The Debt Book, Chapter 15
CHAP. 15. The effect of louelove, with rules to diſpenſe the fruits thereof, and a complaint for the neglect of it.
THe religious louelove thus qualified will quickly ſhew it ſelfe in the fruits and effects; it will ſweeten and ſeaſon all our actions, making vsus full of merciemercy, and as *Rom. 15. 14Paul ſpeaks of the Romans full of goodneſſe. If you would know wherein this louelove muſt and may bee diſcerned; I anſwere euen in all things. Let all things be done in louelove, is the Apoſtles direction, 1. Cor. 16. 14. Becauſe without this, the beſt things degenerate and turn the edge: *1. Cor 8. 1Knowledge without louelove puffeth vp. *1. Cor. 13. 1, 2.The gift of tongues and prophecie, without louelove, is as a vaniſhing ſound. Almes without louelove is oſtentation. Martyrdome without louelove is fruitleſſe and vnprofitable. Let mee ſpeake it as it is; as faith without workes is dead: ſo works without louelove are counterfeit and hypocriticall. *Rom. 12. 9.Let louelove be then without aiſsimulation, in all our doing, which will make them paſſe more ſweetly then all the ſprings of Lebanon. …f we further inquire when and to whom this louelove muſt be ſhewed, that alſo is ſet downe, Gal. 6. 10. While we hauehave time let vsus doe good vntounto all: foreign, Theophilactthe time of working is the time of liuing; and though there may bee difference in the opportunities: yet ſhall we neuer want ſuch as will want vsus. Which burden for all that, where louelove is, will not ſeeme tedious. Charitas facit iugum leue: LoueLove makes the yoake eaſie. *Gen. 29. 20Iacob indured a hard ſeruice vnderunder Laban, of ſeuen yeares for his daughter Rachel, yet they ſeemed in his eyes but a very few dayes, becauſe be loued her.
If yet we further aske in what manner this louelove muſt be declared: That alſo is ſet downe, 1. Ioh. 3. 18. Little Children, let vsus not louelove in word and in tongue: hee meanes, not in bare verball complement only, (for words otherwiſe muſt bee the Interpreters of the heart) but in deed and in truth; our louelove muſt be reall and beneficiall; if it be barren, it is certainly counterfeit. If this precious treaſure be in our hearts, wee ought not to hide it; concealed louelove is like concealed learning, vnprofitable. We muſt profeſſe it then to the comfort of our brethren, as *Ruth 2. 13.Booz ſpake to the heart of Ruth, yea and expreſſe it too as hee did: *Ruth 3. 18.he reſted not till he had done her good in the higheſt degree. Thus Mordocai procured the wealth of his people, and ſpake peaceably to all his ſeed, Eſther 10. 3. Hee was beneficiall in word and in worke.
Beſides theſe generall directions, for the better diſpenſing the fruites of our louelove there are certaine ſpeciall rules to be obſerued. Firſt wee muſt conſider our owne ability, and our brethrens neceſſitie, accommodating the one to the reliefe of the other, as the plaiſter to the ſore.
If our ability be great, then *2. Cor. 9. 6.by ſowing plentifully we ſhall reape plentifully, and *1. Tim. 6. 17.lay vp a good foundation againſt the time to come. This ſheweth want of louelove in thoſe who hauing great ability, doe little or no good therewith; like Nabal and the rich Glutton, who had great abundance, euen a *Prou. 17. 16price in the hand, but wanted a heart to vſe it. They feared to loſe their wealth by giuing, but feared not to loſe themſelues by keeping it. If on the other ſide, our wealth be ſmall, yet if our good will bee great, it is accepted, as were the Widowes two mites, Luk. 21. 3. He that is faithfull in a little enters into his Maſters ioy Mat. 25. 23. God crowneth the inward will, where he finds not the outward wealth, ſaies Auſtin. If 2. Cor. 8. 12there be a willing mind, it is accepted by him who iudgeth not after the outward appearance, but beholdeth the heart. Yea though ſome muſt ſay with *Iob. 42. 8, 9.Peter, Siluer Acts 3. 6.and gold hauehave I none; yet louelove is as effectuall, in diſpenſing the ſpirituall talent as the temporall. Thoſe who hauehave not the worldly goods, may be helpfull and beneficiall, by powring out faithfull prayers, as Iob did for his three friends: or by miniſtring a word of counſaile, admonition, or exhortation at our need. He that doth ſo, may turne a ſinner from going aſtray, hee may ſaue a ſoule from death, and couer a multitude of ſinnes. Iam. 5. 20. Abilitie muſt bee improued according to the condition of it: which that it may be with ſucceſſe, we muſt alſo conſider the neceſſities of thoſe with whom wee hauehave to deale. LoueLove trauailes in paine with ſome, till Chriſt be formed in them, as Paul did Gal. 4. 19.with the Galathians; with others it is weake; to ſome it ſtoops; it raiſeth it ſelfe to others: *Auguſt. de catechiz. rudib. cap. 15.alijs blanda, alijs ſeuera, nulli inimica, omnibus mater: gentle to ſome, ſeuere to others, an enemy to none, a mother to all. Some hauehave more need of our prayers then of our purſe, of our counſaile then of our commodities, of our good example then of our goods. Paul *Act. 20 33.craues neither ſiluer nor gold, nor raiment, but *Eph. 6. 19 Col. 4. 3. 2. Theſ. 3. 1.prayers often and with importunitie. Dauid on the other ſide craues not Nabals counſaile, *1. Sam. 25. 8.but a ſupply of things neceſſarie, when hee might hauehave ſpared it. As one member ſerues another according to the neceſſity of it, ſo ſhould we. Becauſe by how much more fitly wee apply our ſelues to one another: by ſo much more feelingly is God glorified by the party that is ſuccoured, Iob. 31. 20.
After ability in the author, and neceſſitie in the obiect of beneuolence obſerued, the next rule pertaineth vntounto order. All things are comely in their order, and louelove is orderly and diſcreet, non agit indecorè, it deales not vnſeemely, 1. Cor. 13. 5. The orderly courſe in diſpoſing the fruits of louelove is, that (where preſent occaſion impoſeth not a neceſſitie) the ſpeciall duties of louelove ſhould be conferred, where there are the principall bonds of nature or grace, or other reſpects of ſocietie or vicinitie: ſpecially where there is an eminencie of deſert at our hands. The caſe may ſo be put that a beaſt muſt be relieued before a man: yet other things being like, wee muſt ſpecially doe good to Gal. 6. 10.the houſe-hold of faith.
A cup of cold water thus beſtowed is not forgotten, Mat. 10. 42. but ſhall bee remembred in the day of accounts, Matth. 25. 40. Euen among theſe, louelove ordered by diſcretion leads to our ſpeciall charge. Integer rerum aeſtimator eſt, qui Aug. de doc. Chr. lib. 1. cap. 27, 28.ordinatam habet dilectionem: nam quum omnibus prodeſſe non poſsis, his potiſsimum conſulendum eſt; qui conſtrictius tibi quaſi quadam ſorte coniunguntur. He is an vpright eſteemer of things that hath an orderly charitie: for ſeeing thou canſt not doe all men good, prouiſion muſt chiefly be made for thoſe, who are as it were, by a certaine lot, moſt nearely ioined vntounto vsus.
Dauid prouides for his Parents in the midſt of his perſecution: Our Sauiour for 1. Sam. 22. 3.his *Ioh. 19. 26, 27.mother in the midſt of his paſſion. But the bowels of compaſſion are for the moſt part chiefly moued, when the ſtate of the Church is vnderunder the eye of tenderhearted men, as Pſal. 122. Amos 7. 2. 5. Ieremie 9. 1, 2, &c. But ſuch men are very rare, the moſt euen of profeſſors, pleaſing themſelues abundantly, if their perſonall ſtate be good, and if there bee plenty within their priuate walles, neuer looke further at the diſtreſſed abroad: nor at well deſeruing men of Church and Common-Wealth: thinking becauſe charity beginnes at home, they neede not ſtraine themſelues with ſupporting ſuch as fall not within the domeſticall verge. But theſe men are much deceiued; For though it be true, that charity beginnes at home; Yet it muſt not alſo end at home, and neuer goe further. For as parents and children claime their portion in vsus, ſo doth the Church and Common-Wealth alſo: ſpecially ſuch as hauehave deſerued our louelove, to whom, perhaps we owe euen our ſelues *Phil. ver. 19as Philemon did to Paul.
Can that louelove be religious, which is ſo ſtraitned in the bowels of compaſſion, as that it will not inlarge it ſelfe to the afflicted? Or is that louelove religious, which can be vnthankfull to men of ſpeciall merit, for temporall or ſpirituall ſeruice? Let charity beginne where it ought, but let it not both beginne and end in one Period. If it be naturally diffuſiue, confine it not to one point or center, which ought to liue and moue, and worke in the circumference round about.
The third rule in the exerciſe of louelove concerneth thoſe who are without, or at leaſt farther off. *Rom. 12.Wee muſt hauehave peace and concord with all, ſo far as is poſſible: our God is the God of peace, not of diſſention 1. Cor. 14. 33.or confuſion; and when he exhibited himſelfe to Eliah, he was not in the 1. King. 19. 11.mighty wind, nor in the Earth-quake, nor in the fire, but in the ſtill and quiet voice: to ſhew that hee is not among tumults and quarrells, but where peace, and vnitie, and amity is imbraced. Yet he that muſt endeuour to hauehave peace with all is not bound to hauehave ſocietie, nor ordinarie intercourſe of conſultations and familiarity with all, nor peace neither, further then may ſtand with holineſſe and godly wiſedome. For what if there be ineuitable occaſion of a breach? What if a man will needs become an enemy? and prouoke vsus with heauy iniuries? Here now is louelove put to the greateſt tryall, yet will it bee fruitfull, and that in ſeaſon. For Chriſtian louelove may as truly be exerciſed to an enemy as to a friend: and in forgiuing iniuries, as in giuing gifts. Did not Steuens charity ſhine as cleerely, *Acts 7. 60. Acts 6. 6in praying for the forgiueneſſe of his perſecutors, when he ſuffered as a Martyr, as in miniſtring to the neceſſities of the Saints as a Deacon? Forgiueneſſe is like a bloſſome in March, that ſhrinkes not at a nipping blaſt, this will proue the forwardeſt and goodlieſt fruit in Autume. But what if forgiueneſſe be not ſought by him that doth the wrong? yet muſt thou daily aske forgiueneſſe at Gods hands vnderunder condition of forgiuing. What if the iniurie be daily multiplyed and renewed? Heauen is open to thy complaints, and the Law is open to reſtraine intollerable perſons, onelyonly in ſuits at Law, when they are ineuitable. LoueLove firſt retaineth an vnfeined deſire of peace, though it be prouoked. Secondly, it abſtaineth from priuate reuenge, though it hauehave opportunitie. Thirdly, true louelove prayeth for the enemies conuerſion, though continuing refractary.
But here may I iuſtly take vp a complaint; Charitatem in terris peregrinam agere. As one ſpeakes of Truth: ſo may I of Charitie, that it liues as a ſtranger here on earth; little religious louelove is to bee found in the world. Some men louelove no body but for ſome carnall reſpects. Others can louelove any, but the ſeruants of God; as Achab could like well of all Prophets, but of Michaiah and Eliah, and 1 King. 22. 68. 1 King. 21. 20.them he hated, and counted them as enemies. Others that can find no fault in Gods children, yet hold off their louelove in ſuſpence; and they muſt know them better, before they will ioyne with them in amitie and ſocietie, and ſo perhaps they neuer meete. Others confine their louelove to ſocietie in reuelling & laſciuiouſneſſe, or ſome other rudeneſſe in which there is at laſt but a bond of iniquitie. So little entertainement finds louelove vponupon earth: yet it is the bond of perfection, both in heauen and in earth, and hath the moſt noble teſtimonie and ſtile to be called in this place, the fulfilling of the Law.