' to the E P H E S I A N S. Again, TheApome mentions notlove toe~ery man; (though that be a dtay) ~ butlove to Saints. It ts a duty to love a man.s ~eJghbour, as M,11t,2.2..Luk.10. Sermon b t that is not mentioned here as a fign of theJr mtereft m Chnft,there JS an hu- :ltVIII• . ~anity in man's nature to love his lund; .but ir is (you ~ee ). lovm~ t.he ~aints,~ nder that notion a1 Sai11ts. Our SaviOur ts very accurate m dtfttngutflllng 11 thus, ~s you find it ft1,Jtt.I6.4'· He that giveth (faith he) amp of ~oldwrJier to .•Pro– phet, in the name of a Prophet, he /ball t·ewve a Prophets reward: he that >receivetba righteo11s mmt m tbe Nume of a rz!!,hteoM man, (that ts, (as w~m the Latin exprefs it) eo t1omi11e, under that nonon and abftraCl:ed confideratwn that he is a nghteous man, and therefore loves htm) he Jball rect~ve a Rtghteous man's reward. In another Evangelift it isyet more emphatical to this purpofe, M1~rk 9 . 41 • Whofoevrrjbaflgiveyo11 a cup of watrr to drmk m my name, (be– caufe You arc Chrift's) hejbaftnot lofe bis reward. My Brethren, Look upon Saindhip as the greateft excellency ~ci love it: So Obfrrve. Chrift did, Pfal.t6.I. Hts eye was11pon tbe exceftmt ones i11 the earth, that tS,up· on the Saints,who were excellent to him; yea,alfo even when not Saints, becaufe God loved them,as lfi•i·4l+lt is ftrange to hear how men by ibeir Speeches will . undervalub a Saint, as fuch,if without fome other outward excellency. For whilft they aclmo,vledge a man~Saint, y~t in otherrefpeCl:s they will contemn him; he is an Holy mtm, they wtll fay, butts weak&c. Butts he a.S,um? and can there be any fuch other imperfection or weaknefs found as lhall lay him low in thy thoughts, in compatifoo of other Ca.rnal men more excellent? Hath not Chrift loved him, bouglit him, redeemed lum? To Aft Sahzts.] All thofe they judged to be Saints. And this univerfallove unto all the Saints, to be a certain evidence of true faith, follows from what was ., mentioned even now. For if a man love a righteous man, or Saint, i11 the tzamr, or under the notion of a righteous ma11, as Mattbew, or 6ecatJje he is Chri{ls, as Mark, then he will love all Saints and righteous men, and all that are Chrift's i• for aquatemu adomne valet con{eq11mtia,he will love the totumgenus,the whole l<ind and Tribe of them,in whom ever he fees the image of God,and upon \Vhomfoever the love of God is pitcht. Here then lierh the trial of Grace indeei:l,to love all kind of Saints. There are Saints ihat are froward, and peevifl1 Saints, .and proud Saints,&c. that is, they exprefs a great many of thcfe corrufitions in their converfes with men; yet as we muft love thefe, fo it is a great fign of Grace i:Jotwithflanding to love them, meerly becaufe they are Saints, arid that they are Chrifls. A Brother loveth his crooked Brother, and a lame Brother, and a little Brother, as well as thofe Brethren that have none of tltefe defects; and they do it, becaufe they are Brethren, and for the Parents fake w,ho love them. Rith Saints and poor Saints, gifted Saints and weak Saints,thefe ~ll together mufl: be loved. Or as the Holy Glwft's expreffioo is, Rev.r g.)· The Servants of God jinall andgre,zt. Some are great Saints, fome are fmall Saints; there is little Holinefs appears in them, and yet love them all, for God and Chrift doth. It is an excellent argument which the Apof\le bath, urging of Chrift's f:xample to this purpofe, in Rom.I 5 .1. We that are f/rong, faith he, ougbt to 6enr the ltifirmities of the wrak, a11dnot to pleafe o~r{elves: For ( v.~.) even Cliri(l pletiji!d not h'imfelf, tM it is writtm, (!;c. There are Saints that have Infirmlties,and great Infirmities. He had inflanced in the Chapter afore in differences of Opinion and Judgment 1 and dtfcourfed thereof throughout that Chapter,and upon occafion thereof it \Vas ~emakes this Exhortation. One bdi_eves, faith he, that he may eat aft thi11gs,that Is, beheveth tt fully; Others (fpeakmgof the ]ewijbCeremonies that continued to fame men's Confciences) they _eat 11ot fiefh, ,6ut they eat herbs rather. Thefe were Optmons Ol>pol!te, and whtch produced contrary praefices; each of thefe muft bear tl!e Infirm1ttes of etther, they are Saints. Yea further, fame of them were cenfonpus, and judging all others ralhly, that w,ere not of their minds'· as thefe Words l:nport, v.~.Let 11ot him that eateth 11ot, ;udge him tbat eatet h. And ?gam, Others were apt to de{pifr their Brethren, as the following Exhortation ~mpltes, Le: 11ot him thaJ eateth not ilefPife him that eatetb. The word there ufed ts foto defptfe, as to fer at nO'ught; difdain, villifie, as Herod and his Souldiers did Chnft,Luk.2;.t 1. ('tis the fame word.) Thefe were high and great I,nfirmitics • .u<i;;:l1,;;,., nonn refpeCl: of difference in Opinion only,but diftempers in AffcCl:io6 alfo. ' H h 1In
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