with infinite Might and Power the beauty of thy face is most wonderfull the smiles of thy countenance are most sweet and delightful and doth this lovely fair One this fairest of ten thousand this most excellent and alltogether lovely Person bear a particular love to me to such a vile worm as me to such a dead Dog as me to such an undeserving ill-deserving hell-deserving sinner as me O what marvellous kindness is this what infiâ—iâ—e Riches of Free Grace doth he know me by name hath he given himself for me and given himself to me and shall not I give him my heart am I written in his bookâ— Redeemed with his blood clothed with his Righteousness beautified with his Image hath he put the dignity of a Child of God upon me and prepared a place in the Fathers house for me O wonderful O admirable what shall I render what returns shall I make had I a thousand tongues should I not employ them all in speaking his praise had I a thousand Hearts should I not present them all as too mean to thank-offering unto him And yet am I slow slow of Heart to love this dear and sweet Iesus awake O my Soul awake from thy dulness and stupidity shake off thy sleep which glues thine eye-lids so close together shake out the dust of the Earth which hath got into thine eyes and keeps thee from the view of thy beloved Arise O my Soul and lift up thy self unfetter thy feet unâ—log thy self take the wing and mount up above the sky and visible Heavens even to the place where the lovely and dear Iesus is Take thy leave of the world and all things therein Bid farewel to the flattering honours the deceitful Riches the glozing Pleasures that are here below bid adieu to them and leave them to those that place their chiefest happiness in them if Earth hath thy body for a while yet let it have thy heart and chiefest affections no more come O my Soul ascend and soar aloâ—t unto the Heaven of Heavens the way unto the Holy of Holies is accessible the vail is rent the fore-runner is entred and thou mayest have entrance too with thy Thoughts and Desires and Loves and Hopes and Ioyes there thou mayst see and veiw and admire and embrace thy dearest Lord there thy Heaâ—t may find a fit object for it's Love even thy dearest Lord Iesus who wil not reject despise thee but give kind entertainment unto thy love and withall give the fullest sweetest returns there thy Heart may find a room to dispose of it self and not only a lodging like that of a wayfaring man for a night but an habitation wherein to dwell and to take up it's Eternal abode let thy Heart be thy fore-runner that when thy body drops off from thee thou mayst know where to betake thy seâ—f and find ready entertainment there where thy Heart hath been long before Why dost thou hang downwards O my Soul why dost thou bend so much to the Earth and Earthly things what is there here below that is not beneath thee and altogether unworthy of thy Love how empty and vain and thorny are these things don 't wast thy time weary thy self for very vanity don't prick and wound thy self with these things any more What aileth thee O my Soul that thou art so backward to the Love of Christ is it because thou canst not see Christ with the Eyes of thy Body thou shalt see him with those Eyes hereafter when he comes in his Glory thy body is raised and repaired and sitted to bear such a sight thou can'st not see the Wind but thou hearest it's noise and feelest it's blasts and dost thou not hear Christ's voice in his Word dost thou not feel the breathings of his Spirit in his Ordinances Thou art invisible thy self O my Soul and art thou so drenched in flesh that visible objects shall have more Power to draw down thy heart than this most glorious object though now invisible shall have power to draw up thy Heart dost thou question and doubt of his love to thee and doth this damp and discourage thy Affection whose Image is this which is engraven upon thee is it not the Image of Christ what writing is that upon thy Heart is it not Gods Law written by Christs Spirit whose deckings and adornings hast thou got about thee what Beauty is this which is put upon thee is it not Christs comeliness where hadst thou those Bracelets that Ring those Iewels that chain of Graces are they not Christ's love-tokens which he hath given thee and yet wilt thou doubt of his love if thou feelest corruption strong yet dost thou not perceive some Grace although it be weak hast thou not some love to Christ although it be low are not thy desires chiefly after him which evidence that thy chief love is to him and is it so with any but such whom Christ doth love doth not Christ love first and yet wilt thou question his love banish then thy fears silence thy doubts O my Soul rouze up thy self and climb â—p by the Iacobs ladder which is let down to thee from Heaven and settle thy love upon Iesus Christ and those things which are above where Christ sits at the Right hand of God Such retired Contemplations of Christ and Soliloquies and pleadings with your own Souls when alone by your selves will tend exceedingly to the promotion of your love unto Christ. 2. Would you have much love to Christ Be much in Reading and Studying the Scriptures The Scriptures are a Glasse in which Christ may be seen he cannot be seen Face to Face in this World this is the happiness of the Triumphant Church in Heaven not of the Militant Church upon the Earth what may here be discerned of Christ it is in the glass of the Scriptures and Gospel-Ordinances this is that glass spoken of 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as â—n a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Christ is the Glory of the Lord the brightness of his Fathers Glory would you have much love to him be often looking veiwing and beholding of him in the glass of the Scriptures by much beholding of him you may be transformed more and more into the likeness of his Holiness and into the likeness of his Love which is Glory begun The Scriptures have the Image of Christ engraven upon them the Image of the Father is upon the Son and the Image of the Son is upon the Scriptures there you may see the Picture of Christ the Beauty of Christ at least some lineaments are there drawn by the hand of God although not fully and to the life I mean such you will see in him when you come to behold him face to face in Heaven yet his Beauty is drawn in such proportions and with such shadows as you are now capable of beholding Would you have much love unto Christ whom
you have never seen look much upon his Picture and Image in the Scriptures The Scriptures are Christs Love letters In the second and third Chapters of Revelations Christ doth send Seven Epistles to the Seven Asian Churches there are many Epistles and Love-letters as it were in the Scriptures especially in the New Testament wherein Christ doth give most kind expressions of most endeared Love unto his People Read much and study Christ's Love letters especially those parts of the Scriptures wherein Christ doth express most of his kindness and love See how kindly Christ doth express himself Ioh. 14. v. 1 2 3 13 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 27. Chap. 1â— v. 9. 13 14 15 16. Chap. 16. v. 7. 22 24 26 27. 33. Chap. 17. v. 9 10 11 15 20 21 22 23 24. Chap. 20. v. 17. Read often and consider such places Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in you and his will feed and maintain your love to Christ this is a means to have Christ dwell in your hearts not onely by Faith but also by most endeared Love 3. Would you have much Love to Christ be much in Prayer unto God for this Love Eph. 6. 23. Peace be unto the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father Not onely Peace is from God who is called the God of Peace and Faith from God who works it by his Almighty power but alos Love is from God who is the God of Love he circumciseth the heart to love himself and to love his Son This love of Christ is a Grace of the Spirit which God doth freely give and powerfully work the Beginnings of it the Increase of it all the Measures and Degrees of it are from him If you would attain high measures of love to Christ you must apply your selves unto God in Prayter and therein diligently seek to him for it If you would have much love to Christ in your hearts you must be often at the Throne of Grace upon your Knees and there humbly acknowledge if not the want yet the weakness of your love to Christ bewail your Sins which do damp your Affections and earnestly request that he would work your hearts unto a strong love be importunate in Prayer for this follow God day by day with the same requests plead with him for it fill your mouths with Arguments and fill your Arguments with Faith and â—ervent Desires Tell him whatever lovelinesse and love there be in Christ whatever attractives to draw forth your love yet of your selves you are utterly unable to put forth the least motion of true affection unto Christ. Tell him that this love to Christ though it be your Duty yet it is his Gift that you ought to act it but this you cannot do unless he works it Tell him how easily he can enkindle this Fire of Love to Christ in your bosoms and blow it up into a flame Tell him he hath bid you to ask and you shall have and whatever you ask according to his will he heareth and that it is his will you should love Christ not onely truely but also strongly Tell him you desire much love to Christ and that these desires do come from himself and therefore earnestly desire the fulfilling of them Tell him if you do not love Christ much you shall be apt to over-love the Creature which will be displeasing to him therefore request that you may have such a love to Christ as may overpower all other love and keep your hearts from all Inordinacy of affections to any thing beneath and besides the Lord Jesus Christ. Plead how much it will be for his Glory that you should have much love unto Christ that hereby you shall be enabled to honour him the more in the world Plead how much it will be for your good tell him if you asked Corn and Wine and Oyl if you asked Wealth and Honours and Creature-delights in abundance they might be a snare to you and for your hurt but a strong love to Christ is needfull and usefull and be sure will be for your good urge his Promise of Circumcising the heart to love him and plead his Faithfulness and if you be thus importunate in Prayer for much love to Christ and will not be denyed you shall not be denyed 4. Would you have much Love to Christ get much Faith Faith worketh Love both to the Father and to the Son According to the measure of your Faith so will the measure of your Love be Such as are without any Faith are without any Love such as have but a â—eeble faith have but a weak love and such as have the strongest faith have the strongest love The strongest faith giveth the clearest discovery of Christs infinite Excellencies and Perfections It is not the eye of Sense which doth discern Christ neither is it the eye of Reason which doth discern him whatever discoveries we have of Christ it is by Revelation and this is discernable onely by Faith Faith is the Evidence of things not seen and the unseen Christ is evident by Faith to be the most excellent Person and the most sutable Object of love and the more evident the Object of love is the stronger will the love be Moreover Faith is not onely the Eye of the Soul to discern Christ but also the Hand of the Soul not onely to take hold on him but also to receive from him of his Fulness Grace for Grace and by consequence more of this Grace of love to him Our Communion with Christ is by Faith the more intimate acquaintance and fellowship we have with those whom we love the more endeared will be our love the strongest Faith brings us unto the greatest intimacy fellowship and familiarity with Christ and therefore it is a means of the strongest Love Endeavour then to get a strong Faith and to live daily in the powerfull exercise thereof the more you live by Faith the more you will dwell in the Love of Christ. 5. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for much of the Spirit labour for much of the Light of the Spirit There must be not onely the Glass of the Scriptures and the Eye of Faith but also the Light of the Spirit that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples Ioh. 14. 16 17. And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you 6. Would you have much Love unto Christ labour for clear Evidences of his Love unto you the
apprehensions of Christ's Loveliness may excite to some love but the full well grounded perswasions of Christs love to you will above all heighten your love to Christ. Doubts of Christ's love do cause fears and fears do contract the heart and therefore are opposite to love which is the expansion and enlargement of the heart perfect love casteth out fear the more love the less fear and the more doubts and fears the less love Such as doubt much of Christs love to them they may love Christ truely but they cannot love Christ strongly You will love a less lovely person that loves you more than a more lovely person that hates you the love of the Person beloved is a most amiable Qualification and strong attractive yea one of the greatest Incentives and Inducements unto love Get then a perswasion of the infinite love to you of this Infinitely lovely person that you may be able to say with Paul Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me Look diligently into the Word of God and find out the Characters there of those that are Beloved by Christ and then look narrowly into your selves and see whether your face will not answer that face in the Looking glass of the Scriptures see whether you cannot find the lineaments of the New Man within you whether you have not experienced a gracious change Is there not Light where there was Darkness Is there not Life where there was Death Is there not Love where there was Hatred Is there not the Law of God written where the Law of Sin did command all Is not the Biass of your Wills and Hearts God-ward and Christ-ward and Heaven-ward which heretofore was onely Sin-ward and Earth-ward and Hell-ward Pray earnestly unto God that he would give you a full assurance that if you are indeed effectually called if you are indeed united and related unto Jesus Christ you may know it and no longer doubt thereof In a word seek diligently after the Manifestations of Christ's Love in all the wayes of his Ordinances rest not in the out-side of Ordinances but seek after Christ in Ordinances follow him from Sabbath to Sabbath from Ordinance to Ordinance and always be looking for him and looking towards him till he turn about and look upon you and give you a gracious smile seek and wait for that Manifestation of himself which he hath promised to hem that love him Ioh. 14. 21. Wait for his Mission of the Holy Ghost from Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 12. to shed abroad the sense of his Love into your hearts Rom. 5. 5. and if you did know assuredly and had a sense hereof given unto you by the Spirit of Christ O the Joyes which then you would have in him O the love which then you would have to him As your Joyes would be unspeakable so your Love would be unspeakable too such a warmth of heart and burning of love to Christ you would feel within you as is beyond the Rhetorick of the Tongue to set forth 7. Would you have much Love to Christ get much hatred of Sin and accordingly watch and pray and strive and fight against Sin as the worst of Evils as that which doth so much displease your Lord. Bewail sins of daily incursion and labour that your sins of Infirmity may be less every day than other Take heed of sins of sudden surprize but chiefly of designed sins and that you comply not with any temptations unto grosser miscarriages which like water cast upon the Fire of your love to Christ will put out the flame and leave onely a few unperceivable sparks in the corner of your hearts Suffer not Sinne to have any room in your hearts or if it will abide and you cannot thrust it quite out let it not have a quiet habitation within you disturb sin as much as you can wage war every day with your remaining Lusts let no day pass over your heads without giving some blows some thrusts and wounds to Sin Stâ—eighten the room of Sin in your hearts as much as may be the more room Sin hath in your hearts the less room Christ will have there Particularly take heed of inordinate love to the world and the things in the world the prevalency of which love will damp your love to Christ by how much more the world gets of your love by so much the less Christ will have of it A subordinate love you may have to Persons and Things in the world but let no person or thing have your chief love but only Christ love nothing for it self with an abstracted love but love all inferiour things with inferiour love love all under the Lord and in the Lord and for the Lord's sake get all inordinate affections to the world crucified by the Cross of Christ. You must have dying affections to perishing things if you would have a living and active love to the ever-living Jesus 8. Would you have much love unto Christ associate your selves most with those that have most love unto Christ you may fetch light from their light you may fetch warmth from their Fire dead coals are enkindled by the living and your dead hearts may be enkindled with love to Christ by the warm discourse of those that have warm hearts Be ready to speak of Christ and for Christ in any company as you have sit opportunity and diligently watch for an Occasion shut your ears against and reprove profane â—ilthy Communication divert that which is vain and frothy and be ready to begin and promote that which is serious savoury that which is gracious and may tend to your own and others Edification Study the Art and practise it of provoking all whom you converse withall not unto Strife and Contention but unto this love and Affection unto the Lord Jesus Christ and whilest you are endeavouring to warm others with this Love you may be warmed your selves 9. And lastly Would you have much Love unto Christ be much in the exercise of this love hereby it is encreased and heightned Use legs and have legs and if you act this love frequently it will hereby get strength and Activity every day endeavour to put forth some vigorous acts of love unto Jesus Christ. In your ordinary Callings and secular Business and Employment you may send up some looks of Love unto Jesus Christ in your Ejaculations But especially in the Duties of Gods immediate Worship labour that your love may flow out unto Christ most vigorously In your daily secret Devotion and Family-Worship let love to Christ draw forth tears from your eyes at least cause grief and sorrow in your hearts in the acknowledgement of your sins whereby he hath been dishonoured and displeased Let love to Christ draw forth earnest desires after Christ and those communications manifestations and consolations which he doth give to none but such as are his let love to Christ put requests into your mouths arguments into your requests and fervour into your arguments in