The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 43
To whom little is forgiven, the ſame loveth little. Text.
As if our bleſſed Saviour ſhould ſay thus to Simon, thou performeſt not thoſe offices of Love that ſhe doth, for that thou apprehendeſt not ſuch mercy in the forgiveneſſe of ſo great a debt as ſhe, who is of the number of thoſe who owed 500. pence. Thou amongſt thoſe who owe but 50. therefore blame her not though ſhe manifeſt ſo much affection, when thou ſheweſt ſo little. So that you ſee
Doct. Proportionable to that aſſurance we have of the Remiſſion of ſin by Faith in Chriſt will be that Love we beare to Christ.
When a man conceives that little is forgiven, he will love but little, but upon the apprehenſion and perſwaſion that much is remitted a man cannot but love much. Looke what meaſure of Love is in any, the like meaſure of Faith is in him: For as they are together (as before was ſhewed) ſo commonly they are together in the ſame degree: If no Faith, than no Love; if but a ſhew of Faith, than but a ſhew of Love; if weake Faith, than there is but a weake Love; if an interrupted Faith, then an interrupted Love.
Vſe 1 So then by the degree of Love we may judge of the degree of Faith; there are who boaſt of the ſtrength and aſſurance of their Faith that they are perſwaded of the Love of God in Chriſt, in the pardon of their many and heynous ſinnes, &c. But is it likely that by the Eye of Faith they ſee the height, depth, breadth, and length of the Love and Favour of God, when they ceaſe not to diſhonour him by a lewd and licentious life; had theſe men once felt the Love of God ſhed abroad in their hearts, and did indeed believe that God had done ſo much for them (as they ſay) they would manifeſt it, as David did, in powring out the water that he longed for before the Lord; when he thought it was diſpleaſing to him, that he ſhould get it with the jeopardy of the life of thoſe Worthies.
Vſe 2 We may likewiſe from hence learne, what to judge of the Love which Ethnicks or any other ſuperſtitious Perſons pretend towards God: St. Paul granteth to the Iewes, a zealous Love of God, but (ſaith he) it is not according to Knowledge (which is the beginning of Faith) Now true Love of God is the Handmaid of Faith: If then it comes gadding abroad and attends not on her Miſtreſſe, it may well be cenſured to bee baſe and blinde. Looke what the Apoſtle ſpeakes of Faith without Charity, 1 Cor. 13 1. We may ſay of Charity without Faith. If wee had all the Love in the World, and yet had no Faith; aſſuring us of the Remiſſion of our ſins, our Love would be nothing.
Vſe 3 And further wee may bee informed of the Reaſon, whence it is that GOD is no more beloved in the world; Surely hence for that there is little or no Faith in the world, they have not a ſence of MercieMercy, nor doe they apprehend the greatneſſe of it in the pardoning of ſo great a Debt as they owe to GOD: They thinke they are but amongſt thoſe penny-men, that they are indebted to GOD but in ſome ſmall Summes, they are Sinners as others are, and that is all. Did they but conſider ſeriouſly what their ſins are, what hearts they have, what lives they have led, they could not but be marvellouſly affected with Gods love and favour.
You know how it affected Saul when hee fell into the Hands of David, and had no hurt done by him, conſidering how hee had uſed David before, and yet now that David ſhould ſpare his Life ſoe unexpectedly and undeſervedly; Oh! This melted him into Teares, Levavit vocem ſuam & fl…vit (ſaith the Text) This made him confeſſe, Thou art more Righteous than I, my Sonne David. If a man would ſeriouſly conſi…er how wee have beehaved our ſelves towards GOD from time to time, how wee have refuſed MercieMercy, contemned Grace, &c. Yet that GOD ſhould ſtill follow us with a Pardon, bee content to blot out all the old Scoare, and to receive us againe into his Favour, this could not but worke upon the hardeſt heart, and enflame the Love of God in our ſoules dayly.