Saul, Saul, why persecut est thou me, and v. 5. I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: and surely persecutors of Christ do not love Christ. Such are Scoffers at Religion, who deride Holiness and mock at the name of a Saint or Godly person, whereby they evidently show their contempt of the Holiness of Christ, from whom the Saints derive all theirs; and how can they love Christ that do contemn him and his Image. No unrighteous persons do truly love Christ, whether they be so in regard of distributative justice, or in regard of commutative justice; whether they be unrighteous in Execution of judgement, in distribution of Rewards or Punishments, & whether they ⟨p. 32⟩be unrighteous in their Traffic and Dealing•; Christ strictly requireth justice and Righteousness, and how can they love him, that do not keep this Commandment? No Covetous persons do truly love Christ; the Apostle saith, 1 Joh. 2. 15. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And I may say that if any man love the world, (that is, with his chief love) the love of the Son is not in him; the love cannot be chiefly set upon things below here on Earth, and upon Christ who is above in Heaven. No Licentious persons do truly love Christ: no Drunkards, Adulterers, or any that indulge themselves in unlawful delights; the love of Christ doth teach us to deny such Lusts, and to Mortify them. No mere civil persons that are unconverted, no Hypocrites that have a form of Godliness, but are without the power of it, do truly love Christ: the former may be loving and courteous unto men, but they have no love to Christ; the latter may Profess love to Christ, and Seem to love him, but they do not really love him. In a word none who are under the reigning power of any sin, do truly love Christ: The Reign of sin is in the heart, and this is inconsistent with the love of Christ in the Heart. Now ⟨p. 33⟩let us separate all these forementioned persons, from the rest; Grossly Ignorant persons, grossly erroneous persons, grossly wicked persons, the Profane, the Persecutors of Gods people, the Scoffers at Religion, all Unrighteous persons, all Covetous Persons, Drunkards, Adulterers, and all Licentious Persons; mere Civil persons, Hypocrites, and all that are under the reigning power of sin, and how few will there be left that do truly love Christ!
Saul, Saul, why persecut est thou me, and v. 5. I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: and surely persecutors of Christ do not love Christ. Such are Scoffers at Religion, who deride Holiness and mock at the name of a Saint or Godly person, whereby they evidently shew their contempt of the Holiness of Christ, from whom the Saints derive all theirs; and how can they love Christ that do contemne him and his Image. No unrighteous persons do truly love Christ, whether they be so in regard of distributative justice, or in regard of commutative justice; whether they be unrighteous in Execution of judgement, in distribution of Rewards or Punishments, & whether they ⟨p. 32⟩be unrighteous in their Traffick and Dealing•; Christ strictly requireth justice and Righteousness, and how can they love him, that do not keep this Commandement? No Covetous persons do truly love Christ; the Apostle saith, 1 Joh. 2. 15. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. And I may say that if any man love the world, (that is, with his chief love) the love of the Son is not in him; the love cannot be chiefly set upon things below here on Earth, and upon Christ who is above in Heaven. No Licentious persons do truly love Christ: no Drunkards, Adulterers, or any that indulge themselves in unlawful delights; the love of Christ doth teach us to deny such Lusts, and to Mortifie them. No meer civil persons that are unconverted, no Hypocrites that have a forme of Godliness, but are without the power of it, do truly love Christ: the former may be loving and courteous unto men, but they have no love to Christ; the latter may Profess love to Christ, and Seem to love him, but they do not really love him. In a word none who are under the reigning power of any sin, do truly love Christ: The Reign of sin is in the heart, and this is inconsistent with the love of Christ in the Heart. Now ⟨p. 33⟩let us separate all these forementioned persons, from the rest; Grossely Ignorant persons, grossely erroneous persons, grossely wicked persons, the Profane, the Persecutors of Gods people, the Scoffers at Religion, all Unrighteous persons, all Covetous Persons, Drunkards, Adulterers, and all Licentious Persons; meer Civil persons, Hypocrites, and all that are under the reigning power of sin, and how few will there be left that do truly love Christ!
