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hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you*. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another". Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends". This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies; do good to them which hate you; bless them that curse you; and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you?: that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

SECT. 3. Without this we can have no claim to the character of his disciples.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, that there are contentions among you. And I, brethren, could not speak unto you, as unto spiritual, but as unto carnale; for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, Are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Now the works of the flesh are manifest; which are these; hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, envyings, murders, debate, deceit, malignity; of the which I tell you, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If ye have

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bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above; but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits; and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned; behold the judge standeth at the door'. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doth not righteousness, is not of God; neither he that loveth not his brother'. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him". If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, How can he love God whom he hath not seen"? We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But now you also put off all these, anger, wrath, malice": Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; and above all these, put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness; and let the peace of God rule in your hearts'. For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another'. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking

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one another, envying one another". Do all things without murmurings and disputings. Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies; as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby'.

SECT. 4. Charity is therefore stated as essential to the Christian character.

Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity; I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and have all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have no charity; I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity; it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity; but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things". Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity". Follow after charity for knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth'. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love perfected in us". And this commandment have we

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received from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also1.

SECT. 5. Exhortations and motives to mutual love, and acts of beneficence.

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies; fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife, or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and gave his for our sins. Beloved, if also to love one another. ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another*. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification". Let all your things be done with charity'. Ever follow that

Son to be the propitiation
God so loved us, we ought
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which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men*. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love, and to good works'. Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another". And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins". Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Let no man seek his own; but every man another's wealth 1. As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God'. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren'. For this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another ". If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart'. And every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Wherefore giving all diligence, add to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ". Honour all men; love the brotherhood"; giving none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God; even as I please all men in all things; not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. Finally brethren, farewell; be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind; live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

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