and well-being hath set these bounds to our affections that we should love him with all our heart and with all our Soul that we should consecrate to the service of that Love our understanding our life and all our powers and that if we love any thing else it be in reference and in subordination to him that deserves all our Love and should be the master and disposer of it The love of God must therefore lead the way to what else we should love it must always prevail and be the rule of all our affections and then we cannot love nor do amiss CHAP. XXXV Of the Necessity and Measures of Loving our Neighbour 1. WE cannot love God as we should without we love our Neighbour neither can we love our Neighbour except we love God If any man saith I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen and this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his Brother also 1 Joh. 4.20 The Commandment makes no exception though the man be poor though he be a stranger nay though he be vicious and thine enemy yet he is thy Neighbour and thy Brother and he must be lov'd The expressions of thy love may vary according to his needs and thine opportunities Yet they must be hearty real and effective for The End of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 And we must not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3.18 2. As Christ loved us and gave himself for us not that we deserv'd any love but because he lov'd God and us in God to whom he purchast us so must we love all men not for ours or their sakes but for God's sake having no further regard to what is good in them than only as it relates to God True Christians are so strictly united together by love that what one hath not in himself he with joy finds it in others and what one hath more than the rest he willingly imparts it to all As by our love to God we are united and in some manner become one spirit with him so by the mutual love of men of Christians especially they become one among themselves so that what one hath to himself is for the good of all and what one hath not in himself he hath and enjoys in others Thus love is the fulfilling of the Law and the fulfilling of all Righteousness According as is the mans Charity in the beginning progress or perfection so is his goodness and his righteousness and then most perfect in this life when even life it self is parted with for love 3. The modus or measure of love to our Neighbour is twofold positive and negative First To do to him as we would he should do to us Secondly And not to deal with him any otherwise than as we would he should deal with us Every one therefore in the sight of God to whom all things are known must consider seriously what he would others should do or not do to him and if he desires others should he patient towards him and bear with his faults and infirmities and speak well of him c. Then let him be careful to do so to others 'T is a sure indication of a perverse heart for a man in a private capacity to do that to another which he should be sorry to suffer himself A good Christian doth not inquire into the manners and faults of others but leaves them to his view and correction to whom all judgment is given He examines judgeth and punisheth himself and makes self-reformation his serious and constant business Whatever he sees or hears his mind is undisturb'd and abides in peace for if it be good he praiseth God if evil he turns it to good by turning his mind from it towards God in Prayers and Resignation 4. If his Office and Charity obligeth him to reprove and to correct others he doth it with a zeal sweet and benign and compassionate to his Brothers infirmity for roughness and ungovern'd passion cannot consist with Charity If the ill actions of others are capable of an excuse he excuseth them however he censures not knowing that nothing human is so perfect and holy but may be ill interpreted and at the best may be some way defectuous enough to be liable to reprehension if carping men let loose their censorious humors Whilst men are men they will have some imperfections and to be zealous against them is under pretence of preciseness to give way to peevish impatience or proud censoriousness He that is too busie to tax and judge others will never grow better himself CHAP. XXXVI True Friendship and the true Offices of it 1. FRiendship is the communion of good things and therefore it follows the nature of those things which friends have common Now there being nothing truly good but things supernatural and eternal true friendship must consist in the communication of these mutually Hence it is that carnal friendship is soon dissolved because things of sense cannot last nor always confine the spirit whereas spiritual friendship is never broken for though it may seem to be interrupted by little angers and contentions yet true piety and the love of God sweetens the harshness of them and keeps the knot indissoluble As for that friendship which too much sets our hearts upon any person and may be called Doting it should be stifled and avoided as being mischievous and it is to be known by these tokens when the party belov'd is always in our thoughts and we can never be well without him when we fear his displeasure above all things when in him we rest as in our center and we sacrifice to him all our actions and most important concerns And let none flatter themselves that this is pure innocent friendship without any self-interest for it is altogether sensual it depraves the heart and affections it is an enemy to all wisdom and true Religion and it begins and ends in the flesh and 't is to be observ'd that this kind of friendship is never betwixt persons truly good and vertuous 2. Men of real worth are always well composed grave and of a sweet deportment they are courteous to all but they are familiar to few and they flatter none in their conversation modesty discretion an exact justice and an unaffected severity is to be observed They seek not to make a shew outwardly their life is inward and secret they live to God and to their own conscience They fairly converse with men outwardly when it is fitting but their heart cleaves to God and they will not disturb themselves with the silly impertinencies or petty concerns of the world Their designs and affections differ much from the vulgar multitude and therefore their words and actions are guided with
If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also he cannot be my disciple And whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple 3. This is the ground-work and the true institution of a Christian life and this is that excellent knowledge of Christ which is difficult and unpleasant to natural men and contrary to the Spirit of the World This is the highest Philosophy which exceeds the capacity and knowledge of the wise men of this world and this is the highest perfection and the certain way to Bliss to know and to follow Jesus Christ and him crucified to hate ones self and the world with all its pleasures and vanities and to love poverty contempt sorrows and tribulations But to understand well this plain lesson or first principle requires a great measure of Grace and more yet to relish it with pleasure most of all to practise it to live accordingly in the whole course of our conversation CHAP. XX. Of the desperate folly of men who willingly run to ruin by their inconsideration 1. ETernal torments being prepar'd for none but such as will be miserable and by their free and wilful wickedness chuse Hell for their portion on the other side Eternal joys above being offer'd to all that will partake of them who would not think the Prisons of darkness and sorrow should be wholly empty and Heaven infinitely full and throng'd Who could imagine any man should be so desperately mad as to chuse eternal misery when he could easily be happy for ever Yet so it is few there are that enter the Kingdom of Heaven and many there are that go down to Hell insomuch that the first compared to these are but a small number whom our Blessed Saviour calls the little flock The folly of men is so strange and amazing that the greater part of them prefer Eternal woe to Bliss Eternal though you shall not find one how thirsty soever that would sip of that cup he should suspect to be poison'd yet many every where may be found who greedily commit those sins which not doubts or opinions but a certain faith assures them must be punisht with ever-burning flames 2. This unheard of madness many attribute to want of Faith which though it may be true of some amongst us yet daily experience and observation puts it beyond all doubt that the greater part of them that perish perish for want of consideration For though they believe that there is a Hell and that therein none shall suffer but such as will enjoy the pleasures of sin while they live yet they soon forget this important truth their fancy and their affections are fixt to this earth they only please their appetites and live so sensually that their reason can hardly look beyond the present the notions of Eternity are kept out and their understanding made uncapable and unwilling to consider wisely that their short joys and delights will soon end into bitterness and endless sorrows and that it is very easie for us whilest we live to avoid that dreadful misery and obtain Eternal happiness And would to God men would seriously mind and observe this O that they were wise that they would understand and consider their latter end and live accordingly It is man's property and his privilege to think and meditate and sure his thoughts and meditations should of themselves run first of all to his chief end to that which is his own greatest interest No error or ignorance is so pernicious as to neglect ones own Salvation CHAP. XXI The Character of a true Christian 1. HE is a Christian indeed that owns the Faith of Christ and obeys his precepts and follows his Blessed Example for to this we are oblig'd by our Christian Profession to raise our selves above these earthly things to live a Divine and Heavenly Life Because that the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men saith the Apostle 1 Tit. 2.11 teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live in this present World Soberly Righteously and Godly looking for that Blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good Works Therefore as he cannot justly be called Doctor who is not so much as a Scholar as he deserves not the name of Captain who understands not Souldiery and as he is not an Artist that hath not the skill of it No more can he with truth be called a Christian who is not a true follower of Christ 2. They therefore only are truly Christians who having renounc'd the vanities and sinful desires of this World love God with all their heart and with all their strength and their neighbour altogether in God and for God preferring not themselves to any others because that in our second and better birth we are all made equal They that strictly observe the rules of justice and sobriety in all things behaving themselves so innocently as not to give a just cause of offence to any Person they that use the creatures for necessity as sick men do Physick coveting nothing but that only which cannot be taken away from them they that seek not to please and fear not to displease any but God alone they that hate their own flesh in that it is the body of sin and therefore daily chastize and keep it under lest it grow petulant and masterless they that are ever constant to their resolutions and being above the World cannot be terrified by any threats or persecutions they that in prosperity and adversity are always the same peaceable and even able clearly to see and to follow truth they that longing after things Eternal despise things present and living upon Faith Hope and Charity believe therefore what they see not hope what they have not and love that which as yet they do not possess they that so love God that for his sake they refuse no labour and are always ready to expose themselves to any dangers without any other design but only to advance his glory they that from the testimony of a good conscience and their confidence in Gods mercy chearfully expect Christ's coming in his Heavenly Kingdom and can joyfully say with the Apostle 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day They alone have a right to the Title and the Blessedness of Christians that do all these with sincerity 3. Such men as these rejoyce when they are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus and they count that day lost in which they have not done and endured something upon his
last will turn them into joy 2. Let us therefore look upon afflictions as very necessary and useful to us and let us receive them as pledges of Gods love and assurances of his care for us according as St. James exhorts Jam. 1.2 My Brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers Temptations knowing this that the tryal of your Faith worketh Patience but let Patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and intire wanting nothing Reproaches slanders persecutions and all other evils we suffer in this world are to be lov'd by pious men and to be counted good for though they be afflictive to flesh and bloud yet they proceed from the divine pleasure they come to us from God and as our Blessed Saviour told his unjust Judge John 19.11 They could have no power at all against us if it were not given them from above So that in all events we may meekly submit and rest satisfied considering this power from above And if we do not thus consider and receive our sorrows if we view them by themselves and not in their first cause that wise God who is the contriver of them and the fountain of all goodness then our minds will be afflicted with a thousand grievous fancies of things past present or to come which yet never were or shall be and we shall be sleepless and restless full of anguish and fears and distractions Whereas if we used our selves to refer all things to God and did look up to him in our Tribulations we should find rest and tranquillity his gracious will and appointment would answer and silence all our objections and whatever hapned we could quietly say with patient Job Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. That God who will have me to be afflicted is gracious and compassionate and hath a tender care of me He hath laid this cross upon me which I resolve to bear till he himself is pleased to take it off CHAP. XXII That Detractions and Derisions must be indur'd and derided 1. IF we grieve more for the Evil men speak against us than for the Evil we our selves commit against God then 't is a plain demonstration self-love prevails in us above the love of God He infinitely perfect and holy bears patiently with innumerable blasphemies and provocations and all the while bestows many blessings upon the offenders And we wretched sinful creatures who can hardly hear worse than we deserve a disobliging word or the least mention of our faults puts us into a fit of anger and fury though we infinitely deserve it we will not bear with reproof or contempt Whereas indeed we should rather fear the undeserved praise of men lest the prosperity and honour of the world cut off our communion and fellowship with the Cross of Christ Should the pains which our sins deserve and the Torments Christ suffered for them be laid in one scale and in the other the evils and injuries we suffer these would have no weight and be nothing compar'd to the other And farther if it be consider'd that the injuries we receive are made grievous according to our own apprehensions and not according to the intention of our enemies the disproportion betwixt our sufferings and deserts will appear yet greater For he cannot be injur'd that slights injuries and he is not wounded that will not by his impatience tear open his wounds The soft flesh not the angry hand that flings the dart is the cause of the hurt Should a mans body be hard as a rock arrows thrown against it could never enter and 't is from the softness and frailty of our minds that reviling words and affronts have power to make impression 2. Blessed is he that so orders his life that malice it self cannot fasten a calumniation upon him and next to him blessed is he that indeavours to be innocent and to have a good conscience in all things otherwise he is a peevish fool that will not hear what he delights to do But if it so happen that notwithstanding our Christian prudence and our perseverance in well doing men will speak ill of us then this is our comfort that we suffer with Christ undeservedly and we must remember his saying Mat. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly Let men think and say what they will we are happy if our conscience doth not accuse us before God Mens opinions and their judgments are false and inconstant and vain and can make us neither better nor worse and therefore St. Paul saith that if we seek to please men we cannot be the servants of Christ Gal. 1.10 For it is impossible for one to please all mens thoughts differ as their inclinations and what some admire others will censure When a Philosopher was told that others laugh'd at him he answer'd At ego non derideor that others might laugh but he was not laugh'd at for it neither did hurt nor afflict him Meaning that those injuries are nothing for which we our selves will not be concern'd CHAP. XXIII Remedies against Discontent and Anger for what abuses we receive 1. IT would be much to the purpose of comfort and patience in all our adversities to fix our minds stedfastly upon God and take it off of our trouble which we increase by reflecting on it for whilst we affect our selves with pitty at the consideration of what we suffer we soften our spirits and the sense of our misery makes the deeper impression upon them Now all our afflictions proceeding from a present or a feared loss the best and most universal remedy against them would be to set our affections upon that supreme increated Good which is subject to no change and can never be taken away from them that love it And that we may also observe an outward Decorum and not disgrace our selves by giving way to impotent passions we must refrain and quite hold in our tongue as soon as we find our selves provoked by any word or deed for as it is a symptom of a weak stomach not to be able to digest harder meat so 't is a certain sign of a poor and weakly spirit not to have strength enough to bear with a cross word or a cross accident and it was the saying of a Wise and Religious man that he never found any thing so grievous but by silence he did overcome it For whatever others do to vex us comes to nothing if we slight it and if we shew our selves much concern'd we betray our weakness or our guilt and we make it appear that we well deserve the abuse 2. But 't will not be enough thus to repress our grief and our talkativeness we must farther reprove and humble our selves with the consideration of our sinfulness and unworthiness acknowledging we deserve more contempt than can be