I speak this the rather, because men go plodding upon duties, and take not a right method. When we find any distemper and deadness of spirit, search what is the cause of it. If it be negligence, irreverence, or any such thing, let us repent, and do the first works. But let us always take this in : ' Lord, shew thyself, shew thy love ; thy pardoning love first, and then thy curing love ; thy forgiving love, and then thy giving love. I am in a sinful state, forgive that which is amiss, and give me that which I want ; shew thy large love every way, both in giving and forgiving ; heal me and cure me ; let me feel this thy love in the sweetest peculiar fruits of it ;' and then reformation will follow upon all, then our care will be continual, when we have the love of God so to walk as that we may abide in that love, and that love in us, that we do not displease him, nor give occasion of distaste.
THE MATCHLESS LOVE AND INBEING. 399
Therefore there must be a great deal of reverence and love, much humility and watchfulness, if we would preserve ourselves in the love of God. For when one hath once tasted of his love, it is his desire alway to taste it, to taste how gracious the Lord is, Ps. xxxiv. 8. If we therefore would so do, let us watch narrowly, as he that would keep his acquaintance and love with a great person. For we must know the distance between the great God and us. There must be humility. Humble thyself, and walk with thy God, and ' make an end of your salvation with fear and trembling,' Philip, ii. 12. With a fear of jealousy, especially that we grieve not the Spirit, that ' seals us to the day of redemption,' Ephes. iv. 30. And there- fore, if we have the Spirit witnessing this love, which is the cause of all comfort and all grace, grieve not the Spirit, quench not the Spirit. When the motions of it come, resist not th§ gracious Spirit with carnal delights ; let the Spirit have a full work ; let us lie open to the Spirit of God. God's love reigns in us then, when we will do nothing contrary to it.
Now the sweetest fruit of it in us is his Spirit. Let us not quench nor resist the Spirit, but cherish it by all duties, and by all holy means. One day led thus by a Christian, though with some conflict with corruption, in the taste and sense of God's love to him in Christ, is worth all contentment that this world can afford. And therefore David knew well enough what he wished, Ps. iv. 6, when he desires * neither corn, nor wine, nor oil.' Let them, saith he, desire what they will, but, ' Lord, shew me the light of thy countenance,' and in it I shall have all that I desire to have; and without that I care neither for corn, nor wine, nor oil, nor any thing.
So let it be our prayer that God would shew his love and mercy, that he would shew his love to us in Christ, which is better tlia"n life itself. And then for other things, be at a point, be indifferent. We see the apostles' prayers in their epistles, all of them being led by the same Spirit. They pray for grace, and mercy, and peace. Why do they not pray for all other things ? To shew if they had grace, and mercy, and the love of God, they have all. If we have not that, it is no matter what we have. But some other things there are to be unfolded, which must be referred till another time.
THE MATCHLESS LOVE AND INBEING.
SERMON II.
That the love ivherewlth thou hast loved me may he in them,, and I in them. —
John XVII. 26."
I HA\^ spoken at sevei'al times of this verse. We propounded formerly out of it these points to be handled :
First, That the love wherewith God loves his own Son is the love where- with he loves those that be in him.
Secondly, That God loves his own Son best and first.
Thirdly ,"^ That the love of God is the cause of all good to us.
Fourthly, That this love of God may be known.
Fifthly, That one way and ground to know that God loves us with that love he loves his own Son, is the manifestation of God's name : the mani- festation of God's truth in the gospel. By that we come to know that God loves us ; for this is the coherence of the text, ' I have manifested thy name to them, that thy love may be in them.' So then, the scope, as we see hence, of the gospel, and the manifesting of it, is to lay open the riches of God's love to us, that we may know that God loves us in his beloved Son Christ Jesus. Indeed, so it is. For we have a throne of grace discovered to us in the gospel — God reconciled in Jesus Christ. All is love and mercy to those that are in Christ. ' I have manifested thy name, that thy love may be in them.' The more, therefore, God's name is manifested, God's truth and the covenant of grace, his love and mei-cy, his name whereby he is now known in the gospel, the more, I say, it is discovered and laid open, surely the more we know God's love, which is as a banner. Cant. ii. 4, * displayed over us' in the gospel. The use of a banner, you know, was to draw swords under it. Now God's love in the gospel is displayed as a banner ; and therefore it hath an attractive, drawing force, to bring us under the sweet government of God in the gospel, because there we are under God's love ; and his love, where it is displayed, is like a banner. But this I shall have occasion to touch hereafter.