Exposition of Romans 13-16, Exposition of Romans · Chapter 1 · Verse 9
VERSE. 9. For this, Thou ſhalt not commit adulterie, Thou ſhalt not kill, Thou ſhalt not ſteale, Thou ſhalt not beare falſe witneſſe, Thou ſhalt not couet: and if there be any other commandement, it is briefely comprehended in this ſaying, namely, Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe.
HEre is a proofe, that he which loueth fulfilleth the law, and the argument is taken from an induction or enumeration of the particular commandements in the Law, which are comprehended in the precept of louelove.
LoueLove is all the Commandements: Therefore hee that loueth, fulfilleth them all.
Here are to be conſidered, the ſeuerals, or the ſumme: The Seuerals are the particular precepts rehearſed. The ſumme, is, Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe.
In the Enumeration ſomething is to be marked.
1 The fift commandement is not mentioned, which requires Honoring of Parents. Pet. Martyr.Some anſwer, that Paul reckons them as the Iewes did, who put that Commandement into the firſt table: making fiue in each table. From whence we may note what a ſacred thing they thought obedience to Magiſtrates and parents to be.
Or he hath ſo plentifully ſpoken of that Commandement in the firſt part of this Chapter, as there ſeemes to bee no need of any repetition.
Or he takes the Negatiues only, becauſe they are moſt contrary to Charitie: and alſo that Commandement is comprehended in theſe words: and if there be any other Commandement.
2 The ſeuenth Commandement forbidding adultery, is put before the ſixt, forbidding murder.
The reaſon is alledged, becauſe adultery was a common ſinne among the Romans.
Or for the feditie of it, and odiouſneſſe doth he name it firſt: and ſo among the fruits of the fleſh is Adultery firſt named; and among the fruits of the Spirit, LoueLove. Galath. 5.19.22. and in ſome part of the Ciuill law, Faius in loc.the title of Adulterie is next to the title of Treaſon, to ſhew the hainouſneſſe of that ſinne.
3 The tenth Commandement is mentioned in this one word, Thou ſhalt not couet: whence it appeares, that the commandement of not Coueting, is but one, contrary to the doctrine of Rome.
Is briefly comprehended: is conſummate, or recapitulated, Ambroſ. Auguſt. epiſt. 29. ad Hieron.as Orators in their Epilogue repeate the generall heads.
So that, that which the Philoſophers affirmed of Iuſtice, is true of louelove, foreign. In ſumme Charity is all vertue. Charity is the Decalogue contracted, and the Decalogue is Charity vnfolded. A generall vertue diffuſing it ſelfe into all vertues, as the blood and ſpirits into all parts of our bodies.
The ſumme then is, Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe. In this wee hauehave foreign. The thing commanded, to louelove our neighbour; and the Rule, As thy ſelfe.
Neighbour: EueryEvery one that ſtands in need of our help, by the proportion of the parable of the Samaritane, Luke 10. knowne or vnknowne; friend or foe; this is a hard ſaying, but it is law. Good and bad: the bad for communion of nature: the good for communion of nature and grace. Kindred and ſtrangers; Proximus non ſanguinis propinquitate, Aug. epiſt. 52.ſed rationis ſocietate penſandus eſt, &c. ſaith Auguſtine, Neighbourhood is to be eſteemed, not by the neereneſſe of blood, but by the ſocietie of Reaſon.
Hierome brings the bleſſed Angels within this order of Neighbourhood; Hieron. in epiſt. ad Gal.and indeed Charitie is as large as heauen and earth.
The Schoolemen make euen the Diuels and damned, Valent. tom. 3. Diſp. 3. quaeſt. 3. punct. 1.ſecundum naturam, a part of the obiect of our charity; not in the deprauation of their nature, but in their eſſence; not in their oppoſition to the Creator, but in their relation, tanquam res amici, as part of the things or ſubſtance belonging to our friend, that they be preſerued and ſtill exiſt, that Gods Iuſtice might hauehave due execution vponupon them.
As thy ſelfe: both in the thing, and in the manner.
In the thing; as to wiſh the beſt to our neighbour, as wee wiſh the beſt to our ſelues, Luke 6.31. Mat. 7.12.expounded by our Sauiour: As yee would that men ſhould doe to you, doe yee alſo to them likewiſe: wiſhing the ſame good to be obtained, and the hurt to bee auoyded by them as by your ſelues.
In the manner: Truely, without diſſembling; earneſtly, without remiſſneſſe, and coldneſſe; conſtantly, without changing.
Wee muſt louelove our neighbours as our ſelues. Doctr. The very ſame words are, Leuit. 19.18. Gal 5.14. and Mat. 22.39. Where our Sauiour being asked by a Lawyer which was the Great Commandement; anſwered, that the louelove of God, was the firſt and great Commandement; and that the ſecond was like vntounto it, which is, the louelove of our neighbour. Like vntounto the firſt in three reſpects.
1 In forme; that is truly. For God muſt be loued with all the heart, and our neighbour as our ſelfe.
2 In time, wee muſt alwaies louelove God; and ſo wee muſt our neighbour.
3 In difficulty; it is hard to louelove God aboue all, becauſe our hearts are ſo much vponupon the world; and as hard to louelove our neighbour as our ſelues, becauſe our hearts are ſet ſo much vponupon our ſelues.
Whether may I louelove my neighbour more then my ſelfe, Queſt. or no?
In regard of the affection, Anſw. louelove muſt be equall; but in regard of the effect, in outward things I may at ſome time prefer my neighbour before my ſelfe, and ſerue him firſt; not ſo in ſpirituall things; I muſt wiſh my neighbours ſaluation as well as mine owne, but I muſt ſeeke my owne firſt.
May I louelove one neighbour more then another? Queſt.
Appretiatiuè, as they ſay, we may: Anſw. as Iacob loued one of his children, Ioſeph one of his brethren, and Chriſt one of his Diſciples.
It is lawfull to louelove our ſelues; Ʋſe 1 and yet there is an euill ſelfe-louelove, of the which the moſt part are ſicke.
There is a naturall ſelfe louelove, and a morall: The naturall is the Rule of our louelove to our neighbour: the morall, is that which is forbidden in the law, which deſtroies the louelove of our neighbour.
Nature requires, the law allowes, and grace denyes not that we ſhould louelove our ſelues amore recto, with a right louelove.
Neither can he louelove his neighbour well, who doth not ſo louelove himſelfe; euen as he can neuer write a right line, who writeth by a wrong rule.
Many ſay they louelove their neighbour as their owne ſoules; and therein they may ſay true, and yet be far from the fulfilling of the law; or they care not to damne their owne ſoules, as well as their neighbours.
Learne to louelove thy ſelfe as thou oughteſt, that God may commit thy neighbour to thee whom thou maiſt louelove as thy ſelfe.
To louelove a mans ſelfe, is not curare cutens, to pamper the body, to giuegive a mans ſelfe to liberty and pleaſure; but curare animam, to hauehave a care of the ſoule, to louelove God, and our ſelues in God: For, He that ſinneth, hateth his owne ſoule, Pro. 8.36. and hee that enticeth his neighbour to ſinne, hateth his neighbours ſoule. And hee will neuer be profitable for another, who is vnprofitable for himſelfe.
He that loues a garment, hates the moth that eates it; ſo he that loues his owne ſoule and his neighbours, will hate ſinne which deſtroyes it.
Let him louelove me, who loues himſelfe in goodneſſe: The Godly mans louelove is the beſt louelove.
Here diuers are to be reproued. Ʋſe 2
1 They that louelove themſelues onelyonly. There is a City of God, and a city of the Diuell: The City of God, beginnes in the louelove of God, and increaſeth to the louelove of our neighbour; the city of the Diuell beginnes in the louelove of our ſelues, Aug. in princ. lib. de Ciuit. Dei.and ends in the contempt of God and our neighbour, ſuch were Caine and Nabal.
2. They which louelove ſome of their neighbours but not all: This man is mine enemy I cannot louelove him: But Chriſt commands thee to louelove him, and he is thy neighbour. LoueLove him, that he may be thy friend. That man is wicked, and his ſinnes offend me. Thinke that thy ſinnes offend others, and yet thou wouldeſt they ſhould louelove thee. Conſule Zanch. in explic ca. 2. ep. 1. Ioh.LoueLove him, but not his faults; and becauſe hee hath faults, hee hath ſo much the more need of thy louelove that thou mayſt reclaime him. Euill men are to be loued as ſick men, we run to the Phyſitian, for louelove to the man, not for louelove of his ſicknes, to helpe the man, and to deſtroy the ſickneſſe.
3 They which louelove diſſemblingly, Aug. ep. 54.as Ioab and Iudas, who will ſpeake faire to a mans face, and cut his throat behind his backe.
4 They which louelove, and louelove, but their neighbour is neuer the better for their louelove: their louelove is fruitleſſe, as is the faith S. Iames ſpeakes of.
5 They which louelove not good men, their beſt neighbours, their trueſt friends, thou muſt louelove a wicked man, much more him that is godly; thine enemy, much more him that is Gods friend.
Wee ought to pray and ſtriue to louelove our neighbours as our ſelues: Ʋſe 3 if all would doe ſo, it would be a golden world.
EueryEvery Science hath his principles: the proper principle of Chriſtian diſcipline is charity.
And there is nothing ſo vſefull and profitable as Charity. Chryſ. hom. 51. ad Pop. Ant.A better good then all riches, a greater good then health and light, ſaid Chryſoſtome.
Suppoſe ten men to louelove each other as themſelues, and ſo a hundred, a thouſand, &c. None of the ten is one alone, but eueryevery one is ten: Charity contracts ten into one, and multiplies one into ten. None of the ten can liue in want, for eueryevery one hath ten harts to care for him, twenty eies to ſee for him, twenty hands to worke for him, and twenty feet to trauaile for him.
Neither can any of the ten be conquered; for offend one and offend all, &c. Thus S. Chryſoſtome.