Section 11

Use 4. For exhortation to the love of Jesus Christ, whom you have never seen, this is the use chiefly designed in the choice of this subject, and which I shall most largely insist upon. In the prosecution of it, I shall give some motives, and then some directions.

The motives to induce and excite you to the love of this unseen Christ may be drawn: 1. From the consideration of what Christ is. 2. From the consideration of Christ's love. 3. From the consideration of Christ's benefits. 4. From the consideration of that love which Christians have, and should have, to Christ.

The first sort of motives may be drawn from the consideration of what Christ is, and that: 1. What he is in himself. 2. What he is to the Father. 3. What he is to true Christians.

First, consider what Christ is in himself.

In general, he is the most amiable person and the most suitable object for your love. If you ask of the days which are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man upon the earth; if you seek from one side of heaven to the other; if you make inquiry into all the parts of the earth, you will never find that either there ever was or is to be found any person so lovely, so beautiful and so every way deserving your love, as the Lord Jesus Christ: there is a matchless, transcendent, and incomparable beauty and excellency in him. How passionately are some foolish men in love with the external beauty which they see in some women: the exact symmetry of parts, and comely proportion of the body; the amiable features and lovely mixtures of colors in the face, the beauty of the eyes, in their spirit their quick and graceful motions, and amorous glances; how does this ravish the hearts of some fond lovers! Although the most beautiful body in the world is no better than painted clay, dirt and corruption, enclosed in a fair skin, which sickness will cause to look pale and wan, death will quite mar and spoil. But the amiableness and beauty of Christ is more transcendent and permanent, and therefore a more fit object for your love. Christ is fairer than the children of men; he is all fair without any spot, altogether lovely without any blemish or deformity. I have already spoken of the glorious beauty which is in Christ's glorified body, the most lovely of any visible creature which God has made; and also of the shining excellencies which are in Christ's glorified soul, so nearly joined to the Divinity; could we suppose all the loveliness that ever was seen, or found in the most lovely persons that ever lived, to meet in one person; how lovely would that person be! Yet such, though never so resplendent, beauty, would be but a dark shadow, compared with the brightness of Christ's most beautiful person. Can you love the imperfect beauty which you see in creatures, and will you not love the perfect beauty which there is in Christ? Can you love a fading beauty which soon withers like the flower, and will you not love Christ, whose beauty never decays, but always does abide more fresh than beauty in the flower of youth? Can you be soon affected with beautiful objects which are before the eye of your sense, and will you not be affected with this far more beautiful object, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is so clearly discernible by the eye of faith? If the eye of your faith were open and clear, to look upon the transcendent amiableness which is in Christ, you could not choose but love him: could you see the glances of his eye, and the sweet smiles of his lovely face, as some have seen, your hearts would be overcome and ravished with love, and filled with ecstasies of joy and ineffable delight.

More particularly, there are the most amiable qualifications in Christ's person, to attract and draw forth your love; I shall instance in these six: 1. His greatness and authority. 2. His holiness and purity. 3. His wisdom and omniscience. 4. His truth and fidelity. 5. His fullness and all-sufficiency. 6. His kindness and mercy.

1. Consider Christ's greatness and authority. Aquila non capit muscas — the eagle does not pursue after flies: great souls are not affected, except it be with great things; there is none so great as Jesus Christ; he is most great in honor and dignity, he is most great in power and authority. Excellency of majesty does greatly engage the love, and command the hearts as well as the obedience of subjects: and those princes that have the greatest power and authority are the darlings of the people, when they don't abuse their place by unrighteousness and cruelty, by usurpation and tyranny. If power be managed with clemency, and authority with kindness towards those that are under command; so highly do princes advance themselves hereby in the esteem and love of their people, that they will be ready to spend their estates, and venture their lives in their service. Christ is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth, he is clothed with the highest honor, arrayed with the most excellent majesty, decked with the largest power, and invested with the greatest authority. He is the King and Lord of glory, he is exalted to higher dignity than the greatest potentate that ever lived upon the earth; indeed he is advanced above all thrones and dominions, and principalities and powers, of the glorious angels which are in heaven; all power is given to him in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). He does what he will in heaven — the angels are at his beck, and execute his will, go and come at his command; and he has power on earth; he is the Head of the Church, and head over all to the Church; he can restrain his enemies, and conquer them, and bring them under his feet at his pleasure; and whatever severity he does show sometimes in executing his judgments, and taking vengeance on the wicked, he does never abuse his power by unrighteousness: he is most just towards the worst, and punishes them here less than their iniquities do deserve. But what kindness and clemency does he show to his own subjects and people? And will not you have a great love to so great a person? Should not the consideration of the high dignity of your Lord raise your love of him to a great height? When Christ has such authority, shall he not command your hearts? When Christ is invested with such power that he can defend you against the rage and cruelty of your most powerful and malicious adversaries, will you not love greatly such a person, as well as trust confidently under the shadow of his government?

2. Consider Christ's holiness and purity, some great persons who abound in wealth and honor, who have some kind of amiable natural qualities, and acquired accomplishments which might render them very useful in their countries, yet through their wickedness and debauchery, their filthiness and impurity, their impious and vicious lives, they stain all their other excellencies, and render themselves the objects of contempt and scorn, to those who otherwise would bear great respect and love to them.

But Christ is most amiable for his holiness and purity; he was holy in his birth; although born of a sinful woman, yet he was born without sin; when he lived among impure sinners he kept his garments from all stains and spots, his heart and life were free from all pollutions, and never was he guilty of the least transgression either in action or the least inclination. O what an excellent person was Christ when here upon the earth! How glorious in holiness, what bright beams of perfect purity and exact innocency did Christ scatter in those dark places of the earth where he lived, and among those dark sullied sinners with whom he did converse! How then does Christ shine in holiness, now he is entered into the Holy of Holies, which is above; and there does converse with none but such as are holy? I know because of Christ's holiness and purity, he is the object of the hatred and enmity of the wicked and ungodly; because Christ is an enemy to their darling and beloved lusts, they have an enmity against Christ's person: when he was here below he tells his brethren (John 7:7), "The world hates me, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil," and the hatred of the world does still abide upon the same account; Christ does reprove the world of sin, and this the world cannot endure and away with; the beams of Christ's holiness do offend their sore eyes, his holy precepts do offend their carnal hearts; yet notwithstanding this, he is a most suitable object for the love of saints upon the account of his holiness: such as are truly judicious will love them most who are best, and such are really the best men and women in the world, as are most holy; if you are Christ's disciples indeed, you love holiness wherever you see it, and can you love the imperfect holiness which is in God's people, and will you not love Christ who is perfectly, infinitely holy himself, and the spring of all that holiness, which is to be found in any of the children of men? If there be such a wonderful luster in the derived holiness of some, that it makes them to shine as lights in a dark world, what a wonderful transcendent luster is there in the original holiness which is in Christ! Which as it is matter of great admiration, so it calls for great affection (Psalm 119:140): "Your word is very pure, therefore your servant loves it." Christ is the Word, not the written Word, but the Essential Word, and he is very pure, therefore you should love him.

3. Consider Christ's wisdom and omniscience. Wisdom does make the face to shine; learning does advance some very highly in esteem; such as know most, if their morals be suitable to their intellectuals, are most admired by those that understand what true worth is; especially if there be spiritual wisdom in conjunction with natural and acquired, if there be much grace in the heart as well as much knowledge in the head, how worthy are such to be beloved? Daniel was a man of great learning and wisdom, skilled in all the learning of the Chaldeans which was not sinful and diabolical; and besides this he was endowed with divine wisdom by the teachings of the Holy Spirit; the angel told this Daniel more than once or twice, that he was a man greatly beloved; he was greatly beloved by the Lord of Heaven, greatly beloved by his prince on earth, and greatly beloved by his people, and by all, except some few that envied his prosperity and favor. Daniel's wisdom did render him so universally amiable; how then should Christ be beloved because of his wisdom and knowledge! The wisdom of Christ is far beyond the wisdom of Daniel, or the wisdom of Solomon who was wiser than Daniel; these men had wisdom which made them famous and esteemed in their day, but Christ is wisdom, the wisdom of the Father; they were children of wisdom, but Christ is the Father and Fountain of wisdom; they had some jewels of wisdom, but the treasures of wisdom are hid and laid up in Christ (Colossians 2:3). They had learning and knowledge, but their knowledge was ignorance compared with the knowledge of Christ, the greatest part of the things which they knew, being but the least part of the things which they knew not; they knew some things, but Christ is omniscient and knows all things; they knew many secrets of nature, but Christ knows the secrets of Heaven, the mind of God, and nothing is hid from him. How greatly beloved then should Christ be loved, if you are wise you will, if you would be wise you must love Christ who is so infinitely wise himself, and who alone can make you truly wise.

4. Consider Christ's truth and fidelity, truth and faithfulness are very rare in our days, when falsehood and deceit do so much abound; what was said of old (Isaiah 59:14-15), "Truth fails and falls in the street," the same may be said now; and therefore such as are true without guile, faithful without deceit, are worthy of great esteem and love. But what love should you give to Christ, who is not only true, but truth itself; who is most faithful in all his undertakings and promises, and never deceived any that put their trust in him, who is often better than his word, never worse? You will love a true and faithful friend, and will you not love a true and faithful Christ, the best friend of the children of men? As Christ's faithfulness should encourage your confidence in him, so it should endear your love to him.

5. Consider Christ's fullness and all-sufficiency. Such as have large and plentiful estates are greatly beloved by the poor and indigent, if they find them also to have large hearts and open hands ready to distribute to their wants and necessities; none have such fullness and plenty as the Lord Jesus Christ, and none so willing to communicate of his fullness to the wants of such as are poor in spirit, and sensible of their need (Colossians 1:19). It has pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. There is not only plenty in him, but fullness: not the fullness of the cistern, but the fullness of the fountain; not the fullness only of sufficiency for himself, but the fullness of redundancy for his people; not some fullness for some things, but all fullness for all things that are good; not fullness for some time and to continue but for a while, but all fullness does dwell in him, and abide for all his people throughout all generations; and this not to depend upon the pleasure of men whose minds may alter, but it has pleased the Father, it depends upon the pleasure of the Father who is always the same, and whose good will to his people is unchangeable. There is a twofold fullness in Christ for his people here, besides his fullness of glory which has a reference to eternity. There is a fullness of merit, and a fullness of Spirit. 1. A fullness of merit, in that full and perfect righteousness which he has wrought out for them, and which he does impute to them for their justification. 2. There is a fullness of Spirit in Christ, the Spirit being given to him without measure, which he does impart and communicate to them, for their sanctification and consolation. Christians, you are empty, Christ is full; you are poor, Christ is rich; you are indigent, Christ is all-sufficient; and will you not love Christ, who is able to do for you beyond what you are able to ask or think, and is as willing as he is able to supply all your spiritual necessities? Will you not love Christ who is an overflowing and everflowing fountain of good, who has inexhaustible treasures of graces and comforts in him, which are set open before you, and to you, and every day you may freely come and fetch such jewels out of this treasury, as are of higher worth and greater use than any earthly riches in the greatest plenty and abundance?

6. Consider Christ's kindness and mercy. All the kindness of men is unkindness compared with the kindness of Christ; all the mercies of men are cruelty compared with the mercies of Christ. He is all kindness, all bowels, all compassion, all pity, all grace, all mercy to miserable lost mankind; I shall not enlarge here because this will fall under the second head of arguments, taken from the consideration of Christ's love. And if you add the kindness and mercy of Christ to all his other excellencies and perfections, surely he will appear to have incomparably the greatest attractives in him for love, to any that have not a very thick veil of unbelief before their eyes to hide him from their view.

Secondly, consider what Christ is to the Father. 1. He is most nearly related to him. 2. He is most dearly beloved by him.

1. Christ is most nearly related, and with all most perfectly like the Father. All the creatures are related to God as their Maker, but God's children are more nearly related; the saints are nearly related to God, who are his children by adoption and regeneration; the angels are more nearly related to God who are his sons by creation, and never were separated from him by sin; but the Lord Jesus Christ is most nearly related to God who is his Son by eternal generation: thus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, and does bear his image most perfectly, being the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person. This near relation of Christ, and his likeness to the Father, does call for your strongest love; if you have reason to honor the Father, on the same account you have reason to honor the Son; if you have reason to love the Father, you have the same reason to love the Son. You will love the sons of princes, and will you not love the Son of God? You will love your own children who bear your own image, and will you not love Christ who is the express image of God? We read of Christ (Philippians 2:6): Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God. Christ (without robbery or derogation to God) is equal with God in all glorious excellencies and perfections, and therefore your highest and strongest love is his due, and without robbery you cannot withhold it from him.

2. Christ is most dearly beloved by the Father (2 Peter 1:17). For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him, from the Excellent Glory: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. He then that is worthy of the Father's love, surely is worthy of yours; he that is chiefly beloved by the Father should chiefly be beloved by you.

Thirdly, consider what Christ is to all true Christians; if you be such, Christ is your shepherd, he feeds you in green pastures, he has laid down his life for his sheep, and will you not love such a shepherd? He is your captain who has conquered all your enemies for you, and leads you on to take the spoils, and will you not love such a leader? He is your prophet, who teaches you the most excellent things that ever were taught, the highest mysteries, the most glorious truths, which are of the greatest concern to know and believe; and he teaches you in the most excellent way by his word and Spirit, opening your understandings as well as his truths, giving you light and an eye to discern this light; and will you not love such a teacher? He is your High-Priest who has made satisfaction for you, and also makes intercession for you, to reconcile you to God and his intercession is incessant and prevalent, and will you not love such an advocate? He is your king who rules you most powerfully and righteously, most wisely and graciously, and will you not love such a sovereign. He is your benefactor the most kind and bountiful, and no gifts are comparable to his gifts, and will you not love such a friend? He is your brother, and if he is not ashamed to own you for his brethren and sisters, will it not be a shame if you should withhold from him your hearts? He is your husband, and you are joined to him by the Spirit and faith in such bonds as cannot be broken, and will you not embrace him in the arms of your dearest love? He is your Redeemer who rescued and delivered you from sin and Satan, from death and wrath: he has redeemed you by price, the price of his blood, and has he not then given the greatest price for your love? He has redeemed you also by conquest, and shall he not make a conquest of your hearts? Surely you are altogether unworthy of these relations if you do not present Christ with your most endeared and choicest affections. Thus far the motives drawn from the consideration of what Christ is.