Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 2 · Section 6
SECT. VI. Of Loving in Jeſus in that Reſpect.
6. LEt us love Jeſus, as carrying on the great work of our ſalvation for us in his reſurection; ſurely if we hope in Chriſt, and believe in Chriſt, we cannot but love Chriſt; if Chriſt's reſurrection be our juſtification, and ſo the ground both of our hope and faith, how ſhould we but love him, who hath done ſuch great things for us? ſhe that had much forgiven her, loved much; and if by vertue of Chriſt's reſurrection we are Juſtified from all our ſins, how ſhould we but love him much? but that I may let down ſome cords of Love, whereby to draw our loves to Chriſt in this reſpect, let us conſider thus.—
Love is a motion of the appetite, by which the mind unites it ſelf to that which ſeems good to it. You may object that Chriſt is abſent, how then ſhould our ſouls be united to him? but if we conſider that objects, though abſent, may be united to the powers by their ſpecies and images, as well as by their true beings, we may then be ſaid truly to love Chriſt as raiſed, though he be abſent from us; come then, ſtir up thy appetite, bring into thy imagination the Idea of Chriſt as in his reſurrection; preſent him to thy affection of Love, in that very form wherein he appeared to his Diſciples; as gazing upon the duſty beauty of fleſh, kindleth the fire of carnal love, ſo this gazing on Chriſt, and on the paſſages of Chriſt in his reſurrection will kindle this ſpiritual love in thy ſoul: Draw near then, and behold him; Is he not white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſands? is not his head as the moſt fine gold? are not his locks buſhy, Cant. 5.10, 11, 12, 13.and black as a raven? are not his eyes as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, waſhed with milk, and fitly ſet? are not his cheeks as a bed of ſpices, as ſweet flowers? thus I might go on from top to toe? but that thou mayſt not only ſee his glory and beauty wherein he aroſe, but that thou mayeſt hear his voyce; doth he not call on thee, as ſometimes he did on Mary, on Thomas, on Peter, or on the twelve?Luke 24.6. As the Angel ſaid to the woman, remember how he ſpake, when he was yet in Galilee: ſo ſay I to thee, remember how he ſpake while he was yet on earth; ſurely his lips like Lillyes dropped ſweet ſmelling myrrhe. As thus. —
1. In his apparition to Mary, Jeſus ſaith unto her, woman, why weepeſt thou? whom ſeekeſt thou? John 20.15.were not theſe kind words? and haſt not thou had the like apparition? haſt not thou heard the like ſweet words from Jeſus Chriſt? how often hath thy heart ſobbed and fighed out complaints, O where is he whom my ſoul loveth? I charge you O daughters of Jeruſalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him I am ſick of love? And then was not Chriſt ſeen in the mount? was not thy extremity his opportunity to do thee good?Cant. 5.8. did not he beſpeak thy comforts with theſe words, Sweet ſoul, why weepeſt thou? whom ſeekeſt thou? what wouldſt thou have that I can give thee? And what doſt thou want that I can give thee? If any thing in heaven or earth will make thee happy, it is all thy own; wouldſt thou have pardon? thou ſhalt have it, I freely forgive thee all the debt; wouldſt thou have my ſelf? Why, behold I am thine, thy friend, thy Lord, thy husband, thy head, thy God. Were not theſe thy Lords reviving words? were not theſe melting, healing, raviſhing, quickening, paſſages of Chriſt his love?
John 20.19.2. In his Apparition to the ten, Jeſus ſtood in the midſt, and ſaith unto them, peace be unto you. Lo here more words of love: in the midſt of their trouble Chriſt ſtands in the midſt, ſpeaking peace to their ſouls; and hath not Chriſt done the like to thee? haſt thou not many and many a time bin lapt into troubles, that thou kneweſt not which way to turn thee? haſt thou not felt the contradictions of men, raylings of Rabſhecka's? and haſt thou not ſometimes ſhut the doors upon thee for fear of ſuch Jews? and then, even then, hath not Chriſt come to thy ſpirit with an olive branch of peace? ſaying to thy reſtleſs ſoul, peace, and be ſtill? hath he not wrought wonders in the ſea of thy reſtleſs thoughts? hath he not made a calm; and more then ſo, hath he not filled thee with joy and peace in believing? hath he not ſent thee away from thy prayers and complaints with a piece of heaven in thy ſoul? ſo that thou waſt forced to conclude.
John 20.27.In his Apparition to the Eleven, Jeſus ſaith to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand and thruſt it into my ſide, and be not faithleſs, but believing. O ſweet condeſcending words! how far? how low would Jeſus ſtoop to take up ſouls? and O my ſoul, are not theſe the very dealings of Chriſt towards thee? he that called Thomas to come near, hark how he calls on thee, Come near poor trembling, wavering, wandring ſoul; come, view the Lord thy Saviour, and be not faithleſs, but believing; peace be unto thee fear not, it is I. He that called on them who paſſed by to behold his ſorrow in the day of his humiliation, doth now call on thee to behold his glory in the day of his exaltation; look well upon him, doſt thou not know him? why his hands were pierced, his head was pierced, his ſide was pierced, his heart was pierced, with the ſtings of thy ſins, and theſe marks he retains even after his reſurrection, that by theſe marks thou mighteſt always know him; is not the paſſage to his heart yet ſtanding open? if thou knoweſt him not by the face, the voyce, the hands; if thou knoweſt him not by the tears, and bloody ſweat, yet look nearer, thou mayſt know him by the heart; that broken healed heart is his, that dead revived heart is his, that ſoul-pitying melting heart is his; doubtleſs it can be none but his, love and compaſſion are its certain ſignatures. And is not here yet fewel enough for love to feed upon? doth not this heart of Chriſt even ſnatch thy heart, and almoſt draw it forth of thy breſt? canſt thou read the hiſtory of love any further at once? doth not thy throbbing heart here ſtop to eaſe it ſelf? if not go on, for the field of love is large.
4. In this Apparition to the ſeven, Jeſus ſaith to Simon Peter, Son of Jonas, loveſt thou me more than theſe?—And he ſaid to him the ſecond time, Simon, Joh. 21 15, 16, 17.Son of Jonas loveſt thou me?—he ſaid to him the third time, Simon Son of Jonas loveſt thou me? Oh the loves of Chriſt in drawing out mans love unto himſelf! how often O my ſoul hath Chriſt come to thy door, and knocked there for entrance? how often hath he ſued for Love, and begged love, and asked thee again and again, Ah ſoul, doſt thou love me, more than theſe? come, tell me, doſt thou love me, love me, love me? come, wilt thou take me for thy Lord? wilt thou delight in me as thy Treaſure, thy happineſs, thy all? O fye! ſhall Chriſt raiſed, a glorious Chriſt, thus wooe, and ſue, and call, and wilt thou not anſwer as Peter did, Yea Lord, thou knoweſt that I love thee.—Yea Lord thou knowest all things, thou knoweſt that I love thee? Nay, art thou not grieved that Chriſt ſhould ask the third time for thy love? art thou not aſhamed out of thy ſtupidity, and forc't to ſay, O my bleſſed Lord, I have been too proud, too peeviſh, but thy free grace, and undeſerved love, hath beaten me out of all my pride, ſo that now I fall down at thy foot-ſtool, and lay my ſelf flat before thee; at firſt I wondered to hear Preachers talk ſo much of Chriſt, and I was bold to ask thy friends, what was their beloved more than another beloved? but now I wonder that I could be ſo long without thee, truly Lord, I am thine, only thine, ever thine, all that I am is at thy command, and all I have is at thy diſpoſing, be pleaſed to command both it, and me?
I might thus go on to conſider other paſſages in other Apparitions, but are not theſe enow to draw thy love? Oh what love was this! Oh what humility was this? that Chriſt after his reſurrection ſhould converſe with men during the ſpace of fourty days; worthy he was after ſo many ſorrows, ſufferings, reproaches, after ſo cruel ignominious, and bitter a death, immediately to have rid his triumph to glory; And for the confirmation of his Diſciples faith, he might have commanded the Angels to have preached his reſurrection; oh, no, he himſelf would ſtay in perſon, he himſelf would make it out by many infallible proofs that he was riſen again; he himſelf would by his own example learn us a leſſon of love, of meekneſs, of patience, in waiting after ſufferings for the reward.
Methinks a few of theſe paſſages ſhould ſet all our hearts on a flame of love; we love earth, and earthly things; we dig into the veins of the earth for thick clay; but if Chriſt be riſen ſet your affections on things above; and not on things on the earth. Oh if the love of Chriſt were but in us,Coloſ. 3.1, 2, as the love of the world is in baſe worldlings, it would make us wholly to deſpiſe this world, it would make us to forget it, as worldly love makes a man to forget his God; Nay it would be ſo ſtrong and ardent, and rooted in our ſouls, that we ſhould not be able voluntary and freely to think on any thing elſe but Jeſus Chriſt; we ſhould not then fear contempt, or care for diſgrace, or the reproaches of men; we ſhould not then fear death,1 Cor. 15.55, 57. or the grave, or hell, or devils; but we ſhould ſing in triumph, O death, where is thy ſting? O grave where is thy victory?—now thanks be to God which giveth us victory through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.