A64995:34
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.
Section IV.
Fourthly, The Fourth thing is to show, that it is the Property of all true Christians, to Love this unseen Christ. True Christians are differenced and distinguished, not only from all Heathens and Infidels, but also from all bare Nominal Christians, by their Love to Jesus Christ. It is the Property of Covetous Persons to love Worldly Wealth and Riches: It is the Property of Ambitious Persons, to love Worldly Honour and Dignities: It is the Property of Voluptuous Persons, to love Sensual Pleasures and Delights: And it is the Property of True Christians to Love Jesus Christ whom they have never seen. None but such as are True Christians do Love Christ, and all those that are True Christians do love him. The Loveliness of Christ doth appear not to the Eye of Sense, but to the Eye of Faith; they that do not see him with this Eye, they cannot love him; and they that do see him with this Eye, they cannot choose but love him. Such as do not love Christ, it ⟨p. 17⟩is not because Christ wants Beauty, but because they are blind. Now all true Christians have this Eye of Faith, to discern Christ's Excellencies; and none but True Christians have this Eye; the Essence of Christianity doth consist in Believing▪ Reason makes us Men, but Faith makes us True Christians. It being therefore the property of True Christians to believe, it is their property also to love this Unseen Christ.
Fourthly, THe Fourth thing is to shew, that it is the Property of all true Christians, to Love this unseen Christ. True Christians are differenced and distinguished, not only from all Heathens and Infidels, but also from all bare Nominall Christians, by their Love to Jesus Christ. It is the Property of Covetous Persons to love Worldly Wealth and Riches: It is the Property of Ambitious Persons, to love Worldly Honour and Dignities: It is the Property of Voluptuous Persons, to love Sensual Pleasures and Delights: And it is the Property of True Christians to Love Jesus Christ whom they have never seen. None but such as are True Christians do Love Christ, and all those that are True Christians do love him. The Loveliness of Christ doth appear not to the Eye of Sense, but to the Eye of Faith; they that do not see him with this Eye, they cannot love him; and they that do see him with this Eye, they cannot choose but love him. Such as do not love Christ, it