of me Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is thy love Oh thy love is unspeakable that hast dealt so graciously with me Oh I feel thy mercies and oh that my tongue and heart were able to sound forth thy praises as I ought and as I willingly would do Afterwards she had these expressions Now blessed Lord thy comfortable presence is come yea Lord thou hast had respect to thy Handmaid and art come with fulness of joy and abundance of consolations O blessed be thy Name O Lord my God! Again a Christian Friend coming to see her and marvelling at her exceeding joyes desired the continuance of them whereupon she burst out and said Oh the joyes the joyes the joyes that I feel in my soul oh they be wonderful they be wonderful they be wonderful And again not long after she said to a Minister who came to see her Oh! my soul hath been compassed about with terrours of death fear within and fear without the sorrows of Hell were upon me knots and knorres were upon my soul and a roaring Wilderness of woe was within me but blessed blessed blessed be the Lord my God who hath not left me comfortless but like a good Shepherd hath he brought me into a place of rest even to the sweet running Waters of Life that flow out of the Sanctuary of God and he hath led me into the green Pastures where I am fed and exceedingly comforted c. Oh! blessed be the Lord Oh! blessed be the Lord that hath thus comforted me and hath brought me now to a place more sweet unto me than the Garden of Eden Oh the joy oh the joy the delightsome joy that I feel Oh how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful is this joy Oh! praise the Lord for his mercies and for this joy which my soul feeleth full well Praise his Name for evermore And thus she continued till at last she slept in the Lord. Now from all this put together I conclude That seeing the love of Christ shed abroad in the hearts of his people hath such admirable effects to the filling of them with such unspeakable joy and comfort and seeing it is but little in comparison which the highest best and most priviledged Saints do know and taste of this love here below surely this love must needs have an exceeding great and incomprehensible fulness in it self That 's the sixth Argument Sect. 3. MY next Argument is this Arg. 7. It appears to be a love which passeth knowledge because when the spirits of just men shall be made perfect in Heaven where they shall know and receive most of this love yet even then they shall not be able to comprehend all of it but rather be comprehended by it It s true that in Heaven the capacities of the Saints shall be enlarged to the utmost and they shall be filled according to that enlargement they shall want nothing to make them perfectly blessed they shall have as much of this love in the beatifical fruits of it as they can hold and shall be able to hold incomparably more than now they can but yet even then and there they will not be able to hold it all for that which is infinite can never be comprehended by that which is finite there being no proportion betwixt them So that what is said of the joy of our Lord in Mat. 25.21 is true of the love of our Lord it s too big to enter into us therefore we must enter into it As a large Vessel put into the Ocean takes in of the water till it be full yet cannot contain it all but when it can hold no more is swallowed up so the Saints who here sip and taste of the love of Christ shall in Heaven drink more of it till they be everlastingly swallowed up by it Jesus Christ even at his second coming when he shall take up his Saints to be where he is Joh. 14.3 to behold that is enjoy his glory Joh. 17.24 will even then be admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 admired for that love which brought them thither and admired for that glory which they shall enjoy there as the fruits of this love n Dr. Sclater on Thes p. 50. The measure of the glory will be so great as shall fill the enjoyers with wonder at the grace beholders with no less than admiration at the power of the bestower When a glorified Saint shall consider himself raised from the dust yea the dunghill to sit with Princes to be made like and equal to the Angels to see God and enjoy an exceeding and eternal weight of glory when he hath deserved no such matter but the contrary and thousand yea millions of men his equals if nos his betters passed by how will it fill such a one with extolling and admiring the rich grace and love of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ We our selves sayes o Nos ipsi sentimus effundi amorem Dei in corda nostra câ—piosâ copiâ per SpirituÌ„ Sanctum qui datus est nobis sed totum semèl comprehendere in hâc vitâ non possumus In alterâ verò vitâ stupebimus ad admirabileÌ„ illam dilectionem neque tamen etiam tùm animus creaturae etiam glorificatae poterit infinitam illam totam comprehendere quae in Deo est saltèm id scimus quòd illâ charitate toti implebimur cùm Deus erit omnia in omnibus Rolloc in Joan. p. 7â—6 Rolloc do now perceive the love of God to be shed abroad in great plenty into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us but we are not able to comprehend it altogether at once in this life And in the life to come we shall be amazed at that admirable love though even then the mind of a glorified creature shall not be able to comprehend all that infinite love which is in God Yet this at least we now know That we shall be altogether filled with that love when God shall be all in all To conclude this how exceeding great must that love needs be which the Saints in glory shall not be able fully to comprehend That 's the seventh Argument Sect. 4. MY last Argument Arg. 8. wherewith I shall conclude what I have to say as to the Doctrinal part of this Proposition is this The love of Christ must needs pass all humane p Omnem superat cognitionem nempè humanam adeoque Angelicam Zanch. in loc ut suprà for it surpasseth all Angelical knowledge The Angels being purae Intelligentiae of pure Intelligences and of larger capacities than the rest of the creatures do know more than we yet their knowledge is but like that of the creatures finite and limited q Certissimum est Angelos etsi multa sciant mâ—l a lamen etiam nescire Estius in Sentent lib. 2. dist 7. p. 75. though by their natural knowledge they know many things yet not all things There are many things
to the tuition of Angels Love him by whom thou art so much beloved mind him who mindeth thee seek him that seeketh thee love thy Love by whom thou art loved who hath prevented thee with his love and is the cause of thy love But because we cannot so much as love him without his influence let us go to him as he doth b O ignis qui semper ardes nunquam extingueris O amor qui semper ferves nunquaÌ„ tepescis accende me accendor totus a te ut totus diligam te Minus eenim te amat qui tecum aliquid amat quod non propter te amat Diligam te Domine quoniam tu prior dilexisti me Aug. Solil p. 164. O fire which alway burnest and art never extinguished O love which art alway hot and never coolest kindle me let me be wholly enflamed by thee that I may wholly love thee for he loves thee too little who loves any thing with thee which he doth not love for thee Lord let me love yea with thine help I will love thee because thou hast first loved me Let Anselme conclude this matter who thus breaths after a loving Saviour c Certe Domine quia fecisti me debeo amori tuo meipsum totum quia me redâ—misti debeo meipsum totum quia tantum promittis debeo meipsum imo tantum debeo amori tuo plus quam mâ—ipsum quantum tu es major me pro quo dedisti teipsum cui promittis teipsum Fac precor Domine me gustare per amorem quod gusto per cognitionem sentiam per affectum quod sentio per intellectum Plus debeo quam meipsum totum sed nec plus habeo nec hoc ipsum possum per me reddere totum Trahe me Domine in amorem tuum hoc ipsum totum Totum quod sum tuum est conditione fac totum tuum dilectione Ansel Medit. de Gen. Hum. cap. 7. mihi p. 269. 16. Inter opera Tom. 3. mihi p. 199. Fol. Surely O Lord because thou hast made me I owe my whole self to thy love because thou hast redeemed me I owe thee my whole self because thou promisest so much I owe thee my whole self yea I owe to thy love as much more than my self as thou art greater than me for whom thou hast given thy self and to whom thou promisest thy self Cause me O Lord I beseech thee to taste that by love which I taste by knowledge let me feel by affection that which I feel by understanding I owe thee more than my whole self but I neither have more nor can I give thee this wholly of my self Lord draw me and that wholly into thy love All that I am is thine by condition make me all thine by love and affection Thus he And now lay these things together His loveliness in himself his love towards you surely it will strongly conclude that he deserves your love which should be a strong incentive to you to love him Give me leave to add one motive more and I have done Sect. 4. The fourth Reason 4. ALL true believers who have a saving knowledge of Christ and experienced his love towards themselves do and cannot but love him The Church testifies this saying to him in her conference with him Cant. 1.3 4. The Virgins love thee The Vpright love thee The Virgins that is d Ainsworth on the place those chosen called and faithful ones who with chaste and pure minds serve the Lord only and worship him in spirit and truth and stand with Christ on Mount Sion whom you find described Rev. 14.3 4. These love the Lord for the odour of his good ointments which they perceive by his Word and Spirit they love him because he first loved them and hath shed abroad his love in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to them It is said of the Israelites Numb 33.29 e Trap on the place That they removed their Tent from Mithcah which signifies Sweetness to Hashmonah which signifies Swiftness to teach us saith one that the Saints have no sooner tasted of Christs sweetness but they are carried after him with incredible swiftness For as f Amor Dei amorem animae parit cam intendere sibi facit Aug. Man p. 236. Austin observes The love of God doth breed and bring forth the love of the soul and makes it to be intent upon himself The Upright that is g Ainsworth those who have upright hearts and righteous conversations These upon the remembrance of the love of Christ manifested by his Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension and the graces and benefits flowing from them to his Church do love him that is are confirmed and encreased in love to him more and more h Robotham on Cant. p. 80. As fire is encreased by adding of fuel unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love towards us That the Church her self did love Christ is clear from the whole Book of Canticles i Watsons Christs loveliness p. 435. which is nothing else but a Divine Epithalamium or Marriage-Song in which are all the strains of holy love set forth in the purest Allegories and Metaphors such as do represent that dear affection and union which is betwixt Christ and his Church She calls him her Beloved Cap. 2.3 nor did she love him from the teeth outward as we say but with a love fetch'd as deep as the bottome of her heart O thou whom my soul loveth sayes she Cap. 1.7 k Jeanes Scholast pract Divin Part 1. on Col. 1.19 p. 221. The remembrance of his love to her had such an impression upon her heart as to make her sick of love Cant. 2.5 l Sibs Bowels open'd p. 305. A sickness not unto death but unto life a sickness that never ends but in comfort and satisfaction It wrought in her a love of a most powerful and unconquerable influence a love as strong as death Cant. 8.6 a love as forcible and irresistible as death trampling upon and breaking through all difficulties that occurre in performance of duties unto or undergoing of sufferings for Christ A love inflamed into jealousie and this jealousie as cruel or hard as the Grave as it there follows that is as inexorable unto all the enemies of Christ unto her most profitable and pleasant sins her darling and most indulged lusts A love of the same nature with fire the coales thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame ibid. For 1. As Fire is the hottest of Elements so her love of Christ was more solidly intense than her love of any creature whatsoever She was as it were all of a fire with the love of him 2. As the motion of fire is upwards towards Heaven so the Churches love of Christ was as a fiery Chariot whereby she was carried up into Heaven 3. As fire burns all things combustible so
wherewith the Saints are inflamed is such as cannot be quenched with any calamities or persecutions whatsoever Thus Mercer takes it o Persecutiones possumus â—ccipere adversatorum terrorem minas ne hae quidem amorem Ecclesiae in Christum extiguere possint minùs bland tâ—ae illecebrae Merc. in loc By Waters and Floods sayes he we may understand Persecutions and the terrour and threats of Adversaries even these cannot quench the love of the Church to Christ how much less can flatteries and allurements do it To this purpose is that of the Apostle Rom. 8.35 ad fin What shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or Sword c. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor thingt 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. I know these words are generally taken by p Grot. Vorst Calv. Bez. Eras Pareus Pisc Expositors for that love with which the Lord loveth us yet some of the q Ambros Ansel Theoph. Ancients take them for that love which we have towards him And r Nec inepta nec impia est sententia Pet. Mart. in loc Peter Martyr though he follow it not sayes it is no ill or unfit sense I think Deodat doth well who takes in both senses What grief or calamity can make us doubt that Christ hath withdrawn his love from us and make us cease loving him So he and the Commentators forementioned on that place in the Canticles do make this Scripture parallel with that And it is a great truth that as none of these things can make Christ cease loving those whom he hath once loved so neither can they make a Christian cease loving of Christ whose heart is sincerely pitch'd upon him in a way of love It is every ones duty Å¿ Qui non est paratus omnia pati ad voluntateÌ„ stare dilecti non est dignus amatoâ— appellari Opoâ—tet amantem omnia dura amara propter dilectuÌ„ lib nâ—èr amplecti nec ob contraria accidâ—ntia ab eo deflecti A Kempis de Imit Christi lib. 3. cap. 5. p. 152. He who is not ready to suffer all things and to stand to the will of his beloved is not worthy to bear the name of a lover It becomes him who loves to embrace willingly all hard and bitter things for his sake whom he loves nor for all contrary occurrences to be turned aside from him And it is the property of every upright Christian This hath been verified in the whole noble Army of Martyrs in all Ages who have with the strongest resolution and most invincible stedfastness entertained all the threats and torments of their enemies rather than deny Christ or be separated from his love Upon this account they have been tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented as you have it Heb. 11.35 36 37. Thus the t Nec retardali estis ab aâ—itormentorum metused ipsis tormentis magis estis ad aciem provocati sortes stabiles ad maximi certaminis praelium prompta devotione prodistis Cypr. Epist 9. Father speaks of the Martyrs and Confessors in his time as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ That they were not retarded from the battel by fear of torments but were more provoked to the battel by those very torments coming forth strong and stedfast with ready devotion to that battel which had the greatest conflict u Ita animati ut incorruptam fidei firmitâ—tem non blanditiae decipiant non minae terreant non cruciatus ac tormenta devincant Nec plus ad dejiciendum potest terrena poena quam ad erigendum tutela diviua Nor did flatteries deceive nor threats terrifie nor pains and torments overcome the incorrupt firmness of their faith which wrought by love as true faith doth Gal. 5.6 Nor was any earthly punishment more able to cast them down than Divine protection was to raise them up w Tolerâstis usque ad consummationem gloriae durissimam quaestionem nec cessistis suppliciis sed vobis potiùs supplicia cesserunt Idem ibid. Steterunt torti torquentibus fortiores pulsantes ac laniantes ungulas pulsata ac laniata membra vicerunt Inexpugnabilem fidem superare non potuit diu saeviens plaga repetita quamvis rupta compage visâ—crum torquerentur in servis Dei jam non membra sed vulnera Idem ibid. They endured the most grievous Inquisition to the consummation of their glory nor did they yield unto punishments but punishments rather yielded unto them And a little after The tormented stood stronger than their tormentors their beaten and torn members overcame those instruments of cruelty wherewith they were beaten and torn Cruel stripes of long continuance and often renewed could not overcome their impregnable faith no not though their very bowels were digged out and not so much the members as the wounds of the servants of God were tormented In another place having written to some Martyrs they return him an answer wherein among other things they tell him x Hostes veritatis non tantum non perhoâ—rescimus sed provocamus inimicos Dei jam hoc ipso quòd non câ—ssimus vicimus Epist 26. inter Cypr. Epist Now we are not only not afraid of the enemies of the Truth but we provoke them and in this very thing that we yield not to the enemies of God we overcame them And a little before they tell him That it was the Trumpet of the Gospel which animated them to this combat And among other places these are two there mentioned which gave them great encouragement He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Mat. 10.37 and that fore-cited Rom. 8.35 c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. It was their love to Christ which made them invincible in all their sufferings for Christ and this was an evidence of the truth and rightness of it that it was stedfast and invincible I might give you innumerable instances of this as many Martyrs so many instances I shall content my self with naming two or three Ignatius whose heart was enflamed with love to Christ as I hinted before kept this fire in amidst the waters and floods of Persecution which he met with Hear what he sayes whiles he was a Prisoner a little before his suffering y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Epist ad Roman Edit Usser mihi p. 86. Now I begin to be a Disciple I care for
all his confidence when it came to it played the Apostate and turned Papist when the other by the goodnss and power of God helping his infirmities sealed the truth with his blood Remember therefore in the midst of the sense of your own weakness and infirmity that His grace is sufficient for you 2. Cor. 12.9 And that it is given and that on the behalf of Christ who purchased it by his blood upon earth and sues it out by his intercession in heaven not only to believe that you may be Christians but also to suffer for his sake that you may be constant and crowned Christians Phil. 1.29 Not only the occasion of suffering is given by his providence but also the ability to suffer by his influence and assistance without this you cannot but fall with this you shall be sure to stand 3 God hath abundantly provided by his word and works for the encouragement of the weakest Christian if truly such against the strongest triall For thou maist be confident if thou art one of his that either he will not call thee out to such suffering or if he do that he will support thee under it and carry thee through it All have not the Martyrs faith nor shall all have the Martyrs fire yet if this should prove to be the portion appointed for thee never fear but if thou art a true believer he who gave thee power to believe at the first which (l) Noâ— minùs difficile est homini credere quà m cudaveri volare thou couldest no more do of thy self than a dead man can fly he will not deny thee power to suffer whatever he calls thee out unto seeing this as well as the other is his gift as was said before and the purchase of Christs blood especially if you consider his promises Of giving power to the faint and increasing strength to them that have no might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Leighâ— Crit Sacâ— Isaiah 40.29 Of giving his Spirit to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 to help with us over against us as the word signifies Of not suffering us to be tempted above what we are able and making a way for our escape that we may be able to bear it 1 Corinth 10.13 Of making his strength perfect in the weakness of her servants 2 Cor. 12 9. Besides God is never more for us than when we are mâ—st for him whose glory lyes at stake as well as our lives and he is more curious of that than we can be of this Moreover your Saviour having had experience of all the amazements and horrors of death when he suffered it for you cannot forget both to pity and succour you when you suffer it for him for in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able and no lesse willing to succour those that are tempted as the Apostle infers Heb. 2.18 And his being heard in the days when he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him from death Heb. 5.7 may be a strong ground of encouragement to hope and believe that we praying for the removall of such a bitter Cup with submission to the Will of God shall obtain as he did though not the removall of it yet strength under it Adde unto all this the instances of Gods presence and power in such cases enabling the weakest and most timerous even Women and Children to undergo this triall for his names sake Wherefore 4 For a close I commend this to the troubled and trembling heart for his Direction in such a case Do not torment thy self with anxious fears and cares concerning thy holding out in a fiery triall but rather mind thy present duty and cast the burden of such things as are to come upon him who careth for thee and will sustaine thee in so doing neither will he ever suffer the righteous to be moved Psal 55.22 1 Pet. 5.7 Sufficient to such a day will he the evil of it when it comes Mat. 6.34 and therefore do not anticipate and make it double to what otherwise it would be Lukin Life of faith Pref. to the Reader Direct 2. p. 8. 9. by your cares and fears about it before it come It is true that a prudent foresight of evil is good Proverbs 22.3 that is so to foresee as to prepare for what we cannot avoid that is our duty as was said before but then let me tell you there is no better way of preparing for it then by minding our present duty And therefore instead of being thus over-solicitous concerning that which is to come Do you examine and prove your selves whether you be in the saith and Christ be in you according to your profession 2 Cor. 13.5 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Acquaint your selves with God and be at peace with him Job 22.21 Make this your constant exercise to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Acts 24.16 Draw nigh to God and keep close to him in humble Communion and Walk as before him in holy upright heavenly Conversation Psal 73.28 Gen. 17.1 Make daily improvements in sanctification mortifying corruption and growing in Grace cleansing your selves from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Stand upon your guard against sins of daily incursion and take heed of those that wast the conscience Psal 19.12 13. Keep your selves from your own iniquity Psalm 18.23 and Watch against those temptations to which you ly exposed by reason of your present condition from Satan the World and the Flesh Mat. 26.41 Revel 16.15 And in simplicity of heart resign up your selves to the will and disposall of him whose you are and whom you serve Mat. 6.10 And thus doing you may be confident that neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine nor nakedness nor peril nor sword nor life nor death nor the other thing shall be able to seperate you from any love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8 35. c. And thus I have shewed you that Jesus Christ is to be loved for the measure of it above all not onely our Enjoyments aâ—d Relations but also our Lives And to use u Beatus 〈◊〉 qui inlâ—diget quid sâ—t ama e Jesum contemnere scipsum propâ—er Jesum A Kemp. de Imit Christi lib. 2. cap. 7. pag. 111. à Kempis his words for a close of this head Blessed is that man who knows what it is to love the Lord Jesus and to contemn himself f r Jesus his sake The difficulty whereof may make us breath out our desires to him that helpeth to will and to do in the words of the same devout Author o Amem te plusquam nec me nisi propter te Idem lib. 3. cap 5. pag. 151. Oh! grant that I may love thee more than my self nor my self at all unlesse for thee CHAP.
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a Cordial is this to a Christian under all the evils and enemies which he meets with to consider that none of them can separate him from the love of Christ His estate his liberty his relations his life may be taken from him but the love of Christ can never be taken from him He may have many and mighty enemies Men and Devils set against him but Jesus Christ is his friend and will abide so for ever having loved him once he will never cease loving of him but will love him to the end John 13.1 and this is his Cordial of strong consolation to chear and refresh his spirits in all that he endures 2 Because a believer shall be conqueror and obtain a glorious Victory after all his conflicts through Christ â—erse 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us mark it They are conquerors already yea more than so if there be any thing more or better than conquest and victory they have it vertually in and through Christ at present and they shall be really so declared and appear to be so at last Nor doth this arise from a doubtful opinion or probable conjecture but from a full perswasion and assured confidence I am perswaded c. verse 39. g Pareus in loc perswaded from the unchangeable purpose of God his infallible promise and sure covenant from the costly satisfaction and constant intercession of Jesus Christ and from the inward testimony of the Spirit in my heart which cannot faile Thus I hope the matter is sufficiently cleared and confirmed Wherefore Christians seeing you are told by our Saviour That in the world you shall have tribulation John 16 33. and by his Apostles That through much tribulation you must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 and seeing you know not what evil may be upon the earth Eccles 11.2 nor how soon you may be called to bear your cross in following after Christ and have your share in great and much affliction let me advise and perswade you to prepare for it and because the love of Christ apprehended and applied by faith is so excellent a cordial against fainting at such a time let me again beseech you to labour after the knowledge of the love of Christ and to know it more and more To this end be much and earnest in prayer for the plentiful effusion of this love into your hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto you Vt totus figatur in corde qui totus fuit fixus in Cruce That he who was wholly fastened to the Cross may be wholly fixed in your hearts as the h August Father speaks Then come what will what can come you need not fear you need not faint whatever you be separated from you shall not be separated from Christ and his love and whatever conflicts you have now you shall be conquerors more than conquerors in the end through him that loved you And thus I have at last dispatched this first and main Use There is something to be superadded by way of Caution and Comfort with which I shall briefly conclude the whole matter Sect. 4. Vse 2 THE next Vse is by way of Caution Take heed of despising and rejecting this Love in the Offers of it by the Ministry of the Gospel Of Caution that we despise not this Love in the Offers of it Hath the Lord Jesus thus loved you and is he still at the cost of sending i 2 Cor. 5.20 Embassadors to make tenders of love to you and will you not accept them shall motions of love be made to your souls from the Lord of Life and Glory as there are in his Word and Ordinances and will you not hearken to them Doth he make Proclamation to all that will k Rev. 22.17 to come and drink of the water of Life freely l Isa 55.1 to buy wine and milk without money and without price to tast how gracious and loving he is and will you still m verse 2. lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Doth he n Rev. 3.20 stand at the door and knock o Isa 30.18 waiting to be gracious to you and bestow his love upon you even p Cant. 5.2 till his head be filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night and will you not open to him and give him admission will you q Jona 2.8 for the following of lying vanities forsake your owne mercy Wilt thou O covetous Worldling slight and refuse the love of Christ for the dung and dross of this present world Wilt thou O voluptuous Epicure prefer thy Cups and Queans thy base perishing lusts before it Wilt thou O ambitious wretch choose an aery title of honour a preferment to some slippery place in the Kingdoms of this world which are but Fancies and Fallacies before an interest in this love Alas Sirs do you not know that this r Rev. 6.16 Lamb of God can be angry that he hath Wrath as well as Love and Wrath as infinite as his Love for s Ps 90.11 Who knows the Power of it according to his Fear so is his Wrath and for whom can you imagine this Wrath to be reserved but for his t Nah. 1.2 enemies and such are they who slight and refuse his Love Take heed then what you do Take heed of flying from the arms of his Love till you fall headlong into the fire of his Wrath If you have refused and rebelled hitherto yet now come in and u 2 Chro. 30.8 yield your selves to the Lord and be no more stiff-necked Now x Ps 2.12 kiss the Son lest he be angry Take heed of persisting any longer in your enmity and opposition for y Job 36.18 19. Because there is wrath he may take you away with a stroak and then a great ransom cannot deliver thee He will not esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength But if he continue to exercise the z Rom. 2.4 5. riches of his goodness in his forbearance and longsuffering towards you and you go on to despise it and are not led to repenâ—ance by it know this from the Lord that you do but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Beware therefore betimes and a Heb. 3.7 8. to day whiles it is called to day harden not your hearts but hear his voice and accept of the offers of grace which are made unto you lest you feel at last by woful experience the truth of that which you will not now believe that b Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who in that great and terrible day will deal 1. In pure wrath without any
Royall Oake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR The Transcendency of CHRISTS LOVE towards the Children of Men. Laid down by the Apostle St. Paul in Ephes 3.19 A Treatise formerly Preached but now enlarged and published for common benefit By Peter Williams Preacher of the Gospel I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Christ is all in all 〈◊〉 3.11 As the Father hath â—…d me so have I loved you Joh. 15.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Pelus lib. 1. Epist 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macar Hom. 16. p. 237. Jesus Christus totus suavis est totus salubris est totus delectabilis totus denique secundum Sponsae vocem desiderabilis Bern. Ser. 2. post Epiph. p. 22. LONDON Printed by E. M. for Nathanael Webb and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Royal Oak in St. Pauls Church-yard near the little North door 1665. IMPRIMATUR Joh. Hall R. P. D. Episc Lond. à Sac. Domest Ex Aedibus Londinens Octob. 15. 1664. THE DEDICATION To his Christian and Dearly Beloved Friends in YORK and elsewhere THE AUTHOR as a publick and permanent Testimonial of his unfeigned affection to them and real Gratitude for their Respect and Favour towards him Humbly dedicates this ensuing Treatise being the First-fruits of his Labours in this kind Earnestly beseeching the God of all Grace that he would grant them such a knowledge of this in it self incomprehensible Love of Christ as may tend unto and end in their being filled with all the fulness of God And that through 〈◊〉 â—urrence of his Spirit and Blessing this 〈◊〉 â—â—â—atise may be made somâ— way useful and serviceable thereunto The Epistle to the Readers IF you would know why I have made this adventure to appear thus publickly it is That I might Evangelizare manu scriptione and speak among the people with whom I have been conversant when I am dead and gone For though Speech hath * Hâ—bet â—n sciâ— quid laten is energiae viva vor in auâ—oâ— discipuli de doctoâ—is ore tranâ—susa sortiu sonâ—â— Jer. a wonderful secret Energy accompanying of it and * Multo magis viva vox assicit Plin. Epist lib. 2. Epist 3. Nep. p. 95. Eras â—â—g p. 218. a living voyce is more affecting and perswasive than a dead letter and therefore God hath appointed Preaching to be a standing Ordinance in his Church as the most ready and likely way of conveying Sacred Truths to the minds and hearts of men yet herein * Ward Verba volant Scâ—ipta manent Writing hath the advantage of Preaching that whereas this is confined only to a few that is extended to many and whereas this requires presence and continues but for a while that hath its use in absence and is more permanent Sermons are like showers of rain which water for the instant Books are like Snow which lies longer on the Earth these may preach when the Author cannot and which is more when he is not As for this present Book it Treats of a Subject altogether unexceptionable it being as noble sweet and of as necessary concernment as any I could pitch upon What Subject more Noble than Jesus Christ * Col. 2.3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge * Field of the Church lib. 1. cap. 4. p. 8. out of Naz. Orat. 4. de sil 1. p. 133. In whom all things appear full of mercy and full of marvel God before all Eternity and yet made man in time born of a Woman and yet a Virgin wrapped in swadling bands and yet glorified by the Angels c. What more sweet than Love And what love more sweet than the love of Christ This is that which the Church sayes * Cant. 1.2 3. Delici is omnibus lantitiis potiores amores tuos duco Merc. in loc is better than Wine and makes his Name as Oyntment poured forth to the attracting of hearts to himself This is that * Cant. 3.10 firm pavement on which Believers may stand confidently without fear of falling That victorious * Cant. 2.3 4. Banner under the shelter whereof they may sit down chearfully without fear of being foiled by their Enemies and find his fruit sweet to their taste What is of greater concernment to us than to know this love of Christ as we ought to know it so as in heart and life in affection and conversation to be in some measure assimilated and conformed thereunto Our present Justification and Sanctification depend upon it for by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many * Isa 53.11 sayes the Lord by his Prophet And * Phil. 3.10 by knowing him we become conformable to his death sayes the Apostle And our future salvation no less for * John 17.3 this is life Eternal to know the true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent saith our Saviour These are the matters here Treated of which I confess are fitter for a David to handle * 2 Sam. 23.1 The man raised on high the anointed of the God of Jacob the sweet Psalmist of Israel Or for a Paul * 2 Cor. 12.4 who was caught up into Paradise and heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable words than for one every way so inconsiderable as I am Nay it s more fit for one of those Purae intelligentiae the Angels that are about the Throne than for any dark and dim-sighted Mortal to discourse of these things And therefore the sense of my own weakness and insufficiency hath been all along a grand discouragement and still is a ground of fear to me lest this excellent Subject should be too much debased in so low a hand and prove to be but * Salv. Ornamentum in luto by so mean handling of it Yet such as it is I have adventured it to publick View and when I have added a few Lines to give the Readers a just account concerning my self and it I shall discharge them of any further trouble by way of Preface And for my self I have this to say That though I fall short of what should be done upon such a Subject and might be done by others of greater abilities and better accomplishments yet I have done as I was able not serving Christ and his Church * 2 Sam. 24.25 with that which cost me nothing which I trust is accepted with the Lord and shall be with his people Indeed I can challenge little for my own besides the Method and Substratum having gathered most of the enlargements and superstructure elsewhere which I the rather chose to do because I thought it might perhaps render the whole the more acceptable to some Readers nor shall I herein I hope incur from any that are candid and ingenuous the imputation of Plagiarism because I punctually and faithfully quote the Authors themselves and thereby * Pliny's Epistle to Vespas
1. That it is a Personal love a love of the Person more than his portion p Meretricius amor est plus annulum quaÌ„ sponsum amare It is the love of a Harlot to love the Ring more than the Husband Our love of Christ must be a personal love we must love him more than his He indeed sayes q Amat profecto castè qui ipsum quem amat quaerit non aliud quicquam ipsius Bern. Ser. 7. in Cant. p. 138. Bernard loves chastely who seeks him whom he loves not any other thing which he hath It s adulterate love to love the priviledges and blessings of Christ above himself and as r Greenham p. 516. one of our own speaks If we love not Christ more than his benefits we are not worthy of him A Christian doth and may lawfully love the Ordinances Priviledges Graces and Benefits which come by Christ but yet he loves Christs person more than these and above all these so that if there were not any of these in hand or in hope yet would he look upon Christ as altogether lovely and love him without these Å¿ Nobilis amator non quiescit in dono sed in me super omne donum Thom. A â—emp de Imit Christ lib. 3. cap. 6. mihi p. 153. That is the noble lover who rests not in any gift received from Christ but rests in Christ above every gift so the devout A Kempis brings in Christ speaking to the soul 2. That it is a love of the Person considered in the utmost extent of that relation of a Husband that is not only as a Cherisher and Preserver but also as a Head Guide and Lord. Thus a Christians sincere love to Christ respects and is carried out to whole Christ not only as Jesus to Save but also as Lord to Rule It looks at Christ as Mediator and loves him in all the offices of his Mediatorship not only as t Isa 55.4 Eph. 5.23 Col. 2.6 Witnesse but also as Leader and Commander not only as Saviour of his Body but also as Head of his Church not only as Priest to satisfie and intercede but also as Prophet to teach lead and guide and as King to Rule govern and exercise dominion As the Heart must not be divided which is the principle of our love so Christ must not be divided who is the object of our love As we must love with the whole heart so we must love a whole Christ or not at all Take it for a clear truth sayes one That if thou lovest not Christ as thy Soveraign Lord u Morn Exercise Part 2. p. 229. if thy heart be not knit to him as thy High Priest with God if thou hast not affectionately entertained him as thy Master and Teacher in a word if thou art not consecrated unto God by Christ if thou art not a loyal Subject and a willing Disciple love in sincerity doth not dwell in thee 3. That it is an unshared and incommunicable love When a Woman is married to an Husband if she love him sincerely as she ought he hath no Corrivals in her affection but she gives him her whole love and doth not divide it betwixt him and others her heart is set upon him more than all the World besides so it is with a Christian who truly loves Christ He hath none in Heaven but Christ and there is none on Earth that he desires besides him Psal 73.25 His Motto is that of the w Lambert Martyr None but Christ None but Christ As Christ is all in all to him so he is all in all his affections for Christ x Reynolds on Psal 110. p. 74. The fourth character It is Real As the rising of the Sun drowneth all those innumerable Stars which shined in the Firmament before so the beauty of this Sun of Righteousness doth blot out or else gather together unto it self all those scattered affections of the soul which were before cast away upon meaner objects This is chaste love and the third Character of that which is sincere 4. Sincere love is real love not not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth If that be required in our love to Christians as it is 1 John 3.18 surely it must not be omitted in our love to Christ Our Saviour himself makes this the proof of our love If you love me keep my Commandments John 14.15 And again He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me v. 21. And again If a man love me he will keep my words v. 23. So John 15.14 You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you You see then That exhibition of works is the probation of love as the y Probatio dilectionis est exhibitio operis Bern. in Coen Dom. Ser. 8. Father speaks It s in vain for men to talk of loving Christ if they do not walk after him in a free chearful universal and constant obedience to his Commandments z Leighs Crit. Sacr. in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some derive the Greek word for love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because love is alway operative As Fire is the most active Element so Love is the most working Grace Indeed a Amor si non operatur non est Greg. Love if it be not operative is not at all b Qui praecepta Dei contemnit Deum non diligit neque enim regem diligimus si odiâ— ejus leges habemus Isid He doth not love God who contemns his Precepts as we love not a King when we hate his Laws c Vide Hardy on John Part 2. p. 472. 473. We cannot approve the sincerity of our love but by the reality of our obedience He who loveth Christ sayes d Qui diligit Christum probat sectatur ea quae Christo grata esse novit atque odit fugit quae Christo minimè placere novit Contra verò ubi non est Praeceptorum Christi observatio ibi non est vera dilectio quamvis multa sit de dilectione gloriatio c. Gerh. Har. mihi p. 925. Gerhard doth approve and follow those things which he knows to be acceptable unto Christ and doth hate and avoid such things as he knows will by no means please him On the other side where there is not an observance of Christs Precepts there is no true love of Christ though there may be much boasting of it Deeds speak more strongly than words If a Wife should boast that she loves her Husband and in the mean time oppose him in all things she will never be able to perswade her Husband nor any others that she truly loves him So those who boast that they love this heavenly Husband the Lord Jesus and in the mean time trample his Commandments under their feet do but deceive themselves The true and noble love of Jesus as a e Amor Jesu