A26796:424
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…
The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is showed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ, or, Discourses wherein is shewed how the wisdom, mercy, justice, holiness, power, and truth of God are glorified in that great and blessed work / by William Bates.
London: printed by J. Darby for Nathaniel Ranew and Jonathan Robinson and Brabazon Aylmer, 1674
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.
2. Our Love to Christ must be supreme, exceeding that which is given to all inferior Objects. The most elevated and entire Affection is due to Him who ⟨p. 217⟩saves us from Torments that are extreme and eternal, and bestows upon us an Inheritance immortal and undefiled. Life it self and all the endearments of it, Relations, Estates are to be disvalued, when set in comparison with Him. Nay if (by an impossible supposition) they could be separated, our Saviour should be more dear to us than Salvation. For He declared greater Love in giving Himself for our Ransom, than in giving Heaven to be our Reward. When we love Him in the highest degree we are capable of, we have reason to mourn for the imperfection of it. In short, A Superlative Love as 'tis due to our Redeemer, so 'tis only accepted by Him. He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter more than Him, is not worthy of Him. 1And He tells us in other places that we must hate them, to show, that this Love should so far exceed the Affection that is due to those persons, that in all occasions where •hey divide from Christ, we should demean our selves as if we had only for them an indifference, and even an aversation. Indeed the preferring of any thing before Him, who is altogether desirable in Himself, and infinitely deserves our Love, is brutishly to undervalue Him, and in effect not to love Him. For in a Temptation where Christ and the beloved object are set in competition; as a greater weight turns the Scales, so the stronger Affection will cause a person to renounce Christ, for the possession of what he loves better. 'Tis the Love of Christ reigning in the Heart, that is the only Principle of Perseverance.
2. Our Love to Christ must be supreme, exceeding that which is given to all inferiour Objects. The most elevated and entire Affection is due to Him who ⟨p. 217⟩saves us from Torments that are extreme and eternal, and bestows upon us an Inheritance immortal and undefiled. Life it self and all the endearments of it, Relations, Estates are to be disvalued, when set in comparison with Him. Nay if (by an impossible supposition) they could be separated, our Saviour should be more dear to us than Salvation. For He declared greater Love in giving Himself for our Ransom, than in giving Heaven to be our Reward. When we love Him in the highest degree we are capable of, we have reason to mourn for the imperfection of it. In short, A Superlative Love as 'tis due to our Redeemer, so 'tis only accepted by Him. He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter more than Him, is not worthy of Him.