〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is most frequently Translated Love which is the first great Fruit of the Spirit of which we have been speaking and springs immediately from the true Spirit of God as an inseparable Fruit thereof Gal. 5.22 The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And so you may find the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translated Love in all these places following besides others Mat. 24.12 John 13.34 35. and Chap. 15.13 And again Chap. 17.26 Rom. 8.35 and Chap. 12.9 and Chap. 13.10 2 Cor. 2.4 8. and Chap. 5.14 and Chap. 6.6 and Chap. 8.7 8 24. and Chap. 13.11 Gal. 5.6 13 22. Eph. 1.15 and Chap. 2.4 and Chap. 3.19 and Chap. 6.23 Phil. 1.9 17. and Chap. 2.1 2. Col. 1.4 8. 1 Thes 1.3 and Chap. 4.9 and Chap. 5.8 2 Thes 2.10 1 Tim. 1.14 and Chap. 6.11 2 Tim. 1.7 Heb. 6.10 and Chap. 10.24 1 John 2.15 and Chap. 3.1 and Ch. 4.7 8 10 16 17. 2 John 6. Jude 2. Rev. 2.4 In all these places besides more the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Translated Love And why it should be Translated Charity as it is rendred 1 Cor. 13. throughout the whole Chapter I see no reason But I shall shew what reason I have to the Contrary We take Charity sometimes in this Case to have a good Opinion of one or to have a good Affection to one and so to have a Kind Civil Society with them and this is good in its place And sometimes it is taken for a Natural Love as among Relations which is also good Sometimes also it is taken for an Affection of Pity to such as are in Distress and not only to pity them but to distribute to them and this is also called Charity and this is very good also and very acceptable with the Lord and agreeable with that Precept Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased But still there is something above these which is of a more uniting Property and that is the Love of God shed abroad in the Hearts of them that truly fear and love him And hence arises a more Spiritual Love and therein union of Spirit not only with the Lord but also with all those that love and fear him and walk in Obedience with him And this Love is not restrained to any one distinct Society only but extends it self to all that fear him and walk humbly with him in every Society of People True Spiritual Love is an Affection of Complacency arising from union of Spirit in true Spiritual Obedience Or to speak more fully True Spiritual Love which is here spoken of in this 13th Chapter of 1 Cor. is a Reflexion of God's Love shed abroad upon the Heart and springing up in our Hearts And it arises from Faith and is a true Fruit of Faith For true Faith works by Love Gal. 5.6 Neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love And we love God because he first loved us 1 John 4.19 He gives some sense or understanding of his Love into our Hearts or sheds abroad his Love into the Hearts of them that truly fear him and thence springs our right true Spiritual Love to him and to all Men. And this is that more excellent way which the Apostle said he would shew in the last Verse of the 12th Chapter immediately going before this 13th Chapter where he speaks so much of Love which he prefers before the best Gifts For saith he Covet earnestly the best Gifts and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way Observe A more excellent way than the best Gifts and that is Love For it follows immediately Though I speak with the Tongues of Men and of Angels and have not Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am become as sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal And so it 's Love that is the more excellent way above the best Gifts and Parts viz. pure Spiritual Love It 's above the Gift of Prophecy tho' that be very desireable and profitable it 's above the Knowledge of all Mysteries It 's above Faith Oh! the high Value that is set upon pure Spiritual Love by the Apostle Paul and so also by the Beloved Disciple John For faith he He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love 1 John 4.8 And again Ver. 16. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him This pure Love is a Reflexeth of the Love of God shed abroad upon the Hearts of them that truly fear and love and obey him as hath been said As the Sun in the Firmament shining upon the Water gives a Reflexion of it self in the Water so the Love of God shed abroad upon the Hearts of them that truly fear him begets a Resemblance of it self in some measure where Clouds of Sin or Unbelief hinder not And so our true Love of God arises hence even from his Love in some measure made known to us and shed abroad in our Hearts that is in the Hearts of those that walk in Obedience and Faith before him Now this Love is a higher thing than Charity and is more extensive than Charity For Charity reaches but to Man but true Spiritual Love reaches forth to God as well as to Man He is the Object of the purest and highest Love and he is the Fountain from whence such Love flows We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 and gave his Son Christ Jesus our Lord for our Redemption This Love that is so much spoken of in the 13th Chapter of the First of Corinthians is above Faith and above Hope Now abideth Faith Hope Love these three but the greatest of these is Love Ver. 13. Again the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being Translated Charity in this place seems to bear a Contradiction in it to Ver. 3. of the same Chapter 1 Cor. 3. where it is said Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor what 's this but Charity And yet saith the Translation and have not Charity but it were better exprest I think and have not Love according as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frequently signifies and is for the most part so rendred as hath been shewed And so that word Love would better agree with all the other Expressions following in Verses 4 5 6 c. than the word Charity and might be Read thus Love suffereth long and is kind Love envyeth not Love vauneth not it self is not puffed up doth not behâ—ve it self unseemly seeketh no her own is not easily provoked thâ—nketh no evil rejoiceth not in Iniquity but rejoiceth in the Truth beareth all things beliveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things And then ver 8. it s said Love never faileth or endeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Prophecies they shall fail Tongues they shall cease knowledge it shall vanish away But Love
shall never fail Therefore this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Love here spoken of shall remain for ever even to all Eternity when all Objects of Charity shall cease and not be found This Love here spoken of is greater than Faith or Hope for Faith and Hope cease when the things believed and hoped for the enjoyed but Love shall never cease And therefore I say this Love here spoken of is a higher and more continuing thing than that which is commonly called Charity And so therefore I say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place ought to be Translated Love I would not have any one to think that I speak against Charity because I speak against that Interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place I wish Charity were more abounding than it is among all Persons And that there were more tenderness in the Hearts of People towards the Poor and towards them that are in Distress than usually they meet withal For they that are open-hearted and open-handed towards such they will not lose their Reward if in singleness of Heart they supply their Necessities I shall only set down two or three places of Scripture to encourage People thereunto and so proceed Mat. 6.1 2 3 4. 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Heb. 6.10 11. which places of Scripture those that have a mind may see at their leisure But to return to the Subject I was speaking of which was pure Love it is of that power that it produces unity and so makes one As we commonly say of Persons that entirely love one another They are all one And so our Lord Jesus Christ prayed to his Father for those that believe on him That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us John 17.21 And again Ver. 22. he saith And the Glory which thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one even as we are one And again still further Ver. 23. he goes on in his Prayer for those that believe on him saying thus I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one and that the World may know that thou hast sâ—nt me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me Thus we may see how Love bends or inclines towards Unity and brings into Unity And so herein it is greater than Charity and muchabove Charity For there may be Charity to a Person or for a Person with whom we cannot have Unity Charity doth not make one as Love doth And therefore the word Charity doth not so fully agree with the Expressions here used by Christ Jesus as Love doth neither doth it so fully agree with the Expressions used by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. as Love doth Now this true and pure Spiritual Love springs from hence even from God's Love in some measure shed abroad in the Heart as hath been shewed before or which comes all to one from being made Partakers of the same Spirit of God And so thereby we are taught of God to Love one another 1 Thes 4.9 and not only so but to Love all Men yea even our very Enemies Oh! what an excellent Spirit and Temper doth the Spirit of God form in the Hearts of those who are brought down into Subjection to him as we may observe to have been in the Apostles of Christ Jesus after they were brought fully under Subjection to the Holy Spirit Now where this Foundation of the true Spirit is laid many sweet and precious Fruits thereof will follow besides Love as namely the comfortable sweet Dictates of the Spirit with many Openings of Truth and Enlightenings and Enlivenings of the Spirits of his Servants that walk with him in Faithfulness so as to make their Lives comfortable tho' they meet with outward Distresses and Troubles as we may see in the Apostle Paul's Example who though he met with great Troubles yet was born up in them all and above them And therefore this ought to have a deep impression upon our Spirits to beget a carefulness in us to walk faithfully and humbly with the Lord who is able to carry through all Difficulties with Comfort After the Lord hath Convinced the Heart of Man of Sin and turned it against it in Truth which indeed is true Repentance there is a fear and a care begotten in the Heart not to offend the Lord again together with a Sorrow for their former negligent and offensive Life And this fear of offending the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom Prov. 9.10 And this fear of the Lord is to hate Evil Chap. 8.13 And so it keeps the Heart of Man abiding with the Lord as it 's said Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their Hearts and they shall not depart from me Now this true fear of the Lord mortifies and deads the Heart to Sin and awakens it to Righteousness and till then Men are said to be dead in Sins and Trespasses even while they live and are as Strangers to God altho' they can talk of him and of the Holy Scriptures But they that come really and effectually into Obedience the Fruits of the Spirit Love Joy Peace and such like will spring up in their Hearts by degrees as the Lord sees good to nourish them up therein And thus the Kingdom of God which is within us begins in little beginnings many times but it is of a growing Nature it 's like a Grain of Mustard-seed at first but it grows to a great Tree Mat. 13.31 And thus by degrees usually we come to enjoy the comfortable presence of the Lord with us or which is all one the sweet presence of the true Comforter in our Hearts that is the Spirit of God For true Comfort springs up from the Spirit in Obedience to him And this is that which makes the Lives of the true Servants of the Lord Comfortable whatsoever Adversity or Contradiction they meet withal from the World For our Happiness and Consolation doth not depend upon an Opinion but upon our Union and Fellowship with the Lord which is enjoyed in Obedience and Faith which the Spirit of God works in the Hearts of the truly humble And this is agreeable to that which the Apostle saith 2 Thes 2.13 that we are chosen to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth which in effect is the same with Obedience and Faith For the Holy Spirit sanctifies in Obedience not in Disobedience and Faith and Belief of the Truth or true Belief is one above such Belief as the Devils have who tho' they believe and tremble yet still unsanctified but such Faith as works by Love and hath Love springing up in it Such Faith with Obedience is that which accompanies or is a ground of our Justification Sanctification and Salvation POSTSCRIPT SInce this was writ I have seen in the Hands of a Neighbour a Bible Printed in the Year 1â—87 wherein the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is altogether Translated Love in this 1 Cor. 13. as I have rendred iâ— Therefore I hope my rendring it so will not be look'd upon as a Novel Conceit And let this be noted that I do not impute any blame to the Translators who have in our Bibles rendred the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the word Charity For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends Charity and it may be they might see that at that time there was need to reade it so to stir People up to so good a Work But that word Charity doth not fully reach to all the Expressions or Significations of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here in this Chapter as Love doth for Charity reâ—ches but to Man but Love râ—aches â—o God as well as to Man 1 John 4.19 Charity ceaseth when the Objects of Charity câ—ase but Love shaâ—l never cease or fail 1 Cor. 13.8 For so it may truly bâ— read Love never faileth or ceaseth William Tomlinson FINIS
A Short WORK But of Greatest CONCERN By William Tomlinson Rom. IX 28. For he will finish the Work and cut it short in Righteousness because a short Work will the Lord make upon the Earth London Printed and Sold by T. Sowle in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street 1696. A Short Work but of Greatest Concern The Lord will cut his Work short in Righteousness TIme hath been wherein there have been many Precepts Precept upon Precept Line upon Line under the Ministration of the Law Isa 28.13 But under the Gospel the Lord doth contract them and bring them under one Head and that is the Spirit of God to be led and guided thereby And he shall lead into all Righteousness and Truth John 16.13 and out of the Lusts of the Flesh Gal. 5.16 This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh And this Guide and Leader is promised to abide with the true Servants of God for ever John 14.16 17. So that if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 The time cometh and draws near at hand wherein People shall not be look'd upon as the People of God because they are of such or such an Opinion or because they are in such or such a Society or belong to such a sort of People and walk with them let it be under whatsoever Name is extant whether Papist or Protestant or any other Name Nor shall Eminent Gifts and Parts shelter any Man Many will say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name And in thy Name have cast out Devils And in thy Name done many wonderful works But what 's the Answer to them that can plead thus from the Ability of Gifts and live not Righteously The Answer is this I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 7.22 23. Iniquity dashes all Excellent Abilities and puts one out of God's Acknowledgment of their Persons Whereby we may observe That it is not Eminent Gifts and Parts that states a Man in a happy Condition although these are good and to be prized Query Some may say then perhaps What is it then that makes us happy if such Eminent Gifts and Parts do not Answer I answer It is humble walking with the Lord as a Child in his holy Spirit Mat. 18.3 Verily I say unto you Except ye be Converted and become as little Children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven This is also plainly exprest in other words before-named where the Apostle saith expresly If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8.9 But on the contraty As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God So then it 's plain That our Sonship is established in the Spirit If we be led by the Spirit of God we are in the Sonship but if we be not in some measure led by that we are not in the Sonship but remain Strangers to God in our Spirits But if we be led by the Spirit of God the Spirit it self will bear witness with our Spirit that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 And here now is the Work cut short in Righteousness And hereby it is plainly manifest That our Happiness lyes herein namely in being led by the Spirit of God and walking humbly with him therein And this is the chief tendency and the very substance of the New Covenant and of the New Testament which testifies of it to bring us to this and build us up in this namely to bring us into subjection to the Spirit of God and to build us up therein that so we may come to walk in Fellowship with our God 1 Joh. 1.3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye may have Fellowship with us and truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And the words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are very agreeable hereunto John 14.23 where he saith If a Man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him O happy State and Condition to have Fellowship with our God! This makes happy both here and hereafter And this the true Sons of God enjoy who walk humbly with him in Spirit And in this short work now in walking with him in the Spirit and having Fellowship with him in the Spirit all Iniquity is cut off and all Righteousness is comprehended and established for he leads into all Truth I say all Iniquity is cut off So that he that walks in the Spirit gives no real occasion of stumbling Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh Gal. 5.16 And so hereby that which gives real offence is cut off It 's possible some may take offence where none is given as the Jews did against Christ So some may do now in these Days who are wedded to Tradition They may take offence at the Truth when their Traditions in which they are rooted and grounded are discovered reproved or contradicted thereby But this is not Truth that gives the offence but their Errour that take offence where none is really given as the Jews did take offence against Christ without just cause And as walking in the Spirit of Truth cuts off all Iniquity and all corrupt Lusts of the Flesh so it establishes the Obedient in all Righteousness For the Spirit leads into all Righteousness where he is faithfully followed and obeyed He will guide you or lead you into all Truth John 16.13 That is by degrees as he is obeyed There be many false Spirits gone forth into the World but the Spirit of Truth will discover them and by their Fruits they shall be discovered For saith Christ Jesus By their Fruits ye shall know them Mat. 7.16 to Ver. 20. A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit neither can a corrupt Tree bring forth good Fruit therefore their Fruits shall discover them for God hath so appointed it Now then what are the Fruits of the true Spirit that thereby in some measure we may be able to discover false Spirits and may discern a difference For Christ Jesus tells us By their Fruits ye shall know them I answer with the Apostle's words Gal. 5.22 The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such saith he there is no Law The Affections and Lusts of the Flesh they are hereby cut off as the next Verse expresses viz. Ver. 24. in these words And they that are Christ's have Crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts This is the happy state of the true Children of God who walk humbly with him in his Holy Spirit and grow up therein to the stature of a perfect Man in Christ Jesus They are led by the Spirit of God in these true Fruits of the Spirit And they have