conformity with the will of God which is the highest liberty where the x 2 Cor. 3.17 spirit of the Lord is there is liberty It is a poor liberty that consists in an indifferency Do not the Saints in heaven love God freely yet they cannot but love him As the only Efficient cause of our loving God is God himself so the only procuring cause of our loving God is Jesus Christ that Son of the Father's love who by his Spirit implants and actuates this grace of love which he hath merited for us Christ hath a Col. 1.20 made peace through the blood of his Cross Christ hath as well merited this grace of love for us as he hath merited the reward of glory for us Plead therefore Dear Christians the merit of Christ for the inflaming your hearts with the love of God that when I shall direct to rules and means how you may come to love God you may as well address your selves to Christ for the grace of love as for the pardon of your want of love hitherto Bespeak Christ in some such but far more pressing language Lord thou hast purchased the grace of love for those that want and crave it my love to God is chill do thou warm it my love is divided Lord do thou unite it I cannot love God as he deserves O that thou would'st help me to love him more than I can desire Lord make me sick of love and then cure me Lord make me in this as comfortable to thy self as 't is possible for an adopted Son to be like the Natural that I may be a Son of God's love both actively and passively and both as near as it is possible infinitely Let 's therefore address our selves to the use of all those means and helps whereby love to God is b Fovetur augetur excitatur exeritur nourished encreased excited and exerted I will begin with removing the impediments we must clear away the rubbish e're we can so much as lay the Foundation Impediment 1. Self-love Impediments of our love to God this the Apostle names as Captain general of the Devil's Army whereby titular Christians manage their enmity against God in the dregs of the last dayes this will make the times dangerous Men shall be lovers of their own c 2 Tim. 3.1 2. selves When men over-esteem themselves their own endowments of either body or mind when they have a secret reserve for self in all they do self-applause or self-profit this is like an errour in the first concoction get your hearts discharg'd of it or you can never be spiritually healthful the best of you are too prone to this I would therefore commend it to you to be jealous of your selves in this particular for as conjugal-jealousie is the bane of conjugal love so self-jealousie will be the bane of self-love Be suspicious of every thing that may steal away or divert your love from God Imped 2. Love of the world this is so great an obstruction that the most loving and best beloved Disciple that Christ had said (d) 1 Joh. 2.15 love not the world nor the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him and the Apostle James makes use of a Metaphor (e) Jam. 4.4 calling them Adulterers and Adulteresses that keep not their conjugal love to God tight from leaking out toward the world he chargeth them as if they knew nothing in Religion if they knew not this that the friendship with the world is enmity with God and 't is an universal truth without so much as one exception that whosoever will be a friend of the world must needs upon that very account be God's enemy the Apostle Paul adds more weight to those that are e'en press'd to Hell already (f) 1 Tim. 6.9 10 11. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves thorow with many sorrows but thou O man of God flee these things c. when men will be some-body in the world they will have Estates and they will have honours and they will have pleasures what variety of vexatious distractions do unavoidably hinder our love to God when our hearts are hurried with hopes and fears about worldly things and the world hath not wherewithall to satisfie us how doth the heart fret under its disappointments and how can it do otherwise we would have happiness here Sirs I 'le offer you fair name me but one man that ever found a compleat happiness in the world and I dare promise you shall be the second but if you will flatter your self with dreams of impossibilities this your way will be your folly though 't is like your posterity will approve your sayings (g) Psal 49.13 and try experiments while they live as you have done but where 's your love to God all this while 't is excluded by what Law by the Law of Sin and Death by the love of the world and destruction for Christ tells us all that hate him love death (h) Prov. 8.36 Imped 3. Spiritual sloath and carelessness of Spirit when men do not trouble themselves about Religion nor any thing that is serious Love is a busie passion a busie grace love among the passions is like Fire among the Elements Love among the Graces is like the Heart among the Members now that which is most contrary to the nature of love must needs most obstruct the highest actings of it the truth is a careless frame of Spirit is fit for nothing a sluggish lazy slothful careless person never attains to any excellency in any kind what is it you would intrust a lazy person about let me say this and pray think on 't twice e're you censure it once Spiritual sloath doth Christians more mischief than scandalous relapses I grant their grosser falls may be worse as to others the grieving of the Godly and the hardning of the wicked and the Reproach to Religion must needs be so great as may make a gracious heart tremble at the thought of falling but yet as to themselves a sloathful temper is far more prejudicial e. g. those gracious persons that fall into any open sin 't is but once or seldom in their whole life and their repentance is ordinarily as notorious as their sin and they walk more humbly and more watchfully ever after whereas Spiritual sloath runs through the whole course of our life to the marring of every duty to the strengthning of every sin and to the weakning of every grace Sloath I may rather call it unspiritual sloath is a soft moth in our spiritual wardrobe a corroding rust in our spiritual Armory an enfeebling consumption in the very vitals of Religion Sloath and
visited us So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son Christ's whole work was to love and his whole love was free We purchase nothing without leaving of our money behind us All his saved ones have nothing of their own but impotency and antipathy nothing of their own to move God to save them The Law discovers God's will and the gospel discovers his good will 3. The gospel is called grace because it is the instrument under the Spirit of God of bestowing the benefits of free grace upon us It is an invitation to the benefits of free grace and it is our warrant of receiving those benefits and of applying them The Gospel is not only a story to tell us what is done and what is obtained for believers but it is a Testament to cause and to shew unto us our interest in them by Faith We shall lay hold upon it when he who Ordained the Gospel doth accompany it The Gospel brings Salvation Tit. 2.11 Therefore the Gospel is called the Ministration of Righteousness and the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 9. The Instrument made use of by the Spirit of God for enabling us to apply the Righteousness of Christ and all the benefits of Free Grace contained in it And so I have opened the first thing in the Exhortation and shewn vvhat vve are to understand by the Grace of God even the Doctrine of the Gospel Sect. 3 2. The second particular in the Exhortation to be opened is The receiving thereof in vain How is the Doctrine of the Gospel said to be received in vain In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word signifies to receive it emptily unfruitfully unprofitably and indeed so it is too often received It is true the Gospel is to be received and it cannot save us unless it be received and therefore you read several times in the Scripture of receiving it Mat. 13.23 The receiving of the seed into good ground Act. 22.41 They received the word of God gladly And in Act. 11.1 The Gentiles received the word And in Act. 17.11 They received the word with all chearfulness So in 1 Thes 1.6 They received the word in much affliction But as the Gospel must be received so it may be received unprofitably ineffectually and in vain And for the opening of this the Gospel may be said to be received in vain in two respects I. In regard of the manner of receiving II. In regard of the Event or the Issue of receiving it First It is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it And that is When we receive the Gospel but not with an Empty hand When the grace of the Gospel is not so received as to be empty of the the opinion of our own works and righteousness This is a vain empty reception for the Rich are sent Empty away 2. It is received in vain when it is not received with the highest Estimation and Valuation ◠Tim. 1.15 When it is not looked upon to be worthy of all acceptation as the Apostle expresseth it When it is not received as a Pearl as a Jewel of greatest price If all be not sold for it soon will it be left fot any thing 3. When it is not received vvith the greatest ardency of desire with hungring and thirsting after the benefits contained in it All the inclinations of our souls towards all Earthly objects we owe to the benefits of the Gospel which if vve pursue not ardently we shall never procure succesfully 4. When we do not receive it with a particular fiducial application of Jesus Christ upon the warrant of the Infallible Gospel but only by a general assent When vve receive in into our Heads by Light but do not receive it into our Hearts by Faith When vve do not believe with the Heart but only assent vvith the head When we receive it only into our Ears and into our lips and into our Professions but dot receive it as the good seed vvhich is to be laid up in the furrows and the soil of the soul Thus the Gospel is received in vain in regard of the manner of receiving it Secondly It is received in vain in regard of the Issue the Event of receiving it and that several ways 1. When it is not received so as to purifie the heart as to kill corruption when this grace of God doth not teach us effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts when men will have an Angelical Gospel but will live Diabolical lives when they are not thrown into the mould of the Gospel and have not Hearts and practices sutable to it 2. When it doth not quicken us to new obedience when there is a receiving without returning without any activity for God in holy walking where there is no Delight in the Law of God when his commandments are grievous when the law doth only compell but the Spirit of the Gospel doth not encline our wills to the obedience of the Gospel when by the receiving of the Gospel we are not made a willing people to give up our selves to God in the ways of duty when faith is not made incarnate as Luther speaks by maintaining good works Tit. 3.8 3. When we so receive grace as that it doth not sustain us in our troubles nor bear us up in our sufferings when it is not a word of patience as it is called Rev. 3.10 Thou hast kept the word of my patience The Gospel duly received as to the Issue of its reception maketh us patient to bear whatever is displeasing and ungrateful unto sense When we see that the Justice of God is satisfied we can easily bear the injustice of men When we see that God's wrath is appeased towards us we shall look upon the wrath of man yea all outward troubles to be cold and feeble 4. When we so receive grace as not to impart it and communicate it unto others If we be living we shall be lively Christians If we have the life of Grace in us we shall warm others If we do no good it is a sign we have got no good If there be a Spiritual Life bestowed upon us by the Gospel there is always a Seminal virtue an inclination to disseminate and to scatter Grace among others 5. And lastly grace is received in vain as to the Issue of our receiving of it when it is so received as that thereby we do not obtain salvation It is the Gospel of Salvation but a mere visible owning of the Gospel saveth none The receiving of it into your houses into your heads into your mouths brings not any to Heaven Christ will profess to those that are empty Professors and only have externally and as to the outward priviledges of Grace received the Gospel I never knew you depart from me Mat. 7.23 We are not only to received the priviledges of Grace but Grace by the priviledge if we expect Glory Thus I have shewn what is meant by
preparation and introduction to it a valley never to be fill'd up the Gospel doth by no means allow of Self-Exaltation no flesh must glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.29 we must still seem vile in our own eyes 2. Of God and of his mercy which is two-fold 1. Privative which is a total privation of the habit root or principle of true saving hope as in all unbelievers 2. Negative a cessation of the acts of hope which is twofold A total cessation at least as to our sense and discerning of the actings of Hope for a time this is temporary Despair Gradual arising from a weakness in the actings of Hope which is Despair in opinion counted so by weak doubting Christians both these last mentioned are incident to true Believers and occasion much sorrow and sadness to them But this Privation or negation of hope doth not fully set forth the nature of despair in which there seems to be somewhat positive recessus a re desiderata as the Schools speak an actual with-drawing from Christ the heart falls off from the Promises doth act against them puts them from us despair argues and reasons the soul out of its hope puts in a caveat against it self cannot think that a person under such circumstances can be within the meaning of the promise and so sinks and faints away Job 17.15 This is more than meer privation or negation there is an evil disposition wrought in the heart by unbelief which fills the soul with many prejudices against the truth makes it pertinaciously to adhere unto its own erroneous judgment so that it can do nothing now but quarrel dispute and except against all that may be said on t'other side These things premis'd I now come to shew the difference between Despair and Hope 1. Despair is the result of strong legal convictions urging the sentence of the Law against us without any consideration of Gospel-Grace for our relief and succour This works great consternation fills the soul with amazing fears shuts it up in a dark dungeon claps it in irons binds it hand and foot and so leaves it under a fearful expectation of fiery indignation to devour it But Hope deals in the promises is begotten by them and bears up the soul under the condemnation of the Law 2. Despair indisposes the soul from hearkning to the free grace of the Gospel when 't is offered because it still retains those strong impressions and dreadful apprehensions which the Law hath wrought and will not be comforted But Hope allayes these fears makes the soul willing to debate the matter to hear what the Gospel sayes to see what may be done in so dangerous a cause 3. Despair sees more in sin than in Christ and supposes the wound incurable my sin is greater than can be forgiven But Hope sees Grace superabounding large enough to cover all our sins 4. Despair is very peremptory and positive in concluding against it self 't is resolv'd upon nothing but death greater than can be forgiven a lost undone creature to all eternity it cannot be otherwise As in the highest decree of faith and hope there is assurance of salvation so here there is a dismal uncomfortable assurance of damnation But Hope though it may be accompanied with many fears and doubts yet there is some expectation of good a patient looking for and sollicitous waiting though sometimes with trembling for salvation the soul doth not give over its pursuit after life and pardon but when 't is at the lowest ebb doth apprehend some possibility of escape through Christ it may be for all this we shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger Zeph. 2.3 it may be we shall be delivered from the wrath to come Thus Hope draws on the soul to Christ encouraging it to come forward Directions how to avoid both extreams 1. Against Presumption whether of our selves or of God 1. Against that Presumption that is of our selves take these following Directions 1. Take up so much of a sense of sin into the mount of Hope as may keep thy hope from swelling into presumption or from feeding upon any thing in thy self 2. Be much in proving thy hope in giving thy self and others a reason of it 1 Pet. 3.15 this is the way to keep it right consider what that reason is whether it be a true Gospel-ground of hope as natural affections in a man must be guided by reason so spiritual affections in a Christian must be regulated and influenced by Faith I believed and therefore have I spoken 2 Cor. 4.13 so it holds here I believe and therefore do I hope 3. Suspect those acts of Hope that have their rise from any thing else but Christ and the promises the heart of man is deep and very deceitful 't is no easie matter to understand our hope at all times and to manage it aright we are apt to forget our selves flesh will be putting in and contributing something from its self towards the support of our hope it will be casting in something into the scale with Christ to make better weight This we must carefully watch against keeping our eye only upon Christ as David Psal 62.5 6. When we find our hearts pleasing themselves with any self-reflections upon our own personal worth in any kind we should fear lest those thoughts should gather too fast and puff us up in a vain conceit of our selves we should see nothing but meanness vileness and unworthyness in our selves under the highest actings of our hope in Christ Though I were perfect yet would I not know my soul Job 8.21 4. Begin thy Hope with an act of humble holy despair of thy self that thy hope may be discharged on that hand forc't to quit all expectations from thence and not be tempted to any sinister aspect that way upon so poor empty insufficient a thing as thou knowest thy self to be We know not what to do but our eyes are upon thee 2 Chron. 20.12 Our hope though it look never so directly upon Christ yet it is too too apt to take in some collateral encouragements from self which do cause a further dilation in the heart and make some secret and if we observe our own spirit some sensible additions to the joy and complacency we have in our hope we bless our selves the more and though we are pleased with Christ yet we are pleased with something besides Christ and this spoils all it poysons our hope is like a Canker eats like a Gangrene and is a great blemish to our hope 5. If all this will not do but still thy proud heart is big with expectation of something from God upon its own account and thou canst not separate self from Christ in the out-goings of thy hope then my advice is Answer thy foolish heart for once in its folly and take its supposed worth into thy serious consideration weigh it well prove it examine all its pretences that the truth may appear and that you may do this
comprehends both the Vegetative and Sensitive part To love God with the soul is to subject all those works that pertain to an Animal life unto the love of God Plainly and in short it is not enough to love God in our Will but we must not admit any thing contrary to the Love of God in our sensual delights Whatsoever sensualists do for the gratifying of their lusts and desires let those things be drained from the dregs of sin and consecrate them all unto God Whatever use wicked men make of their souls in a way of hatred of God we must make the contrary use in a way of loving of God And then Thou must love God with all thy Soul What it is to love God with all the soul we must be ready to lay down our lives for God d Origen if any one should be ask'd what in all the world was most dear unto him he would answer his life for life-sake tender Mothers have cast off the sence of Nature and fed upon their own children It is Life that affords us being sense motion understanding riches dominions If a man had the Empire of the World he could enjoy it no longer than he hath his soul in his body when that is gone he presently becomes a horrid Carkass or rather a loathsom dunghil Now then if a man love his Life so much why should he not love God more by whom he lives and from whom he expects greater things than this Life God is the soul of our soul and the life of our life he is nearer to us than our very souls e Acts 17.28 in him we live and move and have our being He that doth but indifferently weigh these things will acknowledge that it is no rashness to call that man a Monster that loves not God how then can we think of it without grief that the whole world is full of these Monsters almost all men prefer their Money or Pleasures or their Honours or their lusts before God So oft as you willingly break any Law of God to raise your Credit or Estate you prefer the dirt and dust of the world before God Alas what use do's a wicked man make of his soul but to serve his body whereas both soul and body should be wholly taken up with not only the service but the love of God Then may you be said to love God with all your souls when your whole Life is filled with the love of God when your worldly business truckles under the love of God the love of the dearest Relations should be but hatred when compared with your love to God When you eat and drink to the glory of God sleep no more than may make you serviceable unto God when your solitary musings are about the engaging your souls to God when your social Conference is about the things of God when all acts of Worship endear God to you when all your Duties bring you nearer to God when the love of God is the sweetness of your Mercies and your Cordial under Afflictions when you can love God under amazing Providences as well as under refreshing Deliverances then you may be said to love God with all your Souls What it is to love God with the mind 3. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Mind though Anselm take this for the Memory that we should remember nothing whereby we are hinder'd in our thinking of God yet generally this is taken for the understanding and so the Evangelist Mark expresly interprets it when he renders this Command in these words f Mark 12 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy understanding to love God with our Minds is to have the understanding moved and commanded by the love of God to assent unto those things that are to be believed and to admit nothing into the understanding which is contrary to the love of God g Cajetan h Origen nihil cogitantes vel proferentes nisi ea que Dei sunt The Mind should let nothing go in or out but what payes tribute of love to God there 's one interprets the word by the Etymology of the word Mind from Measuring i Mens dicitur a metiendo c. Avendan The Mind must be so full of love to God that love must measure all our works k 1 Cor. 10 31. When we eat we should think how hateful it is to God that we should indulge our Palat and thence shun Gluttony when we drink we should think how abominable Drunkenness is in the sight of God and thence drink temperately l Rom. 14.8 so that whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords our Life and our Death must be measur'd by our Love to God We must love God with all our Mind What it is to love God with all our mind we must alwayes converse with God in our Minds and thoughts our thoughts must kindle our affections of love Love to God makes the hardest Commands easie while our thoughts are immers'd in love to God love to Enemies wlll be an easie Command the keeping under of our Bodies by Mortification will be an easie work Persecution for Righteousness will be a welcome Trial love will change Death it self into Life There 's another word added by Mark which indeed is in Deut. 6.5 whence this is taken Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Strength now because this word doth not express any other species or power of the Soul but only notes the highest and most intense degree of Love that flows from all the Faculties of the Soul I will close this Enquiry with a Word of this We are to love God with all the Powers of our Soul with all the members of our Bodies Our understandings wills inward and outward Senses appetite speech whatever we have whatever we are must be all directed into the Love of God and into Obedience flowing from Love You commonly hear that of Bernard the cause of loving God is God himself and the only measure is to love him without measure We must love God strongly because with all our strength our love to God must get above Interruptions no threatnings calamities or discommodities whatsoever must pull us away from God but that all the Powers of Soul and Body must be taken up into his service that our Eyes beholding the wonderful works of God the Sun Moon and Stars the clear evidences of his Divinity we may be in love with him that our Ears piously hearkning to his Instructions may be in love with him that our Mouth may love to praise him our Hands to act for him that our Feet may be swift to run the way of his Commandments that our Affections may be withdrawn from Earthly things and deliver'd over to the love of God that whatever is within us it may be bound over to
before we meddle with it 2. Contempt of the world As love of the world is a great impediment so contempt of the world is a great promoter of our love to God may not our contempt of the world be best express'd by our worldly diffidence we have no confidence in it no expectation of happiness from it I take both the understanding and will to be the seat of Faith now to have both these against the world is to have our understanding satisfied that the world cannot satisfie us to look upon the world as an empty Drum that makes a great noise but hath nothing in it and therefore the will doth not hanker after it hath no kindness for it That person is a good proficient in divine love that can make the world serviceable to devotion by drawing arguments from his worldly condition be it what it will to promote piety e. g. Have I any thing considerable in the world I will manage it as a Steward blessed be God he hath entrusted me with any thing whereby I may shew my love to him in my love to his Have I nothing in the world Blessed be God for my freedom from worldly snares God knows I need food and raiment and I am of Jacob's mind p Gen. 28.20 21. if God will give me no more he shall be my God and I will be content whatever my condition be in the world 't is better than Christ's was and Oh that I could love God as Christ did 3. Observation of God's benefits to us 't is goodness and beneficence that draws out love God is our infinite Benefactor the very brutes love their Benefactors q Isa 1.3 Qui beneficia invenit compedes invenit Sen. The Ox knoweth his owner and the Ass his Master's crib but my people doth not consider Who can reckon up the benefits he receives from God the commonest of our mercy deserves a return of love how much more our Spiritual merces those very mercies that are troublesome to us deserve our love e. g. Trouble for Sin though to a degree of horror hungring after Christ though unto languishing disappointments in the world though without satisfaction any where else lamenting after God though with fear we shall never enjoy him Such like throws of anguish make way for spiritual joy and comfort and the Soul that goes through such exercises grows in love to God every day As for other kinds of Benefits I 'le say but this God doth more for us every hour of our lives than all our dearest Friends or Relations on Earth than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven can do so much as once should they do their utmost and can you do less than love him 4. Watchfulness over our own hearts When we love God we are to remember that we love a jealous God This will restrain the stragling of our affections we should keep as careful a watch over our own hearts as we should over a rich Heiress committed to our Guardianship we reckon she 's undone and we shall never be able to look God or Man in the face if she be unworthily match'd through our default Christians your hearts through the condesension of God and Blood and Spirit of Christ are a match for the King of Glory several inferiour objects not worth the naming are earnest suitors we are undone if any but God have our Supream love if you be not severely watchful this heart of yours will be stoln away be perswaded therefore to examine every thing that you have cause to suspect call your selves often to an account be jealous of your hearts and of every thing whereby you may be endangered 5. Prayer All manner of Prayer is singularly useful to enflame the heart with love to God Those that pray best love God best mistake me not I do not say those that can pray with the most florid expressions or those that can pray with the most general applause but they that most feel every word they speak and every thought they think in Prayer they whose apprehensions of God are most over-whelming whose affections to God are most Spiritually passionate whose Prayers are most wrestling and graciously impudent this is the man that prayes best and loves God best I grant these are the Prayers of a great proficient in the love of God but you may pray for this frame when you cannot pray with it The Soul never falls sick of divine love in Prayer but Christ presently gives it an extraordinary visit (r) Cant. 2.5 6. so soon as ever Christ's Spouse sayes she is sick of love the next words she speaks are that his left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me Compare that with those words (s) Cant. 6 5 Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me Christ speaks as of being overcome and conquer'd Rouze up your selves therefore give your selves unto Prayer Pray for a more Spiritual discovery of Gods amiableness did you know God better you could not but love him more and none can discover God to us as he discovers himself so spiritually so powerfully take no denyal God will never be angry with your being importunate for hearts to love him Bradward de causa dei l. 1. p. 118 119. O my God it is thy self I love above all things 't is for thy self in thee my desires are terminated and therefore what wilt thou give me if thou wilt not give me thy self thou wilt give me nothing If I find thee not I find nothing thou dost not at all reward me but vehemently torment me heretofore when I sought thee finally for thy self I hop'd that I should quickly find thee and keep thee and with this sweet hope I comforted my self in all my labours but now if thou deny me thy self what wilt thou give me shall I be for ever disappointed of so great a hope shall I always languish in my love shall I mourn in my languishment shall I grieve in my mourning shall I weep and wail in my grief shall I alwayes be empty shall I alwayes disconsolately sorrow incessantly complain and be endlesly tormented O my most good most powerful most merciful and most loving God thou dost not use so unfriendly and like an enemy to despise refuse wound and torment those that love thee with all their heart soul and strength that hope for full happiness in thee Thou art the God of truth the beginning and end of those that love thee thou dost at last give thy self to those that love thee to be their perfect and compleat happiness Therefore O my most good God grant that I may in this present life love thee for thy self above all things seek thee in all things and in the life to come find thee and hold thee to eternity 6. Meditation A duty as much talk'd of and as little practis'd as any duty of Christianity Did you but once a day In that time of the day which
upon experience you find to be fittest for such a work solemnly place your selves in Gods presence beg of him the fixing and the flowing of your thoughts that your thoughts might be graciously fix'd yet as graciously enlarg'd let the subject matter of them be something Spiritual endeavour to fill your heads and affect your hearts with holy musings till you come to some resolution which resolution close with Prayer and follow with endeavours O how would this even e're you are aware engage your Souls to love God though you cannot methodize your Meditations to your mind yet inure your selves to an holy thoughtfulness about things above Endeavour as you are able to tye your thoughts together and so fasten them that they may not be lost that your musing time may not be reckon'd among your lost time I distinguish between Meditation and Study Study is for knowledge Meditation is for Grace Study leaves every thing as we find it Meditation leaves a Spiritual impress upon every thing it meddles with Though I will not assert I may enquire whether Meditation be not one of those duties of which the very constant performance speaks the Soul to be gracious i. e. though I dare not say they are not gracious that do not every day solemnly meditate yet whether may I not say they are gracious that do Try therefore whether you may not say with the Psalmist (t) Psal 39.3 whilst I was musing the fire burned whether while you are musing your heart may not be inflamed with love to God 7. Choice of friends I dare appeal to all experienc'd Christians whether ever they met with lively Christians that carried it like Christians without some warming of their hearts with love to God and Godliness the truth is Christian-conference hath the most speedy and effectual efficacy of any Ordinance of God whatsoever Do therefore in Religion as you do in other things e.g. If you meet with a Physician all your discourse shall be something about your health If you meet with a Traveller you are presently inquisitive about the places he hath seen Why should not Christians when they meet converse like Christians and presently fall into a Heavenly Dialogue Christians this you know there must be a forsaking of all wicked company e're you can pretend the least love to Christ mistake me not I do not mean that the bonds of Family-relations must presently be broken that Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Covenant-servants must presently separate if one of them be ungodly No where the relation is such as cannot be dissolved without sin then those that are Godly must converse with the ungodly as Physicians with their sick patients But this is it I say you must not willingly and out of choice make Gods Enemies your familiar Friends Those that are alwayes speaking well of God insensibly draw out their hearts in love to him When Christ's Spouse (u) Cant 5.9 c 6.1 had told the Daughters of Jerusalem what Christ was more than others they presently offer themselves to seek him with her as evil communication (w) 1 Cor. 15.33 corrupts good manners so good communication corrects evil manners In short you cannot but observe that none is able to hear any one spoken against whom they love and that every one delights to speak and hear of whom they love so that here you have a means to enflame an imploy to exercise and a touchstone to try your love to God 8. Thanksgiving That person that makes conscience of thanksgiving will thereby grow in love to God that person that takes every thing kindly and thankfully from God cannot but love him and Christians if we be not basely wanting to our selves we may by thankfulness make every thing a help to promote divine love e.g. I hear a man swear and curse and blaspheme God O what cause have I to love God that he hath not left me to do so I am under the rebukes of God I feel his anger in such a providence O what cause have I to love God that he will take any pains with me and give me medicinal correction not giving me up to my own hearts lusts till I perish Alas I am not so spiritual as to make such Inferences yet blessed be God I really value it as a priviledge to be able to put a good interpretation on all Gods dealings O that I could love God for the very means and helps and incouragements to love him I shall name no more though I might many promoting means But 3. Sustaining and Conserving Means Here several Graces are singularly useful I shall name only three 1. Faith whereby we are perswaded that what God hath spoken is true and good (x) Mark 9.23 If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth Now then take some Particular Promise Why not that which hath already affected thy heart you can't press a Promise as you squeeze an Orange to extract all that is in it no 't is called drawing water (y) Isa 12.3 out of a Fountain though you draw out never so much there 's no less behind Well then take that promise (z) Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me I may here by my love to God make out Gods love to me and so by these claspings of love have my love inflam'd and preserv'd But Christians be sure to remember this whenever you lay one hand on a Promise lay the other on Christ you will thereby get your Objections answered and your Fears removed e. g. I am unworthy of Divine Love but so is not Christ I know not how to come to God our access is by Christ Though I come I know not how to believe Joh. 6.37 thy coming is believing Oh for more acquaintance with the Life of Faith it is mostly with us in spirituals according to our Faith 2. Hope whereby we expect a future good Hope is the daughter of Faith Many a time the weak Mother leans upon the Daughter Hope at least to our apprehensions hath not so many Obstructions and hinderances as Faith I dare say I hope what I dare not say I believe Though I must tell you That which the over-modest Christian calls a weak Hope God often calls a strong Faith Remember (a) Psal 119.49 the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope There 's a prayer of Hope and here 's a Promise-answer to Faith Thou (b) Isa 26.3 wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee c. So that in a word as to the present Case though I yet cannot love God as I would I hope God will help me that my Love shall be alwayes growing 3. Patience (c) Jam. 1.4 Let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and intire wanting nothing And do but with Patience go on with your work
doth God mean to give me such a command as never to any one else in this world He consults not his Wife Oh what will Sarah say He sticks not at what might expose Religion What will the Heathen say You may well suppose great struglings between Nature and Grace but God seemed to press upon him with this Question Whether dost thou love me or thy child most Abraham doth as it were answer Nay Lord if that be the question it shall soon be decided how and where thou pleasest Another instance we have in Moses (k) Exod. 3.13 and 33.15.18 if you will compare two or three Scriptures Moses at first he enquires of God as we do of a stranger what is his Name upon Gods further discovery he begs more of his special presence and upon God's granting of that his Love grows bold and he said I beseech thee shew me thy Glory upon his finding God propitious he begs that God would remove the cloud and shew him as much of his Glory as he was possibly able to bear the sight of Take one instance more and that is of Paul who thinking God might have more glory by saving of many than by saving of him was willing to quit the happiness of salvation for not the least Grace much less grace in the height of it could possibly choose a necessity of hating and blaspheming God which is the venom of Damnation but his Love to God is greater than his love to himself and so he 'l reckon himself happy without Glory provided God may be more glorified And thus I have produced three Examples of one before the Law one under the Law and one under the Gospel How will you receive it if I shall venture to say We have in some respect more cause to love God than any than all these Persons put together What singular gleams of warm Love from God they had more than we are in some respects exceeded by the noon-day light and heat of Gospel-love that we have more than they What love-visits God was pleased to give them are excelled by Christs as to them extraordinary presence among us What was to them a Banquet is to us our daily bread God opens the windowes of heaven to us God opens his very heart to us We may read more of the Love of God to us in one day than they could in their whole Life 2. Angels that unweariedly behold the face of God (l) Mat. 18.10 they refuse nothing that may evidence their love to God 'T is ordinarily the Devils work to be the Executioners of Gods wrath it is said (m) Psal 78.49 he cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation and trouble by sending evil Angels among them but the good Angels will not stick at it when God requires it (n) 2 King 19.35 The Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the Camp of the Assyrians 185000. But now we have more cause to love God than the Angels God hath expressed greater Love to us in Christ than he hath to them He took no hold of Angels c. (o) Heb. 2.16 not any one of them receiv'd so much as the pardon of any one sin God would not bear with them in so much as the least tittle So soon as they ceased to love God with a perfect love God hated them with a perfect hatred And for the blessed Angels (p) Heb. 1.14 are they not all ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation but none of the Saints are to minister to the Angels in any thing How should we love such a Master but I have a Pattern to commend to you above the Angels 3. Christ and oh that the mention of Christs Love to his Father might transport us though Christ did nothing but (q) Joh. 8.29 what pleased his Father Christ suffered every thing that might please him ( ) Phil. 2.8 Christ obeyed every Command endured every Threatning that it was possible to endure and that to the intensive extent of them yet God dealt more hardly with Christ than ever he doth with any of us (s) Isa 53.10 It pleased the Father to bruise him and to put him to grief whereas the Church in the midst of her Lamentations must acknowledge (t) Lam. 3.33 he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of men yet Christ pray'd (u) Joh 17.23 that the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Should not we then pray and strive to love God as near as it is possible as Christ loved him Christ had not one hard thought of Gods severe Justice no not when he endur'd what was equivalent to the eternal torments of the Damned and shall our love shrink at Gods fatherly Chastisements Christs love to God did not abate while God poured out his Wrath and shall ours abate under Medicinal Providences whatever our outward condition is in this World 't is better than Christ's Thus I have endeavoured to acquaint you what Abilities are requisite and how to attain them that you may love God c. How to improve and augment our love to God 4. How to improve and augment all our possible abilities to love God with all our Heart Soul Mind and Strength and for this I shall give you one general yet singular direction though I must inform direct and press several things under it and that is set your selves to love God Set upon it as you are able do for the engaging of your love to God as you would do for engaging your hearts in love to a person commended to you for marriage Here 's a person commended to you which you never saw nor before heard of All the report you can hear speaks a great suitableness in the person and consequently happiness in the match you thereupon entertain the motion and a treaty to see whether reports be true and affections feasible though at first you find no affection on either side yet if you meet with no discouragements you continue converse till by a more intimate acquaintance there ariseth a more endearedness of affection at length a non-such love becomes mutual Do something like this in spirituals I now solemnly bespeak your highest love for God Perhaps God and thy soul are yet strangers thou hast not yet met with him in his ordinances nor savingly heard of him by his spirit Don't slight the overture for from thy first entertainment of it thou wilt be infinitely happy Every thing of Religion is at first uncouth the work of mortification is harsh and the work of holâ—ness difficult but practice will facilitate them and make thee in love with them so the more thou acquaintest thy self with God the more thou canst not but love him especially considering that God is as importunate with thee for thy love as if his own happiness was concern'd whereas he is infinitely above receiving benefit
taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes Again O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak (z) Psal 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Methinks that passage of Christ to his Disciples with the circumstance of time when he spake it just upon the most servile action of his life may for ever keep an awe upon our hearts (a) Joh. 13 12 13. Know ye what I have done unto you Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am When God deals most familiarly with us as with friends let us carry it reverently as becomes servants 3. Obedience to the commands of God and to those commands which would never be obeyed but out of love to God (b) 1 Joh. 5.3 For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous e. g. to obey those commands that are unpleasing and troublesome Those commands that thwart our carnal reason and so part with things present for the hopes of that we never saw 1 Joh. 2.5 nor any man living that told us of them Whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby we know that we are in him Once more hear what Christ saith He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him Joh. 14.21 23 And again if any man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 4. Resignation of our selves to God whereby we devote our selves wholly to God to be wholly his (e) quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be every way disposed of as he pleaseth (f) 2 Cor. 5.14 15. The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead And that he dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them c. This resignation is like that in the conjugal relation it debars so much as treating with any other it as it were proclaims an irreconcileable hatred to any that would partake of any such love God doth not deal with us as with slaves but takes us into that relation which speaks most delight and happiness and we are never more our own than when we are most absolutely his 5. Adhesion and cleaving unto God in every case and in every condition (g) Psal 63.7 8. in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce my soul followeth hard after thee Methinks we may say of the law concerning (h) Deut. 22.6 birds what the Apostle saith of the law concerning oxen doth God take care of birds for our sakes no doubt 't is written to instruct us against cruelty but may we not learn a further lesson the bird was safe while on her nest our onely safety is with God Now to cleave to God in all conditions not onely when we fly to him as our onely refuge in our pressures but in our highest prosperity and outward happiness when we have many things to take to whence the world expects happiness this is a fruit of great and humble love this demonstrates an undervaluing of the world and a voluntary choosing of God this is somewhat like heavenly love 6. Tears and sighes through desires and joys when the spiritual love-sick soul would in some such but an unexpressable manner breath out it's sorrows and joys into the bosom of God Lord why thus loving to me and why is my heart no more overcome with divine love those that never receiv'd so much from thee love thee more O I am weary of my want of love O I am weary of my distance from God! O I am weary of my unspiritual frame we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life i Here when the heart is ready to dye away through excess of love 2 Cor 5.4 't is passionately complaining of defects Dear Lord what shall I say what shall I do what shall I render O for more endearing communications of Divine love O for more answerable returns of love to God! Thus much of effects as to God The onely effect I shall name as to us is a seeking of heaven and things above with contempt of the world and all worldly excellencies One that loves God thinks he can never do enough in heavenly employments A person that abounds in love to God is too apt to neglect secondary duties which are in their places necessary they are apt to justle out one duty with another e.g. those duties wherein they have most sensible communion with God bear down lesser duties before them whereas could we keep within Scripture-bounds and mind every duty according to it's moment then this is an excellent effect of divine love e. g. to be afraid of worldly enjoyments lest they should steal the heart from God yet at the same time not to dare to omit any worldly duty lest I should prove partial in the work of Christianity To make conscience of the least duties because no sin is little but to be proportionably careful of the greatest duties lest I should prove an hypocrite such a carriage is an excellent effect of divine love this is fruit that none who are not planted near the tree of life can bear Mutual effects are these and such like as these 1. Vnion with God Union is the foundation of communion and communion is the exercise of union The Spirit of God is the immediate efficient cause of this union and faith is the internal instrument on our part but love is the internal instrument both on God's part and ours (k) Eph. 3.17 Christ dwells in our hearts by faith we being rooted and grounded in love This union is most immediately with Christ and through him with the Father and Holy Ghost It is an amazing and comfortable truth that our union with Christ does much resemble the personal union of the two natures in Christ I grant 't is unlike it in more considerations because of the transcendency of the mystery but yet there 's some resemblance e. g. the Humane Nature in Christ is destitute of it's subsistence and personality by it's union with and it's assumption to the divine so the gracious soul hath no kind of denomination but what it hath from its union with Christ It 's gracious being is bound up in its union with Christ Other men can live without Christ but so cannot the gracious soul Again in Christ there 's a communication of properties that is thâ—t which
particular instances wherein we shew love to our selves It shall suffice therefore that we speak of such things as are inducive of many more We shall reduce them to these Four heads 1. Our thoughts of and the judgment we pass upon our selves 2. Our speeches concerning our selves 3. Our desires after that which is good for our selves 4. Our Actual endeavours that it may be well with us 1. Let us consider what thoughts we have of and what judgments we pass upon our selves We do not ordinarily nor ought we at any time to censure our selves with too much rigour and severity We are indeed required 1 Cor. 11.31 again and again to judge our selves and it is our duty to do it strictly and severely yet we ought not without cause Luk. 6.41 42. to judge or condemn our Selves for any thing nor are we very forward so to do Our love to our neighbour should be exercised in this matter if he doth or speaketh any thing that is (n) De sactis mediis quae possunt bono vel malo animo fieri temeratiâ—m est judicaâ—e maximè ut condemâ—emus August 1 Cor. 13.5 Heb. 4.13 1 Cor. 2.11 capable of a double sence and interpretation let us take it as done or spoken in the best sense it is capable of unless the contrary doth manifestly appear by some very convincing circumstances for it is the property of Charity to think no evil We may be much more bold to judge our selves than others we are privy to our own principles from whence our words and actions flow and to our own intentions in all we speak or do But the case is otherwise when we take upon us to judge others their principles and intentions are known only to themselves until they some way or other declare them the heart being the hidden Man is known only to God before whom all things are naked and open and to a mans self What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him Moreover inordinate self-love hath often too great an influence on the judgment we pass upon our selves and the corruption of our wills and affections on the judgment we pass upon other men that we seldom judge aright As he that hath the jaundise be the object never so white judgeth it yellow his eye being ill disposed so the eye of the mind being affected with the corruption of the heart puts another colour upon that which is most candidly spoken or done Were our hearts principled with true love to others we should be as cautious about the judgment which we pass on them as about that we pass upon our selves and there is great reason we should be more from the 〈◊〉 mentioned considerations 2. We shew our love to our selves in and by our speeches concerning our selves and it is our duty so to do As we ought not to pass too severe a judgment on our selves in our own minds so we may not speak that which is false of our selves and it is seldom known that any mans tongue falls foul upon himself Yea our love to our selves is and ought to be such as not to suffer our tongue to blab and send abroad all the evil we certainly know by our selves It is our duty then in the same matter to shew our love to others Our tongue which is apt to speak the best of our selves should not frame it self to speak the worst we can of our Brethren The Apostle chargeth Titus Titus 3.2 to put Christians in mind of this among other duties to speak evil of no man There are several ways and degrees of evil speaking 1. The first and most notorious is when men are spoken against as evil doers for doing that which is their duty to do When they are condemned for that for which they ought to be commended Thus was Jeremiah dealt with in his time when he faithfully declared the mind of God to the people Jer. 18.18 Come say they and let us smite him with the tongue The same lot had John from Diotrephes who prated against him with Malicious words because he had wrote to have the brethren received a work of Christian love and Charity which he had no heart unto To speak evil of others for that which is their duty is a common thing among men and too ordinary among some professors If they be told of a truth or exhorted to a duty that doth not agree with their private opinion and Comport with their carnal interest how do their hearts rise and their mouths begin to open against such as declare it to them We may well conceive that the Apostle Paul observed some such thing in his days when we find him beseeching Christians to suffer the word of exhortation Heb. 13.22 1 Pet. 2.1 and the Apostle Peter also by his charging them in hearing to lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil-speakings 2. A second way of evil speaking and a great sin against love and Charity is when men raise up false reports of others or set them forward when others have maliciously raised them To offend in this kind is a great breach of a Christians good behaviour as the Apostle intimates Titus 2.3 when he saith That they be in behaviour as becometh Holiness (o) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not false accusers It doth not at all become the profession of a Christian whose master is the God of truth to speak that which is false of any man whatsoever And therefore these false accusers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a name which is usually given to the father of lies Joh. 8.44 3. There may be evil speaking in speaking of such evils as others are really guilty of as 1. First when a man doth industriously (p) Facilius est unicuique nostrum aliena curiose inquirere quam propria nostra inspicere search out such things as are evil in others for this very purpose that he may have something to say against them Of this David complains Psal 64. ver 6. They search out iniquities they accomplish a diligent search It is a sign that Malice boils up to a great height in mens hearts when they are so active to find matter against their neighbours Love would rather (q) Qui bene vult vitam peragere neque videre multa neque audire studear Just Martyr De vita Christ ad Zenam Ep. Luke 11.53 not seen or hear of others failings or if it doth and must busieth it self in healing and reforming them to it's power 2. They also are Guilty and more guilty of evil speaking than the former who endeavour to bring others into sin rather than they will want matter against them Thus the malicious Pharisees did their utmost to cause Christ himself had it been possible to offend urging him vehemently and provoking him to speak of many things seeking to catch something out of his mouth that they
irregular and inordinate love to the world for it self in competition with or opposition to the love of the Father as v. 16. Hence it follows neither the things that are in the World 1 Here we are again to take notice of another peculiar Idiom frequent with John both in his Gospel and Epistles namely to reiterate the same thing under different expressions partly by way of Exegesis and partly to give an Emphatick plenitude It might have sufficed that he had said love not the world But the more fully to explicate his mind as also to give an Emphase and Accent to what he had said he adds neither the things that are in the world He contents not himself with Generals but descends to Particulars which he more fully specifies v. 16. 2 By things that are in the world we may in a more strict and confined notion understand those things which worldly men do most magnifie and Idolize Mundane Grandeur Pomp Glory Riches Pleasures Honours Friends whatever else may Captivate the hearts of degenerate men In sum by the world and the things that are in the world must be understood all sensible natural civil yea mental Goods or whatever is inferior to God so far as it may stand in Opposition to or Competition with him and so prove matter of abuse and fuel for Lust as ver 16. It follows If any man love the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If here is causal and rational signifying as much as For or Because if and so it points out and ushers in the main Cause or Reason why we are not to love the world namely because he that Loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him As if he had said Alas are not the World and the Father perfectly opposite Do they not both require the whole Heart yea the whole man as Mat. 6.24 Is it possible then that he who loves the world at such a rate can love the Father Or we may take the words thus If any man Love the world c. i. e. so far as any man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him And in this sense it will reach all both Saints and Sinners Though I take the words chiefly to be understood of predominant love to the world which is altogether inconsistent with love to God Lastly there lies something peculiar in that phrase The Love of the Father is not in him 1 Here we find another Idiom or manner of speech proper to John who frequently makes use of Antitheses and that both of Things Words and Sentences for Illustration and Confirmation whereof many Instances might be given as John 1.5 13 17 20 c. So here he opposeth the Father to the World And then the Love of the Father to the Love of the world which gives great Illustration and Demonstration to his discourse For opposites illustrate and demonstrate each other 2 Another thing to be considered herein is the object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Father Where the Article THE deserves a peculiar regard and so in deed do the various Articles in this text The world the Things c. For albeit these Articles sometimes in other parts of Scripture are not significative or emphatick yet here they seem to give some emphase So that The Father is here mentioned to specifie both the proper Object and Formal Reason of Evangelick Love as distinct from that Natural Love which Adam in Paradise had towards God as Creator First by the Father here is specified the proper object of Evangelick love namely that it must terminate on God as a gracious Father in and through Christ whereas Adam's natural love in Innocence terminated on God only as Creator Secondly by the Father also the formal Reason of Evangelick Love is specified namely that God's love towards us in Christ ought to be the formal reason or proper motive of our love to him 3 As for the Act the love it may be taken either passively and Octjectively for the Father's Love shed abroad in the heart as Rom. 5.5 or else subjectively and actively for our Love to the Father This latter I take to be primarily intended The words thus explicated admit this Logick Division We find in them first a prohibition and then the reason thereof annext In the prohibition we have 1 The Act Love not 2 The Object and this 1 In the General the World 2 In its Particularities neither the things that are in the world The chief whereof are specified v. 16. As for the reason of the prohibition it is wrapped up in an Hypothetick proposition which is easily reduced to a Catagorick Syllogism thus two loves perfectly opposite cannot consist together in one and the same heart but love to the world and love to the Father are perfectly opposite therefore he that loves the world hath not the love of the Father in him What love in its general Idea imports Sect. 2. A general Character of Love The words thus explicated contain in them this great Truth That a prevalent predominant Love to the World is altogether inconsistent with the Love of God Hence also there is offered to us this practick case of Conscience wherein the love of the World is inconsisent with the love of God The resolution of this so weighty a case depends much on the explication of its parts which we shall endeavour to examine and open under these three Questions 1. What Love in its general Idea or nature doth import 2. What it is to Love the world 3. What it is to love God these questions being explicated the resolution of our case will be facile and obvious 1. Quest What Love in its general Idea or Nature doth import this question being more Philosophick than Theologick we shall not much insist thereon But to clear up our way to the following questions we may take up this concise Character or Idea of Love as abstracted from this or that subject Love is the most vigorous potent imperious and soveraign affection of the humane soul which has its Royal seat in the Will or rather in the soul as willing what is Good For albeit I cannot conceive how the Will and Understanding may be really distinguished more than by their formal Objects and Acts yet I can easily grant the soul as willing what is good to be the proper Subject and seat of Love Not but that there is also passion of Love or something analogous to Love in the sensitive soul or Animal part But this is more Passionate that in the humane soul more Rational this more rash that more deliberate this more superficial and transient that more rooted and fixed this more confused and difform that more uniform and equal this more carnal that more spiritual in its objects and motions this more brutish and servile that more humane and voluntary specially if regular Now love thus seated in the will or soul as willing governs the whole soul with all
the faculties or rather Acts thereof As the will governs all inferior faculties so is she governed by her love which renders her what she is as to good or evil What the Love is that the man is and where the love is there the man is If thy love be in Heaven there thou art and if thy love be in Hell thou art there For where the Treasure is there the love heart and man is Math. 6.21 And as Love governs the whole soul in general so has she a more particular influence or the Affections both rational and passionate Love indeed is not only the prime but also the original source and spring of all humane affections which owe their Being Life and Motion thereto What are all Affections but the several forms and shape of Love whence have they their tincture and colour but from it for look a-the object beloved is affected with this or that circumstance so is Love proportionably invested with this or that form If the object beloved be absent love goes forth to meet it by Desire if present love solaceth it self therein by Fruition and Delight if it be under hazards love waxeth pale with Fear if the enjoyment thereof be impeded or obstructed by others Love grows angry if it be lost Love clotheth her self with black sorrow if there be a probability or but possibility sometimes of enjoying it love moves towards it by Hope Thus love puts on sundry forms and Aspects which we call affections according to the sundry postures of its beloved In short look as the wife changeth her condition into that of her husband and becomes noble or ignoble according to his condition so love changeth her condition according to that of the object she doth espouse if love espouse God for her husband then doth she become spiritual Noble and Divine according to the quality of God but if she Elect and adhere to the world then doth she become carnal base and worldly So much for the general Idea of Love of which more in what follows Sect. 3. What it is to love the World 2. Quest What it is to love the World Love to the world may be considered as Predominant and so altogether inconsistent with the very being and existence of love to God or else as infirm and in part subdued We shall here treat of it in the former respect only which seems chiefly intended by John And so love to the world may be described A certain habitual pondus or weight of concupiscence and Lust whereby the soul is strongly impelled and inclined towards the fruition of and satisfaction in the world as its last end and chiefest Good In this description of love to the world we find its Object subject end principle Act and measure which will all fall under a more particular consideration in the following propositions The Object of predominant love to the world 1. Prop. To love the world is to affect some private particular inferiour Good for it self as the chiefest Good and last end This proposition states and specifies the proper formal Object of worldly love which is some private particular inferiour good loved for it self as the chiefest supreme good and last end Now the world may be constituted the chiefest good and last end two ways 1 Positively when it is loved for it self as a total supreme good unto which all things are referred 2 Negatively when though it be loved only as a partial good yet it is loved for it self and not referred to God either actually or habitually as the supreme good Such is the cursed love of many worldly professors who love the world only as a partial good yet so as they refer it not to God the supreme good and therefore may be said to love it for it self as their last end and chiefest good negatively though not positively This love to the world for it self as the last end and chiefest good is fully described by John in the verse following our text 1 John 2.16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but it is of the world These words give much light and evidence to our text and present subject wherefore we shall a little insist on the explication of them And 1 We are to consider their rational connexion with the words precedent included in the particle For which gives us the genuine reason and cause why the love of the world is inconsistent with the Love of God namely because all that is in the world whether sensible Civil or Mental Goods so far as they are the fuel of Lusts are not of the Father but of the world 2 We are to observe here that John discoursing of worldly goods as the fuel of our Lust expresseth the things themselves by the lust in us He saith not Pleasures Riches Honours though these be the things he means but the Lust of these things because the poison and evil of these things comes not from the things themselves but from our lusts that run into and live upon them as our last end and choicest good And in this sense saith John they are not of the Father but of the World i. e. God never made or appointed these inferiour goods to be our last end chiefest Good or matter of fruition and satisfaction no it is the Lusts of worldly men that have put this Crown upon the Heads of Pleasures profits preferments c. Hence it naturally follows that all love to these lower goods for themselves as our Last end and chiefest Good is but Concupiscence or inordinate Lust For indeed what is Lust but desire to or fruition of the Creature for it self 3 We are to consider likewise the Distribution which John here makes of all that is in the world into the Lust of the Flesh the Lust of the eyes and the pride of Life This as they say is the worldly man's Trinity which he doth so much Idolize and Adore (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo in Decalog Philo the Jew who was greatly versed as well in the Grecian as Judaick learning makes all evil to consist in rhe Lust of Pleasures Riches or Glory which seems to answer to John's Distribution here For by the Lust of the flesh is usually understood Pleasures By the Lust of the Eyes Riches and by the Pride of Life Vain Glory or Honours We shall treat concisely of each as the Fuel of Worldly Love 1 To love the world is to Lust after the pleasures of the flesh as our last end or soveraign Good and so amiable for themselves And O! whâ—t a brutish piece of Lust is this And yet Lo how common even among those who would be accounted generous and noble Yea how many great Professors come under this condemnation For by the Lusts of the flesh we must understand all inordinate love to and delight in sensual pleasures of any kind be it in eating
drinking recreations or unclean objects What (b) Laâ—rtius in Empedoc Empedocles said of the Agragantines holds too true of many now adays They give themselves to Luxury as though they would die tomorrow and yet they build houses as if they were to live for ever O! how happy would it be for England if those Sumptuary Laws commended by Plato (c) Plato Repub 3. in his Commonwealth were establisht amongst us for regulating our excesses in feasts Habits Houses and other sensual pleasures O! what seeds and causes of sorrow are there in sensual pleasures How is the Love of sensual Sinners inveigled with the worlds Golden Pleasures Such there were in the Apostles times even in the Churches So Jam. 5.5 Ye have lived in Pleasures i. e. as the Fish liveth in the water Pleasures have been your Element the food of your sensual life your hearts have been steeped immersed drowned in them as the spring of your life and happiness Thence it follows Ye have nourished your hearts as in the day of slaughter Or we may by a metonomie read it as in the day of Feasting So the Syriack 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred And so it alludes to the Solemn Feasts after Sacrifices so common among the (d) See court of the Gent. part 1. Book 2. c. 9. Sect. 10. Gentiles as well as Jews Their great days both of slaughter and Feasting For when the sacrifice was slain and offered they Feasted on part thereby to denote their communion with the God they sacrificed unto And so the sense is this you nourish your sensual Appetites daily with Feasting as those that feast on part of the Sacrifice in the day of slaughter O! how much doth this pampering of the flesh tend to the starving of the soul And what is this but to make pleasures our God So Phil. 3.19 whose belly is their God and 2 Tim. 3.4 lovers of pleasures more than of God Which refers to sensual professors in these last perillous days Unto which also our Lord seems to refer Matth. 24.38 39. 2 To love the world is to lust after Riches for themselves as our Last end and choicest Good This John includes under the Lust of the Eyes which is well interpreted by that Character which Solomon gives of the avaricious man Eccle. 4.8 neither is his eye satisfied with Riches O! how greedy is the covetous man's eye after gold and silver and other Riches and what Complacence doth he take in the view thereof It 's true Riches do not immediately affect or pamper the flesh yet are they the Caterers of the flesh they lay in provision for it For money is the measure of all things And albeit Riches are remote as to the flesh yet are they the proper object of the eyes lusting which takes in things remote 3 To love the World is to lust after or pride our selves in any worldly Grandeur or Finite Excellencc as our Last end and best good So much the pride of life denotes Aristoteles Rhet. l. 2. describeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When any boast what they have and rashly promise great things of themselves arrogating to themselves the deeds of others For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily signifies a vain gloriation or boasting of having or doing great things from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Boaster which Grammarians derive from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wandring and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liver Such as your Mountebanks and Vagabonds are who go from place to place boasting what great things they can do It here signifies a vain-glorious affecting or assuming to our selves some created excellence as the chief matter of our happiness This is the great lust of more elevated refined generous Spirits who peradventure scorn to defile themselves with sensual pleasures or Riches yet are not without violent and impetuous lustings after some worldly Grandeur or humane Excellence Under this pride of life we may comprehend also the mind's lusting after Knowledge or any other Mental perfection for it self as our last end Jans August Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 8. fol. 132. which is the grand lust of Philosophers School-men and other great wits of the world This Jansenius rangeth under the former particular the lust of the eye 2. Prop. Predominant Love to the world in regard of its subject consists in an habitual pondus weight or violent Bent of heart toward some inferior good for it self Look as in nature there is a Centre of Gravity unto which all ponderous weighty bodies by their Gravity and weight naturally tend So in corrupt Nature Love to the world or Concupiscence is that lustful Pondus or weight whereby the heart is violently impelled and inclined towards the world as its centre of Gravity This seems lively exprest Hebr. 12.1 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us This verse with the three following are wholly agonistick alluding to the Grecian games as it appears by the several terms They who ran in the race were to lay aside every thing that might burden or hinder them therein Thence saith the Apostle let us lay aside every weight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies a ponderous weighty gross heavy body and it is here applied as (e) Grotius and Hammond out of him the learned conceive to the love of the world which as a great pondus or weight presseth down the heart towards the earth as its centre of gravity and so hinders its Christian race heaven-ward O! what an infinite weight is love to this dirty world with what an impetuous and violent force doth it press the heart downward even unto Hell this also is well expressed by a Bent Hos 11.7 And my people are bent to back-bsliding from me i. e. Their heart stands strongly bent towards their beloved Idols and worldly allies Their hearts were in suspence as to God so the word signifies but strongly bent towards the world How doth the voluptuous man's heart stand bent towards his pleasures the avaricious man's heart towards his riches the ambitious man's heart towards his honors as his God this bent of the heart towards the world discovers it self in an insatiable infinite thirst after worldly good for it self This we find greatly exemplified in profane Esau Hebr. 12.16 Or profane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birth-right What birthright was it that Esau sold why it was his birth-right to the promised land Canaan in the type but Heaven in the Antitype And for what did he sell Canaan and Heaven for a morsel of meat or a poor sensible pleasure which his greedy lust thirsted after You find the story at large Gen. 25.30.34 v. 30. And Esau said unto Jacob feed me I pray thee with that same red potage It is in the original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that red that red namely potage note here that the repetition of
on us is to shew wherein predominant Love to the world is inconsistent with the Love of God 1. Prop. Predominant love to the world is contrary to and therefore inconsistent with the love of God This seems evidently implied in our text If any man love the world c. John brings this as a reason of his prohibition namely that predominant love to the world and love to God are perfectly opposite and therefore by the rule of contraries incoherent and inconsistent The like Mat. 6.24 No man can serve two Masters For either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other Ye cannot serve God and Mammon These words are a good Comment on our text and clearly demonstrate the Inconsistence of Love to the world with the Love of God I shall therefore a little insist on them The design of our Lord here is the same with that of John in our text namely to take off professors from inordinate predominant love to the world and bring them to a Divine Affection unto and living on God as their portion and treasure as v. 19 20 21 22 23. And v. 24. he shews the inconsistence of love to the world with love to God in that the world and God are contrary Lords who require each the whole heart and man This will more fully appear if we examine the particulars He saith No man can serve It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 serve (q) Intelligendum est hoc proveâ—bium de Dâ—minis Solidum quomodo Juris consâ—lri dicunt non posse duos esse Dominos ejusdem rei Grot. Now to serve another according to the laws and customs of those times and Nations was to have no power or right to dispose of himself or any thing that belonged to him but to live and depend merely on the Pleasure of his Master Such a service could not be given to God and the world Why 1 Because they are two Masters i. e. in Solidum each of which require the whole heart and man 1 Because they are two (r) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost contrary Masters which commands us to esteem love and endeavour after worldly treasures more than heavenly God commands us to esteem love and endeavour after heavenly treasures more than earthly The world commands you to engage no farther in matters of Religion than may consist with its Interest But Christ commands you to part with all worldly Interest for himself The world commands you to take your fill of the creature to suck out the sweets thereof and feed your hearts therewith But Christ commands you to use this world as if you used it not 1 Cor. 7.31 to affect an universal privation of these lower goods even whilst you enjoy them to give perishing things perishing thoughts esteem and desires to bid farewell to all things so far as they are a snare to you or a sacrifice that God calls for Again the world commands you to endeavour the greatning of your names and reputation But Christ commands you to glory in nothing but his Cross to account abasement for Christ your greatest Honour Lastly the world commandeth you not to be scrupulous about small sins but to take your liberry and latitude But Christ commandeth you to dread the least sin more than the greatest suffering Now how contrary and Inconsistent are these Masters in their Commands Is it possible then that we should be Masters of such contrary Loves O! how doth love to the world eat out love to God 2 Predominant Love to the world is inconsistent with the Love of God in that it robs God of that Love and Honour which is due to him as the Soveraign Chiefest Good according to what measure the heart turns to the world and its concerns in the same measure it turns from God and his concerns When the heart is full of the world how soon is all sense of and love to God choaked how is the Mind bemisted an Will charmed with the painted heart-bewitching shadows of the World This was Israel's Case Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty vine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Expositors have variety of Conceptions on these words but the most simple sense seems this Israel is (Å¿) vitis evacuans an evacuant luxuriant Vine which seems to bring forth such abundance of fruit as if she would empty her self of all her juice and fruits at once so richly laden with fruit doth she seem to be Ay but what fruit is it Surely fruit unto her self rotten corrupt fruit her heart and love is not bestowed on God but on her Idols So it follows v. 2. Their heart is divided i. e. This beloved Idol hath one part that another and thus God is robbed of that esteem and love which is due to him 3 Love to the World breeds Confidence in the World whereby the heart is turned off from its Dependence on God as its first cause And O! how inconsistent is this with the love of God God as he is our Last End in point of Fruition so also our first principle or Cause in point of Dependence Now love to the world turns the heart from God to the World not only as the last end but also as the First Cause They that love the world cast the weight of their souls and chiefest concerns on the World and so bid Adieu to God This Confidence in worldly things is inconsistent with Salvation and so with the Love of God as Mark 10.24 How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God This Rhetorick Interrogation implies a Logick negation namely that it is impossible for one that in a prevalent degree trusteth in his riches to enter into the Kingdom of God So Psal 52.7 Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned or fortified himself in his wickedness or substance The like Prov. 11.28 Ezek. 16.15 1 Tim. 6.17 4 Love to the world is flat idolatry and herein also inconsistent with the Love of God So Eph. 5.5 nor Covetous man who is an Idolater The same Col. 3.5 and covetousness which is idolatry Covetousness is in a peculiar manner branded with this black mark of Idolatry in that it doth expresly proclaim a love to the world as its last end and confidence in it as its first cause So Paul saith of voluptuous persons that they make their belly their God Phil. 3.19 because they love pleasures more than God 2 Tim. 3.4 And indeed every lover of the world is a God-maker so many lusts as men have so many Gods The lust of the flesh makes pleasures its God the lust of the eye worships Riches as its God and the lust of pride exalts some created excellence in the place of God O! how do worldlings lose the true God in the croud of false Gods 5
Love to the world is spiritual Adultery and thence incoherent with the Love of God The jealousie of God will not admit of any corrival in the bent of the heart but Oh! how doth love to this world run a whoring after other Lovers so Ezek. 16.17 18 38. and 23.5 11. and Aholah played the harlot when she mas mine c. The like James 4.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not that the friendsh p of the world is enmity with God Which implies that love to and friendship with this whorish world is spiritual Adultery and so hatred against God O! how soon are those that love the world killed by its adulterous imbraces hence 6 Love to the world is a deliberate contrived lust and so habitual enmity and rebellion against God Acts of lust which arise from suddain passions though violent may consist with the love of God but a deliberate Bent of heart towards the world as our supreme interest cannot The single act of a gross sin arising from some prevalent Temptation speaketh not such an inveterate bitter root of enmity against God as predominant love to the world James 4.4 whosoever therefore will be the friend of the world is the enemy of God Oh! how much of contempt rebellion and enmity against God is there in friendship and love to the world 7 Love to the world forms our profession into a subservience unto our worldly interest and so makes Religion to stoop unto yea truckle under lust Now what can be more inconsistent with the Love of God than this This was the case of the carnal Jews Ezech. 33.31 With their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness They shew much love in profession but O how little have they of sincere affection and why because their avaricious hearts made the whole of their profession to conform to their worldly interest Thus also it was with unbelieving Jews in our Lords time John 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you I know you There lies a great emphase in that you you who profess so much and yet have so little love in you They had much love to God in their mouth but none in their heart this appeareth by v. 43 44. where our Lord tells them in plain terms that their worldly honour and interest was the only measure of their profession This also was the measure of Judas's Religion John 12.5 6. where he pretends much love to the poor but really intends nothing but the gratifying his avaricious humor The like Hos 10.11 Ephraim loveth to tread out the Corn c. because there was profit liberty and pleasure in that but Ephaim loved not plowing work because that brought her under a yoke and brought in no advantage to her Love to the world brings us under subjection to it and so takes us off from the service of God What we inordinately love and cleave unto we are soon overcome by Now subjection to the world and subjection to God are inconsistent Mat. 6.24 8 Love to the world is the root of all sin and therefore what more inconsistent with the love of God To love God is to hate evil Psal 97.10 therefore to love evil either in the cause or effect is to hate God Now love to the world has not only a love for but also a causal influence on all sin And that 1 As it exposeth men to the violent incursion and assaults of every tentation so 1 Tim. 6.9 But they that will be rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that have their wills biassed with a violent bent or vehement weight of carnal love towards riches This Solomon expresseth Prov. 28.22 By hasting to be rich What befalls such why saith Paul such fall into tentation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition and destruction and then he gives the reason and cause of it v. 10. For the love of money is the root of all evil c. i. e. There is no sin but may call the love of money Father whence Philo calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Metropolis of evil 2 Love to the world is the cause of all sin in that it blinds and darkens the mind which opens the door to all sin It is an observation of the prudent moralist (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch that every lover is blind about that he loves which he himself interprets of love to lower goods And oh how true is this of those that love the world what a black veil of darkness is there on their minds as to what they love hence Paul calls such mens love 1 Tim. 6.9 foolish lusts They are indeed foolish not only eventually but causally as they make men fools and sots 3 Love to the world stifles all convictions breaks all chains and bars of restraining grace and so opens a more effectual door to all sin We find a prodigious example hereof in Balaam Numb 22.22 40. where you see at large how his predominant love to the wages of unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2.15 stifled all those powerful convictions of and resolutions against sin he lay under 4 Love to the world is the disease and death of the soul and therefore the life of sin 1 Tim. 5.6 she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth 5 Love to the world (u) Amor est quidam ingressus animi in rem amatam quae si fuerit ipso amante ignobilior polluit Dignitatem ejus Jansen August pollutes our whole Being Animal passions defile the soul inordinate lustings after things lawful pollute the most of professors more or less 6 Love to the world puts the whole soul yea world into Wars Confusion and Disorders so James 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your Members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of your pleasures i. e. by a Metonymie from your lusts after pleasures and superfluous things that war in your members Hence note that all extern wars and confusions come from the wars and confusions of intern lust in the heart Now all intern wars and disorders are inconsistent with the love of God which is peaceable and orderly In these regards love to the world impedes and hinders the love of God 9 Love to the world is inconsistent with the love of God in that it causeth Apostasie from God The Conversion of the heart to the Creature always implies its Aversion from God He that cannot part with the World will soon part with God The world draws Men from God at Pleasure because it doth engross your best Time Thoughts Affections and Strength in its service How many professors by being bewitched with love to the World have lost many hopeful blossomes and beginnings of love to God How little do Spiritual Suavities savour with Carnal Hearts Yea do not the Flesh-pleasing sweets of this World make all
to be worshipped that the soul is immortal that there is a state of bliss in another world that righteousness is the way to that bliss Now as there are but two righteousnesses the righteousness of Christ of which the whole Creation is silent and nature altogether ignorant and Angels knew it not until it was revealed to them and a mans own righteousness So there are but two Religions in the world sc Christianity and nature Call Religions by what names you list Judaism Turcism Paganism Popery common Protestantism 't is still but nature The Sea hath many names from the Countries and shores but still it is the same Sea These two righteousnesses cannot be mixt in the business of justification in the sight of God If it be of Christ as the Scripture faith it is no more of works if it be of works as nature saith it is no more of Christ we cannot be justified in his sight partly by the righteousness of Christ's obedience and partly by our own The Law is not of Faith Gal. 3.13 as many as are of the works are under the curse v. 10. the just shall live by faith ergo not by law This is Paul's Logick v. 11. A man cannot be Son of two mothers Gal. 4. lat end Cast out the bond-woman and her Son for the Son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the Son of the free-woman And a woman cannot be wife to two husbands together Rom. 7.4 There is but one strait gate Matth. 7.13 one door Joh. 10.9 one way Joh. 14.5 one name Acts 4.12 Paul is the most lively instance in this great case while he was alive to the Law he was dead to Christ and when he was alive to Christ he was dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 dead to the Law as a rule of righteousness and alive to the Law as a rule of obedience dead to the Law in point of dependance and alive to the Law in point of love and practice his Christianity did ennoble and heighten his morality he was just and sober and temperate blameless while he was a Pharisee but when he was a believer he did the same things from a noble principle in a spiritual manner for the right ends before he did act from himself for himself now from Christ and for Christ The deduction from hence is this If we would live in true comfort we must be true Christians A man may be a Protestant yet not a Christian indeed a man may be blameless and Christless and by consequence Godless Remember the parable of the foolish Virgins they were not harlots profane but Virgins they were not persecutors or blasphemers or malicious but foolish i. e. supine careless negligent they had lamps in their hands but no oyl in their hearts the parable of the builders the sandy believers of the Kings supper the man that had not on a wedding garment Indeed most of the preaching of the Lord Jesus tends this way and these parables live to this day and as much at this day Let us look to our selves the oyl of Faith and comfort go together the oyl of holiness and the oyl of gladness true Christians are anointed with both Consider the man that wanted the wedding robe was not discerned by any at the table the Lord espied him quickly who would have thought such a professor should go to hell bind him hand and foot he did pretend to Christ and it was but a pretence I may dispute for preach up Christ's righteousness active and passive and the imputation thereof according to the Scripture and the judgement of the best learned that ever the Churches have had and yet I may go about to establish mine own I may lift up Christ to you and pull him down in mine own heart The sum is this Nullum bonum sine summo bono Austin I will expound it thus No good work without God no God without Christ no Christ without heart-Faith no Faith without love no love without obedience no such obedience without comfort Doct. more or less This brings me to the Doctrine It is the property and practice of believers to love the Lord Jesus and to rejoyce in him and in the hope of eternal life by him 1. First It is their property they and all they and always and none but they there is no man in the world that loves God and the Redeemer Jesus but a believer the Philosophers were haters of God Rom. 1.30 the Gentiles and their wise men for it is plain that the Apostle speaks of them not of the Gnosticks that is an idle conceit and I am bound to believe Paul's Characters of the Gentiles and their Philosophers before Diogenes Laertius Plutarch or any man else the Jews hated Jesus Christ John 15.24 the world hated him John 7.7 Luke 19.14 All Gospel-Atheism said that incomparable Dr. Twisse is against Jesus Christ So for joy there 's never a joyful man alive but a believer Will you say that men take pleasure in their sins why that is the Devil's joy or that they rejoyce in full barns and bags that is the Fool 's joy or that they rejoyce in wine i. e. all dainties that gratifie the palate that is a Bedlam joy I have said of mirth thou art mad Read and believe Eccles 2.3 indeed from the first v. to the 11. The whole book but especially that Chapter is the divinest Philosophy that ever was or will be 2. 'T is their practice they love the Lord Jesus in incorruption or sincerity Eph. 6. last The Church i. e. Believers joyntly and singly say of Jesus that he it is whom their soul loves Cant. 1.7 in the 3. chap. the 4 first ver we have it four times and none but that I sought him whom my soul loveth v. 1. I will arise and seek him whom my soul loveth v. 2. I said to the watchmen saw ye him whom my soul loveth v. 3. after a little while I found him whom my soul loveth v. 4. here is no supernumerary repetition every believer's soul bears a part in this divine song so for joy that is their practice too we have no confidence in the flesh but rejoyce in Christ Jesus which joy in him did plainly flow out of their confidence of an interest in him Phil. 3.3 as sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.9 we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 and we rejoyce in God by Jesus Christ v. 11. with many more Texts to the same purpose there need no more only observe 't is we rejoyce 't is not only Paul or the Apostles but the Philippians Romans and so all believers we rejoyce I shall speak something 1. For the explication of the Doctrine 2. For the vindication of the truth 3. For the resolution of the case 1. For explication these two affections Love and Joy will be best described by their properties objects causes Love is the return of an holy affection to Jesus Christ with desires after
him and delight in him whose properties are these 1. 'T is a soveraign love he it is whom the soul loveth as before out of the Canticles chap. 1.7 a transcendent love arising out of some due apprehension of his own excellency and those most inestimable benefits procured by him he is the standard-bearer amongst ten thousand Cant. 4.10 as the apple-tree for shade and fruit to the weary travellers above all the trees of the forrest Cant. 2.3 Saints and Angels are but shrubs and fruitless things to him they have fruit for themselves from him but none for us 2. It is unsatisfiable with any thing besides him love is a restless affection therefore compared to the grave and death Cant. 8.6 7. amor semper quaerit nova it cannot say I have enough till it be terminated on Jesus Christ and God by him 3. 'T is ardent and therefore it is compared to coals of fire in the Text Cant. 8. it is not a flat and faint thing but it warms and enlarges the heart 4. 'T is very chast 't is not to be frighted away by the troubles and affrightments of the world neither is it to be bribed off by the blandishments and allurements of it many waters cannot quench it and if any would offer all the substance of his house to corrupt it to withdraw it it would be utterly contemned ibid. 5. And chiefly it is obediential what would not a man do or suffer for such a Saviour for such a Salvation as from sin and hell and such a Salvation as into grace and eternal glory it is the fulfilling of the law Rom. 13.10 A man that loves the Lord Jesus would fulfil every one of his commands the law of his God is in his heart Psal 37.31 and his heart is to the law there is a kind of perfection secundum intentionem and he goes on gradually quoad perfectionem Love makes the yoke easie his commands are not grievous i. e. They are precious Oh how I love thy Law says David Psal 119.97 I delight in the Law of God in my inner man saith Paul Rom. 7.22 Try your selves by this compare your selves with that of Christ in his farewel Sermon Joh. 14.15 21 23. withal remember and dread that Text 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus i. e. malign him oppose him let him be accursed till the Lord comes 2. The object of this love we have it in the Text viz. the Lord Jesus and all of him he is altogether lovely A believer loves him as King loves his Laws and institutions and none but his loves him as Priest in the holiness of his nature and life in the suffering of his soul and death how precious is Jesus 1 Pet. 2.7 loves him as a Prophet revealing the mystery of Salvation the glorious mystery of the Gospel hidden from generations hidden from the wise and prudent Believers love him most intimately as a King for holiness as a Priest for righteousness and as a Prophet for wisdom Lust like the harlot divides him but love like the true mother will have him whole as well holiness to save from sin as righteousness to save from hell 3. The cause of it is the blessed Spirit the fruit of the Spirit is love Gal. 5.22 The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart and cause thee to love the Lord thy God Deut. 30.6 Alas 't is not in corrupt nature the wisdom of the flesh the best in that hedge is enmity not a bare enemy but enmity against God 't is not subject i. e. ordinarily regularly subject to his Law neither can be there is a remotio actus and posse too 't is a divine work The other holy affection is joy in the Text we have the properties of it First 'T is unspeakable the joy of harvest rich spoils great treasures when they are right i. e. when they are derived from God by Jesus Christ they have their weight but what are these to the joy of a pardon to a trembling and condemned man and what is this to the joy in Christ to a man that understands and is sensible what damnation is what hell is what eternity is the highness the sweetness the revivement is indeed ineffable no man that feels it can find words fully to express it 2. 'T is full of glory i. e. say some a stander by cannot judge of it That is true but is too short 't is initium vitae aeternae 't is glorificatum gaudium 't is a part of heaven Austin seems to think that is too much our present comfort saith he is rather Solatium praesentis miseriae than gaudium futurae beatitudinis rather a collation or refreshment upon our journey than a set meal at our journeys end What if we should take the word here glorious for strong full of glory full of divine power a holy joy an heart-enlargeing joy strong to do and strong to die certainly sin is never more odious the heart is never more soft the commandements never more precious the World never more regardless Jesus never more glorious than when we humbly rejoyce in the sense of God's love by Jesus Christ through the witness of the blessed Spirit If our comforts be not heart-enlarging to love and duty they may be suspected for unsound I will add one property viz. The joy of Believers is soul-satisfying joy it fills the heart and every chink of it it is abundantly nay victoriously satisfying the Soul of it self without praying in the help of the Creatures Light all the candles in the world and they will not cannot make it day let the Sun arise and that will do it without their help Read Hab. 3. the latter end in our phrase our manner of speech it is this if no bread in the cupboard nor money in the purse nor Friend to help yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and glory in the God of my salvation The Object of this Joy is present interest in Jesus and a lively hope of Glory or Glory hoped for the cause efficient is the blessed Spirit joy in the Holy Ghost i. e. by him the inward instrument is Faith Faith special or Assurance Christ loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 The outward instrument is the Gospel the Angel called it Tydings of great joy I pray you try again where is your joy whence doth it arise upon what is it fixed of what kind is it what is the power of it joy is natural and pleasing every man seeks it many there be that say who will shew us any good they are for sensible palpable good Corn Wine or Oyl Riches Honours here they think to find joy and comfort Alas they seek the living among the dead they suck an empty breast David had all this but he sought far higher he was of a more noble and heavenly temper lift up the light of thy countenance cause thy face to shine upon thy Servant that will put gladness into my
Saints but 't is by the permission of the universal Soveraign who hath the hearts of all in his hands and suffers their rage for holy ends The enemy designes against their Faith but God's aim is to make them change their lives Now if either through strong fears or the stinging sense of troubles upon the account of Religion our Courage fails we are presently in danger of falling away and denying our Master The faint-hearted person is usually false-hearted and for want of resolution being frighted out of his Conscience and duty chooses sin rather than suffering and thereby justly deprives himself of the Crown of life that is promised only to those who are Faithful unto the death Besides not only the loss of heaven but the torments of hell are threaten'd against those who withdraw from the service of God to avoid temporal evils Rev. 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving are in the front of those that shall have part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death Now what folly is it when two evils are propounded to choose the greatest that is eternal death rather than temporal and of two goods to prefer the less a short life with its Conveniencies on earth before that which is eternally glorious in heaven By which it appears how much it concerns us to fortifie and fix our minds by a stedfast belief of God's supporting presence with us in all troubles and of his gracious promise that in due time we shall reap if we faint not in well-doing 2. They are incapable of the Comforts proper to an afflicted state Those arise from the apprehension that God loves whom he chastens Rev. 3. for the least sin is a greater evil than the greatest trouble and his design is to take that away and from the expectation of a happy issue Hope is the anchor within the vail that in the midst of storms and the roughest seas preserves from shipwrack The character of Christians is Rom. 12.12 that they are rejoycing in hope But when the afflicted are under fearful impressions that God is an irreconcileable enemy and sadly conclude their miseries are past redress those divine Comforts that are able to sweeten the most bitter sufferings to believers are of no efficacy their deep sorrows are not like the pains of a travelling woman that end in a joyful birth but the killing tortures of the stone that are fruitless to the patient An obstinate grief and rejecting the Consolations of God is the beginning of sorrows the first payment of that sad arrear of mourning that shall be exacted in another world The Use shall be to excite us to those duties that are directly contrary to the extremes forbidden viz. to demean our selves under the chastenings of the Lord with a deep reverence and humble fear of his displeasure and with a firm hope and dependance upon him for a blessed issue upon our complying with his holy Will 1. With a humble reverence of his hand This temper is absolutely necessary and most congruous with respect to God upon the account of his Soveraignty Justice and Goodness declar'd in his chastenings and with respect to our frailty our dependance upon him our obnoxiousness to his Law and our obligations to him that he will please to afflict us for our good This is the reason of that expostulation Will the Lion roar in the forrest when he hath no prey Shall God's threatenings and judgments have no effect Who ever hardened himself against him and prospered Amos 3.4 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousie the most sensible and severe attribute when it is incens'd Are we stronger than he Can we encounter offended Omnipotency Can we with an army of lusts oppose myriads of mighty Angels 'T is not courage but such a prodigious degree of folly and fury that one would think 't were impossible a reasonable creature were capable of it Yet every sinner unreformed by afflictions is thus desperate Job 15.25 26 He stretches out his hand against God and strengthens himself against the Almighty he runneth upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers Such a furious rebel was Ahaz who in the time of his distress did trespass more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz But God hath most solemnly declared that he will be victorious at last over the most fierce obdurate enemies 2 Chron. 28. As I live saith the Lord every knee shall bow to me His power is infinite and anger puts an edge upon his power and makes it more terrible If our subjection be not voluntary it must be violent 'T is our wisdom to prevent acts of vengeance by humble submissions The duty of the afflicted is excellently exprest by Elihu Job 34.31 32 Surely it is meet to be said to God I have born chastisements I will not offend any more that I know not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do so no more Add further upon another account reverence is due to God's chastenings for when love is the motive that incites one to give us counsel though it be mixt with reproofs and his prudence is not great yet a respect is due to the affection Now God who is only wise chastises men from a desire to make them better and happy he intends primarily to refine not to consume them by afflictions so that a serious regard to his hand is the most just and necessary duty of the creature Briefly every chastisement should leave deep and permanent impressions upon us the sense of God's displeasure should make our hearts mournful and mollified broken and contrite that his will may be done by us on earth as 't is in heaven 2. Let us alway preserve an humble dependance and firm hope on God for a blessed issue out of all our troubles The support and tranquillity of the soul ariseth from hence Christian patience suffers all things as well as charity being encouraged by a continual expectation of good from him Patience confirms all other graces and is to the whole armour of God what the temper is to material weapons that keeps them from breaking in the combat Now to maintain a constant hope in affliction 't is necessary to consider the reason of the Exhortation as 't is admirably amplified by the Apostle 1. The relation God sustains when he afflicts believers He is a Judge invested with the quality of a Father The Covenant of grace between God and Jesus Christ our true David contains this observable cause If thy children forsake my law and walk not in my judgments if they break my statutes Psal 89.30 31 32. and keep not my commandements then will I visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes The love that ariseth from this relation though it cannot hate yet it may be displeased and chastise them for their follies Moses tells the Israelites Thou shalt consider in thy heart Deut. 8.5 that as
a man chastens his son so the Lord thy God chastens thee In children reason is not fully disclouded they are not capable to govern themselves and are only taught with sensible pleasure or pain so that a father is obliged to joyn correction with instruction to form them to vertue This is so far from being inconsistent with paternal affection that 't is inseparable from it For a parent to suffer a child to go on pleasantly in sin without due punishment is pure cruelty disguised under the mask of pity for by the neglect of discipline he is confirm'd in his vicious courses and exposed to ruine The Apostle therefore adds Whom the Lord loves he chastens As from the severest wrath he sometimes forbeareth to strike so from dearest love he afflicts Humble believers through a cloud of tears may see the light of God's countenance for having elected them by special love to a glorious inheritance above he dispenseth all things here in order to the preparing them for it and all temporal evils as means are transform'd into the nature of the end to which they are subservient So that the sharpest sufferings are really from God's favour since they are beneficial for our obtaining real hapâ—iness The devil usually tempts men in a paradise of delights to precipitate them into hell God tryes them in the furnace of afflictions to purifie and prepare them for heaven 2. 'T is a strong cordial against fainting to consider that by vertue of the paternal relation He scourges every son whom he receives for no troubles are more afflictive and stinging than those that are unexpected Now when we are assured that there is no son whom the heavenly father doth not chasten we are less surpriz'd and less troubled when we meet with crosses Indeed there is hardly any kind of affliction that may befal us but we have some instance in Scripture of the Saints suffering the same Are we poor and mean in the world we should consider that poverty with holiness is a divine complexion Jesus Christ the holy and beloved Son of God had not where to lay his head Are we under bodily distempers good Hezekiah was struck with an uncomfortable disease as to the quality of it and Gaius had a flourishing soul in a languishing body Are our dear relations taken away Aaron and David lost some of their sons by terrible strokes Are our spirits wounded with the sense of God's displeasure Job and Heman were under strong terrors yet the favourites of heaven Briefly how many most dear to God were called forth to extreme and bloody tryals for the defence of the truth How many deaths did they endure in one torment How many torments in one death Yet they were so far from fainting that the more their pains were exasperated the more their courage and joy was shining and conspicuous as the face of the heavens is never more serene and clear than when the sharpest north-wind blows 'T is the Apostle's inference Seeing we are compassed with such a cloud of witnesses let us run with patience the race that is set before us Vers 8 This is further inforced by the following words If ye be without chastening whereof all are partakers then are you bastards and not sons If God doth not vouchsafe us the mercy of his rod 't is evident we are not part of his fatherly care The bramble is neglected while the vine is cut till it bleeds 'T is a miserable priviledge to be exempted from divine discipline and by ease and prosperity to be corrupted and made fit for destruction Saint Austin represents one expostulating with God O Deus ista est justitia tua ut mali floreant boni laborent In Psal 25. O God is it righteous with thee that the wicked should prosper and the good suffer Dicis Deo ista est justitia tua Deus tibi ista est fides tua haec enim tibi promisi ad hoc Christianus facius es ut in seculo isto floreres in inferno postea torquereris God replyes to him is this your faith did I promise you temporal prosperity were you a Christian for this that you might flourish in this world and be miserably tormented in hell Vers 9 3. The Apostle represents the special prerogative of God as the Father of Spirits and so hath a nearer claim to us than the fathers of our flesh and that he is not liable to those imperfections that attend the earthly relations They for a few dayes chastened us for their own pleasure humane love is a troubled irregular passion mixt with ignorance and prone to errour in the excess or defect Sometimes parents are indulgent and by a cruel compassion spare their children when they are faulty sometimes they correct without cause sometimes when the reason is just yet they err in the manner or measure of the correction so that their children are discouraged But in God there is a perfect union of wisdom and love of discretion and tenderness his affection is without the least imperfection his will is alwayes guided by infinite wisdom If his children offend he will chastise them with the rod of men that is moderately 2 Sam. 7.14 For as in Scripture things are magnified by the Epithet divine or of God so they are lessened by the Epithet humane accordingly the Apostle declares to the Corinthians that no temptation had befallen them but what was common to man 1 Cor. 10.13 but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it As a prudent Physitian consults the strength of the patient as well as the quality of the disease and proportions his medicine so all the bitter ingredients their mixture and measure are dispenc'd by the wise prescription of God according to the degrees of strength that are in his people 4. The Apostle specifies the immediate end of God in his chastenings But he for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness This is the supreme excellency of the divine nature and our conformity to it is so valuable that it renders afflictions not only tolerable but so far desirable as they contribute to it In the present state our graces are imperfect and our conformity to the divine purity is like the resemblance of the Sun in a watery cloud very much beneath the perfection and radiation of that great light Now God is pleased to fashion us according to his image by afflictions as a statue is cut by the Artificer to bring it into a beautiful form He is pleased to bring us into divers temptations to try our faith to work in us patience to inflame our prayers to mortifie our carnal desires to break those voluntary bands whereby we are fettered to the earth that we may live with those afflictions wherewith others die And certainly if we make a true
judgment of things we have not the least cause to suspect the love of God when he chastises us to take away sin the only abominable object of his hatred and deep detestation and to render us partakers of the divine nature And the present peaceable fruit of righteousness is the product in those who are duly exercised by their troubles It is an allusion to the reward of the conquerers in the Olympick games who had a crown of Olives the embleme and shadow of peace But true peace a divine calm in the conscience shall be the recompence of all that exercise the graces suitable to an afflicted state In short the Apostle assures Believers 1 Cor. 11.32 that they are chastened of the Lord to prevent their condemnation with the world 'T is this rod truely delivers them from hell 't is this consideration that changes thorns into roses and extracts honey out of worm-wood If the way be stony or flowry that leads to blessedness a Christian should willingly walk in it To conclude from the consideration of what the Scripture declares concerning temporal evils Let us lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for our feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed i. e. in our affliction let us take courage and resolution from the promises and live in a holy conformity to God's will that the weak or faint may be restored The first and last â—â—sson of Pagan Philosophy was to support men under the storms to which 〈◊〉 are liable in this open state to render the soul velut pelagi rupes imâ—â—â—â— â—s a rock unshaken by the waves But all their directions were unsuccessful and so could not secure them from impatience or despair but the Gospel that assures us of the love of God in sending afflictions for our spiritual and eternal good is alone able to compose the mind And when ever we faint in troubles 't is either from infidelity or inconsideration 'T is impossible a person should be a Christian and be incapable of comfort in the most afflicted state for we are really so by the holy Spirit who is the Comforter When we speak sometimes to those we judge infirm we speak to Infidels who only receive remedy from time which they ought to receive from Faith they have the Name of God only in their mouths but the world is in their hearts their passions are strong and obstinate not subject to sanctified reason the difficulty they have of being comforted discovers the necessity of their being afflicted they need conversion more than consolation Others who are sincere in the Faith yet are apt to faint under troubles from an errour like that of the Apostles when their Lord came upon the waters in a stormy tempestuous night to their assistance they though he was a spirit so they look on God as an enemy when he comes to sanctifie and save them The soveraign remedy of our sorrows is to correct the judgment of sense by a serious belief of God's promise thus we shall reconcile the roughness of his hand with the sweetness of his voice He calls to us from heaven in the darkest night 't is I be not afraid he corrects us with the heart and hand of a Father A due consideration of these things will produce a glorified joy in the midst of our sufferings Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope How we may bring our Hearts to bear Reproofs Serm. XXVIII Psal 141.5 Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him Reprove me it shall be an excellent Oyl which shall not break my Head for yet my Prayer also shall be in their Calamities IT is generally agreed by Expositors that this Psalm as that foregoing with two of those that follow were composed by David in the Time of his Banishment or slight from the Court of Saul The state wherein he describeth himself to have been the matter of his Pleas and Prayers contained in them with sundry express circumstances regarding that season and his condition therein do manifest that to have been the time of their composure That the Psalmist was now in some distress whereof he was deeply sensible is evident from that vehemency of his spirit which he expresseth in the reiteration of his request or Supplication v. 1. And by his desire that his Prayer might come before the Lord as Incense and the lifting up of his hands as the evening Sacrifice v. 2. The Jewish Expositors guess not improbably that in that Allusion he had regard unto his present exclusion from the Holy services of the Tabernacle which in other places he deeply complains of For the matter of his Prayer in this beginning of the Psalm for I shall not look beyond the Text it respecteth himself and his deportment under his present condition which he desireth may be harmless and holy becoming himself and useful unto others And whereas he was two wayes liable to miscarry First by too high an exasperation of spirit against his Oppressors and Persecutors and Secondly by a fraudulent and pufillanimous compliance with them in their wicked courses which are the two extremes that men are apt sinfully to run into in such conditions he prays earnestly to be delivered from them both The first he hath respect unto v. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my Mouth keep the door of my Lips namely that he might not under those great provocations which were given him break forth into an unseemly intemperance of speech against his unjust Oppressors which sometimes fierce and unreasonable Cruelties will wrest from very sedate and moderate spirits But it was the desire of this Holy Psalmist as in like cases it should be ours that his heart might be alwayes preserved in such a frame under the conduct of the Spirit of God as not to be surprized into an expression of Distempered passion in any of his words or sayings The other he regards in his earnest Supplication to be delivered from it v. 4. Incline not my Heart unto any evil thing to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their Dainties There are two parts of his request unto the purpose intended 1st That by the Power of God's grace influencing his mind and Soul his heart might not be inclined unto any Communion or Society with his wicked Adversaries in their wickedness 2ly That he might be preserved from a liking of or a longing after those things which are the baits and allurements whereby men are apt to be drawn into Societies and Conspiracies with the workers of iniquity And let me not eat of their Dainties See Prov. 1.10 11 12 13 14. For he here describeth the condition of men prospering for a season in a course of wickedness They first joyntly give up themselves
1. Pardoned Persons being taken into Covenant are taken into God's favour Nothing doth hinder God's special favour but unpardoned sin nothing but that which is the only Object of his hatred and cause of his displeasure and this is nothing else but sin Although God's love have many Objects yet his hatred hath but one and that is sin God hateth none of his Creatures as they are Creatures but as they are sinful never did any thing offend or displease God but sin nothing else hath power to enkindle God's anger and to blow it up into a flame When God forgiveth sin his hatred ceaseth his anger is removed and he receiveth them whom he pardoneth into the arms of his special love God's favour is the peculiar priviledg of God's pardoned People Psal 106.4 Remember me with the favour which thou bearest to thy People O visit me with thy Salvation Therefore all pardoned Persons being in God's favour they are Blessed because his favour is the Fountain of Blessedness In his favour there is life Psal 30.5 Yea his loving kindness is better than life Psal 63.3 The favour of an earthly King is counted a great Priviledg but the favour of the King of Heaven is really a great Blessedness The God of Heaven who is so Powerful Wise Faithful Good Merciful hath a special favour and kindness for them and doth love them with an incomparable incomprehensible unchangeable and eternal Love therefore they must needs be the happiest People on the Earth 2. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant are taken into God's family being reconciled by the Cross of Christ Eph. 2.16 they are no more strangers and forreigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the Houshold of God v. 19. And being of God's Houshold they are God's Children 1 Cor. 6.18 I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty This is a priviledg which rendreth all those above all others most Blessed who partake of it Joh. 1.12 To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name To them gave he power The Original word signifieth Right or Priviledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the greatest priviledge in the World to be numbred amongst God's Children hence it is that John writing of it in his Epistle doth break forth into an exclamation of joy and wonder 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! He seems to be in an extasie of joy at the greatness of this priviledg and the happiness of such as had attained it If beggars were lifted up from the Dunghil to be adopted Children of the greatest Prince upon the Earth it would not be so great an honour to them as this honour and dignity which is conferred upon pardoned Persons in their being advanced into the number of the adopted Children of the great Jehovah the Lord of Heaven and Earth and will any question whether they are Blessed 3. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant are under God's special Providence There is a General Providence that doth attend all the Children of men but God's especial Providence doth attend his own Children and his peculiar People who are reconciled unto him by Jesus Christ such are under God's especial Providence they dwell in the secret place of the most High and under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 God's Name is their strong Tower unto which they run and are safe Prov. 18.10 God is frequently called their Rock and Fortress Buckler Shield and Deliverer and hath made many Promises unto them of Defence and Deliverance They are under God's special Provision as a Father provideth for his Children so God provideth for his People he provideth for their Bodies When the young Lions lack and suffer hunger they shall not want any good thing Psal 34.10 He promiseth to Feed them and Clothe them and to with-hold no good thing from them and if they always have not as much in the World as they wish they shall be sure to have as much as God seeth they do really need but more especially he provideth for their Souls the Robes of his Son's Righteousness to Clothe them sweet and precious Promises to Feed and Nourish them Jewels of Grace to enrich and adorn them the guard of Angels to attend them himself and his Son to be Companions to them the Peace and Joys of the Holy Ghost to chear them and to sweeten their passage through the valley of the World and the dark entry of Death This is the priviledg of pardoned Persons and surely then they are Blessed 4. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant have free access unto God in Prayer Eph. 2.18 Through him we have access by one Spirit unto the Father Chap. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the Faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Being pardoned and reconciled through Christ they may with boldness and confidence come daily to the Throne of Grace and there by Prayer and Supplication make known their requests unto God and they shall be sure to have both acceptance and audience God who hath given them a pardon will deny them nothing that is really for their good having interest in Christ who hath such interest in Heaven whatever they ask of the Father in his Name if it is according to his will they may be assured because Christ hath faithfully promised it that he will do it for them Surely then such Persons are happy 5. Pardoned Persons being in Covenant have Communion with God in all his Ordinances not only in Prayer but hearing of the Word Singing and at the Table of the Lord when others rest in the out-side of Ordinances they meet with God there Sin being removed which before made a separation they now attain Communion with God and their hearts close with him as their chief good There is nothing more sweet in the World than Communion with God hence David doth account those most happy that had the liberty of God's House and Ordinances where they did or might enjoy so great a priviledg Psal 84.4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy House And Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy Courts he shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy House even of thy Holy Temple Such only are truely Blessed that find satisfaction it is not the Enjoyment of Creatures will give this but in the Enjoyment of and Communion with God in his Ordinances which is the goodness of God's House true satisfaction may be found and therefore pardoned Persons who do attain this are truely and the only Blessed Persons Reas 4. Such must needs be Blessed whose iniquities are forgiven because they
might accuse him 3. A man may be guilty of evil speaking and offend against the law of love when he makes a fault greater than it is when he represents a mole-hill as big as a mountain (r) Vix centesimus reperietur qui aliorum famae ità clementer paâ—eat ut S bi cup at etiam in manifeâ—tis vitiis ignosci Calvinus in Deut 5.10 thinking that he can never aggravate anothers fault too much You may have seen how Boys by continual blowing with a reed in their nutshels have raised a little bubble to the bigness of a small globe which yet was but a drop of water stuft with a vapour even so do some men blow up others faults till they seem very great but if you examine them you will find that that which made them so was only this that they were filled up with the others malice Some may think themselves excusable in this as if they (Å¿) Obtrectario zeli ac Severitatis praetextu saepe laâ—daâ—ur H nc sit ut sanctis qâ—oque se iasinâ—et hoe vi ium atque obrepat virtutis nomine Calvinus shewed thereby their zeal against sin but let them look more narrowly into themselves and possibly they may find more malice than true zeal lying in the bottom 4. We may offend in speaking of the faults of others if we be not duly affected in speaking of them It is too (t) Equidem permul os novi qui propter conscientiae animorâ—m impuriâ—arem pâ—oximorâ—m delectis gaudeâ— Jest Mart. de viâ— Christ common a thing to speak of others sins in mirth and with some kind of rejoycing as if we were tickled with it all such rejoycing is evil If Christ should step into your company as †Luke 24. â—7 1 Co. 5 2. he did into the disciples while they were walking sadly one with another and say unto you while you are speaking of other mens sins to make your selves merry What manner of communication have you here Could you approve your selves to him in this matter It was a fault among some of the Corinthians that when they heard of the great sin of the incestuous person they were pussed up when they should have rather mourned 5. A man may be guilty of evil speaking when he speaks of others faults if his end be not good as when he doth it to please anothers humour or satisfie his own (u) Observamus p oximoâ—um peccaâ—a non ut lugeamus â—ed ut exprobâ—emus non ut cuâ—emuâ— sed ut perculiamus Nazâ—anz or to lay the person spoken of open to contempt or the like Our end in speaking of others faults if it be not the reforming of the persons themselves nor the securing and safe-guarding others from being hurt by them or ensnared in them is not like to be good 3. The third thing by which we shew our love to our selves is by our desires which are alwaies after something that is good or conceiv'd to be good for us Every man wisheth himself well Should we go through the congregation and ask every man severally what he would have every ones desire would be after something that is good or thought to be so (w) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Then this is that by which we should manifest our love to others even by desiring their good in all things as our own that all things temporal and spiritual may prosper and succeed well with them as with our selves to the glory of God and their eternal happiness That they may thrive in their estates bodies souls as well as we in ours Mat. 5.44 Thus it ought to be with us even in reference to such as do not bear the same good will to us It is (x) Qu s pâ—o iniâ—â— ici suis ista quae Deuâ— jussiâ— non dico voâ—is sed verbis saltem agere dignetur Aâ—t etiam siquâ—s se cogit ut faciaâ— facit tamen ore non mente Salvian de gub dei lib. 3. Luke 23.31 Act. 7.60 our Lords Command that we should pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us And herein he has left us an excellent example When his enemies were about that black piece of work busying themselves in taking away his life some piercing him others blaspheming him he breathes out this request for them Father forgive them for they know not what they do The like copy is set before us in Stephen the Protomartyr while his adversaries were throwing stones thick about his ears he kneeled down and prayed for them Lord lay not this sin to their charge How contrary is the spirit of (y) In omni animo â—m iudâ—gnantium moâ—u voâ—s maliâ— pro aâ—mi utimâ—r unde unuâ—quiqâ—e evidenâ—â—sli â—è probaâ— quicq od sieâ—i adversariis suis op tat totum le saceâ—e velle si possit Salvian de Gubernaâ— Dei liâ— 3. Act. 26.29 many that profess Christianity to the spirit that appeared in Christ and the primitive Christians who upon every provocation can be ready to desire the utmost evil to such as do offend them Were not the Jews Pauls greatest enemies wherever he came Who so cruel to him as his own Countrymen Yet see what desires were in his heart for them Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved So when he stood at the Bar before a heathen judge surrounded with many enemies what are his wishes for them He desires that they might all participate in the good he enjoyed but not in the evil he endured I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am except these bonds 4. Our love to our selves doth appear by our endeavours we do not content our selves with wishings and wouldings but we do actually and industriously endeavour that it may be well with us If a man be hungry and his stomach calls for meat or if he be pinched with cold and his back calls for cloathing his hand is ready in all good ways to procure it and so it is in all things else By this therefore ought we to manifest our love to others even by our (z) Habuit Christus in coâ—de câ—â— itatem quam nobis oper eâ—h buit ut exhiâ—itionis forâ—a nos ad diligendum instrueret Lombardus l. 3. dist 17. endeavours in our capacity and according to our ability to do them good supplying their wants spiritual and bodily God hath disposed men into several ranks He hath set some to move in a higher some in a lower Orb He hath dispenced his talents to some more to some fewer They that are in a higher place and have More talents may and ought to do More than others They that stand in a lower place and have fewer talents may and ought to do Something for the good of others Every man as he hath received the gift in what kind or degree soever it be