V. He that will Love God, and keep himself in the Love of God, must not be a Self-lover: there is no greater Enemy to the Love of God than to Love our selves.1 Mark the place for it is a remarkable place: He tells you of perilous times a coming, and there gives nineteen marks of such men as make the times perilous: Of all which Lovers of themselves leads the Van; for where once this Principle prevails, it opens a Floodgate to all Sin, and shuts the door upon all Holy Motions: If Self be beloved, admired and idolized, it is the worst Idol in the World; this is an Idol in a secret place, continually adored; this is Dagon set above the Ark, and a Man above God, and provokes to jealousy; this perverts the course of Nature, and Gods order, who is one God, and uppermost, and only to be adored: and men set up themselves in Gods Throne, and Ungod him by deifying themselves: and for one God, they set up millions of gods; as many gods as Creatures. This is mans misery by losing the Integrity wherein God made him, and seeking out many Inventions. And when the Lord Christ came into the World, he he speaks our Love, and woos us for it, and commands self-denial ⟨p. 134⟩as the first Lesson to be learned in his School, Mat. 16.24, 25. Mat. 10.37. whereby the great Stumbling-block to Gods Love is taken away.
V. He that will Love God, and keep himself in the Love of God, must not be a Self-lover: there is no greater Enemy to the Love of God than to Love our selves.1 Mark the place for it is a remarkable place: He tells you of perilous times a coming, and there gives nineteen marks of such men as make the times perilous: Of all which Lovers of themselves leads the Van; for where once this Principle prevails, it opens a Floodgate to all Sin, and shuts the door upon all Holy Motions: If Self be beloved, admired and idolized, it is the worst Idol in the World; this is an Idol in a secret place, continually adored; this is Dagon set above the Ark, and a Man above God, and provokes to jealousie; this perverts the course of Nature, and Gods order, who is one God, and uppermost, and only to be adored: and men set up themselves in Gods Throne, and Ungod him by deifying themselves: and for one God, they set up millions of gods; as many gods as Creatures. This is mans misery by losing the Integrity wherein God made him, and seeking out many Inventions. And when the Lord Christ came into the World, he he speaks our Love, and wooes us for it, and commands self-denyal ⟨p. 134⟩as the first Lesson to be learned in his School, Mat. 16.24, 25. Mat. 10.37. whereby the great Stumbling-block to Gods Love is taken away.
- 12 Tim. 3.2.
