Philadelphia, Treatise · Chapter 24 – Chapter 25
CHAP. XXIV.
THis ſhould make us in the next place to take heed of thoſe ſins that do eſpecially ſtir up the heart to break the bond of Love.
1. Take heed of ſuffering Anger to ſettle, and take root in your hearts; cure it while it is but a green wound, before it turn into a Canker or feſtered ſore of malice and hatred; quench it when it is but a ſpark, or when it beginneth to kindle; let not the Sun go down upon thy wrath. Anger engendereth malice, unleſs it be ſuppreſſed. Perſons overcome with anger, the Lord thinketh them unworthy of his peoples ſociety, Prov. 22.24. Make no friendſhip with an angry man, and with a furious man thou ſhalt not go. God doth not brand any created paſſion, ſeated in the Soul of man, as he doth anger. Though all the paſſions ſeated in the ſoul of man (when extream) are vicious, yet God doth no where forbid us to make friendſhip with a man of grief, of fears, of hope, of deſire, of love, but only with an angry man: Do not take them ever for Friends and Companions. In another place he ſaith, Walk not with the froward, for fear of learning his ways, and getting a ſnare unto thy ſoul. Chryſoſtome calleth furious angry men,Chryſost. Hom. ad. pop. Antioch. Daemoniacks, men poſſeſſed with the Devil; for as they rage and blaſpheme, and are ſet upon miſchief, ſo men in their anger are for any miſchief the Devil at that inſtant ſuggeſteth to them: Oh, how prompt and ready are men in their wrath to do what miſchief they can to their Brethren.
2. Take heed of the ſin of Envy, which is a ſin that breaketh the neareſt bond of Nature, and the ſtrongeſt bond of Love. Envy did ſo fret in the heart of moſt of Jacob's Sons, that they decreed the death of Joſeph their innocent Brother; and though afterwards they ſpared his life, yet they robbed him of his liberty, and expoſed him to thoſe dangers which were worſe than death, baniſhing him out of the Church, and giving him occaſion to fall from the true God, had not the Lord been gracious to him Gen. 37.20.28 Therefore labour by the ſpirit of Love to purge out this bitter affection, left it alienate your hearts from your Brethren.
3. Take heed and beware of Covetouſneſs. This ſin makes men even to deſire the death of their own Parents, and Brethren, that they may have their lands or goods, and ſo to commit a ſecret murther in their hearts. This ſin (I fear) is too common, and little laid to heart. But, as our Saviour ſaith, He that looketh on a woman, and luſteth after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. So may we not ſay? he that looketh on the eſtate, and goods of a Father, Brother, Kinſman, &c. and longeth for their death, hath committed murther already in his heart. This ſin of Covetouſneſs alſo maketh men to break the bonds of natural affection, when it bringeth them to defraud or wrong thoſe in their goods which are neereſt to them. The prophet Jeremy ſheweth how corrupt thoſe times were, which were a little before the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, when he ſaith, Jerem. 9.4. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and truſt ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly ſupplant, and every neighbour will walk with ſlaunders.
4. See that Pride root not it ſelf in your hearts: Pride lifteth up the heart in high thoughts of its own worth; it breedeth unthankfulneſs to God and men: Pride breedeth ſcorn and contempt of others; it breedeth revengefulneſs, and will not ſuffer us to ſtoop ſo far, as to ſuffer wrongs, and to overcome evil with good: Pride cannot endure to be reproved or admoniſhed; it breedeth ſelf-will and ſtubbornneſs: it will be ſerved before God himſelf; it will ſo carry away a mans heart, that that coſt, which ſhould be beſtowed for the glory of God, and the relief of others, ſhall be employed to ſet forth Pride in ſuperfluitics of apparel, ſumptuous feaſts, buildings, &c.
This may teach us to beware of men, as our Saviour ſaith: Sin breaketh the Law of Friendſhip, and neereſt relations, it diſſolveth the bond of Brotherhood. A Brother ſeeketh the deſtruction of a Brother: or, if not the ſhedding of his blood, yet his utter undoing. So the Father is not ſafe in reſpect of his Child ſometimes; the Neighbour in reſpect of his Neighbour. This is not meant for this end, that Towns, Families, Kinreds, &c. ſhould be filled with cauſleſs and uncharitable ſuſpicions of one againſt another, whereby Chriſtian Love is weakened or extinguiſhed; but that wiſdom or watchfulneſs ſhould be uſed, eſpecially when men have to do with ſuch, as either are notoriouſly wicked, or give ſhrewd ſigns of Hypocriſie, that we ſhould not be too open toward ſuch; nor by liberty of ſpeech about matters too high for us to meddle in, or by opening ſecrets to give them power to hurt us; we know not how far the malice of Satan, together with the corruptions of their own hearts may carry them. A wiſe and watchful carriage in keeping out of their danger, need not hinder us from performing any office of Chriſtian Love unto them. The Spirit of God in the Proverbs giveth many directions of this Nature, which Chriſtians are to practice. And albeit we may think our words are ſuch, as cannot juſtly be blamed, yet when we uſe unneceſſary liberty of ſpeech, though we ſeem to keep within our bounds, how …aſi…y may ignorance, miſtake, or malice pervert that which hath been ſpoken, and ſo we may be ſnared in the words of our mouth.
Nay, not only ſuch as I ſpake of, are to be taken-heed of, but even many others, in whom we ſee not thoſe evidences of notorious ſins, or Hypocriſie; for we know not what alterations there may be in men. It were much to be wiſhed, that our ſpeeches might be ſuch, whereby our ſelves or others might be edified, and not whereby our ſelves or others ſhould be entrapped, or endangered: yea the Scripture that highly condemneth worldlineſs, carking-cares, covetouſneſs, and neglect of that one thing neceſſary, yet doth commend Chriſtian providence in managing theſe outward things; and therefore it is a Chriſtian duty, and not only a point of good husbandry to take heed of raſhneſs in betraying our outward means to the will and pleaſure of other men without juſt cauſe, and therefore raſh ſuretyſhip is condemned in Scripture: and many that run into bands they care not how, ſay afterwards (when it is too late) they had thought ſuch and ſuch would never have dealt with them as they have done.
CHAP. XXV.
NOw beloved, ſee that you abound in love to the Brethren; think that you can never love them enough. To encreaſe in Love is a thouſand times better than to encreaſe in wealth; it is more neceſſary and more excellent. Therefore St. Paul ſaith to the Theſſalonians, 1 Theſ. 4.9.10. As touching Brotherly Love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye your ſelves are taught of God to love one another: and indeed ye do it towards all the brethren that are in all Macedonia: but we beſeech you brethren, that ye encreaſe more and more. As if he had ſaid, I do not provoke you to encreaſe in Wealth, but to encreaſe in Love: and he that thriveth moſt in Love is the richeſt man. He that aboundeth …o…t in the grace of Love is moſt truly rich, he is rich in God, and poſſeſſed of an excellent treaſure, whereas many an one that hath full bags, great lands, or ſtock, hath a beggarly Soul and Spirit, deſtitute of this moſt excellent riches.
And now my Brethren, when you come to the Table of Lord, and ſee it ſpread and furniſhed before you, I deſire you to take ſpecial notice, that as this Sacrament is a Seal of the Lords unſpeakable love unto us in Chriſt, if we come fitted and prepared for it; ſo it is a Sacrament of mutual and brotherly love between thoſe that are the Lords invited gueſts, and thoſe for whom he hath provided this bleſſed Supper. This bread of the Lord is the Childrens bread; and this Cup of the Lord is filled for his Children: therefore thou who doſt not love the Children of God, as they are his Children, how canſt thou take this Sacrament without great Hypocriſie? The Sacrament is a Seal of our Union and Communion with Chriſt and his Saints. So ſaith the Apoſtle concerning this Sacrament; 1 Cor. 10.16. The cup of bleſſing which we bleſs, is it not the communion of the blood of Chriſt? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Chriſt? Is it not a Seal of our Union and Communion with Chriſt? and ſo proper to thoſe that are truly united unto Chriſt, and made one with him. Then he addeth ver. 17. For we being many, are one bread, and one body, for we all partakers of that one bread. It is alſo a Seal of Communion between the faithful. Now in eating of this one bread with the Children of God, and drinking with them of the ſame Cup, thou profeſſeſt thy ſelf to keep the Unity of the Spirit with them, in the bond of peace, and ſo to embrace them, and to be joyned together with them in love; for they are the people for whom this Supper is principally provided. Now if thou loveſt them the worſe for religion and godlineſs ſake, it is great Hypocriſie, and ſo, a great pollution of the Sacrament for thee to receive it; and it is the ready way to bring a Curſe upon thy ſelf, inſtead of a Bleſſing, and to make thee guilty of the blood of Chriſt, inſtead of having thy guilt waſhed away by his blood.