t68 Cafes about Lo11ing our Neighboflr. Direll. 5· §. to. Direct. 5· Study mocb the [elf-denying example and prwpts of your Savio•r. His life and doctrine arc the liveliell rcprefcntation offclf-dcnyal that ever was given to the World. Li!'arn Chriil: and you will learn felf-denyal. He had no fmful feljijhnefs to mortifie, yet natural-[tlf was fo wonderfully dcnyed by him, for his Fathers Will and our Salvation, that no other Book or Teacher in the world, will reach us this ldfon fo perfu9:1y as he. Follow him from the Manger, or rather from the Womb, to the Crofs and Grave: Behold him in his poverty and contempt; enduring the con– rradidion and ingratitude of finners, and making himfelf of no reputation: Beho~d him apprehend– ed, accufed , condemned, crowned with thorns, clothed in purple with a reed in his hand, fcourg– ed, and led away to cxt:cution, bearing his Crofs, and hanged up among Thieves; forfakcn by his own Difciples, and all the world, and in part by him who is more than all the world: And confider why all this was done ? For whom he did it, and what ldfon he purpoled hereby to teach us: ~ej!.r. Confider why he made it one half the condition of our falvation, and fo great a part of the Chri· flian Religion, to Dmy our filvu, and taJte up our Crofi andfoUow bim: and will have no o!hcr to be his Difciples ? Luk,.e 14· 26,3 t, 33• Were a Crucified Chrill more of our daily lludy, and did we make it our Religion to learn and follow his holy example, felf-dmyal would be better known and praCl:ifcd, and Chrifiianity would appear as it is, and not as it is mifundcrfiood, adulrerated and abufed, in the world. But becaufe I have long ago written a Treatife ofSelf-denyal, I !hall add no more. CHAP. XXVIi. Cafes and '])ireBions for Lo11ing our Neighbour as 011r (elws. Tit. 1. [afes of Confcience about Loliil!g our Neighbdur. Q!ell. 1, IN Jrbat [tn[t it it th41 I muft lovt my neighboNr at my [elf l Whrtber in the kjnd of love, or in the degru, or only in the reality ? .Anfw. The true meaning of the Text is, You mufi love him according to his true worth, without the diverfion and hinderancc of {tlftfhmfs and partiality. As you mufi love your fclf according to that degree of Goodnefs which is in you, and no more l fo mu{\ you as impartially love your neighbour according to that degree of Goodnefs which is in him. So that it truly extendeth to the reality, the kJntl and the degrte of love, fuppofing it in both proportioned to the goodnefs of the object. But before this can be uodcrllood, the true nature of Love mufi be well underllood. G2!!<ll.2. Wh•t iJtbetr•eNatureofLove, both at to my (elf andneighbourl Anfw. Love is nothin~ but the prime motion of the WiU to its proper object: which i1 called Complacence: The object 6f it is fimple Goodnefs; or Good as fuch: lt arifeth from fuitab/enefs between the Object and the WiU, as appetite doth from the fuitablenefs of the appetent faculty and the food. This G 0 0 D as it is varioufly modified, or any way dilfereth, dorh accordingly caufe or require a dilference in our Love: Therefore that Luve which in its prime: aCt and nature is but one, is di~ verfly denomioated, as its Qbje6ts are divcrfitied. To an object as /imply Goqd in it [elf, it follow– cth the Undcrltandings Eftimation, and is called, as I faid, men Complacence or Adhefion: To an ObjeD as not yet attained, but abfent, or dithm, and attainable, it is called Dtfirt, or Defiring Love: Andas expdJed, Hope, or Hoping Love (which is a conjunCtion of Defire and Expell,:tion): To an objtd: neareft and attained, it is called, Fruitio1t , _or Delight , or Delighting Love. To an object which by means mull be attained, it is called, {ukj.Hg love, as it cxciterh to the ufc of thofe means : And to an object miffed it is by accident, Mourning LtJVe. But Hill Love it fclf in irs dTen– tial ad: is one and the fame. As it refpc:Chth an object which wantc:th fomething to mJkc it per– fect, and dc:fireth the fupply of that want, it is cal1ed Love of Bmevo/enct; dmoroinared from this occafion, as it defirc:th to do good to him that is loved. And it is a Love of the fame nature which we exercife towards God, who needcth nothing, as we rejoyce in that perfection and happineCs wl~ic:h he hith; though it be not to be called properly by the tame name. Goodneft being the true oh)t6t of Love, is the true mcafure of it: And therefore: God who is infinitely and primidvely good, IS the prime aod only fimple object of our abfolute total Love. And therefore thofe who underHand no Goodnefi inany being, but as profitable to them; or to fame other creatme, do know no God, nor Love · . , God,
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