Use 2d. Let us be persuaded to love God with all our heart and might. O let us take our love off from other things, and place it upon God ! Love is the heart of religion, the fat of the offering; it is the grace which Christ inquires most after, John xxi. 15., " Simon lovest thou me?" Love makes all our services acceptable, it is the musk that ])erfumes them. It is not so much duty, as love to duty, (iod delights in : therefore serving and loving God are put together, Isa. Ivi. (J. It is better to love iiim than to serve him ; obedience without love is like wine without the spirit. O then, be persuaded to love God with all your heart and might ! To persuade to this virgin -affection of love.
1. It is nothing but your love God de- sires. The Lord might have demanded your children to be ofl'ered in sacrifice ; he might have bid you cut and lance your- selves, or lien in hell a while; but he only desires your love, he would only have this flower. Is this an hard request, to love (lod? Was ever any debt ejisicr paid than this ? Is it any labour for the wife to love her husband ? Love is delightful. 2s/^on jyotest amor esse, ct diilcix mm esse, Bf.iix. What is there in our love, that (iod should desire it? Why shouhl a king desire the love of a woman that is in deht and discas-
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OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
ed ? God doth not want our love. There are anj^els enough in heaven to adore and love him. What is God the better for our love ? It adds not the least cubit to his es- sential blessedness. God doth not need our love, yet seeks it. Why doth God de- sire us to give him our heart ? Prov. xxiii. 26. Not that he needs our heart, but that he may make it better.
2. Great will be our advantage, if we love God. God doth not court our love, that we should lose it, 1 Cor. ii. 9., " Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." If you will love God, you shall have such a reward as exceeds your faith. God will betrothe you to himself in the dearest love, Hos. ii. 19., " I will betrothe thee unto me for ever, in lo^dng-kindness and mercies;" Zeph. iii. 17., "The Lord thy God will rejoice over thee with joy, he will rest in his love." If you love God, he will interest you in all his riches and dig- nities, he will give you heaven and eartli for your dowry, he will set a crown on your head. Vespasian the emperor gave a gi'eat reward to a woman who came to him, and professed she loved him , God gives a crown of life to them that love him, James i. 12.
3. Love is the only grace that shall live witli us in heaven. In heaven we shall need no repentance, because we have no sin ; no faith, because we shall see God face to face: but love to God shall abide for ever, ' Love never faileth,' 1 Cor. xiii. 8. I low shall we nourish this grace, which shall outlive all the graces, and run paral- lel with eternity !
4. Our love to God is a sign of his love to us, 1 John iv. 19., " We love him be- cause he first loved us." By nature we have no love to God; we have hearts of
stone, Ezek. xxxvi. 1. And how can any love be in hearts of stone ? Our loving him is from his loving us. If the glas? burn it is because the sun hath shined on it, else it could not burn; if our hearts burn in love, it is a sign the Sun of Righ- teousness hath shined upon us.
Quest. How shall we do to love God a- right ?
Ans. 1. Wait on the preaching of the word. As faith comes by hearing, so doth love; the word sets forth God, in his in- comparable excellencies ; it doth decyphei and pencil him out in all his glory, and a sight of his beauty inflames love.
A. 2. Beg of God that he will give you a heart to love him. WTien king Solomon asked wisdom of God, " the speech pleased the Lord," 1 Kings iii. 10. So, when thou criest to God, ' Lord, give me a heart to love thee, it is my grief I can love thee no more !' sure this prayer pleaseth the Lord, and he will pour out his Spirit upon thee, whose golden oil will make the lamp of thy love burn bright.
A. 3, You who have love to God, keep it flaming upon the altar of your heart. Love, as fire, will be ready to go out. Rev. ii. 4., " Thou hast left thy first love." Through neglect of duty, or too much love of the world, our love to God will cool. O preserve your love to God ! As you would be careful to preserve the natural heat in your body, so be careful to ]>rescrve the heat of love to God ! Love is like oil to the wheels, it quickens us in God's ser- vice. When you find your love abate and cool, use all means for quickening; when the fire is going out, you throw on fuel : when the flame of love is going out, make use of the ordinances as sacred fuel to keep the fire of yom- love burning.
OF THE PREFACE TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
ExoD. XX. 1, 2. And God spake all these words, saymg, I am the LORD thy God, 8fc.
Quest. XLIII. WHAT is the preface to llie Ten Command tneiits ?
Axs. The preface to the Ten Command- ments is, " I am the Lord thy God."