What extream impiety out of his great and meer favour did he pardon his enemies crying Father pardon them Truly to this end our Redeemer set his example before our eyes that it might The example of Christ our Panacea be an ever-living mark set before us in our whole life by which whatsoever was proud or lofty in us might be depressed and abated what was weak should be comforted what was unprofitable should bee made good lastly whatsoever was wicked or depraved should be corrected Or at the last what pride of man is so cruell and intolerable that cannot be made whole with the extream humility of the Sonne of God Or what covetousnesse is so great that cannot be sanctified with the poverty of Christ What wrath so vehement that his meeknesse cannot mollifie What desire of revenge so barbarous that his patience cannot asswage and reconcile What inhumanity so great which Christ with his charity and benefits so great and so many doe not expell Lastly what heart so hard that is not mollified with the teares of Christ Or who would not wish from the bottome of his heart to be like God the Father and his Sonne and the holy Ghost and to carry the excellent image of the holy The Image of God Trinity which chiefly consisteth in charity and pardoning injuries For it is the principall of all divine properties to have mercy to spare to pardon to be propitious The highest degree of vertue wherupon it can no way be doubted but that that is the most noble of all vertues by which we become most like unto God and all vertuous men most eminent in praise Last of all the highest degree of a vertuous man is to overcome himselfe and consequently to forget pardon and exercise clemency He is stronger that overcommeth himselfe then hee that overcommeth strong Walls and Vertue can goe no higher whose double Kinsman is that in the Proverbs Chap. 16. A patient man is better then a strong man and hee that ruleth over his own minde then one that overcommeth Cities And this as I said is the top and stem beyond which no man can goe because then he is in God resteth is sanctified and made perfect CHAP. XXVIII How and wherefore the love of the creator of all creatures should bee preferred in love Also wherefore our Neighbour is to be loved in God 1 John 2. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him IN the heart of man such is his nature and that property indued of God that it cannot cease to love and therefore one man loveth God and another the world another himselfe Whereby appeareth the necessity of love this most noble of all affections Charity is the most noble of all the affections therefore only due to God implanted by God and kindled by the holy Ghost is to be bestowed in the study of the chiefest good and given unto God by seeking daily of him that he would vouchsafe to kindle the divine love more and more For he loved us first which if it meet with love again the same doth more and more ardently imbrace us according to that of Saint John 14. He that loveth me is loved of my Father Now in whomsoever the love of God is hee ought to love and wish well unto all men which is the property of the love in God and consequently circumvent no man nor to Nothing bette then the love of God hurt any man in word or deed but for the most part all men are so fascinated with the love of the world that they never admit the love of God into their heart that which they doe openly in their hypocriticall love towards their neighbour covetous of their own gain or advantage not of him nor his But it were more meet so to love the world and whatsoever is in the world that no injury be done to the divine love nor the way or means thereof impeached especially seeing there is so great vanity and vilenesse of the world and The creatures unworthy of our love of God so great eminency majesty as no comparison can be betwixt them for even as God doth infinitely excell all his creatures so doth the love of him in holinesse nobility and dignity goe before all the love we have to any creature and leaveth it behind by a most exceeding distance not to bee computed by humane reason therefore no creature is worthy to be compared to divine love The words of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 9. Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Let us make something like to this and say Who is more worthy of our love then he that put it in our hearts and to whose love we owe our life And we all live by the love of God in Christ whose way of love is shewed unto us throughout all our life what condition soever we be of Even as Mariners when a storm commeth do cast anchor so wee so often as this great sea of the world doth tosse and shake the little ship of our heart hither and thither with the Floods and waves of sinne as wrath pride impatience covetousnesse and lust of the flesh we should remember to strengthen our selves by the Anchor of Divine love and love of Christ being ready rather to suffer the losse of all things then our selves The love of God cannot be taken away from us to be pull'd from him of which mind we ought to be so often as we fall into spirituall temptation and be tossed by sin death Devill hell and miseries no otherwise then when we are tossed by cruell raging floods and waves For the love of God is that hill which was shewed to Lot that he might flie unto it and eschew the fire of Sodom For what other thing is this world then spirituall Sodom Also what is the burning of it but the burnings and flames of worldly concupiscences which must needs burn those that doe not endeavour to keep in memory the divine love or willingly to depart with it I say of that love or divine fear which preserveth a man from the world as Joseph was preserved from the wife of Potiphar For no man can love the world but he that never tasted the divine Love no man can hate his neigbour but he that doth not love God from his heart For the sweetnesse and delight of divine love is so great that it mitigateth the sense of all miseries and death it selfe Such is the nature and instinct of Love as all cogitations omitted it is fixed upon that onely thing which it loveth and forgetteth and contemneth all other things by reason of the incredible desire by which The nature of divine love it is carried towards that which it loveth Therefore can you shew any cause O mortals which say you love God that for all things for which others are wont to contend you blot all out of your minds w th one
whose hearts not onely by nature but by the word revealed the new covenant the word of God is written and yet do despise and cast behind them this grace and favour Of which new Covenant Jeremy saith Chap. 3. This shall be my compact I will put my Lawes into their inwards and I will write it in their hearts and a man shall not any more teach his neighbour and a man his brother saying Know the Lord for all men shall know me saith the Lord even from the least to the greatest because I will forgive their iniquity and I will not remember their sins any more Heare what is said Heb. 10. To those that voluntarily offend or sinne against God after the knowledge he hath received for such there is no sacrifice left for him but a certain terrible expectation of judgement and offering by fire which consumeth the adversary He that breaketh the Law of Moses without any mercy by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall die the death how much more and worse doe you thinke doe they deserve death which have contemned against the Sonne of God and polluted the bloud of the Testament in whom he is sanctified and contumaciously despised the spirit of grace for we know who hath said Vengeance is mine and I will return it upon them And again because the Lord will judge his people It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God With which heavie sentence without doubt those are not strucken which fall through humane frailty but those that wittingly and willingly sin against the truâ— knowledge and persevere in impenitencie CHAP. VIII Without true repentance no man can challenge Christ and his merits to belong unto him Numb 9. The unclean may not celebrate the Passeover THe words of our Saviour Christ Mat. 9. are The healthy hath no need of the Physitian but the sick I did not come to call the just but the sinners to repentance whereby we are clearly taught that Christ indeed did call sinners but to repentance neither can any come unto him without repentance without conversion from sinne and What is true repentance faith for repentance is no other thing then by true contrition and sorrow to die unto sinne and by faith to obtain forgivenesse for sinne and to live unto righteousnesse in Christ so that in true repentance necessarily serious and divine contrition must go before a heart as I may say broken and câ—ucifying the flesh whereupon in Cap. 6. Epist ad Hebr. Repentance is said to be or is called the worke of dead men because by it we abstain from those works whose reward is death which if it be not done then the merit of Christ profiteth not us one haire For seeing Christ proffereth himselfe to be the Physitian of our souls his holy bloud to be the only and most true medicine of our sins and no medicine although it be most pretious can cure the sick man which will not refraine from hurtfull thinâ—s and things resisting the power of the medicine so it remaineth that the bloud of Christ and death can profit nothing those that purpose not to abstain from sinne Whereupon blessed Paul cap. 5. ad Galat. saith Whosoever doth such things the works of the flesh doe not obtaine the Kingdome of heaven nor shall have any part in Christ Moreover if Christ by his bloud is become our medicine who can doubt that first we must be sick for the whole have no need of a Physitian but the weake And none is spiritually sicke who is not penitent and who is not sorrowfull from his heart for his sinnes who hath not a contrite heart and humble who is secure as concerning the wrath of God who hath not resolved and firmly in his mind decreed to flye all worldly concupiscence who lastly seeking after honour wealth and pleasure takes no knowledge of his sinnes such as are so those are not sick and consequently need no Physitian and Christ profiteth them nothing it is manifest Therefore again and again let this be remembred that Christ called sinners but it was to repentance because a penitent heart contrite pensive and faithfull onely and alone is capable of the most pretious bloud death and merit of Christ I account him happy whosoever he be that heareth this holy calling inwardly and in his heart I call that a divine sorrow and anguish for sinnes which worketh repentance God worketh spirituall sorrow to stedfast salvation as the words be 2 Cor. 7. The holy Spirit doth produce this divine sorrow by the Law and serious meditation of the passion of the Lord because it not onely aboundeth with the documents of grace but also withall hath in it an earnest exhortation to repentance and a most terrible glasse of the divine wrath For if we seek into the cause of his The Passion of Christ efficieÌ„t to repentance most bitter death what else can we say was the cause but our sinnes If you joyn the divine love out of which he most willingly gave his Son for us as also you shall have his singular example both terrible and wonderfull of his divine justice and clemency which seeing they are so who then sincerely loving Christ can be affected and delighted with sinne which he knows Christ had with his bloud washed and purged Consider also with me O man which art subject to pride and art slave unto ambition with what contempt and how great humility Christ Jesus ought to repaire our pride and insolency think of his poverty that he might satisfie for thy covetousness The fruits of Christs passion surcease at last through God so studiously to seek after wealth and insatiably to thirst after riches most wretchedly He with incredible griefe of mind and anguish not to be uttered doth satisfie and abolish the pleasures and concupiscence of the flesh and thou contrariwise continually dost give thy selfe to pleasure and lust how evill is thy preposterousnesse pravity and wickednesse to take delight and pleasure in those things which to Christ were so wonderfully bitter he died to expiate thy wrath hatred enmity rancor bitternesse desire of revenge and implacability with extreame mildnesse and patience and wilt not thou even for the least cause be very angry and account revenge more pleasant then life even for which thy Redeemer did drink the most bitter cup of death wherefore so many as aspire to the name of Christians and doe not abstain froÌ„ sin those I say do even crucifie Christ and doe make a mock of him as it is said The impenitent do even crucifie Christ in the Epistle to the Hebrews Chap. 6. Therefore it is unpossible that those should participate of the merits of Christ which indeed they doe tread under foot as it is in the same Epistle Chap. 10. And because they doe pollute the blood of the Testament neither beleeve truly that their sinnes are expiated by him or much esteem his death or think
comfort never shalt thou be overcome with sorrow feare and sadnesse he who seeketh himselfe every where and in all things and followeth after his own profit onely praise and honour he never attaineth to tranquillity for alwayes something meeteth him that bringeth perturbation Therefore beware you beleeve not that the increase of wealth fame and honour is good and profitable but rather set before thee the best things contemne such things and extirpate the root of concupiscence which hindereth thee in pursuance of the love of God Now seeing the commodities of this True constant rest in God life praise honour and likewise the world it selfe are fraile and floating away but the love of God remaineth for ever that delight cannot be durable which thou takest in the love of thy selfe and earthly things because it may vary by very light occasion where contrariwise the mind firmly set upon divine love cannot but continually rejoyce vain frail and brickle is that which is not grounded upon God but doe thou forsake all things and thou shalt finde all things by faith For the lover of himselfe and the world findeth not God The love Who findeth not God of our selves is earthly and not of God and is chiefe enemy to heavenly wisdome Humility is the companion of heavenly wisdome for it careth nothing lesse then to be eminent in the world and to be accounted great for which cause and for their own profit and simplicity it cometh to passe as almost with one blot it is put out of the mind and memory of Man Therefore although many in Sermons doe boast and make a noyse thereof yet remaineth and will remain this pretious Pearle unknown and hidden as long as in life and manners we are farre from it and know little And the onely way to find it is to unlearn and forget humane wisdome proper applause selfe-love And for humane and earthly wisdome which the whole world boasteth to be such but indeed is ridiculous and vile you must change for celestistiall and divine It is impossible to love Wherein the love of God consisteth God unlesse you hate your selfe that is unlesse thou be displeased with thy selfe for thy sinnes crucifie thine own flesh and mortifie thy proper will that is by how much any man is attentive to the love of God so much more doth he study to mortifie and keep under the concupiscence of the flesh and his owne proper appetites Also the further thou departest from thy selfe and thy proper love by the power of divine love by so much the nearer art thou hidden in God and his love through faith For even as inward peace dependeth on vacancy and leasure from outward things so it must needs be that when the inwards are at leasure and the heart free from all creatures it cleaveth to God alone giving back from other things the soule must enter Selfe-love the love of God are two cōtrary things into God by consequence Moreover he that goeth about to deny himself therein it must needs follow that he doth not his own work but Christs I am saith John 14. the Way the Truth and the Life without the way no man goeth on without Christ the way the truth the life the truth nothing is known and without life no man liveth Therefore look upon me who am the Way which you ought to walk in the Truth which you ought to beleeve and lastly the Life which you ought to live and hope in I am the Way that endureth for all ages the infallible Truth and the Life everlasting and eternall The Kings way to immortall life through my merit the truth it selfe in my word and life through the power and efficacie of my death Therefore if you continue in this Way the Truth doth carry you to eternall Life If you will not erre follow me if you will know the Truth beleeve me and if you will possesse Life eternall put your trust in my death And what is that Kings Way that infallible Truth and that Life the best and most noble of all others Truly other life cannot be then the most holy and pretious merit of Christ nor other truth then the word of God lastly no other life then sempiternall happinesse Now then if you desire to be exalted into heaven it behooveth thee to beleeve in Christ and after his example to follow humility in this world which is the onely Kings way If thou wilt not be deceived of the world take hold of his word by faith and follow the footsteps of his life because this is the chiefest and the infallible truth If thou desirest to live with Christ with him in time and through him thou must die to sinne and become a new creature because this is life In brief Christ is the Way the Truth and the Life no lesse by example then merit Be you followers of God as most deare children saith S. Paul to the Ephes 5. Let us therefore with all our Our life ought to be conformed after the life of Christ might power endeavour this one thing that our life may as neere as possible it may be be most like unto Christs life so that if other things be wanting to confound false Christians even this onely example of Christ might be sufficient for we may be ashamed to lead our lives in pleasures when Christ Jesus led his life amongst sorrow and tribulation even to his death And if a Souldier doe forget his own proper recreation when he seeth his Captain by fighting valiantly receive his death and thou gettest honour before thy Captaines eyes used most contemptuously shall I not say that thou dost not fight under his Banner But alas we will be accounted Christians Many Christians but few followers of Christ but how few be there that imitate the life of Christ Truly if it were the part of Christians to be seekers after wealth perishing fame and honours Christ would never have commanded the losse of them for eternall good Behold with me his life and doctrine and thou shalt not deny that nothing is more unlike then the world and He that manger that stable those swadling cloathes are not those a spectacle or looking-glasse of the contempts of these worldly things Or let us perhaps say that thou wilt by these examples draw thy selfe from the true and right way nay rather it is meanes to bring thee into the right way when we shall compare his doctrine and way together with his example whereupon he saith and proclaimeth that he is the Way and the Truth Therefore when they by contempt misery and reproaches doe attempt to make the way to attain to heaven it followeth that thou that seekest after jollity and wealth and thirstest after promotion art in a ready way to hell returne thou and come out of that broad high-way and come again into this way that cannot stray and embrace the truth that cannot deceive And lastly live in him
is Christ doth as it were call back his merit from them that do not pardoÌ„ their neighbour not first reconciled to his neighbour For all mankind under the person of the wicked servant Matth. 18. is described who when hee had not wherewith to pay the King remitted him all his debts but when he afterwards behaved himselfe so cruelly towards his fellow servant the King revoked his pardon condemning the wicked servant by reason of his hard usage of his neighbour Which Parable Christ concludeth with this farewell So will my heavenly Father doe unto you Like unto that is the saying of Matth. 7. What measure you mete unto others the same shall hee meted unto you Christs mandate Whereby it appeareth that man was not onely created for himselfe alone but for his neighbours cause also And immediatly he passeth over the precepts of loving our neighbour to withdraw the love of God and to proceed with his justice by whose most rigid decree hee is immediatly condemned but if we should call such things to mind as this Parable we should never be angry long with our Neighbour neither should the Sun go down in our wrath for it A heart irreconcilcable is not capable of Christs merits is in truth a horrible thing to be thought that the merit of Christ whereby he satisfied for the whole world fully and after the example of that little King of meer grace hath remitted all our sins I say that this merit should be cut off and become of no effect if we do not pardon our brother and hate him But although this law seem hard yet so it is written and it so bindeth us that God without the love of our neighbour will not be loved of us and if wee become irreconcileable wee lose the love and favour of God Neither may we think The cause of charity it was for other cause that man was not created one better then another but that one should not insult over another but as twins of one mother and one father we should live lovingly peaceably together our consciences never accusing us Therfore whosoever hateth his brother and despiseth him let him know that God doth hate him and despise him because he hath most severely forbidden it and consequently that he is hatefull and abominable to him as also guilty of eternall condemnation and altogether excluded from the merit of Christ Neither can it by any means come to passe that a heart in enmity without mercy and inhumane should participate of the bloud of Christ which was shed out of meere love seeing out of the Parable Matth. 18. it is manifest that God was lesse moved or offended for the debt of ten thousand Talents then at the unmercifulnesse and cruelty of the fellow-servant Wherefore let us never forget but daily remember that saying of Christ So will my Heavenly Father doe unto you CHAP. XXVI Wherefore a mans Neighbour is to be loved Rom. 13. Owe nothing to any man but that you love one another for he that loveth his Neighbour fulfilleth the Law THese are the words of Micah chap. 6. What good things shall I offer unto the Lord Shall I offer unto him Meat-offerings and Calves of a yeare old Can the Lord bee pleased in thousands of Raâ—â—nes or in many thousands of fat be-goats Shall I give my first-born for my wickednesse and the fruits of my womb for the sinnes of my soule I will shew thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee Even to doe judgement and to love mercy and to walk carefully before thy God By which judgement he teacheth us Wherein consisteth the true worship of God wherein the true worship of God consisteth not in Ceremonies and Sacrifices which conferre nothing on God because all is his own nor in humane offerings which hee requireth not nay rather hee abhorreth because they contain the reproach of Jesus Christ the Propitiatory offering which God appointed to take away the sinnes of the world but in pure faith which the Prophet describeth in this form To doe judgement I say in the exercise of faith in charity in mercy better pleasing then all sacrifices in humility according to the Psalm 51. The sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit a contrite heart and humble O God thou wilt not despise To which divine worship consisting in the inwards of the heart and in faith charity and humility Saint Paul exhorteth us Rom. 13. whose admonition we have prefixed to this chapter which containeth the praise of Charity and the perpetuall debt to our neighbour For certainly there is no other way of serving God but this to whom we can approve of nothing but what wee our selves allow and he himselfe worketh in our hearts so that to worship God is nothing but to observe our neighbour and to doe him good To this love of our neighbour the Apostle inciting us useth an argument somthing plausible to those which Charity praised are desirous to lead a Christian life calling it a breviary of all vertues and a fulfilling of the Law not that we are able possibly by our charity to fulfill the divine Law or that consequently it followeth to gain eternall life thereby but it insinuateth unto us the noble bounty and majesty of this most excellent vertue and inflameth us to love it with all our desire For our justice and happinesse is founded on the merit of Jesus Christ which we apply to our selves by faith out of which also the love to our neighbour doth flow and all other vertues which therefore are called the fruits of justice to the praise and glory of God Seeing then the dignity of this vertue is so great it were worthy the labour to seeke more arguments to draw us unto the love of it but the strongest in my opinion is that which Saint John useth Epist 1. Chap. 4. The impâ—lsive cause of charity God is Love and he that remaineth in Love remaineth in God and God in him for who would not wish to be in God and remain in him and that God in like manner shall be and remain in him And who on the contrary would not abhorre to bee in Satan and Satan in him which is so often as charity is repulsed barbarisme and inhumane hostility doth dwell in our hearts For as it is the delight of God to be with the sonnes of men so contrariwise the Devill is a devourer of men To which belongeth that place of John who saith He that Charity is a token of the sons of God loveth is born of God and knoweth God In this is made manifest whether they be the sons of God or the Devil and can there be any thing more desirable then to be the sonnes of God to be begotten of God to know God truly and whosoever hath his heart void of charity nor by experience hath known the force of it life gifts goodnesse gentlenesse long-suffering and patience
this man it is manifest doth not know God who is nothing but Charity or Love For the knowledge of God and Christ is known by experience and feeling and seeing that Christ is meer love and meeknesse it followeth that he that is without charity is without Christ according to that of By charity God is known Saint Peter Epist 2. chap. 1. If you had charity this would not leave you empty nor without fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ And Christ himselfe John 13. In this all men may know if you be my Disciples What a disciple of Christ should doe if you love one another But to be the Disciple of Christ is not sufficient to be a Christian in name and outward profession but it behoveth us to be more to beleeve in Christ to love him and follow him to live in him to counsell with him to listen to him to be inwardly loved of him and lastly to participate with him in all his goodnesse Which love of Christ who so hath not this man is not of Christ for how should Christ know him which is destitute of Christ For even as an Apple by his savour and a Flower by his smell is knowne so a Christian is known by his love Bouldly and without doubt blessed Paul affirmeth it 1 Corinth 13. All gifts without Charity is nothing And in truth the knowledge of divers Tongues nor Miracles nor knowledge of Mysteries or any such like good things doe shew a good Christian but faith which God requireth no hard thing worketh by charity Moreover God commandeth not hard things unto us as to work miracles but to exercise charity and humility neither in the day of judgmeÌ„t shal it be demanded of thee how thou hast been verst in the Arts Tongues Sciences but whether thou hast loved charity through faith I have been hungry saith our Saviour Matth. 25. and thou gavest mee to eate And blessed Paul to the Galatians chap. 5. witnesseth In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Charity Furthermore the words of Saint John Epist 1. Chap. 4. If any man say he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lier For he that doth not love his brother whom hee seeth how can hee love God whom hee hath not seen And this commandement have we of God He that loveth God should also love his brother And this one thing they teach That the charity and love towards God cannot consist without the He must love his neighbour that wil love God love and charity towards our neighbour For he that hateth him cannot but hate God that is the chiefe lover of man Charity is the Law of Nature from which doe flow all good things to mankind and without it mankind would perish Al good is out of charity of necessity When any good thing happeneth to man it proceedeth from Love whereupon Saint Paul calleth charity the Bond of perfection to the Colossians chap. 3. and Rom. 12. doth declare in excellent words and magnificent oration the fruits thereof And our Saviour himselfe The whole law depends on charity Matthew 7. doth teach All things that you would that men should doe unto you doe you the same unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets I passe by that of the Ethnickes whose famous Adage or Sentence is out of the Law of Nature and taken from their Schoole That which you would not should be done to you doe not the same unto another Which most excellent admonition the Emperour Severus a Prince most praise-worthy daily had in his mouth and inserted it in his written lawes Charity is a Charity is the hope of eternall life certain figure of eternall life and a foretast or sweet drink of it wherein the elect doe mutually love each other sincerely do receive singular delight one from another and doe converse together in a wonderfull and ineffable concord sweetnesse affection cheerfulnesse and mildnesse and courtesie one with another Who so therefore doth desire as it were a certain fore supper of the eternall beatitude let him study Love wherewith he may Affinity with God by charity be delighted with singular pleasure and affection in the inward of his soul For how much purer more fervent and fruitful your charity is so much the neerer it approcheth to the divine nature when in God in Christ and the holy Ghost the charity is most pure most rare most fervent and noble Therefore that love will be pure when we love not for private profit but onely for the cause of God alone whom we may know in like manner he loved us and took in us delight most purely and for no good of his own Which he that doth not so but loveth his neighbour for his own profit his love is not pure and divine wherein The difference betwixt Ethnick and ChristiaÌ„ charity also consisteth the difference betweene Ethnick and Christian charity for they do all their vertues in seeking after their own private gain and honour do as it were cast ink upon Ivory but the Christian he loveth his neighbour in God and Christ gratis And the love is true and unfained when theâ—e is no hypocrisie nor dissimulation and love is born in the heart not in the lips and tongue wherewith many are deceived Lastly charity is ardent when it is accompanied with mercy and compassion and when the affairs of our neighbour goe as near to our heart as our own so that we should be ready to lay down our life if need It is the Christians property to love their enemies were for him John 3. after the example of Moses and Paul who wished to be accursed for their brethren Wherupon that also followeth that we ought even to love our enemies Matth. 5. Love your enemies do good unto those that hate you and pray for them that persecute you revile you that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven for if you love them which love you what reward have you or shall you have Doe not the publicans the same In this therefore conâ—isteth the excellency prerogative nobility and dignity of Christians to subject nature unto it selfe to tame his flesh and bloud and to overcome the world with the evill that is therein with goodnesse to the Romanâ— chap. 12. It is the commandement of God in Exod. 23. If thou meetest with thine enemies Oxe or Asse going astray bring him home If thou seest the Asse of him that hateth thee falling under his burden thou shalt not passe by him but thou shalt succour him What care hath God about dumb creatures blessed Paul 1 Cor. 9. admiring writeth Hath God care of Oxen And doth hee not speak this concerning us much more And Rom. 12. he elegantly giveth in charge If thine enemy hunger give him meat Wherefore lest wee think it not sufficieÌ„t not to hurt our neighbour but moreover we
smell so Christ which is the tree of life by tasting and by triall is understood I say by tasting in faith his lowlinesse and humility and patience and by eating of his fruit whereby consequently his soule might find rest and tranquillity and be made capable of divine grace and consolation Which two into a heart void of faith and unfenced with the humility and lowlinesse of Christ cannot enter to fructifie seeing that God giveth grace only to the humble Seeing then it is thus what doth Christ profit a man who hath no society with him Such are all those who living in the darknesse of sinne cannot be companions of light according to that of Saint John If we say we have society with him and walk in darknesse we are liers and want the truth But if we walk in the light as hee is in the light we have joynt fellowship with him Which in the second chapter hee addeth The darknessc is passed over and the true light now shineth hâ—e which saith hee is in the light and hateth his brother is in darknesse untill now He that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no offence in him But he that hateth his brother is in darknesse and walketh in darknesse and knoweth not whither he goeth because darknesse hath blinded his eyes And how long a man remaineth in that terrible cloud of sinnes he cannot bee lightned of Christ which is the true Light and come to the knowledge of God For the true knowledge of God and Christ consisteth in that hee understands God to be meere The true knowledge of Christ Grace and Charity which who hath not and exerciseth this man knoweth it with the most ignorant So all knowledge consisteth ariseth out of the understanding experience and works of truth and so certain it is that hee which doth not exercise charity howsoever hee make many words of it yet he perceiveth not the perfect nature of it In like manner Christ is meere love humility meeknesse patience and vertue the which who hath not is ignorant of Christ although hee can prattle many things of him and usurp his name After the same manner the word of God is nothing but Spirit whereupon they which live not in the Spirit these consequently doe not know what the word of God is although they fable and dispute of it every where Therefore it belongeth not to him to judge of love who never exerciseth it For all knowledge as we said even now beginneth with feeling experieÌ„ce Knowledge ariseth out of experience Nor is it his part to speak of the light that never moved a foot out of his own darknesse to see the light and what is light in man but faith and charity according to the saying of Christ Matth. 5. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Now seeing that the most holy life of Christ is nothing but meer love if we endeavour to drink and draw from him true faith humility lowlinesse and patience as it is given in commandement to us by the severe Law of Learning then truly we are transformed into his image and we are beautified and adorned with his love no otherwise then if we were covered with Christ himselfe which is the eternal and true Light according to that of the Ephesians chap. 5. Arise thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ will inlighten thee Whereupon it followeth again that as many as doe not awake from the sleep of the world that is concupiseence of the eyes of the flesh and pride of life their soule cannot truly be illuminated by Christ Contrariwise they which assume the life of Christ and follow him in faith these truly are illuminated according to that of Saint John chap. 8. I am the light of the world he which followeth me in faith charity hope patience lowlinesse humility feare of Onely the martyrs of Christ illuminated God and prayer walketh not in darknesse but shall have the light of life As if he should say Onely those that imitate me have the light of life and the true illumination and knowledge of mee By reason of the same Faith and Life of Christ or Christian life blessed Paul Ephes 5. calleth the faithful the Light You were saith he sometimes darknesse but now light in the Lord. And 1 Thess 5. You are all the sonnes of light and the sonnes of God we are not of the night nor darknesse having put on the breast-plate of faith and love and the helmet of salvation To this belongeth that of the Book of Wisdome which faith That the holy Ghost doth flye wicked persons but comes into holy souls and of them makes Prophets and friends of God Which if it flye the wicked it is plain that they cannot be inlightened of it To which that is like that Christ denieth the world that is carnal minds not repenting them at all can they receive the holy Ghost But that there might be a perfect and absolute example amongst men and an Idea of vertue therefore the Son of God became Man and by his most holy life became the publick Light of the world that all men might follow him beleeve in him and be illuminated from him Now seeing the false Christians themselves know not Christ to be the most perfect and absolute righteousnesse or vertue therefore they did not care for following him it is manifest that the Ethnicks the most rigid observers lovers of vertue did goe far beyond them Of whom the wisest as Plato Aristotle Cicero and Seneca determined If the virtue of the body may be seen or could bee seen it would appeare more cleare then Lucifer or the day starre But those that shal behold Christ with the eye of faith he being the true Lucifer or Day-star doth far excel them and Faith in Christ illuminateth the heart those shall so see and contract the word of life 1 John 1. But if the Ethnicks did so esteeme virtue and desired to see it how much more ought Christians to esteem it above all things seeing Christ is meere virtue meere The love of Christ is to imitate Christ lowlinesse yea God himselfe Whereupon not without cause Saint Paul preferreth the love of Christ before all Sciences or knowledge for that he which loveth him it necessarily followeth that hee doe embrace his lowlinesse and humility out of his meere and most sincere love towards him whereby he is further illuminated and daily Light grace is given by humility transformed into the image of Christ from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. For God giveth grace to the humble saith Saint Peter 1 Epist chap. 5. And Saint Bernard The floods of grace doe flow downwards not upwards By all which it cometh to passe that the grace of the light and of knowledge divine is not communicated to a man that liveth not in Christ but walketh in the
canst not live with him in this life It remaineth therefore whose life in this world is not in Christ he shall not have life in the other world Here I pray thee now examine thy life and see whether it be more like to Christs or the Vnion with Christ or the Devill Devils Certainly with one of them thou shalt be joyned eternally after death But who is dead to himselfe he is in love with no businesses yea is dead to the world what other thing is it to die unto the world then not to love the world and the things of this world according to that of John Epist 1. chap. 2. He who loveth the world is not of God For what should he doe in the world who inwardly and in his heart is dead to it Whom also whosover loveth he is no otherwise then Samson of Dalila overcome of it and condemned to all the torments and vexations which the He is overcom of the world that loveth it worldly life containeth or affordeth Moreover the love of the world belongeth to the old man not to the regeneration because the world hath nothing but honours The old man delighteth in the world the new man in Christ wealth concupiscence of the eyes and of tâ—e flesh with the pride of life in which the old Adam is conversant and delighteth it selfe And contrariwise to the new man he hath all things in Christ as joy honour wealth and pleasure for what can be more The Image of God the great est dignity of man honorable to a man or is more to be desired then the Image of God renewed by Christ Or if we seek pleasures what man in his wits can doubt that God doth give delight to his above all creatures and delight The man is made for greater things then this world them more as the words of Taulerus say Furthermore what think you of that which the Scripture teacheth Man was not made for the worlds sake but the world for mans sake nor to fill his belly with delicate meat pamper his own wit heap up riches spread his Empire abroad to get most ample possessions grounds and fruits of the earth to be gorgeously attired to abound in gold and silver to be Lord of the earth to put all his delight and joy therein as in his paradise to place it and know hope for nothing but what is before his eyes Or lastly for any terrene cause whatsoever or any thing that is fraile although of it selfe it be good pleasant and pretious No truly he must goe hence he is but a tenant and a life-renter of this great world into which we enter many at one instant as it were by heaps yet death calls for us also As it is not profitable for any of us to carry with us a grain of all the treasure we have heaped whereby it evidently appeareth that we were not created for this temporall life To what man was created neither this world to be the principall end of our creation seeing that we live therein as prilgrims and guests therefore another cause brought us into this world and for whom we were born which is God himselfe and the image of God which we bear in Christ and unto whom we are renewed In this we are convinced evidently to wit that we are especially created for the kingdome of God and life eternall which Christ hath recovered for us and to whom we are regenerate by the holy Ghost How preposterous then is it for one to fix his heart to the world and give his minde to earthly things when we know the other to be more noble then the whole word I say for a man to attend and spend his time on earthly things which is the most excellent of all creatures which carrieth about him the image of God in Christ and is renewed to this image Wherefore as I said before the man for the world was not created but the world was created for man and therefore carrleth about with him the image of God in Christ of which the excellency and nobility is so great that all men with all his workes and power could not repaire one soule or renew the Image of God But for this cause it was necessary that Christ should die that because the image of God was defaced and destroyed in man it should be renewed by the holy Ghost and he should become forthwith the habitation and house of God And this being known and called to mind if he be right minded he will never compare the riches of the world honours To preferre earthly things before heuvenly is great madnes and pleasures with the price of his soule which Christ hath redeemed at such a price for what is it to cast pearls in the mire and before swine if this should not be That which our Saviour saith Matth. 16. pertaineth to this place What profiteth it a man to get the whole world and lose his owne soule For seeing the world is mortall and the soul of man immortall the world with all his pomp cannot recover one soul CHAP. XIV A true Christian ought after the example of Christ to contemne the world and hate his life in this world John 12. He that loveth his soule loseth it and he that hateth his soule in this world doth preserve it to eternall life HE that will hate himselfe he must first not love himselfe so that he may daily die to sinne and therefore he must continually Selfe-love the chiefest enemy of the soul Idolatry wrastle with himselfe and his flesh for nothing is more hurtfull to a man that is desirous of his salvation and more hindereth him then selfe-love I say that carnall Philautia of which this following discourse in all this book is the subject I doe not say that care of preserving our selves but loving our selves is forbidden For seeing that God alone is to be loved it followeth that he who loveth himselfe is an Idolater and maketh himselfe God what every one loveth in that his heart is fixed neither can we be taken but with the love and servitude of something so as we become servants despoiling our selves of our proper liberties and consequently having so many Lords we are subject unto as we have objects to love but if thy love be sincerely and simply towards God then thou art subject to no object but it is manifest thou art at liberty wherefore thou must be very circumspect that thou follow nothing that may hinder the divine love in thee And if thou desirest to possesse God alone as much as thou art able so much in like The law of God brings forth tranquillity the world perturbation manner of thy all must thou consecrate to him But if thou love thy selfe and please thy selfe much pensivenesse sorrow feare and sadnesse will befall thee Contrariwise if thou love God and rejoycest in him onely and dost dedicate thy selfe onely to him then will he be thy
what measure we measure to our neighbour with the same measure shall it be meted unto us For those three Cities should effectually represent Christ who is the sole merit as Bezer soundeth that by interpretation is a Tower of Defence according to the Proverb 18. The Name of the Lord is a most strong Tower Jesus Christ to that runneth the just and shall be exalted the same is true Ramoth which Christ our refuge voyce signifieth Exalted to whose Name every knee shall bow in heaven in earth or in hell Phil. 2. Neither is there for us another Golan besides him which according to the etymology of the name is nothing but a heap of thankesgiving or graces and gifts celestiall as a certain overflowing vessell Whereupon Psal 29. we read With the Lord there is mercy and with him is abundance of redemption And Rom. 10. The Lord is rich to all those that call upon him And thus much of the third part of the internall spirituall and true divine worship flowing from the knowledge of God which is likewise the fountain of repentance as this is of remission of sinnes which three indeed are one and set forth and declare the solid knowledge of God And God did shadow unto us this third part by the Priest which was to eat of the oblation of God which what other thing did it imply then the application of the merits of Christ by faith in the holy place wherein is signified repentance For the faith by the vertue and merit of Christ and his bloud doth make the man before the just God as if he had never been defiled with any sinne according to that of Ezekiel 18. If the wicked shall repent him of all his iniquities that he hath committed I will not remember them And after this manner the Law of Moses is changed into the spirit Moses Lawes holy things are chāged into spirit or life internall holy and another life and his sacrifices into repentance by which we offer our bodies and souls a living sacrifice and give thanks unto him because hee hath manifested unto us what is the true conversion acceptable unto him which is the justification and remission of sinnes that God alone be all things his grace as it is meet should be acknowledged and with gratefull minds and tongues be praised for ever and ever This then as we have often said heretofore is the true divine worship of which Mich. chap. 6. speaketh I will shew thee O man what the Lord requireth of thee that thou execute judgement and love mercy and walk carefully before the Lord thy God Because therefore O mortals doe we repent to get remission of sinnes seeing but by this alone we cannot come to remission of sinnes for neither can those sins bee remitted whose sense and griefe the mind never yet found by grace divine and consequently never to grieve for them nor hee which never had it in his mind to change The true worship of God consisteth in the heart is not external his life and mend his manners Which true and safe-making conversion that God for his Christs sake would bestow it upon us I humbly pray whose favour also it is that now it appeareth that his true worship consisteth in the soule and mind in the knowledge of God in true repentance by which the flesh is mortified and the man renewed after the image of God whereby he is made the Temple of God wherein by the holy Ghost the true and divine worship of the holy Trinity is exercised I say Faith Love and Hope Humility Patience Prayer giving of thankes and praises to God And although this worship respecteth God himselfe and is performed to him alone let us not think or beleeve Why called the worship of God that God for his own cause and because it joyneth with his profit that he inviteth us unto him but rather let us be so assured that he is willing through his boundlesse mercy to bestow and communicate all himselfe to us with all his benefits and to live work and dwell in us if so be we be ready through his true Knowledge Faith and Repentance to receive him For no work is gracious and acceptable to God of which hee was not the authour of in us What kind of works are pleasing to God therefore he commandeth us to repent to beleeve to pray to fast not as to him but that the fruit thereof might be ours No man can give or take any thing from God nor hurt nor profit him for we sow and we mow to our selves if we be good but we create evill to our selves if we be evill And what dammage hath God if thou wilt not doe well therefore he commandeth thee to serve him not for his owne cause but for thine who seeing he is Charity it selfe therefore amongst things acceptable and deare and so fit accounteth it that there be many be who participate of his charity yea of himselfe that is to wit as a mother loveth her Infant cannot but rejoyce that it sucketh her milk from her so God is to be thought of out of his most loving communicating of himself after his manner to receive singular delight CHAP. XXII As we know a tree by the fruit so a true Christian by no other token is known then by love and amendment of life daily Psalm 92. The just man flourisheth as a Palm Tree as a Cedar of Lebanon he shall multiply being planted in the House of the Lord They shall flourish in the entrance of the House of God they shall flourish Moreover they shall be multiplied in a fruitfull old age and they shall be very patient that they may shew it forth because just is our Lord God and there is no iniquity in him IT is not the name but the life of a Christian that maketh a true Christian whose daily and onely study ought to be that in him Christ might be manifested and be made conspicuous by love humility and humanity In whom therefore Christ liveth not it followeth that this man cannot be a Christian Furthermore it behoveth this life to be from the bottome of the heart and spirit even as the Apple is derived and commeth from the naturall branch of the Tree faculties and vegetable power yea it is necessary that our life be informed by the Spirit of Christ and fashioned after his life according to that of Paul Rom. 8. Those which are carried by the Spirit of God those are the sonnes of God But if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his or belongeth not to him to wit every life cometh of the Spirit which even as the All life is from the Spirit inward man moveth driveth and is carried so in like manner the outward man fareth or is carried whereby it is manifested how much it availeth to a Christian life to have the grace of the Holy Ghost which therefore Christ did command us to seek
and holy Ghost and without God himselfe Contrariwise a true Christian and he which is anointed with the spirit of Christ doth beare with all men in condoling commiserating and loving him after the example of Christ And this is the Touch-stone whereby every one is to be tried whether Where charity is not there God is not he be of God or not But if he find he hath no love of his neighbour in him let him assuredly perswade himselfe he hath not the charity of God in him rather let him feare God himselfe hath forsaken him wherewith he ought to be afraid and be sory from his heart and seek to return into his neighbours favour Which being done God through his love will marry himselfe unto him and whatsoever thereafter he shall doe in faith and charity is and will be accounted for good holy and divine Moreover by reason of the inherent love of God of his free will he embraceth all with his mercy and love neither is any thing more acceptable then to doe good or as Jeremy speaketh He rejoyceth in them he will doe good unto them Without charity in man all things are altogether evil and Devillish neither is there Why all things that the devill doth are evill other cause why the Devil can do no good but because he is destitute of the love of God and his neighbour and thereupon what he doth is altogether evill neither doth his workes and counsels whatsoever tend to other end then the reproach of God and damage of mankind and that he may satisfie his malicious mind and rancor against God and man For which cause he useth such cruell and vengeable mindes to execute and bring to passe the counsels and contrivement of his wrath envy And this is the mark of the sonnes of Satan whereby they are discerned from the sonnes of God Charity proceedeth from faith not fained which cleaveth and adhereth to God equally in prosperity and adversity Whosoever loveth a man heartily he cannot be ungratefull because what God He that loveth God all his works he loveth all his punishments hath appointed against him he doth after the example of Christ who with a cheerfull mind tooke up his Crosse which he knew to be put upon him by his Fathers will whereupon Luke saith chap. 12. I have a baptisme to be baptized with and how grieved am I untill it be finished which all the Martyrs of the Church did imitate bearing his Crosse with joy And for a truth whosoever loveth God heartily he cannot but beare his Crosse easily which he knoweth to be the yoak of Christ And if a Load-stone can lift up a weight of Iron and draw it unto it selfe what cannot that celestiall Load-stone of love divine do Shal not it take up the worst weight of our Crosse and mitigate the feeling of it Also why doth Sugar rather correct the bitternesse of the hearb and medicine then the sweetnesse of love take away the ungratefull and inhumane savour of our crosse whose force is such as the holy Martyrs had no other where that strength of their incredible and cheerfull constancy but they did draw it out of this fountain of Love wherewith being most sweetly intoxicated they did not feele the paines of their torments CHAP. XXV Of love to our Neighbour in speciall 2 Peter 2. Of whom any man is overcome he is that mans servant AMongst all kinds of servitude none is The servitude of the affections is most heavie more hard and sharp then to be under the subjection of affections neither of these is any more cruell then hostility or inhumanity because that wearieth and bindeth all the powers and strength of the body and soul and so leaveth to a man not the least thought free but he that exerciseth or remaineth in charity he is free in his minde neither is he the servant or captive to wrath envie covetousnesse usury pride lying and slander from all which being free by charity he suffereth not himselfe to be brought into slavery by his evill concupiscences but remaineth a freeman of Christ through the spirit of liberty 2 Cor. 3. For where the spirit is there is liberty whosoever therefore walketh in the charity of Christ he ceaseth to be the slave of sinne and servant to affections and carnall lusts For by the spirit of divine charity we are purged and set free And The universality of divine Charity charity divine is equally reached and extended to all men so that not onely out of the word of God but by nature universall also it is made known for we are all equally and alike covered with the heavens and we have the use of the Sunne Aire Earth Water both high and low degree alike Moreover with what mind God Almighty is towards all mankind so ought our mind to be affected towards our neighbour seeing what things even now we shewed thou dost not say it happened for that cause God would have it so but that by his example he might teach us and make it manifest that he loveth all with like equall affection and that it is without reâ—pect of persons and prerogative of dignity or merit in Christ to love every one alike so that as hee sheweth himselfe towards us such ught we to be and to carry our selves toowards our neighbour whom after the same manner as wee shall deal with God will deale with us Which Law God writ in our hearts that evidently he might convince and teach us with what mind he was affected to us lest we should be mistaken and overtaken unawares we ought to carry the same mind towards our neighbour every one of us Wherefore he that would know what respect hee is in with God it is sufficient to ask his conscience for that thing will tell him presently as his mind is towards his neighbour whereby he The triall of divine love may gather how God is affected towards him For like as we have done to our neighbour so it is meet God should doe to us And in this sense the great God is good to the good and averse to the averse neither doth hee deserve to have God his friend that is an enemy to his neighbour Now seeing that God hath no need of our works as our neighbour hath it appeareth by this counsell that the charity towards our neighbour gives us in charge that it should be as a Load-stone a most certain argument of our charity towards God For if these things were otherwise he would not have directed these things to our neighbor so exactly as to a certain sope nor bound us to this as a law but that we might know his affection to us thereby and we should approve the same mind every houre and moment to our neighbour Wherefore though Christ Jesus by his death once sufficiently made satisfaction for the sinnes of the whole world and all men therein for which all men are to give thanks no man can warrant him who
might doe good unto him which to perform if any contemn and refuse this man cannot bee the sonne of God because he loveth not his neighbour He that exerciseth not Christian Charity doth shew a man how to be a living member of Christ charity that man separateth himselfe from the spirituall body of Christ which is the Church and forfeiteth or loseth thereby all the merits of Christ according to that of the Ephesians chap. 4. One Lord one Faith one Baptisme For even as the members pulled from the body doe not participate of the life and bountifull influence of the head but dieth every member even so as many as live not in charity these because they separate themselves from their head Christ doe not participate nor receive his life lively motions and fulnesse Prayer without charity is unprofitable according to that of Saint John Epist 1. chap. 3. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death Last of all because by prayer all good gifts are to be obtained of God and without it all helps consolation and freedóme wee may look for but in vain being without blessing and safety And God Almighty giveth hearing to no prayers but to those that are grounded on Faith and Charity according to that saying of Matthew chap. 18. If two of you upon the earth consent together whatsoever they shall desire it shall be granted unto them by my Father which is in Heaven Goe to therefore O mortall men let us live in charity wherein is peace Peace in charity and union and where peace is there is the God of peace where he is in that place the Lord hath commanded his blessing and life for evermore CHAP. XXVII Wherefore our enemies are to be loved Matth. 5. Love your enemies doe good to those that hate you and pray for them that persecute you and revile you that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven THe first cause for which our enemies ought to be beloved of us is the commandement of God to which he giveth no other reason but that you may be the sonnes of your father of him that is to wit that loved us when we were his enemies Rom. 5. As if he should say Unlesse you love your enemies you cannot be the children of the heavenly Father And he that is not his sonne what father shall he have To which commandement when exceeding few of us doe obey it is manifest how farre wee are from the fruits of the children of God wherein we ought to use charity towards our enemies He that loveth not his brother saith blessed John Epist 1. chap. 3. abideth in death for hee hath not in him the true life which is of Christ which is spirituall and heavenly which consisteth in faith towards God and charity towards our neighbour according to that of blessed John We know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Whereupon it is manifest that the fruit testimony of our quickning in Christ is brotherly charity and contrariwise the hatred of him is death so that whosoever dieth in hatred hee shall die an everlasting death And all his good works that hateth his neighbour his divine worship and observation of the commandements of God are in vain according to that of Paul to the Without charity all works are dead Corinthians Epist 1. chap. 13. If I give and distribute all that I have to feed the poore and give my body to be burned have not charity it profiteth me nothing Moreover it is the property of a noble great and divine mind to pardon injuries For let us behold God both how long suffering he is and consider how suddenly hee is reconciled Behold Christ how amongst his most heavie torments and most inhumane pains on the Crosse like unto a Lamb did not so much as open his mouth Isa 53. Let us contemplate the holy Ghost who for no other cause rather appeared in the form of a Dove then to teach unto us the meeknesse and lenity and simplicity of manners Behold Moses with what patience hee did bear the reproaches of the people whereby Numb 12. he deserved this praise Moses was a most meek man above all men which remained on the earth David also with what Ienity of mind he did heare Shimei cursing of him 2 Sam. 16. And one saith True charity knoweth none to be angry with but himselfe and true peace consisteth not in a great fortune but in humble bearing of adversity and his adversaries Publius said excellent well The free estate of an honest man receiveth no reproach And Seneca If thou be magnanimous thou wilt never judge thy selfe any reproach to be done to thee Even as the Sun if any mad man should reproach it and call it meere darknesse for that cause it would not nor doth it change the nature of it so neither a valiant mind or generous whose great generosity is also to pardon The Ethniks examâ—le of long-suffering revenge And many Ethnicks in their examples did expresse thâ—se golden sayings and admonitions As Pericles that was the most pleasant Orator of Greece who having heard a man upbraiding and reproaching him the spâ—ce of a whole day with his own eares â—â—ght comming on did command him to bee brought into his house lest he should take any harm this speech bâ—ing added It is an easier thing to speak evill of vertue then to possesse it Phocion the Prince of the Athenians when he had deserved exceeding well of his Countrey through the envie of some was adjudged to death which being about to undergoe when he was asked by one if hee would command him any thing to his sonne Nothing else said he but that he never take in hand or goe about to revenge this injury which I suffer of my countrey Titus the Emperour when it was told him that two brethren did affect the Empire of Rome and that they had conspired his death made no scruple to bid them to supper and about three dayes after set himselfe betwixt them to behold a Stage-play with which admirable clemency he overcame their improbity When it was told to Julius Cesar that Cato had laid violent hands on himselfe He hath bereaved me saith he of the greatest victory that ever I had for I had decreed with my selfe freely to pardon him all the injuries he had done unto me But most of all whom would not the extream patience and meeknesse of the Sonne of God himselfe move to love his enemies The great long-suffering of God neither this nor any of those of the Ethnicks which I mentioned nor any of the Saints in their examples did equall him For what greater injustice and dishonesty can be thought on then that the Sonne of God should bee so miserably handled of men to be made a laughing-stock to bee scourged with stripes to be crowned with thorns to be spit upon and lastly to be nailed on the Crosse
stroke I say for honor pleasure and wealth which you doe not strive for this one thing that you may enjoy God alone That which in old time was done by the holy men of God whom the divine love with the admirable sweetnesse thereof had so tied and fixed them thereunto that they became forgetful of the world and of What man is most wise who most foolish themselves also Whom therfore as fools worthy to be derided some did so account them when themselves indeed were the most foolish of all others because they preferre fraile things like unto childrens lakings before the greatest good A true lover of God loveth him no otherwise then as if there were nothing under the heavens but God alone and therefore followeth him onely And by this reason he findeth â—ll things in God which hee followed beâ—ore in the world For God is all things essentially true honour and joy peace and pleasure riches and magnificence all which â—re found in a more excellent manner in God then in the world Whosoever therefore loveth any creature for beauties sake take my counsel neglect those things transferre thy love unto God which is the fountain of all beauty And he that would follow any thing because it is good follow God rather which is the onely and eternal good essentially and without whom nothing is good so that all creatures for that From whence all creatures do receive their goodnesse cause onely are good because even a spark and a little drop of water be it never so little a thing stained with many imperfections because they participate of that Ocean of goodnes why then do we not rather love God the fountain and perfection of that which is good and who is the good essentially and the out-flowing of every good thing in singular manner By how much lesse earth or earthly gravity every thing hath so much lighter it is and is easier carried upwards so our soules and mindes the more they are addicted to earthly things and by them are as it were made heavie doe by consequence endeavour celestial things the lesse and joy lesse in God weigh well alwayes the damage of The gravity of earthly minds earthly love with the divine love in ballance and that which is necessarily annexed unto it that of our neighbour Whereupon it followeth that he which loveth God cannot but love his neighbour and hee that dare offend God will not forbear to offend his neighbour CHAP. XXIX Of the Reconciliation of our Neighbour without which God taketh away his grace from us Numb 5. If any man shall offend against a man he shall be judged by the Lord. MEmorable is this Sentence because Offending man offends God he conjoyneth both God and Man as also the love and offence of both that every one by Moses Law in expresse words that did offend his neighbour might be judged to offend God or injure God Whereby that followeth consequently He that will bee reconciled to God hee must do the same to his neighbour seeing that God taketh the injurie offered to man to be his own then he that offendeth God and man he cannot return into favour with him before hee bee reconciled to his neighbour As Christ manifestly beareth witnesse Matth. 5. Wherefore it is needfull and a work worthy regard that I should forthwith shew that the love of God and The love of God our neighbour cleaveth together our neighbour cannot be separated which is the true and most clear shining fountain of brotherly love The words 1 Ioh. 4. If any man say that he loveth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth how can he love God whom he seeth not And this commandement wee have of God that hee that loveth God should love his neighbour also Which Sentence teacheth the same that we exhorted even now That the love of God cannot consist without the love of our neighbour Whence also floweth or followeth this saying He that sincerely without hypocrisie loveth God loveth his neighbour with the same love But contrariwise hee that loveth or can love either of both with false and fained affection loveth neither of them truly Whereby it commeth to passe that the love of our neighbour is a sort of divine love and that which is no other then a Loadstone pointing out the sincerity or hypocrisie of it Wherefore we shall not erre if we shall speake of a double The double scope of man scope or end prefixed to man whereunto all the actions of his life are to tend as to certain tooles which we ought to imitate and use I say charity of God and our neighbour whereunto all our studies ought to obey and be bestowed and we ought to profit and make progresse therein more and more daily seeing that we are to this end created redeemed and sanctified although The charitie of God is manifest in the incarnation of Christ perhaps it is more fit to say Christ is our scope to whom we are so much the nearer joyned in neighbourhood as we are neerer him in charity For by this counsel God is made man that he might set before our eyes a living and breathing image of his love and that he should shew his love to be in the inscrutable incomprehensible essence infintie and divine that men should be transformed through Charity into this image of God which is Christ Furthermore The bond of charity as in Christ God and man are bound together by an undissolveable knot â—o the Charity of God containeth in it the Charity of our neighbour which are and be no more easily dis-joynted and pulled asunder then the divine and humane nature in Christ so that he which hath injured the humane nature of Christ the same man is held guilty of the divinity and he which offendeth man is declared guilty God is offended in our neighbour to offend God nor any man the bond of charity being broken can bee angry with his neighbour separate himselfe from him but by that divorce he declineth from God and sinneth against him Let us shew that which we teach by a similitude Even as hee that by the middle circle draweth lines every way from the circle about or out circle beginneth at the same or from the said circle but uniteth and gathereth together all the neere joyning poynts in the center from whence it must needs depart if we will take any away from another so God is a center as it were or a certain center from which hee departeth that separateth himselfe from the charity of his neighbour but he that will continue neer unto him he must relieve him and participate by a sympathy with him in his Compassion out of charity afflictions and miseries for if he do otherwise it is manifest in God he is not who is as it were in a center wherein all lines are coupled together And to this place
can a man as the Apostle saith to the Ephesians chap. 2. which was dead in sin help himself Also even as we did not bring so much as a haire to our creation so neither to our redemption or regeneration and sanctification which are much greater and more noble then our creation it selfe Wherefore The cause of the incarnation of the Son of God it was necessary that the Sonne of God should take humane nature upon him to recover that which was lost in Adam to revive that which was dead in him which that it may be brought to effect accordingly we must imitate the Traveller which is cruelly handled and wounded and laid upon the ground and could not help himselfe him therefore the mercifull Samaritan taketh up and bindeth up his soares and then laieth him upon a horse leadeth him into the Stable and after that omitteth nothing which an industrious and faithfull Physitian can administer to a sick person And as the Traveller also sheweth himselfe observant to his Physitian and Christ iâ— our Physitian not we our selves observeth his beck and command so let us remember to doe the like if we desire to be healed Let us doe our full diligence and power to our Physitian Christ let us resigne our selves wholly unto him let us trust in his faith that he will bind up and cure our wounds also let him powre in Wine and Oyle into them neither will hee be wanting or faile to restore us to our former health that is so soon as a sinner repeÌ„teth converteth himselfe by heavenly grace to God is grieved from his heart for his sinnes and resisteth not that his wounds should be washed in the sharp wine of contrition and lastly to be anointed with the Oyle of Consolation then presently Christ by his grace doth work and bring forth faith in him and the fruits of faith as life peace joy consolation and happinesse renewing him after his own image and working in him to will and finish according to his good will Phil. 2. For seeing that the abundance of sinnes are greater then humane nature can beare as witnesseth the Scripture which John 8. pronounceth the naturall man the servant of sin and Rom. 7. sold under sinne and can doe nothing but sinne according to that of Jeremy 13. If the Aethiopian can change his hue or the The naturall man neither can nor will doe doe any good Leopard his spots and you can doe well and forget to doe evill therefore the singular grace of God appeared to all men by his Gospel teaching us by the words of Paul to Tit. 2. that denying all impiety and worldly desires wee may live a just and sober life in this present world As if hee should say by the The grace of God doth all things in us word of God grace is offered unto us and doth instruct inlighten allure and teach us heartily to move and provoke us to desist from sinne which teaching of the divine grace or joynt warning by the Word consenteth with the inward testimony of the conscience whereby the man both from without and within is convicted that he doth evill and of leading a life against the way of God and his conscience he ought to change it to better let him know this if he would bee saved Furthermore if hee will bend his eares and mind and being full of good hope denounce warre against vice then the grace of God Man is meere darknes Christ is meere light worketh all things in man as faith charity and all the fruits of faith For as darknesse cannot lighten it selfe and the Sunne not shining we doe in vain open our eyes so neither can man inlighten himselfe according to that in Psalm 13. O Lord thou givest light unto my Lanthorn and my darknesse But the divine Grace or Christ himselfe is the cleare light which is risen to all men sitting in darknesse and in the shadow of death How the true light lightâ—â—s all men which inlightneth all men or every man that cometh into this world that is by manifesting himselfe and offering his grace He I say is the light of the world shewing to all men the way of life and like a good Shepheard guiding his Flock into the right way he sought us as his lost sheep daily even now seeketh us and allureth us nay more followeth us embraceth us after the manner of a bride or spouse that he loveth whose grace I would to god most men did Christ as a Bridegroome imbraceth our souls not refuse give repulse to his love prefer the darknes of vice before his light And even as a Physitian saith to his sick Patient Beware of this if you will not dye for you hinder the efficacie and force of the medicine that you cannot bee made whole so Jesus Christ the true Physitian of our souls saith My sonne I pray thee incline thy mind to repentance and leave thy sinnes Impeninitence hindereth the efficacie of Christs merits that pride covetousnesse concupiscence of the flesh wrath revenge and forsake them or most certainly the honour of my merit shall profit thee nothing when thou art a hinderance that my grace cannot be sown in thee that it cannot increase in strength bring forth fruit Truly for this very cause I give my Apostles in charge before all things to preach repentance and I called Why repentance is to be preached before all things sinners to repentance because an impenitent heart cannot participate of my merits Which speech when a sick man heareth the Physitian of our soules as to abstaine from sinne or else he must utterly perish the word of God coming expresly to his mind let him know this that it is most certain that God hath promised remission of sinnes to all men gratis but under this law and condition if they will convert themselves to God according to that of Ezekiel 33. If the wicked shall repent him of his sinnes hee shall live the life and not die all the offences which hee hath done shall not bee True faith imputed unto him Wherein truly the repentance of sinnes is joyned to remission neither doth Christ the sonne of God in any other sense promise life eternall to those that beleeve in him For faith doth alwayes oppose it selfe to the Old Man tameth the flesh and subjecteth it to the spirit that is converteth the man rooteth up and amendeth sinnes and cleareth and purgeth the heart it being the fountain of all evill Truly this is true faith that I say that turneth it selfe from the world from sinnes and from the Devill to Christ and seeketh solace and rest for his soule against the grieving debt of his sinnes in the onely blood death and merit of Christ without the works of any man whatsoever What man is so foolish to beleeve that his sinnes are pardoned of God although hee doe not desist from his sinnes this man hath a false faith neither ever