The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God, Part 2 (1 of 5)

The Rise Race and Royalty of the Kingdom of God · Part 2 (1 of 5)

p. 303PART II.

Psal. 45. 2.

Thou art fairer than the Children of Men; Grace is poured forth in thy lips; Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

I divided these words into three parts.

1. THe Loveliness of our Lord Iesus; Thou art fairer than the Children of Men.

2. The Love of Christ; The Love of this Lovely One; Grace is poured forth in thy lips.

3. The Seal of the God-Head, of a Divine Blessedness, and of Eternity upon both these, the Loveliness, and the Love in this Glorified Person of our Saviour; Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

I have finished my discourse on the first part. I now take in hand the second part. I have spoken something of the Loveliness of our Beloved One, as I have p. 304by any Beam from his Beauties been enlightned to some glimmering vision of them, and quickned to a weak expression of that, which I have seen.

Now I am to speak of his Love, as the Grace, and Sweetness of it shall pour forth itself from his Lips into mine by a Spiritual kiss from the Mouth of this Heavenly Bridegroom.

Grace is poured forth in his Lips. The rich composition of this Heavenly-sweet Sentence is made up of three rich Materials; 1. Grace; 2. Effusion, or the pouring forth of this Grace; 3. The Lips of the Lord Jesus. These are to be explained.

1. Grace. This in the Language of the Scripture signifieth three Things. 1. Grace is Love. For the Grace of God, which bringeth salvation to all Men, hath appeared; Tit. 2. 11. But after that the kindness, and love of God our Saviour toward Men hath appeared. Tit. 3. 4. That which in one place the Apostle calleth Grace, in the other he expresseth by kindness, and love. Grace is love in its Fountain freest, and sweetest. 2. Grace is Loveliness, or Beauty. Prov. 31. 30. Favour is deceitful, and Beauty is vain. Favour there is Grace. It is the same word in Hebrew with this in my Text. Grace is Beauty with its most powerful charms, as it toucheth every Spirit, answereth every desire, maketh all things answer it, and dance to its Musick. So the Hebrew word imports. 3. Grace is Joy, or pleasure a fair, and smiling Child begotten between these two amiable, and ever-pleasant Parents Love, and Beauty. St. Paul commandeth the Saints to sing, making melody to God with Grace in their hearts; that is, with Divine Joy kindled into a Heavenly Flame from the Love, and Loveliness of the Lord J…sus shining forth there unitedly, and concentring their joint Beams in the Beloved Spirit.

Thus Grace is all three, Love, Loveliness, and Joy; all these with a peculiar, and most eminent heightning; as the Sunshine is the Grace of a Garden, and the F…owers in it: So Grace in the sense of the Gospel is Love, Beauty, Delight with the God-Head the Sun of Spirits peculiarly, and nakedly shining in them.

But principally, and primitively Grace is Love. Then it is Loveliness, as that is the first Birth, and lively Image of Love, in which it bringeth forth itself to its own Eye, and embraces, then sporteth with it as its Spouse. It is Pleasure, as that springeth from the Union of these two, and is their mutual Life, and Perfection each in other.

Grace is a Tree, where Love is the Root, and Sap; Loveliness the fair Tree with its Body, and Branches rising out of this Root, whose Sap formeth itself into this Beautiful Figure. Joy is the Fruit, into which the sweet Sap of Love from its Root, thorow the Body, and Branches of its shining Beauties digesteth itself unto a perfect, admirable, and Divine Maturity to be the Food, and Feast of all Lives, all Spirits in Time, and Eternity. It is Love smiling in the face of every Beauty, which is the Grace of it, as the Water, and Sparklings of Light p. 305in a Diamond are the Grace of that. It is the Tast, and Rellish of Love in every Joy, is as the Wine, which is the Grace of the Feast.

It is the Love of Jesus Christ at its height, which is the Grace intended here.

2. The Effusion, or Pouring forth of this Grace is next to be opened. Three, things are signified in this Effusion, 1. A Fulness of Grace is discovered. Natural Agents work to the utmost of their Power. God is in nothing so Natural, as in His Love. His work of wrath is his strange work, praeternatural to Him, and a Disguise upon Him. Love is His Right Hand; the Sheep are set at his Right Hand. Love flows forth from the Person of the Father unveiled, & naked, as Light from the Sun; Millions of fresh Beams each moment from each point. 2. Freedom of Grace is manifested in Its Pouring forth itself. It is its own First Mover. It puts itself into Motion. It is a fluid thing. It cannot contain itself within its own Bound, the Heart of God. It is ever pouring forth itself all abroad into every Heart. Divine Love is the most universal and importunate Beggar. It cometh to the door of every Spirit. It Knocketh. It presseth in. 3. A Force of Love putteth forth itself in this Expression. When the Rain cometh with a Tempest, and falleth with a great force, we say; It poureth down. Love from above stormeth Hearts most fortified against it. It rusheth forth like a mighty flood. If any banks, or dams oppose it, it riseth so much the higher, it gathereth so much the more strength, till it bear down all before it, carry away all with it, overflow all, swallow up all into itself, that all things become One Sea of Love.

3. The Lips of Christ into which this Grace is poured forth, may be understood four ways. 1. The Word of the Scriptures, and the Outward Ministery are the Lips of Christ, in which Grace is poured forth. All the Scriptures are Love-letters from Christ in Heaven; all the Ministeries of the Gospel are Love-Embassages, Love-tokens. 2. All Outward Providences, all Inward Discoveries of the Lord Jesus are His Lips, with which He kisseth us, and poureth forth the Divine Sweetness, and Strength of His Love into our Spirits; 3. The Spirit Himself is the Mouth, and Lips of the Heavenly Bridegroom. By this He uniteth Himself most immediately to us in the closest, and Divinest Love-union. By this He transmitteth Himself, and His Love most warmly into us. 4. The naked Person of Christ in Glory is to be understood by these Lips. The Holy Ghost composeth this Psalm, as a Marriage-song to celebrate the Union, State, and Joys of the Heavenly Bridegroom, and Bride in the Resurrection, and Ascension of our Blessed Lord. Here the Person of our Beloved is all a Divine Mouth, with which He breatheth forth all the Sweetnesses of His glorious Nature, and Love, as He sucketh in ours. It is all One Divine Eye from which He poureth forth upon us continual Floods of Light, Beauty, and Grace; by which also He taketh us in continually in all Blessed Forms of an Immortal Loveliness, and Love; Thus we see our selves continually in Him; He seeth Himself continually in us; Eye to Eye, each a Living Glass of glorious Love to the other.

p. 306The Spirit, and the Lord Jesus in Glory are Both One. A Bee in a Garden sitteth upon every flower, and plant, sucking the vertue forth from it. This it formeth into One Sweetness in itself, which is Honey. Full of this Honey it flyeth to its Hive, and there layeth up its pleasant Treasures. So this Spirit resteth upon every Excellency in the God-Head, every Life, and Image of things in the Creature. It extracteth the several virtues from all. It turneth all within itself into One Divine, and unexpressible Sweetness, which is Love. With this Treasure of Love it maketh haste to some broken, and forlorn Heart: There in this Heart, in thine Heart, if thou wilt believe, that thou mayest tast, and see it, it layeth down its precious Burthen, it layeth up the inestimable Riches of glorious Grace.

We read in the building of the Temple that there was a great Sea of Brass, which stood upon twelve Oxen the figures of the Cherubims. Our Saviour's glorified Person is a vast Sea of Love. All the Angels of God support this Sea, serve this Love. The God-Head itself in a bright, and sweet flood of Love is poured abroad in this Sea, in this Bosom, and Person. Here every Believing Soul batheth itself in, and taketh its Fill of Loves.

Doct. The Doctrine which I intend to insist upon according to the Grace of God given unto me is this. The Love of God is poured forth in the Glorified Person of our Lord Jesus. Thy Name is an Ointment poured forth, Cant. 1. 2. The Name of our Beloved, which His Spouse Knoweth Him by, and calleth Him by, is That Name above every Name in this World, or the World of Angels, which the Father hath given Him at His Resurrection, and Ascension; Ephes. 1. 21. This Name is His Person itself in Glory, which is the onelyonly Expression of itself. This is an Ointment poured forth. O Blessed Ointment of Divine Love, which hath all the Cordial Spices, and Sweets of the God-Head itself in it, which perfumeth all things thorow Heaven, and Earth; which maketh all Faces to shine with a Divine Lustre, and all Hearts to spring with a Divine Joy! This costly Ointment was before shut up, and kept in an Alabaster Box, in the Glorious Secret of the Father's Bosom. But now that Box is broken in the Death of our King. That Bosom is opened in His Resurrection. That sweet Treasure of all Life, and Delight, the Eternal Love of the Father is poured forth at the Root of the Creation, upon the Head of every Creature in the Glorified Person of Jesus Christ. Its sweet Savour is gone forth into the Nostrils of every Spirit, to revive it, and allure it to its Everlasting Embraces.

1. John 5. 11. This is the Record; (namely of God Himself,) that God hath given us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son. Eternity is defined to be The Possession of all Good at once, and in One. There are Three things, which go to make up Eternity 1. A Perfection of Excellency. 2. A Collection of all Excellencies 3. A Station of all these with their several Distinctions in One Toppoint of Spirituality above all Division, or Change. Love is the Union of Lovely Things. The most Perfect Love is the most Perfect Union, which p. 307bindeth up all Lovelinesses in their several Perfections into the streightest Unity. Eternal Life then is the Life of Love in its Purity, and Perfection. Eternity is Love itself; the firmest, and Fullest Union of all Graces, and Graceful Things in the height of Glory, and the height of Unity.

This Eternal Life, this Eternal Love; this Life of Love, which is the Life of Eternity is diffused, is given to us by the Father in the Glorified Person of Christ. This is the Glorifying of His Person, the Pouring forth of this Love, which is the Gold of the Temple, the Glory of Eternity, in Him, as in a Common Person, in which the whole Creation lyeth.

Before I leave this Scripture, which I have brought for the Proof of my Doctrine; ye who hear, and ye who read, stand still a while, and together with me gaze upon, admire the riches of the glory of the Grace, and Love of God in the Gospel. This, saith St. John, is the Record, that He hath given us Eternal Life, and this Life is in His Son. You have here the whole Substance of the Gospel, the Record of God, the Glad Tydings from Heaven summ'd up. It is Love. This Love lyeth in Three Parts; 1. Free Grace in these words, God hath given us. 2. The Gift of Free Grace, Eternal Life. You have heard already, that the Eternity, the Perfection, and Crown of Life is Love. 3. The Lovely Seat of this Gift; and this Life, this Love, is in His Son.

Behold, how the Love of the Gospel is no other, than the Divine Nature, and the 3 Parts of this Love the 3 Persons in that Divine Nature.

1, Free Grace is the Fountain of Love, the Fountain of the God-Head, the Father the Giver.

2. The Gift is the Holy Spirit, Love itself, the Eternity of Life, and Love, the Collection of all Loves and Lives in Eternity, the Gathering together of all the pure, and sweet Waters of Love, and Life into One Place.

3. The Seat of this Gift; the Son. The Person of our Bridegroom is that vast, bright, and Beautiful Deep prepared, as a place for those pleasant Waters, those Treasures of Love.

How are the Windows of the God-Head here set wide open to pour down Showers of Love! How are the great Deeps of the God-Head broken up to send forth Floods of Love! What a Blessed Deluge of Love is here, enough to drown ten thousand Worlds of Sins, and Souls after a Lovely manner; so that the Sins shall never live, nor appear more; the Souls shall never dye, nor be at all darkened any more!

Come now ye unbelieving Hearts; be subdued to the Faith of the Gospel by the Strength of this Love. Come ye hard Hearts; bee softned by the Sweetness of this Love. Come ye unclean Hearts; be refined, be Spiritualised, be raised above Sense, Flesh, by the Purity of this Love. All the Strength, all the Sweetness, all the Purity, and Pure Beauties of the Divine Nature are concurrent in this Love. The Three Glorious Persons in the Trinity are no other, than Love itself in so many Forms of Beauty, and Blessedness acting those Heavenly p. 308Parts, which may make all the Joys, and Glories of Love compleat in them, and in you.

I shall prosecute my Doctrine under three Heads.

1. The Nature of Divine Love. 2. The Effusion, or pouring forth of this Love. 3. The Person of our Lord Jesus, as this Love is poured forth into him.

1. Head. The Nature of Divine Love. I shall endeavour to explain this to you by three Descriptions.

1. Descript. Divine Love is a Union between God, as a Lover, and the Soul, as his Love, 1 Cor. 6. 16, 17. It is said, they two shall be one Flesh. But he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit. Marriage is the Solemnity, Festival, and Crown of Love. The Marriage-Union is the perfection of the Love-Union. The Spirit speaketh here of a Marriage in the Flesh, as a Figure, and Foil only; but of the Marriage in the Spirit as Love-Union in its Lustre, and its Life.

This Love-Union hath three Parts.

1. There is a Unity, which is the ground of Love. All Love springeth from this Divine Seed sown throughout all things; a Primitive, and Original Unity.

2. There is a Distinction in the Unity, which is the Life of Love. This maketh the Lovers. The Unity springeth up within itself into a Distinct, and Beautiful Image of itself, that it may be both its Lover, and its Love.

3. There is a Union of these two, the Original, and its own Life-Image, as they stand distinct in the Unity. This is Love consummate. This is the Marriage-bed of Divine Love, ever flourishing and fruitful. Here it multiplieth itself into innumerable Loves, Beauties, and Joys, which flow endlesly fresh every moment out of this sacred Fountain.

Thus Love is the Circle of Eternity, hath its beginning in itself, springeth up out of itself, returneth again into itself without beginning or end.

Thus in Heavenly Love first one is made two, then two are made one again, So is it all four in one, a Birth, a Marriage, a Death, a Resurrection in a continual Circle; while they are ever bringing forth one another; dying into each other; rising again one out of the other; and in all united. This is the Divine sport, or play of Spiritual Love.

You shall see these three parts of the Heavenly Love-union in three Images; in Heaven; in Paradise; in the Soul.

1. Love-Union in Heaven. The first Person in the Trinity is the God-Head in the Unity, which is the Center, and Spring of all Love. The Second Person is the God-Head distinguishing itself into a variety of Persons in the Unity. The God-Head in the glorious, and deep center of its Unity springeth up into an express Image of itself, shining forth from the Unity, and shining back upon it in the brightness of all its own Glories within its own Divine deep, p. 309and Center. This is to the Father perfectly Himself, his Son, and his Spouse, all in one. The Spirit is the Third Person. This is the Union of the other two. Divines therefore peculiarly appropriate the name of Love to this Person. The manner of his Production is expressed by a Procession from the Father, and the Son joyntly, by way of breathing, as the sweets of two Flowers mingling in the same Air, or as the Divine Kiss of two Spirits, by which they breath forth themselves each into other, and become two Spirits in one.

This is the first Image of the Love-Union in Heaven; where the Mystery of the Trinity is the high, and Holy Mystery of Love in its Original. Here first of all one is made two, and those two are made one again.

2. Love-Union in Paradise. Adam, and Eve together with the race of all Living, to which Eve was Mother, stood at first in Adam, all in one. Male, and Female made He him, Gen. 1. v. This was Humane Nature in its Unity, the figure of the Divine Unity, the Father in the Trinity. Then Eve was taken out of Adam. The Unity was distinguished into two Persons, and Sexes within itself. For Adam saith of Eve after the distinction; This is Flesh of my Flesh, and Bone of my Bone. The Unity of the Nature continued in the two Sexes. Now the Woman was the Image, and the Glory of the Man in Paradise, as the Son is the Image of the Father, and the Brightness of his Glory in Heaven. Now there is no Solitude in the Unity, which maketh Paradise a Wilderness, the Unity is the true Paradise within itself springing up into variety, then marrying itself to it, and so flourishing from this Union with all manner of Beautiful, and pleasant Fruits. By this Birth and Distinction in the Unity, Adam and Eve are capable of enjoying themselves each in other, and of multiplying themselves. Thirdly, Eve is brought to Adam again, and these two are made one Flesh. This is the making of two one again, which were first made two of one. This Unity in the Distinction, and Distinction in the Unity is that Marriage in Paradise, which is the Type of that Incomprehensible Marriage above all Heavens, which is the Third Person in the Trinity. In him the Father, and the Son spend Eternity in mutual Embraces, and multiply themselves into an Infiniteness of Blessed Lives, Blessed Loves.

You that are Married Persons, see your selves in this double Glass of Paradise, and the Trinity. By these Glasses dress your selves in your Loveliness, and Loves one for another. St. Paul saith, that Marriage is Honourable among all, or in all things.

A Type hath a double Honour; the Figure, which is Shadowy, the Truth, which is a substantial Glory. Husbands, and Wives preserve the Honour of your state at least in the shadowy part. Bear the Figure of the Ever-glorious Trinity, whose Type you are, by a mortal Beauty, Truth, Purity, Sweetness, which are the Gold, and precious Mettal in the Ring of this Love-union. This will make Marriage an Earthly Paradise. But rest not in this. You will find a Serpent here, that will quickly poyson all your Sweets, and change your p. 310Flowers into Thorns; if you pass not thorow the Earthly into the Heavenly Paradise. Then you wear the Marriage-Crown in Truth, when that Spirit, which is the Band of Love between the Father, and the Son, is the Eternal Band of Divine Love between you also; when you also make your Marriage-Bed in the Bosom of the Holy Ghost.

What Joys, what an Immortal Off-spring is born of those Lovers, where the Love-fellowship of these below, and the sacred Love-fellowship of the Blessed Trinity above descend, and ascend one into another, where they mingle themselves Universally?

3. Love-Union in the Soul, Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit, is Spirit

The Divine Being, Life, and Form of the Soul, in which it is a Spirit, lie first wrapt up in the Unity of the Eternal Spirit its Heavenly Mother above.

The Eternal Spirit out of this Love-Center, and within the Love-Circle of its own Unity by the New-birth in the Soul bringeth forth at once a Daughter-Spirit, a Sister, and Spouse to itself.

This Divine Spirit, like the Paradisical Eve, so soon as it is born of its Heavenly Adam, is brought to him again, and they Two are made one Spirit, 1 Cor. 6. 17. As a New-born Babe, so soon as it is sprung out of the Womb, seeketh the Breast of the Mother, that it may suck forth a continued stream of Life from the Fountain of its Life: so is it in the Spiritual Birth. So soon, as the New-born Spirit ariseth up out of this Unity, which is the Womb of the God-Head; it is immediately received into the Arms of this Unity; it desireth after, it hunteth for, it returneth to, it fastneth upon this Unity, which is the Breast of the God-Head. By this it draweth in the sincere, and pure Milk of the living Word; it taketh in by plentiful streams the Light, Life, Glory, Substance of the Divine Nature to grow by them. O you, who indeed … born of this Unity, lie continually in the Bosom of it, hang continually upon this Breast. But thus, as in the Eternal Generation in Heaven; as in the Creation in Paradise; as in the Regeneration, which is the opening of Paradise, and Heaven both a second time in the Soul; all are Love-Births, Love-Unions. The Unity distinguisheth itself within itself into another self, which is yet still the same, that there may be a variety in the Unity without the breach of the Unity. The Virgin above bringeth forth a Son, which is also her Lord, and continueth a Virgin still. The Beautiful variety, which is the Effulge…cy of the Unity, rejoyneth itself again to it, and still remaineth a variety in its distinction from it. Thus the Love-Marriage is every where solemnized, and every where maketh a Paradise, and a Heaven above, and below. This is the first Description of Divine Love, a Divine Union, where one Glorious Spirit is made two, and these two make themselves one again.

Use. Learn from the Beauty, and Sweetness of Divine Love, the Evil of this Worlds Love by their contrariety to it. Ye Adulterers, and Adulteresses, p. 311Know ye not, that the Friendship of this World is Enmity to the Father. Who therefore is this World's Friend. is an Enemy to God: James. 4. 4. See the Evil of this World's Love in 3. Steps.

1. Step By loving this World you separate yourselves from the Love of God. You estrange your selves from all true Joy, Peace, and Rest. For these are the Attendants, and Companions of Divine Love.

Cant. 3. 7, 8. You read of Solomon's Bed▪ which hath fourscore valiant menos the valiant men of Israel round about it, with their swords girt upon their thigh for the fear of the night. How great, how Divine is the Sweetness, the Safety, the Security of Spiritual Love. He, that abideth in this Love enjoyeth an Uninterrupted Rest, and untroubled pleasures, in a Night of the greatest Darkness, Dangers, Tumults, and Storms. He hath ever round about Him a Troop of Holy Angels for his Guard, armed with the Glorious Power of the Spirit. This is the Sword upon their Thigh. In the midst of these he lyeth upon a Royal Marriage-bed. Here he is encircled with the Spiritual Embraces of King Solomon, the Lord Jesus in Glory, the King of all Peace, Perfections, and Pleasures, This is the Love of God, that Love, by which God, and the Soul live, and dwell together in One Spirit.

You now, who prefer the blackness of darkness before the Beauty of Christs Face, restless cares, endless fears, continual dangers, and deaths before the Rest, and Joys of Christ's bosom, love this world, and let the love of Jesus Christ go.

2. Step. By the Love of this World you make your selves Adulterers with a Witch, and a Common Whore. Poor Soul! thou forsakest the Arms of thine own Love, thy Loving Roe, and pleasant Hind, the Wife of thy Youth, of Eternal Youth, the Heavenly Image in the Person of the Lord Jesus. Thou givest thy self up to the Embraces of the strange Woman, the Strumpet, this World the Fleshly Image of Things.

The Love of your Saviour is all Truth, Purity, Peace, Immortality. The Love of this World beginneth in Deceit, hath its Power in Enchantments, its Effect Pollutions, its End Destruction. She giveth thee Drink indeed in a Golden Cup. But she maketh thee to drink in first a Wine of Sorceries, then of Fornications. Her End is to have her Flesh burnt with Fire; and into the same bed of flames will God cast all those, that commit fornication with her.

3. Step. By loving this world thou makest thy self an Adulteress with the Devil. This World, as it stealeth thine Heart from God is a Composure of Lyes. The Devil, who is the Father of Lyes, maketh thy Soul his Strumpet, upon which he begetteth these false Forms of things. Thou breedest these young Devils upon thy Knee, and as thou sportest thy self with them, thou suckest in by their Kisses the poyson, and fire of Hell into all thy veins.

The Devil first wooes thee in a Counterfeit shape of false Beauty, Glory, Power, Joys. When he hath gained thee, he breaketh forth upon thee in his own shape of endless Terror, and Horrours.

p. 312There is nothing truer, than that the Love of this World is a Spiritual Adultery with the Devil, and the Head of all Adulteries, of all Defilements. There is nothing more sure, than that Carnal Adultery in all the degrees of it, the Similitude of this, most powerfully calleth up into us, and upon us the Spirit of this World, the Prince of Darkness, the Devil with all His Dark, Deforming, and Destroying Powers. O ye sons, and Daughters of men, who dwell in the midst of the snares, and nets of this great, painted Adulteress, be aware of your danger. Abide in your first Principle your Root, your first Husband, the Eternal Love of the Father in Christ. Abide in your own Habitation, the Bosom of your own Bride, the Eternal Beauty, the Essential, and Immortal Image of the God-Head in Christ. These Loves shall be a Fountain of Life to you above to preserve you from the snares of Death below.

4. Step. By the Love of this World you turn the Love of God into Wrath, and fury If you be the Friends of this World, you are the Enemies of God; saith St. James. Why do you provoke the Love of God? Will you contend with Almighty Love? Are you greater, than that? Love is the Right Hand of God's Strength; His God-Head lieth in His Love. God is Love. This Love is strong, as Death; cruel, as the Grave. What art thou, O Worm, to stand before it, to bear its rage? O choose rather to lye down, as a Bride, in these everlasting Burnings, and Devouring Fires of Love to be cherished, changed refined, and glorified by their tender, and divine Embraces; than to set thy self, as Bryars, and Thorns against them, to be consumed by them.

Thus I have done with the First Description of Divine Love; A Union between God, and the Soul, as the Beloved, and His Love in One Spirit of Purity, Immortality, Joy, and Glory.

2 Descrip. The Love of God is the Will of God.

This is a Universal Truth that in every Spirit Love, and the Will are One.

This appeareth in their Nature, their Object, their Operation.

1, The Nature of the Will, and Love are One. The Will is defined to be the Inclination of the Spirit as it tendeth, and bendeth itself to this or that, this way, or that way. Love is stiled The Weight of the Soul. As heavy things by their Weight; so Souls by their Love are carried to their proper Center.

2. The Object of the Will, and of Love is the same. It is a rule, that The Powers, and Habits in Spirits are distingu…shed by their Objects. Every Principle, and Faculty is the Object in its S…ed. The Object is the Form, and Perfection of the Principle. The Object of the Will is Goodness Appearing. The Object of Love is Loveliness, Loveliness, and Goodness both consist in Su…tableness, which hath its Ground in Unity. If there be any Difference between Goodness, and Loveliness, it is this, that as the Flower of Light is the Sun-shine; and as Jesus Christ is the Ef…ulgency, the Shine of the God-Head, the Brightness of the Glory of God; so Loveliness, or Beauty is Goodness shining …ut to attract all Hearts to it. Thus Loveliness the Object of Love, and Goodness Appearing the Object of the Will agree entirely in One.

p. 3133. All their Operations are the same. The Affections, and Passions are the Motions of the Will; All these are Love's Summer, or Winter; Love in the Seed is Desire. Love budding, and blossoming is Hope, Love in the ripe Fruit is Joy. Anger, Fear, Grief, and Hatred are Love in its Opposition to its Enemy, which is Enmity alone; Love flying from, or contending with that, which standeth in its way to, or would rob it of its Beloved Object.

But this is spoken in General onelyonly concerning the Will, and Love.

In Particular let us see, how the Divine Will, and the Divine Love appear to be the same in the Holy Scriptures. The Will of God is distinguished by Divines into the Revealed, and the Secret Will of God. One is the Divine Will in Outward Signs onelyonly, The Other is the Good-Pleasure of God in His Heart, and in Eternity.

1. The Revealed Will of God is Love, 1. Tim. 2. v. 1. &c. In the first v. of this Chapter you have a Divine Rule; that All manner of Prayers, be made for All Men. This Rule is pressed by a particular Application of it to Kings, and all in Authority; v. 2. All in Authority; what ever their Persons are, or their Right, v. 3. The Reason of this Rule is laid down. For this is Good, and Acceptable to God our Saviour. This Universal Love wound up to the Highest strain of Spirituality, and Divinity in us is a Vein of the Supreme, and Divine Good let forth from the Heart of God, where the Fountain of Good is, and circling thorow our Hearts into his Heart again by Prayer. Therefore is it acceptable to God. Our Wills are never so in tune to the Divine Will, and in consort with it, as when the Spiritual motions of our Hearts in the Bosom of the Father are strains of Universal Love.

The Root of this Reason is discovered. v. 4. God will have all Men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the Truth. Love is said to consist in this; To Will good to any one. If this be love to Will good to any; Then is it the best, and highest love to Will the best, and highest good. Behold then! The revealed Will of God is a Revelation of love to the height. God will have all Men to be saved. God willeth the highest end, which is the best good to the lowest, and worst of Men, to all Men. That this end may not fail, he also willeth the means to the end; that all Men should come to the knowledge of the Truth.

The Ground, in which this root of love liveth, is the Unity of God, and Christ. For there is one God and one Mediatour between God, and Man, the Man Christ Jesus. The highest Unity Is the largest Universality. It is in Spirits, as in these Heavens, which we see, the highest are the widest. All beneath them lie in their Bosoms. The whole nature of things is love. For the Divine Nature the Original is love. This love throughout the whole nature of things is as a Pyramid made up by degrees of different Unions, till it end in the highest, and most indivisible point of Unity.

The Unity of God is that Fountain of love, out of which all things proceed. The secret force of this Unity is that stream of love, which runneth p. 314thorow the Heart, and Veins of Every Creature in the Person of Christ, which is the golden Pipe with its several branches laid thorow the whole Creation from the Beginning to the End. There is one God, and one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Christ Jesus.

Thus the revealed Will of God is love.

2. The secret Will of God is love. Fury is not in me. Who would set the bryars, and thorns in Battel aray against me? I would go thorow them, I would consume them. Wrath is not in God. It is without him only, as a Cloud upon the Sun. The heart of God is Love. Wrath is but the work of his Hand, and that his strange Work, like nothing within, a disguise only. The Face of God, and the proper light of it is love. Wrath is vizor, a mist before his Face, and no more.

Fury in God is love by the opposition heightned to a flame to consume all vanity, and enmity, that setteth itself before it, or against it.

O that I had a voice powerful enough to reach all the Souls wandring thorow the whole Creation, and to call them together, to take this Cup of Salvation into the hand of their Faith, to set it to the mouth of their Faith, and drink deeply of it! As the Wine of this Cup goeth down into your Spirits, you will find it to go down right. How sweetly, and how fully will it touch, satisfy, and fill every faculty, every desire, every Seed of life with its proper good. The Cup of Salvation, which I hold forth to you is this Divine Truth, the Sum of the Gospel Preached by Angels in their Songs at the Birth of our Jesus; The Will of God is love.

Hear this, and believe it, O ye Souls, the Inclination of God, the supream Spirit, and Fountain of Spirits is to you. The tendency, and the bent of the Divine Nature is to make your joys full by the possession of all good in itself; and to fulfil his own joys in you. For the Will is the Inclination of every Spirit; and the Will of God is love. Hear this, and believe it, O ye Souls, God is carried with the whole weight of his God-Head to you, as to his Center, to rest eternally in you, and to rejoyce over you. For love is the weight of every Spirit, and the Will of God is love. The Will of God in the Freedom, Absoluteness, Infiniteness of it is love.

Now I live, saith St. Paul, if ye stand fast in the Faith, 1 Thes. 3. 8. St. Paul speaketh not this in his own Spirit, but in the Spirit of God. God in his own Spirit speaketh it with a greater force, and fuller sense to every one of you, if you believe me, and take in my love, which is my life, now have I a new Love, a new Life, a new Joy, and Heaven in you. As you grow in this Faith, my Life, and Joy increaseth in you. If you stand fast in it, my Joy, and Glory is as firm in your hearts, as in Heaven itself.

If you will believe all the Declarations of God from Heaven; the revealed Will of God is Love. If you have any Inward, and Divine Touch of the secret Will of God; all the breathings of his Heart are Love. O take in the Love of God, that his Love may become a Divine, Immortal Seed of all Love, and Loveliness in you.

p. 315But now let us hearken to the groans of some poor ones among these multitudes of Souls, who parched and burnt up with their Sins, Sorrows, who benighted in the Darkness of their unbeleief; yet among all these Millions of streams of Love, which flow forth upon their Spirits from the heart of God, among those Millions of Beams of Love, which fall from the Eye of God upon their hearts dare not take in any one. No, though they thirst for Divine Love more than for Life, yet shut up their Spirits against all Approaches, or Appearances of it, as delusions.

Obj. These Souls sigh forth this great Objection against the Love of God: You say, the Will of God is love; the object of every Will is some good; the object of all love is some loveliness. What loveliness can there be in me to draw the heart of God to me, to be in love with me, who am only loathsom by my lusts, and deformed by my passions? What good can be found in me to attract the Divine Will to center itself in me by love, when no good, but all evil dwelleth in me?

Answ. 1. Dear Soul, who thus reasonest for thine own sufferings against the love of God, I shall give thee three Answers in the behalf, and in the name of Divine love. O that love itself from the heart of God would drop its Sweetness from its own mouth upon thee, and seal it upon thy Spirit, while I am speaking for it to thee!

First, Thou wert made in the Image, and Likeness of God, Gen. 1. All Loveliness consisteth in Suitableness; Suitableness in Similitude, and Likeness. There is nothing, which draweth Hearts and Love, which attracteth all things so powerfully, as Similitude doth. Similitude is a kind of Unity, and Likeness Oneness. Similitude is described to be one Form in two matters, or subjects. Let this, O drooping Soul; raise thee to look upward to that Heaven of Eternal Love, which ever holdeth thee in its Embraces, and shineth round about thee. The Divine Image, and Similitude is thy proper Person, thine Nature, thine Essence, it lyeth indeed captivated in chains of Darkness, dishonoured, and defiled by thy lusts, wounded, and mangled by thy passions, oppressed with guilt, slain by unbelief in thee. Yet this Divine Image is in thee. It is thy true self according to the first Creation.

Dost thou ask now, what that good is, which attracteth the Divine Will to thee by the love of it? God is in love with his own Likeness in thee. He seeketh his own Birth, His Spouse in thee, sprung forth from himself to be his Joy in the midst of all the Creatures, to be Queen, where ever he is King in the whole Creation. This Divine Image in thee, this thy Divine self is that Pearl in the Field, for which God giveth himself, that he may purchase the Fields. This is that good, to which the heart of God is carried with all its weight of love, to redeem it, to revive it, to raise it out of the Dust, that it may shine again in his Glory, and sing of his loves.

The Lord Jesus telleth us, Mat. 24. 28. Where the Carkass is, there the p. 316Eagles will be gathered together. The Scriptures represent the Spirit of God in its low estate, in the Flesh of Christ, and his Members by a Dove, a Groaning Dove. The Dove is in the clefts of the Rock, and the holes of the Stairs, Cant. 2. The Spirit descended upon Jesus at his Baptism before his Temptations in the form of a Dove.

The Spirit in his Heavenly strength, and Glory is set forth by an Eagle. I have born them upon Eagles Wings, saith God. They shall mount up on high like an Eagle; saith the Prophet Esay. The Spirit is often expressed in the plural number, because he is that Unity, which is the Spring, the Center, the Circle, and Band of all blessed Spirits. He hath in himself an endless variety of Spiritual Glories, which are all glorious Spirits in him, as he is, and one with him. whithersoever his Will is to go, they all go together with him. He is therefore expressed by seven Lamps, seven Spirits, and Eagles here. Where the Carcass is, there the Eagles will be gathered together The end of all this is to make way for the letting in of a flood of Heavenly Balsom, of Divine love upon every heart, upon the broken heart, to heal it; upon the hardest heart to soften it.

Eagles from afar, and from on high are drawn to slaughter'd Carcasses, as to their proper Prey So when the Divine Image lyeth in thee as a loathsome Carcass at the bottom of a dark and deep Dungeon, now is it the most proper Bait, and most powerful Attractive of Divine love. Now the Lord Jesus, the Eternal Spirit with all the Troop of Spiritual Powers, and Glories resort to this Carcass, descend upon it, hunger after it. Now they feed, and feast upon it, until they have eaten it up, until they have converted it into one pure nature, and glorious Spirit with themselves.

When Ignatius was to be devoured by wild Beasts; now saith he, shall the Teeth of the Lyons grind me into fine Flower, to make fine Manchet of me for the Table of God. So do thou say concerning all thy Sufferings within, and without: These are the Divine Teeth of the Spirit of Heavenly love. Now doth my God feed upon me. If my God feed upon me, if he nourish, and enlarge his own Life, Joys, and Glory by me, then shall he also change me, take me up into himself, diffuse his own Life, Joys, and Glory into me.

This is the first Answer.

Ans. 2. Dear Soul, whoever, whatever thou art, thou art the Off-spring of God. St. Paul citeth this from a Poet, confirmeth it by a Divine Testimony, applyeth it Universally to all, maketh it the ground of Evangelical Truths, and Loves; Acts 17. 28. As some of your own Poets have said; We are his Off-spring.

St. Paul hath something very like this, Ephes. 3. 9. The Gospel was hid in God from the Foundation of the World, who made all things by Jesus Christ. God had the love of the Gospel in his Heart, and sowed it as a secret Seed in the Foundations of the whole Creation, when he made all things by Jesus p. 317Christ. Jesus Christ is the Seed of Nature, as well as of Grace, and so lyeth hid in the Bosom of every Creature, as the true Pearl in the Field. That Divine Image, of which we spake before, was the similitude only, the Mother of Pearl; This is the Substance, the Pearl itself. In the Off-spring of God is the Seed of God. Where the Seed of God is, there is God himself in the Vertue, Power, and fulness of his Divine Nature. For so the Seed of every Plant hath that Plant Virtually, and Spiritually in it.

Be now no more unbelieving; but believe. Believe the love, which God hath to thee. Believe, that all the Inclinations of the Divine Will are to thee; that the Eye, and heart of God are turned toward thee in every place, fixt upon thee with all that intention, and force of Sweetness in the Divine Nature. For why? He is drawn irresistibly to his own Seed, his own Son, his own self in thee. Thou art his Off-spring.

When Micah was reproved for crying after the Company, he repl…ed: Ye have carried away my Gods, and ye say; why criest thou after us?

No more now doubt, and say; why should the most high God with an Eye of love from Heaven, thus follow me into every state of life, into all the corners of my heart? Why should he by a voice of love from Heaven in the Word, in Providences, in the motions of his Spirit thus cry, and call after me? Thou hast his Seed, his Son, himself in thee.

Do thou answer him again, and say: Thou seekest thy self, thy Seed, thy Sheep crucified, buried, lost in me. O seek, and find it; find it, and take it up into thine Arms; keep it in thine Arms, till thou bring it home to its own self, to its lost Life, Joys, and Glories again. But I also seek my Life, my Original, my true self hid with Christ in thee in the brightness of thy Glory. O take thy crucified self in me home to thee into thy Bosom. O give me my Glorified self with thee home to me into my Bosom. Thus much for the second Answer.

Ans. 3. Still the wounded Spirit sigheth, and saith: Can God take pleasure in any thing common, or unclean? Dear Souls, ever dear to the Divine Will, when you have a sense of Sin or, Love; and when you have none, understand the Mystery of the Divine Will in the order, and method of Divine love. When you understand this, you will have a deep, and kindly sense of Sin indeed, but so, as to have a righter, and sweeter sense of love by it.

There is a Twofold Love in God; a Love of Complacency, or Delight; a Love of Benevolence, or good Will. The first is that, by which he taketh pleasure in thee, as a Bridegroom in his beautiful Bride. The second is that, by which his Will is set on work to make thee beautiful, and a Bride to himself. The love of Complacency is the first, and the last love. The love of benevolence is a middle-love, which ariseth out of this, and endeth in it; as Springs, and Rivers come from the Sea, and run into it.

This is the Order of Divine love. First thou art beloved with a love of p. 318Complacency from Eternity, as thou art seen in that Glass of Eternity, the Word, the Lord Jesus. Secondly, Thou art for this love's sake beloved with a love of benevolence in time in thine own Person, by which love, God willeth all good to thee, and worketh all good in thee. Lastly, Thou art beloved with a love of Complacency to Eterni…y in thine own Person, as thou art decked with all the Ornaments of the Divine Nature. This is the order of Divine love. Its Musick is made up of these three Parts.

1. Part. Divine-love in the first Part is a love of Complacency, or Delight in thee, as thou art seen Eternally in the Person of Christ. Dear Soul, while thou art complaining here below, and fixest thine Eye upon thy shame, thy God seeth thee all-glorious within, and without in the glorified Person of the Lord Jesus. There he taketh his first view of thee. There his Eye, and his Heart are fixt Eternally to thee. Here he maketh choice of thee, here he falleth in love with thee, and his Soul resteth with perfect delight in thee. For he beholdeth thee, as a spectacle of all Divine loveliness lying in the Bosom of him, who is the brightness of all Divine Glory. As a Vessel in the Sea is filled with the Waters, and overflown with the same Waters: so art thou before the World was in the Person of thy Jesus, as in a Sea of Spiritual, Heavenly Beauties; all full within, all covered without with these Glories; quite thorow transparent with the riches of their lustre; entirely swallowed up into the Sea of these pure, and bright Glories. This is Electing Love, of which St. Paul speaketh; Ephes. 1. He hath made us acceptable in the beloved one. It is a significant expression which no language can answer for the Sweetness, and Fulness of it; foreign, made acceptable. The phrase hath this force in it. God embraceth thee with the Arms of the dearest, and tenderest loves, finding thee entirely cloathed, and encircled with the height of all loveliness in the object of all loves, and the first s…at, the essence itself of all lovelinesses the Lord Jesus. His Soul is well-pleased with thee to the utmost of all Content; he hath his fill of Pleasures in thee, enjoying thee in the Center of all Pleasantnesses, his own Son.

2. Part. D…vine love in the second Part is a love of Benevolence. While thou art a desolate Wilderness, where nothing appeareth but Dearth, and Drouth, but Bush, and Brake, the love of Eternity descendeth, and soweth itself, as a Heavenly Seed in thee. It cometh down in Heavenly Showers. It breaketh forth in Heavenly Sun-shines upon thee. The same love springeth up into all manner of Spiritual loveliness in thee. Now the Grass groweth, the Roes, and the Hinds play, where the Dragon lay. The Bramble bringeth forth Roses. The Stony Heart is now made the Garden of God. The Soul which wallowed in the …ilth of the Devil is washed by Eternal love in its own Blood, redeemed by its own life, made to bear the Fruit of its own loveliness, and ready trimmed for a Bride to itself.

3. Part. Divine love in the third Part is a love of Complacency, and delight p. 319in thee in thine own Person: Now Heaven is opened to thee. God with all his holy Angels are continually descending, and ascending between Heaven, and thine Heart, which is become as it were another Heaven on Earth, God resteth in his Love to thee, and rejoyceth with singing over thee. The Marriage-feast of the Lamb, and his Bride is kept in thee, and thou art that Bride. God with all his loves resteth in thy Bosom. All his desires, who is infinite, are terminated in thee. All his delights are consummated in thee. All the Quires of Angels round about sing of his love to thee. All his Excellencies, and Glories, all his works on every side sing for his Joy in thee.

Ah! Dear Souls! When God shall thus bring back your Captivity, how will your Mouths be filled with laughter! How will you be, as those that Dream? But why should these glad Tydings seem to you too good, too great to be true. God is able to do all this for you, and in you. For his Power is Infinite. God is as willing, as he is able. For his Power lyeth in his Will, and his Will is Love. Only wait thou for him; and keep thine Eye upon the first Link in the Golden Chain of Divine love, which is fastned to the Throne of God, the Person of Christ in Heaven, above all thy frailties, folly, and filths, before thy Being in Flesh. This Link is that, which draweth after it the other two inseparably, and infallibly.

This is the Circle of Heavenly love. First, God loveth thee in Eternity with that love, with which he loveth the Lord Jesus. For he beholdeth thee in the light of the same loveliness, in which he beholdeth Jesus Christ. Then he bringeth down the Treasure of this love, and loveliness, which is his beloved Son into thee, soweth him, as a Seed of the Divine Nature, and Sonship. He springeth up in thee, transformeth thee into his own likeness, groweth up in an inseparable Union, and Fellowship with thee. Now God hath another Son, in which he seeth his Son in conjunction on Earth, as he saw them before in conjunction in Heaven. Lastly, God embraceth this Son on Earth, in whom he seeth his Son. He giveth him the kiss of a Father, with all the Joys of a Father. He taketh him into his Arms, carrieth him up into Heaven changing him still, as he carrieth him up, till this Union begun below, be at last made perfect in, and swallowed up into that Union, which was at first in Eternity. Then shall the Lord Jesus see himself in a Saint after the same manner, in which a Saint is seen in the Lord Jesus; both being made perfect in Each, and all made perfect in one. Follow on to know the Lord, and his love, and ye shall know this love of the Lord.

1. Use. See the Evil of sin upon two Accounts. First Sin is an Aberration from the Will of God. Secondly Sin is an Opposition to that Will.

1. The first Evil of Sin is, that is it an Aberration from the Will of God. The Will of God is love. In every Sinful path thou losest the Love-Presence of thy God. What is this Love-Presence and what is thy loss in being deprived of it? In the Love-P…esence of God are these Things.

p. 3201. A Light of Glory shining round about thee. This Light of Glory cloatheth thy Person all over with its living lustre, as with a Garment of pure Gold, of Divine Loveliness. This Light layeth all things open, and naked to thee in their Heavenly Beauties, in their Eternal Truths, and Substances. This light is a mutual Union, and Fellowship between thee, and all things in the light, all the Children of light, all Spirits, and Forms of light. This light is a Spiritual Paradise, in which thou springest up, and flourishest, as a Plant, and Flower of light. This Divine Light is a new Wine, which thou continually drinkest in, and art filled with pure Spirits of all Life, Excellency, Loves and Joys. Lastly, This pleasant, and triumphant Light chaseth away all the shadows, all the darkness, deceits, melancholy, and fears of the Night.

2. In the Love-Presence is the Face of God unvailed, naked, and smiling. God is as a King, and a Bridegroom, in his Ivory Palace. Thou art, as his Queen, and Bride at his Right hand in Garments of Needle-work wrought by the Eternal Spirit with all manner of Beautiful, and Delightful Flowers, and Figures. Here they make these two glad with all manner of Pleasures, as on their Marriage-day.

3. An innumerable company of Angels make up this Love-Presence. These are thy guard. They continually encircle thee, and encamp round about thee in every place by night, and by day. Which way soever thou goest, they bear thee in their arms. They go before thee, to make smooth paths for thy Feet, and to prepare a resting place for thee. They contend with all the Powers of Darkness in thy behalf, for thy Body itself, even in Death. They make Peace for thee with the Beasts of the Field, and a Covenant for thee with the Stones of the Earth in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Mystery of the Gospel. The darkest Appearances of things have the face of Pleasure itself, and put on Immortal Beauties for thee. The hardest things soften into Spirits of Life, and Love, flow with Springs of love, and delights for thee.

4. The God-Head itself encompasseth thee with a Ring of unapproachable Powers, and Incomprehensible Glories, like the Mountains round about Hierusalem. Himself becometh unto thee the Habitation of a Rock, the Rock of Eternity, and Glory. Himself is thy King, thy Kingdom, thy Palace, thy strong Tower; thy safety, thy rest, and thy pleasure. In this Divine strength, in this Divine secret no evil can come near thee, no good can ever fail thee, neither the Bread of thy strength, and life, nor the living Waters of thy Loves, Beauties and Joys.

This is the Love-Presence of God. This is drawn in, and withdraweth itself from thee in the same degrees, as sin is entertained in thy Spirit and Life.

Evil is a Privation of Good. How great an Evil then is the least sin, which depriveth thee of the best, and greatest good the Love-Presence of thy God? Blessed are the pure in Heart, saith our Saviour, they shall see God. Mat. 5. How cursed are the Impure? Wo to the filthy, and unclean. They are condemned p. 321to the loss of the sight of this God, and the sense of his Love, which sight, which sense alone enlighten, alone sweeten Heaven.

This is the Will of God, your Sanctification. The Will, and the Love of God are one. While you stand in a holy Temper, and State, you stand in the Will of God, you stand in the Love-visions, and Love-embraces of God. What a horrour should you have for every Sin, which cometh to snatch these blessed visions of Love from before your Eyes, and you from the midst of these embraces of love?

When the Lord Jesus died, the Sun was entirely darkned besides the course of Nature, the Rocks were rent asunder, the Earth shook, and trembled, the Graves were opened, and the Dead came forth. How dreadful, and dismal a thing would Sin appear, if we met with so unnatural, affrighting a Change as this, upon the act, or meditation of every Sin? But the change is far more tragical, and mournful, if we saw it with the Eyes of our mind, as indeed it is.

Upon the arising of each Lust in thee to gain thy Will from the Bosom of thy Will. Jesus Christ is spiritually slain in thee, who hath a Twin-life with thy life, while thou livest in the Divine Will. This is a Death far more deadly, than that in his Flesh. Now that light of Glory is extinguished in thy Spirit, which shineth ten thousand times brighter, and sweeter, than the Summer-Sun. Now the Rocks the Divine Powers round about thee, rend asunder, and remove out of their places. Hell is opened. All things round about thee are Apparitions from beneath; evil Spirits walking in all Forms of things. The whole frame, and face of Nature is full of Darkness, and uncertainty, Tremblings, and Horrour. The whole Image of things within thee, and without is changed from a Love-Presence to a spectacle of Wrath, and Vengeance.

O that Men understood, and would believe the Evil of Sin, of a departure from the Divine Will, which is a Sea of Love, to their own Will, which is a dark fire of Lust burning up into an open Hell. But though they neither understand, nor believe it; yet is it true, and they feel it to be so.

2. The Second Evil of Sin is an opposition to the Divine Will, that is, to the Divine Love. But can any oppose unclean Lusts to so pure a Love? Earthly, Hellish Lusts to so Heavenly a Love? Fleshly Lusts to a spiritual Love, a Love, which is the Life, and Immortality of all Blessed Spirits? Can any oppose raging passions to the meekness, and sweet Calm of Divine Love? Can any set themselves against that Love which wooeth them continually, till it win them, which doth all things for them? Can any so cast shame upon that Love, which poureth forth itself, as a sweet-smelling Ointment of all Grace, and Beauty upon their Heads, and Persons? Are any hearts to be found so hard, that they will wound Eternal Love itself, while it is pouring forth the Life-Blood of its own heart, partly for a Divine Bathto wash us w…ite in, part…y as a prec…ous Balsom to heal those wo…nds, which Sin, and Sorrow make in the…? All this we do, while by Sin we walk contrary to the Divine Will, which is all Love, Love framing all contrivances, p. 322casting itself into all Forms in Heaven, on the Earth, under the Earth, acting all parts of Life, and Death for us, to gain us, and to crown us with all its Joys, and Beauties. O how uningenuous, how unnatural a thing is Sin? O take heed of trusting the comforts of your lives, the life of your Souls, the sweetness of your Relations to it.

The foundations of Heaven, and Earth are not so firm, as that of this Truth: The greatest Evil of Suffering is to be chosen a thousand times, rather than the least Evil of Sin. In the midst of all other Evils thy Will may stand in a Love-Union with the Divine Will, which is the only Paradise of Delights, and Beauties, that never fade. In every Evil of Sin thy Will standeth in opposition, and enmity to the Divine Will, which enmity alone is the Center of Hell, where all its blackness of dark…ess, all its unquenchable fires, all its innumerable furies, forms of torment rise up into it.

Our Lord Jesus in his Agony, on the Cross, in all his Sufferings had a Joy set before him. The Wrath of his Father with all its Tempests, which shook Heaven, and Earth was a spectacle of Divine Love, and Joy set before him. For in all this his Fathers Will was done by him. His Will was tuned to his Fathers Will. So the Harmony, and Musick of Divine Love plaid in the Ear of his Spirit thorow all. His Will was an excellent Lute, the more it was broken, the more sweetly it returned all that Musick.

On the other side all the pleasures of Sin, all the Glories of the Creature to a sinful Soul are only a scene of Heaven in Hell. For the Will standeth in a Contrariety to the Divine Will, which is the Supream Love, and Joy. What can the Contrariety to the Supream Love; and Joy be, but the deplorable extreams of Wrath, and Torment?

Use 2. The Will of God declareth itself to be Love, to this end, that you may not sin by departing from it: but if any man do sin, that he may presently return. Saul was softned, and melted, when he heard the language of love from David, who had watched over him to preserve him, while he slept in the midst of that Army, with which he made War upon him: Is this thy voice my Son David? said he then. Open thine Eyes, see the Divine Will with innumerable Eyes of love watching over thee in the midst of thy rebellions. Open thine Ears, hear the Divine Will wooing thee with the sweetest language of love in the midst of thy pollutions. This will turn thee again to the Will of God to melt thy self into its Bosom, when once this thought ariseth in thee, that thou returnest to a Bosom of love ever open to thee.

Use. 3. Be in love with Holiness. Holiness is a Conformity to the Will of God. This Will is Love. How easy is that Yoak? How light is the Burthen? How pleasant is the Law of Love? Keep my Commandment, and abide ye in my Love, even as I abide in my Fathers Love, saith Jesus Christ. To abide in the Divine Will, to keep the Commandments of that, is to abide in the Paradise of Divine love, to dress it, and keep it. David saith of the Law of the p. 323Lord, Psal. 19. It is more to be desired, than thousands of Gold, and Silver. It is sweeter than the Honey, and the Honey-comb. In keeping it is exceeding great reward. Hear, O beloved Souls and be wise, and be in love with Holiness. In every command to Holiness God cometh to you in the Light, and Purity of all his Divine Beauties, in the Strength, and Sweetness of all his Divine loves, to make thee like himself, to marry thee to himself. In every act of obedience to this law of Holiness, thy Person shineth with a Heavenly lustre by the shining forth of the unvailed Person of God upon thee: thou receivest a kiss of Heavenly love immediately from the Mouth of God, and returnest it again. O tast, and see. Then you will say, that this Heavenly Traffick is beyond that of all precious, of all pleasant things. No where such loveliness, as this; no where such love. Holiness is a Conformity to the Will of God. The Will of God is Love, the Fountain, and the Life of all Incorruptible Beauties, of all pure, and ever-flourishing Pleasures.

I have done with the second …escription of Divine Love, which defineth it to be the same with the Divine Will.

3. Descrip. God is Love. He, who was the Disciple of Love, who lay in the Bosom of Love, and so best knew what Love is, declareth Divine Love to be the Nature, and Essence of God. God, saith he, is Love. He that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God, and God dwelleth in him, 1 Joh. 3. 16. As the Sea is a heap of Waters: The gathering together of the Waters God called the Sea, Gen. 1. As the Body of the Sun is a pure, and simple Light: so is God a Collection of Loves: a gathering together of all Loves into one Spirit. This is the Divine Nature an Unity, a Purity, a Simplicity of Love.

I shall endeavour to shew you by four Arguments, that there is no name, which doth so properly, so fitly express the nature of God, as this of Love.

1. Argum. The first, the principal Thing, the beginning of all Things in God is Love, Psal. 136. I intend a short Paraphrase upon this whole Psalm; because it maketh so clearly, and fully for my purpose, being taken altogether from the beginning to the end of it.

If you would hear the Musick of Angels, of Heaven; if you would hear the living Harmony of the Divine Nature, as it is all Love: listen with a Spiritual Ear to this Psalm, which is a Song composed entirely of this Subject of Divine Love. If the Spirit of God assist me to sound forth aright the Heavenly Musick of this Psalm, I do not doubt to make your hearts in your Bosoms to leap, and dance to it, by that time I have done.

First, Take two general Observations concerning this Psalm.

1. Gener. Observ. This is a Psalm of Praises, and Thanksgivings; the Work of Heaven, a Heavenly Work. But all the Praises here are attributed to, all the Thanksgivings are terminated in Love, and the Eternity of Love. This is the burthen of the Song repeated in every verse; this is that, into which all the Strength, and Sweetness of the sense is still resolved; this maketh one p. 324half of every verse quite thorow the whole Psalm: For his Mercy endureth for ever. The Word in Hebrew signifieth alike, Mercy, Kindness, Love. That word, endureth, is added by the Translatours. You may read the words with as full an agreement with the Original, as I humbly conceive, For his Love is Eternal.

But however this be, if we adhere to the Translation; Mercy is one of the sweetest, tenderest, largest names of Divine love.

1. Mercy is Love condescending, and descending from the heights of all Heavens above to the nethermost parts of the Earth, to the nethermost Hell.

2. Mercy is Love uniting itself to the vilest, and most miserable Creatures, which lie below, which stick in the Mire, and Clay in the bottom of the Pit. There love sympathizeth with them, maketh itself entirely one with them in their low estate.

3. Mercy is Love making a mutual and strange exchange with those loathsome, and lost Souls. I… taketh to itself their guilt, shame, weakness, and woes. It giveth to them its own Righteousness, Strength, Beauties, Joys, and Glories.

Thus Mercy is the circle of Divine love, as it cometh forth from Heaven, and Eternity; goeth down to the lowest depths of Time, and the Creation; then ascendeth again, till like the Sun it return thither, where it first arose. Poor, and broken Spirits, who lie at the utmost ends of the Earth mourning as outcasts; hope evermore in Eternal love, wait for it. The love of God will find you out, it will meet with you, and take you in its way. For Divine love is Eternal. It encompasseth Heaven, and Earth; Time and Eterty. His Mercy endureth for ever.

2. Gener. Observ. This Psalm comprehendeth all things in it, Created, or Uncreated; the Nature of God; the Persons of God, and of Christ; the Wonders of God; the Works of God; the Works of Nature, Grace, and Glory. It comprehendeth all things. Then it maketh the ground, and Crown of all to be Love; this is brought in to every particular in each verse, as the Reason, Rule, Result of all: For his Mercy endureth for ever; for his love is Eternal.

It is a maxime in Nature, that all motion is founded upon something unmoveable. This is the Divine Maxime, upon which Heaven, and Earth standeth; all motions in the heart of God, and in the Creature; of Grace, and Nature are founded upon the unmoveableness, the unchangeableness of eternal Love.

O blessed Love! O blessed God, who is this love! O blessed Soul, which with a spiritual Eye created by this love seeth this all, this whole frame of things to be a structure, a composure of Divine Love! Eternal Love rising up into a Temple, which itself filleth with its All-powerful presence and God-Head, figuring itself in all Forms; acting all Parts; dwelling, and conversing with us, with itself in us, and in all things.

Wandring Souls, take what wings you will to your selves, you can never p. 325fly from the Face, from the Bosom of this Love. The Face of Divine Love shineth thorow all things. The Bosom of Love is the Nest, in which all things, lie. He that hath an Eye to see this Love; he that hath a Palate to rellish it, feeleth and feedeth upon a Heavenly Sweetness dropping from the Divine Nature thorow all Objects, thorow all his Senses, as that Honey from the Rock of Eternity.

These are the two general observations. I come now to the parts of the Psalm which are three; 1. God. 2. The Wonders. 3. The Works of God.

1. Part; God. This Part hath three Particulars. 1. The Nature of God. 2. The Person of the Father. 3. The Person of Christ.

1. Partic. The Nature of God is Love. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his Mercy endureth for ever. v. 1. Goodness is the Nature of God. All the Goodness of God consisteth in his Love, and the unchangeableness, the Eternity of that. The Lord Iesus teacheth us in the Gospel, that there is none good, but one, that is God. God alone is good essentially, and so primitively, and so perfectly, infinitely good. For nothing can limit, or confine itself. Goodness is in each Creature, as an accident only. In God it is his essence. The essence of God is goodness, The essence of goodness is Love, Eternal Love. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his Mercy endureth for ever, his Love is Eternal. The Reason, or Object in God of all Thanksgivings is his goodness, The Formal Reason, the Essence of his goodness is his Love.

As we pass, let us make four short Notes upon this Particular. 1. Faith in the Soul is to be the Counterpart of Love in God. How large then should out Faith be, which is to answer so great a Love? All the goodness of God lyeth in his Love. The Essence of God, which is so incomprehensible, so infinite is Love. The Heart of God, the Divine Nature is all Love. O that our Hearts, our Souls, our whole Being were all one Mouth of Faith, and that Mouth opening itself still wider and wider to take in these Seas of Divine Love. 2. The goodness of the Divine Nature is Love. The Seed then of all goodness in us is Divine Love. Let us never say; the Evil of my Heart, and Life keep me from the Fountain of Love in the Heart of God. If I were good, with what Freedom should I come to it? With what desire, delight should I drink of it? Take in this Love, that thou mayst be good. This is the beautiful Flower, and ripe Fruit of the Divine Nature in the Creator. This is the Immortal, and precious Seed of the Divine Nature in the Creature.

2. Partic. The Person of the Father is Love. O give thanks unto the God of Gods; for his Mercy endureth for ever, v. 2. The ground upon which I Interpret the God of Gods in this verse to be the Father, the Lord of Lords, in the following verse to be Jesus Christ, is the Authority of the Holy Ghost in the New Testament, who often distinguisheth these two ever-blessed Persons by these several Titles of God, and Lord. St. Peter saith of Jesus Christ in the p. 326Acts; Him hath God made both Lord, and King. St. Paul saith; There is one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we of him. There is one Lord Jesus, by whom are all things, and we by him. The Holy Apostle seemeth here by the name of God to understand the Fountain of things; by that of Lord, the Channel. In another place he speaketh in like manner: There are differences of Administrations, but the same Lord. There are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all: God is the Original of all Power; Jesus Christ, the great, and universal Administrator, the supream Minister in all the Affairs of the God-Head, and so the Lord.

But to return; the excellency by which God the Father infinitely surmounteth all the Gods, …ll Powers, Greatnesses, and Glories is Eternal Love. The Soveraignty, by which he reigneth over, ruleth, rideth forth upon all the Gods, all Powers, Greatnesses, and Glories is Eternal Love. The Fountain of the Father, from which he bringeth forth the highest Spirits, Angels, and Saints into the Heavenly Image, and Form of God, that they all become, as Sons of God, as Gods round about the Throne of the God of Gods, the Father of them all; this Fountain is Eternal Love. O ye Saints! O ye Souls, whom God hath created, and brought forth from a Seed of Love in Eternity, lay your Mouth to this breast of Love, suck in abundantly the pure Milk of Eternal Love, that you may nourish the Divine Nature, and grow up into the Form of God by it. What do we make our selves, when we cast off Divine Love, when we cease to love? We cast off the Divine Nature, and become Devils. The God of Gods, the Fountain of the Divine Nature, the Father of the Divine Life, and Image in Angels, and men hath all his Praises for his Love, he hath his vertue, perfections, and preheminence all consisting in his Love, and the Eternity of that. O give thanks unto the God of Gods: for his Mercy endureth for ever: for his Love is Eternal. v. 3.

3. Part. The Person of Christ is Love. O give thanks unto the Lord of Lords: for his Mercy endureth for ever. The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of Love. All the Praises of his Reign are terminated in everlasting mercies, the kindnesses of Eternity. As Iesus Christ is the Lord of Life, and Prince of Glory; so is he also the Lord, and Prince of Love.

The Headship of the Lord Jesus over all Principalities, and Powers is the Well-head of love. Our Saviour, as he is the Wisdom of the Father, by which he conducteth all things, is a love-channel, the way of love, a contrivance, design, and mystery of love. As he is the Power of God, which carrieth on all, so he is a flood of love pouring forth itself into this channel, and running along thorow it, filling all the windings, and turnings of the Creation, and of Providence.

Who would not worship thee, O thou King of Saints! O thou King of loves! Who would not kiss this Son with a kiss of Allegiance, and be a Subject in this Kingdom; where the King, and the Kingdom both are love. The p. 327sharpest reproof here is a kiss of love. The deepest wounding is an anointing of love. The Lord Jesus in this sense also is the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. All his Subjects are Fellow-Lord, Fellow-King together with himself, sitting together upon one Throne, which is a Throne of Grace, Throne of love, love findeth, or maketh an equality.

I have passed thorow the first part of the Psalm, which is the God of love

2. Part. The Wonders of love. To him, who alone doth great Wonders: for his Mercy endureth for ever, or his love is Eternal, v. 4. All the wonders of God are wonders of love. God is in nothing so to be admired, as in his love.

Admiration is imperfect knowledge. Those things are wonders to us, which are incomprehensible, the causes, and natures of which we cannot search out, or reach to. What Joy is this to understand, that all that, which we cannot understand in the nature of things, which is, as a thick darkness round about us, is a glorious mystery of Divine love? That all that every where, of every Creature, of every Providence of the Creator himself, in which our Spirits are swallowed up, and lost is an abyss of love, a great, and shining deep of Divine love?

He who thinketh, he knoweth any thing, saith St. Paul, knoweth nothing, as he ought to know. How wise, how right, how pleasant is this, to know, that we have a perfect, a right knowledge of nothing, that all things may become wonders of love to us; that the less we see, the more we may feel of a Divine pleasure in the admirations, and raptures of Divine love transcending our highest faculties; that where we cannot comprehend things, we may give up our selves to be comprehended by an incomprehensible love?

The Body of the Sun cannot be seen, but daz…eth, and darkneth our sight, when we fix our Eyes upon it. The Stars are said to be vast Bodies of Light, and Glory. Yet we see nothing of them, but little twinklings, and sparks. The reason in one is the excess of Light; in the other the excess of Height. Believe it; all things round about us are Stars, and Suns of Divine love; love in Divine Forms of a transcendent magnitude, and lustre. But we see them generally in a dusky, and shadowy Appearance, like the Sky at a great distance; or at best as little sparks, and twinklings of love. Our sight faileth by reason of the greatness of the Glory, and its height above us.

I come now from the second to the third part of the Psalm.

3. Part. The works of love. All the works of God are works of love. The works of God, and of love are of three sorts; works of Nature; works of Grace; works of Glory.

1. Works of Nature. These are summed up in the Principal, and Universal parts, which comprehend all the rest, v. 5. 6, 7, 8, 9. The Heaven, the Earth, the Day, the Night, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars are mentioned. To every one of these distinctly is annexed that close, and Crown of love; for His Mercy endureth for ever; or his love is Eternal.

p. 328The whole frame of things is a Creation of love. All the Creatures are so many Forms, and Shapes, which love putteth on to appear to us in, to converse, to sport itself with us. If it take to itself the Glory of a King in the discovery of itself by the light of the day: it taketh to itself a greater Glory, and affordeth a greater pleasure by surmounting all our Powers, and being incomprehensible, when it hideth itself in the darkness of the Night.

Love is the Center of the Earth beneath, on which the whole Creation resteth and moveth. Love is the Circle of Heaven above, which encompasseth all.

It is Divine love, which rideth upon the Circuit of the Heavens, of all the Heavenly Spirits, and Heavenly Bodies, ruling all things by its blessed, and sweet influences from thence. It is Divine love, which soweth itself, as a Seed in every dust of the Earth, to spring up from thence into a Divine Form and Fruit. The Sun is a Figure of Eternal love shining forth with its naked Beauties in their full Glory. In the Moon we see love shadowed, and coming forth with its Night-dress to rule, and enlighten every night, the blackest, the most tempestuous. The Stars are innumerable Eyes of Love looking forth upon us, watching over us, attracting our Spirits, and drawing them up to Heaven, to the Fountain of love. They are so many sparks of love flying forth from the Heart of God, and glowing continually round about us to warm, and melt our Hearts.

Can we now keep dark, blind, cold, unkind, unclean, dead hearts in our Bosoms in the midst of a Creation of love, where so many Eyes of love shine so sweetly upon us, so many sparks of love lie glowing round about us, so many Seeds of love are sown in our Earth, so many influences of love are continually falling from the Heavens on every side.

The heat of the Sun warmeth stone-walls, quickneth slime to a living Creature. You that have hearts of stone in your Bosoms, lay them open to the Beams of his love, they will be warmed with a Heavenly heat, they will live the life of Angels, of God.

The work of Providence is to be annexed to the Creation among the works of Nature. The work of Providence is painted out to us in the Nation of the Jesus, as in a Figure from the tenth verse to the twenty third, as the Soul formeth, animateth, and inhabiteth the Body; as the Soul is all in the whole Body, and all in every part of it: so is Eternal love the Spring, the Life, the Sweetness, the Beauty residing in the whole work of Providence, and resting entirely on each l…ne, each motion of it. Every particular in each verse is set off with this love, as the ground, the glory, and the rellish of all: For his Mercy endureth for ever: or, his love is Eternal.

As a Silkworm spinneth a soft, and shining piece of work out of its Bowels, in the midst of which it…f liveth, and dyeth to live again with Wings, and multiply itself: so is the whole piece of Nature, and Providence a rich, and p. 329delicate contexture of the tenderest Love. Eternal Love spinneth it out of its own Bowels, liveth with us, and dyeth for us in the midst of it. Then it riseth again with Wings of Spirituality, and Glory. In this Divine Form it cometh again to generate a Divine Seed to itself.

A Painter, who is drawing a Beautiful Person, keepeth his Eye ever upon the Life. Whether he lay dark or bright Colours, whether he make Shade, or Light, crooked lines, straight or circular: still he is acted by that Idea of Beauty, which he taketh into his Spirit by his Eye from the Life itself; still he is forming that lovely Face in every stroke, and colour. Thus Divine Love in the whole Age of the World, in the life of a particular Saint, in the general Affairs of the Church sometimes maketh a Land of Aegypt, sometimes a Passage out of it; here a red Sea, there a way thorow it; now a Wilderness, then a Land of Canaan. But in all these it ever hath its Eye upon that Divine Glory, which Eternal Love bringeth forth to itself, within itself, as its own Essential Form and Image. This Glory, this Life-Image of Love, is that, which it is forming in every Aegypt, Sea, Wilderness, and Canaan.

The Heathen represented the Nature of this thing by Venus, the Mother of Love; the Seeds, and Life springing by a Cupid, Love the Child of this Mother, Gen. 1. 2. It is said that the Spirit of God moved upon the Waters. The Paraphrase upon that Scripture maketh it to be an allusion to a Dove, which is the Bird of love sitting upon her Eggs, and hatching her young ones. The Holy Spirit is often in Scriptures represented by a Dove. Eternal Love is of a Truth, that Almighty Spirit, which at first sate upon the whole Creation to form it, and moveth upon it thorow all times to cherish, and govern it. Love is the Mother of all above. All things are the Off-spring of Love, a Race of Seminal, and Springing Loves. Mercy, Love runneth along with the whole, with each particular of the whole thorow the length of Eternity itself. This is still the Burthen of the Song: For his Mercy endureth for ever.

2. The Works of Grace. These are the second sort of Divine Works; and these also are the Works of Love.

These are divided into three Ranks.

1. The constant abode of the Soul in the Heart of God. Who remembred us in our low estate. v. 23. Thou, O broken Heart! Art sinking by ignorance, by unbelief, by thy fall from God, thou art sinking still deeper into the Darkness, and Filth of this World, and thy Lusts. Still thou sinkest into the Power, and Horrours of the Devil. Now thou sayest; the Lord hath forgotten me, he hath cast me off for ever. Yet he remembreth thee in thy low estate. Still thou art in his Thoughts, thou art in his Heart, as a Pillar in the Temple of the Divine Nature, which is Love, never to go forth. Thy Person is ever before him with a Sweet and deep Impression upon his Spirit never to be rased out. What hath done this? It is Eternal Love. This is the Light of the Divine Mind, which continually presenteth thee to it in the dress of its own Be…uties. p. 330This is the sweet force of the Divine Will, which holdeth thee fast in itself, which beareth thee in its Arms thorow all conditions, and will not let thee go for ever. This is the Reason, why He remembreth thee in thy low estate: For his Mercy endureth for ever.