Heaven Opened, Treatise · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. An Heart to love the Lord.
4. AN heart to love the Lord. Deut. 30.6. The Lord thy God will circumciſe thine heart, and the heart of thy ſeed: to love the Lord thy God, with all thine heart, and with all thy ſoul. Love is the ſoul of the new creature; the cloſure of the ſoul with God. He that hath moſt of God is moſt a Chriſtian, and hee that hath moſt of love, hath moſt of God. God is love.
In the opening of this love to God, wee ſhall conſider its
Object.
Act.
1. Its Object. The Object of divine love is God. God is good, and good is amiable. God is all good, There is none good but one, that is God. God is eſſentially good, goodneſs in the abſtract; hee is infinitely excellent, hee is all perfection. In this one Attribute, all the reſt of the Attributes of God are included, and this in each of them. However the Scriptures, ſpeaking to our capacities, deſcribe God and his glorious Attributes, in ſeveral and diſtinct notions; yet in each one all are included; each one is infinite, and infinite perfection is eſſentially all perfection. God is originally good; the fountain and pattern, of all that moral good that is in the creatures; hee is bountifull, and gracious, ready to do them good; and hee is the felicitating end, or the bleſſedneſs of the ſoul. The goodneſs of God to his creatures, according to its different reſpects to them, hath its different and various appellations. As it is freely beſtow'd, 'tis Grace: As it reſpect them as needy, ſo 'tis Bounty: as in miſery, ſo 'tis mercy and compaſſion; as Provoking, ſo 'tis Patience: as it intends their good, ſo 'tis love: as it anſwers both their neceſſities and capacities, ſo 'tis Al-ſufficiency. All theſe, his bounty, mercy, compaſſion, patience, love, al-ſufficiency: all theſe are in one word, his goodneſs, and goodneſs calls for love. The Object of this love is God. Particularly,
1. God in himſelf.
2. God in Chriſt.
3. God in all the things of God.
1. God in himſelf, as hee is infinitely excellent, (as before) and ſo worthy of all love. God is to bee loved in himſelf, and for himſelf, for his own worthineſs. God is good in himſelf, and therefore to bee loved for himſelf.
2. God in Chriſt. In whom alone, conſidering us as ſinners, hee can bee ſaid to be good to us.
There is a four-fold incentive of love.
Perception.
Proportion.
Propriety.
Poſſeſſion.
1. Perception; or the apprehenſion or underſtanding of the Object to bee loved; wee muſt know before we can love; now God cannot immediately be ſeen by mortals; hee dwelleth in light, but that light is to us inviſible. Chriſt is the glaſs, in which this glory may bee ſeen. We cannot ſee God but through a vail of fleſh, in the face of Jeſus Chriſt. 2 Cor. 4. No man hath ſeen God at any time, but the only begotten of the Father, who is in the boſome of the Father, hee hath revealed him.
2. Proportion. And there is a double proportion requiſite.
1. In reſpect of quantity, there muſt bee ſufficiency.
2. In reſpect of quality, there muſt bee ſuitableneſs.
God himſelf is proportioned to us, conſider us as rational creatures, and in our ſtate of innocency; is both a ſufficient and a ſuitable good; but God in Chriſt onelyonly, being conſidered as lapſed creatures, in a ſtate of ſin.
God in Chriſt, is a God of pitty, and compaſſion to us; a God of patience, a God of mercy, with whom is plentious redemption. A God, pardoning iniquity, and paſſing by tranſgreſſion; loving us in our low eſtate, loving us and pittying us, loving us and pardoning us; loving us and waſhing us, loving us and ſaving us from our ſins, and from the wrath to come. And ſuch love is the great flame that kindles love; love breaking forth out of a cloud of wrath, and fury, and diſpleaſure; abuſed love provoked love, and yet forgiving love; to whom much is forgiven, they will love much.
3. Propriety. What's good, good for us, and [our own] good, that carries our hearts. Wee moſt love our own good, becauſe wee moſt love our ſelves. Our love to God is heightened from our due ſelf-love; there is a ſinful ſelf-love; when either wee love that for a ſelf, which is not our ſelf; when wee love our fleſh and fleſhly intereſt; or when wee love our ſelves inordinately, more than God, and God only for our ſelves; and there is a lawful ſelf-love; when wee love our ſelves, in the Lord, and for the Lord. And the more wee thus love our ſelves, the more is the Lord loved by us; and the more hee is our own, the more love hee hath. Now in Chriſt the Lord is [our] God. Our own God; even our own God. Pſal. 67.6. O God thou art [my] God, and I will praiſe thee. Thou art my God and I will love thee.
The Lord is God, and wee therefore love him; the Lord is good, gracious, merciful, and wee therefore love him, yea, and ought to love him, whether he bee ours or no; but when both meer, hee is God and our God; hee is good and our good; gracious, merciful, all-ſufficient, and all this to us; hence is our love made perfect in us.
4 Poſſeſſion; wee can love a diſtant, an abſent good. A good that's only poſſible; there's love in hope; but by how much the nearer good is to us, (that is really ſo) by ſo much the more attractive and acceptable 'tis. 'Tis then moſt in our hearts, when 'tis moſt in our hands. Indeed thoſe things which have only ſpeciem boni, that are fancied good; or thoſe things that are finite good; and good over-rated; that are judg'd better than they are, are lov'd moſt at a diſtance; becauſe when they come to hand, wee ſee our miſtake. But that which is what it ſeem'd; much more, that which is above our thoughts, beyond our expectations, infinite good; by how much the nearer, 'tis ever the dearer to us. All worldly good is moſt valued, (at leaſt by carnal hearts) at a diſtance; they promiſe themſelves more contentment in it, than it hath to pay them; their poſſeſſion is their diſappointment. Whileſt they luſted, they idoliz'd, they ador'd; but when they have taſted, and eaten, it comes out at their noſtrils. Or elſe they ſit down, with the ſhame of the diſappointed; they are either ſurfeited, or hungry ſtill. Is this all? all you can do for mee? all the pleaſure, and comfort, I ſhall have of you? is all my expectation of delight, and ſatisfaction, come to no more but this? Miſerable comforters are you all! poſſeſſion and fruition is the proof of all things. And vanity proved, is the leſs loved. But God being an all-ſufficient, incomprehenſible good; by how much the nearer to us, by how much the more hee is ours by ſo much the more wee prize and love, becauſe now wee find (when wee have him, wee enjoy him) that before, the one half was not told us.
Now in Chriſt, wee have not onelyonly a propriety in God, but in ſome degree, a preſent poſſeſſion. Hee that hath the Son, [hath] the Father alſo. We ſee his light, wee feel his love, wee taſte of his goodneſs, wee enjoy his preſence, wee have God with us, wee have God in us, wee have fellowſhip with him, he dwelleth in us, and wee in him, and hence wee love, and herein wee rejoyce.
3. God in all the things of God, in his Word, Ordinances, Sabbaths, Saints, in graces, duties, in all his waies, the Saints love God, and love his word, 'tis God in the word they love; they love God, and they love Ordinances, and Sabbaths, and Saints; 'tis God in all theſe they love; They love the waies, and works, and all the diſpenſations of God, and 'tis God in them all they love, they ſee God in every thing, and they love God where ever they ſee him. They look on all theſe things with another eye, and therefore embrace them with another heart then other men.
The Saints love to the things of God, is their love to God; for 'tis God in them (as was ſaid) that they love, their love to them is founded either on, their
participation of God, or,
relation to God.
Or elſe you may ſay they love the things of God, becauſe they are,
the Off-ſpring
the Images
the Chariots
of God.
1. The things of God, are the Off-ſpring of God, as the Saints are born from above, ſo all the things of God, are …, they come down from above, and therefore may alſo bee called as the Apoſtle ſtiles them, …, things above, Phil. 3.1,2. If yee bee riſen with Chriſt, ſeek thoſe things that are above, ſet your affections on things above; things above, and the things of God, come all to one, whatſoever is from God, and belongs to his Heavenly Kingdome, is divine, and heavenly; and hee that loveth him that begets, therefore loveth thoſe which are begotten, and whatſoever proceedeth from him.
2. The Word and the Saints are the Images of God, the character, and impreſſe of God are upon them; the Grace in the Saints, and the holy truths in the Word, are the very face of Chriſt; who is full of Grace and Truth, and this is their Rule, love God, and love his Image.
3. The things of God are the Chariots of God. Hee that makes the Clouds his Chariots, makes alſo his Word, and his Ordinances, and his Miniſters, his Chariots, wherein he rides down into theſe lower parts, to give the World a meeting. When Miniſters come, and the Word comes down, God comes down in them to viſit his people; as 'twas ſaid of Paul, So 'tis true of Apollos, and Cephas, and all the diſpenſers of the Goſpel, they are choſen Veſſels to bear his Name, before the Sons of men; and as they are the Chariots in which God comes down, ſo are they alſo the Wagons which hee hath ſent them, to fetch them up to himſelf; The Saints ſend up their hearts in their duties, their hearts in their prayers, in their praiſes unto God. Old Iſrael's heart leap'd, when hee ſaw the Wagons which Joſeph had ſent. Oh what love doth the Pſalmiſt expreſſe, to the Houſe and Courts of the Lord! O how amiable are thy Tabernacles, I was glad when they ſaid unto mee, let us go up into the Houſe of the Lord. Hee was glad to go thither, becauſe thence hee hoped to bee carried higher, from the Mountain to the Manſion; from Mount Zion here below, to Jeruſalem, which is above.
It's the duty, and the delight of the Saints to bee aſcending Heaven-wards, they are dead with Chriſt, they are riſen with Chriſt; and 'tis not as they would with them, but when they are aſcending up with Chriſt, they are dead with Chriſt, by repentance and humiliation, they are riſen with Chriſt, by faith and ſanctification, and they aſcend with Chriſt, by love and holy affection, this is their Chariot of fire, a Chariot, within a Chariot, that through Duties and Ordinances rides up in its own flames to the God of Love.
Or if you will, the Ordinances of God, are our Jacobs Ladder reaching from Heaven to Earth; by which, Angels deſcend, and ſouls aſcend, God comes down, and hearts go up, praiſes go up, and bleſſings come down; thou haſt not prov'd what an Ordinance is, what Prayer means, or Preaching means, or Sacraments mean, that haſt not ſeen God coming down, nor felt thine heart aſcending by them; hee that hath felt this, will ſay, here let mee dwell; let others bee where they will, amongſt their flocks, amongſt their herds, upon their beds, or at their cups, amongſt their Harlots, or in their houſes; It is good for mee to bee here.
No wonder Chriſtians, that carnal hearts are ſuch ſtrangers to the Word, can ſo well fit out at Duties, and can want Ordinances; Preaching and Praying, and Sabbaths, they can ſpare, and not feel their want, what wonder? What is Heaven to Earth? what is God to fleſh? theſe Chariots would carry them away from their Gods, carry them out of their own Country, into a ſtrange Land, where they have neither poſſeſſion nor acquaintance; But oh! what a ſad wonder is it, that Saints ſhould go up ſo often into the Chariots, and yet be gotten no nearer home, that they ſhould be ſtill ſo much on the Earth, that have been ſo often mounted for Heaven; that thoſe hearts ſhould ſtill bee on the dunghils, whoſe feet are ſo often on the mountain of the Lord; that the Wagons ſhould bee ſo often ſent down, and go up empty; ſcarce an heart ſent up in them; yea, that they ſhould be ſo far from God, when God is among them. Where's your love, Chriſtians? how is it that it is ſtill below? what have you here? your City is above; your home is above; your God, your Jeſus, your treaſure is above: oh how is it, that where your treaſure is, your hearts bee not alſo? hear from God, and not God with the meſſenger? ſend up to heaven, your eyes, your hands, your prayers, your complaints, your promiſes, and ſtill leave your hearts below? ſend up hearts to heaven, and let them return again down to this earth? remain earth, and fleſh, and filth, and vanity, after ſo much converſe or pretence to it, with the holy God of ſpirits? loveſt thou God? when thou canſt ſo often go where hee is, and not care to ſee him? or if thou meet him, canſt let him go without a bleſſing? or if he bleſs thee, canſt go preſently and exchange thy Fathers bleſſing for a meſs of pottage? canſt loſe a duty in a dinner, the comforts and revivings of a Sermon, of a Sacrament, of a Sabbath, in an hours carnal converſe in the world? did wee love our God more, certainly wee ſhould bee more with him, and to better purpoſe. His meetings would bee more precious, and the fruits of them more laſting. Wee ſhould neither go away without his bleſſing, nor throw it away when wee had gotten it.
Thus much for the object of love.
2. Its Act. Love is a natural Affection. The love of God is the ſouls claſping or cloſing with the Lord. It is the expanſion, or going out of the heart, in its ſtrength, after God, the uniting or knitting of the ſoul vvith God, vvith a complacency and acquieſcence in him.
There are three things included in this love.
1. The strength of the heart making out after God. This is that vvhichwhich is commonly called our amor deſiderii, or our love of deſire, the breathing, or thirſting, or panting of the heart, after God, Pſal. 42.1. The hearts vvorking God-vvards with its might; loving him above all things, deſiring him above all things; and that both Intenſivè vvith the greateſt vigour and intention: and adaequatè as its compleat, and adequate object. God is its All. Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I deſire beſides thee.
2. The uniting of the ſoul with God. Our cleaving to him. By love heart cleaves to heart, ſoul cleaves to ſoul. Its ſaid of Shechem, Gen. 34.3. that his heart clave unto Dinah. Hee loved her vvith his heart, ſhee vvas gotten into his heart, and there his heart holds her. Acts 11.23. Barnabas exhorts the Church, that with purpoſe of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. It is the knitting of the ſoul vvith God. Its ſaid, 1 Sam. 1.18. That the ſoul of Jonathan was knit with the ſoul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own ſoul. And of Jacob, Gen. 44.30. to expreſs his tender love to Benjamin, 'tis ſaid, his life was bound up in the lads life. Of the multitude of believers wee read Act. 4.32. that they were all of one heart and of one ſoul. Their love had knit them up all into one. By love wee are one with God, and hee with us. It is the ſouls willing of God, as I may ſo ſpeak. Willing of God to it ſelf, and willing it ſelf, and all to God. All praiſes, all honour, all bleſſedneſs to him. Bee thou mine Lord, nothing leſs, nothing elſe. Bee thou mine, I need no leſs, I deſire no more. Let mee bee thine, be to thee, bee for thee, thy ſervant, thy ſacrifice, or what thou wilt, and let all mine bee thine; mine heart, and my hand, and my tongue, and my time, and mine intereſt. Let all thine bee to thee; thy heavens and thy earth, with every perſon, with every creature in them. Let every heart, every mouth, every limb, every creature, bee a praiſe to the Lord. Let the Lord live, and bleſſed bee my rock, let the God of my ſalvation bee exalted. Let every knee bow, let every tongue confeſs unto God. This is the amor unionis, our love of union, as 'tis called. And 'tis the heart, the very eſſence of ſaving love; wherein are included both our accepting of God, and our ſurrender or reſignation of our ſelves unto God. Amor non eſt niſi donum amantis in amaetum. And our wiſhing and willing all glory, dominion, and bleſſedneſs to him. And ſo here alſo is our amor benevolentiae, our love of benevolence. All theſe may bee included in that opening of the heart, mention'd, Acts 16.14. Its there ſaid, that the Lord opened Lydia's heart. The heart is then ſavingly opened, when it freely lets out it ſelf upon God; all its ſtreams run in to the Lord; and when it takes in, and takes down, God into the depth of the ſoul. The heart thus opened to the Lord, when God is come in, will cloſe upon him. Abide with me; thou haſt entred upon thine habitation, oh let this bee thy dwelling for ever. OnelyOnly this muſt bee farther added, that with God it takes in all the things of God; his Word, his Ordinances, his waies, and all his diſpenſations. With his love his laws; with his comforts his counſels; with his counſels his corrections; with thee, I accept of all that's thine; both thy ſtaff and thy rod; both thy yoke and thy croſs; thy ſelf Lord, thy love Lord, and what thou wilt with thee.
3. The ſouls talking pleaſure, and taking up its reſt in him. This is call'd our Amor complacentiae. Where wee love there will bee a delightful ſtay or immoration of the mind upon God. Ubi amor, ibi oculus. The object dwells in the eye; we are ſtill looking where we love. Anima eſt ubi amat. When I awake, I am ſtill with thee; there his thoughts are, of him is his meditation all the day long.
My meditation of him ſhall bee ſweet. Hee that loves dwelleth in God. I will dwell in the houſe of the Lord for ever. And why there? why there his God dwells, and therefore there his ſoul takes up its dwelling. There is alſo an acquieſcence of the heart in him. Return unto thy reſt, O my ſoul. But this is not felt, till love hath obtained. Till the ſoul feels it ſelf to love and to have what it loves; to love and to bee beloved; to accept and to bee accepted of God. When it comes to this, then I have enough. I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine. And here is the ſweetneſs of Religion; the marrow and fatneſs of godlineſs, the pleaſure of love. When I love I can reſt; when I can reſt I can rejoyce; when I feel my ſelf to love, I know I am beloved, and then what is there wanting? where love is a ſtranger joy is not known; wee can never take comfort in any thing, but in that which wee love. When take wee pleaſure in eating, but when we have meat that wee love? what is a friend, or a wife, or a childe, when wee love them not? what is ſociety or communion, where love hath not firſt made an union? can two walk together except they bee agreed? with little comfort ſure; they would bee better pleaſed, were they parted aſunder. 'Tis love that is the pleaſure of our lives. 'Tis love that makes heaven ſweet; there wee ſhall have our fill of joy, becauſe there wee have our fill of love. Heaven would bee no heaven, God himſelf could not bee the joy, if hee were not the love of his Saints. What bitter draughts will love ſugar? ſin, and luſts, and all the filth of the fleſh, are ſweet morſels to carnal hearts; 'tis meat they love. God is nothing, Chriſt is nothing to them; What is thy beloved more than other beloveds? Religion is a bondage to them, holineſs a wearineſs; not the labours onelyonly, but the joyes of the Saints, are empty and unſavoury things; there are no feaſts, but love-feaſts. Love is both the beſt diſh, and the onelyonly ſauce to every diſh; 'tis the beſt diſh, he that feeds on divine love, will never complain of a ſhort meal; and 'tis the onelyonly ſauce for every diſh, 'tis but unſavoury meat that is not ſeaſoned with love; wee may a little change the proverb, love is the beſt ſauce. Bee the meat never ſo excellent, it will not reliſh if it bee not loved. Love will make any thing down. When it puts ſuch a ſweetneſs into ſin, that even death, and hell will down with carnal hearts for its ſake, oh what a feaſt will love make of holineſs and glory? get love to Chriſt, love to Religion, and you will never demand, where is the bleſſedneſs? where is the ſweetneſs?
Love will ſweeten, both the comforts, and the exerciſes of Religion; 'twill make duties ſweet, yea, and ſufferings ſweet. There are two things that are naturally ſweet to love.
To pleaſe.
To praiſe.
1. He that loves will pleaſe, and obſerve whom hee loves. How careful are ſuch to watch themſelves, that they grieve not their friend; what ſtudy does love put them upon, to find out what's grateful and acceptable. Acceptable looks, acceptable language, acceptable entertainment; what wilt thou Lord? what wilt thou have mee to bee? a ſervant? a door-keeper? a ſervant of ſervants for thee? I will bee nothing but what thou wilt; any thing that thou wilt have mee. What wilt thou have mee to do, Lord! let mee know thy vvill, appoint mee my vvork. O that my waies were ſo directed, that I might keep thy ſtatutes. What vvilt thou have of mee? vvilt thou have mine Idols! mine eaſe, or mine honour, or my pleaſure, or my houſe, or mine eſtate? vvilt thou have mine Iſaacks? is there any thing dearer to me than other, that might bee an offering to the Lord? wilt thou have my liberty, or my life! behold all is at thy feet; I can keep back nothing thou calleſt for.
Hence love is ſaid to bee the fulfilling of the Law. There is in this good will, radically every good work. It would walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing, being fruitful in every good work. Love is generous; it would do great things, noble things; what ſhall I do for him, whom my ſoul honours! oh for a gift, that might bee worthy of him! but I have nothing; my goodneſs extendeth not to thee; it would give more than it owes; but where it cannot do ſo, where it cannot bee generous, yet it would bee juſt; it would levell all accounts, and pay all debts; love would have nothing but love owing. It would give to all their due; it would not die in the debt of a ſervant, of a ſtranger, much leſs (could it help it) would it defaulk from the God of glory. That's the daily charge of love, pay what thou oweſt. Its receipts and returns, are a pleaſure to it; any thing that comes down from heaven, and every preſent it has to ſend thither, is a joy to love. This is the meſſage that both ſpeak, happy ſoul, thou loveſt and art beloved. It catches at all opportunities, to ſend up meſſages of love, and knoweth no fitter meſſenger to ſend by, than by the hand of duty. Every duty is diſpatched with this ſuperſcription, the tribute of love.
Love is the ſpring, that ſets all our wheels a going; the womb, in which all our works are formed; the fire in the heart, that vents it ſelf in our words and wayes. The fire kindled, then ſpake I with my tongue. Love is to a Saint, what malice is to Sathan; that which gives force to all his actings. Sathans temptations are called fiery darts; and this, not onelyonly becauſe they are headed, and barbed with fire; as poyſoned arrows, they burn where they hit; they ſet ſin on fire, they ſet the ſoul on fire; burning with luſt, and wickedneſs. but becauſe they are winged with fire, and forced with fire; the bullet is fired out of the Gun, and thence it flies ſo fiercely. 'Tis the malice of Sathans heart that fires out all his darts. What malice doth with Sathan, that doth love with Saints. It ſets the heart in a flame, of holy zeal, and activity for God. Jer. 20.9. Thy word was in mee as fire, (it hath kindled a fire there) I was weary with forbearing. An heart of love is weary, but not of action, but of idleneſs. Weary with forbearing, not with doing; never weary of doing much, ever weary of doing nothing. O God my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed; ſaith the Pſalmiſt, I will ſing and give thanks. Love will adde, O God, mine heart is fiered, my heart is fiered; there's a flame kindled; mine heart burneth, in holy deſires, and zeal for thee; and where love hath ſet the heart a burning, the heart will ſet the hand a working, and the feet a running.
2. He that loves will praiſe whom he loves. Praiſe is comely, and praiſe is a pleaſure to the upright in heart. 'Tis the delight of love to be ſpeaking of the perfections, of the vertues, of the beauties, of the excellencies of her beloved. The Spouſe in the book of Canticles whoſe whole language is all love, her heart is ſo full, that her lips overflow with the mention of the excellencies of Chriſt. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt amongſt ten thouſand. His head fine gold, his eyes Dove's eyes, his cheeks a bed of ſpices, his lips are lillies, his hands are gold-rings, his legs pillars of marble, his countenance excellent, his mouth ſweet, yea, hee is altogether lovely; this is my beloved, and this is my friend, O Daughters of Jeruſalem. Cant. 5. Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holineſs, fearful in praiſes, doing wonders? Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praiſed, in the City of our God. Thy mercy O Lord, is in the heavens, thy faithfulneſs reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteouſneſs is like the great mountains, thy judgments are a great deep. How excellent is thy loving kindneſs, O Lord, therefore the ſons of men put their truſt under the ſhadow of thy wings. I will ſpeak of the glorious honour of thy Majeſty, and of thy wondrous works; the Lord is gracious and full of compaſſion, ſlow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Let all thy works praiſe thee, O Lord let thy Saints bleſs thee; let them ſpeak of the glory of thy kingdome, and talk of thy power. Let them abundantly utter the memory of thy goodneſs, and ſing of thy righteouſneſs. O my God, thou art all love, all goodneſs, all grace, all glory; O let thy ſervant bee all praiſe. Let this heart bee an altar, and every ſervice a ſacrifice; let this mouth bee a trumpet, and every word a Pſalm; let my breath bee as incenſe, and every member a cenſer. Let all that is within mee, my ſoul with all its powers; let all that is without me, my body with all its members, ſhout for joy, and ſing forth the high praiſes of God. This is the voice of Love.
And now you have another excellency of the new heart, laid open to your view: Love; An heart to love.
Chriſtians, prize this precious grace; prize it, and you will write down, this word alſo, among the great and precious Promiſes; and if you would prize it aright, take your eſtimate of it, from its worth, and its want; as we uſe to prize Jewels, from their
excellencie,
rarity.
1. Prize it, according to its worth, and excellency. Why, what is the worth? Cant. 8.7. If a man would give all the ſubſtance of his houſe for love, it would bee contemned. The whole world is not of that value, to bee a price for love; no it muſt come by gift, it's not to bee bought for money, love is worth as much as a ſoul, and that's more than all the world. What ſhall it profit a man, to win the whole World, and loſe his own Soul? love is as much worth as all Religion; 'tis the ſoul and the ſubſtance of all Religion; all the Graces, the Duties and Exerciſes of it, are onelyonly valued, according to the love that is in them; what is knowledge, faith, hope, patience without love? what is prayer, faſting, alms, without charity? They are worth nothing, ſhall I ſay? nay they are nothing; If I had all knowledge, and all faith, and were all prayer, and all labour, and all ſuffering; and had not charity, I were nothing. Love is worth as much as Heaven is worth, as Christ, as God is worth to us. God is love, and God is not, if love bee not in us. Doſt thou prize thy ſubſtance? Is thy houſe, or thy mony, or thy lands, any thing to thee? Doſt thou value thy ſoul? Is Religion, is Heaven, is Chriſt, is God himſelf of any account with thee? Then prize the love of God; Without love, God is no God to thee, Chriſt is no Chriſt to thee, Heaven is no Heaven for thee; better thou hadſt no ſoul, no being than no love. O prize the Love of God; prize and ſeek, prize and pray, pray as for thy life, as for thy ſoul, as for thy everlaſting Kingdome; Lord let mee love thee; Get love, and get all, love and thou wilt bee holy, love and thou wilt be humble, love and thou wilt bee fruitful, love, and thou wilt pleaſe, praiſe, and enjoy thy God, love and thou wilt fear, ſerve, ſuffer, and die for him, love, and thou ſhalt live; prize love, prize it according to its worth. And
2. Prize it according to its rarity. Things excellent are rated ſomething the more for their ſcarcity; ſcarcity raiſes the Market, the VVord of God was precious in thoſe daies, 1 Sam. 3.1. that is, when there was a Famine of the Word, when there was no open Viſion: O were the love of God, as precious as 'tis rare! what a ſpiritleſs carkaſs is the Religion of many Profeſſours? what's become of the ſoul of it? Oh! we freeze in our Duties, we freeze in our Devotions, wee are almoſt frozen out of them all; if vvee have a Sacrifice left, vvhat fire is there to offer it up? The God that anſwereth by fire, let him bee God, ſaid Elijah: the heart that asketh by fire, that aſcendeth in fire, let that bee the heart for God: Behold the wood, and the fire, but where is the Lamb for the Sacrifice? Wee may ſay behold the wood and the ſacrifice, but where is the Fire to offer it up? our Spirits have taken a cold, the chill of them appears in all our duties. Rabbi where dwelleſt thou? Love where dwelleſt thou? Zeal of God, where is thy abode? how many houſes muſt wee ſearch? how many hearts muſt wee walk through, e're wee finde thine Habitation? The Apoſtle tells the Romans, Rom. 10.2. that they have a Zeal of God, but not according to Knowledge; wee have the Knowledge of God, but oh! where is the Zeal? the Zeal of thine houſe, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, hath eaten mee up; but is not that eater eaten? The houſe hath burnt up the fire, or if there be any fire left, is it not ſtrange fire? not the fire of Love, but of Luſt, of Pride, or Covetouſneſs; or that wilde fire of envy, and contention, that heats our ſpirits? Jehu was all on fire againſt the houſe of Ahab; Come ſee my zeal for the Lord of Hoſts. That fire was fury, not love; or if 'twas love, 'twas ſelf-love, not the love of God, that made all that flame; ſuch hearts are like the evil tongue, James 3. ſet on fire of Hell. Such heats are not from above, but are earthly, ſenſual, deviliſh; wee freeze ſtill, while wee thus fry; our praeter-natural heats have extinguiſhed the ſuper-natural.
O! how little kindly warmth do wee find in our ſpirits? do wee feel our hearts working upwards, aſcending in our flames? wee all pretend to love, but conſider, are our hearts making out in their ſtrength after God? Wee wiſh well to his Name and Intereſt, wee wiſh hee were ours, wee wiſh our ſelves his; O if wiſhing were loving! what Chriſtians ſhould wee be? But doth the Kingdom of God ſuffer violence? who are they that ſo run, as if they would take God by force, take Heaven by force? The Kingdome of Heaven may offer violence if it will, and take us by force; but how little violence doth it ſuffer? We ſay wee love God, but is there not ſomething elſe wee love more? wee deſire to be holy, but is there not ſomething elſe wee deſire more?
Oh how few hearty friends hath Chriſt in the world? and how little love from theſe few? ſo little, that we cannot tell our ſelves, whether it be any thing or nothing; how hard are we put to it? what a narrow ſearch muſt we make? how many arguments muſt wee conſult? how many marks muſt we conſider, e're we can prove we love him? and yet at laſt, are ſtill in doubt, whether we love him or not.
When we love our carnal Friends, our Wives, our Children, we can feel that we love them; when we love our Eaſe, or our Eſtates, or our Liberties, we can feel that we love them; but our God we cannot tell whether we love him or no; How few of us can boldly make our appeal to him, Lord, thou knoweſt that I love thee.
Oh! how many wounds doth Chriſt receive in the houſe of his Friends? how many ſleights muſt hee put up? how often when hee hath ſate down, in his own, (in the higheſt) room, have we ſaid, to him give this man place, give this friend or this buſineſs place; and ſo made him take the lower room. How hath hee when he hath come to our doors (his love hath often brought him thither) how often hath hee ſtood, and knock'd and call'd, open to mee my Love, my Sister; and there been made to ſtand, and wait, when ſtrangers have been gotten in, and taken up all the rooms? The world can never come out of ſeaſon, but Chriſt is fain to wait his ſeaſons, when he can finde us at leiſure; if there bee any other gueſt with us, our Lord muſt wait; Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient ſeaſon, I will ſend for thee; how often have we agreed, and appointed to meet the Lord, at ſuch an hour; in our Chamber, in our Cloſet, to have converſe and communion with him in Duty; and if any thing come in, …o carry us another way, then preſently, I pray thee have mee excuſed; or if we do keep our time, and ſhut in our ſelves with the Lord, and ſit down to Duty; what a multitude of thoughts preſently fall a knocking at our doors? and away our hearts go preſently with them, to the ends of the earth, and leaves nothing but our carkaſſes behind with the Lord; O were our love ſtronger, our cries would bee louder, and would drown the noiſe of theſe knockings, that they would not bee heard nor heeded, it would command ſilence to every impertinent thought. I charge you, O Daughters, that you ſtirre not, that you diſturb not my Beloved, and my Soul; more love would command their attendance, upon the work of the Lord, would gird up the loins of the mind, and gather in all its ſcattered Meſſengers; come all yee powers of my ſoul, come and do your homage, come and help in the ſervice of my God.
Oh! at what diſtance are wee content to live from the Lord, ſometimes for many daies together? Our ſouls and our God are grown ſtrange, and yet wee can bee merry, and quiet; wee can bee without the preſence of God, and yet never miſs it: not a ſmile from his face, nor a look of love from us to him, and yet no trouble follows; the Sun may bee Ecclipſed, or under a Cloud, and yet no darkneſs upon our Spirits: wee do not walk in darkneſs, when wee have no light, ſorrow and ſadneſs is as far from us, as God is from us; we can warm our ſelves at our own fires, and rejoyce in the light of our own ſparks, as if theſe were the Sun; wee can do as well in a Miſt, as in the Sun-ſhine, day and night are both alike to us; The Children of the Bride-chamber do not Faſt, but can Feaſt, and make merry, when the Bridegroom is taken from them; their carnal contentments, they can make a ſhift with, to ſupply the room of their Lord. Can wee not ſometimes go where our Lord feeds, and never finde him; go to pray, or go to hear, or go to a Sacrament, and the Lord never meet us there, and yet can return well enough ſatisfied? When wee thus want communion with God, and [can] want it; where's our love, what love is that? which can ſo well bear the abſence of her Beloved? Call mee no more Naomi, pleaſant; but call mee Marah, bitter; I went out full, but I return empty; Full of Grace, full of Joy, becauſe full of the Lord; but behold all is gone, my Husband is loſt, my God is departed from mee: Call mee no more Naomi, but call mee Marah, for the Almighty hath dealt bitterly with me, hath hid his face from me, for theſe things I weep, mine eyes, mine eyes run down with tears, becauſe the Comforter that ſhould relieve my ſoul, is farre from mee; ſuch are the tears of Love, for her abſent Lord.
Oh! how little Conſcience is there made of beſtowing that on the Lord, which wee have beſtowed on him; wee give and take, wee pretend to have given all to God; but are wee not often taking away, what wee have given, and beſtowing it elſewhere? Love would have all we have running into God, and would have nothing run beſides; but Oh! what waſte is there made? of our time, of our parts, and other Talents, which were they well husbanded, would come to much, and bee given to the Lord? when ſo many daies, and hours run out, and no account taken of them, on what, or on whom, they are conſumed; when our eyes, and our ears, and hands, and tongues, which were made for God; the Devil, and Luſt, muſt ſo often have the uſing of them; when back and belly, and friends and companions, muſt carry away, what ſhould bee ſpent on God and Souls; when what ſhould be allowed for Religion, and Charity to have the ſpending of, muſt bee at the diſpoſure of Pride, Prodigality, and Gluttony; when our Prayers, our Faſting, our Preaching, and hearing; all our Duties muſt become ſacrifices to our Luſt, our Idols are ſuffered to devour the Sacrifices of the Lord; when our pride and fleſhly ends, muſt have the offering, and the eating of our Sacrifices; this muſt make our Prayers, and preach our Sermons, and keep our Faſts, and give our Almes, and wear the credit, and honour of them, as its own Crown; when God is thus robbed, and wee let the thief run away with all, and is never purſued, or queſtioned, Oh! where is our love?
Oh! how little pleaſure do wee take in the Lord? what a wearineſs is it to us, to wait upon him? how glad are wee, when wee come [back] from the Houſe of the Lord? when wee come off our Knees, come out of our Cloſets, when the Sabbaths are gone, and the new-Moons are over, and wee make our returns from Heaven to Earth? How much work have wee, to keep our hearts by the Lord? how do they ſlink away e're wee are aware? and whilſt wee are in his Preſence, how ſeldome do wee rejoyce in his Preſence? What hungry meals, what jejune feaſts do wee make before the Lord? Wee reliſh not his Daintys, his Wine is but lees, his Marrow and his fat things, are but leanneſs to our Souls; a little love would ſweeten every drop, would ſeaſon every morſel, that comes from his Table; would make our very Faſts to bee pleaſant bread: Wee feed upon the diſh, or the trencher, and not the meat; on the bone, and not the marrow; Ordinances, and the external Exerciſes of Religion, are but the bone, or the ſhell, or the diſh, it is God that is the Kernel, the Marrow and Fatneſs. How little Communion have wee with the Lord, in our approaches to him, and how little ſweetneſs do wee finde in the little wee have? Communion is the pleaſure of Love, and Love is the ſweetneſs of Communion; Now I am where I would bee; O! how amiable are thy Tabernacles? very pleaſant art thou to mee O Lord; that is the voice of Love. Had wee more love, wee ſhould bee more ſpiritual; and ſpiritual things, would bee more grateful to ſpiritual hearts; Divine Love, is like the fire, it rarifies, and changes hearts into its own likeneſs, and then there's ſweetneſs; O we are carnal, and that's enough to evidence, that there's little of the love of God abiding in us.
Conſider theſe things, and you will ſee that love is a rarity; there's but little true love in the world; O prize the love of God; let its want make it prized; ſhall it bee ſo rare, and yet ſo cheap? prize it, and preſs on after it.
What do theſe hearts below? are they not ſtill below? ſo cold, ſuch clods of clay, and yet above? ſo carnal, ſo ſenſual and yet in Heaven? ſo hungry, and ſo greedy in ſucking the juice of this earth, in taking in its pleaſures; ſo buſy in digging out the Wealth of the earth, and ſearching for its treaſures; [hearts] ſo buſy this way, and yet not here? how canſt thou ſay, I am walking with the God of Glory, when thou art ſtill worſhipping the Gods of the Earth? how canſt thou ſay, this heart is riſen, it is not here; when it may bee ſaid to thee, behold the place where it lyes; it is ſtill in the field, in the ridges and furrows thereof; it is ſtill in the Mines, in the heart of the earth, ſee the place where it lyes; we ſow our hearts with our ſeed, we ſend them down to dig in the heart of the Earth.
But what do theſe hearts below? ſurſum corda, get you up, get you up; leave nothing but the Mantle here, your carkaſſes; Earth to Earth, Duſt to Duſt. Come heave theſe ſouls Heaven-ward; let them take the wing and be gone; O that I had the wings of a Dove, that I might fly up, and be at reſt; Be lower than ever by humility, but let love be on high.
Behold thoſe cords of love, that are let down in every Ordinance, in every Providence; there's a cord let down to gather up hearts; hearken to thoſe calls of love, come up hither, come up hither; we come Lord; thou bid'ſt us come, O lend us thy hand, and lift us up.
Come on Chriſtians, come let's be happy, if wee love wee are happy; Come let's rejoyce, if wee love wee joy; come let's live, wee dye, wee dye; while wee linger on this earth, if wee love, wee live; let's live, and let our life bee love; let our works bee, labours of love, our ſufferings ſeals of love, our ſorrows, the ſorrows of love, our wounds, loves ſcars, our prayers the cryes of love, our praiſes, love ſongs, to our Lord and God. Let every duty, every exerciſe, let every member, every power, let our bodies, let our ſouls, bee loves Sacrifices; as we ſee in all his, ſo let the Lord ſee love in all our waies.
Canſt thou not love? look till thou canſt, look up to thy God, ſend up thy thoughts thither; let thy Meditations bee of him, theſe will not bee long before the Throne, e're they fetch up thy heart; Look on thy Jeſus, behold his hands and his feet; come and put thy finger into the print of the Nails, and thruſt thine heart into his ſide; and there let it lie, till thou feel it warm; Look up to thy Jeſus, lift up a prayer, Lord let mee love thee; if thou loveſt let mee love thee; I will ſeek till I can ſee, let mee ſee till I can love. What have I here Lord? my all is with thee, my help, my hope, my treaſure, my life is hid with Chriſt in God. And yet behold this all is nothing to mee, while mine heart is no more with thee, take it Lord, take it up; where my treaſure is, there let mine heart bee alſo.
Doubting Chriſtian, who becauſe thou loveſt ſo little, feareſt thou loveſt not at all; cry for more, but bee thankful for what thou haſt; bee aſhamed thou loveſt no more, but bee not diſmayed, thou complaineſt thou canſt not love God; but doſt thou love his Image? his Saints, his Word, his Works, his Waies? Whilſt thou ſayeſt thou loveſt not God, doſt thou love Godlineſs; if thou canſt not love, can'ſt grieve, can'ſt lament after him? haſt thou choſen, doſt thou hang upon, truſt in the Lord? If thou canſt not love, can'ſt fear and follow the Lord? If he be not ſenſibly in thy affection, is he in thy thoughts, in thy mouth, in thine eye? Is hee thy aim, and thy ſcope? doth thy courſe bend towards him? Comfort thine heart in theſe things, thou mayeſt ſee, though thou canſt not feel thou loveſt.