A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 2. Of Love: what it is.

Verse 1.

Let brotherly-love continue.

THe Apostle having prescribed sundry duties to be performed to God in the lat∣ter end of the former Chapter, in the beginning of this Chapter he setteth down several duties to be performed to men.

He beginneth with that which is the summe and substance of all the rest; and which will set all other duties to man on work. This is * 1.1 brotherly-love,

Those two words are the interpretation of one Greek word, but a compound one, which comprizeth under it love and brother. Our English word also may be so joyned together, as to make one: and so it every way answereth the Greek.

About it I will endeavour to clear these five points following.

• 1. The Nature of brotherly-love.
• 2. The Difference betwixt it and love.
• 3. The special Grounds thereof.
• 4. Rules for abounding therein.
• 5. Motives to induc•…•… us to labour after it.

That we may the better finde out the full nature of brotherly-love; I will briefly shew,

• 1. What Love is.
• 2. What kinde of brother is here meant.

Love is a liking, uniting affection.

• 1. It is reckoned among the affections, in that it is neither simply a vertue, nor* 1.2 simply a vice. But as it is placed upon a right object, which is, good, and well ordered in preferring good things according their excellency; it hath the general nature of vertue. Contrarily, being placed upon a wrong object, which is evil: or disordered, by preferring the meaner good before the greater, as man before God, it hath the general nature of a vice.
• 2. It it a liking affection, in that the proper object thereof is good. Philoso∣phers distinguish affections into concupiscible and irascible. These, for plainnesse sake, we call liking and disliking. The proper object of the former is good: and of the later, evil.
• 3. It is uniting: For herein lieth the very form of love; whereby it is differenced from other liking affections; as from desire and delight. Love knitteth the heart that loveth to the object loved. Thus Ionathans love to David is expressed, The soul of Ionathan was knit with the soul of David, 1 Sam. 18. 1. And Christians are said to be knit together in love, Col. 2. 2. In this respect love is styled a bond: yea a bond of perfectnesse, Col. 3. 14. whereby things are close knit and fast bound.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Amare, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Frater
• * 1.2

  What love is.