Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

1 g0 A Box of precious Ointment : Or, T John 4. Gen. 3.15. I.John 3, YoZ. Prey. 29. Ie. Ezek. sf. iy. ql this mark, See hog they love vie another. Now to prevent mi- fiakes, I fhall thew you the feveral properties of fmcere love to the Saints. Fill}, True love to the Saints is fpiritual, it is a love for the Image of God that is ftampt upon the foul, i "John 5. Every orie that Lveth him that begat, toveth him alto that is begot- ten of him. A foul that truly loves, loves the father for his oNn fake, and the children for the fathers fake. If the Image of God be the load-{tone that drawes out our love to the Saints, then our love is real to them ; he that does not love the Saints as Saints, he that does not love them under a fpiri- tual notion he hath no true affeaic n to them. Naturally we hate God, becaufe he is a holy God, and his Law becaufe it is an holy Law, and his people becaufe they are a holy peo- ple. 'Tis only the Spirit of God that can inable a man to love a Saint for the image of God that is in him ; many there are which love Chriflians for their goods,not for their good; they love them for the money that is in their purfes, but not for the grace that is in their hearts ; many like the Bohemian Cur, fawn upon a good fuit.Love to the Saints for the Image of God flampt upon them, is a flower that does not grow in natures garden. No man can love grace in another mans heart, but he that hath grace in his own ; men do not mor naturally love their parents, and love their children, and love themfelves, than they do naturally hate the image of God upon his people and wayes. I have read of one who was fo tufty and quarrelfom, that he was ready to fight with his own image fo often as he faw it in a glafs. Olhow many are there in thefe daps, that are Dill a quarrelling and fighting with the image of God wherever they fee it? True love is for what of the divine nature, for what of Chrift and grace 11/lines in a man; it is one thing to love a godly man, and an- ther thing to love him for godlinefs : Many love godly men as they are Politicians, or Potent, or Learned, or of a fweet nature, or affable, or related, or as they have been kind to them ; but all this is but natural love, but to love ' them becaufe they are fpirituatly lovely, becaufe of the feed

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