The True Christians Love of the Unseen Christ, Section 17
SECT. XVII.
HAving given Directions how to attain love to Christ in the truth and in the strength of it, I come now to the last sort of Directions wherein you should shew your love to Jesus Christ.
More generally shew your Love to Christ in your Obedience unto Christ, Ioh. 14. 15. If ye love me, keep my Commandements. Be faithfull in the performance of all known Du…ies which Christ doth command, and be carefull in the forbearance of all known sins which Christ doth forbid; let your great care be to please Christ, whoever is displeased; and your great fear be of offending Christ, whoever be offended with your strictness. Shew your love, 1. In the Sincerity of your Obedience, 2. In the Willingness of your Obedience, 3. In the Vniversality of your Obedience, 4. In the Constancy of your Obedience.
1. Shew your love to Christ, in the Sincerity of your Obedience. Hypocrites will do some things which Christ commandeth, but it is from carnal Motives and with carnal Designs; But let love to Christ be the Motive, and the Honour of Christ the End of your Obedience; obey Christ because you love him, and with a design to please him; what you do, do heartily unto the Lord, and above all things desire and endeavour that what you doe may find acceptation with him. 2 Cor. 5. 9. Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him.
2. Shew your love to Christ in the Willingness. of your Obedience; some will obey Christ, but it is with great Backwardness they will perform Duties, but they are burdensome, a weariness, and toilsome, and the Commandements of Christ are grievous unto them; they are scarce ready unto any Duty, but when they are scourg'd unto it by the Rods of Affliction, or spurr'd and prickt forward by the goads of Conscience; O the listlesness and indisposition in the most, unto the most spiritual part of the Service of Christ! which is an evident proof of the defect of love, either in the truth of it, or at least in the measure and degree of it. Let your love shew it self in the willingness of your Obedience, serve the Lord with a willing and ready mind, with alacrity and chearfulness of spirit, looking upon the Service of Christ as your Honour, and esteeming every Duty to be your Priviledge: If you have any constraints unto Obedience, let them be the constraints of love; as 2 Cor. 5. 14. If you be forced to obey Christ, let there be no violence but the violence If love; if you be drag'd to Duty, let it oe with no other cords than the cords of bove; let love be the Spur and Goad to prick you forward, that you may not onelyonly walk but run in the wayes of Christs commandements with an enlarged heart.
3. Shew your love to Christ in the Vniversality of your Obedience. Hypocrites wi…l perform some Duties which are for their turn, and will serve their carnal designs; other duties they omit and totally neglect; let your love to Christ discover it self in your respect to all his Commandments; though you cannot here attain Perfection of Obedience, yet l…t your Obedience be universal; obey Christ not only in open Duties, which men are witnesses of, but also in secret Duties, and spiritual Duties, which depend upon the exercise of the Mind, such as Meditation, Contemplation, Self-search, and Ejaculation, as also in the spiritual part of all Duties, which no Eye can be witness unto but the Eye of God; and hereby you may be distinguished from all Hypocrites in the world.
4. Shew your love to Christ in the Constancy of your Obedience. Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well, who did hinder you, that ye should not obey the truth? Some Hypocrites are zealous Professors for a while, and at first setting out seem to outstrip many that are sincere, but they soon tire, and are weary not onelyonly in well-doing but of it; they quickly s…umble and fall, and not onelyonly fall down, but fall off; not only fall back, but fall away, and turn fearfull Apostates. Shew your love to Christ not onelyonly in setting out well, but in continuing your Christian course well unto the end of the course of your Lives; begin well, and patiently continue in well-doing: Persevere in your Obedience; Be not weary in well-doing, knowing that in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not, Gal. 6. 9. And if you be faithfull unto death, Christ hath promised to give you the Crown of Life, Rev. 2. 10.
More particularly, shew your love to Christ, 1. In your learning, keeping, asserting and maintaining of Christ's truths. 2. In your publick spiritedness and zeal for Christs honour and interest. 3. In your vigorous resistance and opposition of Christs Enemies. 4. In your Following of Christ's example. 5. In your readiness to take up and patiently to bear Christs cross. 6. In your desires after Christs presence here, a longing for Christ's second appearance at the last day.
1. Shew your love to Christ in your learning, keeping, asserting and maintaining Christ's Truths. 1. Learn Christ's Truths, acquaint your selves by diligent reading of the Scriptures, and other books that may be a help hereunto, with all fundamental truths of the Christian Religion in the first place, and so go on and proceed further to learn those truths which are superstructory; and whatever truths you find a Foundation for in the Scriptures which are the word of Truth, receive them, not only in the light of them, but also in the love of them; if the branches of truths be in your heads, and the leaves of them in your profession, and the fruit of them in your actions, let the root of them be in your Hearts. 2. Having learned the truths of Christ as they are in Jesus, let them not hang loose in your understandings but get them fastened and fixed, and close girt about the loins of your mindes; hold the truths of Christ fast, prize them above all jewels, don't part with them upon any terms, let all go, estate, liberty and life it self, rather than any of this rich treasure which Christ hath entrusted you withal. 3. Assert the truths of Christ; be not ashamed or afraid to own any truths of Christ in the most adulterous & gainsaying generation, profess your belief of Christ and of the truths of Christ, endeavour that the light of these truths may shine abroad, and cast forth such bright beams in the dark world where you live, that others may be brought hereby unto the knowledge of the Truth. 4. Endeavour to maintain Christ's truths, earnestly contend for the Doctrine of Faith once delivered to the Saints, endeavour to convince gainsayers, and to defend Christ's truths against those corrupt and erroneous opinions and Doctrins, which like leaven is very apt to spread and infect the mindes of men.
2. Shew your love to Christ in your publick spiritedness, and zeal for Christ's honour and interest: let your affections be publick not private, narrow, contracted and centring in self; let your love be a publick and general love, Love not only Relations, but love all Christ's disciples, though of different Perswasions and interests, because of the image of Christ, & love not only your Friends that love you, but also your Enemies that hate you, because of the command of Christ. Let your desires be publick desires, desire the welfare of the univeral Church, and of all Gods people throughout the world, and accordingly Pray for their Peace and Prosperity, and endeavour as you have opportunity to promote the publick good more than your own private advantage; seek not your own things, but the things of Jesus Christ. Let your griefs be publick griefs, grieve not only for your own sins, but also for the sins of others, whereby Christ is dishonoured in the world; grieve not only for your own afflictions, but also for the afflictions of Ioseph, Heb. 13, 3. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being your selvs also in the body. You are in the same mystical body with all Christ's afflicted members, and when some members suffer, the rest should suffer too, by way of sympathy. Bleeding in their wounds and grieving in their sorrows, be ready also to relieve any, especially Christ's disciples when they are in distresse and want according to your capacity and as you have opportunity. Employ all your Talents for your Masters glory, and endeavour to promote the interest of the Lord Jesus unto the utmost of your abilities. 1. In reference to those which are without. If you are called your selves, labour to call others unto Christ, as Andrew called Peter, Phillip called Nathaniel unto the Messias, Iohn 1. 40, 41. 44, 45. If you have found the Messias, or rather have been found of him, let your love to Christ, and love to Souls prompt you, to endeavour the Conversion of others that are your Relations, your Friends and Acquaintances. Put your unconverted Friends in mind of their miserable Estates whilst under the guilt and reigning power of sin, whil'st slaves to the Devil and their own lusts; mind them of Death and the fearful consequences thereof to all unpardoned sinners; tell them of Christ that he is the only Saviour and Redeemer of Mankind. How able and willing he is to save them, if they seek after him and apply themselves unto him; tell them that not long since you were in the same estate with themselves, living in the practice of the same sins and going on in the same way to destruction; and that the Lord hath shewed mercy unto you in your Conversion, and bringing you into a state of Salvation: tell them that there is mercy also for them if they look after it, that Gods Grace is most free, his mercy most plentiful, that Christ is most Gracious and casteth out none that come unto him: tell them of the amiablenesse of Christ's Person, of the surpassing love which he hath shewn to fallen mankind in his dying for them; and that though he were dead, yet he is alive and lives for evermore to intercede for all them that make choice of him, & make use of him for their Advocate. Therefore perswade them that they would break off their sins by Repentance, which otherwise will be the ruine both of their bodies and of their Souls in Hell, and without delay that they would come unto Christ and accept of him upon Gospel-terms. If any of you cannot manage these arguments well your selves perswade them, if you can, to hear such Ministers and Sermons, as through Gods blessing have been effectual for your Conversion, and thus you may be instrumental to augment the Kingdom of Christ, which is one of the best ways of expressing your love unto Christ. 2. In reference to them which are within; labour to promote the interest of Christ amongst them that are truly Gracious, by vigorous endeavors to strengthen and establish them, to quicken and encourage them in the wayes of the Lord: Communicate the experiences which you have had, as you see there is real need, and it may tend not so much to your praise as your Masters honour. Labour in your places to be both shineing and burning lights; be forward to every good word and work. Look upon your selves as the devoted Servants of Christ, and that you are not your own, and therefore lay out your selves to the utmost for him, and give all diligence to glorifie him with your bodies and spirits, with your Estates and interests, with your gifts and talents, all which are his, and ought to be at his devotion.
3. Shew your love to Christ in your vigorous resistance and opposition of Christ's Enemies. There are three grand Enemies of Christ which you are by your Baptisme engaged to fight against, namely the Devil, the Flesh, and the World which war both against Christ, and against your Souls. This Trinity of Adversaries agree in one, and combine together against his anointed, doing their utmost endeavour to break his bands, to untye his cords, and to unhinge his Government; they would pluck the Crown off of Christ's head could they reach it, and the Scepter out of his hand, they would devest Christ if they could of all his power here on Earth, and confine him to his territories in Heaven; but all their attempts in this kind have been and will be in vain, Christ hath tryed the strength of these Enemies; and hath vanquished them, but still some life and power is left with them to war against the holy seed; you are Christs Souldiers, listed under his banner, shew your fidelity and your love to your Captain and General, in manfully maintaining the spiritual combat against his and your spiritual En…mies; fight the good fight of Faith, resist unto blood, don't yeild upon any account; disdainfully turn away the Eye and Ear when these Enemies would entice and allure you, and stoutly make resolute opposition against them, when they do most furiously assault you; hearken to no suggestions of the Devil, temptations of the world or motions of the Flesh which would induce and draw you into ways of sin, or which would force and drive you out of the ways of Christ; resist and oppose, and labour to gain some victories over these adversaries every day, especially get conquest over the Flesh, and the other two will be soon vanquished; Christ shewed his love to you in submitting himself to be Crucifyed for you, do you shew your love to Christ in Crucifying your Flesh with its affections and lusts for his sake, in your selfdenial and mortifying the deeds of the body, when you deny your Carnal Reason your carnal Wisedome, your carnal will, your carnal Affections, your carnal interest, all inordinacies of your sensual appetite for the sake of Christ; when you crush pride, Envy, Revenge, Malice, inordidinate anger, inordinate love, inordinate desire, inordinate grief, lustfullness and all evil concupiscence for the sake and because of the command of Christ, all these are acts and evidences of love to Christ, and herein you should exercise your selves daily.
4. Shew your love to Christ in your following of his example, discover your affection unto him in your imitation of him, in writing after his copy, in treading in his steps, in walking as Christ himself walked, when he was here upon the Earth, shew your love to Christ by labouring after likeness unto Christ, that you may be like him both in your inward disposition and in your outward conversation: Christ was lowly, be you humble and mean in your own esteem: Christ was meek, be you gentle, easie to be intreated, and not easily provoked: Christ loved God, let God be the object of your love: Christ hated sin, let sin also be the object of your hatred: Christ contemned the world, do you get crucifyed affections unto it. Christ was compassionate to those that were in distresse, do you labour for the like bowels. Christ used to Worship publickly in the Synagogues, to pray with his Disciples, and to spend time also in secret prayer, do you give your attendance in the publick assemblies of Gods people, worship God in your Families, and be often upon your knees at the Throne of Grace in secret. Christ's mind was a heavenly mind, let the same mind be in you as was in Christ. Christ's will was submissive to his Fathers will, let the same will be in you as was in Christ. Christ's words were Gracious and edifying▪ let your speech be always with Grace, s…oury and which may be for edification. Christ's life was an active life, he was always doing good, and he was exactly holy in all his actions, be you active and diligent in the service of God in doing good to others, and be holy as Christ was holy in all manner of conversation, thus should you shew your love to Christ in following Christs example, and in imitating of him in every thing wherein you are capable of such imitation.
5. shew your love to Christ in your readiness to take up and patiently bear Christ's cross: I don't say you should desire sufferings for Christ, but sure I am that strong love to Christ will not permit you to decline them; don't go out of God…s way for them, neither go out of God's way from them, if you meet with the cross in the way of duty, don't either turn back, or start aside, but chearfully take it up, & when you have got it up, patiently bear it, and don't throw it off, till God take it off; when it is your duty to suffer for Christ, look upon it also to be your priviledge and be glad of the opportunity, rejoycing that you have any thing to part withal for the sake of Christ, if it be good name, or good estate, or good Friends, if it be liberty or life it self; such expressions of love are very honourable and very pleasing to your Lord and Master.
6. And lastly, Shew your love to Christ in your desires after Christ's presence here, and in your longing for his second appearance at the last day. 1. Desire Christ's Gracious presence here, and the manifestations thereof, that according to his promises he would come unto you, that he would draw near, and that you might feel that he is near; desire that you might have clearer discoveries of Christ, and more intimate communion and fellowship with Christ; above all company and fellowship, desire the company fellowship and acquaintance with Christ, that you might walk with him and converse with him, and that there might be a dayly intercourse between Christ and your souls, and that all distances between you, and strangeness might be removed; let your love express it self in desires after Christ when he is absent, and in delights when he is present; rejoice in the Lord exceedingly when he doth manifest himself unto you graciously, admire his beauty and delight in his smiles, admire his love and delight in the perswasions of his favour, let the actings of your love, and the workings of it, be such to your beloved dayly. 2. Desire also and long for the second appearance of Christ at the last day; when he saith, Surely I come quickly, do you say, Amen, Even so come Lord Iesus. Look upon time as slow of heel and wing, that it runs no faster, that it flies no swifter; look to the End of …, and long for it, because then with these Eyes you shall see him whom your … loveth, because then you shall see Christ come down from the Throne of God with such Brightness of Majesty, and Brightness of Beauty, as will transport you with Wonder and Joy. Say, When Lord Iesus wilt thou take to thy self thy great Power, and cloath thy self with thy Authority, and come down to judge the World? when wilt thou open the everlasting gates of Heaven which have been shut so long? When wilt thou descend from Heaven with a shout, with the sound of the great Trumpet, and send thine Angels to gather all thine Elect from the four Winds, that all who love thee may meet in one Society? when shall we put on our Garments of Immortality, and be caught up in the Clouds to meet thee in the day of thy Triumph? When shall the day of our Coronation come, and of our admission into the Glorious Mansions which thou hast prepared for us in the Glorious Pallace which is above? When wilt thou shew us thy self, and give us to behold thee face to face? When wilt thou shew us the Father, and give us to behold him immediately without a Glass? When wilt thou shew us thy Glory which thou had… with the Father before the World was … and give us not onelyonly to see it, but also to share in it? When wilt thou open the Trea…sures of thy Love, and receive us into the nearest, closest, and sweetest embracements thereof, and give us to drink of those Rivers of Pleasures which are with thee? O hasten Lord, hasten thy glorious appearance, that thou mayest be Glorified before the whole World, and we be glorified with thee, that we may be then taken to live with thee, and reign with thee, and be made perfectly happy in the full and everlasting enjoyment of thee.
Thus I have done with these Directions, the last thing in this Use of Exhortation.
And what do you now say after all Motives to excite and perswade you to the Love of Christ, and Directions therein? shall all be in vain?
What do you say, Sinners? shall Christ have your hearts or no? will you harbour base lusts in your hearts, that will damn you, and keep out the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save you? shall I gain no hearts for Christ by all may Sermons which I have preached concerning the Love of Christ? My Lord and Master hath sent me to woe you, to win your hearts for him; may I speed or no? shall my Message be accepted, and Jesus Christ the most lovely person find entertainment with you? If any person or thing in the world which you do most dearly love, do so well deserve your love, lock your ears still against all my words, and let them perish like an empty sound in the Air; lock your hearts against Christ, who stands knocking at the door, and give an absolute and peremptory refusal to give him any room there; But if in the whole world you cannot find out a suitable Beloved besides Christ, if there be nothing here below but is unworthy of your hearts, if all inferiour things whilest they have your chief Love do debase you and defile you, and unless your hearts be taken off from them, will certainly ruine and destroy you everlastingly; O then be perswaded without any further delay to open the everlasting doors of your hearts, to let Christ into them, and set Christ up in the highest seat of your Affections; O be perswaded to give Christ your chief Love, to give him your Heart, and your whole heart; with grief and hatred let go your hold of sin, and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in the Arms of your dearest Love. And then I would say to you as our Saviour did to Zacheus when he gave him entertainment in his house, This day is Salvation come unto you. O happy day unto you! O happy you that ever you were born, if this day Christ should be heartily entertained by you! This then would be the day of your Conversion, in which the Angels would rejoyce; and though Grief and Trouble might invade you for a while because of your sin, yet this would make way for your spiritual Joy; weeping might endure for a Night, but joy would come in the Morning; but O the Joy which you will then have in the day of your Coronation, when all tears shall be wiped away from your Eyes, and when you shall have admission into the glorious presence of the Lord, where there is Fulness of Joy and Pleasures for Evermore.
And what do you say, Believers? you that have some Love to Christ, shall this Doctrine, and these Sermons which I have preached, be a means to raise and heighten your Love? Your Love hath been too much mixed, will you love Christ more purely? your love hath been very weak, will you love Christ more strongly? Your Love to Christ hath been but a spark, shall it now break forth into a flame? after such blowings, shall there be no burnings? When you think of Christs Person so amiable, his Love so incomparable, his Benefits so ine…timable, shall not this fire your hearts? and will you not now love him more dearly and ardently than ever? will you be perswaded to get off your hearts from Earth and Earthly things, and get up your hearts to your Lord which is in Heaven, and to settle your Love there upon him, so as never to withdraw it from him any more? Will you love the Lord Jesus much, whom you can never love too much? will you now dwell in the Love of Christ, and be more frequent and …ervent in the actings of it? Then O what comfort would you find in your Love! and what sweetness in the sense of Christs Love! This would be the surest Evidence that Christ loveth you, because Christ loveth first; and how would this sweeten your passage through the Valley of Affliction, and through the Valley of Death. This would sweeten a bitter cup, and make a sweet cup more sweet. In Life, the sense of Christs Love will be better than life; but at Death this will be the onelyonly stay and support which you can have, nothing else can give any well-grounded comfort in a dying hour. Death rageth and playeth the Tyrant every where, shooteth his Arrowes hither and thither, sometimes he smiteth those that are Elder than your selves, and sometimes those that are Younger; sometimes those that are weaker than your selves, sometimes those that are stronger; sometimes those that are better, sometimes those that are worse; sometimes the righteous are smitten, sometimes the wicked; sometimes the profane, and sometimes the Professors; that all might be awakened to prepare. And what is it that can give you comfort when you come to the sides of the pit? You may have the Love of your dear Yoke-fellowes, weeping and mourning at your Bed-side, Children Kindred and Friends wringing their hands, and looking with a pitifull countenance upon you, grieving to part with you, but what comfort can all their Love yield unto your departing Spirits? their Love may disturb you, and make you the more unwilling to dye and leave them, because they are so unwilling to part with you. But the Love of Christ and sense thereof, will be a Comfort indeed, because he is a Friend whom you are not departing from, but going unto, and O the delight which then you may have, when Friends look most sad, and Death looks most grim, when the trembling Joynts, the clammy Sweats, the intermitting Pulse, the falling Jawes, the rat…ing Throat, and other symptomes give notice of near approaching Death! then to think, I am now come not onelyonly to the Door of Eternity, but also to the Gate of my Fathers House, where many Saints are gone before me, and many Angels are attending for me, and where my dearly beloved Iesus is, and hath prepared for my Reception and eternal Habitation: Here are Friends about my …d-side, who ere long will convey … to the Grave, to be fed upon by … are Angels also by my bed-side … Soul, that so soon as it is loosned … Carkase, they may convey me … Paradise: Within a few … and I shall be with my dearest … Faith will be swallowed up … Hope in Fruition, and my … to Perfection. O the Glorious … there and then will shine into every … of my mind! O the Love and Ioy and … effable Delight, when I come to see and enjoy and live for ever with my most dearly Beloved! This, This onelyonly will make you willing to Dye, and this sense of Christ's Love will effectually sweeten your passage through the dark Entry of Death.