Love to Christ, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Ten Directions to get ſincere Love to Chriſt, ſhewing the way of Love to him.
I. CLearly underſtand, and be throughly convinced of thy loſt Eſtate, and miſerable Condition, for Conviction, ſight, and ſenſe of Sin, and of our loſt Eſtate thereby, uſually goes before the ſetting of the Heart and Love upon Jeſus Chriſt; though God doth not deal with all Sinners, in all circumſtances, alike, in working and begetting in them conſent and love unto his Son, in divers perſons the meaſure of Conviction is different, as in the Natural Birth, ſome are born after more pangs and throws than others are, ſo in the Spiritual Birth (in which the Love is turned unto, and ſet upon Chriſt, the day of this Birth being the day of Eſpouſals) ſome God dealeth with more gently, with ſome more roughly. Some he melts like Wax, and ſome he hews like knotty Wood; ſome he carrieth by the Gates of Hell, to the Door of Heaven; and ſome he brings to Chriſt, and leads to Heaven with leſſer Terrors.
To gain your love to Chriſt, he expreſly threatens Damnation that is ſo great, it cannot be fully expreſſed, and lets the Sinner know, that Conſent and Love he muſt, or be Damned he muſt. He doth let in ſuch light into the Mind, that the Soul doth ſee there is is no way to eſcape the darkneſs of Hell, than by conſenting to Chriſt that came from Heaven; and Chriſt preſſeth hard upon the Conſcience of the Sinner, whom he Wooeth for his Love, ſaying, Poor Sinner! What doſt thou mean? To be Damned rather than to have me for thy Saviour? To go to Hell with thy Luſts, than to Heaven with me the Lord? What wilt thou do? Shall I have thy Love or No? Wilt thou at laſt conſent, or wilt thou ſtill refuſe? I tell thee plainly, if I and thou part, Hell and thou muſt meet. I have been Wooing long, and Waiting long, but now it is come to a parting, or a cloſing point, and it is time for thee to come to a reſolution. This is the Caſe, Deny my Suit, and God will Damn thy Soul: If thou hear not me, thou ſhalt howl in Hell: If I leave thee, God will leave thee, and Mercy will leave thee, and all Miſery will come upon thee. Poor Sinner! Conſider the iſſue of thy final refuſal of me, and of denying thy love to me.
1. Will it not be thy being caſt into pain of greateſt extremity? And how wilt thou do to bear it? If God do but touch thee with his Finger, thou doſt ſigh and ſob, thou doſt cry and roar, and canſt not reſt. O how wilt thou reſt, when God ſhall lay on blows with his Almighty Arm? If pain in thy Head, or ſickneſs at thy Heart, or Gripings in thy Bowels, make thee cry out like a Diſtracted Man, what wilt thou do to bear the wrath of God in a place prepared on purpoſe to ſhew his indignation againſt Chriſt-refuſing Sinners? When the ſoreſt affliction in this Life, is but as the pricking of a Pin, to the piercing of a Sword, if compared to the Torments of the Damned?
2. Will it not be Miſery joined with endleſs Eternity? And hadſt thou rather bear pains extream and eternal too, than Love me, that would deliver thee from them? Doth not a ſmall affliction make one Day or Night ſeem long, much more if it be heavy? Then in the Night thou askeſt, Is it not Day? Thou counteſt the Clock, thou numbereſt the Hours, and think'ſt that Time doth paſs but ſlowly on. Would it were but break-a-day that I might riſe! But all the time between the Creation and the Diſſolution of the World, is but a moment to Eternity: Where there is no ſtriking of Clocks, no telling of Hours, no returns of Night and Day, but always Night, and never Day; never ſhall be break-a-day. A thouſand years ſhall paſs, and never the leſs to come. Nay, nothing paſt, and nothing to come, and yet more to come than is already paſt; an everlasting Inſtant. Now there is hope, and yet thou wilt not give me thy Love and Heart, then there will be no hope, and that might even break thy Heart. Beſides,
3. Will it not be univerſal pain? All over, no part free. Here if thou art pained in thy Head, thy Heart may not be ſick; if pained in more, yet not in all, but then thou wilt be all over Tormented. Thy Ʋnderstanding will torment thee, when thou ſhalt know the God, the Heaven, the Happineſs thou haſt loſt, and all for want of Love to me; and the miſery thou haſt found. Thy Memory will increaſe the vexation of thy Heart, in calling to mind thine opportunities upon Earth, how Mercy did intreat thee, how Grace did Wooe thee, how I called, my Spirit ſtrived, and Patience long waited for thy Love, and yet I could not obtain it of thee. Thy Conſcience will ſting and gnaw thee, ſaying, Did not I tell thee this would be the end of thy Refuſals? Did not I forewarn thee? Did not I ſay it would be thy wiſeſt, only way, to hearken unto Chriſt, and to ſet thy Love upon him? But thou wouldſt not, didſt not hearken to my voice, nor to the voice of Chriſt intreating of thee for thy Love. And at the Reſurrection, thy Body will be ſharer of puniſhment with thy Soul, and all thy Senſes be tormented with afflicting Obects: Thine Ears in hearing doleful Lamentations; …hine Eyes in ſeeing a curſed Crew of Damn…d Creatures; thy Smell afflicted with the ſtench of burning Brimſtone; thy Taste in continual drinking of the Cup of Wrath, full of Dregs, without mixture of Mercy; thy Touch in feeling the Fire burning, but never conſuming of thee. It was a Wonder unto Moſes, that the Buſh did burn, and not conſume on Earth; and theſe brambles ſhall burn in Hell, and not conſume, which will be a greater Wonder.
Now tell me, poor Sinner! ſaith Chriſt, what is thine Anſwer? Hadſt thou rather endure all this than love me? Hadſt thou rather love the World, and thy preſent Pleaſures, and hereafter lye in theſe extream, eternal, and univerſal pains, than love me, and be delivered from them? One of theſe muſt be; be wiſe therefore in thy choice.
As Chriſt takes this courſe to gain thy Love, ſo do thou join in with Chriſt by ſerious conſideration for thine own Conviction, that thou maiſt give thy love to him. Urge thy ſelf, and work it on thy Heart, that thou art under the Curſe, and Threatnings of God, which are true, terrible, intolerable, and eternal; thou art the Man that art threatned by God with the foreſt Puniſhments, Plagues, Judgments, in this Life, and in the Life to come; thou art the Man that Law and Goſpel will condemn, if thou finally deny thy love to Chriſt. Think ſeriouſly with thy ſelf, that thou art under the Wrath of God, which is great Wrath, Jer. 21.5. Whole Treaſures of it, Rom. 2.5. Abiding Wrath. Joh. 3.36. Tearing and deſtroying Wrath. Amos 1.11. Pſal. 50.22. Ezek. 43.8. Intolerable. Nah. 1.6. Moſt of it to come. Mat. 3.7. And Eternal, Rev. 14.10, 11.
Endeavour to get thine Heart affected, that while thou loveſt not Chriſt, thou haſt no Title to Heaven, no Actual Hope, no Promiſe, no Pledge nor Earneſt, no Plea, no Interest, no Warrant to expect Salvation; that Hell is thy due, Torments thy deſert; Hell is appointed for thy Lodging, Dwelling place. The Place is prepared, the Fire is kindled, Devils are waiting, and all Hell is moved to meet thee at thy coming. Oh think what manner of Hell it is, that thou art every moment in danger of; it is hot, long, large, dark, deep, a restleſs, and remedileſs Hell. When thou haſt got a ſight and ſenſe of thy Sin, and that thou art loſt in thy ſelf, then
II. Conſider, there is no help for thee in any meer Creature among all the Creation of God; none ſuch can prevent thy Damnation, ſet thee in Gods favour, bring thee to his Kingdom. If thou lookeſt upwards, Angels cannot, or downwards, Devils neither can, nor will. Look round about thee, all Creatures ſay, There is no help in us, for Wrath muſt be pacified, and that cannot be till Juſtice is ſatisfied, and how ſhall any meer finite Creature, ſatisfie Infinite-offended-Juſtice? Tears, Prayers, Reformation, cannot ſatisfie God, ſo that as all other Creatures cannot give relief unto thee, ſo thou thy ſelf canſt not help thy ſelf. Then,
III. By ſerious thoughts dwell upon thy own Mortality, and on the conſideration of Judgment, Heaven and Hell. Ponder upon the certainty, and the nearneſs of approaching Death; thou mighteſt dye this Year before the next; this Week, this Day, this Hour, before the next; and ſay, Oh what will become of me then? Where ſhall I be then? What ſhall I do? Nay, What ſhall I ſuffer then? Am I under the Curſe, and Death at my back? Is God angry with me, and Death at my heels? Have I no Title to Heaven, no Reaſon to hope for it, and yet do not know how ſoon Death might come? Am I in danger of Hell, and might drop into it any day in the Week, any hour in the Day? Oh woful caſe that I am in! Wrath is over my head, and Hell is under my feet: Wrath is ready to fall upon me, and I am in danger of falling into Hell! I never thought my Heart, for want of love, had been ſo bad, my danger ſo great, my Soul ſo black, my Self ſo near to Hell Torments! Woe is me, that all my Life I have loved loathſom Sin! A very Monſter! Even Sin which is a provocation to the Majesty of God, a contradiction to the Will of God, an oppoſition to the Nature of God, a rejection of the Son of God, a vexation to the Spirit of God, and Damnation to my own Soul; ſurely this Love was blind. Oh! Will God bear ſuch ſlightings of his Son? Such abuſings of his Grace? Such contemning of his Mercy? Woe is me! Can I live without Life? And be ſaved without a Saviour? Oh what ſhall I do? And where muſt I have help? By whom may I be relieved, reſtored, ſaved? Oh in this diſtreſs that I am in, if I could but hear of one that could, and would, relieve and ſave me, of one that could take off the Curſe, and make me Bleſſed, that could turn away Gods wrath, and reconcile me unto him; that would ſave me from Hell, and bring me to Heaven, then! What then diſtreſſed Soul? Oh then, him would I love. Love! Yea, with all my Heart, with all my Soul, as ſurely I ſhould have cauſe to do. Love him! Did I know ſuch a one, his very Name would be precious unto my Soul, it ſhould be Engraven on my Heart, and I ſhould think I could never love ſuch a one enough. Saiſt thou ſo, Sinner? I will tell thee there is one, and but one, that can, and that is full, and fit, and free, to help thee, and to ſave and ſuccour thee, in this diſtreſs that thou art in. Oh good Sir, what is his Name, that I might apply my ſelf unto him, and place all my Love upon him? His Name is the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Lord Jeſus Chriſt! Oh bleſſed Lord, Oh ſweeteſt Jeſus, Oh loving, lovely Christ! Lord Jeſus Chriſt! Methinks the ſound of his Name is Melody to mine Ears, is Honey to my Taſte, is Light unto mine Eyes, a ſweet Perfume of precious Ointment; it is Balm to my wounded Conſcience, it is a reviving Cordial to my ſinking Spirit, to my fainting Soul. Methinks, now you have told me, his Name runs in my Mind, I love to have it (with love and reverence) in my Mouth, and upon my Tongue. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt will help me; the Lord Jeſus Chriſt will ſave me, if I love him; if I love him that is Lord, and Jeſus, and Chriſt. Oh if the very hearing of his Name hath given this hopes, fain I would know more of him, for ſurely the more I know of him, the more my Love will be ſet upon him. Oh that ſome would tell me more what he is, and what I might do that I might love him! That's next.
IV. Get the Knowledge of Chriſt, what he is, and what he will be to thee, and dwell on thoſe thoughts, till thou findeſt thy heart to glow, to burn, to flame in love to him. And to this purpoſe conſider,
1. His Name, Lord, Jeſus, and Chriſt.
2. His Relation to God, yet given for Man.
3. His own Excellencies, and undertaking for you.
4. His Affection, and what he will be to you.
5. His Benefits that he will confer upon you.
1. The conſideration of his Name hath much in it to attract and draw thy Love; for he is,
1. Lord. Even Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, the Bleſſed and only Potentate, 1 Tim. 6.15. He is Lord by vertue of Creation, he gave thee thy Being, brought thee out of Nothing, made thee a Man; he gave thee Underſtanding, Will, Affections. Now wilt thou love thy Father, and thy Mother, and not thy Maker? He is Lord by right of Redemption, when thou waſt in thy Sin worſe than Nothing, in Bondage to Satan and Sin, he bought thee out with his own Blood, Act. 20.28. by giving his Soul for thine, Iſa. 53.10. his Life for thine, Mat. 20.28. himſelf for thee, 1 Tim. 2.6. Let the thoughts, how dear he paid for thy good, draw thy Love. He is Lord by univerſal Juriſdiction, given by the Father. Mat. 28.18. All power is given unto me in Heaven, and in Earth. Joh. 5.22. The father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment to the Son. 27. And hath given him authority to execute judgment alſo, becauſe he is the Son of man. Joh. 17.2. As thou haſt given him power over all fleſh, that he ſhould give eternal life to as many as thou haſt given him. Rom. 14.9. For this end Chriſt both died, roſe and revived, that he may be Lord both of the dead and living. Behold, no Lord like this, that hath power to judge and execute, to damn and ſave; a means this is to beget both fear and love.
2. Jeſus. A gracious Name, a Saviour, Mat. 1.21. Thou ſhalt call his name Jeſus, for he ſhall ſave his people from their ſin. His very Name tells you, what you might expect by him. Jeſus! A glorious Name, Phil. 2.9. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name. 10. That at the name of Jeſus every knee ſhould bow: all be ſubject unto him. Jeſus! A precious Name! Gant. 1.3. This Name is a ſweet Perfume, more than all precious Oyntments. Jeſus! A miraculous Name. Acts 3.6. In this name the lame have been made to walk, the blind to ſee, the deaf to hear, the guilty are juſtified, the polluted are purged, the aliens reconciled, and ſinners ſaved.
3. Chriſt. Anointed; Pſal. 45.7. God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladneſs above thy fellows. Iſa. 61.1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings— If he hath been anointed to be a Saviour to loſt Sinners, ſhould not the thoughts of this be an attractive of your love?
2. To gain your love to Chriſt, conſider him in his relation to the Father, who yet gave him foryou. All Beings have ſome relation to God, but none nearer to him than Chriſt; who is God's own Son, and that in a ſenſe beyond all Angels that were the Sons of God by creation, Job 38.7. Believers, by Adoption, John 1.12. Gal. 3.26. but Chriſt by eternal Generation, Pſal. 2.7. Chriſt, God's only begotten Son, ſuch an one he had but one, and yet this only one was given for you. O where is your love? Is not this enough to kindle it in your hearts? Chriſt was God's dear Son, his very Darling, his daily delight, Prov. 8.30. The Son of his love, Col. 1.13. And ſhall he not be the Object of yours? Behold the Son of his love was given, and came for the Children of Wrath. And is not he to be beloved upon that account, and for that very reaſon? Do men love the Sons of Princes, and will not you love the Son of God? Do you love your own Children, your own Sons and Daughters, and will you not love the Son of God? He did not ſay, Father, ſince I am thy Son, why ſhould I ſuffer and die for thine Enemies? Father, I am thine only Son, and thou haſt not another in Heaven or Earth, as I am; why then ſhould I be crowned with Thorns, that Sinners might have a Crown of Glory? But this only Son did die for Rebels; the Son of God's Boſom, lay in the Boſom of the Earth. Dear Saviour! Thou art worthy of every man's boſom-love.
3. To attract and draw your Love, conſider how wonderful Chriſt is in himſelf, and in his undertakings for you, and then love him with wonderful love; for if you ſhould not love, it would be wonderful. Iſa. 9.6. His name ſhall be called Wonderful.
1. Chriſt was wonderful in his Conception and Birth, Iſa. 7.14. Behold, a virgin ſhall conceive, and bear a ſon, and ſhall call his name Immanuel. Luke 1.35. The Holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheſt ſhall overſhadow thee; therefore alſo that holy thing which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the Son of God. Behold, Mary a Mother, and yet a Virgin. Wonderful! Mary that bore Jeſus was a Sinner, and yet Jeſus born of her was without Sin or Spot. Wonderful!
2. In his Perſon. He was Man, and yet he was God; he was God, and yet he was Man, 1 Tim. 3.16. Wonderful!
3. In his Works and Operations. He healed the ſick without medicines, he opened the Eyes of a man born blind with Clay and Spittle, John 9.1.6.7. caſt out Devils, with a word did calm the raging Sea, Matth. 8.26, 27. All wonderful!
4. In his Death and Paſſion. Matth. 27.50. Jeſus when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the Ghoſt. 51. And behold the vail of the temple was rent in twain, from the top to the bottom, and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. 52. And the graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints which ſlept, aroſe. And before, ver. 45. From the ſixth hour there was darkneſs over all the land unto the ninth hour. All wonderful!
5. In his Reſurrection, John 10.18. The Dead were raiſed by him, and he being dead was raiſed by himſelf. Wonderful!
6. In his Aſcenſion, Acts 1.9, 10, 11. The Diſciples ſtood gazing and looking, and wondring at his going up to Heaven.
Now was this wonderful Jeſus, born in ſ…ch a wonderful manner, lived doing Wonders, dyed with Wonders, roſe by a Wonder, and wonderfully aſcended into Glory, and all this for the ſake and ſalvation of loſt Sinners, if ye will not love him, will it not be the Wonder of Angels, of Devils, and all the Creation of God? Might not Angels wonder at you, and Devils wonder at you, and the Saints of God at his coming wonder at you? Behold, ſo many of you as will not love this wonderful Jeſus, ſhall be the Wonder of the World at the laſt day.
7. Nay yet more, he was the Ancient of Days; from all Eternity, John 8.58. and 17.5. Prov. 8.22, 31. and yet he became a Babe for you.
8. He was cloathed with Majeſty, Heb. 1.3. and yet for your ſakes did ſubject himſelf to greateſt Ignominy, Iſa. 50.6.
9. He was eminent for Beauty above all men, Pſal. 45.3. And yet for you his Countenance was marred more than any man's, Iſa. 52.14.
10. He was mighty in Power, by his Word commanded Devils, ſtilled the Sea, ſupporteth the World, yet for you dyed like a weak man.
11. He was perfect in Holineſs, without ſpot or guile, and yet ſtanding in your room was greatly accuſed of Blaſphemy.
12. He was full of Wiſdom, Col. 2.3. yet derided and laughed to ſcorn for you.
13. He is judge of all the World, and yet for you condemned at the Barr of Men, to take away your ſins, and (if ye would love him) to prevent your being condemned at the Barr of God. All this is wonderful: And yet that ſuch a wonderful Perſon did ſo wonderfully condeſcend, and after all this ſhould not be beloved by you, will be and is wonderful ſhame.
4. To draw your love to Chriſt, conſider what he will be to you. For relation breeds affection. The love of Chriſt to you, ſhould beget love in you to Chriſt. What will he be to thee, if thou wilt love him! He will be thy Bridegroom and thy Husband, the richeſt Match that can be offered or motion'd to thee. He will be thy Shepherd, and gather thy Soul unto his Fold, and ſave thee from the deſtroying Wolf. He will be thy Redeemer, by price to buy thee out of the hands of revenging Juſtice, and by Power to reſcue thee out of the Jaws of the roaring Lion. He will be thy Prieſt and Surety to pay thy Debt, and reconcile thee unto God. He will be thine Advocate to plead thy Cauſe againſt Satan thine Accuſer, and will continually appear before the Father for thee, 1 John 2.2. He will be thy King and Captain, to conquer thine Enemies, and trample them under thy feet. Is there nothing in all theſe things to gain thy Love, to woo and win thy heart to this bleſſed Jeſus? How canſt thou for ſhame deny him? Canſt thou go out of this place this day, and not plight him thy truth? not give him thy love? Oh ſay, this is he whom I will love?
5. Moreover, let this powerfully draw thy love to Chriſt, what benefits thou mayſt have by him, in reſpect of deliverance from evil, he would then deliver thee from the guilt and power of ſin, Matth. 1.21. from the tyranny of Satan, Luke 11.22. Heb. 2.14. from the Curſe of the Law, Gal. 4.4. from the Wrath to come, 1 Theſſ. 1.10. Rom. 5.10. and from the ſting of Death and Damnation of Hell, 1 Cor. 15.54, 55, 56. in reſpect of the collation of good; he will reconcile thee unto God, and bring thee into the Adoption of Children; purge thy Heart, juſtifie thy Perſon, procure audience of thy Prayers, ſtand by thee at Death, and ſave thee for ever.
Now poor Sinner! what doſt thou think of this Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that makes a motion for thy affection? Tell me, as before God, would not thy love be better beſtowed upon this Chriſt, than upon the World and Sin? Thou dareſt ſay no otherwiſe with thy mouth, Oh ſay ſo alſo unfeignedly in thy heart, and give it him as thou ſayſt, and I have my end of preaching this lovely Jeſus to thee, and Chriſt will have the end of his dying for thee, and thou wilt have that good by hearing, which was not in thy heart to aim at when thou cameſt within theſe doors; that cameſt a ſlighter of Chriſt, and goeſt away a lover of Chriſt; that cameſt from thy houſe to this with an heart cleaving in love unto the World and Sin, but returneſt from this unto thy own, with the love of ſin turn'd out, and with the love of Chriſt entred into thy heart, will make thee ſay, O bleſſed change! How much is this new love better than my old! O bleſſed Word, that it ever ſounded in my ears, and God brought it to my heart! O bleſſed day! the day of days! the beſt day I ever had! This day ſhall be recorded by me, for this day Chriſt and I did fall in love. Some come to a Sermon, and by their wandring eyes and roving filthy hearts fall in love with a Creature, but I came, I confeſs I know not why nor how, and God hath been in mercy pleaſed to change my heart and love, which is the beſt change I ever made; for this is the ſweeteſt love I ever found. But it may be this is not yet the happy Caſe of ſome others, thereto to ſuch I add,
V. When thou haſt got this knowledge of Chriſt, willingly entertain him, and heartily receive him as offered in the Goſpel, and reſign thy ſelf to him; and when he hath propriety in thee, and thou in him, love will ariſe in thy heart to him. Faith is the Root, and Love is the Flower that groweth upon it; and Faith thus implanted will quickly work by love, Gal. 6.5. When by Faith he is thy Chriſt, and thy Lord and Saviour, he will certainly be the beloved of thy Soul. The Foundation of Love is laid in the relation to the perſon that is the object of love, and propriety and intereſt doth beget it; you love that which is your own, becauſe it is your own. Your Children, your Wife, your Husband, above all others. And you will love Chriſt, when once by Faith he is your own. Cant. 2.16. I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine. Then all other things, which now are highly valued by you, will be accounted as droſs. Phil. 3.8. Yea doubtleſs, and I count all things but droſs in compariſon of the excellency of the knowledge of Chriſt Jeſus my Lord.
VI. Pray much to God to work this Love in your hearts to Chriſt; it is the Fruit of the Spirit, and wrought by him. It is your Duty, but it is God's Gift; it is your Act, but it is God's Work. Eph. 6.23. Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith from God the Father, and the Lord Jeſus Christ. Not only Peace is from God, that is the God of Peace, and Faith from him the Worker of it, but Love is from God that is the God of Love. Love to Chriſt muſt be had from God and Chriſt, or you will never have it. For this the Apoſtle prayed for others, 2 Theſſ. 3.5. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ: And you may be the more encouraged to ask for this, becauſe ſuch a Petition is pleaſing to God, that you beg an heart to love his Son, rather than for Riches, and Honours, and length of Life in this world, as in that of Solomon's, in asking for Wiſdom, 1 Kings 3.9, 10. And in your praying be earneſt for love to Chriſt, more than for your Life; for love to him will be to you everlaſting Life; and take that Promiſe and turn it into a Prayer, and then moſt like to be effectual, Deut. 30.6. And 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, that thou mayſt live.
VII. Improve the Principle of ſelf-love to the promoting of love to Jeſus Christ; and ſay, Do not I love my ſelf? Have I not ſo much love to my own Soul, as to wiſh it well for ever? Would I have my ſelf miſerable and accurſed for ever? If I be ſick, do not I love my ſelf ſo far as to deſire health? If in pain, to deſire eaſe? If in want, to ſeek ſupply? And is there any way for me to procure good, everlaſting good, but by Jeſus Chriſt? I might love my ſelf, to pleaſe my ſelf in ſinful delights, to deſtroy my ſelf and damn my ſelf, without loving of Chriſt: But ſuch Self-love at laſt will prove Self-hatred; and is that the beſt love, I have for my ſelf? Surely if I love not Chriſt, I hate my ſelf.
VIII. Make uſe of the ſenſe of natural and friendly Love to raiſe in thee Love to Jeſus Chriſt. Thou haſt ſome experience of the ſweetneſs and delight there is in loving of a Friend, Oh then what will be the delight of love to Chriſt! Thou feeleſt what it is to love thy Parents, to love thy Children, thy Wife, thy Husband; if thou meeteſt with troubles, Love doth make them light. Is there ſo much ſweetneſs in the love of a Creature, and will there not be much more in the love of the Saviour? If the Streams be ſweet, is not the Fountain much more? I have found comfort and pleaſure in the love of Relations, I will now try what is to be found in love to Chriſt the Lord.
IX. Improve the vanity and vexation of the Creature, and all thy diſappointments and afflictions, to raiſe and promote in thee the love of Chriſt. Thou haſt let out thy love upon the world, how hath it proved? and what hath it afforded thee? Haſt thou not found it to be a weariſom empty world? A world of Care, and Grief, and Pain? Thou haſt looked for Eaſe, and behold Trouble; for Content, and behold Vexation; for Satisfaction, and behold Emptineſs; and is this a World to be loved more than Chriſt? Is not it's Sweetneſs, ſowre? It's Mirth, Sorrow? It's Riches, poor? Oh then I muſt love Chriſt, or have nothing to love, out Vanity and Deceit.
When by the Word this Love is not wrought, God might effect it by the Rod. When thou waſt deaf to all Inſtructions, God can open thy Ear and Heart by ſome Affliction, and ſhake thee over the grave, if thereby he might ſhake the love of the World and Sin out of thy Heart; and by threatning thee by ſickneſs, that thou ſhalt have no longer room in the World, make room for the love of Chriſt in thy Heart; and by threatning to ſeparate thy Soul and Body, he might part thy Soul and the love of ſin. By ſome ſickneſs he brings thee to the brink of the Grave, and bids thee look where thou muſt lodge; and then to the borders of Hell, and bids thee look where thou muſt lie, if thou wilt not hearken to his Son. He lays thee on thy weary Bed, and ſhews thee a ſight of another World, and thy nearneſs to it, and doth threaten a Divorce of Soul and Body, that thou mighteſt be willing thy ſin might be divorced from thy Soul, that thy Soul might love, and be married to his Son; of which ſome have had ſuch good experience, that they can ſay, This was healthful ſickneſs, recovering weakneſs. The view of Death, the means of Love and Life. If I had not been ſick, I had not been well; if God had not ſhewn me Death, I had never ſeen Life: If I had not been filled with theſe fears, I had past my days without hope; if I had not been brought into theſe ſtraits, I had never been ſet at liberty: If I had not been poor, I had never been rich; if I had not been empty, I had never been filled; if I had not been driven to feed on husks, I had never been feaſted in my Father's Houſe; if I had not found bitterneſs in the love of the Creature, I had never taſted the ſweetneſs of the Love of Chriſt.
X. Improve all the mercies thou receiveſt from God, and look upon them as Love-tokens ſent to gain thy love. Love-tokens often take our love; and ſuch ſilent Gifts are very Rhetorical. The Cloaths upon thy back, thy Meat and Drink, thy Bed, thy Health, thy eaſe from Pain, beſpeak the Love of thy Heart for Chriſt. By ſin thou haſt deſerved thou ſhouldſt have no Bread to put into thy mouth, that Sleep ſhould depart from thine Eyes; thy Bed ſhould be filled with Thorns, thy Body with Diſeaſes, thy Conſcience with Horrour, thy Heart with Fears, thy Soul with Sorrows, thy Life with Bitterneſs, but Chriſt hath bought good things for thee by his Blood, and hath given them to thee from his Bounty; and by all theſe he pleads with thee, that thou wouldſt not deny thy love to him, that is ſo kind to thee.
Nay, thy very being on God's Earth, thy breathing in his Air, that thy Body is above ground, and thy Soul on this ſide Hell; that thou art not ſilent among the dead, nor crying out among the damned, is a great Love-token indeed. For Juſtice would have cut thee down long ſince, Sin theſe 20, 40, 60 years hath cried to Heaven that thou may'ſt be pack'd to Hell; Devils have long deſired the day of thy death, hoping it will prove the day of thy damnation; but this hath been Chriſt's love to thee, to beg for thee longer time, even time unto this day; but for how much longer he might ask on thy behalf, is more than is known to thee or me, or any man.
And is not love in Chriſt the cauſe of all this good to thee? And ſhould not Love in thee to Chriſt be the fruit and return of all this good from Chriſt to thee? As the goodneſs and long-ſuffering of God ſhould lead us to repentance for ſin, ſo alſo to love unto his Son. Doth not the kindneſs of a man ſhewn to another beget love from him that receives it, to him that doth confer it? And ſhall not the kindneſs, God for Chriſt's ſake hath ſhewn to thee, far ſurpaſſing the kindneſs of men, allure and draw thy love to him? Doſt thou ask, What ſhall I return to Chriſt, that died to ſatisfie God's Juſtice, to make Salvation poſſible to me? I anſwer, Love. And what, for the tenders of mercy, and the offers of Grace made to me? I anſwer, Love. And what muſt I return for his patient bearing with me, that I am not dead and damned? I anſwer, Love, Love, Love. And what muſt I return to Chriſt for my hopes of Heaven, or eternal happineſs? Or if I have not well-grounded actual hope, that yet I am not paſt hope, but live in hope, that by the uſe of means I may have a lively hope of an incorruptible Crown? I anſwer ſtill, Love. Unfeigned Love, ſincere and hearty Love. So love, and then hope; love ſtrongly, and then thy hope will be lively. Love him thus, and then in the next and laſt Uſe I will tell thee what comfort and joy this love may bring into thy heart.