The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 18 – Meditation 22
MEDITAT. XVIII. Of the falſe love of God.
BUt what, is the love of the world ſo peſtilent, ſo malignant, ſo poyſonous, that no love of God will grow by it in the ſame Soul?
Yes, there may be a great deal of ſpurious love, love of a falſe kind, more properly called flattery than friendſhip. Men may fancy they love God much, and may cry, God forbid but they ſhould love him above all things. Perhaps there may be ſome true love in a weak degree; true I mean in oppoſition to diſſembled, Phyſically true (for why may there not be a true love, that is not ſaving?) But he that loves God aright, as the ſupream good, muſt needs love him with a ſupream and ſuperlative affection.
But be it true or no in a Phyſical ſenſe; that love of God is not higheſt, doth not prevail nor predominate, that is eaſily cruſht, caſt out, gain-ſaid. If the Tares get above the Corn and ſmother it; if the cares of the world choak the word, thoſe tares and cares are pardominant.
The men of Keilah made love to David, perhaps they had ſome real kindneſs for him; but their kindneſs for Saul was greater: ſo that if he offer'd himſelf, they would caſt forth David and his men.
The love of God and the love of the World are inconſiſtent. And that appears from the nature of the objects, which are contrary the one to the other: As alſo from the nature of love. If any man love the World, muſt be underſtood of a prodominant love; then the love of the Father is not in him, muſt be underſtood of a predominant love alſo. God being the chiefeſt good, the love of him muſt be the higheſt and ſtrongeſt, or elſe it is not ſuch as the object requires. If a Woman love her Husband well, yet if ſhe love him not above any other man, ſhe does not love with a right conjugal love, which ought to be ſtrongeſt of all others. The proper and acceptable love of God muſt needs be predominant, otherwiſe it is not fitted to the nature of the ſupream good: Now it is impoſſible there ſhould be two predominant loves in the ſame Soul at one and the ſame time.
MEDITAT. XIX. Of Predominant Love.
BUt it will be askt, what goes to make a Predominant love?
Love, yea even the love of God, is capable of intention and remiſſion. There are thoſe that depart from their firſt love in a great meaſure. The Spouſe was one while ſick of love, another while ſo lazy and languid, that ſhe would not ſo much as ariſe to open to her beloved when he knockt. Particularly, by how much worldly love prevails, by ſo much Divine love languiſheth and is invalidated. They are like the houſes of Saul and David; the riſe of the one is the fall of the other, and they cannot be both ſupream in one Iſrael. They are like a pair of Scales in this, as the one riſes, the other falls; but they differ in this, that they are never equally poys'd.
A Predominant Love muſt be moſt intenſe in degree, habitual and durable.
The intenſeneſs of the love of God is ſo deſcrib'd, as I never read any thing like it, Luk 10. 27. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, with all thy ſtrength, and with all thy mind. How many Alls are here? And yet if we had ten thouſand times more powers and principals, we ought to love God with them all too: It is an emphatical tranſlation of that elegant Text of the Apoſtle (Rom. 5. 5.) The love of God is ſhed abroad in our Hearts; which if I might Periphraſe upon in Scripture Phraſe, I would call it a covering of the Soul, as the Waters cover the Sea. The Soul of a lover of God ſeems to its ſelf too ſcant to comprehend the ſupream good; wiſhes its ſelf wider and larger. Oh that one would give me the large heart of an Angel; oh that God would fill up all my capacities, and make me yet more capacious; oh that he would take up all the room in me, and oh that he would make for himſelf more room in my Soul, than yet there is, to entertain him!
And certainly this Predominant Love may be diſcern'd: If I know not what I love beſt, I know nothing. Why may I not as well know whether I love God or the World beſt, as I know whether I love bread or husks beſt? By what we conſtantly chooſe, when things come in competition, we may know what we love beſt.
But may not the palate of the mind be ſo alter'd or vitiated (as well as that of the body) that what I chooſe at one time, I may refuſe at an other, and prefer its contrary or diſparate? Yes certainly: In every ſingle wilful deliberate Act of Covetouſneſ or Impatience, worldly love does predominate pro hic & nunc: But it will not denominate the man a lover of the world except it be habitual.
MEDITAT. XX. Of Habitual love.
THe love that is ſo predominant, as to denominate, muſt be Habitual. But may not an habitual lover of the World be converted into an habitual lover of God? Yes ſure: This is the converſion that the Goſpel ſpeaks of. To turn men from Idols to the acknowledgment of the true God is not a ſaving converſion. To turn them from the commiſſion or love of ſome ſingle ſin of the fleſh, as Drunkenneſs, Whoring, Swearing, is a partial, but not a ſaving Converſion. The great and ſaving Converſion lies in changing the Temper, the Nature, and introducing Divine Habits.
The habit of worldly love may be deſtroyed, and is deſtroy'd in all ſincere Converts. The habit of Divine love may be interrupted in its Acts, weakened in its Vigor, but ſhall not be quite deſtroy'd. We read of ſome indeed that they had left their love, (Rev. 2. 4.) But it does not appear that they had quite loſt it: or if we will ſay that they had loſt it, yet it was not it, but ſome degrees of it that they loſt; not their love but their firſt love, or ſome degrees of that love which they had at firſt. I know not what ſhould hinder, but that every truly regenerate and habitual lover of God, may make the ſame challenge as the Apoſtle did, What ſhall ſepaparate us from the love of God? If it be ſaid that the love of God towards his Elect is immutable and indefectible, but ſo is not theirs towards him: One may well reply, that conſequently the love of the Elect is laſting, everlaſting too. If it be true, that whom God loves he loves to the end, and that he loves none with this peculiar love, but thoſe who love him, it will fairly follow, that their love is endleſs too.
MEDITAT. XXI. Lovers of the World willing to be deceiv'd.
ANd now methinks I ſee the ſecure world ſtand unconcern'd, every one bleſſing himſelf, Oh I am not this accurſed lover of the world. I do indeed now and then prefer the world, my gain, my pleaſure, my reputation before God, and the obſervation of the dictates of my own Conſcience, as I perceive all men do, but I do not make a conſtant cuſtom of it; I have no habit of it.
But hark a while, though it be but in one ſingle Act that thou preferreſt the World before God, or in a ſin committed now and then, yet glory not, account it not a light thing. It is ſomething ſure, and indeed enough to humble and amaze all Men upon Earth, to be now and then guilty of ſuch folly and filthineſs, ſuch Blaſphemy, Unrighteouſneſs and Idolatry, as this is, to be but once guilty of preferring the Devil before God.
But examine, Oh look inwardly, Do not theſe acts proceed from an habit, theſe ſprouts from a root; we had need to ſearch narrowly, and examine ſtrictly; for if we be miſtaken here, we are miſtaken indeed, fatally, everlaſtingly miſtaken.
The worldly mind generally denies and palliats its worldlineſs. Men are generally aſham'd to be call'd worldly minded men, and very loath to believe themſelves to be ſuch: notwithſtanding which, it is moſt certain that there are many ſuch; ſo that ſomewhere there will be found a deadly damning miſtake.
MEDITAT. XXII. The Lovers of God moſt ſenſible of their Worldlineſs.
ON the other hand, the heavenly mind, the habitual lover of the Father is moſt ſenſible of, and complains moſt of his own worldlineſs.
Lord, How little do I diſcern this Diſeaſe, or lay it to Heart in my ſelf? How little do I mourn over it in others, where it is apparently praedominant, notwithſtanding it is ſo deadly?
If I be not a predominant lover of the Word, yet (alaſs!) in how many ſingle acts have I given preference to it, every one of which was horrible diſloyalty and treachery▪
Alas, How early, how earneſtly, how eagerly, have I purſued the World in my Thoughts, in a whole train of Thoughts, from morning to evening! How unſeaſonably too has it put it ſelf into my Meditations, how boldly intruded into my Devotions; how ſawcily thruſt in it ſelf, to interrupt my communion with Heaven, with an impudence and importunity exceeding an Harlots Fore-head!
Wo be to me, if thinking more, if ſpeaking oftner of this World than of God, be a certain mark of a predominant lover of the World; who then could be ſaved! Yet when I conſider, that where the treaſure is, the Heart will be alſo; and again, that out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth ſpeaketh; how can I choſe but be aſham'd and afraid.
Lord deliver me from looſeneſs of Spirit, from earthlineſs of Mind, from meanneſs and ordinarineſs of Temper and Converſation! Oh wind up my Heart to Heaven, let my Converſe be there and with thee! Imploy my Mind in contriving, my Soul in exerting acts of Love; fill my Mouth with thy Praiſes, and let Holineſs to the Lord be written upon all my Actions and Enjoyments.
Oh how are the mighty fallen, the high ſunk down into a moſt mean and miſerable condition! How is the Gold become dim! How ſhamefully does the noble Humane Nature embrace a Dung-hill, and the Souls that came out of the bleſſed Creators hands purer than Snow, have contracted a Viſage blacker than a Cole!
Good God, I believe, Oh help my unbelief! I love thee, Oh pardon my want, my weakneſs of love; and ſhed abroad thy love in, and quite over my dry and parched Soul! Rather take from me whatever takes any part of my Heart from thee, th… that I ſhould be a partial, an imperfect, an unſincere lover of God!