Serm, 9. andhost to inflame it, 1.87 Others read it, in Conjunóionwith the loveofthe Lord Jefus Chriff, making it a qualification, or a difcriminatìng note of that love, which isfond, real, and fincere,from that which is but pretended, counterfeit, and cafe to be corrupted, by every difficulty and temptation ; And ac- cordingly they tranflite, fome [ in incorrupttone] others [ábfgvte] a third fort [ amore non vitiato nec culpato. ] All to the fame fencewith bur Englifh Tranflation, In Sincerity. There areothers who confider this phrafe apart by it felt ; fome explaining it by purity of heart, and converfation, others as denoting thereby the duration of love [tarnprofperis ram adverfis, or] both in good and bad times. Pifcator makes it a diiiindt branch of the Apofiles prayer, as if he had faid, Gracebe withall there, &C. and life Eternal ; Taking no noticeof the prepofition that is added, and varies the Con- firti6uion. 'Tis the conje&ureof a LearnedDivine, That the Apoftle inadding this claufe, bath fome reflehion on the Gnoflicks, who had mingled thernfelves with the Chrifiians at Ephefus, and were , what- ever they pretended, neither pure in their love to Chriít, having mix- ed his Do&rinewith abominable corruptions, nor yet fincere and lafling therein, being ready upon every blafi of perfecurion that did arife, todeny him,and Apo(iataze fromhim;I (hall for the prefent with ilittfculus,leave the matter indifferenr,not onely which ofthe two firfi, but "of all the other fore-mentioned Opinions is fixed upon,, finding no caufe fo far as concerns my prefent purpofe to beperemptory in-either. TheApofile doubtiefs meaning none elfe by lovers of Chrifl, but fuch whofe hearts were (incerely and intirely affe&ed co him , whether he intended to chara6terize them any further by [ :P ¿i', or no] which, I prefume, might eafily be manifeGed from other parallel pia- I Cor.i6. ces ( where this graceis mentioned andunderloodproperly,hwing no John4.15, 13, additional qualificationmade thereto ;) and from the defigne of the& z'. 15,17 words themfelves, for certainly he would not fo folemnly have intitled I P`t' I' s° the rotten hearted Hypocrites,rhat did onely pretend love to ChriH,un- to the Benediflion of the greit and bleffed God.And if that Rind good, we have enough for our purpofe , and moreneed not be contend- ed for. Let this fufi ce then for their meaning. The fubje& matter of them, whether you look to the fi-G claufe, or the lafi,is very noble,and might well deferve a largeconfideration ; but I am confined to This li ngie ufe of them, which is, to make them the Foundation of thefe two cafes of Confcience. What are the genuine Charaaers of a Souls fincere love to Chrif ? Bb z Aid
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