one, performes none to any, nor to God. It is a note of sincerity, that a man hates all sin, as well as one, Psal. 119.101, 104 For it is an argument of love, when there is no Brother or Sister but we enlarge our affections towards them, Gal. 3.28. So much want of love, so much hypocrisie.
2. From the bitter or deadly root of want of love to this or that Brother. It springs from two occasions,
- 1. Either from his infirmities in himselfe: Or,
- 2. From spirituall injuries to our selves.
True, a man will say, such Christians I would away with, but they have such unsavoury corruptions. The first root of this is the condemnation of the gene∣ration of Gods people. If a man may condemn this or that man, for this or that corruption, he may come to condemn the best of Gods servants, because the best of Gods servants may be in the same failings for which thou hatest such a Brother, Prov. 30.12. The greatest of Gods servants have shamefully faln, David, Peter, Lot, Noah.
The second root is from the enmity against Gods free justification of sinners. Take away this, and you take away all Christian religion. If you love not a Brother, because of some infirmities, you doe overthrow the free justification of Gods grace of a sinner. For God that hath justified the greatest, hath justi∣fied as well the least, as freely and as fully; and wilt thou justifie some, and condemn others? God condemns none, Rom. 8.1.33, 34. If Christians doe beleeve the free justification of sinners, then let us imitate our Father which is in heaven, justifie whom he justifies.
The third bitter and deadly root. If there be the least sparke of grace in his heart, all his corruptions are his enemies, and he but a shrimp in grace, and hath many enemies. What good nature is this, when a man would love a man if he had no enemies? but when he hath enemies, and such as are ready ever and anon to beat him down▪ he cannot love him.
The fourth, want of a member like spirit: for the more naked, unseemly, or deformed any member is, the body is the more carefull of it; if it may be, it shall be healed; if not, it shall be covered, 1 Cor. 12.23, 24. If we want this, it flowes from want of a member like spirit.
2 Somtimes neglect of our Brother springs from some personall injury done to our selves. We cannot love them. This springs from this root, want of for∣givenesse of our own sins; for we pray for forgivenesse upon this ground, Mat. 6.12, 15. Our Saviour gives a reason of this above all, there is no surer argu∣ment then this. A Christian may reason thus: If I that have but a little sparke of grace, can forgive injuries, how shall not the Ocean of love much more for∣give me? Mat. 18. ult. God will never have us to think, that if we cannot forgive one injury, he will forgive us a thousand. Yet a man is not alwayes bound to expresse his forgivenesse, unlesse a man come and say, it repents him; yet from his heart he must doe it.
Ʋse 1. Shewes the dangerous and fearfull estate of a man that dares live in envy and malice against his brethren. A man thinks he hath cause, he will not receive the Sacrament, nor suffer them. What a poor thing is this? Thou hast not thy sins forgiven, thou lovest not God, nor any Christian soul in obe∣dience to God. A Christian dares not allow himselfe in hatred of any Brother, but looks at it as an enemy to his soul.
2. It exhorts every Christian to enlarge the bowels of his affection to eve∣ry Brother, Psal. 119.63. I am a companion to all them that fear thee. He doth not pick and choose, Psal. 66.16. Gal. 6.10. If to all men, then especially to the houshold of faith.
3. It is a ground of thankfullnesse to God, that hath taken care for weakest Christians; for want of love to such; God will either discharge a man for an hypocrite, or else his own corruption shall take him by the throat, and make him beleeve that many sins are not forgiven, and that he shall hardly get par∣don of sins.