The Eleventh Thing required in it.
The Eleventh Thing required in it.
This love includes a resignation of a man's self to Christ, without reservation of anything he is, or has. A lover of Christ is not reluctant so devote, dedicate, and give up himself sincerely to Christ, as to his rightful owner, and bountiful benefactor. He looks upon himself to be Christ's, more than his own; to live to Christ, and not to himself, and to seek Christ in all, and not himself.
In marital love, there is a mutual giving each to other. Just so in this holy spiritual love between Christ and the redeemed soul.
Christ gives Himself unto the soul, and says, "All that I am and all that I have are yours—My righteousness is yours, My merits are yours, and all My benefits shall be yours!"
So the soul in love with Christ, says, "Lord, I give myself to You! My mind shall be Yours, my will, my heart, my estate, my all shall be Yours—at Your command, at Your disposal."
"My Beloved is mine—and I am His!" Song of Songs 2:16.
Section 13. The Workings of this Love, as it is delighting, desiring, or mourning Love.
When all this is done, the soul delights in Christ—if present; desires after him—if absent; or mourns for him—if it cannot find him. One of these three ways, love will reveal itself. There are three sorts of love.
1. DELIGHTING love. If a man finds Christ's gracious quickening presence in his soul, discovering and manifesting himself and his love unto him—he rejoices in it more than in all riches, and says, "My life is a pleasure, my heart is filled with comfort, my soul with heavenly delights."
"Many are asking, 'Who can show us any good?' Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound!" Psalm 4:6-7
"Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest—is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love!" Song of Songs 2:3-4
2. DESIRING love. If Christ is withdrawn, the soul longs, pants, and thirsts after him—and cannot rest until Christ returns: O where is my beloved gone? Where shall I seek him? When shall I find him? How long! How long will it be! O "stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am love-sick!"
"As the deer pants for the water brooks—so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" Psalm 42:1-2
"O God, you are my God, early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you!" Psalm 63:1
"My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord—my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God!" Psalm 84.2. My soul desires, yes, is consumed with desires after God!
As a lover of the world loves and desires the silver, and gold, and the riches of the world—so the Christian desires Christ with earnest, ardent, continual love!
3. MOURNING love. The soul grieves, and is filled with sorrow—when it has not the thing that it desires. Alas, that I should go from duty to duty, to look for Christ, and cannot find him. Alas, that I should seek him, but cannot see him! Alas, the soul grieves, it groans and weeps, for the absence of its beloved Lord. In company—you might see his tears. In secret, were you near him—you might hear his groans, and bitter sorrowful complaints: "My Lord is gone; my Love, the dearly beloved of my soul, behaves himself like a stranger to me!"
"They said unto Mary, Woman, why do you weep?" "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have put him!" John 20.13.
The sum of all these particulars opening the nature of this love, being contracted and laid together, make up this description.
Section 14. The Description of Love to Christ.
Love to Christ is a special grace wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God, enlightening the mind—whereby the soul, discerning the incomparable goodness, suitableness, and obtainability of Christ unto him, and in his judgment having a superlative valuation of him, the will chooses him before all; primarily for himself, and secondarily for his benefits. And giving to Christ the supreme degrees of his affections, the soul resigns himself to Christ in all his offices. Delighting in him—if present; desiring after him—if absent; or mourning for him—if he cannot find him.
This is the love you must have to Christ, if you would not be Anathema —accursed when the Lord shall come!
Chapter 3. Ten Arguments that prove the Necessity of this love to Christ, for the avoiding of the Curse.
"If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ—let him be Anathema! Maranatha." 1 Corinthians 16:22
Does it need any further proof than the text itself? What other construction can you make of it? If you believe that this is the word of God, and that God's word is true—then how can you question whether a non-lover of Christ shall be a cursed wretch at the coming of the Lord?
But you do not love Christ—and yet you hope to be blessed when he comes! You have no sincere love to him—and yet persuade yourselves your condition is good for the present, and shall escape the curse hereafter!
What! against the plain assertions of the word of God? Will you disbelieve Paul, nay, and God himself also—that it is well with you now, and shall go well with you at the coming of the Lord?
You will be miserable men forever—who have no other hopes that they shall escape the curse, but that God should be a blatant liar; and his word should be a pack of lies; and all his servants who come and preach to you in his name, and warn you of this curse—only tell you blatant lies? But whether you will hear, or whether you will forbear, I will proceed to evidence this truth to you by these following arguments.