And there came a Voice out of the Cloud, faying, This (i. e. Chrift) is my beloved Son, bear ye bim, LUKE ix. 35.

If ye

love me, keep my Commandments, JOHN xiv. 15.

For God fo loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever believed in him, might not perish, but have everlasting Life, JOHN iii. 16.

PREFACE to the READER.

IN

N Sincerity, and unfeigned Love, both to God and Man, were thefe Lines penn'd: I defire thee to perufe them in the fame Love, and then, peradventure, thou mayst find Jome Sweetness in them. Expect not

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learned

learned Phrafes, or florid Expreffions; for many Times, beavenly Matter is bid in mean Sentences, or wrapp'd up in plain Expreffions. It fometimes pleafes God to reveal the Mysteries of bis Kingdom (through the Grace of bis Son, our Lord Jefus Chrift) to Babes and Sucklings; and be oftentimes ordains Praifes out of their Mouths; one of which, Reader, I defire thou may be.

MY Intent in Writing thefe Sheets, is, that they, through the Help of God's Grace, and the good Spirit of Chrift, may ftir up true Love in thee; first, to God and Chrift, and then, to Man: Then thou wilt be fit to be efpoufed to him, who is altogether lovely (that is, Chrift) which is the Defire of him, that is thy Friend, more in Heart, than Word.

T. C.

GOD's

GOD's Great Love to MANKIND, C.

H

AVING been concerned for the Good 1697. and Welfare of the Children of Men, in my youthful Days, and tafted of the infinite Love of God, in, and through his dear Son, the holy Lamb Jefus, who laid down his Life for the Sins of the World; and, in my tender Years, reaped great Benefit, through Faith in, and Obedience unto, him: For, truly, I have found, by fufficient Experience, that one without the other (to wit) Faith without Works, will not answer the End of the great Love of Chrift Jefus, our Lord, in that he offer'd himself a Sacrifice for all Mankind; not for People to live in Sin, but to take away the Sin of the World: In a Word, Faith without Works is dead, James ii. 20. For my Part, I found it fo, and so muft all true Believers in the Son of God.

Christ he first loved us, and paid that Debt for us, that, of ourselves, we were not able to do. Oh his infinite Love! it hath oftentimes melted my Soul into Tenderness. Methinks it is Abundance of Pity, that ever the Sons of Men fhould requite Evil for Good, or Difobedience for fuch gracious Obedience: I would to God, that all Believers in Chrift, would live in that Fear of God, and that Love to Christ, that keepeth the Heart clean; becaufe nothing unclean can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I don't mean a flavish Fear; but Fear, that is wrought by Love: For them

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that

1697. that love the Lord, the Great, Everlasting God, will fear to offend Him.

This is the Matter that chiefly beareth Stress on my Mind, at this Time, The Neceffity of Love to God, and Christ, and one another: Eye bath not feen, nor Ear beard, neither bath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive, the Things that God hath prepared for them that love Him, 1 Cor. ii. 9. For my Part, I can't pretend to tell thee, O Man! to the Full; but only a little to hint at it: It is, Joy unspeakable, and full of Glory: But then we must love him, fo as to keep his Commandments. This is the Work that I am very earnest in preffing People to; whether Youth, or Aged: It is not too foon for the Young, neither too late for the Aged, to begin this Work of Obedience, through Faith, and Love to God and Christ, if his Spirit is reproving or ftriving in them. But it is more honourable and acceptable, for a Man to give up the Strength of his Days to ferve the Lord, and to remember his Creator in the Days of his Youth, before Sin is too much rooted and grown in Man; for then it will be much more Labour, to get the Root of Unrighteousness plucked up.

So that in that Ability, which God hath given me, I would endeavour to ftir up all to ferve him, and to be in good Earneft, and not to put the Day of God, even the mighty Jehovah, a-far off; but to love the Lord unfeignedly, and with true Obedience; fince it is that Sacrifice, that is only acceptable to God; that is to fay, To love him in Deed, and in Truth, more than in Word, and with Tongue: For against such a People, the Lord, by his Servant, complain'd in old Time; They, faith the Lord, draw nigh to me with their Mouths, and with their Lips do bonour me: But, Oh! their great Mifery was, their Hearts were far from him; they did not love him with their whole Hearts; that was their great Fault: This Thing is alfo a great Evil in the Sight of the Great God, in this

our

our Age, and it is too frequent in England, the Land 1697. of my Nativity, as alfo in other Islands, and Places, beyond the Sea. What Lamentation fhall be taken up, for fuch as do fo mock the Lord, the Great God of Love? Surely he will render Vengeance, as in Flames of Fire, upon all the Wicked, and Ungodly, and those that forget him. 'Tis not by Saying, but by Doing, that we are juftified, through Faith in Chrift: Not he that faith, Lord, Lord, only; but he that doth his Will alfo, fhall enter the Kingdom:

Now the Will of God, and Chrift his Son, is, That we should love him above all; and in loving him, we shall love one another; for Chrift faw the great Need there was of loving God above all, and also of loving one another; therefore he answered thus to him that afked him, Which was the greatest Commandment-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, and with all thy Mind, Mat. xxii. 37.

This (fays Chrift) is the first and great Commandment; and the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thyself: On thefe two Commandments bang all the Law and the Prophets, Verfes 38, 39, and

40.

Now if these two great Commandments were obeyed, it would answer God's great Love to us, in fending his Son to blefs us. O! the Glory of God, how it would fhine! it would make the young Men, as Valiants of Ifrael, and the old Men as Captains of Thoufands; then Chrift would reign gloriously indeed, in the Hearts of the Children of Men; here the Lamb and his Followers (that walk in the Light, and that Commandment, that burns as a Lamp) would get the Victory over the Devil, and his Followers: But, on the contrary, this is the great Error of Mankind, they talk of God, and Chrift, in Words; but deny him in Works: Nay, fome will not stick to say, It is impoffible to keep the Commands of Chrift. It is