3. Some love God because he is good in himself. Not only that he may be good to us, or because he hath been good to us, but because he is good in himself. God's essential goodness, which is the perfection of his nature, his infinite and eternal being, and his moral goodness, which is the perfection of his will, or his holiness and purity, is the object of love, as well as his beneficial goodness, or that goodness of his which promoteth our interest. I prove it, partly because God is the object of love, though we receive no good by it. Love and goodness aie as the iron and the load-stone ; nature hath made them so. Now God, con- sidered in his infinite perfection, is good, as distinguished from his doing good, Ps. cxix. 68. And partly because God loveth liimself first, and the creature for himself : Prov. xvi. 4, ' The Lord hath made all things for himself.' The first object of the divine complacency is his own being, and the last end of all things is his own glory and pleasure : Eev. iv. 11, ' For thy pleasure they are, and were created.' Now this is a reason to us, because the perfection of holiness standeth in an exact con- formity to God, and by grace we are made partakers of a divine nature, 2 Peter i. 4 ; which mainly discovereth itself in loving as God loveth. and hating as God hateth. And therefore we must love him in and for himself, and ourselves for him. And partly, because if God were only to be beloved for the effects of his benignity and beneficial goodness, this great absurdity would follow, that God is for the creature, and not the creature for God ; for the supreme act of our love would terminate in our happiness as the highest end, and God would be only regarded in order thereunto. Now to make God a means is to degrade him from the dignity and pre-eminence of God. Partly, because we are bound to love the creatures as good in themselves, though not beneficial to us ; therefore much more God, as good in himself. If we are to love the saints as saints, not because kind and helpful to us, but because of the image of God in them, though they never did us any good turn : Ps. xvi. 3, ' But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excel- lent, in whom is all my delight ; ' if we are to love the law of God, as it is pure, then we are to love God, because of the moral goodness of his nature, Ps. cxix. 140. These things are out of question clear and beyond all controversy. Why not God then, in whom is more purity and holiness, if indeed we are persuaded of the reality and excellency of his being ? Now in this last rank there are degrees also.
[1.] Some love Christ above his benefits. They do not love pardon and salvation, so much as they love Christ : 1 Peter ii. 7, ' To them that believe Christ is precious.' To love the gifts more than the person, the jointure more than the husband, in a temporal cause, would not be counted a sincere love. The truth is, at first the benefits do first lead us to seek after God. Man usually begiuneth at the lowest, and loveth God for his love to us, but he riseth higher upon acquaintance. First he loveth God for that taste of his goodness which we have in the creatures ; then for that goodness God exhibiteth in the ordinances.
152 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXIV.
for that help he offereth us there for our greatest necessities ; then as in graces, justification and sanctification ; then as in Christ, as the f'3uutain of all ; then God above Christ as mediator, as the ultimate object of love.
[2.] Possibly some may come to such a degree as to love Christ without his benefits. The height of Moses and Paul is admirable, who loved God's glory above their own salvation : Exod. xxxii. 32, ' Blot me out of thy book ; ' and Kom. ix. 3, ' I could even wish myself accursed from Christ for my brethren and kinsfolk in the flesh ; ' lay all his personal benefit, or the happy part of his portion at God's feet in Christ for a greater end, to promote his glory ; Ijut this extra- ordinary zeal is very rare, if attained by any other in this life.
[3.] Some love the benefits for liis sake ; heaven the better, because Christ is there ; pardon the better, because God is so much glorified in it ; holiness, as it is a conformity to God ; and the work, for the work's sake. Not but the other considerations tend to this, and have an influence upon this ; so much obliged to Cln-ist that everything is sweet as it Cometh from him, or relatetli to him.
2. Sinful respect to the benefits and rewards of religion bewray eth itself in four things.
[1.] When Christ is loved for worldly advantages. We must always distinguish between our spiritual interests and our carnal. To respect Christ for our temporal advantage is that which God abhorreth, as those that followed Christ for the loaves, John vi. 28, to be fed with a miracle without labour and pains. So, vix diligitur Jesus fyropter Jesum — scarce is Jesus loved for Jesus' sake. And still Christ's name is reverenced; but his office and saving grace are disregarded, and men are content with his common gifts, not seeking after his special benefits. It is no great matter to own that which is publicly esteemed, and now Christ is everywhere received, to make a general profession of being christians. Saith Gilbert, — Now the doctrine of Christ is handled in councils, disputed of in the schools, preached in assemblies, and his religion made the public profession of nations, it is no great matter of thanks to own the general belief of Christianity. There are many bastard motives of closing with Christ and his ways, as fame, and ease, and carnal honour, and the sunshine of worldly countenance. These are quite another thing than when a poor soul out of the sense of his lost estate would desire Christ, and would fain part with anything to gain Christ, Phil. iii. 7-9 ; and a sound convic- tion of our misery, and a sense of his excellency, and our suitableness, maketh us to close with him. The other followed him for the loaves ; indeed because his bread was buttered with worldly conveniences. P>y a respect to such base motives religion is prostituted to secular interests.