read of the work and labour of love, it not only works and is busy, and contiqually exercises itself in doing good, but it labours at it, and yet is not weary of well doing.-7. The manner in which, or the exemplar according to which, it is to be exercised is, as Christ has loved his people; this is what he himself has enjoined, that is the argument and motive inducing to an observance of it, John xiii. 34. and xv. 12. yea, the apostle John, carries this pattern of love to such a degree, that as Christ has shewn his love to his people in laying down his life for them; they are to shew theirs in laying down their lives for the brethren, 1 John iii.16.-8. It is a very excellent grace; after the apostle had exhorted,to covet earn estly the best gifts, he adds, yet shew I unto you a more excellent way, 1 Cor. xii. 31. something more excellent than the best external gifts, both ordinary and extraordipary, he had before been speaking of; and by the connection of the words with the following chapter, it appears to be the grace of love, which, Is the greatest of all the graces, 1 Cor. xiii. 13. because it is more diffusive of goodness and kindness, and so more beneficial to others, though the other graces may be more useful to a man's self; and because of its long duration, even as to the exercise of it, which will be throughout an endless eternity; for charity, or love, never faileth, 1 Cor. xiii. 8. It is an evidence of a man's being born again; Every one that loveth is born of God, 1 John iv. 7. and this is the grand criterion of a true disciple of Christ. In Tertullian's time the heathens knew the christians by their loving carriage to one another in public, and would point unto them and say, "See how they love one another!" such times are now to be wished for. It is called the bond of perfectness, Col. iii. 14. which perfectly knits and unites the saints together, and keeps the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace; it is the perfect bond of the church and its members; of the saints to one another, and of their several graces. Without this, a profession of religion is an empty and useless thing; and the strongest expressions of regard unto it, speculative notions about it, and boastings of it, are insignificant. How superexcellent therefore must this grace be! It is in vain to talk of love to God and and love to Christ, where this is wanting, 1 John iv. 20. It is the exercise of grace which makes the communion of the saints with one another delightful; Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity! the Psalmist compares it, for its chearing and refreshing nature, to the dew of Hermon, and that which fell on the mountains of Zion, Psalm cxxxiii. and it also tends greatly to their edification in church-fellowship; Charity, or love, edifieth; the body, the church, being united to Christ the head, and the members of it fitly joined together maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love, 1 Cor. viii. 1. It is one part of the saints spiritual armour; The breast-plate of faith and love is a good defence against the enemy, who cannot easily get an advantage where this piece of armour is carefully and constantly made use of; it makes the church of Christ as terrible as an army with banners; the love and union of saints to one another, is their great security YOL, III. this - against the common adversary; like the bundle of sticks in the fable, which whilst bound together, could not be broken, but when separated were easily snapped asunder. 111. How. in what manner, and wherein this grace of love to one another manifests itself. 1 By praying with and for one another; hence when our Lord taught his disciples to pray, he directed them to pray to God as their common Father; saying, Our Father, which art in heaven; thereby teaching them, that they were to pray for one another, even for all saints, and that constantly and fervently, Eph. vi. 18. which availeth much, and tends to godly edification. 2. By bearing one another's burdens, Gal. vi. 2. and this is done by assisting and relieving each other in distress, as much as in us lies, by sympathizing with each other in trouble, as the members of a natural body do, rejoicing with them that rejoice, and weeping with them that weep.-3. By forbearing and forgiving one another; as God, for Christ's sake, and as Christ also, has forgiven them, Col. iii. 13.4. By rebuking and admonishing one another in love. Sin known, should not be suffered to lie upon a brother, without reproving for it; this is not kindness to him; Open rebuke is better than secret love, Prov. xxvii. 5, 6. but then such rebuke should be given in love, and with much tenderness; which is most likely to be kindly received and to succeed; Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, &c. when such who are overtaken in a fault are restored in the spirit of meekness, this shews tenderness and brotherly love. -5. By endeavouring to establish one another in the doctrines of the gospel, and of increasing light and knowledge; which is called, building up themselves in their most holy faith; which is done by praying and conversing together, often speaking one to another about divine things; not disdaining to receive instruction even from inferiors; thus Aquila and Priscilla expounded in a private manner the way of God more perfectly to Apollos, a public teacher; which he attended to.-6. By exhorting and stirring up one another to the several duties of religion, both public and private. IV. There are various arguments and motives which may be made use of to excite to the exercise of this grace of love. 1. It is Christ's new commandment; so he says, A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; which yet, as the apostle John says, "it was both old and new, an old commandment, being founded upon the origi-nal law of God; a new commandment, being not only an excellent one, especially as now delivered out, since excellent things in scripture are often called new ones, as a new song, &c. but because of the new edition of it under the gospel-dispensation, and being given forth anew by Christ the lawgiver, in his house, called therefore, The law of Christ, which is the law of love; and having a new pattern and exemplar of it, and a new motive and argument added to *it, mentioned by Christ himself; As I have loved you, that ye also love one another, John xiii. 34. and xv. 12.-2. The love of God and Christ should engage unto it; the love of God in the mission and gift of his Son to die for us, and become the propitiation for our sins; Beloved, says the apostle, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another, 1 John iv 11. and the love of Christ in giving himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, to atone for our sins; Walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, &c. Eph. v. 2.-3. The relation the saints stand in one to another, is a reason why they should love one another; they are members of the same body, and should have an affection and sympathy for one another; as the members in a natural, so they in a spiritual way; they are children of the same Father, and belong to the same family, and are all brethren; this is the argument Moses used with the Israelites at variance, Acts vii. 26.4. The comfort and joy of ministers should be an algument with saints to mutual love; it is with the greater pleasure they pursue their studies and labour in their ministrations, for the good of souls, when peace and love are cultivated among them; but when it is otherwise, it is greatly discouraging and distressing to them, and they go on heavily in their work; for where envying and strife are, there is confusion, and every evil work: which is very disagreeable, and makes uncomfortable; yea, the comfort of the saints themselves, and their edification are hereby greatly hurt; wherefore both with respect to ministers and people, the apostle exhorts to love and unity, Phil. ii. 1, 2. and 2 Cor. xii. 11. and that brotherly love continue; for the love of God and Christ continues; nothing can separate from it; they love to the en1: the relation of saints continues; being once the children of God, and brethren of Christ and of one another, they always remain such, and in the family, in the house of God, where they abide, and from whence they are never removed; and if brotherly love continues not, churches cannot continue long; a house divided against itself cannot stand; the church at Ephesus was threatened with a removal of the candlestick, or church-state, unless they repented, because they had left their first love. OF SPRITUAL JOY. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, which follows love; The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, Gal. v. 22. it attends faith and hope; and as these graces are in exercise, and increase, so does spiritual joy; hence we read of the joy of faith, and the rejoicing of hope, Phil. i. 25. Heb. iii. 6. it enters very much into the christian's character and experience, and is peculiar to saints and believers in Christ. I. The abjects of it. 1. Not a creature, nor creature-enjoyment, nor outward privilege, nor duty; but Jehovah himself, the Lord and God of all; therefore called by David, God, his exceeding joy; that is, the object of his great joy and gladness, Psalm xliii. 4. To glory in riches, wisdom, and strength, and to boast of them, is not right; and to rejoice in such boastings, All such rejoicing is evil, James iv. 10. to rejoice in any thing of this kind, is to rejoice in a thing of nought, in a nonentity, and in what is of no account, and so to rejoice in youthful pleasures and vanities, and indulge to them in the highest degree; such joy is not spiritual, or the fruit of the Spirit; but is carnal and sensual, and but for a season; and to glory, and boast of, and trust in fleshly descent, in birth-privileges, and in the duties of religion,, and in a man's own righteousness, and please himself with such things, is only the joy of an unregenerate man, and of an hypocrite, which is but for a moment; but the Lord himself is the proper object of joy; to rejoice in him is what is exhorted to, both in the Old and New Testaments. So the prophet Habakkuk did, and resolved to do, in the worst of times, when all creature-mercies failed; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation! Hab. iii. 17, 18. not in him merely as the Creator, from whom are had being, life, and breath, and all things, which yet is matter of joy, nor in him merely as the God of providence, and a kind benefactor, the preserver of men, and gives them all things richly to enjoy, so that they have reason to rejoice in every good thing, which the Lord in his providence gives unto them; but more especially saints rejoice in him as their covenant-God; I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, says the church; My soul shall be joyful in my God! Isai. lxi. 10. as her covenant-God, which is the sum and substance of the covenant, and includes and secures every blessing of it, and always continues; who, as such, is the God of all grace,' and blesses with all spiritual blessings, and gives both grace and glory, supplics all the wants of his people out of his riches in glory, by Christ; and causes all grace to abound towards them, and will never suffer them to want any good thing; he is their portion now, and will be for ever; and as such they rejoice in him; and particularly, 1. In the attributes of God; which are all on the side of his people, and are exercised for their good, and they receive benefit and advantage from; and not only his power, wisdom, truth, and faithfulness, his goodness, grace, and mercy, are matter of joy; but even his justice and holiness, in which he is so glorious; Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, Psalm. xcvii. 12.2. The everlasting love of God is matter of joy to the saints; as the Lord rests in his love, and rejoices over them with joy, so they rejoice in his love to them; it is that river the streams whereof, the blessings which flow from it, make glad their hearts; a view of interest in it puts more joy and gladness into the hearts of the Lord's people than the largest increase of worldly things, it makes what they do enjoy blessings indeed; for there is no curse in their blessings; a little, with the favour of God, is better than the riches of many wicked; mean fare, a dinner of herbs, where the love of God is enjoyed, is preferable to the most delicious dainties without it; and greater reason there is for a man to boast of, and rejoice in this, that he knows the Lord as exercising loving kindness in the earth, and delighting therein, than to rejoice and glory in the greatest outward attainments of body, mind, and estate; a sense of the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Spirit, supports under all the trials and exercises of this lite; and even causes to glory in tribulations and to rejoice in hope of the glory of God; since neither tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, nor sword, can separate from it; yea, the loving kindness of God is better than life itself, than which nothing is dearer to a man; yea, when men are influenced by this love, they love not their lives unto the death; it is death to them when they are without a sense of this love; but, in the favour of God, and the enjoyment of it, is life, it revives and comforts, Psalın. xxx. 5. and what makes the love of God greater cause of joy is, that it is everlasting and imchangeable; though God may be displeaseď with his people, and chastize them because of their sins; yet he never takes away his loving kindness from them; and though he hides his face from them for a moment, yet with everlasting kindness he has mercy on them; nor shall it ever depart from thein; it is more immoveable than hills and mountains, and is established both by the promise and oath of God; and there is nothing in heaven, earth, and hell that shall ever separate from it; every thought concerning it, meditation upon it, and discovery of it, fills with joy unspeakable; a thought of it is with the greatest pleasure and delight; meditation on it is sweet; and whilst musing upon it, the fire of divine love is inflamed, and burns within, and breaks forth in expressions of joy and gladness; and nothing can yield greater satisfaction than to be remembered with the favour God bears to his own people; and the love of God is to be remembered more, and is more exh larating to the soul, than wine is to the animal spirits, Cant. i. 2, 4. 3. The saints election of God is matter of joy unto them; that their names are written in heaven, Luke x. 20. in the Lamb's book of life, in the book of divine predestination to the adoption of children, and to eternal life; and therefore it cannot be such a gloomy and melancholy thing, as some who are strangers to it, and ignorant of it, represent it; but is, as the XVIIth Article of the church of England expresses it, "Full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons." It serves to comfort afflicted consciences. It is the foundationblessing of grace, and the standard according to which all others are dispensed; God blesses his people with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he hath chosen them in him before the foundation of the world; this stands at the head of them, it is the first link of the chain of salvation, to which the rest are fastened, and by it secured; Whom he did predestinate-them he also glorified; it always obtains; or those who are chosen certainly enjoy every blessing of grace, life, righteousness, and salvation, Eph. i. 3, 4. Rom. viii. 30. and xi. 7. from hence springs all the grace of the Spirit dispensed by him in regeneration and sanctification; sanctification of the Spirit is fixed and established in the decree of election, as a mean, and is as certain as the end, salvation; holiness of heart and life is what men are chosen to, and what certainly follows upon their election of God; and so belief of the truth, or faith in Christ; and as many as are ordained unto eternal life, believe; hence true faith is called, the faith of God's elect: eternal glory and happiness is secured by it; they that are chosen, |