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Disinterested love.

him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

1 Jn. 4. 7. 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. 20. 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?

383. Is the love which God requires, disinterested ?

Mat. 5. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate 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. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Mat. 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Mat. 22. 39. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Lk. 6. 32. If ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to

same.

Involves self-denial.

sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.

1 Cor. 13. 4. 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.

384. Does the love which God requires involve self-denial?

Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake, shall find it.

Mat. 16. 24. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mk. 8. 34-37.

Lk. 14. 26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosovever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 33. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Jn. 12. 25. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me.

Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but

Love and self-denial exemplified.

as it it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

1 Cor. 10. 24. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 33. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved

2 Cor. 5. 15. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

385. Are disinterested love and self-denial exemplified?

Ex. 32. 31. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin: and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

2 S. 24. 17. And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

Job 1. 9. Doth Job fear God for nought? 21. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job 13. 15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.. Hab. 3. 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Lk. 10. 33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Happiness of self-denial.-Covetousness prevalent. Rom. 9. 1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh.

2 Cor. 8. 9. Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

2 Cor. 12. 14. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you.——And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. [See No. 60.]

386. Is self-denial productive of present happiness?

Mat. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Mk. 10. 28. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life.

387. Has covetousness rather than disinterested love prevailed on earth?

Jer. 6. 13. From the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness. Jer. 22. 17. But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness.

Ezk. 33. 31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they

Covetousness forbidden and threatened.

hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their coveteousness.

Hos. 10. 1. Israel, is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself.

Rom. 1. 29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness.

Ph. 2. 21. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

2 Tim. 3. 2. Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud.

388. Is covetousness forbidden?

Ex. 20. 17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor's.

Pr. 28. 16. He that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

Lk. 12. 15. Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16-21. [Parable of the rich fool.]

Ep. 5. 3. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as becometh saints.

Ph. 2. 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5-8.

Col. 3. 5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have.

389. Is covetousness threatened?

Ps. 10. 3. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's

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