Philadelphia, or, a treatise of brotherly-love Shewing, that we must love all men: love the wicked in general: love our enemies: that the godly must especially love another: and the reasons of each particular love. The manner of our mutual love; the dignity, necessity, excellenc, and usefulness of brotherly-love. That the want of love, where love is due, is hatred, shewed in divers particulars. The greatness of the sin of malice and hatred; with the reasons why wicked men hate the saints: together with cautions against those sins that break the bond of love. Many weighty questions discussed, and divers cases cleared. By William Gearing, minister of the word.

CHAP. XIV.

THe Reasons why Christians must shew spe∣cial Love one to another, are these.

1. Because God himself bestoweth his most special Love, the riches of his Love, upon the Godly; his everlasting Love is towards Jacob. As a man loveth his whole Family, but his spe∣cial Love is to his Wife and Children. So God, although he loveth all the world, all his Crea∣tures, yet his special Love is to his Saints. God's common and ordinary Love to all mankind, to the wicked, is but like the crums that fall from the rich mans Table; but his special Love and Favour are the Dainties upon that Table, which none but his Church doth feed upon. God causeth the Sun in the Firmament to shine up∣on the just and the unjust. The light of the Sun is a great, yet common mercy; but God hath promised, that he will be a Sun and Shield to his Saints, and give both Grace and Glory. God will give the Light of the Sun to the wic∣ked, but the Godly only shall enjoy the Light of his Countenance. He will give to the wick∣ed Rain, the Dew of the Clouds; but the God∣ly only shall have the Dew of Heaven poured on them. If the Lord doth bestow the chief of

his Love upon his people, then must we Love them as God doth, and bestow the chief of our Love upon them.

2. Because Jesus Christ himself loveth the Godly above all; he thinketh nothing too dear, too good for his Saints, his Blood, his Life, his Righteousness, his Spirit, his Grace, his Glo∣ry, his Kingdom. He thought no evil too great to suffer for his Saints, What Reproaches, what Blasphemies, what contradictions of Sinners? What Pangs, what Sorrows, what Tortures, what Agonies did his spotless Soul endure? if here be no Love to the Saints, where is it? Ye then that profess your selves to be Christs Disci∣ples, imitate your Master in this, in bestowing your best Love upon those that are truly Godly. By this shall all men know, that ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another, Joh. 13.35. In this sence to be a Disciple of Christ, is to be a Child of God; for it is meant of a practical Disciple, one that learneth of Christ not only by his Word to know his Will, but also by his Word and Spirit to follow him. It is as if our Savi∣our had said, your gifts of working Miracles, and casting out Devils in my Name, your prea∣ching my Word, your Praying, are not such signs that ye are my Disciples, as your Mutual-Love. I your Master do love you, and what is your Love one to another, but a reflected beam of my Love?

3. The Holy Ghost loveth the Saints chiefly; he is pleased to make their Hearts his Temple to live and dwell in. The Spirit hath his resi∣dence in them, he hath desired them for his Habitation; he ever keeps home in a Godly mans heart; he dwelleth in him, and shall be in him. And as himself, so his Graces shall still abide in him. The anointing which ye have received from him, abideth in you. 1 Joh. 2.27. The comforter shall abide with you for ever, Joh. 14.16. So shall his Comforts too, though not always alike per∣ceived. The Spirit dwelling in a Christian, storeth him plentifully. His Divine Power gives him all things pertaining to Life and God∣liness. This unfeigned Love to the Children of God, is a special and principal fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith. Love is in the forefront. Now it is by this Spirit of God, that Men and Women are regenerate and born of God. By this Spirit they are born again, and made the Children of God, and the same Spirit which giveth them this new birth, doth bring forth in them this fruit of Love. Now seeing the All-glorious Trinity love the Saints so dearly; so peculiar∣ly, is there not reason we should do so? If we love not as God loveth, in setting our special Love, where he sets his special Love, we can∣not be followers of God as dear Children.

4. The Holy Angels are ready to do Godly men all the offices of Love, and take special care of them: now the Saints shall be in Heaven as the Angels of God are; let us then be like them here upon Earth. The Angels of God are wil∣ling to do any office of Love for the meanest Saints: they are their ministring Spirits for their good. Shall not we then love those whom the glorified Angels do so dearly and tenderly Love?

5. Because of that near union which the Saints have with God and Christ, therefore we must bestow our special Love upon them. Christ and his Saints are so neerly united to each o∣ther, that they are said to be one: they are one in Spirit. So that if God and Christ have our special Love, the Saints that are one with God and Christ must have our special Love also. And he that doth not love a Saint, doth not love God with special Love; he that doth not love the Saints above others, doth not love God a∣bove all things. God, Christ, and all the Saints are but one entire object of our Charity: only here is the difference; God and Christ is to be loved for himself, and the Saints are to be lo∣ved for God, and in God: In God, not with∣out him; for God, by vertue of his Command. So that our Love to the Saints is per redundan∣tiam, it doth redound from God to the Saints. Christ and the Saints are as a Man and Wife; he

that doth not heartily love the Wife, doth not truly love the Husband, because they are but one Flesh: So it is in our Love to Christ and his Saints, who make but one mystical Body. He that loveth not the Members of the Body, lo∣veth not the Head.

Let us suppose the glorified Body of Christ in the Heavens were upon the Earth with us, no doubt but we would be very officious and respective of it, and in an holy Emulation we would strive who could manifest greatest Love to his glorified Body. How would ye cry out Oh yonder is the Body that was whipt and scourged, buffeted, peirced, nailed, and broken for us; that glorified Body, was the Body that was crucified for me: Let me be Anathema Maranatha, if I should not love him that loved me in so wonderful a manner. But as our Savi∣our said to Judas repining at the cost bestowed upon him, Me you shall not have always, but the poor ye shall have always among you; so may he say to us, Me you have not among you; but I leave among you a most fit Object for your Love. I leave my poor Saints to be with you al∣ways, which I do as much respect, as I do this glorified Masse united to my Godhead. What Love ye bestow on my Saints, I will set it on my score, as if ye had done it to my glorified Body. Therefore such do but prate of Love to Christ, as do not love his Members. And were

the Lord Jesus upon Earth, conversant among men; they that grieve, mock, and hate the Saints, and shun their company, would do the same to Christ himself. Tell me, can that sore eye that cannot endure to look upon a Candle, but it smarteth and aketh, can it endure to look upon the Sun? He that can not endure to see a spark of Grace & Holiness shining in a Saint, but he hates and scoffs at it, would that man endure to see the Sun of righteousness himself? Doubt∣less, such men would hate Christ, if he were living among them, as they do the Saints.

6. Because where the special Good is, upon that must our special Love be bestowed. It is the rule of the School-men, ut simpliciter ad simpliciter, sic magis ad magis, et maximè ad maximeè; that is, If that which is simply good be to be loved, then that which is better is to have more Love; and that which is the best good is to have the best Love. What is the best thing in man, if Grace be not? will ye say Riches is better than Grace? then a rich Man (because rich) is to be preferred and loved above a God∣ly Man Will ye say Beauty is better than Grace? then a fair Face is to be esteemed above the Beauty of Holiness. Will ye say the endow∣ments of Natural Parts is better than Grace? then an Heathen Philosopher may be loved bet∣ter than a Child of God. Is moral Honesty better than Grace? then a dunghil covered

with Snow, is better than an House of Mar∣ble full of Gold. What are the things men love most? take a survey of them all; and ye shall find Gods Image in the Saints is best. What doth God regard in men? do you think he re∣gardeth a rich Nabal for his Riches, an exalted Haman for his Honours; a voluptuous Esau for his Pleasures; or an indiscreet Woman for her Beauty? Do ye think he looketh upon Great∣ness in any respect? These things are not the good he loveth, but Grace only. Grace is Gods own Nature, and shall he turn his eyes from himself? Grace is Spiritual Riches, Spi∣ritual Beauty, Spiritual Honour; it is all ex∣cellency in a Spiritual way, therefore chiefly to be beloved. Did ye see an Angel in his Glory, you would say, indeed he is a ve∣ry lovely Creature; it is Gods Image that makes him so, and it is the same for Sub∣stance in a Saint on Earth: Want of Love to the Saints, is our own blindness, because we do not conceive the worth and excellency of Grace in the Saints. Swine trample upon Pearl, be∣cause they know not the worth of it: So wicked men slight the Godly, not perceiving the worth of Grace in them.

7. Because our Love to the Saints manifest∣eth, that we are of the Communion of Saints. Love is the Soul and Life of the Communion of Saints; it is the bond of perfection; it bindeth

the Saints up in one Body; it is the Corner-Stone which holdeth the sides of the Wall to∣gether; it is that which makes Christs Church like his Coat without Rent. It was the opini∣on of some Philosophers, That the whole world was but one Body, and that there is one Soul of the World, that holdeth the parts of the World: so much more, there is a Spirit of Com∣munion which uniteth the Members of it with the Spirit of Love. And, as the members of a Mans Body will fall asunder, were there not uniting parts in them, as Sinews and Muscles joyning them together; so the Communion of Saints, is held and maintained by the bond of Love.

See how diversly the Scripture sets forth the Communion of Saints by such tearms, as do call for special Love. They are said to be Bre∣thren; must not one Brother love another above a stranger? they are said to be Members of one Body; must not one Member help another Mem∣ber of the same Body, before others of another Body? They are all said to be one Spouse of Christ; all the Saints together make up the Church, which is the Wife of Christ: So the Saints should love one another, as if there were no Saints but themselves. They are all said to be made partakers of one Divine Nature. Who will not love his own, Flesh, his own Nature better than anothers? In loving the Saints thou

dost but love thy self. They are said to be one Houshold; the Church is called, The Hous∣hold of the Faithful. As in a Family, there is one Boord, one Bread, one Cup among neer Re∣latives: So Christians should have one Heart, one Mind, one Affection, and should hold and cleave together. Such Love there was among Christians in the Primitive times, that the Hea∣thens observing it, said, Oh how do the Chri∣stians love one another!

8. Because we are to live with them to E∣ternity, therefore Saints should have our chief∣est Love. When all the wicked of the world shall be turned into Hell, be they never so great, or never so dear unto us; ye that are Saints, ye shall lye together in Abraham's Bosom, dwell together in those Mansions, which Christ your Head and your Saviour hath prepared for you in the highest Heavens, enjoying God together, following Jesus Christ the Lamb, the Bride∣groom together, praising God together; ye shall reign with Christ together, be glorified together. Are your Friends rich and mighty on Earth; and are the Saints poor, despicable, and miserable in the World? yet these poor Saints shall live in Heaven with you, when the cruel Nimrods of the Earth, shall be tur∣ned into Hell.

Is there not Reason that we should love them most, that are Fellow-Heirs of one and the

same Kingdom, our Eternal Neighbours in Heaven, fellow-Citizens of the Heavenly Je∣rusalem? It is a true Axiom of the Schools; Societas fruitionis divinae est fundamentum charita∣tis; ergo inter proximorum praecipua charitatis ob∣jecta, sunt sancti homines, (i. e.) The common participation of one and the same eternal Glo∣ry and Happiness, is the main Foundation of Charity. Therefore they infer truly, that a∣mong our Neighbours, the Saints are the chei∣fest Objects of our Love.

9. Because indeed the Godly are the best men on the Earth, whatsoever the World doth think of them. David calleth them the excel∣lent of the earth, the Pillars of the Earth; they are called Gods Jewels, the Apple of Gods Eye, Gods beloved. Persons, the more excel∣lent they are, the more to be beloved; they are called the Temple of the Holy Ghost: Look over the Book of the Canticles, and see by what Names and Titles God calleth his Saints; and then ye must needs confess, they are Persons highly to be loved.