And the Prophet Dauid ioynes with theÌ„ Psalme â—3 in like consent the word of the Lord is righ teous and all his workes are faithfull And vnto this faithfulnes is another property annexed viz. Gods Iustice Heere is the second reason to induce vs to acknowledge our sinnes for God is iust He is iust in his anger and in his bountifulnesse who shall stand saith Nahum before the face of his wrathfull indignation and his anger is poured out like fire Ps 85. And againe it is an horrible thing to fal into the hands of the liuing God Heb. 12. Hee is iust to giue euery man according to his worke Reue. 21. therefore confesse for hee is iust Hee hath promised free pardon if thou performe this confession and of this pardon thou maist assure thy selfe because God is iust and cannot breake with thee To cleere this with many wordes were to poynt at the shining sunne and to light a candle at noone daie therefore I will descend to that which followeth That he may forgiue vs Though God be of power infinite yet wil he not saue maÌ„ without faith forgiue sinnes without repentance and a principall branch of this repentance is the confessing of sinne If thou treadest the path of repentance thus far foorth viz. to confesse thy sins and to bee ashamed of them and to be sorie for them yet if thou haue not faith if thou beleeue not that God is faithful and iust to forgiue thou commest short of true repentance For Iudas proceeded so farre as well as Mat. 27. 3. 4. thou yet he was damned because hee distrusted God he could not perswade himselfe that GOD would forgiue him and so he lost that which the theefe found Note therefore that three things are necessarie that sinnes may be forgiuen First Infusio gratioe the pouring of grace or working of Gods grace in vs as it wrought in Peter when he went to weepe Secondlie the remorse of the soule who fearing the danger of sin flies to god by repentance like the publicanes souldiours in the 3. of Luke to this belongs confessioÌ„ Thirdly a change of mind and casting off old affections by putting a new heart like Saul when a kingly spirit was giueÌ„ him The calling of sinners to repentance is liuely described by the calling of S. Mathew in whose calling we are to note foure things First he was sitting noting the carelesse securitie of sinners Secondly the place where he was viz. the seate of custome noting how this worldlie Mammon doth draw men from God Thirdly hee rose vppe shewing when grace is poured into vs then we rise froÌ„ sin It is not inough for vs to heare Christ cal but we must rise vp like Samuel and S. Mathew leauing our former state occupatioÌ„ Fourthly hee followed Christ wee must not leaue sinnes only before committed but we must indeuour to leade a godly life euer afterwards framing our selues to the example of Christ To furnish you yet with a coate of surer proofe then Saules armour euerie soule that meanes to possesse heauenly riches must be qualified with these properties He must first haue voluntatis mutationem a change of will 2 Ad deum conuersionem a turning vnto God 3 Peccati detestationem a detestation of sinne 4 Ad meâ—orem vitam intentionem an intention and earnest resolution to liue better afterwardes To forgiue vs our sinnes the certaintie of this remission is assured vs by many presidents in scripture Dauid sinned but vppon his confession God being faithfull and iust forgaue him Ahab confessed his sinne and humbled â—â—in 21 29 himselfe before God and he sawe not the euil that was threatned in his daves And so did the Niniuites and were not destroied though the hande of the Lord were alreadie stretched out within fortie daies to consume Luk. 15 22. them The prodigall sonne was receiued with great welcomes vpon his confession Notwithstanding the inuincible truth of this doctrine yet Satan whose pollicie is euer to hinder mans saluation thought to draw men from the vnderstanding hereof and shuffled into mens heads diuers errors about remission of sinne First that not God alone but man also may forgiue sins whence the selling of pardons proceeded Secondly that venial sin may be forgiuen with the infusion of diuine and heauenly grace Thirdly that there is no remission where there is not open confession to the priest Fourthly that remission of sinnes may be after this life which opinion is defended by magister sententiarum and this is the roote of Purgatorie The Pellagians affirmed that when sinne is forgiuen the punishment is also forgiuen and therefore they say the death of the bodie is not the reward of originall sinne And so they say Adam had died a bodily death whether he had sinned or not but we know it to be otherwise And these are the Locusts that creepe Reuel â— forth of the bottomlesse pit The Pelagians in maintaining this erroâ— crosse these scriptures In â—udore vultus in the sweate of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread God forgaue the sinne but the punishment still remaines God pronounced against Eue in sorrow Gen. 3. shalt thou bring foorth God pardoned the sinne but the punishment yet remaineth Dauid by confession of his sin got pardon yet the Prophet told him he should be humbled by his sonne But let these errors passe and leaue we them to him that deuised them which is the diuell who hath bin a lier from the beginning trueth will triumph ouer falshoode and the arke wil stand when Dagon falles One droppe remaineth behind vndistilled the pure Quintessence whereof being in due mixture added to this cleare fountaine of christalline water wil grace the same with a matchlesse perfection When this is supplied nothing will be wanting as nothing was lacking to the fiue Mat. 25 4. wise virgins when their lampes were burning And to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse God will not only remit sinne but he will take it cleane away as Moses said he Exo. 10. 26 woulde not leaue an hoofe behinde so God in purging wil not leaue a spot behind but we shal be throughly cleansed and made white like Abosolom who from the sole of his foote to the top of his head had no blemish 2. Sam. 14. 25. in him How filthie and polluted soeuer we were before yet nowe wee shall be cleane and white whiter than Naaman after so many washings In the one and twentieth of the Reuelation it is written that the city of god is founded vpon precious stones and in the ende of the Chapter it is said there shall no vncleane thing enter into it shewing that the soule of man must be cleane The Lord by Esay sayth I wil blot out all thine iniquities And if the wicked man wil turne from his wickednes I will remeÌ„ber his sins no more In the sixt of the Reuelation mention is made of those that were vnder the Altar the Altar is
for shee is parte of his substance he must loue her as tenderly as the rib in his owne side Hee is not to putte her downe to his heele nor must shee presume to his head She must not exercise the maistery nor must the husband make her his seruant remembring shee was taken from his side The ribbe teacheth them both a lesson of continencie the man to like and loue none but his wife and the wife none but her husband shee ought in affection to bee so neere vnto him as his owne ribbe Lastly it teacheth them both a lesson of vnity which is the band of loue the man must not prouoke his wife nor the wife her husband No bitter wordes must passe betweene them much lesse blowes for will anie man beat him selfe will anie man frette his ribbe no man saith the apostle euer hated his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Ephes 5. 29. And thus you haue breflie heard the sum of this portion of scripture in such measure as god hath opened vnto me I haue reuealed vnto you In the first parte you haue heard god coÌ„sulting in the second determining for Adam his good an help meet for him and thirdly the maner of the womans creation all shew foorth gods loue and care ouer mankind and this loue and care in God doth call for gratitude and thankfulnesse from vs by walking dutifully in our callings and supporting one another after the example of God God that sormed vs so sanctifie vs by his good spirit of grace that we fashioÌ„ our selues to his will that we may euer be doing that which is acceptable in his sight to his glory and the saluation of our soules in the righte oâ—sâ—eâ— of Iesus Christ Amen A short Treatise vpon the Commaundements Blessed are they that do the Commandements Reuel 22. 14. THe Lord when he had made man euen Adam the father of all men and the first progenitour out of the clay he formed him euen red earth which is also figured in his name and hauing inuested him with all the ornaments of excellency and perfection in making him but a little inferior to the Angels and crowning him with glory and worship as it is in the author to the Hebrewes and hauing deliuered vnto him as his vicegerent the sole and supreme soueraigntie â—uer the world and the creatures therein and hauing for the more increase of his felicitiâ— seated him in that goodly Eden and pleasant Paradise a place more rich and more excellent then all the King of Sâ—aâ—â—es golden Indies for there is pure gold and thâ—â—â— are pretious stones in great abou◠〈…〉 may reade in the 2. of Genesis Yet all this notwithstandin◠〈…〉 would not haue him to â—â—â—dâ—e 〈…〉 only in the secure coÌ„â—mpâ—â—mâ—ion 〈◊〉 â—â—rthly paradice but he tasâ—ed him 〈…〉 him a charge to diesse garden to â—ence it and to keepe it He gaue him a coÌ„maâ—â—â—ment allso saying thou shalt eate freely of al the trees in the garden but of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate thereof Loe here had Adam a commaundement which if he had not viloated he had yet holden Paradice but hee had no sooner tasted of the forbidden apple but the curse of God ouertooke him and his posterity and as hee became a slaue to sinne so hee became subiect to death the stipend of sinne And so was hee driuen like an exile from Paradice and could neuer enter in thither annye more for it is kept with a fiery cherubin and with the shaking blade of a swoord that no man since Adams fall daâ—e venture to haue accesse in thither Then had Adam a new task imposed him not like the former which was as you haue heard to dresse the garden to fence it and to keepe it but a labour of sorer difficultie and harder trauell euen to digge and delue he neuer knew what labour was nor what husbandrie meant till now but now he knew it to his paine All yee husbandmen when you till and occupie your ground with toyling and moyling in the sweate of your browes thinke on Adams fall and that this your labour was inflicted you for a curse for till Adam transgressed it was neuer pronounced Gen. 3. 19. In sudore vnltus vesâ—eris pane In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate thy bread So then to descend to a particular application of that which hitherto hath beene spoken As the Lord gaue Adam a commaundement while he was yet in Paradise which you knowe and I haue partly touched so hath he giuen vs Adams posterity commandementes also not one as Adam had buteuen ten for one Wherein note what harme or inconueniâ—â—ce our first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 purchased vs by the breaking of that one which first was giuen him If he had carefully obserued that one then had not these tenne been imposed vpon vs as if he should haue saide in the seueritie of his iustice looking vpon the guilt of Adams sinne haue I giuen thee but one O Adam and couldest thou not obserue that Knowe that I will enioyne a greater matter vnto thy seede after thee I will charge thee with tenne And as I imposed a curse on thee for the breach of that one so shal my haÌ„d of iudgement be vpon them and their children if they breake those tenne If they transgresse but in one or a iote of any one for hee that offends but in a tittle of the Lawe is guiltie of the whole law And as the sentence of death and the exclusion of that earthly Paradise passed against thee so shall the sentence of death and the exclusion not from that on earth but from a better and a more glorious paradise passe vpon them if they obserue not my commandements Lo what an apple hath brought vs vnto we should not eat an apple though our own handes haue planted it without this consideration but we should euen then recall to memory the curse contracted to himselfe and vs by eating the forbidden apple and withall we should aduise our selues of the penaltie that must be inflicted vs when we offend the same God in breaking the commandements which now are giuen vs. Let no man charge the Lord with seuerity in this case for it was not so much the eating of an apple that God respected when he plagued Adam as the breach of his commandement Adam testified the small loue and lesse reuerence that he bare both to God himself and his commandements when he would not sticke to incurre his euerlasting displeasure only for qualifying his lust in eating of an apple Whether it be a great matter or a small that the Lord shall command hee wil looke bee kept if thou offend in the smaller the more beast thou to prouoke God in so small a thing God lookes not vpon the matter but vpon our disobedience which God reckoneth as the sinne of rebellion Vzzah did but touch the arke being realy 1. Chro. 1â— to fal and he was striken
but the forbidden fruit and so he swallowed the bait that proued to be his bane As the Prophets children cried death is in 2. kin 4 40. the poâ— so Adam might haue cried death is in the apple The belly hath no eares and therefore is apt to receiue no instruction And this was the first hooke that euer Satan baited to intrappe vs in the belly He well knew mans daintines and therefore he applied himselfe to his humor and so we were neuer ware of the hooke he had so subtily couched it till it was in our throates The belly will tempt vs to incredulitie and distrustfulnesse as it tempted that Prince on whose shoulder the King leaned 2. King 7. who though he had heard it proclaimed by the Prophet Elisha that there shuld be plenty of vittels that a measure of flower should be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel by the next morrow yet he was faithles said it could not come to passe though the Lord should make windowes in heaueÌ„ but it came to passe and as a iust punishment of his incredulity he was â—oden to death in the gate and he saw it but might not taste of it Let this Prince be a president of terror to all vnbeleuing wretches that will distrust the diuine prouidence Why should we distrust God since we know that he careth for sparrowes and how much better are we than many sparowes Iob. 39 3. Yea he feedeth the rauens that cry vnto him and himself chargeth vs not to be carefull for our bodies what raiment we shall put on nor for our bellies what meate we shall prouide for after all these things do the Mat. 6 25. Gentiles seeke He that spake vnto Paul saying my grace 2. cor 12 9 is sufficient for thee saith the same vnto vs and to all the godly my gace is sufficient for you And therefore why are ye carefull O ye of little faith The belly made the Israelites distrust God in the wildernes when they murmured and wished themselues among the flesh pots in Aegypt for there say they wee ate Num. 14. bread our bellies full but now we must die with famine they would not rely vpon God longer than he fed them with bread from heauen or gaue them water out of the hard rocke God requireth that his children do waite his leisure for he staieth and restrayneth his blessings from vs for a season because our faith and our pacience may be sounded It is no maruaile if their faith stand sure who liue at ease and are not humbled with any crosse of affliction that haue all their heart can desire that haue long life like Methusalah great store of wealth like Salomon honor like Haman lands and possessions like the rich yong man in the Gospel These were neuer driuen to the desart but let God lay his hand vpon theÌ„ take from them all that euer they haue returning them to the world as naked as Iob let him take away first their children after that their goods then touch them in their bodies with sicknesse and it will appeare whether they haue faith or not and that constancy that was in Iob who after al his losses yea his own wife standing at his elbow tempting him to curse God yet could say shall we receiue good at the hands of God and not euill Iob. 2. 10 I rather suppose that a great sort beeing tempted with the losse of goods or any such like triall would rather shrinke away from God like Demas or like the accusers that ranne from Christ or like the young rich man that went away sorrowfull when hee heard that he must part with his goods if he Mat. 19 22 wold inherite life Hee loued his riches better then Iob did his and therefore hee mist that which Iob found viz. a better Paradise then Adam lost O let vs be warie and circumspect when we shall at anie time be thus tempted that we shake not the profession of our faith as 2. Tim. 4 10. Demas did when he imbraced the present world nor let vs yeelde to Satan though he driue vs to the desart Hee hath driuen Christ thither afore vs and he in getting the victorie ouer Satan in this his temptation hath promised to giue vs the victorie likewise when we shal be in like maner tempted We are not better then the Apostles and Disciples of Christ they haue been led into the desart Ducti fuerunt in desertum sed non deserti Looke the eleuenth to the Hebrues they Hebru 11 were stoned hewen asunder tempted slaine with the sword they wandred vp and down in sheep-skins goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses in mountaines and dens All this did they indure in patience knowing that they should finde in heauen a better and a more induring substance Faith must sustain vs as it sustained them for the iust shall liue by faith and this fayth Rom. 1 17 shall neuer fayle till the heauens bee no more For he that said vnto Peter I haue prayed Luk. 22 23 for thee that thy faith faile not saith the same vnto vs also and to all the faithfull I haue prayed that your faiths faile not And when he had fasted fortie dayes and forty nights c Here is set downe the miraculous abstinence in fasting fortie dayes without meate which is not therefore pende to the end we should imitate the same for our indeuour would faile in the attempting of it for who is able to fast forty daies without receiuing any nourishmeÌ„t but it is rather set down for our comfort the strengthning of our faith which is the end and scope of al his other miracles Howsoeuer our aduersaries the Papists haue in a superstitious coÌ„ceitednes supposed that our fast of fortie daies in the lent time vsually holden hath his warraÌ„t from this fast of Christ in the desart But they are vtterly deceiued and this opinion of theirs hath not any shadowe of truth or probabilitie Christ rather in this sheweth the harmonie and consent betweene the newe and old testament as Moses the seruant of God receiuing the lawe on mount Sinai did fast fortie daies without meate so would Christ fast so many daies bringing to vs the newe law viz. the Gospel This fast then of fortie daies which wee celebrate hath not his ground from hence but it is a meere ordinance of man and if it be not obserued as it ought in his true vse viz. being taken onely for a ciuill ordinance profitable to the coÌ„mon-wealth for preseruing and increasing of that which otherwise would be extraordinarily consumed it will carry with it matter rather of foolish superstition then of any sincere deuout religion Further if it had been expedient for vs to haue imitated this fast of fortie daies Christ would haue in his Gospel commaunded it but we finde no such commandement nor can any probable collection
And because thou wantedst a pincely throane and Regall seate of Maiestie whereon thou mightst sitte triumphing as chiefe regent of the world and to the which all creatures might haue recourse to do thee homage God gaue a throne vnto thee more glorious than that of Solomons though it were of Iuory and couered with the best gold euen the garden of Eden a place of repose so magnificent and of such matchlesse excellency as no pallace of any potentate King or keyâ—ar in the world may be compared vnto it being a place that shined with supereminent beauty and was stored with such infinite varieties of inexpected pleasure the trees yeelding al kind of desired fruits and the fruites as they were different in kind so they presented diuersity of tastes al peasant toothsome to the receiuer This garden was watred by a riuer cleare as any christall the resemblance of that riuer of the water of life described by S. Iohn in the 22. of his Reuelation In a word this goodly Eden this glorious mansion of Adams regiment seemed no other than a most liuely representation of the very citty of God filled wth the glory and maiestie of the creator Ah Adam what meanest thou to disfranchize thy selfe of so great a libertie and to lose the rich prerogatiues of so ample a monarchie in stretching forth thy hand to the forbidden tree Could no apple but the forbidden fruit qualisie thine vnbridled appetite the tasting whereof included thine exclusion and debarment for euer from Paradise yea death it selfe also to thee and thy posteritie Looke backe if thou wilt for the shaking blade in the handes of the fiery Cherubim hath cutte off the hope of returning thither any more Look backe I say to that place of blisse which by transgression thou hast lost and reeount at once if for greefe thou canst all thy wofull infelicities Thou hadst the beastes foules and fishes at thy command to call vppon the earth vnder thee to treade vppon the fruites of the trees beside thee to feede vpon yea gold and pearle euery where about thee to trample on and what could thine eies lust after or thy heart wish for more then this Notwithstanding all this that hath beene spoken euerie part and tittle whereof dooth abundantly shew forth the loue of God towards Adam Loe yet for all this God whose mercie is beyond measure and whose goodnes is infinite exhibiteth to Adam further testimonies of his loue in drawing from his owne side a companion when before hee was solitarie for hee sawe it was not good that hee should be alone Adam little thought that the Lord was ordaining for him so acceptable a supplie he knew not his owne want Vntill God graced him with this newe blessing he conceiued himselfe sufficientlie furnished like the rich yong man in the gospel who supposed he wanted nothing that might furnish him to the kingdom of God till God made him vnderstande that one principall thing was lacking which was that hee must sell all hee had and giue it to the â—oore Adam so long as hee was alone without the woman seemed but as a maimed man that wanted his principall limbe As Agrippa speaking of himselfe saide Act. 26 28. thou perswadest me almost to be a Christian so may I say of Adam that hee was almost a man being yet alone but when the woman was formed out of his rib then hee became an absolute and perfect man And this much bee spoken of this first poynt of Gods consultation or conference nowe of his resolution noted in these following wordes I will make him an helpe meete for him God hauing taken counsel with his wisedome at length determineth for Adams good an helpe meete from him I shall not neede to vse many woords for the cleering of this note for it containeth onely the execution of that which in the former woordes he interpleaded and for the vse of the doctrine it is little differing from that which hath alreadie beene spoken only it sheweth the continuance of Gods mercie and loue towards Adam in performing so speedilie what he before consulted vppon It is not good saith the Lord in the former parte of the verse that man should be alone and in the latter part he concludeth I will make him a helpe meete for him The reason that mooued the Lord to be so friendly vnto Adam was this because it made for his good it was profitable for him And the same reason should bee of force by the example of God to inforce vs so to deale one with another we should imparte any thing to our neighbour that maketh for his good if our friend want any thing that we can supplie we ought not withhold it from him for as the woman for the man so men were made for men one to helpe an other God hath made all his creatures to serue man the sunne to shine the starres to giue light the cloudes to water the grounde the cattle to till the earth and the earth to yeelde her increase and all this for man shall these dumbe creatures with such voluntarie obedience and such cheerefull alacritie perform their duties in their neuer-failing ministrie and shall not wee minister one to anothers necessitie shall man onely Gods owne Image and the perfection of all creatures whom God made but a little inferior to the Angels shall onely man I say be defectiue in his dutie I will make c. It was a sentence that was begunne with words of sweete consolation It is not good that man should bee alone and with no lesse harmonie of like sweetenes continued to the period concluding thus with an heauenly consent I will make man an help See how peremptorilye the loue of God runnes Is it good for man I will do it Wee shoulde carrye like loue one toward another and wee shoulde learne to speake as God speaketh Is it good for my neighbour I will doe it His will and his loue did ioyne both togither to further Adams happines His loue made the question Is it good and his will presently makes answere like Samuel at the first call I will doe it for him This was Gods loue towardes vs O that ours towards him were like his for then as Gods loue procured Gods will to woorke Adams good so would our loue beeing like his draw forward our will to execute in a carefull obedience whatsoeuer God commaundeth Where this loue of God hath wrought in the children of God there hath this willingnes bin found coÌ„curreÌ„t with like effectual operatioÌ„ for the are nere seperated from the children of God but are euermore vnited as it were by an inuiolable league like Ionathan and his armor bearer who were neuer diuided The Prophet Dauid sayth in the 119. Psalme I loue thy commandements aboue gold yea aboue most fine gold there goeth Dauids loue and this loue made him pronounce in the 32. verse of that Psalme I wil run the way of thy commandements there we see Dauids
exhortationum The Lawe had his roote in Paradise his branches in the Desart his fruit in Christ the rootes bitter to Adam the braunches heauy to the Israelites the fruites death to Christ because he died to fulfill the lawe This lawe is a Schoolemaister sending vs to Christ This lawe is like a glasse wherein we may beholde two kindes of sights wee may beholde our owne imperfections and also we may see the absolute perfection of Christ Iesus When the yron fell into the water Elizeus 2. Kings 6 tooke a peece of woodde and threw it in and the yron came to the toppe of the wate We were as yron suncke vnto the bottome of the waters of desperation and our heauenly Elizens Christ Iesus with a peece of wood that is suffering for our sinnes vpon a woodden Crosse raised vs vp and caused vs to swimme vppon the toppes of the waters of despaire But before wee proceede to a particular view of the Commaundements I will briefly acquaint you with the substance of them which is this They comprehend the duety of man towards God and the duety of man towards man the duety of one man towards another Our dueties towardes God are deliuered in the foure first Commandements first table our dueties towards man in the six last being the second table Wilt thou knowe howe thou maiest performe all this that God requireth of thee in these his Commandements why loue God and loue thy neighbour and thou hast done all Do this and thou shalt be as free from the â—reach of these commandements or anie of them as Naaman was free from his leprosie when he had washed in Iordan The whole fulfilling of the lawe consists but in one word but in this word Loue it is â—ut a sillable But thou must knowe that this loue is more than a bare loue a naked loue a colde loue for the wickedest and loosest liuer in the world will say he loues God he loues his neighbour too But thou must loue God entirely and purely and as he will be loued thou must loue him with these circumstâ—â—ces viz. with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength and then thou must loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou must loue God aboue al thou must loue him more than thy selfe more than thy father that begate thee or thy mother that bare thee or thy brother the son of thy mother or thy wife that lieth in thy bosome he Mat. 10. 37 that loueth father or mother sister or brother wife or children or kinsfolks morethan me is not worthy to be my disciple Wee come short of this loue when wee loue the world like Demas or our pleasures like Belshazar or our riches like the young man in the Gospell who before he questioned with Christ thought hâ— had had this loue we now speake of for he iustified him Mat. 19. 22. selfe saying All these haue I kept from my youth vppe But Christ knew â—ee loued his riches and possessions and his landes better and therefore he bade him goe and sell all hee had and giue it to the poore and hee shoulde haue treasure in Heauen but he went away sorrowing not sorrowing for that hee came short of this loue wee speake of but for that he must part with his goods if he would inherite lift for the text saith he was very rich If ye loue the world the loue of GOD dwelleth not in you but when yee begin to loue the Lord in the sinceritie of your harts then and neuer till then will the loue of the world fall from you with the vanities thereof as the white scales fell fro Tobias eyes Loue euen this pure loue whereof wee speake is the first lincke that in an holie vnion dooth ioyne GOD and vs together and this one lincke drawes twoo others with it feare and obedience loue looks vppon Gods mercie feare lookes vpon his iustice the one stayeth vs from presumption the other keepes vs from desperation These two support our faith as the twoo Lions supported Solomons throne and to what soule soeuer these two shall haue recourse euen thither shall obedience comc also These three are better welcome vnto God than the three presents offered by the wise men vnto Christ These three graces loue feare and obedience are like those robes of righteousnes to couer and beautifie the Saintes of God which Saint Iohn extolleth with a threefold commendation they were pure fine and shining This loue holdes me to it like an adamant and yet I may not part with it till I haue planted it in you for if I teache you this one lesson I teach you all which is to loue God aboue all We must loue him for that he is mercifull in making vs when wee were not in protecting vs being made but most of all for sauing vs when we had lost our selues as Adam lost himselfe among the figge trees for giuing vs the ayre to breathe with the Sunne to giue vs light the raine to fructifie the earth the fire to warme vs the beastes and foules and fishes to feede vs all that is within and without our bodies This world and the goodly frame thereof This ought to make vs loue god and in our loue to exclaime like Dauid O Lorde what is man that thou so gratiously visitest him but looking vpon our selues and our ingratitude that doe not loue god for all this we haue cause to crie out vpon our selues to say O man what is god that thou so lightly regardest him O Lord saith Augustin in Soliloquijs if thou for this vile body giue so innumerable benefits from the firmament from the ayre from the earth from the sea by light and by darkenesse by heat and shadow by dewes and showers by wind and raine by birds fishes by beasts and trees by multitude of of hearbs and variety of plants and by the ministery of all thy creatures O sweete Lord what gratitude what loue and thankefulnesse should we owe thee for all this how should we honour thee as thou deseruest All the creatures of God do call vpon vs to loue God and yet are we short of this loue we praise him not we thanke him not for his benefits we honour him not for his goodnesse so beyond al measure vngratefull are we like those nine lepers that being clensed forgat him that clensed them Alas what meane we to forget to be thankfull to so gracious a God what meane we now after so many blessings that God stil powreth vpon vs in a plentifull measure we haue not yet learned to loue him This is the A B C of religion and fiâ—st Catechising Principle for them to learne that will be trained in the schoole o Christ and we haue not learned so much such trowanting schollers are we In this loue is all the whole duty of man consisting and wilt not thou learne this one thing which teacheth thee all things O but you will say if all