A35539:60
Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the…
Gospel-love, heart-purity, and the flourishing of the righteous being the last sermon of the late reverend Mr. Joseph Caryl.
London : Printed and are to be sold by John Hancock Senior and Junior, 1675
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A. I answer, first, I conceive the Love here Intended, Is not love to God, though that is Love above all things, and the most excellent end of the Commandment, yet I conceive in this place, 'tis Charity, or Love to Man, which is here meant. And my Reason is this, why I restrain it here to the Love of Man, because the Apostle speaks of charity in opposition to those Fables, and questions which false teachers were like to raise ⟨p. 13⟩up in the Church. The end of the Commandment is charity, that all may be peaceable and quiet among the Brethren: and he saith at verse 7. From which some having swerved, (from charity) shot quite beside it, saith he, they are turned aside unto vain Jangling, so that if we consider either the Antecedents of the text, or the consequents, it seems he confines charity, or Love here spoken of to that love or charity which is among men, among Brethren, that's one thing.
Secondly, Charity here with respect to Brethren, is not that charity which doth consist in opening our hand to relieve the poor, though that is a most excellent piece of charity, (and I pray Remember it) to open your hand to the relieving of the poor, yet I conceive that's not the charity here meant, but the charity here meant, is charity in the uniting our hearts, and in the closing of our affections one with another, and then,
Thirdly, The charity here intended, or the Love, is not a lazy habit, for one to say, I have a love for God, I and there it lies and doth nothing: I say, the charity here intended, is not a lazy habit; but 'tis that which is put forth by vigorous and lively actings, and so some expound this Text; Charity is to be taken Metonymically, Charity, for all the offices and duties of charity, which we owe one to another.
Thirdly, The charity here intended, or the Love, is not a lazy habit, for one to say, I have a love for God, I and there it lyes and doth nothing: I say, the charity here intended, is not a lazy habit; but 'tis that which is put forth by vigorous and lively actings, and so some expound this Text; Charity is to be taken Metonymically, Charity, for all the offices and duties of charity, which we owe one to another.