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Christian. Mark it when you will, and you shall find this disposition mani- fest in every true convert. They are daily humbling themselves for the least ofleuce.
A second direction is, to tasle of the love of God in Christ. When the beams of his favour once shine into our hearts, we cannot but reflect upon him again. ' Wo love him,' saith the apostle, ' because he loved us fii'st,' 1 John iv. 10. Mary therefore ' loved much,' because she had the experi- ence of God's love ' in forgiving her many sins,' Luke vii. '47. When a broken humble soul truly savoureth the goodness of the Lord, it cannot but be inflamed with desire after him. A Christian, after he hath had a taste of the love of God, hath another manner of judgment of justification than before. ' Taste and see,' saith David, ' how good and gracious the Lord is,' Ps. xxxiv. 8. A man that relishes the sweetness of a thing can better judge of it than he which never tasted it.
A third direction is, to see ivhat motives and reasons we have from the love of God in Christ to exercise our understandings this way. We know heat cometh from light, and there is a sympathy between the brain and the heart. The brain must make a report to the heart before that can be inflamed with aflfection ; therefore seriously search into the grounds of thy affection.
(1.) The first ground is, goodness in God. God is goodness itself, in whom all goodness is involved. If, therefore, we love other things for the good- ness which we see in them, why do we not love God, in whom is all good- ness ? All other things are but sparks of that fire, and drops of that sea. Seest thou any good in the creature ; remember there is much more in the Creator. Leave, therefore, the streams, and go to the well-head of comfort.
(2) Another reason of love is our affinity ivith God oar Father and friend, who is unto us in all degrees of nearness, both our head and our husband. Were not the Son ours, what fellowship could we have with the Father? Having such a Mediator with God, that is 'bene of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,' why should we fear to go unto him? He hath taken upon him these comfortable relations of shepherd and brother, to possess us of his acquaintance with our infirmities and readiness to relieve us. For shall others by his grace fulfil what he calls them unto, and not he that out of his love, hath taken upon him these relations, so thoroughly founded upon his Father's assignment and his own voluntary undertaking ? How doth the tender mother sympathise in the anguish of her child, notwith- standing all its frov/ard averseness ? And shall we think there is more bowels in ourselves than in God ? Can there be more sweetness in the stream than in the spring ? If the well of consolation be always open, and the fountain of living water be never shut up, let us teach our hearts to suck and draw comfort from these rivers of refreshing. What a shame is it that men should hunger at such a feast !
Consider, likewise, the benefits which we have bestowed upon us, and the end why God vouchsafes us so much favour.
Benefits win love even from brute creatures. Therefore we are worse than beasts, if we love not God for his benefits. ' The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib,' Isa. i. 3. What are we indeed but an heap of God's benefits ? All our faculties of soul and body are the blessings of God. Whatsoever we have or hope to have is from him. Our breath, life, and being subsists in God, who hath promised that 'heaven and earth, men and devils, crosses and blessings, sin and death,' all shall be turned by his over-ruling power to our good.
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' ' (3) Consider uhat now we are, and what a happy condition God hath made us capable of hereafter. Is it a small mattei* that we should be regarded above the angels that fell ? and that he who knew no sin should be made sin for us, nay, become a curse to free us from the curse ? It was strange that the ' three children,' being cast into the hot fieiy furnace, should not burn. So likewise it is a wonder that Christians, being in the midst of the flame of God's love, should be so cold and deact-hearted. It is not only the guilt of sin that we are freed from, but the unsupportable vengeance of the Almighty due for the same. And is this a small matter ?
(4.) If we regard the manner of bestowing his benefits, it will much advance God's goodness towards us, and raise up our spirits to love him again. Doth not he love us fii'st of all, and prevent* us with his favours ? Is not his love full and overflowing, so as he never leaves us until he make an end ? Where he freeth a man from danger, he settleth him in a good estate, never ceas- ing till he possess him of gloiy ; as it is 2 Tim. iv. 17, ' The Lord hath freed me out of the mouth of the lion, and he will preserve me to his ever- lasting kingdom.' He dehvers us from spiritual evil, and gives us spiritual good. The meditation of these things will warm our hearts.