SEEMON XXVI.
For the love of Christ consiraineth us, because ice tJiiis Judge, that if one died for all, then icere all dead. — 2 Cor. v. 14.
We come now to the fifth case of conscience, about loving God with all the heart, a thing otten required in scripture. The original place is, Deut. vi. 5, ' And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy might.' It is repeated by our Lord, Mat. xxii. 37, ' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and all thy mind;' but in Mark x. 30, and Luke X. 27, ' With all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy strength.' This sentence was famous ; it was one of the four paragraphs, which the Jews were wont to write upon their phy- lacteries, and fastened to their door-posts, and read in their houses twice a-day. Mark, here is variety of words, sometimes three words are used, and sometimes four. Some go about accurately to distinguish them — by the heart interpreting the will ; by the soul, the appetite and affections : by the mind, the understanding ; and by might, bodily strength ; all put together with that intensive particle ' all ' imply great love to God. Now a doubt ariseth hereupon, how this is reconcilable with the defects of God's children, and the weaknesses of the present state. Yea, it seemeth to confine our aflections, that there will be love left for no other things ; for if God have all the heart, and all the soul, and all the mind, and all the strength, what is there left for husband, wife, children, christian friends, and other relations, without which respect human society cannot be upheld and preserved ? The doubt may be referred to two heads.
1. The irreconcilableness of the rule with present defects.
170 SERMONS UPOX 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXVI.
2. The confinement intimated is destructive of our respect to our natural comforts and relations.
First, Concerning!; the first, how it is reconcilable with those many partibilities and defects of God's children : —
I answer — First, by distinguishing. This sentence may be considered as an exaction of tbe law, or as a rule of the gospel.
1. As an exaction of the law. And so it serveth to show us, what duty the perfect law of God requireth ; complete love without tbe least defect — all the heart, all the soul, and all the might ; a grain wanting maketh the whole unacceptable, as one condition not observed forfeiteth the whole lease, though all the rest be kept. That this reference is not to be altogether slighted, appeareth by the occasion ; a lawyer asked him a question, tempting him, saying, ' Master, which is the great com- mandment of the law ? ' Mat. xxii. 35. Now Christ's aim was to beat down his confidence by proposing tbe rigour of the law : Luke x. 28, 'This do, and thou shalt live;' the best course to convince self- justiciaries, such as this lawyer was, thereby to rebate their confidence and to show the necessity of a better righteousness ; and so it is of use this way for a double end.
[1.] To convince us of the necessity of looking after the grace of the Eedeeraer.
[2.] To prepare us to entertain it with the more thankfulness.
[1.] Of the impossibility of keeping the law, and so the necessity of the use of the Eedeemer. For to fallen man the duty of the law is impossible, and the penalty of it intolerable ; tlierefore all men by this covenant, according to this covenant, are enclosed within a curse, shut up, and necessitated to seek the grace of the gospel : Gal. iii. 23, ' But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith, which should afterwards be revealed.' The law cannot be satisfied, unless the whole man obey wholly in all things, which to corrupt nature is impossible, and so it inevitably driveth us to Christ, who accepteth us upon more equitable terms.
[2.] To make us thankful for our deliverance by Christ. When you read these words, all the heart, all the soul, all the might, all the strength, bless the Lord Jesus in thy heart, that God doth not deal with us upon these terms ; that we are rid of this hard bondage, exact obedience or eternal ruin : ' That the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the law of sin and death,' Eom. viii. 2, i.e., of that rigorous covenant, which to man fallen serveth only to convince of sin, and to bind over to death. If God should sue us upon the old bond, a straggling thought, a wandering glance, might make us liable to the curse.
2. As a rule of the gospel. ' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, &c. * With all,' this is not wholly antiquated, and out of date in the gospel ; we must distinguisli what is required by way of precept, and what is accepted by way of covenant ; for the rule is as strict as ever, but the covenant is not so strict — to wit, that we must necessarily perish if we break it in the least jot or tittle. The rule is as strict as ever, and admitteth of no imperfection, either of parts or degrees ; but the covenant is not so strict, but accepteth of a perfec- tion of parts, and of such a degree, as is dominating and prevailing,