Serm.9. and bow to inflame it. 205 of there without the other. See I Yohn 4.19. & 5.1. & John. 13 34) 35' I2. Charafler. We may know it by its Concomitants. Sincere love goes not but in the companyof every other grace ; It either prefuppofeth, or flrong ly implieth and inferreth thewhole darty of a Chrifhan. L Dclrgere Ihra- /lcrm ( faith Aguixas ) efl Chriflo in omntbuefe fuhjicere, c regulam Prie- hia.14 I ceptorumejus in omnibusfequi, or ] to love Chrifl, is to fulfil the whole Jc 5> -Law of Chrifl ; 'tis a moft comprehenfivegrace ;'cis the ablira t of the New Creature, the whole Image of God in one word ; 'cis the fubiiance of the Divine Workmanthip.upon thefoul. They arc but Ciphers, and fgnifie nothing in Chriflianicy, who are without it. Briefly, to love Chrifl,ic is in foie mcafure to partake of every grace,and to be a Chri- Ilian altogether. There are theChara6ters, foie I have omitted, and inothers I have been brief, becaufe I would referve a little room for the fecond Cafe : Give me leave but briefly to fuggeR a few things for fatisfae}ion of one doubt, and I (hall prefently come to that.Will foie fay, If this be love in fincerity, who then loves him aright ? It is no lefs dangerous CO draw out the defcription of a grace, fo as none can findit,than to leave it fo, as none mayfufpeft the want or abfence thereof in themfelves ; and upon that Pock,, they will tell me I havefplitted in the decifionof this Cafe, there being hardly any one that can go fromChara6er to Chara9er, and fay after a thorough fearch, /Vow I know that 1 am a lover ofChrill iufincerity : For anfwer to which fcruple, I ilaall barely fuggeR a few Confiderations. I. Ir is moft certain, and notorious, that there is much counterfeit love abroad ; and it was not the leaf{ part of my defign to unmask ir. Charaócrs ferve as well to convince the prefumptuous,as to eflabli h the #încere and upright. There is much in the world, that looks like love, that is not ; fuch are thofe r'agoips affeo}ions, that are to a Chrifl in ge- neral, and not to him, as King,Prieíl,and Prophet And c hofe coun- terfeit affe6tions, which are to Chrifl upon the fold Arguments of Education, Cuflome, which are as truly in a rurk to his Mahomet, and ferve as well co juflifie the few in his blafphemy againfi. Chrìil, as the Chriflian in his pretended love of him ; for love to Chrifl, fay Divines, is not fo much to be meafured by thedegree, and fervour, as by the grounds and motives; And alto that barren love, which works up the foul to no meafureof obedience unto him; And 1afily, that which al- lows Chriti bur the worlds leavings in our hearts,every thing being con- i aptly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=