Section 6

I come now to the Application: And here that I may give to every one his portion, I shall speak, 1. To you that have no love to Christ: 2. To you that have some love to Christ, but are without these manifestations. 3. To you that both love Christ, and have manifestations of his love to you.

Use 1. The first use does concern such as have no love at all to Christ: Christ will manifest himself to them that love him, this is children's bread, and does not belong to you, because you do not belong to Christ; this is a choice and most rich privilege, but you have nothing to do with it; Procul ite Profani. Avaunt all you profane ones, all you unclean ones, all you ungodly ones, all unbelievers whatever, who being without faith, are also without love to Christ; see that you come not near to lay your unclean hands upon this most excellent promise; never look for any discovery of Christ's love to you while you go on in ways of sin, while you are in your natural estate. I believe some of you may be ready to say, What if Christ does not manifest himself to us? Let us have our honors and dignity, let us have our wealth and plenty, let us have our friends and delights, and let who will look after those airy and fanciful satisfactions in Christ's manifestations. Sinners, is this your language either of tongue or heart? Let me tell you, one day you will sing another tune, you will be of another mind; one day you will acknowledge, that all the happiness which you so eagerly pursued in the sweetest creature-enjoyments, was but a fancy, that it was thin, light and airy; that it was vain and empty, when all is fled away and left nothing behind but stings and bitter grief, but inward wounds, gripes, and dreads, upon the sight of approaching death, and under apprehensions of approaching wrath, and eternal torments in Hell. Then what would you give for an interest in Jesus Christ, and a well-grounded persuasion of his special love to your souls? Then the manifestations of Christ will appear to be no airy thing, and that nothing besides this can rationally support your souls when you come to the borders of the grave, and to the confines of eternity. And let me further tell you that have no love to Christ, that although Christ while you are such will never manifest himself to you in a way of love, yet there is a day coming when he will manifest himself to you, but this manifestation will be with a vengeance, it will be in a way of most furious anger; I mean, at the last day of judgment, when Christ will be revealed from Heaven, not only to those that love him, but also to those that hate him, for every eye shall then see him, and he will come in flaming fire to take vengeance upon you that have not obeyed this Gospel-precept, to love him. The consideration of this should awaken you to fear and fly from sin, which otherwise will be your ruin and eternal perdition; and O that withal you would be persuaded to apply yourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, that you may hereby have interest in him, and in that great salvation which he has purchased for you, and which in the Gospel is freely tendered to you! And this faith in Christ would work love to Christ, and put you in a capacity of these manifestations of Christ's love to your souls.