another to pieces. It fignifies little to tell men what mutual tenderness is in nature; that for a thorn in the foot the back bows, the head ftoops, the eyes look, the hands feel, and seek it, and pull it out*. Chriftians are ftill fo rigid, fo unchriftian to each other, they drive one another with the thorn sticking in, forcing their brethren to ways against the perfuafions of their confciences. In the following verfes, viz. 6, 7, 8. we have a fpecification of divers offices, and the duties of them; the due obfervance of which is the peace and growth of the Church, makes all go on fweetly and fruitfully but men are either prefumptuoufly or prepofteroufly bufy out of their own ftation, or flothfully negligent in it; and both thefe, inftead of edifying, are difcompofing and deftroying things. Not to infift on the diftinction of offices, it is evident, in all énumerations of this kind, the fame word sometimes means divers things, and divers words the fame things, as miniftry may comprise all, though fometimes peculiar to deacons, fometimes taken for teachers or pastors: here it is general, and the particulars following diftribute it; fome are to teach, which is doctorial; fome to exhort, which is more paftoral; fome are to give, which is proper to deacons; fome have their whole charge to rule, as elders; fome are particularly for attendance on the fick. But in all, fidelity and fedulity are requifite: how high fo ever men are placed, if they are unfaithful, the higher judgment awaits them; how low so ever, if thou be fincere and ftudious of thy duty, thou fhalt fuftain no lofs by thy low ftation, but rather thy faithfulness will be the more fet off by it; he that is faithful in little fhall be made ruler over much. Oh! that we were more eat up with zeal of our Lord's House, and winning of fouls, whom he deputes to that. Oh! that they that rule, would ftudy more * Spinam calcat pes, &'c. Aug. rule rule of their own houfes, that fhould go before, and your own hearts, that should be firft of all. Alas! how fhall men, whofe paffions and lufts rule them, well rule the house of God! Be afraid and wife ye that are called to that, and know at length what is fo generally either unknown or unconfidered, the exemplary holinefs required in your perfons, and the diligent watchfulness over the flock of God. There are many debates, and troubles, and pains, about these our liberties, but little diligence in the use of them; congregations are still as full of impiety and profaneness as ever. Oh! take heed, left we thus forfeit them after all they have cost, and provoke God to bereave us of them. Men are busy that we know are not friends to the Church of God; but oh! that we were more careful to be in good terms with him: If he be for us, who can be against us? It is no matter who be, he is too wife and too ftrong for them all. Ver. 9. Let love be without diffimulation. Abbor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. : The whole fum of the law is love; love to God, and love to man, these two contain all, and the former of the two contains the latter love to God is the only true principle and spring of all due love to man; and all love that begins there, returns thither likewife, and ends there. The engaging the whole mind and foul to the love of God, does not engrofs it fo, that there fhould be no kind of love communicable to man; on the contrary, it is to refine it, that it may flow forth the purer and better. All love fhould be once called in to God, to be fublimated and purified there, and then fet in its right channel and motion, fo as man be loved in him and for him; not to impair our love to him, but indeed to extend and act it as he allows; and fo to love man is to love God, that love taking its rife from him, and terminating in him; and in this circle is the proper motion of celeftial divine love. The The duty, then, here meant and commanded, is this, that we love one another; and our love must be thus qualified, it must be unhypocritical and fincere ; fuch as, though it may confift with, yet doth not wholly confift in, civilities of expreffion and behaviour, but a real benevolence of foul, and good will to all; a love, difpofing readily to forgive evil, and do good upon all occafions. Yet this is not fuch a tenderness of complacency, as to partake with any in any evil ways; Oh! no; abborring that which is evil, flying from it with indignation, with a kind of antipathy. And thus it will be from the new nature in a Christian, the holy fpirit of Chrift, which cannot endure the unholiness or impurity of the world, but is chafed away, as doves with noisome smells, or bees with fmoke: this delicacy of fpirit profane men laugh at, as a weak foolish meannefs; but, fools as they are, they know not that it arifes from that higheft wisdom which is from above, which indeed is peaceable, but firft is pure, and can admit of no peace nor agreement with any perfons or things that are impure; this is to be like the all-wife God, with whom wickedness cannot dwell; his pure eyes cannot pleasantly behold any iniquity. Oh! much of the love of God would work more hatred of fin; but if thy hatred of evil be right, know, it will begin at home, as we feel averfions and abhorrences moft when the things are nearest us. It is not the upright nature of holiness to hate fin in others, and to hug it, or fpare it in thyfelf, either the fame kind of fin, or any other; for if this abhorrence be right, it is against all fin, the whole, as natural contrarieties are, and it is most against it, when neareft in thyself; it is the true divine fire of zeal, kindled by the love of God, that burns up fin, but first that which is nearest it, as a fire in the hearth does, and fo reaches what is further off. But if thy zeal fly most abroad upon others, it is an unruly disorder ed ed wild-fire, cracking and fquibing up and down, good for nothing but to fet houfes and towns on fire. Cleave to that which is good.] This expreffes a vehement and infeparable affection; loving and rejoicing in all the good thou seeft in others; defiring and feeking after all the good thou canst attain unto thyfelf; and more pleased with the fociety of godly perfons than any other; fuch as will put thee and keep thee moft in mind of thy home, and the way thither, and admonish and reduce thee from any declining steps; their reproofs are more fweet to thee, than the laughter and flattery of profane men, as one said to his mafter, "Thou shalt find no ftaff hard enough to beat me from thee." Though they feem harsh to thee, yet wilt thou fay, Let the righteous fmite me, it fhall be a kindness, Pfal. cxli. 5.; and no oppofition will drive thee from the truth of God, and his ways, which are only good, if thy heart be once glued by love and faftened to them; yea, thou wilt cleave the clofer to it, the more thou art perfecuted for the truth; and the more thou fuffereft for it, wilt love it the better: The word that is ufed in marriage, of the husband cleaving to the wife, holds true in the foul once married to that which is good; all violence will be too weak to fever thee. Learn to know what this is that is truly good, to know the excellency and sweetness of holiness, and it will be impoffible to part thy affection from it; but this is the reafon why men are fo foon fhaken, and the flender hold they have removed, the fuperficies of the foul only, is tied to the outside of religion, by fome external relations and engagements, and those are a running knot, that easily flips. Few receive the truth in the love of it, and have their hearts united to Jefus Chrift, who is indeed all that good we have to feek after, and to cleave to. Ver. 10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. Now, in this way of holy fpiritual affection, feeking the true good one of another, be kind in brotherly love, not upon defign or particular intereft, but by a natural propenfion; fuch as in creatures to their young; fuch a tenderness as is amongst men of nearest relations, parents, and children, and brethren; and know that you are indeed brethren of the highest birth and parentage; and fo, beyond all brethren, Chriftians are obliged to love one another: alas! that in them, likewife, it should rove fo unhappily true, that the love of brethren is rare *; that they fhould be fo hardly drawn to acts of love, and so easily ftirred to fits of anger and bitterne fs, one towards another. My beloved, are we Chriftians? Oh! where is the fpirit of Chrift? Where that great law of his, that badge of his followers, Love one another! that by which the Chriftians of the firft times astonished the Pagans about them? Yea, their very enemies and perfecutors were amazed at it. It were well, and would be one confiderable gain by our enemies, if their combinations and malice againft the godly might drive them clofe together, and unite them more to one another in love. In honour preferring one another.] Putting all poffible refpect on one another; this not in ceremony or compliment, though these civilities, that are due, and done without feignedness or affectation, are not disallowed, yea, are, I conceive, included; but in matter of real esteem, each preferring one another; for though a man may fee the weaknefs of those he converfes with, yet paffing, and what he can, covering thefe, he ought to take notice of what is good. All have fomething commendable, and none hath all; fo the meaneft may in fomething be preferable to the higheft; and Christian humility and charity will seek Fratrum quoque gratia rara eft. out |