Philadelphia, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
IN the proſecution of this point, I will handle theſe four Concluſions: 1. I ſhall ſhew, That we muſt love all men. 2. That Godly men muſt love even the wicked. 3. That Godly men muſt love even their very Enemies. 4. That the Godly muſt eſpecially love one another.
1. That we muſt love all men.
Here firſt, Let us obſerve theſe Differences of Love.
1. There is a Love of Pity and Compaſſion. This Love is due to all men, good and bad who are in miſery. This will make thee weep with them that weep, not ſhedding the tears of a Crocodile, as Iſhmael the Son of Nethaniah did, Jer. 41.6. But rather of our Saviour, who not only raiſed Lazarus, but alſo wept over him, to make it appear how he loved him. Joh. 11.35. The Jews ſaid, Oh how be loved him! He that is a man of much natural affection, will be kindly affectioned with Brotherly-Love, for where there is no Bowels of Compaſſion, there can be no true love either of Man or of God.
True Love to any is manifeſted, chiefly to their Souls. Doſt thou ſee men to go on in ſin, and in a deſperate neglect, not to regard the Salvation of their own Souls; then mourn for them, being moved with the conſideration, into what miſery theſe wretched Creatures are like to plunge themſelves in. Seeſt thou a vain Senſualiſt ſpend his days in the eager purſuit of carnal delights, never conſidering his latter end, mourn for his Sorrows hereafter. Seeſt thou a Neighbour drunk, or heareſt thy Friend ſwear and curſe, let thy heart pity him. Alas poor Soul! What will he do when Chriſt cometh to judgment? Poor wretch! methinks I ſee him weeping and wailing, and wringing his hands, although now he ſpend his days in mirth and jollity. This Love was in Chriſt towards the wicked Jews, Luk. 19.41. For even in his Triumph, when the people was making great joy, he then wept over Jeruſalem. This was the burden of his Lamentation; O Jeruſalem, that thou hadſt known in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace; but now they are hidden from thine eyes. O Jeruſalem, thou that now triumpheſt, I cannot but weep, when I conſider how the things of thy peace are going, and thy fearful deſtruction is hanging over thee; the ſword of God's vengeance is drawn out againſt; thee. So when thou ſeeſt any wicked man, merry and jovial, pity him, O poor wretch! Thou that art ſo merry now, O that thou kneweſt the things that belong unto thy peace, before they be hid from thee: I do even ſee how the ſword of Divine Wrath hangeth over thine head, and thy Damnation ſlumbereth not.
This Love of Compaſſion was in David, Rivers of tears (ſaith he) run down mine eyes, becauſe men keep not thy Law. I mourn when I ſee wicked men to be jolly in their ſins. So St. Paul ſaith, There are ſome of whom I tell you weeping, that are enemies to the Croſs of Chriſt, whoſe end is deſtruction.
II. There is a Love of mercy and help, due to all in their Afflictions. This is plainly ſhewed by the parable of the good Samaritan. The wounded man was not his Companion; he found him in miſery by chance as he was paſſing by the way-ſide, whether he were Jew, or Gentile, or Stranger, this Samaritan did comfort him, relieve him, and took great care to recover him. See what uſe our Saviour made of this, Go, do thou likewiſe the ſame. Doſt thou ſee a man in miſery, be not like the Prieſt, and the mercileſs Levite, but be a good Samaritan to him, ſpeak comfortably to him; and let thy heart joyn with thy tongue, and thy hand with thy heart; be as ready to do good, as to wiſh well to him, that he may bleſs God in thee, and for thee. If thou canſt not do all thou wouldſt, yet be willing to do all thou canſt, and where thou canſt do no more, turn thy wiſhes into prayers; and from prayer conclude for thoſe that are Godly, My God ſhall ſupply all your need, according to his riches in Glory by Jeſus Chriſt.
Suppoſe a wicked man is in miſery, and it is in thy power to help him; yet give ſomething humanitati, if not homini. The Sun ſhineth upon the good and the bad; the Clouds water both, the Creatures tell thee what thou ſhouldſt do. A good man (ſaith Solomon) is merciful to his beaſt; then much more, will a good man be merciful to a man in miſery. In the Law God ordained, that if a man did ſee his Enen…mies Oxe or Aſſe in a ditch or pit, he ſhould help him out. Doth God take care for Oxen and for Aſſes, and not much more for men? Remember, Dives is tormented in Hell for his hard-heartedneſs towards diſtreſſed Lazarus.
III. The Love of Courteſie and Gentleneſs. We owe Kindneſs and Gentleneſs to all men; This is a Fruit of the Spirit. A ſurly, dogged, harſh temper is unbeſeeming a Chriſtian: ſuch perſons are more fit to be Monks and Anchorets than Chriſtians. God himſelf is ſaid to be a God of a great Kindneſs; ſo muſt his children be. A gentle Spirit puts forth it ſelf to all gentle and curteous behaviour; drawing affection and delight from others. See how ſweetly our Saviour carried himſelf towards all. When the man came in, not having the Wedding-garment, Friend, (ſaith he) how cameſt thou in hither? It is Parabolical indeed, but yet our Saviour ſheweth, with what gentleneſs, courteſie and kindneſs, he carried himſelf.
Some there are indeed that turn Love into Complements, and affected Phraſes and Geſticulations; that will make great Proteſtations of Love and Kindneſs, when their heart is not with you, Prov. 23.7. Such a one will ſay, he is your ſervant, at your command, he will kiſs your hand, or the hemm of your Garment, but it is with the kiſs of a Joab or a Judas; he carrieth two Faces under one Hood: but the true Chriſtian is little in Circumſtances, but ſtriveth to abound in the Subſtance of Love. David and Jonathan contended together in weeping, not in crying [Your Servant Sir] in real friendſhip, not in empty words. It cannot be denied, but ſome Ceremonies, that is, outward Expreſſion in the very Geſtures and Countenaunces of Friends will thruſt in with true Love; not ſo much for Love-ſake, as for reſpect, the witneſs and acknowledgment of deſert, which is the Ground, Nurſe and Guardian of Love: Therefore Love makes no difference between affected Complements, and downright rudeneſs, but ſhunneth both alike, that it may neither waſt Complements, nor neglect that reſpect which Civility, Modeſty and Religion require, as a part of the debt of Love. But to be a Maſter of the Art of Ceremonies (as one ſaith) and to aſſert ſuch a neceſſity of them, as to exceed in their uſe; as it favoureth not of a ſimple ſincere ingenuous Spirit, ſo it ſets the Teeth of true Love on edg: The Chriſtian's main care ſhould be to love, not in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth.
IV. There is the Love of Familiarity and Friendſhip. This we owe not to all, but to the Saints. As the School-men ſay of God, There is Amor in Deo, erga omnes, non amicitia, God loveth all, but God ſaith not to every one, You are my Friends, but only to the Godly. In this reſpect he ſaith, Eſau have I hated, Jacob have I loved; Jacob is my Friend, whom I love with my ſpecial Love. So there may be in the Godly, Love to the wicked, but not Friendſhip and Familiarity. The wiſe man ſaith, Walk not with the frowa d, for thou thy ſelf-ſhalt learn frowardneſs; Wicked men will defile the Godly, by intimate and conſtant Communion. Iſrael muſt not marry with Aſhdod; no Canaanite or Gibeonite muſt be of the Communion of Saints. What Fellowſhip hath a Member of Chriſt with the Children of Belial? Yet I ſhall ſhew you how we are to love the wicked, hereafter.