x The Notion of Brother muſt not be underſtood © nyrawly, 25 only to fignifie ſuch 2s we have particular inclination to, 1s buthtf ot our own Party and Opinion,orKkindred,or who hive obli-e us by cial Kindnets ; For to confine our Love within ſuch Limits, wore no Argument of our having paſſed trom Death ro Life, or more: £11.01 to ve found with the worſt of Men, atth. 5. 45, 47. _ Nor mutt it be underſtood excluſively, of the Regenerate only ; but mutt be © ken, fir$, more generally, in the Natural Senſe, for all Mankind, in the ſame Latitude as Neighbous in that Summary of the ſecond Tulle, Thou ſhalt love thy Neighbour as thy ſelf; originally intended nor to Jews, as ſuch, but Men; and therefore exclude not our Enemies, by our Saviour's interpretation, Matth. 5. 43, 44. Second'y, in a more ſpecial (viz. the Spiritual ) Senſe, for fucit as are our Breth-en by Regeneration, ſo the Children with us of the ſame Father ; i. e. Whereas the Blefſed God himſelf is the Primum 4mabile, the firft Object of Love, of all other ( Perſons or Things ) ouzht to he lov'd proportionably to what Prints or Characters of the Divine "Excellency we find impreft upon them. Human Nature hath Refſ-mblancies in it of his ſpiritual, intelligent, immortal N:ture; Repeneracy of his FlinefS. And ſo he loves his Creatures himſelf, ſevering their Ma- lignity ( where that is to he found ) that is of themſelves, from what of real Good there is in them, which is from him. When therefore 4 correſpondent frame of Love is impreſt upon us, and inwrouzlit in- fo our Temper, his Image, who #-Z2ve, is renewed in us, which i: this noble part of it, the Devil had ſocminently defic'd in the Woils, poſſeſſing the Souls of Men with mutual Animeſitics and Enmitics againft one another, but eſpecia!ly ſuch as ſhould be found to have up- on them any Impreſs of the moſt excellent kind of Goodneſs, 7.6. of true Prety and Holineſs. And by this Renovation of his Imaye in vs, whereby weare enabled tc love others ſor his ſie, and proportion: bly to «what Chara&ers of him arc upon them, we appe.r to be 5: Chi/dren, Matth. 5. 45. begotten of him int» a Pate of Life, out of the Death which is upon the reft of the World, Ephe!. 2.1. and wherein every one ſtill abides, that thus loves not kis Brother, *
15 * Whoſoever haterh his brother, is a murderer, and ye know that no murlerer hath eternal lite | ding in him.
y That Life into which the Regcnerate are bezottcn, is notitins elſe than the Beginning or firſt Principles of Eternl Lite, 7obr g. 14 whereof they cannot but ' be deſtitute, who hate tiicir Brethren ;.4 thing ſo contrary to the Divine Life, Nature, and Imave, and which makes the Perſon affe&ted with it, in the temper and habrt of his Mind, a very Murderer.
16 * Hereby perceive we the love of God, becauſe he 2 laid down his life for us : and we ought to Jay down our lives. for the brethren.
py
7 The intimate Union between the Divine Nature and the Humane ,
in ChriF, gives ground for the callinz Chriſt's Life as Man, the Life of God; as As 20. 28, his Blood is ſaid tobe God's own Blood. And this Teſtimony of God's Love to us, his laying down his Life for us,
ought ſo to transform us into his Likeneſs, that out of the Power of
that Divine Principle, the Love of God in us, ( ſo that implanted Love is called, verſe 17. the Love of God.) a We ſhould never hetj- tate or make a difficulty to lay down our Lives for the Chriſtian, Com- munity, or even for the common Good and Welfare of Men, being duly called thereto. .
17 * But whoſo hath this worlds good, and leet his brother hatch need, and ſhutreth up his bowe!s © compaſhon from him. b | how dwellerh the love of Go: in him ? » |
b i.e. If the Love of God ingyes ſhould make us !ay down cur Lives for the Brethren, and we be not wiiting in their Neceflity.and our own Ability, toreiieve them, how plain is the Cafe, that 1t is not 10 us ?
13 My little children, || let us not Iove in word, ot in tongue, but in deed and in truth c.
c 9.4. 'Tis a vain thing to make verbal Pretences of Love, withent any real proof of it. |
19 And hereby we know that we are of the irnth &, and ſhall * afſure our hearts beiore hime.
d i. e. This ſtall demonſtrate to us, that we are the Chiicre the Truth, Leootten by it, James 1. x9. when we reſemble 1t,
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Chap. IV. IFfO
the correſpondent Impreſs of the Goſpel, (that great Repreſentation of the Love of God) upon us. e So ſhall our hearts be quieted, and well fatished, concerning our ſtates God-ward.
20 For if our heart condemn usf, God is greater
than our heart, and knoweth all things.
f If our Heart, or our Conſcience condemn us, vi. in plain Things» ( as this of loving our Brother is ) and wherein the Mind of God 15 evidently the fame with our own Conſcience ; his eSuperiority to whom our Conſcience 15 but an under Judge, ought much more to azwe us, eſpecially conſidering how much more he knows of us, than we do of our ſelves ; as 1 Cor. 4. 4.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not g, then