Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

2. They destroy that Love which is the Cement of all Societies. As they proceed from a defect of Love, so they quite ruin the remainders of it. Now this love unites, and so strengthens: but when mens Hearts are once divided from each other, what care I what becomes of them I hate? That made that Scythian Scilurus when he was on his Death-bed, to cause a bundle of Javelins to be brought and laid before his eighty Sons, who being commanded to break the whole bundle, could not possibly do it; but when they were untied, they easily broke them one after another: teaching them thereby to cleave to one another, and that their Division would be their Destruction. Hereupon it is worth our notice, that the Apostle when he musters up the works of the Flesh in this Chapter, vers. 20. Nine kinds of them are contrary to this Love, to wit, Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders: And when the Fruits of the Spirit are reckoned, vers. 22. behold how many of them are a-kin to this Love which I am speaking of. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness: As if the carnal man were composed only of Flame, and the spiritual man made up of Benignity: But such unkind Contentions, like rust or canker, do consume this love; and so each part looking only to it self, there is none that take care of the whole; and so, as by Concord small things increase, so by Discord great things wast to nothing.

2. They destroy that Love which is the Cement of all Societies. As they proceed from a defect of Love, so they quite ruine the remainders of it. Now this love unites, and so strengthens: but when mens Hearts are once divided from each other, what care I what becomes of them I hate? That made that Scythian Scilurus when he was on his Death-bed, to cause a bundle of Javelins to be brought and laid before his eighty Sons, who being commanded to break the whole bundle, could not possibly do it; but when they were untied, they easily broke them one after another: teaching them thereby to cleave to one another, and that their Division would be their Destruction. Hereupon it is worth our notice, that the Apostle when he musters up the works of the Flesh in this Chapter, vers. 20. Nine kinds of them are contrary to this Love, to wit, Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders: And when the Fruits of the Spirit are reckon'd, vers. 22. behold how many of them are a-kin to this Love which I am speaking of. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness: As if the carnal man were composed only of Flame, and the spiritual man made up of Benignity: But such unkind Contentions, like rust or canker, do consume this love; and so each part looking only to it self, there is none that take care of the whole; and so, as by Concord small things increase, so by Discord great things wast to nothing.