A Gospel Glass, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Their want of Love to God,
3ly. WAnt of Love to God is another great branch of ungodlineſs abounding amongſt Profeſſours. Profeſſors want of Love to God in Chriſt.This is …o great a branch of ungodlineſs, that Jeſus Chriſt hath reduced all the Commandements of the firſt Table concerning the Worſhip of God to this great one, Matth. 23.36.thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and all thy Soul, and all thy Might. Indeed every one pretends to love God: I hardly ever met with a perſon but ſaid he loved God: He that hateth, diſſembleth with his lips. Prov. 26God may ſay truly, How canſt thou ſay, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? God is loved, but not for himſelf, but for what he brings. God is uſed, and the World is embraced. If God comes empty handed, or with his hands full of trouble, miſery, &c. Farewell. God is loved, 2 Tim. 3.4. Job. 21.but with a ſecondary love; Profeſſours are lovers of pleaſure more than lovers of God. God muſt ſtand by, and give place to ſenſuality, therefore they ſay unto God depart, &c. They like God whilſt they may enjoy their pleaſures too, whilſt they may not be infringed. Let but a few things be conſidered, and we will ſee how much want there is of love to God in Chriſt.
1. Whom we love we are not aſhamed of. Evidenced in being aſhamed of a Relation to him.The Mothers is ſuch to her Child, and Gods to us, he is not aſhamed to be called our God. But do not we conceal our Title to God in ſome Companies that hate him? How do we throw off our Livery, Mar. 8.38.and dare not to be known to have walked with God. Remember he that is aſhamed of me, &c.
2. Not troubled for his diſhonour. 2 Pet. 2.8. Pſa. 119 53. 158. Not hating Gods Enemies. Pſal. 139.21. Not hating ſelf for not loving God.Parents are troubled when their Children are diſhonoured, and ſo Children when their Fathers: but are our Souls vexed, racked with the filthy couverſations of Sodomites? Where are the Rivers of waters? Where is thy horrour becauſe men keep not Gods Commandements?
3. Thoſe we love, their Enemies are ours; Parents Enemies are the Childrens Enemies. But do we hate them, that hate God, yea with a perfect hatred?
4. True lovers of God hate themſelves for not loving God enough. How oft do they thus ſigh? Wretch that I am, to grieve God, to eſtrange my ſelf from God, ſo ſeldome to be with God, to ſtay with him no longer! How can I content my ſelf with theſe tranſient glances, with theſe ſudden caſts of mine eye, and to be inſtantly wheel'd off from my God again? O this fleeting mind of mine! when will it fix on God, and abide with him? O this gadding heart of mine! when will it center in its true and perfect happineſs? When I turn mine eye from earthly objects, either I am diſpleaſed with them, or there is ſome better thing that draws off my mind and heart: But dare I ſay ſo of God? that be is unlovely? and yet I have been weary of him.
5. Not truſting him.Did we love God, we would truſt him, we dare truſt our very lives in a Friends hands: But we dare not ſo truſt God. What would a carnal man give that he had but his life and health in his own diſpoſe? When he is poor he had rather it were in his own hands to ſupply his wants, than in Gods; for he thinks it would go better with him. We truſt God for little. We think our ſelves quite undone, when we have nothing ſave a God and a Promiſe to truſt to.
6. Not joying, nor grieving as they ought.How little do we joy in the preſence of God and Chriſt, and grieve for their abſence? Is God all in the want of all, and is God the All in the enjoyment of all? Can we ſay, ſhew us the Father and it ſufficeth us. When we have no Fig-tree left, can we rejoyce in the God of our Salvation? Can we ſay, Take all Ziba, now that my Lord is come, now that the Lord ſtoops to dwell in houſes of clay. O worldlings! take your riches, and make the beſt of them, I envy you not, I have enough in God. Do we ſo grieve for the abſence of God and Chriſt, that nothing but God and Chriſt can make amends? O that our happineſs, life, comforts, were folded up in God and Chriſt! Can we live no more without God and Chriſt, than a Beam without the Sun?
7, Not thoughtful to pleaſe him. Rom. 12.2. Epheſ. 5.10.True Lovers are thoughtfull to pleaſe the Beloved. But is there any thing that we think leſs of than pleaſing of God? A true lover of God is alwayes proving, what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. He is ſtill ſearching that he may know more wherein he may pleaſe God, as willing always to be more uſeful for God: What have I to do more? but how ſeldom do we ask our hearts, what way may we walk in all well pleaſing? How ſeldom do we deſign for the glory of God?
8. True Lovers are open handed, and bountiful to God: they beſtow readily and freely any thing they have on him: they will part with their Iſaaks, their deareſt things, with Limbs, &c. Rutherford that man of God, wiſh'd every limb a man, every bone a man, yea every hair a man to ſet forth the praiſes of God. When God calls for limbs, can we ſay Farewell to them? Are there not ſome things ſo dear to us that we cannot ſpare them to Chriſt? Are we ſo taken with Chriſt, that our hearts are diſ-ingaged from the love of other things? is every thing vile, but Chriſt? Is all you part from inſtantly ſupplyed in the loves and ſmiles of Chriſt?
9. True Lovers of God are contented with nothing by way of return from God, ſave only love from him: returns of love they muſt have. They do not pray ſave for love, they go not in before God for Corn, Wine, Oyle, &c. but for love, for God to open his heart, to take off his mask from his lovely face, and ſhew them the light of his countenance. They are not like the Raven, that came to Noah: more for neceſsity, Iſa. 26.8, 9.than delight. Yea in the way of thy Judgements, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the deſire of our Soul is to thy Name, and to the Remembrance of thee: With my Soul have I deſired thee: in the Night, yea with my Spirit within me, will I ſeek thee early.
10. Not praiſing him.True Lovers are wont to praiſe each other: But how ſeldom do we ſet forth the praiſes of Chriſt? Love is witty, full of eloquence, Cant. 5.10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.witneſs the Spouſe, My Beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefeſt among ten thouſand, his head is as the moſt fine gold, his locks are buſhy, black as a Raven, his eyes are as the eyes of Doves by the Rivers of waters, waſhed with milk, and fitly ſet, his cheeks are as a bed of ſpices, as ſweet flowers, his lipps like Lillies dropping ſweet ſmelling myrrhe: his hands are like gold Rings ſet with the Berill, his belly is as bright Ivory overlaid with Saphires, his legs are as Pillars of Marble ſet upon ſockets of ſine gold, his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the Cedars, his mouth is moſt ſweet, yea he is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, &c. I'le praiſe thee with uprightneſs: Pſal. 119.7, 164. Septies, i. e. Saepiſsime. Pſal. 148.I'le praiſe thee ſeven times a day. Yea, David thought ſeven times a day too little, and therefore he call'd in all the Creatures of Heaven and Earth, Air and Sea, to praiſe God: the Dragons in the deep muſt not be ſilent. True Lovers praiſe God as much as they can, they exalt God to the utmoſt of their power; and then, from a ſenſe that God is above all their praiſe, they would have every thing that hath breath to praiſe the Lord, yea and inanimates too for to joyn in the Quire, Doth Praiſe wait for God?
11. Did you love God, Not loving all of God and Chriſt. Jo. 13.34, 35. 1 Jo. 4.19.you would love every thing of God: Do you love his Omnipreſence, his Juſtice, his Holineſs? True love to Chriſt ſticks not barely in the Perſon of Chriſt, but reacheth to all that have an Union with him. Do we love Chriſt myſtical, as well as perſonal? Are we of Catholick Spirits? The Apoſtle is peremptory, and brandeth them all as Liars, that pretend to love God and Chriſt, and do not love Saints.
12. Not thirſting after nearer Communion.True Lovers of God thirſt after nearer Commuion with God. My Soul followeth hard after thee. The Soul ſtill encroacheth upon God. Let me ſee thy Glory, ſaith Moſes, though he ſaw more than Mortals were (commonly) permitted to behold, yet Semper avarus eget, Much would have more. Pſal. 42.1, 2.As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks, ſo panteth my Soul after thee, O God: my Soul thirſteth for God, for the living God, when ſhall I come and appear before God? A true Lover of God is under an holy impatience, till he ceaſeth to ſee darkly in a glaſs: He would fain ſee with open face. O! (ſaith ſuch a Soul) the diſtance between Chriſt and me is too great: O! I cannot but groan earneſtly, when I conſider I am abſent from the Lord, whilst preſent in the body. Lord, (ſaith Austin) I will dye, that I may enjoy thee; I will not live, but I will dye: I deſire to dye, that I may ſee Chriſt; and refuſe to live, that I may live with Chriſt. The broken Rings, Contracts, and Eſpouſals, content not the true Lover; but he longs for the Marriage day. Here are Clouds that oft paſs 'twixt God and my Soul, O that I were above them! Here, if I ſee and enjoy, the fear of loſing ſo ſweet a ſight, abates the comfort of fruition; but then welcome an eternal day, that ſhall never have a night.
13. Being weary of his Commands.If you loved God, his Commandements would not be grievous to you. Love cannot be eaſily poiſed: Love hath a kind of Almightineſs in it, ſo that heavy burdens are made light, 1 Jo. 5.3and almoſt impoſſible things become feaſible. But of how many things do we ſay, Mal. 1.13.What a wearineſs is it? How are you haled by Governours, by Conſcience, and by the terrours of the Law unto Duties? How like Slaves chain'd to Gallies, you muſt work, though ſore againſt your wills? Did you love God, you would count nothing tedious, Hebr. 12.1.ſave dulneſs, in his ſervice. Sin would only be the Weight. O the burden of Formality, Pride, &c! But O the pleaſures of the wayes of God! His yoak is eaſie, his burden light.
14. Did you love God, Not fearing how it goes with Gods affairs. 1 Sam. 4.13.you would be jealous, leſt it ſhould goe ill with Gods affairs. The loving Mother trembleth, leſt the Child ſhould ſuffer, when ſhe is off from it. But alas! how few Elies are there, whoſe hearts tremble beauſe of the Ark? Do you really fear, leſt Formality ſhould eat out the Power of Godlineſs, leſt Traditions ſhould make void the Commandements of God, leſt your Trades ſhould spoyl your Communion with God.
You may eaſily imagine, Conſiderations tending to humble us, for want of Love to God.the want of Love to God, muſt needs be a great Provocation. O to pretend love, and yet Judas-like, betray Chriſt with a kiſſe; to ſay, Hail Maſter, and yet preferr a baſe Luſt before him? What an indignity is it to the Husband, that the Wife loves the Slave before him? The World ſhould be your Slave, but it hath got the heart, the boſome; and Chriſt muſt ſtand without doors till his locks are wet. Cant. 5.O that God ſhould ſtoop ſo low, as to love you, as to make you the birth of his everlaſting counſels of love; that he ſhould carry you long in the womb of his eternal purpoſe! This goodly Fabrick of Heaven and Earth had not been erected, but as a Stage, whereon he would ſhew his love to you. And did he not, in the fulneſs of time, purchaſe you by the blood of his Firſt-born, yea of his only begotten Son, and for this very end, that he might gain your love, as well as reveal his own love? And yet that your love ſhould not be like an Eccho, which returneth what it receiveth? Sure you ſhould caſt back Gods beams of love upon himſelf. This is all he expects, My Son, give me thine heart: All the command he layes upon you, Mat. 22 36, 37.is, in one word, To Love him. God might have commanded our Children to be ſacrificed, to paſs through the Fire. O! what a favour is it to love the Lord? That God will honour us ſo farr, as to ſuffer us to love him? And yet we love any thing, any ſordid baſe Luſt, rather than God. We would count it a favour, if a Prince would give us a privy Key, to come to him when we pleaſe: Here is more honour, we may have recourſe to the boſom of God when we will. God would have us to love him with all the heart, with all the ſoul. The Lord would not loſe one grain of our love. O that we ſhould deny him that which he (with reverence be it ſpoken, and thought on) is ſo fond of. Deut. 10.12.And now Iſrael, what doth the Lord require of thee, but to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy Soul. God requires not now Cattle upon a thouſand Hills, or Rivers of Oyle, Only, Love me, Love me, Love me heartily, conſtantly, chiefly; and yet we deny him our loves. O! I hate my ſelf whilſt writing this, that I love the Lord ſo little, ſo ſeldom: It was he that made me, and not I my ſelf: He hath wonderfully formed me, and wonderfully preſerved me, and ſhewed many wonders in the deeps to me. O! what ſhall I do to love the Lord with a ſuperlative love? O I am ready to ſay, Let me love nothing, if I love not thee; nay, love nothing, till I love thee! O that you would grieve abundantly for want of Love to God! You have paſt as through the Red Sea, you have been as the flaming Buſh, God hath looked after you, as if he minded none but you, you have been as the Signet on his right hand, nay more, you have been engraven on his Palmes, and what, not love the Lord? Shame upon you, that you can dote upon the dark, filthy, dirty World, and neglect the Lord of Glory. All the Affections you have, God gave them, (when he gave thee a reaſonable Soul) but for this end, that you ſhould place them on himſelf, and not on his Enemy. Is it not hard meaſure that God ſhould be denied Love, when he gave you power to love? If a Friend ſends you Bottels of Wine, it is hard, that when he comes to you, you ſhould deny him a taſte of his bounty. Believe it Sirs, whatever you do for the Lord, unleſs you Love him, yea, unleſs you Love him more than any thing elſe, it is not accepted. 1 Cor. 13.3.Though you give your Body to be burned, and have not Charity, it profiteth you nothing. Though you bring forth Fruit, yet you are empty Vines, Hoſ. 10.1.becauſe you eye Self, not God. Your moſt exquiſite Services are but pieces of dead Carrion, unleſs they be ſeaſoned with the Salt of Love. This People draw nigh with their lips, but I abhorr them, and their Duties, becauſe the ſilly Dove is without an heart. Whatever a man gives me, if his heart be not in it, I ſlight it: God much more. What ſhall I ſay? The Holy Apoſtle counts him worthy of a Curſe, that loves not Jeſus Chriſt. If any man love not the Lord Jeſus, 1 Cor. 16.22.let him be Auathema Maranatha. And is it not ſad to be curſed to the coming of Chriſt? He deſerves it, that loves not Chriſt, and he muſt and ſhall be forced to own the Righteouſneſs of God in ſentencing him to Eternal flames, who might have been ſecured againſt them, had he but loved Chriſt more than a baſe dunghill Luſt.