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you know what was said by himself, and by such as gave testimony concerning him, that he "came a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not walk in darkness." That same light that lets us see what he was, lets us see what we were too; the same light that we discover him by, we discover ourselves by. And what have we to discern of ourselves, but that we are a company of lost creatures, impure, guilty wretches, that have inhabited darkness and death? that are cast off from God, have lost all interest in him, and all inclination towards him? darkened creatures, in every faculty and power? under the dominion of sin, and in captivity to Satan, the evil one, the prince of the darkness of this world, and he that hath the power of that death that hath spread itself in all the gloominess and terrors of it over souls? The same light that reveals him, reveals this, and discovers our state, and thereupon shows that he as a Saviour hath to do such things as these.

First, That he is to take away our sins, the great make bate between God and us. This to be believed, when we believe Jesus to be the Christ, that he came and was manifested to take away our sins. In him there being no sin, as in the third chapter of this epistle, verse 5. Oh, how will this transport a soul that hath once had but the convictive light (the thing before supposed) let in upon it to reveal Christ to it, and to reveal it to itself. Take away sin and I am a happy creature indeed, the only thing that ever hurt me, ever did me any harm. This Jesus was manifested for to take away sin; he is a Saviour for that, a Jesus for that, to save his people from their sins. And that is the reason of his name, Matt. i. 21. And,

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now run into union with God. Having the Divine stamp put upon them, and a divine nature put into them, they cannot be held off any longer, they must unite with him, for they are become God-like; this is Christ's work as a Saviour, and he makes the soul apprehensive of it, and to apprehend this as the most desirable thing in all the world. As disconformity to God is the most heavy pressure upon the enlightened soul, which he hath in some measure made apprehensive. "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden." It is he that makes the soul weary of its deformity, and the ugliness that was upon it. Oh what an odious creature am I! what a pressure doth this lay upon me! that now I am become a hateful creature, who once had the divine image upon me, hereupon nothing could ensue but distance between God and me: Well, saith he, I will put an end to all this, I will make up all this matter, I will put a new heart and new spirit into thee, I will write my law in thy heart, I will incline it to God, I will unite it to God; and in so doing, there shall be such a distance and such a strangeness between God and thee no longer. And,

Sixthly, It is by consequence hereupon his work (by doing all this) to perfect the nature of man within itself; gradually and inchoatively now; perfectly and consummately hereafter; he will absolutely perfect it at length. Is he restoring the Divine image in us, making us who were darkness to be light in the Lord, making us, who had the image of hell upon us, to bear the image of God and heaven? Is he not then perfecting our nature by all this? making a new man? "Behold (saith he) I make all things new." That is the Mediator's great undertaking; that is the undertaking of this Jesus, whom we believe to be the Christ. And hereupon,

Secondly, To vindicate us from under the power of the devil; for we were all led captive by him at his will. And this world did lie in the wicked one, that first apostate, Seventhly, He brings about (and that is part of his kind that great enemy that hath trained man in to be accom-design) a continued communion and intercourse between plices with him in a rebellion against heaven; we are led God and us, so that we may live with God every day. captive by him at his will; and we followed naturally the Thou shalt not live a wandering creature, and a vagabond, course of this world, and "the power of the prince of the upon the face of this earth, as thou hast done; thou hast air, the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedi- now the privilege that thou mayst walk with God every ence," Eph. ii. 2, 3. It is Christ's design as a Saviour to day. Sin is taken away, thou art fetched from under the turn us from darkness to light, and from the power of Sa- captivity of the devil, thou art reconciled to God, his image tan unto God. If a man be apprehensive of this, as when is renewed in thee, thou art re-united to him, thy nature is there is such light concerning Christ (there is such light in a degree perfected, and shall be absolutely perfected; concerning our state too) in this respect, he will be ready and thereupon thou art to have daily commerce with God to cry out, Oh wretched man that I am! a vassal to the in continual communion. This thy kind Saviour is doing devil! he hath led me captive at his will, could do with for thee: believing this Jesus to be the Christ, thou beme what he would, hath had his will upon me! Oh then lievest all this, if you understand yourselves in what you to be rescued out of this captivity! Oh blessed Jesus! profess to believe, and what lies before you as the object when Jesus is believed to be the Christ in order to this, it of your faith. And then in the last place, is not strange it should work such a work in the soul of a man. And,

Thirdly, His business, as a Saviour, is to reconcile us to God, to bring about amity and friendship between God and us. When light is let into the soul to see its state, this is the most covetable of all things that can be thought of. There hath been a distance and strangeness and enmity between God and me: he shall be the welcomest in all the world to me that shall make peace, that shall reconcile me to God, that shall procure me his favour, wherein stands my life. Jesus, as a Saviour, is to do this. He came to be a Saviour, a Jesus, with this kind design, and to make this overture to the soul; Come, there is a warfare, and hath been of long continuance between God and you; I will be a reconciler, I will make peace. O blessed Jesus! "blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord," upon such an errand as this; for in his favour stands my very life. And,

Fourthly, As a Saviour, his design is to renew the divine image in the soul: Come, thou art a ruined creature, I will repair thy ruins; a degenerate creature, I will make thee a new creature, to learn the truth as it is in Jesus, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put off the old man which is corrupt, and to put on the new man; I come to new create thee, I come to put a new frame upon thee throughout. And,

Fifthly, He hereupon must have this for his design, to unite us to God, to bring about a union between God and us now that the reconciliation of him to us, and the transformation wrought in us, make us capable of it; his design is to bring things to that pass with us, that our souls shall

Eighthly, All this in order to his introducing you into the presence of the Divine glory at last, all doth but tend to one end, to make you participants of the "inheritance of the saints in light, and to present you holy and unblamable, without spot and faultiness, before the presence of the Divine glory with exceeding joy," as it is in the latter end of the epistle of Jude. In that conspicuous glory of his, or before his glorious face, where you are to have your abode statedly and everlastingly. This is his design. They believe Jesus to be the Christ, understandingly, as they are made to do so by the Divine Spirit. They believe all this by consequence, this is their notion which they have concerning this Jesus that they believe to be the Christ; he is to do all this for such souls as mine, and upon my soul upon believing in him.

And then the soul, receiving him upon believing all this concerning him, being hereby opened to receive him, he hereby first acquires a right to all gracious communications from him; and then, secondly, hath the actual possession of those communications themselves; for all must be in and through Christ, that Spirit of Christ which is to do al! is given upon his account and for his sake, upon being united to him; to wit, the soul is brought into union with him by that Spirit; and upon that union it diffuseth its influences through the soul, and possesses it for God, takes it for his temple. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Holy Ghost dwelleth in you?" I Cor. iii. 16. And this cannot but infer then, that there should be such a regenerating work by which a foundation is laid for the truth of this assertion, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." For all these things

to be done by Christ are matter of promise, and all the promises are yea and amen, only in Christ, 2 Cor. i. 20. And what are these promises for? we are made partakers of these exceeding great and precious promises, or they are given to us, that by them we might be made partakers of the divine nature which is the very work of regeneration itself, the imparting that divine nature to us; all this promised good is in and by Christ; and believing him to be the Christ, we become entitled to all these promises, and

they come of course (we having such a title) to be accomplished and made good.

And thus nothing is more manifest than that which to men might seem strange at first, that it should positively be said, "Whosoever believeth Jesus to be the Christ, is born of God;" it cannot but be so, if you do but observe the coincidency how these two things, believing Jesus to be the Christ, and being born of God, run into one another.

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A SERMON,

DIRECTING WHAT WE ARE TO DO AFTER A STRICT INQUIRY,

WHETHER OR NO WE TRULY LOVE GOD.

THE EPISTLE.

You may remember what a solemn awe was upon our congregation lately at the preaching of the ensuing sermon, and that not a few tears dropped at the hearing of it. This engaged some of us to entreat our reverend pastor to give way, that by this publication it might be accommodated to your review. We know it is no more than one single thread that belongs to many other discourses upon the same subject which have preceded, and to others which we hope will follow; but such as by your notes and memories may easily be wrought into the whole piece. It is but a thread, yet a golden one, and may contribute to the service of the tabernacle, as in Exod. xxv. We know it is a great condescension in him to suffer such an imperfect piece to come abroad, but when the reverend dean of C. and other learned persons of the church of England, have denied themselves by suffering such small prints for the general good; we are persuaded, though he gave not a positive judgment for it, he will not dislike that which is for your service, and is intended to go no further. Receive it therefore, read it over and over, and allot some times for the putting in practice the grand examination urged upon us, and do your utmost to persuade all under your roofs and commands to do the like; that that which was preached with so much holy fervour and affection, may beget in us and ours a bright flame of divine love to our good Lord, to whom we commend you, and are

Your affectionate brethren

and servants, &c.

JOHN V. 42.

BUT I KNOW YOU, THAT YE HAVE NOT THE LOVE of GOD IN YOU.

and not agree all to love God together; the God whom we worship, whom we invocate, whose name we bear, and unto whom we all of us pretend. For who is there among us will say, "I have no part in God?" And it were a most lovely thing, a most comely, desireable thing, that all such worshipping assemblies, even this worshipping assembly, at this time, and all times, could still meet together under this one common notion, truly and justly assumed, as so many lovers of God. We are sure there will be an assembly, a general assembly, in which no one that is not a lover of God will be found; an assembly of glorious angels, and of the spirits of just men made perfect, a numerous, an innumerable assembly, in which not one but a sincere lover of God. What a blessed thing were it, if our assemblies on earth were such! But we cannot speak more gently, than to say there is cause to fear they are not such; it hath been actually otherwise among a people professing the true religion; "They come before thee, and sit before thee as my people, and with their mouth show much love; with their face, or in external appearance and show, (ore tenus,) they are lovers of God, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. If such a case hath been actually, it is still possible, and is still too much to be feared to be but too common a case.

'You have heard several discourses from this scripture, | to call upon his name together, to hear his word together, and from another in the same Gospel, that we spoke to alternately with this at several times; "Thou knowest all things, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee," ch. xx. 17. And that which after doctrinal explication hath hitherto been insisted on, was an inquiry into the state of our own case in reference hereunto. Are we lovers of God in Christ, or are we not? There have been many things signified to you, by which this case might be discerned; and that which remains, and most naturally follows hereupon, is to direct you what you are to do, supposing your case, upon inquiry, to be this or that. Why such an inquiry, if it hath been attended to at all amongst us; it must have signified somewhat, it must, one would think, have some or other result, and what should we suppose it to result into, but either this, I do not love God, or I do. These are most vastly different cases, it's a trial upon the most important point that could have been discussed among us; and supposing there should be two sorts among us, the effect of it is as if a parting line should be drawn through a congregation, severing the living from the dead; here are so many living, and so many dead souls. Indeed it is a very hard supposition, to suppose that there should be any one in all this assembly that doth not love God; a very hard supposition, I am extremely loth to make such a supposition; I would, as much as in me is, not suppose it. For truly it were a very sad case that we should agree so far as we do in many other things, and not agree in this; that is, that we should agree so many of us to come all and meet together here in one place, agree to worship God together, agree to sing his praises together, to seek his face together,

But now supposing that there be different cases among us, in reference to these different cases there must be very different deportments, and a very different management of ourselves. This text more naturally leads me to direct what is to be done upon the supposition of the sadder case,

most deplorably sadder, that one is no lover of God; | the Father is not in him. I have the love of God in me, though we must be led on thereto by some things common to both cases.

Therefore that I may proceed by steps, this is requisite in the first place, that is, that we make one judgment of our case or another; that is, that we bring the matter some way to a judgment, not let so great a thing as this hang always in suspense. It's very plain (a little to press this) that, First, While the case hangs thus in suspense it suspends the proper subsequent duty too that should follow hereupon. What canst thou do that is certainly fit and proper for thy own soul, when thou dost not understand the state of its case? How canst thou guide thy course, or tell which way to apply or turn thyself? And,

though I would never allow him to rule me, though I never kept his commandments with a design to please him, and comply with his will. I have the love of God in me, though I never valued his love. I have the love of God in me, though I never cared for his image, for his presence, for his converse, for his interest and honour." I beseech you consider how all this will sound! Can any thing be more absurdly spoken? and shall it be upon such improbabilities, or impossibilities as these, that any man will think it fit to venture his soul? "I'll pawn my soul upon it, I'll run the hazard of my soul upon it, I am a lover of God for all this?" Would you venture any thing else so besides your soul? Would you venture a finger so, an eye so? It's

it's to place the name of the thing upon its contrary. The soul of man can't be in an indifferency towards God, but if there be not love and propension, there is aversion, and that's hatred. And what is hatred to be called love? If you bear that habitual disposition of soul towards God, te go all the day long with no inclination towards him; no thought of him; no design to please him, to serve him, to glorify him; if this be your habitual temper, and usual course, will you call this love? Shall this contrariety to the love of God be called love to him? You may as well call water fire, or fire water, as so grossly mis-name things here; and therefore again, in the

Secondly, To press it further, consider that the not bring-to place the name, where there is nothing of the thing; ing, or omitting to bring, this matter to a judgment, if it proceed from indifferency and neglect, speaks the greatest contempt that can be both of God and thine own soul, the greatest that can be; that is, now supposing the question be asked, Dost thou love God? or dost thou not? And thou unconcernedly answerest, I can't tell, I don't know; why, what to be carelessly ignorant whether thou lovest God, or lovest him not, there could not be a more concluding medium against thee, that thou dost not love him. It speaks thee at once to despise both God and thyself; what, to have this matter hang in indifferency through neglect, whether thou lovest God, or lovest him not? It shows that neither regard to God, nor a just value of thyself, makes thee care whether thou art a holy man or a devil. For know, that the loving God, or not loving him, does more distinguish a saint from a devil, than wearing a body or not wearing it can do. A devil, if he did love God, were a saint; a man that doth not love God, he is no other, though he wear a body, than an incarnate devil: It's the want of love to God that makes the devil a devil, makes him what he is. Secondly, For further direction, take heed of passing a false judgment in this case, a judgment contrary to the truth. For,

First, That's to no purpose, it will avail thee nothing, you can't be advantaged by it, for yours is not the supreme judgment. There will be another and superior judgment to yours, that will control and reverse your false judgment, and make it signify nothing; it is therefore to no purpose. And,

Secondly, It is a great piece of insolency, for it will be to oppose your judgment to his certain and most authorized judgment; who, if this be your case, hath already judged it, and tells you," I know you, that you have not the love of God in you." It belongs to him by office to judge, "The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son," as a little above in this chapter; from what will you depose him? dethrone him? disannul his judgment? condemn him? that you may be righteous (to borrow that, Job xl. 8.)

Thirdly, It's most absurd, supposing such characters as you have heard do conclude a man in this case, yet to judge himself a lover of God. If against the evidence of such characters a man should pronounce the wrong judg ment, it would be the most unreasonable and absurd thing imaginable; for then let us but suppose, how that wrong judgment must lie related to those fore-mentioned characters, that have been given you. Let me remind you of some of them, he that never put forth the act of love to God, cannot say he hath the principle, he that is not inclined to do good to others, for the sake of God, 1 John iii. 17.—he that indulges himself in the inconsistent love of this world, 1 John ii. 15.-he that lives not in obedience to his known laws, John xiv. 15. 1 John v. 3. (with many more.) Now if you will pass a judgment of your case, against the evidence of such characters, come forth then, let the matter be brought into clear sight, put your sense into plain words, and this it will be: "I am a lover of God, or I have the love of God in me, though I can't tell that ever I put forth one act of love towards him in all my life; I have the love of God in me, though I never knew what it meant to do good to any for his sake, against the express words of Scripture: How dwelleth the love of God in such a man? I have the love of God in me, though I have constantly indulged myself in that which he maketh an inconsistent love, Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world: if any man love the world, the love of

Third place, that we may advance somewhat, Plainly and positively pass the true judgment. If the characters that you have heard do carry the matter so, come at last plainly and positively to pass the true judgment of your own case, though it be a sad one; and tell your own souls, "Oh! my soul, though I must sadly say it, I must say it, all things conclude and make against thee: the love of God is not in thee." Why is it not as good this should be the present issue at your own bar, and at the tribunal of your own conscience, as before God's judgment seat? Why should you not concur and fall in with Christ the authorized Judge, whose judgment is according to truth? Why this is a thing that must be done, the case requires it, and God's express word requires it, 1 Cor. xi. 31. Other previous and preparatory duty plainly enjoined, doth by consequence enjoin it, and requires that it follow, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. What is examination for, but in order to judgment? It must therefore be done, and I shall show how it must be done, and proceed to some further directions.

First, You must do it solemnly. Take yourselves aside at some fit season or another, inspect your own souls, review your life, consider what your wonted frame and your ordinary course has been. And if you find, by such characters as heretofore were given, this is the truth of your case; then let judgment pass upon deliberation: “Oh my soul! thou hast not the love of God' in thee, whatsoever thine appearances hitherto have been; and whatsoever thy peace and quiet hath been, thou hast not the love of God in thee:" let it be done with solemnity.

Secondly, Do it in the sight of God, as before him, as under his eye, as under the eye of Christ. That eye that is as a flame of fire, that searches hearts, and tries reins; arraign thyself before him. "Lord, I have here brought before thee a guilty soul, a delinquent soul, a wretched and horrid delinquent, a soul that was breathed into me by thee, an intelligent, understanding soul, a soul that hath love in its nature, but a soul that never loved thee."

Thirdly, Judge thyself before him, as to the fact, and as to the fault. As to the fact: "I have never yet loved thee, O God, I own it to thee; Lord, I accuse, I charge my soul with this before thee, this is the truth of the fact, I have not the love of God in me." And charge thyself with the fault. "Oh horrid creature that I am! I was made by thee, and don't love thee; thou didst breathe into me this reasonable immortal spirit, and it doth not love thee; it is thy own offspring, and does not love thee. It can never be blessed in any thing but thee, and it does not love thee." And then hereupon, in the

Fourth place, Join to this self-judging, self-loathing. That we are to judge ourselves is a law laid upon us by the supreme Law-giver, the one Law-giver, that hath power to save, and to destroy. And his word that enjoins it as plainly tells us what must go with it, that this self-judging must

be accompanied with self-loathing, Ezek, vi. 9. chap. xx. | heart in which was no love of God; but it was a secret, you 43. and xxxvi. 31. Do God that right upon thyself, that took not care to have it wrote in your forehead; you conthou mayest tell him, Blessed God! I do even hate myself, versed with men so plausibly, nobody took you to be no because I find I have not loved thee; and I cannot but lover of God, to have a heart disaffected to God. But now, hate myself, and I never will be reconciled to myself, till out comes the secret, that which you kept for a great secret I find I am reconciled to thee. This is doing justice: doth all your days, out comes the secret; and to have such a not the Scripture usually, and familiarly, so represent to us secret as this disclosed to that vast assembly, before angels the great turn of the soul to God; when poor sinners be- and men! Here was a creature, a reasonable creature, an come penitents and return, that they are brought to hate intelligent soul, that lived upon the Divine bounty and themselves, and loathe themselves in their own eyes? And goodness so many years in the world below, and hid a is there any thing that can make a soul so loathsome in it-false disloyal heart by a plausible show, and external proself, or ought to make it so loathsome to itself, as not to fession of great devotedness to God, all the time of his love God, to be destitute of the love of God? And then, abode in that world: Oh! what a fearful thing would it Fifthly, Hereupon too, pity thyself, pity thy own soul. be to have this secret so disclosed! And do you think that There is cause to hate it, to loathe it; and is there no cause all the loyal creatures, that shall be spectators and auditors to pity it, to lament it? Doth not this look like a lament- in the hearing of that great day, will not all conceive a just able case? "Oh! what a soul have I that can love any and a loyal indignation against such a one when convicted thing else, that can love trifles, that can love impurities, of not loving God; convicted of not loving him that gave that can love sin; and can't love God, Christ, the most him breath, him whose he was, to whom he belonged, desirable good of souls. What a soul have I! What a whose name he bore? What a fearful thing will it be to monster in the creation of God, is this soul of mine!" stand convicted so upon such a point as this! And sure, Methinks you should set yourselves, if any of you can find in the mean time, there is great reason for continual fear, this to be the case, to weep over your own souls. Some why a man's heart should meditate terror! One would may see cause to say, "O my soul, thou hast in thee other even think that all the creation should be continually every valuable things, thou hast understanding in thee, judg-moment in arms against him! One would be afraid that ment in thee, wit in thee; perhaps learning, considerable every wind that blows, should be a deadly blast to destroy acquired endowments in thee; but thou hast not the love me! that when the sun shines upon me, all its beams of God in thee. I can do many other commendable or should be turned into vindictive flames to execute venuseful things, I can discourse plausibly, argue subtlely, I geance upon me! I would fear that even the very stones can manage affairs dexterously, but I can't love God. in the street should fly against me, and every thing that Oh my soul, how great an essential dost thou want to meets me be my death! For what! I have not the love of all religion, to all duty, to all felicity! the one thing God in me! What, to go about the streets from day to necessary thou wantest; thou hast every thing but what day with a heart void of the love of God! What a heart thou needest more than any thing, more than all things. have I! Fear ought to be exercised in this case; we are And oh my soul, what is like at this rate to become of bid to fear if we do evil against a human ruler; If thou do thee? where art thou to have thy eternal abode! to what that which is evil be afraid, for he beareth not the sword regions of horror, and darkness, and wo art thou going? in vain, Rom. xiii. 4. But if I be such an evil-doer, against what society can be fit for thee? No lover of God! No the supreme Ruler, the Lord of heaven and earth; have I lover of God! what, but of infernal accursed spirits, that not reason to be afraid? and to think sadly with myself are at utmost distance from him, and to whom no beam of what will the end of this be? But yet I will add, in the holy vital light shall ever shine to all eternity! Thou, oh Seventh place, Don't despair for all this; God is in my soul, art self-abandoned to the blackness of darkness Christ reconciling the world to himself, as in that, 2 Cor. for ever. Thy doom is in thy breast, thy own bosom; thy no ch. v. ver. 19. that sin might not be imputed. He is in love to God is thy own doom, thy eternal doom; creates Christ to reconcile you, to win hearts, to captivate souls thee a present hell, and shows whither thou belongest." to the love of God; for what else is reconciliation on our Sixth place, Let a due fear and solicitude hereupon be part? He is in Christ to reconcile, to conquer enmity, to set on work in thee. For consider thyself as one shortly subdue disaffected hearts, to make such souls call and cry, to be arraigned before the supreme tribunal, and then here "My Lord, and my God! I have been a stranger to thee, is the critical, vertical point upon which thy judgment I will through thy grace be so no longer." Therefore don't turns; lovers of God, or no lovers of God. All are to be despair. Despair that ever you should do well without judged in reference to what they were, and did in the body, loving God, but don't despair you shall ever be brought to whether good or evil. As in 2 Cor. ch. v. ver. 10. What love him, by no means. You have to do with him that is wast thou as to this point, while thou wast in the body?the element of love, the God of love, the fountain of love, For the last judgment regards that former state, what thou the great source of love, the fountain at once both of lovedidst, and what was thy wont as to this, whilst thou wastliness and love, whose nature is love, and is with his name in the body. Therefore by the way no hope, after thou art in his Son, who was manifested in the flesh, full of grace gone out of the body: go out of the body, no lover of God, the departing soul, no lover of God, and this will be found your state at the judgment day. You are not to expect after death a Gospel to be preached, that you may then be reconciled to God. No; but what did you do in the body? According to that you are to be judged. Did you love God in this body while here, yea or no? And this is a trial upon the most fundamental point, for as all the law is comprehended in love, as was formerly hinted, if you be found guilty in this point, that you were no lover of God, totally destitute of the love of God; you were a perpetual underminer of his whole government, of the whole frame of his law, a disloyal creature, rebellious and false to the God that made you, to Jesus Christ that redeemed you by his blood. All disobedience and rebellion is summed up in this one word, Having been no lover of God; and won't it make any man's heart to meditate terror, to think of having such a charge as this likely to lie against him in the judgment of that day; that day, when the secrets of all hearts are to be laid open? Every work must be then brought into judgment, and every secret thing, whether it be good or evil, Eccles. xii. 14. And it will be to the confusion of many a one. It may be your no love of God was heretofore a great secret, you had a

and truth, i. e. sincerest love. He was incarnate love, love pointed at us, and is upon these terms able to transform all the world into love; the nature of God is love, 1 John iv. 16. and in Christ, he is Emmanuel, God with us, so the divine love hath a direct aspect upon us. Why then apply yourselves to him, turn yourselves towards him, open your souls to him; say to him, "Lord, flow in with all the mighty powers of thine own love upon my soul, thou that canst of stones raise up children and make them the true genuine sons of Abraham; (and there can be no such children without love;) oh dissolve this stone, this stone in my breast, mollify this obdurate heart, turn it into love!" How soon may it be done upon due application. He can quickly do it, draw thee into a love union with himself, so as that thou shouldst come to dwell in love; and dwell in God who is love, and he in thee. Then the foundations are surely laid, for all thy future duty, and for all thy future felicity. Then how pleasantly wilt thou obey, and how blessedly wilt thou enjoy God for ever! But such application must be made through Christ, and for the Spirit; which Spirit is the Spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound mind; as you have it in that first of the second to Tim. v. 7. But these things I can't now further insist upon.

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