312 Chap. T: Of loving our Neighbour as our [lf. Com.SS. De dat-t that he that will beveras amator, a true lover, mutt be veras rerum animator, one chsdal.a.l.r. that path andcan.give a true eJlimate of things, elfe,asSaint Ambrof faith, quando c.42, errat judiciumperit & benefcium,every goodata is out offquare, and indeed d is loll when in.Luc.4 our judgment Piles. Now in Chriftían love, God is the ground, for our love will decay, ifit be not propter Deane for Gods fake. This makes our Love extend even to our enemies whomwe ought to love for God ; for though we be hatedofthofè we love, yet are we in no other cafe than Chriul hittifelf was who yet loved his ene- mies, even hulas, who betrayed him. Therefore it pleafed God`to recommend unto us, under the name of proximo, Neighbour, all mankind, even ftrangers and enemies as our Saviour fhews.in the parable of the Samaritan, and the Man that fell among thieves; and this is to love with judgment when though there is no other motive of Love in the party, yet we Love him proper Deumfor God: for when a man loveth a friend, he lovethhim propter aliudquamDeum, for fome other caufe than for God alone ; but when he loveth his enemy, there is no other taufe but propter Deum far God only. Again, when our Love is adpropinquum only toour friend,it is debilis alfio a weak and flight work ; for as Chrift faith, if wee love them that love us what great matter isthis? the Heathensand publicansdo thelike: Therefore God would have our Love to be like his, ftretcht out ad remotifmos, to thofe that are fardeft from us, to our very enemies ; as hedoth, when he tariffs thefun to thine, and the rain to fall upon the good. and bad. And this is no fuch hard matter as flefh and blood would make it. Saint Auguffiue faith, Diets non poffum vigilare, non poffum jejunare, numqutd dices non poffum amare ? perhaps thou wilt fay, Icannot watch, nor I cannotfall : but wilt thou fay, I cannot love ?And this indeed is a point of fpecial confideration, becaufe it makes adifference betwixt the Love ofChriftians, and the Love of Heathen ; for our Love to menmull flow from the fountain of our Love to God. Take away propter Deum, and then as Saint Cbryfoffom faith our Chriftian vertuesAnrras may bed'nt ehrr common and vulgar,fuch as were in the Heathen,our fortitude nothing but the fortitude of Socrates ; and fo of other Vertues, wherein our and theirs diit- fee in nothing but in this propterDeum, for God. And therefore our fall Rule mutt beaccording to Saint Gregorie's excellent dire- lion, ut rivas ju(fitieducatur de fonte pietatis ;The river of our righteoufnefs towards men mull have its original from the fountain ofpiety to God, that is, that our Love to our brother muff arife from our Love to God, and fo we fee how our Love mull be guided by our judgment in the caufe or ground of it, propter Drumfor God. And as our judgment mull k reeiified that we err not in ttte taufe, fo con- fequently our affeetiou which followsthe underfanding mull be right, and here- Rom.94.3. in though we arenot tyed to that highmeafure which was in Saint Paul who with- ed himfelfaccurfed from Chrifl for his brethrens fake, Mt for the falvationof the 7ews;yet thus far we are bound as to defire their falvation withour own, and to will the fame good to them that we will to our felves, and to null the fame evil to them,whichwe nill to our felves, and confequently there mull be thofeworks or fruits of Love mentioned by the Apoflle; which as they refer toour Neighbour,are efpecially three. Rom.rx.rs. t. The firft is Joy. That as we with our neighbours good, fo when any good bath befallen him, webe glad and rejoyce at it: yea after Saint Bernard's Rule,gau_ meant term. dere in bona alieno magna magis quam in proprio parvo, rejoyce more in the greater 4.9 goodof our neighbour, , than in the lefer good of our own. Oppotte to this is, if Marh:25.26. either we repine, that any fhould come to the participation of the fame good which in hood!. we poffefs ; which is onepart of envy, and was the fault ofthe unfaithful fervant in the Gofpel thatdid not occupy his Mallets talent, or if wettand thusaffected, that ifwe have it not our felves, we will not be contented, that any other fhould have it ; and of this part of envy is it that Saint Cbrfgflomefpeaks thus : Invidia Dt dear. pefüferum eft malum, hominem in diaboli conditionem.en: indemonem immitifmum con- chriftiana. vertit. Per earn mors venit in mundum, 'propter :pram Abel eft interemtus &e. Envy I. r: is a mojl peffilent evil, it turns and transforms a man into the nature of a moll cruel devil. By it came death into the world : for it wasAbelflain. It wasthe envy of Satan to man, which made him feek our fall becaufe he wculd have none in better elate than
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