I HAVE chosen this scripture to speak of the love of gratitude, or that thankful return of love which we make to God, because of his great love to us in Christ. Before I go on further in this discourse, I shall handle some cases of conscience.
First, About the reason and cause of our love ; whether God be only to be loved for his beneficial goodness, and not also for his essential and moral perfections. The cause of doubting is this ; whether true love iloth not rather respect God as amiable in himself, than beneficial to US ? The ancient writers in the church seemed to be of this mind. Lombard, out of Austin, defineth love to be that grace by which we love God for himself, and our neighbour for God's sake.
A71S. 1. There are several degrees of love.
1. Some love Christ for what is to be had from him, and that ho may be good to us ; there we begin. The first invitation to tlie creature is the ofi'er of pardon and life : Mat xi. 28, 29, ' Come unto
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me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls ; ' and Heb. xi. 6, ' He that Cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' Self-love, and the natural sense of our own misery, and the sense of our burden, and the desires of our happiness, have a marvellous influence npon us, yea, wholly govern us in our first address to God by Christ. Now this is not altogether to be blamed and condemned. Partly, because there is no other dealing with mankind. Tell a malefactor of the perfections of his judge, this will never induce him to love him. And partly, because we may and must love Christ as he hath revealed himself to our love. Now he hath revealed himself as a saviour, as a pardoner, as a rewarder, for surely we may make use of God's motives. He suffereth us to begin in the flesh, that we may end in the spirit ; there is some grace in this very seeking love. You are affected with the true cause of misery, not outward necessity, but sin ; you seek after the right remedy, w^iich is in Christ, and there is some faith in that, in taking Christ at his word. The defect of this love is, that you mind your own personal benefit and safety, rather than the pleasing, obeying, and glorifying of God ; so far there is weakness in this act ; but this is the only way to bring in the creature ; as when a jDrince ofi'ereth pardon to his rebels, with a promise that he will restore them to their forfeited privileges in case they will lay down their arms, and submit to his mercy. Self-interest moveth them at first, but after love and duty to their prince holdeth them within the bounds of their duty and allegi- ance. I will ease you, saith Christ, you shall find rest to your souls ; I will be a rewarder to you, and give you eternal life. As lost creatures we take him at his word, and afterwards love him and serve him upon purer motives. Or take the similitude thus ; in a treaty of marriage, the first proposals are grounded upon estate, suitableness of age, and parentage, and neighbourhood, and other conveniences of life ; conjugal affection to the person groweth by society and long converse. Fire at first kindling casts forth much smoke, but afterwards it is blov,'n up into a purer flame.
2. Some love him for the good which they have received from him. Not so mucli that he may be good, but because he hath been good ; and indeed the love of gratitude is a true christian and gospel love, and hath a greater degree of excellency than the former, because thankful- ness is the great respect of the creature to the creator, and because so few return to give God the glory of what they have received ; but one of the healed lepers returned back, and glorified God, Luke xvii. 15-18. And because gratitude hath in its nature something that is more noble than self-seeking, and bare expectation ; for connnou reason tells us that it is better to give than to i-eceive ; and in tins returning love, we seek to bestow something upon God, in that way we are capable of, of doing such a thing, or God of receiving it. This returning love is often spoken of in scripture, as a praiseworthy thing : Ps. cxvi. 1, ' I will love the Lord, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications : ' and Pom. xii. 1, ' I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
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God, which is your reasonable service.' God hath the honour of a pre- cedency, but we of a return : 1 John iv. 16, 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.' There is the true spirit of the «2:ospel in such a love, for gospel obedience and service is a life of love, and praise, and thankfulness.