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VOL. your felves neceffitated to admit and conclude, I. that love there is not meant of love to Go D alone, but of that love which diffufes and spreads it felf duly according as the objects are presented or do invite; in which the divine goodness is found, in himself primarily, and derived to this or that creature, and especially to fuch as bear, as was faid, the more lively image and representation of his goodness.

WE are not therefore to think, that love to GOD is one gracious principle, and love to our brother is another gracious principle: but we must know, that it is one and the fame gracious principle of holy love which works towards this or that object, according to the excellency and amiablenefs thereof; that is, proportionably to what I fee of divine goodness in it, which is the formal reafon of my love. Holy love is the affection of love fanctified; which affection is not many but one, but yet turns it felf towards this or that object according as the object claims and requires.

AND therefore we find exprefsly that love to our brethren is refolved into the fpirit of holiness, as its original caufe, which is the thing that I would mainly, and principally inculcate, that fo it may not be looked upon as a thing of an infe rior nature; fince we are too apt to look with a diminishing eye upon this duty of love to our brethren. It is really one of the fruits of the fpirit of holiness, a part of its production in renewed fouls. See how exprefsly the Apostle Peter speaks to this purpose. Seeing ye have purified

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your fouls in obeying the truth through the fpirit, un- SER M. to unfeigned love of the brethren; fee that ye love XIV. one another with a pure heart fervently. So again we are told, that the end of the commandment is charity (or love, for it is the fame word that is rendered fometimes one way and fometimes the other) out of a pure heart, and of a good confcience, and of faith unfeigned By the end of the commandment is meant the perfection, the top, the fum of it; or that which does virtually include all that lieth within the whole compafs of the commandment. And what we are to understand by the word commandment, which is expreffed indefinitely, we may fee in what follows; namely, that it is the fame thing with the law. The law, fays the Apoftle, is not made for a righteous man; but for the lawless and difobedient, for the ungodly and for finners, for the unboly and profane, &c. which supposes the

commandment and law here to be meant of the law in its extent, as it comprehends both tables; not only our duty to GoD, but to our brother alfo. And therefore that love which is the coronis and very fum of it, goes to both. Now it is faid concerning this love, taken thus extenfively, that it muft proceed out of a pure heart, and faith unfeigned. It must proceed from that faith, which is peculiar to the regenerate fons of GOD. They that believe are born of GoD And as many as received him to them gave he power

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VOL. to become the fons of Go D, even to them that believe in his name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of GOD. Now this fame faith is the immediate production of the spirit in the work of regeneration. It works out into love, and even into that love, which exercifes it felf upon our brother. Love to him, I fay, muft proceed from faith unfeigned. Therefore when the exercife of love was required by our Saviour, in forgiving an offending brother; and the queftion was put, how often they fhould forgive? and he replies, unto seventy times feven; prefently the difciples, as knowing the great need and exigency of the cafe, faid Lord increase our faith. There needs much faith in order to the exercife of fuch love.

WHEREFORE this love is in moft neceffary connexion with what is intimate to the new creature, and what most effentially belongs unto the conftitution of it. It is part of the work of regeneration, and of that holy creature, which is, when produced, called the new creature. You find therefore in that Scripture", where feveral graces of the fpirit are mentioned together, that brotherly kindness comes among the reft, in conjunction with faith, patience, and the like.

YEA and to evince this a little farther you find that in this very Epiftle in which is our text, love to our brother, even an indigent brother,

John 1. 12, 13.
2 Fet. 1. 5, 6, 7.

1 Luke xvII. 5.

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is called by the name of love to Go D; that is, SERM. not with reference to him confidered as the ob- XIV. ject (though in fome refpects as was faid before GOD may be confidered as the object too) but in reference to him as the original and author of this love. He that hath this world's good, faith the Apostle, and feeth his brother have need, and fbutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him, bow dwelleth the love of GoD in him? It is as if he' had faid, it is plain, that this divine love, which GOD is the author of, and of which this poor indigent brother is an object, is not in him, if he has no bowels of compaffion towards him at fuch a time, when the exigency of his cafe calls for relief.

THE Apoftle Paul tells the Theffalonian Chriftians, that concerning brotherly love they needed not that he should write unto them, for (faith he) you your felves are taught of GOD to love one another. Sure we are not ftrangers to the import of that expreffion in Scripture, or what it is to be taught of GOD. The expreffion is parallel'd by thofe which reprefent men as drawn by him, efficaciously moved, and acted by his almighty fpirit. Every one, faith our Saviour, that bath beard and learned of the Father, cometh unto me. That hearing, and learning of the Father, is expounded by that of being drawn, or powerfully attracted by the Father. Therefore the meaning of this expreffion, You have been taught of GOD, is this; your hearts have been

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1 John 11. 17.

• Theff. iv. 9.

• Joha VI. 45.

VOL. been powerfully drawn by GoD into the exercise I. of this love to one another. You need not that I write to you concerning this matter, for ye are taught of GOD. As in another case it is said, (the paffage is taken from the Prophet Jeremiah) They shall not teach every man his neighbour and every man his brother, faying, know the Lord; for all fhall know me from the least to the greatest. The fame form of expreffion you fee is used here, and must be taken in the fame fenfe.

In the fecond Chapter of this fame Epistle of John', we read of an unction of the Holy Ghost, by which the fpirits of those who belong to GoD are so seasoned, and tinctured, that they are even connaturalized unto the truth; and this is the way of GoD's teaching, even to love, as well as any thing else. It is a mighty potent work of that fpirit of holiness, by which men are taught to love. He teaches fo as none befides does. His way of teaching is by working in us the things that we are taught. And therefore they who think that whatfoever is required of goodnefs and holiness, may be the product only of human endeavour and acquifition, are to understand that we cannot do fo much as this, without being taught fo to do by the mighty power and fpirit of God; not fo much, I fay, as truly to love men as fuch, upon whom the stamp and impreffion of GoD's holy image is to be found. And indeed, they who think that all may be the effect

9 Jerem. XXXI. 31-35.

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ver. 20.

Heb. VIII. H.

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