First, God hath commanded it: The sum of the Law is Love. When the Scribe came to Christ, Mat. 22. 36. Master, which is the great Commandment in the Law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy might: Mark, this is the first and great Commandment, to love God; 'Tis not a sour Command, but sweet and profitable: God might have burdened us with other manner of Precepts, considering his absolute right; to offer our children in sacrifice, to mangle our flesh with whips and scourges; but these are cruelties proper to the Devils worship. The Lord is a gentle Master, and only ⟨p. 99⟩desireth the love of his servants; we have cause to thank him for such a gracious Precept. If he should require us not to love him, this were Hell it self; that is the Hell of Hell, that they which are there do not love God. 'Tis our privilege as much as our duty. God loveth all his creatures, but hath commanded none to love him again but man and Angels; so that it is the great privilege of the Saints, to love God. It had been a great favour if God had given us leave to love him: as it would be a great favour if a King should give leave to one of his meanest Subjects to have the key of his privy Chamber, to come to him and visit him, and be familiar with him when he pleaseth; how would this be talked of in the world! yet this is not so wonderful, since the King and the Peasant are both men; in their natural being they are equal, though in their civil distinction and condition of life there be a difference. But what a favour is this, that he who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, doth not only permit his creature made by his own hands to come to him, and love him, and deal with him when he pleaseth, but hath expressly commanded it? nay this is the great Commandment: Certainly God is very desirous of our love, when he layeth such an obligation upon us: Was there ever such a Master, that made this to be his servants chiefest duty, that they should love him? Again, I observe in Gods Command that the Precept runneth thus, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. The Lord would not lose one grain of the creatures love; Surely he valued it, when he is so solicitous about it.
First, God hath commanded it: The sum of the Law is Love. When the Scribe came to Christ, Mat. 22. 36. Master, which is the great Commandment in the Law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and all thy might: Mark, this is the first and great Commandment, to love God; 'Tis not a sour Command, but sweet and profitable: God might have burdened us with other manner of Precepts, considering his absolute right; to offer our children in sacrifice, to mangle our flesh with whips and scourges; but these are cruelties proper to the Devils worship. The Lord is a gentle Master, and only ⟨p. 99⟩desireth the love of his servants; we have cause to thank him for such a gracious Precept. If he should require us not to love him, this were Hell it self; that is the Hell of Hell, that they which are there do not love God. 'Tis our priviledg as much as our duty. God loveth all his creatures, but hath commanded none to love him again but man and Angels; so that it is the great priviledg of the Saints, to love God. It had been a great favour if God had given us leave to love him: as it would be a great favour if a King should give leave to one of his meanest Subjects to have the key of his privy Chamber, to come to him and visit him, and be familiar with him when he pleaseth; how would this be talked of in the world! yet this is not so wonderful, since the King and the Peasant are both men; in their natural being they are equal, though in their civil distinction and condition of life there be a difference. But what a favour is this, that he who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, doth not only permit his creature made by his own hands to come to him, and love him, and deal with him when he pleaseth, but hath expresly commanded it? nay this is the great Commandment: Certainly God is very desirous of our love, when he layeth such an obligation upon us: Was there ever such a Master, that made this to be his servants chiefest duty, that they should love him? Again, I observe in Gods Command that the Precept runneth thus, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. The Lord would not lose one grain of the creatures love; Surely he valued it, when he is so sollicitous about it.
