The Light of Faith, Part 2 · Section 24
§. XXIIII. Of the louelove of the godly.
OF the duties of holy lifeThe louelove of the brotherhood. which wee owe to all men hitherto: therē remaine ſome duties of a right ordered conuerſation, which beſides all the former, we ſtand bound to practiſe towards men, as conſidered to be nearer, or farther off from God; ſuch are in Scripture, caſt into theſe two rankes, godly men, and wicked men: theſe we are next to handle.
And for godly men, all that bindeth vsus to holy carriage, reſpects them in generall, or in ſome particular caſe or ſtate.
In generall, to all Saints, wee hauehave our duty comprehended in one word, in 1 Pet. 2. 17. LoueLove the brotherhood: the word brotherhood, directs vsus to the right perſons, vponupon whom the duty is to bee conferred, and the right cauſe or ground why we ſhould doe this duty, becauſe they are the brotherhood: the word louelove, chargeth vsus with the duty it ſelfe. LoueLove reſpects the affection, and the offices that expreſſe that affection, the nature of which affection, and the ſeuerall offices that manifeſt the truth thereof, it is bootleſſe and vnprofitable to enquire after, till firſt we hauehave vnfolded the terme brotherhood, which tels vsus to whom we owe the ſame.
The brotherhood doth not containe all men with whom wee conuerſe in ſocieties, who yet are brethren by creation; for hauehave we not all one father, did not one God make vsus? If ſo, how is it that in the former words wee are commanded to honour all men: and in theſe next words required, to louelove the brotherhood as a ſort of men not …ckoned with the reſt, but claiming a greater deareneſſe of affections and declaration of reſpect then other. By this is therefore meant the company of ſo many as are true Chriſtians in the places of our abode and acquaintance, the communion of Saints on earth, the new borne, who are the adopted ſonnes and daughters of the Almighty, which are borne not of bloud, nor of the will of fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God: reſembling the image of the father, in knowledge, righteouſneſſe, and holineſſe of truth, who are allyed one to another in a farre greater and better bond, then that of naturall conſanguinity.
Q. But how ſhall I know who are of this brotherhood?
A. By the iudgement of infallibility, none can know anothers eſtate herein; onelyonly eueryevery one that is of this brotherhood, may know it for himſelfe: but by the iudgement of charity it may bee knowne: ſuch markes I now point at, as helpe thee herein.
1 By their fruits thou ſhalt know them, their fruit is to holineſſe, and innocency in their owne way of life, Rom. 6. 22. Phil, 2: 25.
2 By their deſire after the ſincere milke of Gods word, and louelove to the houſe of God, 1 Pet. 2. 2. Pſal. 26. 8,
3 By their language, if pure, if the language of Canaan, if nor corrupt nor rotten; true and pure religion is to bridle the tongue, Iam. 1. 26. & 3. …1. 2.
4 By the oppoſition of the world, that is, of men giuen to the luſt of the fleſh, the luſt of the eye, and pride of life, Ioh. 15. 19.
Theſe muſt thou cleaue to as thy brethren: and to all whom thou canſt not without breach of charity, iudge or diſcerne from theſe. EueryEvery of theſe, as well as ſome few with whom thou art more inward: nor maieſt thou thinke that thou haſt not violated the bonds of this holy brotherhood, when thou clea…eſt to ſome of them onelyonly, with a manifeſt diſregard of the reſt in the place where thou liueſt, reckoning vponupon their diſlike, onelyonly as worth the auoiding, and not caring to runne vponupon that which miniſtreth apparent and iuſt cauſe of diſtruſt of thy good and louing affections to others: for hee that loueth not all the Saints, loueth no Saint a right: neither is it here ſaid, ſe… thou louelove this or that brotherhood, which thou haſt made by aſſociating thy ſelfe with them, but louelove the brotherhood which God hath made by giuing theſe teſtimonies to the world, that they are borne of him: elſe in auoiding a rent from ſome, thou maieſt make a rent from many. To theſe the duty charged vponupon vsus, is louelove, Epheſ. 5. 2. Walke in louelove, the ſpeciall commandement giuen by our Sauiour, and the cogniſance whereby his Diſciples ſhould be knowne, Ioh. 13. 34. 35. LoueLove noteth the affections of the heart, and the office of louelove in the life.
1 The affection of louelove which we owe to the godly, is a ſpeciall degree of affectionate kindeneſſe & tenderneſſe of hart framed in vsus by the holy Ghoſt, through the Goſpell, whereby wee receiue them as Chriſt receiued vsus, and reſpect them as our brethren in him partakers of the ſame grace of God, and heires of the ſame inheritance of heauen, the grace of life eternall prouided for vsus: knowing that there is but one body, one ſpirit, one faith, one hope of our calling, one Baptiſme, one Lord t…at redeemed them all, one God, who is the Father of them all, who alſo is aboue all, and through all, and in them all, Epheſ. 4. 4. 5. 6. Rom. 12 10. Ioh. 13. 34. And thus this louelove of the brethren differeth from the louelove of men we ſpake of before. Neither is it enough that I louelove them, becauſe they are men, and as men, but becauſe they are Chriſtians, begotten of the Father, and as Chriſtians that are new borne. The louelove of men, the law commandeth, & wils it be ſquared by this patterne, as I louelove my ſelfe: the louelove of the brethren, the Goſpell onelyonly: and wils it bee ſquared by a more excellent patterne, as Chriſt hath loued vsus: As the law reuealeth not Chriſt the Mediator, ſo neither doth it command the louelove of the brotherhood, who are gathered out of the word by Chriſt. In this regard therefore our Sauiour ſaith, A new commandement giuegive I vntounto you▪ Ioh. 13. 34. And to this louelove of the brethren, in our conuerſion, were our ſoules purified, and ſtill doth the Chriſtian purifie his ſoule in obeying the truth through the ſpirit, 1 Pet. 1. 22.
2 The offices of brotherly louelove, are theſe.
1 To make choice of them, as the onelyonly companions of our liues: aſſocia…ing our ſelues to their communion and fellowſhip, Pſal. 16. 2. 3. All our delight ſhould bee in them: that kingly Prophet ſaith; I am a companion of all them that feare thee, and of them that keepe thy precepts▪ Pſal. 119. 63.
2 To vſe hoſpitality one to another, without grudging, 1 Pe…. 4. 9. H…b, 13. 1. 2. and to be harbourers. forget not this office of louelove, for hereby, ſome hauehave receiued Angels into their houſes vnawares, Abraham and Lot, as we reade, purſued hoſpitality.
3 To employ our gifts for their good, as being members of the ſame body, and therefore ought to hauehave the ſame care one of another. All gifts are ſpirituall or corporall, ſpirituall, as knowledge, vtterance, and the like, all giuen to profit withall, 1 Cor. 12. 7. They muſt helpe others by what they hauehave learned, when they meet together, Pro, 15 7. 1 Cor. 14, 26 Col. 3. 16. By prayer, bee they preſent or abſent, 2 Cor. 1. 11. and by admonitions prouoking to louelove and to good workes, Heb. 10. 24. corporall, are riches, friends, authority, all to be vſed chiefly for the good of the Saints, Gal. 6. 10. Phil. 2. 4. 2 Cor. 8. 19. Rom. 12. 13.
4 To ſtriue together for the faith of the Goſpell, defending with one heart, the cauſe and quarrell of religion, Phil. 1. 27. Like vowed ſouldiers, vnderunder that one Generall, the Lord Ieſus.
5 To beare one anothers burdens, and ſo fulfill the law of Chriſt, Gal. 6. 2. Their burdens, are either infirmities, temptations, griefes for wrongs done vsus, or afflictions: of infirmities, our louelove ſhould couer them. 1 Pet. 4. 8. and wee ſhould ſhew our readineſſe to lay their ſorrowes to heart, and to comfort them, not by ſaying ſinne is no ſinne, or calling euill good; or ſoothing them in ſecurity, but by directing them rightly to apply the conſolations of God in Scripture: If temptations, wee ſhould with all ten …erneſſe of heart, aduiſe, counſell, and comfort: If griefe for wrongs done to vsus, that we let them ſee, how eaſily we can forgiue them, and forbeare the leaſt ſhew of reuenge, as alſo Chriſt hath forgiuen vsus, Col. 3. 12 If outward afflictions, that wee mourne with them that mourne, and bee ready to helpe them to the vttermoſt of our power, for we owe our liues to the brethren, 1 Ioh. 3. 16. 17.
6 To confeſſe our faults one to another, in caſe of dammage done to our brother: yea, be it wee hauehave not treſpaſſed, yet to open the ſores of our diſpoſitions, and diſcreetly to tell our frailties, failings, and corruption of nature, which as it eaſeth our owne hearts, ſo it increaſeth affections, preuenteth loathing of vsus for our infirmities, and gaineth leaue with freedome to reproue them, when they ſee wee are ready to condemne our ſelues, Iam. 5. 16.
Theſe duties are of much intimateneſſe, and therefore the ſoule had need to be purified to this louelove, that it may be vnfeigned, out of a pure heart, and feruent, 1 Pet. 1. 22. And that it may in the affections, and the expreſſion of theſe offices of louelove, continue without interruption, wee muſt watch againſt theſe things chiefely.
1 The forſaking of their fellowſhip, Heb. 10. 25.
2 Iudging and cenſuring about hid things, as the ſecrets of their hearts, 2 Cor. 4 5. and things indifferent, Rom. 14. 10.
3 Grudging, murmuring and complaining, Iam. 5. 9. Phil. 2. 14.
4 Enuy at their gifts and reſpects, Gal. 5. 26.
5 Reſpect of perſons, Iam. 2. 1. 2.
6 Vaine-glory and conceitedneſſe, Phil 2. 4. 5. Gal. 5 vlt.
7 Schiſmes, rents, and diuiſions, and running into opinions, 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 12. 25.
8 Inconſtancy, Heb. 13 1.
9 Worldlineſſe, looking only at our owne things, 1 Cor. 13. 5.
10 Diſſimulation, 1 Ioh. 3. 18.
11 Vntruſtineſſe, and vnfaithfulneſſe, 3 Ioh. 5.
12 Suits in law, 1 Cor. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4.
13 Mixing our ſelues with a brother or brethren, that proue lewd, wee ſhould reſtraine our familiarity, and reproue them, that they might be aſhamed and amend, yet count them as brethren, not as enemies, 1 Cor. 5. 11. 2 Theſ. 3.Rom. 14. 13. 14.
14 Scandale, to lay a ſtumbling blocke in our brothers way, Mat. 18 6. 7. All ſcandale is thy ſinne, when it is g…u…n by thee, that is, when thou art the cauſe of the hurt that comes by thy action, as well as the auth…r of the action: and this is, when thou teacheſt or approoueſt euill doctrine, whether hereticall or ſuperſtitious, when thou committeſt groſſe ſinne, as did Dauid, and when thou abuſeſt thy Chriſtian liberty 1 Cor. 8. 12. and it is abuſed when in things indifferent, left free by the Magiſtra…e, thou vſeſt thy liberty, and the weake are wounded and offended. But if the command of the Magiſtrate be vponupon it, thou muſt obey, though a brother be o…fended, Sin may not be done to pleaſe any, 1 Pet. 2. 13.