Lwet• OUf'Wa,k makes it cljie. Mat. ti, •i. PraCJical Cbrifiianity, Duties, waiting for the further Difcoveries and Manifeftations of my God unto me. (2.) Secondly, As Love to God~ [o a regular Selflove will much help and further our Obedience and Duty. And then is Self. love truly regular, when Men love their own Souls as God loves them. Now God's love to the Souls of Men is fuch, that though He wills ali Men to be [.1ved, , yet he wills that none fh.t\1 be faved, but through farrUification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth. And whilft we love our felves, if we obferVe the fame method and order, this Self-love is always commendable and neceflilry. Defires after Eternal Happinefs and Sal... vation arc natural to that Soul that is truly confciou? of its own Immortality and eternal, unalterable State and Condition; and when thefe Defircs are di~ rettcd to future .Happincfs through prefent. Holi_ners, then are they regular and become gractous. We are not fo ftrattly l!mtted by God's Sovercio-nty over us, but while we fix one Eye upon our Work, we may fix the oche~ 011 our ~eward: God is not fo ftriCt in his Prero~ativc over ~s, as to requir~ Servtce from us from what we have already recetved from hm1: He is not as a cruel Lord and M after to fJ.y, Obey me, though afterwards you Perifu ; fee to it that you love and glorifie me, though I eternally punifh you; though confidering that infinite difl:ance we ftand at from God, we could objett no~ thing againfl: the Equity of his Proceedings: No, but God bath fo gracioully twifted hi~ Glory and our Duty together, that while we promote the one we do alfo promote the other, and while we work for God we do but work for our felves. Now are thore any that need to be perfuaded to love themfelves? Is it not the great and genehl Sin that all Men love and feek thcmfelves? And do not Men by bccomi:1g Self-lovers, become Sclf-deftroyers? Yes, they do fa; but it is bccaufe they fcek thcmfc\ves out of God's way, that therefore they lofe themfelves for ever. Religion and Holmtfs are not fuch fevere things , as tq exclude Self-love; nay, right Self· love is that which is no where to be found feparatc from true Grace. Mlniil:ers call upon· Men to ex· ercife Self-denial and Self. abhorrence; and this the foolifh \Vorld m!lhkes as if fo be they exhorted them to divorce thtmfelves from themfelves, to by afide all refpeCt and confidcration of Self, and to offer violence to the mofl: common Principles of Self.prefervation. No, Would to God we all fought onr felvcs more earnefl:ly and confl:antly than we do, and that we all knew wherein our greatefl: lntereft and Concernment' did lie ; then fhould we not leave our great \Vork undone, nor gratifie the Sloth of our corrupt Humors, and the finful propenfions of our carnal part, nor fhould we think what vrc do for Sin and Satan we do for our felves; no, all this is to hate our felves: And wicked Men at the l~ft Day fhall know, they have been their own moft bitter and moft implacable Enemies, that they would not be content with any thing lefs than their own eternal Ruin. A true Chriflian is the only felfifh Man in the World; all others, they are not Self-lovers but Self-defl:royers: What fhall I fay more than this? The Apofllt asks. Did t'Utr any Man hlltt his -own Flc/h? Did ever any Man delight to gafh and burn, to wrack and torture himfclf? Truly l may ask the quite contrary. Do almoft any love their own Spirits, their fpiritual part, their Souls? This they wound and gafh by many a bloody Sin, this they burn and fear by hardncfs and impenitency, this they go about to torture and torment in Hell for ever. Oh therefore be perfuadcd at length to take pity on your felvcs, confidcring you are but deftroying while you think you arc embracing of your felves; and that will be found but Self-murder at laft, which you now call ·self-love. . (3.) Thirdly, A complaantial Love to, and Dtlight itt your Work, is ttgrMt (urthtranct of ir. A wicked Man ferves God grudgingly, he tl).urmurs at Duttcs, and looks upon 'hem only as Tasks and Bttrthens, thinking every thing he doth for .God too much, too heavy and weighty. The Commands of God are all of them hard Sayings and ~ricvous lmpoli.tions that he cannot bear; he could believe Chrift fooner in any thmg than when he tells him, My Yo!' JS enjj ~tnd. my Burthtn is lighr. Here he cJ.nnot believe Chrift. Thus much time, fctnh _the Jlorbful Sinmr, muft l fpend in my Prayer, and there muft 1 humble my felt to God whom I hate, and confefs before him thofe Sins that I love, and beg that Grace that I have fiighted; fo much time mult I fpend in reading the Law that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=