Our Saviour sent an Epistle from heaven to the Church of Ephesus, wherein he reproveeth her because she had left her first love, and threateneth the Removal of her Candlestick, that he would take away her light, if she did not recover her Love. By the same hand at the same time he sent another Epistle to the Church of Laodicea, wherein he reproveth her Lukewarmness, and threateneth, because she was neither hot nor cold, he would spue her out of his mouth, Rev. 2. 4, 5. & 3. 15, 16. And are Christians in England under no such sin, in no such danger? when some scoff at the flames of love to Christ, like dogs that bark at the Moon so far above them; when the most nominal Christians are wholly strangers to this Love, whatever their notional knowledge be; the former ⟨image 3⟩looking upon it as but a fancy, the latter having it only in the Theory: and when amongst those Christians who love Christ in sincerity, there are so few that know what it is to Love Christ with fervour and ardency: when there is so General a decay of Love to Christ in the Land, Lord what is like to become of England? Have we not provoked the Lord to take away our Candlestick, to suffer the worse than Egyptian darkness to over spread us again, and cover our Light, because it shineth with such cold beams, because the Light of Knowledge in the head is accompanied with so little warmth of Love to Christ in the hearts of most Christians? Every one will fetch water to quench fire in a general conflagration; & surely there is need in a day of such General decay of Love to Christ, that some should fetch fire, fire from heaven, & use bellows too, Arguments I mean, to enkindle and blow up the spark of Love to Christ, which seems ⟨image 3⟩so ready to expire. Reader, The following discourse concerning the True Christians Love of the unseen Christ, is not finely spun, and curiously woven with neatnesses of wit and language; it is not flourished and set off with variety of Metaphors, Hyperboles, Rhetorical Elegancies, or Poetical Fancies and fragments; it is not adorned and fringed with the specious show of many Marginal Quotations, excerpted out of divers Authors; The discourse is plain, but the Author hath endeavoured that it might be warm, his design being more to advance his Master than Himself in thy esteem; and if he have less of thy praise, so his Lord may have more of thy love, his great end is attained.
OVr Saviour sent an Epistle from heaven to the Church of Ephesus, wherein he reproveeth her because she had left her first love, and threatneth the Removal of her Candlestick, that he would take away her light, if she did not recover her Love. By the same hand at the same time he sent another Epistle to the Church of Laodicea, wherein he reproveth her Lukewarmness, and threatneth, because she was neither hot nor cold, he would spue her out of his mouth, Rev. 2. 4, 5. & 3. 15, 16. And are Christians in England under no such sin, in no such danger? when some scoff at the flames of love to Christ, like dogs that bark at the Moon so far above them; when the most nominal Christians are wholly strangers to this Love, whatever their notional knowledge be; the former ⟨image 3⟩looking upon it as but a fancy, the latter having it onely in the Theory: and when amongst those Christians who love Christ in sincerity, there are so few that know what it is to Love Christ with fervour and ardency: when there is so General a decay of Love to Christ in the Land, Lord what is like to become of England? Have we not provoked the Lord to take away our Candlestick, to suffer the worse than Egyptian darkenes to over spread us again, and cover our Light, because it shineth with such cold beams, because the Light of Knowledge in the head is accompanied with so little warmth of Love to Christ in the hearts of most Christians? Every one will fetch water to quench fire in a general confl•gration; & surely there is need in a day of such General decay of Love to Christ, that some should fetch fire, fire from heaven, & use bellows too, Arguments I mean, to enkindle and blow up the spark of Love to Christ, which seems ⟨image 3⟩so ready to expire. Reader, The following discourse concerning the True Christians Love of the unseen Christ, is not finely spun, and curiously woven with neatnesses of wit and language; it is not flourished and set off with variety of Metaphors, Hyperbolies, Rhetorical Elegancies, or Poetical Fancies and fragments; it is not adorned and fringed with the specious show of many Marginal Quotations, excerpted out of divers Authors; The discourse is plain, but the Author hath endeavoured that it might be warm, his design being more to advance his Master than Himself in thy esteem; and if he have less of thy praise, so his Lord may have more of thy love, his great end is attained.
