Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

3. They have not that love to Christ, which Christs beholders have; they meditate not upon Christ, as lovers on their love; they delight not themselves in Christ, as the rich man in his treasure, and the bride in the bridegroom, which they love; their thoughts are rather on the world than Christ; their palates are so distempered, that they have no pleasure in the choicest wine, they cannot say that their souls long after him; and no wonder, for how should they love Christ, who turn their eyes from him who is the fairest of ten thousands to other objects? Surely they have no flaming, burning love to Christ, that will give every base thing a kind of preeminence above Christ.

3. They have not that love to Christ, which Christs beholders have; they meditate not upon Christ, as lovers on their love; they delight not themselves in Christ, as the rich man in his treasure, and the bride in the bridegroom, which they love; their thoughts are rather on the world than Christ; their palates are so distempered, that they have no pleasure in the choycest wine, they cannot say that their souls long after him; and no wonder, for how should they love Christ, who turn their eyes from him who is the fairest of ten thousands to other objects? Surely they have no flaming, burning love to Christ, that will give every base thing a kind of preheminence above Christ.

4. They have not that sense of Christs love, which those that exercise this Duty have; whilst the soul neglects Christ, it cannot possibly discern the love of Christ; it perceives not Christ applying the Doctrines of his love to the conscience: Christ appears not in his banqueting house, he enables not the soul to pray with confidence, he makes it not joyful in the house of prayer. And hence it is, that such souls move so slowly in Gods service; they are just like Pharaohs chariots, without wheels; O they perceive not the Love of Christ, either in the clear revelation of his secrets, or in the free communication of his graces, or in the sanctifying and sweetening of their trials, or in sealing up the pardon of their sins: O they feel not those ravishing comforts, which usually Christ speaks to the heart, when he speaks from his heart in love. O the want! O the misery of this want!