(1.) That love is not sincere and incorrupt which proceed eth not from — which is not a fruit of faith. Those who do not first really believe on Christ, can never sincerely love him. It is faith alone that worketh by love towards Christ and all his saints. If, therefore, any do not believe with that faith which unites them unto Christ, which within purifies the heart, and is outwardly effectual in duties of obedience, whatever they may persuade themselves concerning love unto Christ, it is but a vain delusion. Where the faith of men is dead, their love mil not be living and sincere.
(2.) That love is not so which ariseth from false ideas and repre- sentations that men make of Christ, or have made of him in their minds. Men may draw images in their minds of what they most fancy, and then dote upon them. So some think of Christ only as a glorious person exalted in heaven at the right hand of God, without farther apprehensions of his natures and offices. So the Roman missionaries represented him unto some of the Indians — conceahng from them his cross and sufferings. But every false notion con- cerning his person or his grace — what he is, hath done, or doth — corrupts the love that is pretended unto him. Shall we think that they love Christ by whom his divine nature is denied ? or that those do so who disbelieve the reality of his human nature? or those by whom the union of both in the same person is rejected ? There cannot be true evangelical love unto a false Christ, such as these imaginations do fancy.
(3.) So is that love which is not in all things — as to causes, motives, measures, and ends — regulated by the Scripture. This alone gives us the nature, rules, and bounds of sincere spiritual love. We are no more to love Christ, than to fear and worshijj him, according unto
142 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
our own imaginations. From the Scripture are we to derive all the principles and motives of our love. If either the acts or effects of it will not endure a trial thereby, they are false and counterfeit ; and many such have been pretended unto, as we shall see immediately.
(4.) That is so, unquestionably, which fixeth itself on undue objects, which, whatever is pretended, are neither Christ nor means of con- ve3dng our love unto him. Such is all that love which the Romanists express in their devotion unto images, as they fancy, of Christ ; cruci- fixes, pretended relics of his cross, and the nails that pierced him, with the like superstitious representations of him, and what they suppose he is concerned in. For although they express their devo- tion with great appearance of ardent affections, under all outward signs of them — in adorations, kissings, prostrations, with sighs and tears; yet all this while it is not Christ which they thus cleave unto, but a cloud of their own imaginations, wherewith their carnal minds are pleased and affected. That is no god which a man heweth out of a tree, though he form it for that end, though he falleth down unto it and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, " Deliver me, for thou art my god," Isa. xliv. 1 7. The authors of this super- stition, whereby the love of innumerable poor souls is depraved and abused, do first frame in their minds what they suppose may solicit or draw out the natural and carnal affections of men unto it, and then outwardly represent it as an object for them. Wherefore some of their representations of him are glorious, and some of them dolorous, according as they aun to excite affections in carnal minds. But, as I said, these things are not Christ, nor is he any way concerned in them.
(5.) I acknowledge there have been great pretences of such a love unto Christ as cannot be justified. Such is that which some of the devotionists of the Roman Church have endeavoured rather to express out of their fancy than declare out of their experience. Raptures, ecstasies, self-annihilations, immediate adhesions and enjo3Tnents, without any act of the understanding, and with a multitude of other swelling words of vanity, they labour to set off what they fancy to be divine love. But there wants not evidences of truth sufficient to defeat these pretences, be they ever so specious or glorious. For —
[1.] As it is by them described, it exceedeth all Scripture prece- dents. For men to assume unto themselves an apprehension that they love Christ in another manner and kind, in a higher degree at least, and thence to enjoy more intimacy with him, more love from him, than did any of the apostles — John, or Paul, or Peter, or any other of those holy ones whose love unto him is recorded in the Scripture — is intolerable vanity and presumption. But no such things as these devotees pretend unto are mentioned, or in the least inti-
THE OBLIGATION TO LOVE CHRIST. 143
mated concerning them, and their love to their Lord and Master. No man will pretend unto more love than they had, but such as have none at all.
[2.] It is no way directed, warranted, approved, by any command, promise, or rule of the Scripture. As it is without precedent, so it is without precept. And hereby, whether we will or no, all our graces and duties must be tried, as unto any acceptation with God. Whatever pretends to exceed the direction of the Word may safely be rejected — cannot safely be admitted. Whatever enthusiasms or pre- tended inspirations may be pleaded for the singular practice of what is prescribed in the Scripture, yet none can be allowed for an approved principle of what is not so prescribed. Whatever exceeds the bounds thereof is resolved into the testimony of every distempered imagina- tion. Nor will it avail that these things amongst them are submitted unto the judgment of the church. For the church hath no rule to judge by but the Scripture ; and it can pass but one judgment of what is not warranted thereby — namely, that it is to be rejected.