Sermons Volume 2, 2 Corinthians 5 · Sermon 24
SERMON XXIV.
2 Cor. 5.14.
For the Love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus Iudge, that if one dyed for all, then were all dead.
I Have chosen this Scripture to speak of the love of gratitude, or that thankful return of love which we make to God, because of his great love to us in Christ. Before I go on further in this discourse, I shall handle some cases of Conscience;
1. About the reason and cause of our love. Whether God be only to be loved for his beneficial goodness, and not also for his essential, and moral perfections. The cause of doubting is this; Whether true love doth not rather respect God as amiable in himself, than beneficial to us? The ancient writers in the Church seemed to be of this mind; Lombard out of Austine defineth love to be that grace, by which we love God for himself, and our neighbour for Gods sake.
Ans. 1. There are several degrees of love.
1. Some love Christ for what is to be had from him, and that he may be good to us. There we begin. The first invitation to the creature is the offer of pardon, and life, Matth. 11.28, 29. Come unto me, all you that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me▪ for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your Souls. And Heb 11.6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarde… of them that diligently seek him. Self-love, and the natural sense of our own misery, and the sense of our burden, and the desires of our happiness, have a marvellous influence upon us, yea wholly govern us in our first address to God by Christ▪ Now this is not altogether to be blamed and condemned. Partly, Because there is no other dealing with mankind; tell a malefactour of the perfections of his Judge, this will never induce him to love him. And Partly, Because we may and must love Christ as he hath revealed himself to our love. Now he hath revealed himself as a Saviour, as a pardoner, as a rewarder, for surely we may make use of Gods motives; he suffereth us to begin in the flesh, that we may end in the Spirit; there is some grace in this very seeking love. You are affected with the true cause of misery, not outward necessity, but sin; you seek after the right remedy, which is in Christ, & there is some Faith in that in taking Christ at his word. The defect of this love is, that you mind your own personal benefit and safety, rather than the pleasing, obeying, and glorifying of God; so far there is weakness in this act, but this is the only way to bring in the creature; as when a Prince offereth pardon to his Rebels, with a promise that he will restore them to their forfeited priviledges, in case they will lay down their arms, and submit to his mercy. Self-Interest moveth them at first, but after love, and duty to their Prince, holdeth them within the bounds of their Duty and Allegiance. I will ease you, saith Christ, you shall find rest to your Souls; I will be a rewarder to you, and give you eternal life. As lost creatures we take him at his word, and afterwards love him, and serve him, upon purer motives. Or take the similitude thus; In a treaty of marriage, the first proposals are grounded upon estate, suitableness of age, and parentage, and neighbourhood, and other conveniences of life; conjugal affection to the person groweth by society, and long converse Fire at first kindling casts forth much smoke, but afterwards it is blown up into a purer flame.
2. Some love him for the good which they have received from him. Not so much that he may be God, but because he hath been good; and indeed the love of gratitude is a true Christian and Gospel love, and hath a greater degree of excellency, than the former, because thankfulness is the great respect of the creature to the Creator, and because so few return to give God the glory of what they have received; but one of the healed lepers returned back, and glorified God, Luke 17.15, 18. And because gratitude hath in its nature something that is more noble than self-seeking, and bare expectation; for common reason tells us that 'tis better to give than to receive, and in this returning love, we seek to bestow somthing upon God, in that way we are capable of, of doing such a thing, or God of receiving it. This returning love is often spoken of in Scripture, as a praise worthy thing, Psa. 116.1. I will love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. And, Rom. 12.1. I beseech you …herefore Brethren by the mercies of God, that you present you… bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. God hath the honour of a precedency, but we of a return, 1 John 4.16. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us. There's the true Spirit of the Gospel in such a love, for Gospel obedience, and Service, is a life of love, and praise, and thankfulness.
3. Some love God because he is good in himself. Not only that he may be good to us, or because he hath been good to us, but because he is good in himself. Gods essential goodness, which is the perfection of his Nature, his infinite and eternal Being, and his Moral Goodness, which is the perfection of his will, or his holiness and purity, is the object of love, as well as his beneficial goodness▪ or that goodness of his which promoteth our Interest. I prove it: Partly, because God is the object of love, though we receive no good by it. Love and goodness are as the Iron, and the load-stone, nature hath made them so. Now God, considered in his infinite perfection, is good, as distinguished from his doing good, Psa. 119 68. And, Partly, Because God loveth himself first, and the creature for himself, Pro. 16.4. The Lord hath made all things for himself. The first object of the Divine complacency, is his own being, and the last end of all things is his own glory and pleasure, Rev. 4.11. For thy pleasure they are, and were created. Now this is a reason to us, because the perfection of holiness standeth in an exact conformity to God, and by grace we are made partakers of a Divine Nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. Which mainly discovereth its self in loving as God loveth, and hating as God hateth. And therefore we must love him in and for himself, and our selves for him. And, Partly, Because if God were only to be beloved for the effects of his benignity, and beneficial goodness, this great absurdity would follow, that God is for the creature, and not the creature for God, for the supream act of our love would terminate in our happiness, as the highest end, and God would be only regarded in order thereunto. Now to make God a means is to degrade him from the dignity, and preheminence of God. Partly, Because we are bound to love the creatures as good in themselves, though not beneficial to us: Therefore much more God, as good in himself; if we are to love the Saints as Saints, not because kind, and helpful to us, but because of the Image of God in them, though they never did us any good turn, Psa. 16.3. But to the Saints that are in the Earth, and to the Excellent, in whom is all my delight. If we are to love the Law of God, as 'tis pure, then we are to love God, because of the Moral goodness of his nature, Psa. 119.140. These things are out of Question clear and beyond all controversy; why not God then, in whom is more purity and holiness? If indeed we are perswaded of the real…y, and excellency of his being. Now in this last rank there are degrees also.
1. Some love Christ above his benefits. They do not love Pardon and salvation so much as they love Christ, 1 Pet. 2.7. To them that believe Christ is precious. To love the gifts more than the person, the Jointure more than the Husband, in a Temporal cause, would not be counted a sincere love. The truth is at first the benefits do first lead us to seek after God. Man usually beginneth at the lowest, and loveth God for his love to us, but he riseth higher upon aquaintance: First he loveth God for that tast of his goodness which we have in the Creatures; then for that goodness God exhibiteth in the Ordinances, for that help he offereth us there, for our greatest necessities; then as in graces, Justification, and Sanctification; then as in Christ, as the fountain of all; then God above Christ as Mediatour, as the ultimate object of love.
2. Possibly some may come to such a degree as to love Christ without his benefits. The height of Moses and Paul is admirable, who loved Gods glory above their own Salvation, Exod. 32.32. Blot me out of thy Book. And, Rom. 8.3. I could even wish my self accursed from Christ, for my Brethren and kinsfolk in the flesh. Lay all his personal Benefit, or the happy part of his Portion, at Gods feet in Christ, for a greater end, to promote his glory; but this extraordinary zeal is very rare, if attained by any other in this life.
3. Some love the benefits for his sake: Heaven the better, because Christ is there; pardon the better, because God is so much glorified in it: Holiness, as 'tis a conformity to God; and the work for the works sake. Not but the other considerations tend to this, and have an influence upon this, so much obliged to Christ that every thing is sweet as it cometh from him, or relateth to him.
2. Sinful respect to the benefits and rewards of religion bewrayeth its self in four things.
1 When Christ is loved for worldly advantages. We must always distinguish between our Spiritual Interests and our Carnal. To respect Christ for our Temporal advantage, is that which God abhorreth; as those that followed Christ for the loaves, John 6.28. To be fed with a … without labour, and pains. …, vix diligitur Jesus propter Jesam: Scarce is Jesus loved for Jesus sake. And still Christs name is reverenced, but his office, and saving grace, are disregarded, and men are content with his common gifts, not seeking after his special benefits. 'Tis no great matter to own that which is publickly esteemed, and now Christ is every where received, to make a general profession of being Christians. (Saith Gilbert ▪ Now the Doctrine of Christ is handled in Councils, disputed of in the Schools, preached in Assemblies, and his religion made the publick profession of Nations. 'Tis no great matter of thanks to own the general belief of Christianity. There are many bastard motives of closing with Christ, and his ways, as fame, and ease, and carnal honour, and the …un-shine of Worldly countenance. These are quite another thing than when a poor Soul out of the sense of his lost estate, would desire Christ, and would fain part with any thing …o gain Christ, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. And a sound conviction of our misery and a sense of his excellency, and our suitableness maketh us to close with him. The other followed him for the loaves: Indeed because his bread was buttered with worldly conveniencies. By a respect to such base motives religion is prostituted to secular interests.
2. When we have a carnal notion of the true rewards of godliness. Carnal men look upon Heaven as a place of case, and pleasure, when Christ had spoken of the bread that will make men live for ever, John 6. 34. They cryed out, evermore give us of this bread of life. They thought no more than of an everlasting continuance in the present earthly estate; such carnal notions have men of Heaven, as of a Turkish paradise; but to know God and love God, and have the Soul filled up with God, to be with Christ and to be perfected in holiness, these things work little upon them. The Heaven of Christians is to injoy an everlasting communion with God: To live in the belief and hopes of such an Heaven, and to delight our Souls in the forethought of the endless sight and love of God: This is a true act of sincere love to Christ, seeking its full satisfaction. Here we see him but as in a glass, there face to face. We shall behold the Glory of God in Heaven, and the delights of love will then be perfect. But usually men have a carnal notion of Heaven, by a voluptuous life, without labour and pain and trouble, and this tainteth their hearts; their apprehensions of benefit by Christ, are Faeculent, Earthly, and drossy.
3. When our respects to benefits are disorderly, not in the frame wherein God hath set them. As for instance▪ when we desire some benefits, and not others, or hate his ways, and love his benefits, Numb. 23.10. Oh that I might die the death of the righteous. They love him as a Redeemer▪ but hate him as a Law-giver. A carnal man would sever the benefits from the duties. As Ephraim is as an heifer not taught, which would tread out the Corn, but not break the clods, Hosea 10.11. Their threshing was by the feet of Oxen shod with Iron: Now the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn was not to be muzzled: But harrowing, and breaking the clods, was a meer labour, and no priviledge; they would do the one but not the other. If you love Christs benefits, you must love them altogether: Not taking one, and leaving out another; you shall not have pardon without sanctification. nor the comforts of his Spirit without his quickening and purifying influence: Nor freedom from Hell, without freedom from sin. Christ must guide you, and rule you, dwell in you, and bless you, and justify you, and what ever he is made of God, that he must be to you, 1 Cor. 1.30 He will not give you any such grace as shall discharge you from duty, and be a kind of licence and priviledge to sin.
4. When we rest in the lowest acts of love, and do not go on the perfection. The first acts have more of self-love in them than love to God; you must go on from them to gratitude, and from gratitude to adoration, an humble adoration of the Divine excellencies, for the Divine excellencies are lovely in themselves, as well as his benefits are comfortable to us, and by an acquaintance with God in Christ, we must settle into a more intire friendship with him, and delight as much in praising him for his excellencies, as we do in blessing him for his benefits. The Angels and blessed Spirits, that are above, do admire, and adore God, because of the excellencies of his Nature, not only for the benefits they have received from him; they are represented as crying out, Isa. 6.3. Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts. By admiring, and being affected with his Holy Nature and Soveraign Majesty, and dominion, and are we no way concerned in this? Surely God must be lauded and served on Earth, as he is in Heaven, and though we cannot reach to their degree, yet some kind of this respect belongeth unto us. In the Revelations the Four living Weights, and TwentyFour Elders, are brought in, Rev. 4 8. Saying, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. Now by the four Beasts, or four living Weights, and the TwentyFour Elders the Interpreters generally understand the Gospel Church, who are continually praising God for the Unity of his Essence, the Trinity of Persons, together with his Eternity, Omnipotency and Holiness; to shew we should love these things, and be affected with these things as well as his bounty and goodness to us. Indeed a Christian is like a River, when it first boileth up out of the fountain, it contenteth its self with a little hole, but afterwards it seeketh for a larger channel, but is still pent within banks and bounds, but when it emp…et… it self into the Ocean, it expatiateth and inlargeth its self, and is wholly mingled with the Ocean.
2. Case is about the actual perswasion of Gods love to us. For since this love of gratitude ariseth from a sense, or apprehension of Gods love to us in Christ; Therefore Gods Children are troubled when they cannot make particular application, as Paul, and say▪ he loved me, and gave himself for me, Gal. 2.20.
Ans. 1. A particular persuasion of Gods love to us is very comfortable. Things that do most concern us do most affect us; as a man is more pleased with legacies bequeathed to him by name, then left indefinitely to those who can make friends; if I can discern my name in Gods Testament, it is unquestionably more satisfactory, and more ingaging than when with much ado I must make out my Title, and enter my self an heir, Eph. 1.13. After that we heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your Salvation. It is not sufficient to know that the Gospel is a Doctrine of salvation in general, or to others only, but every one should labour by a due application of the promises of the Gospel unto themselves, to find it a Doctrine of salvat…on unto themselves. Salvation by Christ is a benefit, which we need as much as others, and therefore should give all diligence to understand our part and interest in it. Gods love to us is the great reason of our love to God; ours a reflection; the more direct the beam, the stronger the reflection. Tis the quickening Motive to the Spiritual life, Gal. 2.20. Certainly they are much to blame who can so contentedly sit down with the want thereof; so they may be well in the world: If God will love them with a common love, so as they may live in Peace, and Credit, and Mirth, and Wealth among men. Our joy, comfort, and peace much dependeth on the sense of our particular interest, Luke 1. 46. My Soul doth rejoice in God my Saviour. And Rom. 5.11. We rejoyce in God as those that have received the atonement. 'Tis uncomfortable to live in doubts and fears, or else to live by Guess▪ and uncertain conjectures. Well then▪ if we would maintain the joy of faith, the vigour of holiness, we should get our interest more clear.
2. Tis not absolutely necessary: Because love is the fruit of faith, not of assurance only, Gal. 5.6. Faith working by love. Love is not so grown indeed where there are fears, and doubts of our condition. 1 John 4.…8. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Yet a love he hath to God. If love did wholly depend upon an actual perswasion of Gods special love to us, it could never be rooted, and grounded, for this actual persuasion is an uncertain thing, often interrupted by the failings of Gods Children, and Spiritual desertions, and frequent Temptations; we do not sail to Heaven with a like tide of comforts: Our evidences are many times dark, doubtful, and litigious, but the grounds of faith are always clear, fixed, and stable: And therefore the serious Christian may make a shift to love Christ, though he doth not know that he loveth him with a special love, so as to be absolutely assured of it; he is not so necessarily a Comforter, as a Sanctifier: And though he doth not fill us with joy, yet he may work a strong & earnest love in our hearts, which is as much seen in unutterable groans, as in unspeakable joys: Love is one of our greatest evidences, and therefore goeth before assurance, rather than followeth after it: And assurance is rather the fruit of love, than love of assurance. See John 14.21, 23. He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father; and I will love him, and manifest my self unto him. If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our …bode with him. 'Tis because we love God so little, that we want the fruits of his manifested love. So that you must not cease to love God, before you are assured of his love to you: But you must love him sincerely, and strongly, and then you will know God loveth you: In the love of benevolence God beginneth; but as to complacency, the object must be qualifyed. We must have a good measure of grace before we can so clearly discern it, as to be certain of it.
3. There are many considerations which are proper to our state, every one of us have cause enough to love God, if we have but hearts to love him. Not only as he created us out of nothing, but as he redeemed us by Christ: Cannot I bless God for Christ, without reflection on my own particular benefit? His general love in sending a Saviour for mankind▪ John 3.16. God so loved the World, that he sent his only begotten Son into the World, that whosoever believed in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. As they reasoned, Luke. 7.5. He loved our Nation, and hath built us a Synagogue. Few did injoy the benefit of it, but 'twas love to the Nation of the Jews. So his Philanthropy, his man-kindness should put that home upon us, that there is a sufficient foundation for the truth of this Proposition, that whosoever believeth shall be saved: That Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour, to deliver me from wrath, and to bring me to everlasting life, that such a doctrine is published in our borders, wherein God declareth his pleasure, that he is willing all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. 2.3. That the door is wide enough, if you will get in; and if you have no interest, you may have an interest: We must not think that general grace is no grace: The life of Christianity lyeth in the consideration of these things: In the free offers of grace, all have alike favour, and none have cause to murmur, but all to give thanks: All that God looketh for is a thankful acceptance of the grace, made for us in Christ; surely when we think of Gods goodness, and kind-heartedness to miserable, and unworthy sinners, and do often and seriously think what he is in himself, and what he is to you, what he hath done for you, and what he will more do for you, if you will but consent, and accept of his grace: Such serious thoughts cannot but warm your hearts, and through the Lords blessing, awaken in you a great love to God. In short the love of God shed abroad in the Gospel, is the great and powerful object, that must be meditated upon: And the love of God shed abroad in your hearts, the most effectual means, to keep these objects close to the heart. And then doubts will vanish.
4. The mercies of daily providence declare much of the goodness of God to you, and to make him more amiable. Christians are much wanting to themselves and to their duty to God, when they do not increase their sense of Gods goodness, by their ordinary comforts, Deut. 30 20. Thou shalt love him, for he is thy life, and the length of thy days, 1 Tim. 6.17, 18. 'Tis the living God, who giveth us richly to injoy all things in this present World. And Psa. 68.19. The God of our Salvation, who daily loadeth us with his benefits. Every days and hours experience, should indear God to us. 'Tis his Sun that shineth to give thee heat and influence, and cherishing. 'Tis out of his store-house, that provisions are sent to thy Table. He furnisheth thy dishes with meat, and filleth thy cup for thee: He did not only clothe man at first, Gen. 3.21. VntoUnto Adam and his Wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them: When he turned unthankful man out of paradise, he would not send them away without a Garment: As he performed that office then, so still he causeth the silk-worm to spin for thee, and the sheep to send thee their fleeces, only there is a wretched disposition in man, we do not take notice of that invisible hand, which reacheth out our comforts to us: Acts of kindness in our fellow Creatures affect us, more than all those benefits we receive from God. [What should be the reason? Water is not sweeter in the dish than in the fountain; man needeth himself, never giveth so freely and purely as God doth, but out of some self respect.] No kindness deserveth to be noted, but the Lords, who is so high and Glorious; so much above us, that he should take notice of us: nothing but our unthankfulness, is the cause of this disrespect, and forgetting the goodness of his daily providence, and our looking to the next hand, and to the Ministry of the Creature, and not to the supream cause.
3. Case of Conscience about love, is about the intenseness and degree of it: The Soul will say, God is to be loved above all things, and to have the preferment in our affections, choice, and endeavours: For he is to be loved with all the Heart, and all the Soul, Deut. 6.5. And earthly things are to be loved, as if we loved them not: Now to find my heart to be more stirred towards the Creatures, than to God, and seem to grieve more for a worldly loss, then for an offence done to God by sin: To be carryed out with greater violence, and sensible commotion of Spirit, to carnal objects, than to Jesus Christ; I cannot find these vigorous motions, or this constraining efficacy of love over-ruling my heart.
Answer, 1. Comparison is the best way to discover love, comparing affection with affection; our affections to Christ with our affections to other matters; for we cannot Judge of any affection aright, by its single exercise, what it doth alone as to one object, but by observing the difference and disproportion of our respects to several objects The Scripture doth often put us upon this kind of tryal, 2 Tim. 3.4. Lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God. Singly and apart a man cannot be so well tryed, either by his love to God, or his love to pleasure; there being in all some kind of love to God, and a lawful allowance of Creature delights, provided they do not most take us: But when the strength of a mans Spirit is carryed out to present delights, and God is neglected, or little thought of, the case is clear that the interest of the flesh prevaileth in his heart▪ above the interests of God. So Luke 12.21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself▪ and is not rich towards God: Mindeth the one, and neglecteth the other; namely to inrich his Soul with Spiritual and Heavenly treasure: That followeth after Spiritual things in a formal and careless manner, & earthly things with the greatest earnestness. The objection proceedeth then upon a right supposition, that a respect to the World, accompanyed with a neglect of Christ, sheweth that the love of Christ is not in us, or doth not bear rule in us.
2. That God in Christ Jesus is to have the highest measure of our affections, and such a transcendent superlative degree, as is not given to other things, Luke 14.26. If any man come to me, and hate not his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. He that loveth any contentment above Christ, or equal with him, will soon hate Christ. So Matth. 10.37. He that loveth Father, or Mother, Son or Daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me. And the sincere are described, Phil. 3.7, 8, 9, 10 The nearest and dearest relations, and choicest contentments all trampled upon, all is dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of our Lord.
3. Love is not to be measured so much by the lively act, or the sensitive stirring of the affection, as the solid esteem, and the setled Constitution. A thing may be loved intensively, as to the sensitive discovery of the affection, or appretiated by our deliberate choice, and constant care to please God. Partly because the vigorous motion is hasty, and indeliberate▪ is the fruit of fancy, rather than faith: Some by constitution have a more moveable temper, and are like the Sea easily stirred, the reading the story of Christs passions, will draw tears from us, though we regard not Gods design in it, nor how far our sins were accessory to these passions and sufferings. This qualm is stirred in us by fancy rather than faith; the story of Joseph in the Pit will work the like effect, as of Jesus on the cross, yea the fable of Dido, and Aeneas: In all passions the setled constitution of the heart sheweth the man, more than the sudden stirrings of any of them: Men laugh most when they are not always best pleased: We laugh at a toy, but we joy in some solid benefit. True joy is a secure thing, and is seen in the judgment and estimation, choice and complacency, rather than in the lively act. So love is not to be measured, by these earnest motions, but by the deliberate purpose of the heart to please God. And partly because the act may be more lively, where the affection is less firm, and rooted in the heart: The passions of suitors are greater than the love of husbands: yet not so deeply rooted, and do not so intimately affect the heart: Straw is soon enkindled, but fire is furnished with fit materials, and burneth better, and with an even and more constant heat: These raptures and transports of Soul, fanatical men fell them oftner than serious Christians, who yet for all the World would not offend God. And partly because sensible things do more affect us, and urge us in the present state, while we carry a mass of flesh about with us▪ our affections will be more sensibly stirred by things which agree with our fleshly nature; our senses, which transmit all knowledge to us, will be affected with sensible things rather than Spiritual. I confess 'tis Good to keep up a tenderness, and we should be affected with Gods dishonour, more than if we had suffered loss, Psa. 119.136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy Law. But in some tempers grief cannot always keep the rode, and vent it self by the eye: Certainly the constant disposition of the Soul is a surer note to Judge by: sensible stirrings of affection are more liable to suspicion, and not so certain signs of grace, as the acts of the understanding and will; there is a possibility of a greater decay in them; you cannot weep for sin, but you would give all that you have to be rid of sin: A man may groan more sorely under the pains of the tooth-ach, which is not mortal, than under the languishings of a Consumption.
4. The effects of solid esteem are these:
1. When Christ is counted more precious than all the World, no affections to the Creature can draw us to offend him, 1 Pet. 2.7. But all our love to them is still in subordination to an higher love: Love was principally made for God, and 'tis many ways due to him: Those excesses and heights which are in the affections, will become no other object: The Genius, or Nature of it, sheweth for whom 'twas made: However as God hath placed some love and holiness in the Creature, so some allowance of affection there is to them. Worldly comforts are valuable as they come from God, and lead to him, as effects of his bounty, and instruments of his Glory and service: All the value we put upon them should be this, that we have something of value, to esteem as nothing for Christ: And when God tryeth us, when Christ and Worldly matters come in competition, then to be found faithful, and despise the riches, pleasures, and honours of the World: This is a sensible occasion to shew the sincerity of our love; which do you choose? the favour of God, or earthly friends? The light of his countenance, or the prosperity of the World?
2. When you can for Gods sake incur the frowns and displeasure of the Creature, Luke 14.26. If any man come to me, and hate not his Father, and Mother, and Wife, and Children, and Brethren, and Sisters, yea and his own Life also, he cannot be my disciple.
3. When a man maketh it his main care rather to please God, than to gratifie the flesh, and promote his carnal interests: Your great business, is to walk worthy of God to all pleasing, Col. 1.10. You labour to get Christ above all, and to live in his love. All cares and businesses give way to this, and are guided and directed by this: His favour is the life of thy love; and his love is thy greatest happiness: And thou darest not put it to hazard, nor obscure the sense of it, by any indulgence to carnal satisfactions: And thy greatest misery is his displeasure, and thereupon sin, which is the cause of it, is most hateful to thee. This is our constant tryal, and certainly sheweth how the pulse of the Soul beateth.