18 A godly man is a lover of the Saints;1 the best way to discern grace in ones self, is to love grace in others, 1 Ioh. 3. 14. Wee know we have passed from death to life, because we love the Brethren: What is religion but religation? a knitting together of hearts; Faith knits us to God, and love knits us one to another: There is a two-fold love to others.
1 A civil love; a godly man hath a love of civility to all, Gen. 23. 7. Abraham stood up and bewed to the children of Heth: Though they were extraneous, and not within the pale of the Covenant, yet Abraham was affable to them: grace doth sweeten and refine nature, 1 Pet. 3. 8. be2 courteous: wee are to have a love of civility to all.
1 As they are ex eodem luto, of the same lump and mould with our selves, and are a peece of Gods curious3 needle-work.
2 Because our sweet deportment towards them, may bee a means to win upon them, and make them in love with the waies of God; a morose ruggid carriage, often alienates the hearts of others, and hardens them the more against holiness, whereas a loving behaviour is very obliging, and may bee as a load-stone to draw them to religion.
2 There is a pious and an holy love, and this a godly man doth bear chiefly to them, who are of the houshold of4 faith; the other was a love of courtesie, this of complacency: Our love to the Saints (saith Austin) should bee more than to our natural relations, because the bond of the spirit is nearer than5 that of blood. This love to the Saints, which evidenceth a man godly, must have seven ingredients in it.
1 Love to the Saints must bee sincere, 1 Ioh. 3. 18. Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth: The hony that drops from the comb is pure, so must love be pure without deceit: Many are like Naphtali, Gen. 49. 21. he giveth goodly words: Pretended love is like a painted fire, which hath no heat in it. Some hide malice under a false veil of love; I have read of Antoninus the Emperour, where he made a shew of Friendship, there he intended the most mischief.
2 Love to the Saints must be spiritual, we must love them because they are Saints; not out of self-respects, because they are affable, or have been kinde to6 us, […]. Hesh. but we must love them under a spiritual notion, because of the good that is in them; we are to reverence their holiness, else it is a carnal love.
3 Love to the Saints must be extensive, we must love all that bear Gods7 image.
1 Though they have many infirmities; a Christian in this life, is like a good face full of Freckles; thou that canst not love another because of his imperfections, didst never yet see thy own face in the glass; thy brothers infirmities may make thee pity him, his graces must make thee love him.
2 Wee must love the Saints, though in some things they do not coalesce and agree with us: another Christian may differ from me in less matters, either because hee hath more light than I, or because hee hath lesse light; if he differs from me, because he hath more light, then I have no reason to censure him; if because hee hath less light, than I ought to bear with him, as the weaker Vessel, in things of an indifferent nature, there ought to be Christian connivance.
3 We must love the Saints, though their graces out-vye and surpass ours; we ought to bless God for the eminency of anothers grace, because hereby religion is honoured; Pride is not quite slain in a believer; Saints themselves are apt to grudge and repine at each others excellencies; is it not strange, that the same person, should hate one man for his sin, and envy another for his vertue? Christians had need look to their hearts; then is love right and genuine, when we can rejoyce in the graces of others, though they seem to eclipse ours.
4 Love to the Saints must be appretiating, we must esteem their persons above others, Psa. 15. 4. He honours them that fear the Lord: we are to look upon the wicked as lumber, but upon the Saints as jewels, these must bee had in high veneration.