The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 7 – Meditation 17
MEDITAT. VII. Men are to try themſelves by their Love.
IF any Man love, &c. It ſeems that God doth eſtimate Men by their Loves, not by their Impulſes, nor their Profeſſions; not by their Words, no, nor by their Actions neither. For although it is true, That pure Affections, will ordinarily produce pure Actions; and that as Faith worketh by Love, ſo Love ſheweth it ſelf by Works; yet Actions materially good, do often prom a Principle not Divine and Pure, but Carnal and Corrupt: Therefore the great foreign, and Tryes of the Reins, viſits and views the hearts of Men, and from thence he values them. It doth not only appear from this Text, but indeed from the whole current of Scripture, that the Eſtimate that God makes of Men is from their hearts. Hence it is that we read ſo often concerning ſuch and ſuch men, that they had ſuch and ſuch Faults and Failings in their Converſation or Government, yet nevertheleſs their hearts are perfect with the Lord: And other men were thus and thus ſpecious and zealous in their Converſation, yet their hearts were not perfect with the Lord: And of others, that they were very formal and forward Profeſſors, but in the mean time their heart went after their Covetouſneſs. It were endleſs to ſhew the ſpecial regard that God has to the hearts and affections of men.
And ought not we to eſtimate our ſelves, as God eſtimates us? If any man love, &c. This ſure is the chiefeſt, and, one would think, the eaſieſt thing in the world to be known.
It is, without Controverſie, the chiefeſt thing, and moſt material for Man to know concerning himſelf, what he loves beſt. If I know that God is the Supreme Good, and that it is my greateſt Duty and higheſt Perfection to love him beſt; it muſt needs follow, that it is my greateſt Concernment to know that I do ſo: For if I once attain to this underſtanding, I will not be beholden to any Fortune-teller, to acquaint me with my future condition in this World; nay, I will thank no Divine, to fore-tell me my condition in another.
Man has nothing Better than his Affections, nothing Nobler than his Heart. Love is better than Beneficence: Lazarus in being able to Love, had a nobler Portion than Dives in being able to Give: And ſhall this Heart, this Love be given to the World? A Man may converſe in the World, and be concern'd about it, and yet not love it; that's well, that may comfort us: But a Man may alſo know God, talk of him, profeſs him, perform many Duties to him, worſhip him with much Pomp and ſeeming Sanctimony, and yet not love him; that may ſtartle us.
It is eaſie, in all other things, for a Man to tell what he loves beſt: Cannot every man tell, what Diſh of Meat, or what Sort of Drink pleaſes him beſt, or what Neighbor he prefers moſt? And it is not a wonder that Men ſhould not know whether they love God, or the World beſt?
Is't not a wonder that Men ſhould be ſo mad or blind, as not to ſee themſelves Lovers of the World? Surely the heart of Man is deceitful, and that not only to other Men, (as ſome would have the meaning of the Text to he) but to himſelf alſo. I never yet knew a Man that would confeſs himſelf to be covetous, though all the Symptoms of Covetouſneſs were upon him: Though the Plague-ſpots and Sores are upon them, yet they will not confeſs themſelves to be infected. To undeceive (if it may be) the Lovers of the World, is the deſign of the Publication of theſe Meditations.
Lord, be merciful unto its, and ſuffer not our hearts to be hardned through the deceitfulneſs of ſin!
MEDITAT. VIII. Of the Extent of Worldly Love.
IF any man, &c. Methinks this Phraſe ſuppoſes that all ſorts of Men are ſubject to this Evil, and liable to this Diſeaſe. And indeed the more I think of it, (whether the Text ſuppoſe it or no) the truer it ſeems to be. When I conſider great Men, I do not ſee that they are ſo above the World, as to deſpiſe it: neither are the Poor ſo below the World, as to deſpair of it; as it is in ſome Caſes. No, all ſorts of men are ſubject to this Plague, nothing ſecures us from it. Riches do not; it ſhould ſeem by the Pſalmiſt, that the increaſe of them rather cauſes Men to ſet their hearts upon the World; If Riches increaſe, ſet not your he…ts upon them: Poverty does not; the poorer, the prouder oftentimes, and ſometimes the covetouſer too: Holy Orders do not; witneſs the greedineſs of the Clergy of all Churches: Retiring into a Monaſtery cannot; as the many unclean Practices committed there will teſtifie: Holy Profeſſion, or an early reſolution in Baptiſm cannot; witneſs the multitudes that fight under the Worlds Banners, who then proteſted to fight againſt it to their Lives end.
It is a cloſe Evil, or Devil rather, and is found in company with Learning, with Inſpiration, and the Spirit of Prophecy, as in Balaam; in company with Prayers and Sacrifices, as in Saul; in company with Fortitude, as in Jeroboam; in company with Zeal and Profeſſion, as in Jehu; in company with legal Righteouſneſs, much Gravity, Demureneſs, ſeeming Selfdenial and Maceration, as in them, who in the Goſpel are ſaid to love the praiſe of Men, more than the praiſe of God. It is found in conjunction with Circumciſion; neither is it waſht away by that Ordinance, that is called a putting away of the filth of the fleſh.
But if we will come to a ſtrict Examination, we muſt conſider Man in his Moral, and in his Political Capacity: And this (God willing) I intend to do in its proper place.
MEDITAT. IX. Of the Evil of worldly Love.
IF any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Lord, what a terrible thing is this that is predicated of ſo ſmall a fault! He doth not love God! Why what could have been ſaid worſe of him? If a man do not love God, he is as bad as a Devil; he is curſed with the chiefeſt curſe; If any man love not the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, let him be anathemamaranatha. Who would believe that ſo fearful a thing ſhould be predicated of ſo ſmall a matter! If he had ſaid, If any man blaſpheme God maliciouſly, oppoſe him ſpitefully, commit Murder, be rebellious againſt all Superiors, beaſtly in all Behavior, dwelleth in all Pride and Malice, or the like, then it had been likely enough that he ſhould be eſteemed a hater of God: But to ſay, If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; Who can believe this? Is it ſo great a matter to love the world?
Yes, from the Predicate, we may infer how great a matter it is. The Spirit of God would not have predicated this of a thing of an ordinary ſize, every body declares againſt the ſins of the Fleſh, rails at Drunkenneſs, Adultery, Murder, Injuſtice, Extortion; every Body brands Thieves, and ſuch like People: But the ſins of the Spirit go uneſpy'd, and damn mens Souls more effectually.
See how damning a thing it is to miſplace affections. Oh how ſadly is the world miſtaken! How weakly do men judge! How many will find themſelves in Hell ſhortly, who had hoped that they were in the Suburbs of Heaven! The common cry is, A very good man, a very honeſt man, a civil good-natur'd Neighbor; but a little with the cloſeſt, Paulo attentior ad rem. A ſmall fault they think. But is Idolatry and Adultery a ſmall Fault? This love of the world is really they: one had as good bow down before a graven Image, as love the world.
It is very obſervable how the Commands of the Goſpel are moſtly calculated for the regulating of the affections of Love, Care, Joy, Grief; and how it forbids and inveighs againſt the ſins of the Spirit, Pride, Malice, Diſtruct, Envy, Covetouſneſs, and the like.
The renovation of the Will, and regulation of the Affections, is the great work of Regenerating Grace. It is paltry Phariſaiſm to mind paying of Tythes, and to neglect the love of God.
Say not, oh ſay not, it is a ſmall thing to love the world, but ſay, oh how it defiles, how it expoſes, how it damns, what Idolatry, and Adultery, and Blaſphemy is it! Ariſe, O my precious Soul, fully not thy beautful wings, by reſting upon ſo filthy a Dunghil, by preying upon ſo loathſom a Carrion!
How evil and abominable the love of the world is, I ſhall have occaſion to conſider more particularly, in ſome future Meditations.
MEDITAT. X. Of the Inconſiſtency of the Love of the World, and the Love of God.
IT ſeems to be the plain Doctrine which the Apoſtle teaches, That the Love of the World, and the Love of God are inconſiſtent. God and Mammon cannot cohabit: there is no ſerving of two Maſters, eſpecially being contrary the one to the other. What communion hath light with darkneſs? The reaſon of the incompatibility and inconſiſtency, ſeems to be laid in the oppoſition, Contraria mutuo ſe pallunt. The ſame Fountain cannot ſend forth ſweet waters and bitter. Here the reaſon ſeems to lie in the limited, ſtraitned nature of the Fountain. The narrow heart of man cannot contain two ſuch Gueſts at once. If the world be got into the Inn, the Chambers of the Soul, Chriſt muſt be caſt into the Stable. The ſame Soul cannot at once ſend forth the ſweet aromatick Breathings of Divine Love, and the naſty, noiſom ſtench and exhalation of earthly Love. How ſhould ſuch a limited Agent perform two ſuch contrary Acts at the ſame time?
But what, May not a Man love God well, and love the world well too? No: no man loves God well, but he that loves him belt. He only loves him aright, that loves him with all his heart. There cannot be two Beſts: One cannot love God with all his heart, and the world with all his heart too.
But may not one love God beſt, and yet love the world? No: For if you love the world unduly, you do not love God beſt; and if you love God beſt, then your love of the world is not the undue love here forbidden.
The pure and conjugal Love admits no Rival; Thalamus non patitur conſortes. There is an Eſſay, no doubt, to compound the matter, and to make a medley, and this medley, I fear, is the Religion of the moſt. It is too evident, that they entertain the world chiefly; yet in good manners they would allow ſome room for God, ſome little room, upon a Sunday or an Holyday, or perhaps at ſome other times, in ſome eaſie and cheap things. The Whore in the Comedian was content to entertain two: the one indeed ſhe properly lov'd; but becauſe the other gave her Preſents and good Gifts, ſhe was content that he ſhould Haerere in aliqua parte ſaltem apud eam, ſome little corner of her houſe ſhe would allow him too. It is as certain a ſign of a whoriſh heart, to proſtitute it ſelf to two, as it was of a falſe Mother to admit of the diviſion of the child.
The world indeed has no title at all to the heart of Man, and therefore modeſtly deſires only a little part, an inferior love, a ſubordinate love: But together with this ſeeming Modeſty, the Witch is very cunning, for ſhe knows that that part will go night to bring in the whole, and that God will reject the whole Meſs, if any part of it be defiled. But God has a right to all, and therefore demands all or none; he will not take up with a corner of the heart. The love of God fills the Soul where it comes, as the light fills the Fir-mament.
MEDITAT. XI. Of the Evil of not loving God.
THE love of the Father is not in him. Look about you all you that love the World! Nay rather let us all look into our ſelves; let us fear and ſearch leſt we be found lovers of the world: for here is the dreadfulleſt Predicate that ever was pronounced, the blackeſt brand that can be lay'd upon a rational being; ſuch love not God. He had almoſt as good have ſaid, They hate him: For indeed ſaving a little Philoſophical Nicety) it comes all to one. He that is not for us is againſt us; and yet more plainly, The friendſhip of the World is enmity againſt God.
Now if we conſider that it is the moſt Natural, Neceſſary, Reaſonable, Eaſie and Excellent thing in the World to love God; and that it is the foundation of all other duties, it will the better appear, how ſad a Character this is, The love of the Father is not in him. I will but glance upon ſome of theſe in this place, and reſerve the reſt to anotner
MEDITAT. XII. The love of God is moſt Natural.
IT is moſt Natural for man to love God. However it is true, too true, that, conſidering man in his ſtate of Apoſtaſie, ſin is moſt natural to him; yet if we conſider man as a rational Being only, abſtracting him from his depravation; vertue, particula…ly the love of God, is moſt natural to him; and all ſin, particularly worldly love, unnatural and alien to him; which the Scripture plainly ſignifies, when it tells us ſo often of the defilements of ſin: Now we know that what defiles, muſt needs be alien to that which it defiles.
To love God was the duty of man before the Goſpel was given, yea or the Law either; neceſſarily reſulting from the relation between the Creature and the Creator. It is moſt agreeable to the dictates of Nature: though it be ſo ſadly depraved, it has not quite put off its Eſſence. For what are Honour, and Reverence, and Adoration, but Love exalted, Love determin'd to a Superior Object? And this the Heathens always thought juſt and equal to give to their Gods.
It is as natural for the ſoul to love, to cleave to ſomething without its ſelf, as for the Ivy to cling to the Oak. The Soul naturally underſtands its own indigency; and therefore goes out to one thing or other to find reſt; though through her Apoſtaſie, ſhe is miſtaken in her object, and fancies reſt, where it is not: Which indeed is rather Blaſphemy than Atheiſm. The love of a Superior Object, of a Centre, is ſo natural, that it cannot be ſeparated from the very conſtitution of the Soul: That Centre muſt needs be ſome Superior Being, and more excellent than it ſelf: And what can that be but God; or what beſides him can be ſayd to be more excellent than the Soul it ſelf? God is remotely concern'd in the purſuits even of the Covetous and Ambitious; howbeit they mean not ſo, and therefore their in judicious tendencies are no thanks to them, nor will ever make them happy.
To love the Lord our God with all our heart is the great Commandment indeed; it is the Law of Nature, inlay'd in the very conſtitution of the Soul, belonging to all men in all ages of the world.
MEDITAT. XIII. Of the Eaſineſs and Pleaſantneſs of Loving.
TO love is Eaſie, Cheap, and Pleaſant. It is Eaſie, it equires no Pains, it breaks no Bones. Whatſoever Curſe lies upon all ſublunary proviſions, we may eat the heavenly Manna without ſweat. Thoſe Devils the H…atheniſh Gods, requir'd painful Services indeed ſometimes, Herculean Labors: But the true God requires our Love, he takes it as the moſt acceptable Sacrifice; ſo acceptable, that it ſhall ſtand in ſtead of all other Duties, where they cannot be perform'd: He that is dumb and cannot pray, deaf and cannot hear, blind and cannot read, ſo poor that he cannot give, ſo cloſe ſhut up that he may not receive, ſhall yet be well accepted of the Father, if he can love. Chriſt Jeſus has a Yoke indeed; but it a Yoke of Government, not of Puniſhment; it is not galling to the Necks of his Diſciples, My Yoke is eaſie. He has a burden too, but it is light; Chriſti ſarcina pennas habet.
To love is Cheap, it coſts nothing. Love indeed will grudge no coſt, will ſtick at no charge if it be requir'd: but there is none requir'd to the exerciſe of Love. ſhe beſt way in the world for a poor man to be happy. (as we read the poor Woman was, whoſe whole Inventory amounted but to two Mites) and indeed a readier way for the Rich, than though they ſhould laviſh Gold out of the Bag, and make Oblations of Rams by thouſands, and Oyl by Rivers. For what cares the ſelf-ſufficient God for theſe things. What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul? Deut. 10. 12.
To love is pleaſant. The very acts of Love are pleaſent to him that exerts them. They had a diſmal way of ſerving their Gods of old time, in an extatick frantick manner, cum ſacro horrore; as Baals Prieſts, cutting and ſlaſhing themſelves, or as the Prieſts of Apollo or Bacehus, ſwelling, raging and diſtracted. Lucane, I remember, ſomewhere in his Pharſalia deſcribes the Devotion that the Maſſilians pay'd to certain dreadful deities which they Worſhipt in a dark grove, ſo terribly, as would make one wiſh to get as far off from ſuch Deities as poſſible: Nay he tells us that the Prieſt himſelf that went to Atone them, was afraid of nothing more, than leſt he ſhould meet one of them, leſt they ſhould draw night to him in his drawing nigh to them.—Dominum que timet deprendere luci.
But love, divine love, the love of God, is ſerene, compos'd and ſweet, pleaſent in its very actings, raviſhing the Soul that exerts it, who takes juſt ſo much pains in loving, as the Rivers do in running, the Wind in blowing, or the Sun in ſhining.
Good God! How infinitely and aſtoniſhingly kind and gracious art thou to the Sons of Men; all whoſe very commands conſiſt with our eaſe, and are calculated for our pleaſure! Lord, what can be more pleaſant than to love, to love that which is infinitely lovely! What can be ſafer, then to truſt in Almighty Power! What eaſier, ſweeter way of living, then to caſt all our care and lay all our burden upon infinite Wiſdom and Goodneſs! What more ſweet and cordial than to hope in infinite Mercy and Veracity! Theſe Oh theſe ſweet things are the matter of thy Law! And Oh thou that haſt to mercifully accommodated thy Laws to my pleaſure, mercifully accommodate my Soul to thy Laws, that I may take pleaſure in them.
MEDITAT. XIV. Of the Excellency and Neceſſity of the Love of God.
THe Love of God is Excellent and Honourable; it puts a Beauty and Luſtre upon the Soul. This beautifies, dignifies, glorifies, yea, and in a ſenſe, deifies the Soul, uniting her to God, and ſo making her one with her Maker. As Worldly Love diſhonours and defiles; as he that is joyned to an Harlot, is one with an Harlot, even a Limb of a Whore; and he that is joyned to the World in Spiritual Adultery, is a Limb of the World: ſo he that is joyned to Chriſt is a Member of Chriſt. The Soul acts moſt nobly, exalts it ſelf moſt bravely, when it ſpends its powers upon the ſupream good. If there be any Apotheoſis of Souls this is it. The Saints are the moſt excellent of the Earth; and this is the Character of Saints, that they love God: Love ye the Lord all ye his Saints.
Of this I ſhall have occaſion to enlarge my Meditations hereafter. I will therefore proceed to think a little of the abſolute neceſſity of the Love of God.
The Love of God is ſo neceſſary to the happineſs of Souls, that no Soul can be happy that hath it not predominant in him. The precept makes it neceſſary, which commands it in both Teſtaments, and that over and over again, and that as the principal Duty of Man. It is a Commandment, nay, it is a great, it is the great Commandment, as our Saviours words are tranſlated, Matt. 22. 38. Now after all theſe inculcations, can we imagine that God will diſpenſe with this; nay, with the leave of the Popiſh Caſuiſts be it ſpoken, he cannot: for it is a neceſſary means of Happineſs: God himſelf cannot make a Soul happy that hates him.
Conſidering the conſtitution of the rational Soul, it is impoſſible that any thing ſhould be his happineſs below Communion with God: Now there can be no Communion, no Converſe without Love. Can a Soul dwell with him for ever, and be happy in ſo doing, that does not love him? Ye hated me and caſt me out, ſays Jephthah: Certainly the haters of God, do ipſfacto, caſt themſelves out of the preſence of God.
MEDITAT. XV. Why called the Love of the Father.
THe Love of the Father is not in him. But why the Love of the Father rather the Love of God. This ſeems to be done on purpoſe, and to be more elegant and emphatical, than if he had ſaid the Love of God. For it is a great aggravation of this unnatural ſin, the love of the World. Father is an endearing Relation, as appears by many Texts, but methinks by no one more than that which proceeded from the Mouth of Chriſt, and is now in the Mouth of every Chriſtian, Our Father.
God is fully ou… Father, yea, and Mother too the words both of begetting and bringing forth, are aſcribed to him; of him we are begotten and brought forth. Were it not monſtrous, that a Man ſhould prefer his Horſe or his Hounds, and the Lives of them, before his Father: provide for them and let his Father ſtarve? More Monſtrous it is to prefer the World before God. Moreover, The Father ſeems to be put elegantly in oppoſition to the World. As if one ſhould ſay, What love the World more than the Maker of it?
The Moraliſt (I think it is Cicero) ſome where inveighs againſt the abſurdity of thoſe Men, that adore Images, and do not rather admire and reverence the skill that made them, and the Ingenuity of the Carvers and Painters. God is the Father of the World (the Father, as well as our Father) the Father of Light, the Marker of all that is pleaſant, profitable, and honourable, the Creator of Riches, the Fountain of Pleaſure and Honour. So that to love the World rather than the Father, whether he be conſider'd as our Father, or the Father of the World, is lewd and abſurd.
MEDITAT. XVI. Of Mens Apprehenſions concerning the Love of God.
IF any Man Love the World, &c. I foreſee, that after all that I ſhall meditate upon this Subject, the iſſue will be, either that Men will be ſecure, and never mind this thundering expreſſion, it will not ſtarttle nor make any impreſſion upon them; or they will a little open their Eyes, and inquire into themſelves, and ask, whether they be lovers of God or of the World.
I foreſee the greateſt part of Men into whoſe hands theſe Meditations ſhall fall, will be ſecure and unconcern'd, as they are under the weightieſt Doctrines, and loudeſt Thunders of God. It is the Nature of worldly Love to ſtupifie, it drowns in perdition, it choaks the Word, it makes Men Blind and Bold, Senſeleſs and Secure. It Stiffles, Choaks, Deadens, takes away all Heart, and turns Men into meer lumps of Earth.
But perhaps there are others, ſome others, that will inquire. Well, be it ſo: yet I ſuppoſe that the power of Self-love is ſo great, that the inference they will make, will be one of theſe two; Either Oh, I love God, and therefore am not a lover of the World; or Oh, I am not a lover of the World, therefore I love God.
MEDITAT. XVII. What it is to Love God.
BUt poſſibly there may be ſome ingenious Inquirer, that with Philip, will ask and ſay, Shew us the Father and it ſufficeth. To him Chriſt anſwered, Have I been ſo long with you, and ſayeſt thou, ſhew us the Father? As if he had ſaid, the inviſible God is ſeen in me; I am the Image of the Father. So I ſay to theſe, God is inviſible, but the Image of God is viſible in the World.
The Image of God idneed is ſeen in the whole Creation, and the Power, Wiſdom, and goodneſs of God, are to be obſerved and admired therein.
But eſpecially it is to be admired in Man. Man is more eſpecially the Image of God; and if we ſay we love God, whom we have not ſeen, and love not our Brethren whom we have ſeen, we deceive our ſelves.
More eſpecially it is to be obſerved in good Men: Therefore is the Love of God ſo often deſcribed by the Love of the Brethren, and of the Saints.
But principally, True Goodneſs is the Nature of God. God is Goodneſs, Truth, Love, Holineſs; and he that loveth the World more than theſe, is the Idolater and Adulterer here ſpoken of. If any Man habitually in his Judgment or Affections, prefer the Pleaſures, Profits, or Honours of the World, before Righteouſneſs, Goodneſs, Truth and Holineſs, he is dead accurſed.
I ſuſpect that the Love of Chriſts Perſon is moſtly a Notion amongſt Men: To follow his Example, to imitate his Graces, to copy out his Perfections, is to Love him. For although we have not heard Gods Voyce, nor ſeen his Shape at any time, yet if his Word abide in us, we love him, John 5. 37, 38.
He that loveth Chriſt muſt keep his Commandments: If any man therefore prefer the world before the Commands of Chriſt, before the favour of God, or the peace of his own Conſcience, ſo far he is a lover of the World. The ſon of the bond-woman, and of the free, cannot cohabit: fleſhly wiſdom, and the grace of God, cannot at the ſame time predominate. The love of God is a nature, not a rapture or extaſie, much leſs a Mechanical thing, Acted only upon the Stage of Fancy.