Use 2. For direction to all such as desire perfection of love to Christ; do any desire to love the Lord Jesus in perfection, not only of truth, but parts, and degrees, if he could? Why this is the way, keep his Commandments, take heed of breaking any one of them. What is the reason we deceive our selves in our love to Christ? We think it is love to Christ, if we keep a solemn Feast to him at this time of the year in memory of his Nativity, but is there no better Argument, nor furtherance of thy love to Christ than this? Take heed of it, if Christ hath commanded us to deck our bodies and houses, if Christ hath commanded us to feast and be liberal, you will find that a great help to further your love to Christ, and an evidence thereof; but if you go on in any course without a Commandment, if you keep such Feasts, which end in all excess and riot, and gaming and playing, they begin it may be, pretty well, but we fall from Religion to civility, from civility to intemperance, and wantonness, &c. and what is the reason? Because we have the custom of our Fathers for it, not the Commandment of Christ; the Apostle doth not say, he that keeps customs his love is perfect, but he that keeps Christs Commandments, therefore if you would get your love to Christ perfected, it must not be by keeping of old customs, but by keeping his Commandments: what is the reason why the most are so ready to keep such Feasts, is it because it is Christs Commandment? if it were, the more you would find your love perfected, you would be more forward to good, your spirits grow from one grace to another, but because men look at customs, they begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh. Take a Christian at the beginning of the Sabbath, he finds his heart unlifty to holy Duty, but before it be ended, he is so enlarged, that he is sorry it is done? Why, because he obeys a command, but if we do any thing out of custom, it grows from better to worse, so that Christ hath not more dishonour the rest of the twelve Months than he hath these twelve days; but would you have your love perfected, then frame your lives and courses according to Gods Commandments, and then the more you practise the more you may, you shall find your grace growing, and your love perfected to every good work;
Ʋse 2. For direction to all such as desire perfection of love to Christ; do any desire to love the Lord Jesus in perfection, not only of truth, but parts, and degrees, if he could? Why this is the way, keep his Commandments, take heed of breaking any one of them. What is the reason we deceive our selves in our love to Christ? We think it is love to Christ, if we keep a solemn Feast to him at this time of the year in memory of his Nativity, but is there no better Argument, nor furtherance of thy love to Christ than this? Take heed of it, if Christ hath commanded us to deck our bodies and houses, if Christ hath commanded us to feast and be liberal, you will finde that a great help to further your love to Christ, and an evidence thereof; but if you go on in any course without a Commandment, if you keep such Feasts, which end in all excesse and ryot, and gaming and playing, they begin it may be, pretty well, but we fall from Religion to civility, from civility to intemperance, and wantonnesse, &c. and what is the reason? Because we have the custom of our Fathers for it, not the Commandment of Christ; the Apostle doth not say, he that keeps customs his love is perfect, but he that keeps Christs Commandments, therefore if you would get your love to Christ perfected, it must not be by keeping of old customs, but by keeping his Commandments: what is the reason why the most are so ready to keep such Feasts, is it because it is Christs Commandment? if it were, the more you would find your love perfected, you would be more forward to good, your spirits grow from one grace to another, but because men look at customs, they begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh. Take a Christian at the beginning of the Sabbath, he findes his heart unlifty to holy Dutie, but before it be ended, he is so enlarged, that he is sorry it is done? Why, because he obeys a command, but if we do any thing out of custom, it grows from better to worse, so that Christ hath not more dishonour the rest of the twelve Months than he hath these twelve days; but would you have your love perfected, then frame your lives and courses according to Gods Commandments, and then the more you practise the more you may, you shall finde your grace growing, and your love perfected to every good work;
