Daniel T. Bourdeau - The Eternal Gospel Church

Man by creation, is endowed with affections with which to
love. Without affections, man would be unhappy indeed. He
could have no feeling, no heart, in his devotions, and in
the performance of his several duties, and could know none
of the sweets and satisfaction produced by a proper
attachment for those things which are held out as objects
of his love. p. 74, Para. 4, [HOLINESS].
The affections were designed to serve as a link to sweetly
unite us to the Creator, to Christ, and heavenly things, to
our fellow-creatures, and various other objects that we are
related to, and with which we have to do, and to give true
grace and unction to all we say and do. p. 74, Para. 5,
[HOLINESS].
But the affections should be exercised according to
knowledge and judgment. Says Paul, "And this I pray that
your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in
all judgment (or sense, margin); that ye may approve things
that are excellent (or try things that differ, margin);
that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of
Christ." Phil. i, 9, 10. p. 75, Para. 1, [HOLINESS].
The affections should be proportioned to the just value of
things, and God should be the first object of our love. His
value cannot be too highly estimated. He is supreme in all
his perfections. In him centers all goodness -- all that is
lovely. The more we become acquainted with God's glorious
and exalted character, the more we see in him that is to be
loved. To him all creatures and created objects owe their
existence. In him we live and move and have our being, and
from him we receive all our blessings; and it is selfevident
that our affections should be supremely set on him.
In other words, we should love him with all the heart,
soul, mind and strength. Luke x, 27; Matt. xxii, 37. p.
75, Para. 2, [HOLINESS].
Christ should be loved as the blessed and exalted, and
only begotten Son of God, who being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, p. 75, Para.
3, [HOLINESS].
John iii, 16; 1 John iv, 9; Phil. ii, 6; as one who is
possessed of all the fullness of the Godhead, through whom,
and for whom, all things were made, and by whom we have
redemption. Col. ii, 9; i, 16; Eph. i, 7; Rev. v, 9; as the