Brotherly Love
“Love as brethren.”—1 Peter 3:8
Love without reason is a mad passion. Profession without love, is but ‘a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal;’ unmeaning noise to others, unprofitable to him that makes it. Love is of God. It is that precious ointment that is poured forth from the Father of love upon the head of our spiritual Aaron, and runs down to the skirts of his garment, even upon all his brethren, the children of love. Love descends from God, through Jesus, to us, spreads itself among the brethren, and ascends in grateful odours to the God of love.
The prophet asks, ‘Have we not all one Father?’ Yes, saith our elder brother, ‘I ascend unto my Father, and your Father.’ John 20:17 Hence the holy Spirit draws the image of Jesus, ‘the first-born among many brethren,’ upon each of their souls; and possesses them with the faith of Jesus. And whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. 1 John 5:1 Faith in Jesus is the band and cement of brotherly love. Are we the brethren of Jesus, beloved and chosen by one Father, born again of the same Spirit, partakers of the same grace, heirs of the same promises, travelers to the same kingdom; and shall we not love each other? Alas, alas, we mourn for the loss of property or health; but what greater cause is there to lament the loss of love amongst God’s dear children, Jesu’s beloved brethren!
We are all like Simeon and Levi, brethren in iniquity: and as with them, so anger and self-will is also found with us. Both are the effect of pride, and are contrary to faith and love. The question is not, are we perfectly freed from every passion and temper contrary to love? Nor are we to expect this from our brethren. God loves us not as sinless, but as he views us in Christ Jesus. Do we really love the children of God as such—love the members of Jesus purely for his sake? Instead of indulging, do we curb and resist, watch and pray against our tempers, which are contrary to love? This is a blessed evidence that the root of love is in us. Let us be importunate with Jesus, that the fruits may abound more and more to the glory of God, whom we love, ‘because he first loved us.’
Lore lays her own advantage by
To seek her neighbour’s good:
So God’s own Son came down to die,
And bought our lives with blood.
Love is the grace that keeps her pow’r
In all the realms above;
There faith and hope are known no more,
But saints forever love.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
