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

2. This reproves such of you as have some love, but it is very little love to Jesus Christ; you that love Christ, is not your love very small, not only in comparison with the love to you, but also in comparison with the love which some Christians have attained unto? how strong was the love of the Apostles unto ⟨p. 49⟩Christ when they left all and followed him! especially after the resurrection of Christ and his Ascension into Heaven, when the Holy Ghost was sent down and sat in the likeness of fiery tongues upon them: O! what a fire of love unto Christ was there then enkindled within them. Hence that bold profession which they make of Christ before the chief Priests and Elders, Act. 4. Hence their rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ, when they were beaten for their owning and preaching of him. Act. 5. 41. The love of Peter and John was great unto Christ, and the love of Paul was not inferior unto the love of the chiefest Apostles; hence it was that he took such pains to preach the Gospel in so many parts of the world even from Jerusalem & round about unto Illyricum, Rom. 15. 19. See also how he approves himself to be a Minister of Christ, and giveth evidences of his strong love to his Master, 2 Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. Are they Ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in Deaths oft: of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one: Thrice was I beaten with rods; once was I stoned, ⟨p. 50⟩thrice I suffered Shipwreck, a Night and a Day I have been in the deep, in journeying often, in perils of Waters, in perils of Robbers, in perils by mine own Countrymen, in perils by the Heathen, in perils in the City, in perils in the Wilderness, in perils in the Sea, in perils among false brethren: in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Besides those things which are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the Churches; who is weak and I am not weak? who is offended and I burn not? and chap. 12. 10. I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christs sake. The ground of all which was the love of Christ which did constrain him, as 1 Cor. 5. 14.