Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 3 · Section 1
SECT. 1.
1. Render to God your love for his great mercy in preſerving your houſes and ſubſtance from being conſumed by this Fire: God deſerves to be loved by all thoſe whom he preſerveth from any evils, Pſ. 31.23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints; for the Lord preſerveth the faithful. When David was in a wonderful manner delivered from the hands of his enemies, he reſolves with himſelf, that he would love God with an entire and an endeared love, for the deliverances he had received from him, Pſal. 18. ver. 1. compared with the title of the Pſalm, A Pſalm of David, the Servant of the Lord, who ſpake unto the Lord the words of this Song, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; and he ſaid, I will love the Lord my ſtrength. The Hebrew word that is uſed in this place, ſignifieth more then barely to love; it notes an inward, entire, cordial love; it is tranſlated by Junius, and alſo by Piſcator, Exintimis viſceribus diligam te. And at another time when David was communing with his own heart, about what return he ſhould make to God for delivering him from the gates of death, upon his crying to him, Pſ. 116.3,4,12. he determins to give God his love, verſe 1. I love the Lord, becauſe he heard my voice. and my ſupplications. That thing which a Chriſtian prizeth moſt, and deſireth of God above all other things, is his love, Cant. 1.2. Let him kiſs me with the kiſſes of his mouth; for thy love is better than wine. Pſal. 63.3. Thy loving kindneſs is better than life. So it is with God, that which he prizeth moſt from us, and that which he deſireth above all other things, is, that we ſhould give him our love, Deut. 10.12. And now Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his wayes, and to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul. Cant. 4.10. How fair is thy love! my Siſter, my Spouſe, how much better is thy love than wine? and the ſmell of thine oyntment than all ſpices? If any ask, which way ſhall we expreſs our love to God for this great deliverance? I anſwer,
1. By hating and abhorring all evil, and endeavouring to root out all manner of ſin, both from your ſelves, and your families, Pſal. 97.10. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. Sin is an abominable thing in the ſight of God, and therefore he entreateth us, that if we love him, we would not do that which his ſoul hateth, Jer. 44.4. Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate.
2. Expreſs your love to God by being careful to keep his Commandments, John 14.15. If ye love me, keep my Commandments. 2 John 6. This is love, that we walk after his Commandments. God accounted obedience of his Commandments a truer token of love, than the offering of a multitude of ſacrifices, in thoſe times when ſacrifices were in uſe, 1 Sam. 15.22. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and ſacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey, is better than ſacrifice: and to hearken, than the fat of Rams.
3. Expreſs your love to God by doing all the ſervice you can for his Saints and Servants: You cannot be any wayes beneficial to God, but you may be to his people, Pſal. 16.2,3. My goodneſs extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. And what you do for them, the Lord will account of it as done unto himſelf, Math. 25.40. Verily I ſay unto you, inaſmuch as ye have done it unto one of the leaſt of theſe my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Three times our Lord Jeſus calls upon Peter to expreſs his love to him, by doing good to his members, Joh. 21.15,16,17. Jeſus ſaid to Simon Peter, Simon ſon of Jonas, loveſt thou me more than theſe? He ſaith unto him, yea, Lord, thou knoweſt that I love thee; He ſaith unto him, Feed my Lambs. He ſaith unto him the ſecond time, Loveſt thou me?—He ſaith unto him, yea, Lord; He ſaith unto him, Feed my Sheep. He ſaith unto him the third time, Loveſt thou me? Feed my Sheep.