2. Again, they suit most to God's disposition ; for ' God is love,' 1 John iv. 8, and his course to man is love. If he take any course contrary to love, it is not his own work ; as he saith, to punish man it is not his own work, he is forced to that alway. To shew love and mercy, that is his work, that that comes from his own principle, from his mercy, ' he is love.' He doth not say, he is justice, or rigour, but he is love. It agi-ees with the nature of God to deal mercifully. If he deal otherwise, it is forced from us.
3. It suits with the whole carriage of our salvation, these courses of love, and gentleness first of all ; for we are saved by a manner of love. We are saved by God giving his Sou, and by his Son giving himself. We arc saved by a course of entreaty. The ministers of God are ambassadors to
490 COMMENTARY ON
desire us to bo ' reconciled to God,' 2 Cor. v. 20. God having saved us by a niauncr of love, be will have us taught by a manner of love, in the gospel especially ; because God's aim is to gain our love, and which way can that be, but by a way of love ?
For the nature of man is such, that it will never love till it know it be loved first. Therefore God stoops to a way of love, because he would have our love ; which he would never have by other courses, because they are contrary to our nature.
4. It is tlie practice of God. His custom is answerable : for first, he deals by gentle means always, and then after, if those will not prevail, he goes to severe means, and in severe means he takes degrees ; first less, and then more violent, and then violent indeed. God would never descend to sharper courses, if milder would serve the turn. You know he bade his own people, before they set in hostile manner upon any, to give them fair warning, to give them conditions of peace : so it is his course to offer conditions of peace. So he did to the old world, and so he doth to us. Before he corrects, he offers conditions of peace. You see how sparing Christ was, and how full of love, ' 0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem,' &c., Mat. xxiii. 37.
5. Again, they are courses that jirotnise best success ordinarihj : for the proud nature of man will raise itself up, and will harden itself against severe courses. Man naturally, as I said, will be led, and not forced. His nature will rise against forced violent courses, therefore for the event itself it is the best.
6. Again, they are courses that are more lasting. That that is gained by love, is constant ; that that we prevail with men for by reason, it will hold. Other courses are not so faithful, they will not hold. What we gain on men by fear, there is shame in it, that a man should be forced to any- thing, and nature will break out ; but it will hold best, that is gained by way of love and reason.
Use. Therefore let us imitate God in this, when we are to deal with any, not to take violent courses in the first place, but to deal with men as men, deal with them by love and reason, and not stand upon our own stomach and greatness, and take delight, as it were, in the commanding of others ; that we have a destructive power, a power that can quash, and crush men, and shew it to the utmost, and pride ourselves in it. If God should deal so with such, where were those proud creatures ? If God were not a for- bearing, indulgent, sparing God ?
Therefore you may see what disposition those are of, that all are for fire, for violent courses, rigorous courses. That is not the way that God useth. It is not the way that Christ used. It is not the way that ministers do use that have the Spirit of God.
You have some kind of people, that if a man be not always in matters of damnation, his sermon is nothing. So you have some that in their courses are so -vdolent, that they know nothing that is moderate, (and j'et perhaps they are good too, but) they cherish too much a violent disposi- tion. Now St Paul, though he were a very zealous, holy man, yet not- withstanding he would not put himself upon violent courses but when there was gi-eat necessity. He is rather a butcher than a physician, that loves to torment his patient. You see what course is first to be taken. I need not be long in so clear a point ; therefore I will spend no more time in it, but come to the second, that is more generally useful. Because indeed men are so, that gentle means will hardly prevail with them, what must be done then ? * not spare them.'
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 23. 491
Doct. When (jentle nienna ivill nnt serve the turn, then ue vivat not spare.
St Paul came not, that he might ' spare them.' Now, if thoy had not amended, what would have St Paul have done, think you ? Would he have sutiered them to have cherished the incestuous person among them ? that wicked person that had committed that which was intolerable amongst the heathen "? Would he have cherished proud factious men amongst them, that would disgrace St Paul's doctrine, to win authority to themselves '? Would not he have told them to their face the danger of their sin, and have made them ashamed ? Undoubtedly he would : he would [not] ' have spared.' So I say, if gentle means will not prevail, men must not be spared ; neither minister nor magistrate must spare ; especially iu dangerous courses that are prejudicial to the souls of others.