Gods Effectual Calling, Treatise · Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. Of Charitie or LoueLove.
AMong the principall effects of Faith, charitie is reckoned in the next place after hope: and Paul knits them together, as the three ſpecial graces of the holy ghoſt, Faith, hope, charitie, 1. Cor. 13. There are three (ſaith he) faith hope, and charitie, and the greateſt of theſe is charitie. The Apoſtle knits theſe together, and we do not ſeuer them, ſpecially for that Gods louelove is a certaine bond vniting vsus to God, together with the bond of faith, which is the primary and principal. For this cauſe Peter ſaith, that our communion with Chriſt now abſent from vsus, doth conſiſt louelove & faith. And this moueth vsus in the third place after faith, to intreat of Charitie, in this treatiſe of our effectuall calling. And charitie or louelove proceedeth from that ſweet apprehenſion and taſte of the Lord: for that taſte ſtirs vp in the heart an exceeding louelove of the Lord, VVhence louelove proceedeth.and of our neighbour for the Lords ſake. And when as Charitie hath receiued this life by Faith, it becomes the inſtrument of Faith, whereby it worketh other effects of the Spirit; as the gifts of knowledge, of propheſying, of tongues, and of miracles. Theſe alſo are the inſtruments & meanes, wherby iuſtifying faith worketh; but the principal is louelove: for which cauſe it is ſaid, Gal. 5. that faith worketh by louelove, and louelove with the works or fruits thereof, among all ſignes and teſtimonies, giues the ſureſt euidence LoueLove the beſt euidence of faith.vntounto faith.
If this be compared with other graces of Gods Spirit, it muſt be preferred before them all: for it hath the third place after Faith. Therefore if ye ſet aſide Faith and hope, louelove hath the firſt place of all the graces of ye holy Choſt, and is, as it were, the ſoule of all gifts which followe after it. For this cauſe the Apoſtle 1. Cor. 12. 13. hauing numbred diuers gifts of the holy Ghoſt, ſaith, That if theſe graces wanted louelove, they were either as dead, or as nothing, or ſhould profit nothing. Whereby he giues vsus to vnderſtand, that all other vertues hauehave no ſoundneſſe in them, if ye ſeuer them from louelove, but to be onelyonly certaine dead ſhadowes of vertues. We may therefore iuſtly call charity the life of all gifts and graces which follow it.
If the aduerſaries had contented themſelues with this prerogatiue of Charity, they had not erred: but for that Popiſh charitie.they auouch it to be alſo the life and forme of faith, herein they ſin greatly, that faith rather contrarily is the life of charity, for that without Faith, there is no man hath but the dead ſhadowe of LoueLove. Wherefore the faith of Chriſt is the principall life or ſoule both of charity, and of all other vertues for without it they are all but vaine and counterfeit, and very ſinnes before God: for whatſoeuer is not of faith, is ſinne.
The primarie obiect of louelove is the ſame with the obiect of faith and hope: For what wee firſt apprehend by faith, and next expect in hope, the ſame we embrace in Obiect of louelove.louelove. The ſecondary obiect of louelove is our neighbor, whō we louelove in and for the Lord. The ſubiect of louelove is the heart: for we louelove with the heart: as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, LoueLove out of a pure heart.1. Theſſ. 1. 5.
The nature thereof is not in knowledge, nor in hoping, but in louing. In louelove two things are principally to Nature of louelove.be reſpected: firſt, a diligent endeuour for the preſcruation of that we louelove: next, an earneſt affection to be vnited and conioyned with it: both which we ſee are to bee reſpected in the louelove of God and of our neighbour.
The properties of louelove are many, 1. Cor. 13. 4. &c. For whereas louelove is, there is a heape of vertues: for Charitie is neuer alone in any man, but hath euer many other vertues as companions & handmaids attending on it. Of the premiſſes ye may gather ſome definition of faith; as namely, that LoueLove is an holy endeuour for the preſeruation of that which is beloued, whether God, or man, with an earneſt deſire LoueLove defined.to be vnited vntounto it: For louelove is that bond (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh) whereby the members of the body are knit together. And it ſerues alſo in ſome ſort and place to vnite vsus vntounto God and Chriſt; notwithſtanding that the communiō of Chriſt the head of his body the church, be principally to be aſcribed vntounto faith. And in this reſpect louelove goes before iuſtification, and is a branch, in our effectual calling, euer going together with faith, hope, & repentance. For which cauſe principally, I thought good to ſpeak of it briefly in this Treatiſe, after faith and hope: for that faith, wherein we ſay conſiſteth the ſecond part of our effectuall calling, hath theſe for inſeparable companions, faith, hope & repentance: after which followes our iuſtification by order, not of time, but of nature. But in another reſpect louelove followes iuſtification, and appertaineth to the grace of regeneration: but of this we ſhal ſpeake in fit place.
Now to returne to our purpoſe: the definition giuen before, is not ſo much of louelove it ſelfe, as of the worke and function thereof. For LoueLove is properly an affection, holy A larger definition of louelove.or ſanctified: and not ſo onelyonly, but alſo ſupernaturall, caried vp to louelove thoſe things which are aboue nature, and exceed all naturall affection: for like as faith is of thoſe things which excell all naturall knowledge and apprehenſion; and hope is of thoſe things which excell all naturall expectation: ſo LoueLove alſo is of thoſe things which be aboue the reach of all naturall affection. For as wee hauehave often before admoniſhed, this our new-birth in Chriſt Ieſus, is not ſo much a reſtoring of vsus to that image of Adam, which he had before his fall, as vntounto the image of Chriſt, who is a ſpirituall and an heauenly man, in whom, and by whom we hauehave not onelyonly (ſo to ſpeake) a naturall ſanctitie or holineſſe: but alſo doe receiue from him a certaine heauenly and ſupernaturall vertue and efficacie infuſed into all affections and powers of the ſoule. But this our ſupernaturall condition as yet appeareth not vntounto men, neither doe we ſufficiently feele it and find it our ſelues, but it ſhall be ſeene in another life, when as we ſhall put on, & beare the image of that heauenly man, 1. Cor. 15. 49. Now we are called the ſonnes of God, but as yet it appeareth not what we ſhall be: but we know it ſhall come to paſſe, that we ſhal be like vntounto him, when he ſhall appeare. 1. Io. 3. 2.
The Aduerſaries ſpend all their labour in ſetting forth the commendations of louelove, and they be too long in extolling charitie: For they adorne it with the ſpoiles of iuſtifying faith, ſo gracing it with ſtolen colours, and not with it owne proper beautie, aſcribing the iuſtification and ſaluation of man (which they take away from faith) vntounto charitie: as ſhall be ſeene when we come to ſpeake of the doctrine of free iuſtification. And thus farre ſhall ſuffice of charity or louelove.