[2.] His great love to lost sinners ; for he made himself of no reputa- tion for our sakes. Such was the inconceivable love of our Lord Jesus Christ to the souls of men, that he was willing to condescend to any condition for their good and salvation. Some will do a kindness, so as themselves may not be the worse, nor the poorer, nor disgraced, nor adventure the displeasure of others ; but Christ hath filled us by emptying himself, taken our nature, and was subject to misery, out of love to the salvation of lost sinners. He did willingly lay aside his glory, which he had with the Father before the world was, to suffer in his human nature the utmost of misery and grief which the malice of men and devils could inflict, and which seemed good to the Father to order and appoint for a satisfaction to provoked justice. Quanto vilior, tanto charior — Bernard. So much more vile as Christ was, so much dearer should he be to us.
2. Let us improve the moral consideration of Christ's being a pattern and example to us. We feed upon Christ that we may be like him. Other food is assimilated and changed into our substance, but here we are changed into it. We who give up our names to Christ must expect to enjoy the fruits of his obedience in the same steps wherein he walked before us. If we can condemn the world, be content to be of no repu- tation that we may glorify God and finally save our souls, then are we like Christ. We come to arm ourselves with the same mind which was in Jesus, to get above the hopes and fears, pains and pleasures, honours and profits, of the present world ; ovSevfjieya ; nothing in this world should be great to us. These things are transitory, soon conveyed out of sight, the basest and vilest of men are capable of them, the most generous are above them. Therefore we should be weaning our hearts more and more from this world, and drawing them off to another world ; for we profess ourselves to be followers of a poor Saviour.
SERMON UPON 1 CORINTHIANS VIII. 3.
tfany man love God, the same is hnovm of him. — 1 Coe. viii. 3.
The apostle is reasoning in the context against them that abused the knowledge of their liberty by Christ, to the oflfence and scandal of others ; and showeth that we ought to join charity with our knowledge of God. His arguments are three —
1. Bare knowledge without charity is windy and puffing. The flesh may serve itself even of the knowledge of divine mysteries, as it giveth men occasion to be proud and despise others : ' Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth/ ver. 1.
2. That it is not knowledge unless it be joined with love. Other- wise it is only a talking after others by rote, not the effect of divine illumination : ver. 2, ' And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know,' For the Spirit of light and life is also a Spirit of love. Bare knowledge sufficeth where the matter requireth no more ; but Christianity is a practical, effective knowledge, tending to make us good rather than learned ; and there- fore the profit of our knowledge is lost, it is as no knowledge, unless it produce love. God never intended a religion to try the sharpness of men's wits, but to draw their hearts to himself. As God can neither be loved, obeyed, nor trusted without knowledge, for without know- ledge the heart is not good ; so knowledge is not knowledge unless we know him so as to love him : John iv. 10, ' If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee. Give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.' Know him so as to trust in him : Ps. ix. 10, ' They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.' Know him so as to please him and serve him : 1 John ii. 4, ' He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his com- mandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.'
3. God knoweth such as rightly know him, with a knowledge joined with love. He knoweth them, that is, doth acknowledge them for his faithful servants, as will be demonstrated by the effects. So in the text, * If any man love God, the same is known of him.'
But in this argument the apostle seemeth to forget his purpose, and to alter the terms of the dispute in hand ; for instead of charity towards our neighbour, he puts in love to God ; and instead of our knowledge of God, he puts in God's knowledge of us ; and so seemeth to be carried besides his purpose.
I answer — No such matter, for he doth it with good advice.
SERMON UPON I CORINTHIANS VIII. 3. 135
[1.] Though using our knowledge with charity to our neighbour be the matter in question, yet loving our neighbour is the fruit of our love to God, and both these go together : 1 John iv. 20, ' If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar ; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen ? ' And they prove one the other: 1 John v. 1,2,' Every one that loveth him that begat, loveth also him that is begotten of him : by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.' So that it must be expounded thus : If any man love God, and consequently his neighbour for God's sake. Therefore the master of the sentences well defined charity thus, Charitas estdilectio, qua diligitur Deus propter se, et proximus propter Deum, vel in Deo — it is such a love by which we love God for himself, and our neighbour for God's sake. We love them either for God's command, or because of God's image in them, or with respect to his glory, that we may not ofiend them, but gain them to God. And so the apostle diverteth not from his scope, only puts the cause for the efi'ect, love to God as pro- ductive of love to our neighbour.