Where love to Christ is sincere, there Christ is accounted by the soul to be its Treasure; and there is a longing desire in every such soul of the nearest communion with him: I put both these together, though there be a very clear distinction between them, for brevity; it is a truly conjugal love, which can neither bear with distance, nor brook any Rival. And this is the meaning of the Spouse in that double expression, calling him the chiefest of ten thousands, and professing him to be altogether lovely. The soul that loves Christ, may love other things,1 and esteem them lovely; but she will say of none, that they are altogether lovely, but only of her Lord. When one asked Alexander to show him his Treasure, the report is, that he pointed to his friend Ephestion; the Treasure of a soul that sincerely loves Christ, is Christ himself [Deus meus est omnia, or] my God is my all, saith the soul, that ⟨p. 234⟩loves God as his Ultimate end. Hence is that of David, Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and who is there on Earth, that I desire besides thee? [Christus meus est omnia, or] my Christ is my all, saith the soul, that is upon inquiry how to find acceptation with God. Whence is that of Paul, Doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Phil. 3.8. 'Tis the proper Motto of a love-sick soul, None but Christ: The sincerity of a Christians love lies in giving a preeminence to the Redeemer, whom it loves above every thing else. The soul that loves Christ, values nothing in comparison of him, no not his own benefits. Meretricius amor est, plus annulum, quam sponsum amare, or] It is a no•e of a Harlot, to prefer the portion before the person. And that is a no less true than noble speech of the devout A. Kempis [Nobilis amator non quiescit in dono, sed in Christo super omne donum; or] The Wo thy and Noble Lover values not Christ so much by what he brings, as by what he is himself. The soul that loves Christ, loves Ordinances, because they are the banqueting-house of her Lord, 2wherein she is often refreshed by him; she loves the Privileges of the Gospel, because they are the Purchase of her Lords blood;3 She loves her own Graces, because they are the rare Ornaments which Christ hath put upon her to render her beautiful, and fit her for his own embraces;
Where love to Christ is sincere, there Christ is accounted by the soul to be its Treasure; and there is a longing desire in every such soul of the neerest communion with him: I put both these together, though there bee a very clear distinction between them, for brevity; it is a truly conjugal love, which can neither bear with distance, nor brook any Rival. And this is the meaning of the Spouse in that double expression, calling him the chiefest of ten thousands, and professing him to bee altogether lovely. The soul that loves Christ, may love other things,1 and esteem them lovely; but shee will say of none, that they are altogether lovely, but only of her Lord. When one asked Alexander to shew him his Treasure, the report is, that hee pointed to his friend Ephestion; the Treasure of a soul that sincerely loves Christ, is Christ himself [Deus meus est omnia, or] my God is my all, saith the soul, that ⟨p. 234⟩loves God as his Ultimate end. Hence is that of David, Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee, and who is there on Earth, that I desire besides thee? [Christus meus est omnia, or] my Christ is my all, saith the soul, that is upon inquiry how to finde acceptation with God. Whence is that of Paul, Doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Phil. 3.8. 'Tis the proper Motto of a love-sick soul, None but Christ: The sincerity of a Christians love lies in giving a preheminence to the Redeemer, whom it loves above every thing else. The soul that loves Christ, values nothing in comparison of him, no not his own benefits. Meretricius amor est, plus annulum, quam sponsum amare, or] It is a no•e of a Harlot, to prefer the portion before the person. And that is a no less true than noble speech of the devout A. Kempis [Nobilis amator non quiescit in dono, sed in Christo super omne donum; or] The Wo thy and Noble Lover values not Christ so much by what hee brings, as by what hee is himself. The soul that loves Christ, loves Ordinances, because they are the banquetting-house of her Lord, 2wherein shee is often refreshed by him; shee loves the Priviledges of the Gospel, bec•use they are the Purchase of her Lords blood;3 Shee loves her own Graces, because they are the rare Ornaments which Christ hath put upon her to render her beautiful, and fit her for his own imbraces;
- 1Cant. 5.10.16.
- 2Cant. 2.4.
- 3Cant. 4.1, &c.
