BOOK 7. THE RESURRECTION.
CHAPTER 2.
7.2.6. Of Loving in Jesus in that Respect.
Of Loving in Jesus in that Respect.
Let us love Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our salvation for us in his resurrection: surely if we hope in Christ, and believe in Christ, we cannot but love Christ; if Christ's resurrection be our justification, and so the ground both of our hope and faith, how should we but love him, who hath done such great things for us? She that had much forgiven her, loved much; and if by virtue of Christ's resurrection we are justified from all our sins, how should we but love him much? But that I may let down some cords of love, whereby to draw our loves to Christ in this respect, let us consider thus: --
Love is a motion of the appetite, "by which the mind unites itself to that which seems good to it." You may object that Christ is absent, how then should our souls be united to him; but if we consider that objects, though absent, may be united to the powers by their species and images, as well as by their true beings; we may then be said truly to love Christ as raised, though he be absent from us; come then, stir up thy appetite, bring into thy imagination the idea of Christ as in his resurrection; present him to thy affection of love, in that very form wherein he appeared to his disciples; as gazing upon the dusty beauty of flesh, kindleth the fire of carnal love, so this gazing on Christ, and on the passages of Christ in his resurrection, will kindle this spiritual love in thy soul: draw near then, and behold him, "Is he not white and rudely, the chiefest among ten thousands?" Is not his head as the most fine gold, are not his locks bushy, and black as a raven, are not his eyes as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water, washed with milk, and fitly set? Are not his cheeks as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers?" Cant. v. 10 , 11, 12, 3. Thus I might goon from top to toe; but that thou mayest not only see his glory and beauty wherein he arose, but that thou mayest hear his voice; doth he not call on thee, as sometimes he did on Mary, on Thomas, on Peter, or on the twelve? As the angel said to the woman, "Remember how he spake, when he was yet in Galilee," Luke xxiv. 6. so say I to thee, remember how he spake while he was yet on earth; surely "his lips like lilies dropped sweet smelling myrrh," As thus, --
1. In his apparition to Mary, Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" John xx. 15. Were not those kind words? and hast thou not had the like apparition? Hast thou not heard the like sweet words from Jesus Christ? How often hath thy heart sobbed and sighed out complaints, "O where is he whom my soul loveth? I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that ye tell him I am sick of love," Cant. v. 8. And then was not Christ seen in the mount? Was not thy extremity his opportunity to do thee good? Did not he bespeak thy comforts with these words, "Sweet soul, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? What wouldst thou have that I can give thee? And what dost thou want that I cannot give thee? If anything in heaven or earth will make thee happy, it is all thine own? Wouldst thou have pardon, thou shalt have it, I freely forgive thee all the debt? Wouldst thou have myself? Why, behold I am thine, thy friend, thy Lord, thy husband, thy head, thy God." Were not these thy Lord's reviving words? Were not these the melting, healing, ravishing, quickening passages of Christ his love?
2. In his apparition to the ten, "Jesus stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you," John xx. 19. Lo, here more words of love; in midst of their trouble Christ stands in the midst, speaking peace to their souls? And hath not Christ done the like to thee! Hast thou not many and many a time been lapt in troubles, that thou knewest not which way to turn thee? Hast thou not felt the contradiction of men, railings of Rabsheka's? And hast thou not sometimes shut thy doors upon thee for fear of such Jews? And then, even then, Hath not Christ come to thy spirit with an olive branch of peace, saying to thy restless soul, "Peace and be still?" Hath he not wrought wonders in the sea of thy restless thoughts? Hath he not made a calm? And more than so, Hath he not filled thee with joy and peace in believing? Hath he not sent thee away from thy prayers and complaints with a peace of heaven in thy soul, so that thou was forced to conclude, "Surely this is the peace of God, which passeth all understanding?"
3. In his apparition to the eleven, Jesus saith to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing," John xx. 27. O sweet condescending words! how far, how low would Jesus stoop to take up souls? And O my soul, are not these the very dealings of Christ towards thee? He that called Thomas to come near, hark how he calls on thee, "Come near, poor, trembling, wavering, wandering soul; come, view the Lord thy Saviour, and be not faithless, but believing; peace be unto thee, fear not, it is I." He that called on them who passed by, to behold his sorrow, in the day of his humiliation, doth now call on thee to behold his glory in the day of his exaltation; look well upon him, Dost thou not know him? Why, his hands were pierced, his head was pierced, his side was pierced, his heart was pierced with the stings of thy sins, and these marks he retains, even after his resurrection, that by these marks thou mightest always know him; is not the passage to his heart yet standing open? If thou knowest him not by the face, the voice, the hands; if thou knowest him not by the tears, and bloody sweat, yet look nearer, thou mayst know him by the heart, that broken healed heart is his, that dead revived heart is his, that soul-pitying melting heart is his: doubtless it can be none but his, love and compassion are its certain signatures. And is not here fuel enough for love to feed upon? Doth not this heart of Christ even snatch thy heart, and almost draw it forth of thy breast? Canst thou read the history of love any further at once? Doth not thy throbbing heart here stop to ease itself? if not go on, for the field of love is large.
4. In his apparition to the seven, "Jesus saith to Simon Peter, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? -- And he said to him the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" -- He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas lovest thou me?" John xxi. 15, 16, 17. Oh the love of Christ in drawing out man's love unto himself, how often, O my soul! hath Christ come to thy door and knocked there for entrance? How often hath he sued for love, and begged love, and asked thee again and again, "Ah soul! dost thou love me more than these? Come, tell me, dost thou love me, love me, love me? Come, wilt thou take me for thy Lord? wilt thou delight in me as thy treasure, thy happiness, thy All?" Oh fy! shall Christ raised, a glorious Christ, thus woo, and sue, and call, and wilt not thou answer as Peter did? "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee? -- Yea, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." Nay, art thou not grieved that Christ should ask the third time for thy love? Art thou not ashamed out of thy stupidity, and forced to say, O my blessed Lord, I have been too proud, too peevish, but thy free grace, and undeserved love hath beaten me out of all my pride, so that now I fall down at thy foot-stool, and lay myself flat before thee; at first I wondered to hear preachers talk so much of Christ, and I was bold to ask my friends, What was their beloved more than another beloved? But now I wonder that I could be so long without thee, truly Lord, I am thine, only thine, ever thine, all that I am is at thy command, and all that I have is at thy disposing, be pleased to command both it and me.
I might thus go on to consider other passages in other apparitions. But are not these enough to draw thy love? Oh! what love was this? Oh! what humility was this? that Christ, after his resurrection, should converse with men during the space of forty days? Worthy he was after so many sorrows, sufferings, reproaches, after so cruel, ignominious, and bitter a death, immediately to have rid his triumph to glory; and for the confirmation of his disciples faith, he might have commanded the angels to have preached his resurrection; oh! no, he himself would stay in prison, he himself would make it out by many infallible proofs that he was risen again; he himself would, by his own example, learn us a lesson of love, of meekness, of patience, in waiting after sufferings for the reward.
Methinks a few of these passages should set all our hearts on a flame of love; we love earth, and earthly things; we dig into the veins of the earth for thick clay; but if Christ be risen, "Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth," Col. iii. 1, 2. Oh! if the love of Christ were but in us, as the love of the world is in base worldlings, it would make us wholly to despise this world, it would make us to forget it, as worldly love makes a man to forget his God; nay, it would be so strong and ardent, and rooted in our souls, that we should not be able voluntarily and freely to think on anything else but Jesus Christ; we should not then fear contempt, or care for disgrace, or the reproaches of men; we should not then fear death, or the grave, or hell, or devils, but we should sing in triumph, "O death! Where is thy sting? O grave! Where is thy victory -- Now thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord" 1 Cor. xv. 55. 57.