Love to Christ, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Twenty Aggravations of want of Love to Chriſt.
THE Second Uſe doth bring a Charge and an Accuſation againſt you, for not loving the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Some openly declare by their actions and manner of converſation, That they do not love him. Some openly pretend Love to Chriſt, but really have no love unto him, Ezek. 33.31. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they ſit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they ſhew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetouſneſs. Love to Chriſt is in their mouth, but love to the world is in their heart. Some ſay they love him, but God knows they do not. John 5.42. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. No! Do you know how great a ſin this is? Why then do you make ſo light of it? Why then are you no more aſhamed, that you want this love? Would you not be aſhamed if this report went of you, That you did not love your Wife, your Children, or your Neighbour? And is it not an incomparably greater ſin and ſhame, that you do not love the Lord Jeſus? The only Son of God, the only Saviour of loſt ſinners. How is it that you do ſo ſeldom or never bewail the want of love to Chriſt, in your Prayers; or ſcarce put it in amongſt the Confeſſion of your Sins? What? do you love your Gold, and not your God? Or do you make your Gold your God, and then love your Gold, inſtead of loving the true God? Can you love your Silver, and not the precious Saviour? Are you bound to love your very Enemies, and yet have no love to him that would be your ſureſt, greateſt, and moſt faithful friend? What ſhall I ſay? Good Lord, I am aſhamed, and bluſh to ſay, which yet is true of too many of the ſons of men, that they both can and do love their very beaſts, their dog, their horſe, and all their cattel, and yet will not be prevailed with to love thy Son, thy only Son, and by thee, beloved Son! Nay, what ſhall I ſay? That you do love your very luſts, and filthy ſins, that will deſtroy and damn you for ever, and yet not love that only Lord and Jeſus that would ſave you from your ſins, and from Hell for ever. What can I ſay? but that you love not Chriſt, becauſe you love your ſin ſo much.
Oh horrid ſhame! Love Deformity and not Beauty? Where are your eyes? Surely your love to ſin is blind. O monſtrous Lover! Love that which is worſt of all, and not him that is beſt of all! Where is your reaſon? Have you loſt the underſtanding of a man? Hath ſin bereaved you of your wits? Then oh Madneſs and Folly! Are you ſo fond of ſin, as to be damn'd for it? Are you ſo fooliſhly fond of this world, as for the love of it to be hated of God, and baniſhed out of his Glorious Preſence for ever? Is your Soul ſo clogg'd with fleſh, and ſunk ſo deep into it, that it can riſe no higher in its love, than ſenſual, earthly, and fleſhly delights and pleaſures? Will this love be ſo ſweet in the review, as you think it is in the preſent taſte thereof? Is this ſo vile a thing, ſo baſe and ſordid love, that ſets you below the rank of men, not to be reproved? For this are you not juſtly blamed?
Blamed! yea, and juſtly reckoned an Anathema, that hath ſuch an incomparable Object as Chriſt propounded to him, and yet will nor love him? Whoſe Excellencies are ſet forth, and yet he ſeeth no Beauty in him? That when there is nothing in the world ſo ſuitable to a ſinner, as Chriſt, and yet will you be ſo perverſe as to imagine, and your heart maintain, that Riches are more ſuitable, and Pleaſures are more ſuitable, and Chriſt and the things of Chriſt, the only inconvenient things for you? If you do not think ſo, why do you do ſo as you do, in denying him your love? Are you not to be blamed, that when yet you might have Chriſt; are not paſt a capacity, a poſſibility of having Chriſt, and all his benefits and good by him, that you do not turn your love unto him? Are you not to be blamed, when you thus do vilifie that Bleſſed Lord that none can over-value? Will not you paſs for a ſinful wretch, among all wiſe and ſerious men, nay, with God and Angels, that you have a will for the world, and for the empty vanities of this life, but no will for Chriſt, for a full, and All-ſufficient Chriſt? When you do prefer fading enjoyments of a tranſitory life, before a durable good in eternal life? Tell me, I beſeech you, is not he deſervedly a wretch, whom neither the Excellencies of Chriſt himſelf, nor all the benefits he might have by him, will move him to ſet his heart upon him? What do you think? What do you ſay? Have you done well or ill in not loving Chriſt? Well, you dare not ſay; Ill, you are loth to ſay; becauſe by ſo ſaying you will condemn your ſelf. What then? Condemn your ſelf, becauſe you have not loved him; and love him now, that you might not be condemned by God, and curſed by Chriſt, for not loving him at all.
But becauſe the want of love to Chriſt is ſuch an horrid, loathſome ſin, and yet lamented but by a few, as if it were in our days almoſt accounted for no ſin at all, I ſhall endeavour to aggravate the hainouſneſs thereof in Twenty particulars, propounded to you by way of queſtions, and let me intreat you to weigh them with a ſerious mind, and when Right Reaſon ſhall dictate a true anſwer, ſeek out ſome ſecret place, where you might weep bitterly for this odious ſin, want of love to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
I. Not love Chriſt! What is this, but a croſſing of the end of God in making thee a man? In ſetting thee above the beaſts of the field? In giving thee a more noble and more excellent ſoul, than he hath given to the unreaſonable creatures? Hath not God given thee a ſoul capable of knowing Jeſus Chriſt? And what ſhouldſt thou know him for, if not to love him? Hath not God given thee a will to go forth in its actings upon the moſt ſweet and ſuitable Objects? And what is that but Chriſt? Hath he not put ſuch an affection as Love into thy heart? And doſt thou think in thy Conſcience, it was that thou mighteſt love the world, and not his Son? Thy ſelf, and not his Son; but thy ſelf in oppoſition to his Son? Thy ſin, and not his Son? Canſt thou imagine that God made thee a man, and not a beaſt, that thou mighteſt love him no more than beaſts can love him? Then it had been enough if God had made thee a beaſt, and not a man. Or doſt thou repent that God hath given thee the Nature, the Reaſon, and the Love of a man, that thou wilt not place it upon himſelf, for which end he made thee a man? If thou doſt repent that thou art a man, and not a beaſt, then chuſe the Love and Pleaſures of a beaſt, and refuſe the Love and Pleaſures of a man, and that as a man thou art capable of. If not, why doſt thou not anſwer the end of thy creation?
Doſt thou not ſee that all the Viſible Works of God do that for which they were made? Did not God make the Sun to give light unto this World? And doſt thou not ſee what haſte it makes to ſet, and in the morning thou perceiveſt, when out of view, it kept its courſe, and haſted to riſe to give its light to this our Hemiſphere again? Did not God make this Earth to bring forth Fruit for the comfort of man? And doſt thou not daily eat thereof? Did not God make other Creatures for the uſe and ſervice of man? And do they not do ſo? And hath not God made thee, and made it thy duty to love him? Why then doſt thou not do it.
Oh monſtrous perverting of the Creation of God! And that in the beſt of his viſible works. If the like were done by other creatures, how ſoon wouldſt thou be weary of thy life? If the Sun ſhould withhold its light, what a dungeon would this world be? If the Earth ſhould bring forth nothing but Briars and Thorns, it would yield thee nothing but vexation and ſorrow. If the creatures ſhould uſe their power and ſtrength againſt thee, as they do in ſerving of thee, thou wouldſt judge it better to want them, than to have them. And ſhall all that was made for man anſwer their end, and not man, that was made more immediately for God himſelf? But a man that wants Love to Chriſt, is become worſe than the beaſts that periſh, Pſal. 49.20. Better thou hadſt never had the heart of a man, if Chriſt hath not thy heart.
II. Not love Chriſt! What is this, but a thwarting the end of all Chriſt's undertaking for thee, as thy Redeemer? When man had ſinned away the Holy Image of God, and turned his heart and affections from God to the Creature, man might have feared him, but never have loved him, Gen. 3.10. I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid. —Sin had brought ſuch an averſation in the heart of man from God and all good, that without Chriſt's undertakings for man, man could have loved him no more than Devils.
Why did the Son of God become the Son of Man? Why did he ſhed his Blood, lay down his Life? Why did he ſuffer, ſweat, bleed, and dye? Why did he bear our Puniſhment, ſatisfie Divine Juſtice, endure the Wrath of God, the Rage of Men and Devils, but to bring man back again to God, from whom he had departed? And that the ſtream of man's affections might be turned again into its right Channel?
Couldſt thou not have loved the World, and Self, if Chriſt had never dyed? Couldſt thou not have loved thy Pleaſures and thy Sins, if Chriſt had never died? And having died, wilt thou love no better? Hath he come from Heaven to gain thy Love, and ſhall he not have it? Hath he given himſelf a Ranſom to deliver thee from thy Captivity, and paid thy Debt, for which thou ſhouldſt have gone to the Priſon of Hell, to gain thy Love, and ſhall he not have it? Hath he given his Life for thine, his Soul for thine, in dying when thou ſhouldſt have dyed, and all this to gain thy Love, and ſhall he not have it?
What thinkeſt thou? Was Chriſt weary of the Boſom of his Father? Was it more honourable for him to dwell in fleſh on earth, than with the Father of Spirits in Heaven? Was it not infinite Condeſcention, for his Deity to be vailed with the rags of our Humanity? Or was Chriſt prodigal of his Blood, or weary of his Life; or did he love and chuſe ſuch cruel Scourgings, ſuch Contempt and Scorn, ſuch a curſed, ſhameful, painful Death for themſelves? Surely all this was for ſome great and noble end; which end thou doeſt, as much as in thee lies, by thy not loving him, fruſtrate, and render unattainable; for if all men ſhould deny him their Love, as thou doſt, where would be the Reconciliation betwixt God and man, Remiſſion of Sins, or Salvation of Souls, which Chriſt died to procure? Will God be reconciled to that man that doth not love him? Or can that man that loves not him be reconciled unto God? Or doth not Reconciliation without Renewals of Love, ſound like a contradiction? Or ſhall Remiſſion and Salvation be vouchſafed to them that never love him? Behold then the greatneſs of this ſin, in its thwarting the wonderful Undertakings of Chriſt for man's Redemption.
III. Not love Chriſt! What is this but an oppoſing and withſtanding all the Operations of the Spirit? For do not all tend to this, That you ſhould Love the Lord Jeſus? What do all Convictions tend to, in ſhewing thee thy loſt eſtate, the vanity of the world, the emptineſs of the creature, the impoſſibility of Salvation by any other, but that thou mighteſt look after him, and make him the Object of thy Love? What meaneth the Illumination of the Spirit, in enlightning of thy mind in the knowledge of Chriſt, to ſee and diſcern the Fulneſs and Sufficiency of Chriſt; the Fitneſs and Suitableneſs of Chriſt; the Freeneſs and the Willingneſs of Chriſt, but that thou ſhouldſt fix thy Love upon him? What do all the Perſuaſions, Strivings, and Wooings of the Spirit-tend to, but Love to Chriſt? Was ever any more ſolicitous for the love of another, than the Spirit hath been, that Chriſt might have thine? And ſhall all, and thine only Anſwer be, I cannot love him, I will not love him? No? Why not? Canſt thou better place thy Love? Canſt thou find in Heaven or Earth, a more ſuitable Object? Yet art thou reſolved to give no other anſwer, but that in Jer. 2.25. I have loved ſtrangers, and after them will I go. I have loved the world, and I will love it; I have loved my pleaſures, and I will love them; I have loved my ſin, and ſo I will ſtill. Why ſo reſolved, poor ſinner! Why ſo reſolute? Should not the world be a ſtranger to thee, and thou to the world? Should not ſin be a ſtranger to thee, and thou to ſin? What though? I have loved theſe ſtrangers, and after them my heart and love ſhall go. Indeed! then let all men judge, God and Angels judge what an oppoſer thou art to all the Workings of the Spirit to the contrary.
IV. Not love Jeſus! What is this but fearful ſinning againſt the moſt gracious Attributes of God?
1. Was it not love in God to give his Son to be a Saviour? And wilt thou ſin againſt this Love, in not loving him that by Love was given for thee? Was it not ſo infinite, ſo great, ſo wonderful, that no mortal man can comprehend it? John 3.16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. — Is it not ſuch manifeſt love, that all the Devils in Hell cannot deny it to be love? 1 John 4.9. In this was manifeſted the love of God towards us, becauſe that God ſent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Was it not preventing Love in God to give his Son for thee, before thou gaveſt, or couldſt give thy love to him? 1 John 4.10. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and ſent his Son to be a propitiation for our ſins. And is it not a great ſin againſt ſuch great love, and a manifeſt ſin againſt ſuch manifeſt love, not to love him with a following love, that ſo far loved thee with a preventing love?
2. Was it not Infinite Wiſdom in God to find out ſuch a way, that Juſtice might be fully ſatisfied, and free Mercy might be richly manifeſted? That ſin might be puniſhed to the uttermoſt, and yet the ſinner ſaved to the uttermoſt? Sin puniſhed, and the ſinner pardoned? If all the Angels in Heaven that excel in Wiſdom and Knowledge, had been called to Councel, they could never have thought of this way for fallen man's recovery, which is the product of the Infinite Wiſdom of God, and by the Church made known to Angels. Eph. 3.10. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known by the Church the manifold wiſdom of God. What greater folly then can there be, than to ſin againſt ſuch Wiſdom?
3. Was it not Goodneſs in God to accept of Chriſt's Sufferings for thy Sinnings? Of Chriſt's Death, inſtead of thy Damnation, if thou wouldſt believe on him and love him? And wilt thou ſlight this Goodneſs, by withholding thy love from him?
4. Was it not patience in God to wait ſo long for thy Love? Might he not have damned thee for thy firſt refuſal? And have taken thy firſt denial for thy final anſwer? And have ſcorned thy love, after thou hadſt ſo long given it to the world and ſin, and denied it unto his Son? And when in thy wicked heart thou hadſt once ſaid, Thou wilt not love him; God in his righteous judgment might have ſaid, I have thine anſwer; and for this, Thou ſhalt not love him. If God had been thus quick and ſhort with thee, who haſt been ſo ſlow to love his Son, what a deplorable condition would thy Soul have been in this day, and to all Eternity? But if God hath waited ſo many years, and doth ſtill wait, if perhaps thou wilt change thy mind, return unto thy wits, and give a wiſer anſwer? Wilt thou ſtill abuſe his Patience, by perſiſting in the denial of thy love to Chriſt? Take heed leſt his Patience towards thee ſhould end, before thy Love to Chriſt begin; for then when thy Puniſhment for not loving of him doth once begin, it ſhall never end. The longeſt Patience turned into Wrath, thou ſhalt find the longeſt and the hotteſt Wrath, and moſt fiery Indignation.
V. Not love Jeſus! What is this but an utter ſubverting of the whole deſign of the Goſpel, and refuſing life and ſalvation by the Covenant of Grace? God gave to innocent man a Law and Covenant of Works, but he quickly tranſgreſſed that Law, and thereby by that Covenant Happineſs became impoſſible to man. After that, God gave a Law and Covenant of Grace to fallen man, and eſtabliſhed the ſame in the Blood of his Son; and will you alſo refuſe Life and Happineſs by going on in your ſin of not loving Chriſt? For hereby
1. The Conditions of the Goſpel are Neglected.
2. The Threatnings of the Goſpel are Slighted.
3. The Commands of the Goſpel are Diſobeyed.
4. The Promiſes of the Goſpel are Undervalued.
1. The Conditions of the Goſpel, and Covenant of Grace are neglected. The great Article, the Sum and Summary whereof is, I will be your God, and ye ſhall be my people, Heb. 8.10. I will love you, and you ſhall love me; my heart ſhall be towards you, and your heart ſhall be towards me: I will love none like you, and you ſhall love none like me. How is this done? Can you love him while you do not love him? Hath God and Chriſt your hearts, while the world and ſin have your hearts? 2 Cor. 6.18. I will be a father unto you, and ye ſhall be my ſons and daughters, ſaith the Lord Almighty. That is, I will pity you as a father, and love you as a father doth his children, and much more; and ye ſhall love me as ſons and daughters love their father, and much more. A ſon, and not love! a daughter, and not love! ſuch ſons and daughters are bitterneſs to their Parents; and ſo are ye to Chriſt.
2. In not loving Chriſt, the Threatnings of the Goſpel are ſlighted, and ſet at nought by thee. It is dreadful to lie under the Curſes of the Law; but it is more terrible to fall under the Curſes of the Goſpel. It might make thy heart to ſhake within thee, to have the Curſe and not the Bleſſing of thy Maker; but it might make thy heart to ſink within thee, to have the, Curſe and not the Bleſſing of the Redeemer. What elſe doth he do in the words of the Text? What elſe is it but a Curſe, to be judged, accounted, declared to be unworthy of Chriſt? Unworthy to be pardoned by him, and ſaved by him; that is, not fit to be ſaved by Chriſt, nor ſit to be delivered from hell, or taken up to heaven. Mat. 10.37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth ſon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Or wilt thou bleſs thy ſelf tho thou heareſt this Curſe? Like the man, Deut. 29.19. And it come to paſs when he heareth the words of this curſe, that he bleſs himſelf in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, tho I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenneſs to thirſt. So thou; Tho I do love the world, and ſin, and ſelf, more than Chriſt, I ſhall have Peace, and Pardon, and Eternal Life. Shalt thou ſo? How wilt thou come by it? From whom wilt thou have it? Will God ſpare ſuch a man? Shall not his Anger ſmoke againſt him? And the Fire of his Indignation burn him up till he be conſumed? Or burn him, tho by burning he ſhall never be conſumed. If it were a man, thou mighteſt ſay, Let him curſe, Pſal. 109.28. But wilt thou ſay of God, of Chriſt, Let him curſe, who cares? Let him curſe, who fears his Curſe? Thou careleſs ſinner! God will make thee care, and if thou doſt not fear, God will make thee feel the weight of his Anger; and when thou ſhalt feel what now thou doſt not fear, thou ſhalt not make ſo light a matter of it.
3. The great Command of God, by not loving of him, is diſobeyed; Matth. 22.37. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy mind. 38. This is the firſt and great commandment. The Lord Jeſus is a great King, a great Saviour. The Command to love him is a great Command, which if thou doſt not do, upon this account thou art a great Sinner. If a great Swearer, then ye ſay, ſuch a one is a great Sinner, a great Drunkard, and therefore a great Sinner; and ſo he is. But tho thou art no Drunkard, no Swearer, yet not a Lover of Chriſt, for this, I ſay, thou art a great Sinner; for thou liveſt in daily diſobedience to the great Command.
4. By not loving of Chriſt, the Promiſes of the Goſpel are undervalued; if thou wouldſt love him, he promiſeth thee a Crown of life, Jam. 1.12. he promiſeth thee all the good that thou doſt want, or canſt deſire; the pardon of Sin; the Favour of God; deliverance from Hell, the Happineſs of Heaven. Oh what Inducements of Love are theſe! What Motives! what Incentives! what madneſs to loſe all theſe for the love of the World, for the love of a naſty, filthy Luſt! Wilt thou ſtill ſay, all theſe ſhall never gain my love to Chriſt? nor move me to ſet my heart upon him? Thou ſayſt, thou ſayſt not ſo, but I ſay, and God knows thou doſt ſo: and is it not as bad to do ſo, and not ſay ſo; as not ſay ſo, and yet do ſo, when thy doing ſo, is as if thou ſaidſt ſo: So! how? why as if thou ſaidſt, Rather than I will love Chriſt, I will never be pardoned; rather than I will love Chriſt, I will go without the Favour of God, without the Joys of Heaven; I will be damned, and go to Hell, rather than I will love Chriſt; ſayſt thou ſo? or wilt thou do ſo? is the Love of Chriſt ſo grievous to thee? take thy choice; and when thou art in Hell, and damned there, thou ſhalt never love him.
VI. Not love Chriſt! what is this but odious Ingratitude for the greateſt Kindneſs to the Children of men? Suppoſe thou waſt in debt, and unable to pay, therefore muſt be caſt into Priſon; one diſchargeth thy Debt, wouldſt thou not love him? if not, would not all ſay, thou art unthankful? Suppoſe thy ſelf to be in Turkiſh Slavery, and one redeem thee, wouldſt thou not love him? Suppoſe thou art condemned to dye, and one procures thy Pardon, wouldſt thou not love him? or bear the brand of an ungrateful Perſon? Thou waſt in debt to God, and hadſt nothing to pay; thou waſt in ſlavery to Sin and Satan; thou waſt at enmity with God: condemned to dye, in danger of Hell, unfit for Heaven: the Juſtice of God did flame againſt thee: the Wrath of God did lie upon thee; Hell and Devils waited for thee. None could help thee, but Chriſt; ſatisfy for thee, but Chriſt; purchaſe thy Pardon, but Chriſt; ſave thee from Hell, and bring thee to Heaven, but Chriſt: nor He neither without ſuffering, bleeding, ſweating, dying: without bearing the puniſhment of thy ſins; giving his Soul for thine, his Life for thine; and after all this, art not thou to a wonder unthankful, if thou wilt not ſo much as love him? wilt not? let the Heavens be aſhoniſhed! and the Earth amazed, and all the Creation of God bluſh, and be aſhamed at the unthankfulneſs of ſinful men! that hear, that for their ſakes Chriſt was ſcourged, buffeted, crowned with Thorns; his Side pierced with a Spear, Nails driven through his Hands and feet, was arraigned, condemned, accuſed, condemned and crucified, and yet will not love a Chriſt ſcourged for them; a Chriſt groaning under the burden of their Sin; a Chriſt ſweating under the heavy load of the Wrath of God, will not love a weeping, bleeding, crucified Chriſt, when all this was endured in their room and ſtead.
VII. Not love Chriſt! is not this damnable contemning and deſpiſing of him? Is it not a ſetting him at nought? it is ſpoken of Chriſt, Pſal. 22 6. A reproach of men, and deſpiſed of the people. And Iſa. 53.3. He is deſpiſed and rejected of men.— He was deſpiſed, and we eſteemed him not. The Septuagint tranſlate the word by foreign, which is uſed of Chriſt in the New Teſtament, Luke 23.11. And Herod with his men of war ſet him at nought, and mocked him—. Act. 4.11. This was the ſtone which was ſet at nought by you builders—. What we greatly love, we highly value: what we love not at all, we value not at all, and that we do deſpiſe. And is it not ſin enough to deſpiſe the People of God, but wilt thou alſo deſpiſe the Son of God? not enough to deſpiſe the Word and Ways of God, but wilt thou add this to it, to deſpiſe the only begotten Son of God? Not to love, and to deſpiſe, is all one; Matth. 6.24. No man can ſerve two maſters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will hold to the one, and deſpiſe the other. Is this no evil in thine eyes? Is Chriſt that is honoured by the Father, contemned by thee? Is he the joy of Angels, the delight of Saints, and is he thus ſet at nought by thee? Is he the Pearl of great price, and doſt thou look upon him to be nullius pretii, of no worth? Is he the chiefeſt of ten thouſands, and doſt thou thus diſdain and vilify him, as if he were the meaneſt of ten thouſands? Canſt thou value thy Riches, and love them, and not Chriſt? Canſt thou value thy Relations, and love them, and not Chriſt? Behold, in compariſon of Riches, Children, Life, thou deſpiſeſt Chriſt, when thou ſhouldſt depiſe theſe in compariſon of Chriſt. He that deſpiſeth the word, ſhall be deſtroyed, Prov. 13.13. He that deſpiſeth his neighbour, ſ… neth; Prov. 14.21. He that deſpiſeth his father's inſtruction, is a fool, Prov. 15.15 He that deſpiſeth his mother, the ravens ſhall pick out his eyes, Prov. 30.17. What then is he, and what ſhall be done to him that deſpiſeth Chriſt?
VIII. Not a lover of Chriſt! what art thou then but an hater of him? there is no medium between theſe two. Love him thou muſt, or hate him thou doſt. Matth. 6.24. He will hate the one, and love the other. Matth. 12.30. He that is not with me, is againſt me. He that doth not ſo love him, as to have him rule him, doth hate him. Luke 19.14. But his citizens hated him, and ſent a meſſenger after him, ſaying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
Shouldſt thou hate thy Luſts, and love the Lord; and doſt thou love thy Luſts, and hate the Lord? I intreat thee, tell me, What hath he done unto thee, that thou ſhouldſt hate him? as Chriſt reaſoned with them that ſo hated him, that they ſtoned him; John 10.32. Jeſus anſwered them, ſaying, Many good works have I ſhewed you from my father, for which of thoſe works do ye ſtone me? So let me reaſon with thee; Many a good Work hath Chriſt done for thee, for which of theſe doſt thou hate him? Hath he not come from Heaven for thee? was he not wounded, beaten, ſcourged, and ſuffered death for thee? for which of all theſe doſt thou hate him? hath he not made Salvation poſſible for thee? doſt thou hate him for that? hath not he purchaſed a Conditional Pardon for thee, doſt thou hate him for that? hath not he intreated thee to conſider thy own Soul, and to prevent thine own Damnation; doſt thou hate him for that? hath he given thee any other cauſe? thou haſt many reaſons to love him, but no cauſe to hate him, as Chriſt himſelf aſſerteth. Joh. 15.25. They hated me without a cauſe, but for that hatred they ſhall not be puniſhed without cauſe.
IX. Not love Chriſt! art thou not herein a confederate with the Devil, againſt God and Chriſt? And joineſt in with the Devil againſt Chriſt? And doſt thou not in this rather obey the Deſtroyer than the Saviour of thy Soul? Chriſt calls, Give me thy love, but thou doſt not. Satan perſwadeth thee to withhold thy love from Chriſt, and ſo thou doſt. Chriſt ſaith, Give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. but thou doſt not. Satan ſaith, Let the World have thy heart, and ſo it hath. Canſt thou diſpleaſe Chriſt more than to deny him thy Love? Or canſt thou pleaſe the Devil better? What meaneth this perverſeneſs of thy heart? What mean theſe croſs and crooked dealings, as if Chriſt were thine enemy, and the Devil thy friend? As if thy loving Chriſt would be thy ruine, and liſtning to the Devil were the way to happineſs.
Poor Sinner! Will the Devil ſave thee? Chriſt would. Will he help thee into the favour of God, or up to Heaven? Tell me, what doſt thou in thy Conſcience think, doth Chriſt or the Devil moſt deſire thy real good? Did the Devil ſuffer for thee? Chriſt did. Did the Devil dye for thee? Chriſt hath. Hath the Devil any love unto thee? Chriſt had ſo much as to ſhed his Blood, that if thou wilt hearken to him, thou mighteſt be ſaved by him. Why then, when Chriſt, the World and Satan, are ſtriving for thy heart and love, doſt thou open to the World and Satan, and ſhut it againſt the Lord Jeſus Chriſt?
X. Not love Chriſt! Doſt thou not herein bear the Image of the Devil, and look more like a Devil than a man. Hath the Devil no love to Chriſt? Nor haſt thou. Oh what a thing is this, that a man on earth ſhould love Chriſt no more than the Devils in Hell? And is the likeneſs of the Devil thy Glory? Is his Image thy Beauty? And Conformity to Satan thy Dignity? Or canſt thou be ſaved more than the Devil himſelf, if thou loveſt Chriſt no more than he? Oh when the Accuſation at the laſt day ſhall be brought againſt thee, This man hated Chriſt like a Devil: Did he ſo? Away with him now unto the Devils. And that mans heart was no more towards Chriſt than the Devils. No? Then let that Man and Devils go together, and be Damned together.
XI. Not love Chriſt! Doſt thou not carry thy ſelf worſe towards Christ than the Devils do? And is not thy not loving of Chriſt worſe in thee than it is in Devils? becauſe the greater love and kindneſs that Chriſt hath ſhewn to thee than ever he did to Devils, and the more he hath done for thee than he hath for them, the worſe is want of love to Chriſt in thee than in them. Did Chriſt dye for Devils as he hath for thee? Did he bear the puniſhment of their Sin, as he hath for thine? Did he ever make Salvation poſſible to them, as he hath to thee? Did he ever offer pardon to them, as he hath to thee? Or did he ever ſollicir them for their love, as he hath done with thee for thine? Might not Devils ſay, we have not that cauſe nor reaſons to love Chriſt as Men have? And might not we ſuppoſe, if the Devils in Hell were ſet in the ſame circumſtances as Men on Earth, that ſome of the Devils might love him, when ſome men will not? However, when we conſider the Texts that ſpeak of fallen Angels, and how they are irrecoverably caſt into blackneſs and darkneſs, and of fallen men who are ſaveable, it is ſufficient foundation for this concluſion, That want of love to Chriſt is worſe in men than it is in Devils. Concerning Gods juſt dealing with Sinning Angels, we read, 2 Pet. 2.4. God ſpared not the Angels that ſinned, but caſt them down to Hell, and delivered them into chains of darkneſs to be reſerved unto judgment. And Epiſtle of Jude, ver. 6. The Angels which kept not their firſt eſtate, but left their own habitation, he hath reſerved in everlaſting chains under darkneſs, unto the judgment of the great day. Not a word of a Saviour for them, but of Mankind the Scripture ſpeaks of abundance of love and mercy: Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth on him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting life. Tit. 3.4. But after that the kindneſs and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; and denieth that concerning Angels, which it doth affirm concerning Man. Heb. 2.16. For verily he took not upon him the nature of Angels, but he took upon him the ſeed of Abraham. Hath he done that for you, which he hath not done for Devils, and is not then want of love in you to him, a greater evil, than it is in Devils? Let this ſhame you that ye are not lovers of Chriſt.
XII. Not love Chriſt! What do ye make of this but the beginning of Hell? By the ſame reaſon as love to Chriſt is the beginning of Heaven. Love to Chriſt is the employment of the Saints in Glory, and to be without love to Chriſt is the frame of the Damned in miſery. So much of hatred to Chriſt is in you, ſo much of Hell is in you, before you be in Hell.
XIII. Want of love to Chriſt! Is not this the Daughter, and the Off-ſpring, of many foul abominations that are reigning in thy heart? Doth it not ſuppoſe the predominancy of many other ſins? As,
1. Doth it not ſuppoſe Ignorance of thy miſery, Sins deformity, and of Chriſts beauty, excellency and neceſſity?
2. Doth it not ſuppoſe preceding Infidelity? That thou doſt not believe what God ſaith concerning Chriſt, nor what ſhall be thy portion, and thy everlaſting miſerable condition without Chriſt?
3. Doth it not ſuppoſe a conceit of thy own Righteouſneſs, which if thou ſaweſt to be inſufficient, would Chriſt be thus ſlighted and diſregarded by thee?
4. Doth it not ſuppoſe Self-willedneſs? Thou wilt love what thou wilt love, and not him thou ſhouldſt love, come on it what will. Is it not plain wilfulneſs when thou canſt give no reaſon why thou wilt not love Chriſt, But becauſe thou wilt not?
5. Doth it not ſuppoſe predominancy of ſinful Self love? Carual Self thou wilt love, and becauſe this in dominion is inconſiſtent with the love of Chriſt, thou doſt omit the loving of him.
6. Doth it not ſuppoſe fearleſneſs of God, and of his Indignation? If this did awe thee, could Chriſt be thus neglected by thee?
7. Doth it not ſuppoſe forgetfulneſs of Death and Judgment? Of Heaven and Hell? Couldſt thou without horror, think of dying without love to Chriſt; When to dye ſo once, would be to dye for ever? Without trembling couldſt thou think of Judgment, when for want of love to Chriſt thou ſhalt certainly be damned, whenever thou appeareſt at his Judgment-bar? Or of Heaven, when thou muſt never enter into it? Or of Hell, when thou muſt certainly be caſt into it for want of love to Chriſt?
8. Doth it not ſuppoſe great careleſneſs of thine own Soul? For canſt thou love thy Soul, and not love Chriſt the Saviour of the Soul? Canſt thou take care of the Salvation of thy Soul, and take no care to love him that is the purchaſer, and the donor of eternal Salvation? Is ſuch a litter of ſins in the heart void of the love of Chriſt? And wilt thou after this, make ſo light a matter of it?
XIV. Want of love to Chriſt! Is it not the Mother of many horrid tranſgreſſions, and the Nurſe, Maintainer, and Fomenter of them? Love to Chriſt ſhuts the door of the heart againſt the temptations of Satan, the inticements of Sinners, and the allurements of the World; but the want of it ſets it open unto all. Love to Chriſt would be a Dam to the ſtream of Sin, but the want of it is the plucking up the Floodgates thereof, that Sin might run out of the heart into the life with a ſwift current. Is not the abſence of love to Chriſt the cauſe of many commiſſions of Evil? Would it not bridle thy Tongue, reſtrain thine Hands, ſhut thy Eyes, ſtop thy Ears, and keep all theſe from being defiled with finful actings upon ſinful objects? Is it not the cauſe of the omiſſion of good? Of praying, hearing, meditation, holy diſcourſe? What goeth before, and what followeth after the want of love to Chriſt, as flowing and proceeding from it, maketh it a ſin exceeding ſinful.
XV. Love not Chriſt! Have not then all the Ordinances of God been ineffectual as to thee? Have not Miniſters preached in vain, and ſpent their labour for nought? And haſt not thou heard in vain? And followed the means of Grace in vain? when by all the means thou haſt not got this Grace of Love? What though thou haſt obtained knowledge, is not that knowledge, without love to Chriſt, vain knowledge? What though thou art able to diſcourſe of God and Chriſt, and Heaven, and the workings of the Spirit, without love to Chriſt, is it not (though concerning ſuch great and weighty matters, yet) vain diſcourſe? Have not all the calls of Mercy, the workings of Conſcience, the wooings of Grace, the pleadings of Miniſters, the intreaties of Love, the knockings of Chriſt, the ſtrivings of the Spirit, the waitings of Patience, been all ſlighted and diſregarded by thee? Are not all thy Prayers loſt, and will not all thy Profeſſion come to nothing, and thy hopes of Heaven periſh, when for want of love to Chriſt thy Soul ſhall never enter into Heaven, but periſh everlaſtingly?
XVI. Want of love to Chriſt! Is it not a mark and brand of a graceleſs Man? Is not the abſence of love to Chriſt, inconſiſtent with the preſence of any other ſaving Grace? Pſal. 31.23. O love the Lord, all ye his Saints. No love, no Saint: No Saint, no Grace in thee. If Loveleſs, altogether Graceleſs; for then,
1. Thou art faithleſs, for didſt thou believe on him, thou wouldſt have ſincere love unto him, for where there is Faith, it worketh by love, Gal. 5.6.
2. Thou art fearleſs of God. Love and fear of God do ſweetly concur: Love is afraid to offend.
3. Thou art ſorrowleſs; that is, as to any holy, godly ſorrow: For love to Chriſt would make thee ſorrow for thy ſin, for the abſence of Chriſt, and love would cauſe thee to ſorrow that thou loveſt no more.
4. Thou art alſo hopeleſs; for there can be no ſolid ground of hope in him, when there is no love unto him. He that hopes for Heaven by the merits of Chriſt, without love to the perſon of Chriſt, his hope is a Fabrick without a foundation, the Fools Paradiſe: It is hope without a warrant, and in the end, when he miſſeth of the end of his expectation, will be found to be no better than raſh confidence, bold and damnable preſumption. For the greateſt Profeſſor, without love to Chriſt, is a Self-deluding Hypocrite, whoſe hope ſhall be cut off, and prove as weak, though ſpun as fine as a Spiders web, Job 8.13. And ſhall be as the giving up of the ghoſt, Job 11.20. And is the want of all Grace no evil in thine Eyes, when it brings puniſhment that ſhall be endleſs, eaſeleſs, and remedileſs, upon all that were totally and finally Graceleſs.
XVII. Not love Christ, Gods own Son! How then is God thy Father? Joh. 8.42. Jeſus ſaid unto them, if God were your father, ye would love me—If ye be his creatures, and not love him, it is an aggravation of your ſin, not to have love to him that gave Being to you; but though ye are his Creatures without love, yet ye are not his Children; but better never had been his Creatures if not his Children, for though ye ſhould every day, with great confidence, ſay Our Father, without love to Chriſt, God will never own you as Children, nor give you Childrens Portions.
XVIII. Not love Chriſt! How canſt thou then excuſe all the love thou haſt to other things from being ſinful Love? So that the more thou lovedſt, the more thou ſinneſt, becauſe thy love to others is not ſubordinate to the love of Chriſt, but ſeparate from it. To love other things and perſons in Subordination to the love of Chriſt, is not a Sin, but Duty; to love other things and perſons, and not Chriſt, or more than Chriſt, is not a Duty, but a Sin; and thus the love of your Eſtates is ſinful Love. And the love of Husband, Wife, Children, and of your Selves, is therefore ſinful Love, becauſe it is above the love of Chriſt, for theſe ſhould be loved in Chriſt, and for Chriſt, but you love them without Chriſt, and more than Chriſt, therefore all your love, without love to Chriſt, (though materially good) is ſinful love, Mat. 10.37.
XIX. Not love Christ! Art thou not all this while treaſuring up terrible Accuſations in Conſcience against the hour of Death, and day of Judgment? The time will come, and is at hand, when thou, and all thou lovedſt, beſides Chriſt, muſt be ſeparated. Thou haſt loved the World, and thou muſt leave it; thou haſt loved thy Pleaſures, and thou muſt bid adieu unto them; thou haſt loved thy Relations, and thou muſt take thy ſarewel of them; and then, oh then, if conſcience be awakened, if thou doſt not go blindfold, and hood wink'd, by the Devil, out of this World, wilt, in the bitterneſs of thy Soul, lament thy woful caſe, and ſay, Oh! What have I done? What is this that I have done, to love what I must leave? I loved my Riches and now Death will take me from them. I have ſet my heart more upon my earthly Relations than upon Christ, and now Death is come to tear and carry me away from them. I have loved my life more than Christ, and now Death will put an end unto my life. And all theſe things that I have loved, now must loſe. Oh! Had I loved Christ as I have loved them, Christ would not have left me; Death could not have ſeparated him from me, but ſhould have removed me nearer unto him. But this I did not; woe is me that this I never did, for now all my love proves vexatious love, to think and find that what I have loved, in one moment I have for ever lost.
XX. Want of love to Christ! Doth not this make Damnation unavoidable? and the eſcaping of Hell to be impoſſible? For when thou dyeſt, whither wouldſt thou have thy Soul to go? To one whom thou never lovedſt? While thou didst live, thou didst not, wouldst not love him, and after Death canst not. Canſt not love him? Is Heaven a place for them that cannot love Chriſt? Heaven is a place of Love; the Imployment of Heaven is to love, and praiſe him whom they do love. Without love to Chriſt, thou wouldſt not find imployment there, and the life of Heaven will be no idle life, where all ſhall live and love, and love as long as they ſhall live; therefore ſuch as do not now, and hereafter cannot love, ſhall never enter to live in that place of Love.
Now, Sirs, What do ye think? Is the want of love to Chriſt ſo ſmall a ſin as ye have hitherto ſuppoſed it to be, when you have ſpent and paſt the greateſt part of your lives without love to Chriſt, and without ſorrow, for want of that love? What do ye mean! To ceaſe to live, before ye do begin to love? What ſhift have ye made to live in mirth and joy, when the love of Chriſt hath not liv'd nor reign'd in your hearts? Let Conſcience be Judge between God and you, but if Conſcience be dead, and will not give its judgment, let God himſelf be Judge; have ye done well to love that which ye ſhould have hated, and hated him whom ye ſhould have loved? Done well! God knows it is not well done, and Devils themſelves know you have not well done; and ye your ſelves, ſooner or later, (God grant before it be too late) ſhall know in this ye have not done well. Done well! No, ye have done fooliſhly, ye have done wickedly; nay, in this ye have done Deviliſhly in what ye have done; call to mind the things that have been ſaid, ponder them in your hearts, weigh them in the ballance of right reaſon, and it will tell you ye have done abominably in what ye have done.
But I ſuſpect this thought is riſing in your hearts, If we had not loved Chriſt, we ſhould yield we had done ſo great an evil as this is aggravated in it ſelf, and by its circumſtances to be: But God forbid that we ſhould live without love to Chriſt, we think it is pity that Man ſhould live that doth not love Chriſt. This ſuppoſed love, I fear will keep you off from repenting for want of real love to Chriſt, and make you ſet light by all theſe aggravations of this Sin, becauſe ye think, and hope ye do love Chriſt; and ſome are ſo ignorant of their ſinful ſtate by Nature, and ſo vainly confident of the goodneſs of their hearts, that they bleſs God they have loved Chriſt ever ſince they were born, and will be ready to ſpit in that mans face that ſhall queſtion their love to Chriſt. Come then, ye that are ſo confident that ye love him, come unto the Trial, bring it to the Touchſtone of the Word of God, and try of what Mettal is your Love: What if it ſhould prove but counterfeit inſtead of real? Or ſuppoſe in ſome ſenſe it ſhould be real, and not counterfeit, yet ſhould not be ſincere, and ſaving love, for the diſcovery whereof, I ſhall ne… proceed to the third Uſe.