Philadelphia, Treatise · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
SECT. I.
SAint John had this Eminence of Happineſs above the reſt of Chriſt's Diſciples, That he was the beloved Diſciple. And, as it is ſaid of Lazarus in Heaven, That he lyeth in Abraham's Boſom, ſo our Apoſtle had this Heaven on Earth, To lean on Chriſts Boſom: Who drew ſuch love from Chriſt, that he became the Apoſtle of Love. The main Argument of this Epiſtle, is, This Grace of Love: Firſt, He largely ſets forth God s Love to us: God is Love, and Chriſt is Love; he found it ſo, when he lay in the Boſom of Chriſt. Then mainly, he exhorts us to mutual-love; Shewing, How Saints ſhould live together like Brethren, and love another. It is no new command that he lays upon them, but that which they had heard before, that they ſhould love one another. The words of the Text, are the firſt Reaſon or Argument to confirm the Truth of the former Propoſition; ſhewing, that one main Property of the Children of God, is laid down here in this verſe, where we may note
1. The Subſtance of this Argument.
2. The Circumſtances of this Argument.
The Subſtance lyeth in this, That God hath commanded this duty of Mutual-love towards each other. Now thoſe that are of God, have his law written upon their hearts, which are framed to obey him.
The Circumſtances are theſe.
1. That this Commandment is ſent as a meſſage from heaven to earth, from God to man.
2. That it is an ancient meſſage, it is from the beginning.
How it is ſaid, to be from the beginning, ſeemeth ſomewhat doubtful. There are diverſe interpretations of this word [beginning.]
1. Some underſtand it from the beginning of the publiſhing of the Law in Mount Sinai, delivered to the Ancients by Moſes, in an open and ſolemn manner, which is a Law of Love, and commandeth us, to love our Neighbours as our ſelves.
2. Others underſtand it from the beginning of Chriſt's preaching of the Goſpel, and the Apoſtles immediately after him, This being the great commandment that Chriſt laid upon his Diſciples, A new Commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, Joh. 13.34. And again, that which the Apoſtles laid upon all the Saints: Some underſtand it, from the delivery of the Goſpel unto theſe Chriſtians, to whom the Apoſtle here writeth. But
3. By the Beginning may be underſtood from the creation of Man. The law of nature ſtampt upon mens hearts in the firſt creation, dictateth to us, that we ought to love one another. There may be ſome reaſon given, to prove this ſenſe to be very probable; for in the next words, this reaſon is amplified, by an example of the contrary ſin, Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and ſlew his brother, &c. So that it may ſeem, that as he alleadgeth a contrary Example, whereby this commandment of Love was fearfully broken, ſo he may have this meaning, That the commandment of Love, which was tranſgreſſed by Cain near the beginning of the world (he being the firſt man that ever was born of a woman) was delivered in the beginning of the world, before this tranſgreſſion of Cain.
Object. But it may be objected, that St. John ſaith to theſe Chriſtians to whom he writeth, ye have heard it from the beginning: How could thoſe that then lived hear this in the beginning of the world?
Sol. It may be underſtood thus, That the Apoſtle may (as it were) comprehend the whole body of Mankind together, that lived in ſeveral ages, and ſo that which thoſe that lived in the beginning, heard for their, own uſe, and the uſe of all Mankind, may be ſaid to be ſpoken to all from the beginning. Or thus — Ye have heard it from the beginning, that is, Ye have heard it as an ancient meſſage delivered in the beginning, and not as a new meſſage or commandment. Howſoever, it is true every way. This Law of Love was delivered in the beginning of the world: It was delivered alſo in the beginning of that open and ſolemn publication of the Law in Mount Sinai; it was delivered in the beginning of the preaching of the Goſpel after our Saviour's coming in the fleſh, That we ſhould love one another.
Of Love I ſhall ſpeak all along this Treatiſe: We are here to enquire what is meant, by one another.
1. Some by [one another] include the Angels; but the Scripture uſually ſets forth the Object of our Love by two terms
Our
Brother.
Neighbour.
By Brother is uſually meant the Saints, who are all born of God, therefore Brethren. Godly men are ſaid to be Brethren
1. In reſpect of Adoption, God hath adopted them all to be his children, they have one Father who hath begotten them, they have all the ſpirit of Adoption given to them, whereby they cry Abba, Father: that is, Father, Father. It is doubled, to ſhew, that God is our Father, both by Creation, and by Adoption. Therefore the Saints are brethren to Chriſt; He is not aſhamed to call them brethren, Heb. 2.12. Go tell my brethren, and ſay unto them, &c. The reaſon is given in the meſſage, I aſcend unto my father, and your father, and to my God, and your God. Words as full of comfort, as the ſea of Water, or the Sun of Light. [My brethren] What a loving compellation is this, to hear Chriſt call a poor creature, my brother? O bleſſed Union in a moſt happy Correlation!
2. In regard of their participation of one and the ſame divine nature: all ſaints have the ſame image of God upon them, as the ſame image of the King is ſtampt upon all his coyn: every one of them are alike in holineſs and righteouſneſs; hence they mutually love one another.
3. In reſpect of their Communion of the ſame priviledges: They are all elected of God the Father, redeemed by Chriſt; they are all Temples of the Holy Ghoſt: they are all people of the Covenant: they are all reconciled: they all have grace: they are all Veſſels of Mercy: Every one (as Solomon) is a Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord himſelf: God loveth them all alike in Chriſt. What priviledg hath David above a converted Gentile; John the beloved Diſciple, above a converted Publican, in point of ſpiritual Sonſhip?
4. In reſpect of Participation of one and the ſame Inheritance: Heaven is every particular ſaints eternal Inheritance;Magna benevolentia, cum unicus ſit, tamen noluit eſſe unicus. and God is every particular ſaint's eternal reward. Though Chriſt be the ſole Heir of Heaven and Earth, yet he would not be the ſole Heir, but will have all his brethren to be partakers of the ſame Inheritance, Rom. 8.17. They are joynt-heirs with Chriſt: He maketh them all Kings to reign with him in glory.
5. They are called Brethren, to ſhew, how ſaints ought to carry themſelves each to other, even as brothers do, and ought to do, viz. to love as brethren. 1 Pet. 3.8, 9. to converſe together, to accompany each other, to counſel one another for their mutual good, and to perform all offices of love and kindneſs to each other. It is an excellent ſaying of Clemens of Alexandria, If the ſpiritual man be in us, our Humanity is Fraternity; what then is our Fraternity? It is raiſed to that which hath no name to expreſs it: The union of the ſaints in Heaven, is beyond the union of Fraternity. This which is of Grace is of the ſame nature.
By Neighbour, we are to underſtand one whom St. Paul calleth foreign, proximum, Rom. 13.9. one that is near unto thee, and verſ. 8. foreign, another, any other beſides thy ſelf, whether near to thee, or afar off, whether friend or adverſary, whether familiar or ſtranger,Auguſt. de doctr. Chriſt. lib. 1. cap. 3. lomb. lib. 3. ſent. diſtinct. 28. whether of thy kinred or alliance, or neither; whether believer or unbeliever. I… a word, any one whoſoever, that in any reſpect whatſoever ſtandeth in need of thy prayers or charitable deeds, or that ſheweth any kind of charity unto thee, he is thy Neighbour. So our Saviour plainly informs us, by the Parable of the wounded traveller, Luk. 10. relieved by the Samaritan that paſſed by. Brother, is a word more narrow than Neighbour: Brother implieth only the Saints: Neighbour implieth Mankind: Strangers and enemies will come under this tearm of Neighbour, as I ſhall ſhew.
Sect. II.
Queſt. 1. BUt why is it no where expreſly commanded to love our ſelves? we are commanded to love one another: Thou art commanded to love thy Neighbour, but not expreſly, to love thy ſelf.
Reſp. 1. Becauſe it is ſuperfluous to exhort men to love themſelves? men are naturally too prone to ſelf-love: their ſelf-love, like Pharaoh's lean kine ſwalloweth up love to the Saints, and love to others: every man is apt to look to his own things; the moſt part, and the Strength of mens affections cleave to them…elves: how many churliſh Nabals be there in the world, that in their hearts anſwer Chriſt in his Saints, as he did David, when he came to him for relief; Shall I take my bread, and my wine, and my fleſh, which I have provided for my ſhearers, and give to men that I know not? Self-love makes us haters of one another, envious to one another; ſelf-love ſhuts up our Bowels of Compaſſion from others.
Becauſe we have a command to love our ſelves, in that the Lord commandeth us, to love our Neighbour as our ſelves: love to our ſelves, is included in this love to others. Our love to our ſelves, muſt be the rule and meaſure of our love to others. In loving others, we love our ſelves; he that loveth the Saints moſt, loveth himſelf beſt.
Queſt. 2. Why is it not ſaid here, That we ſhould be beloved of one another, as well as that we ſhould love one another?
Reſp. 1. To love another is thine own grace; that another loveth thee, it is not thine, but his grace.
2. Thou maiſt the better aſſure thy ſelf that thou art godly, by thy love to the Saints, and not by their love to thee. That I love a child of God, I may be certain of it; but that I am beloved of others is uncertain. Judas was a Diſciple in ſhew, but a Devil in heart. Again, others may love thee, and may think well, and hope well of thee; yet if thou doſt not love them; if thou loveſt not the Saints that love thee; thou maiſt periſh for all their love to thee.
3. Becauſe thou ſhalt be beloved of others, if thou loveſt them: Nothing will draw out love ſooner than love it ſelf.