my Mother Hanging on my Neck behind me my Brethren Sisters and Kinsfolk Howling on every side to retain me in a Sinfull course I would sling my Mother to the Ground run over my Father despise all my Kindred and tread them under my Feet that I might run unto Christ. How little is your love in comparison with the love of those Famous Hero's I mean those eminent Martyrs who have despised the Flames and endured such Racking and Torturing Deaths for the love which they have born unto Jesus Christ the fire of their Love burning stronger within them than the fire without them in which their Bodies were consumed Is not your love also small in comparison with the love of our late Reformers which fired them with such courage and resolution as to withstand a whole world of Antichristian Fury and Opposition Is your love comparable to that of many Eminent Divines and private Christians of our own Nation of the Age immediately going before who are now asleep in their Graves but how few are there come up in their Rooms It is observed and it is greatly to be Lamented that there is of late years a great decay in the Power of Godliness amongst those that are Sincere and is it not evident in the great Decay of love even in true Christians unto Jesus Christ are not you Dwarfs in comparison with others are not you Babes in Christ and Weaklings in your love to Christ Is it not evident that you have but little love to Christ when he is but little in your Thoughts and Meditations the Thoughts are the Handmaids of the Love where the Love is strong and ardent there many thoughts will be attending upon it but will not your Hearts tell you that your Thoughts of Christ are very few you can think often of your Food but how little do your Thoughts seed upon Christ who is the Bread of Life You can often think of your Rayment but how little do you think of the Robes of Christ's Righteousness You can think often of your Earthly Friends but how little do you think of Jesus Christ your Friend in Heaven Objects of Sense are often not only in your Eyes but also in your Thoughts but how little is Christ entertained in your Thoughts who is the Object of Faith Moreover doth it not argue little Love to Christ that you speak so little of him and for him in your converse one with another If you had much Love to Christ would not this Love breath forth more in your Discourses You can readily speak of your selves and do often either Directly or Obliquely commend your selves which discovers your great Self-love how little do you commend your Lord and Master and Extoll his excellencies with your lips and doth not this evidence that you have but little love to him in your hearts You can readily discourse of News and Publick Occurrences which is lawfull and needfull so that due limits be observed but when you leave Christ quite out of your Discourse it shews that you have not abundance of Love to him because out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth will speak Such as have much love to the World will speak of their Riches such as have much love to Pleasures will be often speaking of that subject such as love their Friends much will be often speaking and commending of them when they are in company and when you speak but little of Christ it is a sign that you love him but little Doth not the little Zeal which you have for Christs Honour in the World argue that you have but little Love to him where is your activity for Christ to promote his Interest amongst those Relations and Friends that you have acquaintance with do you labour all you can to bring others into the wayes of God and into acquaintance with Christ Besides will not your little secret Devotion argue your little Affection unto Christ will not your closets or other retiring places witness how little you are in secret prayer and converse with Christ there Brief and Straitned prayer in secret doth argue a Heart Straitned in love to Jesus Christ. Doth not your Backwardness to the Exercise of this Love to Christ shew the weakness of your love how slow of Heart are you to the Love of Christ how hard to be perswaded you need not be perswaded to Love your Wives if they be Kind and Helpful you need not be perswaded to Love your children if they be Pretty and Hopefull you need not be perswaded to Love your Friends if they be Friendly and Faithful and yet whatever attractives of Love the most strong of any be in Jesus Christ you are backward to this Love Need I say more to convince you that you have but little Love to Christ will not your own Conscience from these clear Evidences sufficiently witness the thing And now Christians think what a Sin what a Shame what a Folly it is that you should have so little Love unto Jesus Christ If it be so great a Sin for such as are Strangers unto Christ to have no Love at all to him that it brings them under the most Dreadful curse surely it cannot be a small Sin that you who are his true Disciples should have but little Love unto him is it not very displeasing to the Father that you should have but little Love to his Son if he do not hate you because of your Relation unto Christ yet is he not angry with you for the Lukewarmness of your Affection unto Christ which Sin is Aggravated by the nearness of your Relation Is it not Dishonourable unto Christ that you should have so little Love to him don 't you in Effect say there is no great worth or Amiableness in him when you have no great Love unto him are you not hereby ingrateful unto Christ beyond what can be perallell'd by any ingratitude unto the most obliging Earthly Friend Is it not your shame that you should have so little Love to Christ when he doth so much deserve your Love Besides the Infinite Excellencies and Perfections which are in his person doth not his Infinite Kindness unto you call for not only the Truth but also the Strength of your Love Think what he hath Done for you think what he hath Suffered for you think what he hath Purchased for you think what he hath Promised to you think what he hath Laid out for you think what he hath Laid up for you and yet to have but little Love to Christ yet to make such poor Returns Moreover is it not your Folly to have but little Love to Christ Don't you hereby bereave your selves or debarre your selves of such peace as passeth all understanding of such sweetness and comfort both in the strength of your love and in the sense of His Love as is inconceivable is not Injury and Mischeif unto your selves the consequent of your little Love unto Christ must you not draw on Heavily in the
most endeared and choisest Affections Thus far the Motives drawn from the Consideration of what Christ is SECT XII THe 2d sort of Motives to excite your Love to Christ may be drawn from the consideration of Christs love unto true Christians If you are Christians indeed Christ loveth you 1. with the Freeest Love 2. With the Truest Love 3. With the Strongest Love 4. With the surest Love 1. Consider that Christ Loveth you with the Freest Love There are many motives and attractives for your Love to Christ but Christs love to you is most free nothing in your selves to draw and engage his love except deformity and enmity to him except filthiness which he loatheth and wickedness which his soul hateth be motives There is no man in the world that loveth you but he findâ—th or fancyeth some loveliness in you something to be a motive to draw his love to you witt is a motive to some wealth to others beauty to some strength to others near Relation to some dear love to others liberality to some service to others greatness to some goodness to others likeness whether it be in good or evil is a motive to the love of the most But Christs first love to you is altogether free that which is a motive to men and induceth their love to you is no motive to incline the Love of Christ the sin which you brought into the world with you and the many sins which since you came into the world have been committed by you are enough to shut out all motives of Love in Christ unto whom all sin is so odious and abominable Whatever motive induced Christ to love you it was not drawn from your selves but it was drawn from his own bowels And will not this free love of Christ incline you to love him Doth he love you most freely and will not you love him most dearly Did Christ love you without any motive to draw his love and will not you love Christ in whom there are so many motives to draw your love Did Christ begin to love and will not you make a return Did Christ love you under your deformity and will not you love him in whom there is such perfect beauty If you now have any spiritual beauty it is through the comeliness which Christ hath put upon you but Christs first love was free which is Matter of the greatest admiration and should be a Motive unto the greatest Affection 2. Consider that Christ loveth you with the Truest love There is little true love in the world you have many that truly hate you few that truly love you and there is much dissimulation in the pretended love and affection of some all that Flatter you do not truly love you love in shew and outward appearance in good words and fair speeches is common but love in deed and in truth that evidenceth it self in real offices of Love where there is the greatest need this is rarely to be found Iob complaineth Iob 6. 15 16 17. My brethren have dealt deceitfully like a brook and as the stream of brooks they pass away which are blackish by reason of the ice and wherein the snow is hid what time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of their place In the prosperity of Iob he had many friends and their love and friendship did seem to have some strength and consistency like the ice upon the brook but when heat of trouble and calamity came upon Iob then the love of his friends did melt and vanish away like ice and snow before the warm beams of the Sun the Love of the most is selfish for their own ends and therefore when their love is not like to be beneficial but rather create trouble and prejudice to themselves it cometh to nothing True Christianity doth teach another kind of Love and those that are powerfully Religious have a true love which is ready to shew it self most in an Adverse estate But none do or can love you with such a true love as Jesus Christ there is no flattery or dissimulation in his Love his love is not in the least counterfeit it is not in the least selfish and for his own ends he doth not love you to Receive good from you but that he might Do good unto you He loveeth you not onely in Prosperity but chiefly He doth evidence his love in Affliction and adversity He is a present help in the time of trouble and then doth give the most tender demonstrations of his Love he is touched with the feeling of your infirmities when you are tempted and sympathizeth with you in your sorrows when you are afflicted He shewes his Love in visiting you under your troubles in supporting you in relieving you and in delivering you Oh! what Love should you have unto the Lord Jesus Christ who Loveth you with such a True love 3. Consider thâ—t Christ Loveth you with the Strongest Love His love is more strong than Death more ardent than the Fire which hath a most vehement Flame The strength of Christs Love to you doth shew it self in the activity of his Love in his Doing for you and this will appear in three things 1. In what he hath done for you 2. In what he is doing for you 3. In what he will do for you 1. The strength and activity of Christs Love to you doth shew it self in what Christ hath done for you I shall briefly name some particulars 1. It was the strong Love of Christ which brought him down from heaven for you to assume your Nature what manner of love was this that God should become man that Spirit should become flesh that he who made the world should be born of a mean Virgin and all for your sakes 2. It was the love of Christ which made him to fullfil all righteousness for you He yielded perfect obedience to the Law both Moral and Ceremonial that you might have the benefit of it It was the Love of Christ which made him submit himself to the temptations of the Devil for you that he suffering being tempted might be able to succour you when you are tempted 4. It was the Love of Christ which made him endure the contradictions of sinners for you he bore many affronts contumelies envyings and blasphemies of wicked men that he might give you an example how to carry your selves under the like circumstances 5. It was the Love of Christ which made him lay down his Life for you Ioh. 15. 13 14. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friend ye are my friends That such a person as Christ so excellent so innocent should undergo death and such a death as that of the Cross so disgraceful so painful that he should submit to such Ignominy and endure such Agony such tearings in his flesh such pressures in his spirit and that with such resolution and willingness with such submission and patience and that
put life into your love will he send his Angels to convey your souls into his presence when separated from our Bodies and shall not your Hearts get to him and lodge with him before will he raise up your Bodies at the last day and will not the hopes of this raise up your Affections shall you be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Air will Christ there own and crown you and will not the believing fore-thoughts of this ravish your Hearts with love to Christ and transport you with unspeakable joy the strength of Christ's love to you methinks should engage your love for him not only in the the Truth of it but also in the strength of it 4. Consider that Christ loveth you with the surest love Some Friends may love you a while with some kind of strength and ardency but such differences may arise between you as shall soon weaken and cool their love and of Friends they shall prove strangers yea become Enemies unto you or if their love doth abide it is not sure because they may not abide if their Love dye not whilst they live They may soon dye and then their love is at an end but the love of the Lord Jesus Christ unto you is the most Sure love if he begin to love you he will continue to love you if he love you once he will love you to the end or rather without end the love of Christ is not subject to mutations and changes like unto ours if you 〈◊〉 in your love he will not fail in his love and though you offend him he is not irreconcileable he may indeed upon unkindness on your side withdraw the manifestations of his love for a while but he will never wholly remove his love from you the love of Christ admits of no changing knows no ending Christians what motives can you find in any person or any thing in the world which you have seen comparable to those which you have in this Lord Jesus Christ though you have never seen him He is a Person most amiable in himself his Greatness his Holiness his Wisdome his Faithfulness his Fulness his Kindness do make him shine with an admirable lustre his Relation to the Father and the love which the Father doth bear to him his Relation unto you being your Shepherd your Captain your Teacher your Advocate your Soveraign your Benefactor your Brother your Husband your Redeemer all these do commend him to your love but when matchlesse beauty and lovliness do meet in a person that doth bear matchless love to you when this most amiable Lord Jesus doth love you with such a free love such a cordial love such a strong and active love such a sure and constant love when his love is incomparable surpassing all other love and incomprehensible surpassing all knowledge O with what activity ardour and constancy should you love so suitable an object SECT XIII THe third sort of motives to excite your love unto Christ may be drawn from the consideration of Christs Benefits If you are true Christians you have 1. Spiritual Light from Christ. 2. Spiritual Life from him 3. The Pardon of sin from him 4. The Robes of Righteousness from him 5. The Peace of Conscience from him 6. The Joyes of the Holy Ghost from him 7. The Riches of Grace from him 8. The Dignity of Children from him 9. The Spirit of Prayer from him 10. Title to the Kingdom of Heaven with the first Fruits and fore-tastes of it from him here and shall be put into the possession of it by him hereafter 1. You have Spiritual light from Christ Christ is the Sun from whom all the beams of this light do come time was when you were not only in the dark but darkness but Jesus Christ did enlighten you Eph. 5. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness but now are yee light in the Lord walk as Children of the light it is Christ that hath turned you from darkness to light that hath translated you out of darkness into his marvellous light he hath caused a marvellous light to shine into your minds whereby he hath discovered to you the wonderful things of the Law that thereby you might discern the odious nature of Sin and whereby he hath discovered to you the wonderful mysteries of the Gospel that thereby you might discern the excellency of Gospel-priviledges and the exceeding Riches of Gods Grace and Kindness through Jesus Christ. Christ hath opened your Eyes to see the chiefest evil that you might be delivered from it and the chiefest good and happiness that you might attain unto it And doth not this light which you have from Christ call for your love If the man that was born blind and was cured of his natural darkness by Christ did love Christ for this favour so as boldly to plead for him before the Pharisees though he were for it cast out of the Synagogues as you may read in Iohn 9. How much more reason have you to love Christ who hath cured you of your Spiritual darkness which had it continued you would have gone blindfold to Hell where there it blackness of darkness for ever 2. You have Spiritual life from Christ you were Spiritually dead and Christ hath quickned you Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses We read that Christ raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been buried four dayes Iohn 11. Lazarus did love Christ before but no doubt this Resurrection of him so wonderfully did endear his love to Christ exceedingly and shall not Christs raising you up from your Spiritual death raise your Hearts unto a great height of love to Christ you will greatly love one that is instrumental to save your natural life when in great hazard and danger especially if he should do it by venturing his own and will you not greatly love Christ who hath given you Spiritual life which is far more excellent than the life of Nature and when he dyed that you might live and when if you had not received this Spiritual life from him you could not have escaped eternal Death 3. You have the pardon of sin from Christ this Christ hath purchased for you and the purchase hath cost him dear even his blood which was of more worth than the treasures were there so many of ten thousand worlds this Christ hath sued out for you by his intercession at the right hand of God Whilst you were under the guilt of sin you were bound over by the Justice of God to suffer the vengeance of Eternal Fire but being pardoned your obligation to future punishment is taken off and you are no more lyable to wrath to come and the vengeance of Hell than if you had never siâ—n'd And will you not love the Lord Jesus Christ who hath procured for you so great a priviledge we read of one that had much forgiven her and she loved much Luk. 7. 47. and have not you had
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
your pleadings with him at the Throne of Grace for further supplyes of his Grace and that you may be brought into more intimacy of acquaintance with him Every day you should express your love to Christ especially on the Lords day when almost the whole day is to be spent in publick and private Exercises of Religious Worship in all your love to Christ should be in exercise in your attendances upon him in Ordinances you most bring not only your Bodies before him but present your Hearts unto him this you should be carefull to do in publick Prayer and Hearing of the Word Preaching and Singing Psalms often should you endeavour in every Ordinance to lift up your hearts unto the Lord but above all when you approach the Lords Table all your Graces should there and then be in exercise especially this Grace of love to Jesus Christ your Eye there should affect your Heart when you see the representations of your crucified Lord and think what manner of Love he did bear to you that he should submit himself unto such a Death for you how should this affect your hearts And if ever then your Love to Christ should shew it self and act with the greatest vigour and strength SECT XVII HAving given Directions how to attain love to Christ in the truth and in the strength of it I come now to the last sort of Directions wherein you should shew your love to Jesus Christ. More generally shew your Love to Christ in your Obedience unto Christ Ioh. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my Commandements Be faithfull in the performance of all known Duâ—ies which Christ doth command and be carefull in the forbearance of all known sins which Christ doth forbid let your great care be to please Christ whoever is displeased and your great fear be of offending Christ whoever be offended with your strictness Shew your love 1. In the Sincerity of your Obedience 2. In the Willingness of your Obedience 3. In the Vniversality of your Obedience 4. In the Constancy of your Obedience 1. Shew your love to Christ in the Sincerity of your Obedience Hypocrites will do some things which Christ commandeth but it is from carnal Motives and with carnal Designs But let love to Christ be the Motive and the Honour of Christ the End of your Obedience obey Christ because you love him and with a design to please him what you do do heartily unto the Lord and above all things desire and endeavour that what you doe may find acceptation with him 2 Cor. 5. 9. Wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him 2. Shew your love to Christ in the Willingness of your Obedience some will obey Christ but it is with great Backwardness they will perform Duties but they are burdensome a weariness and toilsome and the Commandements of Christ are grievous unto them they are scarce ready unto any Duty but when they are scourg'd unto it by the Rods of Affliction or spurr'd and prickt forward by the goads of Conscience O the listlesness and indisposition in the most unto the most spiritual part of the Service of Christ which is an evident proof of the defect of love either in the truth of it or at least in the measure and degree of it Let your love shew it self in the willingness of your Obedience serve the Lord with a willing and ready mind with alacrity and chearfulness of spirit looking upon the Service of Christ as your Honour and esteeming every Duty to be your Priviledge If you have any constraints unto Obedience let them be the constraints of love as 2 Cor. 5. 14. If you be forced to obey Christ let there be no violence but the violence If love if you be drag'd to Duty let it oe with no other cords than the cords of bove let love be the Spur and Goad to prick you forward that you may not onely walk but run in the wayes of Christs commandements with an enlarged heart 3. Shew your love to Christ in the Vniversality of your Obedience Hypocrites wiâ—l perform some Duties which are for their turn and will serve their carnal designs other duties they omit and totally neglect let your love to Christ discover it self in your respect to all his Commandments though you cannot here attain Perfection of Obedience yet lâ—t your Obedience be universal obey Christ not only in open Duties which men are witnesses of but also in secret Duties and spiritual Duties which depend upon the exercise of the Mind such as Meditation Contemplation Self-search and Ejaculation as also in the spiritual part of all Duties which no Eye can be witness unto but the Eye of God and hereby you may be distinguished from all Hypocrites in the world 4. Shew your love to Christ in the Constancy of your Obedience Gal. 5. 7. Ye did run well who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth Some Hypocrites are zealous Professors for a while and at first setting out seem to outstrip many that are sincere but they soon tire and are weary not onely in well-doing but of it they quickly sâ—umble and fall and not onely fall down but fall off not only fall back but fall away and turn fearfull Apostates Shew your love to Christ not onely in setting out well but in continuing your Christian course well unto the end of the course of your Lives begin well and patiently continue in well-doing Persevere in your Obedience Be not weary in well-doing knowing that in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not Gal. 6. 9. And if you be faithfull unto death Christ hath promised to give you the Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. More particularly shew your love to Christ 1. In your learning keeping asserting and maintaining of Christ's truths 2. In your publick spiritedness and zeal for Christs honour and interest 3. In your vigorous resistance and opposition of Christs Enemies 4. In your Following of Christ's example 5. In your readiness to take up and patiently to bear Christs cross 6. In your desires after Christs presence here a longing for Christ's second appearance at the last day 1. Shew your love to Christ in your learning keeping asserting and maintaining Christ's Truths 1. Learn Christ's Truths acquaint your selves by diligent reading of the Scriptures and other books that may be a help hereunto with all fundamental truths of the Christian Religion in the first place and so go on and proceed further to learn those truths which are superstructory and whatever truths you find a Foundation for in the Scriptures which are the word of Truth receive them not only in the light of them but also in the love of them if the branches of truths be in your heads and the leaves of them in your profession and the fruit of them in your actions let the root of them be in your Hearts 2. Having learned the truths of Christ as they are in Jesus let them not hang loose
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
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
Scriptures have revealed him to be The reason why Heathens and Infidels are without love to Christ is because they have never heard of him and the reason why many nominal Christians that have heard of Christ are without love to him is because they are not really perswaded that there is or ever was such a person as Jesus Christ in the World If you would attain this love you must give firm assent to this Truth which is the greatest of all and the very pillar foundation of the whole Christian Religion that Christ really is and that the History of him is no cunningly devised Fable If you have reason to beleive that there was such a a Person as Alexander the Great that there was such person as Iulius Caesar both which lived before Christs time you have more reason to believe that there was and is such a Person as Jesus Christ you have only Prophane history for the former but you have Sacred history for the latter you have only the writings of men to testifie the one but you have the word of God in the Holy Scripture to testifie the other You have as much reason to beleive the history of the Gospel as to beleive any other history and you have more reason to believe the history of the Gospel than to believe any other history I shall suggest one reason amongst many that might be mentioned The History of the Gospel was written by unlearned Fishermen and it was beleived by as leaâ—ned men as any in the world in and near the time of their writing which belief some of them sealed with their blood which they would never have done had they found any reason to suspect the truth of this history which had there been any reason of suspition they might easily have found out in those times when such a grand Fable as this had it been a Fable could not possibly have gained credit amongst wise and inquisitive men especially when it would have been their greatest worldly Interest the preservation of their Estates and Lives to have disbelieved and disowned it If beside the Apostles all the learned Fathers whose Works are extant amongst us who lived near the Apostles times and some of whom suffered Martyrdom for Christ's sake did see reason to believe that there was such a Person as Christ surely you have reason to believe and no solid reason to discredit the report of him in the History of the Gospel And when you have attained a firm Assent unto this get a full perswasion that Jesus Christ is such a person as the Scriptures do record and testifie him to be Be perswaded of his Amiableness his Greatness his Holiness his Wisdom his Faithfulness his Fulness his Kindness the Relation he stands in to the Father his onely begotten and dearly beloved Son the Relation he standeth in to his People especially in his Offices of Prophet Priest and King as I have set him forth in the Motives to stirre up Love acquaint your selves with the History of his Birth so Wonderfâ—ll of his Life so Holy of his Works so Powerfull of his Doctrine so Heavenly of his Sufferings so Great of his Death so Painfull and yet so Voluntary of his Resurrection Ascension Session and Intercession at the right hand of God so needfull for us as you have this History upon record in the New Testament the assent to this in your Minds will be a preparative for the attaining of true Love to Jesus Christ in your Hearts 2. If you would attain true Love unto Jesus Christ you must get Conviction of Sin and a sense of your Need of Christ. The prevailing love and liking of Sin is inconsistent with true love unto Jesus Christ such as love Christ do hate Sin and such as love sin have an Enmity against Christ Whilest your hearts goe after your Covetousness or your Voluptuousness or are set upon any other Wickednesse your hearts cannot be set upon Christ Before you can love Christ your hearts must be taken off from sin Get therefore a conviction of Sin as the greatest Evil in the world Be perswaded what an evil thing and a bitter it is to transgress Gods Law and thereby to affront the highest Majesty the great King of Glory Look into the Word and Law of God and see what is there required what is there forbidden and then look back upon your Lives or look into the Register of your Consciences that you may find out what your sins of Omission and Commission have been Take a view of your transgressions of the Law and of your disobedience also unto the Gospel and as you are guilty before God so labour for a clear sight and deep sense of your Guilt how you are under the Curse for your Disobedience how you are liable to ruine and eternal destruction for your sins Look upon sin as the most mischievous thing in the world if there be any evil in any temporal calamities which ever did befall any of the children of men yea if there be any evil in future miseries in the extremity and eternity of Hells Plagues and Punishments be perswaded that there is far more evil in sin which is the cause of all Think how miserable you are whilest under the Guilt and Reigning power of sin that the Worm is not so vile that the Toad is not so full of deadly Poyson that the filth of the Earth is not comparable unto the filth of your sins Think how base and disingenuous you have been how monstrously ingrateful to your Maker and Benefactor what Traytors and Rebels you have been to your Supream King and Soveraign Think what peril and danger continually you are in of Death and Hell how weak the thred of Life is which ties Soul and Body together which may be suddenly cut when you are least aware when you are most secure and then if you be found in a Christless state your Souls will be conveyed immediately unto a place of remediless and eternal misery Be perswaded that you are undone irrecoverably unless the Lord Iesus Christ do help you that you are lost for ever unless the Lord Jesus Christ do save you that you cannot escape the dreadful Vengeance of God but must be tormented most horriâ—ly and everlastingly amongst the Devils and the damned in Hell unless the Lord Jesus Christ do deliver you from the Wrath which is to come The sight and sense of sin your miserable condition thereby and of your indispensable need of Christ will make way for your Love of him If any of you were in debt many thousand pounds unto a severe Creditor and had not one penny to discharge it and you were threatned by him to be thrown into Prison where you must lie and â—ot and starve and die without hopes of relief or release except you could make payment of the debt And if you should hear of such a Rich man that were willing and did proffer to be your Surety and to pay all for
drink of those Rivers of Pleasures which are with thee O hasten Lord hasten thy glorious appearance that thou mayest be Glorified before the whole World and we be glorified with thee that we may be then taken to live with thee and reign with thee and be made perfectly happy in the full and everlasting enjoyment of thee Thus I have done with these Directions the last thing in this Use of Exhortation And what do you now say after all Motives to excite and perswade you to the Love of Christ and Directions therein shall all be in vain What do you say Sinners shall Christ have your hearts or no will you harbour base lusts in your hearts that will damn you and keep out the Lord Jesus Christ who alone can save you shall I gain no hearts for Christ by all may Sermons which I have preached concerning the Love of Christ My Lord and Master hath sent me to woe you to win your hearts for him may I speed or no shall my Message be accepted and Jesus Christ the most lovely person find entertainment with you If any person or thing in the world which you do most dearly love do so well deserve your love lock your ears still against all my words and let them perish like an empty sound in the Air lock your hearts against Christ who stands knocking at the door and give an absolute and peremptory refusal to give him any room there But if in the whole world you cannot find out a suitable Beloved besides Christ if there be nothing here below but is unworthy of your hearts if all inferiour things whilest they have your chief Love do debase you and defile you and unless your hearts be taken off from them will certainly ruine and destroy you everlastingly O then be perswaded without any further delay to open the everlasting doors of your hearts to let Christ into them and set Christ up in the highest seat of your Affections O be perswaded to give Christ your chief Love to give him your Heart and your whole heart with grief and hatred let go your hold of sin and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ in the Arms of your dearest Love And then I would say to you as our Saviour did to Zacheus when he gave him entertainment in his house This day is Salvation come unto you O happy day unto you O happy you that ever you were born if this day Christ should be heartily entertained by you This then would be the day of your Conversion in which the Angels would rejoyce and though Grief and Trouble might invade you for a while because of your sin yet this would make way for your spiritual Joy weeping might endure for a Night but joy would come in the Morning but O the Joy which you will then have in the day of your Coronation when all tears shall be wiped away from your Eyes and when you shall have admission into the glorious presence of the Lord where there is Fulness of Joy and Pleasures for Evermore And what do you say Believers you that have some Love to Christ shall this Doctrine and these Sermons which I have preached be a means to raise and heighten your Love Your Love hath been too much mixed will you love Christ more purely your love hath been very weak will you love Christ more strongly Your Love to Christ hath been but a spark shall it now break forth into a flame after such blowings shall there be no burnings When you think of Christs Person so amiable his Love so incomparable his Benefits so ineâ—timable shall not this fire your hearts and will you not now love him more dearly and ardently than ever will you be perswaded to get off your hearts from Earth and Earthly things and get up your hearts to your Lord which is in Heaven and to settle your Love there upon him so as never to withdraw it from him any more Will you love the Lord Jesus much whom you can never love too much will you now dwell in the Love of Christ and be more frequent and â—ervent in the actings of it Then O what comfort would you find in your Love and what sweetness in the sense of Christs Love This would be the surest Evidence that Christ loveth you because Christ loveth first and how would this sweeten your passage through the Valley of Affliction and through the Valley of Death This would sweeten a bitter cup and make a sweet cup more sweet In Life the sense of Christs Love will be better than life but at Death this will be the onely stay and support which you can have nothing else can give any well-grounded comfort in a dying hour Death rageth and playeth the Tyrant every where shooteth his Arrowes hither and thither sometimes he smiteth those that are Elder than your selves and sometimes those that are Younger sometimes those that are weaker than your selves sometimes those that are stronger sometimes those that are better sometimes those that are worse sometimes the righteous are smitten sometimes the wicked sometimes the profane and sometimes the Professors that all might be awakened to prepare And what is it that can give you comfort when you come to the sides of the pit You may have the Love of your dear Yoke-fellowes weeping and mourning at your Bed-side Children Kindred and Friends wringing their hands and looking with a pitifull countenance upon you grieving to part with you but what comfort can all their Love yield unto your departing Spirits their Love may disturb you and make you the more unwilling to dye and leave them because they are so unwilling to part with you But the Love of Christ and sense thereof will be a Comfort indeed because he is a Friend whom you are not departing from but going unto and O the delight which then you may have when Friends look most sad and Death looks most grim when the trembling Joynts the clammy Sweats the intermitting Pulse the falling Jawes the ratâ—ing Throat and other symptomes give notice of near approaching Death then to think I am now come not onely to the Door of Eternity but also to the Gate of my Fathers House where many Saints are gone before me and many Angels are attending for me and where my dearly beloved Iesus is and hath prepared for my Reception and eternal Habitation Here are Friends about my â—â—d-side who ere long will convey 〈…〉 to the Grave to be fed upon by 〈…〉 are Angels also by my bed-side 〈…〉 Soul that so soon as it is loosned 〈…〉 Carkase they may convey me 〈…〉 Paradise Within a few 〈…〉 and I shall be with my dearest 〈…〉 Faith will be swallowed up 〈…〉 Hope in Fruition and my 〈…〉 to Perfection O the Glorious 〈…〉 there and then will shine into every 〈…〉 of my mind O the Love and Ioy and â—â—effable Delight when I come to see and enjoy and live for ever with my most dearly Beloved This This onely will make you
separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or disiress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us And you may be perswaded as Paul was and greatly rejoyce therein that as v. 38 39. Neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus your Lord. If you know that Christ doth love you you may know assuredly that your Prayers have audience with God that whatever imperfections and sinfull mixtures they have yet that they are mingled with the sweet Incense of Christ's Merits through which they are persumed and accepted and what comfort is this that whatever you ask of the Father in the Name of your dear Lord Jesus if it be for his Glory and your good he will certainly procure it for you To conclude If you know that Christ doth love you you may know assuredly that you are Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven and that as certainly as you are alive you shall attain eternal Felicity in the Beatifical Vision and Fruition of your Lord as certainly as you have the first Fruits so certainly shall you have the Harvest as certainly as you have the Earnest so certainly shall you have the Inheritance as certainly as you see Christ by Faith here so certainly shall you have the Beatifical Vision of his Person and Glory in Heaven and be made perfectly happy in the eternal and full Enjoyment of him O how should you then rejoyce in the Lord rejoyce in his Person rejoyce in his Love rejoyce in his Benefits rejoyce in what you have and rejoyce in what you hope to have by him rejoyce in what you see now and feel now and taste now and rejoyce in the foresights and foretastes of your Happiness to come Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say Rejoyce 2. If you have Manifestations of Christs Love unto you Admire his Free Grace in these Manifestations as Ioh. 14. 22. when Christ had promised to manifest himself unto such as love him Iudas not Iscariot he was the Traytor and had no true love to his Master but Iudas the Brother of Iames saith to him Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the World This Question is not a Question of Enquiry concerning the Way and Manner how Christ would manifest himself unto them but it is a Question of Admiration concerning the Thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is done or What is come to pass How is it or Whence is it His Question did not expect an Answer neither do we find any to it but onely expressed his Wonder that Christ should manifest himself unto them And how should you wonder then that the Lord Jesus should manifest himself unto you That the Lord Jesus whose Name is Wonderfull and hath so many Wonders in him a Person of so great Eminency and Excellency who hath such a Crown of Glory upon his Head such Robes of Glory upon his Back and on the Vesture of his Garment and his Thigh a Name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords that this most excellent Person should manifest himself unto You such as You when he conceals himself from the greatest Princes of the Earth who by their Interest Authority and Influence might that highly promote his Glory he should manifest himself unto You who for the most part are low and mean poor and despised in the World that when he hideth himself from most of the Wise and Prudent and great Scholars in the world who by their Parts and Learning might magnifie his Name and spread his Fame he should manifest himself unto you who for the most part are persons of mean parts and Education that when Christ hideth himself from many Moralists who have escaped the grosser Pollutions which are in the World he should reveal and manifest himself unto you some of whom before Conversion were notoriously guilty of most foul sins that when Christ manifesteth himself unto so Few that you should be in the Number of those Few how many wonders are here That this Glorious Person should send down another Glorious Person I mean the Holy Ghost from Heaven which is more than if he had sent down all the Glorious Angels which are in Heaven to make this Discovery of himself unto you That he should make use of the Foolishnesse of Preaching as a Means to effect this great thing that while a man of like passions and infirmities with your selves is opening and applying the Scriptures the Lord by this means should unveil himself and open the treasures of his Love unto you that your humble fervent and believing prayers here on Earth should ascend up to the throne of God that is in Heaven and move the Lord Jesus that is there to come down thence though not in person yet by his Spirit that prayer should open heavens gate and have such a prevalency for this manifestation and discovery of Christ though the best prayers of the best men are not without mixture of sin that whilst you are sitting at the Lords table the Lord himself should give you a visit and whilst you are eating bread and wine at the Sacrament he should give you to see and feel and taste himself and his Love by your spiritual senses It was wonderful humiliation in Christ that when he could have commanded the most stately Horses yea Lions Elephants or Unicorns he should ride to Ierusalem upon an Ass and when Christ hath the Chariots of so many thousand glorious Angels which he could command and ride triumphantly in when he makes discovery of himself unto his people that he should make use of the Chariots of so mean Ordinances in the discovery of himself unto you how many wonders are here how should you admire his wonderful Grace and Love and say what is man that thou art thus mindful of him or any of the sons of men that thou shouldst thus visit them what are we unworthy wretches and why shouldst thou manifest thy self unto us even so dear Jesus because it seemed good in thy sight especially you have reason to wonder and admire at the manifestations which Christ hath given of himself and love to you when you consider the excellency of these manifestations and discoveries beyond all other discoveries If you have seen the most rare works of Art and Human Invention the most curious Pictures the most stately Edifices or any other works of the most ingenious contrivement If you have viewed the works of nature which do far exceed those of Art the beautiful frame of the Heavens over your heads and the glorious Luminaries of Sun Moon and Stars in their wonderful light and motion the Earth under your feet when it hath got on its best attire when the
THE True Christians Love OF THE UNSEEN CHRIST OR A Discourse chiefly tending to excite and promote the decaying Love of Christ in the hearts of Christians With an Appendix concerning Christs Manifestation of himself to them that Love him 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man Love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha By Thomas Vincent Minister sometime of Maudlins Milkstreet London London Printed by I. R. for Samuel 〈◊〉 at the Blew-Bell in Little-Brittain 1677. To the Reader OVr Saviour sent an Epistle from heaven to the Church of Ephesus wherein he reproveeth her because she had left her first love and threatneth the Removal of her Candlestick that he would take away her light if she did not recover her Love By the same hand at the same time he sent another Epistle to the Church of Laodicea wherein he reproveth her Lukewarmness and threatneth because she was neither hot nor cold he would spue her out of his mouth Rev. 2. 4 5. 3. 15 16. And are Christians in England under no such sin in no such danger when some scoff at the flames of love to Christ like dogs that bark at the Moon so far above them when the most nominal Christians are wholly strangers to this Love whatever their notional knowledge be the former looking upon it as but a fancy the latter having it onely in the Theory and when amongst those Christians who love Christ in sincerity there are so few that know what it is to Love Christ with fervour and ardency when there is so General a decay of Love to Christ in the Land Lord what is like to become of England Have we not provoked the Lord to take away our Candlestick to suffer the worse than Egyptian darkenes to over spread us again and cover our Light because it shineth with such cold beams because the Light of Knowledge in the head is accompanied with so little warmth of Love to Christ in the hearts of most Christians Every one will fetch water to quench fire in a general conflâ—gration surely there is need in a day of such General decay of Love to Christ that some should fetch fire fire from heaven use bellows too Arguments I mean to enkindle and blow up the spark of Love to Christ which seems so ready to expire Reader The following discourse concerning the True Christians Love of the unseen Christ is not finely spun and curiously woven with neatnesses of wit and language it is not flourished and set off with variety of Metaphors Hyperbolies Rhetorical Elegancies or Poetical Fancies and fragments it is not adorned and fringed with the specious show of many Marginal Quotations excerpted out of divers Authors The discourse is plain but the Author hath endeavoured that it might be warm his design being more to advance his Master than Himself in thy esteem and if he have less of thy praise so his Lord may have more of thy love his great end is attained The chief part of this discourse concerning the love of Christ is Application and about two thirds of it Exhortation there being generally in this knowing age more need of excitation than information where thou hast variety of arguments motives to stir up and provoke unto the love of Christ together with divers directions how to attain this love in the truth and strength of it and wherein the strength of love to Christ should evidence it self There is also an appendix added for further encouragement unto the love of Christ concerning Christs manifestation of himself unto such as love him The whole discourse is practical nothing in it controversal not only Protestants but Papists too will verbally acknowledge the obligation which Christians have to love Christ and none will oppose this that are true Christians none but Turks Infidels and Devils are professedly against it That this little Book may be blessed by the Lord to be a means to warm and inflame thine heart with love to the unseen Christ is the earnest prayer of A hearty well-wisher to thy soul. Thomas Vincent The True Christians Love of the Unseen CHRIST 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not Seen ye Love in whom though now ye see him not yet Believing ye Rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory THE Life of Christianity doth consiâ—t very much in our love unto Christ. Without Love unto Christ we are as much without Spiritual Life as a Carkass when the Soul is fled from it is without Natural Life Faith without Love to Christ is a dead Faith and a Christian without Love to Christ is a dead Christian dead in Sins and Trespasses Without Love to Christ we may have the Name of Christians but we are wholly without the Nature we may have the Form of Godliness but are wholly without the Power Give me thine Heart is the language of God to all the Chrildren of Men Prov. 23. 26. And Give me thy Love is the language of Christ unto all his Disciples Christ knoweth the command and influence which Love to him in the Truth and Strength of it hath How it will Engage all the other Affections of his Disciples for Him that if he have their Love their Desires will be chiefly after Him their Delights will be chiefly in Him their Hopes and Expectations will be chiefly from Him their Hatred Fear Grief Anger will be carried forth chiefly unto Sin as it is Offensive unto Him He knows that Love will Engage and Employ for him all the Powers and Faculties of their Souls their Thoughts will be brought into Captivity and Obedience unto Him their Understandings will be employed in Seeking and Finding out his Truths their Memories will be Receptacles to retain them their Conscience will be ready to Accuse and Excuse as his Faithfull Deputies their Wills will Choose and Refuse according to his Direction and Revealed Pleasure All their Senses and the Members of their Bodies will be his Servants their Eyes will See for him their Ears will Hear for him their Tongues will Speak for him their Hands will Work for him their Feet will Walk for him All their Gifts and Tâ—lents will be at his Devotion and Service If he have their Love they will be ready to Do for him what he requireth they will be ready to Suffer for him whatever he calleth them unto If they have much Love to him they will not think much of Denying themselves taking up his Cross and following him wherever he leadeth them love to Christ then being so Essential unto true Christianity so earnestly look'd for by our Lord and Master so Powerfully Commanding in the Soul and over the whole Man so Greatly Influential on Duty I have made choice of this subject of Love to Christ to Treat on and my chief Endeavor herein shall be to Excite and Provoke Christians unto the Lively and Vigorous Exercise of this Grace of Love unto the Lord Jesus Christ of which Incentives there is a Great and Universal need The
Epistle wherein my Text lyeth was written by Peter the Apostle of the Circumcision and is directed to the Strangers scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bâ—thynia as in the first v. of this Chapter By these Strangers we are to understand the scattered Iews who were Strangers in these several Countries where they did Inhabit We read in the 2d of the Acts that there came up many of these Iews from these and other Countries unto Ierusalem to Worship and in the temple hearing the Apostles speak with divers Tongues which were of use in the divers places where they did live and that without Instruction from Man but as the Spirit gave them utterance they were Amazed and Confounded and afterward hearing Peter preach through the Wonderful Power of the Spirit three thousand of them were Converted by one Sermon unto the Christian Faith and added to the Christian Church When the Feast of Pentecost was over these Converted Iews returned into their Countries where their several Dwellings Families and Callings were which Countries being Heathenish and Idolatrous no doubt but there they met with Opposition and Suffering upon the account of the Christian Religion which they became Zealous Professors of besides what they endured from their own Countreymen or Unconverted Iâ—ws who hated Christianity more than the Heathens did The Apostle doth seem to have a respect unto these in this Epistle wherein he doth encourage them under their sufferings for the sake of Christ by many Consolatory Arguments In the 2d v. he wisheth that Grace and Peace might be multiplyed in them and towards them and then though their Sufferings did abound their Consolations would abound much more In the 3d 4th and 5th ver He blesseth God for his abundant Mercy towards them in begetting them unto a lively Hope of the glorious and never fading Heavenly Inheritance which was reserved for them through Gods Infinite Grace and unto which they were reserved and kept through Faith by Gods infinite power In the 6th and 7th verses he telleth them however they were in heaviness through manifold Temptations that is Afflictions which are the Worlds left-hand Temptations yet he giveth them to understand that these afflictions they were but for a season weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning they were but needful to humble them to purifie them to crucifie them to the world to make them conformable to their head the Lord Jesus Christ and that they were for the tryal of their faith that the truth of it might appear both to themselves and others and that the worth of it might appear how much more precious than Gold when it is tryed in the Fire which carrying them thorow their sufferings might be found both to their own praise and their Masters honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ and then the Apostle doth take occasion in the text to speak of their Love which they did bear unto this Jesus Christ and of that unspeakable and glorious joy which doth result from believing in him although they had no sight of him which no trouble or affliction could overwhelm or hinder Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory Hence observe Doct. 1. That it is the Property and duty of true Christians to Love Iesus Christ whom they have never seen Whom having not seen ye Love Doct. 2. That true Christians do Believe in an unseen Christ. In whom though now ye see Him not yet believing Doct. 3. That true Christians do or may rejoice in Believing with unspeakable and glorious joy In whom though now ye see him not yet Believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory Here are three great points to be treated of 1. Concerning the Love of Christians unto Christ. 2. Concerning the faith of Christians in Christ. 3. Concerning the Joy of Christians in Believing For the present I shall speak only of the Love of Christians unto Christ under the first Doctrine the other two I may have opportunity to treat of afterwards Section I. Doct. THat it is the Property and duty of true Christians to love the Lord Iesus Christ whom they have never seen In handling of this point I shall speak 1. Concerning true Christians who do love Jesus Christ. 2. Concerning Jesus Christ whom they have never seen the Object of their Love 3. Concerning the Love which they bare unto this unseen Christ. 4. Shew that it is the Property of true Christians to Love Jesus Christ whom they have never seen 5. That it is their Duty to love him 6. How they ought to love Him 7. Why they do love Him where I shall give the reasons of the point 8. Make some Use and Application 1. Concerning true Christians whose property it is to love Jesus Christ whom they have never seen whom having not seen yee love ye love that is ye who are true Christians who are so in reality as well as profession and of these true Christians that do love Christ the Apostle doth give a description in the 2d ver where he calls them Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father thâ—ough Sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ. True Christians are Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father they are such whom God according to the Councel of his own will according to his own purpose and grace did choose from all Eternity to be a holy and peculiar people to himself to glorifie him here on Earth and that they might be glorifyed by him hereafter in heaven And this election doth evidence it self in the Sanctification of the Spirit true Christians are sanctified being separated and set apart from the rest of the world for Gods use and service God hath sealed them for himself and hereby distinguished them from all others the Motto of which seal is this Holiness unto the Lord. See a description of them in this respect 2 Tim. 2. 21. If any man purgeâ— himself from these he shall be a vessel unto Honour sanctifyed and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work they are purged from the defilement of sin which doth pollute and dishonor them they are vessels unto honour like those of Silver and Gold in a great house which are adorned with Pearls and precious stones they are adorned with all sanctifying graces which are of more worth than the richest Jewels and hereby they are both beautiful in Gods eye and they are made meet for Gods use being hereby prepared and enabled unto every good work This the Apostle prays for in the behalf of the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 5. 23. And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ. True Christians are sanctifyed wholly in their whole man though they
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
Body the Church who is the beginning the First-born from the Dead that in all things he might have the Preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should dwell If we read believe and consider this great Description of Christ we must needs see and say that Christ is most Excellent and Amiable and that no beloved is like to the Beloved of true Christians therefore it is that true Christians do love Christ because of his loveliness Rea. 3. True Christians do love Christ because of His love His love which he doth bear to them He loves them with a First love and with a Free love He loves them with a tender and compassionate love with an active or doing love with a passive or suffering love His love is Infinite without Bounds or Limits it is Superlative without comparison Transcendent beyond comprehension Everlasting without change and which will have no end or conclusion He lov'd them when they were polluted in their sins and washt them with his own blood he loved them when they were Naked in their Souls and clothed them with the Robes of his Righteousness He loves them in their sickness and sorrows and is their Comforter He loves them in their wants and Straits and is their Benefactor He loves them in Life and is the Life of their Souls He loves them at Death and is the Stay of their Hearts And he loves them after Death and will be their Portion for ever There is great Reason that true Christians should love Christ because of his loveliness and there is further reason that they should love him because of his love especially when both are incomparable both are incomprehensible I shall further speak God willing unto both these with other reasons under the motives in the Exhortation to excite Christians to the love of Christ. SECT VIII Vse 1. FOR Information hence learn that there are but few true Christians in the world because there are so few that love this unseen Christ. There are many Christians in Name few Christians in deed and in truth The time hath been when openly to profess the Name of a Christian did argue true love unto Jesus Christ I mean in the Primitive times when Christians were Persecuted by the Heathens as in the Ten first dreadful Persecutions under the Heathen Emperours when the world was watered with Christian blood then especially at some times and in some yea most places whoever openly acknowledged themselves to be Christians they exposed themselves unto Imprisonments Racks Tortures Burnings and the most cruel deaths It was the Truth and Strength of Love unto Jesus Christ which carried them thorow such great sufferings as many did in those dayes undergo for the sake of Jesus Christ But now there are Multitudes of bare nominal Christians they call themselves Christians being baptized in Christ's name but they are altogether without love to Christ whose Name they bare Surely there are but few not only in the Christian World but even in England where Christianity is to be found in as great purity as in any place that love Jesus Christ in sincerity No grossely ignorant persons do truly love Christ such as don't know Christ they can't love him ignoti nulla cupido there is no desire after nor love unto an unknown thing An unknown evil cannot be hated and an unknown good cannot be loved No grossely Erroneous persons do truely love Christ such as do not receive Christ's Truths they cannot love Christ's Person Joh. 14. 23. If any man love me he will keep my words The words of Christ do include not only the words of his Precepts but also the words of his Doctrine Such as erre grossely I mean in the Fundamental Truths of Christianity they are no friends to Christ but his Enemies so far are they from true love unto him No grossely wicked persons do truly love Christ such as profane persons who Blaspheme the name of God in their hideous Oaths the love of Christ doth teach an Holy Awe and Reverence of Gods Name such are Persecuters of Gods people for Righteousness sake How can they love the Head that hate the Members Christ accounteth himself to be persecuted in the perseution of his Members Act. 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecut est thou me and v. 5. I am Jesus whom thou persecutest and surely persecutors of Christ do not love Christ. Such are Scoffers at Religion who deride Holiness and mock at the name of a Saint or Godly person whereby they evidently shew their contempt of the Holiness of Christ from whom the Saints derive all theirs and how can they love Christ that do contemne him and his Image No unrighteous persons do truly love Christ whether they be so in regard of distributative justice or in regard of commutative justice whether they be unrighteous in Execution of judgement in distribution of Rewards or Punishments whether they be unrighteous in their Traffick and Dealingâ— Christ strictly requireth justice and Righteousness and how can they love him that do not keep this Commandement No Covetous persons do truly love Christ the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 2. 15. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him And I may say that if any man love the world that is with his chief love the love of the Son is not in him the love cannot be chiefly set upon things below here on Earth and upon Christ who is above in Heaven No Licentious persons do truly love Christ no Drunkards Adulterers or any that indulge themselves in unlawful delights the love of Christ doth teach us to deny such Lusts and to Mortifie them No meer civil persons that are unconverted no Hypocrites that have a forme of Godliness but are without the power of it do truly love Christ the former may be loving and courteous unto men but they have no love to Christ the latter may Profess love to Christ and Seem to love him but they do not really love him In a word none who are under the reigning power of any sin do truly love Christ The Reign of sin is in the heart and this is inconsistent with the love of Christ in the Heart Now let us separate all these forementioned persons from the rest Grossely Ignorant persons grossely erroneous persons grossely wicked persons the Profane the Persecutors of Gods people the Scoffers at Religion all Unrighteous persons all Covetous Persons Drunkards Adulterers and all Licentious Persons meer Civil persons Hypocrites and all that are under the reigning power of sin and how few will there be left that do truly love Christ and by Consequence there will appear but very few that are true Christians SECT IX Vse 2. FOR Examination Here you may know whether you are true Christians by the Tryall of your love unto Jesus Christ. Examine your selves therefore whether you love Jesus Christ whom you have never seen the most in the world do love truly those persons and things only
of Glory who hath All power and authority both in Heaven and Earth can you love such as have Wisdom and Learning though it be terrene and not love Jesus Christ who is the wisdom of the Father who knoweth all things and whose wisdom is divine can you love such as are liberal and bountiful and not love Christ whose bounty is superlative and whose gifts are most rich and transcendent can you love friends that are kind and not love Jesus Christ who is the best friend that ever the children of men had can you love a Benefactor that feeds you and cloathes you and giveth money to you and yet not love Christ who offereth to feed your hunger-starv'd souls with the bread of life to cloth your naked souls with the robes of His Righteousness and to give the spiritual Riches of Grace to you the least dram of which is of more worth than all the riches of the Earth can you love Riches and not love Christ in whom there are treasures and by whom you may have not only spiritual riches here but also the heavenly inheritance hereafter can you love honours and not love Christ by whom you may have the highest dignities the honour of children to the King of Heaven now and a Crown of Glory in the other world can you love liberty and not love Christ by whom you may be made free from the Slavery of the Devil and your own lusts can you love safety not love Christ who is the only Saviour of mankind and who alone puts you in safety from the reach of the worst of Enemies the worst of Evils can you love peace and not love Christ by whom you may have peace with God and peace in your own conscience can you love pleasures and delights and not love Christ by whom you may have joys unspeakable and full of glory besides those everlasting pleasures which are to come without love to Christ you are under the guilt of all your sins neither your orginal sin nor any of your actual sins are pardoned they all lye upon your own score and you must answer for all your selves and how fearful is your account like to be without love to Christ you are under the curse not only under the curse of the Law for your breach of the Law but also under the curse of the Gospel for disobedience to this command of the Gospel which requireth you to love the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathama Maranatha that is let him be cursed till the Lord come and when the Lord cometh will he take off the curse from you no he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance upon you having threatned then to punish all such with everlasting destruction as shall be â—ound to have disobeyed the Gospel and what then is like to become of you Sodom and Gomorrha those wicked Cities will then be punished dreadfully with a worse fire than that which was rained down from heaven and consumed their persons habitations together I mean with the fire of Hell which will be kindled and kept alive unto Eternity by the breath of the Almighty but you who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ notwithstanding all discoveries of him invitations to him and proffers of kindnesses by him you will be punished more dreadfully than the wicked Sodomites it will be more tollerable in the day of Judgment for them than for you the torments of Hell will be intollerable by any but they will be most intollerable by Gospel-sinners the fire of Hell will burn upon you the most fiercely and the scourge of Conscience will lash you the most furiously Consider this all yee that have no love to Christ otherwise when he cometh to judgment he will tear you to pieces and there will be none to deliver you if you have not the sweet fire of love to Christ enkindled in your hearts here you will be thrown into the dreadfull fire of Hell which will burn you Everlastingly 2. This reproves such of you as have some love but it is very little love to Jesus Christ you that love Christ is not your love very small not only in comparison with the love to you but also in comparison with the love which some Christians have attained unto how strong was the love of the Apostles unto Christ when they left all and followed him especially after the resurrection of Christ and his Ascention into Heaven when the Holy Ghost was sent down and sat in the likeness of fiery tongues upon them O! what a fire of love unto Christ was there then enkindled within them Hence that bold profession which they make of Christ before the chief Priests and Elders Act. 4. Hence their rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ when they were beaten for their owning and preaching of him Act. 5. 41. The love of Peter and Iohn was great unto Christ and the love of Paul was not inferiour unto the love of the chiefest Apostles hence it was that he took such pains to preach the Gospel in so many parts of the world even from Ierusalem round about unto Illyricum Rom. 15. 19. See also how he approves himself to be a Minister of Christ and giveth evidences of his strong love to his Master 2 Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Are they Ministers of Christ I speak as a fool I am more in labours more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in Deaths oft of the Iews five times received I forty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stoned thrice I suffered Shipwrack a Night and a Day I have been in the deep in journeying often in perils of Waters in perils of Robbers in perils by mine own Countreymen in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils among false brethren in weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness Besides those things which are without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the Churches who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not and chap. 12. 10. I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake The ground of all which was the love of Christ which did constrain him as 1 Cor. 5. 14. he had such a love to Christ that he professeth Phillip 1. 21. To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Christ was his life and his life was wholy at Christs devotion But where is such love now to be found I might speak also of the love of some ancient Fathers Ignatius Polycarp Ierome and others take one instance in Ierome who thus expresseth his love unto Christ If my Father were weeping on his Knees before me
wayes of God as Pharoah when his chariot-wheels were taken off Love to Christ is like wheels in your motion for Christ and like Oil to the wheels which makes you ready unto any good work which he doth call you unto but when you have but little Love unto Christ you must needs be more slow in your motions more sluggish in Christ's service you will not you cannot take that pains in the work of the Lord and be so Zealous as you might and should be for your Master's Glory To Conclude if you have but little love to Christ you will be apt to faint in the day of Adversity to shrink when you are called to take up his Cross and suffer for his sake lesser sufferings will discompose you greater sufferings will affrighten and amaze you and you will be in danger of turning fearful Apostates in time of great Tryals there is need of great Love to christ as well as great Faith to carry you thorow sufferings with courage that you may persevere unto the end SECT XI Vse 4. FOR Exhortation unto the love of Jesus Christ whom you have never seen this is the Use chiefly designed in the choice of this subject and which I shall most largely insist upon In the Prosecution of it I shall give some Motives and then some Directions The Motives to Induce and Excite you unto the Love of this unseen Christ may be drawn 1. From the consideration of what Christ is 2. From the consideration of Christ's Love 3. From the consideration of Christ's Benefits 4. From the consideration of that Love which Christians have and should have unto Christ. The first sort of Motives may be drawn from the consideration of what Christ is and that 1 What he is in Himself 2 What he is to the Father 3 What he is unto true Christians First Consider What Christ is in Himself In generall He is the most amiable person and the most sutable Object for your Love If you ask of the dayes which are past which were before you since the day that God created Man upon the Earth if you seek from one side of Heaven unto the other if you make enquiry into all the parts of the Earth you will never find that either there ever was or is to be found any person so lovely so beautifull and so every way deserving your Love as the Lord Jesus Christ there is a Matchless Transcendent and Incomparable Beauty and Excellency in him How passionately are some Foolish Men in Love with the externall beauty which they see in some Women the exact Symetry of parts and comely Proportion of the body the Amiable Features and Lovely Mixtures of colours in the Face the Beauty of the Eyes in their Spirit their Quick and Graceful motions and Amorous Glances How doth this Ravish the Hearts of some fond Lovers although the most Beautiful body in the World is no better than painted clay dirt and corruption enclosed in a Fair Skin which sickness will cause to look pale and Wan Death will quite Marr and Spoil But the Amiableness and Beauty of Christ is more Transcendent and Permanent and therefore a more fit Object for your Love Christ is Fairer than the Children of Men he is all Fair without any Spot altogether Lovely without any Blemish or Deformity I have already spoken of the Glorious Beauty which is in Christ's Glorified Body the most Lovely of any Visible creature which God hath made and also of the Shining Excellencies which are in Christ's Glorified Soul so nearly joyned to the Divinity could we suppose all the Loveliness that ever was seen or found in the most lovely persons that ever lived to meet in one person how Lovely would that person be yet such though never so resplendent Beauty would be but a dark Shaddow compared with the Brightness of Christ's most Beautifull Person Can you Love the imperfect Beauty which you see in Creatures and will you not Love the perfect Beauty which there is in Christ can you Love a Fading Beauty which soon Withereth like the Flower and will you not Love Christ whose Beauty never Decays but alwayes doth abide more Fresh than Beauty in the Flower of Youth can you be soon Affected with Beautiful Objects which are before the Eye of your Sense and will you not be Affected with this far more Beautiful Object the Lord Jesus Christ who is so clearly discernable by the Eye of Faith If the Eye of your Faith were open and clear to look upon the Transcendent Amiableness which is in Christ you could not chuse but Love him could you see the Glances of his Eye and the Sweet Smiles of his Lovely Face as some have seen your Hearts would be Overcome and Ravished with Love and filled with Extacies of Joy and Ineffable Delight More Particularly There are the most Amiable Qualifications in Christs Person to attract and draw forth your Love I shall instance in these six 1. His Greatness and Authority 2. His Holiness and Purity 3. His Wisdom and Omnisciency 4. His Truth and Fidelity 5. His Fulness and All-sufficiency 6. His Kindness and Mercy 1. Consider Christ's Greatness and Authority Aquila non capit muscas The Eagle doth not pursue after Flies Great Souls are not Affected except it be with Great Things there is none so Great as Jesus Christ He is most Great in Honour and Dignity He is most Great in Power and Authority Excellency of Majesty doth greatly engage the Love and command the Hearts as well as the Obedience of Subjects and those Princes that have the greatest Power and Authority are the Darlings of the people when they dont abuse their place by Unrighteousness and Cruelty by Usurpation and Tyranny If Power be managed with Clemency and Authority with Kindness towards those that are under command so highly do Princes advance themselves hereby in the Esteem and Love of their people that they will be ready to spend their Estates and venture their Lives in their Service Christ is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth he is clothed with the Highest Honour Arrayed with the most Excellent Majesty Decked with the largest Power and invested with the Greatest Authority He is the King and Lord of Glory He is Exalted to Higher Dignity than the greatest Potentate that ever lived upon the Earth yea he is advanced above all Thrones and Dominions and Principalities and Powers of the Glorious Angels which are in Heaven All Power is given to him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28. 18. He doth what he will in Heaven the Angels are at his Beck and Execute his Will go and come at his Command and he hath Power on Earth He is the Head of the Church and Head over all unto the Church he can Restrain his Enemies and conquer them and bring them under his Feet at his Pleasure And whatever severity he doth shew sometimes in Executing his Judgments and taking Vengeance on the Wicked he doth never abuse his Power
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-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
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
the Eye and Ear when these Enemies would entice and allure you and stoutly make resolute opposition against them when they do most furiously assault you hearken to no suggestions of the Devil temptations of the world or motions of the Flesh which would induce and draw you into ways of sin or which would force and drive you out of the ways of Christ resist and oppose and labour to gain some victories over these adversaries every day especially get conquest over the Flesh and the other two will be soon vanquished Christ shewed his love to you in submitting himself to be Crucifyed for you do you shew your love to Christ in Crucifying your Flesh with its affections and lusts for his sake in your selfdenial and mortifying the deeds of the body when you deny your Carnal Reason your carnal Wisedome your carnal will your carnal Affections your carnal interest all inordinacies of your sensual appetite for the sake of Christ when you crush pride Envy Revenge Malice inordidinate anger inordinate love inordinate desire inordinate grief lustfullness and all evil concupiscence for the sake and because of the command of Christ all these are acts and evidences of love to Christ and herein you should exercise your selves daily 4. Shew your love to Christ in your following of his example discover your affection unto him in your imitation of him in writing after his copy in treading in his steps in walking as Christ himself walked when he was here upon the Earth shew your love to Christ by labouring after likeness unto Christ that you may be like him both in your inward disposition and in your outward conversation Christ was lowly be you humble and mean in your own esteem Christ was meek be you gentle easie to be intreated and not easily provoked Christ loved God let God be the object of your love Christ hated sin let sin also be the object of your hatred Christ contemned the world do you get crucifyed affections unto it Christ was compassionate to those that were in distresse do you labour for the like bowels Christ used to Worship publickly in the Synagogues to pray with his Disciples and to spend time also in secret prayer do you give your attendance in the publick assemblies of Gods people worship God in your Families and be often upon your knees at the Throne of Grace in secret Christ's mind was a heavenly mind let the same mind be in you as was in Christ. Christ's will was submissive to his Fathers will let the same will be in you as was in Christ. Christ's words were Gracious and edifying let your speech be always with Grace sâ—oury and which may be for edification Christ's life was an active life he was always doing good and he was exactly holy in all his actions be you active and diligent in the service of God in doing good to others and be holy as Christ was holy in all manner of conversation thus should you shew your love to Christ in following Christs example and in imitating of him in every thing wherein you are capable of such imitation 5. shew your love to Christ in your readiness to take up and patiently bear Christ's cross I don't say you should desire sufferings for Christ but sure I am that strong love to Christ will not permit you to decline them don't go out of Godâ—s way for them neither go out of God's way from them if you meet with the cross in the way of duty don't either turn back or start aside but chearfully take it up when you have got it up patiently bear it and don 't throw it off till God take it off when it is your duty to suffer for Christ look upon it also to be your priviledge and be glad of the opportunity rejoycing that you have any thing to part withal for the sake of Christ if it be good name or good estate or good Friends if it be liberty or life it self such expressions of love are very honourable and very pleasing to your Lord and Master 6. And lastly Shew your love to Christ in your desires after Christ's presence here and in your longing for his second appearance at the last day 1. Desire Christ's Gracious presence here and the manifestations thereof that according to his promises he would come unto you that he would draw near and that you might feel that he is near desire that you might have clearer discoveries of Christ and more intimate communion and fellowship with Christ above all company and fellowship desire the company fellowship and acquaintance with Christ that you might walk with him and converse with him and that there might be a dayly intercourse between Christ and your souls and that all distances between you and strangeness might be removed let your love express it self in desires after Christ when he is absent and in delights when he is present rejoice in the Lord exceedingly when he doth manifest himself unto you graciously admire his beauty and delight in his smiles admire his love and delight in the perswasions of his favour let the actings of your love and the workings of it be such to your beloved dayly 2. Desire also and long for the second appearance of Christ at the last day when he saith Surely I come quickly do you say Amen Even so come Lord Iesus Look upon time as slow of heel and wing that it runs no faster that it flies no swifter look to the End of 〈◊〉 and long for it because then with these Eyes you shall see him whom your 〈◊〉 loveth because then you shall see Christ come down from the Throne of God with such Brightness of Majesty and Brightness of Beauty as will transport you with Wonder and Joy Say When Lord Iesus wilt thou take to thy self thy great Power and cloath thy self with thy Authority and come down to judge the World when wilt thou open the everlasting gates of Heaven which have been shut so long When wilt thou descend from Heaven with a shout with the sound of the great Trumpet and send thine Angels to gather all thine Elect from the four Winds that all who love thee may meet in one Society when shall we put on our Garments of Immortality and be caught up in the Clouds to meet thee in the day of thy Triumph When shall the day of our Coronation come and of our admission into the Glorious Mansions which thou hast prepared for us in the Glorious Pallace which is above When wilt thou shew us thy self and give us to behold thee face to face When wilt thou shew us the Father and give us to behold him immediately without a Glass When wilt thou shew us thy Glory which thou hadâ—â—â— with the Father before the World was 〈◊〉 and give us not onely to see it but also to share in it When wilt thou open the Treaâ—sures of thy Love and receive us into the nearest closest and sweetest embracements thereof and give us to
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