Chap. I. OrLoving ourNeighbour asour felf. Coma. 3 15 Neighbour, and feeing every man,even an enemy, may be anobject ofinercy,there- foreevery man,',even an enemy, is a Neighbour.And it is not Christ's expofition on- neur, 22. r. ly, but theLaw faith the very fame, in the cafe of a ftray-ox or afs. If thy brothers Exod. a3.4. ox or aft go affray, &c. which brother in another place is laid tobe even an enemy, for there is in the fame Law,Exodus 23. 4, 5. where it is faid, lfthy enemies ok or afsgo aftray, &c. He that is the object ofour Love isexpreffed in Scripture by three Words, which are diftinguifht in the Hebrew,as well as in theLatine. t..4micss,o friendor felloin.2. Proximus, a neighbour. 3. Frater, a brother ; which is ufed'by S. john cotiftantly in his firft Epiftle. In all which are motives and grounds of Love. For, r. In brethren there is identitas nature, &c. identity of nature, which makes all creatures love on another ; one beaft delighting in another of thefame kind, and little children delighting in their image in the glafs, thew this. z.Now as this fimilitude isa tye ofLove,fo,is identitasoriginia identityofbeginning; therefore it is a natural thing, for brethren born to love one another, becaufe they have the fame original ; and nothing fo unnatural, as one brother not to love another. 3. Between Friends.Love is the caufe ofLove,for it will be mutual and reciprocal: ilístoramoris magnes, Love it a loadjfone to Love. Our Saviour knew this well, and therefore in the Commandment ofLove,he expreffeth it thus, Thatye love oneano- ther ; it mull be amar mutuas, mutual Love. Another ground ofLove among friends,isfocietaepericuli,carliberationis, when men partake ofthe fame dangeror deliverance,as Captives under'rhe Turkdelivered by the fame ranfom. This groundofLove we have , who beingall in danger of hell, and becomecaptives ofSathan, are delivered by the fame ranfome, by Chrift. Thismakes friendlhip, and caufeth Love in men that never faw one another be- fore. 3. Now forproximue, it is defined ab ufu, of theufe .and'benefit that one bath by another. God bath not given to any man fuch gifts, but that he needeth the gifts ofhis Brother. God hath not given all his gifts to any one, and therefore there is none but hath needof another : and therefore ufut a, ufe and utility are the grounds of propinquity, and make menbecome proximi, Neighbours. 4. Laftly, there isunits injiituti,both amongft Brethren,Friends andNeighbours all do tendere ad idem, tend to one and the fame end; that is, to be partakers ofthe bleffednefs, which the angels of God enjoyn : for this is infhitutum fratrie mei, & proximi mei, & amici,& noftrum omnium, the end and fope of mybrother, Neigh- bour, friend, andmy felf,and of all of us. Thefe thenare the-reafonsof Gods ufing thofe words, and the reafonsalfo ofour Love. Now inthis °Wetofour Love, proximue, our Neighbour, there are two things to be obferved. t:That we mull beware, we takenot the finofour Neighbour, for our Neighbour;forthat which hath interpofed it felf,and indeed is not de proximitate is fin,and malusproximue,a finner.It is fure that,Omnis peccator,quatenus peccator, odio ejf,every fmier,ashe is afinnet, is to be bated ; and amnia bomo,quatenus homo,diligendua, everyman as he is a man is to be boloved.Therefore: Sicbomines diligendi,utnon errores diligamua, diligendi quia jai feint, nonquia fecerunt;me areto Love menfo, as not la Love their errorrs, andfo to Love them that are made, as that we Love not that they do; fa toLove that which Godmade them, as not. to Love what by fin they made themfelver. The reafon is, becaufe we have all one inffitutum, or end : we do therefore love one another, becaufe we lhall be partakers of thefame foveraign goodofeternal Hap.; pinefs;& fin beingan hindranceorobttacle to that end,how can we love that which hindreth from that, whereto we tend ? He that loveth iniquity, batethhisownfoul. Prov. 29. And fowe may fay,he that loveth the finofhisbrother,hateth his foul. 2, We mull know,that in proximitate,Neighbourhood,there are degrees ofncernefs whereby one isneerer than another e In which refpea that affection which caufeth us to rememberfornebefore others in our prayers,isnot from anycorruption ofour nature,becaufe omiifion ofduty ro one is agreater fin than to another;forthe duty to a Father, is greater than to a;Stranger; R r 2 But
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