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. VI.

Ʋse. 1. THis sheweth the Excellency of the Law of Love, and of the Duty of Love commanded in this Law; It is ancient, it is from the beginning. Ancient Laws are fun∣damental Laws, and ought especially to be re∣garded and observed. That Law of Ceremo∣nies delivered to Moses, and by him to the peo∣ple of Israel, was a new Law in comparison of this, and therefore it was no fundamental Law of the Church of God, and so it was abrogated in the fulness of time; but this Law of Love is both an ancient Law from the beginning, and so a fundamental Law of the Church of God, without which the Church cannot stand; for if Love be taken away, there can be no Church. Therefore men do little consider what they do, when they allow themselves in the neglect of Christian-Love, and in the duties thereof. They sin against a most ancient and fundamen∣tal Law, without which the Church of God cannot stand. Malice, Hatred, want of Love, is a sin against the foundation of Obedience and Holiness.

As there be fundamental Errors, viz. Errors against the foundation of Faith, so there be

(as it were) fundamental sins, sins against the fundamental Law of Love. Every failing in the duties of Love is a sin against this Law; but the want of Christian-Love, and the nou∣rishing of Malice and Enmity in the heart, are more directly against this ancient and funda∣mental Law. This Law of Love, then being an ancient and fundamental Law, delivered from the beginning, doth commend unto us the excellency of Christian and Brotherly-Love, and shew the odiousness of the contrary sin. None can rest upon Christ, the Foundati∣on and Corner-Stone of the Church, which hath not this fundamental Law of Love writ∣ten in his heart, which hath not his heart en∣clined to Love. Therefore St. Paul saith, That the Tongues of men and Angels, faith to remove mountains, abundance of knoledg; all these, if a man had them without Love, cannot profit: no, though a man should give all his goods also to the poor, and his body to the fire; and why? Because he wanteth a fundamental and princi∣pal Grace, required in this fundamental and ancient Law; the want whereof proveth him not to be grounded nor built upon Christ, the Foundation and Corner-Stone of the Church, because he hath not the Spirit of Love which is in Christ. How should this move every one of us then, to search our hearts diligently, lest any Lees or Dregs of Malice should settle there,

lest (as the Apostle saith) any root of bitterness should remain there, and spring up in us. How should it move us, to purge out all affections contrary unto Love.