The Beatitudes, Appendix · Sermon 9
The perfume of Love.
1 Pet. 1.22.
See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.
THE holy Scripture makes the love of the brethren the ſureſt note of a man that ſhall go to heaven, 1 Joh. 3.14. and I find Chriſt and his Apoſtles beating much upon this ſtring of love, as if this made the ſweeteſt muſick and harmony in Religion. The conſideration whereof hath put me upon this ſubject.
All the graces have their beauty; but there are ſome that do more adorn and ſet off a Chriſtian in the eye of the world (like ſome of the Stars that ſhine brighter) as humility, and Charity. Theſe two graces like pretious Diamonds caſt a ſparkling luſtre upon Religion. I have deſigned to ſpeak of the laſt of theſe at this time; See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. Love is a Grace alwayes needful, therefore never out of ſeaſon, though too much out of uſe.
My Text like the River of Eden *Gen. 2.10., parts it ſelf into four Heads.
1. Here is a Commiſſion or charge, foreign, See that ye love.
2. The Extent of this Love, foreign, One another.
3. The Manner of this Love, foreign, with a pure heart.
4. The Degree of this love, foreign, fervently.
1. Love purely, that is oppoſed to Hypocriſie: Love muſt be with the heart; it muſt not be a complement, which is like a painted fire; diſſembled love is worſe than hatred.
2. Love fervently, that is oppoſed to Neutrality; love muſt flame forth, it muſt not be as the ſmoaking flax, but as a burning Lamp; ſo much the Hebrew word for love foreign imports an ardent and zelous affection *Ardens & vehemens affectio., no waters muſt quench it.
Doctr. Chriſtians muſt love one another cordially, and fervently; Col. 3.14. Above all theſe things put on charity. 1 Pet. 4.8. Above all things have fervent charity among your ſelves: as if the Apoſtle had ſaid, whatever you neglect, do not neglect this grace: Hierom reports that when St. John was old, he was fain to be led up into the Pulpit, and there he repeated theſe words, Little children, love one another; and then came down from the Pulpit. Oh that this grace of love were engraven as in letters of gold upon our hearts by the finger of the Holy Ghoſt!
Here the queſtion will be asked what love is?
I anſwer, Love is a ſweet and gracious affection, whereby we wiſh the good of another, and promote his welfare as our own. Love is a ſacred fire kindled in the heart by the Spirit, like that fire which came from heaven, 2 Chron. 7.1. I ſhall endeavour to preſerve this fire in Chriſtians hearts, as the fire the Veſtal Virgins kept in Rome that it may not go out.
There are ſeveral Arguments to enforce Love upon us.
1. We muſt love virtute praecepti, by vertue of Command; Joh. 13.34. A new Commandement I give unto you, that ye love one another. Love is both a new Commandement, and an old. 'Tis an old Commandement, becauſe it is foreign, a Law written in the heart of man by the pen of nature, as with the point of a Diamond: And it is old, becauſe it is written in the ancient Statutes and Records; Levit. 19.18. Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf, I am the Lord; and yet it is a new Commandement,
1. Becauſe newly purged from Phariſaical gloſſes; before it was love thy neighbour, but now it is love thy enemy, Matth. 5.44. here is a new Comment upon an old Law.
2. Love is ſaid to be a new Commandement, becauſe of a new Edition; it came out of the new mint of the Goſpel, and was preſſed by a new example; Joh. 13.34. As I have loved you; ſo that it is not Arbitrary, but a duty; 'tis a new Commandement and an old.
The ſecond Argument enforcing love, is the excellency of this grace, it is a lovely grace;*Color gratiae purpurcus ob ſcurior eſſet, ſi n…n charitate veſtiretur. Ber. all the other graces ſeem to be Eclipſed, unleſs love ſhine and ſparckle forth in them. Faith itſelf hath no beauty unleſs it work by love; the tears of repentance are not pure unleſs they flow from the ſpring of love. Love is the Jewel Chriſts Bride weares, it is the Diamond in the ring of the graces; love is foreign, as Chryſoſtom calls it. This is the grace that ſeaſons all our actions and makes them ſavoury; love is aroma, amp; opo balſamum, it is like musk among linnen which perfumes it. So love makes all our Religious ſervices foreign, a ſweet Odour to God, Epheſ. 5.2. Prayer is compared to incenſe, Pſal. 141.2. Now incenſe if it be laid on the Altar, and have no fire put to it, doth not ſmell ſo ſweet; the incenſe of Prayer doth not caſt ſuch a fragrant ſmell, unleſs kindled with this fire of love; love is the badge and cognizance of a true Saint: Joh. 13.35. By this ſhall all men know that ye are my Diſciples, if ye love me another: not if ye work miracles, but if ye love one another; by this livery ye are known to belong to me. St. Bernard calls love ros gratiae, the ſweet dew that diſtills from a Chriſtian, and refreſheth all whom it drops upon; love is the golden claſp that knits hearts, it is opus ſigninum, the cement that ſoders Chriſtians together; it is foreign, the bond of perfectneſs, Col. 3.14. if this bond be broken, all falls to pieces. Love is radix omnium bonorum; it is foreign, the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13.10.*Omne praeceptum ad charitatum refertur. Aug. All the duties of the firſt and ſecond Table, Piety toward God, and Equity towards our neighbour, are comprehended in this, Thou ſhalt love.
O how ſweetly doth the Apoſtle Paul deſcant and paraphraſe upon this grace! how doth he extoll it! he plaies aſwell the Oratour as the Divine; how doth he delineate this grace of love! how doth he penſil and draw it out to the life in all its beauty and ſpiritual embroidery!
That he may extoll this grace,
1. Firſt, he doth it excluſive, he ſhows that the moſt glorious things are nothing without it*Aug.. Si deſit charitas, fruſtra habentur coetera: … Cor. 13.1. Though I ſpeak with the tongues of men] If a man could ſpeak in ſo many Languages as Mithridates, of whom it is ſaid he underſtood 22. ſundry Tongues; if he had the golden mouth of Chryſoſtom, if he could do with his Oratory, as the Poets fain Orpheus did with his Harp, move the very Rocks and ſtones, yet without love it were nothing.
Nay, ſaith the Apoſtle, though I ſpeak foreign, with the tongues of Angels, and have not charity, I am become as ſounding braſs, or as a tinkling Cymbal] Were it not a brave thing to have the eloquence of Angels? yet this without love were but Cymbalum tinniens, the tinkery of the Cymbal; to love as Chriſtians, is better than to ſpeak as Angels.
And though I underſtand all myſteries and all knowledge, ver. 2.] If a mans head were a Library of all learning, if he could know all that is knowable, if he could with Solomon, diſcourſe from the Cedar in Lebanon even to the Hyſop, and hath not charity, hoc aliquid nihil eſt, all is nothing; Knowledge without love, makes a man no better than a Divel.
And though I have all faith, ſo that I could remove Mountains] Were it not admirable to have the Faith of Miracles? to unhinge Mountains, to caſt out Divels, to take up Serpents, and drink poiſon, and it ſhould not hurt us? Matth. 16.16. Yet, if I have no charity I am nothing: Nullius ſum pretij, I am of no account with God; the Miracles of faith without the myſtery of love profit nothing.
And though I beſtow all my goods to feed the poor, ver. 3] Suppoſe I give away all my Eſtate in Almes, yet without love it avails me nothing; 'tis like a Lamp without Oyle.
And though I give my body to be burned, and have not love, it is nothing] the fire of Martyrdom avails not without the fire of Charity.
Let a man come to Church, pray, receive Sacraments, yet if his heart burn in malice, it is but going to hell in a more Saint-like manner; O quam pulchra charitas! Oh how precious a jewel) ſaith Auſtin) is love, how rare a grace, that if this be wanting, all other …hings (though never ſo glorious) are in vain.
2. The Apoſtles ſets forth this grace of love Poſitive, by deciphering its nature and excellency.
1. Charity is kind, ver. 4. foreign, Love is a munificent bountiful grace, it is full of good works, it drops as the honey-comb.
2. Charity is not puffed up, foreign, though it be bountiful, it is not proud; love is a humble grace; like the violet, though it perfumes the Aire, yet hangs down its head; love laies aſide the Trumpet, and covers it ſelf with a vail; love conceals its own worths and ſaith as Paul, 2 Cor. 12.11. foreign ▪ though I be nothing.
3. Charity ſeeketh not her own, ver. 5. The Apoſtle complains, Phil. 2.21. All men ſeek their own, but love ſeeketh not her own. This is a diffuſive grace, and wholly ſpends it ſelf for the good of others, 1 Cor. 10.33. It is reported of Pompey that when there was a great dearth in Rome, Pompey having provided great ſtore of corn abroad and ſhip'd it, the Mariners being backward in hoyſing up ſail by reaſon of a tempeſt, Pompey himſelf ſets forward in the ſtorm, uſing theſe words, Better a few of us periſh than that Rome ſhould not be relieved*foreign.; here was publick ſpirit! love ſeeks not her own; it makes a private Chriſtian a common good. Love is a grace that dwells not at home, it goes abroad, it makes frequent viſits, it looks into the condition of others and relieves them*Quid prodeſt miſereri inopis, niſi alimoniam ei Largiaris! Amb.. Love hath one eye blind, to wink at the infirmities of others, and another eye open to ſpy their wants.
4. Charity is not eaſily provoked; foreign, it is not in a Paroxyſme, it burns not in anger; it is meek and calm, never taking fire unleſs to warm others with its benigne beams of mercy; it gives honey, but doth not eaſily ſting.
3. The Apoſtle ſets forth the excellency of this grace of love Comparative, by laying it in the ballance with other graces, ver. 13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity; theſe three, but the greateſt of theſe is charity. He compares love with faith and hope, and then ſets the ctown upon love; indeed in ſome ſenſe Faith is greater than charity.
1. Ordine cauſalitatis, in reſpect of cauſality; faith is the cauſe of charity; therefore more noble; for as Auſtin ſaith,*Quicquid pulchritudinis in arbore ex radice proficiſcitur. though the root of the tree be not ſeen, yet all the beauty of the branches procee'ds from the Root: So all the beauty that ſparckles in love proceeds from the Root of Faith.
2. Faith is more excellent than charity Ratione beneficij; Faith is a more beneficial grace to us; for by faith we are ingraffed into Chriſt, and partake of the fatneſs of the Olive. Faith fetcheth in all the ſtrength and riches of Chriſt into the ſoul; Faith puts upon the ſoul the embroidered Robe of Chriſts Righteouſneſs in which it ſhines brighter than the Angels; but in another ſence love is greater than faith,
1. Reſpectu viſibilitatis, becauſe Love is a more viſible grace then Faith; Faith lies hid in the heart; Rom. 10.9. Love is more conſpicuous, and ſhines forth more in the life. Love diſcovers the ſoundneſs of Faith, as the even beating of the pulſe ſhows the healthful temper of the body. Faith bows the knee to Chriſt and worſhips him, love opens its treaſures and preſents unto Chriſt gifts, Gold, and Frankincenſe, &c.
2. Love is greater than Faith Reſpectu durationis, in regard of continuance; 1 Cor. 13.8. Charity never faileth; we ſhall lay down our body of fleſh, and ſee God face to face; faith and hope ſhall be no more, but love ſhall remain: While we live here we have need of Faith, this is our Jacobs ſtaff to walk with; 2 Cor. 5. We walk by faith; but we ſhall ſet this ſtaffe ſhortly at heaven door, and love only ſhall enter within the vail*Chryſ. in 1 Cor. Hom. 34.. So you have ſeen the ſparkling of this Diamond, and thus doth the Apoſtle no leſs elegantly than divinely ſet forth the beauty and orient luſtre of this grace.
3. The third Argument preſſing Chriſtians to love, is, this is Decus & ornamentum Evangelij, it ſets a crown of honour upon Religion, it renders the Goſpel lovely in the eyes of the world; it was an honour to Religion in Tertullians time, when the Heathens could ſay, Ecce quam mutuo diligunt, ſee how the Chriſtians love one another! Pſal. 133.1. Behold how good, and how pleaſant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! it is like the pretious oyntment upon the head, that runs down to the skirts of Religions Garments. O what a bleſſed ſight it is to ſee Chriſtians link'd together with the ſilver link of charity! the Church is Chriſts Temple, the Saints are living ſtones, 1 Pet. 2.5. how beautiful is this Temple, when the ſtones of it are cemented together with love! it was ſaid of the firſt Temple there was no noiſe of hammer in it; and oh that there might be no noiſe of ſtrife and diviſion in Gods Church; could we ſee unity and verity like the Vine and Elm mutually embracing; could we ſee the children of Sion ſpreading themſelves as Olive plants round about their Mothers table in an amicable and peaceable manner, how ſhould this adorn Religion, and be as a lure to invite and draw others to be in love with it; what is Religion but Religation? a binding and knitting together of hearts! we are knit to God by Faith, and one to another by love.
4. The fourth Argument is the neceſſity of love; love is foreign, a debt; now debts muſt be paid; Owe nothing to any man but love, Rom. 13.8. The debt of love differs from other debts.
1. When a debt is paid, we receive an Acquittance, and are to pay it no more; but this debt of love muſt be alwayes paying; in heaven we muſt be paying this debt, love to God, and the Saints; there is no diſcharge from this debt.
2. Other debts may be diſpenſed with; we forgive a debt ſometimes, as that Creditor did in the Parable, Matth. 18.27. The Lord of that ſervant was moved with compaſſion and forgave him the debt. But this debt of love is by no means to be diſpenſed with, it muſt be paid; if we do not pay this debt, God will come upon us with an arreſt and throw us into hell priſon.
3. In civil debts between man and man, the more they pay, the leſs they have; but in this debt of love it is quite contrary; the more we pay, the more we have; the more grace from God, the more love from others; love like the widdows oyle encreaſeth by pouring out; by paying other debts we grow poor, by paying this debt we grow richer.
5. Love makes us like God, God is love, 1 Joh. 4.16. a golden ſentence? Auſtin ſaith, the Apoſtle doth more commend love in this one word, God is love, than Saint Paul doth in his whole Chapter; as the nature of the Sun is light, ſo Gods nature is love: The three perſons in the Trinity are all love.
1. God the Father is love; Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world; that God ſhould part with Chriſt out of his boſome, the Son of his love, and lay this jewel as it were to pawn for our ſalvation, oh unparalleld love! never was ſuch love ſhowed to the Angels.
2. God the Son is love; how did Chriſt love his Spouſe when he died for her! his ſides drop'd blood, his heart drop'd love; ſuch a vein of love was opened in him that our ſins could not ſtench; love was the wing on which Chriſt did fly into the Virgins womb. Chriſt incarnate, hre was love covered over with fleſh; and Chriſt on the Croſs, here was a book of love laid open before us to read in. Per vulnera viſcera —
3. God the Holy Ghoſt is love, his appearing in the likeneſs of a Dove ſhow'd his nature; the Dove ſaith Pliny, is an amicable creature, it is without gall; what are all the motions of the Spirit but tenders of love? what is the Zeal of the Spirit but the print of love? why doth this bleſſed Spirit as a ſuitor come a woing to ſinners, but that they may know he is in love? thus all the perſons in the Trinity are love; and the more we ſhine in the grace of Love, the more we reſemble the God of Love.
6. Argument enforcing love, is from the ſweet Relations we ſtand in one to another; we are foreign fellow-Citizens, Epheſ. 2.19. we all expect one heaven; we ſhall ſhortly live together, and ſhall we not love together? we are ſouldiers of the ſame band, 2 Tim. 2.3. ours muſt be the fight of faith, not the fight of contention; our ſtrife muſt be who ſhall love moſt; we are branches of the ſame Vine, and ſhall we not be united? we are ſtones of the ſame building, and ſhall we not be cemented with love? nay we are brethren, Acts 7.26. Sirs, ye are brethren, why do ye wrong one to another?
Uſe 1. I might here take up a lamentation, and ſteep my Uſe 1 words in tears to conſider the decay, I had almoſt ſaid the funerals of this grace among Chriſtians; — Terras Aſtraea reliquit— the fire of brotherly love is almoſt ready to go out; inſtead of the fire of love, the wildfire of paſſion. I have read of one Vitalis who hazarded his life to ſuccour his diſtreſſed friend; but ſure ſuch Vitales are dead in this age. —fratrum quoque gratia rara eſt — The Text ſaith, See that ye love one another; but our times have made a bad Comment upon this Text; how do Chriſtians reproach, cenſure, maligne one another! the Text ſaith, love fervently, but they hate fervently; inſtead of the bond of love, behold the apple of ſtrife; we live in the frigid zone, the love of many waxeth cold. Many live as if they had been born upon the Mountains of Bether, the Mountains of diviſion; and as if they had been baptiz'd in the waters of Meribah, the waters of ſtrife. Do the wicked unite? nay do the Divels unite? there was in one man a Legion, which is according to Varro, ſeven thouſand ſix hundred twenty two: ſhall there be more harmony among Divels, than among Chriſtians? For theſe diviſions of the godly, there are great thoughts of heart. Oh Chriſtians, turn your hot words into ſalt tears! how do the enemies of Religion inſult to ſee not only Chriſts Coat, but his Body rent; for theſe things let our eyes run down.
Conſider the ill conſequence where love is wanting; the abſence of this grace brings forth diviſions, and they are dangerous; For
1. Diviſions bring an opprobrium, and ſcandal upon Religion, they make the wayes of God evil ſpoken of, as if Religion were the fomenter of envy and ſedition. Julian in his Invectives againſt the Chriſtians, ſaid, that they lived together as Tigers, rending and tearing one another; and ſhall we by our animoſities, and contentions make good Julians words? this will make others affraid to embrace the Chriſtian Faith. There is a ſtory in Epiphanius of Miletius, and Peter Biſhop of Alexandria, both Confeſſors of the Orthodox Religion, both condemned to ſuffer; who being together in priſon, upon a ſmall difference ſell into ſo great a Schiſme, that they drew a partition between each other in the priſon, and would not hold communion in the ſame worſhip of Chriſt, for which notwithſtanding they both ſuffered, which diviſion grew ſcandalous, and did more hurt than their perſecution did good.
2. Diviſions advance Satans Kingdom. The Divel hath no hope but in our diſcords*Nibil ſpei niſi per diſcordias. Cornel. Tac.. St. Chryſostom obſerves of the City of Corinth, when many zealous converts were brought in, Satan knew no better way to damme up the current of Religion than by throwing in a bone of contention, and dividing them into parties; one was for Paul, and another for Apollo, but few for Chriſt.
Uſe 2. Be Exhorted to cordial and fervent love; See that Uſe. 2 ye love one another. Exhort.Oh that this ſweet ſpice might ſend forth its fragrant ſmell among Chriſtians! Oh that the Branch. 1 Lord would rain down ſome of theſe ſilver ſhowers of love upon the hearts of Chriſtians, which are for the moſt part like the Mountains of Gilboa which have none of this heavenly dew upon them. They ſay of the ſtones of the Temple they were ſo cloſely cemented as if there had been but one ſtone in the Temple; it were to be wiſhed that the hearts of Chriſtians were ſo ſweetly cemented in love, as if there were but one heart.
Let me commend this grace of amity and love to Chriſtians under a double notion.
1. As you are members of a body politick. The whole nation is foreign, a Political body; now it ſhould be with the body Politique as it is with the natural body; all the members of the body have a ſweet ſympathy, they all work for the good of the whole, that there be no Schiſme in the body, 1 Cor. 12.25. So it ſhould be in the body politique.
2. You are membra Eccleſiae, members of the Church of God, you bear Chriſts Name, you wear his Livery, therefore you muſt be ſodred together in affection. It is a ſad Omen and preſage, when the joynts of the ſame body ſhall be looſed, and the knees ſhall ſmite one againſt another.
If yet men will live at variance, nouriſhing a Viper in their boſoms, I ſhall offer two things to their ſerious conſideration.
1. An uncharitable perſon is an unregenerate perſon; Titus 3.3. We were ſometimes diſobedient, ſerving divers luſts, living foreign, in malice and envy; as if he had ſaid, Before grace came, we were fill'd, and ready to burſt with this poyſon of malice; the Apoſtle deſcribing a natural condition calls it the gall of bitterneſs, Acts 8. He that lives in bitter ſtrife, is in the gall bitterneſs: A malitious perſon is of no a kin to God, for God is love; he knows nothing of the Goſpel ſavingly, for it is a Goſpel of peace; we read in Scripture of the bond of peace, Epheſ. 4.3. and the bond of iniquity, Acts 8.23. him whom the Goſpel hath not bound in the bond of peace, Satan hath bound in the bond of iniquity.
2. Uncharitableneſs is a leaven that ſowres the whole lump, 1 Cor. 5.8.
1. It ſowres your good qualities; Naaman an honourable man, a mighty man in valour, but he was a Leper, 2 King. 5.1. that but was like a dead fly in the Oyntment, it ſpoiled all the reſt. So it may be ſaid, Such a man is a man of parts, a man of great moral endowments, he is juſt, affable, temperate, but he is a leper, he will not be in charity; he payes every one their own, but there is one debt he will not pay though he rot in hell for it, (viz.) the debt of love; this is a foreign, a brand of infamy upon him.
2. Uncharitableneſs ſowres your good duties; you pray and come to Church, but refuſe to be tyed in a knot of amity; what profit is there of all your ſeeming devotion? we are bid to lift up pure hands without wrath, 1 Tim, 2.8. The uncharitable perſon doth not lift up pure hands in prayer, but leprous hands, bloody hands: 1 Joh. 3.16. Whoſoever hates his brother is a murderer. Prayer ſaith Chryſoſtom, may be compared to a fine Garland; the hands that make a Garland had need be clean: So the heart that makes a prayer had need be clean: wrath and anger do ſully a Chriſtians prayers, and will the Holy God touch them? the uncharitable man poiſons his own prayers, and will the Lord accept of a poiſoned ſacrifice?
Oh that all this might at laſt perſwade to cordial and fervent love; let us turn all our cenſuring into praying; let us pray to God that he would quench the fire of contention, and encreaſe the fire of fraternal love among us: let us pray that the Lord would heal our Schiſmes, repair our breaches, that he would make us like the Cherubims with our faces looking one upon another; let us pray that God will make good that promiſe, that we ſhall ſerve him with one conſent, or*foreign as in the Hebrew, with one ſhoulder; and that this may be the golden Motto written upon England, Cor unum, via una, one heart, and one way *Jer. 32 30..
2. It Exhorts us that as we would be amicable to all, Branch. 2 ſo eſpecially that we would love thoſe who are of the houſhold of Faith, viz. the Saints and people of God,Exhort. Pſalm. 16.2. We muſt love as God loves; he loves them moſt who are like him; he loves piety, though it be eſpouſed to poverty: ſo muſt our love run out eſpecially to thoſe who have the image and ſuperſcription of God upon them. Joſeph loved all his brethren, but Benjamin moſt; the people of God muſt have a Benjamins portion in our love. The Saints are called Jewels, Mal. 3.17. which we muſt love and prize; they are called the apple of Gods eye, Zach. to ſhow how tender they ſhould be in our eye. The Saints are partakers of the Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. not by an incorporation into the Divine Eſſence, but by a conformity to the Divine likeneſs: theſe we muſt love amore complacentiae, with a love of complacency and delight: Theſe are near alied to Chriſt by faith, they are of the blood Royal of heaven; theſe muſt be higher in our thoughts, and deeper in our affections than others; Hierom loved Chriſt dwelling in Auſtin.
When I ſay the Saints muſt have the largeſt ſhare in our love, I mean not all that call themſelves Saints, (ſuch as under a mask of holineſs commit ſin, hypocritical Saints)*Quid tibi prodeſt vocari quod non es? Aug. but ſuch as the Scripture calls Saints, ſuch as excel in vertue, Pſal. 16. ſuch as walk humbly with God, Mich. 6.8. ſuch as have aliquid Chriſti (as Bucer ſaith) ſomething of Chriſt in them; theſe Saints muſt we place our entire love upon: Indeed there is that in them which may excite and draw forth love; they have the beauty of inherent holineſs, and they have an intereſt in the unſpotted holineſs of Chriſt, which may be a ſufficient loadſtone to draw love to them.
But what ſhall we ſay to thoſe, who inſtead of loving the people of God becauſe they are Saints, hate them ea ratione, becauſe they are Saints; as Tertullian, Confeſſio nominis, the very confeſſion of the Name of a Chriſtian was enough to bring them into an odium, and was laid againſt them as a matter of crime: It was ſaid of Ariſtides that he was baniſhed out of Athens, quia juſtus, becauſe he was juſt. Sanctity is the thing that is reproached and hated in the world; wicked men Panther-like would tear the picture of God drawn in the New man; let one have all kind of accompliſhments, Learning, Morality, Piety; though men will love him for his Learning, and Morality, they will hate him for his Piety. Holineſs is become the crime; the Serpent is known by his hiſſing, they are the ſeed of the Old Serpent that hiſſe at Religion; Let me ſpeak my mind freely. There is generally among men a ſecret antipathy againſt the power of godlineſs; they are for ſome ſhowes of devotion, they keep up a form; but ſuch as have a ſpirit of zeal and ſanctity ſhining in them, their hearts riſe againſt; let me tell you, there is not a greater ſign of a rotten and divelliſh heart, than to hate a man for that very thing for which God loves him; namely his holineſs. 'Tis an high affront to abuſe the Kings Statue: what vengeance (think we) ſhall they be counted worthy off, who maligne, and do what in them lies to tear in pieces the image of the living God. Oh take heed of this; the hating the grace of the Spirit, comes near to the deſpighting of the Spirit of grace: To conclude, let us beg the ſpirit of amity and unity, that we may love one another, eſpecially that we may be endeared in our affections to them who are of the family of God, and whoſe names are enrolled in the book of life.