by Thomas Vincent
in ePub, .mobi & .pdf formats
Our Savior sent an epistle from heaven to the church of Ephesus, wherein He reproved her because she had left her first love, and threatened the removal of her candlestick. He would take away her light—if she did not recover her love. By the same hand, at the same time, He sent another epistle to the church of Laodicea, wherein He reproved her lukewarmness, and threatened, because she was neither hot nor cold—that He would spew her out of His mouth, Revelation 2:45 and 3:15-16. And are professors in Britain under no such sin, in no such danger—when some scoff at the flames of love to Christ, like dogs that bark at the moon so far above them; when the most nominal professors are wholly strangers to this love?I
The former looking upon it as but a fancy, the latter having it only in the theory and when, among those Christians who love Christ in sincerity, there are so few that know what it is to love Christ with fervor and ardency, when there is so general a decay of love to Christ in the land, Lord, what is likely to become of Britain! Have we not provoked the Lord to take away our candlestick? Have we not provoked the Lord to suffer worse than Egyptian darkness to overspread us again, and cover our light because it shines with such cold beams, because the light of knowledge in the head, is accompanied with so little warmth of love to Christ in the hearts of most Christians? Everyone will fetch water to quench fire in a general conflagration, and surely there is need in a day of such general decay of love to Christ, that some such fetch fire from heaven, and use bellows too; arguments, I mean, to enkindle and blow up the spark of love to Christ which seems so ready to expire.
Reader, the following discourse of the true Christian's love to the unseen Christ, is not finely spun and woven with neatness of wit and language. It is not flourished and set off with a variety of metaphors, hyperboles, rhetorical elegancies, or poetical fancies and fragments. It is not adorned and fringed with the specious show of many marginal quotations, excerpted out of divers authors. The discourse is plain—but the author has endeavored that it might be warm; his design being more to advance his Master, than himself, in your esteem; and if he has less of your praise, so that his Lord may have more of your love—his great end is attained.
The chief part of this discourse concerning the love of Christ is application, and about two thirds of it is exhortation (there being generally in this knowing age more need of excitation than information), where you have a variety of arguments and motives to stir up and provoke us to the love of Christ, together with several directions how to attain this love in the truth and strength of it, and wherein the strength of love to Christ should evidence itself. There is also an appendix added, for further encouragement unto the love of Christ, concerning Christ's manifestation of Himself unto such as love Him. The whole discourse is practical, nothing in it is controversial. All will acknowledge the obligation which Christians have to love Christ; and none will oppose this who are true Christians; none but Turks, Infidels, and Devils, are professedly against it.
That this little book may be blessed by the Lord to be a means to warm and inflame your heart with love to the unseen Christ—is the earnest prayer of,
A hearty well-wisher to your soul,
Thomas Vincent
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Table of Contents
Biographical Note
To the Reader
Section I: It is the Property of Truth Christians to Love Jesus Christ Whom They Have Never Seen
Section II: The Object of a True Christian's Love is Jesus Christ
Section III: The Love which True Christians Bear for the Unseen Christ
Section IV: It is the Property of Christians to Love this Unseen Christ
Section V. It is the Duty of All True Christians to Love the Unseen Christ
Section VI: How Christians Ought to Love this Unseen Christ
Section VII: Why Christians Love Christ Whom They Have Never Seen
Section VIII: Use of Information
Section IX: Use of Examination
Section X: Use of Reproof
Section XI: Use of Exhortation
Section XII: The Consideration of Christ's LoveUnto True Christians
Section XIII: The Consideration of Christ's Benefits
Section XIV: The Consideration of the Love Christians Have For Christ
Section XV: Two Sorts of Directions
Section XVI: Directions on How to Attain Much Love to Christ
Section XVII Driections on How to Show Your Love For Christ
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