through him when wee perceaue our selues overloden with sinnes and that Christ was sent purposely to be a propitiation for them O here is the true originall of our loue vnto him now wee loue him because hee first loued vs. A third place I 'le trouble you with no more is Luc. 7. 37. where we haue a whole parable to this purpose deliuered by our Saviour himselfe to make the Pharisees vnderstand what that poore womaÌ„ meant by those strange distracted seemingly madde expressions of her loue vnto him in washing his feet with teares and wiping them with her haire c. The parable is of a Creditor his two debtors I need not repeat it most of you knowe it already others may pervse it if they please The application of it is that then sinners doe indeed fall in loue with their Saviour when they perceaue themselues to bee over head and eares as wee say in debt vnto God and themselues most vnable to discharge one farthing wheÌ„ they feele that God begins to put his bond in suite which they had forfeited long before they were borne when he sends an arrest for them by the terrours of his Law their owne consciences the spirit of bondage Lastly when they feele themselues even haled towards that prison from which never any man came out which was once in and then most opportunely comes in Christ Iesus with his merits satisfies his father to the full rescues them out of the sergeants hands that they being deliuered out of the hands of their enimies may serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the daies of their life Indeed the conclusion of the application vers 4 7. seemes to thwart and vnsay all that which I haue said Her sinnes which are many are forgiuen her because shee loued much I deny not but the words as they are admit a pious sense neither am I ignorant with how little adoe they may be reconciled which haue beene hitherto spoken But if I might bee worthy to deliuer mine own opinion with due respect vnto the translaters I would alter one word in the translation which I suspect should runne thus Her sinnes which are many are forgiuen therfore shee hath loved much The sense requires this construction 1. Because the whole scope of the parable is to shew that hee loues most to whom most is forgiueÌ„ and not contrarily that most is forgiuen to him that loues moâ—t 2. The antithesis in the same verse requires it the words but to whom little is forgiuen he loueth little supposeth this thesis because many sinnes are forgiuen her shee soueth much Now as the sense requires this inter pretation so the conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admits it for albeit not in the pure Greek idiom yet in the Helenisticke vse of it answers to all the acceptions of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath sometimes the signification of ideo quapropter c. Neither may it prejudice this interpretation that our Saviour after all those expressions of loue from the penitent woman and his apologie for himselfe and her to the Pharisee tells her that her sinnes are forgiuen her this was but that sentence of absolution for her greater coÌ„fort and assurance outwardly pronouÌ„ced of which no doubt but she had before some gratious inklings within and the vertue of which she had already tasted though not in that comfortable measure or distinct manner as she desired But now I would not willingly be mistaken in the point as if my opinion were or I intended to proue out of the afore-cited places that there is no true loue vnto Christ but what is grounded vpon an actual perswasion of the remission of our sinnes by him Alas how many poore soules euen languish with a spirituall thirst after him how many bleeding hearts both feele and expresse most vehement pangs of importunate loue towards him how many broken spirits euen spend and exhale themselues in continuall sallyes as it were and egressions of affection vnto him who haue indeed heard but not as yet tasted how gratious he is who haue not as yet perceaued in themselues those inward whisperings of comfort Feare not I am thy salvation bee of good cheere thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee in a word who haue not as yet felt themselues sealed to the day of redemption by that holy spirit of promise To rescue the truth out of these clouds and to present it in her brightnesse vnto you we must first obserue that every degree of true spirituall loue vnto Christ proceeds froÌ„ a proportionable act of sauing faith Secondly that there is a twofold loue 1. One of desire which is an earnest longing after that which wee beleeue would doe vs much good if wee could attaine vnto it 2. Another of complacencie when hauing attained that we desire we hugge and embrace it and solace our selues in the fruition of it Now as ordinarily in the loue of any other object so likewise if wee respect Christ Iesus the first of these loues is the introduction to the second and both of theÌ„ issue from a proportionable act of faith precedent That affectionate longing and thirstie loue wherewith we pant and gaspe after Christ having never yet been refreshed with any comfortable testimony of the spirit since the beginning of our humiliation proceeds from that former act of faith whereby we assent vnto al the Gospell promises as most true and good in themselues and infinitely better vnto vs then any thing in the world could we bee once assured that they belong vnto vs as well as to other men That other loue of complaconcie when with the Psal we returne vnto our rest because the Lord hath dealt bountifully with vs sweetly repose our selues in the lap of our Saviour with content vnspeakable and full of glory proceeds from that last act of faith whereby we are actually perswaded by those welcome whispers of the spirit of adoption that Christ is as certainly our Saviour as any mans else and that our debts as infinite as they were are cancelled to a fâ—rthing as well as the smaller summes of others Lastly it will not be amisse to obserue two things of this loue of complacency arising from a perswasion of Christs loue vnto vs in particular 1. It 's subject to all variations or changes ebbings and flowings of that perswasion For as often as in any violent temptation or sensible disertion our perswasion seemes to be confuted this loue of complacencie is either for a time quite stupified or else it falls back as it were into that thirsty auxious loue of desire 2. This loue of complacencie admits degrees proportionably to the degrees of that perswasion If that be cleare and strong this loue is more cheerefull pleasant if that be weake and obscure this loue is not so spright full but somewhat lumpish being cold with many feares and jealousies Whence this loue of complacency may not vnfitly be
subdivided 1. Into Ordinary loue which proceeds from a weaker degree of that last act of faith and though sincere yet being imperfect is mixed with anxiety in the same proportion as that is with doubting And 2. into Heroicall loue which springeth from a more eminent and transcendent pitch of perswasion concerning our owne reconciliation in particular this is that perfect loue which S. Iohn saies casteth out all feare to wit of distruste bringing vs into a more intimate familiarity with God I call the first Ordinary because most Christians though effectually called doe ordinarily feele but such a timorous loue in themselues The second which I call Heroicall in that sense in which eminent vertues haue their Epithite is constantly only in such as either beside the evidence of the word and spirit haue had some speciall revelation to put them out of all doubt concerning their estate to Godward on such as by a constant close walking with God haue beene long exercised in a Christian course haue often entertained Christ Iesus at supper in their hearts and habituated themselues into a more familiar acquaintance with that holy spirit which brings all the good news from heauen to those diligent soules which carefully wait for it Thus haue I according to the skill that is giuen mee proued the originall of the syncere loue of a sinner vnto Christ Iesus blessed for ever to be a serious tender apprehension of his own extreame need of Christ and of Christs superabundant loue vnto him I haue likewise explained this truth and vindicated it from such exceptions as crossed my way I come now to discouer the demonstratiue reason of this truth and after I haue shewed that it is so to shew you now why it must be so Wee are all borne into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God and while wee continue in that naturall stupid condition wherein we were borne wee are all strangers both vnto God and Christ yea enemies in our mindes through wicked workes as the Apostle speakes Col. 1. 21. We retaine indeed some obscure cloudy notions of a God but not the darkest intimations of a Saviour or least suspition of any need we haue of one In a word albeit wee are borne and bred within the shrillest sound of the Gospell yet as long as we continue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meere animall naturall men it will not sinke into our heads that we are in such miserable case as Preachers would make vs beleeue wee are how ill its like to goe with vs vnlesse we laboriously enquire after Christ and get to be reconciled vnto God by him Now what more effectuall method can we imagine to beate vs out of this naturall antipathy against our Creatour and Redeemer yea what other contrivance may there be to worke such peeuish wretches such froward rebels out of one extreame into another out of deadly hatred to sincere loue of the eternall Father and his only Sonne to pull downe their proud stomackes to make them crouch and craule vnto his throne of grace then to make them see in what a hell they are while they stand in this distance from him to awake their consciences against them and to make them a terrour vnto themselues to let the Law thunder and lighten into their soules vntill their wits and spirits beginne to faile them and then amidst all these amazing tempests to let the glorious Gospell of Christ shine vpon them to shew them Christ Iesus with his armes of mercy stretched out and vndertaking to free them out of all these confusions and to make their peace with his father if they will but come vnto him and trust their selues with him if they will but lay to heart and learne to esteeme admire those wonders of redemption which he hath compassed for them Had the prodigall sonnes stocke held out and hee lyen still afloate in the full-tide of his sinfull pleasures hee had set vp his staffe in that faâ—â—e country and quite forgot that hee ever had a father yea when the tide was gone and had left him vpon the sands when the revells were ended his bravery quite worne out into beggery and himselfe preferred to be an attendant of a company of hogs if he could but haue got his belly full of huskes he would hardly haue thought of returning home but when these were denyed him and hee could see nothing but death before him O now hee comes to himselfe and begins to thinke of a father hee had and resolues to goe vnto him though he might well suspect his entertainment Well whatsoever that may proue he is sure hee goes to a father and therefore on he goes and when hee was yet a farre off full of aboding feares and disconsolate muâ—ings behold his father about his necke before he was a ware of him acting an over-joyned man hee hangs about him and kisses him trims him vp with a robe and a ring conducts him home in a kinde of triumph and welcomes him with the solemnity of a feast and musicke Here was a change for the prodigall enough to haue turned his braines as we say but sure it could not but turne his heart Had that beene of marble or adamant this could not but melt it into loue O what a swelling a thronging a wrastling did hee now feele in his bowels of tendrest passions impatient for want of expression O how did he now lay about him with teares of sorrow and teares of joy being much pulled whether it would best become to prosecute his joy most or his sorrow in briefe how mad is hee with himselfe that hee had beene such a sonne to such a Father I haue insisted the longer vpon the prodigals case because indeed it is our owne For ordinarily our heavenly father vseth the same method to fetch vs his prodigall children home vnto him and to bring vs in loue with his beloued sonne Iesus Christ We are all as soone as we are born gotten into a farre country where we mispend and misemploy all those faculties and endowments with which our Creator hath furnished vs in the revels of sinne and vanity walking on merrily and confidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes Ephes 2. 2. according to the course of this world professing indeed for fashion sake loue both vnto God and Christ but all the while denying and disclaiming them both in our hearts and conversations But God who is rich in mercy for his great loue wherewith hee hath loued vs. Ephes 2. 4. when hee hath let vs runne our selues even out of breath in these riotous courses and even tyred our selues in our journey to hell thinkes it sit to stop our progresse and first to make vs vnderstand our selues that we may the better esteeme of him and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ First then hee inspires vs with so much spirituall life as may make vs feele our spirituall burden consisting of our sinnes and his curses
bee moued to more tender passions by a Tragicke fable created by the braine of a Poet cannot sympathise with his Sauiour in that passiō which should haue beene his cannot by his serious cōpunction share with him in those agonies which should haue been all his owne cannot take these mercies so deepely to heart as with the earnest pangs of yerning affections to desire to bee crucified with Christ as S. Paul speakes of himselfe Gal. 2. 20. and to liue the rest of his life in the flesh by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued him and gaue himselfe for him questionlesse that man offers his Sauiour the most cutting iniury and does him the most villanous spight that it 's possible for a mortall wretch to offer vnto the Lord of Glory That mans ingratitude is more painefull vnto Christ Iesus then all the thornes were in his head and wounds him more deepely then the nayles did his hands and feete and therefore wee cannot imagine a lighter curse then Anathema Maranatha to bee due vnto him For by his sottish neglect of that death of which his sins aswel as any mans else were a cause he becomes guilty of the murther of the Sonne of God yea one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I vnderstang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and English it who crucifie as much as in them lies the sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and expose him like a◠malefactour to publique shame Heb. 6. 6. 3 Lastly whosoever instructed in the Gospell doth not in earnest loue Christ Iesus hee vexes grieues the third person in Trinity the Holy spirit whose chiefe businesse here below is to worke our our hearts vnto the loue of Christ and as I said before to solicite the match betweene him and our soules And this is one reason why our saviour being to leaue this world speakes so much in Saint Iohn of what the comforter should doe for him after his departure He shall testify of me Iohn 13. He shall glorify mee 16. 14. Whosoeuer therefore makes the Holy spirit to labour in vaine not suffering his perswasions to make any impressions vpon his heart or to get thence any glory for him whose agent hee is but thinkes hee does Christ Iesus kindnesse enough in that he suffers himselfe to be called a Christian rather then a Iew or a Mahumetan or Protestant rather then a Papist In what a fit of discontent in what a chafe may we thinke doth that man send or rather driue away the spirit of Grace All that I haue said in this second consideration is comprised in that terrifying place Hebr. 10. 28. 29. which I know is there applyed vnto Apostates but wee must note that all hypocrites are Apostates in Gods fight and therefore what wee may apply vnto an Apostate in particular because hee discouers the rottennesse of his heart in the sight of men wee may apply vnto hypocrites in generall because there is in them the same evill heart of vnbeliefe though wee cannot so particularly smell them out the words are Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath troden vnder foote the sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the blood of a common man or a malefactor not as the blood of a sacrifice and hath done despight vnto the spirit of grace Applic. You see the fearefully accursed estate of those professors of Christianity who deale falsely with their Saviour and loue him not at the heart you see vpon what slippery tearmes wee stand betweene the greatest curses and the greatest blessings If wee haue indeed made Christ Iesus our portion if wee haue beene so feelingly affected with his favours towards vs that now with the Spouse in the Canticles wee are even sicke with loue of him If as the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians Wee are so rooted and grounded in loue that we can bring good proofes that with a constant resolution we preferre the intellectuall pleasures which issue from his reconciled countenance before whatsoeuer else is most pretious and deare vnto vs O then we may hugge our selues as men over-joyed for as sure as God is God all his rich promises in Christ Iesus shall be yea and Amen vnto vs. But on the contrary if those heauenly raptures and glorious trances of sweetest entercourse betweene Christ and our soules sound as Phantastique dreames harsh Paradoxes vnto vs if wee stupidly content our selues with an empty profession of his name and heartlesse conformity vnto the outward garb of the Gospell never striuing either to expresse or to feele the inward power of it if wee goe on in a heavy sluggish dull manner never retiring vnto our Saviour but in some melancholy moodes which wee are quickly weary of blindly presuming of much from him and caring not how little hee hath from vs O then we most grossely delude our selues for the curse of curses Anathema Maran-atha doth most certainely belong vnto vs I presume almost there is not any man in this assembly but would thinke himselfe much wronged if one should seriously tell him hee did not loue Christ Iesus Not loue Christ Why we imagine wee all doe it naturally wee take it as the custome of the country to say so It is not my purpose to dishearten any man would to God that the least sparke of loue vnto Christ in any mans heart here were a glorious flame But yet I would haue no man to deceiue himselfe in this point then which nothing more easy nothing more dangerous God is not mocked he requireth truth in the inward parts and the exactest kinde of loue that can be imagined Doe you thinke beloued but that the Iewes in our Saviours time were confidently perswaded that they loued God they persecuted our Saviour indeed because they could not apprehend him to be the sonne of God but for God himselfe they made full account that they and none but they loued him aright Here was I dare say as strong a perswasion of loue to God if confidence would beare out the matter as in the greater part of Christians of their loue vnto Christ But behold how miserably they were deceaued Joh. 5. 42. our Saviour expressely tels them But I know you that yee haue not the loue of God in you The like grosse deceit of the Iewes may be observed in the same chapter about their loue vnto Moses why they were 〈◊〉 and naile for Moses The Law and name of Moses was the glory of their nation for which no doubt but many if they had beene put to it would resolutely haue lost their liues in our Saviours time as their ancestors had done before or their posterity since so that one would haue thought hee might haue sworne they loued Moses but yet when the matter
to all those which loue Christ Jesus in sincerity But on the contrary if thy conscience start at these demands beginne to fumble at them making as if it did not vnderstand them if they driue thee to confesse that thou knowest no such matter by thy selfe why then my discourse will conclude thy pretended loue vnto Christ to be but a meere fancie and thy selfe for the present to bee but an vnhappy man To goe yet more particularly to work in this examination according to the methode aboue proposed Hast thou beene experimentally convinced in thy owne soule in what desperate case thou art by nature Hast thou clearly perceaued to be true in thy selfe whatsoeuer the Scriptures tell thee of the monstrous pronenesse of mans heart to any evill◠and vntowardnesse to any good Hast thou beene made to possesse the sinnes of thy youth as holy Iob was and haue the terrors of God stared thy guilty conscience in the face affrighted it almost into a bloody sweat and then hath there appeared as it were an Angell comforting thee Hast thou felt thy selfe a condemned man and even going to execution and hath Christ Iesus in the nick stept in with thy pardon both purchased and sealed with his owne most pretious blood If thou hast felt either these passages or some which may serue proportionably insteed of them to bee the canse of that which thou professest vnto Christ I dare not questiō the synceritie of it least with those Ezech. 13. I wound that soule which should not dye and make the heart of him sad whō the Lord hath not made sad I should wrong thee exceedingly not to beleeue that Christ is him whom thy soule loueth that with S. Pauls constraining loue a loue as strong as death which many waters cānot quēch neither shall the stoods drowne it Cant. 8. 7. But now on the cōtrary to conclude negatiuely from the former interrogatories to inferre the want of sincerity in any man for his not feeling those passages as they are verbatim proposed would be too rigid perhaps raise a tumult in a well setled conscience Onely thus much I le say if all of them sound as riddles and vncouth mysteries vnto thee if thou never knewest any thing like to what was proposed by thy selfe as I feare many haue not If thou knowest not what it meanes to come heavy laden poore in spirit hungry and thirsty vnto Christ why then I wonder thou shouldst bee so sottish as to conceaue or impudent as to affirme that thou louest Christ if thou wouldst haue vs vnderstand thee that thou louest him in sincerity I doe suppose that thou louest him vpon custome as thou dost the fashiō of thy country in which thou hast beene borne bred but so does the gretest part of the world defie him vpon as good a ground as that so does a Turke loue Mahomet one of the bafest misereants that ever was vpon as substantiall a ground as that But we speake of that transcendent loue of him which cannot possibly be due vnto any one else and which would be most due vnto him though all the lawes customes in the world should vniversally conspire to crye it downe dost thou professe such a loue vnto him and knowest not wherefore nor vpō what occasion thou wert moued vnto it It would vexe a man to the soule who knowes indeed what it is to loue Christ and how himselfe was brought vn to it to consider the confident stupidity of multitudes in euery place who will not be put out of their dreame that they meane as louingly to Christ as any man when as indeed they are not as yet come so far as to perceaue any proper reason why they should loue him or what reason he hath to expect any loue from them I knowe they will say they loue him because he died for them and they hope to be saued by him Alas these are words of course and as soone spoken as any other they say this because they were ever taught to say so and never liued among any that said the contrary Beloued it is not the saying of this or beleeuing it confusedly like some old story or tradition wil melt our congealed hearts into the loue of Christ No it must be through distinct feeling of it in our owne soules it must bee the experience of this which makes vs enamoured on him and sets our hearts a mounting towards him in those seraphicall flames of sanctified affection 2 The Originall of sincere loue vnto Christ being discovered and directions giuen for selfe examination concerning it a second vse shall bee for caution against many cozening semblances of loue vnto Christ which may make vs thinke a great deale better of our selues then wee haue reason which may easily bee discouered by trying them by this originall To instance in some particulars There is many a Ruffian in this kingdome who if he should heare a Jew blaspheaming Christ his blood would quickly bee vp hee would long to bee doing with him and bee hardly kept from hacking him in peeces O what a friend vnto Christ will such a man suppose himselfe to be he will conceipt he hath behaued himselfe like a Templer done him knights service and a hundred to one but in this humour he will call his companions to come and see the zeale which he hath for Christ Jesus But if there were any such swaggering Zelot in this assembly I would aske him these questions Dost thou not think a hot spirited Turk would haue fallen as foule vpon the Iew if hee had taken him vilifying his Mahomet Wouldst thou not vndergoe as dangerous a quarrell to winne the fauour or please the humour of thy mistresse Would'st thou not thy selfe or at least dost thou not know some who will quarrell as sternely about a pipe of Tobacco or the pledging of a health Lastly hast thou not suffered thy companions to blaspheame Christ in their oathes perhaps a whole day together and thy zeale all the while hath beene very well contented with it You see by these questions from what variety of carnall vnsanctified motiues this seeming plausible zeale may arise and therefore in all such cases it much concernes vs to haue an eye to the true originall of all duties of loue to consider not so much what wee doe as what makes vs to doe it and in a word to judge of our affections not by the heat but by the fewell For a second instance Many in reading the history of our Saviours life and considering his sweet debonnaire and vnoffensiue carriage withall the contradictiō of sinners the insolencie of proud and churlish miscreants which he endured with an vnimitable patience will find their hearts euer and anon rising in indignation against the Scribes and Pharisees and euen tenderly sympathizing with our Saviour These men may presently imagine themselues to bee deepely in loue with Christ but they may bee miserably mistaken Let them consult