Extracts from the Works of Rev. John Preston, D.D., the Breast-Plate of Faith and Love, Part III: Of Love — Preston, Breast-Plate, Of Love

In the handling these words, I will consider first, what it is that puts us into the happy state of life and salvation; and that is, faith that works by love. Hence it is clear, that faith and love are the two pillars, upon which our salvation is built. Of faith we have treated at large before; it remains now to speak of love; and here we will deliver this point to you, that, whosoever loves not the Lord JESUS, is not in CHRIST, and by consequence, is in a condemned and damnable estate. Now, because this is necessarily required, that you have faith and love, or else you are not in CHRIST, and cannot be acceptable to God through CHRIST; so our business will be to open unto you what this grace of love is.

Love is nothing else but a disposition of the will, whereby it cleaves to some good thing agreeable to itself. And this’ disposition shows itself by two effects:

1. It creates, in the man that has it, a desire to have the thing it loves preserved.

2. Of having it his own; and there‑

fore it causes him to draw near to it, or else to draw the thing near to himself. This is the nature of love. But this further you must note, that there arc divers kinds of Iove.

1. There is a love of complacency, when a man is well pleased with a thing; when there is some agreeableness between the thing loved and the frame of the soul. So the master loves his scholar that is every way towardly. So the father loves his son, as one in whom he is well pleased.

2. There is a love of friendship, that goes beyond this love of complacency, when a man both loves and is loved again. So--a man loves his friend, and is loved again by his friend. Lastly. There is a love of dependence, when one loves a person upon whom all his good depends. Nov, we are said to love the Lord with the love of complacency, because he is a full adequate object to the soul. We love him with a love of friend-ship, because there is a mutual love; he loves us, and we love him; as the spouse says, " My Beloved is mine, and I am his." Again, we love him with a love of dependence; for we rely upon him for all our happiness and comfort. Now this love, wherewith we love any object that is suitable’ to us, has degrees; and that love is stronger, as the object of that love is more adequate and full; as it is more free from mixture of evil: and as it is more high and supernatural; as we depend upon it more, so we love it more. All these you shall find in God. Now, lay down these general principles, and we will make use of them afterwards. Only, before I pass on, observe there is a natural love that God has placed in the

heart of every man, wherewith every man loves himself, his children, his wealth, or any thing by nature that is good to him. And this natural love has two other loves hanging on it. The one is a sinful love, that carries it the wrong way to love sinful things.

The other is a spiritual love, which sets banks, as it were, to the stream of natural affection; and not so only, but elevates natural love, and makes it an holy love. So that all natural love is to be subordinate to this, being given us to help us to go that way that spiritual love should carry us, even as the wind helps the ship, whereas otherwise it should have been driven with oars. And therefore the Lord, to help us to love those things that are suitable and convenient to us, has in mercy put a natural affection into our hearts, which yet is to be guided by spiritual love.

As love comes from similitude and agreeableness, and consequently where there are two of a contrary disposition, there must needs be hatred; so every man naturally "hates GOD, by reason of that opposition and contrariety which is between the nature of the one and the other. Therefore, that love may be wrought in the heart of man towards GOD, this sinful nature of ours must be broken in pieces, and again be new moulded and framed. The love of God then is wrought in us by these two things: First, By breaking our nature in pieces, as it were; that is, by humiliation, and by the law. And Secondly, By molding it anew, which is done by faith, and by the gospel. When a man's heart is broken, he is willing to take CHRIST as a Lord, as a Husband; and when CHRIST has discovered his will to take him, and the man here-upon resolves to take CHRIST, then there arises a holy, a constant, conjugal love, wherein they are rooted and grounded. This is the love we are now to speak of. So that to prepare us to love CHRIST, we must come to look on him, as upon that which is suitable and agreeable to us.

And again, as one that is willing to receive us: and this must be marked as diligently. Therefore we will give you this definition of spiritual love out of that which has been said, "It is an holy disposition of the heart, rising from faith, whereby we cleave to the Lord, with a purpose of heart to serve him, and to please him in all things."

This love is so necessary to salvation, that he that has it not is in a cursed and damnable condition; he is not in CHRIST, if he do not love him; as our Lord says, " He that believes not shall be damned," so we may say of love; for there is a tie between all these, faith, repentance, and love. And therefore we find these words put promiscuously. Sometimes, he that believes not shall not be saved; sometimes he that repents not shall not be saved; sometimes he that obeys not, sometimes he that loves not, shall not be saved: and therefore the Scripture is clear in it, and there is good reason for it. First, You know there is a curse belongs to him that breaks the law. Now when a man loves not, he breaks the whole law. For as love is the keeping of the whole law, so the want of love is the breach of it. So though a man may do many things, though he may keep the sabbath, deal justly, hear the word, yet, because it is not out of love, he breaks the whole law. And therefore he that loves not is in a cursed and damnable condition. Again, you know, in the law of GOD, an adulterer ought to die. Now he that loves not the Lord is an adulterer, that is, he is false to the Lord that should be his husband. And when he loves not the Lord, he does love somewhat else. And does it not deserve a curse to prefer pelf before the Lord That a man should " love pleasures more than God" That he should " love the praise of men, more than the praise of God" And this is the case of every man that loves not the Lord, he loves the world: and he that loves the world is an adulterer, says St. James.

But if it be of such moment to love the Lord, then let every man look to himself, and consider whether he have in his heart this love to the Lord JESUS. For whatsoever you do, though you pray never so constantly, though you sanctify the Sabbath never so diligently, do what you will, yet if you love him not, he regards it not. Indeed, when a man does love him, the Lord bears with much; but when you love him not, perform never so much, he rejects all. And therefore learn by this to know yourselves, and to judge of your condition. It may be, when we confess our sins, we have no thought of this, that we love not CHRIST, or at the least, we have not considered what a sin it is not to love him; but you may know the sin by the punishment of it: "Let him be accursed that loves not the Lord JESUS," 1 Cor. 16: 22. Let these words be sounding in your ears, compare your hearts to them. Sometimes cast your eye on the one,. and sometimes on the other, and see if it be not absolutely required to love the Lord. And again, reflect on your hearts, and see if you be iin the number of those that do love him.

But take heed herein that you deceive not yourselves, for it is the manner of men, when we press the love of CHRIST upon them, to say, "I hope I love the Lord; I hope I am not such a miscreant as not to love him." Yea, but consider whether you do or not. When a man loves his wife, his friend, his son, his sport, he knows he loves it; he has the sense of that love in himself. Therefore consider with yourself, whether you have any such stirring affection towards the Lord JESUS, or not. Do you feel your heart so possessed with him Are you sick of love, as the spouse says in the Canticles; that is, are you grieved when he is absent Are you glad when you can get into his presence For there is a kind of painfulness in love: and all painfulness is of a quick sense. Therefore, if you love the Lord, when there is a distance between him and you, when he does not look on you as he was wont, there will be painfulness and grief in it; as well as much joy and gladness when you have him Therefore let this be one way to examine your love to CHRIST, see whether you feel joy for his presence, and grief for his absence.

Again; as it is an argument that a man loves not the Lord, if he walks not with him, does not converse with him; so it is that a person loves him, if he walks and converses with him day by day. Now, to walk with the Lord every hour, is to consider what the Lord does to you, what his carriage is to you, what passages of his providence concern you; and, on the other hand, how you act towards him, what intercourse you have with him. I say, this conversing is an argument of love. Shall a wife profess love to her husband, and never come where he is, and never be in his company So, will you say, you love CHRIST, and not be frequent in prayer, seldom converse with him, seldom speak of him When you love your friend, you are with him as much as you can, you love to speak with him, and of him. So it is with the Lord, if you love him, certainly you will love his company, you will love his presence.

Yet further, love is diligent. When a man loves any thing, he is diligent to obtain it; he spares no labor, no cost, he cares not what pains he takes so he obtain it. Do you thus take pains to draw near to GOD, to get grace, to excel in it Are you willing to put yourself to inconvenience, to deny yourself in your ease, to take time from other businesses, and to bestow it this way Are you content to put yourself to a harder task, to forbear things that are pleasant, to take pains for the Lord If you love GOD, it will make you diligent to obtain him. * Again, love is a quality that is well pleased with itself; as we say, love desires no wages, it is wages enough to itself, it has sweetness enough in itself, desires no addition. And therefore if you love the Lord, you shall know it by this; you serve him, and serve him with, all your might, with all your strength, though he should give you no wages. The very enjoying of the Lord, the having communion with him, the having the assurance of his favor, so that you can say, " My Beloved is mine, and I am my Beloved's," is wages sufficient to a mars that loves. Such a man, though there were not heaven to follow, though there were not a present reward, nor a future,.. yet he would love the Lord; and loving him, he would delight to serve him; and, enough to him would be the Lord's favor. As CHRIST says, " it would be his meat and drink to do his heavenly Father's will." But, besides all this, if you love the Lord, your love will con-strain you to please him, to obey him in all things, to do what he requires. You cannot choose but do it; as the apostle says, 2 Cor. 5: "The love of CHRIST constrains us." It makes a man do it, whether he will or not. It is like fire in his breast, he cares for no shame; it makes him go through thick and thin. It is true, I may lose my reputation; you may reckon me a madman; some men do think me so; but that is nothing to me. I must do it, the love of CHRIST constrains me. So that where love is, it is such a strong impulse in the heart, that it carries one on to serve and please the Lord in all things, as a man is carried in a strong stream. Therefore, when you find in yourself joy for the presence, and grief for the absence of the Lord JESUS; an earnest desire to be continually in company with him, from day to day; when you are exceeding diligent to get an assurance of his favor, and to excel in that. grace, without which you know you cannot please him; when you are well-pleased with what he doth, and think it enough that you have,the Lord himself, though you should have no other wages; and when you find a strong impulse in your heart, that carries you on to serve the Lord; then you. love him. And if you love the Lord, you are in CHRIST.

Now, we must beseech you to examine yourselves by these rules, and if you feel you want this love of CHRIST, we will lay down some motives to beget it in you. If we were able to present him to you as he is, we should effect this thing; but that must be the work of the Holy Ghost; notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such. reasons as we find used in the Scriptures.

And first, let this move you to love him, that he is worthy to be loved. Now what is it that makes any thing worthy of love, but the excellency that we find therein. Now in the Lord there is all kind of excellency. Whatsoever is amiable under the sun, all that you shall find in him more abundantly. If ever you see any thing excellent in any creature, any thing amiable in man, any beauty, any virtue, any excellency, all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures. And therefore, if you have any love, (as there is no man without some love or other,) to any creature that seems beautiful to you, think with yourselves there is more beauty in the Lord. If ever you see in any man any nobleness, any holiness, any excellency of parts or disposition, know that it is more abundantly in the Lord JESUS. Let these rivers lead you to that ocean, to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you love any creature, let it be with a little love. Let your affection be proportionable to the object. As all excellency exceeds in the Lord, so let your love exceed towards him. " Love him with all your soul, and all your strength." He has that in an infinite degree, that is only sprinkled among the creatures. Every creature has some imperfection in it: there is somewhat in it that may cause aversion; there is no man but has some weakness, no creature but has some want, some defect in it; but. in the Lord there is no want, there is nothing in him but that which is perfectly amiable.

Secondly, Consider the easiness of the condition required of you after all that he has done for you. It is no more than to love him. If he had put you on a harder task, you ought to have done it. If he had said to us, you shall offer your children to me in sacrifice, you shall give your own bodies to be burned, who could have said any thing against this For he is the Lord, the great God; our sovereign Creator: but when the Lord asks no more at our hands but to love him, will you deny him Moses urged this motive to the Israelites when he had described to them what the Lord had done for them; "And now," says he, "what does the Lord require of thee" for all this, " but that you love the Lord thy God" As if he should say, the Lord might have asked much more at thy hands; if he had, you hadst no reason to deny it: but all that he requires is that you love him: and wilt you deny this unto him

Thirdly, Consider who it is that has planted this love in thy heart: is it not the Lord that gives thee this very affection And when he calls for his love again at thy hand, does he call for more than his own Shall he not gather the grapes of his own vineyard And shall he not eat the fruit of his own orchard He has planted in us these affections, and they ought to be returned to him.

Fourthly, Consider you are engaged to love the Lord, and that should be a great motive to you: " You are witnesses that you have chosen the Lord this day to serve him," said Joshua to the people, Josh. 24: 22. As if he should have said to them, you are not now to choose, you are now engaged. You cannot go back, you have professed, you have chosen the Lord to serve him, therefore you are witnesses against yourselves. So I may say to every man that hears me, you are engaged to love the Lord. Why Because you are baptized in his name, you have taken him for your Master, and for your Father, therefore he may challenge it at your hands. " If I be a Father, where is my honor If I be a Master, where is my fear," Mal. 1: 6. He may challenge it justly, for you are his; he has bought you, yea, he has over-bought you; he has paid a price of more worth than us all. He has bought us with his blood. And what has he bought us for, but to be his; that is, to love him Therefore, when we love him not, we rob God of our-selves, we do an unnatural thing; it is treachery and injustice in us. Every one of us that loves not the Lord,sins the more, because he is engaged to him, Deut. xxxii. 13, " You forsookest the strong God of thy salvation;" you forsakest him to whom you art engaged: he is the strong God of thy salvation. Therefore consider this; for seeing you have such an affection as love is, you must bestow it somewhere. Somewhat you must love. And you must know again, it is the best thing you have to bestow, for it commands all in you; and where will you bestow it Can you find any creature upon whom to bestow it rather than the Lord Will you bestow it upon any man The Lord exceeds them; as David says, Who among the gods is like thee" That is, take the most excellent among men, that are reckoned as gods, yet who among them is like unto thee Or what will you bestow your love upon Your wealth, or your pleasures You must think the Lord will take this exceeding ill at your hands, that you should bestow this affection elsewhere, than on him, to whom you are engaged.

Fifthly, An especial motive for a man to love the Lord, is to consider what the Lord has done for him in particular. Remember what passages have been between the Lord and you, from the beginning of your youth. Recount the particular kindnesses and mercies you have received from him. It is he that cdoes all for us; it is he that feeds us; that clothes us: we have not a night's sleep, but he gives it to us; we have not a blessing, but it is from his hand; these is not a judgment that we escape, but it is through his providence. The consideration then of these particulars should be as so many sparks to breed in us a flame of love towards the Lord. Think then, how unreasonable a thing it is, that you should forget this GOD, that you should not think on him, that you should not love him, that has done thus much for you.

Lastly, Consider that the Lord loves you; for that is the greatest motive to win us to love him; for as fire begets fire, so love begets love. This was the cause that St. Paul loved the Lord, " He loved me, and gave himself for me," says he, Gal. 2: 2O. Consider this love of the Lord, and let this beget in you a reciprocal affection towards him. Put all together, and consider the Lord is worthy to be beloved; that he requires nothing but love of you for all that he has done for you; that God has planted love in your hearts, and therefore cdoes but call for his own; that he has done you so many kindnesses, that you are so engaged to him, that yc-u are not now to choose; and let these things move you to love him. At least, as he is worthy to be beloved, bring your hearts to this, to desire to love him.

You will say, " We may desire long enough, but how shall we be able to do it" First, You must pray for it. Come to the Lord and tell him, that you desire to love him; that you would fain do it if you could, and beseech him not to deny you that request, that you know is according to his will. And be assured that the Lord will not refuse you, especially if you beg it importunately at his hands. If you ask, how prayer enables us to love God I answer, partly by obtaining at God's hands a power so to do; for when you cry earnestly for it, he cannot deny you. When the lame and the blind were importunate, he never neglected any, but healed them; so when you cry to the Lord and say, I would fain love thee, but I cannot; will he not be as willing to heal your soul, to give you legs to run after him, and eyes to see him, as he was to heal the lame and the blind Certainly he will. But besides that, prayer brings us to converse and to have communion with GOD, and by that means love to him is begotten and increased; as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love to them. Again, the Lord delights to show himself to a man that is much in prayer, yea, at such a time, for the most part; as he showed himself to CHRIST when he was praying; as he did to Moses, to Cornelius, and others. And again, prayer exerciseth this love, it blows up a spark, and makes it a flame. Therefore much prayer begets much love. If you would be abundant in love, be fervent and frequent in prayer.

You will say, " Prayer is a general means for other things; why do you put it as a particular means to get love" The reason is, because love in an especial manner is a gift of the Spirit, a fruit of the Holy Ghost; and it must be a peculiar work of the Spirit to beget it. It is true, " faith comes by hearing," and hearing begets faith; which is done likewise by the Spirit. But love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the Holy Ghost. None are able to love JESUS, but he in whom the Holy Ghost has planted this affection. Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray, to acknowledge the power of the Holy Ghost, to go to him, and say, Lord, I am not able to do it. This acknowledgment of the power of the Holy Ghost is the way to prevail.

Another special means to enable you to love the Lord, is to consider your sinfulness, what you are, what hearts you have, and what lives you have led, and how gracious God has been to you. You know Mary Magdalene loved much, because she had much forgiven her; that is, she had a deep sense of her sins; the Lord had opened her eyes to see what she had been. And because she saw her own vileness, and thereby the goodness of the Lord, who had forgiven her, she loved much. For when we are humbled, and little in our own eyes, and the Lord comes and shows mercy-on us; when a man sees his sin, and thinks with himself, " I am worthy to be destroyed, I can expect nothing but death; " and the Lord comes suddenly, and tells him, " You shall live," and shall reconcile himself to him; this will command love. So when we consider how we have behaved ourselves to him, and yet that he has offered us peace, and says, " Return, and I will forgive you; this should work on the hardest heart. Therefore consider your sins. But re-member it is not enough to say, " I am a sinner;" but come to particular sins, as Paul did: " I was a blasphemer," says he, "I was a persecutor, and yet the Lord had mercy on me."

So be you likewise ready to say, I have committed such and such sins, it may be uncleanness, it may be sabbath breaking and swearing, and yet the Lord has been merciful, or is willing to receive me to mercy. " If a man's wife play the harlot, will he return to her" No, he will put her away, and give her a bill of divorcement: but when the Lord says, " But you have done it," and done it oft, and "with many lovers," and "yet return again to me," and I will receive you to mercy; this should melt our hearts, and cause us to love the Lord.

I proceed now to show you what properties of love we find in the Holy Scriptures. You shall find this to be one property of love, it will be content with nothing but love for love. If one love another, let the beloved do never so much, let him be never so kind in his actions, never so bountiful, yet except the lover have love again, he is not content. Indeed when we do not love a man, we can be content though his heart go another way, so that we enjoy profit by him; but it is the nature of true love to desire to be paid in its own coin. Now if you love the Lord JESUS, if you might have all the blessings that he could bestow upon you: if he should open his hand wide, and compass you about with abundance, yet, without an assurance of his love, you would not be content therewith, your heart would not be at rest.

Again, if you love the Lord JESUS, you will also love his appearing. It is certain every man that loves the Lord JESUS hasteneth to the coming of the Lord, and it must be so in reason. For if you love any, you must needs love their presence. And seeing the apostle has chosen out this note, why should not we press it in our examination of ourselves, whereby we may know whether we love the Lord JESUS or not Whether we desire to be with the Lord Whether we can say with St. Paul, " we desire to be at home, and to be with the Lord"

Thirdly, Another property of love is, he that loves is ever ready to speak of the party beloved; to fall into his praises, and to keep no measure in it. So is it in this love to the Lord JESUS. Do you profess to love the Lord, and yet never delight to speak of him nor delight to hear others speak of him Mariners are delighted to talk of their voyages, and soldiers of their battle; and if you delight in the Lord, certainly your tongues will be much in speaking of him, you will be ready to do it upon all occasions. " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." And if love to the Lord abound in your hearts, this love will be expressed by your tongues, upon all occasions. And therefore you may judge of the measure of your love by this. And now what will you say for yourselves, that you speak no more upon those several occasions that you meet with in the world Is it because you are ashamed to make an open profession of CHRIST Certainly it is not a sign that you love the Lord JESUS. For he that loves is never ashamed; because whom a man loves he magnifieth, he prizeth much, he has a high esteem of him. And there-fore that bashfulness and fearfulness that you object will not keep you back, if you love the Lord in sincerity. Or is it because you cannot speak Because you are not able to do it as well as others Why when you love any one, that love will teach you to speak, it will quicken the dullest invention. Love sharpeneth, and maketh the rudest tongue eloquent. It is the nature of love to set the heart to work, and when the heart is set on work, the "tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer." You know how the apostle sets it forth, " Our heart is enlarged to you." Love opens the heart wide, and the heart opens the mouth. Therefore if you love the Lord much, you will speak much of him.

Fourthly, Love will do and suffer much for the party beloved. As St. Paul was abundant in love, so was he abundant in labors likewise; and whosoever abounded' in love, will abound in works also. Therefore see what you do for the Lord JESUS; see what you suffer for his sake. When CHRIST came to St. Peter, and asked him that question, " Loves you me" and Peter had appealed to him that he did, he bids him show his love by the fruit of it, " Feed my lambs:" and as that was the work that CHRIST put Peter upon for the trial of his love, so I may say to every one of you, if you will show that you love the Lord JESUS, do the works that belong to your particular place. For every calling has a particular work. If you love the Lord, be diligent in that calling which CHRIST has given you to do him service in.

It was CHRIST's own speech, " I have glorified thy name;" that is, in that charge you gayest me to perform. So you must show your love to God in doing the actions of your particular callings diligently. You know, when that woman's heart abounded in love to CHRIST, it found out a way to show itself in breaking the box of ointment, and pouring it on. his head. And as you will be ready to do much, so you will be ready to suffer much also. These two I put together, because suffering is a kind of doing; it is a doing of things, when there is pain or difficulty. Now if you love the Lord JESUS, see what you will suffer for his sake; those that we love we are exceeding ready to suffer for. A husband that loves his spouse, is exceeding ready and willing to suffer any displeasure orparents, or friends; to suffer the loss of his estate, discredit in the world; he is ready to break through all, and to do any thing, so he may obtain her love at the last. So, if you love the Lord JESUS, you will suffer any thing for his sake. And there-fore it was the commendation of the Hebrews, an argument of their sincerity, that they " suffered the spoiling of their goods with joy." Whence came this, but from their love to the Lord They were so far from being backward to suffer, that they were glad to have the opportunity to suffer somewhat for his sake.

You will say, perhaps, " I am ready to do much for the Lord, and I hope I am not backward to suffer for him." It is well, if it be so; but let me ask you, in what manner do you do what you do The manner of your doing is all in all. You must do and suffer, but this must be willingly. A man may do much for the Lord out of fear of hell, and this is little worth. It should all come from the heart, or it avails not. You may keep the sabbath, and present yourselves at prayers and at sermons; it is well you do so, but yet when "your hearts are going after covetousness," the Lord looks upon this as upon a mere formal performance. It is another kind of doing that the Lord requires at your hands. It may be you perform duties in secret, but that is not enough. You may perform them as a task, and are glad when the business is done; but when you do it out of love, you will do it in another manner, not in this formality. If you serve the Lord out of love, it is not the praying to him morning and evening that will content you, but it is the working upon your hearts, till you have brought them to a good frame of grace. You will never give over till your hearts are quickened in prayer; till you have found that God has answered you, till you have had experience of his mercy and loving-kindness towards you.

Another property of love is, it is full of heat. There-fore, in Cant. 8: 6, it is compared to coals of juniper: and from that phrase used in Matt. 24: 5, " Iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold," we learn that love is hot. Therefore, if you would know whether you love the Lord JESUS or not, consider what heat and what fire there is in you. Now what are the proper-ties of fire Wherein cdoes love and that agree 1. Fire, you know, is the most active of all elements. Cold benumbeth a man, and is the greatest enemy to action. If you love the Lord JESUS, you shall find your love will have that property of fire, to set all on work in you; it will set your tongue on fire, your hands on fire, your head and heart on fire; every thing that is within you will be working, and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wants love, he is as a man be-numbed, as a man frozen, not apt to any thing; but the more love, the more aptness and readiness he has to every good work.

2. Fire is of a quick nature, so also is love. Therefore love hates nothing so much as delays. Consider this therefore; are you speedy in execution If you love the Lord, you will not put off from day to day any thing that is to be done: you will not say with yourself, " I will change my course of life, but not yet:" no, if you love the Lord, you will do it presently.

3. Besides, fire is vehement; love is the same. Look what a man loves, upon that he bestows the top of all his affections, and the main strength of his intentions runs that way. Examine whether you love the Lord JESUS or not. If you love him, you will look upon other things, as regarding them not; you will grieve for them " as if you grieved not, and rejoice as if you rejoiced not; you will use the world as if you used it not." Your heart will be taken up about CHRIST, and about the things that belong to the kingdom of God; your intentions will be set upon the things that belong to the service of GOD, and your own salvation. This is a thing by which you may plainly discern the truth of your love. Examine therefore what it is upon which you bestow the main of your intentions. If you love the Lord JESUS, and be rightly affected towards him, you will esteem nothing great but the enjoying of his favor, and nothing of worse consequence than the loss of it; nothing will be of any great moment to you, but only sin and grace; sin that displeases him, and grace that brings you into favor with him. As for other things, you will look upon them as trifles. You will not put the strength of your minds to any thing else but him.

4. Fire has also this property, that it is still enlarging itself, still growing, turning every thing into its own nature; it is overcoming, and it is not ready to be over-come. This is noted, Cant. 8: 6, " Much water cannot quench it, it is as strong as death." Now death you know overcomes all; so will love, it will break through all impediments. Consider, whether you find this disposition in yourselves, that your hearts are still drawing nearer and nearer to the Lord, that they are still aspiring towards heaven, that you are still going onward, and thriving in the work of grace.

Another property of love is this, it is willing to do all kind offices, and looks for no recompence. Love, wheresoever it is found, is free in doing what it doth, and examines neither how much it should do, nor how much it shall receive for doing it. So if your love be right to the Lord, you will not stand considering what you are bound to do of necessity; whether you are bound to pray in your families or not, or whether you are bound to keep- the Sabbath so exactly as is commanded; whether you are bound to abstain from giving so much liberty to yourselves in vain speeches; but love will rather say, u What shall I do to recompence the Lord" It will be devising what to do, it will be glad of any occasion of doing any thing that may be acceptable to God. When you set limits to yourselves, and are afraid of going too far and doing too much, it is a sign what you do cometh not from love. If then you love the Lord JESUS aright, why do you not labor to exceed in the duties of obedience Why do you blame those that go farther than yourselves are willing to go Why do you quarrel with that exactness and strictness which is required in walking in the ways of God Love is abundant in the work it doth, and if you love the Lord, you will not limit yourselves, you will not think thus, " I will do as much as will bring me to heaven and no more; I will take just so much pains as that I may not be damned; but I will do no more than needs; this I hope may be spared, and I may go to heaven well enough notwithstanding." No, if there be love in you, you will strive to do to the utmost of your power. Again, you will not be so exact, nor indent with the Lord what he shall do to you; but though he be slow in rewarding you; though he stay long, and suffer you to go on without taking any notice of you, as it were; nay, perhaps send you many afflictions and persecutions, poverty, trouble, or sickness; though the Lord does not do what you expected, yet your love will be free, it will go on; you will be ready to say as St. Paul did, n I know whom I have trusted." That is, he was resolved to serve the Lord, to do his utmost; though the Lord did reserve himself and the recompence of reward to a farther time.

Again, you may judge of your love to the Lord JESUS by another property of love, which is a hatred of sin; examine yourselves by this, for it is a sure rule, if you love the Lord, you will hate that which is evil. And here, lest you mistake the being angry at sin, because perhaps it has brought you into trouble and distress, for hatred thereof; I will lay before you three things wherein hatred differs from anger, that you may thereby examine yourselves whether you hate sin or not: First, Hatred is more of generals. If a man hate drunkenness, he hates it in all drunkards. A man is angry with this or that particular, but hatred is of all. I would ask you, do you hate all sin, all that belongs to sin If it be this or that sin only, you are but angry with sin, you do not hate it. For hatred falls always upon the general. Examine therefore if you find this disposition in your hearts, that you hate every sin. Whatsoever is contrary to the Lord, do you hate, resist, and strive against that If so, this is a sign that you love the Lord, and truly hate sin. Secondly, Hatred desires the utter destruction of the thing it hates, anger does not so. Anger desires but a revenge proportionable to the injury. Therefore we say there is a kind of justice in anger: it would not have the party that it is angry with to be destroyed, but it would have him sensible of its displeasure; it would have something done that might answer the injury that is offered; but hatred desires the destruction of a thing utterly. Now are you so disposed with respect to your sins Do you desire to have them wholly rooted out to have your lusts thoroughly and perfectly mortified Are you willing to have sin clean taken away If so, it is a sign you hate it indeed. Lastly, Hatred differeth from anger in this, that it is implacable. Anger is a sudden passion that dies away after a time: hatred comes from judgment. It is a bent, a disposition, and frame of the will that continues. Is your disposition such to your sins Examine yourselves. Nothing is more frequent than to be angry at some sin for the present; but does your hatred continue If not, you do but fall out with your sins, and grow friends with them again. If you hated them as you should, you would never return to amity with them more. If you thus hate sin, this is an argument of your love to the Lord JESUS.

Suffer me now to try a little farther if you love him or not. Do you not knowingly grieve him, and vex him from day to day If this be your case, it is certain you love him not. Some there are that profess much love to the Lord JESUS, but yet spend their time idly, are diligent in no calling, but waste their precious opportunities of doing good in doing nothing that is profitable, either to themselves or others; but eat and drink, and rise up to play. It is the case of many of our young gentlemen. A shameful thing before men, and abominable in the sight of GOD, that men should live like beasts, and make their souls like the souls of swine, serving for nothing but to keep their bodies from putrefaction; doing so much the less work, because they have the more wages; burying so many precious talents, (whereof their time is the chief, because it helpeth to improve all the rest,) of which they shall give an exact account at that day, " When God shall judge the secrets of men's hearts according to our gospel." Do you profess that you love the Lord JESUS, and do you neglect him thus As I speak to those that are young, that spend their time in doing nothing; so I say the same to those that are of more years, that waste their lives in doing something indeed, but it is not that which they should do; or in doing it in another manner than they ought; those that are so drowned in business, that they have no vacancy to feed their souls within, to clothe them with graces. For you must know, my brethren, that your souls have need to be trimmed every morning, as well as your bodies; they have need of breakfast, and dinner, and exercise, as well as the body. And as you fail in giving this to the soul daily, so you shall find it proportionably languish and, faint. Do you think that you love the Lord JESUS in good earnest, and yet have scarce leisure to think of him from morning to’night; that you cannot take time to speak to him, to seek him, nor to prepare your hearts for him But, it may be, you will say that your meaning is good, though you frequently act amiss, and that you are well affected to CHRIST, and therefore surely you do not hate him. My brethren, you are deceived in this; your meaning is not good; for while you cast the commandments of God behind you, you cast him away; and while you lightly and carelessly deny the Lord by your evil deeds, you cannot mean well. At best it can only be said, you do not mean at all. Try yourselves then; if you love the Lord, you will reverence him. You know, whom we love we reverence, and dare not do any thing improper in their sight. Take any one whom we love, or whose good opinion we seek for, and we had rather that all the world should see us do an unseemly thing, than that he should; and certainly if you love the Lord, you would not dare to provoke him to his face. Therefore this carelessness in serving of him, this ac-counting it a light matter to commit sin, is a certain sign of want of love to the Lord JESUS.

In the second place, as you may try your love by your taking care not to offend GOD, so you may try it by your sorrow after you have offended him. So much sorrow for sin, so much love. And you may take it for a sure rule; in what measure any man desires to please the Lord, in that measure he will be grieved that he has displeased him. Therefore examine yourselves. Have you sinned against him many times, and do you look back upon those sins in a careless manner Be sure you love him not. If a child, or a wife, commit any thing against a father or husband, and they shall withdraw themselves, and profess themselves displeased, and yet the child or wife be never troubled at this, is it not plain they do not love him So likewise your want of sorrow for sin is a sure argument that you love not the Lord.

And yet how many motives have you to love him, besides what have already been laid down As first, it is this love that sets a price on all that you do. As this stamp is set on your actions more or less, so they are more or less acceptable. This was that which set a price on the widow's mite, that will set a price on a cup of cold water. This set a price on Abel's offering, and made it more acceptable than his brother's. The meanest service, when it has this stamp on it, is current and good in God's sight, he accepts it; but the greatest performance without it is nothing. " If you give thy body to be burned, without love it is nothing," 1 Cor. 13: 3.

Besides this, consider, that if you love the Lord, you shall be no loser by it. In all other love a man seems to be a loser; for when you bestow your time, your pains, your money, on another, you have so much the less yourself. Hence it is that men are so backward to love in good earnest. They love in show and in compliment; that is easy; but to love in deed is difficult, because it takes somewhat from them. But in loving the Lord it is not so. When you give the Lord your hearts he will give you them every jot again, and reserve not any for himself. My meaning is, whatsoever you bestow on the Lord, all the love that you give to hire redounds to your advantage, you gain by it all. As we see, Isaiah xlviii. 17, " I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit; for if you keep my commandments, thy prosperity shall be as a flood, and thy rejoicing as the waves of the sea." As it is said of the sabbath, so I may say of this commandment, and all the rest, it was made for man, and not man for this; that is, for the profit of man, for the advancement of man. Thy loving the Lord is for thy advantage, you gainest by it: as it is Deut. 5: 29,

" Oh," says he, " that there were a heart in this people to love me, and to fear me; then it should go well with them, and their children after them:" not that I might gain, and you lose, but that it might go well with you and your children for ever. Perhaps you think with yourself, " If I love GOD, I shall lose much liberty, much delight." No; though you seem to lose this when you give your heart to the Lord, yet you gain all this; the Lord gives you your heart again, and gives you leave to dispose of it; he gives you leave to love your friends, to love your wife and children, as long as you do it law-fully; only you must do it at his command. Yea, when we give our hearts to the Lord, he not only gives us them again, but he gives them much better than he received them. As the heavens return vapors again that arise out of the earth in pure water, much better than they received them; so if thy heart, thy impure, thy sinful heart ascend to the Lord, he will give it thee again much better. As the earth receives the sea-water into its bowels, muddy, salt, and brinish, and after having strained and purified it, returns it in springs and fountains, pure, and clean, and fresh; so the Lord does with us. If you would give your heart's desire, your affections to him, you should have all again, only with this difference, your affections should be more pure, your thoughts cleansed, and all the faculties of your soul renewed. So that take a man that loves himself, and that thinks, " Well, say what you will, I will go mine own ways:" compare this man with another, that re-solves thus with himself, " Well, from hence I will deny myself, and give my heart wholly to the Lord." The question now is, which of these are. gainers I say, the latter has as much liberty and as much power of his own heart, as much use of all that is within him, as the other. All the difference is, the one is an unjust detainer, the Lord has made the other steward of his own heart. So that the Lord has your heart, and yet it is your. own heart; you may dispose of it as a steward under your master. You have it as before, only now you dispose of it by his appointment, before at your own.

My brethren, we must add for conclusion, that it is not every kind of love that the Lord accepts. But, you must love him " with all your heart, and with all your soul;" you know that this is every where required in the Scriptures. That is, the Lord will have the whole stream of your affections, desires, and intentions, and your endeavors to run to him; there must not any rivulet run out of it; it must not be drained away, but the whole stream. must be bestowed upon him; there must be no division there. The Lord must have all, and there is good reason, because he bestowed all on you. If the Lord bestow all on you, and you bestow but half on him, there- would be no equality. You must therefore bestow all on him, and love him with all your heart, and with all your soul, and that makes the match between you. Now, when it is said, " You shall love the Lord with all thy mind, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul," the meaning is, that all that is in a man must be set on work to serve the Lord; the mind to think on him, to meditate on his glorious works, to have a right knowledge of him; the memory to remember him, his benefits, his statutes, and his ordinances: and so the rest of his faculties.

Again, it is required that " you love the Lord with all your might, and with all your strength." Now, to love the Lord with all our might, is so to improve all the means, all the strength, and all the ability we have above others, that we may serve the Lord with it more than others. For instance: a rich and great man has more might than another, can rule and command more than a poor man can; so he must exceed him in proportion in serving the Lord with these abilities. This it is for a rich man to love the Lord with all his might; that is, to love him so much more than a poor man, to bestow more on him, to do more for him, as his riches make him more able than the other. For such an one to love him no more than another, that has less might, the Lord will not take this love; but will deal with him as many land's lords with their tenants, when they bring less rent than is due; they will receive none; for they say, " So much is due." If you be a rich man, if you be a magistrate, and have great opportunities to serve the Lord, and do but a little, he will not accept it at all. You must love the Lord with all your might, for God requires this at your hands. He says, " To whom much is given, of him much shall be required." He says not, I leave it to him to do more or less, but will exact it according to the measure he has received. Therefore consider with yourself, what power God has put into your hands more than others. When you send a servant to market, as you put more money into his hands, so you expect he should bring home more than another that has less; so the Lord does with men. He sends men into the world, as men are sent to market, he gives a larger portion to some than to others. To some he gives five talents, to some three, to some two; and expects that they should bring home according to the price they have in their hands; that is, according to the might, according to the strength and opportunity he has given them. For, you must know, that the Lord observes an exact difference between man and man. It may be, you live under better means than another; you have had a better education than another; you havemore knowlege in the ways of God than another; the Lord has helped you more by the inward suggestions of his Spirit than another: he therefore looks that you should bring forth more fruit than another. And so for all other abilities and advantages. The Lord expects at our hands, that we should love him with all our might. It is not that the Lord requires no more, but that you live soberly, and free from gross sins. No, God does look for more;. he requires of every man according to his strength and ability.

Having spoken thus much of faith and love, it remains that we add something touching good works, the fruit thereof; for says the apostle, when you have to do with CHRIST JESUS, to be ingrafted into him, to make yourselves first acceptable to God through him, all the works you do are no more than the omission of them. " In CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision." But what is of moment then Faith (says he.) But what faith must that be Such a faith as begets love. And what love must that be Such a love as sets you on work. So that you have a chain here consisting of three links; faith, which, when it is right, will beget love; and love, which, when it is right, will show itself by good works: " faith which works by love." So the point we will deliver to you out of these words, shall be this: That we are to be judged, not only by our faith and love, but also by our works; that no man has faith and love, but works will follow. This is a very necessary point, because men are ready to applaud themselves on their knowledge, their good meaning, their honest desires, and in the mean time fail in their lives and actions; whereas wherever faith and love are, good works are never disjoined from them. Though it be true, that there are abundance of good works where there is no sincerity, no pureness within; yet, on the other side, wheresoever there ie sincerity, there are good works. Though many times the outside be clean, when the inside is not, yet the inside is never clean but the outside is clean too. Though it be not a good rule to say, "I have good works, therefore my heart is right;" yet it is a good rule to say on the other side, " I want good works, therefore my heart is not right."

Here some men may object, "But the will is often taken for the deed, and if the will be present, though the action do not follow, yet we are accepted." To this I answer, This holds only when there is some impediment which you cannot remove. As for example; a man has a desire to do good to such poor people, but. he wants means to do it in this case the Lord accepts the will for the deed. And so it is in every thing else. When you have a desire, and there cometh some impediment, that it is not in your power to remove, then the will is accepted, Agai;, sometimes a man is ignorant of some particulars, and he has a desire to obey God in all things; here the will is accepted for the deed, though he be not come to that degree of perfection as others.

Well then, seeing we are to be judged according to our works, and that a desire of doing good works is not accepted in their stead, but only where the impediments of them cannot be removed, or. a man is ignorant of what ought to be done, I exhort you to add to your faith diligent love; otherwise it is but a dead thing, a dead plant that keepeth the room idle. If there be true love in you, show it by bringing forth the fruit of good works. We are called into the Lord's vineyard for the same purpose; it is not for you now to stand idle; the time of your standing still is past; it is for you now to work, for you are now come into the day. That exhortation is excellent, "Let us not sleep as do others," 1 Thes. 5: 6, 7, 8. Those that are still in the night, it better beseems them to sleep and do nothing; but let not us sleep, for we are of the day. Let it not be with you as with others, to be much in speech only, but labor to be much in action. As it was said to Gideon, " Up, and be doing, and the Lord shall be with thee." So I say to every one, Up, and be doing, and the Lord shall be with you; that is, though perhaps you do not find that vigor of spirit, yet be doing notwithstanding; it is the wisest way; for that doing will increase the grace within you. Exercise inereaseth health, as well as health enables to exercise; so the use of grace will in-crease it. Motion causes heat, as well as cometh from heat; so every good action proceeds from grace, and good actions increase grace. And therefore be still acting, and judge of yourselves by that; for what else is grace, what else is that you call Christianity, but to do that which another man cannot do Therefore if there be a difference between you and others, show it by doing that which another man cannot do; by exposing yourselves to that danger, to those losses for any good cause, which another would not do; by spending more time in prayer, by taking more pains with your hearts from day to day, by keeping the Sabbath better than others; by being exact in looking to your ways, that you may " be holy in all manner of conversation," which other men will not do. This is that which will make the world believe, that you are Christians in good earnest, and not in show only. And truly, there is no other way; this doing is that which makes a man excellent. You hear men complain of the barrenness of their grounds many times; we may likewise justly take up the complaint against the barrenness of the lives of men.

How goodly a sight it is when a man looks into his husbandry, to see the vine full of clusters, the furrows full of corn, the trees laden with fruit So it is the goodliest sight we can behold in God's husbandry, to see men full of good works. I beseech you consider it seriously, and now set upon the doing of it while there is sand in the hour-glass. Your life will not last long, the day does not last always, the night will come when no man can work. When a candle is put out, you may kindle it again; when the sun is set, it riseth again; but when our life is past, when the glass is run, it riseth no more, it is turned no more. " It is appointed to all men once to die." If ye might die twice or thrice, it were another case; but now it is your wisdom while it is time, while this short day lasts, to do what you have to do with your might, because the time is short.

There is nothing that is a truer property of wisdom, than for a man to take hold on opportunities; nor to lose a day, nay, not an hour in the day; for time is most precious; it is like gold, of which every shred is worth somewhat. It is your wisdom therefore to be often sowing seed to the Spirit. There is none of those good works, not the least of them, but will do you good in the latter end. For, alas! What are your lives but your actions So much as you do, so much you live. Your lives are short of themselves, why do you make them shorter by doing nothing For as we have said heretofore, one man may live more in one day, than another in twenty, because he does more. You live more as you act more. Besides, what is it a man serves for in all his labor under the sun What is it he desires but comfort and contentment Now, this consists in doing, in working; for further than there is working there is no delight., Therefore it was a wise saying in that philosopher, that the happiness and comfort that a man has in this life consists not in abundance of wealth, in swimming in delights; but it consists in doing the actions of a living man, which is the greatest comfort you can find here. Do the exercise and actions of holiness, and the more you do, the more comfort you shall have; for even as light followeth the flame, so contentment followeth action. And what do you live for Is it not to glorify God You profess so much; and how is it done Not by your desires or good meanings, but by your actions; those are the things that men see and feel, and that glorify your heavenly Father. Let therefore the light of your good works shine before men, for " herein is my Father glorified," says CHRIST, " that ye bring forth much fruit." The doing much is that which brings glory to God; the more you do, the more you glorify him. Again, one great end of your life, is to do good to mankind; but do they fare the better for your good resolutions No, they fare the better only for that you do for them and to them. Only your actions benefit men.

Lastly, for yourselves, what is it that helpeth you, and does you good Only your good deeds; it is that which furthers your account. Every good work that a holy man does from the time of his regeneration, (for till then no actions are spiritually good) is put upon his score, it stands upon his reckoning, there is nothing lost. The least good work is not done to no purpose, but the Lord will repay him the uttermost farthing. And when will the Lord repay Not only in the day of judgment, (then indeed you shall be paid to the uttermost,) but even in this life: mark that too, " You shall have an hundred-fold here," says CHRIST. "They that forsake father, or mother, or wife, or children, shall have an hundred-fold in this life." Therefore, if there be any wisdom in the world, this is wisdom, to. be still doing good, to be much in gracious actions. Why do you trifle out your time therefore to no purpose " Why sit, you idle here" Why do you not rise and bestir yourselves Why do you not fill your lives with many actions of grace You have good purposes in you, why do you not stir them up It is true, indeed, we are becalmed many times because the Spirit does not blow upon us; but yet, notwithstanding, if we would pray for the Spirit, the Lord would quicken us.

But you will say, " Alas! what shall we do Our callings give us no opportunity to do that which other men's do. If we were preachers indeed, we should have nothing to mind but the things that belong to salvation; and then it would be easy." My brethren, you may find continual occasion of doing good actions every day, whatsoever your callings are. It is an error among the Papists, to think that alms-giving, fasting, and the like, are the only good actions. They are exceeding wide of the matter. Good actions are nothing else but to do the will of the Lord, and to bring forth fruit to his glory. The fruit of every tree in the orchard is but as the actions of every man; and then are the trees good to the husbandman, when they are full of fruit. Every action that you do in-faith, is that fruit which God looks for; that fruit is good works. Therefore, to do the Lord's will is to do a good work. Now by this you may see what a large field you have for good works, in what calling soever you are.

To suffer imprisonment or disgrace for good causes, this is a good work; for it is a great work to suffer, and in that you do the will of the Lord. When a man lietli upon his bed, sick of a consumption or a fever, that he is not able to stir; to do this with obedience, to submit then to the will of the Lord, is a good work. For as the bearing of a burden is a work, so to bear sickness and calamity aright, is a good work. To think, the Lord has put me in this condition; he might have given me strength to go abroad, but he has been pleased to lay sickness upon me; I say, the right bearing this burden is a good work. Again, to take pains with our hearts, to master our unruly affections, to get victory over our lusts, to tame our unbridled natures, in all the variety of occasions that we pass through, are so many good works In poverty, in riches, in honor, and disgrace, to behave our-selves as becomes Christians; and to carry ourselves patiently and holily through them, is a good work; and this belongs to every one, though his calling he never so mean. When Paul stood at the bar, and Festus reviled him, the suffering this patiently was a good work in Paul. Mark his manner of carriage in it, " I am not mad, most noble Festus." There was a work in that. So I may instance in the things wherein you may seem to do the least. The standing still in some cases is a work. The apostle makes this one of the chief among the great works that are to be done by Christians, " To keep our-selves unspotted from the world;" to pass through all occasions, and to be never the worse for them, to go through all defilements of this life, and not be tainted. And if this be a work, how much more is it then to be still doing, to be in action always Therefore do not say you want, when you shall always have occasion enough of that.

But you will say, these general exhortations are good, but what in particular would you have us do This especially: " Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints." Mark it, the work must be to contend for it. You must be men of contention, let the world say what they will of you. It is a duty that lies on you. It is that which the Spirit calls for from you, that ye be men that should contend. You must not do it coldly, and remissly, but earnestly strive for it. Let not pretence of indiscretion hinder you; for discretion when it is right, teacheth a man not to do less, but more and better than anbther man. Discretion makes no man less active, but it gives his actions a better tincture. So, then, say not we must be moderate; for what is that moderation The moderation that keepeth from excess, is good; but if you mean by moderation, to go a slow and easy pace in the ways of GOD, that is coldness, idleness, carelessness. It is the common faith, and every man has part in it, and should contend according to his place and power, for every part of the faith or little matter thereof, (I speak now of the whole doctrine of faith) and should be exceeding exact in keeping of it, that it receive no detriment.

But this is not all that we would commend to you. There are other things, and those are, fasting and prayer. As in husbandry, so in the church, there are certain sea-sons of actions, and those seasons must not be omitted. The season for lifting up your heart to God in prayer i s always, and in every thing; for making your more solemn addresses to him, whenever occasion and opportunity of place and time offer; of fasting joined with prayer, when extraordinary times and occasions call for it.

Again, there is one thing more that we will speak of; that is, that every man for himself often renew his covenant with God concerning the amendment of his life; more especially in times when the Lord has stretched forth his hand against a church or nation. This is required, that at such a time they should come and enter into a covenant with God. We have many examples of it in Scripture. I say the Lord looks for this from every man in private, that he should in a particular manner consider, What have I done amiss in my life What have I done to provoke the Lord What sins of commission, and what sins of omission Have I been cold and lukewarm Have I been too conformable to the times For this is it that brings judgment upon a people. The saints when they are not zealous, when they fall from their first love, may help forward a judgment as well as gross sinners, yea, and more too. Let every man there-fore stir up himself to do his duty. In a word, we should strive and contend for the advancing of CHRIST's kingdom, for the furtherance of the gospel, for the good of man-kind, for the flourishing of the church; and we should do it earnestly. We should contend with God in prayer, contend with our superiors by intreaty, with cold and lukewarm men by stirring them up, by " provoking one another to good works." These are the works that we exhort you to, and thus you shall be assured you hav,* " faith that works by love."