Philadelphia, Treatise · Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV.
THe Reaſons why Chriſtians muſt ſhew ſpecial Love one to another, are theſe.
1. Becauſe God himſelf beſtoweth his moſt ſpecial Love, the riches of his Love, upon the Godly; his everlaſting Love is towards Jacob. As a man loveth his whole Family, but his ſpecial Love is to his Wife and Children. So God, although he loveth all the world, all his Creatures, yet his ſpecial Love is to his Saints. God's common and ordinary Love to all mankind, to the wicked, is but like the crums that fall from the rich mans Table; but his ſpecial Love and Favour are the Dainties upon that Table, which none but his Church doth feed upon. God cauſeth the Sun in the Firmament to ſhine upon the juſt and the unjuſt. The light of the Sun is a great, yet common mercy; but God hath promiſed, that he will be a Sun and Shield to his Saints, and give both Grace and Glory. God will give the Light of the Sun to the wicked, but the Godly only ſhall enjoy the Light of his Countenance. He will give to the wicked Rain, the Dew of the Clouds; but the Godly only ſhall have the Dew of Heaven poured on them. If the Lord doth beſtow the chief of his Love upon his people, then muſt we Love them as God doth, and beſtow the chief of our Love upon them.
2. Becauſe Jeſus Chriſt himſelf loveth the Godly above all; he thinketh nothing too dear, too good for his Saints, his Blood, his Life, his Righteouſneſs, his Spirit, his Grace, his Glory, his Kingdom. He thought no evil too great to ſuffer for his Saints, What Reproaches, what Blaſphemies, what contradictions of Sinners? What Pangs, what Sorrows, what Tortures, what Agonies did his ſpotleſs Soul endure? if here be no Love to the Saints, where is it? Ye then that profeſs your ſelves to be Chriſts Diſciples, imitate your Maſter in this, in beſtowing your beſt Love upon thoſe that are truly Godly. By this ſhall all men know, that ye are my Diſciples, if ye love one another, Joh. 13.35. In this ſence to be a Diſciple of Chriſt, is to be a Child of God; for it is meant of a practical Diſciple, one that learneth of Chriſt not only by his Word to know his Will, but alſo by his Word and Spirit to follow him. It is as if our Saviour had ſaid, your gifts of working Miracles, and caſting out Devils in my Name, your preaching my Word, your Praying, are not ſuch ſigns that ye are my Diſciples, as your Mutual-Love. I your Maſter do love you, and what is your Love one to another, but a reflected beam of my Love?
3. The Holy Ghoſt loveth the Saints chiefly; he is pleaſed to make their Hearts his Temple to live and dwell in. The Spirit hath his reſidence in them, he hath deſired them for his Habitation; he ever keeps home in a Godly mans heart; he dwelleth in him, and ſhall be in him. And as himſelf, ſo his Graces ſhall ſtill abide in him. The anointing which ye have received from him, abideth in you. 1 Joh. 2.27. The comforter ſhall abide with you for ever, Joh. 14.16. So ſhall his Comforts too, though not always alike perceived. The Spirit dwelling in a Chriſtian, ſtoreth him plentifully. His Divine Power gives him all things pertaining to Life and Godlineſs. This unfeigned Love to the Children of God, is a ſpecial and principal fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith. Love is in the forefront. Now it is by this Spirit of God, that Men and Women are regenerate and born of God. By this Spirit they are born again, and made the Children of God, and the ſame Spirit which giveth them this new birth, doth bring forth in them this fruit of Love. Now ſeeing the All-glorious Trinity love the Saints ſo dearly; ſo peculiarly, is there not reaſon we ſhould do ſo? If we love not as God loveth, in ſetting our ſpecial Love, where he ſets his ſpecial Love, we cannot be followers of God as dear Children.
4. The Holy Angels are ready to do Godly men all the offices of Love, and take ſpecial care of them: now the Saints ſhall be in Heaven as the Angels of God are; let us then be like them here upon Earth. The Angels of God are willing to do any office of Love for the meaneſt Saints: they are their miniſtring Spirits for their good. Shall not we then love thoſe whom the glorified Angels do ſo dearly and tenderly Love?
5. Becauſe of that near union which the Saints have with God and Chriſt, therefore we muſt beſtow our ſpecial Love upon them. Chriſt and his Saints are ſo neerly united to each other, that they are ſaid to be one: they are one in Spirit. So that if God and Chriſt have our ſpecial Love, the Saints that are one with God and Chriſt muſt have our ſpecial Love alſo. And he that doth not love a Saint, doth not love God with ſpecial Love; he that doth not love the Saints above others, doth not love God above all things. God, Chriſt, and all the Saints are but one entire object of our Charity: only here is the difference; God and Chriſt is to be loved for himſelf, and the Saints are to be loved for God, and in God: In God, not without him; for God, by vertue of his Command. So that our Love to the Saints is per redundantiam, it doth redound from God to the Saints. Chriſt and the Saints are as a Man and Wife; he that doth not heartily love the Wife, doth not truly love the Husband, becauſe they are but one Fleſh: So it is in our Love to Chriſt and his Saints, who make but one myſtical Body. He that loveth not the Members of the Body, loveth not the Head.
Let us ſuppoſe the glorified Body of Chriſt in the Heavens were upon the Earth with us, no doubt but we would be very officious and reſpective of it, and in an holy Emulation we would ſtrive who could manifeſt greateſt Love to his glorified Body. How would ye cry out Oh yonder is the Body that was whipt and ſcourged, buffeted, peirced, nailed, and broken for us; that glorified Body, was the Body that was crucified for me: Let me be Anathema Maranatha, if I ſhould not love him that loved me in ſo wonderful a manner. But as our Saviour ſaid to Judas repining at the coſt beſtowed upon him, Me you ſhall not have always, but the poor ye ſhall have always among you; ſo may he ſay to us, Me you have not among you; but I leave among you a moſt fit Object for your Love. I leave my poor Saints to be with you always, which I do as much reſpect, as I do this glorified Maſſe united to my Godhead. What Love ye beſtow on my Saints, I will ſet it on my ſcore, as if ye had done it to my glorified Body. Therefore ſuch do but prate of Love to Chriſt, as do not love his Members. And were the Lord Jeſus upon Earth, converſant among men; they that grieve, mock, and hate the Saints, and ſhun their company, would do the ſame to Chriſt himſelf. Tell me, can that ſore eye that cannot endure to look upon a Candle, but it ſmarteth and aketh, can it endure to look upon the Sun? He that can not endure to ſee a ſpark of Grace & Holineſs ſhining in a Saint, but he hates and ſcoffs at it, would that man endure to ſee the Sun of righteouſneſs himſelf? Doubtleſs, ſuch men would hate Chriſt, if he were living among them, as they do the Saints.
6. Becauſe where the ſpecial Good is, upon that muſt our ſpecial Love be beſtowed. It is the rule of the School-men, ut ſimpliciter ad ſimpliciter, ſic magis ad magis, et maximè ad maximeè; that is, If that which is ſimply good be to be loved, then that which is better is to have more Love; and that which is the beſt good is to have the beſt Love. What is the beſt thing in man, if Grace be not? will ye ſay Riches is better than Grace? then a rich Man (becauſe rich) is to be preferred and loved above a Godly Man Will ye ſay Beauty is better than Grace? then a fair Face is to be eſteemed above the Beauty of Holineſs. Will ye ſay the endowments of Natural Parts is better than Grace? then an Heathen Philoſopher may be loved better than a Child of God. Is moral Honeſty better than Grace? then a dunghil covered with Snow, is better than an Houſe of Marble full of Gold. What are the things men love moſt? take a ſurvey of them all; and ye ſhall find Gods Image in the Saints is beſt. What doth God regard in men? do you think he regardeth a rich Nabal for his Riches, an exalted Haman for his Honours; a voluptuous Eſau for his Pleaſures; or an indiſcreet Woman for her Beauty? Do ye think he looketh upon Greatneſs in any reſpect? Theſe things are not the good he loveth, but Grace only. Grace is Gods own Nature, and ſhall he turn his eyes from himſelf? Grace is Spiritual Riches, Spiritual Beauty, Spiritual Honour; it is all excellency in a Spiritual way, therefore chiefly to be beloved. Did ye ſee an Angel in his Glory, you would ſay, indeed he is a very lovely Creature; it is Gods Image that makes him ſo, and it is the ſame for Subſtance in a Saint on Earth: Want of Love to the Saints, is our own blindneſs, becauſe we do not conceive the worth and excellency of Grace in the Saints. Swine trample upon Pearl, becauſe they know not the worth of it: So wicked men ſlight the Godly, not perceiving the worth of Grace in them.
7. Becauſe our Love to the Saints manifeſteth, that we are of the Communion of Saints. Love is the Soul and Life of the Communion of Saints; it is the bond of perfection; it bindeth the Saints up in one Body; it is the Corner-Stone which holdeth the ſides of the Wall together; it is that which makes Chriſts Church like his Coat without Rent. It was the opinion of ſome Philoſophers, That the whole world was but one Body, and that there is one Soul of the World, that holdeth the parts of the World: ſo much more, there is a Spirit of Communion which uniteth the Members of it with the Spirit of Love. And, as the members of a Mans Body will fall aſunder, were there not uniting parts in them, as Sinews and Muſcles joyning them together; ſo the Communion of Saints, is held and maintained by the bond of Love.
See how diverſly the Scripture ſets forth the Communion of Saints by ſuch tearms, as do call for ſpecial Love. They are ſaid to be Brethren; muſt not one Brother love another above a ſtranger? they are ſaid to be Members of one Body; muſt not one Member help another Member of the ſame Body, before others of another Body? They are all ſaid to be one Spouſe of Chriſt; all the Saints together make up the Church, which is the Wife of Chriſt: So the Saints ſhould love one another, as if there were no Saints but themſelves. They are all ſaid to be made partakers of one Divine Nature. Who will not love his own, Fleſh, his own Nature better than anothers? In loving the Saints thou doſt but love thy ſelf. They are ſaid to be one Houſhold; the Church is called, The Houſhold of the Faithful. As in a Family, there is one Boord, one Bread, one Cup among neer Relatives: So Chriſtians ſhould have one Heart, one Mind, one Affection, and ſhould hold and cleave together. Such Love there was among Chriſtians in the Primitive times, that the Heathens obſerving it, ſaid, Oh how do the Chriſtians love one another!
8. Becauſe we are to live with them to Eternity, therefore Saints ſhould have our chiefeſt Love. When all the wicked of the world ſhall be turned into Hell, be they never ſo great, or never ſo dear unto us; ye that are Saints, ye ſhall lye together in Abraham's Boſom, dwell together in thoſe Manſions, which Chriſt your Head and your Saviour hath prepared for you in the higheſt Heavens, enjoying God together, following Jeſus Chriſt the Lamb, the Bridegroom together, praiſing God together; ye ſhall reign with Chriſt together, be glorified together. Are your Friends rich and mighty on Earth; and are the Saints poor, deſpicable, and miſerable in the World? yet theſe poor Saints ſhall live in Heaven with you, when the cruel Nimrods of the Earth, ſhall be turned into Hell.
Is there not Reaſon that we ſhould love them moſt, that are Fellow-Heirs of one and the ſame Kingdom, our Eternal Neighbours in Heaven, fellow-Citizens of the Heavenly Jeruſalem? It is a true Axiom of the Schools; Societas fruitionis divinae eſt fundamentum charitatis; ergo inter proximorum praecipua charitatis objecta, ſunt ſancti homines, (i. e.) The common participation of one and the ſame eternal Glory and Happineſs, is the main Foundation of Charity. Therefore they infer truly, that among our Neighbours, the Saints are the cheifeſt Objects of our Love.
9. Becauſe indeed the Godly are the beſt men on the Earth, whatſoever the World doth think of them. David calleth them the excellent of the earth, the Pillars of the Earth; they are called Gods Jewels, the Apple of Gods Eye, Gods beloved. Perſons, the more excellent they are, the more to be beloved; they are called the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt: Look over the Book of the Canticles, and ſee by what Names and Titles God calleth his Saints; and then ye muſt needs confeſs, they are Perſons highly to be loved.