The Best Interest, Chapter 3 · Section 5
§. 5. Loving, and preferring other things above Chriſt, and hindrance of our being partakers of Chriſt. This Obſtacle removed
5. Another hindrance of our receiving and accepting Chriſt, is, when there is ſomething or other that lyeth nearer our heart than Chriſt, which we love, and prefer above Chriſt, and are not willing to part with for Chriſt. Now to ſuch I would ſay theſe things.
1. You can have no part in Chriſt, unleſs you love and prefer him above all things in the world, and be willing to forſake all things for him. Math. 10.37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me, and he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. Our Parents, and our Children may and ought to be loved, but not more than Chriſt, for if we love the deareſt Relations we have in the world more than Chriſt, we ſhall not be partakers of Chriſt. Luk. 14.33. Whoſoever he be of you, that forſaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my Diſciple. For if a man love any things, or perſons more than Chriſt, when thoſe things or perſons come in competition with Chriſt, he will forſake Chriſt, rather than thoſe things or perſons which he loves above Chriſt.
2. A man may go far in the profeſſion and practice of Religious duties, and may prefer Chriſt above many things, and yet may have ſome one thingly nearer his heart than Chriſt, and rather than part with that one thing, he may chuſe to part with Jeſus Chriſt. An example of this we have in the young man that came to Chriſt to enquire how he might obtain Eternal Life. He ſpoke reſpectfully, affectionately, and underſtandingly to Chriſt. Matth. 19.17. Good Maſter, what good thing ſhall I do, that I may have Eternal Life? He ſhewed his reſpect to Chriſt, in calling him Maſter, his affection in calling him good Maſter, his underſtanding in that he came to Chriſt about the weightieſt matter in the whole world, Eternal Life; and his good inclinations, that he deſired to know what good thing he ſhould do to have Eternal Life. Moreover he had from his youth up addicted himſelf to the obſervation of the Commandments of God. All theſe things have I kept from my youth up. Yet this young man had one thing that lay nearer his heart than Chriſt, and that was the love of the world. Mark. 10.21. One thing thou lackeſt, go ſell whatſoever thou haſt. And when Chriſt put him on the Tryal, he choſe rather to part with Chriſt, than with his poſſeſſion, though it was ſome grief to him to part with Chriſt, yet he went away from him rather than he would part with his poſſeſſions. Matth. 19.22. When the young man heard that ſaying, he went away ſorrowful, for he had great poſſeſſions.
3. There is no perſon, nothing in the whole world that deſerves ſo much of our love as Chriſt. It is moſt equitable and reaſonable that we ſhould love Chriſt above our deareſt Relations, above all things and perſons whatſoever On ſeveral accounts. I will name two, or three.
(1.) None ever ſhewed ſuch love to us, as Chriſt hath done. The love of Father and Mother, and the deareſt Friends we have in all the world, is ſhort of the love of Chriſt. The The greateſt love that man can ſhew, is to die for his Friend. John 15.13. Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his Friends. This love Chriſt hath ſhewn to us, he layd down his life for us; yea, greater than this, for he did not lay his Life for us when we were Friends, but when we were Enemies. Rom. 5.10. When we were Enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. All earthly ſimilitudes, as the love of an Huband to his Wife, the love of Parents to their Children, the love of a man to his Friend are too ſhort to ſet out Chriſt's love to us, and therefore he fetcheth a compariſon from Heaven, and likens his love to us, as his Fathers love to him. Joh. 15.9. As the Father hath loved me, ſo have I loved you. As Chriſt's love is greater to us than the love of any man in the world, ſo it is of longer continuance. Our Parents love was not towards us till we had our beings, and ceaſeth when we go to our Grave, for though there be grief and ſorrow for a ſeaſon at our Death, yet in proceſs of time, dead men are forgotten both by them that loved, and hated, and envied them. Eccl. 9.5, 6. The memory of them is forgotten. Alſo their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now periſhed. But Chriſt's love to us is Everlaſting. It was towards us before we had our beings, even from Everlaſting, and will be towards us, when we ſhall ceaſe to be in this world even unto Everlaſting. Jer. 31.3. I have loved thee with an everlaſting love. Now Chriſt having loved us more than any man ever loved us, it is but reaſon that we ſhould love him above all.
(2.) Jeſus Chriſt is more amiable than any other perſons or things in the World. He is altogether lovely. Cant. 5.16. This can't be ſaid of any Creatures ſince the fall of man, that they are altogether lovely, for there is ſomething of unlovelineſs in them. Whatſoever there is in any Creatures that may attract our love, it is eminently and tranſcendently in Chriſt. As for Inſtance,
Is our love drawn by others love to us? Love will beget love in all ſorts of men. Luk. 6.32. Sinners love thoſe that love them. Never any man ſhewed ſuch love to us, as Chriſt hath done, as proved before. Doth beauty draw our love, it is ſaid of Chriſt, Thou art fairer than the Children of men. Pſ. 45.2. There are all excellencies and perfections to be found in Chriſt. Is our love drawn by beneficence and bounty? Thus doth great things with moſt men. Prov. 19.5. Every man is a Friend to him that giveth gifts. None ever gave us ſuch gifts as Chriſt hath given to us, none hath been ſo bountiful and beneficial to us, as Chriſt Jeſus. Is it propriety that ingageth our affections? A man loveth his own Children above other Children, and his own things above other things. John 15.19. The World loves his own. There is nothing ſo much our own in this VVorld, as Chriſt is, if we be true Chriſtians. He is our own Lord, and our own Maſter, he hath given himſelf for us, and given himſelf to us; He is ours by an Everlaſting Covenant, we are united to him, he is our Head, and we are Members of his body, and he dwelleth in us by his Spirit. And we are more his, than we are our own, or any other mans. He made us, and he redeemed us, and bought us with a price, and hath betrothed us to himſelf.
(3.) We are under greater Obligations and Ingagements to love Chriſt, than we are to love our Parents, or any other Relations, or deareſt Friends in the world. For none ever did, or ſuffered ſuch great things for us, of Chriſt hath done. He hath reconciled us to God, He hath obtained for us the pardon of all our ſins, he hath ſaved us from the torments as Hell, he hath purchaſed an Everlaſting for our Inheritance in the other VVorld, he hath made us Kings and Prieſts to our God, He appeareth in the preſence of God for us, and is continually making interceſſion for us: The benefits we have by Chriſt are innumerable. It is ſaid of David. 1 Sam. 18.16. All Iſrael and Judah loved David, becauſe he went out, and came in before them. Chriſt the Son of David doth more than this for us, he ſticks cloſer to us than David did to Iſrael, he hath ſaid, I will never leave thee, nor forſake thee. How ought we then to love Chriſt for this, and not only for this, but all the benefits we have by him. which are far greater than we have by any man in the the World.
4. It is moſt equitable and reaſonable that we ſhould in all things give Chriſt the preheminence, and prefer him above, and before all things in the world, and that on theſe accounts.
(1.) It is the will and good pleaſure of God, the Father, that his Son Jeſus Chriſt ſhould be preferred by us above all things in the world, and therefore he hath made him head of the Church. Col. 1.18. And he is the head of the Body, the Church, that in all things he might have the preeminence.
(2.) Jeſus Chriſt is better than all things, and therefore to be preferred above, and before them. Col. 1.17. He is before all things, and by him all things conſiſt. He is above all the Angels of Heaven, who are his Servants, and worſhip and adore him. 1 Pet. 3.22. Who is gone into Heaven, and is on the right hand of God, Angels and Authorities, and Powers being made ſubject unto him. Heb. 1.6. Let all the Angels of God worſhip him, He is better than all things in the VVorld. All that is in the world, is but droſs and dung compared with Chriſt Phil. 3.8. And therfore we may ſay with David, Pſ. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and there is none upon Earth that I deſire beſides thee.
(3.) The Lord Jeſus prefers ſuch as love, and ſerve him, above all perſons in the world. Exod. 19.5. If you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my Covenant, then you ſhall be unto me a peculiar treaſure above all people. Deut. 7.6. The Lord thy God hath choſen thee, to be a ſpecial people unto himſelf, above all people that are upon the face of the Earth. He calls his Church the faireſt among women. Cant. 1.8. Now if Chriſt love and prefer us above all other perſons in the world, is it not reaſon that we ſhould love and prefer him above all things and perſons in the whole world.?
5. It is dangerous loving and preferring any thing above Chriſt. For
1. VVhat we love and prefer above Chriſt, we make it an Idol, an abominable Idol. There are Idols in the Heart, as well as Idols in the Temples. Ezek. 14.3. Son of man theſe men have ſet up their Idols in their heart. Now that is an Idol in the Heart, which is loved and preferred above Chriſt. VVhat we love moſt, whither it be the true God, or an Idol, that we make our God. Deut. 6.5. Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Now the Idolatry of the heart is odious to God, as well as bowing the body to an Idol, for the Soul boweth to the Idols ſet up in the heart. And ſuch as ſet up Idols in their hearts, ſhall be ſhut out of the Kingdom of Heaven, as well as they that bow their bodies to Idols. Eph. 5.5. For this ye know that no Whoremonger, nor Ʋnclean perſon, nor Covetous man, who is an Idolater, hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of God, and of Chriſt. A Covetous man is called an Idolater, becauſe he loveth the World above God and Chriſt, and this Idolatry, as well as worſhipping Graven Images, will ſhut a man out of the Kingdom of God.
2. What we love and prefer above Chriſt, ſhall either be quickly taken from us, or elſe the enjoying of it ſhall become a curſe to us. Oft times when we Idolize Creatures, God takes them away from us: To overlove any thing, is the ready way to loſe it. When Jonah overjoyed in his Gourd, the Lord prepared a worm the next day, that ſmote the Gourd, and it withered. Jona 4.6, 7. Or elſe God curſes thoſe things which we are overfond of, and makes them grievous croſſes. When the Jews doted on the Aſſyrians, God gave them into the hands of the Aſſyrians, to be ſpoiled and deſtroyed by them. Ezek. 23.5, 12.