The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to…

3. Consider it is your Honour to Love Christ. The real Honour of any is not the Noble Blood which runs in their veins the high lineage from whence they are descended, the great Titles with which they ⟨p. 100⟩are Invested, or the most eminent Earthly dignities unto which they are advanced: The Heathen could say, Et Genus et Proavos, et quae non fecimus ipsi vix ea nostra voco; our stock and noble Ancestors, and what we have not done or deserved our selves, we can hardly call our own. And Virtus sola & unica Nobilitas: Virtue is the only true Nobility. And the Scripture telleth us, that the vilest Men are exalted, Psal. 12. 8. and that the most high ruleth in the Kingdom of Men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of Men, Dan. 4. 17. Princes and Nobles by their Vices and Wickednesses may render themselves more vile then the Earth under their Feet, more base than the mire in the Streets. The Word of God accounteth only them to be truly Honourable, that are truly Gracious; and this Grace of Love to Jesus Christ doth put a great Honour and lustre upon all those that have it. There is no greater and higher object for your love than the Lord Jesus Christ, a person of so great eminency and excellency: the Love of Christ doth ennoble the Heart, and none in the world have such truly great and generous Souls, as those who have the greatest love to him. According to the ⟨p. 101⟩Spirit, so is the Man, •ither, B•se or honourable; and according to the chief love, so is the Spirit; if your Heart do chiefly love any inferior things, as all sublunary things are, hereby you are debased and dishonoured; if your Heart chiefly love Christ who is a Superior good and superlatively amiable, hereby you are dignified and become truly honourable. We read of Hope (that is the Grace of Hope) that it maketh not ashamed, Rom. 5. 5. And the same may be said of this Grace of Love to Jesus Christ, it maketh not ashamed. The most in the World do love those things which one time or other will make them a shamed; the covetous will be ashamed of their love of Riches, and the voluptuous will be ashamed of their Love of Pleasures, and the Ambitious will be a shamed of their love of Honours;