ys the "love
of many shall wax cold," Matt. xxiv. 12. And truly this is the symptom of
a decaying and fading Christian and church. Love is the vital spirits of a
Christian, which are the principles of all motion and lively operation.
When there is a deliquium(406) in these, the soul is in a decay; it is so
comprehensive an evil, as alone is sufficient to make an evil time. And
besides, it is the argument and evidence, as well as the root and
fountain, of abounding iniquity, because this is the epidemical disease of
the present time, love cooled, and passion heated, whence proceed all the
feverish distempers, contentions, wars and divisions, which have brought
the church of God near to expiring. Therefore being mindful of that of the
apostle, Heb. x. 24, I would think it pertinent to consider one another,
and provoke again unto love and to good works. It was the great charge
that Christ had against Ephesus, "Thou hast left thy first love." I shall
therefore show the excellency and necessity of this grace, that so we may
remember from whence we have fallen and repent, that we may do the first
works, lest he come quickly and remove our candlestick, Rev. ii. 4, 5.

Chapter II.

I. Then, it might endear this Christian virtue unto us, that God propones
himself as the pattern of it, that Christ holds out himself as the rare
example of it for our imitation. It is what doth most endear God to
creatures, and certainly it must likewise appreciate them one to another.
1 John iv. 7, 8: "Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God,
and every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth
not knoweth not God; for God is love." Matt. v. 44, 45, "But I say unto
you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,
that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on
the just and on the unjust." Eph. v. 1, 2: "Be ye therefore followers of
God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet
smelling savour." John xiii. 35: "By this shall all men know that ye are
my disciples, if ye love one another." Now the following of so rare an
example, and imitating of so noble and high a pattern, doth exalt the soul
into a royalty and di