A Christian Directory Volume I Part 40

11. The rational powers cannot nullify the sensitive, nor directly or totally hinder the action of them; but they may and must indirectly hinder the act, by avoiding the objects and temptations, by diverting the thoughts to higher things, &c.; and may hinder the effects by governing the locomotive power.

12. Sensitive self-love containeth in it, 1. A love of life, and that is, of individual self-existence; 2. And a love of all sensitive pleasures of life; and, 3. Consequently, a love of the means of life and pleasure.

13. In sensitive self-love, therefore, self, that is, life, is both the material and formal object: we love ourselves even because we are ourselves; we love this individual person, and loathe annihilation or dissolution.

14. Though the will (or higher faculties) are naturally inclined also to love ourselves, and our own felicity, yet they exercise this inclination with a certain liberty; and though the act of simple complacency or volition towards our own being and felicity be so free as yet to be necessary, yet the comparative act (by which comparing several goods, we choose one and refuse another) may be so free as not to be necessary; that is, a man may will his own annihilation rather than some greater evil, (of which anon,) not as good in itself, and therefore not willed for itself, but as a means to a greater good; and so he may less nill it than a greater evil.

15. Also a tolerable pain may on the same account be willed, or less nilled, and so consented to, for the avoiding a greater evil; but intolerable pain cannot possibly be willed or consented to, or not nilled, because it taketh away the exercise of reason and free-will: but what is to be called intolerable I determine not, it being variously measurable according to the patient's strength.

16. The soul as intellectual, by its rational appet.i.te, hath also a natural inclination to intellectual operations (to know and love) and to intellectual objects as such, and to intellectual perfections in itself. Yet so that, though it necessarily (though freely) loveth the said acts and perfections while it hath a being; yet doth it not necessarily love all the said objects, nor necessarily choose the continuance of its own being, but in some cases, as aforesaid, can yield or consent to an annihilation as a lesser evil.

17. The rational soul being not of itself, nor for itself alone, or chiefly, is naturally inclined not only to love to itself, and that which is for itself, but also to love extrinsic good, as was aforesaid; and accordingly it should love that best which is best: for _a quatenus et ad omne et ad gradum, valet argumentum_. If we must love any thing or person because it is good, (as the formal reason,) then we should love all that is good, and love that best which is best, if so discerned.

18. Though I must love greater, simple, extrinsic good above myself, with that love which is purely rational, yet it cannot ordinarily be done with a more sensitive and pa.s.sionate love.

19. I am not always bound to do most good to him that I love better than others, and ought so to love, nor to him that I must wish most good to. Because there are other particular laws to regulate my actions, diverse from that which commandeth my affections: as those that put children, relations, families, neighbours, under our special charge and care; though often others must be more loved.

20. That good which is the object of love, is not a mere universal or general notion, but is always some particular or single being _in esse reali, vel in esse cognito_. As there is no such thing in _rerum natura_, as good in a mere general, which is neither the good of natural existence, or of moral perfection, or of pleasure, profit, honour, &c.; yea, which is not in this or in that singular subject, or so conceived; so there is no such thing as love, which hath not some such singular object. (As Rada and other Scotists have made plain.)

21. All good is either G.o.d, or a creature, or a creature's act or work.

22. G.o.d is good infinitely, eternally, primitively, independently, immutably, communicatively, of whom, and by whom, and to whom are all things: the beginning, or first efficient, the dirigent and ultimately ultimate cause of all created good; as making and directing all things for himself.

23. Therefore it is the duty of the intellectual creature to love G.o.d totally, without any exceptions or restrictions, with all the power, mind, and will, not only in degree above ourselves and all the world, but also as G.o.d, with a love in kind transcending the love of every creature.

24. All the goodness of the creature doth formally consist in its threefold relation to G.o.d, viz. 1. In the impresses of G.o.d as its first Efficient or Creator; as it is his image, or the effect and demonstration of his perfections, viz. his infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. 2. In its conformity to his directions, or governing laws, and so in its order and obedience. 3. And in its apt.i.tude and tendency to G.o.d as its final cause, even to the demonstration of his glory, and the complacency of his will.

25. All creative good is therefore derivative, dependent, contingent, finite, secondary, from G.o.d, by G.o.d, and to G.o.d, receiving its form and measure from its respect to him.

26. Yet as it may be subordinately from man, as the principle of his own actions, and by man as a subordinate ruler of himself or others, and to man as a subordinate end; so there is accordingly a subordinate sort of goodness, which is so denominated from these respects unto the creature, that is himself good, subordinately.

27. But all this subordinate goodness (_bonum a n.o.bis, bonum per nos, bonum n.o.bis_) is but a.n.a.logically so; and dependently on the former sort of goodness, and is something in due subordination to it, and against it, nothing, that is, not properly good.

28. The best and excellentest creatures, in the foresaid goodness related to G.o.d, are most to be loved; and all according to the degree of their goodness, more than as good in relation to ourselves.

29. But seeing their goodness is formally their relation unto G.o.d, it followeth that they are loved primarily only for his sake, and consequently G.o.d's image or glory in them is first loved; and so the true love of any creature is but a secondary sort of the love of G.o.d.

30. The best being next to G.o.d is the universe, or whole creation, and therefore next him most to be loved by us.

31. The next in amiableness is the whole celestial society, Christ, angels, and saints.

32. The next, when we come to distinguish them, is Christ's own created, glorified nature in the person of the Mediator, because G.o.d's glory or image is most upon him.

33. The next in amiableness is the whole angelical society, or the orders of intellectual spirits above man.

34. The next is the spirits of the just made perfect, or the triumphant church of saints in heaven.

35. The next is all this lower world.

36. The next is the church in the world, or militant on earth.

37. The next are the particular kingdoms and societies of the world, (and so the churches,) according to their various degrees.

38. The next, under societies and mult.i.tudes, are those individual persons who are best in the three forementioned respects, whether ourselves or others. And thus, by the objects, should our love that is rational be diversified in degree, and that be loved best that is best.

39. The amiable image of G.o.d in man is (as hath oft been said): 1. Our natural image of G.o.d, or the image of his three essential properties as such, that is, our vital, active power, our intellect, and our will. 2.

Our moral image, or the image of his said properties in their perfections, viz. our holiness, that is, our holy life or spiritual vivacity and active power, our holy light or wisdom, our holy wills or love. 3. Our relative image of G.o.d, or the image of his supereminency, dominion, or majesty; which is, 1. Common to man, in respect to the inferior creatures, that we are their owners, governors, and end (and benefactors); 2. Eminently in rulers of men, parents, and princes, who are a.n.a.logically sub-owners, sub-rulers, and sub-benefactors to their inferiors, in various degrees. By which it is discernible what it is that we are to love in man, and with what variety of kinds and degrees of love, as the kinds and degrees of amiableness in the objects differ.

40. Even the sun, and moon, and frame of nature, the inanimates and brutes, must be loved in that degree compared to man, and to one another, as their goodness before described, that is, the impressions of the divine perfections, do more or less gloriously appear in them, and as they are adapted to him the ultimate end.

41. As G.o.d is in this life seen but darkly and as in a gla.s.s, so also proportionably to be loved; for our love cannot exceed our knowledge.

42. Yet it followeth not that we must love him only as he appeareth in his works, which demonstrate him as effects do their cause; for both by the said works improved by reason, and by his word, we know that he is before his works, and above them, and so distinct from them as to transcend, and comprehend, and cause them all, by a continual causality; and therefore he must accordingly be loved.

43. It greatly hindereth our love to G.o.d, when we overlook all the intermediate excellencies between him and us, which are much better, and therefore more amiable, than ourselves; such as are before recited.

44. The love of the universe, as bearing the liveliest image or impress of its cause, is an eminent secondary love of G.o.d, and a great help to our primary or immediate love of him. Could we comprehend the glorious excellency of the universal creation, in its matter, form, parts, order, and uses, we should see so glorious an image of G.o.d, as would unspeakably promote the work of love.

45. Whether the glory of G.o.d in heaven, which will for ever beautify the beholders and possessors, be the divine essence, (which is every where,) or a created glory purposely there placed for the felicity of holy spirits, and what that glory is, are questions fittest for the beholders and possessors to resolve.

46. But if it be no more than the universal, existent frame of nature, containing all the creatures of G.o.d beheld _uno intuitu_ in the nature, order, and use of all the parts, it would be an unconceivable felicity to the beholders, as being an unconceivable glorious demonstration of the Deity.

47. It is lawful and a needful duty, to labour by the means of such excellencies as we know, which heaven is resembled to in Scripture, to imprint upon our imaginations themselves, such an image of the glory of the heavenly society, Christ, angels, saints, and the heavenly place and state, as shall help our intellectual apprehensions of the spiritual excellencies which transcend imagination. And the neglect of loving G.o.d as foreseen in the demonstration of the heavenly glory, doth greatly hinder our love to him immediately as in himself considered.

48. The Lord Jesus Christ, in his glorified, created nature, is crowned with the highest excellency of any particular creature, that he might be the Mediator of our love to G.o.d; and in him (seen by faith) we might see the glory of the Deity. And as in heaven we shall have (spiritual, glorified) bodies as well as souls, so the glorified, created nature of Christ will be an objective glory, fit for our bodies (at least) to behold in order to their glory, as the divine nature (as it pleaseth G.o.d in glory) revealed, will be to the soul.

49. The exercise of our love upon G.o.d as now appearing to the glorified, in the glorious created nature of Christ, (beheld by us by faith,) is a great part of our present exercise of divine love: and we extinguish our love to G.o.d, by beholding so little by faith our glorified Mediator.

50. We owe greater love to angels than to men, because they are better, nearer G.o.d, and liker to him, and more demonstrate his glory; and indeed also love us better, and do more for us, than we can do for one another.

And the neglect of our due love and grat.i.tude to angels, and forgetting our relation to them, and receivings by them, and communion with them, and living as if we had little to do with them, is a culpable overlooking G.o.d, as he appeareth in his most n.o.ble creatures, and is a neglect of our love to G.o.d in them, and a great hinderance to our higher more immediate love. Therefore by faith and love we should exercise a daily converse with angels, as part of our heavenly conversation, Phil.

iii. 20, 21; Heb. xii. 22; and use ourselves to love G.o.d in them: though not to pray to them, or give them divine worship.

51. We must love the glorified saints more than the inhabitants of this lower world, because they are far better, and liker to G.o.d, and nearer to him, and more demonstrate his holiness and glory. And our neglect of conversing with them by faith, and of loving them above ourselves, and things on earth, is a neglect of our love to G.o.d in them, and a hinderance of our more immediate love. And a loving conversation with them by faith, would greatly help our higher love to G.o.d.

52. Our neglect of love to the church on earth, and to the kingdoms and public societies of mankind, is a sinful neglect of our love to G.o.d in them, and a hinderance of our higher love to him; and the true use of such a public love, would greatly further our higher love.

53. If those heathens who laid down their lives for their countries had neither done this for fame, nor merely as esteeming the temporal good of their country above their own temporal good and lives, but for the true excellency of many above one, and for G.o.d's greater interest in them, they had done a most n.o.ble, holy work.

54. Our adherence to our carnal selves first, and then to our carnal interests and friends, and neglecting the love of the highest excellencies in the servants of G.o.d, and not loving men according to the measure of the image of G.o.d on them, and their relation to him, is a great neglect of our love of G.o.d in them, and a hinderance of our higher immediate love. And to use ourselves to love men as G.o.d appeareth in them, would much promote our higher love. And so we should love the best of men above ourselves.

55. The loving of ourselves sensually, preferring our present life and earthly pleasure before our higher spiritual felicity in heaven, and our neglecting to love holiness, and seek it for ourselves, and then to love G.o.d in ourselves, is a neglect and hinderance of the love of G.o.d.

56. Man hath not lost so much of the knowledge and love of G.o.d, as appearing in his greatness, and wisdom, and natural goodness in the frame of nature, as he is the Author of the creatures' natural goodness, as he hath of the knowledge and love of his holiness, as he is the holy Ruler, Sanctifier, and End of souls.

57. The sensitive faculty and sensitive interest are still predominant in a carnal or sensual man; and his reason is voluntarily enslaved to his sense: so that even the intellectual appet.i.te, contrary to its primitive and sound nature, loveth chiefly the sensitive life and pleasure.

58. It is therefore exceeding hard in this depraved state of nature, to love G.o.d or any thing better than ourselves; because we love more by sense than by reason, and reason is weak and serveth the interest of sense.