Section 7

Seventhly, the seventh thing is to show, why true Christians do love Christ, whom they have never seen.

Reason 1. True Christians do love Christ because of the need which they have of him. Men do love their necessary food, without which their bodies would starve with hunger: men do love their necessary raiment and habitations, without which in winter seasons their bodies would starve with cold. Men do love their necessary friends, upon whom (under God) they have their dependence, and from whom they have all their subsistence: but no thing in the world, or friend in the world, is so needful to the body, as the Lord Jesus Christ is to the soul: and as the excellencies of the soul, are far beyond the excellencies of the body; so the necessities of the soul, are far beyond the necessities of the body: which necessities can be answered by none but Jesus Christ; and therefore true Christians do love him. At first conversion when they were convinced of sin, awakened out of their carnal security, O what need had they, and did they see they had of Christ! They perceived themselves to be lost, and that it was Christ only that could save them; they felt the wounds of conscience, and it was Christ only that could heal them; they feared the wrath of a sin-revenging God, and it was Christ only that could deliver them. The remission, reconciliation and salvation, which they had by Christ, did lay the first foundation of a most endeared love to Christ; and still they perceive a continual need of Christ, to procure daily pardon for them, and to convey daily supplies of grace to them. They have need of Christ, when they are dark to enlighten them; when they are dead to quicken them; when they are straitened, to enlarge them; when they are weak, to strengthen them; when they are sad, to comfort them; when they are tempted, to succor them; when they are fallen, to raise them; when they are in doubts, to resolve them; when they are under fears, to encourage them; when they stagger, to establish them; when they wander, to restore them. Christ, and none but Christ, can do all this, and more than this for them: and therefore because of the need and usefulness of Christ, true Christians do love him.

Reason 2. True Christians do love an unseen Christ, because of the loveliness of Christ; which loveliness, though it be not and cannot here be seen by the eye of the body, yet it is evident to the eye of faith. See the description which is given of Christ the Beloved, by his Spouse the Church (Song of Solomon 5:9). The daughters of Jerusalem there inquire of the love-sick Spouse, "What is your Beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women? what is your Beloved more than another beloved, that you do so charge us?" Hereupon the Spouse gives a description, verse 10: "My Beloved is white and ruddy, the foremost among ten thousand;" and after she had set forth his graces, beauties, and excellent accomplishments, in metaphors taken from beauties in the several parts of man's body, in the 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th verses, she concludes in the 15th and 16th verses, "His countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet, indeed he is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." The Spouse is here acknowledged to be the fairest among women, and not only by the daughters of Jerusalem, but her Beloved, who had a more curious eye, does both commend her loveliness and admire it (chapter 6:4-5): "You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem: Turn away your [reconstructed: eyes] from me, for they have overcome me," and verse 10, "Who is this that looks forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?" But what beauty is there then in the Beloved? If the Church be beautiful beyond all other of the children of men, how beautiful is Jesus Christ from whom the Church does derive all its comeliness? He is said to be white and ruddy — that shows the beauty of his face; and his countenance is said to be as Lebanon, and like the lofty cedars thereof — that shows the majesty of his face. His mouth is said to be most sweet; and sweet it is indeed, in regard of the gracious words which proceed from it: no doctrine so sweet as Christ's doctrine, no precepts so sweet as Christ's precepts, no promises so sweet as Christ's promises. But to sum up all excellencies and perfections in a word — he is said to be altogether lovely; there is no person or thing in the world that is most lovely, which can properly be called altogether lovely. Many defects may be found in the most amiable persons, and much insufficiency may be found in the most desirable things; but Christ is altogether lovely — unlovely in no respect, there being no spot or blemish, no defect or imperfection to be found in him. And he is lovely in every respect; there is an incomparable and transcendent amiableness in Christ's person in every regard. In the person of Christ the human nature and the divine nature are in conjunction; he is most lovely in regard of both. His human nature is compounded of body and soul. His body is most beautiful; a most glorious beauty and luster is put upon it: whatever it were in his state of humiliation, be sure it has a glorious beauty now in his state of exaltation. It is called [illegible] a glorious body (Philippians 3:21). If the face of Moses did shine with resplendent glory, after his conversing forty days with God in Mount Sinai which was below — how does the body of Christ shine, which has been above sixteen hundred years in Mount Zion which is above? I am persuaded that Christ's body is the most beautiful of all visible creatures. But the beauty of Christ's soul does excel: no creature whatever has such shining excellencies as are in the soul of Christ. All the excellencies that are, or ever were in any creature, are like a feather laid in the balance with the exceeding weight of his glorious excellencies and perfections. Christ excelled the most excellent men that ever lived, as to spiritual endowments, when he was here upon the earth: he excelled Moses in meekness, Solomon in wisdom, Job in patience; and how much does he excel now he is in Heaven? He excels not only the spirits of just men made perfect, but also the most glorious and holy angels that never sinned. If any creatures have wisdom, it is but a beam — Christ is the sun; if they have goodness, it is but a drop — in Christ is the ocean; if they have holiness, it is but a spark or dark shadow — Christ is the brightness of his Father's glory; if they have the Spirit, they have it but in some measure — the Spirit is given to Christ without measure (John 3:34). Christ is most lovely in his manhood, so nearly united to his Godhead; and how lovely is he in his Godhead? As God he is equal in all glorious excellencies with the Father. Christ's Godhead implies excellency of being — he calls himself "I am" (John 8:28). Excellency of glory — therefore called the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8) and King of glory (Psalm 24:7): "Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be you lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in." This is interpreted by some to be spoken of Christ's ascension, and the angels and saints making way for his triumphant entrance and possession of his heavenly palace. Many descriptions are given in the New Testament of this lovely person; I shall mention only one (Colossians 1:15-19): "Who is the image of the invisible God, the First-born of every creature; for by him were all things created that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be Thrones, or Dominions, or Principalities, or Powers: all things were made by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the Head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the First-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father, that in him all fullness should dwell." If we read, believe and consider this great description of Christ, we must needs see and say that Christ is most excellent and amiable, and that no beloved is like to the Beloved of true Christians: therefore it is that true Christians do love Christ, because of his loveliness.

Rea. 3. True Christians do love Christ, because of His love. His love which he does bear to them. He loves them with a first love, and with a free love; He loves them with a tender and compassionate love, with an active or doing love, with a passive or suffering love: His love is infinite without bounds or limits; it is superlative without comparison; transcendent beyond comprehension; everlasting without change, and which will have no end or conclusion. He loved them when they were polluted in their sins, and washed them with his own blood; he loved them when they were naked in their souls, and clothed them with the robes of his righteousness; He loves them in their sickness and sorrows, and is their Comforter; He loves them in their wants and straits, and is their benefactor, He loves them in Life, and is the Life of their souls; He loves them at Death, and is the stay of their hearts; And he loves them after Death, and will be their portion for ever. There is great reason that true Christians should love Christ, because of his loveliness; and there is further reason that they should love him, because of his love, especially when both are incomparable, both are incomprehensible. I shall further speak (God willing) to both these with other reasons, under the motives in the Exhortation to excite Christians to the love of Christ.