of the PERSON ofCHRIST. 109 which we afcribe unto him, do I know how foon a more diftìn& explica- tion and defenceofit maybe called for. And this caufe will not be forfaken. They know nothing of the life and power of the gofpel, nothing of the reality of the grace ofGod, nor do they believe aright one article of the chriftian faith, whofe hearts are not fenfible of the love of Chritt herein. Nor is he fenfible of the love of Chrift, whofe affe&ions ate not thereon drawn out unto him. 1 fay, theymake a pageant of religion, a fable for the theatreof the world, a buftnefs offancy and opinion, whofe hearts are not really affectedwith the loveof Chrift, in the fufception and difcharge of the work of mediation, fo as to have real and fpiritually fenfible affections for him. Men may babble things which they have learnt by rote i theyhave no real acquaintancewith chritlianity, who imagine that the placing of the mat intenfe affedionsofour fouls on the perfon of Chrift, the loving him with all our hearts becaufe ofhis love, our being overcome thereby, until we are fick of love, the conftant motions of our fouls towards him with delight and adherence, are but fancies and imaginations. I renounce that religion, be it whofe it will, that teacheth, inunuateth, or giveth countenance unto fuck abominations. That doctrine isas difcrepant from the gofpel as the alcoran, as contrary to the experience of believers, as what is ailed in and by the devils, which inftru&s men unto a contempt of the tnoft fervent love unto Chrift, or cat's refle&ions upon it. I had rather chufemy eternal lot andporti- on with the meaneft believer, who being effectually fenfble of the love of Chrift, fpends his days in mourning that hecan love him no more than hefinds himfelf on his utmoft endeavours for thedifcharge ofhis duty to do, than with the belt of them, whofe vain fpeculations, and a falfe pretence ofrea- fon, puffthem up unto a contempt of thefe things. 2.) This love of Chrift unto the church, isfingular in all thofe qualifi- cations which render love obliging unto reciprocal affedions. It is fo in its reality. There can be no loveamong(' men, but will derive fomething from that diforder which is in their affedions, in their higheft a&ings. But the love of Chrift is pure and abfolutely free from any alloy. There cannot be the leaf' fufpicion of any thing of felf in it. And it is abfo- lutely undeferved. Nothing can be found amongft men that can reprefent or exemplify its freedom from any defert on our part. The molt candid and ingenious love amogft us, is when we love another for his worth, ex- cellency and ufefulnefs, though we have no fingular benefit of them our felves. But not the leaft of any of thefe risings were found in them, on Whom he fet his love until they were wrought in them, as effects of that love which he fet upon them. Men fometimes may rife up unto fuch '"an high degree and inftante in love, as that they will even die for another. But then it mutt be on a fuperlative efteemwhich they have oftheir worth and merit. It may be, faith the apoffle, treating of the loveofChrift, and ofGod in him, thatfor agoodman evenone worlddare ro dye, Rom. v. 7. It muli be for agood man,one who isjuutyefteemed commune bonum, a publick good to mankind, one whofe benignity is ready to exer- cife loving kindnefs on all occafions, which is the citate of a good man; peradventurefome would even dare to dye for fuch a man. This is the height ofwhat love among men can rife unto i and if it bathben inflamed in anyy, it hath been accompanied with an open mixture of vain glory, and defìre of renown. But the Lord Chrift placed his love on us, that love from whence he died for us, when we were limners and ungodly i that is, every thing winch might render us unamiable add undeferving. Though we were as deformed as fin could render us, and more deeply in- debted than thewhole creation could pay or anfwer, yet did he fix his love E e upon 4
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