The following is drawn from William Ames’ Marrow of Theology 2.16, “Of Justice and Charity toward our neighbour.” A Reformed orthodox treatment of the ordo amoris or order of love.
* * * * *
13. The order of this charity is this: that God is first and chiefly to be loved by charity, and so he is, as it were, the formal reason for this charity toward our neighbour. Next after God we are bound to love ourselves, namely with that charity which respects true blessedness; for loving God himself with a love of union, we love ourselves immediately with that chief charity which respects our spiritual blessedness. But secondarily, we should love others whom we would have partake of the same good with us. Moreover, others may be deprived of this blessedness without our fault, but we ourselves cannot; and therefore we are more bound to will and to seek this blessedness for ourselves than for others.
14. This is why the love of ourselves has the force of a rule or a measure for the love of others: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
15. Hence it is never lawful to commit any sin for another’s sake, even though our offence may seem small, and to be a chief good which we should seek for another. For he that wittingly and willingly sins, hates his own soul. Pro 8.36, He that sins against me, offers violence to his own soul. Pro 29.24. He that partakes with a thief, hates himself: he hears cursing and does not declare it.
I just completed reading-recording the most helpful, practical, and thorough treatment on the subject of the Christian and his emotions I have ever read. Baxter’s “On the Government of the Passions” (or emotions) is found in Volume 3 of his Practical Works, a part of his massive Christian Directory. If you’ve never read the Puritans before, this would surely be a good place to start. The English is of course dated, but I’d say its much more accessible than you might think. I would personally encourage anyone who has never read this to do so—and you’ll probably feel like me, that this one should be read maybe once per year. And now I’ve recorded if for you, so now you have no excuse! Begin to heal your disordered feelings and cultivate a godly, stable, and enriching emotional life today as you are stuck in traffic or washing dishes. Your next podcast episode will still be there later. Your venerable fathers await!
And on the subject, let me commend a (more) modern theologian, B. B. Warfield, and his absolutely one-of-a-kind article, “On the Emotional Life of our Lord.” As Baxter is a doctor here treating the illness, Warfield presents the Savior who walked in our footsteps with the full range of our emotions, yet without sin. And the complete WPE Audio library can be accessed by the tab up top.
The following is a sample, where Baxter is treating sinful depression and despair. The PDF is below (print p. 256; pdf p. 281)
* * * *
Direction XIV. ‘Abhor all that tendeth to take down the power and government of reason (that is, all feebleness and cowardioe of mind, and a melancholy, a peevish, passionate disposition): and labour to keep up the authority of reason, and to keep all your passions subject to your wills; which must be done by Christian faith and fortitude.’ If you come once to that childish or distracted pass, as to grieve and say, ‘I cannot help it: I know it is sinful and immoderate, but I cannot choose,’ if you say true, you are out of the reach of counsel, advice, or comfort. You are not to be preached to, nor talked to, nor to be written for: we do not write directions to teach men how to touch the stars or explain the asperities or inequalities of the moon, or the opacous [opaque, or hidden] parts of Saturn, or to govern the orbs, or rule the chariot of the sun. If it be become a natural impossibility to you, doctrine can give you no remedy: but if the impossibility be but moral in the weakness of reason, and want of consideration, it may be doctrine, consideration, and resolution be overcome. You can do more if you will than you think you can. How come you to lose the command of your passions? Did not God make you a rational creature that hath an understanding and will to rule all passions? How come you to have lost the ruling power of reason and will? You would take it for a disparagement to be told that you have lost the use of your reason: And is it not a principal use of it to rule the passions, and all other inferior subject powers? You say you cannot choose but grieve! But if one could give you that creature which you want or desire, then you could choose: You could rejoice, if one could restore you that child, that friend, that estate which you have lost. But God, and Christ, and Heaven it seems, are not enough to cure you: if you must have but them you cannot choose but grieve! And what hearts have you then that are thus affected? Should not those hearts be rather grieved for? God will sometime make you see, that you had more power than you used.
This small treatise reflects something of the high watermark the Puritans left the Church in Christian ethics & casuistry, written by the Westminster Divine, Thomas Manton. Access the audio here. He does a masterful job of exposing a subtle, legal attitude so often prevalent in the church, that outward, religious observances must always and without qualification supersede concerns of human life and well-being. A colleague of mine shared it with me during the Covid church closure mess of 2020. It was quite relevant then and remains so today. A must-read for every Reformed pastor if not every serious Christian. And visit the complete audio library here.
William Ames (1576-1633), a very notable English Puritan and delegate to the famous Synod of Dort, wrote on the ethics of war and warfare in his work on conscience. If you are patient enough to try to read it with its antiquated typeset, by all means—see below. (A big hint: many “f’s” are actually “s’s.”) Or you can listen to me read it to you here!
John Cotton gives an extremely helpful list of biblical considerations for the Christian who is trying to decide whether or not to move. This is taken from “God’s Promise to His Plantations” (1630). I’ve left the archaic formatting in place.
* * * * *
Quest. But how shall I know whether God hath appointed me such a place, if I be well where I am, what may warrant my removeall?
Answ. There be foure or five good things, for procurement of any of which I may remove. Secondly, there be some evill things, for avoiding of any of which wee may transplant our selves. Thirdly, if withall we find some speciall providence of God concurring in either of both concerning our selves, and applying general grounds of removall to our personall estate.
First, wee may remove for the gaining of knowledge. Our Saviour commends it in the Queene of the south, that she came from the utmost parts of the earth to heare the wisdom of Solomon: Matth. 12. 42. And surely with him she might have continued for the same end, if her personall calling had not recalled her home.
Secondly, some remove and travaile for merchandize and gaine-sake; Daily bread may be sought from farre, Prov. 31. 14. Yea our Saviour approveth travaile for Merchants, Matth. 13. 45, 46. when hee compareth a Christian to a Merchantman seeking pearles: For he never fetcheth a comparison from any unlawful thing to illustrate a thing lawfull. The comparison from the unjust Steward, and from the Theefe in the night, is not taken from the injustice of the one, or the theft of the other; but from the wisdome of the one, and the sodainnesse of the other; which in themselves are not unlawfull.
To read further, see below. To access the entire sermon and an audio recording, click here.
West Port Experiment 