SERMON X*

WE

E are yet speaking of the tendency of that radical princi ple of love to make an external happy state of things, which we are to expect the Spirit when poured forth to implant. We have spoken of love to God, and of regular self-love; and of the influence which these severally must have towards a prosperous state.

[iii.] Consider what love to other men, as to themselves, would do in this matter. This supposes that second branch we have been insisting on, a due love to ourselves, as not only allowed but enjoined us; when it is made the measure of the love we are to bear and exercise toward other men: and therefore, as being a deeper and more fundamental law of nature, that must be supposed to be more excellent and noble in its own kind. Perfectessimum in suo genere est mensura reliquoBut the Spirit, whose work and business it is to write the laws of God in the hearts of men, when he shall be poured forth, will write this also, that they love other men as they ought to love themselves: especially in the latter days, the times which our discourse refers to. Because so great a part of that law is wrapped up in this love; therefore it cannot but be that in those latter days, when God doth design to reform

VOL. V.

Preached September 4, 1679.

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and new mould things, the felicity and happy state of things shall be brought about very much by the mediation and interveniency of this love and the influence thereof. And because this love hath a most direct influence this way, I have designed the more to enlarge upon it; and shall speak of it according to that double reference, which our subject obliges us to consider; that is, its reference to God and his Spirit, as the author of it; and its reference unto a happy state of things, as that which is to be brought about by it-its reference upwards to God, and downwards to the world-which two considered together will amount to thus much; that by God's working of this love more generally amongst men, that happy and blessed issue, that we are speaking of, is to be accomplished.

Consider we, first, its reference to God and to his Spirit : which we are necessarily to consider; otherwise the pouring forth of the Spirit would not include it. And it is requisite we should insist upon this, inasmuch as such love is too commonly meanly thought of it were well, if there were not cause to say, that too generally professors of religion at a higher and stricter rate had not too low an opinion of this love in the scripture-regulation of it, the loving of others as ourselves, the measure unto which it is to be adjusted. And true it is indeed, that they who know no more of this matter than only the mere sound of the words, they into whose heart the thing never entered, and with whom it never yet became a vital, living law will think it but a mean thing. It looks in such persons eyes, while it is only clothed with a verbal representation and no more, as a meanly habited person at their doors, whom they guess at only by his garb and if such a one should have meanness objected to him only from thence, and the case will admit it; it is but a doing himself right to speak of his parentage, and tell how nobly he is descended. And so much are we to do on the behalf of this love, to let you know it is a heaven-born thing, descended of God, that owes itself to heaven it is of no lower and meaner extraction than so. Do not think I mean by it that common carnal love, which wicked men as such may bear one to another; which is a more mean and less innocent love, than that which birds and beasts have to those of their own kind: but I mean that love, whereby any are enabled to love men as men, and holy men as holy men, in God, and for God's sake, and upon his account. This is a heavenly, divine thing, the product of the blessed, eternal Spirit of God alone. For evincing of that, weigh these several considerations, which the Scriptures do plainly and plentifully afford us. Namely, first,

That even this love is called the love of God. So it is most

plainly in 1 John 3. 17. Whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him? So noble and sublime a thing is not to be more meanly spoken of, it is to be called the love of God: no title inferior to that is suitable to it. Again, secondly,

That God is called the God of this love. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace. shall be with you, 2 Cor. 13. 11, And thirdly,

It is also expressly said to be of God, and men upon the account of this love to be born of God. So in 1 John 4. 7, 8, Beloved, let us love one another; for love (this love plainly,) is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God; is acquainted with God, intimate and inward with God; as a man's own children would be with him, that are born of him, in whom his own nature is. Whereupon, on the other hand, they are spoken of as mere strangers to God, such as have nothing to do with him, nor he with them, that are destitute of this love. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. Again, fourthly,

That it is plainly made a character of the elect of God, distinguishing and severing of them from the refuse world, Colos. 3. 12. Put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies, kindness, &c. Intimating plainly to us, that wheresoever God doth place his own love, there he doth impress and beget this love. Again, fifthly,

It is placed amongst the fruits of the Spirit, and even in the front of them, Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love; in opposition to the hatred, wrath, strife, &c. mentioned in the foregoing verses as the works of the flesh. And we are told in Eph. 5. 9. that the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness and truth-in all goodness :-it is the proper work of the Spirit upon the spirits of men to fill them with goodness, propensions and inclinations to do good; and so to beget in them that love, which must be the spring of all such doing of good. Hence sixthly,

Walking in the Spirit is directed with a special eye and reference unto the exercise of this love; as you may see in Gal. 5. the 14th, 15th, and 16th verses compared together. All the law is fulfilled in one word, (he means the whole law of the second table,) even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, (the opposite to this love, or that which follows upon the want of it, or from the opposite principle,) take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, (observe the inference,) Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in the exercise of this love. Seventhly,

It is spoken of as a peculiar, inseparable concomitant of that light, which is from God and the Spirit of God, and made and transmitted by the gospel. Observe to this purpose, 1 John 2. 7, &c. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning the old commandment is the word, which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith, he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness bath blinded his eyes. A new commandment this is, and now new: not new, in respect of the substance of it; for so it is one of the ancient, substantial, fundamental, great laws of nature; and wheresoever the revelation of God's mind and will is to be found, that is and was ever to be found but new, in respect to that more glorious way of recommendation, which it now hath in and by the gospel, and the Spirit of Christ; which, wheresoever it comes to obtain, in what soul soever, transforms that soul into a heavenly region, a region of calm and mild and benign and holy light: in that light dwells this love, amidst that light; as the contrary, hatred, is a fiend that lives and lurks in darkness, and can dwell no where else. They that are destitute of this principle, have darkness for their region; they can dwell no where but in malignant,, disconsolate darkness; there they wander as forlorn bewildered creatures. The apostle Peter having spoken of this love under several names, brotherly-kindness, charity, and other expressions that are congenerous, tells us, 2. Pet. 1.9. He that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Eighthly,

It closely adheres unto that principle of life, which is begotten in all the children of God, when they become his children. The begetting of souls unto God, is certainly the implanting in them and deriving to them a principle of divine life. With that principle this love is complicated, or it is a part of that very principle; so as that by it the children of God and the children of the devil are distinguished from one another. He that hath this principle, hath passed from death to life, is in a state of life: as you may find by comparing together several verses of the 1 John 3. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God, (therefore he is of the devil,)

For this is the mes

neither he that loveth not his brother. sage, that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous, ver. 10, 11, 12. and ver. 14. We know, that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother, abideth in death; hath no participation of that vital principle. He is a murderer, ver. 15. and ye know, that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. None that is apt to destroy the life of another, can be supposed to have a principle of divine life in himself, the beginning of eternal life. So that, divide the world into two seeds, and they are God's and the devil's. Those that are God's, live the life of God; have a life derived and communicated to them from God, wherein this same love is a part: and they that are destitute of it, are all to be reckoned to the other seed; they belong to the devil's kingdom; for to be destitute of this, implies a being possessed with the contrary principle: no man's soul can be neutral in this case. But as to all such good principles, as are due unto the original rectitude of man and his nature as originally right; if these be wanting, they are privatively wanting, and are excluded by the opposite principle obtaining and having place in their room and stead: the soul of man had that and such principles as are duly belonging to him; it cannot be resa tabula; but if the true and proper impression be not there, there is another impression, and not none. therefore it is consequent, tenthly,

And

That this love must needs be a great part of the divine image and nature, that is to be found in all that appertain to God. All these things taken together do sufficiently entitle the Spirit of God to it, as the great Author and Parent of it. And that being once plain and clear,

We may, secondly, consider the other reference of this love, its reference downwards towards the world: and it cannot but be consequent, that wheresoever the Spirit poured forth doth work, it must needs work a very happy state of things, and would make this world a very pleasant region. For what! would it not make, think you, very happy days indeed to have men generally made like God, transformed into the divine image? God is love; and he that loves, bears his image: he, whose soul is under the dominion of such a love, is a true living representation of all the goodness and benignity and sweetness of God's own blessed nature and would it not make a happy state, if men were generally made such? so to bear themselves to one another, so to converse and walk toge