A Discovery of Glorious Love, Title page – Dedication
A Diſcovery of GLORIOUS LOVE OR The Love of Chriſt to Beleevers. Opened
In the Truth, thereof,
In the Tranſcendency, and thereof,
In the Sweetneſſe, thereof,
Together with the neceſſity that lyes upon every Beleever, to ſtrive after the Spirituall and Experimentall knowledge of it.
Being the ſum of VI Sermons Preached upon Epheſians 3.19.
By JOHN DURANT, Preacher of the Goſpel in the City of Canterbury.
— foreign i.e.
Wee will make thy love to be remembred more than wine,
Cant. 1.4.
foreign i.e.
He brought me into the houſe of wine, & his banner over me was love,
Cant 2.4.
London Printed for R. I. to be ſold by W. Gilbert ſon at the Bible in Guilt-ſpurſtreet without New-gate. 1655.
To the Right Honourable Robert Earl of Warwick, &c.
My Noble Lord,
I Preſume your Lordſhip well knows, that Chriſts love is our ſoul (and therefore ſole) life: Then (and indeed not till then) do wee live, when wee injoy divine love: Our boſomes cannot breath forth the breath of life, before Chriſt breaths in the breath of love.
Indeed, its the miſery of moſt, that they are ſtrangers to this truth. To ſpeak to many of the Lord Jeſus, and to tell them of a life in love, above what ſence feels, and of a comfort, a glory, a happineſſe flowing from thence, far ſurmounting what ſight fees, is a myſtery, which they cannot perceive (nor indeed beleeve) for tis fooliſhneſſe unto them. Not onelyonly the News-mongers at Athens counted this News which they never heard of; But even the Philoſophers there themſelves accounted Pauls preaching of theſe things a ſtrange doctrine.
But I hope I may without either falſeneſſe or flattery ſay: your Honour is well acquainted with theſe things. As experimentally knowing, that all your honour, joy, felicity, lyes in this, that you know the love of Chriſt paſſing knowledge.
And this is one ground of this dedication of theſe enſuing Sermons; But its not the onelyonly ground. For,
I deſire by this alſo to declare to the world, and your ſelf, how ſenſible and mindfull I am of thoſe obligations, which your Honour hath laid upon mee, not onelyonly by your owning of, and reſpect unto my perſon, but (which I prize moſt) my Miniſtry.
His perſon is above my praiſe, whoſe pen hath blotted the common way of dedications. Quia laudatur …laudatoviro est la is vera.But his ground was, becauſe for the moſt part they only flatter. And yet hee allows of dedications, when the argument of the Book agrees with the perſon whom its dedicated to. Sir Francis Bacon de augment. ſ…en. lib. 1. page. 19.The conſid…ration of which I hope (as hath been hinted) will ſecure mee from his, or others cenſure.
Beſides, I know, there is a difference between flattery, and gratitude; though the one bee odious, as a vice; yet the other is amiable, as a vertue: And tis at this which I have aimed in this dedication.
I know that the bare remembrance (how gratefull ſoever) of favours received, is no requital. But yet, though it ſerves not to remunerate the favour, yet 'twill to vindicate the benefactor, that hee hath not ill beſtowed his benefits.
My Lord, If I ſay that I cannot requite all your favours, its no more than all know: And if I ſay, that Chriſt can, its no more than I know you beleeve, and I deſire. Twill bee no over-exalting of Chriſts love, nor any diminution unto your favours; If I ſay, that the leaſt grain of love from Chriſt to you, will abundantly compenſate all the weight of your love to mee. And this (My Lord) is not onelyonly my prayer, but my beliefi in your behalf.
I ſhall not trouble your Lordſhip with many words. OnelyOnly let mee have leave …o ſound in your ears, two words of the Lord Jeſus; the one was a word of Prophecie, the other of Advice.
1. His word of Prophecie was, The love of many ſhall wax cold. Its your duty to ſearch, Mat. 24.12.and twill bee your honour to find, that there is no fulfilling of that in your ſoul. But alas! who can ſay, that hee ſees not too great a fulfilling of this in himſelf! Oh! the decay of love, zeal, activity, appearance, &c. in the things of Chriſt that is every where! Its a thing that calls for bloody tears; that beſides the abounding: of iniquity in enemies, there is ſuch waxing cold of love in friends. I have ſometimes thought Chriſt ſpake this Prophecie (as Paul did his rehearſall,Phil. 3.18. viz) weeping.
II. Chriſts word of advice was this, Strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to dye. Apoc. 3.2.Its well that under ſpirituall decayes wee have any thing that remains (happy they who have not loſt all.) Its wiſdome to ſtrengthen that which languiſheth; (holy they that ſtrive to do thus:) and the following Sermons may bee helpfull herein. If the Spirit lay this truth upon our hearts, That Chriſt loves us with a tranſcendent love; 'twill at once make us bleed for coolings, and burn (yea blaze) a freſh with the fire (internally) and flames (externally) of love to Chriſt, his people, his truths, his deſignes, &c.
But I have gone beyond my intentions, though I hope not beyond your acceptation. If you will permit mee to adde, that I am in the number of thoſe, who both praiſe, and pray for you, and profeſſe to bee much obliged to you. I ſhall trouble you no further, ſave with the ſincere ſubſcription, that I am, My Lord.
Your Honours ſingularly obliged Soules ſervant. JOHN DURANT.