t vanity, emptiness, and misery, sin, and
condemnation in the creature, he sees grace, mercy, holiness,
righteousness and free salvation in Christ. Set these beside one another,
and judge ye if the soul cannot choose to run out in affection and longing
desire. Oh! says he, to be one with him. Faith presents all the motives
and attractives of the heart, and then there needs no more to make it
love. Faith discovers a man's self unto himself, and lets him see all
misery within, complete woe within doors, and it holds forth bread without
the ports(479) for the saint, and salvation for the lost. It brings in an
amiable person, who is fairer than the children of men, who is all love,
and hath no spot in him. Is it not a sweet word, a Redeemer to captives,
a Saviour to sinners? And will not the soul rise up, and go forth out of
itself? And will it not choose to flit(480) unto him who is the desire of
all nations? Will it not go unto him for food and clothing? Love then is
the soul's journey and motion towards Jesus, whom faith hath brought in
such a good report of. But,

Secondly. When faith hath given the answer of a good conscience, and
brought Jesus nearer hand to the soul, or the soul nearer unto him, then
love is stronger, and grows like a fire that many waters cannot quench.
It is like jealousy, that is cruel as the grave, many floods cannot drown
it. Union is the ground of love, union in nature, or sympathy, or
likeness, is the ground of affection. According as faith brings Christ
nearer to the heart, the flame increases. All things are desired and
loved as good, but more desired, as not only good in themselves, but good
unto us. Gold in the Indies will not much move the heart, but bring it
hither, and ye shall see who loves it. The first act of faith puts a man
in great need of a Saviour, and discovers a possibility of redemption
through Jesus, and in so far he is loved. But when once faith has gone
that length as to make a good conscience, and to calm and silence the woes
of a troubled mind, by the actual application of that desired possible
redemption, and when it can particularly apply the common salvation, O
then what burning affection! "Who is a God like unto thee, who pardoneth
iniquity, and passest by the transgression of his heritage, because he
delights in mercy?" "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none
upon earth that I desire besides thee." "I will love the Lord, because he
hath heard