.jTE R.115, Ephelian,r,Chap. 1. 153 to theScripture, that there can be no true faith without love, nor love without true faith, for the firul is but a dead carkaffe, this latter is but blinddevotion,neither ispleating to God:Indeed we teach that faith ju- flifieth us alone without other'graces,notin regard oftheir prefence,but in regard oftheirco-working with faith to thiseffect ofour juflification. It is one thing to fay the eye is in the head without other fenfes, and another thing to fay the eyedoth fee alone, noother fenfe feeing with it. This mutt make us trie the truthofour faith ; for ifour hearts have fie. z; not beene kindledwith love to God, theynever truly beleeved his love in Chrift : We may earlier carry coales inour bofome without burning, thenby faith apprehend truly this loveofourGod, without finding our hearts burne in love to him anfwerably. We fee that love is an erred following faith, even love to Godhim- yfe 3; felfe : They make the tree tobeare the roote, whowill have lovegive being to faith; but this is buta confequent of Lombards errour, who did hold love tobe no other thing then the holy Ghoul himfelfe. Obferve laítly, who are the perlons on whom the love oftrue be- Do/7.4. leevers is fet,viz.the Saints, yea, all Saints. True Chriftian love, next to God and our owne foules, maketh us affect thofe whoare fanF,tified, who expreffe the vertuesin their lifeofour heavenly Father, by whom we are called from darkneffe to light. Hence it is that the Saints, the houfholdoffaith, the brethren, are commendedas perfons whomwe muftark& and doe good to, before all other :Thus our God loveth, Pfal. t47. to. not theflrength ofhorfenor legs ofman. boo. thofe that fearthim, are his delight : Thus Chrift loved, Who is myfatherandmother ? &c. he that heareth andobeyeth: Thus Paul andDavid loved; We love none accor- ding to thefeJhh;all my delight is inthe Saints, in themwho excels in vertue. Every creature loveth and liketh to be with thole who are united with it in communication of the fame nature ; So fandified Chriftians can- not but love and like to be molt with them who have received the like divine nature,inwhich themfelvesare partakers;yea,it loveth all Saints; not fuchwho have otherparts pleating and contentfull, but it loveth e- very one in whom it can fee the imageof God fhining : for it cannot be but that love which truly lovethone perfonas he is holy, Ihould love e- very one, fo far forth as he is holy ; yea, thoughwe are ro efleeme and inwardly affefk men, as we fee them holy, we arenot bound to thew them the outward effefts ofour love anfwerably. The neerer perlons are tyed to us in natural! and civili bonds, the morematt our providence he for them, and love fhewed them in outward things, unleffe their foo- lifh lewdneffe difpriviledge them this way ; for then the proverbe ta- keth place, Amifefervent may be preferredbefore afool:Jh child. This then doth reprove many, who indeed hate, and would thew it, yf r. were it policie, thofe who endeavour to live holily,traduce the name of Saints, nickname them as Puritans, fuch who cannot be themfelves butwhen they are incompany with Swearers,Gamefters, good fellows, fuch who will feeme to. rein Come odde perfons who are indeede truly
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=