The Doctrine and Method.

From this text, thus explained, this doctrine clearly results: "That whatever man has not sincere love to the Lord Jesus Christ, is in a deplorable condition, and shall be accursed when the Lord comes. For . . .
his sin is great,
his mind is blind,
his will is perverse,
his heart is hard and carnal,
his affections are corrupt and base, and
his soul and body shall then be doomed down to blackness of darkness, to extremity and eternity of misery, to pains and punishment, that no tongue can express, no heart conceive, no pen can write, how great, how terrible, how intolerable it will be found to be!

The method in treating on this subject is cast into these five general heads:

1. What is the nature of this love to Christ; what kind or manner of love it is; without which if a man is found—he is Anathema, and shall be plagued with this heavy curse at the coming of the Lord?

2. That whoever is without this love to Christ, is in such a miserable condition, and, dying without it, shall be damned when Christ shall come—is to be demonstrated.

3. What are the properties of this curse, that will make it so exceedingly grievous and intolerable.

4. Why so great a stress is put upon such love; why the Lord insists so much upon the love of man unto his Son, that whoever lacks it, shall be thus accursed.

5. The improving of this doctrine by practical application .

What is the nature of this love to Christ —what kind or manner of love it is; without which if a man is found—he is Anathema , and shall be plagued with this heavy curse at the coming of the Lord? My thoughts concerning it, I shall give in these twelve following particulars, which, being taken up, and laid together, will contain a description of this love.

1. This love to Christ supposes the goodness and excellence of the object —the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. This love to Christ includes or implies the illumination of the understanding to see and discern this incomparable goodness in Christ.

3. This love to Christ includes a discovery of the suitableness of Christ unto the soul in all respects.

4. This love to Christ supposes a sight of the obtainability of that good which is discerned to be so suitable.

5. This love to Christ supposes highest valuation of Christ, greatest estimation of him, which is called appreciating love.

6. This love to Christ contains the permanent volition of the will, and the settled inclination of the heart towards the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. This love to Christ includes the prevailing and predominant degrees of our love to be to Christ, more than to anything else whatever.

8. In this love, is the choice of the will, choosing Christ for himself, and for the excellency of his own person—though not with the exclusion of our own advantage by him.

9. Christ, as Lord , as well as Savior, is the object of this love; Christ in all his offices, as Teacher, Ruler, as well as Benefactor, is beloved. In this respect, the love of all hypocrites and carnal professors falls and comes short.

10. This love to Christ is wrought by the powerful special operation of the Spirit of God upon the heart.

11. Whence follows a voluntary resignation of a man's self to Christ, without reservation.

12. When all this is done, the soul . . .
delights in Christ, if present;
or desires after him, if absent;
or mourns for him, if it cannot find him.

For one of these three ways love will be working, and by these workings discover itself.

Section 2. The nature, requisites, and the description of this Love to Christ.

This love to Christ supposes the goodness of the object, as all love does; for nothing can be loved, but what is really good, or at least appears so unto the lover. This holy love therefore being the choicest, chief love—supposes Christ to be the choicest, and the chief good. That he is a good Savior, a good Redeemer, a good Lord and Master; a good excelling, transcending all inferior, sublunary good; good! not only good, but best—best in himself, and best for us!

And because he must be loved with such a love, as that we are willing at his call to part with all other good for his sake—therefore he is looked upon, and loved as a universal good. Whereas riches, honors, friends, and all things of this world are but particular good—no one thing is good for all things. Food and drink are good to satisfy your hunger and thirst—but not to clothe you. Clothes are good to cover you, but not to feed you, etc.

But the soul whose love is fixed upon Christ, sees and says:
In poverty, Christ will be my riches,
in disgrace, Christ will be my honor,
in bonds and imprisonment, Christ will be my liberty,
in pain, Christ will be my comfort,
in death, Christ will be my life,
in the loss of all things, Christ will be better to me than the enjoyment of all these things!

He who does not love Christ as an incomparable object—does not love him as he ought. "Whom have I in Heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!" Psalm 73:25-26

The spouse saw such goodness in Christ, that she was lovesick for him: "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I am love-sick," Song of Songs 5.8. Others wonder what a gracious soul sees in Christ, that it is so inflamed with love unto him. "How is your beloved better than others, most beautiful of women? How is your beloved better than others, that you charge us so?" Song of Songs 5:9

What is he? In a large description of his excellencies she answers to this question: "My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand!" Song of Songs 5:10.

And in the 16th concludes, "Yes! He is altogether lovely; this is my beloved, and this is my friend!"

What then? Does the transcendent goodness of Christ, thus displayed, draw the heart, allure the affections? Yes, truly, for it immediately follows, "Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful of women? Which way did your beloved turn, that we may look for him with you?" Song of Songs 6:1

1. Christ as GOD is incomparably good—for so he is . . .
originally good;
infinitely good;
eternally good;
immutably good;
incomprehensibly good.

2. Christ as MAN, is the most excellent of all men"

Adam in innocence,
the prophets and apostles in all their greatest dignity,
and the saints in Heaven in perfect glory—
are not comparable to the man Christ Jesus!

3. Christ, as GOD-MAN and Mediator, surpasses in goodness all the holy ones on earth, and all the angels in Heaven: "And seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come!" Ephesians 1:20-21. And though he calls his people, his brethren, and his fellows, "Yet God has anointed him with the oil of gladness above all his fellows," Psalm 45.7.

Is Christ thus incomparable in your eyes—and to your hearts?

The Second Requisite of this Love.