A Practical and Polemical Commentary Upon 2 Timothy 3-4, Part 1 · Subpart 3
VERSE 3. VVithout Naturall Affection.
IN the last dayes,foreign, naturalis affectus expertes. Grotius. men shall be so vile, that no bonds of Nature can bind them, and no wonder, for they that are blasphemers of God, disobedient to Parents, ingratefull to Benefactors, must needs at last come to that height of inhumanity and brutishnesse, as to be without Naturall Affection. They shall not only be without Humane affection, which is a love to men, as they are men, or Christian affection, which is a love to good men, because they are good; but they shall be without Natural affection towards those, to whom they are bound by the bond of consanguinity and affinity,Intelligit Paulus foreign, ut parentum in liberos, mariti & vxoris, & alios hujusmodi, quos Stoici stultè inter vitia numerârunt. Beza. Consule Stobaeum Serm. 81, 82. and by a speciall instinct of Nature, to shew a tender love and respect unto. These foreign, are those inate and tender affections, which are planted in our Nature by the God of Nature, towards those to whom we are conjoyned by the bond of Nature. Such is that naturall affection, which is between Parents and their children, Husband and Wife, Brother and Brother, Kindred and Country, a Governour and his Family.See Clerks Mirrour. cap. 89. and 90. V, Franzium de Animalib. p. 44.54.68.229.289. Vehementissimus omnium est hujusmodi affectus, praesertim verò parentum erga liberos, & liberorum erga parentes, utpote lege naturae inditus. Soto. There is no Nation so base and barbarous, but there are some sparkles of this Naturall affection towards their own. Yea, the very bruit beasts we see, are very tender over their young. The very Lionesse, the Beare, the Tygre, the Eagle, the Hen, yea the Bitch will rise up in judgement against those unnaturall Parents that provide not for their own. Men love their Riches, they love their Houses, they love their Horses, ye their Dogs; but not with that naturall affection, as they love their children. And though some may be so unnaturall, as to blo… out this natural affection. Isay 49.15. and Saul to his sonne Ionathan, and to David his Son-in-Law. 1 Sam. 19.14, 15. and 20.33. and the Gentiles. Rom. 1.30. yet see how tenderly David is affected even to a Rebellious Absolom, 1 Sam. 18.33. and Paul to his Country-men and Kins-men. Rom. 9.3. and Iacob to Ioseph. Gen. 37.55. and to Benjamin. Gen. 42.38. and 44.22.29, 30. Now is not this unnaturall sin, the sin of our Age? Was there ever more want of Naturall affection in Parents to children, and children to Parents? 'Tis true, many exceed in their love, and are apt to dote upon their children (as David did on Absolom) and are too fond of them. But do not many offend in the Defect for want of natural affection? How many Parents correct their children and servants without moderation or mercy? How many children do rise up against their own Parents, and betray them into the hands of persecutors? Mat. 10.…1. Luke 21.16. yea and Parents against their children? How many speak against their own Mothers sons. Psal. 50.20. the Brother supplants his Brother, and the Neighbour, his Neighbour. Ier. 9.4. The wife of the bosome, (like Eve) labours to draw the Husband from God, and a mans enemies are those of his own house. Micah 7.5, 6. 'Twas the glory of the Primitive times, that they were so loving and unanimous, that their enemies could say, Ecce quàm se mutuò diligunt? Behold how these Christians love one another! but now we may say, Ecce quàm se mutuò dilacerent! Behold how they torture and teare one another in words and deedes? How many kill the fruits of their wombs? others never provide for their Families, but spend that on themselves at an Ale-house in a day, which would maintaine their Families a weeke. Unnaturall bruites! nay, worse then the beastes that perish, for even the Sea-monsters suckle and support their young. Lam. 4.3. such are worse then Heathens,Cum bestiae videantur habere nescio quid foreign naturalis dum se mutuò curant, qui …llius est expers, est bestiis deterior. Fayus. See Clerks Mirrour. cap. 22. and 24. and 34. let men professe the faith in words, yet if in their deeds they deny it, and be not carefull in a prudentiall, providentiall way, to provide for their owne, they are worse then Infidels in this respect; for they by the light of Nature know, that 'tis their duty to provide for their own, and though they be barbarous, yet are they not so barbarou…, as to cast off naturall affection to them. 1 Tim. 5.8. God will surely visit for such sins. Amos 1.9. Obad. 10.11, 12, 13, 14.
Lastly, whereas there is planted in us a naturall affection to the Land of our Nativity, insomuch that Heathens have been prodigall of their lives,Chari sunt parentes, chari liberi, propinqui, familiares; sed omnes omnium charitates patria una complexa est; pro qua quis bonus dubitet mortem oppetere, si ei sit profuturus? Quo detestabilior est istorum immanitas qui lacerârunt omni scelere patriam, & in ea delenda occupati sunt ? Cicero de Offic. l. 1. for the good of their Country, yet how many are there amongst us, that by destructive courses, seek the ruine of their Mother that bare them, and the land that nurst them? True, we must love our Parents, love our children, love our friends, and neighbours, but the publick good must be preferred before them all,
Stoici sunt furiosi qui ea non temperant, sed abscindunt, rebusque à natura insitis castrare hominem quodammodo volunt. Lact. l. 6. c. 15, 16, 17.This then informs us of their folly, who plead for a Stoicall Apostacy, commending the want of naturall affections as a point of perfection, which the Lord condemnes as a great imperfection; accounting that for a Vertue which the Apostle reckons for a great Vice. So that to banish them out of man,Grati… non extinguit sed ordinat affectus, non tollit sed extollit naturam. Aquinas. is to banish man out of man, and to make him a stock, rather then a Stoick. The Affections are not sinfull per se, and in themselves, but only by Accident, when they are misplaced and set upon wrong objects, or not kept to their just proportion, so that they neither exceed, nor come short of their measure. So that the Affections of Love, Fear, Desire, Joy, &c. simply considered in themselves, are good.
1. Adam had them in the state of Innocency, when he was free from sinne.
2. Christ himself had them, his Reason excited, directed, moderated, and represt them, according to the Rule of perfect, clear, and undisturbed judgement. He made use of them; he rejoyced. Luke 10.21, he wept. Iohn 11.35. he was angry, Mark 3.5. he feared. Heb. 5.7.
3. God commands us to love. Mat. 22.37. to be angry. Eph. 4.26. to feare. Luke 12.5. to weep. Ioel 2.12. and to be ashamed. Ier. 3.3. 'Tis a great blessing that we have them: what Stocks and Sots, should we be without them? they set the soul on work, and make us active for God. David prepared much for the house of the Lord;Sunt velut nervi in homine, & quasi funiculi à natura in nobis inditi, à quibus trahamur. Plato de Legib. how so? because he set his affections on the house of his God. 1 Chron. 29.3. They are as wind to the Sails, as wings to the Bird, and as feet to the Body. [Pes meus affectus meus, eò feror quocunque feror.] Neither doth Grace extirpate, but Regulate them; Grace doth not root out Nature, it onelyonly takes away our drosse, and turnes our brass into gold: it removes the scumme, and takes away the exorbitancy of our Affections. Be angry, but sin not, hold good in all the Affections, Love the Creature, but sin not; sorrow under affliction, but sin not, &c. we are as a dead Sea without them, and as the raging Sea, if they exceed their bounds. As Bias said of the Tongue, that it was the best, and the worst part of the Sacrifice;Nec meliores unquam servos, nec Dominos sentit natura deteriores. so may we say of the Affections, they are the best servants, but the worst Masters, which our Natures can have. Like the windes which being moderate, carry the ship; but drown it being tempestuous. And we find it experimentally true, that things most usefull, and excellent in their regularity, are most dangerous in their abuse. Let us therefore beseech the Lord by his Spirit, to set and keep our Affections in tune; and then so many Affections; so many Graces. Our love will be turned into a love of God. Our Joy into a delight in the best things. Our sorrow into sorrow for sin, and our fear into a fear of offending God. And therefore in all your excesses and Defects in this kind, look up unto God for help; 'tis he only that can command the raging Seas, to be still, and they shall be still.
[See more, D. Reynolds on the Passions, and Mr. Fenner on the Affections. M. Herles Policy. l. 2. c. 6.]