John 5:42

A second fault (and a cause of the former, ver. 40.) for which he chalengeth them, is, their want of the love of God, and so he sheweth that he chalenged them, not because they respected not him, but that he might convince them of this want, and take from them that great pretence, of love to God, and zeale to the Sabbath commanded by God, upon which they pretended they opposed him, and his working of that miracle. Whence learn, 1. It is the woful case of men, to be void of the love of God. Love being the fountain of desiring, and fruit of enjoying communion (in part) with him; being the true root of all sound obedience, and the summe of the Commandments, and that which is the evidence of being beloved of him, and will make obedience to be active, constant and pleasant; Therfore, Christ summeth up their woful case in this, ye have not the love of God in you. 2. True love to God doth not consist in outward pretences and shewes, but must have a sure root of affection within, breaking forth in deed and in truth; And men may pretend zeale to Gods glory, and for his Ordinances, who yet have no true love to God; for, they pretended that all their opposition to Christ flowed from zeale for the Sabbath and Gods glory, and yet, saith he, ye have not the love of God in you; Christ doth perfectly and exactly know men, and what is in them, let them maske themselves as they will; and he will in due time decipher and detect the unsound; Therefore, saith he, I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.