Sunbeams of Gospel Light, Sermon 5 – To the reader 2
A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST.
Sermon V.
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 V.
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.
NOw the next thing wee have to doe, is to shew what kinde of love the Lord accepts; for hee will not take any kinde of love that is offered him, but onelyonly such a love as he calls for, as hee requires.
Thou must love him with all thy might, and with all thy strength. A publike person may doe more then a private. His example may doe much, or he may command others, if not to doe good, yet to refraine from evill.
God desires that thou love him with all thy strength; if thou knowest much, thou must doe much. Besides some things thou canst doe, namely, which others cannot doe without great difficulty. As some men are temperate, some patient by nature. If thou art such an one, God requires more of thee then of another, for he accounts that which thou canst doe, without setting thy might to it, as nothing. It is not enough for thee to love the Lord, but thou must love him with thy might. The might of a rich man, of a Magistrate, of a Scholler, or whatsoever thou art, when thou shalt come to the Lord with a small pi…tance, when thou hast opportunity to doe a great deale more, the Lord will not take it at thy hands. As a Landlord will not receive a small parcell, when the Tenant may pay a greater summe. Neither is this a thing indifferent, for you to doe, or not to doe: for God requires much of him, to whom he hath given much. Hee gives us all talents which he puts as prizes in our hands, which he expects we should lay out according as we have received. Paul did no worke of supererogation, though he was abundant in the workes of the Lord, continually setting himselfe about the worke with his whole strength.
Thou must love him above all things else; Above all creatures, above that which is most 2.deare unto thee, yea, above thy selfe. And if thou dost not so, thou lovest him but as a creature which will not serve his turne. Hee hath done more for thee then any creatue hath or can doe. He hath dyed for thee, hath given himselfe crucified for thee, he deserves therefore more love then thy pleasures, profits, or then any friend thou hast. You are therefore to love him above all, to imbrace & cleave to him chiefly, to make him wholly thine.
But how can he (you will say) be wholly mine, Ob.seeing so many have their parts in him?
Yes, hee is wholly thine, and thou must bee wholly his. He is infinite, and so hath no parts, Answ.but is entire to every one, as every line drawne to the Center, may challenge the whole Center for it's owne, though there be a thousand lines beside.
But what? must I so love the Lord, that I may, Ob.not love earthly things?
Yes: thou mayest love them, so that it be not with an adulterous love. Thou mayest love them Answ.for God, as by them you may be enabled to serve God the better.
But how shall I know this adulterous love?Ob.
When you love any thing, so as it lessens your love to your husband, that is an adulterous love. Answ.As when thou lovest some pleasure and delight so, as it takes up the minde and hinders thee in hearing, and will not suffer thee to pray without distraction, but thy thoughts must be upon it, this love is adulterate love. Thou mayest rejoyce, yet so as if thou rejoycest not. As this joy hinders not thy walking with God, so thou mayest labour in thy calling with a love to it, yet so as it doth not draw away thy heart from God.
But this is very difficult (will some say.)Ob.
No, it is easie. When God hath put this love into thy heart, the necessity of it may make it easie. Answ.Thou mayest doe it, or thou canst not bee saved. Indeede it is impossible for a man that hath set his heart on riches, to remove it off againe of himselfe. And in this sense Christ speakes, when he sayes, It is so hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven. But when God hath wrought this love in thee, and hath revealed to thee the emptinesse and vanity of other things, it will be easie.
But I am not able to love the Lord above my Ob.selfe and all other things.
Yes, thou mayest, if once thou art throughly perswaded that hee is thy chiefest good, and Answ.how miserable thou art without him: thou wilt then bee content to forsake all, and to cleave to him alone.
A man that sowes Corne is content it should die, so as it may bee quickned againe and bring forth encrease. And therefore Paul, though hee saw the outward building of his body goe to decay, he cared not, so long as he was renewed in the inner. So when thou seest thy good conteined in him more then in thy selfe, when thou seest thy happinesse laid up in him, thou wilt easily bee perswaded to leave thy selfe to injoy him: For thou losest nothing by losing thy selfe, thy whole happinesse is in God.
Againe, thou must be rooted and grounded in Love. This is that which the Apostle so prayes for, for the Ephesians, Ephesians 3. 17. There is a certaine love by fits which God accepts not. When men come and offer to God great promises like the waves of the Sea, as bigge as mountaines, oh they thinke they will doe much for God, But their mindes change, and they become as those high waves, which at last fall levell with the other waters. If a man should proffer thee great kindnesses, and thou shouldest afterwards come to him to make use of him, and hee should looke strangely upon thee, as if hee were never acquainted with thee, how wouldest thou esteeme of such love! If wee are now on, now off in our love, God will not esteeme of such love, and if you be not rooted in your love, you will be unstable. Let then your love bee well rooted, let the foundation be good on which it stands: now that …s on two things.1 Wherein grounded love doth stand.
This love must be founded in faith. Therefore Ephesians 3. when the Apostle had prayed that they might be strengthened in faith, he addes this also, that they might bee grounded in love. When thou art once rooted in faith, thou shalt bee grounded in love. When therefore you come to beleeve, and consider whether Iesus Christ belong to you, or no, doe it not overly and slightly, but doe it thorowly, Sift every thing to the b…an, give not over till thou art fully satisfied, till thou canst answer all objections, and rest in this perswasion, that all is most true which hath been revealed to thee of the Lord Iesus Christ, and it is good for thee to rest upon it.
Your love must bee built upon his Person. If you love his, and not him, you will be unstable 2in your love. If thou lovest him in his Person, thou changest not, for thy love will bee constant. But if thou love him for that hee hath done for thee, because hee hath done thee much good, and given thee many favours, and tokens of his love, and kept thee from many troubles, when hee changes his dealing towards thee, thou wilt change thy love to him. Thou wilt then doe as Iob, receive good from the hand of the Lord, and also evill. Put case God should take from thee, and send one affliction in the necke of another, this will try thy love, whether in this case thou wilt sticke close unto him. Sometimes God hides his face from his children, and writes bitter things against them: If then thou canst love him, thy love is on his Person, a constant love.
Another condition of our love is, that it must be diligent. The Apostle commends the Thessalonians 3effectuall faith and diligent love, 1 Thessalonians 1. 3. If you say you love the Lord, and yet will doe nothing for him, you have not that love which God accepts. This love is operative, diligent, and not idle, and dead. Wee regard not a dead drugge, a dead plant, wee cut it up and cast it away: even so doth the Lord esteeme of a dead love, and love that shewes not it's life, it's diligence to obey God. This love will cause thee to put on new aparrell, to adorn thy life so, as thy love may take delight in thee. This will make thee carefull to beautifie thy selfe with the graces of the Spirit. See therefore whether thy love prepare thee for Christ. This love doth that which Iohn Baptist did. It prepares men for the receiving of the Lord. If thou wilt come then before him in thy old garments; it is a signe thou lovest him not. Againe, the operativenesse of it, is seene in opening thy heart to him, when he offers himselfe unto thee. This will give thee a capable heart to entertaine him, that hee may dwell plentifully in thee. This doth make thee comprehend with … Saints, what is the height, and Ephes. 3.bredth, and length, and depth of the love of Christ. This love is diligent in cleansing the heart, that it will suffer nothing to remaine there that may be offensive to the Lord God that dwels with his people. This love therefore will suffer no sluttish corner to remaine in the heart, but keepes all cleane. It clenses a man from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit, 2 Corinthians 5.
Lastly, the diligence of love is seene in keeping of his commandements. If thou doest nothing for the Lord, thou lovest him not. So much love as thou hast, so much care will there be in thee to doe his will; so much fire, so much heat to stir for his glory: So much love, so much desire to walke in perfect obedience before him.
And now wee come to the object upon The object on whom our love must be set.whom our love must be placed, The Lord Iesus. Consider whom it is, whom, if you love not, I pronounce you thus accursed. It is the Lord Jesus, he is your Lord, your Prince, your Saviour, your Messias, your Prophet, so that hee which loves him not, is worthy to be accursed.
First, he is our Lord. Now, to run from an ordinary Master is punishable, to rebell against an ordinary King deserves death, but he is more, our Lord and King in a more speciall bond. Besides, that he hath made us, and preserves us, we are his by purchase, and he hath bought us deere, hee hath shed his blood for us: so that hee that will not love this Lord; let him be accursed.
Secondly, againe he is our Saviour, and in this 2respecct love is now more due to God, then in time of innocency. When Adam broke the Covenant and made shipwrack, Christ offers himselfe a Saviour. Now if wee will not receive him, there is no more hope. He is the secunda tabula, left to us after shipwrack, which if wee let goe, wee cannot escape eternall destruction.
Lastly, he is our Prophet, that Messias, Iohn. 4. 3which tels us all things; That great Prophet whom Moses foretold, whom if we beleeve not, we must be for ever accursed. The time of our ignorance God regarded not, but now hee will have an eye to us, after that the light hath shone unto us, and he hath revealed himselfe, when this our Prophet hath come unto us and shewne himselfe unto us. Now God olaimes our love: and if now we refuse to love him, and to come in unto him, we are rebels. Yea, he is our Priest, and would reconcile God unto us. Yea, he is made unto us a King, to subdue our lusts and rebellious affections, to draw us to himselfe, as it were by force: So that now if we love him not, wee deserve the curse. Now marke, the Lord hath joyned these two together, the Lord Iesus. We must take heede that we separate them not. And we must see that wee take him not onelyonly as a Saviour, but also as a Lord. He is not onelyonly the Authour of the remission of our sinnes, but he is our Lord to rule us. The preaching of the Gospel is nothing but the offering of Christ, his whole person, and so you must take him, as a subject, to bee your Lord, as a Spouse to be ruled and guided by him, and then wee shall have the benefit which arises thence. We are willing to part with the sweete, but we will have none of the sowre: as that young man would have had Christ, but he would not part with his wealth for him. But Christ tels him that he must either part with him or them. Canst thou be content to fare as I doe? to be rejected & scorned in the world as I am? then well & good, thou mayest follow me, but otherwise thou canst not. And if thou art content to doe thus, to suffer persecution, and to forgoe all for him, thou shalt have him, and all the benefits that come by him; if not, thou art not worthy of him: hee that beleeves not the Lord Iesus, is condemned already. i. e. Hee that takes him not when hee is offered, is in the state of of condemnation. We must see therefore that we take his whole person, as hee is a Lord, as well as he is a Saviour, and not the latter without the former. If any man love not the Lord Iesus, let him be had in execration, yea let him be accursed to the death. The Apostle curses sueh as love him not, with a double curse. He expresses it Of the curse of those that love not the Lord Iesus.in two languages. They are men set apart to evill, appointed to destruction; as some men are set apart to good, so are these to evill. They are shut up in prison, such as God hath set himselfe against. His eyes are continually upon them for evill. Thus shall he be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus. There shall be a curse on his soule, for matter of grace, that as Christ cursed the figtree, when hee came and found no fruit upon it, never fruit grow more on thee, and it withered away: So when Christ is offered, and this Gospell preached, and thou refusest this grace, thou mayest find Christ so curse thee, that thou be ever barren in the matter of grace. And if perhaps thou thinkest this no great matter, the curse goes further. Thou shalt bee cursed from the presence of the Lord. Thou shalt have no part nor portion in the light, sweetnesse and comfort of his favour. And this Caine tooke to heart, though he were a wicked man, and had before but Gods common favour: and so Saul was exceedingly cast downe, when as God would not answer him by any of those usuall meanes: but is this such a matter to bee excluded from his presence? yea, and at the time of death you shall find it somwhat, yea in troubles you shall see it a dreadfull thing (as they did) to want him to stand your friend. As Saul did, though in his prosperity he little regarded it, yet when the Philistines came upon him, he was driven to his wits end, because the Lord would not answer him. But these are but spirituall things, I feele them not, you will say. But yet the curse goes further, You shall be cursed also from the earth, that is, from earthly comforts, which it yeelds to others. Now thou shalt bestow all thy travell and paine upon it, and be never the better for it.
But many a man receives him not, and yet is not thus accursed.Ob.
Indeed we see it not many times, and it may Answ.be, the time of execution is not yet come. Thou mayest have Cains priviledge, though thou art accursed, that none shall kill thee presently: Thou mayest enjoy thy health and wealth, and no man lay hold on thee here to hurt thee. But thou art reserved to a more solemne day of punishment. And yet the curse goes a step further, thou shalt be cursed eternally. But that thou wilt say, is a great way off; and you need not feare it yet. But consider what eternity is, what those dayes of darknesse will be, when the Sun of comfort shall set, and never rise againe upon thee. When it shall be alwayes perfect night, and never day. When God shall open all the treasures of his wrath, and powre them with full fury upon thee, when the storme of vengeance shall never bee blowne over, but thou shalt bee overwhelmed in the midst of all miserie, asthe old world was in the deluge.
If this be the case of men that refuse, yea, that Vse.love not the Lord, then take heed to your selves. Wee the Ministers offer you Christ when wee preach, and you sit negligently before us, minding other things, not caring to take the Lord. Take heed: this is your portion to be thus accursed.
The Gospell hath two parts: if you take Christ, you shall be happy, you shall be saved. But if you will not love him and imbrace him, you shall be damned. Therefore thinke not that there is nothing but hony in it: yea there is a sting that followes it, if it be neglected: Ministers are not to goe a begging in offering the Gospell, but are as Ambassadors of the Lord of Heaven. If men will receive our message, so it is, otherwise the dust which we shake off from our feet, shall be a witnesse against you, that so God will shake you off. God will not have his Gospel refused, his Son despised; and therefore he counsels us, to kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and wee perish all in his wrath, Psalm 2. Though hee be a Lamb, and have behaved himselfe meekly amongst us, yet if wee provoke him, wee shall know that he can shew himselfe a Lyon. If hee be not entertained in the still voice, he will come in fire, in a wind that shall rend the rockes in sunder. Thus he describes himselfe, One that hath feet like burning brasse, out of whose mouth proceeds a firie sword, Revelation 1. Moses went first to Mount Gerizim, to blesse the people; and if that would not move them, he go's up to Mount Ebal, and thence curses them: so the Apostle before exhorts & perswades them to the love of Christ, but if they will not imbrace him on fair termes, he tels them what shall follow, they must be accursed.
But what if I take not the Lord at this instant? Ob.I hope this curse will not befall me.
It is true, we cannot say so; for while this time lasts, wee are still commanded to offer Answ.Christ; yet there will come a time, when there will come forth a Decree which shall never be revoked. Take heed therfore, for this is very dangerous. The Lord will not suffer his Gospel to be abused, or neglected: when once the Husbandmen refused the Son, they were presently cast out of the vineyard, Mat. 21. This offends God more than any sinne that wee can commit. To refuse Christ offered, is worse than drunkennesse, theft, adultery, or the like, which men count the grossest sins. My people would none of me, therefore I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts. This refusing him, made him swear that they should never enter into his rest. As the Gospel offers greater favour than the Law; so, swifter damnation attends the neglect of it. My brethren, take heed that you receive not the grace of God in vain. While it is called to day, harden not your hearts; yea, take heed of refusing it now. For, you know not whether this offer may ever bee made you againe; and if it be, thou knowest not whether thou shalt have the grace to receive it, or no. Know, that the same Gospel is a savour of life unto life, to such as receive it; but unto the others, of death unto everlasting death.
But the Gospel is continued still.Ob.
It is true: but how many are there that live in the congregation, and are never a whit the better, Answ.though they hear the Word daily, because by the contempt of it, it becomes the savour of death to them, and their hearts are hardned, so that they shall never receive good by it?
FINIS.
Good Reader, if thou wilt see the reaches of a devout soule after this love of Christ, expressed in these pious Sermons, reade this Soliloquy following.