A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

4. The fourth step of our love to God is, for our highest love of every thing to be hatred in comparison of our love to God. The truth is, we can never so plainly know to what a degree we love God, as by weighing it against whatever stands in competition with it. Why should I so far debase my love to God as to weigh it in the same balance with love to sin? but alas! why do besotted Sinners so dote upon sin, as if love to God were not worthy to be compared with it? Methinks I may a little more than allude to that passage of Isaiah^(h), they lavish Gold out of the bag, and weigh Silver in the balance, and hire a Goldsmith, and he maketh it a God, &c. they give out their Gold by handfuls, without weighing, for matter of their Idols, but they will be good Husbands in their expenses about the workmanship of them. Man cares not at what rate he loves his Idols, those lusts upon which they bestow their affections due to God alone; though in all other things they are wary enough. But why should I wast time in speaking to these? they have not yet gone one step towards the love of God; and therefore are so far behind, that they are not within learning of what is spoken to good proficients in ⟨p. 28⟩the love of God. Let me only leave with them this parting word, From a person's first sincere and ardent love to God, he can neither speak, nor think of sin without abhorrency. From the first infusion of grace, there's a graciously natural antipathy against sin. Sin receives its death's wound, 'tis too true, it may struggle for life, and seem to be upon recovery, but grace will wear it out, and will never leave the conflict till it has obtained the conquest. But this is not the thing I intended to speak to in this particular; it is other-guess things than Sin, that the Soul that loves God is afraid to spill his love upon: he prizeth those Ordinances wherein he meets with Communion with God, but is afraid his love should terminate there: he values them but as Windows to let in the light: though something excellent may be written there, as with the point of a Diamond, yet it is neither writing, nor window is prized, but the light; when that's gone, shut up the window as if it were a dead wall, that's no more regarded till the light returns. 'Tis the light of God's countenance that is better than life it self. Perhaps you'll say this comes not up to what I asserted;