6u CHRIST's LOVE coMPARED To WINE. Book IV. no Services acceptably without Love: Let all your Works be done in Charity. And when the Soul hath fweet Manifeftat)ons of Chrift's Love to it, how fwt etly doth it go on in God's Worfhip! M E T A P H 0 R. P A R A L L E L. X. Wine is good, as it may be X. The Love of Chrifl: will heal a broken Heart. ufeq, to healfomeforts of Wounds. There is no Salve, both in the Nature and Effects thereof, to cure a wounded Spirit, like Alfurance XI. Wine is good to ftir up Courage in hoftile Encounters; it makes a Man brilk and valiant. of Chrift's Love. XI. The Love of Chrifr breaking in upon the Soul,_ makes_ a Chrif\ian couragious, and very va– liant m that lpmtual Warfare he is engaged in; he IS hereby ammated to endure all manner of Hard– nefs, and over all is more than a Conqueror. Nothing jha/1 feparate us from the Love of God, wbicb is in Chrift 7 efus our Lord. XII. Wine is ufed at MarriageXII. The Love of Chrifr is more than a BanFeafts, and in great Banquets. quet of the greateft Varieties to a gracious Soul; it affords choice Food, a Feaft of fat Things, of Wines upon the Lees; offat'Ihings full of Marrow, XIII. Wine may be taken to excels. · XlV. Wine daily drunk, with– out frefh Supplies, will not" hold out long. XV. Wine will decay by long ke~ping; it will wa~ four, and be– come nauleous and unfavory. ofWines upon the Lees well refined, lfa. xxv. 6. XIII. But none can have too much of Chrifr's Love. XIV. Chrrfr's Love is like a Fountain ofliving \Vater, or an inexhauftible Treafure. XV. Chrift's Love, the longer we enjoy it, the fweeter it is, and fweeteft of all it will be at the lafr. N F E R E N C E S. BUT from whence is it that Believers do thus prize and efteem Jefus Chrifr, and his Love? FZrft; From the Excellency of his Perfon. [See Rofe of Sharon, and Lily of the Valleys.] He is faixer than the Children of Me11. Secondly; From the Senfe of his great Love to them: We love him, becaufe he firft loved us. Thirdly; From the Confideration of thofe hard Things he fuffered for their fakes. Fourthly; Becaufe of the Savor of his good Ointment. ile bath jhed his L ove abroad in their Hearts, by the Holy Ghoft, Ram. v. 5· Fifthly; Saints value Chrift's Love above Wine, becaufe his Love is beyond all compari,fon, f\10it fweet and confolatory. ,_ His Love was in him early, betimes, before ever the Earth was formed, or the Foundations thereof laid; his HeartsDelire and Love was firft fet upon us, Prov. viii. 3' · z. His Love i,s of an atrraC\:ing Nature, (that the Spoufe knew well enough.) He is. ].iJce the Loa<,lftone; he draws all Hearts after him, that have a T•fre or Touch of him, 7'"· xxxi. 3· 1 'John iv. '9· 3. It is boundlefs; like th€ Nile, it overflows all Banks and Bounds; it knows no Limits. 4 . It is a delighting Love: His Delight was with the Sons of Men, Prov. viij. 30. He takes cofl)placency in the Soul he lcwes. . 5· It is a free Love, without forefeen Merit or Worth in the ObjeEt. When Man lay weltering in his Blood, loathfome and filthy, Chrift loved him, Hof xiv. 4· Ezek. xvi. 3· 4, 5, 6, 9· . 6. Chrift's Love is hot a.nd fervent; mu,ch Water cannot quench it: It hath a vehement Flame, Cant. viii. 6, 7· 7· It is a matchlefs Love, far beyond the Love of 7acob to Rachel, or 7onathan to David. 8. It is :>n incompnhenfible Love, it palfeth Knowledge. You may fooner find out the Depth of the Sea, tbe Height of Heaven, tell the Stars, or count the Sands of the Sea-fhore, than find out or meafure the Love of Chrifr. It is a lafting, abiding, and etttrnal Love. His Loving-kindnefs he wilt never take away. This makes the
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=