Chapter 11. The Sixth Royal Privilege—our Love shall be perfect.
Chapter 11.
The Sixth Royal Privilege—our Love Shall be Perfect.
Love is the jewel with which Christ's bride is adorned. In one sense, love is more excellent than faith; for love never ceases, 1 Cor. 13:8.
The spouse shall put off her jewel of faith, when she goes to heaven— but she shall never put off her jewel of love. Her love shall be perfect.
1. Our love to GOD shall be perfect. The saint's love shall be joined with reverence; for a filial disposition shall remain—but there shall be no servile fear in heaven. Horror and trembling is proper to the damned in hell; though in heaven there shall be a reverencing fear—yet a rejoicing fear: we shall see that in God which will work such a delight that we cannot but love him! This love to God shall be, 1. A FERVENT love. Our love to God in this life, is rather a faint desire—but in heaven the smoke of desire shall be blown up into a flame of love. We shall love God with an intenseness of love, and thus the saints shall be like the seraphim who are so called, from their burning. Here on earth, our love is lukewarm, and sometimes frozen: a child of God weeps that he can love God no more. But there is a time shortly coming, when our love to God shall be fervent, it shall burn as hot as it can! The damned shall be in a flame of fire, the elect in a flame of love!
2. A FIXED love. Alas, how soon is our love taken off from God!
Other objects presenting themselves, steal away our love. "Your goodness is like a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away": in the morning you shall see the grass covered with drops of dew, as so many pearls—but before noon all is vanished; so it is with our love to God. Perhaps at a sermon, when our affections are stirred, the
heart melts in love; and at a sacrament, when we see Christ's blood, as it were, trickling down upon the cross, some love-drops fall from our heart; but within a few days all is vanished, and we have lost our first love: this is matter of humiliation while we live. But O you saints, comfort yourselves, in heaven your love shall be fixed, as well as fervent; it shall never more be taken off from God! Such beauty and excellency shall shine in God, that as a divine magnet, it will be always drawing your eyes and heart after him.
2. Our love to the SAINTS shall be perfect. Love is a sweet harmony, a tuning and chiming together of affections.
1. It is our duty to love the saints—though they are of bad dispositions; sometimes their nature is so abrasive and unpolished, that grace does not cast forth such a luster. It is like a gold ring on a leprous hand, or a diamond set in iron. Yet if there is anything of Christ—it is our duty to love it.
2. It is our duty to love the saints—though they in some things differ from us. Yet if we see Christ's image or portraiture drawn upon their hearts, we are to separate the precious from the vile. But alas, how defective is this grace! how little love is there among God's people!
Herod and Pilate can agree: wicked men unite when saints divide.
Contentions were never more hot, love never more cold. Many there are whose music consists all in discord; they pretend to love truth— but hate peace. Divisions are Satan's powder-plot to blow up religion.
It would not be strange to hear the harlot say, "Let the child be divided;" but to hear the mother say so, this is sad! If pope, cardinal,
Jesuit, all conspire against the church of God, it would not be strange; but for one saint to persecute another—this is strange! For a wolf to worry a lamb is usual—but for a lamb to worry a lamb is unnatural. For Christ's lily to be among the thorns, is ordinary; but for this lily to become a thorn, to tear and fetch blood—this is strange! How will Christ take this at our hands! Would he not have