A Divine Cordial

What shall we say to them who can be all their lives long without God? they think God may be best spared: They complain they want health and trading, but not that they want God. Wicked men are not acquainted with God; and how can they love who are not acquainted? nay, which is worse, they do not desire to be acquainted with God, Job 21.14. They say to God, depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Sinners shun acquaintance with God, they count his presence a burden; and are these Lovers of God? Doth that woman love her husband, who cannot endure to be in his presence?

What shall we say to them who can be all their lives long without God? they think God may be best spared: They complain they want health and trading, but not that they want God. Wicked men are not acquainted with God; and how can they love who are not acquainted? nay, which is worse, they do not desire to be acquainted with God, Iob 21.14. They say to God, depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes. Sinners shun acquaintance with God, they count his presence a burden; and are these Lovers of God? Doth that woman love her husband, who cannot endure to be in his presence?

3. The Third Fruit of love is grief. Where there is love to God,¹ there is a grieving for our sins of unkindness against him. A Child that loves his Father cannot choose but weep for offending him. The heart that burns in love, melts in tears: O that I should abuse the love of so dear a Saviour! Did not my Lord suffer enough upon the Cross, but must I make him suffer more? shall I give him more Gall and Vinegar to drink? How dis-loyal and dis-ingenious have I been? how have I grieved his Spirit, trampled upon his Royal Commands, ⟨p. 98⟩slighted his Blood? this opens a Vein of godly sorrow, and makes the heart bleed afresh.