Of Love — Sermon 1

(GALLAT. 5:6)For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but Faith which works by Love.

IN the fourth verse of this chapter the Apostle affirmes, that there is no justification by the law; for, says he, If you be justified by the law, you are fallen from grace: that is, you cannot be partakers of that justification which is by grace: Because for to have it by the law, and to have it by grace are opposite. And he gives a reason for it, because, says he, Through the Spirit we waite for the hope of that righteousnes which is by faith, and not by the law. When he had expressed himself so farre, which is the righteousnesse received by faith, that is, that righteousnesse which is freely given by God, offered to us, wrought by Christ, but taken by faith on our parts: Thus says he, you must be justified. Now to confirme this, he gives a reason in this verse that I have read; for, says he, In Christ Jesus, (that is, to put a man into Christ Jesus, or to make him acceptable to God through Christ Jesus, to doe this) neither circumcision availeth any thing, or uncircumcision: (That is, neither the keeping of any part of the ceremoniall law, or the omission of it, nor the keeping of the morall law, or the breaking of it will helpe to ingraffe a man into Christ, or to make him acceptable to God through Christ: What will doe it then? nothing says he) but onely faith. Now lest we should be mistaken in this, as if he should require nothing at their hands but an empty idle faith, he addeth further, it must be such a faith as is effectuall, as is working: And that is not enough, but it must be such a faith as workes by love. So that you have two parts in this Text: One is a removall or a negation of that which does not ingraffe us into Christ, or that makes us not acceptable to God through Christ; it is not being circumcised or uncircumcised, or any thing of that nature: The other is the affirmative part; What is it that does it, that makes us in a glorious condition, that makes us sonnes of God? says he, it is onely faith and love, it is such a faith as is accompanied with love and good workes; so that you see he removes all workes of ours, all workes of the ceremoniall law, circumcision is nothing, it is as good as if you were not circumcised, it is all one. And by the same reason that circumcision is excluded, all other is. And not onely workes of the ceremoniall law, but all the workes of the morall law also considered as the meanes of justification; because they are opposite to faith, they exclude faith, and faith excludes them, so as they are as well to be shut out as the workes of the ceremoniall law. None of these says the Apostle, will doe it. For you must know the way to salvation is contrary to that of damnation: Looke how you lost the kingdom of God, so you must get it, looke what gate you went out at, by the same gate (as it were) you must come in at. What was it that lost all mankind the kingdom of heaven? You know it was not our particular breaches of the morall law, but it was the fall of Adam, and when the root was dead, you know, all the branches died with it. Well, what way is there then to regaine this losse? We must goe in againe into Paradise by the same way that we went out, that is, by being borne of the second Adam, and by being made partakers of his righteousnesse: By being borne of him, or ingrafted into him. As you communicate of the sinne of the other, because you are his children, so you must partake of his righteousnesse. Againe, says the Apostle, it is the Lords pleasure that you should be saved after this manner, because he would have it to be of grace. If you should have beene saved by any workes of your own, you would have imputed it to your selves, and to your own strength: But the Lord would have it to be of grace, of his free will, and therefore he will have it meerely of faith, by taking the righteousnesse of the second Adam which he has wrought for you. Againe, he would have it sure to all your seede: if it had beene by workes, it would never have beene sure to you, you could never have kept the law so exactly: But since Christ has wrought righteousnesse, and you have no more to doe but to take it, now it is sure, or else it would never have beene sure. Againe, if it had beene by workes, the flesh had had in which to rejoyce, it might have something to boast of: But the Lord will have no man to rejoyce in the flesh; but let him that rejoyceth, rejoyce in the Lord. Now if it had been by works, if it had beene by any inherent righteousnesse, by any ornament of grace that the Lord had beautified us with, we had had rejoycing in our selves; but now that it is by the second Adam, by comming home to him, by taking him, by applying his righteousnesse: Now no flesh can rejoyce in it selfe, but now whoever rejoyceth, rejoyceth in the Lord. Therefore says the Apostle, you must know this truth, you can never be saved by doing these actions, no nor you shall not lose salvation by omitting them, for this is not the way that the Lord has appointed mankinde to be saved by: But the way by which mankinde must be saved, is by receiving Jesus Christ and his righteousnes. But you must remember that you must take him so as to love him. And it must be such a love as is fruitfull in good workes, and not an emptie and idle love, that is, a love in show onely, but it must be a love in deede and in truth. Now in the handling of these words we will begin with the affirmative part, because though the other be put first, yet the affirmatiō you know in order of nature, is before the negation: therfore I wil begin with this, what it is that puts us into the happy estate of life and salvatiō, Faith. But it is faith that works by love.

This is enough to make this cleere to you, that these two great radicall vertues faith and love, are the two pillars, as it were, upon which our salvation is built. The first of them we have handled at large, Faith: and the efficacy of it in the Text we handled of effectuall faith: Now the other remaines, of Love; from where we will deliver this point to you; that,

Whoever loves not, whatever else he find in himself, whoever loves not the Lord Jesus, is not in Christ, and by consequent, in a cursed and damnable estate.

Because this is necessarily required that you have faith, and love, or else you can have no salvation; or else you are not in Christ, and cannot be acceptable of God through Christ. So our businesse will be to open to you this grace of love, that you may know what it is. And that you may know it, we must first declare to you a little in generall, what this affection of love is.

All affections, as you know, are nothing else but the diverse motions and turnings of the will, as the will turnes it selfe this way or that way, so a man is said to be affected to love or to hate, to grieve or to rejoyce. Now love is that act of the will, by which it turnes it selfe to a thing, as hatred is that wherby it turnes it selfe from a thing: And that which is the object of this affection of love is something that is good; for that which is true, and that which is beautifull is not the proper object of love, that is the object of the intuitive understanding: but it is no further the object of love than it is good. For this take for a generall rule, We love nothing but as it is good; And a thing is said to be good, when it is sutable, proportionable and agreeable to us, for that is the definition of a good thing. There may be many things that are excellent, that are not good to us, we say not that any thing is good, but that which sutes and is agreeable to us, and convenient for us. So that if you take the definition of this affection in generall of love, Love is nothing else but a disposition of the will, by which it cleaves or makes forward to some good that is agreeable to it selfe: I say, it is a disposition of the will by which it cleaves to, and makes forward to some good thing agreeable to it selfe, which you must marke, for we shall have use of all this in the sequel of this tract.

Now this love shows it selfe by two effects: it would have the thing it loves to be preserved.

And secondly, a man that loves, would have it his, and therefore he drawes neere to it, or else he drawes the thing neere to him. For [•] take it not to be true that is commonly taken for granted, that love is a desire of union, for we doe not alwayes desire, that the thing should be united to us that we love, (for a thing may be too neare us, as letters may be too neare the eye, as well as too farre off:) But we would have things in such a distance as is most agreeable to us, as we love fire for our use, but it may be too neare us, and we love a knife for our use, but it may be too neere: So by the way marke it, It is not alwayes a desire of union, but it is a desire to have the thing it loves in such a distance, as is most agreeable to us: but still remember this, that love shows it selfe by these two effects: It desires the preservation of the thing: Secondly, he would that what he loves might be his. As when a man loves an unreasonable creature, when he loves a glasse, when he loves a horse, he preserves the glasse, he keepes the horse strong and faire, and if he can he would have them for his use. So a man that loves riches, or honor, or that loves a good name, he preserves them, he would have them his: that is, he would have them at his own arbitrement, for his own turne & service: So a man that loves his sonne or his friend, he desires the preservation of them, and withall he would have them his; that is, he would have them so sure united to him, as may stand with his conveniencie. This is the nature of love; one thing more know of it, it is a commanding affection: Love and hatred are as it were the great Lords and Masters that divide the rest of the affections betweene them, as when a man loves, he desires, he goes and makes forward towards the thing he loves; if he obtaine it, he rejoyceth in it; if he doe not obtaine it, yet if there be probability, then he hopes, if there be no probability, then he despaires; if there be any inconvenience and impediment that hinders him in his prosecution, he is angry with it, and desires to remove it: thus these affections hang on love. Againe, on the other side, as love desires the preservation of the thing in a neerenesse and union of it: so hatred desires the destruction of the thing, and the separation from it. And upon this affection likewise hang the others, when a man hates a thing, he flies from it; if it overtakes him, he grieves; if it be likely it will overtake him, though it be not yet on him, he fears: if he think he is strong enough to resist it, he is bolde and confident. So these two affections (I say) divide the rest. Now I will adde but this further, that I may declare to you the generall nature of this affection, that is, the kindes of love: And you shall finde these kindes of love. I will name them briefly.

First, there is a love of pitty, as when you love a thing, you know, you desire the preservation of it; when you finde any thing lye upon it that destroyes it, you pitty the thing you love, and desire to remove it: So a father pitties his sonne when he is sicke, when he is vicious and untoward, he loves him now with a love of pitty, he desires to remove the thing that hurts it.

Secondly, there is a love of concupiscence, that is, when a man desires the thing that he is said to love meerely for his use. As when you love an inanimate creature, or any other creature for your use, you are said to love it with a love of concupiscentiall desire: and this in common men is a sutablenesse between the object and the lower faculties.

Thirdly, there is a love of complacency, when a man is well pleased with the thing, that is, when the object is somewhat adaequate to the higher faculties of the will and understanding, that there is some agreeablenesse betweene the thing loved, and the frame of the soul, so that when he looks on it he is well pleased with it: So the master loves his scholler that is every way towardly: so the father loves his sonne as one in whom he is well pleased.

Fourthly, there is a love of friendshippe that goes beyond this love of complacency, because in the love of friendship there is a reciprocation of affections, when a man both loves and is beloved againe: So a man loves his friend, and is loved againe by his friend.

Lastly, there is a love of dependance, when one loues one upon whom all his good depends, so we are said to love God, we love him as one upon whom all our good and happinesse, all our comfort and hope depends. Now, as you shall see after, with these three last loues, we are said to love the Lord, we love him with the love of complacence, because he is a full adequate object to the soul: & we love him with a love of friendship, because there is a mutuall love, he loues us, and we love him; as the spouse says, My Beloved is mine, and I am his. Againe, we love him with a love of dependance, for we hang and rely upon him for all our happinesse and comfort. Now this love wherewith we love any object that is sutable to us, it has degrees, and that love is stronger, as the object of that love is more adequate and full. Againe, as it is more free from mixture; for all things that we love in this world, we know there is some mixture of evil in them, and therefore our love is lesse.

Againe, as the thing we love is more high and supernaturall; as we hang and depend upon it more, so we love it more; and these you shall finde in God. Now lay these generall principles, and we will make use of it afterwards: Onely this observe more, before I passe frō the general description of it, That there is a naturall love that God has placed in the heart of every man, and that love wherewith every man loues himself, such a love as every man has to his children, such a love as wherewith a man loues his wealth, or any thing by nature that is good to him.

Now this naturall love has two other loues hanging on both sides of it:

One is a vicious and sinfull love, that carries it the wrong way to love sinfull things.

The second is a spirituall love, which sets limits to this naturall love, that sets bankes, as it were, to the streame of naturall affection, that suffers it not to runne over, and not so onely, but gives a higher rise to this naturall love, and pitcheth it on higher ends, it elevates naturall love, and makes it an holy love. So that all naturall love is to be subordinate to this, otherwise it is not good; for naturall love is but given us to help us to goe that way that spirituall love should carry us, even as the wind helpes the ship, whereas otherwise it should have beene driven with oares: And therefore the Lord, to helpe us to love our selues, and to love our children, and to love those things that are sutable and convenient to us, he has in mercie, and for a helpe to us, put a naturall affection into our hearts, which yet is to be guided by spirituall love, that we are now to speake of.

So the next thing is to show, what is this spirituall love, this love of God, this love of Christ Jesus.

And first we will show how it is wrought, and withall what it is. For you must know, that every man by nature hates God, by reason of that opposition and contrariety which is betweene God and every man by nature, for all love comes from similitude and agreeablenesse: And therefore where there are two of a contrary disposition, there must needs be hatred. Now the pure nature of God is contrary to us, and therefore every man by nature hates God. And therefore that love may be wrought in the heart of man towards God, this sinfull nature of ours must bee broken in peeces, and subdued. And againe, it must be new molded and framed before that can ever be fit to love God. Therefore, if you would know how this love of God is wrought in us, it is done by these two things:

First, by breaking our nature in peeces as it were, that is, by humiliation, and by the law.

Againe, by moulding it anew, which is done by faith and by the Gospel: For when we come and propound Christ to men to be taken, and to be received and loved by them, what is the answer we have from them? Most men, either minde him not, or regard not at all this invitation to come to Christ, but they deale with us as those that were invited to the marriage, says the Text, they made light of it, they cared not for the invitation, it was a thing they looked not after: or againe, if they doe, yet they minde them uot enough, because they doe not prize Christ enough. Therefore the first thing the Lord does to prepare mens hearts to love him, is to send the law to humble them, to discover to men what neede they are in, to make an impression on their hearts of that bond of damnation that they are subject to when the law is broken, that mens eyes may be opened to see their sins; then a man begins to looke toward Christ, to looke on him as the captiue lookes on his Redeemer, as a condemned man lookes on him that brings him a pardon, as a widdow that is miserable and poore, indebted and undone, lookes upon her husband that will make her rich and honourable, that will pay all her debts, I say, when a mans heart is thus humbled and broken by the law, by sound humiliation, then he begins to looke towards Jesus Christ. But I say men doe faile, partly that they have no sense of their sinnes, or else they have a sense of their sinnes, but not enough to bring them home to Christ, for that was the fault of the second and third ground; there was impression made in them, that they prized Christ, but there was not so deepe a preparation as to love Christ indeed, so as to preferre him above all things, so as to cleaue to him, so as they will let him goe for nothing. And therefore this is required that our natures be broken all in peeces, that is, that the humiliation be deepe enough, not a little light impression, a little hanging down of the head, a little sense of sinne, but so farre as it may be to purpose, that he lookes to Christ as to the greatest good in the world, that he will rather undergoe any thing than misse of him, that he will rather part with all his pleasure than he will goe without him. That is the first thing that must be done to prepare our hearts, for this love our hearts must be humbled by the law.

Now when this is done, they must be made up againe, as I told you, they must be moulded anew, and that is done by the Gospel and by faith: For when the heart is thus prepared, now let the Gospel come and welcome: Now a mans heart is fit to be wrought on: Why? what doeth the Gospel? The Gospel comes and tells you, that the Lord Jesus is willing to be your Redeemer, is willing to be your Lord, he is content to be yours.

If you will take him, you shall have him and all his.

Now when a mans heart is broken, you cannot bring him better newes; Indeed till then you may goe and preach the Gospel long enough, you may propound Christ to men, they will not take him: But when we propound him thus to a heart prepared, thus to him that is poore in spirit, to him that has his heart wounded in the sense of his sinnes and of Gods wrath, now I I say he is willing to come in, he is willing to take Christ as a Lord, as a husband: when that is done, that Christ has discovered his will to take them, and they resolve to take him, then there ariseth a holy, a constant conjugall love in which they are rooted and grounded. This is the love we are now to speake of. So that to prepare us to love Christ, we must come to looke on him as upon that which is sutable and agreeable to us. And againe, as one that is willing to receive us: And that you must marke diligently. Therefore we will give you this definition of love out of that which has been said:It is an holy disposition of the heart rising from faith, by which we cleave to the Lord with a purpose of heart to serve him and to please him in all things.

When these two things are joyned, that a man is humbled, and lookes on Christ as one that is now fit for him: And secondly he is persuaded that Christ is willing to take him, when this is done, a man receives Christ by faith: And from this faith this love issues. From where this is specially to be marked, and it is a matter of much moment, That to love the Lord, it is not onely required that you be persuaded that he is well affected to you, that he is willing to receive you, (for that men may have, which say that Christ is mercifull and ready to forgiue, and so they think; but yet they love him not: Therefore I say, it is not onely required that you looke on Christ as upon one that is well affected and propitious to you) but also that you looke on him as one that is sutable and agreeable to you, for both these must concurre to incline your hearts to love him: you must, I say, both looke on him as one that is fit for you, as a good that is agreeable to you: And also you must be persuaded that he is willing to receive you. Now the first indeed is the maine. This second, that Christ is willing to forgiue you, and to receive you, though it be weake, it may be such as is a true faith, and may beget love: when a man lookes on any other men that he loues, if he see so much excellency in them, as that he longs after them and desires them, though he thinks there be a backwardnes in them to love him, yet if there be some probability that they are likely to love him, he may come so farre as to embrace them in his affections, and have a desire to them, though it be true, as that persuasion is stronger, so their love is more neere, for faith and love grow together: Indeed if there were an utter aversnesse, if there were enmity, as it were impossible to remove it, then we could not love, but hate even as Cain and Iudas did. But, I say, that is a thing you must especially marke, that faith does not consist in being persuaded that Christ, or God through Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes, or to receive you to mercy, but in this your judgement must be rectified, that is, to know that you are to looke on Christ as one that is sutable and agreeable to you, as one to whom you have an inward inclination, as one that is fit for you. This is the maine thing, the other easily followes, to be persuaded that he is willing to forgiue us, and that he is willing to love us: therefore whereas, it may be, you have thought, that to believe that God is willing to forgiue you your sinnes, is faith: I dare be bold to say, it is not full faith, you may have it, and yet not savingly believe, you may have it, and yet not be true beleevers. This I make cleare by this argument: That which begets no love, is not faith. But you may be persuaded that Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes, and yet not love him, as a prisoner may be persuaded that the Judge is willing to pardon him, and yet for all this he may not love the Judge; for love as I told you comes from some sutablenesse, some agreablenesse betweene the party that loues, and the party that is loved. Againe, you shall finde this by experience. A man may be persuaded that he is in a good estate, that he shall be saved, and that his sinnes are forgiven him, and yet for all this, he may be an unregenerate man, he may be a man that has no life of grace in him: I say, we see oft in experience, many men applaud themselves in their good persuasion, and they die peaceably and quietly, and all is well, they think God has forgiven them; and yet we finde there is no love in them, nor no fruite of love. Againe, on the other side, a man that has his heart broken with the sense of his sinnes, may hunger after righteousnesse and after Christ, he may long after the Lord himself, that he desires him more than any thing in the world; and yet there is but a weake persuasion that the Lord will receive him, and forgiue him his sins: I say, this man may be a true beleever, though he be not yet so fully persuaded that Christ will forgiue him, when the other is no true beleever, as I said to you before. As when one loues another man or woman, if he looke on him as one that is sutable to him, if he think it be but by good probability and likelihood, I shall obtaine their love, though I have not yet a full assurance of it; I say, there may be an affection of love. And from there I confirme that which I said to you, that faith that has beene joyned with it is true; and that faith that is disjoyned from love is not true. So I say, such a disposition of heart as lookes on Christ as one whom he longs after, he lookes on him as on a husband, as one whom he is willing to match with, that he can say truely, This is the best husband for me in all the world, though yet I have not wooed him, though yet I have not a full assurance of his affection to me, as I would have; I say, this will certifie your judgement, and withall it will comfort you, that though your faith be weake, yet he belongs to you, it is a true faith. Againe, it shuttes out those that have false hearts; although you thinkest your persuasion be full, that Christ belongs to you, yet if your heart be not thus prepared to seek him, and to esteeme him, your faith is not true. I can stay no longer in the opening of this, so much shall serve to show you what this love is: You see what love is in generall, and this love to the Lord, this love to Christ.

Now I come to prosecute the point, having gone thus farre in the explication of it; I say, this love is so necessary to salvation, as that he that has it not is in a cursed and damnable condition; he is not in Christ, if he doe not love, that as the Apostle says, he that beleeves not shall be damned: we may say as well of love, for there is a tye betweene all these, faith, repentance and love. And therefore we finde these words put promiscuously, sometimes he that beleeves not shall not be saved, sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved, sometimes he that obeyes not, sometimes he that loves not shall not be saved: and therefore the Scripture is cleere in it, and there is good reason for it.

First, because if a man love not, there is a curse, there is a woe due to him, for wherever there is not love, a man is an hypocrite, as our Saviour says to the Scribes and Pharises, Wo be to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites, that is because you are hypocrites. Now wherever love is not, there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart. For what is hypocrisie? Hypocrisie is nothing but to doe the outward action without the inward sinceritie; as we say it is counterfeit golde, when it has the forme and color of golde, but in the inside is base: as we say he is a false Hector, when he acts the part of Hector, but is not so indeed: So hypocrisie is to doe the outward act without the inward sincerity. Now to doe them without inward sincerity is to doe them without love; for to doe a thing in love is to doe it in sincerity. And indeed there is no other definition of sincerity, that is the best way to know it by: A man that doeth much to God, and not out of love, all that he does is out of hypocrisie, he is an hypocrite, and there is a woe belongs to him. So that as we deale with counterfeit wares, we breake them in peeces, or we set markes upon them, as we doe with counterfeit peeces of golde and silver, we bore holes in them, as condemned peeces; so the Lord proposeth a woe to such as love him not, for in that hypocrisie consists, when a man does much, and does it not out of love.

Againe, he that breakes the law, you know there is a curse belongs to him: Now there is a double keeping of the law, a strict and exact keeping of it, and there is an Evangelicall keeping of it, that is, when you desire and endeavour to fulfill the law in all things: and accordingly there is a double curse, there is a curse that followes the breach of the morall law that belongs to all mankinde, till they be in Christ; there is besides an Evangelicall curse that followes upon the Evangelicall breach of the law. Now when a man loves not, he breakes the whole law: for as love is the keeping of the whole law, so the want of love is the breach of the whole law; because though he may doe many things of the law, though he may keepe the sabboth, though he may deale justly, though he may hear the word, and doe many things, yet because it is not out of love he breakes the whole law. When he breakes the law thus, there is a curse belongs to him, and it is the curse of the Gospel that cannot be repealed, it is more terrible than the curse of the law. And therefore he that loves not, is in a cursed and damnable condition.

Againe, you know, in the law of God an Adulterer ought to die, as in the law of triall, when the woman was to drinke the cursed water, if she were an Adulteresse, it was a curse to her, the Lord appointed it to be death to her. Now he that loves not the Lord is an Adulterer, that is, he is false to the Lord that should be his husband. And when he loves not the Lord, he does love somewhat else: And does it not deserve a curse to preferre their pelfe before the Lord? that he should love pleasures more than God? that he should love the praise of men more thā the praise of God? And this is the case of every man that loves not the Lord, he loves the world: and he that loves the world is an Adulterer and an Adulteresse, says St. James.

Lastly, when the Lord shall be a suiter to us, when God shall offer his own Sonne to us in marriage, and we refuse him; when Christ shall come from heaven to show us the way to salvation, and to guide our feete into the way of peace, and we shall either be carelesse or resist it, doe you not think the Lord will be filled with indignation against such a man? will he not be angry with such a man? Is not the Sonne angry when he is not received? Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry: Will he not lay the axe to the roote of the tree, and cut off such a man, as men doe briers and thornes, whose end is damnation? This is the case of all those that love not, when they reject the Lord, and the Lord shall come to be a suiter to them, and they will have none of him. This is enough to cleare this to you, That whoever loves not, is in an evil condition, in a state of damnation, he is not in Christ, he is a man without the Covenant. We come to make some use of this.

If it be of such moment to love the Lord, then let every man looke to himself, and consider whether he have in his heart this love to the Lord Jesus; for as it is with men, although you may doe them many kindnesses, yet if it proceed not from love, they regard it not: so it is with the Lord, whatever you doe, though you may doe much, though you pray never so constantly, though you sanctifie the Sabboth never so diligently, doe what you will, yet if you love him not, he regards it not: Neither circumscision is any thing, nor uncircumcision is any thing, but love. Indeed, when a man does love him, the Lord beares with much, as you see he did with David, because he was one that loved him. But when you love him not, performe never so much, he rejects all, he heedes it not: As you see it was with Amaziah, you know how much he did, yet it was not accepted, he did it not with a perfect heart, that is, he did it not out of love. And therefore the Lord does with us as we doe with men, when men have false hearts, we see they love us not, we say they doe but complement. So the Lord Jesus does. This should helpe us to discover our selves, there is no way to discover hypocrisie, none so sure a signe of it, as where love is not.

And therefore learne by this to know your selves, and to judge of your condition: It may be, when we confesse our sinnes, we have not thought of this, that we love not Christ, or at the least, we have not considered what a sinne it is, but you may know what a sinne it is by the punishment of it: 1 Cor. 16:22. Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Jesus. You may know the greatnesse of the sinne by the greatnesse of the punishment; for the punishment is the measure of the sinne, and (marke it) he does not say, if you beleeve not in the Lord Jesus, or if you doe nor obey him; but if you love not the Lord Jesus: That is, if there be an omission but of this one thing, that you love not, let such a man be accursed, indeed let him be had in execration to the death. Therefore consider this, how great a sinne it is, not to love the Lord. And when you consider your sinnes, and make a catalogue of them, looke on this, as that which discovers to us the vilenesse of our natures, as Paul says of lust, I knew not that it was sinne, but by the law: but when sinne began to live, he died: So I may say of this, it may be men take not this into consideration, this sinne, that they have not loved the Lord; and therefore learne to know it. When we consider this, that he is accursed who loves not Christ, it may open a crevise of light to us, to see what condition we are in, how cursed our nature is, how hainous this sinne is, when a man sees that there is a cursed man, a man whom the Lord sets himself against, a man whom the Lord is an enemie to, whom he puts all the strength and power he has to confound, when he sees there is a man whom the Gospel curseth, which is more terrible than the Law, because the curse of the Law may be repealed, there is a remedie for that in the Gospel: But the Gospel, if that curse a man, there is no remedie: This should humble us; for the Gospel should humble us as well as the Law. And there are sinnes against the Gospel as well as against the Law, and whatever is sinne should humble us, indeed the sinnes against the Gospel are greater than the sinnes against the Law: And therefore in this sense the Gospel is fitter to humble us. Now when a man comes to consider his sinne, it may be possibly, he lookes to sinnes especially against the morall Law; but you must learne to doe more than that: Begin to think, Have I received the Lord Jesus? Have I believed in Christ? These are great sins against the Gospel: and these sinnes should chiefly humble us. If you think I presse this too hard, consider the words of the Apostle I named, Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord Jesus: Let these words be sounding in your eares, compare your hearts to them, sometimes cast your eye on the one, and sometimes on the other, and see if it be not absolutely required to love the Lord. And againe, reflect on your hearts, and see if you be in the number of those that doe love him.

And take heede herein that you deceive not your selves, for it is the manner, when we presse the love of Christ upon them, they are ready to say, I hope I love the Lord, I hope I am not such a miscreant as not to love him; indeed but consider whether you doe or no: it is true, you maist deceive me or another man when you professest love to God, but in this you canst not deceive your selfe; for a man knowes what he loves, love is a very sensible and quick affection. When a man loves any thing, when he loves his wife, loves his friend, loves his sonne, loves his sport, his recreation, he knowes he loves it, he has the sense of that love in himself. Therefore consider with your selfe whether you have any such stirring affection towards the Lord Jesus or no; doest you feele your heart so possessed with him? art you sicke of love, as the Spouse says in the Canticles, I am sicke of love? That is, are you grieved when he is absent? are you glad when you have him? when you can get into his presence? for there is a kinde of painfulnesse in love: and all painfulnesse is of a quicke sense. When it is said, the Church was sicke of love, sicknesse is painfull: And therefore when you want the Lord, when there is a distance betweene him and you, when he does not looke on you as he was wont, there will be painfulnesse in it and griefe.

Againe, there will be much joy and gladnesse when you have him. Therefore let it be one way to examine your selves, if you feele such a love towards him or no.

Besides that, let me aske you if you walke with the Lord, if you converse with him, if you be perfect in his presence, if you doe as Enoch did, walke with the Lord from day to day; as it is an argument of an evil man, that he walkes not with the Lord, that he restraines prayer from the Almighty, that is, that he does not converse with him: So is it a great argument of love to desire Gods company, to desire to be with him, to walke with God: (to use that phrase.) You will say, What is that to walke with him? To walke with him is to observe the Lords dealing with you, and to observe your carriage and dealing to him againe, that there may be continuall commerce and intercourse every day, that continually every houre, every moment, you would consider and think what the Lord does to you, what his carriage is to you, what passages of his providence concerne you. Againe consider what you doe to him, what carriage there is betweene you: I say this conversing is an argument of love. Sh[•]ll a wife professe love to her husband, and nenever come where he is, never be within dores, and never be in his companie? So, will you say you love Christ, and not be frequent in prayer, or neglect and slight that duty, seldome converse with him, and seldome speake of him? When you love your friend, you are with him as much as you can, you love to speake with him, and to speake of him: So it is with the Lord, if you love him, certainly you will love his company, you will love his presence.

Besides, if you love the Lord, you know love is a diligent thing: and therefore it is called d[•]ligent love, 1 Thess. 1:4.Effectuall faith, and diligent love: that is, when a man loves a thing, he is diligent to obtaine, he spares no laboure, no cost, he cares not what he does so he may get it; much labour seemes little to him, many yeares seeme a few dayes, he cares not what he does so he obtaine it, he is diligent and laborious. Doe you take this paines to draw neere to God, to get grace, to excell in it? Are you willing to put your selves to it, to denie your selves in your ease, to take some time from other businesses, and to bestow it this way? are you content to put your selves to a harder taske, to forbeare things that are pleasant according to the flesh, to take paines for the Lord? If you love God, it will make you diligent. A man will take paines to get the thing he loves.

Besides, love is an affection that would enjoy presently the thing it loves, it cannot endure deferring. And therefore when a man professeth he loves the Lord, and yet will deferre to come in, saying, I wil serve the Lord perfectly, but not yet, not till my youth be a little more over, not till things be thus and thus with me, then I will; it is certain you lovest him not: for it is true of every affection, that which is a true and right affection, that which is an hearty affection, it is present. If a man desire any thing, he would have it presently, hope would be presently satisfied: and therefore hope deferred is griefe, and love deferred is a great griefe: So that if you finde a disposition to put it off in your selves, I will doe it, but not yet; certainly you love not the Lord. It may be, if you were sure to die within a week or a month, what men would you be? how perfectly would you walke with God? how would you have your hearts weaned from the world more than they be? Well, if you love the Lord, you will doe as much presently, though much of your life remaine; for love is a present affection, it cannot endure deferring, but it would have full communion, and that speedily and presently: so is it with that affection where you finde it.

Againe, if you examine your selves further, if you have this love in you, you may know it by this, Love is a thing th[•]t is well pleased with it selfe, as we say, Love desires no wages, that is, it carries meate in the mouth of it, it is wages enough to it selfe, it has sweetnesse enough in it selfe, it desires no addition: So it is when a man loves, Love payes it selfe, I say, it is its own wages. And therefore if you love the Lord, you shall know it by this; you serve him, and serve him with all your might, with all your strength, though he should give you no wages. Jacob, as you know, served for Rachel, the very having her was wages enough: So if you love the Lord, the very enjoying of the Lord, the very having communion with the Lord, the very having the assurance of his favor, that you might say, My Beloved is mine, and I am my Beloveds: this is wages enough to a man that loves indeed, to such a man, though there were not heaven to follow, though there were not a present reward, nor a future, yet he would love the Lord; and if he love him, there will be a delight to serve him: and enough to him is the Lords favor, as Christ says, It is my meate and drinke to doe my Fathers will: that is, though there were no other meate and drinke, though there were no other wages, yet this was as pleasant to him as eating and drinking. Aske your own breast, whether in any thing you lovest, if the very enjoying of that, though there were no other wages superadded, if that were not motive enough, if it were not comfort enough, and wages enough to you to doe it?

But besides all this, to name one more, if you love the Lord, it will make you, it will constraine you to please him, it will put such necessity upon you to obey him in all things, to doe what he requires, whatever is for his advantage, that you cannot chuse but doe it; as the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 5.The Love of Christ constraines us: What is the meaning of that? That is, I cannot choose but doe it, it makes a man doe it whether he will or no; it is like fire in his breast, he cares for no shame, it makes him goe through thicke and thin, the love of Christ constraines us. It is true, I confesse, I may lose my reputation, you may reckon me a mad man, some men doe think me so, but that is all one, I must doe it, the love of Christ constraines me. So that where love is, it is such a strong impulsiue in the heart, it carries one on to serve and please the Lord in all things, that he cannot choose but doe it. As a man that is carried in a strong streame, or as one that is carried in a crowde, or as one that is carried in the hands of a strong man, so a man is carried with this affection that he cannot choose. You will say, this is strange that love should compell, it does nothing lesse. It is true: You must know, when the Apostle says, The love of Christ constraines me, it is a Metonomy from the effect, that is, love makes me doe it in that manner as a man that is compelled, that is the meaning of it: so it has the same effect that compulsion has, though there be nothing more different from compulsion than love. And therefore know that of love, that it is such a change as drawes one to serve the Lord out of an inward attractiue, from there I take that note of love, such a thing as puts it on, such a thing as riseth from an inward inclination of the mind, frō an inward principle, so that there is no other spurre, no other attractiue, but the amiablenesse of the object.

Now when a man shall finde this in himself, that he has all these, he findes that he has such a sensible love, that he knowes he loves the Lord Jesus: Againe, he findes an earnest desire to be in company with him, to walke with the Lord from day to day: Againe, he is exceeding laborious and diligent to get this love, to get this assurance of favor, and to excell in that grace, without which he knowes he cannot please him: Againe, when the affection is present, you would have communion with the Lord, and you would not have it deferred: Againe, when a man shall be well pleased with that he does, it is enough that he has the Lord himself, though there were no other wages: And when he findes such a strong impulsiue in him, in his own heart, that carries him on to serve the Lord, that he cannot choose but doe it; then you love the Lord: And if you love the Lord, you are in Christ. But if these things be not in you, you doe not love him: and then, what is your condition? You know what the Apostle says, He that loves not, let him bee accursed, let him bee had in execration to the death. I should prosecute it further, and show the reasons why we should love the Lord, as there is great reason: But that I must deferre till the afternoone.

FINIS.