which accompanies them Yet notwithstanding all these causes of grief or fear our causes of praise are both more and greater and it is no reason that the sense of our own evil should prejudge that acknowledgment of God's goodness yea rather it should stir us up to extol it so much the more Cease not to bemoan the evils of your own hearts but withal forget not to magnifie the riches of his grace who hath given himself for you and to you These two will not hinder one another but the due intermixture of them will make a very good harmony And the fruit of them will be this you shall have still more cause to praise and less to complain When the Lord shall find you humble acknowledgers of his grace he will delight to bestow more grace upon you and will subdue those iniquities for you which you cannot and though he is pleased to do it but gradually by little and little yet in the end the conquest shall be full and then he who is the Author and Finisher of your Faith tho â—t is his own work yet because it is done in you he shall account the Victory yours as obtained by you and give you as Conquerors the Crown of Glory To him that overcometh saith he will I give to sit with me in my Throne c. There is nothing here but from free grace the courage and strength to fight in this Spiritual warfare the victory by fighting and the Crown by Victory flow all from that Fountain In all these things we are more than Conquerors saith the Apostle but how Through him that loved us Therefore if we desire to be such let us humble our selves before the Throne of grace intreating both for grace and glory in the Name of Christ our Mediator Cant. I. 3. Because of the Savour of thy good Ointments Thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee THE natural workings and desires of things are agreeable to their being The Beasts according to their sensitive Life seek those things that tend to the good and preservation of that Life and affect nothing higher than those and they are satisfied Man except such as are in the lowest Stage and border upon the Beasts finds Nature even corrupt Nature raising him to higher desires and designs And yet of the best of them the Apostles maxim holds true They that are after the Flesh mind the things of the Flesh and yet he subjoins the excellency of some Men beyond the best naturalist They that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Rom. 8. 5. They must be confined to things natural but are strongly moved towards Spiritual blessings and Christ the Sum of them And having once tasted of his sweetness can say Because of the savour of thy good Ointments c. They that are elevated to a supernatural Being can admit nothing into competition with his love and this it is that lies under these words Because of the savour of thy good Ointments c. Numbers have promiscously been his guests at this time and the greatest number think they came to good purpose but know that you are so far from partaking of Christ in the Sacrament that you have not so much as smelt his Perfumes if you be not strongly taken with his love Great are the Praises and many the Duties you owe him for so rich favours and therefore shew your good will and endeavour some payment But know that none of them are current except they be stampt with Love if you love not you do nothing all your Labours and Services without it are as so many Cyphers they amount to just nothing And with it the meanest of them will find acceptance You have briefly in the words Christ's loveliness and the Christians love the former the cause of the latter both couched under borrowed Terms according to the whole strain of this allegorical Song to which the true Experimental knowledge of this Divine love is the best Commentary In all Love Three things are necessary 1 Some goodness in the object either true and real or apparent and seeming to be so for the Soul be it never so evil can affect nothing but what it takes some way to be good 2 There must be a knowledge of that goodness for the most excellent things if altogether unknown affect not 3 There must be a suitableness or agreement of that good thing with the nature of those which should affect it otherwise indeed how good soever it is it is not good to them Now all these we have clearly in this Love 1 The goodness the excellency of Christ exprest by precious Ointments 2 The manifestation and making of it known signified by the pouring forth of his Name 3 His fitness and congruity with them here mentioned under this denomination Virgins such as have the senses of their Souls not stopt with the pollutions of the World but Pure and Active and therefore as the Apostle speaks Heb. 5. 14. exercised to discern good and evil These three requisites thus happily met must needs produce Love Therefore the Virgins love thee Because of the savour of thy good Ointments How true is the Apostles word when he calls Christ the Believers All things and that radical grace of Faith because it apprehends Christ hath a kind of universality and it is reasonable too it alone being to the Soul what all the five senses are to the Body It is the eye and the Mouth a wonderful Eye It sees him that is invisible Heb. 4. 27. The Mouth it tastes that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2. 3. Yea take these two both together in one place Psal. 34. 8. O taste and see that the Lord is good 'T is the Souls Ear for what else is meant when it is said He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear And was it not that touch which Christ took special notice of and with good reason distinguished it from the common touch of the multitude that was crowding about him That touch alone draws vertue from him Some hath touched me for there is a vertue gone out of me And lastly as it is all those other senses and Christ its object in Reference to them all so here in its Smelling it finds the savour of his fragrant graces and by that works love Because of the savour c. What strange odds is there betwixt the opinion of Christ's Spouse and the World that knows him not They wonder what she sees in him desirable she wonders that they are not all ravisht with his excellencies They prefer the basest vanities in the World before him she finds the choicest and richest things in the World too mean to resemble the smallest part of his worth See in this Song how busily and skilfully she goes to all the Creatures and Crops the rarest peices in Nature and Art to set forth her well Beloved and seems to find them all too poor for her purpose one while she
have been to have our share in it for the refreshment and curing of our Souls Nor shall any that came thus be disappointed and if not presently yet most certainly and that in due time they shall find the sweet fruits of it You have heard many ways how the Name of Christ is poured out yet there is one more without which all the rest are ineffectual It is this The secret and powerful working of the Spirit of God in the Soul The Ordinances and means of Salvation do indeed pour forth the Name of Christ round about a Man but till the Spirit concur with them not one drop falls within the Soul and is he not so much the more miserable that hears much of Christ and partakes nothing of him Yes surely a Man may have much common knowledge of Christ and may understand well yea may Preach well concerning his Worth and Graces and yet not love him But there is a particular knowledg of him by the Infusion of the Spirit and where the smallest measure of this is it presently wins the affection There is a shedding abroad of the love of God in onr hearts that the Apostle speaks of Rom. 5. 5. and this draws us after him for our love to God is nothing else but the reflexion of his love to us So then though many hear of Christ yet because there are but few that have this special knowledge of him therefore it is that so few do truly esteem of him and love him and they are such as are here called Virgins And that 's the third thing The Virgins Similitude and Conformity of Natures begets Friendship pure Affections delight in a pure Object and makes them such for the truth is Christ doth not find men naturally suitable to himself but as he took on our Nature so he washeth away the sinfulness of our Nature which he took not on and makes us that way conformable to his Nature and they that are so changed though they were formerly lovers of Sin yet by Conversion which is called Regeneration they are born again and so become not only Chaste but even Virgins spiritually for by Virgins here are not meant such as Romish Votaries fancy them to be No this Virginity may well consist with any lawful State of Life These Virgins are such as be truly Holy and pure in Heart and Life who though they are not perfectly free from all sin yet have they affection to no sin these are singularly delighted with the smell of Christ's Name and Graces while the Voluptuous Person and the Prophane Worldling dislikes and despises it The Virgins they bestow their affection whole and entire upon Christ. How grosly do you delude your selves that make your hearts Dens of Pride filthy Lust Malice and Envy and thousands of Vanities and yet think to find a corner in them to lodge Christ too Truly you would both straiten him in room and give him very bad Neighbours No they that think not a whole heart too little for him shall never enjoy him The Virgins love thee Grace destroys not the natural passions of the Soul but corrects them only by destroying their Corruption and so they become not only not contrary to Grace but are made the subject and seat of Grace This of Love which is the chief of them we see it abolisheth not but rectifies it recalling it to its due object and turning it into the right channel by which it may empty it self into the Ocean of Goodness And this love may well consist with the purity of Virgins yea it is this love that purifies and makes them such The Virgins love but whom Thee and it is as reasonnable a love as it is pure Therefore they love thee because thou hast made them in some measure apprehensive of thy worth which commands the love of all that know it not a cold and indifferent affection but a superlative ardent love far over-topping all their other desires And good reason since Christ doth infinitely and beyond all comparison surpass all other things desirable Ask your own hearts if you love Christ thus for if not thus you love him not at all The Apostle St. Paul's love was of this size Phil. 3. 7 8. But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lerd for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Thus love will not only undergo difficulties and sufferings for Christ without either repining or fainting but it will even be glad to meet with them as opportunity is to exercise and testifie it self hard things will seem most easie for his sake and bitter things exceeding sweet In a word To him that loves â—ca 〈…〉 is impo 〈…〉 Love is the leading passion of the Soul all the rest conform themselves to it Desire and Hope and Fear Joy and Sorrow If then you love Christ the desires and breathings of your Soul after him are strong and earnest if he withdraw himself or appear angry if either you see him not or see him look discontented your grief will be so deep that it cannot be allayed by any worldly imployments yet upon some former tokens of his love which is known to be unchangeable Hope will uphold the Soul till the beams of his Grace scatter the Cloud and break through Though our Joseph seem strange and speak roughly for a while he cannot long refrain discovering his affection Again love you him unspeakable will be your joy when he smiles upon you as great will be your delight in possession as your desire is in pursuit And while you have his presence it will be too hard a task for any affliction to dismay you Have you indeed heard Christ speak comfortably to you this day at his Holy Table How will this enable the Soul and arm it against dangers and distracting distrustful fears Perfect love casteth out fear saith St. John that is all base and servile fear but there is one fear that 's in no heart but where love begets it fear to offend You know how wary and loth men are naturally to displease those they love therefore it is that love to Christ and a careful observing of his Commandments are inseparable Companions yea Love it self is the fulfilling of the Law for it gives up the heart to God and consequently the whole man Then there is no return of duty which your receiving of Christ calls for and what doth it not call for there is none I say but is comprised under this one of Love Do you owe him praises Yes surely then love him that will stir you up to praise him You never knew but where much love was in the heart it made the tongue ready and active upon all occasions to praise the party loved Love will entertain small courtesies with great thanks much more
the Descriptions of two several Women the one riding in State arrayed in Purple deckt with Gold and precious Stones and Pearl Rev. 17. 3. The other in rich attire too but of another kind Cloathed with the Sun and a Crown of twelve Stars on her head the others decorement was all Earthly this Womans is all celestial what need she borrow Light and Beauty from precious Stones that 's Cloathed with the Sun and Crowned with Stars she wears no sublunary Ornaments but which is more noble she treads upon them the Moon is under her Feet now if you know as you do all without doubt which of these two is the Spouse of Christ you can easily resolve the question The truth is those things seem to deck Religion but they undo it Observe where they are most used and we shall find little or no substance of Devotion under them as we see in that Apostate Church of Rome This Painting is dishonourable for Christ's Spoâ—se and besides it spoils her natural Complexion The superstitious use of Torches and Lights in the Church by day is a kind of shining but surely not commanded here No it is an affront done both to the Sun in the Heaven and to the Sun of Righteousness in the Church What is meant then when the Church is Commanded to shine or be enlightened These two readings give the entire sense of the word first for having no light of her self she must receive light and then shew it be enlightened and then shine she is enlightened by Christ the Sun of Righteousness shining in the Sphere of the Gospel This is that Light that comes to her and the Glory of the Lord that arises upon her hence she receives her Laws and Form of Government and her shining is briefly the pure exercise of those and conformity to them And the personal shining of the several Members of a Church is a comely congruity with pure worship and discipline and it is that which now is most needful to be urged every Christian Soul is personally engaged first to be enlightened and then to shine and we must draw our Light for our selves from that same source that furnishes the Church with her publick Light There is a word in the Civil Law Uxor fulget radiis mariti the Wife shines by the rays of her Husbands Light Now every faithful Soul is espoused to Christ and therefore may well shine seeing the Sun himself is their Husband he adorns them with a double Beauty of Justification and Sanctification By that they shine more especially to God by this to Men And may not these two be signified by a double Character given to the Spouse in the Cant. 6. 20. She is fair as the Moon and clear as the Sun The lesser Light is that of Sanctification Fair as the Moon That of Justification the greater by which She is as clear as the Sun The Sun is perfectly Luminous but the Moon is but half enlightened so the Believer is perfectly justified but sanctified only in part his one half his flesh is dark and as the partial illumination is the reason of so many changes in the Moon to which changes the Sun is not subject at all so the imperfection of a Christians holiness is the cause of so many waxings and waneings and great inequality in his performances whereas in the mean while his Justification remains constantly like it self This is imputed that inherent The Light of Sanctification must begin in the understanding and from thence be transfused to the affection the inferiour parts of the Soul and from thence break forth and shine into Action This is then the nature of the Duties Arise and Shine The Universality of the subject which was the second head is this That every Man that knows Christ is here engaged to shine too neither grandeur exempts from the duty of shining nor doth meanness exclude from the priviledge of shining Men of low condition in this World need not despair of it for it is a spiritual Act great Men need not despise it for it is a noble Act to shine by Christ's Light In the 3 verse of this Chap. it is said to the Church Kings shall come to the brightness of thy rising To what end but to partake of her Light and shine with her And indeed the regal attire of Christ's Righteousness and the white Robes of Holiness will exceeding well become Kings and Princes Give the King thy Judgements O Lord and thy Righteousness to the King's Son The Third and Last thing propounded was the force of the reason that Christ's presence engages to Arise and shine wherein it is supposed that Christ declared in the Gospel is the Light which is said here to come and the Glory of the Lord which is said to be risen so that now it should be more amply cleared how Christ is Light and the Glory of the Lord and what his coming and rising is but of these afterwards I shall close now with a word of exhortation Arise then for the Glory of the Lord is risen The day of the Gospel is too precious that any of it should be spent in sleep or idleness or worthless business worthless business detains many of us Arise immortal Souls from moyling in the dust and working in the Clay like Egyptian captives Address your selves to more noble work there is a Redeemer come that will pay your ransome and rescue you from such vile service for more excellent employment It is strange how the Souls of Christians can so much forget their first original from Heaven and their new hopes of returning thither and the Rich price of their Redemption and forgetting all these dwell so low and dote so much upon triffles how is it that they hear not their well beloved's voice crying Arise my love my fair one and come away Though the eyes of true Believers are so inlightened that they shall not sleep unto death yet their spirits are often seized with a kind of drowsiness and slumber and sometimes even then when they should be of most activity The time of Christ's check to his three Disciples made it very sharp tho'the words are mild What could you not watch with me one hour Shake off believing Souls that heavy humour Arise and satiate the eye of faith with the contemplation of Christ's Beauty and follow after him till you attain the place of full enjoyment And you others that never yet saw him Arise and admire his matchless excellency The things you esteem great are but so through ignorance of his greatness his brightness if you saw it would obscure to you the greatest splendor of the World as all those Stars that go never down upon us yet they are swallowed up in the surpassing light of the Sun when it arises Stand up from the dead and he shall give you light Arise and work while it is Day for the Night shall come wherein none can work says our Saviour himself Happy are
Jo. 13. as it is said of the Ointment that Mary poured upon his feet in the foregoing Chapter Job 12. Amongst many other of his gracious Qualities that might be mentioned there is one we cannot but take particular notice of His Love the rather because the fragrant smell of his Graces is here said to beget Love Now you know that one of the strongest attractives of Love is Love Magnes amoris amor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What made him empty himself of his Glory as the Apostle speaks but because he was full of love What made him take on the form of a Servant suffer Heat and Cold and Hunger and Poverty but Love What other was it made him digest the Persecutions Revilings and the contradiction of Sinners but Love But the great wonder of his Love is this He died to become our Life who hath loved me and given himself for me says the great Apostle St. Paul And hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us says the beloved Apostle St. John Was it the Nails that held him fast to the Cross when they tauntingly bid him come down No it was his Love that was stronger than Death But all this was nothing to the angry countenance of his Father nor would he ever have ventured upon that if infinite Love had not perswaded him no wonder if the Apostle call it a Love that passeth knowledge That you may know saith he the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19. Know it we may and should but we must know withal that we cannot know it fully And this is our comfort that it is greater than we can comprehend for if it were not so it would be less than we stand in need of So much of his Love we may understand as may abundantly inflame our hearts with love to him for this purpose hath he revealed it and made his Name like an Ointment poured out And that 's the second thing His Name That 's the report and manifestation of his Excellencies and if you will take it properly of his Name Jesus and Christ or the Messiah it is true of them for they are significative of these Excellencies Ask an afflicted Conscience if Jesus that is a Saviour be not a precious Word that hath a Sovereign value both a refreshing smell and a healing vertue The Hammer of the Law may break a stony heart in pieces but it is only the blood of Jesus that can soften it and where it is effectually poured either upon a wounded Soul it heals it or upon a hard heart it mollifies it For that other Name Christ well may it be called an Ointment poured out for it signifies his Anointing and that the sweet savour of this Name may effect read but that one passage Isai. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings c. What inestimable riches of Consolation is there in each of these effects to which Christ was Anointed and yet we find not a word among them all for a proud stiff-necked Sinner Here are good tidings but it is to the meek comfortable binding up but it is for the broken hearted Liberty but it is for Captives and Prisoners groaning under their Chains and desirous to be delivered Not for such as delight in their bondage there is Oil of joy and garments of praise but they are provided for mourning dejected Spirits that need them not to the Impediment On the contrary there is a terrible word interjected in the midst of these Promises The day of vengeance of our God and that is the portion of Christ's Enemies and such are all incorrigible sinners Thus it is at the same Banquet from which you come one may be filled with Spiritual Joy and the very Person that sits next be filled with a secret Curse and return more miserable than he came But let the disconsolate lamenting Sinner lift up his head and behold Christ the Son of God anointed a Prophet to preach Salvation and liberty to such a Priest to purchase it and a King to give it Now the pouring out of this Name is divers Before the coming of the Messiah his Name was poured out in Prophesies and Promises in Types and legal Ceremonies but more fully when the Word was made flesh then Angels and holy Men yea and Women spake clearly of him What was his Fathers voice at his Baptism The Holy Ghosts descending What was his own Preaching and Miracles and Conversation but all the pouring forth of his precious Name And in his Sufferings and Death what think you Was not his Name then poured forth yea his Blood with it Yes truly being extended on the Cross and his Body pierced in divers place his precious Ointments were shed abroad towards all the Quarters of the World their smell both reached Heaven and the visible Earth God the Father as he was said to do in Noahs Sacrifice did much more smell in his Sacrifice a savour of rest appeasing his wrath and all Believers a savour of peace a quieting of their Consciences And as Aâ—omatick Spices when they are pounded out and beaten send forth their sweet smells most liberally so in these his Sufferings did the obedience patience and love and all the Graces and the Name of our Saviour most clearly manifest themselves to the World After he was Dead they Embalmed his Body but they knew not that his own Vertue would do more than all the Ointments and Spices in the World could do not only by preserving his Body from Corruption but by raising it the third day And truly after his Resurrection his own Disciples knew his Name better than ever before and yet more fully after his Ascention when the Holy Ghost came down upon them which was poured from Heaven on them for this very end That they might pour forth Christ's Name to the ends of the Earth Act. 2. 8. And they did so carrying this precious Treasure in Earthen Vessels as that Elect Vessel St. Paul speaks And ever since God hath continued the pouring forth of this Name by the Ministry and Preaching of the Gospel 'T is true there are too many of those that are employed in this work that seek themselves and their own ends rather than his Glory whom they Preach And they that are more upright the very best of them are sinful Men but how mean and unworthy soever they be despise not the Gospel let the sweet Name which they pour forth prevail for it self that so you may reverence and love it if you would have Salvation by it and there is no other Name under Heaven by which that can be obtained As this Name is poured forth in the Gospel Preached so in the Sacraments annexed to it and particularly in this when the Bread is broken and the Wine poured out And was not this the earnest desire of the Receivers of it this day it should
where the benefit so far exceeds all possible thankfulness Ought you to serve and obey him Doubtless he hath for that purpose redeemed you with his precious Blood And truly there is no obedience nor service so full and so cheerful as that which flows from love Should you study conformity to Christ and labour to be like him Yes for this is to walk worthy of Christ then there is nothing assimulates so much as Love Men delight in their society whom they love and by their society they do insensibly contract their customs and become like them These Virgins that love Christ for his Graces they love to converse with him and by conversing with him they receive of his Graces and have a smell of his Persumes Not only do they by the smell of his Garments or such imposed Rights obtain the blessing but likewise smell like him by the participation of sanctifying Grace of his Wisdom and Holiness in a pure and godly Conversation abstaining from the impure Lusts and Pollutions of the World of his Meekness and Humility Never think that one and the same Soul can have much Pride and much of Christ ever the more Grace a man hath the more sense hath he likewise of his own unworthiness and Gods free mercy and consequently the more humility If you love Christ you cannot chuse but be like him in love to your Brethren This is expresly compared by the Psalmist to the precious Ointment poured upon Aaron's head that ran down to the very skirts of his Garments Our Head and High Priest the Lord Jesus hath incomparably testified his love to Believers whom he is pleased to call his Brethren they are far from equalling him either in love to him or one to another but they do imitate him in both This is his great Commandment That we love one another even as he loved us which is exprest both as a strange motive and a high example 'T is not possible that a Spirit of Malice and implacable Hatred can consist with the love of Christ. Finally should you be ready to suffer for Christ Yes Then love is that which will enable you and if you were inflamed with this fire then though burned for him that fire would only consume your dross and be soon extinguished but this would endure for ever By these and the like Evidences try whether you indeed love the Lord Jesus Christ and by these fruits You that profess to love him testifie the sincerity of your love and be assured that if you be now found amongst these Virgins that love him you shall one day be of the number of those Virgins that are spoken of Rev. 14. 3 4. that sing a new Song before the Throne of God If you hate the defilements of the World and be not polluted with inordinate affection to the Creature it shall never repent you to have made choice of Christ he shall fill your hearts with peace and joy in believing When you come to his House and Table he shall lend you home with Joy and sweet Consolation such as you would not exchange with Crowns and Scepters and after some few of these running Banquets here below you shall enter into the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb where Faith shall end in sight and Hope in possession and Love continue in perpetual and full Enjoyment where you shall be never weary but for ever happy in beholding the face of the Blessed Trinity To whom be Glory Amen SERMON IX PREFACE HOW true is that word of our Saviour who is truth it self Without me ye can do nothing severed from me as that branch that is not in me They that are altogether out of Christ in Spiritual Exercises do nothing at all 'T is true they may Pray and hear the Word yea and Preach it too and yet in so doing they do nothing nothing in effect They have the matter of good actions but it is the eternal Form gives being to things they are but a number of empty words and a dead service to a living God for all our outward performances and worship of the Body is nothing but the body of worship and therefore nothing but a Carkass except the Lord Jesus by his Spirit breath upon it the breath of life Yea the Worshipper himself is Spiritually Dead till he receive Life from Jesus and be quickned by his Spirit If this be true then it will follow necessarily That where numbers are met together as here pretending to serve and worship God yet he hath very few that do so indeed the greatest part being out of Christ and such being without him they can do nothing in his service Rom. VIII 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be THE ordinary workings and actions of Creatures are suitable to their Naure as the ascending of light things and the moving of heavy things downwards so the vital and sensitive actions of things that have life and sense The reasonable Creature 't is true hath more liberty in its actions freely chusing one thing and rejecting another yet it cannot be denied that in acting of that liberty their choice and refusal follow the sway of their nature and condition as the Angels and glorified Souls their nature being perfectly holy and unalterably such They cannot sin they can delight in nothing but in obeying and praising that God in the enjoyment of whom their happiness consisteth still ravish'd in beholding his face The Saints again that have not yet reach'd that home and are but on their Journey they are not fully defecated and refined from the dross of Sin there are in them two parties Natural Corruption and Supernatural Grace and these keep a strugling within them but the younger shall supplant the elder Grace shall in the end overcome and in the mean while though it be not free from mixture yet it is predominant The main bent of a renewed Man is Obedience and Holiness and any action of that kind he rejoyces in but the Sin that escapes him he cannot look upon but with regret and discontent But alas they that be so minded are very thin sown in the World even in Gods peculiar Fields where the Labourage of the Gospel is and the outward profession of true Religion unanimously received Yet the number of true Converts Spiritual-minded Persons is very small the greatest part acting Sin with delight and taking pleasure in Unrighteousness living in disobedience to God as in their proper Element and the reason is The contrariety of their Nature to our Holy Lord. The carnal mind is enmity against God The mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some render it the Prudence or Wisdom of the Flesh. Here you have it The Carnal Mind but the word signifies indeed an act of the mind rather than either the faculty it self or the habit of Prudence in it so as it discovers what is the frame of both those The minding as it
little Rivulet running a while in its own Channel in the foregoing Discourse falls here in again to the main Current of the Doctrine of Love begun in the former Chapter And here he chooses adapting it to the strain of the Discourses immediately foregoing it to express this under the Notion of a Debt Owe nothing but Love 1. Other Debt removed Owe nothing That is be not willing to continue Debters of any thing to any by undue retaining of such things which being paid are not owing 2 This is a constant Debt that you must still pay and yet still owe Love and the reason added is most enforcing that we be willing and continue both Payers and yet Debters of it the dueness of it appears in this That the Law requires it and the compleatness of it That it is all the Law requires Love is the fulfilling of the Law which is amplified in the two subsequent verses This is most fully true take Love fully as it looks on its full Object God and Man and so it is the fulfilling of the whole Law that relates to those two in its Two Tables Take it particularly as acting towards men as here it its and so it fulfills that part of the Law that whole Table that respects Man the most of those Commandments are expressly here set down and the omission of one is fully supplied by that additament if there be any other Then again it is cleared by the common aim and result of them all to keep our Neighbour undamaged and that Love doth most surely and fully therefore fulfills all That negative work no ill answers the strain of all the Commandments which is to defend our Neighbours from our ill being most of them such and all of them such that are here specifi'd yet both they and this sum of them involving the contrary working of all possible good to our Neighbour in which still Love suits it nothing being both more averse from wrong and more active in good than Love as the same Apostle hath it 1 Cor. 13. Besides that it cannot do no not so much as think evil it is naturally carried to bounty and kindness and cannot cease from doing good a Plant that is fruitfull all the Year long The Apostle hath very good Authority for this abridgment of the Law our Saviour himself Matth. 22. 40. and he takes it out of the Books of the Law themselves and certifies us that it is the substance and sum both of Law and Prophets Were this Love absolutely perfect the fulfilling of the Law would be so too and where it is sincere as the Apostle requires it there is a Sincere and Evangelical Obedience or fulfilling of the Law In the Text consider 1 The largeness of its Object 2 The largeness of its Acting 3 The height of its true Original First So far as thou canst acquit thy self owe nothing else to any but Love owe that to all not alike familiar Convâ—rse necessarily to all nor alike measure of benefiâ—ence nor alike degree of love but yet love alike sincere and real to all not either a false or an empty fair Carriage but holy Christian Love Love rooted in thy heart and springing up in thy actions even towards all men as thy opportunity and ability serves thee and their condition requires of thee not hating noâ— despising any for their poverty in Estate or deformity of Body or defects of Mind nor for that which works most on men Injuries done to thy self all they can do cannot give thee an acquittance or free thee of this Debt of Love for thou art bound to another This is the Rule of Jesus Christ and the Badg of Christians to love their very Enemies but this oh how rare How few attain it Yea how few endeavour it On the contrary it is by many given over as a desperate impossible business they judging of it not according to that Spirit of Christ that is his but according to the Corrupt rancour and bitterness of their own natural perverse Spirits yea and too many disdain it as a poorness and sheepishness of Spirit to suffer and forgive be it so yet such a Sheepishness as makes a man like Jesus Christ who as a Sheep before the Shearers is Dumb so he opened not his mouth when his heart within was compassionate towards them as appeared when he opened it concerning them Father forgive them for they know not what they do This is true greatness of Spirit to partake of His that is the highest and best of Spirits and is the Spirit of Meekness and Love How much is this above the common Spirit of the World Truly base and poor is that which is discomposed and put out of frame with every touch whereas this is mighty and triumphs indeed over all provocations and injuries 2. Let us consider the largeness of its acting it goes through the Law fulfils it all That command that is first in the second Table that is not here exprest is it not Love that makes all concerned in it to fulfil it That produceth Mildness and Moderation in Superiours and Faithfulness and willing Obedience in Inferiours makes both Authority and Subjection sweet and easie where Love commands and Love obeys And for the next Thou shalt not kill Doth not Love as the Sun beams put out the fire by its Divine heat eat out the Earthy yea the Infernal fire of fixed Malice or rash Anger that burns naturally in the hearts of men Such anger is called Brutish Ezek. 21. 31. Burning or Brutish And on the contrary Prov. 17. 27. The ambiguity is happy of an excellent or of a cool Spirit for the cool Spirit is so cool from base passion but burning truly with this Love and then is by very small and many times meerly imaginary causes so easily blown up and that flames forth into gross Murders or at least such Injuries and Violences or Contentions and Revilings as go in Gods account and are writ down in his Book for Murders And he doth not mis-judge nor misname things but they are really what he accounts them Love can generously pass over these things about which Folly and Pride make such a noise Oh! can I bear this and that and thou wouldest by so saying speak thy stout heartedness Fool is this stoutness and strength Is it not rather the greatest weakness to be able to bear nothing Have not the weakest persons much of that kind of stoutness and strength who are the soonest moved and disquieted Women and Children and Sick or Aged Persons But Love Christian Love to thy Brother makes the mind truly strong and composed not easily stir'd against him for every trifle nay nor for greater matters Love can endure much yea all things says the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. hath strength to stand under them and stand firm whereas base minds void of Love break all to pieces under a very small weight bears all as the supporters of a strong and firm Building or rather
as a House covers all for so it signifies doth not blaze abroad the failingâ— of men yea it hides much covers a multitude of sins not only from the eyes of others but even from a mans own eyes makes him not behold and look on those things that might provoke him yea it is Ingenious and Inventive of the fairest Constructions of things to take them by the best side in the favourablest sense and so long as there is any agreeable way to Interpret any thing favourably will not have a hard thought of it Thinks no ill as there it is not only hath not active evil thoughts of Revenge or returning Evil but willingly doth not judge ill of what is done by others and that might be so lookt on as to provoke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not reckon wrongs so high as want of Charity moves the most to do sets them low and as a healthful Constitution is sweet it self and relishes all things right there is more true pleasure and content of mind in forgiving than ever any man found in revenge that is but a Feverish delight that Malice and Anger hath wrought working perhaps greedily but is indeed a Distemper This Love is the very root of Peace and Concord a humble Grace that is not lifted up and Insolent as the word there is and so doth not breed Jars about Punctiliâ—e esteems so well of others and so meanly of it self that it cannot well be crost by any in that matter of under valuing But vain Spirits are puft up with a little approbation and as easily kindled up with any affront or apprehended disgrace Love is not lightly put out of temper as sickly Constitutions a Fit of a Fever or Ague with any blast or wrong touch of Diet it is of a stronger digestion and firmer health Then for that Not commit Adultery All things of that kind though they spring from a kind of Love yet not from this Love from above but as the Apostle James distinguishes wisdom from the Love that is sensual and devilish Love is not the true name of it but base and brutish Lust and generally all prophane Societies and sortings of men one with another are most contrary to this pure Love The Drunkards that are Cup-friends as they are full of Jars and have no constancy but are unstable as that wherein their Friendship lies their Liquor are a vile despicable Society not worthy of Men much less of Christians This sin hath affininity with Uncleanness and is usually ranked there Right Love to a Tipler is not to sit down and guzzle with him but to reprove and labour to reclaim him and where that cannot be done to avoid him To wicked persons we owe not a complacency or delight which is most contrary to this Love but hating their Sin we owe them Love and the desiring and as far as Love can the procuring their Conversion and Salvation Wicked Converse cannot consist with this Love which is the fulfilling of the Law and a Combination for the breaking of it and the joining their strength together for that end Love rejoiceth not in Iniquity but in the Truth makes not men rejoice together in Sin So foul unclean Affections and a Society in order to the gratiâ—ying them is most contrary to it true Love is most tender of the Chastity of others and cannot abide an impute thought in it self So in not Stealing Love would be loth to enrich or advantage it self upon the damage of others in any kind it doth most faithfully â—nd singly seek the profit and prosperity of our Neighbour even as our own And iâ— this took place of how much use were it in the World But oh it is rare This meum and tuum is the grand Cause of the ill understanding and discords that are amongst men when it is not managed by this Love but by Self-love And the tendering and preserving of the good name of our Brethren is a proper and very remarkable fruit of this Love which is so far from forging false defaming Stories that it will rather excuse if it may be done or if not will pity the real failings of men that tend to their reproach and on the contrary will teach men to rejoice in the good carriage and good esteem of their Brethren as of their own In the end Love works such a Complacency in the good of others and such a Contentation with our own Estate that it most powerfully banishes that unruly humour of Coveting which looks on the condition of others with envy and on our own with grudging and discontent This Law of Love written within doth not only rectifie and order the Hands and Tongue but the Jealousies the very stirrings of the Heart it corrects the usual disorder of its motion and bars those uncharitable inordinate thoughts that do so abound and swarm in Carnal minds 3. The Original of this Love is that other Love which corresponds to the other part the first and chief point of the Law our Duty towards God Love to him is the sum and source of all Obedience when the whole Soul and Mind is possest with that then all is acceptable and sweet that he commands first what he commands as immediately referrable to himself and then what is the Rule of our Carriage to men as being prescrib'd and commanded by him For so and no otherwise is this Love the fulfilling of the Law when it flows from that first Love Love to God whose Law it is that commands this other Love to Men. Some may have somewhat like it by a mildness and ingenuity of Nature being inoffensive and well-willing towards all but then only doth it fulfil the Law when out of regard to the Law of God it obeys and obeys out of love to him whose Law it is So then the Love of God in the heart is the Spring of right and holy Love to our Neighbour both 1 because in obedience to him whom we love soveraignly we will love even sincerely because he will have it so That is reason enough to the Soul possest and taken up with his Love It loves nothing how lovely soever but in him and for him in order and subordination to his Love and in respect to his Will and it loves any thing how unlovely soever taking it in that Contemplation It loves not the dearest Friend but in God and can love the hatefullest Enemy for him Amicum in Deo inimicum propter Deum Aug. His love can beautifie the most unamiable Object and make it lovely He saith of a worthless undeserving Man or thy most undeserving Enemy Love him for my sake because it pleases me that 's reason enough to one that loves him 2 There is that dilateing sweetning Vertue in love to God that it can act no other way to men but as becomes Love Base self-love contracts the heart and is the very root of all Sin the chief wickedness in our corrupt Nature but the Love of God
to excite it and call it up to act in the progress of sanctification Men are strangely inclined to a perverse construction of things tell them that we are to act and work and give diligence then they would fancy a doing in their own strength and be their own Saviours Again tell them that God works all our works in us and for us then they would take the ease of doing nothing if they cannot have the praise of doing all they will sit still with folded hands and use no diligence at all But this is the corrupt logick of the flesh its base sophistry The Apostle reasons just contrary Phil. 2. 12. It is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Therefore would a carnal heart say we need not work or at least may work very carelesly But he infers Therefore let us work out our Salvation with fear and trembling in the more humble obedience to God and dependance on him not obstructing the influences of his Grace and by sloth and negligence provoking him to withdraw or abate it Certainly many in whom there is truth of grace are kept low in the growth of it by their own slothfulness sitting still and not bestirring themselves and exercising the proper actions of that spiritual Life by which it is entertained and advanced From all filthiness All kind of sinful pollutions not as Men commonly do reform some things and take to themselves dispensations in others at least in some one peculiar sin their Mistress and their Herodias their Dalilah No parting with that yea they rather forego many other things as a kind of composition for the retaining of that Of flesh and spirit The whole Man must be purified and consecrated to God not only refined from the gross outward acts of sin but from the inward affection to it and motions of it that so the heart go not after it Psal. 131. Which under restraints of outward committing sin it may do and very often does as the Israelites lusted after the flesh pots their hearts remained in Egypt still though their bodies were brought out This is then to be done affection to sin to be purged out that is to cleanse the ground not only to lop off the branches but to dig about and loosen and pluck up the root though still fibers of it will stick yet we ought still to be finding them out and plucking them up Further These not only of the inner part of all sins but of some sins that are most or wholly inward that hang not much on the body nor are acted by it those filthinesses of the Spirit that are less discerned then those of the Flesh and as more hardly discerned so when discerned more hardly purged out Pride Selflove Unbeleif Curiosity c. Which though more retired and refined sins yet are pollutions and defilements yea of the worst sort as being more spiritual are filthinesses of the Spirit Fleshly pollutions are things of which the Devil 's not capable in themselves though they excite Men to them and so they are called unclean Spirits but the highest rank of sins are those that are properly Spiritual wickednesses These in Men are the chief strengths of Satan the inner works of these forts and strongholds 2 Cor. 10. 4. Many that are not much tempted to the common gross sensualities have possibly though an inclination to them yet a kind of disdain and through education and morality and strength of reason with somewhat of natural conscience are carried above them who yet have many of these heights those lofty imaginations that rise against God and the obedience of Christ all which must be demolisht Perfecting holiness Not content with low measures so much as keeps from Hell But aspiring towards perfection aiming high at self victory self denial and the love of God purer and hotter as a fire growing and flaming up and consuming the Earth Though Men fall short of their aim yet it is good to aim high they shall shoot so much the higher though not full so high as they aim thus we ought to be setting the state of perfection in our eye resolving not to rest content below that and to come as near it as we can even before we come at it Phil. 3. 11. 12. This to act as one that hath such a Hope such a State in view and is still advancing towards it In the fear of God No working but on firm ground no solid endeavours in holiness where it is not founded in a deep heart a reverence of God a desire to please him and to be like him which springs from Love This most Men are either strangers to wholly or are but slight and shallow in it and therefore make so little true progress in holiness Then there is the motive having these Promises Being called to so fair an estate so excellent a condition to be the people yea the Sons and Daughters of God therefore they are called to the coming forth from Babel and the separating themselves from sin and purging it out holiness is his Image in his Children the more of it the more suitable to that blessed Relation and Dignity and the firmer are the hopes of the inheritance of Glory Consider Sin as a filthiness hate it Oh how ugly and vile is lust how deformed is swelling Pride and all sin is an aversion from God a casting the noble Soul into the mire the defacing all its beauty Turning to present things it pollutes it self with them that he who was clad in scarlet embraces the dunghil as Jeremy in another sense laments Purity of things is an unmixture and simplicity corresponding with their own being and so is the Soul when elevated above the Earth and Sense and united unto God contemplating him and delighting in him all inordinate bent to the Creatures or to it self which is the first and main disorder doth defile and debase it And the more it is sublim'd and freed from it self the purer and more heavenly it grows and partakes the more of God and resembles him the more This then to be our main study first to search out our iniquities the particular defilements of our Nature not only gross filthinesses Drunkenness Lasciviousness c. But our love of this Earth or of Air or Vanity of mind our Self will and Self-seeking Most even of Christians are short sighted in their own secret evils the filthinesses of Spirit especially and use little diligence in this enquiry they do not seek Light from God to go in before him and to lead them into themselves as the Prophet had in the discovery of Idolatries at Jerusalem Oh that we could once see what heaps of abominations lie hid in us one behind another Then having searcht out we must follow on to purge out not to pass over nor spare any but to delight most in casting out the best beloved sin the choicest Idol that hath had most of our service and sacrifices to make room for Jesus Christ.
and dilated And this word signifies both a high raised Soul and is sometimes taken for proud and lofty but there is a greatness and height of Spirit in the Love of God and Union with him that doth not vainly swell and lift it up but with the deepest humility joins the highest and truest Magnanimity it sets the Soul above the Snares that lie here below in which most men creep and are intangled in that way of life that is on high to the Just as Solomon speaks Good reason hath David to join these together and to desire the one as the spring and cause of the other An enlarged heart that he might run the way of Gods Commandments Sensible Joys and Consolations in God do encourage and enlarge the heart but these are not so general to all nor so constant to any Love is the abounding fixed spring of ready Obedience and will make the heart chearful in serving God even without those felt comforts when he is pleased to deny or withdraw them In that course or race is understood constancy activity and alacrity and all these flow from the enlargement of the heart 1. Constancy A narrow enthralled heart fetter'd with the love of lower things and cleaving to some particular sins or but some one and that secret may keep foot a while in the way of Gods Commandments in some steps of them but it must give up quickly is not able to run on to the end of the Goal but a heart that hath laid aside every weight and the most close-cleaving and besetting sin as it is in that place to the Hebrews hath stript it self of all that may faulter or intangle it it runs and runs on without fainting or wearying 't is at large hath nothing that pains it in the race 2. Activity Not only holding on but running which is a swift nimble race it stands not bargaining and disputing but once knowing Gods mind there is no more question or demur I made haste and delayed not as in this Psalm the word is Did not stay upon why and wherefore he stood not to reason the matter but run on And this love enlarging the heart makes it abundant in the work of the Lord quick and active dispatching much in a little time 3. Alacrity All done with chearfulnes so no other constraint is needful where this over-powering sweet constraint of love is I will run not be hail'd and drawn as by force but skip and leap as the Evangelick promise is that the Lame shall leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desart Isaiah 35. 6. The Spouse desires her Beloved to hasten as a Roe and Hind on the mountains of Spices and she doth so and each faithful Soul runs towards him to meet him in his way It is a sad heavy thing to do any thing as in obedience to God while the heart is straightned not enlarged towards him by his Divine Love but that once taking possession and enlarging the heart that inward principle of obedience makes the outward obedience sweet 't is then a natural motion indeed the Soul runs in the ways of God as the Sun in his course which finds no difficulty being naturally fitted and carried to that motion he goes forth as a Bridegroom and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race This is the great point that our Souls should be studious of to attain more evenness and nimbleness and chearfulness in the ways of God and for this end we ought to seek above all things this enlarged heart 't is want of this makes us bog and drive heavily and run long upon little ground Oh! my Beloved how shallow and narrow are our thoughts of God Most even of those that are truly Godly yet are led on by a kind of instinct and carried they scarce know how to give some attendance on Gods Worship and to the avoidance of gross Sin and go on in a blameless course 't is better thus than to run to excess of Riot and open Wickedness with the Ungodly World But alas this is but a dull heavy and Languid motion where the heart is not enlarged by the daily growing Love of God few few are acquainted with that delightful Contemplation of God that ventilates and raises this flame of Love petty things bind and contract our Spirits so that they feel little joy in God little ardent active desire to do him Service to Crucifie Sin to break and undo Self-love within us to root up our own Wills to make room for his that his alone may be ours that we may have no Will of our own that our daily work may be to grow more like him in the Beauty of Holiness You think it a hard saying to part with your Carnal Lusts and Delights and the common ways of the World and to be ty'd to a strict exact Conversation all your days But oh the reason of this is because the heart is yet straightned and enthralled by the base Love of these mean things and that is from the ignorance of things higher and better One glance of God a touch of his love will free and enlarge the heart so that it can deny all and part with all and make an entire renouncing of all to follow Him it sees enough in Him and in Him alone and therefore can neither quietly rest on nor earnestly desire any thing beside Him Oh! that you would apply your hearts to consider the excellency of this way of Gods Commandments our wretched hearts are prejudiced they think it melancholy and sad Oh! there is no way truly joyous but this They shall sing in the ways of the Lord says the Prophet Do not Men when their eyes are opened see a beauty in Meekness and Temperance and Humility a present delightfulness and quietness in them whereas in Pride and Passion and Intemperance there is nothing but vexation and disquiet And then consider the end of this way and this race in it rest and peace for ever 't is the way of peace both in its own nature and in respect of its end Did you believe that Joy and Glory that is set before you in this way you would not any of you defer a day longer but forthwith you 'd break from all that holds you back and enter into this way and run on chearfully in it the perswasion of these great things above would enlarge and greaten the heart and make the greatest things here very little in your eyes But would you attain to this enlarged heart for this race as you ought to apply your thoughts to these Divine things and stretch them on the promises made in the Word above all take Davids course seek this enlargement of heart from Gods own hand for it is here propounded and said before God by way of request see what is my desire I would gladly serve thee better and advance more in the way of thy