None but Christ, Chapter 28
CHAP. XVIII. The ſixt ſigne of the ſaving knowledge of Chriſt, namely love.
Signe. 6 THe ſixt ſigne of aſſurance that Chriſt is ours, is love; faith worketh by love, Gal. 5. 6. (a) and that conſiſts in five particulars.
1. If we love God. (As it is an inſtinct of nature for child en to love the parents that begat them) with a heavenly holy love, for his holineſſe, for the excellency of his nature, and as looking upon him as a reconciled father that dearly loves us, ſo that the thoughts of God are ſwe… …nd precious to us, b1 Iohn 5. 1. Rom. 8. 28.whereas naturall… we bear no love to God, we love not the thoughts of him, nor look we upon him as loving us; or if we do love him, it is only mercenarious and meretricious love,Vtimur deo ut fruamur mundo. as a woman that loves her husband not for his perſon, but for his riches; ſo we love God only for his benefits, naturally; not but that it is lawfull to love God for his benefits, as Mary loved much, becauſe much was forgiven her, but not chiefly and only for his benefits, but alſo for the excellency of his nature.
2. If we love Chriſt with a conjugal love, with the love of a ſpouſe, even as our beſt beloved, loving nothing in heaven or earth in compariſon of him; cPſal. 73. 25.To you that believe be is precious, 1 Pet. 2. 7. as he was to Paul, Phil. 3. 8. I count all as loſſe and dung in compariſon of Chriſt; ſo Moſes, I eſteem the rebuke of Chriſt greater riches, &c. Heb. 11. 25.
3. If we love the Saints and members of Chriſt d1 Iohn 3. 14.. This mark ſtayes by us when many others cannot be diſcerned, & is moſt certain; for we cannot love grace in another mans heart, except there were grace in our own hearts, Gen. 3. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Only it hath theſe qualifications.
1. Firſt it is a ſpirituall love, to love eCol. 1. 8.them in the name of righteous men, for the image of Chriſt appearing in them, and in no other by-reſpects. Epaphras hath declared to us your love in the Spirit, ſaith Paul; and he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, and a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, ſhall have the reward of a righteous man, ſaith our Saviour, Matth. 10. 41. Now love of goodneſſe muſt needs proceed from a ſpirit of goodneſſe.
2. Secondly, It is an univerſall love to all the Saints, fCol, 1. 4.there being the ſame reaſon of loving one as another, even the ſpirit of Chriſt that dwelleth in them, which is the ſame in all, Eph. 4. 3. And hence it is that they love them, though they be poore Saints. 2. Though afflicted Saints. 3. Though hated and deſpiſed of others. 4. Though they have many infirmities. 5. Though they have done us injury and wrong. As Calvin commends Luther to be inſignis dei ſervu…, the famos ſervant of God, etiamſi me millies diabolum vocavit, although he hath called me (ſaid he) divel a thouſand times. And 6, though we never ſaw faces, never knew them but by reports from others.
3. Thirdly, In reſpect of the degree, it is a ſpeciall and choice love, they love them as brethren and ſiſters, Matth. 12. ult. All my delight is in the Saints, ſaith David, Pſal. 16. 2. and this appears in foure particulars.It is cald 1. Amor Complacentiae, 2. Benevolentiae. 3 Amcitiae. 4. Sympathiae. Schoolm.
1. Firſt in their high opinion of them, eſteeming them even as pearles to pibbles, in compariſon of other men; hence David cals them the excellent, Pſal. 16. 2. And in Pſal. 15. deſcribing the godly man, he ſaith he is one, in whoſe eyes a vile perſon is contemned and ſlighted, but he honours them that feare the Lord.
2. Secondly, In a readineſſe to help them if they be in need, and do them good before others; they will do good to all, (becauſe miſericordia non quaerit de meritis ſed de miſeriis, mercy looks not at worth but at miſery) but eſpecially to the houſhold of faith, Gal. 6. 10
3. Thirdly in delighting in their company, more then in the ſociety of any other men; I am a companion of them that feare thee, ſaith *Pſal. 101 6. Pſal. 6 8.David, Pſal. 119. 63. Moſes loved the company of his afflicted brethren, more then of all the Court of Pharaoh aHeb. 11. 25. 26.: Ruth and Naomi being one of heart could not part bRuth 1. 16.whether thou goeſt I will go, &c. The two diſciples that went to Emmaus, knew not that it was Chriſt that was with them, but thought he was ſome good man; and how loth were they to let him depart from them? (his company was ſo ſweet to them.) Hence they conſtrained him, ſaying, Abide with us, &c. Luk. 24. 29. And the diſciples when Chriſt was from them, when he lay in the grave, and after his reſurrection and aſcenſion, they oft met together in private houſes, but not a wicked man among them cIoh. 20. 19. Act. 1. 13. 14. Act. 4. 32. Act. 9. 19. 26.. And Paul as ſoon as ever he was converted, he changed his company, and aſſayed to joyn Yea if they could they would have their bones lie together in the grave. Gen 49. 29. 30. Gen. 50. 25. 1 Kings 13. 31.himſelfe with the diſciples, Acts 9. 26. Oh how the hearts of Jonathan and David were knit together, and how they delighted in the ſociety each of other? In the Primitive times, the Chriſtians ſo flockt together, that the Heathens ſaid of them, ecce quam invicem ſe diligunt, behold how they love one another; Tert. And the reaſon is, becauſe they are of alike diſpoſition; ſimilitudo gignit amorem, likeneſſe in diſpoſition breeds delight in communion. Birds of a feather will flock together; lyons, Bears, ſheep, doves, and all flockSimile ſimili gaudet▪ together in their kind; ſheep and hogs go not together, nor do doves and crows fly together. Many times a man walkes ſo cloſely and covertly, that we cannot diſcern what he is by himſelf, yet a thouſand to one but he may be known by his companion he is moſt delighted withall. The Lacedemonians marked what company their children kept, and accordingly judged of their diſpoſitions. And Auguſt Caeſar marked at a combate what company courted his two daughters; and when he eſpyed grave Senators talke with Livia, but young and wanton perſons with Julia, &c. he conceived accordingly of their diſpoſitions, that one would prove a wanton, the other would be the more ſober. Why ſeek you the living among the dead? ſaith our Saviour; Never but one (that was living) deſired to keep company with the dead, and he was poſſeſſed with a legion of divels. A man out of Chriſt cannot poſſibly make a godly man his choice ſociety, in whom he takes moſt delight; for what communion hath light with darkeneſſe? and what fellowſhip hath righteouſneſſe with unrighteouſneſſe? and what concord hathAmos 3 3. Chriſt with Belial? &c. 2 Cor. 6. 14. we know God hath put enmity between theGen. 3. 15. ſeed of the woman and the ſeed of the ſerpent. An Iſraelite is an abomination to an Egyptian. Indeed a godly man converſeth lovingly with all, in a civill and a ſociable manner, and loveth all men with a naturall, civill and morall love, (yea and with a ſpirituall love of pity and deſire of their ſalvation) and expreſſeth all offices of love to all, as innocency, peaceableneſſe, courteſie, kindneſſe, &c. As Abraham bowed himſelfe to the People of the Land, even to the children of Heth, Gen. 23. 7. (And its Gods will, both tares and wheat ſhould grow together till the harveſt, as clouds among the ſtarres, weeds among the flowers, thornes among the Lilies.) But the Saints are his choice ſociety, in whom heCant. 6 9. Eph. 4. 3. taketh moſt delight, becauſe there is a union of hearts and ſpirits which makes the ſweeteſt and the neareſt union. Stones and clay may lie together, but will not ſoder together, as Nebuchadnezzars image, part of iron and part of clay quickly brake aſunder; for iron and clay will not incorporate one into another.
4. Fourthly and laſtly, in ſympathizing one with another, and taking part each with other; ſo that if one member rejoyceth, all rejoyce, if one mourn, all ſympathiſe b1 Cor. 12. 26. Heb. 13 3. Eſt. 8. 6. and c. 4.As Mordecai and Eſter did ſympathize with the miſery the poore captive Iews were in, and adventured their lives for them; and Moſes ſympathized with his brethren that were at their hard labour, and had ſtripes without meaſure, but himſelf in glory and advancement, yet he would go viſit them, and ſee their burthens; iExod. 2. 12.So Jonathan in his abſence took Davids part, and ſpake in his behalfe to Saul; and Abraham fought for, and reſcued Lot, Gen. 14, 14.
4. Fourthly, the fourth ſigne from love, is, if we love the word of God with a ſincere love, m1 Pet. 2. 2.as new-born babes deſire the ſincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby; they that are born the womb deſire the milk of the breaſt, as the tender infant cryes for milk as ſoon as it is born; and their end is, that they may grow thereby, as bees fly upon flowers to ſuck hony and ſweetneſſe, and therefore they delight not alwayes moſt in the gayeſt flowers, but wherein moſt honey is to be gotten, and hence often they preferre a plain leaf of a tree before a gay flower.
An hypocrite indeed may ſeem to delight in the word, as Herod did in hearing John-Baptiſt nMa…. 6. 20. But it is not to this end to gather hony from it, for the holineſſe of it, to have his heart made better by it, but to tickle his eare with novelties, and pleaſe his fancy, or to get notions, that he may be able to diſcourſe, &c. But if it come home to his particular ſin, O then he kicks and flings and hates the word, and the meſſenger of it, as Herod hated John-Baptiſt when he ſpake againſt Herodias, and the Phariſees hated Chriſt, when he began to reprove them of their hypocriſie, By this ſaying thou reproacheſt us ſay they; Luk. 11. 45. but David loved Nathan who dealt ſo plainly with him, as appears, 1 Kings 1. 27. Is this thing done by my Lord the King, and thou haſt not ſhown it to me thy ſervant? intimating he was Davids choyce counſellour ſtil, *There is 1. the careleſſe hearer, that hears but regards not Eſa. 6. 9, 13 2 There is the gazing hearer that comes only to ſee & be ſeen. 3. The curious hearer that lookes more how the glaſſe is painted, then what face he hath. 4. The carping hearer that comes to ſee what he can catch at. 5. The ſpiderlike hearer, that comes to ſuck poyſon by wreſting the word to his own deſtruction. 6. The Butterfly-hearer, that like as the Butterfly lights upon flowers to paint her wings, but not to ſuck honey, ſo hee comes not to be more holy, but more gaudy with notions; All theſe love not the word with a ſincere or ſpirituall love.notwithſtanding all his ſharp reproof he gave him.
The fi…t ſign from love, is, if we love thoſe that are out of Chriſt, (eſpecially in relation to us) with a ſpirituall love.
Queſt. But David ſaith, Do not I hate them, that hate thee?
Anſw. I anſwer, he hated their ſins in relation to Gods diſhonour; but it is a mark of our being in Chriſt, to love their perſons with a threefold love.
1. Firſt, with a love of pity (as was touched before) in grieving for their ſins, and pitying their miſery, as did Ieremiah, My ſoule ſhall weep in ſecret for your pride, Jer. 13. 17. Our bleſſed Saviour wept over Ieruſalem, ſaying, O that thou hadſt known in this thy day the things that belong to thy Planxit ruinas animarum Dyon. Carth.peace; Why were Chriſts eyes wet with tears, but becauſe their eyes were dry? quare flevit dominus niſi quia flere te docuit? Wherefore did Chriſt weep for us, but to teach us to weep for our ſelves? Cypr. Did not Abraham pity even the Sodomites, when he pleaded ſo with God for them, if there were but ten righteous among them? and did not Paul tell them weeping, their end was damnation? we ſee grace will make us love and pity the ſoules of other any; But much more the ſoules of thoſe that are in near relation to us, as of our wives, husbands, parents, children, brethren and ſiſters, and dear friends; ſo David wept for Abſalom; Iephta for his daughter, when he met her, whom he had vowed to ſacrifice to the fire; ſo Abraham prayd for Iſhmael, O that Iſhmael might live in thy ſight; and Auguſtines mother for her ſon in his naturall condition.
2. Secondly, In having an earneſt deſire and care to bring others to the knowledge of Chriſt and ſalvation. aNaſcitur indignè per quem non naſcitur alter.A good man would not go to heaven alone; when thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy Brethren, ſaid Chriſt to Peter, bLuk. 22 31. Joſh. 24. 15.As the Reubenites, Gadites, and halfe tribe of Manaſſeh, when they themſelves were provided for, they were yet to help over their brethren into Canaan, Numb. 32. 17, 18. Spiders indeed work only for themſelves, but Bees for others. cActs 26 28.Paul wiſht not only Felix, but all that heard him, were not almoſt, but altogether as himſelfe was, (except his bands and impriſonments, his chain, his gold chain, was too rich for him yet to wear, that honour he reſerved for himſelf.) So when the Grecians which came to worſhip, would fain ſee Jeſus, Philip and Andrew went and told Jeſus. dIohn 12. 21. 22.So the woman left her water(o) Iohn 4. 29. pot when ſhe had found Chriſt, and went and told them of Chriſt that were in the city.
But eſpecially they cannot but earneſtly deſire and indeavour to bring thoſe united to them in neer relation, to the knowledge of Chriſt; As Mary when Chriſt appeared to her, how ſhe ran to tell the diſciples! (r) Paul wiſht himſelf ſeparated from Chriſt for his brethren, sRom. 9. 3. Exod. 32. 10and kinſmen in the fleſh; and Moſes to be blotted out of the book of life, rather then the Jews ſhould not be ſpared. Yea even Dives in hel torments had ſo much charity as to pity his brethren, and prayed Abraham to ſend Lazarus to them, leſt they ſhould come to that place of torment, Luk. 16. 28. And certainly they that have no regard of the ſoules of others committed to their charge, to bring them to the knowledge of Chriſt, may juſtly fear that they themſelves never had the knowledge of Chriſt ſavingly revealed to them, nor know the worth of ſoules.