Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Finally, Evidences or Signes of the unfeigned eQuid valeat charitas, omnis Scriptura commendat: sed nescio si alicubi amplius quàm inista epistola commendetur. Aug. in ep. Ioan. Tra. ….love of the Brethren: (viz. the true children of God, begotten of him. Compare 1 Iohn 4. 20, 21. with 1 Iohn 5. 1, 2.)
I.
FIrst, True spirituall knowing of God. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God: and every one that loveth is borne of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love, 1 John 4. 7, 8.
Evidences of true knowledge of God, See in Chap. 5. throughout. p. 193, &c.
II.
Secondly, Sincere loving of God. Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God.— 1 John 5. 1, 2.
Evidences of our true love to God, See in Chap. 6. throughout, p. 200, &c.
III.
Thirdly, Right keeping of Gods Commandements. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his Commandements. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandements, and his Commandements are not grievous, 1 John 5. 2, ….
Evidences of keeping Gods Commandments, See in Chap. 2. Signe 6. p. 162, to p. 168. and Chap. 6. Signe 4. p. 208, to 212.
IV.
Fourthly, Loving the Brethren peculiarly and especially in this notion or respect, as they are begotten of God, and as they are thereby the children of God. Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God,—1 John 5. 1, 2. See this further cleared, p. 170, 171.
V.
Finally, When we love them, not verbally and complementally, but really and sincerely. Opening tender bowels of Compassion to our brother in need: yea, if the cause require, hazarding our dearest lives for the children of God. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother hath need, and s…utteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him, 1 John 3. 16, 17, 18, 19.
Formall, verball, complementall love to the brethren is vaine, Iam. 2. 15, 16. yea, abominable hypocrisie. Christ loved us really, when he so loved us as to die for us: and Christs real love to us, instructs us to like reality in our love to one another. Here are three real demonstrations of our true brotherly love mentioned. 1. Communicating to the brethrens necessities. 2. Laying down our lives for them. 3. Approving our hearts sincerely to God in both. In the first, (as *Ecce unde incipit charita; si nondum es idoneus mori pro fratre: jam idoneus esto da re de tuis facultatibus fratri. Aug. Expos. in Epist. Ioan. Tract. 5.—Ergò hic incipit ista charitas fratris, ut de suis superfluis tribuat egenti: Hinc exordium est charitatis. Hanc ita coeptam, si verbo Dei & spe futurae vitae nutrietis, pervenie… ad illam perfectionem, ut paratus sis animam tuam ponere pro fratribus tuis. Aug. Expos. in Epist. Ioan. Tract. 6.Augustine notes) we have the Inchoation; In the second, the Perfection; In the third, the Probation of our love to the brethren.
Examine now thine heart. Doest thou with this reality love the brethren?
1. Doest thou communicate to the Saints necessities? they are in wants, straits, plunges, prisons, sicknesses dangers, death; thou hast this worlds good, wherewith thou mightest relieve them; are the bowels of thy compassion now shut against them, or open to them? If shut, how dwels either the true love of God, or of thy brother in thine heart? what thou withholdest from, or impartest to Christs members, Christ takes as done to himselfe, Matth. 25. 35. to the end. If thou wilt not do any thing for thy brothers sake, …et do it (as *Q…i respectu fratris in Ecclesia non movetur, vel Christi contemplatione moveatur: & qui non cogitat in labore, atque in egestate conservum, vel Dominum cogitet in ipso illo quem despicit constitu tum.—Demus Christo vestimenta terrena, indumenta coelestia recepturi. Demus cibum & potum secularem, cum Abraham, Isaac & Jacob ad convivium coeleste venturi. Cyp. de Oper. & Elee mosynis. sect. 22. p. 357. edit. Goulart. 1593.Cyprian urgeth it) for Christs sake, give Christ earthly garments, that thou mayest receive heavenly; give Christ temporal meat and drink, that with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, thou mayest be admitted to the eternall banquet.
II. Art thou willing if need be, to lay down thy life for thy brother? He will hardly shed his blood for his brother, that grudgeth to p…rt with this worlds good for his brother. This (said hHaec est perfectio charitatis: & major omninò non potest inveniri, Aug. in ep. Ioan. Tract. 6.Augustine,) is the Perfection of love, and greater then this cannot be found. Greater love then this hath no …an, then that a man lay down his life for his friend, said Christ, Iohn 15. 13. Rom. 5. 7. and yet we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren, 1 John 3. 16.
Quest. But in what cases may we hazzard or lay down our lives for the brethren?
Resolut. To comprehend all such cases, is difficult. Some seem obvious.
1. A man may warrantably adventure his life if need require, for a multitude of brethren; a Church; that they may be preserved from destruction, or edified to salvation. Exod. 32. 31, 32. Rom. 9. 1, 2, 3. Phil. 2. 17, 18.
2. A private Christian may adventure his life, for preservation of Publ…ck Persons, Church▪ Officers, Ministers of the Gospel, of great and necessary use to the Church of God. Thus Priscilla and Aquila for Pauls sake, even laid down their necks, viz. hazzarded their lives to the uttermost, and thereby did great service to all the Churches of the Gentiles, Rom. 16. 3, 4.
3. One publick Officer may hazzard his life for another of more important concernment in the Church. As Epaphroditus a Pastor of the Philippians for Paul an Apostle, Phil. 2. 30.
4. One private Christian may hazzard his life for the Spiritual and eternal good of another; as iTemporalem planè vitam suam pro aeterna vita proximi non dubitabit Christianus amittere. Aug. de mendacio ad Consentium. l. c. 6.Augustine hath observed, for defence of his innocency & righteousness, for encouragement and confirmation of his faith and graces, &c. This (as kOportet enim quomodo Christus animam suam po…uit pro nobis, ita fieri pro eo & à nobis: nec tantum pro ipso, imò etiam pro fratribus propter ipsum. Quod Joannes docens, non est pro fratribus numerandum, sed moriendum potius pronuncia vit. Tertull. de Fuga in Persecut. l. c. 12. p. 587. Franek. 1597.Tertullian notes) is not so much to hazzard life for the brethren for themselves, as for the brethren for Christ.
III. Finally, Canst thou in all this love, in giving to, or dying for thy brethren approve thy heart sincerely unto God; that thou doest or endurest thus for them, from entire love to them, and not from vaine glory, or ostentation? As lPotest esse manifestius opus quam tribuere pauperibus? Multi hoc jactantiâ faciunt, non dilectione. Potest esse majus opus quam mori pro fratribus? & hoc multi volunt putari facere jactantiâ nominis comparandi, non visceribus dilectionis. Restat ut ille diligat fratrem, qui ante Deum ubi solus videt, cordi suo persuadet, & interrogat cor suum an ve…è propter fratrum dilectionem hoc faciat: & perhibet illi testimonium oculus qui penetrat cor. quo homo attendere non potest. Aug. Expos. in epist. Ioan. Tract. 6.Augustine cautions, Possibly a man may give much, yea, give his body to death, and yet want love, 1 Cor. 13. but canst thou appeale to the heart-searching God, and say, Lord, thou knowest I truly love thee, and all thine for thee, and therefore I do, or endure this, for thee or them? Oh! if thus thou canst assure thy heart before him, then hast thou confidence towards God, 1 John 3. 18, 19, 20, 21.