A Treatise of Knowledge and Love, Part 2 · Chapter 16
Chap. XVI.
Love beſt the Chriſtians that have moſt Love to God and Man.
IF God Love thoſe moſt that have moſt Love, and not thoſe that have moſt barren Knowledge; then ſo muſt we, even all that take God's Wiſdom as infallible: Of whom can we know better whom to Love and Value, than of him that is Wiſdom and Love it ſelf? There is more ſavoury worth in the experience, affections, and heavenly tendency of holy Souls, than in all the ſubtilties of Learned Wits. When a man cometh to die, who ſavoureth not more Wiſdom in the Sacred Scripture, and in holy Treatiſes, than in all Ariſtotle's Learned works? And who had not then rather hear the talk and prayers of a holy perſon, than the moſt accurate Logick or Mathematicks? Alas! what are theſe but trifles to a dying man? And what they will be to a dying man, they ſhould be much to us all our life; unleſs we would never be wiſe till it is too late.
And among men ſeeming Religious, it is not the Religious wrangler or diſputer, nor the Zealous reviler of his Brethren, that can hotly cry down on one ſide, Theſe men are Heretical; or on the other, Theſe are Antichriſtian, that are the Lovely perſons: Not they that on one ſide cry out, Away with theſe from the Miniſtry and Church as diſobedient to us? Or on the other, Away with theſe from our Communion as not holy enough to join with us? It is not they that proudlieſt perſecute to prove their Zeal, nor they that proudlieſt ſeparate from others to prove it; but it is they that live in the love of God and Man, that are beloved of God and Man. Nature teacheth all men to love thoſe that love them. And the Divine Nature teacheth us to love thoſe much more that love God and goodneſs. Though love be an act of obedience as commanded, yet hath it a Nature alſo above meer obedience; and bare commanding will not cauſe it. No man loveth God or man only becauſe he is commanded ſo to do; but becauſe he perceiveth them to be good and amiable. And the moſt loving are the moſt lovely ſo be it their love be rightly guided. Doth it not kindle love in you to others, more, to hear their Breathings after God, and Grace, and Glory, and to ſee them loving and kind to all, and delighting to do all the good they can, and covering tenderly the infirmities of others, and practiſing, 1 Cor. 13. and living at peace among themſelves, and as much as is poſſible with all men, and loving their Enemies, and bleſsing thoſe that curſe them, and patiently bearing and forgiving wrongs, than to come into one Congregation and hear a Prieſt teach the people to hate their Brethren as Schiſmaticks or Hereticks; or in another, and hear a man teach his Followers to hate others as Antichriſtian or Ceremonious? Or to hear ſilly Men and Women talk againſt things that are quite beyond their reach; and ſhaking the Head to talk againſt Diſſenters, and ſay, Such a one is an erroneous or dangerous man, take heed of hearing him? Such a one is for or againſt Reprobation, Free Will, Univerſal Redemption, Mans Power, and ſuch like, which they little underſtand. In a word, the proudly Tyrannical, and the proudly Schiſmatical, with all their pretence of Learning on one ſide, or of the Spirit and Holineſs, and Gifts on the other, are no whit ſo amiable as the ſingle-hearted, honeſt, peaceable Chriſtian, who preacheth love, and prayeth love, and liveth, and breatheth, and practiſeth love. Paul ſaith, that all the Law is fulfilled in love; and fulfilling is more than knowing it. And Chriſt himſelf did not in vain ſum up all the Commandments in the love of God and Man, Nor in vain ask Peter thrice: Loveſt thou me? nor in vain ſo often charge it on them, as his new (that is his laſt) Commandment, that they love one another? Nor doth his beloved Apoſtle John in vain ſo earneſtly write for love.