Serm. 9. ad howRip/140eit.. 191 wilting a naked Chrift , but Chrift as reprefented with his peculiar per- fonai Excellencies , and with his various offices and relations unto us in the Gofpel. This propofitionundeniably follows from the third be- fore laid down : But yet, becaufe it gives Tome fpecial light to help us to difcover the true nature of this grace ; and is intended as the foundation of force of thofe Chara&ers, that will afterwards come to be intifled on, I Gantt crave your patience , while I offer fomething farther,for the confirmation thereof. That certainly is no true Moral , which is not fuited to thenatureofthe objeft : Thus,for a man to love his friend , no otherwife, than he loves his beaft, would not be a true Moral a& of love ? And again , as plain a truth it is , that where the aft of love doth not bear fomegradualproportion , CO the va- rious excellencies of the obje& , that is is converfant abont ; neither can that Aft haveany Moral truth or goodnefs in it : For ìnftance, to love God, orChrij, with no higher love , than we love inleriour Perfons, whether Friends , Relations , or Superiours in theworld This were not Sincerely to love either of them. See I fohn 2. I g. and Matth. Io. 37. andLake 14. 26.-. -- I add in the laft place (which is no lefs evident, thaneither of the former ) that where there are rela- tions , or Oices neceffariy inverted in, and infeparable from the per- fonbeloved, then if our love doth not refpe& the objet , as under thofe Relations, and offices , it will be far from being love in Sincerity. Some inflances will clear this alto beyond contradiction : Suppofea woman , that bath a Husband , and fhe loves him no otherwife , than one friend loves another ; And the cafe is the fame, between a Schuller andhis Mafter,aServant andhis Lord, a Subject and his Prince. If the affeáions be without reverence, obedience , and loyalty , will either ofchefe be reputed true love ? Why, no more are fuch to be accounted the fincere lovers of Chrirt , who do not bear an affection to him, in all hisoffices anti relations : And this I take to be fo demon- flrative a truth, and of fuch neceffary confideration in our prefent in- quiry, that nothing could be fpeken :n judgement thereto , until we had firf} made our way unto it, and laid it down ; I am lure is vwìll be found fundamental to the right underflanding the Nature of fincere love to Chrift, and the greatetl part of the Chara&ers , which are laid down in the Scripture of this grace. It might nowbe hereexpeSed,and it's almoll neceffary to give force account of Chrirts perfonal excel- lencies, and alfo of his offices, what they were , and briefly to inti- matewhat new qualifications eachof themwould put upon a Chrifli- ans htenfivc willing of Chrif}, which tb' ;t,çhe [ Suab,Jratum or matter
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