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it were a task, not for one sermon, but many discourses, to show what are the duties that his love requires of us, and will put us upon ; how it will influence all our walkings, direct us in all our ways, — in our whole course and conversation, and all that we do.
It may be asked, seeing all believers are the objects of this love, " How are we to exercise it towards them, since there are few of them we know and are acquainted withal, and that we have a satisfaction in their state and condition that they are such, — few, that we know their occasions, straits, and necessities ? "
I answer,- —
(1.) The whole mystical body of Christ being the adequate object of gospel love, of love in and by the Holy Ghost, it is indispensably required of us that, radically and habitually, we have an equal love unto all believers, as such, — unto all the disciples of Christ throughout the world. But this is accompanied with some limitations : —
[1.] In the exercise of it, it will much answer the evidence that persons are interested in the mystical body of Christ. There are some whose vain opinions, and indeed corrupt practices, will exercise the most extensive charity to judge they belong unto the mystical body of Christ ; yet according unto our evidence, so is our love to be.
[2.] There may be degrees in our love, especially as to delight and valuation, according as we see more or less of the image of Jesus Christ upon any believer ; the likeness and image of Christ being the formal reason of this love.
[3.] The exercise of love must be determined by occasions and opportunities. But with these three qualifications a man may pro- nounce he is no believer who hath not, habitually and radically, a love to all the believers in the world, so as to be inwardly concerned in their good and evil, and to be influenced unto prayer, compassion, delight, and joy, according as their state and condition doth require.
(2.) There is required an inclination and readiness to all acts of love towards all believers, as opportunity shall be administered. If we turn away our face from our brother, and hide ourselves from him, how dwells the love of God in us ? If there be a real love in any of us, of this kind, let it be but heightened and advantaged by an oppor- tunity, it will break through difficulties, through reasonings, pleas of flesh and blood, to the exercise of itself. As they that know any thing in this world know that, as the first great opposition of hell, the world, and corrupt nature, is against faith to God by Christ ; so the next great opposition made against us, is against our love. If we do not understand this, we are unwise, and have not considered the various states and conditions of things in this world ; and how every moment things are presented unto us with a tendency to the weak- ening of love, upon one account or other. But, —
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(3.) Our Lord Jesus Christ, in infinite wisdom, tenderness, and condescension, hath provided us a safe, suitable, constant, immediate object for the exercise of this love. Having given so great a com- mand as that of love, and laid so great weight upon it, he will not leave us at an uncertainty, how, or where, or when we shall exercise it; but hath directed us to a particular way wherein he will make a trial of our obedience unto the command in general ; and this is, by his institution of particular churches. There are two great ends why Christ did institute a particular church ; and they were to express the two great graces and duties that he requires of us : —
[1.] The first end why Christ did institute a particular church was, that his saints together might jointly profess their faith in him, and obedience to him. And we have no other way of doing it: he hath tied us up to this. A blessed way ! " You shall this way/' saith he, "jointly profess your faith in me, and obedience to me, or no way."
[2.] The next great end why he did institute a particular church was, that we might have a direct exercise of his other great com- mand, and of that other great duty, of love to believers. " I will try you here," saith Christ; "I require this of you indispensably,- — to love all the saints, all believers, all my disciples. You shall not need to say you must go far, this way or that, for objects; I appoint you to such an order as wherein you shall have continual, immediate objects of all that love which I require of you." When God gives commands that great things turn upon, and [that] are general, he gives some particular instance wherein he will have our obedience tried to those commands. When he gave the great command at first in the state of innocency, he tried them in the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. The Lord Jesus Christ hath given us this great command of love, and hath plainly declared, that if we love not one another, we are not his disciples. " I will give you an instance whereby you may be tried," saith he ; — " cast you into such a society, by my order and appointment, as wherein you may have immediate objects for the exercise of love to the utmost of what I do require." If we find a person that is orderly admitted into church society, he is as certain and evident an object of our love, as if we saw him lying in the arms of Christ. We walk by rule; he hath appointed us to do so. Let none, then, pretend that they love the brethren in general, and love the people of God, and love the saints, while their love is not fervently exercised towards those who are in the same church society with them. Christ hath given it you for a trial : he will try your love at the last day by j^our deportment in that church wherein you are. The apostle tells us, " He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, will never love God whom he hath not seen." I am sure I may say, he that exercises not love towards the brethren whom