The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 41
MEDITAT. XLI. General Motives to the Love of God.
AND now addreſs thy ſelf, O my Soul, to the laſt and ſweeteſt part of thy work, to Meditate of ſom powerful Motives to enflame thy ſelf, and the reſt of the benumn…d World, with the Love of God. Strengthen me, O my God, this once, not that I may be reveng'd upon, but that I may perform the greateſt kindneſs to thine Enemies, by reſcuing them out of their miſerable bondage, and inlarging their Souls in the moſt pure and generous love of thee! I let down my Net once more, not without thy Command; Oh that by thy gracious Aſſiſtance and Bleſſing, I may encloſe a number of Souls; and tranſlate thoſe, who all their days have ſwam in Earthly delights, and in the brackiſh Sea of this World, into the ſweet Rivers of Pleaſures that are at thy right hand, or rather into the pure Fountain of Peace, and Joy, and Pleaſure, which thou art, for evermore.
And here methinks I have the whole World, and all the Individuals therein, thronging about me, each offering its Vote, each offering it ſelf an Orator, to plead the Cauſe of God. The holy Pſalmiſt in his 148 Pſalm calls upon the whole Creation, Heaven, and the Heaven of Heavens, and the Waters that be above the Heavens, the Earth, and the Deeps, and all the Inhabitants of all thoſe, Angels, and the Hoſts of God, the Lights of Heaven, Vapors, and flying Fowls of the Air, all Men great and ſmall, young and old, Beaſts and Cattel, and Creeping Things, and all Vegetables; I ſay he calls upon them to Praiſe and Celebrate the Lord: but methinks, I hear all theſe calling upon me and all Mankind, to love the Lord, and to delight our ſelves greatly in our God. For certainly there is nothing in the Creation, but does plainly declare the Lovelineſs of God, and whatſoever does ſo, does as good as Preach and ſay, Oh love the Lord ye Children of Men.
But I ſee I ſhall loſe my ſelf in this immenſity; I will therefore confine my ſelf to ſome few Topicks from whence to fetch Arguments and Motives to the Love of God.
The nature of our Chriſtian Profeſſion, the Nature of our own Souls, the Nature of God, the Nature of Love, the Nature of the Love of God, will furniſh us with powerful Motives to the Love of God, as well as all theſe with the Nature of the World and of Worldly Love, …urniſht us with diſſwa…ves from the Love of the World. For there is as much excellency in the Nature of God, and of the Love of God, to recommend them, as there is unſuitableneſs and unſatisfyingneſs in the World, or abominableneſs in Worldly Love to diſparage them. … no hard thing for a devout Mind to fetch mighty … the Love of God from the ſame Heads, (the Argument being a little altered) from which the diſſ…aſives from the Love of the World were fetcht. As for Example, if we ſhould therefore not love the World, becauſe it is unſuitable and inſufficient to us, and not that which it ſeems to be; then we ſhould therefore love God, becauſe of his infinite fulneſs, and becauſe he is the onelyonly ſubſtantial and agreeable good. If we ſhould therefore not love the World, becauſe by loving, we give, we aſſimulate, we unite, we ſubject our ſelves to the World, if this be the Nature of Love, then what can be more excellent and advantagious to us, than the Love of God? If we ſhould therefore not o…e the Word, becauſe the love of the World is Abominable, Idolatrous, Adulterous, Blaſphemous, Sacrilegious, Ungratful, and Perjurious. The Love of God being on the contrary Excellent and Divine, Pure, Chaſt, Juſt▪ Ingeniou…, and Reaſonable, ought mightily to allure and attract us unto it ſelf: And ſo of the reſt. But here alſo I ſhould be tempted to be too large, I will therefore limit my ſelf to a few Conſiderations which I have found moſt powerful over my own Soul: Oh would it might pleaſe God, to bleſs them with a mighty Influence, that they may come to the Hearts of thoſe, into whoſe hands they may come.