Sunbeams of Gospel Light, Sermon 2
A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST. Sermon II.
BY IOHN PRESTON, DD.
Matt. 22. 37, 38.
This is the first, and great Commandement: thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.
Psal. 31. 26.
Love the Lord O all ye his Saints.
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Paine, for Iohn Stafford 1640.
A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST.
Sermon II.
1 Cor. 16. 22.
If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ, let him be had in execration, yea let him be accursed unto the death.
THat love to the Lord Iesus is so necessarily Point.required, that he is worthy to be accursed that hath it not.
Then hence you are to consider Vse 2. Try whether, what you do is out of love.your condition, and to examine your selfe; it may be this is thy condition, and it may be a thing you never considered of, or at least you never knew the danger of it. Therefore now see what your case is. The best service wee can doe to you, is to shew you your estates, if ye bee right, to comfort you; and if ye be not right, is it not best for ye to know, while it may be amended? Thou that livest in the Church, and hast gone farre, examine thy selfe in his, Hast thou done all out of Love? Thou hast kept thy selfe in good course: thou keepest the Lords day, and livest like a Christian, thou doest many things indeed. Bu… let mee aske thee this question, Doe you all out of love? for without love all is naught. If a man should bee a Martyr, (which is the highest action;) yet without this love, it were to no purpose, 1 Corinthians 13. Put the case a man should doe many things for thee, yet if hee doe it not out of love to thee, you cannot regard it; Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision availes any thing, but faith which workes by love, Galathians 5. It is all one, whether you pray or not; heare or not; live well or not, if it bee not out of love. What was said of circumcision or uncircumcision, may bee said of any duty; all that you have done, is as nothing, if it bee not out of love: try your selves by this, for I know not in all the frames of Theology, such a touchstone of Hypocrisie, as this. This most unmaskes a man of any thing. As it was with the Apostle, The Law revived, and he died, Romans 7. So, it may be, you have thought your selfe a living man; see then if you love, deceive not your selfe any longer.
This is a Doctrine of much moment; if GOD would conveigh it with Majestie, by the pow…r of his Spirit, it would amaze and startle the stoutest stomacke to heare, Cursed is he, that loves not the Lord. If you love the Lord, hee will beare much with you: see what a testimony hee gives of David, for all his failing. But doe what you will for him, without love, and hee will regard it but as a Complement. As men count that a Complement not to be regarded, with which the heart go's not, o doth God: looke therefore, that you love the Lord Iesus, for it is a thing of great consequence, the curse follows you, if you doe it not.
You are now therefore to examine your selfe, Whether you love or no? And to helpe you in it, I will lay downe some markes of this love; bu… first set downe with your selfe this conclusion, If I love not the Lord Iesus, I am an accursed man.
Doe you feele this love in you? have you a Notes of triall of this love of the Lord Christ.sense of it? Ammon was sicke of love, so that his friends could see him weare away: so the Spouse, I am sicke of love, Canticles 2. And 1dost thou love the Lord, and canst not feele it? Dost thou feele thy heart working towards God? This love is a thing that one would thinke needs no markes, you cannot but see it. It is noted in Love, so, that if you did love the Lord, you would have a longing desire after him: there will be joy in the fruition of him, anger against all impediments to it, griefe when he withdrawes himselfe, hope when there it any probability of enjoying him, feare to lose him. Now doe not deceive thy selfe; thou lovest the Lord, thou wil say, but is this love to his person, or to his kingdome, his goods? When thou presentest Iesus Christ alone to thy selfe, canst thou then love him? The Virgins love him, the Harlots love him. And there is a great deale of harlotry love in the world, to the Lord Iesus. It was one thing to love Alexander, another to love the King. It is true, Christ is a great King, that can doe much good or evill in the world, and so many may love him. But canst thou answere this question, Lovest thou me? with Peter, Lord thou knowest that I love thee, Iohn 20. Thou that knowest my heart, and the secret turnings of it, canst beare me witnesse that I love thee.
Doest thou love his company? Love is seene in nothing more than this. Doest thou love his 2presence, to walke with God? Doest thou observe all his dealings to thee from morning to night, refer all still unto him? Art thou still in dealings with him? Still thou hast something to doe with him; there is not an houre that passes thee, wherein thou hast not recourse unto him: when Christ takes a man unto himselfe, hee comes and sups with him, Apocalypse 3. Hast thou then this communion with Christ? Doth hee sup with thee, dwell with thee? Now, communion stands in speaking to another, and in hearing him speake to us. When you pray, then pray you formally, as one that is glad when the duty is over? oh if you loved the Lord, you would never be better, than when you are at prayer. And you would goe to prayer, as you would goe to speake with your dearest friend. So do you hunger after the Word, which is the character of Christ his Will, his Love-letter? Put the case a Woman should have her Husband at the East-Indies, how welcome would a letter bee to her from him? Therefore Moses that loved God, desired to see his glory, Exodus 33. to know him better, to grow more acquainted with him. Now, that the Word doth to thee, it shewes to thee that glory which Moses saw.
If you love the Lord, Holy-daies and Sacrament-daies would bee as Feast-daies, and Wedding-daies; for then you meete with God more neerely. Doe you then put off your comming to the Sacrament, and would you not come neere it for the speech of some, and yet will you say that you love the Lord? where love is, there is delight. A man delights in his fellowship, whom hee loves, whom ye have not seene, yet ye love him; yea, whom, though ye see him not, yet yee beleeve and joy with joy unspeakable and glorious. Doe you then delight in his presence? for delight will be in the injoying of that wee love; joy followes love.
To delight in a mans company, is that marke of love which cannot be dissembled. Dost thou then love the appearing of the Lord Iesus? 2 Thessalonians 3. If one should bring you newes that you must goe to the Lord, or he would come to you to morrow, would this be acceptable newes to you? Doth he bring good tidings? If a Spouse should have her betrothed husband beyond the Seas, and should heare of his returne; if she should say, that it were the worst newes that could come to her, would you thinke that she lov'd him? No, there could not come a more welcome Messenger to thee than such a one, if thou didst love the Lord. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord (for so saith the Spirit) from henceforth they rest from Rev. 13.their labours. So saith the Spirit, not so saith the Flesh. So much the more spirit a man hath, so much the more he will say, it is blessed, and the more hee will pray submittingly for it, quickly. Indeed a godly man, when the flesh is predominant, and the spirit under hatches, then he may be desirous to be spared a while; oh spare me a little, as the Spouse may sometimes wish her Husband, deferring his comming, when she is not fit to receive him; the house is not ready, not cleane enough.
A Crowne of Righteousnesse, saith the Apostle, is laid up for all them that love the appearing of the Lord Iesus. 1 Timothy 4 8. And the second time shall Christ appeare to salvation, to all them that look for him, Hebrews 9. Art thou then one that lookes for Christ, that desires nothing but union with him, hee will come to thee to thy salvation. If men looke not for him, will hee come to them to salvation? It may be in some disease, wh…n thou canst take no pleasure in the world, you wish that you were with Christ. Nature may have a great hand in this.
But in thy youth, in the midst of all worldly contents, when thou art in thy pleasant Orchard, with thy Wife and Children about thee, having what thy heart can wish, canst thou say then, Now would I most willingly leave all these to goe to Christ? when you prefer his company above all things, count that delight the best, that comes from communion with him; then thou lovest the Lord Iesus.
Love is exceeding bountifull, apt to doe much 3for the Lord, and to suffer any thing gladly. The Apostle, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter 13. sets downe many excellent properties of Love; she that loved Christ, had a box of Oyntment; it may bee it was the best thing shee had, it may bee it was all she had, yet she bestows it on Christ. So Abraham, when God would have his Sonne, hee go's willingly about it; not formally, not out of necessity, but he rose up early to doe it. It may bee there will come a time when God shall need thy Wealth; it may be, thy Credit.
Now, you can deny him nothing, if you love him. So, Dalilah would not bee perswaded that Sampson loved her, so long as hee kept backe any thing from her. If there bee any thing so neere unto thee as thy life, and it bee told thee that the Lord hath need of it, he shall have it. Thou wilt say, It was a wise action of David, to poure out that water as an offering to the Lord, which he so longed for, and obtained with the hazard of the lives of three of his Worthies. As when a man hath a good bit, he will send it to his friend: so in another place, he would not offer to the Lord of that which should cost him nothing, 2 Samuel 24. But what can I bestow upon the Lord, thou wil… say? If thou art a Preicher, preach the Gospel fo… Christ; so, every man in his calling, let him do somewhat for the Lord, and if he shall call for by life, let it not be deare unto thee. And as love is thus bountifull, so it seekes not its owne, 1 Corinthians 13. And now, how f… will bae found hat love Christ? wee may well complain with Paul, All men seeke their owne, and …one the things of Iesus Christ, Philemon 2. Paul that loved the Lord, how was hee affected? hee regarded: o… himselfe, tooke not care what should become of himselfe, hee tooke the care of all the Churches upon him: Who is offended, and so by taking offence, fals away, and I burne not? Art thou a Minister, and lovest the Lord Iesus, thou wilt not be so carefull for a living, and that it be a convenient one, but thou wouldest preach as Paul, though for nothing; for every man might doe much for the Lord, if he sought the things of the Lord; if hee did plod with himselfe, how to bring advantage to Christ.
And then if this should come in, if I doe this, I shall hinder my estate, lose my friends, it would be nothing: the love of the Lord would be farre better to thee than any thing, Love doth much for the Lord; Faith workes by Love, he loves much, that doth much. Paul, as he was abundant in love, so in labour. If you love me, saith our Saviour, keepe my Commandements. Are you willing then to take much paines for the Lord? Doest thou feed the lambes of Christ? If thou art a Minister, or if thou art in the way to that calling, art thou diligent to fit they selfe for it? And love not onelyonly workes, but it makes that the commandements are not grievous. The wife may serve her husband, and the servant him, but with a different affection. The covetous man when he is before some great man that can imprison him, or put him to death may part with his wealth, or if with one that can greatly preferre him, in hope of that, he may be brought to part with his money; But willingly he will not. But you must finde delight in that you doe: when you doe a kindnesse to one that you love, you doe but doe your selfe a kindnesse on that party. And in this sense what thanks deserve you? you doe but satisfie your love. As a mother loves her child, and doth the offices of kindnesse to it with delight, though shee shall never have any thing for it. If you had this love, you would come to say, It is meate and drinke to doe your Fathers will. Now, you neede not bee hired to eate and Iohn 4.drinke.
Lastly, love suffers all things. Are you willing 1 Cor. 13.to suffer any thing for the Lord? when David did a religious act, Michol lookes upon him with another eye, as men looke now on religious actions. It is no matter, saith David, I will beare it, for I did it to the Lord, who chose mee before thy fathers house. And if this bee to be vi…e. I will bee yet more vile. Can you endure to be pointed at, scoffed and mocked, for the Lord? It was a sore triall to have his wife so against him, yet wee see how hee did beare it. Bonds and afflictions, saith Paul abide mee in every Citie; But none of these things move mee, neither count I my life deare unto my selfe, so I may Acts 20, 24.finish my course with joy. Are you able to doe thus? But I canno like, you will say, to bee put to it you doe not know, it may bee you may lose your wealth, your credit, and respect, among those whom you loved, and this is somewhat: yet love makes it as nothing. We see when a man loves a Maide, neither Father nor Friend, nor the speech of people will move him to give over. True, this is a sinfull love, but yet shewes what the nature of love is. Nay I will goe furth…r, you will suffer all with joy, Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto Col 1. 11.all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse. So when the Apostles were whipt where the shame Acts 5.was more then the paine, yet they rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ.
Put all these together, Are ye bountifull, that if the Lord should put you to any cost, cost of purse, labours of life, hee should willingly have it? Doe yee take care for the things of Christ, plod how ye may glorifie him? Doe ye do much, and suffer much for the Lord? Take these notes no further then yee see reason for them: And know that this is that word of the Lord, if you love not the Lord Iesus, you are cursed.
The next property of love is, it desires nothing so much as love againe. If a man bee ser 4viceable to another, and not out of love, so he bee officious to him, hee is content. But love will be paid in it's owne coyne, it will not have mercy without grace. A kingdome without grace, will not content it. It is very observant in this kinde, Quis fallere possit amantem? They will be very curious this way. They must see love in every thing, or else they can take no delight in it. It is not a kingdome that can quiet them without the love of God.
How ever it goe with corne, wine and ovle, th i… prayer is, Lord lift thou up the light of thy Psal. 4.countenance on us. If a mans turne were served, so he might be freed from hell, and made happy, and then love him, this man loves not the Lord. That which Absalom did in hypocrisie, wee are to doe in truth, Sam. 14. What avails it mee that I enjoy (saith he) my lands, and that I live in Ierusalem, so long as I may not see the Kings face? So if God should give you abundance of all your hearts can wish, free you from the fire of hell, yet this will not content you without you see his face, if you have this love. And thus if Gods people humble themselves and seeke his face, hee 2 Chron. 7. 14.will heare in heaven, and have mercy on them: when a people are oppressed and in captivitie, they may come to the Lord and humble themselves, but for their owne liberty, they may seeke their owne good in it, as they, Howled on their Hos. 7. 14.beds for corne, wine, and oyle: but Gods people seeke his face, his favour; examine thy selfe then, if when his countenance is clouded, and he hides his face, thou art impatient, thou canst not beare it, then thou mayest assure thy selfe that thou lovest the Lord. Thus did David Psal. 51. when hee wanted the sense of Gods favour, how did hee complaine hee would have no deniall, and therefore never gives over intreating till he is answered.
Doest thou love the Lord? then thou lovest the Saints. This is a true and common note, 5every one hath it in his mouth, 1 Iohn 3. If you love the Lord, you will love the brethren. Dost thou then love the Lord, and hate evill in other men? If you love not your brother whom you see daily, how can yee love the Lord whom yee never see? God is remote from our eyes that wee cannot behold him. Now his image is stamped upon the Saints, and so is visible to us. Wee see them daily, they converse with us. Now, if we love not them, we cannot love God. For, the love of Christ is that holy disposition which you conceive in your minde of him: Now, the like for kinde is in the Saints. As those that doe the lusts of the Devill, are of his disposition, that is, are as it were little Devils: so in the Saints, there is the same disposi…ion, the same minde that was in Christ Iesus for kinde.
But you will say, I would love them, if I thought they were not hypocrites.Ob.
Take heed, thou mayest persecute Christ under Sol.the person of an hypocrite: what if thou strike at an hypocrite in seeming? yet a true member of Christ is found wounded by thee. And when thy heart shall rise against thee, out of the side of the likenesse of religion, and true piety, what would you doe if the substance were there, i… hee had grace in a higher measure? Christ pitches on this note above all others. It is farre easier to love a holy man then to love God. For hee lives amongst us, wee have him continually before our eyes. Doe not say then you love such as are a farre off, you care not for these.
But you will say I love them well enough, doe you so? Doe you delight then in their company? Ob.Are you in your naturall element when Sol.you are among them? This you will doe by a naturall instinct if you love the Lord Iesus. Againe, doe you hate sinne in all? the same ground will cause you to hate sinne, which moves you to love grace. Doe you then hate sinne as in dislike, and distate in regenerate men and their societie, bee it never so pleasant, so profitable?
But what would you have mee to hate men then? no, but hate their sinnes, and love them Ob.with the love of pittie.
Let thy heart melt to consider their case, and desire their good, love them, but so as it may Sol.stand with the love of the Lord Iesus. Looke then to your selves, and examine your selves by these markes, see that you have this love; if yee have it not, you are among the number of these men which are to bee accursed unto death.
But I hope I deserve not so bad, my nature I hope is not so vile, as not to love the Lord Iesus.Ob,
Nay, thou hatest him, doe you not wish that Sol.there were no such Lord to come to judgement, that thou mightest live as thou pleasest? Couldest thou not wish that thou mightest ever here enjoy these pleasures, and never come at him? Now to wish that one were not, what is it but to hate him? Quem metuunt oderunt: Wee say men hate him whom they stand in feare of. Doe you then feare and quake at his comming? surely then you are haters of God.
But I hope we are not haters of God. Why, Ob.this is not so …ra…ge. The Apostle tels us that there were such as loved their pleasures more then Sol.God. 2 Tim. 3. yea, and that there were haters of God also. Rom. 1. 30. And in the second commandement God …hreatens such as hate him, Exo. 20. and thou maiest bee one of them. For if you cannot endure his Company, if your heart rise against his image, it is plaine you are a hater of God.
What? you would make me out of love with Ob.my selfe. What doe you preach damnation to me? it may be all these signes are not in me; Am I then so accursed?
Yes: we doe preach damnation to all that are Sol.in such a case, and wee are to threaten the curse. And thus the Lord esteemes of thee, and it were good that you thought so of your selves in time. It is the Ministers dutie to seperate the precious from the vile, to distinguish betweene men; To shew you truely what your conditions are. Therefore apply this Text unto your selves, every one. If I love not the Lord Iesus, I am an accursed man, yea to bee had in execration to the death, which might make you loath your selves, in dust and ashes. It might make sinne alive in you, and bring you to love this Iesus.
So endeth the second Sermon.