1. Be strong in love to God; your hearts now will settle upon something; they will work some way; if they do not work upward, they will work downward; if they be not placed upon God, they will be placed upon the Creature. You have now many suitors for your love; all the sensitive alluring objects which are about you would entice and ravish your hearts; but these things if they seem fair, will wither and prove deceitful, they are unworthy of your love. Give me leave to be a suitor for your love; let me beg your Love for God and his dear Son. This is the first and great Commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, Matth. 22. ⟨p. 37⟩37, 38. God commandeth you to love him, it is your duty; God alloweth you to love him, it is your privilege; God doth chiefly require your love; My Son, give me thy heart. If you give any thing, every thing you have besides, and keep back your heart, it will not be accepted: And God doth best deserve your love; he is the most suitable object for your love; other objects will debase your love, God will ennoble and dignify your love: you cannot bestow your love better; none so amiable as God, especially as he represents himself in his Son: If you look for greatness, he is the most great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth: If you look for power, he is Omnipotent, hath done, and can do whatever he pleaseth: If wisdom hath a beauty in it in your esteem, his understanding and wisdom is infinite: If truth, faithfulness, mercy, goodness be amiable in your eyes, he is truth it self, and cannot lye; he is full of mercy and kindness, he hath most tender bowels, he hath riches and treasures of grace and goodness: If love be an attractive of love, his love is beyond comparison, beyond conception; there is a height in his love which cannot be reached; a depth in his love which cannot be fathomed; a breadth and length in his love, which cannot be comprehended; his love is first, without any beginning; his love is free, without our deserving; his love is constant, without any changing; his love is eternal, without any ending: He is most lovely, this should draw forth your love much; he is most loving, this should draw forth your love more; he is love it self, 1 J•h. 4. 8. God is love, not only hath love, but is love;
1. Be strong in love to God; your hearts now will settle upon something; they will work some way; if they do not work upward, they will work downward; if they be not placed upon God, they will be placed upon the Creature. You have now many suitors for your love; all the sensitive alluring objects which are about you would entice and ravish your hearts; but these things if they seem fair, will wither and prove deceitfull, they are unworthy of your love. Give me leave to be a suitor for your love; let me beg your Love for God and his dear Son. This is the first and great Commandement, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your minde, Matth. 22. ⟨p. 37⟩37, 38. God commandeth you to love him, it is your duty; God alloweth you to love him, it is your priviledge; God doth chiefly require your love; My Son, give me thy heart. If you give any thing, every thing you have besides, and keep back your heart, it will not be accepted: And God doth best deserve your love; he is the most suitable object for your love; other objects will debase your love, God will ennoble and dignifie your love: you cannot bestow your love better; none so amiable as God, especially as he represents himself in his Son: If you look for greatness, he is the most great and glorious Majesty of Heaven and Earth: If you look for power, he is Omnipotent, hath done, and can do whatever he pleaseth: If wisdom hath a beauty in it in your esteem, his understanding and wisdom is infinite: If truth, faithfulness, mercy, goodness be amiable in your eyes, he is truth it self, and cannot lye; he is full of mercy and kindness, he hath most tender bowels, he hath riches and treasures of grace and goodness: If love be an attractive of love, his love is beyond comparison, beyond conception; there is a heighth in his love which cannot be reached; a depth in his love which cannot be fathomed; a breadth and length in his love, which cannot be comprehended; his love is first, without any beginning; his love is free, without our deserving; his love is constant, without any changing; his love is eternal, without any ending: He is most lovely, this should draw forth your love much; he is most loving, this should draw forth your love more; he is love it self, 1 J•h. 4. 8. God is love, not only hath love, but is love;
