True Christianity Part 65

_And G.o.d said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness._-GEN. 1:26.

All the creatures, in their different orders and degrees of subordination, may be said to imitate their Maker. Those beings that are endued with life and sense come nearer to him than the vegetable; the rational, than the irrational. As, then, all the creatures in their order seem respectively to approach nearer and nearer unto G.o.d, and man is the end and perfection of them all, it follows, that he must be in the highest degree of conformity and likeness unto G.o.d.

2. For as the wax represents the perfect impression of the seal, so G.o.d has fixed a stamp or impression of himself upon all creatures; but to man, before his fall, he gave his own image and the brightness of that glory, which the rest of the creatures partake of in lower degrees. Thus it appears from the orders of created beings, that man was entirely created after the image of G.o.d. And as G.o.d is a pure spirit, a holy, just, and understanding mind, so there is in man a spiritual and understanding soul, in which the brightness and glory of the divine image shone and manifested itself.

Chapter XXIV.

That Man Is Obliged To Love His Neighbor As Himself.

_He that loveth not, knoweth not G.o.d; for G.o.d is love._-1 JOHN 4:8.

As we were all originally created in the image of G.o.d, and he is endeavoring to restore in us this lost image by the Holy Spirit, and to save us in Jesus Christ, it follows, that we ought to love our neighbors, and look upon them not as aliens and strangers, but as our kindred and brethren, having all received from the same G.o.d and Father, our life, and breath, and all things. We ought to regard them with the same affection that we do ourselves, that so the image of G.o.d, renewed in us by Christ, may not suffer by our fault. Since, then, there is but one image of G.o.d in us all, and we have but one Redeemer and one Holy Spirit, how strong ought the bond of love and unity to be betwixt those who represent but one great body, and where all are members one of another? For as our Maker justly claims the first place in our love, so the second is certainly due to them that are created in his image. And because this image resides more particularly in the soul, we are thereby obliged to wish as well to the souls of our neighbors as to our own; so then every man is bound to love his neighbor as to love his G.o.d, and that is a necessary consequence of this. For as G.o.d has loved man from all eternity, and still continues to love us, by providing plentifully for all the wants of soul and body; he designs thereby, as with the cords of love, to draw us to himself, and to teach us that as he loves us, so ought we also to love one another.

2. Moreover, as religion or the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d regards chiefly the good and benefit of the wors.h.i.+pper, it follows, that the love of our neighbor, which arises from our love of G.o.d, necessarily tends to the same end. Or shall we say that the image of G.o.d in man is profitable to the giver, and not to the receiver? Lastly, as the love of G.o.d and of our neighbor is the first and chief duty of man, it must of necessity be also his chief and greatest good; yea, the root and fountain of all the blessings which he can possibly enjoy; so that nothing can strictly be called good to him, that proceeds from any other principle. The more, therefore, we increase and improve in the love of G.o.d and of our neighbor, the more do we improve in blessedness and happiness.

Chapter XXV.

All Mankind Are To Be Considered As One Man, Or As Being Many Members Of One Great Body.

_Have we not all one father? hath not one G.o.d created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?_-MAL. 2:10.

As all the creatures, the fire, air, earth, water, sun, moon, and stars, equally and without any respect of persons, serve and minister to mankind, doing the same service to the poor as to the rich; to the peasants as to the citizens; to him that labors for his bread, as to him that sitteth on the throne; by this G.o.d teaches us to look upon our neighbor as part of ourselves, and all of us together as making up but one man. And as he has commanded all the creatures to pay honor and obedience to man, he designs thereby to instruct us that we are the image of G.o.d, and ought to live in a constant imitation of him.

2. If we do not this, and accept not the service of the creatures with thanksgiving, we are unworthy of the least service from them. Now as the creatures pay equal service to all men, solely on account of the image of G.o.d which they bear, how much more inc.u.mbent is it upon us to love and honor our neighbor, as bearing that divine image. So that the creatures themselves instruct us by their example in the duties which we owe to one another; for as they regard all mankind but as one man, so ought we to do likewise.

3. Lastly, forasmuch as all of us enjoy the love and favor of the same G.o.d; are all equally created in the same image; as the love of G.o.d is universal to us all, and his blessings equally bestowed on all; as we all labor under the same necessities, and stand in need of the same mercies, and are obliged to pay him the same duty and service; as we are all partakers of the same nature, and bear the same name (for the poorest and meanest is as truly a man as the greatest); as we all receive an equal tribute of service from the creatures; and, as it is appointed for us all once to die; upon all these accounts we are, each one, obliged to love our neighbors as ourselves, and promote peace, unity, and charity among ourselves.

4. From all that has been said, it appears, that there is a twofold brotherhood among men: First, as we are all the creatures of G.o.d, and owe to him our being, and all the comforts and supports of it, as well as the other creatures; and secondly, as we are distinguished from the rest of the creatures, and have a closer and more heavenly relation one to another, being all created in the image and likeness of G.o.d. But there is yet a much more n.o.ble brotherhood discovered to us in the Gospel, by which we are all brethren of, and in, the Lord Jesus Christ, and members of his spiritual body under Him, our Head, of whose fulness we all receive our different measures and proportions of grace. Ephes. 1:23.

Chapter XXVI.

Charity, The Foundation Of The Greatest Strength.

_Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace._-EPH. 4:3.

As the greatest strength arises from concord, and the greatest weakness from discord; it follows, that the closer this concord is, the greater will the strength be. But in order to be united among ourselves, it is necessary that we begin first with being united unto G.o.d. The closer our union is with G.o.d, the stronger will it be with our neighbors. For it is impossible that he who is sincerely and heartily united to G.o.d by love, should hate his neighbor, whom G.o.d so sincerely loves. Yea, the more ardently any man loves G.o.d, the more tenderly will he love his neighbor; and the more he loves him, the closer will he be united to him.

2. Upon the diminution or increase of our charity, therefore, depends the decay or increase of our union; and when both are perfect, the strength arising from them is invincible. Whence it plainly appears, that when men love G.o.d, they must of necessity love one another, and are thereby united in a perfect bond of union and peace. But when once they come to forget G.o.d, and to care for n.o.body but themselves, then faction and discord arise, which end in ruin and confusion. Here we see the advantages of concord, and the many public and private blessings that flow thence; and how all the miseries that attend confusion and discord, rob us of those blessings, which every single person may enjoy in the safety and peace of the public. In a word, so great are the benefits of this universal love of G.o.d and man, that so long as it is preserved, no power can destroy or hurt us.

3. Hitherto we have been ascending by gradual steps, from the lowest creatures to G.o.d, our chief Good, being taught and convinced by the creatures, of the obligations under which we are to love and wors.h.i.+p G.o.d.

Hence we descend again from the Creator to the creature; that is, from the love of our Creator, to the love of the creatures.

Chapter XXVII.

Of The Nature, Properties, And Fruits Of Love.

_Take heed that the light which is in thee be not darkness._-LUKE 11:35.

That nothing is properly our own but our love, is too plain to need any proof. Hence, if our love be good, and rightly applied, our hearts and the treasures that are in them, are good likewise; but if otherwise, then we ourselves and all that we have, are evil. It is our love only that makes us either good or bad. And as, when our love is right and duly placed, there can be nothing better; so, when it is otherwise, there can be nothing worse.

2. And, since we can call nothing our own but our love, it follows, that on whatsoever being we place our love, to that we dedicate ourselves and all that we have. Whensoever we abuse or misapply our love, we throw away and lose all that we have. So then, if all our goodness consist in the rect.i.tude of our love, and all our evil in the misapplying of it; it follows, that virtue itself is nothing else but our love, truly and properly placed; and vice nothing else but a perverse and irregular love.

Whosoever considers these properties of love, cannot be ignorant wherein the greatest good, and the greatest evil of man, consist.

Chapter XXVIII.

Love Unites Him Who Loves With The Person Loved, And Transforms Into The Same Nature.

_G.o.d is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in G.o.d, and G.o.d in him._-1 JOHN 4:16.

Love unites itself to the beloved object, because it is the nature of love to communicate itself willingly and freely to every person or being that is disposed to receive it. For love is a free gift, and cannot be obtained by force. And as it is the nature of a gift, to be entirely in the power of him to whom the last owner gave it; so our love is entirely appropriated to him on whom we have bestowed it, so that we truly give up ourselves to that thing on which we fix our love. Thus the beloved is united with the lover, and they two become one, not by constraint or force, but freely, willingly, and joyfully: and so he who loves is made one with the thing beloved, and love takes its denomination from its object. Hence we read of _carnal_ love, _earthly_ love, and _divine_ love, each taking its name and character from the objects on which it is fixed.

Thus then every man has it in his power to be changed with freedom and ease into a being more n.o.ble than himself.

2. Moreover, as the will, without controversy, undergoes a change in love, and every change ought to be from an ign.o.ble to a more n.o.ble state of being (as we see the elements are changed into plants and herbs, and these into the flesh of living creatures, and they again into the substance of human bodies), it would, therefore, be unnatural to fix our love upon, and, consequently, to be united and changed into, anything that is meaner than ourselves, but rather upon G.o.d, the best and supreme Being; to whom, according to the order of nature, our love and will ought to be united.

Thus we hear, as it were, the whole creation calling to us, and putting us in mind of the supreme excellency of G.o.d; upon which account He, and He alone, is worthy of our love.

Chapter XXIX.

Nothing Is Worthy Of Our Love, But That Which Can Make Us More n.o.ble And Pure.