One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 144
SERMON CXLIV. Of the powerful ſenſe and feeling of the love of God; How it's attained; And what a great advantage it is to him that hath it, both in reference to duty and comfort.
JOHN 17.26.
That the love wherewith thou haſt loved me may be in them, and I in them.
IN theſe words we have the neceſſary Conſequent or Effect, of believing in Chriſt and reſting on him as Mediatour, and that is the love of God towards them: So that we have here the deſcription of Gods love to Beleevers, and that in the higheſt degree which is imaginable (the love wherewith thou loveſt me;) Criticks note a Graeciſm in the relative foreign for foreign, as Mar. 4.41. 2 Tim. 4.7. which Auſtin alſo on the place takes notice of, though Maldonate call it a light Obſervation; The Truth it ſelf is of infinite comfort that God loves believers with that love wherewith he loveth Chriſt himſelf, But this hath been diſcourſed of already.
2. You have the ſubject of this love with the manner of participation of it, That this love may be in them, that is, in true believers, and in them only; Some by love underſtand the holy Ghoſt, but we may take it for the gracious favour of God, and as Zanchy well obſerveth he doth not ſay that this love may be towards them (though that alſo be true) but in them; Gods love was to his people by way of purpoſe and decree from all Eternity, but it was not in them: Now when Gods love is ſaid to be in them, that is to be underſtood of the Effects of his love, and more eſpecially of the ſence and aſſurance of his love.
Laſtly, There is the cauſe of all this expreſſed in theſe words, And I in them, where Chriſts myſtical Union with and indwelling in us is made the cauſe of all the love of God to believers, but of this alſo we have already treated, So that there remaineth no new thing but the manner of participation of this love of God to them,Obſerv. That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him, but they are to endeavour after the ſence and apprehenſion of this in their own hearts. and that is ſaid to be in them, which although (as was ſaid) may be true of the ſeveral gracious effects of Gods love, yet I ſhall pitch on that which is the moſt obvious, viz. Gods love in a beleever by way of ſence and aſſurance, for God not only loveth them but they may feel this and be perſwaded thereof.
Obſ. That it is not enough for the people of God to be loved by him, but they are to endeavovr after the ſence and apprehenſion of this in their own hearts; This is the Emphaſis, the Selah (as it were) in this expreſſion, that Gods love may be in them, our Faith in Chriſt is not only to produce thoſe direct acts, whereby we are perſwaded of Gods love in the generall, but alſo thoſe reflex acts whereby we know and feel that his love is in us; As a man under the Sun-beams feeleth and enjoyeth the comfortable influence thereof. So that herein lieth the compleat happineſſe of a Chriſtian, to be loved of God, and to perceive and feel this.
To open this you muſt Conſider,Conſide,
1. That the love of God is taken in Scripture two waies,I. The love of God is taken two waies in Scripture. either actively for that whereby we love him, or paſſively for that whereby we are loved of him, and ſo ſome Texts do receive different Interpretations becauſe of the different application of that love of God; Now it's true, our love to God is inherent in us, and we may perceive and feel it, as fire ſometime working in us for his glory and honour, but the love of God whereby he loveth us we cannot feel in us, but by the Spirit of God manifeſting and evidencing this unto our ſouls: We have a notable Text, Rom. 5.5. where the love of God is ſaid to be ſhed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghoſt which is given us, which although ſome expound of that love inherent in us, whereby we love God, yet it ſeemeth more conſonant to the words preceding, that it is to be underſtood of that love of God whereby he loveth us, for this being diffuſed in our hearts, and we thereby affected with it do rejoyce in tribulations, and have ſuch hope that will never make aſhamed; This then is ſaid to be a ſpecial mercy vouchſafed to Gods Children, that his love is plentifully powred upon them, as Aarons Oyle upon his head, and ſo deſcending to other parts, So that by this Love of God they can triumph and be confident in all tribulations and exerciſes whatſoever; This is an heaven upon the Earth to live in ſuch diſcoveries and evidences of Gods love.
2. Gods love may be greatly towards us, yea, and the effects of it in us,II. God may love a man and he know it not. yet for all this we diſcern and feel them not; As it was with the Lord Chriſt our Head, though dearly beloved of his Father, yet in reſpect of any ſenſe and perceivance of Gods love at that time, he was deſtitute of it; David doth often bewail his condition in reſpect of this ſpirituall deſertion, and indeed there cannot be an heavier temptation upon the godly heart then the clean contrary in the Text; That the wrath and anger of God whereby he is drawn out againſt the wicked, they ſhould apprehend to be upon them; They who eſteem the light of his countenance above all things to finde the frowns and wrath of God, to apprehend his diſpleaſure towards them, this is a burthen greater then they can bear, So that although this be made the connex to their believing in Chriſt, yet it is a ſeparable Conſequent, it is that which may be divided from it ſometimes; At that very time when the godly do believe on Chriſt in a dependent way, they may walk in ſad apprehenſions, knowing nothing of the love of God towards them, yea, in a very dreadful manner queſtioning of it.
3. Although the love of God towards believers may not be perceived by them, yet they are to preſs forward, they are to pray and wreſtle with God,III. The ſence of Gods love to be laboured for that they may not continue in darkneſſe but be brought to this comfortable light; The Apoſtle Peter preſſeth it as a neceſſary duty, 2 Pet. 1.10. Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure, and the Apoſtle Paul 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine your ſelves whether ye be in the Faith, or no; So that this happy priviledge is poſſible, and many of the people of God without any immediate revelation have attained unto it; Inſomuch that it is for the moſt part our ſin that we walk not in the ſence of it: It is true indeed God ſometimes out of his Soveraignty, and for wiſe ends of his own, doth withdraw this ſenſe and evidence of his favour, but for the moſt part it is from our ſelves that ſuch black clouds ariſe, which keep the light of the Sun from us.IV. The ſence of Gods love may be immediate or mediate.
4. The ſence and perceiving of Gods love may be either in an immediate manner or mediate; Immediately, and thus Chriſt diſcovered his love to ſome while he was here on earth, or mediately, and that is by the diſcovering of the work of grace upon our ſouls, whereby we gather Gods love toward us, and this is the ordinary ſafe way that we are to take, otherwiſe under the pretence of immediate revelations we may fall into ſad deluſions, and this way the Scripture ſuggeſts, viz. that by our love to the brethren, by keeping his Commandements we may gather, that we are loved of God; Do not then expect, as if thou ſhouldſt hear a voice from heaven in a glorious manner as Chriſt did, Thou art my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleaſed, but begin at the work of grace and Sanctification in thy heart, by which thou maiſt certainly conclude of Gods love, as by the Sun-beams we may conclude the Sun riſen, yet this muſt be neceſſarily added, that we can neither diſcern of the work of grace in us, or have ſuch full perſwaſions of Gods love thereby, but by the ſpirit of God, as in Rom. 5.5. we of our ſelves through the ſight of the imperfections of our graces, would run from the preſence of God, only it's the ſpirit of adoption given unto us, which makes us have an Evangelical boldneſs before him.
V. The love of God to his is incomprehenſible.Laſtly, This love of God perceived and felt by the godly is of a tranſcendent and incomprehenſible nature, So that if we ſhould ſpend our whole life in the meditating of it, yet we are never able to go to the bottom of it; This is admirably expreſſed, Eph. 3 19. that ye may know the love of Chriſt which paſſeth all knowledge, from whence followeth that we are filled with the fulneſs of God, for this love to us is the ſame in kinde though not in degree with that whereby he loveth Chriſt himſelf, Chriſt and his members are comprehended in the ſame act of love, what an unſpeakable conſideration is this to a poor believer; Again the love of God is ſuch that he gave his only begotten Son to the vileſt and moſt ignominious death for them, which the Apoſtle puts alſo upon it; Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world, and this love was to us while enemies, while adverſaries, and it's not to bring about a temporall mercy for us, but eternal even everlaſting glory, and laſtly, this love is immutable and unchangeable, God will never alter his love, or ceaſe to love ſuch, Certainly ſuch a love is that which the heart of a man can never ſufficiently comprehend, muſt needs infl…me the ſoul, there cannot be any cold Ice under this torrid Zone;
The advantage a believer hath by having the powerful feeling of Gods love.Therefore in the next place let us conſider the great advantages that a believer hath, which hath this powerful ſence and feeling of Gods love within his heart;
And 1. It doth in a wonderful manner encourage and embolden the ſoul, and that under the thoughts of death and the day of Judgement; If ſo be this were to be the next moment, if this voice were heard, Ariſe, and come to judgement, yet the experimental feeling of Gods love would keep the heart ſo far from being dejected and perplexed, that it would rather rejoyce a man, and make him lift up his head, 1 Joh. 4.17. Herein is love made perfect (that is, not our love but Gods love to us, as the Greek intimateth) that we may have boldneſſe in the day of judgement; That day which is ſo terrible to the wicked, the very name of it is dreadful to them that bringeth much comfort to him who is loved of God; Now what a deſirable life is this, who would not give the whole world to enjoy it, viz. that he may walk in ſuch powerful apprehenſions of Gods favour, that though death come, though the day of judgement come, yet his heart is not terrified within him; The Apoſtle John ſpeaks of Gods love perfected in us, 1 Jo. 4.12. that is, in reſpect of manifeſtation and diſcovery, as Gods power is ſaid to be perfected in our infirmities, or faith to be perfected by love, which ſheweth, that though God doth love us, yet till this be manifeſted and diſcovered to us, his love is not perfected to us.
2. The ſence and feeling of Gods love doth make us patient and contented, yea, even rejoycing under all tribulations, the more grudgings and diſcontents thou art aſſaulted with under any exerciſes, it's an argument thou haſt the leſs feeling of Gods love upon thee, for if this did diffuſe it ſelf, thou wouldſt be more then a conquerour in all theſe things, and certainly if Calvin ſaid gravely from the former conſideration out of the place mentioned in John, That ſo far a man is proficient in faith as he is well compoſed in his heart for the expectation of the day of judgement; We may alſo ſpeak in this particular, that ſo far a man hath profited in Chriſtianity as he can from the ſence of Gods favour rejoyce and be above all tribulations whatſoever; This the Apoſtle mentioneth, Rom. 5.5. the cauſe of all thoſe glorious graces mentioned, viz. patience and glorying in tribulations, as alſo hope which will not make aſhamed, all cometh from that love of God ſhed abroad in their ſouls, and Rom 8 It's the love of God which he felt in his ſoul that made him triumph in ſo glorious a manner that he challengeth all things as not able to hinder him from this love of God.
3. This ſence of Gods love is a notable inflamer and quickner of the heart unto all godlineſs, to all holy duties; How dull, how cold and lukewarm are all ſuch performances that flow not from this fire within? All is but formality and a meer outſide in Religion till we have ſome apprehenſion of Gods love toward us, yea, thoſe that are truly loved of God, but yet not aſſured of it, how heavily do they move in any holy duties, how ſad and divided with unbelieving thoughts, how prone to yield to ſuch temptations, that becauſe God doth not love them, therefore it's a vain thing to ſeek his face any longer, but if once God let this love ſhine in upon his heart, then it's like oyl to his bones, then it's like Ezechiels ſpirit in the wheels, then many waters cannot quench this love, So that any duty performed out of the apprehenſion of Gods love is in ſome reſpect worth a thouſand of thoſe done without it; Oh therefore labour to keep this fire alwaies upon the Altar of thy heart, 2 Cor. 5.14. the Apoſtle there ſaith that the love of Chriſt constraineth him, the word is thought to be uſed of thoſe Prophets who being immediatly wrought upon by the ſpirit of God, could not keep in what they felt, but they muſt deliver it, and thus it is with a man ſtrongly poſſeſſed with the feeling of Gods love, he cannot keep it in, he is in an holy extaſie and raviſhment, he praieth, he heareth, he doth all things with all his might.
4 This apprehenſion of Gods love will make us wonderfull heavenly, It will take us from all things here below; As a man on a high tower thinketh great towns and cities but little things, thus a godly man raiſed up with the evidence of Gods love toward him, judgeth all the world but a drop to God; As the eye that hath looked on the Sun is ſo dazeled, that it cannot behold other things; Thus it was with Paul, he was ſo affected with this, that Chriſt loved him and gave himſelf for him, Gal. 2.20. that he profeſſeth he did no longer live but Chriſt in him; It's this apprehenſion that will carry us up unto the mount of Transfiguration every day; It's no wonder then if Satan be ſo buſie to tempt us in this Point above all, to unſettle us about the love of God in Chriſt to us, for he knoweth herein lieth the ſtrength of Sampſon as it were, if this be taken away any green cords will tye him, he will not have ſtrength to overcome the leaſt temptation; But as long as this love of God can be preſerved and kept alive in the ſoul, ſo long neither the devil or the world is able to do us any hurt, ſo long we are like the bird flying on high that is not in danger of ſnares.