(8.) The eighth prope7iy. Eighthly, and lastly. Passive obedience acccmipanies salvation as well as active. ' Every one that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution,' 2 Tim. iii. 12, ii. 12, from tongue or pen, from hand or heart. ' If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him,' Rom. viii. 17, 18. There is no passing into para- dise but under the flaming sword. * Through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdom of heaven,' Acts xiv. 22. A sincere heart is [as] willing to obey Christ passively as actively : Acts xxi. 13, ' I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.' I am willing, says Paul, to lose my comforts for Christ, I am ready to endure any dolors for Christ, I am willing to lose the crea- ture, and to leave the creature for Christ.* Paul, Philip, iii. 8, speaks of himself as having been like one in a sea-tempest, that had cast out all
' The monk in the fable, being a poor fisherman's son, still spread a net over his table, as a remembrance of his mean original, till he had by these shows of humility attained to the highest preferments, which when he had attained, he laid away the net, because the fish was caught.
2 A Christian's emblem should be an house moving towards heaven, saith Clement. [See Vol. I., page 80.— G.]
^ Sic ; and this is a frequent construction with Brooks and his most scholarly con- temporaries.— G.
* i might produce a cloud of witnesses that have been excellent at suffering, at burning.
476 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
liis precious wares and goods for Christ's sake ; ' for whom,' says lie, ' I have suffered the loss of all.' So must we, in stormy times, cast all overboard for Christ, and swim to an immortal crown, through sorrows, blood, and death. But because I have in this treatise spoke at large of the sufferings of the saints, I shall say no more of it in this place ; and thus you see what that obedience is that accompanies salvation.
The fifth thing that I am to shew you is, what love that is that ac- companies salvation.
That love doth accompany salvation I have formerly shewed you ; but now I shall shew you what that love is that doth accompany salvation ; and that I shall do in these following particulars. I shall not speak of the firstness, freeness, fulness, sweetness, and greatness of Christ's love to us, but of that love of ours that accompanies salvation, concerning which I shall say thus :
(].) The first property. First, That love that accompanies salvation is a superlative love, a transcendent love. True love to Christ doth wonderfully transcend and surpass the love of all relations ; the love of father, mother, wife, child, brother, sister, yea, life itself. Mat. x; 37, 38, Luke xiv. 26, 27, 34. Ps. Ixxiii. 25, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.' Christ will be Alexander or Nemo, he will be all or nothing at all. There are the greatest causes of love, there are the highest causes of love, there are all the causes of love, to be found in Christ. In angels and men there are only some particular causes of love ; all causes of love are eminently and only to be found in Christ:* Col. i. 19, 'It pleased the Father that m him should all fulness dwell,' "TrXrioufia,. There is not only plenitudo abundanticB, but plenitudo redundantice, an overflowing of fulness in Jesus Christ. All wisdom, all knowledge, all light, all life, all love, all goodness, all sweetness, all blessedness, all joys, all delights, all pleasures, all beauties, all beatitudes, all excellencies, all glories are in Christ, Col, ii. 9. The true lovers of Christ know that Christ loves as a head, as a king, as a father, as a husband, as a brother, as a kinsman, as a friend. The love of all relations meets in the love of Christ ; and this raises up a believer to love Christ with a transcendent love. They know that Christ loves them more than they love themselves ; yea, that he loves them above his very life, John x. 1, 17, 18. And magnes amoris amor, love is the loadstone of love.* Christ is amiable and lovely; he is famous and conspicuous; he is spotless and matchless in his names, in his natures, in his offices, in his graces, in his gifts, in his discoveries, in his appearances, in his ordinances. He is full of gravity, majesty, mercy, and glory. * He is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.' His mouth is D»pno», sweetness; yea, DnoPiD 1^31, all of him is desires, or all of him is delights. Cant. v. 10-16. Christ is wholly delectable; he is altogether desirable from top to toe ; he is amiable and lovely, he is glorious and excellent.^ Christ is lovely, Christ is very lovely, Chiist is most lovely, Christ is always lovely, Christ is altogether lovely. He
' Friends maj* have the milk of a believer's love, but Christ hath the cream.
* We so far love as we know, Tantum diligimus, quantum cognoscimus. Certe non amat tile Christum, qui aliquid jAusquam Christum amat. — Augustine. Certainly they do not love Christ, who love anything more than Christ.
"» lie that holds not wholly with Christ, doth very shamefully neglect Christ. Aut toium mecum tene, aut totum omitte. — Greg. Nazianzen.
Rom. VIII. 32-34).] heaven on earth. 477
is 'the express image of God ;' he is ' the brightness of his Father's glory.' If the soal cau but anatomise him, it shall find in him all highi perfections and supereminent excellencies. And upon these and such like considerations the saints are led forth to love Jesus Christ with a most transcendent love.