The Intercourses of Divine Love Betwixt Christ and His Church, Sermon 29
Sermon XXIX.
Cant. 1. 4.
—We will remember thy Loves more than Wine.
YOU heard in my laſt diſcourſe the firſt effect, that the Beloveds favour, ſhewed to his Spouſe, in the quick return he made to her prayers, and the royal favour he had beſtowed upon her, in bringing her into his Chambers, admitting her to ſome more ſpecial, and intimate degrees of communion with himſelf, had upon her; it put gladneſs into her heart, and brought her up to an exulting and rejoycing in him. Joy is but a paſſion, cito fit, cito perit, that doth not laſt alwaies, it is like a Land-flood, that is ſometimes up, but will in a ſhort time abate. Ordinary Joys do ſo. But the Spouſe reſolves to keep up here, and to this end ſhe ſaith, She will remember the Loves of Chriſt, and give them a memorial ſuited to their excellency. We will (ſaith ſhe) remember them more than Wine, or (which is the ſame in the Hebrew dialect) Before Wine. I ſhall immediately cloſe with the Propoſition.
Prop. The Soul that hath once received the grace of Chriſt, will remember his Loves more than Wine.
In the handling of it, I ſhall keep to my uſual method of Explication, Confirmation, and Application. In the Explication I ſhall inquire what is here meant by Chriſt's Loves; 2. What is meant by Wine; 3. What by Remembring the Loves of Chriſt more than Wine.
We met with the ſame word, v. 2. the Septuagint tranſlate it foreign, and according to them the Vulgar Latine, Ʋbera tua, thy Breaſts; that which cauſeth the different reading is the cognation of that word which ſignifieth Love, with that which ſignifieth a Breaſt (the difference is only in the points) the matter is not hard to compound; for thoſe that will have it tranſlated Breaſts, agree in the ſenſe, thy Loves; all the difference is, we contend, the word in its original ſignification primarily ſo ſignifieth; they ſay it ſo ſignifieth only in a figure. By Chriſt's Loves, ſhe doubtleſs meaneth the manifeſtation of his Love, which ſhe calleth Loves, becauſe of the variety of them: But of theſe I have had occaſion heretofore once and again to diſcourſe. The term Wine I have alſo before opened. We all know that in its primary & literal ſignification, it ſignifieth the Juice of the Grape; certainly this is much too low a ſignification for this place: It hath beſides this a figurative ſenſe in Scripture, and ſo it is either taken Synecdochically. Thus Bread and Wine in Scripture doth often ſignifie all things neceſſary for our food and ſubſiſtence; or Metaphorically, for whatſoever is ſweet and delicate; and this I take to be the genuine ſenſe of the words. We will remember thy Loves more than all wordly enjoyments, how neceſſary or pleaſant ſoever. I am aware of ſome other ſenſes, which ſome Interpreters put upon this phraſe, but I take them to be forced and ſtrained. This ſeems without more adoe to be the plain and unconſtrained ſenſe of the words. But having before opened theſe two terms, that which I have principally to attend, is the opening of that term Remember.
1. Remembring properly ſignifieth a reflex act of our underſtanding, by which the former impreſſions which we have received either of notions, or things, is revived, and brought again to our minds and thoughts, whatſoever we receive either by our exterior ſenſes, or by our common ſenſe or any other way, maketh an impreſſion upon us; now this impreſſion, through the coming in of a variety of other objects, is apt to wear out, and die in our Souls, when the thoughts, or notion of them revives, and is repeated upon our Souls, then are we ſaid to remember the things. In this ſenſe it is a meer natural Act.
2. It is an uſual obſervation of Divines, that words of ſenſe uſed in holy Writ, do not ſignifie the bare acts of thoſe ſenſes which are expreſſed by them, but thoſe affections which are excited by ſuch acts in our Souls, and thoſe effects which thoſe acts do ordinarily produce in our actions and converſation. And ſo this term Remember is often uſed in holy Writ. When Solomon calls to the young man to Remember his Creator in the daies of his youth, he intendeth not only the act of his memory and underſtanding, that he ſhould call to mind that he had a Creator, and what a one he was, but that he ſhould rėmember to love him, and to fear, and obey him; to pay him the homage that was due to him, Eccleſ. 12. 1. When the people of God in Scripture prayed. that the Lord would remember his tender mercies, Pſal. 25. 6. And David prays, that the Lord would remember him, and all his afflictions, Pſal. 132. 1. and that the Lord would remember his Word unto his Servant: He prays that the Lord would ſhew him the goodneſs that he had promiſed, and ſuit his diſpenſations of providence to his afflicted ſtate in proportionable ſuccours. So when God's People promiſe to remember him, the promiſe is not of a bare act of the memory and underſtanding, but of the ſeveral powers and faculties of the Soul, uſually ſet on work by ſuch a notion and remembrance of things of that nature, ſo as the remembrance of the Loves of Chriſt ſignifieth ſeveral things.
1. The keeping the expreſſions and manifeſtations of his Love upon our thoughts, or retrieving the thoughts of it, if they have ſlipt us, or the impreſſions of it have been in any meaſure worn out. Thus remembring, is oppoſed to forgetting. To the practice of any duty incumbent upon us, is not only required our notion or knowledge of the thing as our duty, but the preſence of it in our thoughts at the time when it is to be done by us; for, let us know it never ſo well, if we do not think of it, in the ſeaſon when it is to be performed, we ſhall not do it. Now, ſaith the Spouſe, We will remember thy Loves, that is, we will keep a freſh ſcent and impreſſion of them; the ſavour of what thou haſt done for my Soul, ſhall not go off my Soul. This is the duty of every good man and woman; it is in it ſelf an homage to God; God hath given us a power of remembring, and thus we give unto God the homage of that power of our Souls. Our memory is as the cheſt of our Souls, which God hath given us not only to lock up worldly things or notions in, but to lock up in them ſpiritual notions and impreſſions. Two waies we ſerve God with our memories, 1. When we uſe them to retain ſpiritual notions, to keep up the Knowledge of God, and the things of God in us, 2. When we uſe them as repoſitories for the works of God, for the retaining in our minds what God hath done for us. 2. As it is in it ſelf an homage to God, the homage of that power in us which we call the memory; ſo it is the Mother of all our other homage: we muſt remember a thing paſt, before we can be afreſh affected with it; before in the ſenſe of it we can do any thing, which ſuch a diſpenſation calleth to us for.
2. It implies a meditation and pondering upon the Loves of Chriſt. David promiſeth unto God not only a meditation of his Law, and Word, his Statutes and Precepts, Pſal. 119. 148. 15 but alſo of his Works, Pſal. 77. 12. 143. 5. The Works of God are either more publick andgeneral, or more private and perſonal. There are Works of God without us, ſuch are his Works of Creation and Providence; works of Go d upon us and within us, ſuch are all his works of ſpecial grace: They are either ſuch as are ab…ding (in their effects at leaſt) or tranſient; the latter are the objects properly of our memories; the other are the objects of our contemplation and admiration. Now, as we cannot remember any thing but we muſt think upon it; ſo the remembrance of any object maketh way for further meditation upon it; the Spouſe promiſing to remember Chriſt's Loves, promiſeth not only the revival of them in her thoughts, but the ſeeding of her thoughts with them, the fixing of her heart upon them.
3. It implieth ſuitable affections; the exciting of ſuch inward affections in the Soul, as the remembrance of ſo ſweet and obliging objects are proper to excite. Such as love to God, further thirſtings and breathings after God, a ſuitable hope and confidence in God. Ʋnbelief in Scripture is called a not remembring, becauſe forgetfulneſs is one cauſe of unbelief, Pſal. 78. 42. v. 41. They turned back, and tempted God, and limited the holy one of Iſrael, there was their unbelief. v. 42. they remembred not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the Enemy. So Mat. 16. 9, 10. Chriſt calls his Diſciples men of little faith, for reaſoning with themſelves, becauſe they had brought no bread in a diſtruſt of his power, and goodneſs in providing for them, v. 9. 10. Do you not underſtand, nor remember the five loaves of the five thouſand, and how many Baskets full you took up. Our Saviour there chargeth their unbelief upon their not remembring the former works of God. No man doth rightly remember the loves of Chriſt, but he who is ſuitably affected with them, and whoſe Soul moves toward God, as one that remembreth his love.
4. Laſtly, Remembring implyeth a ſuitable practice. Thus it is often uſed in Holy Writ. Remember thy Creator in the days of thy Youth, is the ſame with Serve, and Obey thy Creator, and Remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day, is the ſame with be diligent and make it thy buſineſ… to ſanctify the Sabbath-day. So then the ſenſe of the Propoſition is plainly this.
Thoſe Souls which have once taſted how good the Lord is, and have had any experiences of his ſpecial ſaving grace, will, and ought to be careful to preſerve the ſavour of it upon their hearts, to think, and med…tate upon them, to be ſuitably affected toward God, according to the nature, and degrees of them, and accordingly to manage their converſations, that men may ſee that they value them above all the pleaſures and profits of this world.
Thus did Aſaph, Pſal. 77. v. 10. I will remember the years of the right hand of the moſt high, I will remember the works of the Lord, ſurely I will remember thy wonders of old, I will meditate alſo of thy works, and talk of all thy wondrous doings. theſe were the ancient works of God in kindneſs to his people, as you will find, v. 14. 15, 16. My mouth (ſaith David) Pſal. 63. 6. ſhall praiſe thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches, becauſe thou haſt been my help. So Pſal. 143. 5. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all thy works, I muſe on the work of thy hands. You will find the people of God in Holy Writ, much in theſe reſolutions to remember the works of God.
1. There is great reaſon for our remembrance of the loves of Chriſt more then Wine. 1. Becauſe they really are much better than Wine. Every mans Soul doth naturally deſire good, good and evil are the two things which make impreſſions upon the mind of man, evil leaves an impreſſion of fear, and ſorrow, and anger. Good makes an impreſſion of love, joy, delight, and as are the degrees of the one and the other, ſo are the impreſſions made by them. Great evils make deep furrows in our Souls, and leave great impreſſions upon our minds, minute evils leave leſſer impreſſions; ſo things that are good in the higheſt degree▪ leave impreſſions of joy, and delight, ſuitable to the nature of that good which is in them. The manifeſtations of the love of Chriſt to the Soul are the greateſt goods, and therefore ſhould make the greateſt impreſſions upon us. They are goods, not ſuited to the Souls irregular paſſions, but to its greateſt wants. Health, peace, ſucceſs in buſineſs, are things we call good, but their goodneſs lieth only in a ſuitableneſs they have to the wants of our outward man, what are any of theſe things to the Soul? the loves of Chriſt are ſuited to the wants of the Soul, and that not only conſidered as a reaſonable being (ſo knowledge, and learning are alſo ſuited to the Souls wants, and all improvements of reaſon, or means in order to it) but to the wants of the Soul conſidered as an immortal being capable of an eternal happineſs. Nothing more becomes a reaſonable Soul, then to put a due rate and value upon things and to prefer what is truly preferrible.
2. This is one great reaſon of the Lords works, That he might be remembred for, and by them. God indeed in his gracious influences aims at the ſupply of the Soul, as to what it needeth, but he hath an higher end then this, viz. his own glory, the glory of his goodneſs, truth, and faithfulneſs, Pſal. 111. 4. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred. It is a complement we ſometime… uſe with our Friends, when we make them preſents, and give them gifts, we ſay we do it, that they might have ſomething to remember us by. God in the diſpenſations of his grace and mercy, is often in Scripture ſaid, to remember his Covenant, his word, his holy promiſe, and he expecteth that when we receive any ſuch favours, we ſhould remember his loves, and remember our Covenants and Vows, ſo as that M…n or Woman that doth not remember the loves of Chriſt, doth not anſwer Gods ends in the manifeſtations of his love to us, nor the expectation which God upon that account hath upon us. I ſhall apply this diſcourſe,
Uſe 1.1. By reflecting upon the moſt of Chriſtians for their not living up to this duty. 2. By perſuading to the revived practice of it. Do the moſt of Chriſtians (ſuch I mean as are ſo called) remember the loves of Chriſt more then Wine? What means …hen the moſt of peoples never looking after a particular ſhare, or intereſt in them. The love of Chriſt (conſidered in itſelf) is nothing elſe but his good will to the Children of Men, this was evidenced in his not taking upon him the nature of Angels, but the nature of the Seed of Abraham, in his dying upon the Croſs for us, the publication of his Goſpel to us, the committing of the word of reconciliation to his Miniſters, who are ſent out as the Ambaſſadours of Chriſt, intreating men to be reconciled unto God. Do men remember this love more then Wine, who reject this counſel of God for their ſalvation, who trample this blood under foot, and do deſpight to the covenant of Grace, and all this, for what comes under no better notion than this of Wine, either things pleaſant, or things profitable, either the ſatisfaction of their luſts, or the filling of their Coffers. The world is full, either of ſuch as are exceſſive drinkers of Wine, or Merchants for it, but how thin is it of ſuch as have any remembrance of Chriſts love? who as the Apoſtle tells us, died to redeem us from our vain converſation, 1▪ Pet. 1. 18. For we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold from our vain converſation—but with the precious blood of Chriſt, as of a Lamb without blemiſh; who can be ſaid to remember Chriſts love more then Wine, that lives in thoſe ſins which crucified him, who was the Lord of life? Yet is not this the courſe of the moſt Men and Women, who never think of their dying Saviour, to reſtrain them in their drunkenneſſes, debaucheries, in their greateſt exceſſes of Riot? Nay, how many are there that ſeldom take the love of Chriſt into their thoughts, the love of their cups, and of their Harlots, hath made Chriſts loves to be utterly forgotten by their Souls; for how can they ſay that they remember Chriſts loves above their luſts, that will not quench one luſt for his ſake, they in whom the remembrance of Chriſts death will not extinguiſh one vile affection, one ſpark of pleaſing luſt, will not the moſt of men, and women, yea, ſuch, in whoſe ears the loves of Chriſt are publiſhed every Lords day, be found periſhing for preferring the very lees, and dregs of Wine, before the loves of Chriſt? I mean for preferring the baſeſt, and moſt ſordid kind of pleaſures, and ſatisfactions of the fleſh (for ſuch are thoſe pleaſures which are no more than the gratifying of the ſenſitive appetite.)
2. Do not moſt mens diſcourſes and practice betray them to remember Wine, I mean their profitable things before the loves of Chriſt? How much is the world, and the things of the world, the diſcourſe of all companies upon all occaſions; how few are the diſcourſes concerning Chriſt, and what he hath done for us? an hours diſcourſe of Chriſts loves in a Pulpit upon the Lords day, is thought proportionable to ſix days diſcourſe about our earthly occaſions; do we not even grudge the Lord a ſeventh part of our time for the remembrances of his loves? the Lords day is a day to call to remembrance Chriſts loves. It was the day of his reſurrection, by which he compleated mans redemption, the Miniſters work is to help us in our remembrance of his loves. We have beſides our attendance upon the publick miniſtry, a private duty this day incumbent upon us, viz. To remember him who died for our ſins, and roſe again for our juſtification. I beſeech you conſider whether your remembrings of Chriſts loves upon the Sabbath day, bear any proportion to your remembrance of your worldly intereſts other days. I mean not for the proportion of time ſpent in the one and the other; God hath indulged our infirmity in that, he hath ſet apart a ſeventh day only to himſelf; but examine this, whether you remember the loves of Chriſt on the Lords day, as you remember your worldly concerns on any of the other ſix days; do the loves of Chriſt come into your thoughts, as much on the week day, as the world comes into your thoughts on the Lords days? I ſear there is none of us all can ſay, that in this thing our hearts are clean; I hope I ſpeak to many who remember the loves of Chriſt, and will never ſuffer his dying love to go off their thoughts. But when we come to theſe comparative examinations, to enquire whether we remember his loves, more then we remember our ſenſual, or ſenſible objects; ah, how ſhort do we come of the duty of Chriſtians, yea, of what our ſelves will own, and conſeſs to be our duty? Happy is that man that doth not condemn himſelf, even in the thing which he alloweth to be his duty.
Uſe. 2.But I had rather ſpend my time in perſuading my ſelf, and you to our duty, which according to my explication of the text and this propoſitionwill lye much in two things 1. In a full and perfect remembrance of the Loves of Chriſt. 2. In a remembrance of them proportionable to that degree of goodneſs and excellency in them. I ſay, firſt in a Scriptual remembrance a full and perfect remembrance of the Loves of Chriſt. I am afraid that we ſatisfy our ſelves too much in a Notional formal remembrance of Chriſts Loves and ſo pleaſe our ſelves, in hearing the Goſpel read, opened, and applyed to our Souls, in a formal keeping of the Lords day (the day which God hath ſet apart for us to call to our minds all the acts of our redemption compleated in his reſurrection) ſome Churches aware of Peoples awkneſs to this Spiritual duty, have thought fit to appoint other days for a more ſolemn remembrance of his incarnation, and death. Nor have I any thing to ſay againſt any Chriſtians that will ſet apart any Special times to remember any Loves of Chriſt (though I do not know that Chriſt hath left any power to his Church to impoſe particular times of this nature.) But alas! this is the leaſt part of our duty in the remembrance of his Love. We may have a day to remember it in (we have ſuch a day every week▪) we may have helps to remember it by. The holy Scriptures, the Miniſters of the Goſpel that Preach Chriſt to their People are ſuch helps. But if in theſe days, if with theſe helps, we do not ſet our ſelves to meditate of the Loves of Chriſt, to turn our thoughts from other things, to the contemplation of, and meditation upon the Love of a Chriſt incarnate, the Love of a Chriſt dying, and riſeing again from the dead, if we do not ſtudy to get our hearts affected ſuitably to ſuch Love, with love, faith, hope, &c. we do not ſo live as a People that remember Chriſt died for our Sins, declining whatſoever is contrary to his will, and Law in the Goſpel, do what in us lyeth to promove his honour & Glory, we are ſo far from Satisfying our Duty by this formal remembrance of his Love, that we are the greateſt forgetters of his Love. The Jews who never owned him as their Redeemer, the Heathen who never heard of his name, nor of what he was or did for Sinners can in no propriety of Speech be ſaid to forget his Loves. The Chriſtian only, the looſe Chriſtian, the formal Chriſtian, he who hears every day of the dying Love of Chriſt, yet goes on to defy him, to crucify him afreſh, and to put him to open ſhame, or he who every Lords day hears the ſound of the Loves of Chriſt, and reads of it, yet never meditates upon it, never ſuffers his ſoul by contemplation to pierce into the heights, or ſound the depths of it, whoſe heart is never truly affected with it ſo as he hath any Love kindled in his ſoul towards Chriſt, no breathings after him, who exerciſeth no faith, no hope in him; he that lives not in his meaſure up to it, leaving his vain converſation, worſhiping God in the Spirit, rejoycing in him, living up in a cloſe obedience to his Law; this is the man that forgetteth the Loves of Chriſt. But yet if there be a Soul that hath experienced the Loves of Chriſt in a particular application to it ſelf, that hath given it ſelf a liberty to the fleſh, and walked in a contrary courſe to what the Law of Chriſt requireth, this Soul yet more forgets his Loves, becauſe he had a deeper impreſſion of them upon his heart; the Love of Chriſt made an impreſſion only upon the others Ears, but it hath entred into this man's Soul. He is the greateſt forgetter of his Love. You ſhall obſerve in holy Writ, that all ſin is expreſt under the notion of forgetting God, Pſal. 50. 22. and in a multitude of other Texts, and this not only becauſe a forgetting of God is the cauſe of all the Violations of his Law, which we could not violate, if we remembred God as we ought to do; but becauſe indeed all ſin in God's account is an actual' forgetting of him, God accounts us to know, to remember no more than we are affected with, and live up unto. Therefore Chriſtians, let us make it our buſineſs not only to call to mind the Loves of Chriſt, but to remember them in that ſenſe which God calleth a remembrance of them.
2. Let us not ſatisfie our ſelves with a bare remembrance of his Loves, but labour to remember them more than Wine; more than the moſt ſweet and pleaſant, the moſt gainful and profitable things which this world affords. Think that you hear Chriſt ſpeaking in your Ears, in the language in which he once ſpake to Peter, ſetting all the pleaſant and gainful things in the world before you, and then ſaying to you, Chriſtians! Love you me more than theſe? Let me ſhew you the reaſonableneſs of this.
1. Conſider, if thou canſt not ſay ſo, Thou doſt not anſwer the Loves of Chriſt in any degree. I am now ſpeaking to ſuch as are Chriſtians not in name and profeſſion only, but in deed and in truth. Such a one may ſuppoſe all the fallen Angels, under Chriſt's Eye, even thoſe Legions in the Air, and in the bottomleſs Pit, Creatures in their Original more perfect and glorious than man, but fallen from their firſt Integrity, and think he heareth Chriſt ſaying to him, Poor Soul! I have loved thee more than all theſe. I died not for theſe, I died for thee; I took not upon me the Nature of Angels, but the Nature of the ſeed of Abraham.
2. He may ſuppoſe all the Heathen Nations under Chriſt's Eye. The great Emperours of Turkey, Perſia, China, and other parts of the world, with the millions of Souls under their juriſdiction, and think that he heareth Chriſt again ſaying to him, Poor Soul! I have loved thee more than theſe. Thou heareſt my Goſpel Read and Preached every Lord's Day; haſt thou not ſeen? haſt thou not heard? Theſe great Nations of the world, and all the great Rulers of them, never heard the joyful ſound; I was never Preached in their Streets; they were never wooed, never intreated to come to me that they might have life. I have loved thee more than theſe. Further yet, thou mayeſt fancy all the prophane men, all the ſenſual and carnal men, all Hypocrites, all unregenerate men, whoſe hearts are yet locked up under unbelief, under Chriſt's and thy Eye; and ſuppoſe that thou heareſt thy great Lord and Saviour ſaying to thee, Poor Chriſtian! I have loved thee more than all theſe. They are yet wallowing in their native blood, as thou wert before I paſſed by thee in my time of love, and ſaid unto thee live; they are yet Children of wrath, in an hourly danger of having it come upon them to the utmoſt; I have plucked thee out of Sodom: Thy heart by nature was as hard as theirs, as much prejudiced againſt thy own ſalvation; I have made thee to differ. I have loved thee more than all theſe. May I riſe one ſtep higher to commend the Love of Chriſt to thy remembrance, thou mayeſt fancy all that glory which Chriſt had with his Father from before the beginning of the world; all the bleſſed company of Heaven; all the riches of Chriſt's glory and felicity, before his and thy Eye, and fancy that thou heareſt Chriſt ſay to thee, My poor creature, I have in a ſenſe, and for a time loved thee more than theſe: I left my Father's Throne, and right Hand, him whom I was alwaies before, brought up with him, I left all to come down from Heaven to Earth, to take thy fleſh, to be born of a Virgin, and to be laid in a Manger, to live a poor and contemned life in the world, to die a ſhameful and ignominious death, and all this to purchaſe for thee Eternal Life and Salvation, and to redeem thee from thy vain converſation. Have I not loved thee more than theſe? What doth the Apoſtle ſay leſs than this, when he ſaith, 2 Cor. 8. 9. You know the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, that though he was rich, yet for your ſake he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich. In what degree then canſt thou be ſaid to anſwer the Loves of Chriſt, if when there is ſet before thee no more than the pleaſures of ſin which are but for a ſeaſon, the profits and enjoyments of this life, which thou canſt have no more than a Leaſe for Life of; if thou canſt not ſay, Yea Lord, thou that knoweſt all things, knoweſt that I remember thy Love more than theſe. Either this intoxicating Wine of ſinful luſts and pleaſures, how gratifying ſoever they be to my fleſhly appetite: or this pleaſant and gainful Wine of worldly Riches, Eſtate, Honour, Preferment, &c. Oh that Chriſtians would think of this!
2. The ſecond Conſideration is yet more dreadful, viz. He is not worthy of the Loves of Chriſt, who doth not remember them more than Wine. What Chriſt ſometimes ſaid of Love, is as true concerning this remembrance of his Loves, which is an act of Love, Matth. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth Son d… Daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. And what he ſaith there of natural Relations, is doubtleſs as true concerning ſenſible Enjoyments in this world▪ Riches and Honours, &c. which are objects of your love, much beneath reaſonable creatures in neareſt relation to u…. It is certainly as true, That man or woman that remembers any ſenſible Enjoyment, and is more affected with it, than the Loves of Chriſt, is not worthy of his Loves. Certainly nothing more becometh us who pretend to be creatures endued with reaſon, than to value things according to their meaſure, and their true and juſt valuation. You will ſay he is not worthy of a Jewel of great price, that valueth a Pebble before it. And by the way, this will be enough to convince us all, that we are ſaved by Grace, and have what Love we have from Chriſt freely. For who is not guilty of a great Errour in this particular. We think of ſenſible things more than of the Loves of Chriſt; they are more the objects of our meditations, the ſubjects of our diſcourſes, and the marks of our actions. It is well for us that our Salvation doth not depend upon the perfection of our gracious acts, and that we have another Righteouſneſs, than that of our own to appear in before God. That when our Conſciences check us in this particular, and tell us that we do not remember Chriſt's Loves more than Wine; yet the Goſpel relieveth us, by telling us that he was made of God for us Righteouſneſs, and we can remember that this Chriſt (whoſe Loves we ſhould remember after a better manner than we do) is the Lord our Righteouſneſs, an High Prieſt that can have compaſſion on our infirmities, he in whom we are compleat. But yet neither will this relieve us, unleſs we humble our ſelves before God for our failures in this particular. Fly to him for pardon, and endeavour even in this thing to perfect holineſs; and that bringeth me to the laſt thing I have to do, viz. To offer you my Advice in order to the bringing up of your hearts to this juſt valuation and remembrance of theſe Loves of Chriſt.
1. Labour to underſtand them. We can meditate upon nothing, but what we have ſome notion of, we can remember nothing but what we have had ſome notion of. There are the loves of God, and the loves of Chriſt, indeed the loves of Chriſt, are the loves of him who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father, who is God over all, bleſſed for ever; but by the loves of Chriſt, I mean the kindneſs which floweth to us, from Chriſt as God-man, united in one Perſon as our Mediator. There is a love and kindneſs which floweth to us from the providence of God, working either more generally, and extending to all, or more ſpecially towards ſome. There is alſo a love and kindneſs, which floweth from Chriſt as our Redeemer, Mediator, Saviour. Both theſe loves are to be remembred, but the latter more eſpecially are called the loves of Chriſt; underſtand the loves of God in the effluxes of his good providence. More eſpecially underſtand the loves of Chriſt as the Saviour of Man: there are alſo ſome of theſe more common to others, ſome more ſpecial to ſome. Of the firſt ſort are the Goſpel, and the publication of it to us; of the latter ſort are thoſe effects of grace which are wrought in us, in the juſtification of our Souls, the change of our hearts, the renovation of our natures, the ſtrengthenings, quicknings, and conſolations of the Spirit of Chriſt. Labour to underſtand all your good things, as coming from the hand of God, and to underſtand the kindneſs of God in them, ſee your good things as mercies, as Divine gifts, and then ſtudy them;
1. In the ſuitableneſs of them to your States. In this lies the nature of all good; from this muſt be judged the degrees and meaſures of good that are in every grateful thing.
2. In the freeneſs of them; Freeneſs is indeed of the nature of grace; take away freeneſs, and you take away the nature of grace, which muſt flow freely without any merit in the creature, or it is no more grace but debt; no more love but juſtice. If you underſtand not Chriſt's Loves, it is impoſſible you ſhould duly remember them.
2. Labour for to find the experience of the Loves of Chriſt, in the beſt, and moſt ſalvifi…k manifeſtations. There is a love of God ſeen in giving us our Wine) for it is God that gives us our Corn, Hoſ. 2. 11.and Wine, and Oil, and multiplies our Silver and Gold. We muſt look for higher things then theſe, or elſe it is impoſſible we ſhould remember them more then theſe. The beſt manifeſtations of love muſt be diſcerned in the giving us thoſe things which more ſuit our ſtate, and are ſuitable to greater wants. Neither ſhall we effectually remember theſe, till we find we have a propriety in them. You will upon experience in all things find, that it is propriety which gives us the ſweetneſs in any good thing. Suppoſs a brave and noble Houſe or Eſtate, we may look upon it, and admire it, and it may pleaſe us, but it is propriety in ſuch an eſtate that muſt make it ſweet, and pleaſant to us. We may have a kind of love for a Prince, of whom we hear, that he is juſt and merciful, and endowed with many other qualities acceptable to humane nature, but we ſhall not much delight in him, nor remember his love, until our ſelves have in ſome meaſure taſted, and experienced it, an intereſt, and property in the love of another, that is it which gives it an impreſſion upon our Souls; God hath commended his love to the world, in ſending Chriſt to die for ſinners, Chriſt hath commended his love to them, in coming into the world, and dying for them, not for all, but for thoſe that ſhall believe in him; men may talk of this love of Chriſt, and uſe their Rhetorick a little about it, in the magnifying of it, but till their own Souls come to be waſhed with this blood, till they come to have their iniquities forgiven, and their ſins covered, it is not to be expected that his love ſhould affect them much, or ſink any thing deep into their Souls, ſo as to be revived by any effectual remembrance.
3. Would you remember the loves of Chriſt as you ought to do, more then Wine, Set then your ſelves, ſometimes for ſoliloquy, and meditation. When the Sound of the Gofpel paſſeth into our ears, we receive a little of it, but tranſient things affect not much, nor leave any great impreſſions upon us. Meditation upon a Subject is the Souls ſtanding, and dwelling upon it, it is like the digeſtion of our food, there is nothing can be conceived, a more rational means to affect the Soul with any thing; or to make it fit for the memory to reflect upon, then meditation. One great reaſon why we remember the loves of Chriſt no better, nor more, is becauſe we are not at leiſure; our heads are ſo unreaſonably full of wordly cares, and employments, the cares of the world ſo choke, and fill up our thoughts, that we have no leiſure to meditate, or ſtand upon the thoughts of Chriſts loves, or any ſpiritual objects. Would Chriſtians allow themſelves more time to fix their thoughts upon ſpiritual objects, to pierce into the depths of divine love, to conſider what Chriſt hath done for them in particular, they would better remember them.
4. Take heed of any wilful ſinnings againſt his love. Sinning (as I told you before) is uſually ſet out in Scripture, under the notion of a forgetting God, and forgetting his loves, Pſal. 78. 11. Pſal. 106. 13, 21. the committing of ſin frequently, is like the continual dropping of water upon a thing, which waſheth, and weareth out impreſſions upon it. Beſides it is natural to us, not to deſire, or to be willing to remember the kindneſs of a friend, whoſe kindneſs we have abuſed. Sin puts the taſt of Chriſts love out of the Soul. A remembrance of Chriſts love, ſo as to be in any meaſure duly affected with it, is incompetent with wilful and preſumptuous ſinning. None but the holy, and heavenly Soul remembreth the loves of Chriſt.
5. Laſtly, Wait upon God in ordinances, in hearing the Word, in the Holy Sacrament of his Supper. The ordinances of the Goſpel are not only means of grace, but great helps to Chriſtians memory, as to Chriſts loves; we preach a Chriſt crucified, there his loves come to our ears, in the Supper you have a repreſentation of a Chriſt crucified, there his loves, his dying love is ſet before your Eyes, both are helps to the mind of that man or woman, who deſireth to feed his thoughts upon the loves of Chriſt. But to ſhut up all, Pray, that is a general preſcription in order to the obtaining of any mercy from the hand of God; amongſt other bleſſed effects of the holy Spirit of God, promiſed by Chriſt to his Diſciples, this was one, John 14. 26. He ſhall bring to your remembrance the things which you have heard of me, it is the influence of the Spirit of grace, that quickneth, and inableth us to bring Chriſts love to our remembrance, our Saviour hath taught us how to obtain this bleſſed remembrancer, Luke 11. 13. He giveth his holy Spirit to them that ask him.