Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the…

3. What that Charity in special is, which is the end of the Commandment. And when I have briefly done these three things, we shall come to a Point.

The end of the Commandment is Charity, but what's this Commandment?

The word which we here translate Commandment, is [Greek or Hebrew], not the ordinary word [Greek or Hebrew], which signifies a Commandment; but [Greek or Hebrew]; and the word properly signifies, as Critics tell us, A charge given by Judges or Superiors, concerning somewhat to be done, or forborne; and thus 'tis used in Acts 5. 28. where the High Priests tell the Apostles, Did not we straitly command you, that you should not teach in thi• Name? Did not we straitly Command you? The Greek there is an Hebraism, in which St. Luke doth there express the minds of the Scribes and ⟨p. 5⟩Pharisees, Did not we straitly command you? [Greek or Hebrew], Did not we command you with a Command? which we very well render according to the sense of the Idiom, Did not we strictly command you? Or as Mr. Beza renders it, Did not we command you again and again? And in the very same sense doth the Apostle use the word [Greek or Hebrew] as the 18th Verse of the first of Timothy: This charge I commit unto thee. Why now if we should take the word Commandment in this strict sense, it may have a special reference to the third and fourth Verses going before the Text, whereas I touched before, St. Paul besought Timothy to charge some, that they teach no other Doctrine, To charge them, or to Command them. 'Tis [Greek or Hebrew], which is the root of the word which we render Commandment. I charge thee to lay this Commandment upon them. So we may well render it, I command