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many candles conjoined make one light, so will many living spirits make one life, and many illuminated glorious spirits, one light and glory, and many spirits naturalized into love, will make one perfect love of God, and be loved as one by God for ever: for all the body of Christ is one; even here it is one initial union of the Spirit, and relation to one God, head, and life, throughout, and shall be presented as beloved and spotless to God, when the great marriage-day of the Lamb shall come.

Hadst thou not given me, O Lord, the life of nature, I should have had no conceptions of a glorious, everlasting life: but if thou give me not the life of grace, I shall have no sufficient, delightful inclination and desire after it. Hadst thou not given me sight and reason, the light of nature, I should not have thought how desirable it is to live in the glorious light and vision; but if thou give me not the spiritual illumination of a seeing faith, I shall not yet long for the glorious light, and beatific vision. Hadst thou not given me a will and love, which is part of my very nature itself, I could not have tasted how desirable it is, to live in a world of universal, perfect, endless love: but unless thou also shed abroad thy love upon my heart, by the Spirit of Jesus, the great medium of love, and turn my very nature or inclination into divine and holy love, I shall not long for the world of love. Appetite follows nature: O give me not only the image and the art of godliness-the approaches towards it, nor only some forced or unconstant acts; but give me the divine nature, which is holy love, and then my soul will hasten towards thee, and cry, How long, O Lord, how long! O come, come quickly, make no delay. Surely the fear of dying intimates some contrary love that inclines the soul another way; and some shameful unbelief and great unapprehensiveness of the attractive glory of the world of love: otherwise no frozen person so longs for the fire, none in a dungeon so desires light, as we should long for the heavenly light and love.

God's infinite, essential self-love, in which he is eternally delighted in himself, is the most amiable object, and heaven itself to saints and angels: next to that, his love to all his works, to the world, and to the church in heaven, speaks much more of his loveliness than his love to me. But yet due self-love in me is his work, and part of his natural image; and when this by sin is grown up to excess, through the withdrawing of a contracted narrow soul, from the union and due love to my fellow-creatures, and to God, I must also, I cannot but inquire after God's love

to me. By this my desires must be moved; for I am not so capable of ascending above self-interest and self-love, as in the state of glorious union I shall be. I am glad to perceive that others do love God; and I love those most that I find most love him: but it is not other men's love to God that will be accepted by him instead of mine, nor is it God's love to others which yet rejoices me, that will satisfy me, without his love to me. But when all these are still before me, God's essential self-love and delight, his love to his creatures, especially to the glorified, and his love to me also, even to me, a vile, unworthy sinner; what then should stay my ascending love, or discourage my desires to be with God?

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Dost thou doubt, canst thou doubt, O my soul, whether thou art going to a God that loves thee? If the Jews discerned the great love of Christ to Lazarus by his tears, canst thou not discern his love to thee in his blood? It is never the less, but the more obliging and amiable, that it was not shed for thee alone, but for many. May I not say as Paul, I live by the faith of the Son of God, that hath loved me, and given himself for me.' Yea, it is not so much I that live, as Christ that lives in me: will he forsake the habitation which his love hath chosen ; and which he hath so dearly bought? O read often that triumphing chapter, Rom. viii., and conclude, What shall separate us from the love of God?' If life have not done it, death shall not do it. leaning on his breast at meat was a token of Christ's special love to John, is not his dwelling in me by my faith, and his living in me by his Spirit, a sure token of his love to me. If a dark saying, 'if he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?' raised a report that the beloved disciple should not die, why should not plain promises assure me that I shall live with him that loves me for ever? Be not so unthankful, O my soul, as to question, doubtingly, whether thy heavenly Father, and thy Lord, doth love thee? Caust thou forget the sealed testimonies of it? Did I not even now repeat so many as should shame my doubts? A multitude of thy friends hath loved thee so entirely, that thou canst not doubt of it. Did any of them signify their love with the convincing evidence that God hath done? Have they done for thee what he hath done? Are they love itself? Is their love so full, so firm, and so unchangeable as his? My thoughts of heaven are the sweeter, because abundance of my ancient, lovely, and loving holy friends are there. I am the more willing by death to follow them Should I not think of it more

viour, and my Comforter, is there? And not alone, but with all the society of love.

joyfully because my God and Father, my Sa- | love for beauty lothe them that are deformed; and they that love for riches despise the poor. But God loved me when I was his enemy, to make me a friend, and when I was bad to make me better: whatever he takes pleasure in, is his own gift. Who made me to differ; and what have I that I have not received? God will finish the work, the building, the warfare that is his own. O the multitude of mercies to my soul and body, in peace and war, in youth and age, to myself and friends, the many great and gracious deliverances which have testified to me the love of God! Have I lived in the experience of it, and shall I die in the doubts of it? Had it been love only to my body, it would have died with me, and not have accompanied my departing soul. I am not much in doubt of the truth of my love to him. Though I have not seen him, save as in a glass, as in a glass seen I love him. I love my brethren whom I have seen, and those most that are most in love with him. I love his word, works, and ways, and fain I would be nearer to him, and love him more; and I lothe myself for loving him no better. Shall Peter say more confidently, Thou knowest that I love thee' than I know that thou lovest me?" Yes, he may; because though God's love is greater and stedfaster than ours, yet our knowledge of his great love is less than his knowledge of our little love; and as we are defective in our own love, so are we in our certainty of its sincerity

Was not Lazarus in the bosom of God himself? Yet it is said that he was in Abraham's bosom; as the promise runs, that we shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God. What makes the society of the saints so sweet as holy love? It is comfortable to read, that, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, and might, is the first and great commandment; and the second is like to it, To love our neighbour as ourselves.' For God's commands proceed from that will which is his nature or essence, and they tend to the same as their objective end. Therefore he that hath made love the great command, tells us that love is the great conception of his own essence, the spring of that command; and that this commanded, imperfect love tends to perfect heavenly love, even to our communion with essential infinite love. It were strange that the love and goodness which is equal to the power that made the world, and the wisdom that orders it, should be scanty and backward to do good, and to be suspected more than the love of friends! The remembrance of the holiness, humility, love, and faithfulness of my dearest friends, of every rank with whom I have conversed on earth, in every place where I have lived, is so sweet to ine, that I am often ready to recreate myself with the naming of such as are now with Christ. But in heaven they will love me better than they did on earth; and my love to them will be more pleasant. But all these sparks are little to the

sun.

Every place that I have lived in was a place of divine love, which there set up its obliging monuments. Every year and hour of my life hath been a time of love. Every friend, and every neighbour, yea, every enemy, have been the messengers and instruments of love. Every state and change of my life, notwithstanding my sin, hath opened to me treasures and mysteries of love. After such a life of love, shall I doubt whether the same God do love me? Is he the God of the mountains, and not of the valleys? Did he love me in my youth and health; and doth he not love me in my age, pain, and sickness? Did he love all the faithful better in their life than at their death? If our hope be not chiefly in this life, neither is our state of love, which is principally the heavenly, endless grace. My groans grieve my friends, but abate not their love. Did he love me for my strength, my weakness might be my fear. As they that

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Without the knowledge of our love to God, we can never be sure of his special love to us. But yet I am not utterly a stranger to myself. I know for what I have lived and laboured in the world, and who is it that I have desired to please. The God, whose I am, and whom I serve,' hath loved me in my youth, and he will love me in my aged weakness. My flesh and my heart fail; my pains seem grievous to the flesh but it is love that chooses them, that uses them for my good, that moderates them, and will shortly end them. Why then should I doubt of my Father's love? Shall pain or dying make me doubt? Did God love none from the beginning of the world but Enoch and Elias? What am I better than my forefathers? What is in me that I should expect exemption from the common lot of mankind? Is not a competeut time of great mercy on earth, in order to the unseen felicity, all that the best of men can hope for? O for a clearer, stronger faith, to show me the world that more excels this, than this excels the womb where I was conceived! Then should I not fear my third birth-day, what pangs soever go before it; nor be unwill

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ing of my change. The grave indeed is a bed | by mutual love, and our forsaking all that alienthat nature doth abhor; yet there the weary be ates, or is contrary? Let scorners deride us as at rest; but souls new born have a double nature self-flatterers, that believe they are God's darthat is immortal, and go to the place that is lings-and woe to the hypocrites that believe it agreeable to their nature; even to the region of on their false presumption-without such belief spirits, and the region of holy love: even passive or grounded hopes, I see not how any man can matter that hath no other natural motion, hath a die in true peace. He that is no otherwise benatural inclination to uniting, aggregative mo- loved than hypocrites and unbelievers, must tion. God makes all natures suitable to their have his portion with them: he that is no otherproper ends and use. How can it be that a spirit wise beloved than as the ungodly, unholy, and should not incline to be with spirits, and souls unregenerated, shall not stand in judgment, nor that have the divine nature in holy love, desire to see God, nor enter into his kingdom. Most be with the God of love? Arts, sciences, and upright souls are to blame for groundless doubttongues, become not a nature to us; else they ing of God's love; but not for acknowledging it, would not cease at death: but holy love is our rejoicing in it, and in their doubts being most new nature, and therefore ceases not with this solicitous to make it sure. Love brought me into bodily life. Shall accidental love make me de- the world, and furnished me with a thousand sire the company of a frail and mutable friend? mercies! Love hath provided for me, delivered Shall not this ingrafted, inseparable love make me, and preserved me, till now: and will it not me long to be with Christ? Though the love entertain my separated soul? Is God like false of God to all his creatures will not prove that or insufficient friends, that forsake us in adverthey are all immortal, nor oblige them to expect sity? another life, that never had capacity or faculties to expect it; yet his love to such as in nature and grace are made capable of it, doth warrant and oblige them to believe and hope for the full perfection of the work of love.

Some comfort themselves in the love of St Peter, as having the keys of heaven. How many could I name that are now with Christ, who loved me so faithfully on earth, that were I sure they had the keys and power of heaven, and were not changed in their love, I could put my departing soul into their hands, and die with joy. Is it not better in the hand of my Redeemer, and the God of love, and Father of spirits? Is any love comparable to his, or any friend so boldly to be trusted? I should take it for ungrateful kindness in my friend to doubt of my love and constancy, if I had given him all that he hath, and maintained him constantly by my kindness: but O how odious a thing is sin; which, by destroying our love to God, doth make us unmeet to believe and sweetly perceive his love and by making us doubt of the love of God, and lose the pleasant relish of it, doth more increase our difficulty of loving him. The title that the angel gave to Daniel, 'a man greatly beloved of God,' methinks should be enough to make one joyfully love and trust God, both in life and death. Will almighty love ever hurt me or forsake me? Have not all saints that title in their degrees? What else signifies heir mark and name, holiness to the Lord? What is it but our separation to God as his peculiar, beloved people? How are they separated but

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I confess that I have wronged love by sin by many and great inexcusable sins; but all, save Christ himself, were sinners, which love did purify, and receive to glory. God, who is rich in mercy, for the great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace we are saved), and hath raised us up together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. O that I could love much that have so much forgiven! The glorified praise him who loved us, and washed us from our sins, in his own blood, and made us kings and priests to God. Our Father that hath loved us, gives us consolation and good hope through grace. I know no sin which I repent not of with self-lothing: I earnestly beg and labour that none of my sins may be to me unknown. I dare not justify even what is in any way uncertain; though I dare not call all that my sin, which siding men, of different judgments, on each side, passionately call so: while both sides do it on contrary accounts, and not to go contrary ways is a crime. O that God would bless my accusations to my illumination, that I may not be unknown to myself! Though some think me much better than I am, and others much worse, it most concerns me to know the truth myself; flattery would be more dangerous to me, than false accusations; I may more safely be ignorant of other men's sins than of my own. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me, Lord, from secret sins, and let not ignorance or error keep me in impenitence; and keep thou me back from presumptuous sins. I have an

advocate with the Father, and thy promise, that be not seldom and slight in thy contemplations he that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall of his love and loveliness: dwell in the sunshine, have mercy. Those are, by some men, taken and thou wilt know that it is light, warm, and for my greatest sins, which my most serious comfortable. Distance and strangeness cherish thoughts did judge to be the greatest of my out-thy doubts: acquaint thyself with him, and be ward duties, and which I performed through the at peace. greatest difficulties, and which cost me dearest to the flesh, and the greatest self-denial and patience in my reluctant mind: wherever I have erred, Lord, make it known to me, that my confession may prevent the sin of others; and where I have not erred, confirm and accept me in the right.

Yet look up, and often and earnestly look up, after thy ascended, glorified Head, who said, 'tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' Think where and what he is, and what he is now doing for all his own; and how humbled, abased, suffering love is now triumphant, regnant, gloSeeing an unworthy worm hath had so many rified love; and therefore no less than in all its testimonies of thy tender love, let me not be like tender expressions upon earth. As love is no to them, that when thou saidst, I have loved where perfectly believed but in heaven, so I can you, unthankfully asked, 'Wherein hast thou no where so fully discern it, as by looking up loved us? Heaven is not more spangled with by faith to my Father and Saviour which is in stars, than thy word and works with the reful-heaven, and conversing more believingly with gent signatures of love. Thy well beloved Son, the heavenly society. Had I done this more and the Son of thy love, undertaking the office, message and work of the greatest love, was full of that spirit which is love, which he sheds abroad in the hearts of thine elect, that the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the communion of the Spirit, may be their hope and life. His works, his sufferings, his gifts, as well as his comfortable word, did say to his disciples, as the Father loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.' And how, Lord, shall we continue in it, but by the thankful belief of thy love and loveliness, desiring still to love thee more and in all things to know and please thy will; which, thou knowest, is my soul's desire.

better, and as I have persuaded others to do it, I had lived in more convincing delights of God's love, which would have turned the fears of death into more joyful hopes, and more earnest desires to be with Christ, in the arms, in the world, in the life of love, as far better than to be here, in a dark, a doubting, fearing world.

But, O my Father, infinite LOVE, though my arguments be many and strong, my heart is bad, and my strength is weakness, and I am insufficient to plead the cause of thy love and loveliness to myself or others. O plead thy own cause, and what heart can resist? Let it not be my word only, but thine, that thou lovest me, even me, a sinner. Speak it, as Christ said to Lazarus, Arise. If not, as thou tellest me that the sun is warm, yet as thou hast told me, that my parents and my dearest friends did love me, and much more powerfully than so. Tell it me, as thou tellest me that thou hast given me life, by the consciousness and works of life: that while I can say, 'Thou that knowest all things, knowest that I love thee;' it may include, Therefore I know that I am beloved of thee, and therefore come to thee in the confidence of thy love, and long to be nearer in the clearer sight, the fuller sense, and more joyful exercise of love for ever.

Behold then, O my soul, with what love the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have loved thee, that thou shouldst be made and called a son of God, redeemed, regenerated, adopted into that covenant state of grace in which thou standest: rejoice therefore in hope of the glory of God. Being justified by faith, having peace with God, and access by faith and hope that makes not ashamed; that being reconciled, when an enemy, by the death of Christ, I shall be saved by his life. Having loved his own, to the end he loves them, and without end: his gifts and calling are without repentance: when Satan, and thy flesh, would hide God's love, look to Christ, and readFather, into thy hand I commend my spirit; the golden words of love in the sacred gospel, and peruse thy many recorded experiences, and remember the convictions which secret and open mercies have many a time afforded thee: but especially draw nearer to the Lord of love, and

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Amen.

*The preceding treatise, especially the latter part of it, is one of like a man upon the borders of heaven-like Jacob blessing his sons great power and pathos. The venerable author expresses himself upon his death-bed-or Moses blessing the tribes of Israel when about the element of divine love.-Ed.

to lay down the clay tabernacle. His whole soul seems melted into

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A CALL TO THE UNCONVERTED.

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