of the PERSON Of CHRIST. 91 tioned, or in the leaft intimated concerning them, and their love to their Lord and mailer. No manwill .pretend unto more love than they had, but fach as have none at all. a.) It is no way direfted, warranted, approved by any command, pro- mife, or rule of the fcripture. As it is without precedent, fo is it without precept. And hereby, whether we will or no, all our graces and duties muff betried, as unto any acceptation with God: Whatever pretends to exceed the direftion of the word, may fafely be rejefted, cannot fafely be admitted. Whatever enebufinfms or pretended infpirations maybe pleaded, for the fingular praftice of what is prefcribed in the fcripture, yet none can be allowed for an approved principleof what is not fo prefcribed. What- ever exceeds the bounds thereof, is refolved into the teftimony of every diftempered imagination. Norwill it avail that thefe things amongft them arefubmitted unto the judgement of the dozed,. For the churchhath no rule to judge by but the fcripture ; and it can pafs but one judgement of what is not warranted thereby, namely, that it is to be rejefted. 3.) As it is defcribed by thofe who applaud it ; it is not fuitedunto the fober fedate aaings of the rational facultiesof our fouls. For whereasall that God requireth of us, is that we love himwith all our fouls and all our minds, thefe men cry up a divine love by an immediate adhefion of the will and affealons unto God, without any aftings of the mind and underftanding at all. Love indeed is the regular aftingof our whole fouls by all their faculties and rational powers in an adherence unto God. But thefe menhave fancied a divine love for them whom they would admire and extol; which difturbs all their regular aftings, and renders them of little or no ufe in that, which, without their due exercife, isnothing but fancy. And hence it is, that under pretence of this love, fundry perlons among them, yea all that have pretended unto it, have fallen into furl/ ridiculous exceffes and 'open delufions, as fufficiently difcover the vanity of the love it felf pretended by them. Wherefore we. plead for no other love unto the perfon of Chrift, but: whatthe fcripture warrants as unto its nature, what the gofpel requirethof usas our duty, what the natural faculties of our minds are fuited unto and givenus for, what they are enabledunto by grace, and without which in fome degree of ftncerity, no man can yield acceptable obedience unto him. Thefe things being premifed, that which we affert, is that there is and ought to be in all believers, a religious gracious love unto the perfonof Chrift, diftin& from, (and the reafon of) their obedience unto his coin- mands; that is, it is diftin& from all other commands "; but is alfo it felf commanded and required ofus in a way of duty. That there is in the Church fuch a love unto the perfon of Chrift, the fcripture teftifies both in the precepts it gives for it, and the exam- ples of it. And all thofe who truly believe cannon apprehend that they underftand any thing of faith, or love of Chrift, of tliemfelves, by whom it is called in queftion. If therefore I fhould enlarge on this fub jeft, a great part of the doftrine of the fcripture from firft to laft inaft be reprefented, and a tranfcript of the hearts of believers wherein this love is feated and prevalent, be made according to mir ability. And there is no fubjeft thatì could more willingly enlarge upon. But I mutt at pre-, fent contra& my felf in compliance with my defign. Two things only I fhall demonftrate. [r.] That the perfon of Chrift is the objeft of divine love. [2.] What is the nature of that love in us; what are the grounds of it, and the motives unto it, in them that do believe. [s.] In
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