Love to Christ, Title page – Table of contents
Love to Chriſt, Neceſſary to Eſcape the CURSE AT His Coming.
By THO. DOOLITTLE, M. A.
Mat. x. 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.
Mat. xxv. 41. Then ſhall he ſay alſo unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curſed, into everlaſting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Cockerill, at the Three Legs in the Poultrey, over againſt the Stocks-Market. 1692.
THE EPISTLE TO Non-Lovers OF CHRIST, Lamenting Their SIN and MISERY.
THat Glorious Perſon, who is both Lord and Jeſus, and Chriſt, hath ſuffered, and done, and promiſed, ſuch things that might gain the love of Sinners to himſelf; and by theſe doth Plead with them, to ſet their Affections upon him. In oppoſition to him, the World, and Sin, ſtand in competition with him, for the love of man's Heart. Chriſt calls, Sinner, Love me. Sin and World, cry aloud, Place thy love on us. The Spirit, Word, Miniſters, Mercies, and a Well-informed awaken'd Conſcience, preſs hard for the Love of Man to Chriſt: The Devil, and the Fleſh, ſollicit for the Heart of Man, for Sin and World. Love man hath, and one of theſe he will Love; both he cannot, at the ſame time, with a predominant Love, for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or elſe he will hold to the one, and deſpiſe the other. Ye cannot [Love and] ſerve God and Mammon, Mat. 6.24. Predominant Love to the one, is inconſiſtent with ſuch Love unto the other. 1 Joh. 2.15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
This conſidered, what Thinking man can forbear to grieve, abſtain from floods of Tears, and bitter Lamentation, when he ſeeth that the Love of Man, ſuch a Noble Affection in it ſelf, is ſet ſo much on Sin, that is ſo bad in it ſelf, and unto its Lovers, and upon the World, that proves a vexation to thoſe that are ſo fond of it, who Love and vex, who vex at it, and yet ſtill continue and encreaſe their Love unto it, and their vexation by it, doth not abate their inordinate Affection to it; while Chriſt, that is the primary, principal, and moſt delightful Object of Love, is ſlighted by ſo many, even by the moſt? Blind Sinners! Do ye thus love Sin ſo vile, and the World ſo contemptible, and not Chriſt, that is altogether lovely and deſirable? What perverſeneſs is this, that Chriſt, that is beſt in himſelf, and beſt for them, ſhould be refuſed, and Sin, that is worſt in it ſelf. and worſt to them, ſhould be embraced? What folly and madneſs is this, that Chriſt ſhould be kept out, ſtanding at the Door, when Sin and World are admitted in, and Lodged, and kindly Entertained in the chiefeſt Room of their Hearts? Curſed doings! When Sin ſhould have no Love, ſhall it have all? When Chriſt ſhould have all, ſhall he have none? When the whole World, like that part, [the Earth] ſhould be as your Footſtool, ſhall it, or any thing in it, be ſet up in your Hearts, as in its Throne? How is it that ye are ſo much miſtaken, as to think ye ſee Beauty in Deformity, and Deformity in Beauty it ſelf? Why is odious Sin ſo lovely, and a precious Chriſt ſo unlovely in your Eyes? Have ye conſidered what Sin is, and what Chriſt is, that ye have greater Love to that Work of the Devil, than ye have to Gods own Son? And this, when Sin is ſo bad and vile, that as Sin, it cannot be loved by the worſt of men, till it be firſt diſguiſed, and dreſſed up with the appearance of Good, and Chriſt ſo good, that as Chriſt, he is to be loved moſt of all? When called, invited, and charged, in the Name of God, by the Miniſters of Chriſt, ſhewing you God's Call, Invitation and Charge, to love this lovely Jeſus, why do ye retort, and ſay, What is your Beloved above another Beloved, (O ye Teachers of Chriſt?) VVhat is your Beloved more than another Beloved, that ye ſo charge us? How long will ye ſay, He hath no form or comelineſs? VVe ſee …o Beauty in him that we ſhould deſire him? How long ſhall Chriſt complain of you, that ye hate both him and his Father? And is not this complaint more grievous, when ye hate him without a cauſe, and do not love him when there is ſo much cauſe and reaſon why you ſhould? VVhat hath Sin and VVorld done for you, and what did ever Chriſt do againſt you, that ye love your ſoreſt Enemies, and hate him that would be your ſureſt Friend? Hath Sin afforded you Pleaſures? But how long will they laſt? And what will ye do when the Pleaſures of Sin are paſt and fled away, and the Pains and Puniſhment for Sin are come, and ſhall never, never, paſs away? Hath the VVorld allowed you its Profits? But whoſe ſhall theſe be, when ye are Dead, and Lodged in the Duſt? VVhat profit is there in all your Profits, if ye gain them, and loſe your Souls? Will not your Gain be your Everlaſting Loſs? Is Chriſt the Admiration of Angels, and is he your Deriſion? Do they Adore him, and do ye thus Deſpiſe him? Do Holy Saved-Souls above, delight and joy in their Love to him, and in his to them, and do ye turn away your Love, and Alienate your Hearts from him, and Love Sin, and Rejoyce in that your Love? Do Holy Souls beneath, in this Imperfect State, cry ou…. Whom have we in Heaven but Chriſt, or what is there on Earth that we deſire, like, or love, in compariſon of him? and do ye prefer your Luſt, and Fleſhly Pleaſures, and Worldly Profits, before him? Have ye done ſo, and will ye ſtill? Are ye ſo reſolved? Are your Hearts ſo hardened? Your Minds ſo blinded? And ſo enſlaved to Sin and Satan? Alas for you! Were ye Born without love to Chriſt? And have ye lived ſo long without love to him? And will ye Dye at laſt without love to him? Where are the Mourners, that they may with flowing Tears bewail your Sin and Miſery? Why your Sin? Becauſe ye love not Chriſt. Why your Miſery? Becauſe you muſt be ANATHEMA when MARANATHA; be Accurſed when the Lord ſhall come. Alas for you, that are Ignorant of Chriſt; for can ye love whom ye do not know? Alas for you, whoſe Hearts are full of love to a vain, deluding VVorld, and empty of ſincere Love to Chriſt, for ye muſt all be ANATHEMA when MARANATHA; Accurſed when the Lord ſhall come. Let Angels bluſh: Let the Heavens be aſhamed: Let good men weep: Let the Earth mourn: Let all the Creation of God ſigh, and ſob, and groan, that the Son of God is not beloved by ſo many of the Sons of Men! O my Soul! where is thy love to theſe Souls empty of Saving-love unto thy Lord? Where is thy ſorrow for want of their Love? Where are thy Bowels of compaſſion, to them that have no pity to themſelves, in that they will have no love to Chriſt? Doſt not thou know MARANATHA, the Lord will come? And art thou not ſure, that then they will be ANATHEMA, under a bitter and an eternal Curſe: Doſt thou ſee how the Devil turned mens hearts from their Lord-Creator, and how he keeps their love from their Lord-Redeemer, for which the Devil inſults over them, and wilt not thou be grieved for them? Bleſſed Jeſus! I am ready to blame them, becauſe they love not thee, and I do blame my ſelf for want of grief in me; for want of love to thee. Methinks that Godly Parents ſhould mourn, becauſe they have a Child, or Children, that love not Jeſus Chriſt, and ſay, What! they love us, but not the Lord! What pleaſure can we take in their love to us, when they have none to Chriſt? Methinks the Children that have love to Chriſt, ſhould weep, and bitterly lament, to be loved by their Parents, with a greater love than they have for Chriſt; and the Wife that is a Lover of Chriſt, ſhould be filled with ſorrow, that hath one ſo near, that is ſo far from loving of the only Saviour, and ſay, Alas! alas! MARANATHA, and then my Child, my Father, Mother, Husband, will be ANATHEMA. Weep then, weep, weep abundantly, for any in your Houſe, among your Relations, Friends, Acquaintance, and Neighbours, that are not Lovers of Chriſt. Oh that your Heads were Waters, and your Eyes Fountains of Tears, that ye may Weep Day and Night, for theſe that Love not the Lord Jeſus. How can ye go with dry Eyes, without Tears trickling down your Cheeks, one haſting to overtake the other, when ye behold Non-Lovers of Chriſt, and conſider next, ANATHEMA MARANATHA? Oh! that ye had in ſome Wilderneſs a Lodging place of Wayfaring-men, or ſome retired corner in your Houſe, that ye may leave your worldly Buſineſs for a while, and go from them, to waſh your Faces in your Tears, that your dear Relations love not that Lord of yours, that is dearer to you than they are, or all this World beſides. Take on moſt bitterly, when ye think how by them your deareſt Lord is undervalued, and their precious Souls are endangered, by their not loving of him, for they muſt be ANATHEMA when MARANATHA. Alas, poor Loveleſs Souls! The Lord will come, will ſurely, quickly come, and then they will be miſerable; ſurely then they will be miſerable Souls indeed.
But is this enough for you, (O ye Non-Lovers of Chriſt) that others do lament your woful caſe, while ye your ſelves do ſpend your Time, and waſte your Days in ſinful Love, and carnal Delights, and ſenſual Joy? Were ye convinced of your preſent Sin, and did ye ſee your future approaching Miſery, could ye be ſo full of Mirth, upon the very Borders of the place where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnaſhing of Teeth? Could ye Laugh and Sing, ſo near the bottomleſs Pit, where your Laughing ſhall be turned into Mourning, and your Mirth into everlaſting Sorrow? Were ye the Men that had your Eyes opened, would ye not, every one of you, bitterly bewail your preſent danger, in the ſenſe and apprehenſion of your ſpeedy and eternal Woe, and ſay, Alas, what ſhall I do, when Sickneſs ſhall come, and Death ſhall come, and the Lord himſelf ſhall come, when I have no love for him? Wo is me! How ſhall I dye, and after Death appear at his Tribunal, whom I never loved? O my poor departing Soul! now as full of Terror, as empty of the love of Chriſt; what will become of thee, when thou ſteppeſt out of Time into Eternity? O dreadful, dreadful, this is exceeding dreadful, to leave all that I did ever love, and go to be judged by him, whom I did (Woe to me that I did) never love! I did love my Wiſe and Children, but not Chriſt, and now I muſt leave them whom I did ſo much love, and receive my Doom from him whom I did ſo much hate. I did love my Pleaſures, and my ſenſual Delights, and now there is an end of them; and now I muſt go unto thoſe Miſeries, Woes and Torments, that ſhall never, never, end. Wo is me, that now I am a dying man, and ſhortly, alas a day or two more, an hour or two more; ſo ſhortly, for want of love to Chriſt, and I muſt be a Damned man. When I wa… well, and loved not Chriſt, (well and loved not Chriſt!) when I thought I was well without love to Chriſt, I thought my Pleaſures were ſweet, my Riches my Happineſs, and my beloved Relations my Joy; and I thought my love was rightly placed upon them, but now upon this Dying-Bed, when I look backwards upon time now paſt, and forwards into Eternity, that never will be paſt, I ſee, I find the remembrance of them doth torment my departing Soul, they are as bitter as Gall, for the more I loved them heretofore, the more they do torment me now. Now! Wo is me! They will for ever. Oh what did I mean, to give that love to them, which I ſhould have given unto Chriſt? Had I loved him, as I loved them, my love to him would have been as great a Comfort to me, on this Dying-Bed, as the love of them is now a Terror to me, but I did not; O curſed Catiff that I did not. And now the Lord, by Death, is come to me, and I after Death muſt go to him, to be Judged by him, and in my Sentence I ſhall hear ANATHEMA; Depart thou Curſed into everlaſting Fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. In that I never loved Chriſt, I Sinned like the Devil, and in my Sentence, for that Sin I muſt be Condemned, and in Hell ſuffer with, and as the Devil.
But yet all this may be prevented; may it? And will ye not endeavour it? How? By calling off your love from other things, and placing it predominantly upon the Lord Jeſus. By Faith in him, and Love unto him, the Curſe might be eſcaped, and the Bleſſing obtained at his coming; and had ye rather be Damned, than love Chriſt? Indeed! Is your Enmity ſo much to him, that ye had rather be miſerable for ever, than place your Affections upon him? Are ye not yet willing to forſake your Old Love, and get New Love to Chriſt? Can ye be willing to be miſerable, and pained, and tormented, in extremity, to all Eternity? I know ye cannot: And yet I know, whether ye be willing, or unwilling, without love to Chriſt, miſerable you muſt be. Oh that ye did clearly ſee, ſtedfaſtly believe, and diſtinctly apprehend the tranſcendent Excellency, the amiable Beauty, the invaluable Worth of this Lord Jeſus, that ye might prize him more than Gold and Pearls, and coſtly Jewels, and love him more than all. How is it when ye hear thoſe on Earth, that love him moſt, ſo much complain of the ſmalneſs of their love to him, that ye do not reflect upon your ſelves, and ſay, What Sinners then are we, that have no love at all to him, and yet are not troubled, becauſe we do not love him? For my own part, I do complain I cannot love this Bleſſed Jeſus with that ſtrength of Love I ought, and earneſtly do deſire, and endeavour to grieve more, becauſe I love him no more, and to loath my ſelf ſo much the more, by how much I fall ſhort of that Love I ought to have to him. Oh that others may make up what I do want, and might be enlarged, and abound in that love, wherein I am ſtraitned and defective; that what degrees of Love I cannot reach, others on Earth might attain unto, that while I mourn for the ſmalneſs of my own Love, I might rejoyce in the greatneſs of the Love of others unto this lovely Jeſus; and yet when all this is leſs than he is worthy of, let it be ſome joy unto my grieved Soul, that ſaved Souls above, and Angels in Glory, do love him with a perfect and eternal Love, that though I cannot love him as they do, yet I may rejoyce on Earth, that there are Ten Thouſand times Ten Thouſands, and Thouſands of Thouſands in Heaven, rejoycing in the fullneſs of Love which is in them to him, when Thouſands upon Earth never will, and Millions in Hell never can, love this moſt lovely Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
But ſtill I muſt grieve and groan, that when my Lord doth ask me, Loveſt thou me more than theſe, ſometimes I doubt, and dare not ſay, Lord, thou that knoweſt all things, thou knoweſt that I love thee; but my Heart doth pant, my Soul doth long that my love to him might be inflamed, that the Actings of it might be more vigorous, and the Workings of it ſo ſenſible, that they may put me into pleaſant Pangs, and ſweeteſt Pains of Love. Lord! I ſhall not account my ſelf to be well, till I am ſick of love to thee, that ſo I might, from what I feel, and find, in my own Soul, recommend the ſweeteſt Delights, the Rational Pleaſures, and the Spiritual Comforts, to the Lovers of Vanity, to allure and draw their Love to Chriſt, that I may ſpeak more of the unſpeakable Joy that fills the Breaſt of a ſtrong Lover of Chriſt, and more pathetically Perſwade, more effectually Plead, till God powerfully prevail with them, to turn the Stream of their Love (which now runs waſte) into the right Channel, and glide along till it empty it ſelf into that Sea of Love, which Saints and Angels flow in unto Chriſt.
I have made a ſmall Attempt, in this little Treatiſe, of the Neceſſity of Sincere Love to Chriſt, whether God, by Me, might move the Hearts of any, to fix their Love upon him, in which I have not ſtudied Words and Phraſes, to recommend Chriſt, to wanton Wits, in their Dreſs, but with as much plainneſs, and Goſpel ſimplicity, as I could, in the very Words in which it was Preached, to a People that love plain Preaching, and eaſie to be underſtood. If any for this ſhall diſlike it, when they have took it up, and look'd into it, and ſee it to be ſuch, may as eaſily lay it down, and ſlight it as they pleaſe; I ſought not my Self in it, but the love of Men to Chriſt by it. I can be willing to be accounted a Fool for Chriſt, and I doubt not but I ſhall have more Comfort on a Dying-Bed, when I ſhall reflect I aimed not at vain Applauſe of Dying men, but to gain the Hearts, and hearty Love of, once the Hearers, and now the Readers, of theſe Sermons; and if God will pleaſe to own them in mens Reading, as he did in the Hearing of them, by many, when not I, but the Grace of God, did ſo much affect their Hearts, that they did deſire it might be Preached to them (ſome time after) the ſecond time, which I did, and did Work, and had as great Succeſs as at the firſt: Not that I was any thing, but God did all, both firſt and laſt. Many, very many, that did confeſs they loved not Chriſt, but World, and Vanity, and Sin, before, did deſire all in the Congregation earneſtly to Pray, That God would give them this love unto his Son, which I hope they have, and are increaſing and growing therein; and that God may ſo Bleſs it to any Poor, plain Country People, whom my voice cannot reach, and to whom I cannot go, (where this may) ſhall be the fervent Prayers that one ſo mean can put up to Heaven: Where let the Prayers of all true Lovers of Chriſt meet, that the Number of ſuch may be increaſed. Amen.
Tho. Doolittle.
THE Contents.
THE Introduction pag. 1, 2
Anathema explained, p. 3 to 9
Maranatha explained, p. 3 to 9
The parts of the Text p. 9
A Paraphraſe upon the Text p. 10 to 14
The Doctrine and Method. p. 14, 15
Twelve Requiſites in ſincere Love to Chriſt p. 15 to 41
Delighting, Love, p. 41, 42
Deſiring, Love, p. 41, 42
Mourning, Love, p. 41, 42
A Deſcription of Love to Chriſt p. 43
The Neceſſity of ſincere Love to Chriſt, to eſcape the Curſe; proved by ten Arguments p. 44 to 55
Ten Properties of the Curſe, due to Non-Lovers of Chriſt p. 56 to 69
Eight Reaſons why Love is ſo ſtrictly required, that Chriſt muſt be Loved, or the Sinner Accurſed p. 69. to 75
The Uſes to be made of this Subject p. 75, 76
Ten Inferences deduced from it p. 78 to 96
Twenty Aggravations of want of Love to Chriſt p. 96 to 124
The Caſe Reſolved how a Man may know he hath, or wants ſincere Love to Chriſt p. 124 to 143
An Attempt to gain Sinners Conſent to Love Chriſt p. 143 to 151
Twenty Motives, or Pleas, that Chriſt might have the Love of Mens Hearts p. 151 to 176
Ten Directions to get ſincere Love to Chriſt p. 176 to 197
Ten Springs of Spiritual Comfort, flowing into the Hearts of the Lovers of Chriſt p. 197 to 210
The Concluſion and Bleſſing p. 210 to the end.
LOVE to CHRIST NECESSARY TO ESCAPE the CURSE At His COMING.
1 COR. XVI. 22.
If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be Anathema, Maran-atha.