And love is such a thing as every one may try himself by if he had named either giving or doing of this or that men might have sayd I cannot doe it or I cannot part with it but when he names love there is none but they may love The poynt considered was that There must be a qualification of those that heaven is provided for They must bee such as love God such as are altered and changed and sanctified to love him Because no uncleane thing shall enter in thither Because wee cannot so much as desire heaven without a change we cannot have communion there with Christ and those blessed soules without likenesse to them which must be by a spirit of love our natures must bee altered Therefore it is a vaine presumption for any man to thinke of heaven unlesse he finde his disposition altered For wee may read our eternall condition in heaven by our disposition upon earth The Apostle Peter sayth 1 Pet. 1. Blessed bee God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hath begotten us to a lively hope of an inheritance immortall and undefiled reserved in heaven So that the inheritance in heaven wee are begotten to it wee must be new borne we must have a new birth before wee can inherit it hee hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall c. Hee that is not a childe may not thinke of an inheritance Put case there bee never so many glorious things in heaven that eye hath never seene nor eare ever heard c. if our names be not in Christs will that we are not his and prove our selves to be his by the alteration of our dispositions what are all those good things to us when our names are not contained there It is called a hope of life a lively hope because hee that hath this hope purgeth himselfe it makes him vigorous and active in good if his hope of life make him not lively he hath no hope of life at all Therefore those that will looke for heaven that Sathan abuse them not by false confidence let them looke whether God have altered their hearts that the worke of grace be wrought in some measure For God hath not ordained these great things for his enemies for blasphemers that take Gods name in vaine that run on in courses contrary to his will and word that live in sinnes against the light of nature do you thinke he hath provided these great matters for them he hath another place for them Therefore let us not be abused by our owne false hearts to thinke of such a happy condition unlesse we finde our selves changed unlesse we be new borne we shall never enter into heaven Lord Lord say they Christ brings them in pleading so Lord Lord not that they shall say so then that is not the meaning but now they cherish such a confidence Oh we can speake well and we can pray wel Lord Lord. Oh thou vaine confident person thy confession and profession Lord Lord shall doe thee no good I will not so much as owne thee Away hence thou worker of iniquitie thy heart tels thee thou livest in sinnes against conscience away avaunt I will none of thee God in mercie to us will have the triall of the truth of our evidence in us The ground of all our salvation is his grace his free favour and mercie in his owne heart but we cannot goe thither he would have us to search within our selves and there we shall finde Love God hath prepared for those that love him In particular therefore Those that God hath provided so excellent things for they are such as love him They are such first of all that are beloved of him and shew that they are beloved of him by their love to him Therefore when the Papists meet with such phrases they think of merit he hath provided heaven for them that love him and shew their love in good workes But we must know that this is not brought in as a cause why but as a qualification of the persons who who shall inherit heaven and who shall have these great things It is idle for them to thinke that these things are prepared for those whom God foresees would doe such and such good workes it is as if we should thinke hee hath provided these happy things for those that are his enemies For how could he look for love from us in a state of corruption when the best thing in us was enmitie to him Is it not a vaine thing to looke for light from darknesse to look for love from enmity and hatred therefore how could God foresee any thing in us when he could see nothing but enmity and darknesse in our dispositions by nature And then as we shall see afterward this love in us it must bee with all our heart and soule and might it is required and commanded and when wee doe all this wee doe but what wee are bound to doe But they abuse such places upon so shallow ground that indeed it deserves not so much as to be mentioned To come then to the poynt it selfe the disposition of those that shal come to heaven then is they must be such as love God Now hee names this because these two goe alwayes together there goes somewhat of ours together with somewhat of Gods to witnesse to us what God doth There goes our choyce of God with his chusing of us our knowing of God with his knowledge of us our love to him with his love to us therefore because these are so connexed and knit together hee takes the one for the other and to make it familiar to us hee takes that which is most familiar to us our love to him Now hee names this above all other affections because love is the commanding affection of the soule it is that affection that rules all other affections hatred and anger and joy and delight and desire they all spring from love because all duties spring from love both to God and man therefore both Tables are included in love And when the Apostle would set downe the qualification of those that shall enjoy these things he sayth they are for those that love him Because it stirres up to all dutie and addes a sweet qualification to every duty and makes it acceptable and to rellish with God it stirres up to doe and qualifies the actions that come from love to bee accepted All duties to man spring from love to man and love to man from love to God it is the affection that stirres up the dutie and stirres up the affection fit for the dutie it stirres up to doe the thing and to do all in love Whatsoever wee doe to God or man it must bee in love all that God doth to us it is in love hee chuseth us in love and doth every thing in love and all that wee doe to God it must be in love Therfore he names no other affection but this because it is
and the communion of the Saints and the change of nature is here in sanctification wee shall never know in heaven the fulfilling of it And those that have the first fruits here if they bee in a state of growth that they desire to grow better continually they shall no question come to the perfection for God will not lose his beginnings where hee gives earnest he will make up the bargaine Therefore let us all that know a little what these things are by the revelation of the Spirit let us be glad of our portion for God that hath begun hee will surely make an end The affection and bent and frame of soule due to these things is admiration and not only simple hearing If these things in their beginnings here be set out by words of admiration peace that passeth understanding and joy unspeakable and glorious what affection and frame of Spirit is sutable to the hearing of those things that are kept for us in another world If the light that wee are brought into here bee admirable great wee are brought out of darknesse into admirable wonderfull light If the light of grace bee so wonderfull to a man that comes out of the state of Nature as it is indeed a man comes out of a dampe into a wonderfull cleare light what then is the light of glory Therefore let us often think of it Those that are borne in a prison they heare great talke of the light and of the Sunne of such a glorious Creature but being borne in prison they know not what it is in it selfe so those that are in the prison of Nature they know not what the light of grace is they heare talke of glorious things and have conceits of them And those that here know not the glory that shall bee after when they are revealed that affection that is due to them is admiration and wonderment So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne and behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that wee should bee called the sonnes of God! what love he could not tell what it is so admirable and to know the love of God that is above all knowledge Who can comprehend the love of God that gave his sonne who can comprehend the excellency of Christs gift the joyes of heaven by Christ and the misery of hell from which wee are delivered and redeemed by Christ These things come from the Gospell and the spring from whence they come is the large and infinite and incomprehensible love of God And if it bee so what affection is answerable but admiration Behold what love If God have so loved flesh and blood poore dust ashes so as to be heires of heaven and of such glory as eye seesnot nor cannot in this world nor eare heares not nor hath entred into the heart of man till we come fully to possesse them let us labour to admire the love of God herein And labour to know more and more our inheritance as we grow in yeares as children doe they search into the great matters their parents leave them and the nearer they come to enjoy them the more skill they have to talke of them so should wee the more wee grow in Christianity and in knowledge the more we should bee inquisitive after those great things that our father hath provided in another world but to goe on How shall we know whether these things be prepared for us or no whether wee bee capable of these things or no God hath prepared them and he hath prepared them for those that love him but how shall wee know that God hath prepared them for us In a word whom God hath prepared great matters for hee prepares them for great matters we may know by Gods preparing of us whether he hath prepared for us God prepared Paradise before Adam was created so God prepares paradise he prepares heaven before wee come there and wee may know that wee shall come to possesse that if we be prepared for it What preparation If we be prepared by a spirit of sanctification and have holy desires and longing after those excellent things for certainly there is preparation on both sides It is prepared for us and us for it it is kept for us and wee are kept for it whom God keepes heaven for he keeps them for heaven in a course of pietie and obedience We may know it by Gods preparing of us by loosing us from the world and sanctifying us to himselfe Thus a man may know whether those great things bee prepared for him or no. But the especiall thing to know whether they be provided for us or no is love God hath prepared them for them that love him not for his enemies hee hath prepared another place and other things for them those torments that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man for those that are his enemies that would not come under his government but these things are prepared for those that love him For those that love him especially that love is all in all in the disposition of a holy man all graces are one in the spring which is love they are severall in the branches but they are one in the root Thus you have heard the use we are to make of this that there is a reservation of a glorious condition for the people of GOD so great that neither eye hath seene c. But who bee the parties that God hath prepared these things for For them that love him This is the fourth part the disposition of the parties for whom for them that love him Why not for those that God hath elected Why doth he not goe to the root of all the great things that God hath prepared for those that he hath chosen to salvation No that is out of our reach hee would not have us goe to heaven but rather goe to our owne hearts wee must search fâ—r our election not above our selves but within our selves Why doth he not say to them that believe in hâ—m Because Faith is the radical grace from whence the rest spring But faith is a hidden grace many times and the Apostles scope is to poynt to such a disposition that every one may know that is more familiar Somtimes faith is hidden in the root and it is shewed in the effect more thâ—n in it selfe in Love A poore Christian that is in the state of grace that sayth Oh! I cannot bâ—lieve aske him if hee love God Oh yes he loves the preaching of the word hee loves good people and good bookes and the like when hee cannot discover his faith hee can his love therefore the holy Ghost sets it out by the more familiar disposition by love rather than faith Why doth hee not say For those that God loves Gods love is the cause of our love Because Gods love is manifested more familiarly by our love to him for that
is alwaies supposed wheresoever there is love to God and good things there is Gods love first For our love to God is but a reflexion of that love hee beares to us First hee shines on us and then the beames of our love reflect upon him therefore hee need not say whom God loves though that be the cause of all but who love God and know thereby that hee loves them But why for them that love him more than for any other thing Because all can love therefore hee sets downe this affection there is no man living not the poorest Lazar in the world that hath a heart and affections but he can love He doth not say that are prepared for this great Christian and that learned Rabbi no but for all that love him bee they poore or rich great or small all those that love him Therefore hee sets down that to cut off all excuses yea and all that love him bee they never so many are sure to have these great things prepared for them God hath prepared these things for those that love him To come therefore to some observations The first generall thing is this that God dâ—th qualifie all those in this world that he hath prepared heaven and happinesse for in another world The cause of it is his free love but if you aske mee what qualification the persons must have They are such as love him This is not the proper cause why but tâ—e qualification of the persons â—on â—hom these things are There must bee an inward disposition and qualification before wee come to heaven all those that hope for heaven without presumption must have this qualification they must bee such as love him Why The Scripture is plaine 1. No uncleane thing shall enter into heaven No whoremonger or drunkard or filthy person bee not deceived sayth the Apostle you thiâ—ke God is merciful and Christ died c. but neither such nor such as you are and your consciences tell you so shall ever enter into heaven We must not think to come è coeno in coelum out of the mire and dirt of sin into heaven there is no such sudden getting into heaven but there must be an alteration of our dispositions wrought by the Spirit of God fitting us for heaven 2. Another is that that I touched before that heaven and earth differ but in degrees therefore what is there in perfection must be begun here Then againe thirdly It is impossible for a man if he be not truly altered to desire or wish heaven as it is holy He may wish for it under the notion of a Kingdome of pleasure and the like but as heaven containes a state of perfect holinesse and freedome from sinne hee cares not for it A man that is out of relish with heavenly things and can taste onely his base sinnes whereon his affections are set and exercised cannot rellish heaven it selfe A common base sinner his desires are not there There must bee some proportion between the thing desired and the desire but here is none hee is not fit for that place being an unholy wretch Therefore his own heart tells him I had rather have this pleasure and honour that my heart stands to than to have heaven while hee is in that frame of desire therefore there is no man that can desire heaven that is not disposed aright to heaven before Beetles love dunghils better than oyntments and swine love mud better than a garden they are in their element in these things so take a swinish base creature he loves to wallow in this world tell him of heaven hee hath no eyes to see it no eares to heare it except hee may have that in heaven that his heart stands too which hee shall never have he hath no desire of heaven Therfore in these and the like respects of necessitie there must be a disposition wrought before wee come there These things are prepared for those that love God If this be so let us not feed our selves with vaine hopes there are none of us but we desire at least wee pretend that we desire heaven but most men conceive it onely as a place free from trouble and annoyance and there are goodly things they heare of kingdomes crownes and the like but except thou have a holy gracious heart and desirâ—st heaven that thou mayest be free from siâ—ne and to have communion with Christ and his Saints to have the image of God the divine nature perfect in thee thou art an hypocrite thou carriest a presumptuous conceit of these things thy hope will delude thee it is a false hope Every one that hath this hope purgeth himsâ—lfe Every one hee excludes none Doest thou defile thy selfe and live in sinful courses and hast thou this hope Thou hast a hope but it is not this hope for every one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe No no how ever in time of peace and pleasure and contentment that God followes thee with in this world thou hast a vaine hope yet in a little trouble or sicknesse c. thy owne conscience will tell thee another place is provided for thee a place of torment that neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the misery of it There is not the greatest man living when hee is troubled if he be a sinfull man whose greatnesse can content him all his honour and friends cannot pacifie that poore conscience of his but Death the King of Feares wil affright him he thinks I have some trouble in this world but there is worse that remâ—ines things that he is not able to conceive of Let us not therfore delude our selves there is nothing will stand out but the new creature that we finde a change wrought by the Spirit of God then wee may without presumption hope for the good things which neither eye hath seene c. Againe we see in the second place Gods mercie to us the qualification is within us that we need not goe farre to know what our evidence is Sathan abuseth many poore Christians oh I am not elected I am not the Childe of God Whither goest thou man doest thou breake into heaven when thou carriest a soule in thy breast and in that soule the affection of love how is that set whither is thy love carried and thy delight and joy those affections that spring from love Thy evidence is in thine own heart our title is by faith in Christ his righteousnesse gives us title to heaven but how knowest thou that thou pretendest a just title Thou hast the evidence in thy heart What is the bent of thy soule whither is the poynt of it set which way goes that doest thou love God and divine things and delight in them then thou mayst assure thy selfe that those things belong to thee as verily as the Scriptures are the word of God and God a God of truth
respect meet together where it is a reverentiall love with respect there is a shame to bee in a base filthy displeasing coÌ„dition God hates pride and idolatry c. therefore a man that loves God will hate Idols and all false doctrine and worship that tends this way his heart will rise against them because hee knows God hates it and all that take that course he observes what is most offensive to God and hee will avoyd it and seeke what is pleasing to him God and Christ are wondrously pleased with faith Thou haâ—t wounded mee with one of thine eyes Faith and love from faith wounds the breast of Christ therefore let us labour for faith Oh woman great is thy faith It it is such a grace as bindes and overcomes God it honours him so much Let us therâ—fore labour for faith and in believing for all graces they are things that God loves therefore let us labour to be furnished with all things that he loves especially those graces that have some excellencie set upon them in the Scripture wee should most esteeme Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca he sends her jewels beforehand that having them shee might bee more lovely in his eye So Christ the husband of his Church that hee might take more delight and content in his Church hee sends her Iewels before hand that is hee enricheth his Church with the spirit of faith meeknes humilitie and love and all graces that he may delight and take content in his Spouse Those that have not somwhat that God may dâ—light in them they have not the spirit of love Those therfore that rebell in stead of giving God content that resist the Spirit and the motions of it in the ministery and in reprehension and the like those that live in sinnes directly against Gods command that are common swearers and filthy persons neglecters of holy things prophane godlesse persons doe they talke of the love of God and of heaven you may see the filthinesse of their hearts by the filthiness that issues from them God keepes not such excellencies for such persons the love of God and living in sinnes against conscience will not stand together A demonstration of love is exhibitio operis the exhibition of somewhat to pleasâ— God Shew me in thy course what thou doest to please God If thou live in courses that are condem red never talke of love It is a pittifull thing to see in the bosoâ—e of the Church under the glorious revelation of divine Truth that men should live apparantly and impudently in sins against conscience that glory in in theirshame It is a strange thing that they should glory in their prophanenesse and swaggering that they should glory in a kinde of Atheistical carriage as they have beene bred so they will bee still Many are marred in that they are either poysoned in their first breeding or neglected in it To see under the glorious Gospel of Christ that those that thinke they have soules eternall that they should live in impudeÌ„t base courses voyd of religion and humanitie onely to satisfie their owne luâ—ts in stead of satisfying and obeying GOD men that live in the bosome of the Church as beasts and yet hope to be saved as well as the best Oh! but the hope of the hypocrite the hope of such persons will deceive them Oh! let us labour therefore to have this affection of love planted in our hearts that God by his spiâ—it would teach us to love him and to love one another This affection of love must bee taught by God it is not a matter of the braine to teach that but a matter of the heart God only is the great Schoolmastâ—r and teacher of the heart he must not onely command us to love but teach our affections by his holy Spirit to enable our affections to love him Where love is in this regard likewise to give content there will bee love of all those whom the partie we approve our selves to loves Is there any of Ionathans posterity saith David that I may doe good to them for his sake The soule that loves God and Christ sayth Is there any good people any that carry the image of God and Christ it will bee sure to love them it will doe good to Ionathans posteritie Those that hate them that carry the image of God and Christ that their stomacke riseth against good men how do they love him that begets when they love not him that is begotten There cannot be the love of God in such a man undoubtedly if we love God wee shall love his children and any thing that hath Gods stamp upon it wee shall lovâ— his truth and his cause and religion and whatsoever is divine and toucheth upon God wee shall love it because it is his It is such an affection as sets the soule on worke to thinke wherein may I give content to such a person It is full of devices inventions to please therefore â—t thinkes can I give consent in loving such and such as Christ sayth he that respects these little ones it is to me it is accountable on my part I will see it answered If the love of Christ be in us wee will regard this because wee will thinke Christ will regard me for the good I doe for his sake and in his name to this and that partie Thus we see how we may try this sweet affâ—ction and not deceive our owne soules And therefore where there is a desire of giving content there will bee a zeale against all things to remove all things in our places and callings that may offend it will carry us through all difficulties to please him it will make us willing to suffer I will please him by suffering some indignitie for his cause I will doe it that I may ingage his affection to mee Therefore the Disciples gloried in this when they were thought worthy to suffer for Christs sake Where there is a desire to please God it is so farre from being ashamed or afraid to suffer that it joyes in this Oh! now there is occasion given to shew that God respects me more if I for his sake stand out in his quarrel and breake through all difficulties It will make us please him in all things that wee are capable in all things that we can doe any way in our standings as Christ describes it out of Moses to love God with all our minde with all our soule and with all our strength where love is it sets all on worke to please and give content It sets the minde on worke to studie wherein shall I please God and it will study Gods truth and not serve him by our owne inventions wee must serve and love GOD after his minde that is as hee hath commanded It will set the wits on work to understand how he will be served and to love him with all our soule with all our heart that is with all our heart that is with the marrow
the old heart will never love Therefore we must with all the meanes that may be used begge the spirit of sanctification especially beg the discovery of Gods love to us for our love is but a reflection of Gods love we cannot love God except he love us first now our love being a reflection of Gods love we must desire that he would give us his spirit to reveale his love that the spirit being a witnesse of Gods love to us may thereupon be a spirit of love and sanctification in us And let us labour to grow more in the assurance of Gods love and all the evidences of it let us dwell long in the meditation of these things the dwelling in the meditation of Gods love it will make us to love him againe as many beames in a burning glasse meeting together they cause a fire many thoughts of the many fruites of Gods love in this World and what hee intends us in the World to come our hearts dwelling on them these beames will kindle a holy fire in our hearts Many are troubled with cold affections and wish oh that they could love they forget the way how to love they will not meditate and if they doe meditate they thinke to worke love out of their owne hearts They may as well worke fire out of a Flint and water out of a stone our hearts are a barren Wildernesse Therefore let us begge the spirit that God would alter our hearts with meditation and all other helpes that God would sanctifie us and discover his love to us and that hee would give us his spirit for hee doth the one where he doth the other when God doth so then wee shall bee enabled to love him Wee must not thinke to bring love to God but we must fetch love from God wee must light our Candle at his fire thinke of his love to us and begge the spirit of love from him love is a fruit of the spirit That is the course wee ought to take for GOD will teach our hearts to love Now to stirre us up the more to adde some motives and incouragments to labour more to get this affection Let us consider seriously that without this love or God we are dead and whatsoever comes from us it is still-borne it is dead without love wee are nothing without love all that comes from us is nothing without love I am as a tinkling Cymball sayth Paul For a man to be nothing in Religion and all that comes from him to be dead and still-borne to bee abortive actions who would bee in such a cafe Therefore let us labour before we doe any thing that is good to have our hearts kindled with the love of God and then we shall be somebody and that that we doe will be acceptable for love sweetens all performances It is not the action but the love in the action as from God it is not the dead favour that comes from him that comforts the soule of a Christian so much as the love and sweetnesse of God in the favour that is better then the thing it selfe when we have favour from God in outward favours Consider the sweetnesse tast and see how gracious the Lord is Psal. 34. The tast of the love and favour of God in the blessing is better then the thing is selfe for it is but a dead thing And so from us back againe to God what are the things wee performe to him they are dead but when they are sweetned with the affection of love done to him as a father in Christ he tasts our performances as sweet love makes all wee doe to have a relish and all that he doth to us therefore wee should labour for this sweet affection And with all consider that we may be called to doe many things in this World surely there are none of us but wee have many holy actions to performe wee have many things to suffer and indure in the World many temptations to resist what shall or will carry us through all Nothing but love if we have loving and gracious hearts this affection will carry us through all good actions through all oppositions and temptations for love is strong as death Considering therefore that there are so many things that will require this affection this blessed wing and winde of the soul to carry us along in spight of all that is contrary through all opposition let us labour for love and that affection will carry us through all Indeed if we have that it is no matter what a man suffers a man can never be miserable that hath this affection of love if this heavenly fire be kindled in him he cannot be miserable take him in what condition you will take him upon the wrack S. Paul in the dungen sung at midnight in the dungeon in the stocks at an uncomfortable time and place when he had been misused his heart was inlarged to sing to God out of love Nay every thing increaseth it the things we suffer increaseth this flame let a man love God whatsoever he suffers in a good cause it increaseth his love hee shall find his love increased with it the more hee loves the more he can suffer and the more he suffers the more he loves God and the more he increaseth in a joyfull expectation of the times to come and love is alway with joy hope and other sweet affections it drawes joy with it alwayes and hope of better things and as joy increaseth and hope increaseth so a mans happinesse increaseth in this World Therefore it is no matter what a man suffers that hath a gracious and loving heart enlarged by the Spirit of God let him never thinke of what he suffereth of paine of losses and crosses if God discover his fatherly breast and shine on him in Christ and he looke on God reconciled and tast of the joyes of Heaven before hand if you tell him of sufferings you tell him of that that incourageth him It is an argument I might be long in and to great purpose for if we get this holy fire kindled once we shall need little exhortation to other duties it would set us on worke to all and like the fire of the Sanctuary that never went out so it is such an affection that if it bee once kindled in the heart it will never out It is a kinde of miracle in ill when we love other things besides God baser then our selves it is as much as if a River should turne backward For man that is an excellent Creature to be carried with the streame of his affection to things worse then himselfe it is a kind of monster for a man to abuse his understanding so What a base thing is it for a man to suffer such a sweete streame as love a holy current to run into a sinke who would turne a sweete streame into a sinke and not rather into a garden into a sweet place to refresh that Our love is the best
thing in the World and who deserves it better then God and Christ we can never returne any thing but this affection of love wee may againe And can wee place it better then upon devine things whereby we are made better our selves doth God require our affections for himselfe No it is to make us happy It advanceth our affection to love him it is the turning of it into the right streame It is the making of us happy that God requires it For consider all things that may deserve this affection It will keepe us from all sin what is any sin but the abuse of love for the crookednesse of this affection turnes us to present things that is the cause of all sinne For what is all sin but pleasure and honours and profits the 3. Idolls of the World all sin is about them And what are all good actions but love well placeâ— the well ordering of this affection is the well ordering of our lives and the misplacing of this affection is the cause of all sinne And to make us the more carefull this way consider that when wee place our affections upon any thing else consider the vanity of it we loose our love and the thing and our selves For whatsoever else wee love if we love not God in it and love it for God it will perish and come to nothing ere long The affection perisheth with the thing we loose our affections and the thing and loose our selves too misplaceing of it These are forcible considerations with understanding persons And if we would use our understanding and consideration and meditation and our soules as wee should to consider of the grounds and incouragments we have to love God and the best things whereby we may be dignified above our selves it would not be as it is we should not bee so devoyd of grace and comfort It was a miracle that the 3. yong men should bee in the middest of the furnace and bee there as if they were in another place no hotter And it is a miracle that men should be in the middest of all incouragements that we have to love God as there is not the like reasons for any thing in the World to keepe our soules in a perpetuall heat of affection to love God no motives or arguments or incentives all are nothing to the multitude of arguments we have to inflame our affections and yet to be cold in the middest of the fire it is a kind of a miracle to have darke understandings and dead affections that notwithstanding all the heavenly meanes we have to keepe a perpetuall flame of love to God yet to be cold and darke in our soules let us bewayle it and be ashamed of it What doe we professe our selves Christians heires of Heaven so beloved of God as that he gave his owne Sonne to deliver us being rebells and enemies in so cursed a state as we are all in by nature poore Creatures inferiour to the Angells that fell that he should love man sinfull dust and ashes so much as to give his owne Son to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse to set us in heavenly places with Christ and to have perpetuall communion with him in Heaven to have such incouragements and to be cold and dead hearâ—ed nay wilfully opposite in our affections to bee enemies to the goodnesse of God and grace having such arguments to love God And yet how many spirits edged by the Divell oppose all that is good and will not give way to Gods Spirit God would have them Temples they will be styes God would marry them nay they will be harlots GOD would have them happy here and here after no they will not they will have their owne lusts and affections Let us bee affrayd of these things as we love our owne soules and ourselvâ—s and consider what incouragments wee have to love God for which such great things are reserved as neyther Eye hath seen nor Eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Wykes Aug. 1638. The coherence The best Ministers will not shun to be tried by the best judgments Scope of the words and explication The mysteries of the Gospell hidden from naturall men Isai. 64. 4 The way to set forth divine things 1. Pet. 1. What is meant by those things the eye hath not seen Dâ—â—trines A question God reveals secret things that are excellent to his children Three degrees of revelation Vers. 11. The Gospell is hid without the Spirit to discover the minde of God 1 Iohn 3. 2. 1. Vse Instruction Why so many heresies touching the Gospel 2. Instruction In dâ—vine truths above nature wee are not to trust to reason too much An use of direction How to study and read divine truths GODS course with his children to shew them these mysteries Supernaturall objects require supernatural senses Simile Of knowledge joyned with feeling 1 Cor. â— 14. 15. Concerning spirituall sight It is not in nature to shew us these divine mysteries Another use of Inâ—struction A rule to value things by Iâ— is the best wisedome to be wise to salvation Augustine Value the Scriptures Ground of the Martyrs patience A godly man suffers these things in his senses for those that are above his senses Rom. 8. What Popery is Isai. 64. Merit hath no proportion with glory We cannot be too exact in holy duties The scopâ— coherence division more cleared The wisedom of God hâ—d from wise men 1 Point Observation Naturall wits conceive not the Gospel Wicked men talk of repentance but do not rerepent A holy man feeles sin heavy Carnall men hate the light They know them but by a common light An objection answered for explicatioÌ„ 1. Answ. Ephes 3. By way of negation By way of eminence What tho we should have of the world What true râ—ches are What true beautie is Gods children have a taste of heaven before they come there What peace in heaven is Heaven on earth 1 Ioh. 3. Reasons 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason If wee would see God as he is we must die Use. I. The meditation of the life hereafter steeres a Christians life here 2 Vse 3 Vse Ephes. 1. 1 Pet. 1. Every petty crosse will not cast downe a believer 4 Vse Hee comforts himselfe with his hopes of heaven against the slightings of the world Envie not wicked men but pitty them joy unspeâ— 1 Ioh. 3. To be called a son of God is to be so Vse Why men are drowned in the world How to get the conquest of any temptation The fourth particular Some questions answered for explication 2 Quest. Answ. Fâ—ith a hidden grace Quest. Answ. 4 Quest. Answ. For whom these are prepared Observ. Râ—asons No gettâ—ng to heaven without change of our natures A carnall man-wants eyes to see heaven Vse Take heed of vaine hope Gâ—eatnesse nor honoâ—s can pacifie conscience 2 Vse Look within thee for the evidences Looke to thy affections A briefe recapitulation of some former things with addition God prepared happinesse for us before all eternitie It is a base thing to be too much in love with any earthly thing Try thy selfe by thy love Wee may know heaven to bee ours by the disposition of our hearts 1 Pet. 1. God hath not ordained heaven for his enemies Observ. Merit confuted Love a commanding affection Our actions are but still-born withâ—out affections When a man puts God in stead of himselfe There must be an esteeme of God and Christ. Psal 73. Heb. 11. Ioh. 6. Psal. 27. If we esteeme God wee shall part with any thing besides 2 Where there is true love there is a desire of union Strangenesse is opposite to lovâ— Psal. â—7 Where thiâ— uâ—ion is there is a desire of death it selfe Revel 22. 1 Thess. 4. 17. Cant. 1. Desire the presence of Christ. Psal. 4. Rom. 5. God can fill our soules Psal. 18. Psal. 90. Augustine Seâ— what God loves delight in that and provide it for him Isai. 65. Loveâ— will purge your heart Love from faith woundeth the breast of Christ. If we love God wee shall love whatever is divine or toucheth on God Love to God studies how to please God Studie in thy place how to put forth the best of â—hy indevours to please God 〈◊〉 1. Psal. 34.