Mot.6. M.,.s. lrfvt. ao. Moti1Jes to Low·otiJers M our felws, Mor. 6. Lrrve i4 the bond (If aU Societifl: Of Families, Cities, Kingdoms ;md Churches: Without Love 1 thty will be: but enemies conjunct :who arc fo much the more hurtful and pernicious to each othu, by how much they are nearer to each other: The foul of Societies is gone when Love is gone. Mm. 7• Crmfider why it is tiJ.J.t you love your [elves ( rationaUy ) and wby it i1 that you wo, 1 1d be bel11vtd uf others: And you will fee that the fame rc:afons will be of cqu1l force ro call fOr Love to orhc;rs from vou. Mot. 8. TYb.lt abundanCe of d~tty i1 fummJrily performed in Love l And what abundance of fin i1 avoided and prevented by it? If it be the full'illing of the Law, it avoideth all the violations of the Law ( proporrionably .) So far as you have ,Love, you will neither ,di{honour fuperiors, nor op– prefs inferiors, nor injure equals: You will neither covet that which is your neighbours, nor envy nor malice tr.tm 1 nor defame, nor b1ckbirc, nor cenfure d1em unjuflly ; 1:mr will you rob them, or de– fraud them, nor withold any duty or kindnefs to tht:m. Mor. 9· Confider how much Love plcaferh God ? and why it is made fo great a part of all your duty? and why the Gofptl dorh fo highly <ommend it, and fo flrictly command it, and fo t<rribly condqnn the want of it? And alfo how fuitable a dury it is for you, who are obliged by fo much love of God ? Thefc things well fludied will nst be without etfeCl ? M.Jt, xo. Confider alfo (hat it is your own inttrtjf,as well asyourgreatduty. I.lt is the fo~tnd•4' and honcfiy of your hearu. 2. It is pleafing to that God on whom only you depend. 3.1t is a condition of your receiving the Caving benefits of his love. 4· lt is an amiable virtue, and m'aketh you lovely to all fober men : All mtn Love a loving nature, and hate thofe that hat~ and hurt their neighbours. Love commandcth love, aod hurrfulnefs is hatcfulnefs. 5· It is a fwecr delightful du– ty ' All Love is dfcntiatcd with fome complacence, and delight. 6 lt tcndcrh to rhc eafc and quictntfs of your lives : What contentions and troubles will love avoid ? What peace and pleafure doth ir caufe in families, neighbourhoods and all focietics? And what brawling and vexations come where it is wanting ? lt will make all your neighbours and tclations to be a comfort and ddight to you; which would be a burden and trouble, if Love W<IC abfent. 7· lt maketh aU other mens felicity and comforts to ht ygurs. If you love them as your fclvcs, their Kiches, tbtir health, their Honours, tbtir Lordlhips, tbtir Kingdoms, yea more, their knowledge, and Jearning, and grace, and happinefs, are partly to you as y JUt own. As the comforts of Wife ::md Children, and your deardl friends arc: And as our Love to Chrifi, and the bleffcd Angel• and S'aints in Hea– ven, doch make their joyes to be parlly ours. How excellent, and t"fie, and honefl a way is rhis:, of makjr.g aU the rrorJd your own, and receiving that benetit and pleafure from aD things both in Hea– ven andEar,h, _which no difiance, no malice of enemies can deny you ? If thofe whom you rru1y Love haVe it, you have it. Why rhen do you complain that you have no more health, ·or wealth, or honour, or that others are preferred before you? Love your neighbours as yoUJ felves , and then you will be comfoltcd in his health, his wealth, and his preferment, and fay, Tbofe have it whom I love as my fclf, and therefore it is to me as mine own. When you fee your neighbours Houfcs,. Pa– ftures, Corn and Cattle, Love will make it asgood and pleafant to you as if it were your own. Why dfc do you rejoyce in the portions and efiates of your children as if it were your oWn ? The covetous man faith, 0 how glad tbould I be if this Houfe, 1his Land, this Corn were mine : But love will mal::e you fay, It is all to me as mine own. What a furc and cheap way is this of .making all the world your own ? 0 what a mercy doth God befiow on his fcrvanrs fouls, in rhe day that he fan· ctifieth th<m with unfeigned love? How much doth he give us in that one grace? And 0 what a world of bleffing and'comforts, do the ungodly, the malitious, the felfifh, and the cenforious call away, when they call away or quench the love of their neighbours? And what abundance ofca– lamity do they bring upon themfelvcs? In this one fummary infiancc we may lte, how much Reli– gion and obedience to God doth tend to our own felicity an·d delight·? And ho~ cafie a work it would be, if a wicked heart did not make it difficult ? And how great a plague hn is unto the lin– net ? And how fore a punifitment of it felf? And by this you may fee, what it is that all fal1ings-out, divifions and contentions tend to? Aud all temptations to the ab~tcment of QuJ 'love? And who it is that is the grc•ter lofer by it, when love:. to our neighbour is loll? A~d.thar hock– biters and cenfurers ·who fpcak ill of others, CCime to us Is the grcatc;,f\ enemies and thieves, to rob us of our chiefefi .jewel, and grutcfl comfort in this world ? And accordingly !Oould they be entertained. I • . n ,CHAP.
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