Love to Christ, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Twenty Motives, or Pleas, that Chriſt might have the Love of your Hearts.
I. CAN you find a more excellent object for your Love than Chriſt? If you ſearch through the whole Creation of God, is there any like to Chriſt? Whatſoever you think, who dare ſay there is? Are Riches, Honours, Pleaſures, Relations, which you have loved, comparable to Chriſt, whom you ought to love? If Good be only the object of Love, is not the beſt Good the beſt object? Can you love the leſſer Good, and not the greater? Yea, the greateſt of all? Is not all the Goodneſs in the Creature but as a drop to the Sea, as a Candle to the Sun, as a Sand to a Mountain, if compared to the Goodneſs there is in Chriſt? If David were worth ten thouſand of others, 2 Sam. 18.3. is not Christ, Davids Lord, better than all the World? Read Cant. 2.3, & 5, 16. Prov. 3.14, 15. Phil. 3.8. Doſt thou waver in thy thoughts, or heſitate about this? Tell me,
Firſt, Is not Chriſt a Good most ſuitable for thee? Is Liberty ſo ſuitable to a Captive Man, or Bread to an Hungry Man, or Health to a Sick Man, or Eaſe to a Pained Man, as Chriſt is to a Sinſul Man? For,
1. Art thou not loſt, undone, in danger to be Damned? Chriſt will be thy Saviour, thy Keeper, and Recoverer. Luk. 19.10. The ſon of man came to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt. Heb. 7.25. Wherefore he is able to ſave to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, ſeeing he ever lives to make interceſſion for them. Iſa. 63.1.— Mighty to ſave.
2. Art not thou ignorant, dark and blind, knoweſt not the way to Heaven and eternal Happineſs, and might…ſt weary thy ſelf to find the Gate of Life, and yet miſs of it when thou haſt done all? He will be thy Teacher and thy Guide, and direct thee Infallibly to it. He will Anoint thine Eyes, and cauſe thee to ſee ſuch things as never yet thou ſaweſt, ver. 3.18▪ If he Anoint thine Eyes with his Eye-ſalve, though thou waſt born blind, thou ſhalt have thy ſight.
3. Art thou not Sick, and full of Spiritual Diſeaſes? Abounding with Soul Diſtempers? Even ſick to Death? Nigh unto eternal Death? He will be thy Phyſician, who is ſo able and ſo skilful, that never any yet, that he undertook to Cure, Died under his Hands; for rather than thou ſhouldſt dye of thy Diſeaſe, he will make thee a Potion of his own Blood, which if thou Drinkeſt, thou ſhalt certainly recover. Therefore he came to be a Soul. Phyſician, and gave this as a reaſon why he did converſe with Publicans and Sinners, That he might cure them, Mat. 9.12.
4. Art thou not indebted? Oweſt thou not Millions to God? Haſt thou a Mite to pay? If God demand ſatisfaction from thee, will it not prove thy Damnation? If Juſtice purſue thee, Death Arreſt thee, will not Devils ſeize thy Soul, and hale it to the Priſon of Hell, from whence thou ſhalt not be delivered, till thou haſt paid the uttermoſt farthing, which will never be? This Chriſt, if thou wilt but love him, will be thy Bail, become thy Surety, and make payment of thy Debt, and give thee a Diſcharge.
5. Art thou not polluted and unclean? Hath not the Leproſie of Sin overſpread thy Ʋnderſtanding, Will, Conſcience, Memory, and all thine Affections? So that thou art defiled all over, lieſt wallowing in thy Blood, art caſt out to the loathing of thy perſon; and canſt thou, in this filthy caſe, enter into the holy Kingdom of God? If thou wilt give him thy Love, he will take away thy ſilthy Rags, and give thee change of Raiment, Zac. 3.1, 2, 3. If thou wilt come to him with Faith and Love, and ſay, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canſt make me clean, he in Love to thee will ſay, I will, be thou clean, Mat. 8.2, 3. He will make for thee a Bath of his own Blood, and his Blood ſhall cleanſe thee from all thy Sins, 1 Joh. 1.7. Yea, though they be as ſcarlet, they ſhall be as white as ſnow; though they be red like crimſon, they ſhall be as wooll, Iſa. 1.18.
6. Art thou not a Captive to Satan and to Sin? Drudging Elbow deep in the loathſome Service of Sin? Is not thy Bondage more hard than that of the Iſraelites in Egypt? And is not Satan and Sin as Cruel and Tyrannical as Pharaoh and his Taskmaſters? Doſt thou love thy Chains? Art thou at eaſe in thy Fetters? Wouldſt thou be releaſed? Chriſt will be thy Redeemer, by Price and by Power, and make thee free; and then thou ſhalt be free indeed.
7. Art thou not an Enemy to God? Born ſo, and Lived ſo? Take heed thou doſt not dye ſo, for then there ſhall be no Peace, no making up the breach betwixt God and thy Soul. But now Chriſt is the bleſſed Peace-maker, and by the Blood of his Croſs he will reconcile thee unto God, Col. 1.20, 21. God will never be reconciled to thee, but in, and through Chriſt, 2 Cor. 5.18, 19.
8. Art thou not ſpiritually Dead? Haſt thou not loſt the holy Image of God, which was thy Beauty? Though thou art Dead, he can quicken thee, and give thee the Life of Grace and Glory, 1 Joh. 5.12.
Now if this be thy condition, and Chriſt can, and is ready, able, and willing, to help thee in every reſpect, how ſuitable is Chriſt to thee? And ſuitableneſs being a ground of Love, and a motive thereunto, what an Argument is here to win thy Love? Oh ſay then, I am Lost, but Chriſt will ſave me; I am Ignorant, but Chriſt will teach me; I am Sick, and he will recover me; I am Indebted, and he will be a ſurety for me; I am Polluted, and he will cleanſe me; I am a Captive, and he will redeem me; I am an Enemy to God, and he will reconcile me; I am Dead, and he will quicken me. Oh, I never found one ſo ſuitable for me; now, even now, he ſhall be loved by me. Oh this is the moſt excellent Object for my Love, and I will no longer hold it from him.
Secondly, Is not Chriſt the moſt ſatisfying Good? Thou art Indigent, he will ſupply thee; thou art empty, he will fill thee; thou art poor, he will enrich thee. Oh for Love, for ſuch a Saviour!
Thirdly, Is not Chriſt the moſt durable Good? When thy Riches ſhall fail thee, thy Pleaſures and Honours, and Friends, ſhall fail, Chriſt will never fail, Pſal. 73.26.
Fourthly, Is not Chriſt a peculiar Good? Given by peculiar Love, only to a peculiar People, bringing with him peculiar Priviledges? When all other things thou loveſt, are common to the bad, as well as to the good? Though a Worldly man, whoſe Heart and Hands, and Houſe, are full of the World, might ſay Riches are mine, yet he cannot truly ſay, Christ is mine. Let him have from thee peculiar Love, and he will be to thee a peculiar Good.
Fifthly, Is not Chriſt the moſt neceſſary Good? Doſt thou need Food ſo much when thou art Hungry, or Liberty ſo much when thou art in Priſon, or Salve when thou art Wounded, as Chriſt when thou haſt ſinned? Without other things thou maiſt be happy, pardoned, reconciled, and for ever ſaved, but can any of theſe be thine without Chriſt? Chriſt is needful, while thou liveſt, for if thou beeſt in health, without him thy Soul is ſick. If thou ſhouldſt be ſick, he will give the choiceſt, and the richeſt Cordial; when thou dieſt, he will ſecure thy departing Soul; and after Death, he will be thy Friend; when all ſhall leave thee at thy Grave, he will be thine for ever.
Sixthly, Is not Chriſt the moſt profitable Good? For when thou haſt him, thou haſt all. Then God is thine, and the Spirit is thine, and the Promiſes are thine, and the Priviledges of the Covenant are thine; and Heaven it ſelf ſhall be for ever thine.
Seventhly, Is not Chriſt the moſt delightful Good? Some delight in what they ſee, ſome in what they hear, ſome in what they taſte, ſome in recreation, and ſome in notions, but the delight of Chriſt doth ſurpaſs them all.
Eighthly, Is not Chriſt a ſure Good? Other things God may give, and call for them back again, Hoſ. 2.9. I will return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the ſeaſon thereof, and will recover my wooll and my flax— But God never ſaith, I gave ſuch a man my Chriſt, but I will take away my Chriſt again. He may take Riches out of thy Hand, but (if thou getteſt him) he will never take Chriſt out of thy Heart.
Ninthly, What ſhall I ſay to advance Chriſt in thy eſteem, that thou mightſt love him? Is he not a comprehenſive Good? Eminently all? There is no goodneſs in the Creature, but it is formally, or virtually, in Chriſt. Is there wiſdom in the Creature? There is more in Chriſt. Is there beauty, power, in the Creature? There is much more in Chriſt, Col. 1.19. For it pleaſed the father, that in him ſhould all fulneſs dwell. Joh. 1.14.—full of grace and truth.
This is the perſon for whom I beg your Love. This is HE that is altogether lovely and deſirable. Conſider now, I beſeech you; can you be better offered? Can you find a better match for your Soul? Can you ſay all this, the one half of this, any one of all theſe things, concerning the objects you have hitherto loved?
Oh then ſay, I never underſtood the lovelineſs of Chriſt before: How hath Sin befool'd me! How hath the World bewitched me! And how hath my fooliſh wicked heart deceived me, that I have laviſhed my love upon the Creature, and Sin, when there was a Christ to love! Such a Chriſt to love! Such a Good as is not to be found in all the World! Now ſhall he have my Love, my Heart, my All.
II. Tell me, Hath not Chriſt deſerved your Love, by what he hath ſuffered, done, given, purchaſed, promiſed, and prepared for his Lovers? Behold his Wounds which he hath endured for thee: Behold a Crown of Thorns on his Head, that there may be a Crown of Glory upon thine. Behold him Dying, that thou maiſt Live: Him Suffering, that thou maiſt be Saved: Him Poor, that thou maiſt be made Rich, with the beſt, ſ…reſt, and moſt durable Riches. Behold him Condemned, that thou maiſt be Abſolved: Him in an Agony, that thou upon the conditions of the Goſpel mightſt have Reſt and Eaſe in Glory. Behold him bearing the Croſs, and the Croſs bearing him, that thou mightſt not bear the Curſe: Him bearing the Fathers wrath, that thou mighteſt be made the Subject of his Grace, and the Object of his Love. And now tell me, Doth not this Chriſt deſerve thy Love? Shouldſt thou love any like him, when none hath done for thee like him? Doth the ſmall kindneſs of a Creature draw thy Love, and ſhall not all this in thy Saviour, towards thee, kindle a Fire of Love in thee towards him? How canſt thou forbear to love him?
III. Will not Love to Chriſt be the best Love thou canst attain unto? As he is the beſt Object of Love, ſo Love going out to Chriſt is the beſt Acting of Love; and pity it is, that any other Object ſhould go away with thy prevailing Love. For,
1. Love to Chriſt will be the ſweeteſt Love. He that loveth other things, and not Chriſt, loves nothing but Vanity, and to love Vanity will prove vexation. He that loveth Riches hath vexing ſorrow with his love, fretting fears, and perplexing, cutting cares. When thou loveſt thy Relations, if they be bad, the more thou loveſt, the more thou art Wounded: If they be good, the more evil befalls them, the more thou art grieved. There cannot be love to other things, without love to Chriſt, but it will be bitter Love; for thou wilt repent of that love, or thou wilt not. If thou doſt, then thou wilt find more forrow for it, more bitterneſs in it, than ever thou didſt find delight, and ſay, Oh now it doth repent me, that ever I loved the World as I have done; my Pleaſures, my Sin, as I have done: But thou wilt never have cauſe to ſay, I repent that ever I loved Chriſt. Never was ſuch a Word heard from the mouth of a ſincere Lover of Chriſt; if thou doſt never repent of thy Love to the World and Sin, that Love will certainly end in ſorrow, and with bitterneſs of Soul be fruitleſly lamented in Hell.
But what content, ſatisfaction, delight, comfort, joy, there is in loving of Chriſt, none can tell ſo well as he that loves him.
2. Love to Chriſt is the ſafeſt Love: No fear of Sinning in this Love, except it be in the ſmalneſs of the meaſure of it; but that is not to Sin in loving, but not loving more. You might fear and tremble in loving other things, and ſay, Do not I ſin in this? Is there not ſinning in my loving?
3. Love to Christ is the ſureſt: Love to other things is often turned into hatred: Love to day, and hate to morrow; but this remaineth firm. The Object is the ſureſt Object, neither Men, nor Death, nor Devils, can take away the Object of this Love. It is ſureſt in the Habit and Principle, the Power of God, the Prayer of Chriſt; the promiſe of both ſecure the preſervation of it. It is ſureſt in the Act, for if we be careful our ſelves, no Men, nor Devils, can hinder our acting of this Love; they might keep us from hearing of his Word, but not from loving of his Perſon.
4. Love to Christ is the Noblest Love. Love to Pleaſures, to the World, to Sin, is baſe polluted Love, this moſt ſublime and raiſed; it hath the nobleſt, and the higheſt Object, it carrieth the Soul in his Thoughts and Meditations after him into the higheſt Heavens, and hath complacency in the higheſt Degree, and ſhall have for ever the higheſt Reward.
5. Love to Chriſt is the longeſt: Love that ſhall never end. Sirs, ere long, you will have done loving this World, even ye that love it moſt, and have your hearts moſt ſet upon it. Ye that now have your hearts full of Earth, when ye ſhall have your mouths full too, and your Corps lye rotting in the Earth, you ſhall have done loving of it: Death, that ends your life in the World; ſhall end your love to the World, which Grace never did. Ye ſhall alſo have done, ere long, loving your Relations; ye ſhall have done loving Father and Mother, Brother and Siſter, and Husband, and Wife and Children, as now in that relation, but the gracious Soul, the Lover of Chriſt, ſhall never have done loving of Chriſt: It is ſweet to have it, but this doth make it more ſweet, to think he ſhall always have it. Have it in Life, have it at Death, and have it after Death. O bleſſed Love, that ſhall never be loſt, but ever laſt.
While I was Muſing upon this, it came into my mind to conſider, what thoſe that never love Chriſt in this World, can love in the next; and I could not imagine any thing, that Damned Souls in Hell, can Love. (If it be that I underſtand not, nor am acquainted with the acting of their Souls, nor State, God grant I never may, as they do.) I thought, can they love God, Chriſt, the holy Spirit, Angels, Saints? Their hatred to all theſe, is, and ſhall be, more deeply radicated; that is, Rooted in them, than ever upon Earth. Can they love the place of Hell? They wiſh they never had come thither. Can they love the pains of Hell? They grieve and groan under them, and are weary to bear them. Can they love the Devils in Hell? They curſe them for tempting them to Sin, that brought them to that place. Can they love their Companions in Hell? They are an aggravation of one anothers miſery. Can they love their Sin in Hell? Alas! all that was pleaſurable in it is gone, and the pain and ſting only doth remain. Can they love their Beings in Hell? They had rather dye than live, and ceaſe to be at all, than to continue to be there. I know not what it is that they can love. O loathſome place, where there is, and can be, no love! O lovely Heaven! where Love doth Reign, where Love doth Live! and the Life of them therein ſhall be for ever a Life of Love! And in this World, where Love is wanting, ſo far it looks like Hell. Where Love, and that which is the beſt, which is that which is to Chriſt, doth prevail, ſo far it looks like Heaven. Dear Lord! ſave me from Hell, becauſe there, there is no love to thee, nor to any thing that is good. Sweet Saviour! lead me in thy way to Heaven, and bring me thither, where Love to thee ſhall live, and laſt for ever.
IV. Is it not great folly to love other things and not Chriſt? For love ye will. There is ſuch an affection as Love in all your Hearts, and ſomething it will be ſet upon in this World, what e're it be with Damned Souls in the next. Now if Chriſt have it not, the World will: If Chriſt hath it not, Sin will. And do ye act as Rational Creatures, as Men endued with Reaſon, to deny your Love to Chriſt, and give it to the World, and Sin? Set one over againſt the other, and then tell me,
1. Is it not great folly to love that which is worſe than your ſelves, and not that which is infinitely better? Do ye think your Silver and your Gold is better than your ſelves, as much as ye love it? That your Houſes, and your Lands, as bad as ye are, are better than your ſelves? But ye are not yet ſo good, nor yet ſo bad, but I hope ye will ſay, and ackdowledge, that Chriſt is better.
2. Is it not great folly to love that which cannot love you again, and not him that would? Ye love your Gold, but that cannot love you again: The Cloaths upon your back, the Furniture in your Houſes ye love, but theſe can make no returns of Love. Ye give your love to them, but ye receive no love from them. Are ye not vexed, when ye love a Man that doth not love you again, nor return love for love? And why are ye ſo well pleaſed, and are ſo well contented, in placing the very ſtrength of your love on Worldly things, where the return of love is not only not actual, but impoſſible? But would ye love Chriſt, ye ſhould have more love from him than ye give unto him, if ye ſtrive with all your might to love him with the utmoſt love ye can, Joh. 14.21, 23. Prov. 8.17.
3. Is it not great folly to love that which can never ſatisfie you, and not him that would ſatisfie your Souls for ever? Did theſe things ye love, ever fill your deſires? Did they ever give you full content? How ſhould they? When God hath made your Souls capable of the enjoyment of an infinite good, how can that which is finite fill them? It is only an infinite good, and not finite, that can ſatisfie your Souls, though they be finite; all the Creatures cannot fill one. For the Will of Man, though it be ſubjectively finite, yet it is objectively infinite; that is, (for to be eaſie and plain in ſuch a place as this, and in ſuch matters as theſe, before you, is beſt, becauſe for you moſt profitable and edifying) though the Will in it ſelf, and in its own Nature, becauſe a Creature, is finite, and limited, yet it is capable of making choice of God, for its chiefeſt Good, that is infinite and unlimited. And God hath put into the hearts of Men, deſires after good that is eternal, for they deſire to be eternally happy; but God hath not put this eternal goodneſs in any, in all the things of this World, for they are all tranſitory. Therefore when ye look for ſatisfaction in the Creatures that ye love, or in the loving of them, ye look for that which God never put into them, and nothing can give more than it hath, and nothing hath more than God hath given it, therefore to look for more from it, than God by making it, hath put into it, may yield you vexation enough, but no ſatisfaction at all. Eccleſ. 5.10. He that loveth ſilver, ſhall not be ſatisfied with ſilver; nor he that loveth abundance with increaſe. This is alſo vanity.
4. Is it not great folly to love that which ye muſt ſhortly part with, and not him that ye might enjoy for ever? Though ye have your heart full of Love to other Earthly things, you ſhall not earry an handful of them into the other World. Eccl. 5.15. As he came forth of his mothers womb, naked ſhall he return to go as he came, and ſhall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 1 Tim. 6.7. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out; but Death, that carrieth the Lovers of the World quite away from the things they love, ſhall ſet the Soul of a Lover of Chriſt nearer to him. Phil. 1.23. For I am in a ſtrait betwixt two, having a deſire to depart, and to be with Chriſt, which is far better. The Soul that loveth Chriſt, when (by Death) it is abſent from the Body, it ſhall be preſent with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.8.
5. Is it not great folly to love that which might leave you while ye live, and not that Christ that would never leave you, nor forſake you? As ye are fure theſe things, which ye love, will be none of yours after Death, ſo ye are not ſure they ſhall be yours while ye live. May ye not be rich to day, and poor to morrow? Well to day, and ſick to morrow? In honour to day, and in diſgrace to morrow? Was it not ſo with Haman? Eſth. 6.10, 11, & 7.9, 10. When ye have Riches, and love them, ye are not ſure to hold them. Prov. 23.5. Wilt thou ſet thine eyes (thine Heart and Love) upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themſelves wings and fly away as an Eagle towards heaven. The Hebrew Text is, Wilt thou cauſe thy eyes to fly upon that which is not? Riches fly away, and the Worldly mans Heart, and Love, fly after them; and though his Heart and Love, be ſwift in their motion after Riches, yet ſometimes Riches fly ſo ſwiftly, that their Lover cannot overtake them. The pleaſures of Sin, and ſo the profits of the World, are but for a Seaſon, Heb. 11.25. and when the Seaſon is over they are gone; but Chriſt would never leave you, nor forſake you, Heb. 13.5.
6. Is it not great folly to love that which may prove an hinderance to your everlasting happineſs, and not him that is the purchaſer, and the promoter of it? To love that which is often hurtful to the owners, and always hurtful to the over-lovers of it, and not him that never did his Lover harm, but good? Eccl. 5.13. There is a ſore evil which I have ſeen under the Sun, namely, Richer kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. This Solomon had ſeen, and many have ſeen; but that Chriſt ſhould hurt any Man, that hath him for his own, was never ſeen. Riches are thick Clay, and Clogs, to the Minds of Men, and keep them down to Earth, that they cannot riſe to Heaven, nor get ſo high while they live, nor their Souls when their Bodies dye, that they make Salvation exceeding difficult, Mat. 19.23. Then ſaid Jeſus to his Diſciples, Verily I ſay unto you, that a rich man ſhall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven. 24. And again I ſay unto you, it is eaſier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God; but to love Riches, and not Chriſt, while a Man doth ſo, doth not make Salvation only hard, but impoſſible; but the love of Chriſt, makes Salvation not only poſſible, but certain and eaſie.
7. Is it not great folly to love that which cannot comfort you at Death, and not Chriſt, that both can and would? Love what ye will, beſides Chriſt, and not Chriſt, it cannot be a ſtay to your departing Souls; what will ye look to at Death for comfort, your Riches? Why ye are going from them, with an heart full of love to them; to love them, and yet muſt leave them, to leave them in loving of them, will torment and vex you, not ſupport and comfort you. To Pleaſures that ye loved? When ye lye a dying, they are fled, and paſt, and gone. To your Friends? When ye are dying, ye are taking your laſt leave of them. To Chriſt? Alas, him ye never loved, and the thoughts of that, will be a ſting more painful than the ſting of Death.
V. Can ye do any thing leſs than love Christ, or can ye do any thing more? Is it not a ſmall thing that Chriſt ſhould have your Love, for all thoſe great things ye have, and hope to have by Chriſt? And yet Chriſt ſtands upon your love as greateſt of all, and all without love is nothing. If Chriſt had asked you to lay down your Life for him, had he required more from you than he himſelf hath done for you? Had he called you to give your Bodies to be burned for him, ſhould ye not have done it? How much more when he faith, Let your Hearts but burn in Love unto me, when that burning will not be painful, but delightful? When Naaman came to the Prophet to be cleanſed of his Leproſie, being directed to go and Waſh in Jordan, and he ſhould be clean, in Wrath he went away, but his Servant came to him and ſaid, My Father, if the Prophet had bid thee do ſome great thing, wouldſt thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he ſaith to thee, waſh and be clean? 2 King. 5.13. If Chriſt had required ſome great thing, that thou mighteſt eſcape great torments, and be partaker of great Salvation, wouldeſt thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he ſaith, Love me, and be Saved? When you have received great kindneſs from a Friend, whom you cannot requite, yet you ſay, I cannot do leſs than love him; yet this ſmall thing is more in Chriſts account than all without this. You Pray to him, but to Love him is more; an Heart full of Love, is more to Chriſt than a thouſand Prayers, full of the moſt eloquent Expreſſions, without Love. You hear his Word, but to love him is more. You might ſuffer for him, but to have love to him is more. Should … give all your Goods to the Poor, and your … to the Fire for him, to give your Heart and … him is ſtill more. And indeed, except … the former proceed from Love, and are accompanied with it, they are not pleaſing to Chriſt, nor profitable to your Salvation, 1 Cor. 13.1, 2, 3.
VI. Will you love that which you might eaſily love too much, and not Chriſt, whom you can never over-love? You might love your Riches, your Relations, your Pleaſures, your Self, your Liberty, your Life, too much. In theſe your love might ſoon exceed, and tranſgreſs the bounds; and it is hard not to exceed, but to keep within bounds. And indeed, ſo much love as you give to theſe, more than to Chriſt, is too much; but could you love Chriſt with as much love as all the Saints in Heaven love him, it would not be too much for him, if you were able to bear it. Many have complained they loved Chriſt too little, but never any that he had too much of their love. God doth blame you, and Conſcience doth accuſe you, for your great love to things below, but neither God nor Conſcience, for the higheſt degrees of love to Chriſt, and things that are above.
VII. Can you love your ſelves truly, and not love the Lord Jeſus ſincerely? There is a Self-love, which is inconſiſtent with the love of Chriſt, and there is a Self-love which is the beſt, that no man hath but he that loveth Chriſt. Doth that man love himſelf indeed, that regardeth not the Salvation of his Soul? That doth ruin himſelf, and damn himſelf, and ſhut himſelf out of Heaven? Doth that man love himſelf indeed, that doth expoſe himſelf to the wrath of God, to the damnation of Hell, and to baniſhment from the glorious preſence of the bleſſed God? All which, a man brings upon himſelf for want of love to Jeſus Chriſt; if then you will love your ſelf truly, you muſt love Chriſt ſincerely.
VIII. Are not all the Duties of Religion tedious to you for want of love to Chriſt? Do you find it a burden to Pray? A burden to hear or read the Word of God? Is it a burden to you to medirate upon God and Chriſt, and things above? It is all for want of love to Chriſt; for Love makes hard Things eaſie, and heavy Labour to be light.
IX. Doth any thing make you more like to God than to love Chriſt? Do you not in this moſt reſemble God? Do you believe in Chriſt? So doth not God. Do you truſt in Chriſt for Life and Salvation? So doth not God. Do you obey the commands of Chriſt? God hath no ſuperiour to command him. But do you love Chriſt? So doth God. Joh. 3.35. The father loveth the ſon, and hath given all things into his hands. Joh. 5.20.
X. Might you return to God and Chriſt, like for like, in any thing but in Love? Or in any thing carry it towards God, as God doth towards you? If God be angry with you, might you be angry with God? If God withdraw comfort from you, might you with-hold Duty from God? If he rebuke you, might you rebuke him? If he be diſpleaſed with you, might you be diſpleaſed with him? Would not all this be your ſin, and perverſneſs of heart, towards him? But if he love you, you may, and ought to love him. If he hath ſet his heart upon you, your Duty is to ſet your heart on him.
XI. Can you hope for Salvation by him, without ſincere affection to him? Or who bids you hope for any ſuch thing? Can you have the face to expect ſuch great things by, through, and from Chriſt, as Pardon of all your Sins, deliverance from Hell, the happineſs of Heaven, and yet not love him? Do you hope for eternal Life by Chriſt? I know you do; might not Chriſt then expect love from you, when you expect Life by Chriſt? As you would have Life by Chriſt, let Chriſt have Love from you, or elſe your expectation of Life will be diſappointed, and end in Death without end.
XII. Dare you dye without love to Chriſt? Dare you, can you, leave this World with a quiet mind, if you love not Chriſt? No, ſurely, except you dye as Blind as you were Born. What think you when you come to be Sick, and when you come to Dye, will it not be a cut to thy Heart, to think I have lived twenty, forty, years, but I never loved Chriſt? Now muſt I go to appear before him whom I never loved. Why not love him while you live in health, as well as wiſh you had loved him when health is gone, and ſickneſs come? When Life is going as faſt as Death is coming?
XIII. Is not your Love Chriſts due? Do you not owe it to him? Is it not due to him by vertue of Creation? Did not he give your Being to you? By vertue of Redemption, when you were worſe than nothing, did not he lay down his Soul, his Life, his Blood, as a Price for your Ranſom? By vertue of Preſervation, hath not Chriſt kept you out of the Grave, and Hell, unto this day? Juſtice would have hewn thee down, and Wrath would have damned thee long ago, and who hath procured a Reprieval for thee but Chriſt? That thou art on this ſide the Torments of the Damned, not paſt Praying, and Hearing, and Hoping, is all through Chriſts procuring for thee longer time. By vertue of Proviſion, which Chriſt maketh for thee, thou wouldſt not have had a Rag to thy Back, nor a Morſel for thy Mouth, nor Sleep in thy Eyes, if Chriſt had not bought, and by Purchaſe procured for thee what thou haſt. Thy love is due to Chriſt by vertue of Command, whereby thou art obliged and bound to give it to him, and ſhalt be accounted a Tranſgreſſor, and a great one too, if thou doſt with-hold it from him.
If it be due ſo many ways, what Injuſtice will it be in thee to deny to Chriſt that which is his due? Art thou not careful to give to every one their own? And is it not an eaſe to thy mind, that though thou art not Rich, yet thou haſt to give every one his due? Doſt thou not Trade, Work, Cark and Care, to give all their own, and ſhall Chriſt be the only Perſon to whom thou wilt be Unjuſt? If thou haſt not enough to ſatisfie all thy Creditors, yet of one, whom thou loveſt, and beareſt more reſpect unto, thou ſayeſt, If it pleaſe God, ſuch a one ſhall loſe nothing by me. Poor Sinner! wilt thou ſay, Though I cannot do what I ſhould, yet Chriſt ſhall not be ſo far a Loſer by me, as not to have my Heart and Love. Look to it, that he do not; for if he do, thou wilt loſe thy Soul; and then who will be the greateſt loſer?
XIV. Is it not great condeſcention in Christ, that he will ſo kindly accept of thy Love? One ſo great accept the Love of one ſo mean! One ſo holy accept the love of one that is ſo ſinful! One ſo glorious, of one ſo vile! Do great Men value the love of Beggars? or Princes, the love of Peaſants? Would a Man of great Birth and Eſtate give leave to one cloathed in Rags to love him in order to Marriage? Or would he not ſcorn and reject both the perſon and her love? Methinks, conſidering what Chriſt is, and what thou art, thou ſhouldſt ſay, If Chriſt will give me leave, I will love him. Give thee leave! Not only ſo, but gives the command, and that upon pain and peril of everlaſting Damnation, if thou doſt not. He doth give thee leave and charge to love him, but no leave to live without love to him, though for thy long refuſal he might juſtly leave thee to live without love to him.
XV. Should you ever have any cauſe or reaſon to be aſhamed of your love to Chriſt? Is not the time coming, and the day haſtning, when covetous men ſhall be aſhamed of their loving of the World, and voluptuous men aſhamed of loving their Pleaſures, and the ambitious of their Honours; but the time will never come, the day will never be, that a gracious Soul ſhall be aſhamed of his ſincere love to Jeſus Chriſt. For what is ſaid of Hope, is true of Love, Rom. 5.5. it maketh not aſhamed; but as all Sin is matter of ſhame, Rom. 6.21. What fruit have ye of thoſe things of which ye are now aſhamed? ſo eſpecially the Lovers of Sin, ſhall be aſhamed that they loved not Chriſt. For is it not an horrid ſhame, that a rational Creature ſhould be ſuch a Sot as to love Sin that is moſt loathſom, and not love Chriſt that is moſt lovely? To love deformity, and not beauty? A real evil under the notion, and appearance, and paint, of a ſeeming good, and not a Chriſt that is a real good, without appearance of the leaſt evil! O ſhame! ſhame! I am aſhamed that Sin ſhould have ſuch eſteem, and Chriſt ſo great contempt put upon him; but ſhame ſhall ere long confound theſe now ſhameleſs Wretches, when they ſhall cry out, We are aſhamed that we loved Profits, and not Chriſt; Houſe, Lands, Luſts, and not Chriſt. This is the confuſion of our Faces, and ſhame doth cover us, that we ſhould be ſo fooliſh, and ſo blind, that we had not Wit, nor Reaſon, to diſtinguiſh betwixt the greateſt and moſt lovely good, and the greateſt and moſt odious evil.
XVI. Is there any love ſo profitable as the love of Christ? Gain draweth Love; by the love of other things more than Chriſt, you will loſe more than you gain. By ſuch love, God, Chriſt, Heaven, and your own Soul, will be for ever loſt; and ſhould your gains of the World be proportionable to your love of the World, yea, and exceed it, to the gaining of the whole World to your ſelf, which never man yet did, your gain would prove your loſs; and when you come to caſt up your Accompt at Death, or Judgment, you will find your ſelf caſt much behind hand, becauſe from Gods face and favour. Mat. 16.26. What is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and loſe his own ſoul? or what ſhall a man give in exchange for his ſoul? But by the loving of Chriſt you ſhall have gain, that no man can value, no Wit can eſtimate, no Arithmetician, by all his Numbers and Figures, can compute; even pardon of innumerable Sins, the favour of an infinite God, deliverance from unconceiveable Torments, poſſeſſion of endleſs Life, and more than I, or any man, can deſcribe or comprehend.
XVII. Is there any love ſo univerſally neceſſary, as the love of Chriſt? One man loves one thing, and a ſecond another, and a third another, but there is no neceſſity that all men ſhould love any one thing but Chriſt, and things appertaining to our having and enjoying of him; and love to Chriſt is neceſſary for poor and rich, for great and ſmall, for noble and ignoble, for learned and unlearned, for bond and free. Oh then, what doings are theſe, that that love which is neceſſary, not only for the moſt, but for all, ſhould be neglected not only by the moſt, but almoſt (comparatively) by all?
XVIII. Do not you want one great help againſt the temptations of Satan, while you are void of love to Chriſt? Is not Satan your Enemy? Is not your heart forward to yield to him? Doth it not concern you to reſiſt him, when if you yield, you deſerve to dye? But this love would Garriſon your Hearts, Fortifie your Souls, make you Couragious and Reſolute againſt all the batteries of Satan, aſſaults of Sin, and watchful againſt the Aſſurements and Ambuſhments of the World, and that you would ſay, Shall I offend my deareſt Lord? Shall I diſpleaſe him that hath had ſuch good pleaſure to do me ſuch good, ſuch everlaſting good? Oh! how can I do this, or that great evil, and ſin againſt him whom I do love! For do you not find that Love forbids, and exceedingly reſtrains, from grieving, offending, or wronging him, whom you do entirely love?
XIX. Will you ever be able to hold your profeſſion of Chriſt without ſincere love unto him? When trials come, will not ſuch as have no ſaving love to Chriſt, turn their backs upon him? Will they that love Riches, Eaſe, Liberty, Honours, Life, or any thing more than Chriſt, leaſe, loſe, lay down, theſe for Chriſt? What you love moſt, will you not endeavour to keep longeſt? Theſe muſt be harboured, but Chriſt then ſhall be abandoned, Mat. 19.21, 22. but if you have not that love that will keep you ſtedfaſt and conſtant, in ſuffering for Chriſt on Earth, for want of that love you ſhall ſuffer eternally in Hell.
XX. Is it not poſſible for you to ſet your love upon Chriſt? Is it not attainable? Devils cannot love him, but you can. Damned Souls cannot love him, but you can if you would; for have you not the means to help you to love him? Is not he Preached to you? Is not the Spirit ſtriving with you? Will you ſay you cannot love him though you would? That I utterly deny, for if you were really willing to love him, you could love him; nay, if you do unfeignedly Will to love him, you do love him, for what is Willing but Loving? And what hinders you from Loving, but your not willing to love him? Will you ſay, you want power? What power do you mean? The Natural faculty or power of the Will? That you have; how elſe do you Will any thing you do? Will you ſay you want a power of Willing to love Chriſt? What is that, but that you are unwilling to love him? And if you cannot, becauſe you will not, the more you plead your Cannot, the more you aggravate your Will not. A Natural Power God hath given you, that is a Will, if you lye under a Moral Impotency, that is your Sin; and what is this Moral Cannot, or Impotency, but the averſeneſs of the Will from Chriſt? Therefore, though without the powerful workings of the Grace and Spirit of God, you cannot love Chriſt ſincerely, yet this Cannot is your Will not; for if by the Grace of God you were enabled to Will, you could, and if you were as willing to love Chriſt, as ſome now are, that once were as unwilling as now you be, you could love him as well as they. Why ſhould you ſtand off, and ſay, If it were poſſible for me to love Chriſt, I would? How! Poſſible! What! Is there no difference betwixt you and a Devil? Betwixt you and the Damned in Hell? You can love the World; can you do that? You can love your Self; can you do that? Yes. And I ſuppoſe you can love Sin too, can you not? To our Grief, and your Shame, we find it: But why can you love World, and Self, and Sin? Is it not becauſe you will? Do you do it againſt your Will? I wiſh you did, then there might be more hopes you would be perſwaded to love Chriſt. You can, and do love Sin, becauſe you are willing; have but as great willingneſs to love Chriſt, as the World and Sin, and then it may be ſaid, Not only that you can, but do love Chriſt. However, though I am no Aſſerter of the Liberty and Power of the Will in things Supernatural, nor an oppoſer of the neceſſity of the workings of the Spirit, to enable a Sinner to love Chriſt, yet it is moſt manifeſt that your unwillingneſs is the hinderance of ſuch Love, and this unwillingneſs is your weakneſs; ſince then your unwillingneſs (certainly by Grace) might be removed, your Love is poſſible, therefore ceaſe not till it be actual.
Are ye at length convinced of the Neceſſity of love to Chriſt? And are ye at length perſwaded to ſeek it, and willing to get love to him? I ſhall then next proceed to the Directions, whereby ye might, through Grace, fall in love with Jeſus Chriſt.