Monstrously Disproportionate Love
No. 422
Some people’s affection and acts toward others differ greatly. Some care about their appearance, while others care about their souls. Jesus Christ showed true love for both. He preached the gospel and healed the sick, showing kindness to hearts and bodies. By feeding five thousand people with loaves and fishes, Jesus showed compassion for souls and bodies. Christian compassion isn’t true if it doesn’t work the same way.
And as there is a monstrous disproportion in the love of some, in its exercises towards different persons, so there is in their seeming exercises of love towards the same persons. Some men show a love to others as to their outward man, they are liberal of their worldly substance, and often give to the poor; but have no love to, or concern for the souls of men. Others pretend a great love to men’s souls, that are not compassionate and charitable towards their bodies. The making a great show of love, pity, and distress for souls, costs ‘em nothing; but in order to show mercy to men’s bodies, they must part with money out of their pockets. But a true Christian love to our brethren, extends both to their souls and bodies. And herein is like the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. He showed mercy to men’s souls, by laboring for them in preaching the gospel to ‘em; and showed mercy to their bodies, in going about doing good, healing all manner of sickness and diseases among the people. We have a remarkable instance of Christ’s having compassion at once both to men’s souls and bodies, and showing compassion by feeding both, in Mark 6:34 etc. “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion towards them; because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” Here was his compassion to their souls. And in the sequel, we have an account of his compassion to their bodies, because they had been a long while having nothing to eat: he fed five thousand of ‘em with five loaves and two fishes. And if the compassion of professing Christians towards others don’t work in the same ways, it is a sign that it is no true Christian compassion. — Religious Affections, WJE 2:369