The True Christians T est, Part 2 · Meditation 46
MEDITAT. XLVI. A further Motive to the Love of God.
FIfthly, Conſider, that to love God, is to gain God. It may juſtly make one wonder to ſee Men take ſuch pains to gain the World, and yet ſo indifferently affected to the enjoyment of God himſelf. Riſing up early, and lying down late, and eating the bread of ſorrows, deſcribes but a little of that pains and ſolicitouſneſs which men uſe for gaining the World, in compariſon of that compaſſing of Sea and Land, running of ſtrange hazards, adventuring Health and Life, Soul and all, in purſuit of Wealth and Honour, which we may every where diſcern amongſt the greedy Merchants, and Ambitious Courtiers and Warriers of the World. And after all this, it proves that they ſeek but a very mean thing, that they gain but a little of that which they ſeek, and that they are not ſatisfied with that which they gain.
Is it worth an Age of pains to gain the Creature, yea a ſmall handful of it, yea and ſuch an handful too, as is gone as ſoon as it is well gain'd; and can any Man that is Maſter of his Reaſon, chooſe but think it much more worthy of all poſſible endeavors to gain the Creator, and make the Supream good his own? Our Saviour ſeems to make a ſuppoſition of a thing not to be ſuppos'd, when he ſpeaks of a ſingle Man gaining the whole World (like unto which there are many Hyperbolical ſuppoſitions made in the Holy Scripture.) But the gaining of God is no Hyperbolical Suppoſal, but a Real Propoſal. It is ſincerely propounded to the Sons of Men, and if they fail of it, it is their own fault and folly: It hath pleaſed God ſo to conſtitute the Rational Soul, that nothing beſides himſelf can be the happineſs of it: It is impoſſible in the very nature of the thing, that any thing below infinite Truth and Goodneſs, ſhould ſatisfie the Underſtanding, and Will of man, or that the ſame ſhould be any otherwiſe perfected, but in the poſſeſſion of this Bleſſed Object. It muſt needs follow then, that he is willing to be enjoy'd; elſe he had been cruel to the Souls of Men, in giving them faculties which ſhould never be perfected, and Appetites that ſhould alwaies be craving and never ſatisfi'd. It muſt needs be that the Supream Good is moſt Communicative of himſelf, and that he who every where commands us to give to them that ask us, and not to turn away from them that would borrow of us, muſt himſelf be infinitely willing to be found of them that ſeek him. This being certain, it will as certainly follow that the loving of God, is the enjoyment of him: Dilige & frueris. It is Love that Aſſimulates and Unites, and makes this bleſſed Object our own. Solomon tells us, That he that loveth Silver, ſhall not be ſatisfi'd with Silver; yea it is true alſo, that he that loveth Silver, oftentimes does not ſo much as poſſeſs Silver; poor men may be covetous as well as rich, and there are many in the World no doubt, whoſe hearts do mightily hanker after the World, that yet miſs of it; who purſue this ſhadow and it flies from them. But no man ever ſet his heart upon God and was diſappointed of the enjoyment of him▪ Though many love Riches that never come to be Rich, and beautiful Miſtriſſes that are never admited into their Embraces, yea and the Admirers of their own Beauty are miſerably diſappointed (Norciſſ…s like, they cannot ſo much as come to a kiſs of that ſweet mouth that they ſo fondly contemplate in the Glaſs) having no advantage of their own fair Faces, ſave the beholding of them with their Eyes; yet it is far otherwiſe with the Lovers of God: This moſt Beautiful and Bleſſed Object is not ſhye of himſelf, he envys no good thing, no not himſelf to his Lovers and Friends. As the Benign Sun envies not, denies not his precious Light, no not to the meaneſt Inhabitant of the Earth that will but look at him; ſee him, and you enjoy him; ſo neither does the Father of Light, deny himſelf to any that do but heart…y deſire him; love him, and you enjoy him. For what other way can there be ſuppos'd to be of enjoying God? Every man is alike nigh to God, yea and the Devils as nigh as Men: Set aſide the loving of God, and the meaneſt Man in the World is as much a K… to him as the mightieſt, and the Apoſtate Spirits as near to him as his Menial Servants, the Courtiers of Heaven. If we could ſuppoſe an unloving Soul to be admitted into Heaven, and to be as nigh the Throne of God as the Angels are, this very Paradice would be a Purgatory to him, and the Boſome of Abraham a Bed of Thorns.
Oh how Bleſſed, and yet how eaſie a thing is it to enjoy God? Love him, and he is your own. If Kingdoms could be got with loving, what man would not be a Prince? If great Fortunes could be obtain'd by being deſired, who would not be ſure of a Rich Match? If the meer ſetting ones Heart upon Silver and Gold, would make them to increaſe, the Propheſy would certainly fail, of having the Poor always with us. God is more eaſily got than Gold. Believe in Jeſus, and you have him. Love God and you are poſſeſt of him.
Droop not thou meaneſt, obſcureſt, pooreſt of the Children of men, come lift up thy head and take Courage: I ſhew thee a way, a certain way, an eaſy way, how thou mayſt be as excellent, as rich, as honourable as any of the Princes of the Earth, as the Angels of Heaven: Love the Father: for if any man Love the Father and the Son, they will come unto him and make their abode with him. Good God what Honour and Happineſs is this that thou beſtoweſt on thy Saints!