DireElio1zs to ·excite tbe. Lo11e of God. 147 tendeth but to grief, and terminateth in grief, and goeth no further, hath too much in it of the malice of the enemy, to be ofGod. No tears are defrrable, but thofc that tend to clear the eyes from the lilth of fin that they may fee the better the lovelinefi ofGod. 9· 22 • bircCt. 5· Ejleem thj want of Love to God•. ( with the turning of. it ttnto th.e creature) trJ be Dirctl. 5 ·• the Heart of tbe old ma11 ; thy mojt cvmprehenfiv~ ~dzour fin ; and ob{erve thu aJ tbe lif~ of aU tby partiml.lr fin 1 , and hate it abrr.1e aU the rcft. Thts IS the very death and greatejt deformtty of the foul; the abfencc of Gods Image, and Spirit, and objectively of himfelf. I never !oche my heart fo much 35 when I obfcrve how little it Ioveth the Lord. Methinks all the· fins that ever I committed, are not fo Jothfonre to me, as this want of Love to God. And it is this that is the venom and malignity of every particular fin: ["I never fb much hate my felf, as when I obferve how little ofGod "'is within me, and how far my heart is efiranged from him: I ne~er do fo fully. ap,prove of the Ju-:- " flice ofGod if he {hould condemn me', and thrufl: me for ever frorh his pretence, as when I ob~ " ferve how far I have thtufi him from my heart. If there were any fin, which proceeded not from " a want of Love to God, I could eafilier pardon it to my felf, as knowing that God would eafitier "pardon it. .Bm not toLove ~he ~od ofLove, the Fountain of Love, the ~dici~y of ~ou~s, is a tin "'untit to be pardoned to any ull Jt be repented of, and partly cured : Chrtll: will for_gtve It to none " that keep it : ~nd when it is uncurable, it is the fpecial hn of HtU, the badge of Devils and damn- " ed fouls. IfGod will not give me a heart to Lave bim, I would I had never had a heart. If he " will give me this, he-giveth me all. ~appy are the poor, the ?efpifed, and the perfecuted, that can "'but live in the Love of God. 0 rmferable Empcrour~, Kmgs and Lords, that are ilrangers H to thisHeavenly Love, and love their lufts above their Maker! Might I bur live in the fervent Love " of God, what matter is it in what Countrey, or wliat Cottage, or what Prifon I 1ive? Ifi live "not in rhe Love ofGod; my Coantrey would be worfe than bani{hmem; a Palace would bea Pri- '' {on ; a Crown would be a mifcrable comfort, to one that hath cafi away his comfort, and is going "to everlalling Oume and woe. J Were we but duly fenfible of the worth of Love', and the odioufndS and ma·lignity that is in the want of it, it would keep us from being quiet in the daily neglect of it, and would quicken us to feek it, and to fiir it up. ~- 23· Direct. 6. Improve tbe principle of felf-love, to the promoting of tbe Love ofGod, by confide- Vircfr. 6. ring what he bath d<Jne for thee) andwhat he i1and would be to tbee. I me~n not carnal inordinate Jelf-love which is the chiefell enemy ofthe Love ofGod : But I mean that ranonal Love of H•pplnefs and felf-prefcrvation which God did put into innocent Adam, and hath planted in mans nature as ne ... cetfary to his Government.This natur(ll inJJocent{elf-love is that remaining principle in the Heart oftnan which God himfelf doth fiill prefuppofe in all his Laws and Exhortations; and which he takerh ad- 'Vantage of in his works and word) for the converfion of the wicked, and the pcrfwading of his fcrvants rhemfelves to their obedience. This is the common principle in which we are agreed with all the wicked of the world [ that aU menjhould cf.jire and feel<.. to be happy, and choofe and do that which u heft for tbemfelvtt;] or elfe it were in vain tOr Minifl:ers to preach to them, if we were agreed in nothing, and we had not thi7 ground in them re_ cafi ?ur ~eed into, and to work upon. And if{elf- · love be but informed and gutded by underllandtng, tt w.II compel! you to Love God, and tell you that nothing Chould be fo much Loved. Every one that is a man mull Love bimfelf: We will not .intrtat him, nor be beiJoldtn to him for thi1: And every one that Loveth himfilf, will Love that which he judgeth Be(lfor bimfe/f; And every wife man mull know, that he never had, nor can have any good at all, but what he had from God. Why do men Love lujl, or wealth, or honour, but becaufe they think that thefe are good for them? And would they not Love God, if they practically knew that he is the·Bej! of all for them, and inllead of all > [ "Unnatural unthankful heart ! Canfl thou " Love thy felf, and not Love him that gave thee thy fel~, and gives thee all things? Nature teacheth u·all men to love their moll: entir'e and neceffary friends : Do we deferve a reward ~y loving thofe "'that love us, when Publicans wiU do the li~e ? Matth. 5· 46. Art thou not bound to love them that "hate thee, and curfe, and perfecute thee? vcr. 44, 45· What reward then is due to thy unnatural '" ingratitude, that canfi not love thy chiefefi friend ? All the friends that ever were kind tO thee, and (' did thee good, were but hi,s metfcngers, to deliver what he fent thee. And cmll: thou love the ,c bearer, and not the givtr? He made thee a man, and not a beafi:: He call thy lot in his vilible '' Church, and not among deluded Infidels, or miferable Heathens, that never hea[d, unlefs in [corn, " of the ll.edcemers name : He brought theeforth in a Land of light ; In a Reformed Church, where ''Knowledge and Holinefs have as great advantage, as any where in all the world: and not among ''deluded ignorant Papifis, where ambition muH have been thy Governour, and Ptide and Tyranny "'have given thee Laws; ali!d a formal, Ceremoniou~ Image of Piety muft have been thy Religion. "IJ;e gave thee Parents tl!at educated thee in his tear: and not fuch as were pr'ophane and ignorant, " and would have rcflramed and perfeeuted thee from a holy life : He fpoke to thy Confcience early "in thy childhood , and prevented the grofs abominations which elfc thou hadft committed : He "bore with the folly and frailties of thy youth: l':Ie feafonably gave thee thofe li'ooks, and Teachers "and company, and helps, which were fittefi for thee; and bltfi them to the further'awakening anJ cc infiructing of thee, when he pafi by others, and left them in their fins: He" tau~ht thee to pray, a,nd "heard thy prayer : He turned all thy fears and groans to thy fpirinul good: H~ pardorled all thy 't grievous fins: and fincc that, howmuch hath hC endured and forgiven? He' gave thee: fcafonable " and necdfary llripes, and brought thee up in the School of affliction ; fo moderating them, that " they might not difable or difcourage thee, but only correct thee, and keep thee from fecurity, "wantonnefs, fiupidity, and contempt of holy things, and mi&ht fpoil all t<mptations to ambition, "' worJdline{s,
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