4. How much all that profess chri.stianity should be above the fears of death, and in readiness to lay down their lives when God in his pro- vidence calleth them to it. Love to God calleth for it, Luke xiv. 26. Yea, love to man calleth for it : Acts xxi. 13, ' I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem.' This is no hard law, if we consider our obligation from the death of Christ, and our encourage- ment from the hope of eternal reward. Heathens died for their country out of natural gallantry and greatness of mind ; they knew they could not have lived long, therefore chose this way. But Christianity only teaches the true grounds of contemning life and all temporal interests.
144 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXIII.
SERMON XXIII.
But ivlioso hath this world's good, and seeth his hrother have need, and shutteih up his bowels of compassion from him, hoiv dioelleth the love of God in himl My Utile children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue ; but in deed and in truth. — 1 John iii. 17, 18.
In the former verse he liath urged the example of Christ, which is both a reason and a pattern of our love to our brethren, ' We must love others because he loved us, and we must love others as he loved us.' The pattern is urged not only for the duty itself, but the degree of it. We must imitate Christ in that eminent act of self-denial, his laying down his life for us. Surely that love is best which is most like Chiist's. Now Christ spared not his life, nor anything to do us good ; so should our love express itself in the highest instances of love. Well, then, if we are bound to the greater, we are much more bound to the lesser ; if to lay down our lives for those that are in danger, much more to give our goods to them. Surely those are not to be accounted lovers of the brethren that will not part with a little of their substance on these occasions, and are guilty of gross hypocrisy if they should pretend either to the love of God or our neighbour, ' But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need,' &c. In the words there is —
1. An argument implied, a majori ad minus ; and there is expressly contained in it — (1.) A supposition of a duty neglected; (2.) A censure or charge of a heinous crime imputed to such ; the ' love of God doth not dwell ' in them.
2. An exhortation to sincerity.
First, In the argument we have three things —
[1.] The ability of the party to exercise charity, ' Whoso hath this world's good.'
[2.] The necessity of the party upon whom it is exercised, 'And seeth his brother have need.'
[3.] The neglect itself, * Shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him.'
(1.) The ability of the party, 'Whoso hath this world's good ;' the meaning is, wherewith to support this worldly life ; as the woman is said to cast in all her living, Mark xii. 44; and in other places bios is put for the support of life. Those that have but from hand to mouth are bound to distribute to them that need, Eph. iv. 28 ; but much more the rich, that have not only to sustain and support this life, but to spare for others. What we have we are to give ; out of a little, a little ; out of more, more : Luke xii. 33, ' Sell what you have.' So Luke xi. 41, Give alms of such things as you have, and all things shall be clean to you.' So Luke viii. 3, ' They ministered to him of their substance.' So much of this world's goods as every man hath, so far his bounty must extend.
(2.) The next thing supposed is others' necessity. By our own estate God giveth us matter to exercise charity; by others' necessity he giveth us occasion : his providence f urnisheth us, and straiteneth them ;
VeR. 17, 18.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. 145
if they need bread to sustain life, or raiment to clothe the body ; and those that need be brethren, the Lord calleth upon us for some supply.
(3.) The act omitted, ' Shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him.' Here the next inward cause is mentioned, and that is, 'bowels of compas- sion from him ; ' but the effect also is intended. If he doth not assist him in his needs, his heart must be first opened ; there must be a willing and ready mind, and then his hand opened ; there must be a liberal and bountiful relief. ' Bowels,' no duty in this kind is accepted with God but what is joined with bowels of compassion and sympathy. What we translate, Luke i. 78, ' Through the tender mercy of our God,' is in the margin, 'Bowels of mercy.' S^o 2 Cor. vii. 15, 'His inward affection is more abundant towards you.' It is bowels. So Col. iii. 12, ' Put on bowels of mercy,' It noteth an inward sense and sympathy with the misery of others; such an intense motion of the heart, that the very bowels are moved by it ; so that it is, if he shut up his bowels, if he show himself hard-hearted and merciless, is not moved with any pity of another's wants. The meaning is fully expressed by Moses, Dent. xv. 7, ' Thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother.'