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

but the chief Wisdom doth lie in the right placing of the Affections, and none have attained so high a pitch of true Spiritual Wisdom, as those that have attained the highest pitch of love to Jesus Christ. It is matter of great wonder, when there is the greatest reason and the strongest arguments for the love of Christ, that Men of the greatest Parts and Learning, who have heard of Christ, do not readily fall in love with him, and attain higher degrees of this love, than others of a more inferior capacity: But the Scripture must be fulfilled, Math. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Such of you as are but Babes in worldly Wisdom and humane Learning, as have but mean natural parts, and no improvement by education, yet if you love the Lord Jesus Christ above all persons and things in the World, you are far more Wise than the greatest Scholars that are without this love.

but the cheif Wisdom doth lie in the right placing of the Affections, and none have attained so high a pitch of true Spiritual Wisdom, as those that have attained the highest pitch of love to Jesus Christ. It is matter of great wonder, when there is the greatest reason and the strongest arguments for the love of Christ, that Men of the greatest Parts and Learning, who have heard of Christ, do not readily fall in love with him, and attain higher degrees of this love, than others of a more inferior capacity: But the Scripture must be fulfilled, Math. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Such of you as are but Babes in worldly Wisdom and humane Learning, as have but mean natural parts, and no improvement by education, yet if you love the Lord Jesus Christ above all persons and things in the World, you are far more Wise than the greatest Schollars that are without this love.

5. Consider the excellency of this Love unto Jesus Christ; as the Knowledge of Christ is the most excellent knowledge, Philippians 3. 8. Yea doubtless I count all things but loss, for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: So the Love of Christ is the most excellent love. It is a love of the most excellent object, the Lord Jesus who is so Excellent; it is a love of the most Excellent original, it cometh down from Heaven, it is wrought by the Spirit of God; it is a love that renders them most excellent that have it. The wicked that are without this love, are like dross; the Righteous that have it are like Gold; the wicked that hate Christ, are like dirt; the Righteous that love him are like Jewels; other loves do darken and defile, the love of Christ doth brighten the Spirit and renders Men truly illustrious, and the excellent of the Earth.