undue retaining of such things as, being paid, are not owing.

2. This is a constant debt, which you must still pay, and yet still owe-love. And the reason added, is most enforcing, that we should be willing to continue both payers and yet debtors of it: The dueness of it appears in this, that the law requires it, and the completeness of it, in that it is all the law requires; Love is the fulfilling of the law; which is amplified in the two subsequent ver

ses.

This is most fully true-take love fully, as it looks on its full object, God and man, and so it is the fulfilling of the whole law which relates to these two in its two tables. Take it particularly, as acting towards men, as here it is,' and so it fulfils that part of the law, that whole table, which respects man. The most of those commandments are expressly here set down, ver. 9, and the omission of one is fully supplied, by that addition, If there be any other. Then again, it is cleared by the common aim and result of them all, which is to keep our neighbour undamaged, and that, love doth most surely and fully; therefore it fulfils all. That negative, worketh no ill to his neighbour, answers the strain of all the commandments, which is, to defend our neighbours from our ill, being most of them such, and all of them such that are here specified; yet both they and this sum of them, involving the contrary, the working of all possible good to our neighbour; in which still love suits it, nothing being both more averse from wrong, and more active in good, than love: as the same apostle hath it, 1 Cor, xiii. Besides that it cannot do, no, nor so much as think evil, it is naturally carried to bounty and kindness, and cannot cease from doing good, a plant that is fruitful all the year long.

The apostle hath very good authority for this abridgment of the law; our Saviour himself, Matt. xxii, 40. And he takes it out of the books of law themselves, and certifies us, that it is the substance and sum both of the law and the prophets. Were this love absolutely perfect, the fulfilling of the law would be so too; and where it is sincere, as the apostle requires it, there is a sincere and evangelical obedience, or fulfilling of the law.

In the text consider, 1, the largeness of its object; 2, the largeness of its acting; 3, the height of its true original.

1. The largeness of the object. So far as thou canst acquit thyself, owe nothing else to any, but love; owe that to all. Not a like familiar converse necessarily to all, nor a like measure of beneficence, nor a like degree of love, but yet love, alike sincere and real, to all;-not either a false, or an empty fair carriage, but holy Christian love, love rooted in thy heart and springing up in thy actions, even towards all men, as thy opportunity and ability serves thee, and their condition requires of thee; not hating nor despising any for their poverty in estate, or deformity of body, or defects of mind, nor for that which works most on men, injuries done to thyself. All they can do cannot give thee an acquittance or free thee of this debt of love; for thou art bound to another. This is the rule of Jesus Christ and the badge of Christians, to love their very enemies. But this, O how rare is it! How few attain it! Yea, how few endeavour to attain it! On the contrary, it is by many given over as a desperate impossible business, they judging of it not according to that Spirit of Christ that is his, but according to the corrupt rancour and bitterness of their own naturally perverse spirits. Yea, and too many disdain it as a poorness and sheepishness of spirit to suffer and forgive. Be it so; yet is it such a sheepishness as makes a man like Jesus Christ, who, as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, when his heart within was compassionate towards them, as appeared when he opened it concerning them, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. This is true greatness of spirit, to partake of his spirit, that is, the highest and best of spirits, and it is the spirit of meekness and love. How much is this above the common spirit of the world! Truly base and poor is that which is discomposed and put out of frame with every touch; whereas this is mighty and triumphs indeed over all provocations and injuries.

2. Let us consider the largeness of its acting: it goes through the law, fulfils it all. That command, the first in the second table, which is not here expressed, is it

1

not love that makes all concerned in it, to fulfil it? that produceth mildness and moderation in superiors, and faithfulness and willing obedience in inferiors; makes both authority and subjection sweet and easy, where love commands and love obeys?

And for the next, Thou shalt not kill, doth not love, as the sun-beams, put out the fire by its divine heat; eat out the earthly, yea, the infernal fire of fixed malice or rash anger, that burns naturally in the hearts of men? Such anger is called brutish, Ezek. xxi, 31, burning or brutish; and, on the contrary, the ambiguity, Prov. xvii, 27, is happy, of an excellent or of a cool spirit; for the cool spirit is excellent, cool from base passion but burning truly with this love. And then this fire is by very small and many times merely imaginary causes so easily blown up, that it flames forth into gross murders, or at least such injuries and violences, or contentions and revilings, as go in God's account and are writ down in his book for murders; and he doth not misjudge nor misname things, but they are really what he accounts them. Love can generously pass over those things about which folly and pride make such a noise-" Oh! can I bear this and that?" And thou wouldest, by so saying, speak thy stout-heartedness. Fool, is this stoutness and strength? Is it not rather the greatest weakness to be able to bear nothing? Have not the weakest persons much of that kind of stoutness and strength, who are the soonest moved and disquieted, women and children, and sick or aged persons? But love, Christian love to thy brother, makes the mind truly strong and composed, not easily stirred against him for every trifle, nay, not for greater matters. Love can endure much, yea, all things, says the apostle; it hath strength to stand under them, and stand firm; whereas base minds, void of love, break all to pieces under a very small weight. Love beareth all things, as the supporters of a strong and firm building; or rather, as a house, it covers all, for so the word signifies. It doth not blaze abroad the failings of men; yea, it hides much, covers a multitude of sins, not only from the eyes of others, but even from a man's own eyes; makes him not behold and look on those things that might provoke him. Yea, it is ingenious and inventive of the fairest constructions

of things, to take them by the best side in the favorable sense; and so long as there is any agreeable way to interpret any thing favorably, will not have a hard thought of it; thinketh no evil, as there it is. Not only hath it no active evil thoughts of revenge, or returning evil, but willingly it doth not judge ill of what is done by others, and what might be so looked on as to provoke; doth not reckon wrongs so high as want of charity moves the most to do; it sets them low. And as a healthful constitution, is sweet itself and relishes all things right, so there is more true pleasure and content of mind in forgiving, than ever any man found in revenge. That is but a feverish delight which malice and anger have wrought, working perhaps greedily, but it is indeed a distemper. This love is the very root of peace and concord, a humble grace, that is not lifted up and insolent, as the word there is, and so doth not breed jars about punctilios. It esteems so well of others and so meanly of itself, that it cannot well be crossed by any in that matter of undervaluing. But vain spirits are puffed up with a little approbation, and as easily kindled up with any affront or apprehended disgrace. Love is not lightly put out of temper, as in sickly constitutions a fit of fever or ague is brought on by any blast or wrong touch of diet: it is of a stronger digestion, and firmer health.

Then for that commandment, Thou shalt not commit adultery, all things of that kind, though they spring from a kind of love, yet are not from this love from above, but, as the apostle James distinguishes wisdom, proceed from the love that is sensual aud devilish. Love is not the true name of it, but base and brutish lust. And generally, all profane societies and sortings of men one with another are most contrary to this pure love. The drunkards who are cup-friends, as they are full of jars and have no constancy, but are unstable as that wherein their friendship lies, their liquor, are a vile despicable society, not worthy of men, much less of Christians. This sin hath affinity with uncleanness, and is usually ranked with it. Right love to a tippler is not to sit down and guzzle with him, but to reprove and labor to reclaim him, and where that cannot be done, to avoid him. To

wicked persons we owe, not a complacency or delight, which is most contrary to this love, but hating their sin, we owe them love, and the desiring and, as far as love can, the procuring of their conversion and salvation. Wicked converse cannot consist with this love, which is the fulfilling of the law, and not a combination for the breaking of it, and the joining of their strength together for that end. Love rejoiceth not in iniquity, but in the truth; it makes not men rejoice together in sin. So foul unclean affections, and a society in order to the gratifying of them, are most contrary to it. True love is most tender of the chastity of others, and cannot abide an impure thought in itself.

So, as to the next precept, Thou shalt not steal, love would be loth to enrich or advantage itself upon the damage of others in any kind. It doth most faithfully and singly seek the profit and prosperity of our neighbour, even as our own. And if this took place, of how much use were it in the world! But O it is rare, This is the grand cause of the ill understanding and discords that are amongst men, when things are not managed by this love, but by self-love,

And so, as to that, Thou shalt not bear false witness, the cherishing and preserving of the good name of our brethren is a proper and very remarkable fruit of this love, which is so far from forging false defaming stories, that it will rather excuse, if it may be done, or if not, will pity the real failings of men which tend to their reproach; and, on the contrary, will teach men to rejoice in the good carriage and good esteem of their brethren, as in their

own.

In the end, love works such a complacency in the good of others, and such a contentation with our own estate, that it most powerfully banishes that unruly humor of coveting, which looks on the condition of others with envy, and on our own with grudging and discontent. This law of love written within, doth not only rectify and order the bands and the tongue, but the jealousies, the very stir, rings of the heart. It corrects the usual disorder of its motion, and bars those uncharitable, inordinate thoughts that do so abound and swarm in carual minds.