de the very sum and compend of the
law, the fulfilling of it; for the truth is the most effectual and
constraining principle of obedience, and withal the most sweet and
pleasant. The love of Christ constrains us to live to him, and not
henceforth to ourselves, 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. As I said, a man and his will
is one; if you engage it, you bind all, if you gain it, it will bring all
with it. As it is the most ready way to gain any party, to engage their
head whom they follow and upon whom they depend, let a man's love be once
gained to Christ, and the whole train of the soul's faculties of the
outward senses and operations, will follow upon it. It was an excellent
and pertinent question that Christ asked Peter, when he was going away,
(if Peter had considered Christ's purpose in it, he would not have been so
hasty and displeased) "Peter, 'lovest thou me?' then 'feed my sheep.' " If
a man love Christ, he will certainly study to please him, and though he
should do never so much in obedience, it is no pleasure except it be done
out of love. O this, and more of this in the heart, would make ministers
feed well, and teach well, and would make people obey well! "If ye love
me, keep my commandments." Love devotes and consecrates all that is in a
man to the pleasure of him whom he loves, therefore it fashions and
conforms one--even against nature--to another's humour and affection. It
constrains not to live to ourselves, but to him,--its joy and delight is in
him, and therefore all is given up and resigned to him. Now as it is
certain, that if you love him you will do much, so it is certain that
little is accepted for much that proceeds from love, and therefore, our
poor maimed and halting obedience is called "the fulfilling of the law."
He is well pleased with it, because love is well pleased with it. Love
thinks nothing too much--all too little, and therefore his love thinks any
thing from us much, since he would give more. He accepts that which is
given, the lover's mite cast into the treasury, is more than ten times so
much outward obedience from another man. He meets love with love. If the
soul's desire be towards the love of his name, if love offer, though a
farthing, his love receiving it counts it a crown. Love offering a present
of duty, finds many imperfections in it, and covers any good that is in
it, seems not to regard it, and then beholds it as a recompense. His love,
receiving the present from us, covers a multitude of