The divine life in three treatises

And that we shall not there lay by so much respect to our selves, as to forget or disregard out benefactors, is manifest, 1. In that we shall for ever remember Christ, and Love him, and Praise him, as one that formerly Redeemed us, and washed us in his blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests to God: And therefore we may also in just subordination to Christ, remember them with Love and Thankfulness, that were his Instruments for the collation of these benefits.

And that we shall not there lay by so much respect to our selves, as to forget or disregard out benefactours, is manifest, 1. In that we shall for ever remember Christ, and Love him, and Praise him, as one that formerly Redeemed us, and washed us in his blood, and hath made us Kings and Priests to God: And therefore we may also in just subordination to Christ, remember them with Love and Thankfulness, that were his Instruments for the collation of these benefits.

2. And this kind of Self-Love (to be sensible of Good and Evil to our selves) is none of the sinful or imperfect selfishness to be renounced or laid by, but part of our very Natures, and as inseparable from us as we are from our selves.

Much more, were it not digressive, might be said on this subject; but I shall only add, that as God doth draw us to ⟨p. 335⟩every holy duty by showing us the excellency of that duty; and as perpetuity is not the smallest excellency; so he hath purposely mentioned that Love endureth for ever (when he had described the Love of one another) as a principal motive to kindle and increase this Love. And therefore those that think they shall have no personal Knowledge of one another, nor personal Love to one another (for we cannot Love personally, if we know not personally) do take a most effectual course to destroy in their souls all holy special Love to Saints, by casting away that principal or very great motive given them by the Holy Ghost. I am not able to Love much where I foreknow that I shall not Love long. I cannot Love a comely Inn, so well as a nearer dwelling of my own, because I must be gone to morrow. Therefore must I love my Bible better than my Law books, or Physic books, &c. because it leadeth to Eternity. And therefore I must Love Holiness in my self and others, better than meat and drink, and wealth and honour, and beauty and pleasure; because it must be Loved for ever, when the Love of these must needs be transitory, as they are transitory. I must profess from the very experience of my soul, that it is the belief that I shall Love my friends in Heaven, that principally kindleth my Love to them on Earth: And if I thought I should never know them after death, and consequently never love them more, when this life is ended, I should in reason number them with temporal things, and Love them comparatively but a little; even as I Love other transitory things (allowing for the excellency in the nature of Grace) But now I converse with some delight with my Godly friends, as believing I shall converse with them for ever, and take comfort in the very Dead and Absent, as believing we shall shortly meet in Heaven: and I Love them, I hope, with a Love that is of a Heavenly Nature, while I Love them as the Heirs of Heaven, with a Love which I expect shall there be perfected, and more fully and for ever exercised.