in Christ Jesus You see that the Apostle though I believe one of the highest forme in the School of Christ did not pretend unto perfection only was continually going forward and making a proficiency and this is the property of every gracious man who as c Nunquà m justus arbitratus se comprehendissè nunquà m dicit satis est sed sempèr esurit sititque justitiam it a ut si sempèr viveret sempèr quantum in se est justior esse contenderit sempèr de bono in melius proficere totis viribus conaretur Bern. Ep. 252. pag. 262. Bernard hath it doth never think that he hath attained never sayes that it is enough but is alway hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse so that if he should alway live he would alway as much as in him lyes strive to be more righteous he would alway endeavour with all his might to go forward from good to better d Mant. on Jude pag. Where there is life there will be growth and if grace be true it will surely encrease Though a painted tree or flower keeps alway at the same pitch and will be as little ten years hence as it is now yet a living tree a living flower grows on still towards perfection so though Pretenders of Religion keep at a stay or rathre when their first heats are spent are fearfully blasted yet those who have true grace who are compared to living plantâ—… and trees do grow in bulke and stature in beauty and fruitfulnesse This is excellently set forth by the Psalmist Psal 92.12 13 14. The Righteous shall flourish like the Palme tree he shall grow like a Caedar in Lebanon Those that be planted in the House of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing e Godwins Christian growth p. 57. Car. on Job vol. 7. pag. 397. Here is not onely a mention of growing but of flourishing and here 's flourishing thrice mentioned and 't is not onely growing and flourishing like a tree but like a palm tree f Alciat Embl. 36. pag. 177. which flourisheth under oppression and like a Cedar which of all trees is said to be the tallest and shoots up highest and its g Schrevel Comment in Virg. Aeneid l. 7. p. 666 Plin. Nat. hist lib 16 cap. 40. p. 491. Erasm Adag p. 181 195. Schrevel in Pers Sat. 1 Casaub in Pers p. 87. wood most durable like a Cedar not growing in ordinary places but in Lebanon where were the goodliest Cedars Nor doth the Spirit promise here a flourishing of boughs and leavs only as some trees do and no more but in fruit and this not onely for fruit once in a year or for one year but they still bring forth fruit and that not onely in their youth and beginning of grace but in old age and that not onely in the entrance of that state which is called old age threescore years but that which the Scripture calls the perfection of old age threescore years and ten grayheaded old age h Filius 60 annoruÌ„ ad senectutem filius 70 annoruÌ„ ad canitieÌ„ pervenit Buxt Lex in verbo Seib Tayler capit patr cap. 5. p. 32 Caryll on Job v. 5. p. 32. ex Diu. as the learned Hebrews observe upon the word here used for that which follows to an hundred years and upward is dotage as they reckon it What a divine Climax doth the Spirit of God make in this Scripture to shew that the godlyman as to his state is so far from declining that he is still climbing higher and higher To the same purpose is that of Hos 14.5 6. I will be as a dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his roots as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive tree and his smell as Lebanon Which shews how Christians grow by all wayes of growth upward and downward in root branches and fruit and this fruit eminent in fairness and sweetness as the Olive tree as Lebanon Though the body of a picture doth not grow yet the body of a living man doth and so doth the body of Christ and every member thereof that is truely of the body not tyed thereto by an outward profession onely but closely knit by a real union as is expressed by the Apostle in two places Eph. 4.15 16. Col. 2.19 in both which places he shews the manner of spiritual growth in the Mysticall Body of Christ by proportion of the growth of Members in the Nat ral Body Christ is the Head from whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase to the edifying of it self in love i See Bish Reynolds on Hos 14. Ser. 5. p. 42 to 50. where this place is largely opened Christians by a spirit of faith are united to Christ as an head and by a spirit of love to one another as members from which union flows a communion both with Christ and one another and from thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a supply or demonstration of nourishment and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an energy or effectual working and from all a growth and increase even with the increase of God a mighty and great increase according to the Scripture phrase Thus you see that true Christians do grow and if ever you would approve your selves Disciples indeed members of Christs Body and planted in his house you must grow likewise it is but a sad sign of hypocrisy when there is no proficiency k Minimè pro certo est bonus qui melior esse non vult ubi incipis nolle fieri melior ibi etiaÌ„ desinis esse bonus Ber. Epist 91. p. 230. For certain he is not good who hath no mind to be better he is stark naught that desires not to be as good as the best That 's the first Consideration 2. Consider that the highest Christians stand in need of further growth and proficiency It s true l Jenk on Jude p. 162. he that hath the least grace and acquaintance with Christ hath enough to make him thankefull but he that hath the most hath not enough to make him idle So long as there is want there should be growth now grace is not given out at once but by degrees where grace is truly wrought yea gotten to some good degree yet there is something lacking till grace be perfected in glory 1 Thes 3.10 Here we are in a state of growth and progress not of rest and perfection all our present perfection is but an unwearied study and constant endeavour to go on towards perfection as the m Indefessum proficiendi studium jugis conatus ad perfectionem perfectio reputatur Bern. Epist 253. p. 262. Father speaks n Mant. on Jude p. 120. Christ
1. in his Treat of Christs fulness p. 226. And here there are these things in which our love of Christians should be conformable to Christs love towards us 1. The love of Jesus Christ towards us was a free love he loved us when we deserved it not without consulting his own profit or advantage but only minding our salvation and hereby he hath taught us to love one another freely not respecting our own profit but the will and command of God paying it as a debt not to purchase some benefit to our selves thereby not loâ—king at our own things herein but at the things of others the good and benefit of those whom we love more than our own 1 Cor. 10.24 Philippi 2.4 2. The love of Jesus Christ towards us was a true and reall love he did not feign and câ—unterfeit a love to us but did truly love us it was not complementall but cordiall it was not verball but reall He went about doing good and suffering evil for our sakes all his life long Acts 10.38 Heb. 12.3 and then gave himself for us his blood his life out of his great love to us Ephes 5.2 and hereby he hath taught us to love one another sincerely and really without dissimulation Romans 12.9 unfeignedly 1 Peter 1.22 not in word and in tongue only but in deed and in truth also 1 John 3.18 There must be a work and labor in our love 1 Thes 1.3 Heb. 6.10 so as that we must perform all offices of love and kindness to the Saints Our love towards them must be expressed by sympathizing with them in all conditions Rejoycing with them that do rejoyce and weeping with them that weep Rom. 12.15 Distributing to the necessities of them that want as we are able and opportunity is offered to us Rom. 12.13 Gal. 6.10 1 John 3.17 James 2.15.16 Bearing with them in their infirmities Gal. 6.2 Forbearing of them and forgiving of them when they offend us Ephes 4.32 Col. 3.12 13. Yea laying down our lives for the brethren as the case may be and need sometimes requires 1 John 3.16 Rom. 16.3 4 Phil. 2.17 18. We must not count our very lives too dear for the brethren a Cotton upon John p. 262. Roberts Bel. Evid p. 232. when the laying of them down may be serviceable to the glory of God and the good of his Church and the sparing of them would be prejudicial both wayes 3. The love of Jesus Christ towards us was a constant love Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them to the end John 13.1 Whom Jesus Christ once loves he loves for ever nor do the unkindnesses of his Children tire him out and make him cease loving of them They may make him hide his face from them but not set his heart against them b Herberts Poems The Bag. p. 145. Storms are the triumph of his art Well may he close his eyes but not his heart Now hereby he teacheth us to be constant in our love one to another to continue and persevere in our love to the end Heb. 13.1 yea to abound and increase more and more as the Apostle prayes 1 Thes 3.12 Our love of the Brethren should be perpetual and not be altered interrupted and abated by their petty unkindnesses much lesse by the greatest and most miserable change of their outward condition Proverbs 17.17 Thus have we from the love of Christ both a Reason and a Rule for our love to one another and by both a strong obligation thereunto 2. The second Motive it laid down in the 35. verse By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you have love one to another This is the grand Character of Christianity without which all our profession will come to nothing There is a great Emphasis in the words which tends to the stronger enforcing of that which he brings it for c Gerh. Harm p. 856. Dr. Pierce Sermon on the place mihi p. 405. He doth not say Hereby you shall be my Disciples but hereby it shall be known for we are made Disciples by faith but manifested to be so by love Nor doth he say hereby I shall know that you are my Disciples for he knew all men and needed not that any should testifie concerning man John 2.24.25 Nor doth he say hereby you shall know that you are my Disciples though that be true 1 John 3.14 but hereby others shall know Nor doth he say hereby they shall ghesse and conjecture but hereby they shall know as by a sure and infallible sign Nor doth he say hereby your Discipleship shall be known as a special secret to very few but as the Sun in his Meridian all men shall know it Nor doth he say that all men shall know that you are my Servants and brethren but my Disciples whiles you observe my precepts and follow my example as Disciples should do Nor doth he say that hereby all men shall know that you seem to be my Disciples in a disguise but that you are so without a fiction Lastly he doth not say your Discipleship shall be known by the assembling your selves in the house of Prayer your crying Lord Lord your shewing signs and wonders working miracles or casting out Devils in my Name your being Orthodox in judgment and jumping together in your opinions but by this it shall be known as a Token which never failes If you have love one to another So that this is the Badge of Christianity and Character of every true Christian to love one another d Charitas est quaed im forma informans alias virtutes adeò ut aliae sine charitate informes sint virtutum quasi simulachra Rolloc in Col. 3.14 without which all our Profession Priviledges and Performances are nothing in the account of Christ. One would think our Saviour had by this time said enough to engage all Christians to love one another but he hath not yet done and therefore if you passe on to the fifteenth Chapter you will find him go over it again and again In the twelfth verse sayes he This is my Commandment that you love one another as I have loved you e Gurnals Christian Arm. Part 2. p. 425. As if he would signifie to them that as he had one Disciple who went by the Name of the Disciple whom Jesus loved So he would have a darling Commandment in which he takes some singular delight and that this should be it viz. Their loving one another And for a Conclusion â—e goes over it again in the seventeenth verse These things I command you that you love one â—nother intimating that this one thing was â—ll things all that ever he had spoken to them â—nd given them in charge were either comâ—rehended in this or to be referred to it Thus â—ur Saviour enjoyned and enforced this duty of â—ove among Christians this was his Doctrine which he preached to and pressed upon his Disciples and in them upon our selves
of minds and friendly society Hence it is that all our Companies and Fraternities in Cities have their Guild-halls where they meet and â—â—asts likewise at certain times for the mainâ—aining of love and amicable correspondence Therefore this Sacrament was called by the Ancients Synaxis a collection gathering together or assembling the faithfull namely inâ—o thatVnity which Christ by his Merits â—urchased by his Prayer obtained and by â—is Spirit wrought in them 3. This makes that Sacrament agreeable â—o its Type the Jewish Passover which was not only a Feast of Remembrance but also a Feast of Love It was Commanded to be one whole Lamb and eaten in one Family and not to have one bone of it broken to signifie that there should be allVnity and no Schism or Rupture in the Church which is Christs Body The bread also was to be eaten without Leaven which might signifie how far they should be removed from the swelling of passion and sowreness of malice who did eat of the same unleavened-bread And the Apostle makes this application of it to Christians in reference to this Supper 1 Cor. 5.7 8. 4. The Rites in use among the Primitive Christians which were annexed to this Sacrament do clear this Their Holy Kisse Romans 16.16 which the Apostle St. Peter calls the Kisse of Charity 1 Peter 5.13 Their Love-Feasts Jude 12. which as x Caena nostra de nomine rationem sui ostendit vocatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id quod dilectio penes Graecos est Tert. Apol. cap. 39. p. 58 See Jenkins on Jude pt 2. p. 256 269 Tertullian observes carried their Nature in their Name called so to signifie and strengthen Love among Christians Their collections for the poor 1 Cor. 16.1 2. These were all in Testimony of Love and for the preservation of Charity among Christians 5. Our Saviour himself put this out of doubt for immediately before he ordained this Sacrament he gave his Disciples an Example of love in washing their feet which was for their instruction to teach them to love and condescend to one another John 13.15 You see by this that one end of the Lords Supper was for the advancement of love among Christians nor is there any sin more contrary to this Ordinance as y Non est peccatum Sacramento Eucharistiae aequè adversúm atque discordia Luth. Loci com clas 2. p. 141. Luther notes than dissention z Ushers Ser. before the Parl. on 1 Cor. 10.17 p. 8 9 p. 13. Christians therefore should remember that as oft as they come to the Lord table so oft do they enter into new bonds of peace and tie themselves with firmer knots of Love together this blessed Communion being a sacred Seal not only of the union which we have with our Head by Faith but also of our Conjunction with the other members of the body by Love And therefore it is a lamentable thing Dolendum quidem est quum nos pauci numero idem profiteamur Evangelium sacrae Coenae occasione quam praecipuum inter nos unitatis vinculum esse decebat in varias sententias distrahi Calv. Epist fol. mihi pag. 246. to behold how this Holy Sacrament which was ordained by Christ to be a bond whereby we should be knit together in unity is by Satans malice and the corruption of Mans disposition so strangely perverted the contrary way that it is made the principall occasion of that woefull distraction which we see among Christians at this day and the very fuell of endlesse strifes and contentions Beloved these things ought not so to be though so they have been and still are and Oh! that Christians would at length lay it to heart that Christs end and design in this Ordinance may be accomplished by their mutual love one to another and disappointed by their differences and dissentions Now lay all these together Christs Preaching and Prayer and Passion and appointing this Ordinance for the knitting of Christians hearts together in love and judge you whether they are not a sufficient obligation to all those who profess his Name have tasted of love from him and bear any real love to him again to see that they love one another with a pure heart fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 With the heart sincerely and unfeignedly without complement hypocrisie or dissimulation With a pure heart pure in it self being purified by faith Acts. 15.9 purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.21 pure in its love loving not for carnal but holy ends and seeking the soul-good of one another in the first place And all this fervently the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Leighs Crit. Sacr. Gerh. in loc p. 136. which notes both the Intention of love that it be with all the might and likewise the Extention of love that it be constant without cessation or interruption Thus should Christians love one another and that for Christs sake who hath deserved and doth expect it at our hands to whom we cannot better express our love at this distance than by loving those who stand in so near a relation to him and are placed in such vicinity to us that they may be called his Proxies to receive the fruits of our love to himself in his absence from us And therefore for a close give me leave to renew my Exhortation to you and to beseech yea conjure you in the words of the Apostle Paul to his Philippians Chapter 2. 1 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that you be like minded having the same love bring of one accord of one minde You see it's love and unity and unanimity the Subject which I have in hand which he exhorts unto and Oh! how eloquent and emphaticall how strong and cogent is he in those arguments which he useth for the pressing of it I am perswaded sayes b Reynolds Serm. on the place page 2. one that thâ—re is scarce in all the Scripture to be found an Exhortation wherein the duties required are set on with more invincible obsecration with more melting and conquering perswasion than in these words For the uniting of the Pilippians hearts sayes c Ut Philippensium animos componeret ôquam sacro fascino usus est Ipsa suada credo si loqui posset non potuisset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ubi quot verba tot tela quae nimirum animos nostros percellant sodicent lanâ—inent Mortoni sententia de pace procurand inter â—vangel pag. 25. another he useth a kind of holy charm and inchantment I believe Perswasion it self could not speak more perswasively where there are as many weapons as words able to work upon any heart not possest with an iron sinew Let us take a short view of his Arguments If there be any Consolation in Christ d Reynoâ—ds Ubi suâ—â—â— p. 27 c. Where is there Consolation
Author y Non satis est credere quòd Dominus Deus sit nisi credas quòd Dominus Deus tuus sit Fer. ibidem hath it a little after That it is not enough to believe that Christ is Lord and God unless we believe that Christ is Lord and our God Thus the Apostle Paul Gal. 2.20 I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me See how he applys to himself the love of Christ and the fruits of it This is so clear as the adversaries themselves cannot deny but that many choice ones have had a full and satisfying light springing in upon their souls and clearing their eternal condition to them but then they say it is by way of extraordinary revelation a speciall priviledge vouchsafed to some few of Gods choicest Worthies by a rare indulgence And yet as to the matter in hand the way and manner of the Apostles expressing themselves in this particular shews that this is not a priviledge peculiar only to a few but common to all believers I shall bring two places to prove this the one is 1 John 4.16 the other Rom. 5.5 in both which places besides their asserting the thing it self the great point of assurance in most significat tearms they speak of it in the plurall number and make mention only of common means for obtaining of it Let us consider the places In the one place sayes the Apostle John We have known and believed the love that God hath to us In the other place sayes the Apostle Paul The love of Christ is shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Now both the one and the other do 1. Assert assurance John speaks of knowing the love of God and the word he useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Significat veâ—e certò solide cognoscere Leighs Crit. sacr to know truly and certainly and it is a knowledge with Application We know the love that God hath to us Paul speaks of the shedding abroad the love of God which is no other than witnessing of this love to our hearts as a Dei dilectio effusa dicitur id est abundamer tâ—sâ—ata hominum animis Grot. in loc Grotius observes The sence of this love wherâ—by we perceive that we are beloved by him and tast that he is gracious as b Charitas Dei dicitur effusa in cordibus nostris quia scâ—sus illius charitatis est effasus â—eaâ—imus eâ—im â—os à Dâ—o diligi gustamus quà m bonâ—â— sâ—â—vis est Dominus Gerh. in loc Gerhard notes It is a Metaphoricall expression and can signifie nothing else than this for as c Quod largâ—tâ—r effunditur in corda noâ—tra id corda replet quod corda replet id non potest anlatere quin certissiâ—â—e sentiatur Pareâ—s in loc Pareus hath it That which is plentifully poured out into our hearts doth fill our hearts and that which doth fill our hearts cannot be hid but must certainly be perceived by us And they do 2 Expresse it in such a way as shews it to be a thing not peculiar to some few but common to many for first It is expressed plurally not I know the love of God to me as of one but we know the love of God to us as of many besides himself and The love of God is shed abroad not into my heart only but into our hearts intimating that it was not peculiar to himself but common to other believers with himself And then Secondly They both mention a common means of obtaining it John mentions faith We have known and believed that is as d Cognovimus credendo talis enimnotitia non nisi fide percipitur Calv. in loc Calvin observes We have known by believing because such a knowledge springs from faith Now though all men have not faith 2 Thes 3.2 yet all true Christians have and such a faith as is capable of improving into assurance And then Paul mentions the Holy Ghost the love of God is shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby we come to know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Now all who have reall interest in Christ are partakers of this Spirit for If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his All have him as a Sanctifier and many have him as a Sealer So that this assurance of Christs love is not so peculiar unto some nor vouchsafed to them in such an extraordinary way but that others may attain unto it Seeing therefore it hath been attained by others and is attainable by you in an ordinary way let the consideration of it quicken your endeavours after it Indeed it is not a thing which will be done Sedendo votis by sitting still and wishing for it no it will cost you labour and diligence 2 Pet. 1.10 before you come to it but think not much of a little pains to obtain that which will make such abundant recompence for the pains bestowed about it when it is obtained Content not your selves therefore with a low measure of faith but go on from faith to faith till you come from affiance to confidence so as to know the love which God hath unto you And beg beg hard the Spirit of Christ which is promised to those who ask him Luke 11.13 that you may know the things which are freely given you of God and particularly this love having it shed abroad into your hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto you 2. Such a knowledge of Christs love when attained is exceeding sweet and comfortable I confesse your future safety and happiness lyes in this that Christ loves you but your present comfort lyes in your knowing that he loves you e Robinsons Essayes p. 11. He whom God loves though he know it not is an happy man but he that knows it knows himself to be happy and that is most comfortable It 's true that the love of Christ in it self is better than Wine sweeter and more delightfull than all earthly delicates and creature-comforts whatsoever but it is not sweet to us till it be shewed and sealed manifested and assured by the kisses of his mouth which are the tokens and pledges of his love which made the Church so earnest in desiring of them Cant. 1.2 Indeed there is no comfort without it Quid est Deus nisi meus What is God if he be not mine is a true saying and what is the love of Christ to me if I have no share in it And there is but little difference as to present comfort betwixt having no share in it and not knowing whether we have or no. A condemned man that hath his pardon granted though he shall not die yet he hath little comfort in his life till he know it And though a Christian who is beloved of Christ shall not perish yet
his life will be full of trouble and his heart exceedingly tormented and disquieted if he know it not and though he go to heaven it will not be with such full sail he will not have an entrance administred so abundantly as otherwise it might f Wall None but Christ p. 52. Good and evil affect not till it be apprehended Job lamented not all his losses till a messenger related them to him nor did Jacob rejoyce that Joseph was alive till he knew it Who joyes in an inheritance fallen to him till he know it nor can we joy in Christ as a Saviour nor in his love till we know him to be our Saviour and that he hath loved us The best knowledge of the Sun is by seeing its light and feeling its influence the knowledge of Hony is by tast and the best knowledge of Christ and his love is by tasting and seeing that he is gracious Lay both these together and they may be a strong inducement to make you look after a knowledge of the love of Christ by way of Application Experience and Assurance which is the first particular Sect. 2. By way of Admiration 2. BY way of Admiration Know Jesus Christ in his love so as to admire him and it We are wont to supply the defect of our apprehensions about great and extraordinary matters with admiration now what more worthy of our admiration than Jesus Christ whose Name is wonderful Isaiah 9.6 and his Love which as the Text tells us passeth knowledge He is Wonderful in his Person and in his Works and no lesse wonderful in his Love which doth influence all his works of Wonder for our good We admire Mysteries which g MysteriuÌ„ est sacrum secretum secretam habens intelligentiaÌ„ Dav. in Col. p. 132 are holy secrets hardly understood and surely then we have reason to admire Christ to whom the great Mystery of godliness is reducible for what is it according to the Apostles account 1 Tim. 3.16 but God was manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up into Glory All which are meant whatever some have delivered to the contrary of Christ and as Hierom said of the Revelations Quot verba tot Sacramenta I may say of these words As many words so many mysteries and as many mysteries so many matters of admiration Study and meditate upon the Lord Jesus and his love as much as you can that you may have some understanding of him and it but when you have gone as farr as you can there will be still Plus ultrà The riches that are in Christ are unsearchable riches Ephes 3.8 The love that he hath manifested unto us is unknowable love the dimensions of it for height dâ—pth length aâ—d breadth are unmeasurable verse 18.19 And therefore when you are at a losse in your search stand still in holy silence and fall to admiring what you fall so infinitely short of apprehending Admire him in his Philanthropie his love to mankind in general That the eternall Son of God should set his heart upon the Sons of Men and love them them rather than the Angels them when fallen as well as the Angels when ungodly rebels and enemies that he should love them so as to leave his Glory which he had from all eternity with his Father and be made flesh for them and lead a life full of miseries and necessities and aâ— last die a shameful painful accursed death for â—hem to pay their scores to Divine Justice and to bring in everlasting Righteousness eternal Redemption and Salâ—ation for them This is strange and extraordinary love worthy â—o bâ— admired for no reason c n be given of it hâ— loveâ— us thus because he loved us and upon no â—ther aâ—count Here then is a fit place to cry out with David Psalm 8.4 Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou visitests him What is man Enosh forgetful man as h Propriè obliviscenâ—em Enosh denotare videtur Euseb De praepar Evang. l. 11. miâ—i c. 4. p. 148. Eusebius wâ—ll have it deriving it from Nashah which signifies to forget forgetful of thee and of thy benefits towards him Or rather i Homo dicitur Enosh sed demum post aeâ—umnosum conditionem autegrâ—ssae praevâ—â—catâ—â— culpâ iâ— munâ—u i roductâ—â—â— ca vox â—am homiâ—em 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inopâ—ae variae moleâ—â—ori morâ—is necâ—ssituâ— moriendi ut veâ—bo dicem adversis rebus obnoxium connotat Martinius Lexic Philol. in Praef. 〈◊〉 Sickly mortall miserable man as others who better derive it from Anash which signifies to be sick and in misery What is this man that thou shouldst be mindfull of him not so as barely to remember him but so as tâ— shew eminent care and kindnesse to him as words of memory in the hebrew language do import according to the learned k Rivet in loc Rivets observation on the place and what is the Son of Man the Son of Adam the Son of him whose originall was earth and dust as the word Adam signifies who by his Apostacy and rebellion had forfeited thy favour and love What was he that thou shouldst visit him not with a grievous but gracious visitation not to punish and destroy him as he had deserved but to redeem and save him What matchlesse admirable love was this Admire his singular special love to your souls you who are believers That when others after all this are left without the knowledge of Christ and his love he hath made it known to you by his Word and Gospel that when thousands among whom you live who hear of Christ and his love and have offers of both made unto them are left with the reins on their own necks to follow lying vanities and forsake their own mercy to refuse resist and rebel against all the offâ—rs of grace and you have hearts and natures as full of emnity and opposition against Christ as any and have manifested so much and gone on to maintain it for some time more or lesse yet the Lord hath at length turned the stream taken the stone out of your hearts overcame the resistance of your froward Spirits made you willing in the day of his power and drawn you effectually to run after him and close with him so that you are now in Christ partakers of his love having it shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto you and are under his care and keeping till you come to receive the end of your Faith the salvation of your souls to be filled with all the fulnesse of God to see him face to face whom now you see through a glasse darkly and to be for ever satitfied from that Fountain of love immediately whence you have but small snips and tastes through the Conduits of Ordinances here Is not this strange love and can any other
the elect he shall be vice omnium instead of all Ordinances to their souls and instead of all means and helps to their bodies And I saw no Temple therein saith Saint John Rev. 21.22 23. for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the City had no need of the Sun neither of the Moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof The meaning of the place is that God shall immediately by himself supply the room of all external means unto his glorified Saints in heaven There they shall be filled with all this fulness of God Though the Saints even in heaven shall not take in all of God for that is impossible for finite creatureâ— yet as much as is possible for them they shall and as much as is necâ—ssary to make them perfectly blessed here when they have gotten most there is something yea much wanting but then they shall be filled as full as they can hold The Vessels of glory will then be enlarged to take in more than now is possible for them and according to that capacity they shall be filled with all the fulness of God Now forasmuch as this knowledge of the love of Christ which hath been treated of is a good evidence of right and title to this blessed condition it may be a strong Motive to you to labour to be filled with the knowledge of the love of Christ here that you may be filled with all the fulness of God hereafter Sect. 2. 2. FRom the Influence which it hath upon all those who have attained unto it Now a right knowledge of the love of Christ hath a strong influence upon Christians as a preservative to keep them from fainting at the tribulations which accompany the Gospel their own or others This may be gathered from the whole scope of the Apostle in the latter part of this Chapter In the 13th verse he desires these Ephesians that they would not faint at his tribulations h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not shrink back i Leighs Crit. sacr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinci à malo Animum despondere quasi pedem in certamine referre succumbere Gerh. Har. p. 564 as cowards in battel nor give place in afflictions and dangers as the word imports Not be overcome of the evils of sufferings which accompany the Gospel in the preaching and professing of it so as to yield and go back from their duty Now that they might not he prayes for them verse 14 15 c. For this cause I bow my knees c. And there are three things which he prayes for them that they may be kept from fainting 1. Coroboration and Confirmation by the Spirit of God verse 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man 2 A further Vnion with Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Intimate acquaintance with Jesus Christ in his love verse 17 18 19. That you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge In which words there are three things observable 1. That as a Tree or House cannot stand fast and firm against boisterous winds and storms unless the one be well rooted and the other have a sure foundation so neither can a Christian hold out in those Trials which he is like to meet with in his course unless he be well rooted and grounded 2. That the root and foundation whereon a Christian is kept firm and stedsast in times of trial and trouble is Love That ye being rooted and grounded in love which some take for our love to God but rather it is meant of Gods love in Christ Christs love to us for as i one well notes Our love is rather a branch than a root it is the love of Christ in which we take firm rooting that nothing can shake us and therefore we are said to be rooted in him Col. 2.7 3. The way whereby Christians come to be rooted and grounded in love is by the knowledge of it such a knowledge whereby they apprehend and apply it to themselves and have the comfortable experience of it in their own hearts Thus the Apostle goes on That you may be able to comprehend with all Saints c. and to know the love of Christ c. So that by vertue of the coherence of this part of the Apostles prayer with his design in making of it this must be a true inference k Baine on Eph. p. 412. l Jeanes ubi suprà p. 224. That a feeling efficacious knowledge of Christs love and the dimensions thereof will embolden and hearten the Saints in their own and others sufferings and as a soveeign cordial keep them from all despondency and sinking of Spirit There are other places to prove this The Church Cant. 2.4 sayes Christs love was a banner over her His banner over me was Love m Engl. Annot. the larger on the place Jackson also on the place l The preaching of the Gospel or Christ in the preaching of the Gospel is a Standard Banner or Ensign displayed Isa 11.10 whose Motto or Device is Love and among others this may be one reason Because as Souldiers are by their Banner and Ensign encouraged heartned to fight manfully against their enemies and not to shrink but keep close to their colours in hope of Victory so by the discovery of Christs love in the Gospel Christians who have faith to apprehend and apply it are emboldened to withstand couragiously all their spiritual enemies and are continually supported and inwardly strengthened and so are enabled to hold out unto the end under all the trials and troubles which they meet with in assured expectation of Victory at the last But I return to our Apostle who in two other places doth confirm this truth not by barely asserting that it is so but by laying down the grounds and reasons why it is so One place is Rom. 5. In the 3d. verse you hear him speak of glorying in tribulations We glory in tribulations So far were they from fainting under them that they gloryed in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a high word and the same which he useth in reference to hope of the glory of God in the foregoing verse A Christian hath ground of glorying in his Present crosse as well as in his future crown n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 12.10 Non modo aequo moderato animo sumus sed etiam magna laetitiâ perfusi Bez. in loc Gloriari est gestu verbis exultare Par. in loc The word signifies contentment with taking pleasure in and exultation under suffâ—rings We are so far from sinking under tribulations by
themselvs the most excellent graces such as patience is Afflictions do minister matter and occasion for patience and they call for patience and through the blessing of God sanctifying these afflictions and helping a Christians infirmities by his Spirit patience is produced whiles a Christian is helped to consider 1. That these afflictions come from the providence of God that God who is his Father who sends them in love and for his good 2. That hereby he is conformed to his Head Jesus Christ 3. That there are great and precious promises made unto them and that there shall be a gracious issue out of them in due time Nor is it barely produced but also increased and perfected for as Habits are perfected by Acts so are graces perfected by exercise And patience experience This is the second good Fruit. Now many and manifold are the experiences which Christians have by bearing afflictions and that 1 In respect of themselves Thus they experience 1. How depraved their nature is whereby if God should leave them they would murmur and complain quarrel and blaspheme instead of suffering patiently when they are afflicted 2 How weak they are in themselves who would sink under the least burden if not supported by divine manutenency 3. In what state and condition they are spiritually that they are the children of God because conformed to Jesus Christ in the Image of his sufferings which all Gods children are predestinated unto Rom. 8.29 and because they are enabled to bear them as children with patience and submission 4. What grace they have though grace be in them and known to be there by the Lord yet it is not so well known to themselves and others as when it is drawn out now afflictions are a notable means to draw it out and give them the experience of it x Nos enim sumus tanquà m quae dam aromata quorum odor nisi ea contuderis non sentitur sumus velutilapides Pyritides qui non exerunt vim eam quam habent ad comburendum nisi cum premuntur digitis Mart. in loc For we are like some kind of spices who yield not their fragrant smell till they are beaten we are like y Dâ— Pyritide viâ—esis Plin. Nat. hist lib. 37 cap. 11. Nicols Aâ—c Gem. p. 236. fire-stones who shew not their burning quality till they are rub'd with ones fingers 2. In respect of God They experience 1. His Wisedome in ordering their afflictions for them in their nature measure and continuance 2. His Power and all sufficiency in upholding and strengthning of them 3 His Mercy and goodnesse in passing by their infirmities and not dealing in strictnesse and severity with them 4 His Faithfullnesse in not leaving them in their distresses not suffering them to be tempted above what they are able and making a way for their escape 1 Cor. 10.13 3. In respect of the sufferings themselves they experience what they are and know how to carry under new troubles without fear and dread and how to advise and comfort those who are in the like condition z Pareus in loc As a souldiewho hath endured the brunt of many a battle hath run through many hazards and endured many hardships gets experience in war and is called an expert souldier because he doth not so much fear dangers and enemies and knows how to manage military affairs which one that is raw and untrained doth not so Christians grow expert by the afflictions which they indure and by being inured to them can tell the better how to deal with them So that they will esteem that a light burden which others that are but young beginners judge almost intollerable and will carry away with ease that which others groan and are ready to sink under And experience hope This is the third good Fruit. Hope that as he hath been with them in troubles past so he will be with them now a Heb. 13.5 and never leave them nor forsake them for the future but will be b Ps 48.14 their God and guide unto the death That there shall be an end at last of all their sufferings and that a glorious end c Tim. 2.12 that having suffered with Christ they shall reign with him d James 1.12 Rev. 2.10 that having endured temptation and been faithfull unto the death they shall receive the Crown of Life e Rev. 7.14 15. that having come out of great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb they shall be before the Throne of God and serve Him day and night in his Temple f that the triall of their faith should be found to praise and honour and glory 1 Pet. 1.7 at the appearing of Christ not according to their merit but according to his gracious promise And hope maketh not ashamed This is the Crown of a Christians hope that it shall not meet with disappointment and end in shame and confusion to him that hath it as other hopes do Worldly hope from men is often frustrated because bottomed upon a slippery foundation the words and promises of a mutable creature that may deceive whence arose that German proverb g Sperare expectare multos reddit stultos Pisc in loc That hope and expectation makes many fools The wicked hypocrites hope from God himself is sure to be disappointed because grounded on their own vain and false opinions therefore compared to the giving up of the ghost Job 11.20 to the spiders web which shall be cut off Job 8.14 These hopes make ashamed but so doth not the hope of a true Christian because being set upon an unmoveable basis the infallible word of the God of truth and proceeding from the full assurance of faith and being cherished and strengthened by the earnest of Gods Spirit in their hearts it shall most â—erta nly be accomplished Now lay all this together and if those who know the love of Christ do enter into tribulation justified from Guilt and at peace with God and being in can look through it to aâ— Eternity of glory with joyful hope and confidence and do reap so many sweet fruits from it for the present it need not be doubted but such have sufficient to keep them from fainting in a day of trouble The other place which I shall but name is Rom. 8.35 37 38 39. where we find the Apostle so far from fainting under tribulations that he triumphs over them upon the knowledge and sense of Christs love and that upon a double account 1. Because a true believer is never the lesse beloved by Jesus Christ notwithstanding all his sufferings What shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famin or nakedness or perill or sword verse 35. that is none of these shall and verse 38 39. Neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature
before his Nat. Hist confess by whom I have profited The reason of the silent Dedication foregoing made to many Friends in general without mention of any one in particular if any be inquisitive about it was this because that * The Lady Mary Lister Relict of Sir William Lister of Thornton in Craven in Yorkshire who exchanged this life for a better Aug. 14. 1664. truly honourable person to whom it was intended * Isa 57.2 was entred into peace and brought to rest in the bed of silence before I could get it published and thereby made uncapable of it but infinitely to her advantage who I verily believe was taken from studying to know the love of Christ on Earth that she might be filled with all the fulness of God in Heaven where I leave her and having given this account of my self I shall add what I have to say concerning the present work and its this It was never intended to please the captious but to profit the conscientious nor to tickle the fancies of the curious but to warm the hearts of the devout and pious and therefore I have studied * Nos qui rerum magis quà m verborum amatores utilia potiùs quà m plausibilia sectamur c. in scriptiunculis nostris non lenocinia esse volumus sed remedia c. Salv. de Gub. Dei Praes p. 2. sound matter rather than fine words and to be profitable rather than plausible So that if you are nice and delicate and seek after strong lines quaint expressions high notions and * 1 Cor. 2.4 the enticing words of mans wisdom here is not for you but if you are serious and sollicitous for savoury and wholsom Truths these I can promise you which meeting with a quick appetite and good digestion may through the blessing of God to be * John 6.63 Spirit and life to your souls And that they may be so I would advise every one of you that when you begin to read this Book you would at least send up some short Ejaculation to that God * Hos 14.8 from whom all our fruit is found that there may be a blessing in it to our selves and all others into whose hands it shall come in the attainment whereof I shall think my labour well bestowed and abundantly recompensed especially if you will gratifie with your remembrance at the Throne of Grace the unworthy Author who is Your Servant for Jesus sake PETER WILLIAMS YORK December 24. 1664. The Contents of the Book CHAP. I. Sect. 1. THe coherence of the Words Page 1 Sect. 2. The several Readings Page 2 Sect 3. The meaning of the Words Page 6 The Objections answered which are made against the sense asserted Page 10 Sect. 4. The sense of the Apostles Prayer Page 13 Three Observations raised ibid. CHAP. II. The first Observation Page 14 Sect. 1. An Introduction to the handling of it ib. The Method propounded Page 15 Sect. 2. What love is here meant in general Page 16 More particularly ibid. Sect. 3. The three first particulars Page 18 Sect. 4. The fourth particular Page 20 Sect. 5. The fift particular Page 23 Sect. 6. The sixth particular Page 25 CHAP. III. The greatness of Christs love confirmed by Arguments Page 27 Sect. 1. The first Argument ibid. Sect. 2. The second Argument Page 30 Sect. 3. The third Argument Page 34 Sect. 4. The fourth Argument Page 40 CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. The fifth Argument Page 51 Sect. 2. The sixth Argument Page 54 Sect. 3. The seventh Argument Page 61 Sect. 4. The eighth Argument Page 63 CHAP. V. The Application of the first Vse for exhortation to labour to know this love of Christ Page 67 Sect. 1. The Preface to the handling of it ibid. Sect. 2. Directions about our knowledge of Christs love 1. That it be an affectionate knowledge Page 71 Sect. 3. The first Branch of the first Direction That it be a knowledge accompanied with love to Christ Page 73 CHAP. VI. Reasons why we should love Christ Page 75 Sect. 1. The first Reason ibid. Sect. 2. The second Reason Page 78 Sect. 3. The third Reason Page 88 Sect. 4. The fourth Reason Page 98 CHAP. VII Rules for our love to Christ Page 103 Sect. 1. The first Rule about the Manner ib. Sect. 2. The first Branch of the first Rule That it be sincere Four Characters of sincere love Page 106 Sect. 3. The second Branch of the first Rule That it be stedfast and constant Wherein this constancy appears Page 112 CHAP. VIII Tbe second Rule The Measure Page 113 Sect. 1. Christ to be loved above enjoyment Page 114 Sect. 2. Christ to be loved above Relations Page 118 An Objection answered ibid. Sect. 3. Christ to be loved above our lives Page 125 Sect. 4. Objections answered Page 134 CHAP. IX The third Rule about expressing our love to Christ Page 145 Sect. 1. By love to all men Page 146 Sect. 2. By love to the Saints especially Page 149 Sect. 3. Mutual love commanded by Christ Page 157 Sect. 4. Christs Prayer for it Page 165 Sect. 5. One main end of instituting the great Ordinance of the Supper Page 172 CHAP. X. The second Branch of the first Direction Let your love run to him by desire and rest on him by delight Page 182 Sect. 1. Desire after Christ ibid. Sect. 2. Rest on him by delight Page 185 Sect. 3. Let trust and fear be attendants Page 191 Sect. 4. Objections answered Page 194 Sect. 5. Objections answered Page 199 CHAP. XI The second Direction about our knowledge of Christs love That it be an effectual knowledge Page 201 Sect. 1. By way of Application with experience and assurance to our selves Page 201 Sect. 2. By way of Admiration Page 208 Sect. 3. By way of Gratulation Page 213 Sect. 4. By way of Obligation Page 216 CHAP. XII The third Direction That it be a progressive knowledge Page 232 Sect. 1. In respect of our selves Page 233 Sect. 2. In respect of others Page 241 CHAP. XIII General motives to know this love of Christ Page 246 Sect. 1. The double evidence that it carries with it Page 247 Sect. 2. The influence it hath Page 251 Sect. 3. A Question answered Page 255 Sect. 4. The second Vse for Caution Page 264 Sect. 5. The last Vse for consolation Page 271 The transcendency Of CHRISTS Love towards the Children of Men. EPHES. 3.19 The former part of the Verse And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge CHAP I. Sect. 1. THese words are a branch of the Apostles Prayer for the Ephesians The coherence of the Text with the Verses foregoing begun at the fourteenth Verse and reaching to the end of the Chapter made indeed upon design but a holy and good one viz. To prevent their fainting at his present tribulations for the Gospel v. 13.14 I desire that you faint not at my tribulations for you which is your glory For this cause I bow my knees unto the
indeed Christians should in their prayers and desires be reaching after that both in respect of grace and comfort for themselves and others which they shall not fully enjoy till they come to heaven Thus Paul for himself reached after such a measure of holiness as the Saints shall have at the resurrection of the dead k Phil. 4.11 That perfection of holiness that acâ—ompanieth the estate of the resurrection Trap. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead And thus he prayes here for these Ephesians That they might know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of God Sect. 4. BY this time I hope you perceive the Apostles meaning He prayes The sense of the Apostles Prayer that these Ephesians might know that is know more with more clearness certainty experience and assurance of the love of Christ that singular eminent excellent love which yet in it self is so great that it is without the reach of humane understanding even that which is most sanctified to comprehend it fully in the dimensions of it Having given you this account of the words The Observations raised the Observations which I might draw from them are three That the love of Jesus Christ to mankind is an exceeding great and incomprehensible love 1. It is called love passing knowledge The knowledge of this love and improvement therein ought to be the study of every Christian in this life 2. The Apostle prayes for it as that which they should long and labour after for themselves Acquaintance with Jesus Christ in the greatness of his love is an excellent help to stedfastness in the profession of the Gospel amidst all the difficulties and discouragements of the world 3. That is the ground of his prayer It is the first of these which I mainly intend yet in the handling of this I shall have occasion to speak something of the other two CHAP II. The Point then is this THat the love of Jesus Christ which he hath shewed to the Children men Doct. is an exceeding great and incomprehensible love A love that passeth knowledge Sect. 1. An Introduction to the handling of the Doctrine THE very first letter of his Name is wonderful Isa 9.6 and he is as wonderful in his love as in any thing else This is the Golden Mine in the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 There are unsearchable riches in Christ Eph. 3.8 and this is the vein that runs through all these riches The Apostle calls Godliness a mystery a great mystery 1 Tim. 3.16 and this love of Christ is the golden string that runs through all these mysteries and on which they hang together l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ultimus scopus aedeoque centrum Scripturae ad quod omnia referuntur est Christus Jesus Gech Exeg de Sacr. Scrip. p. 27. As Christ is the Center of the whole Scripture so the love of Christ is the Center of all that vast circumference of good things which poor Christians have or hope for by him A love as far beyond the thoughts and understandings of men to comprehend as it is beyond their merits to deserve so that in handling hereof I may say as a m Chrysost as he is cited by Mr. Trap on the Text. Father doth upon the same subject I am like a man digging in a deep Spring I stand here and the water riseth upon me I stand there and the water still riseth upon me and no hopes of ever fathoming this Abysse of love But if you say Why then do you take such a subject in hand I answer Though we can never know it all yet we may and must grow in the knowledge of this love of Christ and dive into this Sea that hath neither bank nor bottome and where as in the Salt Waters the deeper the sweeter So that the mysterious depth and unsearchableness of this love is no Supersedeas to our studying and preaching nor to your hearing and learning of it We cannot preach Christ but we must preach love for he is Love you must give us leave therefore to speak of it though we do but balbutire stammer it out for we can do no more we can tell you that it is exceeding great though how great it is we cannot tell only because it passeth knowledge you cannot think we speak too highly of it for n Christus non patitur Hyperbolen Christ admits of no Hyperbole and if we speak not all you cannot blame us for who can declare it neither Men nor Angels And yet in speaking and hearing of it we may say It is good to be here that when we cannot comprehend this love of Christ we may be comprehended by it which is worth our labour In the prosecution of this point The Method propounded I shall shew you what love I mean and give you arguments of its incomprehensibleness and so apply it Sect. 2. What love here meant In general TO shew you what love I mean I told you it was the love of Christ before and I mean in general his Redeeming love that love which he hath manifested and magnified in the redemption and salvation of sinners which work lay mainly on the hands of Christ as to the management and accomplishment of it a work appointed and undertaken on purpose to magnifie love and grace as the work of Creation was to magnifie power which it doth in an unspeakable and unconceivable manner More particularly In particular 1. I mean that love of the Lord Jesus whereby when from all eternity he was the darling and delight of his Father o Prov. 8.30 ever by him as one brought up with him and was daily his delight v. 31. rejoycing alway before him yet even then his delights were the Sons of Men. p Hoc tamèn foelicissimo non abstante quem apud patrem fruebar statu sic filiis hominum delector ut cum iis versari lubet benedictiones omni genere communicare Cartwright in loc Notwithstanding his most blessed condition with his Father yet so great was his Philanthropie his love to mankind that he was so delighted in us as to be willing to converse with us and communicate all kind of blessings to us 2. That love whereby he so freely and readily undertook the great and costly work of fallen mans recovery that when man could not help himself and all the Angels in Heaven were not able to administer sufficient help for his restoration but mans redemption had ceased for ever in respect of any possible assistance from the creature to advance and effect it then he willingly submitted to it q Psal 40.6 7. 8. Heb. 10.5 6 7. that when sacrifice and offering burnt-offerings and sacrifices for sin would not do then he said Lo I come to do thy will O God Yea it was his delight to do this will of God in saving
Lord Jesus was exceeding abundant towards me with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus and then as if he wanted words to express his gratitude he breaks out into those significant expressions of his affection z vers 17. Prae ardore erumpit in istam exclamationem quia doerant verba quibus suam gratitudinem exprimeret NaÌ„ Epiphonemata praecipuè locum habent ubi abrumpere orationem cogimur quia rei magnitudo superat Quid aut èm Pauli conversione admirabilius Quanquà m nos simul omnes admoneâ— suo exemplo nunquà m de gratiâ divinae vocationis esse cogitandum quin tandèm efferamur admiratione Calv. in loc To the King eternal immortal invisible the only Wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen Sect. 6. THat love whereby through his a Joh. 17.11 c. Heb. 7.25 intercession grace b Joh. 10.27 28 29. power spirit and c Heb. 1.14 Psal 91.11 12. 1 Pet. 1.4 5. ministration of Angels he keeps those whom he hath thus called and converted unto that Kingdome Glory Inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away which he hath d Heb. 9.12.15 purchased and is reserved in heaven for them whither he entered as their e Heb. 6.20 fore-runner for them f Joh. 14.2 going before to prepare a place for them from whence g Acts 3.19.21 when the times of refreshing and restitution of all things shall come h 1 Thes 4.16 he will descend with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and i John 14.3 will come again and take them with all his members to himself that where he is they may be also not being satisfied as not being compleat without them who are k Eph. 1.23 his body the fulness of him that fills all in all A matter of strong consolation to believers that all they have by Christ is not confined to this world for l 1 Cor. 15.19 if in this life only we had hope in Christ we were of all men most miserable and that their hopes and reversions by Christ in the world to come are so secured by him that they are as safe and sure as if they were in hand and present possession All which is the fruit of admirable love m Bishop Reynolds on Psal 110. mihi p. 233. 40. for the foundation of all our mercies present or future enjoyed or expected is an overflowing of love in Christ without stint or measure a turning of heart a rowling and sounding of bowels a love which surpasseth knowledge which is as much beyond the thoughts or comprehensions as it is above the merits of men To conclude this As there was an infinite price laid down to purchase Heaven and glory for us and an infinite powerlaid out in calling and keeping the Elect to the possession of the purchase so it was and is no less than infinite love that enclined Jesus Christ to lay down that price and still enclines him to lay out that power on the behalf and for the benefit of dearly bought and as dearly beloved souls This is the love that I mean and if the devout and diligent Reader would be further affected with it I referre him to the holy Rapture of Bishop Hall on this subject first Printed in a small Volume with another Treatise called Christ Mystical and now inserted in the third Volume of his Works in Folio CHAP. III MY next work is to give you the Arguments 2 The incomprehensibleness of Christs love cofirmed by Arguments by which the incomprehensible greatness of this love of Christ may be confirmed and demonstrated And they are such as these Sect. 1. IT must needs be great and incomprehensible Arg. 1 love passing knowledge because it is the love of Christ It was said of Gideon Judges 8.21 As the man is so is his strength and it must be said of Christ As he is so is his love Now he being an infinite person his love must needs be infinite love or else he would not love like himself He was Man indeed that he might be capable of loving us in such a way as we needed but he was God also that he might accomplish the ends and designs of his love which were our Redemption and Salvation now Christ being God and so infinite in his nature which is a piece of every Christians Creed and those who deny it now will * Quos suo tempore compescet aeternus Dei filius Aret. Probl. loc 3. p. 11. feel it to their shame and sorrow another day that love which is in him and inseparable from his Essence for God is Love 1 John 4.16 is undoubtedly infinite and as soon may n InfinituÌ„ secundum quod infinitum est ignotum Bed Ax. Philos p. 97. finite creatures such as we are comprehend that which is infinite as be able to comprehend this love of Christ Alas there are lower and lesser things which puzzle and non-plus the most reaching head among us and how shall we then be able to reach this o Vide Lessiâ— librum de summo bono p. 54. c. Glanvils Vanity of Dogmatizing The natural Works of Creation and Providence have many secrets which we cannot dive into many riddles which we cannot unfold for p Job 5.9 he doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number Who can answer the Quaeries put by the mighty God to q Job 38.39 40 41 Chapters Job r Eccles 11.5 Who knoweth the way of the Spirit or how the bones do grow in the Womb of her that is with Child The formation quickning growth of a Child in the Womb is a mystery to us Who is there that is fully acquainted with the introduction nature and workings of his own soul which as now it is is Å¿ Jer. 17.9 deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Who can see the t Ezek. 1.16 wheel within the wheel the secret spring of Providence that moves and turns the many and seemingly cross revolutions in the world u Psal 77. â—9 Who can trace Gods way in the Sea and his path in the great Waters and his footsteps which are not known and how then w Job 11.7 8 9. can we by searching find out God can we find out his love to perfection It is as high as Heaven what can we do It is deeper than Hell what can we know The measure thereof is longer than the Earth and broader than the Sea to allude to that of Zophar to Job How can we understand the love of Christs heart who are such strangers to the lusts of our own hearts for x Psal 19.12 who can understand hsi errours sayes the Kingly Prophet Let him that thinks to attain unto it first y Isa 40.12 measure the Waters in the hollow of his hand and mete out the Heaven with a span and comprehend the
to be a meer Ignoramus in the things of Christ and e Maxima pars eorum quae scimus est minima pars eorum quae nescimus that the greatest part of what he knows is but the least part of that which he knows not The devout Author of the Contemplations of Divine love concealed himself and set them forth under the name of Idiota and Idiot it may be from an humble apprehension of his own ignorance of that love which he wrote of But this is not to be understood as arising from any defect on the Spirits part as if he were not able to teach this love perfectly but on our part because being finite and frail creatures we are not subjects capable of receiving it fully as it is Indeed if Christ should let forth himself in the sulness of his love towards his Saints considered in their present mortal and imperfect estate they were never able to bear it but must use the language of Christ to his Spouse according to our Translation f Cant. 6.5 Turn away thine eyes from me for they have overcome me though as spoken by Christ it is otherwise interpreted by g Ainsworth in loc Expositors And therefore God is wont to reserve the fullest draught of this sweetest Wine till last to strengthen his Children against Satans assaults which are usually fiercest towards their latter end and to sweeten their passage hence which is accompanied with such admirable effects as is a further evidence of the greatness of that love from whence it proceeds which is the second Branch of the Argument 2. The present fruits and effects of what Believers do attain unto in the knowledge of Christs love are many times so great as do undoubtedly argue the love it self to be far greater If the fruits of this love be such as pass understanding this love it self must needs do so much more Quod efficit tale illud est magìs tale And yet so it is The Apostle makes mention of such things as h 1 Cor. 2.9 Malo simpliciter intelligere Dei gratias quae fidelibus quotidiè conferuntur Calv. in loc Trap. eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man prepared by the Lord for them that love him which is primarily to be understood of those Favours and Love-tokens which God bestows upon his people here that Gospel-joy and present comforts which Saints have in this life that praemium ante praemium for he reserves not all for the life to come but gives a few Grapes of Canaan in this Wilderness Thus in another place he makes mention of i Phil. 4.7 the Peace of God which passeth all understanding which Believers experience whiles they are here below to the keeping their hearts and minds as in a Garrison against all assaults And another k 1 Pet. 1.8 Apostle tells us of a joy unspeakable and full of glory which believers have from Jesus Christ and the sense of his love apprehended by faith The present peace comfort and joy of a Christian in this life is many times unspeakable and unconceivable that passeth all understanding how much more then that love which influenceth all this If there be so much in the fruit the effect the stream what is there in the root the cause the fountain Surely the love of Christ must needs be exceeding great when the shedding of it abroad into the hearts of his people by his Spirit in a little more than ordinary measure whiles they are upon earth doth so transport them into an extasie of unexpressible joy and consolation as sometimes it doth especially those discoveries of himself and manifestations of his love which he makes to some of his special Favourites towards their dissolution which I hinted before and shall here give a double instance of it in two famous Christians the one is of l M. Leighs Sermon at the Funeral of Mrs. Brettergh p. 16. 17. Mr. John Holland an eminent Minister of the Gospel in his time He the day before he dyed as often before so then more eagerly called for a Bible saying Come O come death approacheth let us gather some flowers to comfort this hour which being brought he turned with his own hands to the eight Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans and giving the Book to a stander by bid him read At the end of every Verse he made a pause and gave the sense of it Having thus continued his Meditation and Exposition for the space of two houres or more on the sudden he said O stay your reading what brightness is this I see Have you light up any Candles To which he that stood by answered No it is the Sunshine for it was about five a Clock in a clear Summers Evening Sunshine saith he nay it is my Saviours shine Now farewell World welcome Heaven the Day-star from on high hath visited my heart O speak it when I am gone and preach it at my Funeral God dealeth familiarly with Man I feel his Mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God knoweth but I see things that are unutterable The other is of m This is in her life which was written by a Friend and joyned with the Sermon fore-mentioned and another Sermon upon the same occasion Mrs. Katharine Brettergh a gracious Gentlewoman of the Family of the Bruens in Cheshire She in the beginning of that Sickness whereof she dyed had a very sore conflict with Satan who prevailed so far as to bring her into great doubt and fear concerning her condition but it pleased God before her death to bruise Satan under her feet and to make her more than a Conquerour filling her with joy and peace in believing so that the joy of her heart broke out at her lips in such expressions as these Whiles her Husband read the 17th Chapter of John when he came to the ninth Verse she cryed out O Lord Jesu dost thou pray for me O blessed and sweet Saviour how wonderful how wonderful how wonderful are thy Mercies Then reading the 22d Verse with marvellous joy she uttered the words of David many times over I confess before the Lord his loving kindness and his wonderful Works before the Sons of Men for he hath satisfied my soul and filled my hungry soul with goodness When he came to the 24th Verse she said Now I perceive and feel the countenance of Christ my Redeemer is turned towards me and the bright-shining beams of his mercy spread over me And then again remembring some passages in that Chapter she said O my sweet Saviour shall I be one with thee as thou art one with thy Father and wilt thou glorifie me with that glory which thou hadst with the Father before the World was And dost thou so love me who am but dust and ashes to make me partaker of glory with Christ What am I poor wretch that thou art so mindful
last We may please our selves and it may be those that hear us too by preaching other things but we shall not save our selves and those that hear us unless we preâ—ch Jesus Christ We are but Prevaricators in our office if Jesus Christ be not the Vnum Magnum nay the Vnum Maximum in our Ministry This is also the great business of every Christian for himself to know Jesus Christ our life depends upon it according to our Saviours own words Joh. 17.3 This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent For the excellency of this knowledge the Apostle Paul counted all things but dross and dung Phil. 3.8 This is the one thing necessary without which all a mans other knowledge will but hasten and heighten his condemnation Si Christum discis nihil est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis Englished thus If Christ thou know it will suffice Though else thou knowest naught If Christ be hid thou art not wise Though all else thou be taught Now the love of Christ is the main matter to be studied and known by every one who would study and know Jesus Christ and indeed we cannot miss of love in the study and knowledge of Christ for Christ is love His Name his Natures his Offices his Doctrine his Life his Death his Priviledges his Ordinances his All have a deep tincture of love in them and this love is to be known and that it may be known to be studied by us by all of us even the best of us If you say We hear this often enough Object and know this well enough I answer * Nunquà m satis dicitur quod nunquà m satis discitur That is never said enough Answ which is never learned enough And though you know the love of Christ do you know it as you ought to know it If you do not you must go over it again that you may know it better and you do not know Christ as you ought nor his love as you ought until you have him and it by heart You who know most and best are yet to seek you know but in part there are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge hid in Christ Col. 2.3 unsearchable riches Ephes 3.8 which can never be traced and found out You may be all your time searching and digging into them and yet though you should live never so long not come to the bottome at last but must breath out your soules with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the conclusion oh the depth for this is a love which passeth knowledge Object If you say that it is an heartless hopeless work which I put you upon when I bid you study to know the love of Christ seeing it passeth knowledge Answ I Answer That it 's true the love of Christ is such as passeth knowledge the riches of Christ are unsearchable riches but yet the unsearchable riches of Christ should not make us idle but active in digging and searching them out as far as we can the unknowable love of Christ should not deaden and straiten but quicken and enlarge our appetite to endeavour after as full a knowledge as we may What wise man will stand still or go back because he cannot finish his journey in a day Will not men dig for Gold because they cannot get to the bottome of the Mine And shall we refuse to know as much as we can of this love of Christ because we cannot comprehend as much as there is Far be it from any of us to cherish any such thought for the checking whereof consider 1. That you may know enough of Christ and his love to serve for your souls salvation which its your great interest to mind and look after as the great end of your being 2. You shall not need fear to be cloyed and glutted in the study of this love Varietas delectat variety delights and there is so much variety in this one subject the love of Christ as renders the study of it very delectable 3. The deeper you go in this love of Christ the sweeter yea if as * Plut. Moral Tom. 2. Lat. 8. mihi p. 117. Plutarch notes Eudoxus was content to be burnt up by the Sun if he might have liberty first to stand so near as to learn the figure magnitude and form of a Star how much more and better should a Christian be content to enter upon and proceed in the search study knowledge and understanding of this love of Christ till he be at last swallowed up of that which he is never able fully to comprehend Sect. 2. IN the prosecution of this Exhortation I shall do these two things 1. I shall direct your knowledge that you may not mistake about it 2. I shall excite you to it by the encouragements which the Apostle layes down about the Text that you be not disheartned so as to decline your duty in this particular By way of Direction which is needful 1. Directions about our knowing the love of Christ for all knowledge of the love of Christ is not sufficient and saving there is a general notional speculative historical knowledge which will be prejudicial and not profitable in the end though this be good as far as it goes yet where there is no more it is not sufficient Those who know the love of Christ in the notion only for Discourse sake or for a Professions sake only will fall as short of Heaven as the most ignorant person yea those who know the love of Christ no better than thus will but descend the more learnedly into Hell and incurre the more severe condemnation Now that you may not mistake here nor miscarry hereafter in this business of knowing the love of Christ I shall direct you to mind the qualifications of your knowledge and I shall mention three Direction 1. That it be affectionate knowledge 1. Look that your knowledge of the love of Christ be Cognitio affectiva an affectionate knowledge let it not swimme in your heads only by empty Notions but sink down into your hearts in sweet savoury warming and lively affections towards him And Sect. 2. 1. SEE that you have such a knowledge of Christ and his love The first Branch of the first Direction That it be a knowledge accompanied with love as is accompanied with love to him True love is grounded in knowledge and true knowledge hath love built upon it Though your heads be never so full of the knowledge of Christ yet if your hearts be not also full of love to him it will neither be acceptable to Christ nor profitable to your selves The Apostle tells us how little the understanding of all mysteries and all knowledge will profit a man without love 1 Cor. 13. for as the t Multa scilicâ—t laudabilia atque admiranda possunt in homine reperiri quae sine
for q Jenkins on Jude 4. Part 1. p. 152. as one sayes If every leaf and spire of grass nay all the stars sand atomes in the world were so many souls and Seraphims whose love should double in them every moment to eternity yet could not their love be enough for the loveliness of our God yet Christ that he may not fail of catching our love casts out the bait of his own love to allure ours to himself He beginneth and loveth that we may love him again 1 John 4.19 r Manton on Jude p. 100. As water is cast into a Pump when the springs lye low to bring up more water so Christ hath shed and poured out his love upon us that our love might rise up to him again by way of gratitude and recompence God loves that he may be loved sayes Å¿ Amat Deus ut ametur cum amat nihil aliud vuâ—t quam amari sciens amore esse beatos qui se amaverint Aug Man mihi p. 236. Austin and when he loves he desires nothing but to be loved again knowing that those who love him are happy in that love I have already made out the exceeding greatness of Christs love towards us in the undertaking and accomplishing of our Redemption the consideration whereof cannot without monstrous ingratitude but engage us to love him again 1. Can you think of Christs Undertaking for us and not love him That he not like Jonah would be cast into the Sea to allay a storm raised for his own sake but when our sins had raised a storm of Divine wrath would be cast in to allay it When he saw the misery of Mankind he said Let it come on me 2. Can you think of his Incarnation and not love him That he should divest himself of his Robes of Glory and condescend to take upon him the Rag of our flesh That he who was God and Lord of all should humble himself and empty himself and make himself of no reputation and be made in the likeness of man yea take upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2.6.7 3. Can you think of his Passion and not love him Indeed his Incarnation was a Passion and his whole life as continued suffering but I mean that which is emphatically so called that which he suffered at or immediately before his death which who can think of and not be all in a flame of love t Ambrose Looking unto Jesus p. 658. That the Judge of all the World should be accused judged and condemned That the eternal Son of God should be found struggling with his Fathers wrath That he who had said I and my Father are one should sweat drops of blood in his Agony and cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me as he did on the Cross That the Lord of Life should with unconceivable pains breath out his soul and dye on the Tree of shame and curse 4. Can you think that all this should be for us and not love him That when he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief u Manton on Jude p. 109. they were our griefs which he bore and our sorrows which he carried Isa 53.3 4. The very same griefs that we should have suffered so far as his holy person was capable of them his desertion was equivalent to our loss his Agonies to to our Curse and punishment of sense We were the Malefactors and the Kings Son chose our Chains and suffered in our stead 5. Can you think that he suffered all this for us very willingly and not love him When he had undertaken to be baptized with this baptism he was straightned till it was accomplished Luke 12.50 He did with the like indignation rebuke Peter disswading from his Cross as he did the Devil tempting him to Idolatry Get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16.23 compared with Mat. 4.10 He was satisfied with all the travel of his soul as it was the means of our salvation Isa 53.11 as if he had said Welcome Agonies welcome stripes and wounds welcome Curse welcome Cross welcome Death so that poor souls be saved 6. Can you think of his love in all this and not love him his infinite love far beyond his sufferings and the outward expressions of it as the Windows of the Temple were more large and open within than without Can you think of it and not love him 7. Can you think that all this was intended to constrain your love and not love him He made himself so vile that he might be the more dear and precious unto us every one of his wounds is a mouth open to plead for your love Certainly if love brought Christ from Heaven to Earth to the Cross to the Grave it should carry our hearts to him in Heaven again with ardent and fervent love w O duri induâ—ati obdurati filii Adam quos non emollit tanta benignitas tanta flaÌ„ma tam ingâ—ns ardor amoris Bern. Serm. in Pent. mihi p. 45. And oh hard and extreamly hardened Sons of Adam whom so great bounty so great a flame and heat of love doth not mollifie and melt into love again x Omnis equitas ditit ut dilectus diligentem diligat amatus amanti mutuam charitatem impendat Bern. de Caenâ Dom. Ser. 13. All equity dictates that he who is beloved should love him again by whom he is beloved and shall Christ only have love unjustly detained from him after he hath loved us y Magnes amoris amor Love is the Loadstone of love and were it not a shameful thing that Christs love should lose its attractive power upon us on whom it is most laid out It is not first love that is required of us but only a reflection of his own love back again and z Nimis durus est animus qui amorem si nolebat impendere nolit rependere Aug. de Catech. rud cap. 4. there is too much of the stone in that mans heart who if he will not begin and lead will not follow in this way of love and repay love for love Well for a cloze of this I shall shew you how the consideration of Christs love hath warmed and affected others hearts and leave it as a goad in your sides to quicken your imitation What should this but make us call upon our souls to the love of him who hath thus loved us as Austin did a O anima mea insignita Dei imagine redempta Christi sanguine desponsata fide dotata spiritu ornata virtutibus deputata cum Angelis Dilige illum a quo tantum dilecta es intende illi qui intendit tibi quaere quaerentem te amae am itorem tui a quo amoris cujus amore praeventaâ—s qui est causa amorâ—s us Aug. Man mihi p. 240. O my soul stampt with the Image of God redeemed with the blood of Christ espoused by faith endowed with the spirit adorned with graces committed
which the same Apostle denounceth in another place of which I have spoken before against those who love not the Lord Jesus Some understand this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which is in our own Translation In sincerity Thus d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod alias verti salet immortalitas hic sonat integritatem ac sinceritatem animi vacantis omni corruptelâ vitiorum Eras in loc Erasmus whose note is That though this word is wont to be elsewhere rightly rendred Immortality yet here it signifies integrity and sincerity of a heart free from all sinful corruption e Subindicare voluit Paulus tunc demùm omni corruptelâ fore vacuum cor hominis si omni hypocrisi caret Calv. Calvin follows this sense and sayes that the Apostle useth this word to signifie that then is the heart of man void of corruption when it is without hypocrisie Several f Videsis Vorstium Bodium Baldvinū Hemingiū in loc others follow this sense but I passe them over Some understand the words according to the sense of the Margin with incorruption that is with constancy and continuance Thus the Greek Scholiast as I find mentioned by Bodius expounds it of a perpetual and incorruptible love which fails not nor is diminished but grows and is encreased day by day till it come to the highest pitch of perfection And thus g Significatur is qui nullâ vi nullis precibus nullis illecebris se corrumpi id est a recto abduci patitur Talis animi status hic dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestque hoc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verti constantèr Grot. in loc Grotius who sayes it may well be rendred Constantly and that such a one is signified by it as will not suffer himself to be corrupted nor drawn away from that which is right by any force intreaties or allurements whatsoever h Intelligo de constantiâ sinceritate Aret. in loc Others I find who take in both these latter Interpretations and understand it both of sincerity and constancy too Believers sayes a i Fergusson on the place late Writer are here described from this that they love the Lord Jesus in sincerity or incorruption that is not for a time only but constantly not in hypocrisie or shew only but sincerely and really And truly there is such a near and necessary conjunction betwixt these two that they cannot well be separated for that which is sincere will be constant and that which is constant is sincere especially seeing the word signifies both and therefore hence I would direct you as ever you would obtain that grace favour and all good which in this Apostolical benediction is annexed unto it that you look your love to Christ be for the quality of it sincere and stedfast pure and permanent without reservation and without recidivation Sect. 2. The first Branch of the first Direction That it be sincere 1. LOok that your love to Christ be a sincere love for that may be one sense of the word k So it is in our Translation as I shewed you before Quest But how shall I know that my love to Christ is sincere Answ I shall not handle the case at large yet I shall give you some characters of such a love which may give you some light in this matter and for those who desire further satisfaction I shall refer them to the l Reynolds on Psa 110. p. 59. c. Pinks Tryal of Christians love to Christ the three last Sermons especially Morn Exercise Part 2. Serm. 9. p. 218. Authors quoted in the Margin where they may find the case more fully and largely resolved The Characters which I shall give are these 4 Characters of sincere love to Christ 1. Sincere love of Christ is spiritual in its principle and constitution It is not founded in Nature but Grace and springs not from custome education formal profession external communion or an historical faith but it is begun in a deep sense of our infinite wants and miseries without Christ The first character It is Spiritual together with his suitableness sufficiency and readiness to relieve and rescue us and it is carried on and further strengthned and encreased by evidence of our propriety and interest in him Unfeigned love is the daughter of unfeigned faith Now this faith as it believes what Christ is in himself abundantly able and willing to answer all the necessities of the soul works a love of desire after him and as it applies and brings home all this with some clearnesse and evidence to the soul so it works a love of complacency This is the first Character and of great concernment for if ever you would make good your love to Christ you must make good the ground and principle of it 2. Sincere love is Cordial in the exercise of it 1. It is with the heart The second Character It is Cordial O thou whom my soul loveth sayes the Spouse Cant. 1.7 m Quem ex animo diligo Mercer in loc Whom I love with my very soul n Ainsworth It notes the unfeignedness and fervency of her love Sincere love is not complemental but cordial it stands not in outward expression but intimate affection When Christ wooes for your love he bids you give him your heart Prov. 23.26 and sayes as Jehu did to Jonadab 2 Kings 10.15 Is thine heart right as my heart is with thine heart if this be wanting he values not all your good words but will say as Delilah did to Sampson Judg. 16.15 How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me 2. It is also with the whole heart Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind sayes our Saviour Mat. 22.37 There is no love befitting God but such a love He loves a broken but cannot endure a divided heart he will have all or none We should love Christ infinitely and because we cannot we must love him unfeignedly which we do not unlesse we love him with our hearts without halting and with our whole hearts without halving o Dr. Preston of Love p. 155. The Lord will have the whole stream of your affection desires intentions and endeavours to run to him there must not a rivulet run out of it it must not be drained away but the whole stream must be all bestowed upon himself there must be no division there but he must have all and there is good reason for it for he hath loved us with his whole heart and his whole soul Jer. 32.41 Christ then must be the Center of all the affections of your whole heart if you would love him sincerely as you ought to do The third Character It is Chaste 3. Sincere love is chaste love The love of a soul to Christ is of the nature of Conjugal love which when it is chaste hath these properties
wherewith the Saints are inflamed is such as cannot be quenched with any calamities or persecutions whatsoever Thus Mercer takes it o Persecutiones possumus â—ccipere adversatorum terrorem minas ne hae quidem amorem Ecclesiae in Christum extiguere possint minùs bland tâ—ae illecebrae Merc. in loc By Waters and Floods sayes he we may understand Persecutions and the terrour and threats of Adversaries even these cannot quench the love of the Church to Christ how much less can flatteries and allurements do it To this purpose is that of the Apostle Rom. 8.35 ad fin What shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or Sword c. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor thingt to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I know these words are generally taken by p Grot. Vorst Calv. Bez. Eras Pareus Pisc Expositors for that love with which the Lord loveth us yet some of the q Ambros Ansel Theoph. Ancients take them for that love which we have towards him And r Nec inepta nec impia est sententia Pet. Mart. in loc Peter Martyr though he follow it not sayes it is no ill or unfit sense I think Deodat doth well who takes in both senses What grief or calamity can make us doubt that Christ hath withdrawn his love from us and make us cease loving him So he and the Commentators forementioned on that place in the Canticles do make this Scripture parallel with that And it is a great truth that as none of these things can make Christ cease loving those whom he hath once loved so neither can they make a Christian cease loving of Christ whose heart is sincerely pitch'd upon him in a way of love It is every ones duty Å¿ Qui non est paratus omnia pati ad voluntateÌ„ stare dilecti non est dignus amatoâ— appellari Opoâ—tet amantem omnia dura amara propter dilectuÌ„ lib nâ—èr amplecti nec ob contraria accidâ—ntia ab eo deflecti A Kempis de Imit Christi lib. 3. cap. 5. p. 152. He who is not ready to suffer all things and to stand to the will of his beloved is not worthy to bear the name of a lover It becomes him who loves to embrace willingly all hard and bitter things for his sake whom he loves nor for all contrary occurrences to be turned aside from him And it is the property of every upright Christian This hath been verified in the whole noble Army of Martyrs in all Ages who have with the strongest resolution and most invincible stedfastness entertained all the threats and torments of their enemies rather than deny Christ or be separated from his love Upon this account they have been tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented as you have it Heb. 11.35 36 37. Thus the t Nec retardali estis ab aâ—itormentorum metused ipsis tormentis magis estis ad aciem provocati sortes stabiles ad maximi certaminis praelium prompta devotione prodistis Cypr. Epist 9. Father speaks of the Martyrs and Confessors in his time as good Souldiers of Jesus Christ That they were not retarded from the battel by fear of torments but were more provoked to the battel by those very torments coming forth strong and stedfast with ready devotion to that battel which had the greatest conflict u Ita animati ut incorruptam fidei firmitâ—tem non blanditiae decipiant non minae terreant non cruciatus ac tormenta devincant Nec plus ad dejiciendum potest terrena poena quam ad erigendum tutela diviua Nor did flatteries deceive nor threats terrifie nor pains and torments overcome the incorrupt firmness of their faith which wrought by love as true faith doth Gal. 5.6 Nor was any earthly punishment more able to cast them down than Divine protection was to raise them up w Tolerâstis usque ad consummationem gloriae durissimam quaestionem nec cessistis suppliciis sed vobis potiùs supplicia cesserunt Idem ibid. Steterunt torti torquentibus fortiores pulsantes ac laniantes ungulas pulsata ac laniata membra vicerunt Inexpugnabilem fidem superare non potuit diu saeviens plaga repetita quamvis rupta compage visâ—crum torquerentur in servis Dei jam non membra sed vulnera Idem ibid. They endured the most grievous Inquisition to the consummation of their glory nor did they yield unto punishments but punishments rather yielded unto them And a little after The tormented stood stronger than their tormentors their beaten and torn members overcame those instruments of cruelty wherewith they were beaten and torn Cruel stripes of long continuance and often renewed could not overcome their impregnable faith no not though their very bowels were digged out and not so much the members as the wounds of the servants of God were tormented In another place having written to some Martyrs they return him an answer wherein among other things they tell him x Hostes veritatis non tantum non perhoâ—rescimus sed provocamus inimicos Dei jam hoc ipso quòd non câ—ssimus vicimus Epist 26. inter Cypr. Epist Now we are not only not afraid of the enemies of the Truth but we provoke them and in this very thing that we yield not to the enemies of God we overcame them And a little before they tell him That it was the Trumpet of the Gospel which animated them to this combat And among other places these are two there mentioned which gave them great encouragement He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Mat. 10.37 and that fore-cited Rom. 8.35 c. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. It was their love to Christ which made them invincible in all their sufferings for Christ and this was an evidence of the truth and rightness of it that it was stedfast and invincible I might give you innumerable instances of this as many Martyrs so many instances I shall content my self with naming two or three Ignatius whose heart was enflamed with love to Christ as I hinted before kept this fire in amidst the waters and floods of Persecution which he met with Hear what he sayes whiles he was a Prisoner a little before his suffering y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Epist ad Roman Edit Usser mihi p. 86. Now I begin to be a Disciple I care for
excipere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Horn. Comment in Sulpit. Sev. loc supra dictum Hornius in his Commentary upon this Author and this place produceth a Testimony out of Eusebius concerning the Martyrs courage under this same Persecution which I have translated and inserted here for he sayes every Christian ought to know it and it is very suitable to the point in hand We beheld sayes the Historian the exceeding wonderfull and truely divine power and singular readiness of mind that was in those who believed in Christ For as soon as Sentence was pronounced against some that went before others from another place leapt out before the judgement seat and confessed themselves Christians making no reckoning of their severities and manifold torments but did speak for Religion without fear or terrour yea received the last Sentence of death with joy laughter and gladness in so much as they sang and sent up Hymns and Thanksgivings unto the God of all even to their last breath In the persecutions of latter times there was the like resolution courage and constancy in those who suffered * Wards life of Faith in death pag. 158. and pag. 160. If I had ten heads said Henry Voes they should all off for Christ God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save in the Crosse of Christ. * Wards life of Faith in death pag. 158. and pag. 160. It is a small matter said another to dy once for Christ if it might be I could wish I might dy a thousand deaths for him †Masons Acts of the Church pag. 274. If every hair of my head were a man I would suffer death in the faith I am in said John Ardly a Martyr in Queen Maries dayes Thus hath the love of Saints towards Christ been strong as death and so must ours if we would love him aright Sect. 4. I Have been larger here then was at first intended and yet before I leave it I must crave leave to answer a double Objection Object 1. If this be so that we must love Christ above our lives if we would be his Disciples indeed then it seems there are none true Saints but such as are also Martyrs Answer It is so a See Pinks Trial pag. 44 45 c. but then you must thus distinguish There is Actual and Habitual Martyrdom 1. Actual then life is really laid down for the sake of Christ and his Gospell Such Martyrs have those been who in all ages generations have sealed the Truth with their blood and stood unto their profession of Christ even to the suffering of death from the hands of violent and bloody men 2. Habituall when there is Praeparatio animi a Readinesse of mind to lay down our life for Christ whensoever he shall call for it When there is faith enough to encourage and love enough to constrain us to be Martyrs if the honour of our Profession should require it Such a one was Paul who was ready to dy at Jerusalem for the Name of Christ as you have heard before Now there are none true Saints who are not Habituall Martyrs at least and Actuall too when they are called unto it They do not love Christ as they ought who do not love him a ove their lives so as actually to lay them down for his sake when he doth call for them and to be habitually disposed so to do if he should call for them Indeed Christ doth not alway put his followers upon such an expence as to lay down their lives for him he doth not alway call them to be Actuall Martyrs bâ—t yet it will concern every one who professeth the Name of Christ to looke that he have alway this habitual preparation of mind 1. Because these are the terms of Christianity at all times even in the most calm and serene estate of the Church in which if a Christian find not his heart disposed to lay himself and all that is near and dear to him even his life at the feet of Christ to serve his interest and promote his Glory he hath reason to question the truth of his profession 2. Because those things which have come from the mouth of Christ to this purpose in the Gospell have not come from him as Counsels of Perfection which concern only some particular persons who aim at an higher degree of Glory in the world to come than others have as the Papists would bear us in hand but as Precepts of Necessity which concern every one as if you look into the chapter so often mentioned Luke 14. Those words ver 26.33 were spoken to the great multitudes which followed Christ as appears from ver 25. and they run generally without exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man ver 26. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one of you ver 33. Nor do b Those forementioned p. 60 the grounds and reasons of loving Christ above all concern some only or some above others but all equally and indifferently and therefore there is no colour of pretence to think that some only are obliged by it 3. Because times and the state of things quickly change and alter nor doth the Church ever enjoy such a calm but a terrible storm may arise unexpectedly and quite dash it away and therefore there is no man though born in the most peaceable time of the Gospell but e're the glass of his life be run out he may meet with a fiery tryall And seeing this hath been the way of his providence towards the best of Churches and Saints what reason have any to expect exemption Shall the Earth be forsaken for us or the Rock removed out of his place as he in Job cap. 18.4 4. Because what ever indulgence and abatement may be given to the Church wherein you live yet as particular Professors and Christians though you live and dy during the publick tranquility of it yet you may be privately brought to that plunge that you must either hazard your life or else in some fearfull manner against your Conscience dishonour and deny Jesus Christ As may be the case of Merchants who travell into forein parts and may suddenly fall into such hands as may force them to deny Christ or dy for him Yea at home many may take away our lives who cannot take away our other contentments as Romish Assassinats have deprived Kings of their lives when they could not of their Kingdoms It is certain that whosoever cares not for his own life is master of another mans and by consequence of his Religion if he love his life above it How easie were it they are the words of the forecited reverend Author for a Ruffian that had no Religion of his own to pull such a one into a corner and with a naked blade to make him forswear his Religion as often as he pleased yea if the trick were in use such a one might be robbed of his Religion upon the highway seeing any man that were so disposed
IX ANd so much for that second direction con-the Measure of your love to Câ—rist I shâ—â—l adde but one more which concerns the expressing of your love to Christ in his present distance from you 3. The third Dirâ—ction concerns the expressing of our love to Christ Expresse your love to Christ in his present distance from you by your love one towards another and towards all men according to the Apostles distribution 1 Thes 3.12 Sect. 1. By love to all men 1. A Christians love is to extend is self to all men This our Saviour intends when he bids us every one love our neighbour as our selves Mat. 22.39 Where by Neighbour we are not to understand only our own country mâ—n kindred and friends a Pareus Musc Grot. Perkins Whâ—te in loc Spanhem Dâ—b Evanâ— vol. Dâ—b 138. according to the corrupt glâ—sse of the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 5 43. but all men to whom we may be 〈◊〉 according to Christs own sence in the Parable Luke 10.30 c. And so a Stranger nay an enemy may be our neighbour b Ham. Pract. Cat. edit 5. p. 53.40 Grot. in Luc. 10.33 Salmer in Parab Tract 16. for such were the Jews to the Samaritans c Proximus non sanguinis propinquitate sed rationis societate pensandus est in quá soccii suâ—â— omnes homines Aug. Epist 52. mihi pag. 267. There is a propinquity of nature as well as of Blood and this neighbourhood is to be esteemed according to the former and not only according to the latter d Ille cui à nobis praebendâ—m est vel à quo nobis praebendum est officium misericordiae rectè proximus deciâ—ur Aug. de doct Christiana Edit Calixt quarto lib. 1. cap. 30. So that he is rightly called our Neighbour to whom we may shew or from whom may be shâ—wn unto us any office or work of mercy e Mâ—nt on James pag. 260 261. Thus all mankind is according to the expression of Scripture our own flesh Isaiah 58.7 Our bloud Acts 17.26 And by vertue of this affinity of nature our love is to reach unto all We must do good unto all Gal. 6.10 as God himself doth whose mercies are said to be over all his works Psal 145.9 That is they are spread as â—n Expansum or Firmament over the whole Creation which he makes appear by doing good to all And according to the Rule of the Gospel we are to bear such a love to our Neighbour in this extended sence as we do to our selves we being bound to desire and endâ—avour their good by vertue of their manhood and humane nature as we would our own that is with the same heart and in the same way that we would pursue our own good we are engaged to persue theirs though not in the same measure and proportion It is a likeness of quality not of equality of kind not of degrees which our Saviour requires when he sayes Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Thus our love is to extend it self 1. To those who are farre from us and strangers to us as well as to those who are next us Gaius is commended for his love to strangers 3 John 5. That which we do to our ownâ— for affections sake let us do to others that are strangers to us for humanities sake saith f Quod praestamus nostris per affectum praestemus alienis per humanit atatem Lact. de vero cultu lib. 6. cap. 12. â—â—hi pag. 347. Lactantius 2. To those who are bad as well as to those who are good g 〈◊〉 apere 〈…〉 ereaâ—us nemo tameâ— est à beneficâ—â—s charitaâ—â—s excludeâ—dus Fulg. Ser. de charitate p. 506. Though in this work of love some arâ— to be preferred before others yet none are to be excluded A wicked man is partaker of the humane nature and under a possibility of being made partaker of the Divine nature and therefore to be loved you were as he before conversion and God can convert him and make him as you are and therefore love him Hereby you will imitate your heavenly Father Who maketh his Sunne to rise on the good and on the bad and maketh his rain to fall on the just and on the unjust Mat. 5.45 It s true that David sayes he did hate those that hate the Lord Psal 139.21 and so will every good man but h Vir pius odit improbum sed perfecto odio perfectum autem odium est quod nec justitiâ nec scientiâ caret id est ut nec propter vitia homines oderis nec vitia propter homines diligas Dav. in Coloss p. 31. as a learned man observes He hates them with a perfect hatred now sayes he perfect hatred is that which neither wants justice nor knowledge that is so as neither to hate mens persons for their vices sake nor yet to love mens vices for their persons sake 3. To enemies as well as friends and indeed this is proper to Christianity All men will love their friends sayes i Amicos dâ—ligere omnium est inimicos autem solorum Christianorum Tert. ad Scap. Tertullian but Christians onely will love their enemies k Jenkins on Jude part 1. p. 131. To be kind to the kind argues civility to be unkind to the unkind argues corruption to be unkind to the kind argueth divelishness to be kind to the unkind argueth Christianity l Dav. in col ibid. This doth especially evidâ—nce the force and efficacy of love for as that fire is hottest which warms not onely those things which are near but also those which are at a distance so is that love the most perfect and lively wich reacheth not onely to friends but also to enemies m Robinsons Essayes pag. 145. Let therefore the grace of God herein especially triumph over our corruption that whereas by nature we would be loved of them whom we hate by grace we may love them which hate us This is a great work of grace indeed yet most necessary for all Christs Disciples for we have his command to love our enemies to bless them that curse us and to do good to them that hate us and to pray for them that despightfully use us and persecute us Mat. 5.44 besides which we have his example he loved us when we were strangers and a far off Ephes 2.12 13. yea ungodly sinners and enemies against him Romans 5.6 8 10. Colos 1.21 Now the consideration of this that we were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another and that then the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared unto us this according to the Apostles arguing Titus 3.2 3 4. should have a mighty influence upon our spirits to the melting and moulding of them into love and meekness towards all men even those who are ungodly and strangers yea enemies unto us but I
for the sutableness of it to our own case and time I shall here transcribe It is utterly a fault among you said he then that the difference in judgment and practice about the Ceremonies of our Church hath caused such strangeness and alienation of mind and affection between such as do truly fear God both Ministers and people We are so far from receiving esteeming loving and maintaing society one with another notwithstanding this difference in judgment about these things that we are apt to despise and judge one another for it and doubt whether there be any truth of grace in them that differ from us in these things Surely saith the one side the indifferency and lawfulness of these things is now so clearly manifested as these men must needs be wilfully blind that do not see it Nay certainly they cannot chuse but see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect to their credit with the people among whom they have gotten a great name and applause by standing out so long they would doubtless conform themselves And surely saith the other side the utter unlawfulness of these Ceremonies is now so clearly revealed that these men must needs be wilfully blind that see it not nay they do see it well enough and were it not for a carnal respect they have unto their worldly peace and estate they would never use them certainly they sin against their conscience in observing of them And what truth of grace can there be in them that are wilfully blind and for carnal respects do thus sin against their own conscience And thus do both sides grossely and dangerously erre and sin against their brethren And when ye sin so against the brethren saith the Appstle 1 Cor. 8.12 ye sin against Christ For the experience of all times and of this present age proveth evidently that there be of both sides that fear God unfeignedly and in the whole tenour and course of whose conversation the life and power of true godlinesse doth manifestly appear And if thou do not see this whosoever thou art that art most bitter and violent of either side then art thou certainly thy self most wilfully blind And I do assure thee in the Name of the Lord and by good warrant out of his Word that if thou canst not unfeignedly love every one that truly feareth God whether he conform or not conform if thou canst not bewail and strive against these hard conceits thou hast been wont to entertain against such thou canst have no comfort at all in thine own estate before God Thus far he And is the matter any whit amended now Truly no the same occasions of difference in judgement remaining there are the same distances of affection the same heats and contentions of spirit attending thereupon nay I fear greater which is very sad to consider m Reynolds Sermon of the peace of the Church p. 16. 17. Of Brotherly Recoâ—e l. p. 8 19. Indeed it were to be desired though hardly to be hoped that in the Church of God there were no noise of axes and hammers no difference in judgments and conceits but in the best ages of the Church there have been and therefore we can expect no other than that there ever will be varieties and differences of judgment But that in this case of unavoidable differences among good men there should be no more mutuall charity meekness moderation tolerance and humanity expressed and one the contrary so much judging despising rejecting and insulting over one another such bitter invectives and voluminous reproaches such recording of Brethrens infirmities and raking into the sores which Christ died to heal such backbiting slanderous speeches such secret dividing contrivances and deep designs against Brethren that disagreement of judgements should break forth into disunion of hearts that amidst the variety of our severall conceits there should be no more care to preserve still the unity of faith and love by which onely we are known to be Christs Disciples that though there be not Via una one Way there should not yet be Cor. unum one Heart This is a Lamentation and will be for a Lamentation Now when these things are thus among us though they ought not so to be shall we sit still in silence and stupidity and suffer the sweet and soft fire of love to dy out quite and the wild-fire of passion and contention to spread and prevail without moving a tongue or hand or foot towards the repressing of the one and reviving of the other Shall we see Christians taking one another by the throat and stand by as if we were unconcerned in it This were enough to make the dumb to speak For surely should we altogether hold our peace the stones would immediately cry out as our Saviour said in another case Luke 19.40 This may somewhat justifie and vindicate my writing when I may not speak that my Pen may reach those whom my tongue cannot especially when it is upon so harmlesse and innocent a design as the abating of wrath and advancing of love among Christians which the love of Christ the main subject of this discourse doth so naturally and necessarily lead unto Suffer me therefore as I have called upon you to love the Lord Jesus now to call upon you to love one another The Author of that Comment upon the Epistle to the Galations inserted in the sixth Tome of Hieroms works n Sixt. Senens Bibl. lib. 4. p. 309. Gerh. Patrolog p. 317. Rivel crit Sacr. lib. 4 p. 1133. though it be none of his reports of St. John That whiles he abode at Ephesus to a very great age so that he was hardly led to the Church betwixt two when he was not able to make any long discourse to his hearers he used onely to speak these words Little children love one another And truely were I to finish my Testimony or my course so as never to speak or write more unto you I could not do it better than as I now do by bespeaking your love one to another Oh! Christians love one another and I beseech you let this counsell be acceptable unto you do not deny me this request me thinks you should not when I come in Christs name and beg it for his sake who hath laid such obligations upon you hereunto that you must needs be exceeding hard and obdurate if you withstand them Give me leave to propound them to your consideration Sect. 5. 1. COnsider how strictly this is enjoyned and how strongly urged by our Lord Jesus It was his dying charge The first Motive to perswade mutual love among Christians from Christs commands which he frequently inculcated sweetly insinuated and powerfully pressed upon his Disciples and in them upon all Christians o Manton on Jude p. 131. Speeches of dying men are received with most veneration especially the charge of dying friends Therefore the Brethren of Joseph fearing lest he should remember the injuries formerly done to him used this
and â—hall we be so disingenious as not to hearken â—o him and observe him herein Yet this is not all and therefore Sect. 4. 2. The second Motive from Christs Prayer COnsider in the next place his Prayer for it Having preached it up among his Disciples on earth in the Chapters forementioned as if he were resolved not to misse his work he sets upon praying it down from his Father in Heaven in the seventeenth Chapter which contains his excellent Prayer f Gurnall Uhi suprà p. 426. and what he insisted most upon in his Sermon that he enlargeth most upon in this Prayer Love was the charge which he laid upon them and Vnity is the blessing which he begs of his Father for them verse the eleventh Holy Father keep through thy Name those whom thou hast given me and why all this care that they may be one as we are As if he had said Father did we ever fall out was there ever discord betwixt us why then should they who are thine and miâ—â— disagree So verse the 21. and again verse the twenty third he is pleading hard for the same mercy and why so oft is it so hardly wrung from God that Christ himself musâ— tug so often for it no sure but as Christ said of the voice that came from heaven John 12.30 This voice came not because of me but for your sakes So must I say here This ingeminated zeal of Christ for his peoples unity and love was for their sakes that seeing how much his Heart was set upon their loving one another their hearts might also be more set upon it 〈◊〉 seek and pursue it and that seeing how greaâ— an enemy he was to contentions and divisions they might be scared from raising and fomenting them And doth it not concern Christians to make that the matter of their study and endeavour which Christ made the matter of his prayer did he pray for Love and Vnity for us and shall not we strive for it for our selves Oh! how sad and dismall a sight is it to behold Christians by their wrath and bitternesse against one another to make as much as in them lyes the Prayer of Christ of none effect Surely this would have some influence to the uniting of Christian hearts in love if it were more seriously pondered by them Yet this is not all The third from Christs passion for 3 Consider that he not only Preached it and Prayed for it but also Paid for it g Gurnall ibidem p 427. As he went from preaching up love on earth by his Sermon to pulling it down from heaven by Prayer so he went from praying to paying for it and the price which he laid down for it was his Blood It 's true that our Reconciliation with God and Vnion with him was the first and chief thing which he purchased for his people by his death and bloodshed bâ—t yet he had in his eye also their reconciliation and union with one another and next to that this was mainly inâ—ended by him For his Church is his House and Resting-place Psal 132.13.14 and he knew he should take but little rest if that were on fire by divisions and dissentions It is his Kingdom Psal 2.6 and how should his Laws be obeyed if all his Subjects were in an hubbub against one another In a word his Church is a people which he hath taken out of the world for his Name Acts 15.14 that is for his Honour and Glory but he would have little credit to be the Head of a wrangling divided people And therefore where he prays that they may be made perfect in one John 17.23 he insists upon this as his great Argument That the world may know that thou hast sent we Now that the knitting of Christians together in Love was one great end of Christs death is clear from Scripture take a place or two Ephes 1.10 The Apostle here shews That this was the mystery of Gods will purposed in himself from all Eternity and published by the Gospel viz. That he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him The meaning of which place is this h Fergus on the place That out of Christ all things are scattered and disordered the whole world is a confused Chaos and horrible confusion but in and by him by his Merit and in his Body all his Elect whether Angels or Men whe her already glorified or yet upon earth who before were separated from God and one another are recapitulated and gathered together into one as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is well rendred that is i Significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—artes dissectas divulsas in uauÌ„ corpus conjungere ut quum oratores brevem enumerationem argumentorum texunt aut qui calculis subductis singula in unam summam revocaâ— Bez. in loc Qui dispersos in unum agmen cogit rectè dicitur cos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. in loc Are made one with God by the union of Faith and one among themselves by the union of Love as k In ejus corpus coâ—lesâ—eâ—do Deo unimur inter nos mutuò fumus conjunctâ— Calv. in loc Calvin observes on the place Now this was effected by his Crosse as appears from the next Chapter where we have the matter more clâ—arly and fully proved See Ephes 2.14 15 16 For he is our peace who hath made both one c. The main and principal intendment of which words is to set forth the efficacy of Christs Mediation towards the effecting of union peace and reconciliation for the Sons of Men according as they need To this purpose l Goodwins Univers Peace-maker p. 2. 6. In the beginning of the fourteenth verse be in generall proclaims Jesus Christ to be our peace He is our peace that is the Author and Worker of our peace Then in the following words he proceeds unto those particulars in which we needed and Christ was made our peace and they are two 1. Between our selves mutually and here he instanceth in the greatest breach and enmity that ever was that betwixt Jew and Gentile this is in part of the fourteenth and the whole fifteenth verse 2. Between God and us in the sixteenth verse In the handling of these he layes down the Parts and Means of accomplishing both and observes a notable parallel therein The Parts of the Peace made among our selves Jews and Gentiles are two 1. Positive Making both one verse fourteen Making of twain one new man verse fifteen He made peace betwixt them by uniting a distant different and divided people And here you may note 1. The Nearness of the Vnion m Non ait Unum populum sed unum hominem ut arctior conjunctio significetur non tà m civium ejusdem civitatis quà m membroruÌ„ ejusdem corporis habentium unum Caput nempè Christum unam quasi a
our Redemption is that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve without fear Answ In answer hereunto and for the right understanding of this place we must distinguish Fear m Bishop Downhams Covenant of Grace Quarto mihi p. 70 c. See likewise Hierons Abridgment of the Gospel p. 130. Rivet in Psalm 2. p. 27. Scharp Symphon p. 139. 1. In respect of the Object There is the fear of God and the fear of our enemies God hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies that we should serve him without fear not of himself but of those enemies from whom he hath redeemed us for as God hath redeemed us from the service of our enemies that we might serve him so he hath freed us from the fear of them that we might fear him only Isaiah 43.1 Fear not viz. thine enemies for I have redeemed thee And this serving without fear of our enemies may be taken either Metonymically without cause of fear and then without fear is as much as without danger as n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absque periculo Theoph in loc Theophylact takes it which belongs to all true believers though but Incipients whose salvation is sure though they are not alwayes sure of it Or else properly without fear it self and then without fear is as much as with confidence and assurance as o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bez. in loc Beza takes it making it parallel with Ephes 3.12 But suppose that fear be meant here in reference to God then 2. Fear is to be distinguished in respect of the Subject the persons fearing and so it is either Servile and Slavish the fear of Bond-slaves which are under the Law or Filial and Son like the fear of Sons who are not under the Law but under Grace The former is properly called Metus whose effect is Metuere ab aliquo to be afraid of the object that is feared The other is Timor whose effect is to fear and reverence the object feared The former is a fearful expectation of some evil from the party feared The other an awfull reverence of the party feared not to offend him by doing evil So that the formal object of the former is Malum poenae in regard whereof they are afraid of God of the other Malum culpae in regard whereof they fear to offend God and displease him The former is rather Metus poena than Timor Dei for if there were no punishment they that have but this fear would not fear to offend God Oderunt peccare mali formidine poenae The other out of love of God and of goodnesse though there were no punishment to be feared feareth to offend Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore The former ariseth from a Spirit of Bondage Romans 8.15 called a Spirit of Fear 2 Timothy 1.7 and is a fruit and effect of the Law forcing and compelling those who are under it to yield some outward obedience for fear of punishment The other ariseth from a Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8. and is a fruit of the Gospel and of Faith when a man being perswaded of Gods mercy and goodness towardâ— him in Christ feareth to offend so graciâ—us a God and merciful a Father according to that in Psalm 130.4 The former where it is alone is a Sinfull the latter a Godly fear Heb. 12.28 That a Helish this a Holy â—ear p Aliud est timere Deum aliud timere poenam aliud est timere patrem aliud timere judicem filius timet patrâ—m simul tameâ— etiam â—um diligit â—â—r timet jâ—dâ—cem simul autem etâ—am eum odit hic igitur servilis timor dicitur ille autem silialis Ferus in 1 Joan. 4.18 That is a fear of God as a Judge This is a fear of him as a Father That fears him as a Thief doth the Judge Né puniat least he should punish him This as a Son doth his Father Né deserat least he should forsake him That is accompanied with the hatred of Malefactors Qui quem metuunt oderunt This is accompanied with the love of Children who reverence yet love their Parents That hath Torment 1 John 4.18 This is a Treasure Isaiah 33.6 That driveth from God This makes a man cleave faster to him That may restrain the outward acts of sin but This represseth the inward affections to it Now questionlesse it is not to be understood that the Redeemed of the Lord shall serve him without this filial fear for in reference thereunto we are required to serve the Lord with fear Psalm 2.11 nor can we serve him acceptably without it Heb. 12.28 This is one of the chiefest things which God requires of man Eccles 12.13 It is the very chief point of Wisdom Psalm 111.10 So that when it is said in this place that the Redeemed of the Lord must serve him without fear it must needs be meant of that fear only which is slavish and of the reign and predominacy of it as it is in the unregenerate withoâ—t any filial fear not of the remainders of it as it is mingled with filial fear in Gods own Children in this life For such as is our Redemption I speak of it passively as it is in us such is our freedom from servile fear viz. inchoated or begun in this life and increasing by degrees but not compleat or perfect till the life to come which is called the day of our full Redemption Ephes 4.30 and being not compleat heâ—e we are not wholly freed by it from this servile fear The very best whiles they carry about them the body of sin as they do whiles they carry about them this body of flesh whiles they have the reliques of corruption remaining in them are not wholly free from this fear of punishment there is a mixture of it with ther filial fear in their present state of imperfection and it hath an influence to the keeping of them from sin and quickning of them to duty q Hildersh on Psalm 51. p 357 358. Destruction from the Lord was a terror to Job and kept him from opression Job 31.21 23. and Paul was conscionable in his Ministry from the Terrors of the Lord 2 Cor. 5.11 But this fear doth not wholly prevaile with the people of God it hath not the sole influence to keep them from sin and engage them to duty there is faith and love mixt with their fear Paul was constrained by love as well as awed by fear 2 Cor. 5.14 As their love to God is not a fellow-like familiarity as is among equals but is out of apprehension of his greatness holiness and justice tempered with fear and an awful dread of him so neither is that fear of God which is in them a meer servile fear like that of the slave that hath nothing to move him to duty but the fear of the whip but is out of an apprehension and assurance of his
Reason be given of it but the good pleasure of your Redeemer Even so because it seemed good in his sight How should this make you retire inward and in contemplation and admiration of these things cry out in imitation of the Man after Gods own heart 2 Sam. 7.18 Who am I O Lord God and what is thy poor creature that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lord God for thou hast spoken of thy servants soul for a great while yet to come even so long as eternity And is this the manner of Man O Lord God And what can I say more unto thee For thou Lord God knowwest and lovest thy servant for thy loves sake and according to thy heart thou hast done all these things to make thy Servant know them and taste of them Wherefore thou art great O Lord God and thy love is great there is none like unto it and be thou admired and adored in the greatnesse of thy love wherewith thou hast refreshed the soul of thy Servant for ever Thus admire the love of Christ and to engage you herein know that it is admired by Angels who l Calvin in loc with wonder and admiration desire to look into these things 1 Pet. 1.12 and it shall be admired by glorified Saints to all eternity 2 Thes 1.10 The happiness of heaven sayes m Doctor Holdsworths Ser. p. 526 one is all extasy an extasy of admiration at the love which hath been shewed to them and experienced by them in bringing them thither Now it is good for Christians to begin that work on earth which they shall be ever doing when they come to heaven And let me tell you for the further quickning of you to this work that the knowledge which you have of the love of Christ which doth not leave you admiring of it is but a drie and carnal not a savory and spiritual knowledge I hope the consideration of all this will make the Devout Soul breath forth it self in such language as this which he may learn of a n Bishop Halls Holy rapture p. 212. holy man wherewith he ends his Patheticall Meditation of the love of Christ and with that I shall end this particular Lord what room can there be possibly in these straight and narrow hearts of ours for a due admiration of thy transcendent love and mercy I am swallowed up O God I am willingly swallowed up in this bottomless abysse of thine infinite love and there let me dwell in a perpetual ravishment of Spirit till being freed from this clog of earth and filled with the fulness of Christ I shall be admitted to enjoy that which I cannot now reach to wonder at thine incomprehensible blisse and glory which thou hast laid up in the highest heavens for them that love thee in the blessed communion of all thy Saints and Angels thy Cherubim and Seraphim Thrones Dominions and Principalities and Powers in the beatifical presence of thee the ever-living God the eternal Father of Spirits Father Son and Holy Ghost one infinite Deiâ—y in three co-essentially co-eternally co-equally glorious persons To whom be blessing honour glory and power for ever and ever Amen Sect. 3. 3. BY way of Gratulation By way of Gratulation Know the love of Christ so as to be Thankeful for it Nature it self teacheth us to be grateful to those who have shâ—wed kindness unto us and shall we receive so many benefits from Jesus Christ the fruits of his meer love and not think every one of us with David of a Quid retribuam What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psalm 116.12 and seeing he needeth not nor doth desire more and we can give no better let us not be backward to take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord verse 13. If he had called for some greater thing would we not have done it how much more when he sayes only Offer unto God Thanksgiving and pay thy vows to the most high Psalm 50.14 and counts himself glorified thereby for sayes he verse 23. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me Yea he hath let us know by the man after his own heaâ—t That this praising of him with a song and magnifying him with thanksgiving is better pleasing unto him than an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs Psalm 69.30 31. The love of Christ in redeeming and saving lost sinners should not be thought or spoken of without a Doxology by all that hear of it especially by those who have tasted of it This should make Christians keep a perpetual * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est gratum se declarare pro accepto beneficâ— illud agnoscendo et autorem ejus praedicando Dav. in Coloss p. 22. Eucharist declaring themselvs thankfull for so great a benefit by acknowledging of it and speaking to the praise of the Author of it The Scripture is not without examples for your imitation in this particular and therefore go you forth by the footsteps of the flock write after the Copies which are set before you take with you the words and in the sence of Christs love say with David Psal 86.12 13. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy Name for evermore For great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Hell And again Psal 103.1 2 3 4. Blesse the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with loving kindnesses and tender mercies With the Mother of our Lord Luke 1.46 47. My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit doth râ—joyce in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of his poor servant With those in Rev. 5.9 12 13. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to God by his blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing and therefore blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth on the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Finally with John p Gratias egit agere nos docet immortales Christo protantis beneficiis quòd lavit quòd fecit Sacerdotes Reges Deo patri Par. in loc Rev. 1.5 6. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen Thus Christians sound forth the praises of him who hath thus loved you seeing he hath shewed so much good will towards you and wrought so much peace for you which you deserved not do not deny to
also walked 1 John 2.6 and that is not after the Flesh but after the Spirit for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets them free from the law of sin and death Rom. 8.1 2. Again 4. It leaves them short of communion and fellowship with Jesus Christ for those only have fellowship with him who walk in the Light as he is in the Light but if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth 1 John 1.6 7. Now how vain and unprofitable must that mans profession needs be which leaves him thus without Christ without the true knowledge of him relation to him union and communion with him surely it will never be available to salvation and therefore no wonder if 5. It leaves them short of acceptance with Christ at the last day and admission into glory for as the Scripture testifies Mat. 7.21 22 23. there be many who cry Lord Lord make a fair outward shew and profession who for want of doing his will seconding that profession with power and practice shall be turned off with a Non novi vos I know you not among the workers of iniquity 3 Without this your profession will but tend to agravate your sin and condemnation 1. Your Sin This reflects the greatest dishonour upon Christ and Religion for the Name of Christ is blasphemed among the Gentiles through such as these Rom. 2.24 and the way of truth is evil spoken of 2. Pet. 2.2 The unholy lives of Christians open the mouths of Turks and Infidels to speak against Christ and Christianity Lo these are they that worship Christ their religion is such as the professors are and as the Disciples are such is their Lord and Master as the worshippers are such is he who is worshipped by them as r Ecce quales sunt qui ChristuÌ„ colunt Talis profecto secta est quales sectatores Aestimari de cultoribus suis potest ille qui coliâ—ur Qâ—â—andò â—â—â—m bonus Magister est cujus tam malus videmus esse Discipulos Salv. de Gub. Dei lib. 4. pag. 149. Salvian brings them in blaspheming Thus they increase their own personal guilt by way of participation the guilt of others blasphemies redounding upon them by whom they were occasioned This makes Christians to be worse than Heathens for Thereby as the same s Ex hoc ipso utique deteriores sumus barbaris si non meliores sumus qui meliores esse debemus Criminosior enim culpa est ubi honestior flatus Salv. ibidem p. 133. Salvian excellently we are worse than they if we are not better because we should be better for the more honourable any mans state is the more criminal is his fault And again a little after t Nos qui Christiani esse dicimur si simile aliquid barborum impuritatibus facimus graviùs erramus Atrociùs enim sub sancti nominis professione peccamus Ubi sublimior est praerogativa major est culpa ipsa enim errores nostros religio quam profitemur accusat Salv. ibid. p. 154. If we who are called Christians do any thing that is like to the impurities of Heathens we err worse than they for we sin the more fouly under the profession of a holy Name where there is the higher priviledge there is the greater fault for that Religion which we profess doth accuse the offences which we commit 2. Your condemnation Such as professe to know Christ and yet in works deny him as they contract a greater guilt so they do deserve and incurre a greater and a sorer punishment The higher any are raised towards heaven by profession and priviledges the lower shall they be cast into hell if they walk not up thereunto This is the condemnation the very emphasis of damnation the sting of hell that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light John 3.19 It had been better for such not to have known Christ and the way of righteousness than to walk contrary thereunto 2 Peter 2.21 Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah will fare better in the day of Judgment and meet with an easier Hell than such shall Mat. 11.21 c. Their holy name increaseth their guilt and their profession of goodness makes their wickedness the more damnable as u Magis damnabilis est malitia quam titulus bonitatis accusat reatus impii pium nomen Salv. lib. 4 de Gub. Dei p. 154. Salvian observes Now that this may never be your case 1. Dwell upon the Love of Christ in Redeeming of you by Meditation till you be constrained by the Argument that it carryes along with it to hate and avoid all sin and to yield up your selves sincerely to his service Set your selves therefore to meditate how far his love carried him in doing and suffering for you Consider his Incarnation Life Death remember that it was sin which put him to all that paine and trouble that labour and sorrow which he endured that the removing of this evil of sin made him so willingly undergo all that evil of suffering which you read of And then As to Sin reason thus with your selves Was sin the great cause and instrument of Christs death were my sins the cords that bound him the whips that scourged him the thorns that wounded him the nails that fastned him the spear that pierced him and fetcht his heart-blood from him and shall I love the sins that kil'd my Saviour shall I use them kindly who thus abused him God forbid I would not embrace him as a friend who had slain my Father nor hug in my bosome that Serpent which had stung my friend to death and shall I entertain and cherish sin which hath dealt worse than so with my everlasting Father my best Friend far be it from me Again Did Jesus Christ do and suffer all this out of his love to me but extream hatred against sin and shall I so ill requite his love as to love that which he hated Did he come to take away sin and shall I resume and embrace it was he sent to condemn it and shall I justifie it was he manifested to destroy the works of the Devil and shall I save them did he die for sin x Clarks Lives quarto p. 189. The Glory of their times p. 471 and shall I live in it was he cut of to finish transgression and make an end of sins and shall I continue in sin that grace may abound doth he make daily approaches to me to turn me from mine iniquities and shall I as constantly return to them God forbid Methinks the consideration of these things should set a Christian as far from sin as Anselme was who said x That if he should see the shame of sin on the one hand and the pains of hell on the other and must of necessity choose one he would rather be trust into hell without sin than go into heaven
with sin And for Service reckon thus with your selves If the Lord Jesus hath thus loved me to suffer such indignities and hardships for me and bestow so many so great so wonderful blessings upon me surely I owe the greatest love duty and obedience to him y Sanè etiamsi millies pro ejus gloriâ possem sanguinem fundere mille annis maximos labores subire ne millessimaÌ„ partem vel unius beneficii possem compensare c. Less de Sum. bono lib 4. c. 4. p. 577. Surely were I able a thousand times to shed my blood for his glory and to undergo the hardest labours a thousand years I were never able to make a compensation for the thousand part of one of his benefits because all his benefits are of infinite worth and were we able to give it would require infinite love and service at our hands But because we cannot do that I firmly resolve to do that which I easily may through his assistance and wherewith the Divine goodness is well pleased namely with all care to keep all his Commandments so that I will rather die than wilfully break any of them yea I will devote my whole life to his service that all my thoughts words and actions may be directed to his glory Thus reason your selves into the obedience and service of Jesus Christ by the consideration of his great love towards you in being humbled and becoming obedient to the death of the Cross for you 2. Draw forth by faith the Power of Christs love in dying for you and rising again for the bringing you into conformity thereunto By faith believe that there is such a power and apprehend and apply it to your selves till you find That you are planted toge her with Christ in the likeness of his death and resurrection Rom. 6 5. So that what was done in him naturally and properly be done in you by way of Analogy and Proportion as z Quod in Christo sactum est per naturam id in nobis fieri intelligit per analogiam proportionem Chrys in loc Chrysostome expounds these words That as he died a true naturall death for sin by a real separation of his soul from his body so you may dy a true spiritual death to sin by a real separation of your souls from the body of sin not from this or that member but from the whole body and every member For a Non mundatur nisi qui omnibus peccatis renunciavit Quis enim mundum dixerit hominem qui vel in unâ tantùm cloacâ volatetur Paris de virtut cap. 22. as none will account that man clean who is found wallowing but in one filthy sink so neither is that Christian clean who hath not renounced all his sins As his was though violent and painful yet voluntary death he gave himself for â—our sins Gal. 1.4 and laid down his life freely John 10.17 18. So though in the mortification of your lusts you offer violence to them and suffer pain in your selves many an agony and soul conflict yet your dying to sin must be voluntary and the sacrificing of your lusts a freewill offering to the Lord. That as his Resurrection was to a new life so you may be raised up from the death of sin to walk iâ— newness of life Rom 6.4 having a new principle the Spirit and not the flesh a new rule the word and not the world a new end not your selves but God the praise and glory of God Phil. 1.11 For so Jesus Christ in that he liveth he liveth unto God Rom. 6.10 b In the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Beza renders in gloriam thinking that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that the Apostle intends by this clause to set forth the final cause of Christs resurrection which is the glory of the Father vide Bez. in loc To the glory of God the Father v. 4. As he being raised from the dead died no more death hath no more dominion over him v. 9. So you being raised from sin may no more be turned to folly sin may have no more dominion over you Thus conform your selves to Christ in his death and resurrection which because you cannot do of your selves by your own power exercise faith on the operation of God in raising of Christ from the dead till you come to know experimentally the power of his resurrection feeling the same power put forth in your selves for the raising you up to newnesse of life and making you conformable to his death So much for that second Direction concerning your knowledge of the love of Christ that it be effectuall There is yet one more which is this CHAP. XI Direct 3. That it be a progressive knowledge 3. LOok that your knowledge of the love of Christ be Cognitio progressiva a progressive knowledge and that in two respects Sect. 1. 1. IN respect of your selves In respect of our selvs Be not content that you have a true knowledge of Jesus Christ and his love nor take up your rest in any measure of that knowledge to which you have already attained but labour to abound and increase more and more Do you know the love of Christ with an affectionate and effectuall knowledge as you have been directed yet stay not here but go on to know him and it more affectionatly so as to love him more abundantly to desire him more ardently to delight in him more contentedly to trust in him more firmly and to fear offending him more solicitously go on to know him more effectually so as to apprehend his love more confidently and apply it to your selves more assuredly to admire it more humbly to be more cordially and fruitfully thankfull for it to be further removed from sin even the least appearance of it and more devoted to his service standing compleat and perfect in all the will of your God To this purpose consider 1. That it is the property of every true Christian thus to grow and encrease more and more The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more till it be perfect day Prov. 4.18 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger Job 17.9 You cannot evidence that you know Christ at all in truth unlesse you grow in the knowledge of him for Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord Hos 6.3 Thus the Apostle Paul sayes of himself Phil. 3 12 13 14. Not as though I had attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Brethren I I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things that are behinde and reaching forth to those things which are before I presse toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God
shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. What a Cordial is this to a Christian under all the evils and enemies which he meets with to consider that none of them can separate him from the love of Christ His estate his liberty his relations his life may be taken from him but the love of Christ can never be taken from him He may have many and mighty enemies Men and Devils set against him but Jesus Christ is his friend and will abide so for ever having loved him once he will never cease loving of him but will love him to the end John 13.1 and this is his Cordial of strong consolation to chear and refresh his spirits in all that he endures 2 Because a believer shall be conqueror and obtain a glorious Victory after all his conflicts through Christ â—erse 37. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us mark it They are conquerors already yea more than so if there be any thing more or better than conquest and victory they have it vertually in and through Christ at present and they shall be really so declared and appear to be so at last Nor doth this arise from a doubtful opinion or probable conjecture but from a full perswasion and assured confidence I am perswaded c. verse 39. g Pareus in loc perswaded from the unchangeable purpose of God his infallible promise and sure covenant from the costly satisfaction and constant intercession of Jesus Christ and from the inward testimony of the Spirit in my heart which cannot faile Thus I hope the matter is sufficiently cleared and confirmed Wherefore Christians seeing you are told by our Saviour That in the world you shall have tribulation John 16 33. and by his Apostles That through much tribulation you must enter into the Kingdom of God Acts 14.22 and seeing you know not what evil may be upon the earth Eccles 11.2 nor how soon you may be called to bear your cross in following after Christ and have your share in great and much affliction let me advise and perswade you to prepare for it and because the love of Christ apprehended and applied by faith is so excellent a cordial against fainting at such a time let me again beseech you to labour after the knowledge of the love of Christ and to know it more and more To this end be much and earnest in prayer for the plentiful effusion of this love into your hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto you Vt totus figatur in corde qui totus fuit fixus in Cruce That he who was wholly fastened to the Cross may be wholly fixed in your hearts as the h August Father speaks Then come what will what can come you need not fear you need not faint whatever you be separated from you shall not be separated from Christ and his love and whatever conflicts you have now you shall be conquerors more than conquerors in the end through him that loved you And thus I have at last dispatched this first and main Use There is something to be superadded by way of Caution and Comfort with which I shall briefly conclude the whole matter Sect. 4. Vse 2 THE next Vse is by way of Caution Take heed of despising and rejecting this Love in the Offers of it by the Ministry of the Gospel Of Caution that we despise not this Love in the Offers of it Hath the Lord Jesus thus loved you and is he still at the cost of sending i 2 Cor. 5.20 Embassadors to make tenders of love to you and will you not accept them shall motions of love be made to your souls from the Lord of Life and Glory as there are in his Word and Ordinances and will you not hearken to them Doth he make Proclamation to all that will k Rev. 22.17 to come and drink of the water of Life freely l Isa 55.1 to buy wine and milk without money and without price to tast how gracious and loving he is and will you still m verse 2. lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Doth he n Rev. 3.20 stand at the door and knock o Isa 30.18 waiting to be gracious to you and bestow his love upon you even p Cant. 5.2 till his head be filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night and will you not open to him and give him admission will you q Jona 2.8 for the following of lying vanities forsake your owne mercy Wilt thou O covetous Worldling slight and refuse the love of Christ for the dung and dross of this present world Wilt thou O voluptuous Epicure prefer thy Cups and Queans thy base perishing lusts before it Wilt thou O ambitious wretch choose an aery title of honour a preferment to some slippery place in the Kingdoms of this world which are but Fancies and Fallacies before an interest in this love Alas Sirs do you not know that this r Rev. 6.16 Lamb of God can be angry that he hath Wrath as well as Love and Wrath as infinite as his Love for s Ps 90.11 Who knows the Power of it according to his Fear so is his Wrath and for whom can you imagine this Wrath to be reserved but for his t Nah. 1.2 enemies and such are they who slight and refuse his Love Take heed then what you do Take heed of flying from the arms of his Love till you fall headlong into the fire of his Wrath If you have refused and rebelled hitherto yet now come in and u 2 Chro. 30.8 yield your selves to the Lord and be no more stiff-necked Now x Ps 2.12 kiss the Son lest he be angry Take heed of persisting any longer in your enmity and opposition for y Job 36.18 19. Because there is wrath he may take you away with a stroak and then a great ransom cannot deliver thee He will not esteem thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength But if he continue to exercise the z Rom. 2.4 5. riches of his goodness in his forbearance and longsuffering towards you and you go on to despise it and are not led to repenâ—ance by it know this from the Lord that you do but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Beware therefore betimes and a Heb. 3.7 8. to day whiles it is called to day harden not your hearts but hear his voice and accept of the offers of grace which are made unto you lest you feel at last by woful experience the truth of that which you will not now believe that b Heb. 10.31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God who in that great and terrible day will deal 1. In pure wrath without any
to the tuition of Angels Love him by whom thou art so much beloved mind him who mindeth thee seek him that seeketh thee love thy Love by whom thou art loved who hath prevented thee with his love and is the cause of thy love But because we cannot so much as love him without his influence let us go to him as he doth b O ignis qui semper ardes nunquam extingueris O amor qui semper ferves nunquaÌ„ tepescis accende me accendor totus a te ut totus diligam te Minus eenim te amat qui tecum aliquid amat quod non propter te amat Diligam te Domine quoniam tu prior dilexisti me Aug. Solil p. 164. O fire which alway burnest and art never extinguished O love which art alway hot and never coolest kindle me let me be wholly enflamed by thee that I may wholly love thee for he loves thee too little who loves any thing with thee which he doth not love for thee Lord let me love yea with thine help I will love thee because thou hast first loved me Let Anselme conclude this matter who thus breaths after a loving Saviour c Certe Domine quia fecisti me debeo amori tuo meipsum totum quia me redâ—misti debeo meipsum totum quia tantum promittis debeo meipsum imo tantum debeo amori tuo plus quam mâ—ipsum quantum tu es major me pro quo dedisti teipsum cui promittis teipsum Fac precor Domine me gustare per amorem quod gusto per cognitionem sentiam per affectum quod sentio per intellectum Plus debeo quam meipsum totum sed nec plus habeo nec hoc ipsum possum per me reddere totum Trahe me Domine in amorem tuum hoc ipsum totum Totum quod sum tuum est conditione fac totum tuum dilectione Ansel Medit. de Gen. Hum. cap. 7. mihi p. 269. 16. Inter opera Tom. 3. mihi p. 199. Fol. Surely O Lord because thou hast made me I owe my whole self to thy love because thou hast redeemed me I owe thee my whole self because thou promisest so much I owe thee my whole self yea I owe to thy love as much more than my self as thou art greater than me for whom thou hast given thy self and to whom thou promisest thy self Cause me O Lord I beseech thee to taste that by love which I taste by knowledge let me feel by affection that which I feel by understanding I owe thee more than my whole self but I neither have more nor can I give thee this wholly of my self Lord draw me and that wholly into thy love All that I am is thine by condition make me all thine by love and affection Thus he And now lay these things together His loveliness in himself his love towards you surely it will strongly conclude that he deserves your love which should be a strong incentive to you to love him Give me leave to add one motive more and I have done Sect. 4. The fourth Reason 4. ALL true believers who have a saving knowledge of Christ and experienced his love towards themselves do and cannot but love him The Church testifies this saying to him in her conference with him Cant. 1.3 4. The Virgins love thee The Vpright love thee The Virgins that is d Ainsworth on the place those chosen called and faithful ones who with chaste and pure minds serve the Lord only and worship him in spirit and truth and stand with Christ on Mount Sion whom you find described Rev. 14.3 4. These love the Lord for the odour of his good ointments which they perceive by his Word and Spirit they love him because he first loved them and hath shed abroad his love in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to them It is said of the Israelites Numb 33.29 e Trap on the place That they removed their Tent from Mithcah which signifies Sweetness to Hashmonah which signifies Swiftness to teach us saith one that the Saints have no sooner tasted of Christs sweetness but they are carried after him with incredible swiftness For as f Amor Dei amorem animae parit cam intendere sibi facit Aug. Man p. 236. Austin observes The love of God doth breed and bring forth the love of the soul and makes it to be intent upon himself The Upright that is g Ainsworth those who have upright hearts and righteous conversations These upon the remembrance of the love of Christ manifested by his Sufferings Death Resurrection Ascension and the graces and benefits flowing from them to his Church do love him that is are confirmed and encreased in love to him more and more h Robotham on Cant. p. 80. As fire is encreased by adding of fuel unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love towards us That the Church her self did love Christ is clear from the whole Book of Canticles i Watsons Christs loveliness p. 435. which is nothing else but a Divine Epithalamium or Marriage-Song in which are all the strains of holy love set forth in the purest Allegories and Metaphors such as do represent that dear affection and union which is betwixt Christ and his Church She calls him her Beloved Cap. 2.3 nor did she love him from the teeth outward as we say but with a love fetch'd as deep as the bottome of her heart O thou whom my soul loveth sayes she Cap. 1.7 k Jeanes Scholast pract Divin Part 1. on Col. 1.19 p. 221. The remembrance of his love to her had such an impression upon her heart as to make her sick of love Cant. 2.5 l Sibs Bowels open'd p. 305. A sickness not unto death but unto life a sickness that never ends but in comfort and satisfaction It wrought in her a love of a most powerful and unconquerable influence a love as strong as death Cant. 8.6 a love as forcible and irresistible as death trampling upon and breaking through all difficulties that occurre in performance of duties unto or undergoing of sufferings for Christ A love inflamed into jealousie and this jealousie as cruel or hard as the Grave as it there follows that is as inexorable unto all the enemies of Christ unto her most profitable and pleasant sins her darling and most indulged lusts A love of the same nature with fire the coales thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame ibid. For 1. As Fire is the hottest of Elements so her love of Christ was more solidly intense than her love of any creature whatsoever She was as it were all of a fire with the love of him 2. As the motion of fire is upwards towards Heaven so the Churches love of Christ was as a fiery Chariot whereby she was carried up into Heaven 3. As fire burns all things combustible so