Eye hath not Seen, Nor Ear Heard (2)
in that soul the affection of love; how is that set? Whither is thy love carried, and thy delight, and joy, those affections that spring from love? Thy evidence is in thine own heart. Our title is by faith in Christ. His righteousness gives us title to heaven. But how knowest thou that thou pretendest a just title? Thou hast the evidence in thy heart. What is the bent of thy soul? Whither is the point of it set?
Which way goeth that? Dost thou love God, and divine things, and delight in them? Then thou mayest assure thyself that those things belong to thee, as verily as the Scriptures are the word of God, and God a God of truth. When thou findest the love of God in thy heart, that thy heart is taught by his Spirit to love him, then surely thou mayest say, Oh blessed be God that hath kindled this holy fire in my heart. Now I know that 'neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man, those excellent things that are laid up for me.'
THE END OF THE SECOND SERMON.
Eye hath not Seen, Nor Ear Heard (2) Eye hath not seen, &c.—1 Cor. 2:9.
Saint Paul, as we heard before, gives a reason in these words, why the 'princes of this world' (not only the great men, that ofttimes are not the greatest clerks,* but the learned men of the world, princes for knowledge), why they were ignorant of the mysteries of the gospel.
Now the fourth is the disposition of those for whom he doth all this; the quality he infuseth into them, they are such as 'love him.'
1. He hath prepared them before all eternity. He prepared happiness for us before we were; nay, before the world was. As he prepared for
Adam a paradise before he was; he created him, and then brought him into paradise: so he prepared for us a kingdom with himself in heaven, a blessed estate before we were; i. e., in election, before the heavens were. And then in creation he prepared the blessed place of the happy souls of happy persons hereafter, where he himself is. He prepared it for himself, and for all those that he means to set his love upon from the beginning to the end.
2. And then, secondly, he prepared them more effectually in time. He prepared these things when Christ came in the flesh, and wrought all things for us, in whom we have all. Of these things thus prepared he saith, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard them,' &c. In what sense it is meant we heard before. Now take the whole of the matter; the meaning is, the matters of grace, the kingdom of grace, and the kingdom of glory, they are but one. For (to add this by the way) the kingdom of heaven in the gospel includes three things.
First, The doctrine of the gospel, the publishing of it.
And then, secondly, Grace by that doctrine.
And thirdly, Glory upon grace, the consummation of all.
So the mysteries of salvation is, first, the doctrine itself. That is the first degree of the kingdom. The doctrine itself is a mystery to all those that never heard of it; for what creature could ever conceive how to reconcile justice and mercy, by devising such a way as for God to become man, to reconcile God and man together? That Immanuel, he that is 'God with us,' should make God and us one in love, this could be no more thought of, than Adam could think of himself to be made a man when he was dust of the earth. Could man when he was worse than dust, in a lost, damned estate, think of redemption? It is impossible for a man that cannot tell the form and the quintessence,
that cannot enter into the depth of the flowers, or the grass that he tramples on with his feet, that he should, have the wit† to enter into the deep things of God, that have been concealed even from the angels themselves till God discover them. I add this to illustrate what
I said before. Therefore the doctrine itself, till God, discover it out of his own breast, was concealed to the angels themselves; and since the discovery, they are students in it, and look and pry into it, 1 Peter
1:12. But where the doctrine is no mystery, but is discovered, there the application and spiritual understanding, to those that have not the light of the Spirit, is such a thing as 'eye hath not seen nor ear heard.' And therefore we must have a new light, a new eye, a new ear, and a new heart, before we can apprehend the gospel, though we understand it for the literal truth. As for the things of glory, we have no conceit of them fully, but by a glimpse and weak apprehension; as a child conceives of the things of a man, by some poor weak resemblances. As St Paul saith, 'When I was a child I spake as a child,
I thought as a child,' 1 Cor. 13:11. So when we are now children, in comparison of that perfect estate we shall attain in heaven, we think and speak as children, of these holy and heavenly things that shall be accomplished in another world.
And observe this too, that when we would understand anything of heaven, and see anything, say, 'This is not that happiness I look for,'
'I can see this, but that is not to be seen.' And when we hear of anything that is excellent, 'I can hear this, it is not my happiness.'
And when we comprehend anything, 'I can comprehend this;' therefore it is not the happiness I look for, but those things that are above my comprehension, that are unutterable and inexpressible.
Moreover, let us be stirred up to think it a base thing for a Christian to lose the comfort and assurance he hath of these things 'that eye hath not seen nor ear heard,' for any earthly thing whatsoever. We
account it a poor thing of Esau to sell his birthright for a mess of pottage, Heb. 12:16. And we all smart for Adam's ill bargain that he made, to sell paradise for an apple. And it was a cursed sale that Judas made, that sold Christ himself for thirty pieces of silver. Surely it is that that every carnal man doth; and howsoever we cannot lose heaven, yet it should be our endeavour to enjoy heaven upon earth, to enjoy the assurance of this condition. When we do anything to weaken our assurance, and to weaken our comfort, what do we but with Adam lose heaven for an apple, and with Esau part with our birthright, as much as the assurance and comfort of it is, for a mess of pottage? Therefore let us account it a base thing to be over-much in love with any earthly thing, whereby we may weaken (though we could* lose) the comfort and assurance of this happy condition, which is so transcendent. All wicked men, and indeed all men whether good or bad, as far as they fall into sin, are fools; the Scripture terms them so. † There is none wise indeed but the true
Christian, and that Christian that preserves the sense, and feeling, and assurance of his happy condition.
'For those that love him.'
The disposition of the parties is, they are such as 'love God.' He saith not, such as are elected, because that is a thing out of our reach to know; but by going upward, by going backward, to go from our grace to our calling, and from thence to election; nor such as believe, because that is less discernible than love; nor the love of God to us, for that is supposed when we love him. Our hearts being cold, they cannot be warm in love to him, but his love must warm them first.
Love is such an affection as commands all other things, therefore he names that above all. And love is such a thing as every one may try himself by. If he had named either giving or doing of this or that, men might have said, I cannot do it, or I cannot part with it, but
when he names love, there is none but they may love. The point considered was, that There must be a qualification of those that heaven is provided for.
They must be such as love God, such as are altered, and changed, and sanctified to love him; because no unclean thing shall enter in thither; because we cannot so much as desire heaven without a change. We cannot have communion there with Christ and those blessed souls without likeness to them, which must be by a spirit of love; our natures must be altered. Therefore it is a vain presumption for any man to think of heaven unless he find his disposition altered.
For we may read our eternal condition in heaven by our disposition upon earth. The apostle Peter saith, 1 Pet. 1:3, 'Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath begotten us to a lively hope of an inheritance immortal and undefiled, reserved in heaven.'
So that the inheritance in heaven, we are begotten to it; we must be new born; we must have a new birth before we can inherit it; 'He hath begotten us to an inheritance immortal,' &c. He that is not a child may not think of an inheritance. Put case there be never so many glorious things in heaven that 'eye hath never seen nor ear ever heard,' &c., if our names be not in Christ's will, that we are not his, and prove ourselves to be his, by the alteration of our dispositions, what are all those good things to us, when our names are not contained there!
It is called a hope of life, 'a lively hope,' 1 Pet. 1:3; because he that hath this 'hope purgeth himself.' It makes him vigorous and active in good. If his hope of life make him not lively, he hath no hope of life at all. Therefore those that will look for heaven (that Satan abuse them not by false confidence), let them look whether God have altered their hearts; that the work of grace be wrought in some measure. For
God hath not ordained these great things for his enemies; for blasphemers, that take God's name in vain; that run on in courses contrary to his will and word; that live in sins against the light of nature; do you think he hath provided these great matters for them?
He hath another place for them. Therefore let us not be abused by our own false hearts to think of such a happy condition. Unless we find ourselves changed, unless we be new born, we shall never enter into heaven.
'Lord, Lord,' say they. Christ brings them in pleading so, 'Lord, Lord;' not that they shall say so then, that is not the meaning; but now they cherish such a confidence. Oh we can speak well, and we can pray well, 'Lord, Lord.' Oh thou vain, confident person, thy confession and profession, 'Lord, Lord,' shall do thee no good. I will not so much as, own thee; 'Away hence, thou worker of iniquity,' Mat. 25:41. Thy heart tells thee thou livest in sins against conscience. Away, avaunt, I will none of thee. God in mercy to us will have the trial of the truth of our evidence in us. The ground of all our salvation is his grace, his free favour, and mercy in his own heart; but we cannot go thither; he would have us to search within ourselves, and there we shall find
'love.'
'God hath prepared for those that love him.'
Obs. In particular, therefore, those that God hath provided so excellent things for, they are such as love him. They are such, first of all, that are beloved of him; and shew that they are beloved of him by their love to him. Therefore, when the papists meet with such phrases, they think of merit. He hath provided heaven for them that love him, and shew their love in good works. But we must know that this is not brought in as a cause why, but as a qualification of the persons who; who shall inherit heaven, and who shall have these
great things. It is idle for them to think that these things are prepared for those whom God foresees would do such and such good works. It is as if we should think he hath provided these happy things for those that are his enemies. For how could he look for love from us in a state of corruption, when the best thing in us was enmity to him?
Is it not a vain thing to look for light from darkness? to look for love from enmity and hatred? Therefore how could God foresee anything in us, when he could see nothing but enmity and darkness in our dispositions by nature?
And then (as we shall see afterward) this love in us it must be with all our heart, and soul, and might. It is required and commanded; and when we do all this, we do but what we are bound to do. But they abuse such places upon so shallow ground, that indeed it deserves not so much as to be mentioned.
To come then to the point itself, the disposition of those that shall come to heaven then is, they must be such as love God. Now he names this because these two go always together. There goes somewhat of ours together with somewhat of God's, to witness to us what God doth. There goes our choice of God, with his choosing of us; our knowing of God, with his knowledge of us; our love to him, with his love to us. Therefore, because these are so connexed and knit together, he takes the one for the other; and to make it familiar to us, he takes that which is most familiar to us, our love to him.
Now he names this above all other affections, because love is the commanding affection of the soul. It is that affection that rules all other affections. Hatred, and anger, and joy, and delight, and desire, they all spring from love; and because all duties spring from love both to God and man, therefore both tables are included in love. And when the apostle would set down the qualifications of those that
shall enjoy these things, he saith they are for those 'that love him.'
Because it stirs up to all duty, and adds a sweet qualification to every duty, and makes it acceptable and to relish with God. It stirs up to do, and qualifies the actions that come from love to be accepted.
All duties to man spring from love to man, and love to man from love to God. It is the affection that stirs up the duty, and stirs up the affection fit for the duty; it stirs up to do the thing, and to do all in love. Whatsoever we do to God or man, it must be in love. All that God doth to us it is in love. He chooseth us in love, and doth everything in love; and all that we do to God it must be in love.
Therefore he names no other affection but this, because it is the ground, the first-born affection of the soul. Therefore Christ saith it is the great commandment to love God, John 15:12. It is the great commanding commandment, that commands all other duties whatsoever; it is the first wheel that turns the whole soul about.
Again, it is such an affection as cannot be dissembled. A man may paint fire, but he cannot paint heat. A man may dissemble actions in religion, but he cannot affections. Love is the very best affection of truth. A man may counterfeit actions; but there is none that can love but the child of God. 'God hath prepared these things for those that love him.'
Then again, without this, all that we do is nothing, and we are nothing. We are nothing but an empty cymbal. Whatsoever we do is nothing; all is empty without love. 'My son, give me thy heart,' Prov.
23:26; that is, if thou wilt give me anything, give me thy affections, or else they are still-born actions, that have no life in them. If we do anything to God, and do it not in love, he regards it not. That is the reason why he mentions love instead of all. It is so sweet an affection, and so easy; what is more easy than to love? It is comfortable to us to
consider that God hath made this a qualification of those that he brings to heaven; they are such as 'love him.'
Quest. But why doth he set down any qualification at all, and not say, for Christians?
Ans. Because profession must have expression. When God sets down a professor of religion, he sets him down by some character that shall discover him to be as he is termed. How dost thou know thou art good? Dost thou love God, or call upon God? as it is in other places,
'To all those that call upon his name,' 1 Cor. 1:2, to let us know that religion and holiness is a matter of power. Wouldst thou know what thou art in religion? Dost thou love God, or call upon God?
It is not to be tolerated, to be Christians, to profess as Demas, 2 Tim.
4:10. Oh no! but they must be such as from the heart-root are good, 'such as love God.'
Therefore, dark disputes of election and predestination, at the first especially, let them go. How standest thou affected to God and to good things? Look to thy heart whether God have taught it to love or no, and to relish heavenly things. If he hath, thy state is good. And then thou mayest ascend to those great matters of predestination and election. But begin not with those, but go first to thine own heart, and then to those deep mysteries afterward. If a man love God, he may look back to election, and forward to glorification, to the things that 'eye hath not seen nor ear heard,' &c. But see first what
God hath wrought in thy heart, what affection to heavenly things; and thence from thy affections to go backward to election, and forward to glorification, there is no danger in it.
To come therefore to express more particularly this affection of love, which is the disposition that God requires and works in all those that
he, intends heaven to. Let us search into the nature of this love to God. What it is to love we need not be taught, for all men know it well enough. It is better known, indeed, by the affection than by discourse. What it is to love is known by those that love better than by any books or treatises whatsoever, for it is the affection that is in all men. Natural love, it is in those that have no grace at all, and civil love in those that are evil men. They know what it is to love by reason of that wild fire, that carnal love that is in them, that transports them. A man may see the nature of it in those as well as in any; for set aside the extravagant nature of it in such kind of persons, we may see the nature of it. Therefore I will not meddle with that point; it is needless. I come therefore to this love of God, to shew how this stream of affection should be carried in the right channel to God, the right object of it, who only can make us happy by loving of him.
Other things, by loving of them, they make us worse, if they be worse than ourselves; for such as we love, such we are. Indeed, our understandings make us not good or ill, but our love doth. By loving
God and heavenly things we become good. Our affections shew what we are in religion.* There be four things in this sweet affection in true natural love.
1. There is an estimation and valuing of some good thing, especially when the love is to a better, when it is not between equals. Now there is a great distance between God and us. There is a high esteem in common love; love will not stoop to nothing. There cannot be love maintained but upon sight of a supposed excellency; love will not stoop but where it sees somewhat worth the valuing. Therefore there is a high esteem of somewhat as the spring of it. And that is the reason that we say a man cannot be wise and love in earthly things, because love will make a man too much to value those things that he that apprehends better would not.
2. In the second place, there is a desire to be joined to it, that we call the desire of union.
3. In the third place, upon union and joining to it, there is a resting, a complacency and contentment in the thing to which we are united, for what is happiness itself but fully to enjoy what we love? When we love upon judgment and a right esteem, to enjoy, that is happiness and contentment indeed.
4. In the fourth place, where this true affection is, there is a desire of contentment to the party loved, to please him, to approve ourselves to him, to displease him in nothing. Every one knows that these things are in that affection by nature.
Look to carnal self-love, a man may know what it is to love; the affection is all one in both. Take a man when he makes himself his idol, as till a man love God he loves himself above all, he is the idol and the idolater; he hath a high esteem of himself, and those that do not highly esteem him he swells against them. Again, self-love makes a man desire to enjoy himself, and to enjoy his content, to procure all things that may serve for his contentment.
Now, when the Spirit of God hath purged our hearts of this carnal idolatry of self-love, and self-seeking, and sufficiency, and contentment in himself, then a man puts God instead of himself; grace, and the Spirit doth so; and instead of highly esteeming of himself, he esteems highly of God, and of Christ, and religion. Then, instead of placing a sufficiency in himself and the things of this life, and resting in them, there is a placing of sufficiency in God allsufficient. And instead of seeking his own will and content in all things, mens mihi pro regno, my mind is to me a kingdom,* then a man seeks to give contentment to God in all things, and 'to be a fool, that he may be wise,' 1 Cor. 3:18, and to have no will and no delight
in anything that cannot stand with the pleasure of and obedience to God.
Thus a man, by knowing what his own natural corruption is, he may know what his affection is to better things.
First of all, there must be an estimation, an esteem of God and Christ; for to avoid misconceit, we take both these to be one: God our
Father in Christ, and Christ. Whatsoever Christ did for us in love, he did it from the love of the Father who gave him. And when we speak of the love of God, we speak of the love of Christ to us. Therefore there must be a high esteeming, and valuing, and prizing of God above all things in the world, and of his love.
(1.) Now, this must needs be so; for where grace is, it gives a sanctified judgment; a sanctified judgment values and esteems things as they are. Now the judgment, apprehending God and his love to be the best thing to make us happy, prizeth it above all:
'Whom have I in heaven but thee? and what have I in earth in comparison of thee?' Ps. 73:25. He prizeth God and his love above all things in the world.
Now, if we would know if we have this judgment, we may know it by our choice. This valuing it is known by choice: for what a man esteems and values highly he makes choice of above all things in the world. What men make choice of is seen by their courses. We see it in holy Moses, Heb. 11:26, seq. He had a high esteem of the estate of God's people, that afflicted people. As afflicted as they were, yet he saw they were God's people, in covenant with him, and more regarded of him than all the people in the world besides; and upon his estimation he made a choice: 'he chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.' His choice followed his esteem. So if we value and esteem
God and religion, and love God above all things, we will make choice of the Lord. As St Peter saith, John 6:68, seq., when Christ asked them, 'Will ye also forsake me?' saith he, 'Lord, whither shall we go?'
We have made choice of thee; 'whither shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.' Let us do that in truth that he for a time failed to do, when he said, 'Though all forsake thee, yet will not I,' Mat.
26:33. If we make this choice of Christ from the truth of our hearts, this shews our esteem.
What is thy choice? Is it religious ways and religious company? Is it the fear of God above all things? 'One thing have I desired, that I may dwell in the house of God for ever, and visit his temple,' Ps. 27:4.
Hast thou with Mary made choice of the better part? Dost thou value thyself as a member of Christ, and an heir of heaven, as a Christian above all conditions in this world (for what a man esteems he values himself by)? Then thou art a true lover, thou hast this love planted in thy heart, because thou hast a true esteem. You see Paul accounted
'all dung and dross in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ,' Philip. 3:8. Oh that we could come to that excellent affection of St Paul, to undervalue all things to Christ, and the good things by Christ and religion! Certainly it is universally true, where Christ is loved, and God in Christ, the price of all things else fall in the soul.
For when we welcome Christ, then farewell all that cannot stand with Christ.
(2.) Again, our esteem is known by our willing parting with anything for that that we esteem; as a wise merchant doth sell all for the pearl,
Mat. 13:46. We may know therefore that we esteem God and his truth; for they go together, God and his truth and religion. We must take God with all that he is clothed with, wherein he shews himself unto us. If we sell all for the truth of God, and part with all, and deny
all for the love and obedience of it, it is a sign we have an esteem answerable to his worth, and that we love him.
Those therefore that will part with nothing for God, nor for religion and the truth, when they are called to it, do they talk of love to God?
They have no esteem, they value not God. If they did esteem him, they would sell all for the pearl. Therefore those that halt in religion, that care not which way religion and the truth goes, so they may have honour and pleasures in this world, where is their esteem of the gospel, and of the truth of Christ and of God? They have no love, because they have no estimation.
(3.) Again, what we esteem highly of we speak largely of. A man is always eloquent in that he esteems. It will put him, to the extent of his abilities, to be as eloquent as possible he can be. You never knew a man want words for that he prized, to set it out. Therefore when we want words to praise God, and to set out the value of the best things, it is an argument we have poor esteem of them. All go together, God and the things of God. What! do we talk of loving God, and despise
Christians and religion? They are never severed. If a man esteem the best things, he will be often speaking of them. If a man set his affections upon a thing, it will suggest words at will. Therefore those that are clean out of their theme, when they speak of good things, are to seek, Alas! where is the affection of love? where is esteem? Esteem it makes a readiness to speak.
(4.) Esteem likewise carries our thoughts. Wouldst thou know what thou esteemest highly? What dost thou think of most and highest?
Thou mayest know it by that. We see the first branch, how we may know we love God, if we have a high esteem and valuing of God, by these signs.
Secondly, Where there is true love and affection, there is a desire of union; of knitting and coupling with the thing loved. Of necessity it must be so; for love is such a kind of affection, it draws the soul all it can to the thing loved. It hath a magnetical force, the force of a loadstone. Every one knows what this means.
This affection of love makes us one with that we love. If a man love the world, he is a worldling, a man of the world, because affection breeds union. Though a man be never so base in choosing, whatsoever a man loves he desires union with it; and being so, he hath his name from that he loves. He that loves the world is a worldling, an earthworm. Now, if there be the love of God, as in covenant, as a Father in Christ, for so we must conceive of God, there will be a desire of fellowship and communion with him by all means, in the word and sacrament, &c. If a man desire strangeness, that he cares not how seldom he receive the sacrament or come into God's presence, is here love? How can love and strangeness stand together?
Thou art a strange person from God, and the things of God; thou hast no joy in his presence. Where thou mayest enjoy his presence here in holy things in this world, if thou delight not in his presence and in union with him, how canst thou say thou lovest him?
Can a man say he loves him whose company he cares not for? Thou carest not for God's company. Thou mayest meet him in the word and sacraments, and in good company: 'Where two or three are gathered together, I will be in the midst,' Mat. 18:20. Dost thou pretend thou lovest God if thou carest not for these? Thou hast no fellowship in this business; all that relish not heavenly things, they do not love.
Now, to try whether we have this branch of love, that is, a desire of union. Where therefore there is a desire of union with the party
loved, of uniting to that person (for we speak of persons), there will be a desire of communion.
(1.) A desire of union will breed a desire of communion; that is, there will be a course taken to open our minds. If we have a desire of communion with God, we will open our souls often to him in prayer, and we will desire that he will open himself in speaking to our hearts by his Spirit. And we will desire that he will open his mind to us in his word. We will be careful to hear his word, and so maintain that sweet and heavenly commerce between him and our souls by this intercourse of hearing him and speaking to him: 'Where two or three are gathered together, I will be in the midst.' Therefore those that make no conscience either of hearing the word, or of prayer public and private, and of using the glorious liberty that we have in Christ, of free access to the throne of grace, that do not use this prerogative and privilege to cherish that union and communion they may have with God, they love not God and Christ. Strangeness is opposite to love, and it dissolves and disunites affections. Therefore when we are strange to God, that we can go from one end of the week to the other, and from the beginning of the day to the end of it, and not be acquainted with God, and not open our souls to him, it is a sign we have no love; because there is no desire of union and communion with him.
(2.) Again, where we love we consult and advise, and rest in that advice, as coming from a loving person, especially if he be as wise as loving. So in all our consultations, we will go to God and take his counsel; and when we have it, we will account it the counsel of one that is wise and loving.
Those therefore that trust to their own wits, to policy and such like, what do they speak of love when they make not use of that covenant
that is between God and them? They consult not with him; they make not his word the 'man of their counsel,' Ps. 119:24; they go not to him by prayer for advice; they commit not their 'ways' to him, as the psalmist speaketh, Ps. 37:5.
(3.) And this distinguisheth a good Christian from another man: a good Christian he is such a one as acquaints himself with his God, and will not lose that intercourse he hath with God for all the world.
As Daniel, he would not but pray; they could not get him from it with the hazard of his life, Dan. 6:11.
(4.) Again, where this desire of union and joining is, there is a desire even of death itself, that there may be a fuller union, and a desire of the consummation of all things. Therefore so far as we are afraid of death, and tremble at it, so far we want love. When the contract is once made between Christ and the soul of a Christian, for him to fear the making up of the marriage, when we are now absent from the Lord, to fear the sweet eternal communion we shall have in heaven, where we shall have all things in greater excellency and abundance, it is from want of faith and love. Therefore we should be ashamed of ourselves when we find such thoughts rising in our hearts, as they will naturally, to be basely and distrustfully afraid of death. St Paul saith, 'I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ;' that is good, nay, it is much better for me, Philip. 1:23. Nay, it is best of all to be with Christ. Therefore, you see, it stirred up his desire: 'I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.' 'Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly,' saith the church, Rev. 22:20. And the Spirit in the spouse stirs up this desire likewise: 'Come; the Spirit and the spouse say, Come,'
Rev. 22:17. And we should rejoice to think there are happier times to come, wherein there will be an eternal meeting together that nothing shall dissolve, as the apostle saith, 1 Thes. 4:17, 'when we shall be for
ever with the Lord.' Oh those times cheer up the heart of a Christian beforehand!
Now where these things possess not the soul, how can we say that we love God? In Cant. 1:1 the church begins, 'Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth.' She desires a familiar communion with Christ in his, word and ordinances, 'Let him kiss me,' &c. Let him speak by his
Spirit to my heart. In this world Christ kisseth his church with the kisses of his mouth. But in the latter end of the Canticles, 'Make haste, my beloved,' 8:14, she desires his second coming, thinks it not enough to have the kisses of his mouth; 'Make haste, my beloved, and be as the young roes upon the mountains of spices;' that is, come hastily from heaven, the mountain of spices, and let us meet together, my beloved. These things be somewhat strange to our carnal dispositions, but if we hope ever to attain to the comfort of what I say, we must labour that our hearts may be brought to this excellent condition, to desire the presence of Christ. That is the second property of love.
The third is to rest pleased and contented in the thing when we are joined with it; so far as we are joined with it to place our contentment in it. And it is in the nature of that affection to place contentment in the thing we desire to have, when we have it once.
Now we may know this our contentment whether we rest in God or no by the inward quiet and peace of the soul in all conditions, when whatsoever our condition be in this world, yet we know we have the light of God's countenance, and can rest and be content in it more than worldly men in their corn and wine and oil, as David saith, Ps.
4:7, 'I rejoice more in the light of thy countenance, than when they have their corn and wine and oil;' when we can joy and solace ourselves with the assurance of God's favour and love in Jesus Christ.
'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God,' and rejoice in God, as it is Rom. 5:1; we rejoice in God as ours.
Therefore those that go to outward contentments, that run out to them as if there were not enough in God and divine things to content their souls, but they must be beholding to the devil and to the flesh, this is not to rest in God. He is over-covetous whom God cannot content. If we be in covenant with him, he is able to fill our soul, and all the corners of it; he is able to satisfy all the delights and desires of it; he is a gracious Father in Christ. Whither should we go from him for contentment? Why should we go out of religion to content ourselves in vain recreations and pleasures of sin for a season, when we have abundance in God?
And where there is contentment, there will be trusting in him and relying upon him. A man will not rely upon riches, or friends, or anything; for where we place our contentment, we place our trust. So far as we love God, so far we repose affiance and trust in him; he will be our rock and castle and strength. Wouldst thou know whether thou restest in him or no? In the time of danger, whither doth thy soul run? To thy purse if thou be a rich man? or to thy friends if thou be a worldly-minded man? Every man hath his castle to fly to. But 'the name of the Lord is a strong tower,' Ps. 61:3. He that is a child of God flieth thither for refuge, and there he covereth himself, and is safe. He enters into those chambers of divine providence and goodness, and there he rests in all troubles.
Therefore ask thy affections whither thou wouldst run if there come a confusion of all things. When men are apt to say, Oh what will become of us! and they think of this and that, a good Christian hath
God to rest in. He hath God reconciled in Christ, and in his love he plants himself in life and death. He makes God his habitation and his
castle, as it is Ps. 18:2, 'I love the Lord dearly, my rock and my fortress.' And Moses in Ps. 90:1, seq. (for his psalm it is), 'Thou hast been our habitation from everlasting to everlasting.' We dwell in thee. Though in the world we are tossed up and down, and live and die, yet we alway dwell with thee. So a Christian hath his contentment and his habitation in God; he is his house he dwells in, his rock, his resting-place, his centre in which he rests. 'Come unto me, and ye shall find rest to your souls,' Mat. 11:28. When a man is beat out of all contentments, he may know by this whether he love
God or no. As David when he was beat out of all, and they were ready to stone him; but 'he trusted in the Lord his God,' Ps. 26:1, et alibi. So in losses and crosses hast thou contentment in God, thou wilt fetch what thou losest out of the love of God, and what thou art crossed in thou wilt fetch out of God's love. Thou wilt say, This and that is taken from me, but God is mine; I can fetch more good by faith from him than I can lose in the world. A soul that is acquainted with God, when he loseth anything in the world, he can fetch it out of the fountain and spring. He is taught to love God; he is skilful this way to pitch his hope and affiance in God, where he hath enough for all crosses. Let us labour to bring our souls more and more to this, and then we shall know what it is to love God by this placing of our contentment in him. 'Take all from me,' saith holy Austin, 'so thou leave me thyself'(b). So a Christian can say, Take all from me, so I have God.
Indeed, where shall a man have comfort in many passages of his life, if he find it not in religion? What will become of a man in this uncertain world, if he have not somewhat where he may place his content? Oh, he will find before he die that he is a wretched man. He knows not where to find rest and contentment before he dies; he will be beat out of all his holds here either by sickness or one thing or other.
The fourth and last is, where the true affection of love to God is, it stirs up the soul to give all contentment to God, to do all things that may please him. This is the nature of love. It stirs up to please the party loved. Isaac's sons saw that their father loved venison, therefore they provided venison for him, Gen 25:28. Those that know what God loves will provide what they can that that God may delight in. He loves a humble and a believing heart. 'Thou hast wounded me with one of thine eyes,' Cant. 4:9—the eye of faith, when the soul can trust in the word, and humbly go out of itself. His delight is in a broken yielding heart, that hardens not itself against his instructions, but yields. A broken heart that lies low, and hears all that God saith,
Oh 'it is a sacrifice that God is much delighted in,' Ps. 51:17, et alibi. A humble spirit is such a spirit as God dwells in. 'He that dwells in the highest heavens dwells in a humble spirit,' Isa. 57:15. Doth God delight in a meek, broken, humble spirit? Oh then it will be the desire of a Christian to have such a spirit as God may delight in. A meek soul is much esteemed; 'the hidden man of the heart,' 1 Pet. 3:4, is much prized. Search in God's word what he delights in, and let us labour to bring ourselves to such a condition as God may delight in us, and we in him. And then it is a sign we love him, when we labour to procure all things that may give him content. You know that love where it is, it stirs up the affections of the party to remove all things that are distasteful to the party it loves. Therefore it is a neat* affection; for it will make those neat that otherwise are not so, because it will not offend; much more this divine heavenly affection, when it is set on a right object, upon God, it is a neat, cleanly affection. It will purge the soul; it will work upon the soul a desire to be clean as much as can be, because God is a pure, holy God, and it will 'have no fellowship with the works of darkness,' Eph. 5:11.
Therefore as much as human frailty will permit, it will study purity, to keep itself 'unspotted of the world,' James 1:27. It will not willingly cherish any sin that may offend the Spirit. Those therefore that are
careless of their ways and carriage and affections, that make nothing of polluting, and defiling their affections and their ways, there is not the love of God in their hearts. It stirs up shame to be offensive in the eyes of such a one, especially if they be great. There is both love and respect met together. Where it is a reverential love with respect, there is a shame to be in a base, filthy, displeasing condition. God hates pride and idolatry, &c. Therefore a man that loves God will hate idols and all false doctrine and worship that tends this way. His heart will rise against them, because he knows God hates it, and all that take that course. He observes what is most offensive to God, and he will avoid it and seek what is pleasing to him.
God and Christ are wondrously pleased with faith. 'Thou hast wounded me with one of thine eyes.' Faith, and love from faith, wounds the breast of Christ: therefore let us labour for faith. 'O woman, great is thy faith,' Mat. 15:28. It is such a grace as binds and overcomes God, it honours him so much. Let us therefore labour for faith, and in believing, for all graces. They are things that God loves.
Therefore let us labour to be furnished with all things that he loves.
Especially those graces that have some excellency set upon them in the Scripture we should most esteem. Isaac, when he was to marry
Rebecca, he sends her jewels beforehand, that having them, she might be more lovely in his eye, Mat. 15:28. So Christ, the husband of his church, that he might take more delight and content in his church, he sends her jewels beforehand; that is, he enricheth his church with the spirit of faith, meekness, humility, and love, and all graces, that he may delight and take content in his spouse. Those that have not somewhat that God may delight in them, they have not the spirit of love. Those, therefore, that rebel instead of giving God content; that resist the Spirit, and the motions of it, in the ministry, and in reprehensions, and the like: those that live in sins directly against God's command, that are common swearers, and filthy
persons, neglecters of holy things, profane, godless persons, do they talk of the love of God and of heaven? You may see the filthiness of their hearts by the filthiness that issues from them. God keeps not such excellencies for such persons. The love of God, and living in sins against conscience, will not stand together. A demonstration of love is exhibitio operis, the exhibition of somewhat to please God. Shew me in thy course what thou doest to please God. If thou live in courses that are condemned, never talk of love. It is a pitiful thing to see in the bosom of the church, under the glorious revelation of divine truth, that men should live apparently* and impudently in sins against conscience, that glory in their shame. It is a strange thing that they should glory in their profaneness and swaggering; that they should glory in a kind of atheistical carriage. As they have been bred, so they will be still. Many are marred in that; they are either poisoned in their first breeding, or neglected in it.
To see under the glorious gospel of Christ, that those that think they have souls eternal, that they should live in impudent base courses, void of religion and humanity, only to satisfy their own lusts, instead of satisfying and obeying God; men that live in the bosom of the church as beasts, and yet hope to be saved as well as the best; Oh, but the hope of the hypocrite, the hope of such persons, will deceive them.
Oh let us labour therefore to have this affection of love planted in our hearts; that God by his Spirit would teach us to love him, and to love one another. This affection of love must be taught by God. It is not a matter of the brain to teach that, but a matter of the heart. God only is the great schoolmaster and teacher of the heart. He must not only command us to love, but teach our affections by his Holy Spirit, to enable our affections to love him.
Where love is in this regard likewise to give content, there will be love of all those whom the party we approve ourselves to loves. Is there any of Jonathan's posterity, saith David, that I may do good to them for his sake? 2 Sam. 9:1. The soul that loves God and Christ saith, Is there any good people, any that carry the image of God and Christ? It will be sure to love them. It will do good to Jonathan's posterity. Those that hate them that carry the image of God and Christ, that their stomach riseth against good men, how do they 'love him that begets, when they love not him that is begotten?' 1 John 5:1.
There cannot be the love of God in such a man. Undoubtedly if we love God, we shall love his children, and anything that hath God's stamp upon it. We shall love his truth and his cause and religion, and whatsoever is divine and toucheth upon God. We shall love it, because it is his. It is such an affection as sets the soul on work to think, Wherein may I give content to such a person? It is full of devices and inventions to please. Therefore it thinks, Can I give consent in loving such and such? As Christ saith, he that respects these little ones, it is to me, it is accountable on my part, I will see it answered, Matt. 18:5. If the love of Christ be in us, we will regard this, because we will think: Christ will regard me for the good I do for his sake, and in his name, to this and that party. Thus we see how we may try this sweet affection, and not deceive our own souls.
And therefore, where there is a desire of giving content, there will be a zeal against all things; to remove all things in our places and callings that may offend. It will carry us through all difficulties. To please him, it will make us willing to suffer. I will please him, by suffering some indignity for his cause. I will do it, that I may engage his affection to me. Therefore the disciples gloried in this, when they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ's sake, Acts 5:41. Where there is a desire to please God, it is so far from being ashamed or afraid to suffer, that it joys in this. Oh, now there is occasion given to
shew that God respects me more, if I, for his sake, stand out in his quarrel, and break through all difficulties.
It will make us please him in all things that we are capable, in all things that we can do any way in our standings; as Christ describes it out of Moses, to 'love God with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all our strength,' Deut. 6:5. Where love is, it sets all on work to please and give content. It sets the mind on work to study, Wherein shall I please God? And it will study God's truth, and not serve him by our own inventions. We must serve and love God after his mind; that is, as he hath commanded. It will set the wits on work to understand how he will be served, and to love him with all our soul, and with all our heart; that is, with the marrow and strength of our affections, with all my strength, be a man what he will be. If he be a magistrate, with the strength of his magistracy; if he be a minister, with the strength of his ministerial calling. In any condition I must love him, with all that that condition enableth me to. For it is a commanding affection; and being so, it commands all within and without to give content to the person loved. It commands the wit to devise, and the memory to retain, good things. It commands joy and delight; it commands anger to remove hindrances; and so all outward actions, love commands the doing of all things; it sets all on work. It is a most active affection. It is like to fire. It is compared to it. It sets all on work, and commands all that man is able to do.
Therefore those that study not in all their endeavours according to their callings and places, according to every thing that God hath entrusted them with, to please God and to honour him in their conditions, they love not God.
What a shame is it, that when God hath given us such a sweet affection as love, that he should not have our love again, when we make ourselves happy in loving him? He is happy in his own love, the