Believers Evidences for Eternal Life, Chapter 1

Believers Evidences for Eternal Life · Chapter 1

p. 5CHAP. I.

Evidences or Signes of Gods love to us.

CHrists being sent to lay down his life I.for us, that we might live by him: may be a first Signe of Gods love to us. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, 1 Joh. 3. 16. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Sonne into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sinnes, 1 Joh. 4. 9, 10. Hence when actually we live through Christ, we actually taste Gods free love in Christ.

Gods speciall love acts towards his beloved ones, chiefly three waies, (1.) In electing them before all time, elect of God, holy and beloved, Col. 3. 12. which is more peculiarly ascribed to the Father, 1 Pet. 1. 2. (2.) In redeeming them in fulnesse of time, which is more peculiarly attributed to the Son, Ioh. 15. 12, 13. Gal. 2. 20. Rev. 1. 5. (3.) In immediate applying of Christ unto them in due time by sanctification, effectuall calling, &c. and this is more peculiarly given to the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 4, 5. 1. Pet. 1. 2. And in every of p. 6these acts of love, God comes neerer and closer unto his, The Fathers love in electing, is love intended, and purposed; this is most remote: The Sonnes love in redeeming, is love actually demonstrated to the world; this is neerer: but the Holy Ghosts love in sanctifying, &c. is love effectually and peculiarly applyed to individuall persons; this is most neare. Would we know our interest in the Fathers electing love? consider what part we have in the Sonnes redeeming love: would we discover our share in the Sonnes redeeming love? then let us accurately search what right and property we have in the Spirits sanctifying love; when we spiritually live from the Father through the Sonne by the Spirit, then God gives us a taste of his love experimentally.

Excellently **Hoc est ergo illud quod supra dixi, quia plus non amat Deus, quam filium pater. Evidens quippe re…est quod super affectum filiorum nos Deus diligit, qui propter nos filio non pep…rcit. Et quid plus addo? & hoc filio justo, & hoc filio unigenito, & hoc filio Deo. Et quid dici amplius potest? & hoc pro nobis, id est, pro malis, pro impiissimis, pro iniquis. Qu…s aestimare hunc erga nos Dei amorem queat, nisi quod j…stitia Dei tanta est, ut in eum aliquid injustum cadere non possit? Nam quantum ad rationem humanam pertinet, injustam rem homo quilibet fecerat, si pro pessimis servis filium bonum occidisset. Utique hoc magis inaestimabilis pietas, & hoc mirabilis magis Dei virtus est, quod ita intelligi ab homine magnitudo justitiae suae non potest…ut quantum ad imbecillitatem humanam pertinet, penè injustitiae speciem magnitudo justitiae habere videatur. Salvian. Massil. De Gubern. Dei. Lib. 4. p. 121, 122. Oxon. 1629.Salvian (that eminent Presbyter of the Massilian Church who flourished in the fifth Century) discourseth of p. 7this love of God to us. This is that which I said before, that God loves us more, then a Father his Sonne. Verily the thing is evident, that God loves us above the affection of sonnes, who for our sakes hath not spared his Sonne. And what adde I further? and this a just Son, and this an only begotten Sonne, and this Son God, And what can be said more? and this for us; that is, for evill ones; for most wicked ones; for unrighteous ones. Who can estimate this love of God towards us, but that the justice of God is such, that no unjust thing can be incident unto him? For so far as humane reason may judge, any man had done an unjust thing, if for the worst servants he should haveput to death a good Sonne. So that in this the piety of God is more inestimable, and in this the vertue of God is more admirable, that so the greatnesse of his justice cannot by man be understood: inasmuch as to the apprehension of humane imbecillity, the greatnesse of his justice seemes almost to have a shew of in justice. So he.

Adoption. That we should be reckoned II.among the children of God, may be a second Signe of Gods love to us: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sonnes of God! 1 Joh. 3. 1. Well said the Apostle [Behold, what manner of love!] for here is not only love, but love to admiration. That we without strength, Rom 5. 6. we lost creatures, Luk. 15. last; we sinners, Rom. 5. 8. we in the bond of iniquity, Act. 8. 13. we dead in p. 8trespasses and sins, Eph. 2. 1. we enemies to God by wicked works, Col. 1. 21. we children of wrath, even as others, Eph. 2. 3, &c. That we should be thus advanced in heavenly places in Christ, and accounted not only servants, which is much, Ioh. 12. 26. not only friends, which is more, Ioh. 15. 15. but also sonnes, and consequently heires and co-heires with Christ, which is most of all, Rom. 8. 16, 17. Gal. 4. 4, 5, 6. Let men behold, let Angels behold, let both adore and admire, what manner of love is this love. Shew thy sonneship; this Son-ship demonstrates infallibly Gods love unto thee. God takes none into this nearest relation, but whom he first took into his dearest affection. If thou art a Sonne of God, then (1.) Thou art born againe of the Spirit of God, Iohn. 1. 12, 13. and 3. 3, 5. (2.) Thou hast received Jesus Christ by believing on his Name, Ioh. 1. 12. (3.) God hath instilled into thee a Son-like Spirit of prayer, Rom. 8. 15, 26 (4.) Thou art conforme to Christ the first-borne among many brethren, Rom 8. 29 (5.) Thou art acted, led, and guided by the Spirit of God, Rom. 8. 14.

Our not loving the world, not the III.things that are in the world, inordinately: may be a third Signe of Gods love to us. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the p. 9eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world; and the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever, 1. Ioh. 3. 15, 16, 17. The love of the Father is in him neither Actively nor Passively, who immediately loves the world. Not Actively, he loves not the Father: not passively, he is not beloved of the Father; for who can be beloved of the Father and not reciprocally love the Father again? 1 Iohn. 4. 19. and who can entertaine the true love of the Father in the heart, but withall he must banish the excessive love of the world out of the heart? For, 1. The love of the Father and the love of the world are sorepugnant and inconsistent one with another, Iam. 44. Matth. 6. 24. 2. The love of the Father and of the world, do each of them so forcibly exhaust and draw out the whole heart, that it is impossible that these two loves should at one and the same time in intense degrees, dwell in one and the same heart. As **Mundi enim amor & Dei pariter in uno corde, cohabitare non possunt: quemadmodum iidem oculi, coelum pariter ac terram nequaquam conspiciunt. De 12. Abusionibus seculi Cypriano adscript. cap. 7.Cyprian well observed: The love of God and the world cannot cohabit in one heart together: as the same eye cannot at once look up to heaven, and down to the earth together. But who do inordinately love the world, and things in the world? Answ. 1. They who are wont inordinately to desire and seek it when they want it, 1 Tim. 6. 9, 10. Matth. 6. 31, 32, 33. 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2, 3. 2. Kings 5. 20, 22. 1 Kings 21. 4. 9, 10, 16. p. 102. They who are wont inordinately and immoderately to set their hearts upon it, and abuse it whilest they have it, Ps. 62. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Luk. 12. 16, to 22. Mat. 19. 21, 22, 23, 24. Iam. 5. 1, to 7. 34. 1. They who are wont excessively to grieve and perplex themselves when they lose it, as Achitophel, who when he lost this worlds honours, went discontentedly and hanged himselfe, 2 Sam, 17. 23.

Our love to God, which is a sweet IV.effect, a resulting ray, a reflexive beame of Gods love to us, may be a fourth Signe of Gods love to us. We love him, because he first loved us, 1 Joh. 4. 19. When God begins to us in this sweet cup of love, we cannot chuse but pledge him: but should not he love us first, and we also have some apprehension of that his love, we should never love him at all. For, as Bernard saith, **Deo aman… homines vicem amori… non rependunt, nisi revelante els Spirimper fide aeternum Dei Propositū super salute illorum futura. Bernard. Epst. 107.Men render not love to God loving them, till the spirit of faith reveales to them Gods eternall purpose, about their future salvation. As light breeds light, fire fire, so Gods love to us, begets love to God in us,

But how or wherein hath God loved us first? Answ. God the Father, Son, and holy-Ghost, hath eternally loved us, in electing us, Col. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 2. Eph. 1. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. In a more peculiar sort, God the Fathers love first shined forth towards us in giving Jesus Christ his own only Son, that Sonne of his love, (Col. 1. 13.) for us, Tit. 3. 4, 5, 6. Iohn 3. 16. p. 11Hath God so loved us, as not to spare his …wne Sonne, (as hath before been eviden…ed) how can this chuse, but kindle in us re…iprocall flames of love again to God, and …ake us delight in his love? They more I …rink (saith **De dilectione Dei quo plus bibi, plus sitio, & ea saturari non possum, nec ego nec aliquis perfecte diligens Christum. Ipse quo plus editur, plus famem exauget: & quanto plus ipse bibitur, plus sitim inacuit; ipsam quā inhabitat mentem sic inebriat, ut nihil jam quaeratvel diligat, nec deligere possit nec valeat praeter eum, qui sic mundum dilexit, ut filium suum unigenitum daret ut omuis qui credit & …ligit illum, non moriatur, sed vivatcum eo. D. Ber…rd. in c…a Dom. Serm. 13. ad init.Bernard) of the love of God, the …ore I am athirst, and cannot be satisfied with …t; nor I, nor any one perfectly loving Christ. This love, the more it is eaten, the more it aug…ents hunger; the more it's drunken, the more …t incites thirst; it so inebriates that minde wherein it dwells, that it seeks, or loves nothing, …or possibly can love besides him, who so loved …he world, that he gave his only begotten Sonne, …hat whosoever believes and loves him, might …ot die, but live with him. And in a more spe…iall manner, God the Son's love, first prevented us, in his giving himselfe for us. When Christ stood by Lazarus his grave, and wept for him, the Jewes said, Behold, how he loved him! Iohn 11. 35, 36. much more may we say when Christ did more then weep for us, when he bled for us, when he dyed for us, Behold, and admire how he loved us! Iohn 10. 11. and 15. 12, 13. Rom. 5. 8. Eph. 5. 25. Gal. 2. 20. Rev. 1. 5. Can we possibly look upon this love of Christ, and not be wholly overcome with it, over-powered with it, ravisht p. 12with it, and irresistibly constrained with it, t… love Christ againe, 2 Cor. 5. 14, 15. Let … say with **Ecce quomodo dilexit nos! pro nobis elegit mori, nè nos morted…m naremur aeterna; Resurrexit à mortuis, ut suae nos resurrectionis tribueret esse participes: Ascendit in coelum, ut nos proveheret ad palatia coeli; Et sedet ad dextram Patris, coronans & locans, laetificans & collocans illic, quos proprio cruore redemit, quos gl… tino sibi charitatis asseruit secum in eadem dextra Patris. Ipsum igitur Christum, sine modo, ultra modum, absque meta, ultra metam; assidue, continue, toto corde, tota mente, totis viribus, totis virtutibus diligamus, veneremur & amemu…. Bern in Coen. Dom. Serm. 12. sub. fin.Bernard, in his holy rapture o… affections to Christ: Behold, how he loved u… he chose to die for us, lest we should be doome… to death eternall; he rose from the dead, that h… might render us partakers of his resurrecti… on; he ascended into heaven, that he might advance us into celestiall places; and he sits at th… right hand of the Father, seating, and crowning gladding and placing there, such as he hath redeemed with his own blood, such as he hath joyned to himselfe with the cement of love, a… the same right hand of the Father with himselfe. Therefore let us love, adore and affect thi… Christ without measure, beyond measure; without bonds, beyond limits, daily, continually, with all the heart, with all the mind, wit… all our power, with all our graces. Thus we shall love him, that first loved us.

Now then, dost thou truly love God with all thy heart and soul? or (if that be too high and hard a question) at least **Domine, certè certus sum… per gratiam tuam; desiderium desiderii tui, & amorem amoris tu… habere me in toto corde, & in tota anima mea. Huc usque te fa… ciente profeci, ut desiderem desiderare te, & amemamare te. Bern. Soliloq. Sect. 5. p. 511. G. Luteti…. 1640.dost thou truly desire to love him, and love to desire p. 13him? Doubtlesse this is an evidence that God loves thee. For nothing but his infinite …ame of love to thee, kindles this spark of …ve in thee.

Quest. But by what signes may I know, …at I truly love God and Iesus Christ, or …t least truly desire to love him?

Answ. Thou mayest know that thou tru…y lovest him, or desirest to love him, if thou …ovest him, or desirest to love him, (1.) Atractively. (2.) Intensively. (3.) Sincerely. …4.) Purely. (5.) Obedientially. (6.) Invincibly. …7.) Uncessantly.

1. Attractively and unitingly, when God …nd Jesus Christ are so indeared to the …eart, that the soule restlessely groanes …nd pants after the enjoyment of them; As in David, As the Hinde panteth after …he water brooks, so panteth my soule after …hee O God, my soule thirsteth for God, for the …iving God—, Psal. 42. 1. 2. As in Moses, I beseech thee shew me thy glory, Exod. 31, 18. As in the Church, Make haste my beloved, and …e thou like to a Roe, or to a young Hart upon the mountaines of Spices, Cant. 8. 14. Christ saith, Surely I come quickly; The Church echoes, Amen, even so, come Lord Iesus, Rev. 22. 20. There is a principle of motion in bodies naturall; as in earth, that makes it descend to …its center; in fire, that makes it ascend to its proper resting place: and (if impediments interpose not) they cannot rest till they be p. 14united to them: thus that soule that tru… loves God, hath an inward supernatur… **Amor meus pondus meum illo feror, quocun que feror. Aug.principle, drawing it after God. Nor can acquiesce, or center it selfe any where, but … God; the most amiable God having scatte… ed some sparks of his love in our hearts, a… lures us after him: **Natura est rapax sui.as fire drawes fire, o… as the loadstone snatcheth the iron unto … selfe, by its attractive, magnetick propert… Doth Gods love and lovelinesse so snatc… and steale away thine heart after God, th… thou longest to enjoy God, to have union t… him, and Communion with him? that's tru… love; love is a cementing, soddering, **Est magnes magni magnus amoris amor.magnetick grace. If thine be such, then (1.) Wha… griefe hast thou in his absence? (2.) What de sire of his presence. (3.) What delight in his enjoyment? A true uniting love discovers i… selfe in all these. 1. What griefe is the absence of God, and Christ to thy soule? Davi… laments, when God did hide his face, Psa… 22. 1, &c. Psal. 13. 1, &c. It was as a sword i… his bones, when the enemy said, Where i… thy God? Psal. 42. 10. But God had ever broken his bones to shivers, when he had taken the joy of his salvation from him, Psal. 51. 8, 12. And the Church is heart-sick, sick o… love, when Christ had but a little withdraw… himselfe from her, Cant. 5. 6, 8. Where is thy paine, thy sicknesse, thy grief, thy tears in Gods withdrawings? Love is impatient o… divorce or distance. **Parum diligis, si pro ejus amore quotidie non ploras & ge mis …naā illius absentia spō saediligenti solet sluvius esse lacryma…um cum illū quaerit & non invēit, vocat & non respondet, nil nisi flere cam delectat. Ber. in Caen. Dō. Serm. 9. p. 1341. H.Thou lovest him but … p. 15little, if for his love thou dost not daily sigh …nd weep; for his absence is wont to be a flood of …ears to the loving spouse, when she seeks him, …ut finds him not; calls, but he answers not; no…hing pleaseth her but weeping. 2. What de…ires and groanes hast thou after the presence of God, and Iesus Christ? My soule thirsteth for …ee, my flesh longeth for thee.—My soule …olloweth hard after thee, Psal. 63. 1, 8. Here was Davids love. I have suffered the losse of all things, and do count them but dung that I may winne Christ, Phil. 3. 8. Here was Pauls love. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth, Cant. 1. 2. Draw me, we shall run after …hee, verse 4. Turne, my beloved, and be thou like a Roe or young Hart upon the mountaines of Bether, Cant. 2. 17 Here is the Churches love. But where is thy love? where is thy desires of the enjoyment of God and Jesus Christ? dost thou strive like the diseased **Sed cum accedere gestio ad cum, & vel sicut haemorrho issa illa, infirmae & miserae animae meae salutifero tactu vel simbriae ejus, quasi furari gestio sanitatem; vel sicut Thomas …ille vir desideriorum, totum eum desidero videre & tangere, & …non solum, sed accedere ad sacrosanctum lateris ejus vulnus, ostium arcae quod factum est in latere; ut non tantum mittam digitum, vel totam manum, sed totus intrem usque ad cor ipsum …esu, in Sanctum Sanctorum, inarcam Testamenti, ad mannam auream nostrae animam humanitatis, continentem intra se Manna Divinitatis, Heu, dicitur mihi, noli me tangere. Be…ard. Soli. …oq. Sect. 4. p. 510. C. D. Lutet. 1640.woman to draw near to Christ, that by a salutiferous touch of the hem of his garment thou may'st as it were, steale spirituall soundnesse to thy miserable soule? or like Thomas, that man p. 16of desires, desirest thou to see and touch Christ and not only so, but to approach to the sacr… wounds of his side, (that doore of the Ark which was made in the side,) that thou maye… thrust in, not only thy finger, or thy whole hand but that thy whole self also mayest enter in… the very heart of Iesus, into that holy of holies into that Arke of the Testament, into the golden pot, the soule of our humanity, wherei… is the Manna of the Divinity? I mean, dos… thou long for most intimate enjoyment o… and Communion with Jesus Christ both God and man? this is love indeed. 3. Finally, what delight and contentment dost thou find in his **Haec est gloria, hae sunt diviliae in domo Beati amatoris tui: quia praesto est desideranti, & amanti, quod desiderat & quod ama…: ideoque & qui desiderat semper amat desiderare; & qui amat semper desiderat amare. Et desideranti & amanti, quod desid… rat & amat, sio facis abundare, O Domine, ut nec anxietas desiderantem, nec fastidium affligat abundantem. Bern. Soliloq… Sect. 7. p. 512. K.injoyment? True love find… most contentment in the enjoyment of the object most beloved; hence, David preferring… the enjoyment of Gods face before any sublunary treasure, discovers his true love to God thus: Many say, Who will shew us good? Lord, list thou up the light of thy countenanc… upon us; thou hast put gladnesse in mine heart, more then in the time that their corne and their New Wine increased, Psal. 4. 6, 7. And ye… of all enjoyments of God & Christ; beloved, that enjoyment is sweetest, that succeeds his absence and estrangement. Health is alwayes sweet, but double sweet after sicknesse; p. 17liberty alwayes pleasant, but double pleasant after imprisonment; life is alwayes comfortable, but to have return'd from death to life, is a double life: So to them that love God, his presence ever delectable, but his presence after his soul-afflicting absence is even ravishing. Hence David wrastling out of an intricate temptation, and recovering a sweet view of God, cryes out, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth, that I desire besides thee. My flesh and mine heart faileth; but God is the strength of mine heart, and my portion for ever, Psal. 73. 25, 26. The Church enjoying Christ, saith, I sate down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet unto my taste, Cant. 2. 3. but when after estrangement she found him whom her soul loved, how is she transported? I held him, and would not let him go, untill that I had brought him into my mothers house, into the ch…mber of her that conceived me. I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the Roes, and by the Hindes of the field, that you stir not up nor awake my love …ill he please, Cant. 3. 4, 5. that is, let him have no offence given him. that I should lose him any more. Canst thou truly say in thy en…oyment of God, of Christ? O let his **Laeva temporalis consolationis tuae Domine non de sit, sed sit sub capite meo ad utendum. Dextra, verò tua spiritualis, de spiritualibus & aet…rnis consolatio tua totum me amplectatur ad fruendum, & inamplexu charitats tuae, in osculis dulce …inis. …, in … ce in …left hand be under my head, and his right hand em…race me. Cant. 2. 9. Lord, let not the left hand …f thy temporal consolation be wanting, but be …nder my head for use: but let thy spirituall p. 18right hand, thy consolation about spirituals and eternals, embrace me wholly, for enjoyment; sum do… miat & requiescat anima mea—Sed O Domine, si quando (quodquā rarum est) me in aliqua hujus gaudii parte invenio: clamo, vociferor; Domine bonum est nos hic esse, faciamus hic tria tabernacula, fidei unum, amori unum, spei unum. Nunquid nescio quid dicam cum dico; bonum est nos hic esse; Bern. Soliloq. Sect. 1. &. 6.and in the embracement of thy love, in the kisses of thy sweetnesse, my soul shall rest and sleep in peace.—O it is good for us to be here; let us build three Tabernacles, one for Faith, one for Hope, and one for Love, but all for thee: This is right love to God indeed.

2. Intensively. God is the highest object of love, and challengeth the highest and most intensive acts of love: God is the supream Good; yea, the only good; none good but one, that is God, Matth. 19 17. therefore he should have the supream affections, all the affections, all of the affections, and none but he. **Quatuor in Deum … nobis & toti exiguntur afrectus. In eo quod dicit, ex toro corde tuo totam sibi vendicat volontatem: in tota anima to um amorem: in omnibus viribus, virtutem designat …tatis: In tota mente, fruitionem sapientiae: prim…m eni… … Deum volunta… animam mov…t; amor promovet, charit… …templatur, sapientia f…uitur. Bern. de Natur. & D…gnit. amor… …ni, cap. 10 ad ini….Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, an… with all thy strength, and with all thy minde… Luke 10 27. Deut. 6. 5. Matth. 22. 37. with these foure, heart, soul, might and minde and with all of every one of these, i. e. with all that is within thee; God, if truly loved is to be beloved of thee. Yea, let God, le… Jesus Christ have the preheminence in th… p. 19soul, above all creatures let him possesse the throne of thine heart, and be a diadem on thy head; but let all things else sit down below, at thy foot-stool, Prov. 12. 1. Psal. 73. 25. and 4. 6, 7. Matth. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. no object is so amiable, no delight so delectable as God to him that loves him; true love can despise the world, yea, ten thousand worlds for him.

3. Sincerely and uprightly. When God is chiefly loved for **Recedat itaque ab animamea omnis injustitia, ut te diligam dominum deum meum ex toto corde meo, & ex tota anima mea, & ex omnibus viribus meis: re cedat omnis zelotypia, nè tecum aliquid amem, quōd proptete non amem. O vere unice amor, & vere domine: cumr vero propter te aliquid amo, non illud amo, sed te propter quem amo quod amo, Bernard. lib. de amore dei. cap. 6. ad init.himself, for his own incomparable Excellency, perfection, beauty, sweetnesse, lovelinesse and love: and other things are loved for him, and in order to him; then not so much they are loved, as God is loved in them, 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him, because he loved us first. The Church loved Christ for himself, Cant. 5. 10. to the end. We may love Gods gifts, but must more love God the giver, else our love is mercinary, not upright.

4. Purely and bolily. God is truly loved, when purely affected: we love God purely, when we cordially hate that which God cannot love, viz. Sin. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil, Psal. 97. 10. Lovest thou him, p. 20(saith **Amas illum? debes odisse quod odit.—Hinc apparet te diligere quod bonum est, si inventus fueri… odisse quod malum est. D. August. Enarrat. in Ps. 96.Ps 96Augustine) thou oughtest to hate what he hates,—Hence it appeares thou truly lovest what is good, if thou beest found to hate what is evil.

5. Obedientally. When we so love God or Jesus Christ, as to indeavour really to keep all his Commandements. If you love me, keep my Cemmandements.—He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, John 15. 21, 23. That is, saies **Qui habet in memoria, & servat in vita: qui habet in sermonibus, & servat in moribus: qui habet audiendo, & servat faciendo: aut qui habet faciendo, & servat perseverando, Ipse est, inquit, qui diligit me. Opere demonstranda est dilectio, ne sit infructuosa nominis Appellatio. Aug. in Evang. Iean. Tract. 75.Augustine, He that loveth them in memory, and keeps them in life: who hath them in words, and keeps them in works: who hath them in hearing, and keeps them in doing: or who hath them in doing, and keeps them in persevering, He it is, saith he, that loveth me, Love is to be demonstrated by works, that … be not an unfruitful usurpation of the name of love.

6. Invincibly, against all difficulties, oppositions and persecutions. Love is strong as death, jealousie is cruel as the grave; the coales thereof are coales of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it, Cant. 8. 6, 7.

p. 217. Uncessantly in incorruption. True love to Christ will not waste, putrefie, worm-eat or decay, but is uncorruptible: Grace be with all them that love the Lord Iesus Christ, (foreign) in incorruption, Eph. 6. 24. true love is a long-lasting, yea, an everlasting affection. Charity never faileth, 1 Cor. 13. 8.