Secondly, I come to the duty hence inferred, ' We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.'
Dod. Christians ought to be ready to lay down their lives for the brethren.
This is the use we are directed to make of God's laying down his life for us, not only that we may love him again, and be reconciled to him, but to teach us how to love one another.
Note three things from hence —
First, That our love of the brethren is inferred out of Christ's love to us. Christ's love to us hath a double respect to it — (1.) It hath the force of a cause ; (2.) The use of a pattern and example.
1. The force of a cause. Out of gratitude to Christ we should love those that are Christ's, those that are his people, and bear his name and image; because he hath loved us, we should love one another : 1 John iv, 11, * If God so loved us, we should love one another,' for this reason.
2. It hath the use of a pattern and example ; we must not only love others because he hath loved us, but we must love others as he hath loved us : John xv. 12, ' This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you ; ' and John xiii. 34, ' This is my new commandment which I give unto you, that ye love one another-; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.' This is the pattern propounded to our imitation.
Secondly, That in our love to the brethren, as we must imitate Christ in other things, so in laying down our lives for their good. Our love should be free as his was, sincere as his was, fruitful as his, constant as ills love, superlative as his: Eph. v. 2, 'Walk in love as Clnist also hath loved us,' But chiefly in his dying, to reduce men to God. Christ was willing to endure all extremity to exi)iate our sins and bring about our salvation. Christ's love fainted not: John xiii. 1,
140 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXII.
' Christ bavinf? loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end.' Therefore we should venture our lives in such a noble design to bring men to the christian faith. Christ's precious blood was more valuable than all the world, therefore we should not stick at any thing.
Thirdly, It is not left arbitrary and free to us to do or not to do, but we must or ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. So it is in the text, ' We ought also.' Christ must be obeyed whatever our inclin- ations be. It is such a necessary duty, that we are nothing without it : 1 Cor. xiii. 1-3, ' Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gifts of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge ; and though I had all faith, and I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.' We have not the true spirit of Christianity till this be accomplished in us.
But in what cases is a man to die for another ?
I answer — This case of conscience must be decided by distinguishing — (1.) The persons ; (2.) The cause ; (3.) The manner ; (4.) The call.
First, As to the persons for whom we must lay down our lives.
1. They mny be considered as aliens or infidels, or as fellow-christians. Principally the latter are intended, for they are more properly our brethren, and this duty belongeth to brotherly love, as it is distinguished from charity. But yet the others are not wholly to be excluded, because we die or venture our lives for infidels that they may become brethren ; as Christ died for us when we were enemies that we might be made friends. And therefore, though base and brutish, and opposite to us for the present, yet there should be an earnest desire of their spiritual good ; and it is most like the example of Christ to run all hazards for the conversion of the world, as well as the confirmation of the faithful : Phil. ii. 17, ' Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.' His blood poured out as a drink-offering, with allusion to the sacrifices of the law.
2. They may be considered as a single person or as a multitude. Now for a community, there is no question but I should venture my single life to save them. It is a constant rule that all private things must give way to public, for God's glory is more promoted and con- cerned in a public good than in a private ; therefore a public good is better and more considerable in itself than any man's particular temporal happiness. God's glory must be preferred before the creature's profit. Heathens have chosen to die for the public good, or for their country's, though it may be suspected fame had a great influence on it. Thus Curtius went into a gulf to save his country. Yea, the creatures act against their particular nature to preserve the universe. Lawrence ran the hazard of a gridiron rather than betray the faithful. But now the question is, whether is one single person bound to die for another ? Yes, if more eminently useful, as you shall see by and by ; and that is not hard, because he is as much bound to die for me as I for him ; the strong to confirm the faith of the weak, and the weak to