A25478:122
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…
A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically resolved by sundry ministers
London: printed for Thomas Cockerill, 1676
Sermon 1: Quest. How may we attain to love God with all our Hearts, Souls, and Minds? Serm. I.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. Love to God is the great General directing Grace, containing all other particular Graces in it, and most intimately goes through the Acts of all of them(s). Love in the Soul is as the Pilot in the Ship, who steers the Ship and all its Passengers. Love steers the Soul and all its Operations. Love is the Needle in the Compass that's still trembling towards its Divine Lodestone. Euseb. Nieremb. compares other Graces to Bullion uncoined, which though it have an intrinsic value, yet 'tis not that Money that answers all things: what shall I say, find out a thousand transcendent Metaphors, love will answer them all?
1. Love to God is the great General directing Grace, containing all other particular Graces in it, and most intimately goes through the Acts of all of them(s). Love in the Soul is as the Pilot in the Ship, who steers the Ship and all its Passengers. Love steers the Soul and all its Operations. Love is the Needle in the Compass that's still trembling towards its Divine Loadstone. Euseb. Nieremb. compares other Graces to Bullion uncoyn'd, which though it have an intrinsick value, yet 'tis not that Money that answers all things: what shall I say, find out a thousand transcendent Metaphors, love will answer them all?
- (s)V•et. ibid. 1 Cor. 13.
2. It is in a singular manner infinite. Among all the Faculties of the Soul, there's none but the Will that can in any sound sense be said to be infinite; all the other Faculties are more bounded than the Will; now love is the natural Act of the will, and love to God is the supernaturally natural Act of the renewed Will. Its desires (which is the love of desires) are to be united unto God, the Fountain of all Blessedness. And here, those that love God least, (so it be sincerely) their desires are infinite, e. g. Desires are the feet of the Soul, their love will creep when it cannot go; Desires are the wings of the Soul, love will flutter when it cannot fly; Desires are the breathings of the Soul, love will pant, and groan, and gasp, where it can do no more. Again, the contentment and satisfaction of the Will (which is the love of complacency) is infinite (in as large a sense as that word can be ascribed to Creatures,) desires are the motion and exercise of love; delight is the quiet and repose of it. My beloved, to have the heart to delight in God, or