A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

Again, In the Description I take notice of the essence or formal nature of it, and call it the return of a gracious and holy affection to God. Love is carried out to its Object two ways, ⟨p. 98⟩by desire and delight: Our necessity and need of God is the ground of desire; and our propriety and interest is the ground of delight: Desires are the feet of love, by which it runneth after its Object; and delight is the rest and contentment of the Soul in the enjoyment of it: Because of our imperfect fruition in this life, Love bewrayeth it self by desires mostly, or pursuing after God: See Psal. 63. 8. My heart followeth hard after thee: It noteth those sallies and earnest egressions of Soul after the Lord, that we may have more communion and fellowship with him. In short, the radical (if I may so speak) and principal disposition of Love is a desire of Union; for all other effects of love flow from it: This is that makes the Soul to prize the Ordinances, because God is to be enjoyed there; and these are means of communion with him; Psal. 26. 8. I have loved the place where thine honour dwelleth. This maketh sin terrible, because it separateth from God, Isai. 59. 2. This maketh Heaven amiable; the fairest part of our portion in Heaven is a closer and nearer communion with Christ, Phil. 1. 23. This maketh the day of Judgment sweet, for then we shall meet with our Beloved in the air, 2 Tim. 4. 18. In short, this maketh the Soul to take such contentment in thinking of God, and speaking of God; 'tis the feast of the Soul; My meditation of him shall be sweet, Psal. 104. 34. Their Souls cannot have a greater solace then to think what a God they have in Christ.

Again, In the Description I take notice of the essence or formal nature of it, and call it the return of a gracious and holy affection to God. Love is carryed out to its Object two ways, ⟨p. 98⟩