The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 12
CAP. V. Sect. 12. Brotherly kindneſs improved on Chriſt's laſt Teſtament.
THE Twelfth and laſt Grace mentioned, cap. 4. ſect. 12. as a Sacramental Grace well ſuiting with the Lord's Supper, that Feaſt of Love, and improveable by the conſideration of Chriſt's dying a Teſtator, is Brotherly Kindneſs and Charity; a peaceable diſpoſition of mind towards our Chriſtian friends, and a loving affection for our Brethren in Chriſt. This grace is ſo needful, that none are ſo ignorant as to doubt, none ſo prophane as to deny it, a needful qualification: yet whilſt ignorance and prophaneneſs, confeſs it in words, they are both far from the true exerciſe hereof. The conſiderate, meditating and diſcerning communicant, will be careful to provide this grace for this Sacrament, and to improve it by the Sacrament, which may very well be done by ſuch conſiderations as theſe.
1. Firſt, Our Chriſtian Brethren whom we ſhould love, are made truly lovely by the Legacies which Chriſt hath bequeathed to them, and which he hath in ſome part already beſtowed upon them. For Chriſt the great, bountiful and wiſe Teſtator, hath, as is already obſerved, ſo diſpoſed his eſtate and treaſures of grace, conſolation and glory, with other advantages, and needful ſupplies, that all his friends ſhould be handſomly maintained out of his Treaſury, although the principal of the eſtate be reſerved in Heaven to enrich them there. As Rebeccah was adorned with rich Jewels before ſhe was brought to Iſaac, who inveſted her with all when ſhe came to him, and the marriage was conſummate. So the Church, (ſo each particular Believer) is adorned with very rich Jewels of grace, gifts and comforts, in which ſhe is brought to Chriſt, who will inveſt all on her when he ſhall conſummate the Marriage in Glory. The Crown it is true is reſerved for the future ſtate of Glory; but there are many ſingle Jewels already beſtowed. The King's daughter is all glorious within, Pſal. 45. The Saints of God, the Righteous ones are the excellent on earth, Pſal. 16.3. They are filled with the Spirit of Chriſt; and they are led by that Spirit into all the waies of Truth, Holineſs, Meekneſs, Goodneſs, Long-ſufferance, and the like. The Philopher tells us, that true Friendſhip is only among the true vertuous. Vice cannot be a cement of Friendſhip. In the Redeemed, Called, Sanctified, there is what fitteth them for, and renders them worthy of our love and brotherly affections.
Two things do ordinarily prevail with men to excite Natural love; firſt, the ſweetneſs of diſpoſition, a skill and delight to ſhew our ſelves friendly, as Prov. 18.24. He cannot be much beloved, who is not ready and prone to love. Secondly, the largeneſs of eſtate and wealth; it is the Rich man that hath many friends, Prov. 14.20. Both theſe, Motives to love, the Believer ſeeth in every Believer. Grace doth very much ſweeten Nature, and Grace doth very much enrich the perſon. Theſe Motives of love may be found in every Legatee, who hath ſhare in the choice Legacies of Chriſt; he giveth an excellency of ſpirit which ſweetneth their diſpoſition; they are meek, lowly, faithful, and without guile: He alſo giveth an Inheritance, a heavenly, a glorious Inheritance; theſe win with the conſiderate Chriſtian; and either thou knoweſt not what Chriſt hath beſtowed on Believers, or thou muſt confeſs they are well worthy of thy love, and brotherly affection.
2. Another Inducement to Brotherly Love contained in this conſideration of Chriſt Dying a Teſtator, may be this: Every Believer having intereſs in this Will, was near to Chriſt's heart, as art thou, or I, or any other who pretendeth title and intereſs in Chriſt's Last Teſtament. Now, ſhould it not move us to love with hearty love every Chriſtian, for ſo much as every one of them was equally near to the hearty love of Chriſt? Let our hearts be toward them, Joh. 15.12.as Chriſt's was toward us and them. It is a maxim in Love and Friendſhip, that it extend it ſelf to all our friends friends. Hence the advice of Solomon, that thy Father's friend be not forſaken, Prov. 27.10carries ſound reaſon in it; for he that is the Father's friend, and heartily loved him that begot, will be a friend to the Son, and love him that was begotten too; as the Apoſtle argueth in a like caſe, 1 John 5.1. The Apoſtle urgeth this Love of Chriſt to us as argument to perſwade us to love one another, Rom. 15.5. with verſ. 7. to be of the ſame mind, foreign, vide 2 Cor. 13.11. Idem velle, & idem nolle, ea demum eſt firma amicitia.that ſo ye may live in Peace and Love, which is the fruit of that Union the Apoſtle perſwades us to, 2 Cor. 13.11. and Phil. 2.2. where he explaineth (foreign) The being of one mind, by, (foreign) having the ſame Love. The Love we ſhould have for the Brethren (of right) ſhould be ſo ſtrong as death, becauſe that Love which Chriſt had for them equally and indifferently, was even unto death. This is the Apoſtle's Argument, 1 John 3.16. And there is ſtrength in it, whether we apprehend it or no. In the laſt Will of Chriſt thou mayeſt diſcern a Love equally embracing all that believe, that ſeek their portion in Chriſt. There we may find Chriſt a friend to the poor, as to the rich Believer; to the unlearned, as to the learned Believer; to the deſpiſed, as to the honourable Believer. As the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of Righteouſneſs, (I may ſpeak (and you muſt underſtand) of all) the bleſſings of the Covenant and Teſtament: The whole is by Faith of Jeſus Chriſt unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference, Rom. 3.22. Now where Chriſt hath made no difference in his Love, dareſt thou make ſo great a difference in thine, as to withhold thy love from ſome? Wilt thou not love thoſe who are dear friends to thy deareſt Lord? thy beſt friend? I do not preſs an equality of love to all Believers. I know, our brethren by nature, our kindred by alliances, our acquaintance and intimate friends, have a right to our love and affections, both Natural and Civil, and where ſuch a Right is doubled by our Relation to each other in Chriſt, our affections may be allowed to double themſelves alſo. Whilſt Grace and common Hopes do increaſe our love to each other, they do allow for the reſpects which Nature calleth for of us. We muſt love all with an unfeigned love, though we may love ſome with a more fervent love: whom Chriſt hath equally loved, we muſt unfeignedly love; and what reneweth the remembrance of ſuch love to us, ſhould renew our love to others.
3. In the laſt Will of Chriſt is to be ſeen, That it is the expreſs deſire of our Dying Lord we ſhould love one another heartily and unfeignedly. He hath therefore put them all into one Will, and into the ſame capacity; every one by his Will made an heir. The Saints do inherit the Riches of Glory, Epheſ. 1.18. Their title is a joint-tenancy; foreign.they are coheirs, Heb. 11.9. And this title is by gift of Chriſt in his laſt Teſtament, Joh. 17.24. Who deſired they ſhould all be where he was, that they might behold his glory. And read we John 15.12. This is my Commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. This is that Commandment that is ſo mine, as if all others were to yield place to this. This is the New Commandment, Joh. 13.34. and 35. When Chriſt attended with Angels gave the Law to Iſrael, the Firſt Great Commandment was, Love the Lord, &c. The Second was, Love thy Neighbour, &c. When he was to die he renewed the Commandment of loving our Brethren. Yea, ſo reſolvedly doth our Lord require this Brotherly Love, that whoſoever he is pretends to Chriſt, muſt make good his pretenſions to Chriſt by his affections to all that are Brethren in Chriſt, Joh. 13.35. Hereby ſhall all men know that ye are my diſciples, if ye have love for one another. Add hereto 1 John 4.20. He loves not God who loveth not the Children of God. For how ſhall he love God whom he hath not ſeen, who loveth not his Brother whom he hath ſeen? In a word, read the laſt words of Chriſt's Interceſſion, John 17.26. which do breathe out the earneſt deſire of Chriſt, that ſuch love may be among the Brethren one to another, as was in the Father and in the Son to them all. Now after all this vehemency of deſire in Chriſt that we who are heirs by his Will, ſhould love one another. Shall any of us dare to hate, undervalue, reject, or deſpiſe the other? Will you read the laſt Teſtament of Love with a heart of enmity? Dare you come to the Ordinance which renews the remembrance of Chriſt's Love to us, of his deſire we ſhould love each other, and not labour to renew your love to them? Renewed meditations on Chriſt's love to us will certainly renew our love to him and to all his; renewed thoughts of his laſt deſire, of his earneſt commending mutual love, will renew mutuall love in us if any degree of ingenuity remain in us.
4. In the Teſtament and Laſt Will of our Dying Lord we have this inducement to renew our love to the Brethren. He hath by will deſigned one onelyonly place in which with moſt perfect love to enjoy as all the bleſſed Legacies of our Lord, ſo to enjoy all our fellow Legatees. Whether I ſhall perſwade now I know not, whether my arguings be powerful enough to ſuppreſs envyings, and jealouſies, to remove animoſities, and quarrels from amongſt ſaints, I cannot tell. But this I know, and this I will tell you, when you who are now entitled to the Legacies of this great Teſtator ſhall every one of you meet together to receive the full and total of what you can receive, and Chriſt will give; there ſhall need no ſuch arguments, no ſuch reaſonings, no ſuch intreaties to perſwade you to Mutual Love. There you ſhall not chuſe but Love, delight in, and embrace each other. Come then think what you ſhall be when you Feaſt all together at your Lord's Table in his Kingdom. And judge with your ſelves is it nor meet we ſhould be ſuch now? It will be then a part of your Glory. And is not your mind and judgment convinced that it is the Glory of a Chriſtian to ſtrive to be now what he ſhall be hereafter? Chriſt will bring the Scattred ſheep of his flock into one, Joh. 11.52. When there ſhall remain on foot-ſteps of their former folly and diſcord. It is a high expreſſion which the holy ghoſt uſeth, Joh. 17.11. And I will now forbear to ſearch in into. Holy Father keep through thine own name thoſe whom thou haſt given me, that they may be one as we are. It is a place which enſureth us that ſuch who by the Father are kept unto the future ſtate of the Saints in Heaven, are kept to a moſt intimate and Glorious Union, Friendſhip and Love. Now they who will not be perſwaded to cement, to unite affections, to love one another here, how highly do they croſs the deſigne of Chriſt and of the Father? Oh that I could perſwade all who hear or read my words, and oh that more lively ſenſe of what I write were upon mine own heart! Lord I read thy Will, Joh. 17.22. The Glory which thou gaveſt me, I have given unto them that they may be one even as we are one. Oh let the Remembrance of thy deſigne of our future Union renewed in the Memorial of thy laſt Will at each Sacrament, cauſe me and all believers, to ſtudy and endeavour a preſent Union and Brotherly love more beſeeming our future bleſſed Union and love. It may be I ſhall be quarrelled at for this endeavour of gaining love from thoſe that yet love me not, & poſſibly loſe what I thought to keep the love of ſome that have embraced me with a more Brotherly affection than hereafter they will, this may poſſibly be the Fruit of their paſſions, and the unhappineſs of my weak, and imperfect diſcourſes. But I ſhall retire my ſelf from ſuch ſtorms, and view the bleſſed Legacies my dying Lord hath bequeathed me, peace he hath left for me his peace he hath given unto me. And with his Peace, his Love, I ſhall at laſt I Hope Love them for ever who now will ſcarce give me leave ſo to do; they ſhall love me who think they never will. What my words cannot exexpreſs, what my explanations cannot yet make clear, that day of glorious appearing of our bleſſed Teſtator to give us the full poſſeſſion of all bequeathed bleſſings ſhall reveale to us and we ſhall underſtand, All of grace in its Beginnings, Improvements, Perfection, and Crowning in Glory, to have been the free Gift of this great Teſtator dying far us.
foreign.
The end of the Second Part.