur naturae aliud quod praeceptis divinis ex charitate debetur obedientiae there is doubtless something more intended by the precept then what we are prompted to by nature to love our countrymen our friends our brother is that which we are naturally enclined to so that they who do not performe it are justly branded as without natural affection whence by the way we may see what an unnatural age we live in wherein Englishmen are so cruell to one another kinsmen worry each other yea one brother betrayeth and supplanteth another But surely the contrary to those horrid acts I mean natural affection is not all that is here intended it is the love of all men which is required of us According to this notion frater and proximus brother and neighbour are of equall extent and so the mandate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of our neighbour or brother which is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every man True it is our love must be regular and orderly and therefore caeteris paribus other things being alike we must preferre a brother before a kinsman a kinsman before a countryman a countryman before an alien but yet so that as farre as we are able the beames of our love may seaâ—ter themselves throughout the world And thus to love our brother is to love every man 1. Sive bonum sive malum as well the bad as the good God causeth his Sunne to shine and his rain to fall upon the unjust no less then the just and we must express our love to the wicked as well as godly 2. Sive amicum sive inimicum as well enemy as friend it is Christs express precept Love your enemies and as S Austin truly Hâ—c est vera germana charitas this is right Christian-charity To wish well to those that wish well to us to do good to them that do good to us is no more then what Publicans do so out blessed Saviour nay then what Thieves Dragons Wolâ—â— and all sort of Beasts do so that fore-mentioned Father But to wish well to them that wish us ill and do good to them that do us hurt this is that which Christians ought to practise yea as Tertullian truly solorum Christianorum only they can do
it If thy enemy hunger saith St Paul feed him if he thirst give him drink the Hebrew word in the proverb whence St Paul borroweth it is rendred by Vatablus Propina ei aquam not only give him drink but drink to him as a token of love that it may appear however he is towards thee thou art reconciled to him Excellent to this purpose is that advice of Gregory Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we must say brethren unto them that hate us and accordingly express brotherly love to them And thus in this construction of brother we have beheld the extension of love how farre it reacheth in regard of the objects about which it is conversant 2. But besides this carnal fraternity between all men there is a spiritual brotherhood between all Christians they have all the same Father even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who begetteth them again they have the same Mother the Church Jerusalem from above which bringeth them forth they all are washed in the same laver of regeneration baptisme partake of the fame immortal seed and are nourished by the same sincere milk of the Word Finally they are all begotten to the same undefiled inheritance heirs of the same glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens Alexandrinus we call them brethren who are born anew of the same Word yea quanto dignius fratres dicuntur habentur saith Tertullian how much more deservedly then other men are they called and accounted brethren who acknowledge one Father God have drank of one spirit of holiness and are brought forth of the same womb of ignorance into the glorious light of Evangelical truth A brother in the sense above-mentioned is only so by nature but in this by grace that 's only a brother on the left hand but this on the right hand that of the earth earthly but this from heaven heavenly In this sense some Expositors and as I conceive most rationally take the word here this name brother being by the Apostle and afterwards in the primitive times in common language given to all and only those who did embrace Christian Religion and which maketh this interpretation more manifest is that our Apostle in the next Chapter phraseth it love the brethren which seemeth to indigitate a certain society of men so called yea in the fifth Chapter at the beginning he describeth him whom here he calls brother to be one that is begotten of God According to this construction that which is here required is called by the Apostle Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly kindness and is distinguished as a particular species from its genus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is presently annexed charity As then there is a general love which belongeth to all men so a special love which belongeth to all Christians and as we must do good to all men so especially to the houshould of faith indeed seeing the Christian brother hath a double cause of love in him that is Gods image as a man and Gods graces as a Christian we ought to deal by him as Joseph did by his brother Benjamin whose mess was five times greater then the rest of his brethren If any shall yet further enquire why our Apostle speaking of this love to a Christian calls him by the name of a brother I answer for these three reasons because this name of brother carrieth in it an obligation to a specification and modification of that love which is here required since we must love a Christian quia quatenus qualis because he is a brother inasmuch as he is a brother and with such a love as is among brothers 1. This word Brother carryeth with it a strong Obligation to Love In fratris voce ratio so Danaeus It is an urgent reason why we should Love a Christian because he is our Brother all relation is a ground of affection and hence it is a man loveth any thing that is his the nearer the relation the greater tye to love and therefore the more reason why a Brother should be beloved the nearest relation is that which is spirituall and therefore yet greater reason to Love a Christian who is ours our Brother yea our Brother in Christ When Moses saw two Israelites Countrey men strugling together he said to them Sirs you are Brethren why do you wrong one another when Abraham and Lot kinsmen were likely to fall out saith Abraham Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee for we are Brethren when Socrates saw two Brethren striving one with another he told them they did as if the two hands which were made to help should beat each other so that since Christians are Brethren in the highest and closest relation this should be a great ingagement upon them to love 2. This word Brother intimateth a specification of this love in regard of its Object which is then rightly placed when it is upon a Brother as he is a Brother that is a Christian as he is a Christian One that is a Brother in this spirituall notion may be my naturall Brother or Kinsman and then to love him is what nature dictates or he is my Friend and Benefactor and so to love him gratitude teacheth or he is able to do me either an injury or a courtesie so that I have cause to fear the one and hope the other and in this respect to love him self love prompts me or once more he may be a man of rare naturall and acquired endowments and to love him for this ingenuity moves me but to love him because he is a Brother in a spirituall sense this is that which Christianity inciteth to and this only is a right Christian love Indeed thus to love him is to love him in reference to God and Christ because he hath the grace of God in him the Image of God upon him To love him as a Brother in this sense is to love him as a Son of God a Member of Christ and as St Hieromes phrase is Diligere Christum habitantem in Augustine to love God and Christ dwelling in him And now if any shall say it is hard nay impossible to know any man to be such a Brother and therefore how can I love him as such when I cannot know him to be such I answer that there is a great deale of difference between the judgment of certainty and charity love doth not need nor require infallible but only probable signs and therefore whosoever doth profess the true faith of Christ and doth not by a flagitious conversation give that profession the lye love taketh him to be a Brother and to love one because he atleast seemeth to be such a one by his externall Profession and Conversation so as the more Christian graces we discover in him the more we are affected towards him this is that which most especially falleth under the Precept of loving our Brother 3. Yet once
from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Claudic◠it signifies any rub or block cast in a mans way which may indanger halting or falling and therefore is fitly here rendred occasion of stumbling In what sense this is true that there is no occasion of stumbling in him that loveth his Brother Expositors somewhat vary yet so as that they are all consistent with the Analogie of Faith and scope of the place 1. Some understand scandall in an active sense and thus render it there is no occasion of stumbling given by him he taketh care that neither by opprobrious language injurious action or vitious example he give a just offence so as may occasion the fall and ruine of his Brother St Paul writing to the Philippians exhorts them to be blameless and harmless where the former word according to its derivation signifies that we must not be as beasts who push with their horns and thereby do much harme and the latter word signifies one de quo nullus queri potest of whom none can justly complain and they are well put together since as St Austin aptly quis de illo just è queritur qui nemini malè vult he that is harmless must needs be blameless nor can he be justly complained of by who doth no injury to another such is every one who loveth his Brother Love nec reti◠tendit nec laedere intendit neither doth nor desireth anothers wrong it worketh no ill saith the Apostle and again in another place it thinketh not evill wisdome avoideth the snares which are laid by love layeth no snares for others yea so cautelous is charity that shee will rather abridg her self of liberty then do what may offend her weak Brother and therefore St Paul expresly saith to him who did grieve his Brother with his meat which yet was in it self lawfull to eat now walkest thou not charitably Indeed this is that which floweth from the very nature of love for since it is as hath been already shewed a willing of good it must needs infer a nilling of evill to my Brother it being impossible that I should at the same time will and nill the same thing to the same person and therefore since if I will good I must nill evill no wonder if by him that hath a true love there be no occasion of stumbling given to his Brother 2. Others interpret scandall in a Passive sense there is no scandall or occasion of stumbling given to him not but that there will be blocks laid in the way but he passeth over them and so falleth not at them according to that of Solomon It is the glory of a man to pass over a transgression To this purpose is Zanchies note upon the Text it is not Non est illi scandalum but Non est in illo scandalum finding an Emphasis in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Grotius conceiveth to be a Pleonasm there is no offence to him but not in him that is though it may be given by others yet it is not taken by him in which respect are those expressions of St Paul Charity suffereth long is not easily provokt beareth all things and St Austin observeth upon this place Qui diligit fratrem tolerat omnia propter unitatem he that loveth his Brother for unities sake beareth with all things the back of love will sustaine a load of wrongs and when it is moved with violence it is not removed from patience It is St Peters phrase and he borroweth it from the Wiseman Love covereth a multitude of sins and as it covereth them from others by concealment so which is especially intended from her self by connivence and forgivness and this she exerciseth in respect not of a few but many injuries herein being to use St Chrysostoms comparison like to fire which burneth up not only a few sticks but a great wood thus whilst faith is a resolute grace having cedo nulli for her Motto love is a yielding grace and so passing over is not offended those wrongs which like stumbling blocks are thrown in her way 3. But there is another construction of these words which as it is of no less verity so is of greater latitude by scandall to understand transgressions these being those stumbling blocks which cause us to fall and hurt yea ruine our selves and thus the sense of the clause is He who loveth his Brother escapeth those hainous sins into which others fall walking in the Commandments of the Lord blameless This is that which taketh in the other constructions for inasmuch as he doth not willingly give offence therefore he avoideth those sins by which his Brother is offended and since he doth not easily take offence he avoideth those sins to which others are provoked It were easie to instance in the severall Commandments how the love of our Brother prevents the breaches of them he that loveth his Brother because he is a Brother much more loveth his Father God and loving God abborreth those prophanations of his Worship Name Day which ungodly men wound themselves by Again he that loveth his Brother will reverence him if his superiour dare not injure him in his Wife Estate Name or any thing that is his And if you please to put these two together abiding in the light and no occasion of stumbling you shall find the one a manifest reason of the other By the opposition of being in darkness and walking in darkness to abiding in the light it appeareth that abiding in the light implyeth being and walking in the light whereby he escapeth what ever might be a stone of offence or stumbling block in his way If any man saith our blessed Saviour walketh in the light he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world and thus he that loveth his Brother having the light of saving knowledg and grace to shine before him nunquam imping it so Grotius never fals but inoffenso gradu pergit so another goeth on inoffensively in the path of eternall life Indeed we must take this with some restriction not as if he that loveth his Brother did not sometimes fall into sin but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not into scandalous and injurious sins and this too with reference to his abiding in the light it is possible for a charitable Christian to step-out of the light and then he may fall foulely but so far as he is regenerate and abideth in the light he is free from such sins 4. Once more Grotius conceiveth that the Apostle in these words hath some reference to the 70. reading of the 165. Verse of the 119. Psalm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them and so it intimateth the inward tranquillity which as they that love the Law so he that loveth his Brother doth enjoy so as that what soever befals him he is not disturbed nor distracted by it it is that indeed
of darkness yea it is the strict charge he layeth upon the Thessalonians Now we command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly we ought as much to hate familiarity with the wicked as to dread upon burning coals or go into an infected house and therefore this kind of hatred is not here intended 4. Once more All hatred of enmity in respect of others is not to be condemned if they be enimies not so much to us as to the Church yea God himself and this not out of ignorance but malice and so implacable we may we ought to be enemies to them Holy David hath set us a pattern hereof when speaking to God he saith Do not I hate them oh Lord that hate thee and am not I grieved with them that rise up against thee I bate them with perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Hence no doubt are those imprecations and curses which we meet with in the Psalmes wherein we finde that holy man wishing not only disapointment to the hopes inâ—atuation to the counsels but destruction to the persons of Zions adversaries And surely thus far we may and ought to imitate him as in generall to pray against and wish the ruine of all the Churches irreconciliable adversaries though as to particulars we must take heed of going too far in this way it being difficult if not impossible for us determinately to assert concerning any one that he is an implacable enemie of God and Religion and yet when we see one who with Julian hath professed himself to be a Christian Brother and so far Apostatizing as openly to prosecute Christianity with utmost fury notwithstanding manifold convictions or who still pretending to be a Brother oppugneth with no less virulency though more subtilty the Christian Religion in its Orthodox profession swallowing up her revenues forbidding her publique services stopping the mouths of her Preachers suffering blasphemies and heresies to obscure her plucking up the pillars which should uphold her and persecuting all that embrace her and all this against clear convictions which he either hath or might have did he not shut his eyes together with frequent and multiplyed admonitions since we can have very little or no hopes of such a mans conversion we may and ought to desire of God if he will not please to convert him to confound not only his devices but his person and to cut him off from the land of the living only we must take heed to the frame and temper of our spirit that this our hatred of and wishing ill to him purely proceed from a love to Gods Church and a zeal for his glory not out of any personall or private respect to our own revenge 2. Having thus dispatched the first way â— proposed to tread in Namely the restriction and exclusion I shall now step into the other path and let you see the extent and enlargement of this sin in these following assertions 1. There are two sins namely envy and malice which are as it were the ingredients of this hatred St Paul seemeth to intimate so much when he first mentioneth malice and envy as the species and then hatred as the genus living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another And indeed since hatred being opposed to love is both a nilling good and willing evill to our Brother it must needs include in it both these For 1. Envy is as Aquinas from Damascen well defineth it Tristitia de alienis bonis a sorrow for the good of another To this purpose Gregory Nyssen putting the question what is the cause of this disease answereth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Brothers prosperity for which reason Plutarch compareth it to a bleare eye which is offended with the light and the envious man is fitly resembled to an Archer who hath still some white paper or cloth for his marke at which he shooteth now whence doth this sorrow arise but from the act of hatred which consists in nilling since because I nill the good to my Brother which he hath therefore I am troubled that he hath it and hence it is that the Aegyptians envying the Israelites multitude in Aegypt is called their hating them when it is said He turned their heart to hate his people Indeed envy is an affection made up of griefe and hatred griefe for the thing and hatred of the person and the hatred of the one is the cause of griefe at the other Malice is as Justinian well expresseth it Improba adversus proximum cogitatio a wicked thought against our Neighbour or if you will have it in fewer yet fuller words it is nocendi desiderium a desire to hurt and injure our Brother in any kinde and this is the proper act of hatred which as it doth connote a nilling good so it doth principally note a willing evill This is observable in Esau of whom the Text saith he hated Jacob and if you will know how that appeareth the end of the Verse tels you I will stay my Brother Jacob. In this regard the Fish among the Aegyptians is made an Hieroglyphicke of hatred because of all Creatures it is most greedy to devoure and hatred fils the minde with injurious and devouring desires 2. Though the speciall Object of our love be our Brother by the second Adam yet the prohibition of hatred extends to our Brother by the first Adam we must not think that if we be kind to those of the Christian Religion we may exercise hostility towards Turks and Pagans It is true the Jews were enemies to the Nations round about them yea did puâ—sue them to an utter extirpation but they had an express warrant from Heaven for it and therefore their practice is no pattern till we can shew the like warrant we cannot without breach at once both of equity and charity under any pretences whatsoever invade the possessions or destroy the persons of the most barbarous Savages But yet still in this as in other sins the quality of the Object addeth to the quantity of the offence and though it be a sin to hate any man it is a greater sin to hate a Christian and the more of Christianity there is in him the more malignity there is in our hatred since the better the Object the worse the act and yet further though it be an haynous sin to hate a Christian upon any account yet to hate him because he is a Christian or because he is a more exact and conscientious Christian then our selves is the highest degree of this hatred and that which borders upon the unpardonable sâ—n against the holy Ghost 3. This hatred of our Brother which is here forbidden is not only of him whilst he is our friend but when he becometh our neâ— Indeed it is an high aggravation of our hatred when it is of oâ—â— that loveth us but it is no
of Sacrifices Those Gnosticks in the Primitive times are Characterized by St Paul to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despisers of those that do good and so void of Christian love nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without naturall affection to wit towards their fleshly relations to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierce and cruell in their attempts yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very Devils for the malice of their tongues and notwithstanding they were such as had a form of godliness in regard of externall observances and so no doubt thought themselves in the light 3. He may mistake his hatred of his Brother for zeal his furious persecution for a just prosecution and no wonder if he think in this respect his very hatred to be an argument of his being in the light when those wicked Jews hate and pursue Christ even to the death they plead Blasphemy as the cause and so justifie the fact when Saul breathed forth threatnings and made that havock of the Church he saith of himself that it was in his opinion an act of zeal concerning zeal persecuting the Church our blessed Saviour acquaineth his Disciples That whosoever did kill them should think he did God good service and when men do inâ—â—â—â—re câ—â—-ratiâ—ne nay religione rage against their Brother not only out of rationall but religious principles to wit in their apprehensions no wonder if their rage grow very high and notwithstanding their opinions of themselves be very good 2. And surely this being his opinion no marvell if it be his Profession wherein he glorieth whereof he boasteth saying it to others that he is in the light Indeed some there are who say this in profession contrary to their own opinion their consciences tell them they are in the darkness of wickedness and yet they say they are in the light of grace and why this but that hating their Brother they may with the more certainty and secrecy accomplish their malicious designs against him But though I hope the number of these is very small yet many very many there are who whilest themselves are black with hatred glitter in showes of holiness and make great brâ—gs of their sanctity Ficta sanctitos oculas omnium perstring it interim neglecta jacet charitas â—aith Calvin upon this Textâ—â— â—â— their fancied piety â—â— glorious in the eyes of all whilest charity lyeth neglected We shall do no wrong either to the Papists on the one hand or Anabaptists on the other if we assert them to be haters of their Brethren the bloudy practices of both do loudly cry it in the ears of God and Man and yet many of these think all of them boast themselves to be in the light of sanctity and that they are the Churches of Christ You have heard what this hater of his Brother saith be pleased now to hear what he is as his state is really â—aithfully delineated by our Apostle in three characters And yet before I enâ—er upon the particulars it will not be amiss to take notice in generall how contrary the Apostles desciption is to this Hypocrites opinion â—â—e saith he is in the light the Apostle saith He is in and walketh in darkness whereby it appeareth that his opinion is very false because contrary to the judgment of truth and hence the Greek Scholiast here supplyeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and St Cyprian mentitur he that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother lyeth whence it is easie to observe That the estate of a man may be desperately bad when yet in his own opinion it is excellently good A man may account himself silver whilst God rejects him as dross he may in his own opinion be a Member of Christ and yet in Christs esteem a Childe of the Devill and whilst he dreameth that he is in the Book of Life he may be in Gods account a Reprobate Weake Christians erring on the right hand condemne themselves as if they were in the darkness of unregeneracy when yet God seeth the light of his grace shining in them Presumptuous Hypocrites on the other applaud themselves as if they were in the light of grace when yet God seeth them in the darkness of unregeneracy The Pharisee justifieth himself and condemneth the Publican Christ justifieth the Publican and condemneth the Pharisee Men may be good in the estimation of other yea and that of good men whilst in truth they are bad So the Angell of the Church of Sardis had a name that he lived and was dead Men may be Saints in their own apprehensions and yet Devils in Gods sight So the Angell of the Church of Laodicea said He was rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing when as he was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Take we heed how we give credit either to the faire applauses of men or the smooth dictates of our own hearts which being deceitfull sooth us up as if we were in the light when yet we are and walk in darkness This being promised come we to a particuler view of the severall Characters given to him that hateth a Brother by which three things are represented to us His wicked Disposition He is in darkness even till now and again He is in darkness His vitious Conversation And walketh in darkness His miserable Condition And knoweth not whither he goeth because the darkness hath blinded his eyes 1. That which first occureth is his wicked Disposition wherein we have two things considerable The Quality He is in darkness and the Duration even untill now 1. The Quality of his Disposition is described by that ingeminated expression He is in darkness for the fuller handling of which take notice first of the emphasis and then of the meaning of the phrase 1. The emphasis of the phrase is double 1. It is observable That our Apostle doth not content himself to say he is not in the light but as Zanchy well observeth exaggerationis gratia useth an exaggerrating expression He is in darkness Indeed the one doth necessarily inferre the other he that is not in the light must needs be in darkness since the remotion of the light is the position of darkness and as the one goeth the other cometh but yet this latter is more full and the Apostle that he might let us see how grosly such a man is deceived let us know that he is so far from being in the light that he is in darkness and therefore he is as much mistaken as if a man in a darke night should say it were noon-day 2. It would yet further be considered that it is not only said of such a man darkness is in him but he is in darkness even he that loveth his Brother is not so in the light but that there is a mixture of darkness but he that hateth his Brother is in darkness and so without any light A man is then said to be in the water when he is covered
strength and the little Children for their knowledg of the Father A fit pattern for all Ministers for all Superiours yea for all to follow Indeed to flatter bad men in their sins is abominable God pronounceth a curse against such Prophets who daube with untempered Morter and by their smooth language strengthen the hands of evill doers but to commend good men for their graces is commendable and hath not only the pattern of the Apostle but of Christ and God himself to warrant it The truth is Praise is a due debt to Virtue and therefore it is an act of Justice it is not unfitly observed that our Apostle joyneth these two together If there be any virtue If there be any praise to intimate that praise ought to attend on virtue Nor is it only a debt but a spurre and therefore an act of prudence When a good man is commended others are incouraged and si non amore virtutis at dilectione laudis accenduntur many have been allured with the Love of praise whom the Love of virtue could not perswade however the person himself being commended is thereby animated nor is it unlawfull for men to be Moved in a subordinate way with a desire of praise and much respect St Bernard upon those words in the Proverbs Hast thou found honey Eate so much as is sufficient for thee saith Potest in hoc loâ—o non incongrue mellis nomine favor humanae laudis intelligi in this place by honey may be understood not unfitly the favour of humane praise Meritoque non ab omni sed ab immoderato edâ—lio prohibemur nor are we prohibited all but only an immoderate desire of glory No wonder then if the Ministers of Christ whom he hath appointed Fishers of men among others make use of this bait of praise that commendation may make way for their commands and a well done may encourage their Auditours to do better This no doubt was the designe of St John that by this Artifice of praise his instructions might have the stronger influence upon them to whom he writeth Come we now to the severall Reasons by which he bespeaketh the severall Ages 1. The first respects the Aged Fathers to whom he wrote because they knew him who was from the beginning as it is expressed in the thirteenth and fourteenth Verses In handling of this Character I shall consider the goodness and the fitness of it the goodness of it in it self by inquiring what it meaneth and the fitness of it both to the Subjects to whom and the Objects about which our Apostle wrote 1. Consider we this Character in it self and we shall finde it not only good but excellent Indeed in this one there are two Characters to wit of Christ and the Christian which offer themselves to our view of Christ that he is from the begining of the Christian that he knoweth him who is from the begining of each in order 1. Our Apostle here affirmeth concerning Christ that he is from the begining Indeed Illyricus refers this to God who is said to be from everlasting to everlasting and to inhabit eternity and is called by Clemens Alexandrinus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most ancient of all things because before all things yea the Creator And sutably Plato putting the question What is the most ancient thing answereth God But I conceive it is most sutable to the Apostles scope to understand it with Calvin Aretius and the most nay best Interpreters of Christ And thus as Zanchy well observeth this may be asserted of him in a double respect quo ad virtutem salviâ—â—cam and quo ad personam in respect of virtuall efficacy and personall subsistence 1. Christ is from the begining to wit ordained and purposed to be the Mediatour of his Church in which sense he is called the Lambe slain from the foundation of the world Whence it is that though he dyed in the fulness of time yet the virtue of his death as it extendeth forward to the end so backward to the begining of the world 2. But principally Christ is said to be from the beginning inasmuch as his subsistence is from eternity to wit in respect not of his humane but divine nature Thus St Austin appositely novus Christus in carne sed antiquus in divinitate Christ as to his manhood is new but as to his Godhead ancient and Oecumenius expressely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is it that is from the beginning but God the Word In this respect justly is the Messiah called by the Prophet Isay the everlasting Father and the Prophet Micah saith of him who was to be born in Bethlehem that his goings forth have been of old from everlasting Upon this account the Authour to the Hebrewes asserts him to be yesterday to day and the same for ever where saith Anselm by yesterday is denoted the time past and the vast space of eternity preceding by to day the time present and by for ever that which is to come Finally unto this that metaphoricall Character which our Apostle giveth of Christ is plainly to be referred where he saith his head that is his Divinity so Pererius and his hairs were white like wooll as white as snow to which in regard of its antiquity for so Daniel calling God the ancient of dayes presently addeth the hair of his head was like pure wooll namely for whiteness which is the badge of old age Not to enlarge upon this point because it is only collateral in the Text I shall in a few words discuss these two propositions which are plainly intimated in this clause and clearly expressed in Scripture 1. That Jesus Christ had a being before he was born of the Virgin Mary indeed he then began to be man but he did not then begin to be when his Mother conceived and brought him forth into the world It was our blessed Saviours positive assertion concerning himself Before Abraham waâ— I am and if he had a being before Abraham certainly he did not begin to be when he was made man That this was the meaning of our Saviour is clear in that it is returned by him as an Answer to the Jewes Objection which is manifestly drawn from the short date of his personall existence Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham to which Christs words cannot be a full Answer if they intend not that he had a personal being before Abraham and so no wonder if Abraham were known to him and that the Jewes so understood him is evident in that they took up stones to cast at him as conceiveing him a blasphemer in so saying upon which accounâ— the Father saith excellently Ecce Judaei intellexerunt quod non intelligunt Arriani Behold the Jewes understood that which the Arrians will not but fondly and impiously endeavour to obscure Very conâ—â—derable upon this account is that of St
word as the Farme and the Oxen kept them in the Gospell from coming to the Feast or if not so it keepeth us from loving and conforming to it as the thornes in the parable did choake the good seed Herods lust of voluptuousness Judas his lust of covetousness would not let the word take place in their hearts though it entred into their ears indeed it is impossible that the heart which is clogged with the weight of worldly Love should be lift up to Gods Commandments 2. Again If we will overcome the Devill we must not Love the world there being no stronger engine by which the Devill gets and keeps possession of our hearts When he would allure us to any sin what are his enchantments but the pleasures of the world when hee would affright us from any duty what are his weapons but the reproaches and persecutions of the world so that in order to this victory nothing is more needfull then the alienating of our affections from the world 2. Love the Brethren because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome the wicked one Where there is strength of grace there cannot but be fervent Love as to God so to the Brethren it is for weake and sickly persons to be froward none are more prone to contention and faction then those that are weak in grace and knowledge strong Christians are ever studiouâ— of amity and unity Indeed this is the way to increase our spirituall strength and therefore when St Paul adviseth to be strong he presently addeth Let all things be done in love and charity is called by him the bond of persection Again If the word of God abide in us we cannot but love one another Charity is one of the principall fruits which this seed produceth a lesson which this Schoole Master teacheth Excellent to this purpose is that saying of Lactantius Da mihi hominem iracundum uno verbo Dei reddam placidum ut ovem This word turns Leopards into Kids Lions into Lambes and sweetly cements hearts together in one Once more If we overcome the wicked one we cannot but love our Brethren the Devill is that envious one who soweth the Tares of dissention though he preserveth unity in his own Kingdome yet he endeavoureth to create and frame discord among men so that as we cannot more gratifie the Devill then by malice so neither can we better overcome him then by charity The truth is every envious and malicious person is the Devils slave but the charitable Christian is his conquerour 3. Having thus run through the reasons which our Apostle alledgeth why he wrote to Fathers and young Men it now remaineth that we give a brief dispatch to the last which is the reason why he wrote to little Children as it is expressed in the close of the thirteenth Verse in those words Because you have known the Father In the handling whereof I shall briefly consider three things The Quality specified to know the Father The Energy intimated knowing the Father is that which engageth not to love the world but to love the Brethren The Congruity to the persons mentioned little Children you have known the Father 1. Having had occasion already once and again to insist upon this grace of divine knowledg it will not be needfull to enlarge only know in brief that 1. It is no other then an Evangelicall knowledg of God which our Apostle here intends to know the Father is to know God to be the Father of Christ and in and through him a mercifull Father to all true Christians It is one thing to know God as a Creator or as a Law-giver and another to know him as a Father so only the Gospell revealeth him and accordingly we come to know him 2. It is less then an operative knowledg so to know the Father as to depend on him for Fatherly protection from all dangers and provision of all necessaries as to give him filiall love fear service subjection to all his Fatherly commands and submission to all his Fatherly chastisements They that know thy name saith the Psalmest will trust in thee and not only trust but serve and honour thee 3. It is not a graduall but initiall knowledg It is not unworthy our observation that the knowledg of God and Christ is a qualification attributhd both to the Father and the Children Indeed God is both the â— and the â— the first and last and therefore he must be known by us in our first and last age but yet these two knowledges differ in degrees old Christians have a deep draught whereas little Chidren have but a taste of this Heavenly nectar and therefore the expression is varied Fathers are said to know him that is from the begining as being well versed in the misteries of Christian Religion whereas little Children are only said to know the Father as having but some generall apprehensions of God reconciled in Christ 2. This knowledg of the Father among many others cannot but produce these two choice effects to wit contempt of the world and the love of the Brethren On the one hand as the twinkling stars are obscured by the light of the glorious Sun and therefore they disappear in the day time so the beames of this Heavenly knowledg darken all Creature excellencies in our apprehension and consequently our estimation of and affection towards them must needs be diminished on the other hand this fountain of celestiall knowledge cannot but send forth streams of love and that as chiefly towards the Father so secondarily to all who are the Children of this Father and so our Brethren 3. This Qualification of knowing the Father is very congruously attributed to the Children Infantibus pueris nihil magis necessarium quam ut patrem habeant cognoscant saith Ferus well nothing is more needfull for Infants and Children then that they should have and know the Father The weakness of little Children needs the conduct and government of another they cannot consult for their own safety and benefit and therefore their Parents undertake it for them By this means it is that the Childe first taketh notice of his Father and Mother according to that of the Poet Incipe parve puer risu cognsocere Matrem and hence those pretty Monosyllables by which Father and Mother are exprest are first taught and learnt by their Children so soon as they can speak And surely as it becometh little Ones so soon as they are capable to know and own their Parents so is it an amiable excellency in them to attaine some knowledge of God as their Father nothing more naturall to Children when once reason begins to act in them then to defire knowledge no knowledge to which a Childe sooner taketh then that of the Father but oh how joyfull and happy a thing is it when through instruction they begin to apprehend him who is the Father of us all and this is the
guess at Gods love by Christs respect who commanded little Children to be brought unto him and blamed those that kept them from him It was Davids comfort When my Father and Mother forsooke me then God tooke me up it may be yours my little Children if you endeavour to know and love the Father when your Parents either cannot or will not help you he both can and will provide for you Once more your dear Redeemer and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ began himself betimes and was so well skild at twelve years old that he disputed with the Doctors in the Temple hereby giving you an example which though it cannot be expected you should equalize yet it is required you should follow we finde in the Gospell little Children going before Christ and following after him with Hosanna's and it is the praise of Jereboams Childe That there was found in him some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel Oh little Children write after these coppies so much the rather because with Jereboams Childe you may dye early and what a comfort will it be to your selves and Parents if then there shall be found in you some knowledg and love and fear of your Father which is in Heaven To end all What remaineth but that all of all ages Fathers young Men little Children make use of this Scripture as a looking glass whereby they may see what they are at least what they should be that they may be all according to the gracious promise taught of God from the greatest to the least eldest to the youngest And then the Psalmists exhortation will be readily embraced young Men and Maids old Men and Children let them praise the name of the Lord from this time forth for evermore Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 15 16 17. Love not the world neitherr the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth forever THe Subject of this Scripture is one of the chiefest and most needfull lessons in all practicall Divinity since it is Removens prohibens a document of removing that which is one of the greatest hinderances in the exercises of Christianity Indeed what the stumbling block is to th Traveller in the way the weight to the runner in his race or to use St Austins comparison limetwigs are to the Bird in its flight that is the love of the world to a Christian in his course either wholly diverting him from or greatly entangling him in or forcibly turning him out of it This is one of the fetters which keepeth so many from entring into the path of piety This is one of those suckers which hinder others from growth in godliness Finally This is that which like a contrary winde to the ship beateth back many from their former profession The truth is as Calvin well observeth on this place Till the heart be purged from this corruption the eare will be deafe to divine instructions Hercules could never conquer Antaeus Donec â terrâ matre â—um levasset till he had lifted him up above his Mother earth no more can the spirit of grace subdue us to the obedience of the Gospell till he hath lifted up our hearts from earthly Love Heavenly truths glide of from carnall mindes as water from a sphaericall body No wonder then if the Apostle Paul exciting the Hebrews to run he race which is set before them adviseth them to lay aside every weight to wit of worldly care And here the Apostle John intending chiefly in this whole Epistle to advance a Christian conversation indeavours in these words to take men off from worldly affections Love not the word nor the things of the world c. The discourse of these words moveth upon two principall wheels namely A command peremptorily inhibiting which is Propounded in the beglning of the fifteenth Verse Love not the world nor the things of the world Expounded in the sixteenth Verse All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life An Argument strongly enforcing which is drawn from two considerations The one in regard of worldly love its direct contrariety to that which is divine as it is Asserted in the end of the fifteenth Verse If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Proved in the end of the sixteenth Verse For it is not of the Father but of the world The other in regard of the world it self its fleeting instability which is Affirmed in the begining of the seaventeenth Verse And the world passeth away and the lusts thereof Amplified from its contrary the permanent felicity of the religious in the end of the Verse But he that doth the will of God abideth for ever So that though the grand wheels of this period are but two yet we finde many lesser wheels yea Rotam in rotâ every wheel having another within it The first main wheel is the prohibition and in that is another wheel the exposition The second wheel is the argument and in that two wheels the double motive each of which hath a wheel within it whilst the first motive is backed with a probation and the second with an illustration May that blessed spirit of grace vouchsafe to drive the Chariot of my discourse which shall run in order upon these wheels and then I doubt not but we shall attain that which is I trust the Goale of my Preaching and your hearing namely our reformation and salvation The prohibition is that which I am to begin with and that 1. As propounded in these words Love not the world nor the things that are in the world This is in order the sixth step of that walking in the light which I have heretofore told you is the chief design of this Epistle to delineate The first whereof is a sorrowfull confession of sin past The second a cordiall forsaking it for the time to come The third an obedientiall keeping the Commandment The fourth a sedulous imitation of Christ The fifth a Christian Law of the Brethren and now The sixth is an alienation of our head from the world Love not the world c. What the intent of this prohibition is will best apapear by inquiring what is the proper notion of the word world in this place Not to trouble my self and you with giving an account of its severall acceptions in sacred writ Be pleased to know to our present purpose That to use St Austins similitude as an house is taken sometimes for the wals and roomes which constitute the house and sometimes for the family which inhabiteth the house so by
of this world at our own pleasure but waite Gods leisure saying with good old Simeon Lord lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace Sapiens non debet fugerè vitâ sed exire said Seneca A wise man must not breake prison doores only be willing to go forth when they are set open We cannot stay longer in and we must not go sooner out of this world then God pleaseth We must not needlesly devest our selves of those comforts which God affoards us in this life since it were both unthankfulness to the giver whom we basely undervalue by casting away his gifts and an injury to our selves the receivers who hereby should be difinabled from being so seruiceâ—ble as we might in our generation That forsaking of House Brethren Sisters Father Mother Wife Children Lands to which Christ promiseth an hundreth fold and eternall life is when it is for his names sake So that either we must deny his name or lose life and leave these secular injoyments otherwise the generall prohibition is not possess not but love not 3. It is very aptly observed by St Austin that the Apostle doth not say Nolite uti mundo but Nolite diligere mundum do not use the world but do not love it He that not loving the world useth it useth it as not abusing it Inasmuch as he useth it not for it selfe but in order to that which he loueth as the Father excellently enlargeth So long as we live in we cannot but have use of the world and the things in it we stand in need of them we cannot subsist without them and consequently not only may but must make use of them But as â—eda well glosseth Vtamur mundo ad necessitatem non ad volnntatem Use the world for the supplying your necessities but not for satisfying your lust With Gideons three hundred Souldiers we may lap the waters of this world with our tongues but we must not with the rest bow down our bodies to drinke of them One hath wittily observed of the three ages of man that Children â—reep on all soure being unable to stand of themselves young men go on two legs and old men on three being necessitated to use their staffe it may be here applyed wicked men are wholly carryed downwars to this world the Saints in Heaven trample upon the world the godly whilst in this world use it only as a staffe for their necessary support Excellent to this purpose is that of St Austin concerning these temporall things His tanquam tabulâ in fluctibus bene utendo cavebimus We must looke upon them as so many plankes in the waves which we neither rest upon as firme nor yet cast away as needless but use as helps to carry us to the shore 4. It is observed by Suidas that the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word in the Text hath two significations the one whereof is generall and the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noting only an ordinary affection the other speciall amounting to as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be so pleased with any Object that we desire nothing else according to this that note of St Austin upon the Text is very apposite Non te prohibet Deus amare ista Sed non diligere ad beatitudinem It is not every kinde of love which is here prohibited but so to love them as to make them our chiefest good For the further explicating of which be pleased to know That 1. Love as an Ancient hath well defined it is Delectatio cordis ad aliquid per desiderium currens per gandium acquiescens the enlargement of the heart toward any Object so as to run to it by desire and rest in it by delight So that indeed love is a compounded mixt affection made up of desire in craving and joy in having the Object we love and accordingly some Criticks observe of the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used that it is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be very earnest after and pleased with that which is beloved 2. It is not unlawfull to look upon the world and the things in it as Objects of our love both in regard of desire and delight When our blessed Saviour command us to pray Give us this day our daily bread by which Syneâ—doâ—hically all temporall conveniences are intended He doth hereby plainly intimate that we may desire them prayer being an expression of desire When Solomon saith and that not in the person of an Epicure There is nothing better for a man then that he should eate and drinke and that he should make his soul injoy good in his labour What doth he but insinuate that to delight our selves in earthly things is allowable Indeed whatever is good may justly be the Object of love and consepuently when absent of desire when present of delight so that inasmuch as there is a goodness and that originally implanted by God in those things which are the works of his hands they cannot but rationally attract our love 3. But then lastly There is a great deale of difference between ordinata Charitas and inordinata cupiditas an ordinate charity and an inordinate love and though that is commendable this is to be condemned so that the true meaning of this prohibition will best appear in two propositions 1. Love not the world nor the things of the world that is When you want them desire not inordinately after them Desire them we may but not 1. In an unjust way so to covet these things as to seek them perfasque nefasque by indirect and unlawfull meanes that we choose rather to breake the rules of the word then to want the things of the world is sinfull and abominable the streames of our affection may move towards the world but then it must be in the right channell in Gods way only in the use of those meanes which he alloweth us 2. With an undue measure so to long for any thing in this world as that we will not be content without if like Rachell that cryed Give me Children or I die nor yet content with it like the Horse Leech that still cryeth give give is immoderate and consequently inordinate the streame of our affections after this world must not rise too high so as to overflow the bankes 3. To an unfiting end when we crave the things of this world upon base and sordid accounts Asking as St James saith to consume them upon our lusts our love is exorbitant the streame of our affection toward the world must not turn aside into by creeks but run into the maine Ocean of Gods glory 2. Love not the world nor the things of it that is When you have them delight not inordinately in them Delight in them we may but not Sine Deo without God so as if we enjoy them it matters not for Gods presence Supra
what they care not for whilest your emulations strifes quarrels are so great and fierce one with another about worldly matters it strongly argueth they have possession of your hearts she for whom the gallant adventures his life in the field is very probably concluded to be his Mistris surely the world commands thy heart when it engageth thee in litigious quarrels 6. Lastly You may very rationally judge of your affections by your actions your love by your care your delight by your service When we read that Jacob served an hard Apprentiship to Laban and that no less then fourteen years for the gaining of Rachell we may certainly infer that he loved her greatly men would never lay out their time and strength so uncessantly in the worlds drudgery were she not Mistris of their affections yea which doth the more fully proclaime their love their labour is a pleasure they are never in their element but when like the fish they are swiming in these waters or like the mole they are digging in the earth By all these considerations we may be able to discern whither our love be not inordinate towards this world and the things thereof and therefore such as we ought to be deeply sensible of affected with and humbled for And now what remaineth but that to this word of Conniction I annex a word of Dehortation that we all endeavour to wean our hearts from the love of this world Oh hearken and again I say hearken to this sprituall and Heavenly voice as it is called by St Cyprian Love not the world nor the things of the world Indeed as Seneca saith of sorrow I may say of love I do not require that you should not love it at all but I earnestly intreat take heed that you love it not too much the truth is our affections in regard of worldly matters are very prone to excess in Heavenly things it is impossible to exceed in Earthly things it is difficult not to exceed our grief quickly degenerateth into anguish our fear into trembling our desire into impatience our delight into jollity and our love into dotage Oh therefore be wise to watch the out goings of your hearts after worldly Objects and remember that as it is of the two best when brotherly kindness erreth on the right hand by louing too much so when worldly love offends on the left hand by loving too little Oecumenius upon the Text conceiveth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle writeth these things as to Children who are most apt to be taken up with ensuall Objects but doubtless as one well glâ—sseth Optimè omnibus congruit there are none of any age but stand in need of it Beware that you be not engaged and fettered with worldly love we read concerning the living Creatures mentioned by the Prophet Ezekiell that the Soles of their feet were like the soles of a Calves foot The Caldee paraphrase readeth it like round feet the feet are an emblem of our affection and it is observed of Sphaericall bodies that if you set them upon the ground they only touch it in one point so should our affections touch this world not too much cleaving to or leaning on it Dioscorides maketh mehtion of an Herh which he calleth the Indian leafe and observeth that it groweth in moorish fenny places Aquae sine ullâ radice â—nnatans swimming in the water without taking any root in the bottome Let this Herb be our emblem whilst we live in let us not love the world and though we make use of it to swim in for a time let not our hearts take root by an inordinate love The main disswasives from this sin we shall meet with in the Text only consider for the present that this worldly love is unreasonable injurious ingratefull and unchristian 1. It is unreasonable There are two eminent laws of love which are directly broken by this practice the one is simili gaudere the other is diligentem diligere like loveth like and love requireth love but alas when we love the world we love that which is unlike there being no proportion between our noble souls and this worlds good Indeed our souls were made after the divine image and similitude and therefore not made for the love of this inferiour world Besides when we love the world we love that which as it doth not give so neither can it repay love at the best it is only capable of serving not of loving us and why should we so pervert the nature of love as to love the world But further 2. It is injurious to our selves as well as incongruous to love since by loving the world it becometh our enemie it seems strange yet it is a truth the world is only a â—oe to them that love her if we use her she is an obsequious servant but if we love her she is a malicious enemy it is observed of the shadow Sequentem fugit fugientem sequitur if you follow it it flyeth from you if you flye from it it followeth after you It is proportionaby true of the world if you contemn it it will fear you if you love it it will domineer over you and that known Proverb of fire and water may justly be applied to the things of the world they are good servants but bad masters Adde to this 3. It is ingratefull to God as well as injurious to our selves all these things of the world are the largesses of Gods bounty the streames of his goodness and is it not an odious ingratitude to dote upon the gift and neglect the donor Very apposite to this purprse is St Austins similitude If an Husband being in a far Country should send a Ring to his Spouse out of his ardent affection to her would he not might he not justly take it ill at her hands if she should forget her Husband and fall in love with the token Thus do we when we cast God behind our backs and set our eyes upon this world Finally It is unchristian there being nothing more unbeseeming a Christian profession then a worldly conversation being Christians we profess the Faith and hope of a better world and shall we fall in love with this we intitle our selves the Children of God and shall we live and love as the Children of this world It is our Saviours argument to his Disciples After these things do the Gentils seek and because they do we should not at least wise not as they do it with such immoderate affection and therefore whilst Mammonists like Ravens feed on garbage like the Lapwing make their nest in order or like Beetles never sing but in a bed of dung let us have higher thoughts nobler desires purer joyes learning of this holy Apostle not to Love the world nor the things of the world THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 15 16. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the
own imaginations and sets up himself in Gods roome admiring and adoring his own though but sometime fancied excellencies nay which is yet worse he so sets himself above that he sets himselfe against God for so the Prophet accusing Mâ—aâ— of pride and haughtiness proveth it by this Medium Thou hast magnified thy self against God In this respect it is enquired and resolved by the Schooles that pride is the greatest of sâ—ns for whereas in other lusts there is directly a conversion to the Creature in this there is a direct aversion from the Creator by all which it appeareth how injurious these lusts are to the Father and therefore incompatible with the love of the Father To what hath been already said concerning the express and positive truth of this clause I must not forget to adde that there is another implicite and consequentiall truth wrapped up in it namely That if any man love the world the love of the Brethren is not in him Indeed the sâ—nse of these words the love of the Father may be rendred the love which the Father requireth and so it extends to Botherly love Besides the Connexion seemeth to intimate that loving the world is forbidden as an enemy to Brotherly love which is discussed a little before Finally Omne majus continet in â—se miâ—â—s the less is involved in the greater so that as Eâ—ius well notes since the love of the Father which is the greater the love of the Brethren which is the less is also to be denied of him who loves â—he world S Paul speaking of charity saith shee seeks not her own whereas the worldling is altogether for himself and therefore hath no affection to others though to speake truth as he is nomini bonus good to no man so he is sibi nequam worse to himselfe To enlarge upon this a little Consider the worldly lover in reference to his Superiours Inferiour Equals and you shall finde he hath no love to any 1. He is so farre from loving that he envieth those that are are above him in place in wealth in power To use the phrase of the Text The love of the Father is not in him not of the politicall Father against whom he will not stick to rebell when opportunity is offered The proud man grudgeth Subjection the Covetous man Tribute and the Epicure Obedience to his Laws Not of the Ecclesiasticall Father whom worldly lusts prompt him to undervalue yea if he reprove him to spurne against nay ofttimes not of the naturall Father whilest they who are tainted with these lusts like Esau wish The daies of mourning for their Father were at hand nay some like Absolom consult their Fathers ruine that they may enjoy their honours and estates 2. As for those who are under him he is very apt to trample them under his feet and if they be in want very backward to reach forth an hand of succour to them The Voluptuous layeth out so much upon his pleasures the ambitious wants so much for the maintaining of his honours and the covetous layeth up so much for the satisfying of his eyes that they have little or nothing to spare for the needy nay that too often they oppress and grinde the faces of the poore 3. Instead of loving his equall he is apt to contend and quarrell with them Whence come wars and fightings among you saith St James and answering his Question he addeth Come they not hence even of the lusts that war in your Members Omnia perfecte in pace consisterent si hominem imperandi cupiditas non teneret said Valerius truly It is the desire of being above others that hindreth us from living in peace with others and speaking of covetousness he asserts Hinc pullulare odiorum causas amicitiarum faedera dissipari it to be the breaker of amity and begetter of enmity amongst men nor is it less true of sensuall lusts which very often blow the fire of discord into a flame In one word what wrong will not men do to their Neighbours in their relations names estates by fraud and treachery by violence and cruelty in words and works for the base love of wealth of honour or pleasure all which are directly repugnant to brotherly love To close up with some usefull inferences from the consideration of what hath been handled Learne we 1. How desperate and dangerous a sin is worldly love One upon this clause hath well observed Lenis oratio sed plena aculeo it is seemingly a gentle speech but carryeth a sting with it For in saying there is no love of the Father and consequently not of his Brother in him that loveth the world he saith in effect he is one that breaketh all the Commandement for if love be the fullfilling of the Law to wit love to God of the first and love to our Neighbour of the second he that neither loveth God nor Men must needs breake both It is very observable that David praying God to incline his heart to his Testimonies presently addeth and not to covetousness thereby implying that if he were inclined to covetousnes he could not love or keep Gods Testimonies Moses brake the Table in pieces out of a zealous anger at the golden Calfe and the worldling will breake the Laws written on those Tables for the Gold upon the Calfe The love of money I and of honour and pleasure is the rot of all goodness and the root of all wickedness the Moath of sanctity the rust of virtue the breeder and the feeder of vice Ungodliness and worldly lusts are coupled together by St Paul Abstaine from fleshly lusts and having our conversation honest are joyned together by St Peter there is neither honesty nor piety to be found where worldly love raigneth 2. How great is the folly of Hypocrites who thinke to joyne what here St John hath opposed the love of the world and the love of the Father together Many there are saith Isidore Hispalensis truly who will flye to Heaven by a divine conversation but yet they are loath to leave earthly contentments Provocat eos amor Christi sed revocat amor seculi The love of Christ puts them a little forward but the love of the world pulls them backward and so as Erasmus is painted by the Romans they hang between Heaven and Earth There is a City in Germany which belonging to two Governments was called Mindin which is according to the sâ—gnification of it in the Germane language mine and thine Thus the Hypocrite saith to God thou art mine and to the world I am thine in which respect he is called a double minded man and is said to have an heart and an heart like the Samaritans who feared the Lord and served Idols the Israelites who halted between God and Baal those in the Prophet Zephany who did sweare by the Lord and Malchom and those lukewarme Laodiceans who were neither hot nor cold But alas how vainly do such
men deceive themselves Indeed the false Mother of the Childe would have it parted between them but the true Mother would have all or none The world is content to have a corner in thy heart but God will have thy whole heart The Arke and Dagon cannot stand together in one Temple and therefore when the Arke is brought in Dagon falls down no more can God and the world in one soule and therefore if we will set up God in the throne the world must be cast down nay out The Spouse in the Canticles is said to wound Christ with one eye Quia alterum non habebat because she had no other Christ calls upon us in the Gospell to cut off one foot one hand and to pluck out one eye the heart in all languages is a Monasyllable unum uni the one heart must be dedicated to the one God In the meat offering God required all the Frankincense and in the sacrifices all the fat to teach us that the intention of our minde and affection of our heart must be wholly carryed towards God Among the Pythagoreans the Duall number was infamous sure I am the double minded man is odious to God so odious that he threatneth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cut him asunder a punishment very sutable to his fault like that which the King of the Albines inflicted on the King of the Romans when he caused him to be tied to two horses who by drawing contrary waies tore his body in two pieces 3. Lastly How just and necessary it is to cast the love of the world out of the hearts in order to the entertaining of the love of the Father Indeed as St Gregory and Leo have both well observed The reasonable soul cannot be all together without delight and void of love Aut infimis delectatur aut summis so the one Aut Dei amator est aut mundi so the other Our delight must either ascend or descend our love must either be set upon God or the world How impossible it is for these two to dwell together you have already heard so that either we must hate the one or love the other or hold to the one and despise the other as our Saviour tells us And now as Eliah said to the Israelites If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be God follow him so let me beseech you If the Lord be God love him if the world love it If the world have as much excellency in it as God hath if the world have as much right to you as God hath if the world can do as much for you as God can and will then love it But alas whatever good is in the world is but a ray of that Sun a drop of that Fountaine derived from and infinitely inferiour to the goodness of God in which respect saith St Austin excellently Pulcher est mundus sed pulchrior à quo factus est mundus The world is beautifull surely then he that made it so is farre more beautifull Besides The world was made for us and therefore only to be used whereas God is our Creator Master Father and therefore to be feared and honoured and loved Methinketh the Father saith to us concerning the world as Saul to his Servants concerning David Will the Son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards will or can the world do that for you which I will do give you grace and glory felicity and immortality Nay let me adde a word more The world would infect and infest us instead of doing us good bring us into temptations and snares and tell me then whither the Father be not to be preferred in our estimation and affection before the world Infine that God should have our love we cannot but acknowledge most reasonable and therefore what remaineth but that every one of us take up firme resolutions of rejecting the world love both we cannot one we will God we ought and to that end we must leave the world that we may cleave to God No doubt the world is and will be a very earnest and importunate suiter to us for our love and too often she so far prevaileth that we consent but remember I beseech you our Father forbids the banes and shall we match against our Fathers consent nay let me tell you if we marry the world the Father will disclaime and disown us as none of his Children and therefore if we call on the Father let us renounce the world Believe it an ill match is better broken then carried on and so much the rather because whatever promise we make to the world it is a breach of the first vow we made to God in our Baptism and therefore to be disannulled as inconsistent with our former obligation To end all I cannot better press this then in St Austins language who calls these words Verba extirpantia words of extirpation if you finde a weed you grub it up that you may sow good corn so must we pluck up worldly that we plant Heavenly love Vas es saith that Father si plenum effunde quod habes effunde amorem saeculi ut implearis amore Dei Thy soul is a vessell if it be full as indeed whose is not empty it poure out the love of the world that thou maist be filled with the love of God which otherwise is impossible For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. VERS 16 17. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth forever A Naked command from God is a sufficient ground of obedience from man no doubt St Paul so accounted it and therefore exhorting the Thessalonians to abstaine from fornication useth this as a strong inducement for this is the will of God The truth is obedience is most ingenious when least discreet it being very reasonable that we should obey God without asking a reason of his Precept It was the praise of Caesars Souldiers Quod imperium potius quam consilium sequebantur that they executed their Generalls injunctions without inquiring into his consultations It is the Character of a good Christian to believe because God asserteth and obey because he requireth But see the condescention of our mercifull God who is pleased not only to command by his authority but teach by his grace so St Paul saith The grace of God teacheth us to deny worldly lusts not only to require but to intreat so St Peter Dearly beloved I beseech you abstain from fleshly lusts Finally Not only to prescribe but perswade and therefore as he enjoyneth a duty so he adjoyneth a Motive and that drawn from the necessity equity and utility of observing the
3. Be pleased then to remember what I have already told you that world may be either understood of persons or things and accordingly both constructions may here not unfitly be made use of 1. Of the world that is saith St Austin Ab hominibus mundi dilectoribus of those men who are the worlds darlings and thus these lusts are said to be of the world as a pattern or exemplary cause inasmuch as to walke in them is according to the Apostles phrase To walke according to the course of the world The truth is we are very apt to learn of and conforme to the corrupt lusts and practises of the world We do not with the Pelagians farre be it from us say that sin came in only by imitation but yet withall it is an undeniable truth that imitation is a cause of much sin that corrupt nature which is with in us rendring us prone to follow others in their evill waies This is that which those Dehortations both of St Paul and St Peter plainly intimate This I say and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke so St Paul For the time past of our lives may it suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles So St Peter Both imply that we are very ready to walke in the way do the will of the wicked among whom we live 2. But that interpretation which I look upon as most genuine is by the world to understand the things of the world and therefore these lusts are said to be of the world because by reason of our inbred corruption these worldly things become occasions and inciters of lust To this purpose it is that St Paul calls these lusts worldly lusts not only because they are conversant about the world but because the world is in some sense a cause that is an externall moving cause of them The Father of these lusts is the Devill their Mother the flesh the world is a Midwife to bring forth and a Nurse to bring up these monstrous brats no wonder if upon this account it is reckoned as one of the three grand enemies of mans salvation Learn we then that excellent admonition of St James To keep our selves unspotted of the world The truth is mundus immundus the world is uncleane and filthy and if we take not heed it will defile and besmeare us if we be not very carefull where we tread we shall soon step into a dirty puddle if we be not very wary where we walke we shall quickly be caught in a snare Oh how hard is it to looke upon these things and not long after them to use them and not love them to have them in our eye or hand and yet keep them out of our heart Oh therefore watch and be sober so often as you are engaged about worldly things keep a godly jealousie over your hearts least they go out too much after them for the world is very insinuating and too often creepeth into our hearts the presence Chamber of the King of glory in which respects these lusts are most truly said to be of the world And so much for the two branches of this clause Absolutely considered 2. Pass we on now to a Relative view and thus it may have a double reference 1. Some conceive it as an Argument why we should not love the world and the things of it and truly whither we understand the Subject of this proposition All that is in the world is not of the Father but is of the world of the things themselves or the lust after them it will hold good 1. Love not the things of the world because these things are not of the Father but of the world Qualia sunt haec saith Zanchy aptly how low poor things are these how unworthy of a Christian love These are from an earthly extraction an inferiour principle Set your affections saith St Paul on the things that are above and not on the things that are upon the earth if you will love let it be those things above that are of the Father of a noble divine originall not these earthly things which are of the world 2. Love not the things of the world because those lusts which are conversant about those things are not of the father but of the world the strength of which argument will better appeare if we consider who they are namely Believers such as are not of the world but of the father to whom this dehortation is given it being very unreasonable that they who are not of the world but of the father should harbour those lusts which are not of the father but of the world When therefore oh Christian any desires arise in thine heart put these two questions to them whither tend they and especially whence are they if they be of the father and so consequently tending upwards embrace them but if of the world and so necessarily bending downwards refuse them 2. But though I do not reject these Interpretations yet I rather adhere to that exposition which looketh upon this clause as a reason of the reason preceding why the love of the world and the love of the Father are inconsistent and the strength of the Argument may be drawn out two waies 1. These worldly lusts are not of the Father and therefore not to the Father Things move in a circle where they begin there they end Rivers come from and return to the Sea These lusts the being not of the Father cannot be toward him nay indeed are against him and therefore cannot consist with the love of him The love of the Father carrieth the heart towards him these lusts being not of the Father turn away the heart from him how can they agree together 2. Where there is a love of the Father only that which is of the Father will finde acceptance yea whatever is not of the Father the soul that loveth him cannot choose but abhorre he that loveth God truly hath a sympathy and antipathy correspondent to his what God loveth he loveth what God hateth he hateth and therefore since these lusts are so far from being of the Father that they are of the world yea the Father instead of an Authour or an Abettour of them is an abhorer and opposer of them no wonder if there be no sincere love of the Father where the love of the world is predominant And this shall suffice to have been spoken of the first branch of the Argumentation drawn from the love of world its repugnancy to the love of God It now remaineth that we proceed to The other branch which is taken from the world it self its short continuance as it is set down in the seaventeenth Verse For the world passeth away and the lusts thereof but he that doth the will of God indureth for ever where there are two generall parts occurre to our observation to wit A Thesis or proposition For the world passeth away and the
brought in 1. It may at first view seem somewhat strange that this qualification of doing Gods will should be here inserted as seeming to have little or no affinity with what precedeth had the Apostle said but he that loveth the Father or had he said but he that denieth these worldly lâ—sis it would have been very congruous but how this cometh in â—e that doth the will of God is not so obvious Yet iâ— you please to looke into it a little more narrowly you shall finde it very sutable to the Apostles scope and farre more Emphaticall then if he had used either of the above mentioned Phrases For 1. In saying not He that loveth the Father but He that doth the will of God the Apostle sets down that which is the most reall Character of a true lover of the Father There is nothing wherein men more deceive themselves then in this grace of loving God there is scarce any man but layeth claime to it and is ready to say I love God with all my heart so that if St John had only said He that loveth God abideth for ever every man would have flattered himself with the hopes of this eternity But in saying he that doth the will of God he hereby puts our love of God upon the triall and that by such a Character as if we impartially examine our selves by it I am afraid the love of most Christians towards God will be found base and counterfeit 1. True love is not only affective but active 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as fire is the most active element so love is the most working grace Amor si non operatur non est saith St Gregory If love act not it is no love so that what St James saith of faith may as truly be applied to love shew me thy faith thy love by thy workes 2. Again True love conformeth it selfe in will affection action to the Object loved How fearfull are we to offend carefull are we to please whom we love If a mans Beloved bid him come he cometh go he runneth do this or that he doth it In which respct Isidore saith truly Qui Dei praecepta cantemnit Deum non diligit neque enim regem diligimas si odio ejus leges habemus he that contemneth Gods Precepts doth not love him no more then â—e doth his King who hateth his Laws The voice of love is I am my beloveds wholly at his command and that not only in a complement but reality What wilt thou have me to do is loves Question be it never so difficult love accounts it easie and the very labour is beloved Would we then know whether we love God Here is the triall what do we where is our obedience to his Laws our conformity to his will is it possible we should love him and yet offend grieve dishonour him and cast his commands behind our backs If you love me saith our blessed Saviour keep my Commandements and again You are my Friends if you do whatsoever I command you I love my Master and I will not go free saith the Servant in the Law Oh let us approve the sincerity of our love by the reality of our obedience For which cause no doubt it was that our Apostle saith Not he that loveth God but he that doth the will of God 2. In saying He that doth the will of God our Apostle saith as much as He that denieth the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life and somewhat more so that as in the former consideration it appeareth to be a discriminating so in this we shall finde it a comprehensive Character For 1. Sui Repudium Christiani praeludium The first step in doing Gods will is denying our own and these lusts are the ebullitions of our own corrupt wills To do Gods will is to obey his prohibitions and these lusts are the principall Objects of those prohibitions so that the renouncing worldly lusts is plainly implyed in this of doing Gods will 2. To do Gods will is of a larger extent Inasmuch as it super addeth the practice of the graces contrary to these lusts Sobriety and chastity justice and charity modesty and humility are but severall branches of Gods will and these are manifestly opposite to the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life and therefore in saying he that doth Gods will he saith he that is temperate and mercifull and humble and calls not only for a forsaking evill lusts but a performance of the contrary graces So that hereby our Apostle teacheth us that to attaine eternall felicity it is not enough to be free from these lusts but we must exercise our selves to virtue to cleanse our selves from filthiness but we must perfect holinesse and the reason is plaine since we cannot be happy but by doing Gods will Gods will is expressed not only by prohibitions of evill but prescriptions of good and therefore we cannot do Gods will unless we act what is commanded as well as shun what is forbidden So that whether you take this qualification as in opposition to those lusts mentioned in the sixteenth Verse or as an explanation of the love of the Father mentioned in the fifteenth Verse it appeareth to be very fitly made choice of 2. But that in which the connexion chiefly lyeth and which will more easily appeare is the remuneration that enduring for ever which is promised to him that doth Gods will And doubtless there was a double reason why our Apostle having spoken of the worlds transitâ—riness addeth by way of amplification this clause of eternall felicity The one in regard of the world that it may appeare so much the more transitâ—ry the other in regard of the worldly lover that his fâ—lly in setting his heart upon the world may appeare so much the more foolish yea abominable and of each a word 1. The world considered absolutely is transitory but if compared with eternity it is momentany Surely as St Paul speaking of the afflictions of this present time in comparison with that exceeding eternall weight of glory affirmeth them to be light and but for a moment so may we upon the same ground of all the enjoyments of this life As all the splendor of this world in respect of that felicity is but as the light of a Gloworme to the Sun so the longest continuance of this world in regard of that eternity is but as the drop of the Bucket to the Ocean Suppose the time of the worlds continuance to last a Million of yeares yet that Million is but a Moment to Eternity Indeed a Million of yeares is farre lesse in comparison of eternity then an houre is in comparison of a Million of yeares and the reason is plaine because eternity infinitely exceeds a Million whereas a Million doth but finitely exceed an houre you may easily count how much longer a Million is then an
then sit upon thy face If therefore thou wouldst stand then doe not run away now if you would then lift up your heads doe not now turn your backs now abide in him that you may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming 2 There is only one thing remaineth to bee dispatched and that is the extent of the Persons in that the verb is in the first person plural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee may have I and you whereby the Apostle intimateth that his confidence or shame at Christs coming did much depend upon their abiding or not abiding in him On the one hand the Peoples constancy shall then bee the Pastors glory in which respect St. Paul calleth the Philippians his joy and his crown and hee saith of the Thessalonians For what is our hope our joy our crown of rejoycing are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming for yee are our glory and our joy they were not only his joy but his glory not onely his glory but his crown of glorying for so the Greek is best rendered of whom hee should glory at the last day as his crown Labor discipuli in opere bono coronam dat Magistro judice Christo saith St. Ambrose the Scholars labour shall bee the Masters honour in the Judgement of Christ On the other hand the Peoples Apostacy shall then be the Ministers ignominy A foolish Son saith the Wise man is a calamity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint reads it a disgrace to his Father so are a foolish giddy People to their Spiritual Father indeed if the Minister discharge his duty he shall not have any cause of shame as to himself as if he had been negligent or unfaithful but he shall be ashamed of the People and as it were unwilling to own them The barren tree reproacheth the Gardner the ignorant Scholar disgraceth his Teacher and though the righteous Judge will not lay the Peoples Apostacy to the charge of the faithful Minister yet thereby his glorying is made voyd And therefore my dearly beloved if you have any reverence to the Judge before whom you must appear if you have any respect to your Minister who would gladly then have cause to boast of you and if you have any regard to your own comfort honour happinesse in that day when you shall appear before Christ I exhort intreat beseech you that you would adhere constantly to and abide firmly in him whom you have beleeved to the end of your days And thus through Divine assistance I am come to the end of this excellent period There is indeed another verse in this Chapter but as Beza well glosseth it is Transitio ad sequentem exhortationem a passage to the following exhortation and begins that Discourse which is prosecuted in several verses of the next Chapter and therefore with Cajetan I shall look upon it rather as the first verse of that than the last of this Nothing therefore now remainteh but that as I trust you have hitherto so to beg of you that you would still renew your prayers to God for me that if it be his will and may be for his glory and the Churches good I may make further progresse and in due time finish this work of expounding this Epistle And may both you and I so walk in those steps of this way namely confessing and forsaking our sins keeping Christs commandments and imitation of his pattern Love of our Brother contempt of the World and perseverance in the faith of Christ that when he shall appear we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming Amen Amen An Alphabetical Table of the chiefest things handled in the Book A THE Abuse of a thing is no just reason of a total disusâ— Page 229 Abiding in Christ See Perseverance Adultery a lust of the flesh 347 The Affections are in themselves indifferent 325. The Age of man threefold 214 In what sense Be leevers know All things 562 Ambition a great sin 395. one cause of Heresy 509 Gods Anger against forgiven sinners is not judicial but paternal 246 To desire what is Anothers how lawful and unlawful 371 Annointing See Unction Antichrists foretold by Christ 495. two sorts of them 497. many of them in the Apostles time 499 who is so most properly 492 493 Antiquity is that which is from the beginning 91 94 99 Apostacy its causes 508. how far incident to the true members of the Church 528 529. if total an argument of hypocrisie 574. by it men are discovered to bee Hypocrites 578. it is either from the Faith or Communion of the Church 507 508. wee should not bee much dismayed although we behold men apostatizing 527. Apostates shall bee ashamed at Christs coming 751 752. Apparrel in it self indifferent 400. when too costly too fashionable sinful 401. a base thing to bee proud of 399 Appearing of Christ see Coming when hee shall appear wee must all appear before him 745 746 Arrogancy puffeth men up with self-conceit 392 393. a cause of heresie 510 Assurance a reflex knowledge 62. is onely in respect of our selves 63. it is not meerly conjectural nor yet perfect 64 65. many have it not who yet are in Christ 66 it is attainable and being attained exceeding comfortable 68 69. by what means 71 72 73 B. BOasting of our selves an effect of pride 398 Blasphemy worse than Atheism 436 Brother in what sence all men and more especially all Christians are Brethren 143 144. more particularly Ministers and People 79 80 Brotherly Love see Love C. CHildren how great care ought to bee taken for their instruction 222 223 312 313. ought to know their Heavenly Father and why 310 315. in what respects wee must bee like them and in what not 206 207 Christ a perfect pattern of grace 51. in what sence the Image of God 622. how from the beginning 261 to 264. The Holy one 554 555. his great Love to us 118 119 Christians how said to bee in Christ 40. and to abide in hâ—m 43 739. the faelicity of their being and abiding in him 42. They are in vain so called who are not like to Christ 58. they are of different degrees 205. b they have an unction 553. their state far better than that of the Jews 7â—3 Church many in it who are not of it 524 525. many in it who depart from it 504 505. the degrees of casting out of it 506. particular Churches have their periods 488. multitude no note of a true one 499 Commands given by Christ as well as promises 12. they must bee obeyed because they are his 13 14. in what sense impossible to bee obeyed 16. why they are called his word 31. Coming of Christ three fold 743. his personal double 744. one end of his first is to bee an example 52. the difference between his first and second coming 745 Company evil to bee avoided 322 360 681.
consists 140 143 Love of the World see World Lust three-fold 338. that which was in us by Creation was not prone to irregularity 432. forbidden as well as the outward act 406. after worldly things many times disappointed and if fulfilled soone glutted 448 Lye threefold 23 580. Lyars the vilest of men 597 M. MAlice see Hatred Marriage may bee unlawfully used 348 Memory apt to forget Divine things 593. wee must not onely hear â—ut remember 640 Ministers how they and the people brethren 79 286. must have a futherly affection to the people 203 c. they are watch-men and shepheards 200. must be faithful and prudent 274. must preach particularly 220 220 387. seasonably suitably to their Auditors conditions capacities 275. make a distinction between hearers 593. warn the people of seducers 597 690. commend what is good in their people 134. must win upon them by expressing love 735. their endeavour shall bee accepted 677. no need of them in Heaven 716. they are instituted by Christ to continue in the Church to the end of the world 719. their teaching cannot avail without the Spirit 717. they must bee constant in the faith 644. their peoples constancy their honour at the last day 753. they must live their Sermons 120 121 Miracles by true ones the Gospel was confirmed 580. the shew of them made a prop of heresy 686 Multitude no note of a true Church 499 N. NAme its several acceptions 249. when changed in Scripture some spiritual gift conferd 615 the names of those whom wee reprove not to be mentioned 257 673 Necessity twofold 647 Neutrality and lukewarmness condemned 425 Novelty a badge of errour affecting it dangerous 91 to 94 100 101 O. OBedience cannot bee without knowledge 22. the way to increase knowledge 4 5. it is according to our knowledge 17. Negative not sufficient 11 474. must bee universal 14 15 464. cheerful 465. by it wee know our interest in Christ 71 72. it cannot be exact 16. a bare command should bee enough to oblige to it 429. it is the best tryal of our love to God 472 473. and perfects it 33 35 Old-men why called Fathers 208. to bee reverenced 209. they had need to bee good 212. not too old to learn 221. ignorance in them inexcusable 269. they must labour to know Christ 267 268 tOvercome in what sense wee are said to overcome the Devil now 285. wee are not compleat victors in this life 286. how it is to be done 283 284 P. PArdon of sin see Forgiveness Perfection twofold 33. perfect Christians compared to Fathers 204. b. Perseverance in adhering to Christ the Church the truth received 641 738. it must bee to the end 740. most commendable in Apostatizing times 635. it is not by our selves but Gods sustentation 529. the doctrine of it upon what grounds built 531 532. no true cause of security 535. an attendant of true grace 633 Play how unlawful 356 Polygamy a lust of the flesh 347 Prayse due to Virtue 134 259 578 Preacher see Minister Predictions the verity of those which are Divine 496. especially concerning Christ 603 604 Presumption of an interest in Christ 74 75. of our own abilities 394 Priviledges the enjoyment of them should not content us 526 Pride loveth to show it self 389. why called pride of life 390. its several kinds 390 to 394 a general sin 402. maketh a man like the Devil 404. it is attended with shame 405 Promises Divine are sometimes matter of precept 736. suitable to our necessities 648. most faithful 666. The promise is Eternal life 663. first promised and then given 665. to them that persevere 670. promised before Christ but not so clearly as by him 665. Humane oft-times larger than their performances 399 661 Protestants injustly charged by the Papists as Schismaticks 512 513 Q. QUakers how irrationally they decry the Ministry and blasphemously they wrest Scripture 721 722 R. REason of what use in Divine things 577 insufficient without an higher light 575. pretended to by Hereticks 686 Regeneration compared to light 131 Remission of sin see Forgiveness Repentance abstaineth from all sort of lusts 406 407. the delay of it dangerous 304 Repetition of one and the same thing frequently used in Holy Writ and why 131 to 135 Reproof ought to bee with expression of love 205. a. and yet sharp against notorious sinners 599. but yet without naming the persons 257 673 Resolution necessary in a Christian to his combat with the Devil 290 Riches when got and kept sinfully 376 to 381 S. SAcrament of the Lords Supper what gesture was used by Christ is not certain if it were wee are not bound to follow it 49 50 Saints their security dignity and felicity by reason of the Annointing 550 Schism the causes of it 508. a great sin 518. un ustly charged upon the Protestants by the Papists 512. justly by us upon the Sectaries 514 Scripture why God would have his Word written 216. man the Pen-man Gods Spirit the Author 219. to bee read by and to all 224 225. with reverence 220. quoted and wrested by the Devil 299. by Hereticks 589 722. a special weapon against seducers 689 Sectaries justly accused as Schismaticks 514 Security greatest when Judgement is neerest 490 Seducers they often prove such who should be Teachers 675. the several wayes of seducing 689. c. Sights wanton forbidden 363. as also such as curiosity prompts to 367 368 Signes three sorts of them 499 Sin God cannot bee the Author of it 433 434. men are apt to transfer it on God 436. it maketh us like the Devil 282 484. it ruineth Churches and Kingdoms 489. How many waies to bee considered 237 238 Sleep when a lust of the flesh 355 Soul no proportion between it and the world 454. hath its diseases as well as the Body 733 Son of God Christ was in such a way as proveth him higher than men nay Angels yea the high God 625 626. hee that denieth Christ denieth Gods Son 617. how much God is offended with it 624 625 Spirit of God compared to Oyl and why 514 c. given by Christ 557 701. the Author of Scripture 219. is not onely illuminating but confirming 731. his grace needful to overcome the Devil 91 his teaching extraordinary and ordinary internal and external 707 708. his inward teaching agreeeth with that in the word 709. it is faithful 727. effectual 729. how hee concurreth to assurance 73 74 Strength spiritual needful to our fight with the Devil 288. wherein it consists 290 strong Christians compared to young-men 210 211 Superfluity what measure of Riches is so 372 373 Superiours ought to bee exemplary 38 T. TEaching see Spirit Ministers Tempting God a great sin 367 Types fulfilled in Christ 579 Truth of the Gospel proved 580 581 V. VAin-glory a branch of pride 396 Victory see Overcome Unction of the sick in the primitive times for another end than that of the Papists 696. in Baptisme ancient but not Apostolical 695. Spiritual is