greater then the Love of the Husband to the Wife Conjugâ—l Love is at least ought to be great Love The Love of Abraham to Sarah was great of Isaac to Rebecca was great of Jacob to Rackel was great of Elkanah to Hannah was great of Augustus to his Livia was great who dyed in the Embraceme is of her with these words Livia nostri Conjugii memoresto vive vale which may thus be Englished Livia remember we were one live and farewell Man and Wife are one flesh and if both be living one Spirit so that this Love must needs be great but Christs is greater Husbands Eph. 5.25 love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it Where is there a Husband that gives himself for his Wife that gives himself to death for his Wife Or if he should what would it signifie She could never say with the Text who loved me and washed me from my Sins in his Blood This must not be said of any blood but Christs is not this then a peculiar Love Spiritual Christs Love is greater then the Spiritual Love of Christians Jonathans love to David was great and Davids love to Jonathan was great but Christs is greater what 's a spark to the Furnace a drop to the Ocean Such is the Love of Man to the Love of Christ God manifest in the flesh 'T is true David speaks very honourably of Jonathans Love 2 Sam. 1.26 Thy Love to me have been wonderfull passing the Love of Women But Christs Love is greater Christs Love is greatest Jo. 14.13 Greater Love hath no Man then this that a Man lay down his life for his Friend Christ laid down his life for Enemies as Enemies when and while Enemies Is not this now a peculiar Love What use may be made of this Lastly that Christ hath a peculiar Love for his peculiar People Hath Christ a peculiar Love for his peculiar People USE This then may be useful by way of Caution by way of Comfort by way of Councel Is Christs Love a peculiar Love By way of Caution take heed then of turning Love into Lust and loving kindness into lasciviousness To do evil that good may come and to be sinful because God is merciful and to be lustful because Christ is Love-ful is the Sophistry of the Prince of Darkness Dost argue from Grace to Sin from Love to Lust from Mercy to Iniquity from Immunity unto Impiety this is the Dialect of Hell and the Sophistry of the Prince of Darkness Rom. 3.8 Oh how do the Apostle thunder against such we are slanderously reported and some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just Art loved be joyous Soul thou art more then a Conquerour through him that loveth By way of Comfort Oh you that have the Love of Christ shed abroad in your hearts by the Spirit of Christ this Text as a Cordial under your fainting Fits Who loved us Art tempted or troubled pained or panged distressed or disserted yet loved Me Duce vinces Rom. 8.37 who loved us Nay in all these things we are more then Conquerors but how through him that loved us Not only Conquerors but more then Conquerors It is a compound word and signifies more then simply to overcome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we greatly overcome we over and above overcome we overcome above measure or exceeding gloriously we do more then overcome we do Over-overcome as the Greek seem to read it It may well be read thus But in all these things we Over-overcome through him that loved us In all these things but what things were these These things ye may run and read Rom. 8.35 What shall separate us from the Love of God shall Tribulation or Distress or Persecution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword Here are seven bitter Dishes and shall these No In all these things we do Over-overcome Is not any one of these Dishes enough for any pallate in the World yet not one of these not any of these yea not all these shall separate from the Love of God But in all these things we do Over-overcome but how through him that loved us Now that thy Cup may be filled with Joy and Peace like the water pots of Galilee up to the very Brim suffer me to tell thee that Christs Love is the most sutable and soveraign Cordial Christs Love is the most sutable Cordial Those Cordials are most efficacious that are most natural and most suiting the Spirits Gal. 2.20 Christs Love is the Christians Life I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Christs Love falls in with the Life of a Christian and therefore most sutable Christs Love is the most soveraign Cordial As Gods Love when he gave Christ is put for all Causes Jo. 3.16 So God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son So Christs Love when Christians get comfort is put for all Cordials Is not that a lofty as well as a lovely Expression of the great Doctor of the Gentiles Rom. 8.38 39. For I am perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers Nor things present nor things to come Nor Height nor Depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Soul Christs Love contain in it the sum of the Gospel Christ being the sum of the Gospel and Love the sum of Christ God so loved the World that he gave Christ and Christ so loved the World that he gave himself contain in it the Pith and Marrow of all the Gospel This little word Love written in the golden letters of free-Grace in the blood of Jesus Christ is an Epitomy of the Gospel The Life of Christ was a perfect Mirror of his Love every action of it was full of Love and if we put all the Actions of his life together we may conclude that he was not born so much to Live as to Love Was there a word that dropped from his Lips but was sull of Love And as for his works they all speak Love so loud that the deafest ear may hear it Should we begin at the Temple where Christ disputed with the Doctors and â—low him to the Mount where 〈◊〉 was crucified by the Soulâ—ers we should see all the way â—ewed with Love-Reses Now 〈◊〉 loved then this Christ is â—hy Christ and this Love â—hy Love and is not this â—â—tter of Joy Go away then â—â—d be filled with Joy and â—ace through Believing Oh but there are Achans withâ—â— Object 1 Sauls within the Sons of â—erviab within Oh there are â—any Blots in my Scutcheon â—any Weeds in my Garden â—uch Rubbish in my House â—any Holes in my Coat much â—eâ—ven in my Heart Oh no â—eart like unto Mine Soul Solut. Christs Loâ—â— is greater â—en thy Lust and his Mercy â—en thine Iniquity If the Sun â—e
out-vies all other Loves and that in a manifold Respect Suffer me to give you who have tasted that the Lord is gracious a Tast of the Incomparableness of Christs Love In respect of the freeness of it Wine and Milk yea Grace and Glory may be had Psa 84 11. with out Money and without price He giveth Grace and Glory Beloved You have and that to the Life the Portraiture of a person in his Naturals Ezeck 16 6 When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own Blood or according to the Margent troden under Foot in thine own Blood is not this a sad state for a man to be troden under Foot for a man to be tumbling and wallowing in his own Blood But what then Did Christ leave the Man as he found him No I said unto thee when thou wast in thy Blood live Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live There was no Merit here nor Motive here there was nothing but free-grace here meer Mercy here Now was the time of the Creatures greatest defilement Ezeck 16.8 and deformity and yet this was the time of Christs Love Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was the time of Love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness Yea I swear unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith Jehovah God and thou becammest Mine Is not this a peculiar Love In respect of the firstness of it Christ is first in Love Christ loves before he is loved 1 Jo. 4.19 We love him why because he first loved us Christs Love is primary Ours secundary His the cause Ours but the effect Had not Christ fired our hearts with Love we had never bestowed a spark of spiritual Affection upon him Had not Christ first loved us we lived and dyed without loving him Christ loveth before loved is not this then peculiar Love In respect of the Sameness of it Christ and those that are Christs have the same Love Jo. 17.26 I have declared unto them thy name and I will declare it that the love where with thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them Is not this now peculiar Love In respect of the Sureness of it As it is the same Love so it is a sure Love Isa 55.3 Incline your ears and come unto me hear and your Souls shall live but what then and I will make an even lasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Thou mayst loose thy Wifeloose thy Child loose thy Estate yea loose thy Life but thou canst not loose this Love Is it not then a peculiar Love In respect of the Goodness of it Psal 30.5 This Love is Life In thy Favour is Life Yea Sirs this Love is better then Life better then Lifes Psa 63.3 so the Hebrew Because thy loving kindness is better then Lifes Mechajim my lips shall praise Thee Christs Love is better then Life then Lives that is 't is better then Life it self and all sorts of Life whatsoever 'T is better then Life and all the concerns of Life 't is better then many better then all Lives bundled together bound up together Is natural Life nothing Is not life the best Monosyllabe in the World but this is a spiritual Life yea this is an eternal Life And is not this then a peculiar Love In respect of the Greatness of it All Love may be reduced to three Heads Carnal Moral Spiritual And yet Christs Love out-bids any of these out-vies all these But to these distinctly Carnal Now this Carnal Love may fall under three heads the World Self and Sin The World Souls Christs Love to Thee if thou beest Christs is greater then thy Love to the World have been The love of the World is a great Sin and looks like a Sin inconsistent with the truth of Grace 1 Jo 2.15 If any Man any one so the Greek Man or Woman love the World the Love of the Father is not in him or her Tim. 6.10 The love of Money is called the root of all evil But now Christs love to Thee is greater then thy love have been to the world so say my Text Who loved us and washed us Here 's washing as well as loving yea washing the Effect and Consequent of loving Is not this then a peculiar Love Self Christs love to Thee if thou beest Christs is greater then thy love have been to thy Self Self-Love is a great Sin for a Man is to deny himself not to love himself Mat. 16.24 If any Man will come after Me let him deny himself But now Christs Love to Thee is greater then thy Love hath been to thy Self witness my Text Who loved us and washed us Here is loving and washing out of Love 't is now a peculiar Love Sin Christs love to Thee if thou beest Christs is greater then thy love have been to Sin Thy love and my love to sin have been great greatly great Lovers of pleasure 2 Tim. 3.4 more then Lovers of God Thou hast served diverse lusts and pleasures thy Soul have been a Vessel of Sin and a Vassal unto Satan but now Christs love to Thee is greater then thy love have been to Sin witness the Text Who loved us and washed us but from what From our Sins in his own Blood Is not this then a peculiar Love Moral As Christs Love is greater then carnal so then Moral Christs Love is greater then the Love of the Master to the Servant For 1. The Centurions Love was great to his Servant 't is expresly said that he had a Servant who was dear unto him but he was sick and ready to dye Now hearing of Jesus Luke 7.2 3. he sent unto him the Elders of the Jews beseeching him that he would come and heal his Servant The Masters Love was great desiring his Servant might be healed but Christs was greater Luke 7.10 for he healed the Servant They found the Servant whole Christs Love is greater then the Love of the Father to the Child Jacob Love to Benjamin was great the Fathers life was bound up in the Lads life Davids love to Absalom was great 2 Sam. 18.33 if not too great That I had ayed for thee oh Absalom my Son my Son But Christs is greater When my Father and my Mother forsake me then Jehovah will gather me Psa 27.10 When my Father cast me out of his Arms and my Mother cast me off her knees then Jehovah will gather me into the Arms of beginningless and endless Mercy Christs Love is greater then the Love of the Mother to the Child The Mothers Love is a great Love if not the greatest Love Isa 49.15 Can a Woman forget her sucking child from having compassion on the child of her womb Is there such a Women among Women Yea they may forget yet will I not forget Thee Christs Love is
People Christs Love is abiding Love Christ Abiding doth not carry it towards a Christian as Ammon towards Tamar 2 Sam. 13.15 who seemed to love one day and hate another who seemingly loved one hour and really hated another 'T is said the Man was sick for her till he had satisfied his Lust upon her but then he hated her exceedingly or according to the Margent he hated her with great hatred greatly So that the hâ—tred wherewith he hated her was greater then the Love wherewith he loved her But Christs Love is an abiding Love Jo. 13.1 Having lovâ—d his own which were in the World he loved them unto the end that is World without end Christs Love is a â—asting yea an everlasting Love this Love will last as long as the Christian lasteth as long as Christ lasteth Semèl Simùl ONCE and EVER is Loves Motto Christ once loving ever loveth is not this then a peculiar Love Christs Love is a constraining Love Constraining 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead The Love of Christ constraineth or hemmeth in keepeth in The Love of Christ hath a mighty Influence it hemmeth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keepneth in as the Greek word signifieth It is a Metaphor taken from a Creature that is hemmed in so that there is no evasion Go into the high wayes Luke 14.23 and hedgeâ— and compel them to come in thâ— my House may be filled Not iâ— a way of hasty violence but 〈◊〉 a way of gracious Influence Oâ— go and preach my Love anâ— this shall have a singular and 〈◊〉 signal Influence Is not thâ— then a peculiar Love Christs Love Delighting is a delightinâ— Love Love is Christs Element and he is in his Element wheâ— he is loving and manifestinâ— his Love Pro. 8.31 His Delights were wiâ—â— the Sons of Men There is 〈◊〉 Love of pity thus Christ be held the profound Moralist anâ— loved him There is also 〈◊〉 Love of Complacence and Deâ— light Mich. ult 18. He retaineth not his Angeâ— for ever because he delighted iâ— Mercy Is not this now a peculiar Love Christs Love Overcomming is overcome ming Love If Christ lay Seige to a Soul in a way of Mercy in 〈◊〉 way of tender Mercy in a way â—f Bowels of tender Mercy he â—â—kes the Soul captive Belovâ—d Christ hath a better way to â—ke Souls then Generals have â—o take Castles c. they lay â—eige and are necessitated many â—imes to storm the Castle to â—cals the Walls c. But Christ when he lays Siege in a way of â—iscriminating Love he preâ—ently works the Souls unto a â—endition he makes the Soul willing to give up it self to him â—y way of Surrender as it takes Christ for Saviour so it gives â—p it self to Christ as Soveraign A Roman General besieging a Town a Friend of his asked â—n Account of his proceedings â—o whom he replied in three words I came beheld Veni Vidi Vici and overcame Thus Christ make a quick Dispatch with the Soul He did but speak for Matthew anâ— he had him Mathew was gathering the Emperors Tolls anâ— Tributs now Christ did buâ— say to him Mat. 9.9 Follow me but hâ— arose and followed him Nâ— sooner did Christ lay siege to Zacheus but he made a Conquest upon him and made him a Captive to his Love Luke 19.5 6. Makâ— hast saith Christ and come down for I must abide at thy house 〈◊〉 And he made hast and came down and received him joyfully Christ soon made his way into the house of Zacheus and into the heart of Zacheus too Amor omnia vincit The Love of Man may overcome many things as Hunger and Thirst and Nakedness c. but the Love of Christ who is God-Man overcome all things this make a Conquest upon the heart and make that a Captive to God and Grace is not this then a peculiar Love Christs Love Preventing Psal 59.10 is preventing Love The God of my mercy shall prevent me Mark the expression 'T is the God of Mercy that prevent and he prevent in a way of Mercy Beloved To be delivered out of an evil is a Mercy but to be prevented from falling into any evil is a greater Mercy To be delivered out of an sickness is good but to be prevented from falling into sickness is better To be delivered in great danger is a great Mercy but to be prevented from being endangered is greater Mercy Ps 79.8 Oh remember not against us former Iniquities let thy tender Mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low 'T is the God of Mercy and the Mercy of God that prevent and is not this then peculiar Mercy Christs Love is preserving Love Preserving Christs Love is preservative Amulet the best preservative in the World against poysoning against infecting against destroying Neah and those with him are Arcked Gen. 7.1 Come thou and all thy house into the Arke God prepared them an Arke that they rode securely when the waters covered all the Mountains Arked they were and so preserved they were Peter while upon the water hath his head kept above water Christ out of Love to Peter preserve Peter God if I may so speak rains Hell out of Heaven upon Sodom but Lot is preserved Though the lot of Loâ— was cast in Soâ—om Vivus in sepulchro Basil the Man is preserved Zoar opens unto him As Peter was preserved above water so Jonah was preserved under water a Whale the greatest wonder in the Deep houseth him And as Loâ— was preserved from flames Dan. 3.21.27 so the Three Children were preserved in flames Oh my Soul glut thy self with a hoâ—y and a heavenly wonderment what preserved above water and under water what preserved from flames and under flames Is not this peculiar Love Christs Love is Posing Love Pâ—sing Beloved Christs Love is above expression the greatest Cicero and Demosthenâ—s in the World the greatest Logician and Rhetorician in the World the greatest Oracle and Orator in the World is not able to express Christs Love to the Life Yea Sirs let me say Christs Love is not only above Expression but above Apprehension and Conception We use to say Man is vaster in Conception then in Expression but Christs Love poseth not only Expression but Conception Eye hath not seen 1 Cor. 2.9 nor ear keard neither hath it entred into the heart the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Christs Love is a Love that passeth knowledge And to know the Love of Christ that passeth knowledge Eph. 3 19. that ye might be filled with all the Fulness of God The Line of Nature Yea the Line of Grace is not able to sound this Depth Is not this then a peculiar Love Christs Love Lastly Surpassing is surpassing Love Oh Souls Christs Love out-bids and
inquiry after these six things What these Gospel-Believers are Method 1. that have a Gospel-right to promises What these promises are unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right Whether Gospel Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises How Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises Why Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises What use may be made of this That Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-right to Gospel-promises What these Gospel-Believers are that have a Gospel-right to promises I would hope to arrive thee at a Discovery of a Gospel-Believer under a Discussion of a Gospel-Faith There is the Habit of Faith and the Act of Faith There 's the Habit of Faith There 's the Seed of Faith or Faith in the Seed The Heart that 's the Soil and Grace that 's the Seed Being born again 1 Petr. 1.23 not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Grace is the Seed Faith is a Grace if no thee Grace for 't is the leading Grace the Grace that lead the Van of all other Graces Grace is the Seed and this is incorruptible As there is no Grace in Sin so there is no Sin in Grace There 's the Act of Faith As there is the Habit of Faith so there is the Act of Faith Gal. 5.6 As there is the work of Faith so there is a working-Faith But Faith which worketh by Love But what manner of Faith Question is this Faith 'T is a Faith that hath Christ for Object Solut. 1 That He might be just Rom 3.26 and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus This Faith hath Christ but not the lying vision of the heart for its Object 'T is a Faith of the Operation of God Faith is a work but 't is Gods work Col. 2.12 'T is expresly called a Faith of the Operation of God As Faith is Gods will so 't is Gods work 'T is a Faith that 's wrought not only by the power of God but by the exceeding greatness of Gods power And what is the super-eminent magnitude of his power to us-ward Eph. 1.19 20. who believe according to the working of the might of his power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead There is concerned in the working of Faith a power aequivalent unto and aequipollent with that power which gave a Resurrection to Christ Jesus 'T is a Faith that hath a Train of good works Jam. 2 18. Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works By works I mean works from a right Principle to right Ends that is works from a gracious Principle to a gracious end works from a Principle of the Grace of God to a promotion of the Glory of God Now though such works are not Essential unto Faith yet they are Evidential unto Faith though they are not the Essence of a lively Faith yet they are the Evidence that Faith lives Jam. 2.26 For as the Body without the Spirit is dead so Faith without works is dead also This is a Gospel-Faith and he or she that hath this Faith is a Gospel-Believer What these promises are unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel right Promises they say are Absolute or Conditional Absolute promises are Spiritual Absolute and Caelestial As Grace and Glory Redemption and Remission Sanctification and Salvation Conditional promises are temporal Conditional and corporal As Health and Honour Prosperity and Plenty Seed and Substance c. But in short there 's a three fold promise Civil Religious and Divine Civil This is a word passed from Man to Man Civil A Civil promise is a word passed from Man to Man for the performance of some lawful thing as in Contracts and in other affairs Thus Laban made promise to Jacob to give him his Daughters Thus Saul made promise to David not to hurt him and hunt his Soul to take it Thus also Jonathan made promise to David 1 Sam. 19.1 2 3. Religious This is a word passed from Man to God Religious A religious promise is a word passed from Man to God concerning some Duty relating to his Honour This is called a Vow If a Woman also vow a vow unto the Lord. Thus the Psalmist Psa 66.13 14. I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings I will pay thee my vows Which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Divine This is a word passed from God to Man Divine A divine promise is a word passed from God to Man concerning the fulfilling of some Good or removing of some Evil Spiritual Psa 119.38 49 50. or Temporal Stablish thy word unto thy Servant who is devoted to thy Fear Remember thy word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me Now Gods promises are Legal or Evangelical Legal Do this and live Thus God passed his word Legal to give eternal life and Creature-Comforts upon condition of performing the Law Honour thy Father and thy Mother which is the first Commandement with promise But these are not the promises Eph. 6.2 spoken off in the Text To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made Evangelical Thus when God passeth his word freely to give Evangelical freely to give Christ and together with Christ all things freely to give Whereby are given unto us but what promises yea precious promises yea great 2 Pet. 1.4 and precious promises yea exceeding great and precious promises Now these are they they are Gospel-promises unto which Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-Right Of these my Text speak To Abraham and his Seed were the promises mâ—de Whether Gospel-Believers have a Gospel Right to Gospel-promises It were no hard Task to produce a cloud of witnesses But in the mouth of two or three shall every word be established Gal. 3.22 For instance The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by the Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seed and heirs according to the promise Now Gal. 4.28 we Brothren as Isaac was are the Children of promise How Gospel-Believers have a Gospel-Right to Gospel-promises Through Grace Free-Grace gives a right to the promise Through Grace Promises are Donatives they are free gifts Gal. 3.18 If the Inheritance be of the Law then 't is no more by promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Here the Inheritance is given that is under promise and the promise is given under which the inheritance is God gave it to Abraeham by promise Through Christ Christ is he first and great Heir Through Christ he is Heir of all things and through â—im Believers inherit the pronise 'T is the Prince of life â—hat gives a propriety in the promise of life For this cause Heb. 9.15 â—e is the Mediatour of