LOVE TO HIM THE LIFE AND GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 149
commandments," John xiv. 15. He so requires love unto himself, as not to expect or approve of any obedience unto his commands without it. It is a great and blessed duty to feed the sheep and lambs of Christ ; yet will not he accept of it unless it proceeds out of love unto his person. " Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? feed my lambs," John xxi. 15-17. Three times did he repeat the same words to him who had failed in his love towards him, by denying him thrice. Without this love unto him, he requires of none to feed his sheep, nor will accept of what they pretend to do therein. It were a blessed thing, if a due apprehension hereof did always abide with them that are called unto that work.
Hereunto doth he annex those blessed promises which comprise the whole of our peace, safety, and consolation in this world. " He," saith he, " that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself unto him," John xiv. 21 ; and verse 23, " My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." What heart can conceive, what tongue can express, the glory of these promises, or the least part of the grace that is contained in them? Who can conceive aright of the divine condescension, love, and grace that are expressed in them? How httle a portion is it that we know of God in these things ! But if we value them not, if we labour not for an experience of them according unto our measure, we have neither lot nor portion in the gospel. The presence and abode of God with us as a Father, manifesting himself to be such unto us, in the infallible pledges and assurances of our adoption — the presence of Christ with us, revealing himself unto us, with all those ineffable mercies wherewith these things are accom- panied— are all contained in them. And these promises are peculiarly given unto them that love the person of Christ, and in the exercise of love towards him.
Hereunto are designed the Gospel Gerizim and Ebal — the denun- ciation of blessings and curses. As blessings are declared to be their portion "who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity," Eph. vi. 24, — so those who love him not, have the substance of all curses denounced against them, even " Anathema Maranatha," 1 Cor. xvi. 22. So far shall such persons be, whatever they may profess of outward obe- dience unto the Gospel, from any blessed interest in the promises of it, as that they are justly hable unto final excision from the church in this world, and eternal malediction in that which is to come.
It is evident, therefore, that the love of the church of believers unto the person of Christ is not a distempered fancy, not a deluding imagination, as some have blasphemed ; but that which the nature of their relation unto him makes necessary — that wherein they express their renovation into the image of God — that which the
150 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
Scripture indispensably requires of them, and whereon all their spui- tual comforts do depend. These things being spoken in general, the particular nature, effects, operations, and motives of this divine love, must now be farther inquired into.
CHAPTER XIII.
The Nature, Operations, and Causes of Divine Love, as it respects the Person of
Christ.
That we may the better understand that love unto the person of Christ which we plead for, some things must be premised concerning the nature of divine love in general ; and thereon its application unto the particular actings and exercise of it which we inquire into will be plain and easy.
God hath endowed our nature with a faculty and ability of fixing our love upon himself Many can understand nothing of love but the adherence of their minds and souls unto things visible and sensible, capable of a present natural enjoyment. For things unseen, especially such as are eternal and infinite, they suppose they have a veneration, a religious respect, a devout adoration; but how they should love them, they cannot understand. And the apostle doth grant that there is a greater difiiculty in loving things that cannot be seen, than in loving those which are always visibly present unto us, 1 John iv. 20. Howbeit, this divine love hath a more fixed station and prevalency in the minds of men than any other kind of love whatever. For —
1. The principal end why God endued our natures with that great and ruling affection, that hath the most eminent and peculiar power and interest in our souls, was, in the first place, that it might be fixed on himself — that it might be the instrument of our adherence unto him. He did not create this affection in us, that we might be able by it to cast ourselves into the embraces of things natural and sensual. No affection hath such power in the soul to cause it to cleave unto its object, and to work it into a conformity unto it. Most other affections are transient in their operations, and work by a transport of nature — as anger, joy, fear, and the lilce; but love is capable of a constant exercise, is a spring unto all other affections, and unites the soul with an efficacy not easy to be expressed unto its object. And shall we think that God, who made all things for him- self, did create this ruling affection in and with our natures, merely that we might be able to turn from him, and cleave unto other things with a power and faculty above any we have of adherence