.,..,_..,.* 5 3 Goffel-Conwerrariono phefrans, and Philippians, and Coloff . ns, continually fill they are beating upon love ; and efpecially in the Epifles of john (that was the beloved Difciple and lay in the bofom of Chrift) nothing fo much as love, becaufe this indeed is the Converfa. tion that becomes the Go(/'el, of the main thing in the Gofpel, it is thedeclaringof the love of God ; and therefore Chrifti- ans that would live as becomes the Gofpel, they mull live fo as acted by love : And fo in the goryof the Ac`ls,prefently as foon as you .reade of any that the Gofpel did prevail withal, they had one heart and one mind, Oh how did they cleave one to another their hearts were one. And fo we find in the ftories of the Primitive times-, I remember Teruel/ion faith, that that was the way that the Heathens and perfecutors did ufe to find out who were Chriftians, for the Chi if inns did meet at nights for fear of danger, & did as wifely as they could tokeep them- felves from their perfecutors, but they found this by experience that when they were converted to Chriftian Religion, then there was another kind Of fpirit in them that did ad them, and efpecially a fpirit of love one to another, there was ano. they kindof love of Chrifians one towards another then, than of any other fociety of man-kind ; the Heathens faw this, and wondred at it, and it was by this that they found out who were Chriflians, if they faw any people beginning to have a fpirit of love more than before, they would think furely thefe have heard of this Chriftian Religion, and they begin to be Chrifti- ans ; this was the glory of Chriftian Religion in thofe times, -that there was fuch intire love and union of hearts amongft them. TheApoftle john would have fuch love as that Chrifti- ans fhould be willing to dieonefor another, and theydid fo in the primitive times, Oh this were becoming the Gofpel indeed But Oh how far, how far are we from fuch a Converfation in fuch timesas we live in now as iffo be that the Gofpel were gone from us, we fpeakofthe Gofpel as if it were reveal'd more now than ever, and much concerning free grace in the Gofpel, but look upon the Converfations of men, they were never more unfutable to the Gofpel, and in this particular, in re- fped of the fincere love in the hearts of Chrifians : My bre- thren, malicious difpofitions are extreamly unbecoming the Gofpel,
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