much forgiven have not your sins been very numerous and very heinous and hath Christ obtained the pardon of them all and will not you love Christ much 4. You have the Robes of Righteousness from Christ you are born naked of Original Righteousness and you could not work out any actual Righteousness for your selves that might cover your nakedness whatever you wrought your selves it was rags that could not cover you and it was filthy rags which did pollute and defile you Christ hath given you the Robes of his perfect Righteousness to cover and adorn you withall and therein you are accepted as perfectly Righteous in the sight of God O how should we love the Lord Jesus for this Garment if your Bodies were naked and one should give you clothes to cover you especially if they were rich clothes you would love such a person and will you not love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath given you a garment to cover your Souls and that a very rich one even the Robes of his most pure and unspotted Righteousness which by Faith is put upon you 5. You have peace of Conscience from Christ. This is that peace which the Scripture telleth us passeth all understanding Phil. 4. 7. It passeth all understanding to know the worth of it such as have this peace would not leave it upon any account they would part with Estate or Liberty or Life rather than part with their peace and those which have it noâ— but now do slight and neglect it yet if they be awakened by the sides of the Grave and when they are come to the confines of Eternity then they would value this peace and would give all the world were it at their dispose for it Thâ—â— Jewel of peace you have from Jesus Christ he hath purchased it for you the chastisement of your peace was upon him and he hath promised and bequeathed it in his last will and Testament unto you Iohn 14. 27. My Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you In his reconciling you unto God he hath laid a Foundation for this peace in all you that are true believers and if he have moreover spoken peace to you in giving you well grounded evidences of your Reconciliation if after raising a Storm he hath sent a calm into your Spirits and given a sweet fâ—renity unto you in the testimony of his Spirit to and with your Spirits that your peace is made with God O how should this draw sorth your love to Christ 6. You haâ—e the Joyes of the Holy Ghost from Christ. We read of the Thessalonians that they received the Word in much Affliction with Ioy of the Hâ—ly Ghost 1 Thess. 1. 6. Such are â—hose Joys spoken of in the Text which are unspeakable and full of Glory These are not Carnal joys but Spirâ—tual which are of a higher nature and sweeter relish that have a higher object and are the beginnings of Eternal Joys if you have these joys in any measure you have them from Chriâ—â— he sends the Holy Ghost from heaven to be your Comforter to fill your Hearts with Spiritual joys and shall not your hearts then be filâ—ed with love to the Lord Jesus who is the Author of them 7. You have the richeâ— of Grace from Christ if any of you were poor and ready to starve with hunger and cold and a rich man should give or send to you a chest full of Gold and Sâ—lver or a Câ—binet full of Jewels worth many thousand pounds would you not love such a Bâ—nefactor the Lord Jesus hath given you the riches of Grace the least measure of which is really of more worth than the vastest treasures of Gold Silver and precious Stones that ever was gathered together â—nd heaped up by the most wealthy man that ever lived upon the face of the Earth and will you not love Jesus Christ who hath given you these ineâ—timable riches 8. You have the Dignity of Children from Christ 1 Iohn 3. 1. Behold 〈◊〉 manner of Love the Father hath bestowâ—â— upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! this priviledge of Adoption is bestowed upon you not only by the Father but also by the Son Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he Power to be come the Sons of God even to them that believe on his name We read of some raised from the dust and lifted up from the dunghill to sit with Princes Psal. 113. 7 8. It is a far higher advancement to be lifted up from the dâ—ngâ—ill of sin and of slaves to luâ—ts and Children of the Devil to be made the Soâ—s and Daughters of the Lord Almighty This honour have all the Saints and it is Jesus Christ who hath conferred this honour upon you and will not this endear your love to Chriâ—t 8. You have the Spirit of Prayer from Christ being Sons the Spirit of the Son is sent down into your Hearts whereby you are enabled to say Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. through Christ you have access unto God by the Spirit Eph. 2. 18. It is the Spirit of Christ which helpeth your infirmities in Prayer that formeth your Petitions that enableth you to Pray with Faith and Life and Fervour Through Christ you have free Admittance to the Throne of Grace through Christ you have Assiâ—â—ance by his Spirit to Pray in Prayer through Christ you have Audience and Gracious Returns O how are you beholden unto Christ and how should you love him 10. You have a Title to the Kingdome of Heaven from Christ. Through Christ you are Children and through Christ you are Heirs It is Christ that gives the first Fruits of the Heavenly Canaan the earnest of the future Treasure and Inheritance which he hath promised and the foretastes sometimes of those Soul ravishing Pleasures which the Saints shall have in Fulness and to Eternity when they are received up into Glory And it is Christ that hereafter will give Possession unto you of the Kingdome of Heaven At the Day of His Glorious Appearance after he hath owned you before the whole World of Angels and Men and Honoured you to be His Assessors in His Judging and Condemning the Wicked he will receive you with Acclamations of Joy and Triumph into the Glorious Pallace of the New Ierusalâ—m where you shall have the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of the Glorious Iehovah and be made partakers of such Glorious Felicity as hath not now entred into your Hearts to conceive And will not the Consideration of all this set your hearts on fire with love to Christ Christiâ—â—s is there any Person like to Christ's Person is there any love like to Chriâ—â—'s love are there any benefits like to Christs benefitâ— No no he is imcomparable in all methinks then you should by this tâ—me â—eel your love to Christ like Fire to burn within with 〈◊〉 flame or methinks your love to Christ should be like water I mean the waters of the Sanctuary spoken of Ezeâ—
4. 7. 3 4 5. which at enâ—â—ance were but to â—he Ankles a little further were up to the Loyns a little further a deep River over the head where a man might swim methinks you should perceive an encreasing of your love under these various motives if your love were more shallow at first methinks by this time it should have got some depth when such Winds do blow the waters should flow and overflow methinks your love to Christ should be raised unto a high tide and run with a strong Stream Thus for the motives drawn from the consideration of Christs Benefits all which are so many Orators for your love SECT XIV THe fourth and last sort of Motives to 〈◊〉 your love to Christ may be drawn from the consideration of that love which Christians have or shou'd have unto him and here consider 1. The Duty 2. The Priviledge 3. The Honour 4. The Wisdom 5. The Excellency 6. The Necessity 7. The Usefulness 8. The Delightfulness 9. The Attainableness of this love to Jesus Christ. 1. Consider it is your Duty to love Christ if it be your Duty to have a Natural affection unto Parents Children it is much more your Duty to have spiritual affections unto Christ If it be your duty to have conjugal affection unto your Earthly Husband and Wife it is a greater duty to have conjugal love unto this your heavenly Husband If it be your Duty to love Brethren Sisters and Kindred that love you it is a greater Duty to love Jesus Chriâ—t who loves you above all Relations if it be your Duty to love your Enemies it is much more your Duty to love Christ who is your best Friend It is the will of your Heavenly Father that you should love Christ the Devil would have you â—ate him but God would have you love him and whether it be most reason that you should obey the Will of God or the Will of the Devil judge ye It is the Will of Christ that you should love him the will of the flesh is against this love but whose will ought you to comply withall you are not debters to the Flesh that you should obey it's command neither are you Debters to any Creatures to give them your choicest affections but you are debtors unto Christ to give him your chief love Christ hath most right to your love and will you not give to Christ his due if you are bound to give men their due are you not much more bound to give unto Christ his due Christs due is your best and have you any thing better than your Hearts to present him withall will Christ accept of any thing at your hands should you withhold from him your Hearts had you Thousands of Rams and ten Thousand Rivers of Oyle to offer to him had you all the Treasures of the Earth at your dispose and should lay it down all at his feet it would be all slighted and disregarded by him if you give away yours Hearts from him 2. Consider it is your Priviledge that you may love Christ that Christ will give you leave to do it and kindly accept of your Love Should Beggars fall in love with Princes in order to the Marriage Union both their Persons and Love would be rejected with scorn anger and disdain There is a far greater distance between you and Jesus Christ than there is between the highest Prince and the meanest Beggar and yet the Lord Jesus Christ doth give you leave to love him with a Spiritually conjugal love in ordeâ— to the nearest Spiritual Union and Conjunction and notwithstanding his greatness and your meaness he is not ashamed to give entertainment unto your Love although you are so mean as Creatures have been so vile as Sinners yet he doht not scorn and disdain you but both Persons and Love may find ready acceptance with him It is your duty to love Christ because he commands you and it is your Priviledge that you may love Christ because he allows you to do it 3. Consider it is your Honour to Love Christ. The real Honour of any is not the Noble Blood which runs in their veins the high lineage from whence they are descened the great Titles with which they are Invested or the most eminent Earthly dignities unto which they are advanced The Heathen could say Et Genus et Proavos et quae non fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco our stock and noble Ancestors and what we have not done or deserved our selves we can hardly call our own And Virtus sola unica Nobilitas Vertue is the only true Nobility And the Scripture telleth us that the vilest Men are exalted Psal. 12. 8. and that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of Men aud giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteâ—h up over it the basest of Men Dan. 4. 17. Princes and Nobles by their Vices and Wickednesses may render themselves more vile then the Earth under their Feet more base than the mire in the Streets The Word of God accounteth only them to be truly Honourable that are truly Gracious and this Grace of Love to Jesus Christ doth put a great Honour and lustre upon all those that have it There is no greater and higher object for your love than the Lord Jesus Christ a person of so great eminency and excellency the Love of Chriâ—t doth enoble the Heart and none in the world have such truely great and generous Souls as those who have the graeatest love to him According to the Spirit so is the Man â—ither Bâ—se or honourable and according to the chief love so is the Spirit if your Heart do chiefly love any inferiour things as all sublunary things are hereby you are debased and dishonoured if your Heart chiefly love Christ who is a Superior good and superlatively amiable hereby you are dignified and become truly honourable We read of Hope that is the Grace of Hope that it maketh not ashamed Rom. 5. 5. And the same may be said of this Grace of Love to Jesus Christ it maketh not ashamed The most in the World do love those things which one time or other will make them a shamed the covetous will be ashamed of their love of Riches and the voluptuous will be ashamed of their Love of Pleasures and the Ambitious will be a shamed of their love of Honours disappointment of Happiness and true contentment will make all ashamed of their inordinate Creature-love especially when they come to reap the bitter Fruit of their Sin in their Everlasting punishment Rom. 16. 21. What â—ruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed for the end of those things is Death But the love of Christ maketh not ashamed it is no matter of dishonor and therefore neither is nor will be matter of shame for any to love Jesus Christ with the greatest Strength and Ardency if the wicked do despise and scorn Gods people upon the account of this love their scorns
have interest in Christ and in all his Benefits If you ask me what this Faith is that gives an interest in Christ what it is to believe I answer out of Iohn 1. 12. that it is to receive Christ. But to as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that Believe in his Name Be perswaded then to receive Christ and accept of him upon the terms of the Gospel Receive and take hold of Christ by the hand of Faith And that you may do this 1. You must let go your hold of sin if your hugg sin in your bosom if you harbour base Lusts in your Hearts you cannot receive and give entertainment to Christ there you must thrust sin out if you would let Christ in 2. You must let go your hold on the World I don't say you must let it go out of your hands and throw away the estates which God hath given except it be to part with some proportion in a way of Mercy and Charity and except you be called to leave all rather than to forgo Christ or any of his Truths but you must let the World go out of your Hearts the World must not sit upon the Throne of your Hearts that seat must be reserved for Christ cheif love and inordinate love to the world and things in the world must be taken off 3. You must let go hold of self your own Righteousness and all self-confidences must be parted with you must be humbled and emptied of your selves if you would be prepared for the receiving of Jesus Christ and receiving of that fulness which there is in him And then 1. Receive Jesus Christ as your High-Priest to reconcile you unto God trusting alone in his Merits and Mediation 2. Receive Jesus Christ as your Prophet to instruct and lead you in all Truth by his Word and Spirit 3. Receive Jesus Christ as your Soveraign Lord and King to Rule you 4. Receive Jesus Christ as your Captain to tread down your Spiritual Enemies under your feet 5. Receive Jesus Christ in all his Relations of Shepherd Friend Brother and especially in the Relation of an Husband and joyn your selves to him and make over your selves to him dedicating and devoting your selves to him and giving up your selves to be guided guarded provided for and governed by him This is to receive Christ and this is to Believe this gives Union and Relation and interest in the Lord Jesus and if you do thus joyn your selves to Christ by Faith you will quickly feel love to Christ to spring forth to work and act and that vigorously and to bring forth such fruit in the life as shall evidently shew that love to Christ is rooted in the Heart 4. If you would attain Truth of love to Jesus Christ be diligent in the use of all those means which God hath appointed for the working of it I shall instance only in two means 1. Be diligent in Hearing the Word Preached as Faith cometh by Hearing so love to Christ is wrought by the same means Hear and your Souls shall live saith the Prophet Isa. 55. 3. and I may say hear that your Hearts may love that where the Eye cannot the Ears may affect the Heart with love to the Lord Jesus Whilst Lydia was hearing Paul Preach her Heart was opened Act. 16. 14. and whilst you are hearing Ministers Preach of Christ your Hearts may be opened to receive him and to embrace him in the arms of your dearest love See Act. 11. 15. As I began to speak the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning whilst Peter was Preaching and the Gentiles were hearing the Holy Ghost was sent down from Heaven and fell upon upon and so whilst you are hearing the Word God may give forth of his Spirit to work this Grace of love to Jesus Christ in your Hearts 2. Be diligent and earnest in Prayer unto God for this love confess and bewail before him your want of this love tell him you deserve a double Anathema because you do not love Christ and withall tell him you cannot of your selves love him that you can as easily lift a Mountain to Heaven as lift up your hearts unto Christ but desire that he would draw up your love to Christ by his Spirit Beg of him that he would put out the fire of Lust and all inordinate creature-creature-love and that be would enkindle a fire of love in you to this most lovely Jesus which no corruption in your Hearts may be able extinguish And in your Prayers present your Hearts to the Lord Jesus offer them up freely to him and desire that he would accept of them that he would take hold of them and take possession of them and erect his Throne in them and an Everlasting habitation for himself Section XVI HAving given directions how you may attain the Truth of love to Christ where you are without it I come now to give directions how you may attain much of this love to Christ where you have it but in a low degree and weak measure Would you attain much love to Christ 1. Be much in Contemplation of Christ consider often what motives there are of love in him presse them upon your Spirits and labour to awaken and rouze up your Hearts unto the vigorous exercise of this love Spend time in secret retirement and there think and think again of the Superlative Excellencies and Perfections which are in Christ's Person how wonderfull and matchless his love is what heigths in it that cannot be reached what depths in it that cannot be fathomed what other dimensions which cannot be comprehended Meditate often of his benefits how incomparable his love-tokens be and whilst you you are musing you may feel the fire burning whilst you are looking you may feel your Hearts leaping whilst you are taking a view of him ere you are aware your Hearts like the Chariots of Aminadab may run to him O the ravishments of love the transports of Soul which some Believers have found in their retired thoughts and views of Christ. Get often into the Mount of Divine Contemplation and there look upwards unto Heaven and think with your selves Yonder Yonder above the shining Sun is the more Glorious Son of Righteousness there at the right hand of the Throne of God is my beloved Iesus the Son of God seated and though he be so high above me both in place and dignity yet he thinketh upon me and pleadeth for me and many a gift hath he thence sent by his Spirit conveyed unto me and I can ask nothing of the Father in his name but if it be really for my good I have it by his means O dear Iesus how lovely art thou in thy self the darling of heaven the Delight of the Father the Admiration of Angels O what brightness of Glory what shining lustre art thou arrayed with thou art clothed with most excellent Majesty and Honour thou art girded
you have never seen look much upon his Picture and Image in the Scriptures The Scriptures are Christs Love letters In the second and third Chapters of Revelations Christ doth send Seven Epistles to the Seven Asian Churches there are many Epistles and Love-letters as it were in the Scriptures especially in the New Testament wherein Christ doth give most kind expressions of most endeared Love unto his People Read much and study Christ's Love letters especially those parts of the Scriptures wherein Christ doth express most of his kindness and love See how kindly Christ doth express himself Ioh. 14. v. 1 2 3 13 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27. Chap. 1â— v. 9. 13 14 15 16. Chap. 16. v. 7. 22 24 26 27. 33. Chap. 17. v. 9 10 11 15 20 21 22 23 24. Chap. 20. v. 17. Read often and consider such places Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you and his will feed and maintain your love to Christ this is a means to have Christ dwell in your hearts not onely by Faith but also by most endeared Love 3. Would you have much Love to Christ be much in Prayer unto God for this Love Eph. 6. 23. Peace be unto the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father Not onely Peace is from God who is called the God of Peace and Faith from God who works it by his Almighty power but alos Love is from God who is the God of Love he circumciseth the heart to love himself and to love his Son This love of Christ is a Grace of the Spirit which God doth freely give and powerfully work the Beginnings of it the Increase of it all the Measures and Degrees of it are from him If you would attain high measures of love to Christ you must apply your selves unto God in Prayter and therein diligently seek to him for it If you would have much love to Christ in your hearts you must be often at the Throne of Grace upon your Knees and there humbly acknowledge if not the want yet the weakness of your love to Christ bewail your Sins which do damp your Affections and earnestly request that he would work your hearts unto a strong love be importunate in Prayer for this follow God day by day with the same requests plead with him for it fill your mouths with Arguments and fill your Arguments with Faith and â—ervent Desires Tell him whatever lovelinesse and love there be in Christ whatever attractives to draw forth your love yet of your selves you are utterly unable to put forth the least motion of true affection unto Christ. Tell him that this love to Christ though it be your Duty yet it is his Gift that you ought to act it but this you cannot do unless he works it Tell him how easily he can enkindle this Fire of Love to Christ in your bosoms and blow it up into a flame Tell him he hath bid you to ask and you shall have and whatever you ask according to his will he heareth and that it is his will you should love Christ not onely truely but also strongly Tell him you desire much love to Christ and that these desires do come from himself and therefore earnestly desire the fulfilling of them Tell him if you do not love Christ much you shall be apt to over-love the Creature which will be displeasing to him therefore request that you may have such a love to Christ as may overpower all other love and keep your hearts from all Inordinacy of affections to any thing beneath and besides the Lord Jesus Christ. Plead how much it will be for his Glory that you should have much love unto Christ that hereby you shall be enabled to honour him the more in the world Plead how much it will be for your good tell him if you asked Corn and Wine and Oyl if you asked Wealth and Honours and Creature-delights in abundance they might be a snare to you and for your hurt but a strong love to Christ is needfull and usefull and be sure will be for your good urge his Promise of Circumcising the heart to love him and plead his Faithfulness and if you be thus importunate in Prayer for much love to Christ and will not be denyed you shall not be denyed 4. Would you have much Love to Christ get much Faith Faith worketh Love both to the Father and to the Son According to the measure of your Faith so will the measure of your Love be Such as are without any Faith are without any Love such as have but a â—eeble faith have but a weak love and such as have the strongest faith have the strongest love The strongest faith giveth the clearest discovery of Christs infinite Excellencies and Perfections It is not the eye of Sense which doth discern Christ neither is it the eye of Reason which doth discern him whatever discoveries we have of Christ it is by Revelation and this is discernable onely by Faith Faith is the Evidence of things not seen and the unseen Christ is evident by Faith to be the most excellent Person and the most sutable Object of love and the more evident the Object of love is the stronger will the love be Moreover Faith is not onely the Eye of the Soul to discern Christ but also the Hand of the Soul not onely to take hold on him but also to receive from him of his Fulness Grace for Grace and by consequence more of this Grace of love to him Our Communion with Christ is by Faith the more intimate acquaintance and fellowship we have with those whom we love the more endeared will be our love the strongest Faith brings us unto the greatest intimacy fellowship and familiarity with Christ and therefore it is a means of the strongest Love Endeavour then to get a strong Faith and to live daily in the powerfull exercise thereof the more you live by Faith the more you will dwell in the Love of Christ. 5. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for much of the Spirit labour for much of the Light of the Spirit There must be not onely the Glass of the Scriptures and the Eye of Faith but also the Light of the Spirit that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 6. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for clear Evidences of his Love unto you the
willing to Dye and this sense of Christ's Love will effectually sweeten your passage through the dark Entry of Death An APPENDIX Concerning Christ's Manifestation of Himself unto them that love him Joh. XIV latter part of vers 21. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him WE read Luk. 4. 22. And all bare him witness and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Never did such gracious and sweet words drop from the lips of any man that ever lived as those from the lips of Christ when he was here upon the Earth and of all Christ's words those which he spake to his Disciples in his last Sermon before his last Suffering in the 14 15 and 16 Chapters of Iohn are superlatively sweet and none more sweet in this Sermon than the words of my Text read unto you And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him In the former part of the verse we have the Character of one that doth truely love Christ He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me In the latter part of the verse which is my Text we have the Priviledge of one that doth truely love Christ and that is in three Promises which Christ doth make unto him 1. He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father 2. And I will love him 3. And will manifest my self unto him It is the last of these Promises which I shall speak unto by way of Appendix unto my Treatise of the Love which true Christians have and ought to have unto Christ and that is the Promise of Christs manifesting himself unto such as love him And the Doctrine is this Doct. That Christ will manifest himself unto such as love him In handliâ—g of this point I shall shew 1. What it is for Christ to manifest himself 2. That Christ will manifest himself to them that love him 3. How Christ doth manifest himself unto such 4. When Christ doth manifest himself unto such 5. Where Christ doth manifest himself unto such as love him 6. And lastly make some Application Section I. 1. WHat it is for Christ to manifest Himself 1. Christ doth manifest himself when he maketh a clearer discoverie unto His Disciples of the excellency of His Person when he doth further unveil himself and le ts forth some beams and rays with greater lustre and brightness to discover more of the oriency and transcendency of his soul-ravishing beauty unto them which they had but a dimmeâ— sight and darker apprehensions of before and this is done when Christ doth more fully impart of the spirit of wisdom and revelation unto them Upon this account the Apostle did pray in the behalf of the believing Ephesians that the Lord would give them the spirit of wisdom and revelation to enlighten their understandings in the knowledge of him Eph. 1. 16 17 18. they had the spirit before and some knowledge of Christ before but he prayes that God would give them fuller measures of the spirit to make a clearer discovery of Christ that the eyes of their understandings might be more and more enlightened unto a more spiritual discerning of the surpassing Beauty and Excellency in Christ's person in the knowledge of whom the most enlightned Christians are capable of further growth unto the end of their life hence that Exhortation of the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 3. 18. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. 2. Christ doth manifest himself when he maketh a deep impression and giveth a sweet sense to his Disciples of his presence Christ is never really absent from such as Love him but he may Seem to be so sometimes they may apprehend him to be a far off he may and often doth withdraw the sense of his presence Cant. 5 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone Christ doth manifest himself when he doth draw near to his people and maketh them feel that he is near giving them a sweet sense of his presence through the powerful breathings of his Spirit upon them whereby their hearts are quickned and enlarged and drawn forth towards himself and their graces excited unto powerful exercise 3. And chiefly Christ doth Manifest Himself when He makes discovery of His Love unto them that love him when He gives them to see not only the beauty of His face but also the smiles of His face when He gives them to behold the amiableness of His countenance and withall lifts up upon them the light of His countenance when he sheddeth abroad the sense of His Love into their hearts giving them a full perswasion of His special Love unto them and also a sweet sense thereof Thus Christ doth sometime look kindly and speak kindly unto his people and this sweet Language is not spoken to the ear of the body but inwardly by His Spirit to to their souls when he saith to the soul I am thy salvation and thy Saviour I have loved thee with an everlasting Love and my Love is vnchangeable The Mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my loving kindness shall never depart and be removed from thee I have given my self for thee and I have given my self unto thee and I will never repent of this gift I have chosen thee for my self called and joyned thee unto my self and I will never repent of this choice nor suffer thee to be disjoyned from me for ever I have thee upon my heart and keep thee in my hand and no powers of Earth or Hell shall be able to pluck thee thence I have given thee my grace and I will shew thee my glory and ere long I will appear in the world and receive thee to my self that where I am there thou mayest be also Dry up then thy tears clear up thy countenance banish thy fears droop no longer dispond no more but be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee thy name is written in my book which none can blot out Thou hast a true Love for me and my Father himself loveth thee and I love thee with a most endeared Love and therefore do not question or doubt of my Love any more Thus Christ doth manifest himself and his Love sometimes unto drooping disponding souls Section II. 2. THat Christ will manifest himself unto them that love him appears in that His Love doth engage Him and His word doth engage Him hereunto His Love doth â—ngage Him The Love of Christ is like fire that cannot conceal it self long and no fire so strong and hath such a vehement flame as the Love of Christ to His people Ioseph had a great love to his Brethren notwithstanding all their unkindness and although he concealed himself for a while and spake roughly unto them yet after they were sensible of their fault and were
be not sanctified thorowly they are sanctified in every part though they are not sanctified in the highest degree Their whole Spirit is sanctified that is the higher faculties of the soul namely the understanding and the will their understandings are enlightned by the Spirit unto a Spiritual discerning both of good and evil beyond what any natural man doth oâ— can attaâ—n unto their wills are bowed or rather rectified and made straight being enclined unto God and his Law Their Souls are sanctified in the inferior faculties in all the affections belonging both to the concupiscible and the irrascible appetite their liking affections of love desire delight and hope are towards God and Christ and things above their disliking affections of hatred fear grief and anger are towards sin Their bodies also are sanctifyed being made members of Christ and instruments of Righteousness their eyes ears tongues hands feet and every part being devoted to God and made use of for his glory Thus true Christians are sanctified by the spirit And they are sanctified unto obedience the graces which are wrought by the spirit in their hearts do appear in the obedience of their lives the course of their lives in a course of obedience unto the laws of Christ they are sanctified unto obedience and they are sanctified unto sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ God hath set them apart to be sprinkled with the blood of the immacâ—late Lamb who takes away sin that they might be pardoned and saved such are true Christians who love Christ whom they have not seen Section II. Secondly COncerning the object of true Christians Love and that is Jesus Christ whom they have never seen This Jesus Christ whom they love is the Eternal Son of God the second Person in the glorious Trinity who in time assumed our Humane Nature clothed himself with our mortal Flesh lived like a servant in a mean condition died like a malefactor the cursed Death of the Cross and all for our sakes for our sins rose again the third day for our Justification ascended up into heaven after forty days and there is set down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high to make intercession for us and to make preparation there for our reception into the glorious Mansions and Eternal Habitations which are in the Fathers house He is called Jesus from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to save because he saveth his people from their sins Matth. 1. 21. He is called Christ from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to anoint he being anointed by the Father with the Spirit and with Power to be Mediator between God and Man to be the great Prophet and Priest and King of the Church This Jesus Christ Christians have not seen with the eye of sense indeed some Christians in the primitive times as the Apostles who were of his family and other disciples who conversed with him frequently did see Christ with the eye of sense but it was in his state of Humiliation when he was here upon the Earth not in his state of Exaltation now he is in Heaven yet some have seen Christ after his Ascention namely Paul at his conversion and Stephen the Proto Martyr before he dyed but none have had a perfect sight with bodily eyes of the Glory which is upon Christ's body the lustre of which is so great that none can behold it in this state of weakness and imperfection and live But whatever sight some Christians have had formerly no Christians now have a sight of Christ's Person they have heard of him with the hearing of the Ear but they have not seen him with the seeing of the Eye they have seen Representations of Christ in the Sacrament but they have never seen his Person that is represented they have seen his Image upon their Fellow-Christians but they have not seen the original from whom this Image hath been drawn Some Christians have been in Iudea and seen the place where the Lord lived and at Ierusalem and seen the place where the Lord dyed and Visited the place of his Sepulchre where the Lord for a time did lye and they have seen the Mount whence the Lord Ascended but no Christians now alive have been in Ierusalem and on Mount Sion which is above to see where the Lord now is in his Glory It is this Jesus Christ whom Christians have not seen that is the Object of their Love Section III. Thirdly Concerning the Love which True Christians do bear unto this unseen Christ. Love is the going forth of the Heart unto the Object Beloved and the Love which True Christians do bear unto Jesus Christ is a Grace wrought by the Spirit in their hearts whereby upon discovery and believing Apprehensions of Christs infinite Loveliness and Excellency his Matchless Love Grace and Mercy their Hearts do go forth towards him in Earnest desires after Union to him and Communion with him wherein they take chief Complacency and this accompanied with a yeilding and dedication of themselves unto his will and service 1. The Love of Christians unto Christ is a Grace wrought in their Hearts by the Spirit It is a Flower most Sweet and Fragrant but there is no Seed of it in the Nature of any Man since the Fall it is planted in the Soul by the Spirit of God Love to Christ is a Divine Spark that comes down from above a fire which is kindled by the breath of the Lord whose Essâ—nce is Love 2. The Ground of this Love to Christ is the discovery and believing Apprehensions of Christs Lovelinesse and Love There must be first a discovery of Christ as a sutable Object for Love and not a bare Notion of this but believing apprehensions of it that Christ is Infinitely lovely Superlatively Excellent and that his love is Matchless and Transcendent towards the Children of Men that there is a Treasury in him and a Storehouse of all Graces and the most Needfull and Rich Supplies otherwise there will be no going forth of the Heart in love unto him 3. The Actings of Christians love to Christ is in their desires after Vnion unto and Communion with Christ. It is the Nature of love to desire Union to the Object beloved especially of this love to Christ and this Union being attained the desires are after Communion with Christ Converse and Fellowship with him no Converse is so desirable as with the Persons whom we most dearly love and this Communion being attained there is chief Complacency therein the Soul doth sweetly rest and repose it self in Christ and rejoyceth in his presence and love 4. The Concomitant of this Love which True Christians have unto Christ is a yielding and dedication of themselves unto his will and Service Lovers do give themselves unto those whom they love this accompanieth the Marriage Union and such as love Christ they are Espoused and joyned unto Christ and they give themselves unto Christ to
have such fulness and plenty as the Lord Jesus Christ and none so willing to communicate of his fulness unto the wants of such as are poor in Spirit and sensible of their need Col. 1. 19. It hath pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell There is not only Plenty in him but fulness not the fulness of the cistern but the fulness of the Fountain not the fulness only of sufficiency for himself but the fulness of redundancy for his people not some fulness for some things but all fulness for all things that are good not fulness for some time and to continue but for a while but all fulness doth dwell in him and abide for all his people throughout all Generations and this not to depend upon the pleasure of men whose minds may alter but it hath pleased the Father it dependeth upon the pleasure of the Father who is always the same and whose good will to his people is unchangeable There is a twofold fulness in Christ for his people here besides his fulness of Glory which hath a reference to Eternity There is a fulness of Merit and a fulness of Spirit 1. A fulness of Merit in that full and perfect Righteousness which he hath wrought out for them and which he doth impute unto them for their Justification 2. There is a fulness of Spirit in Christ the Spirit being given unto him without measure which he doth impart and communicate unto them for their Sanctification and Consolation Christians you are empty Christ is full you are poor Christ is rich you are indigent Christ is All-sufficient and will not you love Christ who is able to do for you beyond what you are able to ask or think and is as willing as he is able to supply all your Spiritual necessities will you not love Christ who is an Overflowing Everflowing â—ountain of Good who hath inexhaustible treasures of Graces and Comforts in him which are set open before you and unto you and every day you may freely come and fetch such jewels out of this Treasury as are of higher worth and greater use than any Earthly Riches in the greatest Plenty and abundance 6. Consider Christs kindness and mercy All the kindness of Men is unkindness compared with the kindness of Christ all the Mercies of Men are Cruelty compared with the Mercies of Christ. He is all kindness all bowels all compassion all pity all grace all mercy to miserable lost mankind I shall not enlarge here because this will fall under the second head of Arguments taken from the consideration of Christs Love And if you add the kindness and mercy of Christ to all his other excellencies and perfections surely he will appear to have incomparably the greatest attractives in him for Love unto any that have not a very thick veil of unbelief before their Eyes to hide him from their view Secondly Consider what Christ is to the Father 1. He is most nearly related to him 2. He is most dearly beloved by him 1. Christ is most nearly Related and with all most perfectly like unto the Father All the Creatures are related to God as their Maker but Gods Children are more nearly related the Saints are nearly related to God who are his Children by Adoption and Regeneration the Angels are more nearly related to God who are his Sons by Creation and never were separated from him by sin but the Lord Jesus Christ is most nearly related unto God who is his Son by Eternal Generation thus Christ is the only Begotten Son of God and doth bear his Image most perfectly being the brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person This near Relation of Christ and his likeness to the Father doth call for your strongest love if you have reason to honour the Father on the same account you have reason to honour the Son if you have reason to love the Father you have the same reason to love the Son You will love the Sons of Princes and will you not love the Son of God you will love your own Children who bear your Own Image and will not you love Christ who is the express Image of God we read of Christ Phil. 2. 6. Who being in the form of God thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Christ without Robbery or Derogation unto God is equal with God in all Glorious Excellencies and Perfections and therefore your highest and strongest love is his due and without robbery you cannot withhold it from him 2. Christ is most dearly beloved by the Father 2 Pet. 1. 17. For he received from God the Father Honour and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the Excellent Glory This is my beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased he then that is wortâ—y of the Fathers love surely is worthy of yours he that is cheifly beloved by the Father should chiefly be beloved by you Thirdly Consider what Christ is unto all true Christians if you be such Christ is your Shepherd he feedeth you in green Pastures he hath laid down his life for his Sheep and will you not love such a Shepherd he is your Captain who hath conquered all your Enemies for you and leadeth you on to take the spoils and will you not love such a leader He is your Prophet who teacheth you the most excellent things that ever were taught the highest mysteries the most Glorious Truths which are of the greatest concernment to know and believe and he teacheth you in the most excellent way by his word and Spirit opening your understandings as well as his Truths giving you light and an eye to discern this light and will you not love such a teacher He is your High-Priest who hath made satisfaction for you and withall maketh intercession for you to reconcile â—ou unto God and his intercession is incessant and prevalent and will you not love such an Advocate He is your King who ruleth you most powerfully and righteously most Wisely and Graciously and will you not love such a Soveraign He is your Benefactor the most kind and bountiful and no gifts are comparable unto his gifts and will you not love such a friend He is your Brother and if he be not a shamed to own you for his Bretheren and Sisters will it not be a shame if you should withhold from him your hearts He is your Husband and you are joyned to him by the Spirit and Faith in such Bonds as cannot be broken and will not you embrace him in the arms of your dearest love He is your Redeemer who rescued and delivered you from Sin and Sathan from Death and Wrath He hath redeemed you by price the price of his blood and hath he not then given the greatest price for your Love he hath redeemed you also by conquest and shall he not make a conquest of your hearts Surely you are altogether unworthy of these relations if you do not present Christ with your
are their reall Glory as on the contrary their esteem of any upon the account of sin is a reall shame and dishonour 4. Consider It is your Wisdom to love Christ. Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and Do them for this is your Wisdom and Vnderstanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear these Statutes and say surely this great Nation is a Wise and Vnderstanding People None have such Wisdom and Understanding as those who have and keep this Statute and Comâ—â—ndment to love the Lord Jesus Christ Psal. 111. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom a good Vnderstanding have all they that do his Commandments Tâ—e fear of the Lord and the love of Christ are always in conjunction or rather the former doth include the latter this is the beginning and cheif part of Wisdom and those have the greatest Understandings who have the strongest Affections to the Lord Jesus Christ. The love of Christ is the most reasonable and therefore the most wise love That love is most reasonable which is chiefly carryed forth towards that object which is most suitable and really most Amiable none so suitable and amiable an object as the Lord Jesus Christ as appears in what hath been already said concerning Christs Person Christs Love and Christs Benefits Such as love other persons or things with a cheif love they are mistaken in the objects of their love they apprehend more excellency and desirableness in them than really is in them and so their love is a foolish love and unreasonable there being nothing really worthy of it nothing really amiable in the cheif place beneath and besides Christ. Such as make choice of Christ for the object of their chief love they make the wisest choice there are really those excellencies in him which they apprehend and beyond what they can possibly apprehend and conceive They are fools that are slow of Heart to love Christ and they are most wise that are most forward unto this love It is your Wisdom to love Christ cheifly and to love Christ ardently such Wisdom as will make your faces shine in the Eyes of good men and which will put a lustre upon your Spirits in the Eyes of God True Wisdom doth not consist in the invention of curious and quaint Notions in the framing sound and rational Deductions in uttering the sense of the mind in neat and florid Expressions but the cheif Wisdom doth lie in the right placing of the Affections and none have attained so high a pitch of true Spiritual Wisdom as those that have attained the highest pitch of love to Jesus Christ. It is matter of great wonder when there is the greatest reason and the strongest arguments for the love of Christ that Men of the greatest Parts and Learning who have heard of Christ do not readily fall in love with him and attain higher degrees of this love than others of a more inferior capacity But the Scripture must be fulfilled Math. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes Such of you as are but Babes in worldly Wisdom and humane Learning as have but mean natural parts and no improvement by education yet if you love the Lord Jesus Christ above all persons and things in the World you are far more Wise than the greatest Schollars that are without this love 5. Consider the excellency of this Love unto Jesus Christ as the Knowledge of Christ is the most excellent knowledge Phillipians 3. 8. Yea doubtless I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord So the Love of Christ is the most excellent love It is a love of the most excellent object the Lord Jesus who is so Excellent it is a love of the most Excellent original it cometh down from Heaven it is wrought by the Spirit of God it is a love that renders them most excellent that have it The wicked that are without this love are like dross the Righteous that have it are like Gold the wicked that hate Christ are like dirt the Righteous that love him are like Jewels other loves do darken and defile the love of Christ doth brighten the Spirit and renders Men truly illustrious and the excellent of the Earth 6. Consider the Necessity of this love unto Jesus Christ. 1. The love of Christ is universally necessary some of you have need to do this thing and others of you have need to do that but all of you have the greatest need to love Christ some of you have need of this Friend and to love him that you may keep him and others of you have need of another Friend one Friend cannot serve the necessities of all but all of you have need of Christ for your Friend he is the only Friend that can serve all your necessities and you have need to love him above all Friends it is necessary that you who are poor should love Christ who have but few or no Friends and it is necessary that you who are rich should love Christ who have many Friends Christ being a Friend instead of all to them that have none and better than all to them that have the most 2. The love of Christ is absolutely and indispensably necessary it is not necessary that you should climb up into a high seat of dignity and honour but it is absolutely necessary that your Affections should climb up and ascend to Jesus Christ who is above it is not necessary that you should abound in wealth that you should have full bags and full coffers and much riches in your houses but it is absolutely necessary that you should have the Riches of this Grace of love to Jesus Christ in your Hearts Food is not so necessary to satisfie your hunger clothes are not so necessary to cover youâ— nakedness houses are not so necessary to shelteâ— you from the injury of the Weather the most needful thing is not so necessary to youâ— bodies as this love to Jesus Christ is necessary to your Souls You may be poor and in the lowest condition here on Earth and yet be truly happy whilst you live and Eternally happy in the other world if you have this love to Jesus Christ but without this love whatever your Riches and Honours and Friends your Earthly delights and enjoyments be though never so desirable never so plentiful yet you are miserable and shall be miserable You may love other Persons and Things in the world subordinately but you must love Jesus Christ cheifly otherwise you are under the curse both of the Law and Gospel and you cannot escape the vengeance of Hell 7. Consider the Usefulness of this love unto Jesus Christ. 1. The love of Christ is useful in Prosperity to ballast the Heart that it be not overset with the full gales of a flourishing condition it is of use to moderate the Affections
to lawful things and it is of use to keep the Heart from unlawful and sinful loves if Christ have not your Hearts some base and foolish lusts will have them which will wound your Consciences with guilt and peirce your Hearts thorow with many sorrows 2. The love of Christ is useful in Adversity to bear up the Heart from sinking and being overwhelmed with the Winds and Waves of Trouble and Affliction it is of use to establish the Heart from being extraordinarily moved in the most Stormy times not only Faith but Love too is of a fixing nature to keep from amazing fears of evil tidings and the greatest perils and of a strengthning Nature to stay and support the Spirit and keep off pressing Griefs and despondencies in the darkest and most doleful days 3. The love of Christ is useful to quicken and excite unto duty this makes the yoke of Christ easie and will enable you to draw cheerfully therein this makes the burden of duâ—y so accounted by the most to be no burden in esteem if you have much love unto Christ you will account duty to be your priviledge and the Service of Christ to be freedome and none of his commands will be grievous but all of them joyous unto you if you have much love unto Chriâ—t your Hearts will be ensiamed hereby with zeal for your Masters Glory and you will never think you can do too much for him 4. The love of Christ is useful to arm you against Temptations If Faith be a Shield Love to Chriâ—t is a Breaâ—-plaâ—e against the sharpest Darts which the Devil can throw at you â—ove to Christ doth Garrison your Hearts against this Enemy and is a strong defence against any overtures which the Devil may make in his Temptations to draw you to sin how can I do this evil and offend my dear Lord will be the answer of love to repel temptations to sin whatever alluring proffers they be accompanied withal Temptations will have no force to prevail over you if this love of Christ be strong within you 5. The love of Christ is useful to fit you for the cross and the greatest sufferings which you may be called unto for the sake of Christ. If you have great love to Christ you will be ready to suffer for Christ with patience and with 〈…〉 the heaviest cross will seem light disgrace and shame will be accounted honour losses will be esteemed gains pains pleasures or at least priviledges prisons will seem Pallaces and death will be accounted life O how have some run to the stake and embraced the Flames of Fire kindled to burn them when they have felt the fire of love to Christ burning strongly within them thus this love is usefull in Life 6. The love of Christ is useful at death This love in its strength will put a beauty upon the Aspect of death which seems so grim and terrible unto the most If you have much love to Christ you will look upon death as Christs messenger sent for you to bring you out of the dark Prison of of the World and the Body and to convey you into the Mansions of Glory where your dear Lord is and you will not be unwilling to leave the World that you may live with Christ. 8. Consider the sweetness of this love unto Christ. If there be sweetness in the love of the Members there is much more sweetness in the love of the head if there be delight and comfort in the love of Christs disciples for their Masters sake there is much more delight and comfort in the love of Christ himself the Master for his own sake the Apostle telleth us of comfort in love Phillip 2. 1. that is in the love one of another but the consolations in the love of Christ are far exceeding there are no such sweet motions of Heart as those of the strong and fervent outgoings of it in its love to Christ especially when Christ doth draw near and manifest his love unto the Soul Christ doth rejoice in his love unto his Disciples and they may rejoice in their love to him and this joy in the love of Christ is a full joy Iohn 15. 11. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full in the former verse Christ speaketh of his love to them and here of his joy in them they were the objects of his joy as they were the objects of his love and according to the measure and strength of their love to Christ so is the fulness of their joy in Christ. Cant. 4. 9. Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my Heart with one of thine Eyes with one chain of thy neck they are the words of Christ the Beloved unto his Spouse the Church expressing the ravishing delight which he found in her Looks of Faith or glances of Love and the chain of Graces which she was adorned withall How then may your Hearts be ravished with unspeakable delight in looking upon Christs most amiable face and in the fervent actings of your love unto him when a glance of his Eye a smile a beam from his countenance doth enkindle a fire in the breast and this fire of love to Christ doth burn and flame O how sweet is this flame beyond what tongue is able to express 9 And lastly Consider the Attainableness of this love to Chrâ—â—t Bâ—uâ—ts are not capable of this love to Chriâ—t but you are capable as your minds are capable of knowing him so your hearts are capable of loving him Others have attained this love who were as much without it and as much averse unto it as any of you may be Here you are capable hereafter if you live and dye without it you will be utterly uncapabâ—e You have now the means of Grace and as of other Graces so of this Grace of love to Christ in the diligent use of the means you may attain there unto Thus I have done with the Motives to excite you unto the love of Christ. SECT XV. THe second thing propounded in the Prosecution of the use of Exhortation was to give Directions and the directions will be of two sorts 1. How to attain this love to Christ. 2. Wherein to show this love to Christ. First How to attain this love to Christ and here I shall 1. Direct you how you may attain this love to Christ in the truth of it where you are wholly without it 2. Direct you how to attain much of this love to Christ where you have it but in a low degree and weak measure The first directions then shall be how you that are Graceless and Christless and wholly withoâ—t this love to Christ may at-this love to Christ. 1. If you would attain this love unto Jesus Christ whom you have never seen you must get a thorow peâ—swasion that there is such a Person aâ— Jesus Christ and that he is such a Person indeed as the
with infinite Might and Power the beauty of thy face is most wonderfull the smiles of thy countenance are most sweet and delightful and doth this lovely fair One this fairest of ten thousand this most excellent and alltogether lovely Person bear a particular love to me to such a vile worm as me to such a dead Dog as me to such an undeserving ill-deserving hell-deserving sinner as me O what marvellous kindness is this what infiâ—iâ—e Riches of Free Grace doth he know me by name hath he given himself for me and given himself to me and shall not I give him my heart am I written in his bookâ— Redeemed with his blood clothed with his Righteousness beautified with his Image hath he put the dignity of a Child of God upon me and prepared a place in the Fathers house for me O wonderful O admirable what shall I render what returns shall I make had I a thousand tongues should I not employ them all in speaking his praise had I a thousand Hearts should I not present them all as too mean to thank-offering unto him And yet am I slow slow of Heart to love this dear and sweet Iesus awake O my Soul awake from thy dulness and stupidity shake off thy sleep which glues thine eye-lids so close together shake out the dust of the Earth which hath got into thine eyes and keeps thee from the view of thy beloved Arise O my Soul and lift up thy self unfetter thy feet unâ—log thy self take the wing and mount up above the sky and visible Heavens even to the place where the lovely and dear Iesus is Take thy leave of the world and all things therein Bid farewel to the flattering honours the deceitful Riches the glozing Pleasures that are here below bid adieu to them and leave them to those that place their chiefest happiness in them if Earth hath thy body for a while yet let it have thy heart and chiefest affections no more come O my Soul ascend and soar aloâ—t unto the Heaven of Heavens the way unto the Holy of Holies is accessible the vail is rent the fore-runner is entred and thou mayest have entrance too with thy Thoughts and Desires and Loves and Hopes and Ioyes there thou mayst see and veiw and admire and embrace thy dearest Lord there thy Heaâ—t may find a fit object for it's Love even thy dearest Lord Iesus who wil not reject despise thee but give kind entertainment unto thy love and withall give the fullest sweetest returns there thy Heart may find a room to dispose of it self and not only a lodging like that of a wayfaring man for a night but an habitation wherein to dwell and to take up it's Eternal abode let thy Heart be thy fore-runner that when thy body drops off from thee thou mayst know where to betake thy seâ—f and find ready entertainment there where thy Heart hath been long before Why dost thou hang downwards O my Soul why dost thou bend so much to the Earth and Earthly things what is there here below that is not beneath thee and altogether unworthy of thy Love how empty and vain and thorny are these things don 't wast thy time weary thy self for very vanity don't prick and wound thy self with these things any more What aileth thee O my Soul that thou art so backward to the Love of Christ is it because thou canst not see Christ with the Eyes of thy Body thou shalt see him with those Eyes hereafter when he comes in his Glory thy body is raised and repaired and sitted to bear such a sight thou can'st not see the Wind but thou hearest it's noise and feelest it's blasts and dost thou not hear Christ's voice in his Word dost thou not feel the breathings of his Spirit in his Ordinances Thou art invisible thy self O my Soul and art thou so drenched in flesh that visible objects shall have more Power to draw down thy heart than this most glorious object though now invisible shall have power to draw up thy Heart dost thou question and doubt of his love to thee and doth this damp and discourage thy Affection whose Image is this which is engraven upon thee is it not the Image of Christ what writing is that upon thy Heart is it not Gods Law written by Christs Spirit whose deckings and adornings hast thou got about thee what Beauty is this which is put upon thee is it not Christs comeliness where hadst thou those Bracelets that Ring those Iewels that chain of Graces are they not Christ's love-tokens which he hath given thee and yet wilt thou doubt of his love if thou feelest corruption strong yet dost thou not perceive some Grace although it be weak hast thou not some love to Christ although it be low are not thy desires chiefly after him which evidence that thy chief love is to him and is it so with any but such whom Christ doth love doth not Christ love first and yet wilt thou question his love banish then thy fears silence thy doubts O my Soul rouze up thy self and climb â—p by the Iacobs ladder which is let down to thee from Heaven and settle thy love upon Iesus Christ and those things which are above where Christ sits at the Right hand of God Such retired Contemplations of Christ and Soliloquies and pleadings with your own Souls when alone by your selves will tend exceedingly to the promotion of your love unto Christ. 2. Would you have much love to Christ Be much in Reading and Studying the Scriptures The Scriptures are a Glasse in which Christ may be seen he cannot be seen Face to Face in this World this is the happiness of the Triumphant Church in Heaven not of the Militant Church upon the Earth what may here be discerned of Christ it is in the glass of the Scriptures and Gospel-Ordinances this is that glass spoken of 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as â—n a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Christ is the Glory of the Lord the brightness of his Fathers Glory would you have much love to him be often looking veiwing and beholding of him in the glass of the Scriptures by much beholding of him you may be transformed more and more into the likeness of his Holiness and into the likeness of his Love which is Glory begun The Scriptures have the Image of Christ engraven upon them the Image of the Father is upon the Son and the Image of the Son is upon the Scriptures there you may see the Picture of Christ the Beauty of Christ at least some lineaments are there drawn by the hand of God although not fully and to the life I mean such you will see in him when you come to behold him face to face in Heaven yet his Beauty is drawn in such proportions and with such shadows as you are now capable of beholding Would you have much love unto Christ whom
apprehensions of Christ's Loveliness may excite to some love but the full well grounded perswasions of Christs love to you will above all heighten your love to Christ. Doubts of Christ's love do cause fears and fears do contract the heart and therefore are opposite to love which is the expansion and enlargement of the heart perfect love casteth out fear the more love the less fear and the more doubts and fears the less love Such as doubt much of Christs love to them they may love Christ truely but they cannot love Christ strongly You will love a less lovely person that loves you more than a more lovely person that hates you the love of the Person beloved is a most amiable Qualification and strong attractive yea one of the greatest Incentives and Inducements unto love Get then a perswasion of the infinite love to you of this Infinitely lovely person that you may be able to say with Paul Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me Look diligently into the Word of God and find out the Characters there of those that are Beloved by Christ and then look narrowly into your selves and see whether your face will not answer that face in the Looking glass of the Scriptures see whether you cannot find the lineaments of the New Man within you whether you have not experienced a gracious change Is there not Light where there was Darkness Is there not Life where there was Death Is there not Love where there was Hatred Is there not the Law of God written where the Law of Sin did command all Is not the Biass of your Wills and Hearts God-ward and Christ-ward and Heaven-ward which heretofore was onely Sin-ward and Earth-ward and Hell-ward Pray earnestly unto God that he would give you a full assurance that if you are indeed effectually called if you are indeed united and related unto Jesus Christ you may know it and no longer doubt thereof In a word seek diligently after the Manifestations of Christ's Love in all the wayes of his Ordinances rest not in the out-side of Ordinances but seek after Christ in Ordinances follow him from Sabbath to Sabbath from Ordinance to Ordinance and always be looking for him and looking towards him till he turn about and look upon you and give you a gracious smile seek and wait for that Manifestation of himself which he hath promised to hem that love him Ioh. 14. 21. Wait for his Mission of the Holy Ghost from Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 12. to shed abroad the sense of his Love into your hearts Rom. 5. 5. and if you did know assuredly and had a sense hereof given unto you by the Spirit of Christ O the Joyes which then you would have in him O the love which then you would have to him As your Joyes would be unspeakable so your Love would be unspeakable too such a warmth of heart and burning of love to Christ you would feel within you as is beyond the Rhetorick of the Tongue to set forth 7. Would you have much Love to Christ get much hatred of Sin and accordingly watch and pray and strive and fight against Sin as the worst of Evils as that which doth so much displease your Lord. Bewail sins of daily incursion and labour that your sins of Infirmity may be less every day than other Take heed of sins of sudden surprize but chiefly of designed sins and that you comply not with any temptations unto grosser miscarriages which like water cast upon the Fire of your love to Christ will put out the flame and leave onely a few unperceivable sparks in the corner of your hearts Suffer not Sinne to have any room in your hearts or if it will abide and you cannot thrust it quite out let it not have a quiet habitation within you disturb sin as much as you can wage war every day with your remaining Lusts let no day pass over your heads without giving some blows some thrusts and wounds to Sin Stâ—eighten the room of Sin in your hearts as much as may be the more room Sin hath in your hearts the less room Christ will have there Particularly take heed of inordinate love to the world and the things in the world the prevalency of which love will damp your love to Christ by how much more the world gets of your love by so much the less Christ will have of it A subordinate love you may have to Persons and Things in the world but let no person or thing have your chief love but only Christ love nothing for it self with an abstracted love but love all inferiour things with inferiour love love all under the Lord and in the Lord and for the Lord's sake get all inordinate affections to the world crucified by the Cross of Christ. You must have dying affections to perishing things if you would have a living and active love to the ever-living Jesus 8. Would you have much love unto Christ associate your selves most with those that have most love unto Christ you may fetch light from their light you may fetch warmth from their Fire dead coals are enkindled by the living and your dead hearts may be enkindled with love to Christ by the warm discourse of those that have warm hearts Be ready to speak of Christ and for Christ in any company as you have sit opportunity and diligently watch for an Occasion shut your ears against and reprove profane â—ilthy Communication divert that which is vain and frothy and be ready to begin and promote that which is serious savoury that which is gracious and may tend to your own and others Edification Study the Art and practise it of provoking all whom you converse withall not unto Strife and Contention but unto this love and Affection unto the Lord Jesus Christ and whilest you are endeavouring to warm others with this Love you may be warmed your selves 9. And lastly Would you have much Love unto Christ be much in the exercise of this love hereby it is encreased and heightned Use legs and have legs and if you act this love frequently it will hereby get strength and Activity every day endeavour to put forth some vigorous acts of love unto Jesus Christ. In your ordinary Callings and secular Business and Employment you may send up some looks of Love unto Jesus Christ in your Ejaculations But especially in the Duties of Gods immediate Worship labour that your love may flow out unto Christ most vigorously In your daily secret Devotion and Family-Worship let love to Christ draw forth tears from your eyes at least cause grief and sorrow in your hearts in the acknowledgement of your sins whereby he hath been dishonoured and displeased Let love to Christ draw forth earnest desires after Christ and those communications manifestations and consolations which he doth give to none but such as are his let love to Christ put requests into your mouths arguments into your requests and fervour into your arguments in
the dearly beloved of his Soul that he hath not forgotten them that he will not forsake them that he hath a more tender Love unto them than the mother to her sucking child Oh the ravishments of spirit Oh the transports of soul which do arise from hence O the songs which are then in their mouths This is our beloved we have waited for him this is our dear Redeemer we have trusted in him Tongue cannot express the delight the joy and gladness of heart which doth arise from the manifestation of Christ's presence and love the joy of harvest the joy of the Bridegroom on the wedding day the joy of victory and taking great spoils spoils from an Enemy the joy of a poor man in finding great treasures and the greatest delight which ever was found in the sweetest sensual enjoyment is not worthy to be compared with the joys and exaltings of heart in the manifestation of Christ unto the Soul SECT IV. 4. WHen doth Christ manifest himself unto them that love him 1. Sometime Christ doth quickly manifest himself after a little seeking some young Converts have early and soon disscoveries of Christ and his love they are cast down for a little while and Christ soon comes unto them and lifts them up again weeping endures but for a night and that a short summer night and joy cometh early in the morning they have the spirit of bondage who awakeneth them to fear by by the Spirit of Adoption doth graciously visit them and make discovery of their relation to the Father the love of their Saviour and sheddeth abroad the sense of his love into their hearts 2. Sometimes Christ is long before he manifest himself it is long before some do seek Christ and it is long before such do find him Christ waites long to be gracious unto them Christ doth often make them wait long before he manifesteth to them his loving kindnesses yea sometimes early seekers are not early finders Christ makes some wait a long time to try their faith and patience theâ—r love and obedience and that he may prepare them for more than ordinary comforts and sweetness which he intendeth to give in the discovery of himself unto them 3. Sometimes Christ doth suddenly manifest himself unto them that love him Cant. 6. 12. Or ever I was aware my Soul made me like the Charets of Aminadab or ever they are aware they see the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof and the Lord Jesus doth come unto them in the Chariots of Salvation with such Glory and Lustre as doth transport and amaze them Some Christians that truely love Christ have sought him in this Ordinance and have not found him and they have sought Christ in that Ordinance and have not found him they have been looking and waiting and hoping that at this time Christ would discover himself or at that time he would discover himself and still he hath hid himself still they have come off with disappointment this hath been their Grief this they have complained of before God and they have been under fears lest they should never see him never meet with him at all hereupon their Spirits have been ready to fail and sink within them and in discouragement they have been ready to say or think that all their labour would be in vain and yet they have resolved to seek him to their death and though he should kill them to put their trust in him And behold on a sudden when they have had the least expectation and their hope hath been ready to give up the Ghost they have met with Christ and found him whom their Soul loveth on a sudden the Veil of the Temple hath been rent and they have seen their Beloved in the Holy of Holies on a sudden the clouds have fled their darkness hath passed away and the light hath shined the North-wind of trouble hath ceased and the sweet Southern Gales have blown upon them I mean they have been under such shinings and breathings of the Spirit that they have seen and felt the presence of Christ and such a sweet sense of his Love as hath filled them with Soul-revishing Joy 4. Christ doth manifest himself Seasonably unto them that Love him Though he doth not alwayes manifest himself when they most desire yet he doth manifest himself when they have most need and then they have most need when they are most low when they are most low in their Spirits most poor and mean in their own esteem as well as most low in their condition through Affliction and Trouble Humility and Patience under Affliction doth make way for the Experience of Christ's manifestation Christ doth many times reserve his Cordials for the Fainting sits and the sweetest Consolations in the discoveries of his Love for the time of the greatest Adversity especially when the trouble is for his sake he is graciously present Iohn had his Visions when he was Banished for the sake of Christ unto the Isle Patmos And when all men forsook Paul at his answer before Nero then the Lord came to him stood by him and strengthned him Sect. V. 5. WHere doth Christ manifest himself unto them that love him This is in the way of his Ordinances there he doth walk there he doth appear unto his People sometimes Christ doth manifest himself in the way of private Ordinances when they seek him in their Families or in their Closets when they speak of him in conference or when they think of him in their Meditation and Contemplation sometimes Christ doth manifest himself unto them that love him in the way of Publick Ordinances in Publick Prayer or Fasting in hearing of the Word or when they are Feasting at his Table especially in this â—ast mentioned Ordinance Christ doth frequently manifest himself unto his Disciples most sweetly At the Lords Table the Lord doth appear in breaking of Bread he discovers himself as to the Disciples that went to Immaus in his Banquetting-house he gives them to feast on his Love There are many who can say by experience that if ever they met with Christ in their Lives and in any Ordinance they have met with him at the Sacrament there he hath unveiled his face there he hath revealed his Love there he hath breathed upon them by his Spirit there they have found and felt the Lord to be near SECT VI. I Come now to the Application And here that I may to give to every one his Portion I shall speak 1. To you that have no Love unto Christ 2. To you that have some Love to Christ but are without these Manifestations 3. To you that both love Christ and have Manifestations of his love unto you Vse 1. The First Use doth concern such as have no love at all unto Christ Christ will manifest himself unto them that love him this is Childrens Bread and doth not belong to you because you do not belong unto Christ this is a choise and most rich Priviledge but
fruit as heretofore in your flourishing estate Surely the Lord is at a 〈◊〉 distance from such of you and are there not too many such amongst you And what need have you to remember whence you are to fallen to ransack your hearts to find out your sins to humble your selves deeply to repent and grieve and mourn to turn your laughter into weeping and your joy into heaviness and to return unto the Lord speedily and do your first works otherwise some fearefull judgements are like to befall you and the Lord may be even forced to awaken you with a vengeance and make you a terrour unto your selves and unto all about you Don't provoke the Lord by your thus running away from him to follow you with a storm as he did Ionas and to devour you in the floods and waves of dreadfull afflictions that hereby he may reduce and restore you and keep you from being drowned in utter perdition and eternal destruction It may be the Lord hath scourged some of you for your faults with the rods of some crosses and disappointments some outward losses and troubles it may be he hath put bitternesse upon those breasts which you have been sucking and mingling gall in the cup of your pleasures which you have been drinking and you have begun to think of your evil wayes and seen what an evil thing and bitter it is to backslide from the Lord and you have thought it was best with you when you were nearest unto Christ. It may be God hath dealt with you as he telleth his backsliding people he would do with them Hos. 2. 6 7. Behold I will hedge up thy way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her paths Aud she shall follow after her Lovers but she shall not overtake them and she shall seek them but she shall not finde them Then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for then it was better with me than now And now you are seeking after your Beloved but he hath withdrawn himself from you and seems to take no notice of you you call and cry and sigh and weep and lament and complain and seek and wait and yet he withholds from you all special discoveries of his Love Possibly doubts may hence arise and fears grow upon your spirits and you are ready to sink and sometimes are almost overwhelmed with inward trouble Let this Doctrine be an encouragement to you still to seek diligently and wait patiently for the Lord will manifest himself again unto you in his own time which is the best time He may try you for a while whether you will follow him in the dark he may suffer you to wait some time for him who have made him to wait so long time for you But if you persevere to seek him diligently in his wayes you shall finde that it will not be in vain And what would you say ye backsliding souls if the Lord should manifest himself unto you at this time would you not abuse his kindness if he should discover his Love to you again would you not grow wanton and carnally secure if he should now renew your evidences and give them fair written and easie to be read by you would you not blot them again by your sins if he should now speak peace unto your Consciences would you not again return unto folly If he should now restore unto you the joyes of his salvation and send down the Holy Ghost from Heaven to come unto you to be your comforter and to dwell with you would you not griev and quench the Spirit and provoke him to another retirement and more dreadfull withdrawings than before It may be the Lord will try you it may be the Lord may draw near and make some discovery of himself and discovery of his Love unto you it may be the Lord may look kindly now upon you and secretly by hiâ— Spirit speak kindly unto you you are now looking and longing and hoping and waiting possibly this may be the time of your seeing his face and the smiles that are there of your feeling the sweet sheddings abroad of his Love into your hearts by his Spirit at least he may give you a glimpse a glance a little taste such as shall ravish your hearts However wait for him and with earnest desires and importunate requests plead with him for his returns and these manifestations and that in such kinde of Language as this Come Lord Iesus Come quickly make haste O my beloved make haste to my soul that thirsteth for thee as the parched land after the sweet showers that fall from heaven as the hâ—nted Hart after the cooling and refreshing streams of the water-brooks O when shall I drink of those waters of Life which thou hast to give who art the fountain and spring from whence they flow when shall I taste again how good thou art when shall I see thee again and feed and feast my soul again with thy love when Lord O when wilt thou come unto me wilt thou cast off for ever wilt thou be favourable no more hast thou in anger shut up thy bowels shall this cloud alwayes sit upon thy brow shall this curtain alwayes be drawn before thy face Truth Lord I have grievously sined and greatly offended thee but have I not do I not truly repent is there any thing in the world so grievous unto me as the remembrance of my miscariages I acknowledge my offence my folly and horrid ingratitude but shall my sins be alwayes a wall of separation between me and my beloved are not thy bowels tender are not thy mercies plentifuâ—l is there not forgivenâ—â—s with thee that thou mayest be feared and the more dearly beloved dost thou not forgive freely without upbraiding hast thou not promised to be found of all them that diligently seek thee and didst thou ever fail in thy word unto any and shall I be the first are â—ot the desires of my Soul after thee and that Chiefly and that Earnestly Is there not dearth and drought in all things beneath thy self nothing that can give me satisfaction have I not renounced the World for my Portion Thou mightest send me to the World for help and comfort to the World which I have over-earnestly desired and loved and over-eagerly â—ought for contentment and happiness in But is this thy wont and thy way and the manner of thy dealing with them that are grieved for their Sin and ashamed of their Folly Hast thou not promised to manifest thy self unto them that love thee and do not I love thee dost not thou who knowest all things know that I love thee though my Love be imperfect yet is it not true though it be weak yet is it not sincere else whence are these desires after Thee above all Persons and Things in the World are not these the product of true Love and wilt thou not make good thy Promise then to manifest thy self unto me and if I
fields are clothed with grass in the Spring or enriched with corn in the summer If you have seen the most pleasant Brooks and Streams and Fountains of water the most stately Groves with losty and broad shadowing Trees the most flourishing Orchards most richly laden with variety of the most delicious fruit the most delightfull Gardens with variety of the choisest Flowers casting forth the most fragrant smell If you have seen all sorts of Birds and fowls in the Air All sorts of Beasts on the Earth All sorts of fish in the Sea If you have seen the most goodly men that ever were born the fairest women with the most sparkling beauty What is the sight of all these things and the most lovely objects that ever were visible to the eye of the body the sight of all is but mean and contemptible and not worthy to be named in comparison with the sight of the Lord Jesus by the eye of the Soul Whatever beauty and loveliness there is to be found in any or in all visible Creatures there is infinitely more beauty and loveliness in Jesus Christ all visible beauty is but a shadow in Christ there is substantial beauty all visible beauty is fading like the flower that soon withereth like the leaf that soon fadeth but in Christ there is permanent beauty all visible beauty is inferiour and mean yea deformity compared with Christ's transcendent loveliness There is no discovery to the eye of the mind comparable to the discovery of Christ unto the eye of Faith the light of Nature in the greatest improvement of it is but a weak and dim light in comparison with the spiritual light of the knowledge of Christ no light so clear and bright no light so pure and sweet as that which makes discovery of the Lord Jesus unto the Soul This discovery of Christ doth dispel clouds from the Mind and exhale lusts from the Heart it doth brighten the understanding and cleanse the Affections it doth warm the Heart with love and fill the Heart with comfort it quiets the Conscience and purifies it it gives a most sweet peace and tranquillity to the spirit and withall brings in such spiritual joy as is unspeakable and full of Glory O how then should you admire the Riches of the Grace and Kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ unto you that he should give unto you this discovery of himself when the discovery is so admirable so excellent so desirable so useful and which doth list you up into a far higher degree of excellency than the otherwise most accomplisht persons in the world that are without this discovery 3dly To conclude If you have these manifestations of Christ and his love unto you labor to retain these manifestations In a word take heed of indulging your selves in any sins which may provoke him to depart from you and withdraw the sweet and comfortable influences of his Spirit and be diligent in the use of all means and ordinances publick private and secret whereby you may maintain daily Communion and Fellowship with him FINIS Books Printed for and sold by Samuel Sâ—int at the Bell in Little Brittain THe vanity of Mans Present state proved and applyed in a Sermon on Psal. 39. 5. with divers Sermons of the Saints Communion with God and safety under his protection in order to their future Glory on Psal. 73. 23 24 25 26 By the late painful Minister of the Word Mr. Iohn Wilson A Treatise concerning the Lords Supper with Three Dialogues for the more full information of the weak in the Nature and Use of this Sacrament by Thomas Dolittle from 1 Cor. 11. 24. This do in Remembrance of me the ninth Edition Time and the end of Time in two Discourses The first about the Redemption of Time the second about consideration of our latâ—r end by Iohn Fox Godly Fear or the Nature and Necessity of Fear and its usefullneâ—â—â— both to the driving Sinners to Christ and to the provoking Christians on in a Godly Life through the several parts and Duties of it till they come to Blessedness Heb. 12. 20. Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly Fear The Door of Heaven opened and shut opened to the Ready and Prepared shut against the unready and unprepared or Discourse concerning the absolute necessity of a timely Preparation for a happy Eternity by Iohn Fox Minister of the Gospel and Author of the Discourse concerning Time and the end of Time
for such as you although now his friends yet whilst in a state of Nature strangers and enemies here was Love stronger than death Oh the height Oh the depth of this Love There are such dimensions in this love of Christ as the longest line of your most extended thoughts and imaginations can never be able to reach and measure 6. It was the Love of Christ which raised him again from the dead for you Rom. 4. 25. Who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification 7. It was the Love of Christ which carryed him up from earth to heaven where he was before for you Ioh. 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you 2. The strength and activity of Christs Love to you doth shew it self in what he is Doing for you 1. He is interceding for you at the right hand of God Rom. 8. 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us It is through Love that Christ doth plead for you in Heaven that your persons may be accepted your sins pardoned your prayers answered and that the Holy Ghost may be sent down to you to teach sanctifie and comfort you 2. He is preparing a place for you Ioh. 14. 2. In my fathers house there are many Mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you It is through love that Christ as your forerunner is for you entred into the glorious Palace that is above to take possession of it for you and to prepare places there for your reception 3. The strength and activity of Christ's love to you doth shew it self in what he will do for you 1. He will keep you in his hand that none shall pluck you thence Ioh. 10. 28. They shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Because you are received into the arms of his love therefore you shall be kept by the hand of his power and therefore you shall never either finally or totally fall away 2. Christ will make all things work together for your good Rom. 8. 28. And we know that All things work together for good to them that love God Christ hath an endeared love to all you that love God your love being the fruit of his and when Men and Devils conspire together to do you mischief Christs love will turn it unto your spiritual advantage 3. Christ will stand by you in trouble and at death Iohn 14. 18. I will not leave you comfortless I will come unto you When affliction doth arise especially if it be for his sake you are bereaved of all outward Comforts Christ will not leave you comfortless when friends fail and flesh fails and Heart fail yea and life fails Christ will not fail but will stand by and strengthen you and be a light to you in your darkest hours a stay to your Spirits when they are ready to sink within you 4. After death Christ will take care of your Souls he will not sufâ—er them to wander they know not whither he will not suffer the Devil to seize on them as his prey but he will send his Angels to conduct and convey them into the heavenly paradise that where he is there they may be also Luk. 16. 22. And it came to passe that the Beggar died and was carryed by the Angels into Abrahams bosom 2 Cor. 5. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. 5. Christ will raise up your Bodies at the last day if your Bodies should be consumed by Fire or drowned in the Water or rot in the Earth whatever becometh of them the Lord Jesus at his second glorious appearance will find them and raise them and transform them into the likeness of his most glorious body Iohn 6. 40. And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that every one which seeth the Son and Believeth on him may have Everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Phillip 3. 20. 21. For our Conversation is in Heaven from whence we look for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile Body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body 6. Christ will send forth his Angels to gather you into the society of the Elect that have lived in all Ages and all Parts of the World and to convey you into his presence to meet him in the Air when he cometh to Judge the World Math. 24. 31. And he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a Trumpet and they shall gather together his Elect from the four Winds from one end of Heaven unto the other 1 Thess. 4. 16. 17. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Air. 7. Christ will own you and crown you and admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven which he hath prepared for you Math. 25. 34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand Come ye Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Here is strong and active love indeed and shall not the consideration of this love of Christ raise and highten your love unto him shall it not provoke and excite you unto activity of love unto the lively and most vigorous exercise thereof hath Christ united himself to your nature and shall not your Hearts be united to his Person hath he fulfilled all Righteousness for you and will not you fulfill his command of Love hath he endured such temptations contradictions and sufferings upon your account and given himself to dye for you and will not you give your Hearts unto him hath he risen from the dead and Ascended into Heaven for you and will not your Affections arise from the Earth and Ascend into Heaven where Jesus Christ is Doth he plead in Heaven with the Father for you and will not you hearken to his pleadings by his Word and Spirit with you for your love is he preparing a glorious Mansion for you in his Fathers house and will not you prepare a place for him and entertain him in the inner room of your chiefest Affections doth and will he keep you in his hand and will not you embrace him in your bosoms will he make all things work together for your good and will not your Affections work towards him will he stand by you in trouble and at Death and will not this
by Unrighteousness He is most Just towards the worst and punisheth them here lesse than their iniquities do deserve But what kindness and clemency doth he shew to his own subjects and people and will not you have a great love to so great a Person should not the consideration of the high dignity of your Lord raise your love of him unto a great heighth when Christ hath such Authority shall he not command your hearts when Christ is invested with such power that he can defend you against the rage and cruelty of your most powerful and malicious adversaries will you not love greatly such a Person as well as trust confidently under the shadow of his Government 2. Consider Christs Holiness and Purity some great Persons who abound in Wealth and Honour who have some kind of amiable natural qualities and acquired accomplishments which might render them very useful in their Countries yet through their wickedness and debauchery their filthiness and impurity their impious and vicious lives they stain all their other excellencies and render themselves the objects of contempt and scorn unto those who otherwise would bear great respect and love to them But Christ is most amiable for his Holiness and Purity he was holy in his birth although born of a sinful woman yet he was born without sin when he lived amongst impure sinners he kept his garments from all stains and spots his heart and life were free from all pollutions and never was he guilty of the least transgression either in action or the least inclination O what an excellent Person was Christ when here upon the Earth how glorious in holiness what bright beams of perfect purity and exact innocency did Christ scatter in those dark places of the Earth where he lived and amongst those dark sullied sinners with whom he did converse how then doth Christ shine in holiness now he is entred into the Holy of Holies which is above and there doth coverse with none but such as are Holy I know because of Christs Holiness and Purity he is the object of the hatred and enmity of the wicked and ungodly because Christ is an enemy unto their darling and beloved lusts they have an enmity against Christs Person when he was here below he telleth his brethren John 7. 7. The World hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil and the hatred of the world doth still abide upon the same account Christ doth reprove the world of sin and this the world cannot endure and away with the beams of Christs Holiness doe offend their Sore Eyes his holy precepts do offend their carnal hearts yet notwithstanding this he is a most sutable object for the love of Saints upon the account of his Holiness such as are truely judicious will love them most who are best and such are really the best Men and Women in the world as are most holy if you are Christ's disciples indeed you love holiness where ever you see it and can you love the imperfect holiness which is in Gods people and will you not love Christ who is perfectly Infinitely holy himself and the spring of all that holiness which is to be found in any of the Children of Men if there be such a wonderful lustre in the derived holiness of some that it makes them to shine as lights in a dark World what a wonderful transcendent lustre is there in the origiginal holiness which is in Christ which as it is matter of great admiration so it calls for great affection Psal. 119. 140. Thy word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it Christ is the Word not the written Word but the Essential Word and he is very pure therefore you should love him 3. Consider Christ's Wisdome and Omnisciency Wisdom doth make the face to shine Learning doth advance some very highly in esteem such as know most if their morals be sutable to their intellectuals are most admired by those that understand what true worth is especially if there be spiritual Wisdome in conjunction with natural and acquired if there be much Grace in the heart as well as much Knowledge in the head how worthy are such to be beloved Daniel was a man of great learning and wisdome skill'd in all the learning of the Chaldeans which was not sinful and diâ—bolical and besides this he was endued with divine wisdome by the teachings of the Holy Spirit the Angel told this Daniel more than once or twice that he was a Man greatly beloved he was greatly beloved by the Lord of Heaven greatly beloved by his Prince on Earth and greatly beloved by his people and by all except some few that envied his prosperity and favor Daniels Wisdom did render him so universally amiable How then should Christ be beloved because of his Wisdom and Knowledge the wisdom of Christ is far beyond the Wisdome of Daniel or the Wisdom of Solomon who was wiser than Daniel these men had Wisdome which made them famous and esteemed in their day but Christ is Wisdome the Wisdome of the Father they were children of wisdome but Christ is the Father and Fountain of wisdome they had some jewels of wisdome but the treasures of wisdome are hid and laid up in Christ Col. 2. 3. they had learning and knowledge but their knowledge was Ignorance compared with the knowledge of Christ the greatest part of the things which they knew being but the least part of the things which they knew not they knew some things but Christ is omniscient and knoweth all things they knew many secrets of nature but Christ knoweth the secrets of Heaven the mind of God and nothing is hid from him How greatly beloved then should Christ belif you are wise you will if you would be wise you must love Christ who is so Infinitely wise himself and who alone can make you truly wise 4. Consider Christs Truth and Fidelity Truth and Faithfulness are very rare in our dayes when Falshood and Deceit do so much abound what was said of old Isa. 59. 14. 15. Truth faileth and falleth in the Street the same may be said now and therefore such as are True without Guile Faithful without Deceit are worthy of great esteem and Love But what Love should you give unto Christ who is not only True but Truth it self who is most Faithful in all his undertakings and promises and never deceived any that put their trust in him who is often better than his word never worse you will love a true and faithful Friend and will you not love a true and faithful Christ the best Friend of the children of Men as Christs faithfulness should encourage your confidence in him so it should endear your love unto him 5. Consider Christs fulness and All sufficiency Such as have large and plentiful Estates are greatly beloved by the poor and indigent if they find them also to have large Hearts and open Hands ready to distribute unto their wants and necessities none