Love to the Brethren

The eminent Dr. Owen, speaking of the primeval state of man, remarks, that “the whole” beauty of the creation below consisted in man’s “loving God above all, and all other things in Him, and for Him, according as they did parti- cipate His glory and properties.” That was a hopeless hour when the golden chain that bound God to man, and man to God and to each other, was broken. Adairiy where art thou I Adam heard, and was afraid. The earth was cursed, and refused to yield her strength. Sin polluted all the joys of Paradise; apostate man became the heir of misery, and henceforth dwelt in darkness, cherishing the seeds of malice and envy, hatefuly and haling one another.

Upon this dismal gloom, not a ray has dawned but from the cross of Christ. It is the prerogative of the gospel of Jesus to publish the glad tidings of great joy; and while it proclaims, Glory TO God in the highest, to restore peace on earthy and good mil to man. This gospel breathes the spirit of love. Love is the fulfilling of its precepts, the pledge of its joys, and the evidence of its power. We know, saith the apostle, that we have passed from death vnto life because we love the brethren.

The love of the brotherhood is not one of the native affections of the carnal mind. This cold, degenerate soil, bears no such heavenly fruit. The affection which Christians exercise toward each other as Christians, is the offspring of brighter worlds. It is a principle of celestial birth* Love is of God, and every one that lovcth, is born of God, and knoweth God,

Brotherly love is an affection which is limited to particular characters. There can be no doubt but the chihhen of God are kindly affectioned toward all men. Christian benevolence runs parallel with rational being. Genuine love to

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our neighbour is extended to all, according to their character and circumstances. It blesses those who curse us, and does good to those who hate us. This, however, is not the distinguishing nature of brotherly love. Brotherly love differs materially from the love of benevolence. It is the love of good men, and for their goodness only. It extends only to the followers of Christ. It is an affection which is directed toward the excellence of religion. It is complacency in holiness.

There is something in the character of every child of God that reflects the image of his heavenly Father. It is this that attracts the eye and wins the heart. There is something which is amiable and lovely. And it is this loveliness that gives a spring to the affections and draws forth the hearts of God’s people toward each other, as they are drawn forth toward God Himself. The children of God are partakers of the divine nature. From bearing the image of the earthly, they now bear the image of the heavenly, God has imparted to them a portion of His own loveliness. He has iormed Ihem new creatures. Of his free and distinguishing grace. He has made them, as they are styled by the Wise Man, more excellent than their neighbours. Hence they are lovely. They arc the excellent of the earth, God loves them; Christ loves them; the Holy Spirit loves them; angelpi love them; and they love each other. It is arouncf them that the virtues cluster; from them that the graces of heaven are reflected; though shaded, and very often darkened, by the most debasing and reproachful sins.

Love to the brethren is also an affection which rests upon the union which believers sustain with Christ. The Lord Jesus, together with all true believers, forms one mystical body. Christ is the head, and they are the members. From Him the whole hotly, fitly joined together and covipacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every party maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of ITSELF IN LOVE. This union is represented by the Apostle not only as the foundation of that communion which believers maintain with Christ, but of that which exists between believers themselves. The same bond which unites believers to Christ, binds them to each other. The love which is exercised toward the head, extends to the members. The union itself necessarily involves an union of affection. Those who love Chris!, love those who are like Him, and those who are beloved by

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Him. Here all distinctions vanish. Name and nation, rank and party, are lost in the common character of believers, the common name of Christian. Jew and Gentile, bond and free, rich and poor, are one in Christ Jesus. They have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in them alL Actuated by the same principles, cherishing the same hopes, animated by the same prospects, labouring under the same discouragements, having the same enemies to encounter, and the same temptations to resist, the same hell to shun, and the same heaven to enjoy; it is not strange that they should love one another sincerely, and often with a pure heart jervently. There is an unity of design, a common interest in the objects of their pursuit, which lays the foundation for mutual friendship, and which cannot fail to excite the ‘’ harmony of souls.” The glory of God is the grand object which commands their highest affections, and which necessarily makes the interest of the whole the interest of each part, and the interest of each part the interest of the whole. They rejoice in each other’s blessedness. There are no conflicting interests, and there need be no jarring passions. In a common cause, in a common cause which in point of importance takes the place of every other, and all others, the affections of the sanctified heart are one.

Love to the brethren, though in practice not always distinguished, yet in theory is easily distinguishable from all those affections and attachments that are purely natural. Men may love Christians, merely because they imagine that Christians love them. This, like every other affection that is purely selfish, is unworthy of the Christian name. They may love particular Christians, because they are of their party, and imbibe their sentiments. This too is nothing better than that friendship of the world which is enmity with God. They may esteem Christians merely from the force of education and habit. The people of God may not be the objects of contempt or aversion, and still they may not be the objects of complacency. Indeed our consciences may constrain us to respect them, the habits of early education may lead us often to associate with them; while we have no affectionate regard for the excellence of their character.

That love which is excited toward Christians, as Christians, is a constituted proof of saving grace*

The reader will do well therefore, to examine his own heart, and see whether he is conscious of cherishing love toward the people of God because they are the people of God, Does he love them because he discovers in them the amiableness of that divine religion which is altogether lovely? Does he love them not merely because they love him, or have bestowed favours upon him; not because they are of his party; but because they bear the image of his heavenly Father? Is his Jove active? Is it a principle that lives, that manifests itself by all those methods whereby the good of the brotherhood may be advanced? Does it discover itself in the delight which he takes in the company and conversation of the Lord’s people, and in every opportunity which he has to exchange the tokens, and strengthen the bonds of mutual affection? Can he from the heart adopt the resolution of Ruth, Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgesty I will lodge; thy people shall be my people and thy God my God, Tell me, reader, do you feel toward the children of God as toward the children of one common Father, and the brethren of one common family? Do you love them because they bear the image of the common Father? And do you love them in propor-Love to the Brethren, lft3

tion to the degree in which they bear the image? Can you bear and forbear with them? Can you forget their infirmities, or do you rejoice to magnify them Can you cast the mantle of charity over their sins, and pray for them, and watch over them, and pity, and blame, and love them still? And can you feel thu, and act thus, tow ard the poorest and most despised of the flock, and that because he is a Christian / If so, here is your encouragement. He that loveth is born of God. Yours is the spirit of a better world. The Paradise you lost by Adam, you shall regain by Christ. Allied to spirits born on high, you shall ascend to purer regions, and breathe a purer air. Far from the tumult of this apostate earth, you shall yet rest beneath the peaceful shades of Eden, where blooms immortal amaranth “fast by th tree of life.”