The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

The Soul in its first coming home to Christ, doth seek its own salvation; after union with Christ it seeks the honour of God, and its own salvation subordinate to it. It must first have a good savour of God; it must first have tasted of his love before it can come to this: That is, to exalt his glory above its own salvation. But this saying and his Books do not agree.

For if so be the Soul must have union with Christ first, and in its union doth and may seek its own salvation, and must have a taste of Gods love (he must mean by this favour and taste a secret intimation of his reconciled love, some good evidence of it) before it comes to this setting up the glory of his Grace above its own salvation; how is it, that this self-love (in not subordinating its own salvation to Gods glory) which will deprive the Soul of all its labour and pains, as he saith, so dangerous, that it will undo it? how is it, I say, that this is found in a person united to Christ? yea, and there lieth till the Soul gets a taste of the love of God? This I cannot understand: How long is it before many poor Souls can get a taste, and how little of it when it comes, how short a time doth it stay? Bara-hora, brevis mora.

For if so be the Soul must have union with Christ first, and in its union doth and may seek its own salvation, and must have a taste of Gods love (he must mean by this favour and taste a secret intimation of his reconciled love, some good evidence of it) before it comes to this setting up the glory of his Grace above its own salvation; how is it, that this self-love (in not subordaining its own salvation to Gods glory) which will deprive the Soul of all its labour and pains, as he saith, so dangerous, that it will undo it? how is it, I say, that this is found in a person united to Christ? yea, and there lieth till the Soul gets a taste of the love of God? This I cannot understand: How long is it before many poor Souls can get a taste, and how little of it when it comes, how short a time doth it stay? Bara-hora, brevis mora.