Looking Unto Jesus, Book 5 · Chapter 5 · Section 6
SECT. VI. Of Loving Jeſus in that reſpect.
6. LEt us love Jeſus, as carrying on the great work of our ſalvation for us during his Life. Now what is Love but a motion of the Appetite, by which the Soul unites it ſelf to what ſeems fair unto it? And if ſo, O what a lovely Object is the Life of Chriſt? who can read over his Life, who can think over his worthineſs, both in his perſon, relations, actions, and ſeveral adminiſtrations, and not love him with a ſingular love? That which ſet the Daughters of Jeruſalem in a poſture of ſeeking after Chriſt, was that Deſcription of Chriſt, which the Spouſe made of him; My Beloved is white and ruddy, Cant. 5.10, 11.12, 13, 14, 15.the chiefeſt of ten thouſands, his head is as the moſt fine Gold, his Locks are buſhy and black as a Raven; his eyes are as the eyes of Dov…s, by the Rivers of water, waſhed with milk, and finely ſet, his cheeks are as a bed of Spices, and ſweet flowers; his lips like Lillies dropping ſweet ſmelling myrrhe, &c. By theſe are intimated unto us the government of Chriſt, the unſearchable counſels of Chriſt, the pure nature of Chriſt, without any impurity or uncleanneſs; the gracious promiſes of Chriſt, the ſoul ſaving inſtructions of Chriſt, the holy actions and juſt adminiſtrations of Chriſt, the tender affections, and amiable ſmilings of Chriſt, the gracious, inward and wonderful workings of Chriſt; ſo that he is altogether lovely, or he is compoſed of loves; from top to toe there is nothing in Chriſt, but 'tis moſt fair and beautiful, lovely and deſirable— Now as this Deſcription enflamed the Daughters of Jeruſalem; ſo to act our loves towards the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, take we a copy of the Record of the Spirit in Scriptures; ſee what they ſay of Chriſt;John 5.39. this was his own advice, Search the Scriptures, for—they are they which teſtifie of me.
O my ſoul, much hath been ſaid to perſwade thee to Faith; and if now thou believeſt thy part in thoſe ſeveral actings of Chriſt, why let thy Faith take thee by the hand, and lead thee from one ſtep to another; from his Baptiſm to his Temptations; from his Temptations to his Manifeſtations; and ſo on: Is not here fewel enough for Love to feed upon? Canſt thou read the hiſtory of Love (for ſuch is the hiſtory of Chriſt's Life) and not be all on a flame? Come, read again! there is nothing in Chriſt but 'tis lovely, winning, and drawing; as,—
1. When he ſaw thee full of filth, he goes down into the waters of Baptiſm, that he might prepare a way for the cleanſing of thy defiled and polluted ſoul.
2. When he ſaw the Devil ready to ſwallow thee up, or by his baits to draw and drag thy ſoul down to hell, he himſelf enters into the Liſt with the Devil, and he overcomes him, that thou mighteſt overcome, and triumph with Chriſt in his Glory.
3. When he ſaw thee in danger of death through thy own unbelief, for (except thou ſaweſt in his hands the print of the nails, and put thy finger into the print of the nails; except thou hadſt clear manifeſtations of Chriſt even to thine own ſenſe, thou wouldeſt not believe) he condeſcends ſo far to ſuccour thy weakneſs, as to manifeſt himſelf by ſeveral witneſſes; three in heaven, and three on earth: yea, he multiplies his three on earth to thouſands of thouſands; ſo many were the ſignes witneſſing Chriſt, that the Diſciple which teſtified of them,John 21.25. could ſay, If they ſhould be written every one, the world could not contain the Books that ſhould be written.
4. When he ſaw the buying and ſelling in the Temple, yea, making Merchandize of the Temple it ſelf, I mean of thy Soul, which is the Temple of the holy Ghoſt; he ſteps in to whip out thoſe Buyers and Sellers, thoſe Luſts and Corruptions: O (cries he) will you ſell away your ſouls for Traſh? O what is a man profitted though he gain the whole world, and loſe his own Soul?
Prov. 30.2, 3.5. When he ſaw thee like the horſe and mule, more brutiſh than any man, not having the underſtanding of a man; thou neither learnedſt wiſdom, nor hadſt the knowledge of the moſt holy; he came with his inſtructions, adding line unto line, and precept on precept, teaching and preaching the Goſpel of the Kingdom; and ſealing his truths with many Miracles,Mat. 4.23. that thou maiſt believe, and in believing thou mighteſt have life through his Name: and Oh! what is this but to make thee wiſe unto ſalvation?
6. When he ſaw thee a ſinner of the Gentiles, a ſtranger from the common-wealth of Iſrael, and without God in the world, he ſent his Apoſtles and Meſſengers abroad, and bad them preach the Goſpel to thee; q. d. Go to ſuch a one in the dark corner of the world, an Iſle at ſuch a diſtance from the Nation of the Jews, and ſet up my Throne amongſt that people, open the moſt precious Cabinet of my Love there; and amongſt that People, tell ſuch a Soul, that Jeſus Chriſt came into the world to ſave ſinners, of whom he is one. O admirable Love!
7. When he ſaw thee caſt down in thy ſelf, and refuſing thy own Mercy, crying and ſaying, what! is it poſſible that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould ſend a Meſſage to ſuch a dead Dog as I am? why the Apoſtles Commiſſion ſeems otherwiſe: Go not into the way of the Gentiles, Mat. 10.5, 6.or into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the loſt ſheep of the Houſe of Iſrael. O I am a loſt ſheep, but not being of the Houſe of Iſrael; what hope is there that ever I ſhould be found? He then appeared, and even then he ſpred his arms wide to receive thy ſoul; he ſatisfied thee then of another Commiſſion given to his Apoſtles; Go, teach all Nations: And he cried even then, Come unto me thou that art weary and heavy laden with ſin, and I will receive thee into my boſom, Mat. 28.19.and give thee reſt there.
8. When he ſaw thee in ſuſpence, and heard thy complaint, But if I come, ſhall I find ſweet welcome? I have heard that his ways are narrow and ſtraight; Oh it is an hard paſſage, and an high aſcent up to heaven! Many ſeek to enter in, but ſhall not be able: Luke 13.24.Oh! what ſhall become of my poor Soul? why then he told thee otherwiſe;Prov. 3.17. that all his ways were ways of pleaſantneſs, and all his paths peace; he would give thee his Spirit that ſhould bear the weight, and make all light; he would ſweeten the ways of Chriſtianity to thee, that thou ſhouldeſt find by experience, that his yoke was eaſie, Mat. 11.29.and his burden was light.
9. When he ſaw the wretchedneſs of thy Nature, and original pollution, he took upon him thy Nature, and by this means took away thy original ſin. O here is the lovely Object! What is it but the abſolute holineſs and perfect purity of the Nature of Chriſt? This is the faireſt Beauty that ever eye beheld; this is that compendium of all Glories: now if Love be a motion and union of the Appetite to what is lovely, how ſhouldſt thou flame forth in loves upon the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? this is rendered as the reaſon of thoſe ſparklings, Thou art fairer than the children of men.Pſal. 45.2.
10. When he ſaw thee actually unclean, a tranſgreſſor of the Law in thought, word,Heb. 10.9. and deed; then he ſaid, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God; and wherefore would he do Gods will, but meerly on thy behalf?
O my Soul, canſt thou read over all theſe paſſages of Love, and doſt thou not yet cry out, O ſtay me, comfort me; for I am ſick of Love? Can a man ſtand by an hot and fiery furnace, and never be warmed? Oh for an heart in ſome meaſure anſwerable to theſe Loves! Surely even good natures hate to be in debt for love; and is therein thee (O my ſoul) neither grace, nor yet good nature? O God forbid! awake! awake thy ardent love towards the Lord Jeſus Chriſt! why thou art rock, and not fleſh, if thou beeſt not wounded with theſe heavenly darts; Chriſt loves thee, is not that enough? fervent affection is apt to draw love, where is little or no beauty; and excellent beauty is apt to draw the heart where there is no anſwer of affection at all; but when theſe two meet together, what breaſt can hold againſt them? See, O my ſoul, here is the ſum of all the particulars thou haſt heard, Chriſt loves thee, and Chriſt is lovely; his heart is ſet upon thee, who is a thouſand times fairer than all the children of men; doth not this double conſideration, like a mighty loadſtone, ſnatch thy heart unto it, and almoſt draw it forth of thy very breaſt? O ſweet Saviour, thou couldſt ſay even of thy poor Church (though labouring under many imperfections) Thou haſt raviſhed my Heart, Cant. 4.9, 10.my Siſter, my Spouſe, thou haſt raviſhed mine heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck; how fair is thy love, my Siſter, my Spouſe? how much better is thy love than wine, and the ſmell of thy oyntments than all Spices? Couldſt thou, O bleſſed Saviour, be ſo taken with the incurious and homely features of the Church, and ſhall not I much more be enamoured with thy abſolute and divine Beauty? It pleaſed thee, my Lord, out of thy ſweet raviſhments of thy heavenly love, to ſay to thy poor Church, Turn away thine Eyes from me, for they have overcome me; but Oh let me ſay to thee, Turn thine eyes to me, that they may overcome me; my Lord, Cant. 6.5.I would be thus raviſhed, I would be overcome; I would be thus out of my ſelf, that I might be all in thee.
Thus is the Language of true love to Chriſt; but alas, how dully and flatly do I ſpeak it; O my ſoul, how art thou out of frame? in creature-communion I uſually feel the warm, and vigorous, active, and very ſtrong; but now thy heart is enditing of a good matter, thou art ſpeaking of the things which thou haſt made concerning the King, thy words do almoſt freeze between thy lips; how chill and cold art thou in thy converſes with Jeſus Chriſt? Oh this puts me in mind of my deſerts; ſurely had Chriſt's love been but like this faint and feeble love of mine, I had been a damned wretch without all hope: O Chriſt, I am aſhamed, that I love thee ſo little; I perceive thy loves are great by all thoſe actings in thy life; come blow upon my Garden, perſwade me by thy Spirit that I may love thee much; many ſins are forgiven me, O that I may love thee much!