The Debt Book, Chapter 12
CHAP. 12. Of the ſacred Debt of LoueLove, that we ought to louelove one another, and why?
BVT that yee louelove one another.] As is the Obligation, ſuch is the Debt: ciuill obligations ceaſe when the pecuniary debt is paid, but the bond of louelove among Chriſtians is perpetuall; ſo that as wee ſay of thankes in caſe of benefits receiued, Gratiae agendae & habendae; Thankes muſt be giuen and held as ſtill due: ſo of louelove it is; Debitum ſemper reddendum & ſemper habendum; A debt which alwaies is to be paid, and yet alwaies continues payable; I am (ſaith Paul) a debtor, both to the Grecian Rom. L 14and Barbarian, both to the wiſe and to the vnwiſe; hee meanes the debt of louelove and of ſeruice. The inſtruction is this; That LoueLove and Charity is a due debt, perpetually to be performed by one Chriſtian to another; Let brotherly louelove continue, Heb. 13. 1. Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe, I am the Lord, Leuit. 19. 18. Beloued, let vsus louelove one another; for louelove is of God, and eueryevery one that loueth is born of God and knoweth God. 1. Ioh. 4. 7. *Ioh. 13. 34A new Commandement giuegive I vntounto you, that yee louelove one another. How a new commandent? Auſtine anſweres, quia exuto veteri induit nos nouum hominem Becauſe the old man being put off, it puts on vsus the new man. Whereunto I adde this, that when the Scribes and Phariſes by falſe gloſſes and corrupt interpretations had put it out of date; *Mat 5. 43, 44, 45, 46, &c.Chriſt reſtored it by a true interpretation, and reuiued and illuſtrated it by his owne practiſe and example: as Paul alſo doth obſerue, Eph. 5. 2. Walke in louelove as Christ hath loued vsus, and Phil. 1. 9. This I pray that your louelove may abound more and more in knowledge, and in all iudgement. To walke in louelove intendeth a proceeding and going forward till wee come to an eminencie, and this we ſhould indeuour.
Reaſon. 1 Firſt, becauſe it is a good thing and a pleaſant, Pſal. 133. 1.that brethren, ſhould dwell together in vnitie and amitie. Some things are pleaſant that are not good, as vnlawfull gaines to a couetous man. *2. Pet 2. 15.Balaam loues the wages of iniquitie to his hurt: ſome things are good that are nor pleaſant, as to ſuffer affliction, ſo *Heb. 11. 25.Moſes did with the people of God: But the louelove of the brethren is both good and pleaſant: Good, becauſe agreeable to Gods will: Pleaſant, becauſe comfortable to the heart of man to inioy the ſocietie and communion of Saints: both good and pleaſant, *Pſal. 133. 3.becauſe God hath commanded his bleſſing to reſt vponupon the vnitie of brethren in that which is good.
Secondly, Chriſt hath loued vsus being his *Rom. 5. 2. 10.enemies; therefore we ought to louelove one another: If Chriſt hauehave taught vsus this, not only by precept, but alſo by example, and by illuſtration of the precept in his owne perſon, ſhould we not herein conforme our ſelues vntounto him? Should not euerie one accommodate himſelfe to that, which is the proper end and vſe of his calling? Should not the Shepheard feed his flocke, the Pilot at Sea guide his Ship, the Captaine in warre exerciſe militarie diſcipline? Should not the watchman keepe his watch? Now brotherly louelove is as proper and peculiar to Chriſtians, as any of theſe ſeruices to the vndertaker of them. By this ſhall all men know, that ye are my diſciples, if ye louelove one another, Ioh. 13. 35.
Thirdly, many excellent things are ſpoken of louelove: it is *1. Tim. 1. 5.the end and ſcope of the Lawe; Vt eſt in medicina ſanitas, as health is the end of Phyſicke. It is the ſumme of the Lawe ſayth Chriſt, Mat. 22. 40. Where hee ſpeakes of the louelove of God, and of the louelove of man iointly: In which ſenſe it is noted to bee a tranſcendent vertue required in eueryevery commandement. It is the *Col. 3. 14.bond of perfection, quo omnia hominum inter ſe officia continentur & coherent, wherein all the duties which paſſe betweene men are comprehended and combined. As faith is the bond of our vnion with Chriſt, ſo is louelove of our communion with our brethren, the members of Chriſt, in which two conſiſts the perfection of the myſticall bodie. It is called here the fulfilling of the Lawe, both in this verſe and in the tenth, becauſe, qui diligit, non vnum aliquod praeceptum obijt, ſed in genere praeſtitit quod lex iubet, he that loueth, obſerueth not ſome one precept, but performeth in generall what the Law inioineth, but of this in the next place.
4. Fourthly, where louelove is not, the life of man is like a perpetuall tempeſt, here ruſhing, and there bluſtering, here beating and there bearing downe all before it; without this wee ſtill doe liue in the gall of bitterneſſe and bond of iniquitie: where this failes, miſchief comes in place thereof; diſſentions, diſcords and ſuch curſes as accompany them. Non eueniſſent Cyprian. Ep. 8.fratribus haec mala, ſi in vnum fraternitas fuiſſet animata. Such euills had not befallen the brethren, if the brotherhood had held together in one mind. Let vsus therefore nouriſh this precious charity in our hearts, in obedience and true conformity vntounto Chriſt; as alſo for the worthineſſe of the grace it ſelfe, and for our owne refreſhing and conſolation in our pilgrimage here on earth.