Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

SERMON I.

Preached May 24, 1676.

1 JOHN IV. 20. the latter part. He that loveth not his Brother, whom he bath feen; how can he love GOD, whom he bath not feen?

The whole verfe runs thus.

If a man fay, I love GOD, and hateth his Brother, be is a liar: for he that loveth not his Brother, whom he bath feen; how can be love God, whom he hath not feen?

M

Y purpofe at prefent is not to speak from these words either of love to GOD, or our brother, abfolutely and fingly but comparatively only, according to that connexion which they have one with another; and the difference of the one from the other refpecting their objects, as the object of the one is fomewhat visible, and of the other fomewhat invifible.

THERE is one thing neceffary to be premised to this intended difcourfe concerning the accepta

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

I.

VO L. tion of love here, and it is this; that the Apostle in this little tractate of love, as this Epiftle may for the most part be called, doth not defign to treat of love as a philofopher, that is, to give us a precife formal notion of it: but to speak of it with a latitude of fenfe; not fo indeed as to exclude the formal notion of love as it is feated in the inner man, but fo as to comprehend in it fuch apt expreffions and actings of it, as according to the common sense of men were most agreeable and natural to it. And therefore speaking of love to GoD in the 11 chapter, ver. 5. he tells us, that whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of GOD perfected: that is, The very perfection of the love of GoD ftands in this, in keeping his word. So in the v chapter, ver. 3. This, faith he, is the love of GOD, that we keep his commandments. And speaking of the other branch of this love in the 111 chapter, ver. 17. he faith, Whofo bath this world's goods, and feeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him, bow dwelleth the love of GOD in him? The Apostle calls this the love of GoD alfo; it being one and the fame divine principle of love implanted by GoD himfelf, which fpreads itself to feveral objects all under one and the fame communication, as having more or lefs of the divine beauty and loveliness appearing in them.

So that if any one fhould go about here to play the fophifter, and fay, "Love is a thing, "which hath its whole nature, and refidence in

"the

"the inner man.

Define it never fo accurately, S ER M.

86 you will find it to be wholly, and intirely feated "there. Now therefore, fince nothing can be "denied of itself, let it be confined and fhut up

there never fo closely, admit that no expref"fion be made of it one way or another, yet I " need not be folicitous on this account: for let "me walk and do as I lift, the love of God may "be in me for all that; fince love is fuch a thing, "wherever it is, as muft have its whole nature "within one." To this the Apostle would reply, No, I do not fpeak of love in fo ftrict a fenfe. Love, as I intend it, is not to be taken fo: or if it were, it must however be supposed to have, that strength and vigour with it, as to inable it to be the governing principle of a man's life; to affect and influence his own foul; and fo to run through the whole courfe of his daily practice. I fpeak of love according to what it virtually comprehends in it; namely, conformity to the will of GOD, and obedience to his laws whereby that will is made known. And thus love is elsewhere taken in fcripture alfo. Our Saviour you know gathers up our duty into love. Thou fhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbour as thyself; upon these two commandments bang all the law and the prophets. The Apostle alfo tells us, that love is the fulfilling of the law. b Therefore love to GoD and our brother, in this place, muft be taken for the fummary

a

B 2

Matth. XXII. 37,

4. b Rom. x111. 10.

I.

I.

VOL. fummary or abridgement of our whole duty; an epitome of the two tables; a virtual comprehenfion of all we owe either to GoD or man: that is, univerfal holinefs, and an intire obedience to the divine will. But ftill in this system or collection of duties, love, ftrictly and formally taken, is to be confidered as the primary and principal thing; as feated and inthroned in the heart and foul; and as the original principle, upon which all other duties do depend, and from whence they must proceed.

THE acceptation of love being thus fettled, there are three things that I chiefly intend to fhew from this fcripture.

FIRST, That there is a greater difficulty of living in the exercise of love to Go D than towards man, upon this account, that he is not the object of fight, as man is; and confequently, that the duties of the fecond table are, according to this our present state of dependence on external sense, more eafy and familiar to us than the duties of the firft. Hence proceeds that general propenfity, which it greatly concerns us to be aware of; to acquiefce and take up our reft in a fair, civil deportment among men, without ever being concerned to have our fouls poffeffed with holy, lively, and powerful affections towards Go D.

SECONDLY, I fhall fhew, that this impossibility of feeing GOD doth not however excufe us from exercifing love to him in this our prefent

ftate.

« AnteriorContinua »