A64995:174
The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to…
The true Christians love of the unseen Christ, or, A discourse chiefly tending to excite and promote the decaying love of Christ in the hearts of Christians with an appendix concerning Christs manifestation of himself to them that love him / by Thomas Vincent.
London: printed by J.R. for Samuel Sprint, 1677
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
5. Would you have much Love unto Christ? labour for much of the Spirit; labour for much of the Light of the Spirit; There must be not only the Glass of the Scriptures, and the Eye of Faith, but also the Light of the Spirit, that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus; Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit; the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame. Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit, and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples. Joh. 14. 16, 17. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
5. Would you have much Love unto Christ? labour for much of the Spirit; labour for much of the Light of the Spirit; There must be not onely the Glass of the Scriptures, and the Eye of Faith, but also the Light of the Spirit, that you may have a clear discerning of this lovely Lord Jesus; Labour for much of the Operation of the Spirit; the Spirit is like Wind to blow up the Sparks of Love in your hearts into a flame. Labour for the inhabitation of the Spirit, and that the Promise may be made good to you which Christ giveth to his Disciples. Ioh. 14. 16, 17. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
6. Would you have much Love unto Christ? labour for clear Evidences of his Love unto you; the apprehensions of Christ's Loveliness may excite to some love, but the full well grounded persuasions of Christs love to you, will above all heighten your love to Christ. Doubts of Christ's love do cause fears, and fears do contract the heart, and therefore are opposite to love, which is the expansion and enlargement of the heart; perfect love casteth out fear, the more love, the less fear, and the more doubts and fears the less love. Such as doubt much of Christs love to them, they may love Christ truly, but they cannot love Christ strongly. You will love a less lovely person that loves you, more than a more lovely person that hates you; the love of the Person beloved is a most amiable Qualification and strong attractive, yea one of the greatest Incentives and Inducements unto love. Get then a persuasion of the infinite love to you of this Infinitely lovely person, that you may be able to say with Paul,