II. The nature of the duty theuce inferred, or what it is to ' walk in love.' To walk in love signifielh not one act or two, but the perpetual tenor of our lives ; our whole life should be an exercise of love.
But what love doth he mean ? Either love to God and Christ, or love to men ? I answer — I cannot exclude the former totally, for these reasons —
1. Love to men is of little worth unless it flow from love to God. And the apostle John, who placeth so much weight on our love to the
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brethren, showeth that this evidence must be resolved into an higher: 1 John V. 2, ' By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.' So that our love to the people of God will not argue our sincerity unless it be founded and rooted in our sincere love to God, and a single evidence will not estab- lish our comfort,
2. Because it is a genuine product of this great love of Christ to us: 1 John iv. 19, 'We love him because he loved us first.' The first impression of the love of Christ upon our hearts begets a love to God again. To God himself ; we beat back his own beam and flame upon himself first, and then to all that belong to him.
Now for these reasons I dare not totally exclude this sense. I inny add a third —
3. Because not only the direct improvement of the love of Christ, but so much of the christian life dependeth on the love of God, that it should not be excluded when we are discoursing of it : 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again.' The sense of this love should work in us certainly a great fervour of love to God, that may level and direct all our actions to his glory, and make us study to please him.
Well, then, if we take it in this sense, how are we to walk in love ? I answer —
1. That love is to be at the bottom of all our actions and duties, that our whole religion may be but an acting of love : 1 Cor. xvi. 14, ' Let all your things be done with charity.' If we pray, let us act the seeking love ; if we praise God, let us act the delighting love ; if we obey God, let us act the pleasing love. Whatever we do, let it be influenced by love and gratitude, which is the life of the soul, and the heart of our religion.
2. Let us walk in love, all will be nothing else ; but let us continue constant to the death in the profession of the christian faith ; for vehement pure christian love casteth out all fear in danger. If we love Christ, we will run all hazards for his sake, make no scruple to die or undergo any danger for Christ, thereby imitating the love of Christ to us, like unto those in Kev. xii. 11, that 'loved not their lives to the death.' When self-love is overcome by a greater love, men will neither be persuaded nor frighted out of a love of themselves ; it must be another more powerful love that must draw them from it, as one nail driveth out another. Now this can be nothing else but the love of God and of Christ, which if it be once shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, Ave shall lay all things at Christ's feet, we shall suffer all things, and endure all things, and give up self, and strength, and time, and estate, and life itself for his glory. What is nearer to us than ourselves ? and what will break the force of natural inclinations but this great love ?
But the context seemeth to restrain this to the love of man, for it hath a respect to the former precept and direction. Now then we must inquire what it is to walk in love by the example of Christ's dying, not for friends, but enemies, as all the world were to God when he took their business in hand.
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1. That there must be such an impression of the love of Christ upon us, that love to mankind may be the very habit and constitution of our souls. Love must dwell, and bear rule, and have dominion in our hearts, before it can be expressed in our lives : Col. iii. 14, * And above all things, put on charity, which is the bond of perfect- ness.' This love to others, founded in Christ's love to us, and all others, even his enemies, will cement the disagreeing parts of the world together for common good, and keep them united to one another in an indissolvable bond, much more perfectly than any other obligation can do. But alas ! where shall we find this christian charity, which is a true transcript of Christ's love to us, even among God's people, to God's people, who take little care of working together for the common good, but employ our parts and abuse our esteem for grace to one another's prejudice ?