information of the LORD piously except the loue of GOD doth moue them to it How shall wee bee able to meditate in the Law of GOD day and night as wee are exhorted our dulnesse and auersnesse is so great by nature except the loue of GOD do spurre vs vp and vanquish vs How shall wee with the children of Israel turne quickely out of the way wherein our fathers haue walked and go an whoring after the idoll idle and addle inuentions of men specially if we were but put to it a little except our loue to GOD restraine and bridle vs What soule will say to GOD but that which loues him deerely as Ruth said to Naomi Whether thou goest I will go and where thou dwellest I will dwell It is lacke of loue which makes men forsake him deny him seruice and depart out of his house Will a mother with Hannah dedicate her sonne vnto the LORD but that shee loues him surely if her dedication be in deuotion it is the fruit of her loue Wouldest thou with Dauid set all the Lawes of GOD before thee and not depart there from Wouldst thou bee vpright towards him and keepe thee from thy wickednesse Then loue him For what was it that made Ionathan so sincere to Dauid what caused him to say vnto him Whatsoeuer thy soule requireth that will I do vnto thee Euen this Because hee loued him as his owne soule What but loue forced the true mother of the child to say vnto Salomon Slay him not whereas the other for want of loue said Diuide it So nothing but the loue of GOD makes a man study the peace vnity of his House and causes his bowels to yearne at the diuiding of it What but the zeale of loue to GOD moued Hezekiah to break the images to cut downe the groues â—nd to demolish the brazen Serpent So certainely thou shalt neuer â—leaue fast to the LORD and throw downe those idols that are within thee and keep thy soule from inchastity except thy loue to GOD constraine thee Wouldst thou haue thy Religion costly and not count it a burthen to thee Wouldst thou bee cheerefull and Free-spirited in all thine oblations and gifts vnto GOD Then must thou needs addict thy soule to GOD by loue It was this which made Dauid say to Ornan I will not take thine for the LORD nor offer burnt offerings without cost It was deuotion which moued the Israelites to bestow their siluer and gold and precious stones vnto the building of the Temple Of whom it is written that They offered willinglâ— vnto the LORD with a Perfite â—eart It was without question true loue to GOD which made Sâ—lomon pray for wisedome and knowledge to gouerne the people of GOD and build an house for the Name of the LORD and which made Dauid say I will not enter into the Tabernacle of mine house nor come vpon my pallat or bed nor suffer mine eyes to sleepe nor mine eye-lids to slumber vntill I finde out a place for the LORD an habitation for the mighty GOD of Iacob Euen so doe thou whom CHRIST hath made a spirituall King deuote and bestow thy selfe on GOD by loue if euer thou desirest to gouerne thy selfe to mortifie thy lusts and to make thine heart an house for GOD to dwell in Wouldst thou not sleepe till thou hast found out an house for GOD to dwell in Then surely thy loue must keepe thee awake Loue vnto God and of his worship made the people sing for ioy and shoute with a great shoute when the foundation of the LORDS House was laid Euen so it behoues vs truely to loue GOD if wee would truely reioyce when wee see the Church which is the House of GOD newly founded or repaired in any Kingdome State Citty Towne Village Family or when wee see the truth of CHRIST planted and receiued in any man Wee are commanded to sanctifie the Sabboath day and Nehemiah was very zealous for the keeping of it and reproues the Rulers for the breach thereof What euill thing is this saith hee that yee doe and breake the Sabboath day Did not yours fathers thus and our GOD brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this Citty yet yee increase the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabboath Now certainely vnlesse by loue we sanctifie GOD in our hearts we shall neuer sanctifie the Saboath for GOD. This is the cause that wee steale away the Saboath from GOD because our lucre and pleasures doe steale away our loue that is due to GOD from vs. It was loue that made Ester say to the King How can I suffer and see the euill that shall come vpon my people or how can I suffer and see the destruction of my kindred Doubtlesse he loueth Iacob that pitties the affliction of Ioseph Loue vnto GOD will make the heart bleed at the bloud-shed of the godly Thou canst not loue GOD if thou beest not moued at the plots and practises of godlesse men against the people of GOD I suppose him void of all loue to GOD that could haue seene suffered that execrable Powder-practise or which now doth grieue in secret to see it disapointed To conclude what moued Iob to patience Loue. What made him say Though hee slay mee yet will I trust in him and I will reproue my waies in his sight Loue. What made Dauid say Thou art my LORD thy Law is within mine heart Loue. What made him so sing of GOD and compose so many Psalmes vnto him Loue. What made Agur pray Feed mee with foode conuenient least I bee full and deny thee and say Who is the LORD and least I be poore and steale take the Name of my GOD in vaine Loue. What made Salomon rise at the last relinquish his lusts cry All is vanity call vs to the remembrance of GOD in our youth Loue. What moueth the Church to speak thus vnto her husband Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his Mouth Shew me where thou feedâ—st where thou liest at noone Stay me with flagons comfort me with Apples Nothing but Loue. Shee is sicke of loue What made Daniel venture vpon the Lyons the three children vpon the fire and the Christian Martyrs vpon all kinds of deaths Surely this They loued not their liues vnto the death but out of their loue vnto GOD made more account of his glory then of their owne liues liberties pleasures profits and preferments and held the truth at an higher rate then all earthly things whatsoeuer Loe then what reason wee haue to loue the LORD I all the wit and industry of flesh and bloud were spent and exercised in arguing for the loue of earthly things yet all were nothing of no validity nor efficacy to remoue our loue from GOD to them What shall detaine our loue the world Know yee not saith Saint Iames That the amity of the world is
called it modici semporis tyrannidem a tyrant which raigned but a while Theophrastus said it was Tacitam deceptionem aut silentem fraudem a Still deceiuer or Silent fraud And as for beâ—utifull persons if vicious and voide of loue to GOD they are like Tulipees goodly to looke on but of no good sauour Or like Alablaster boxes filled with vineger like guilded pot-sheards or more properly like a ring of gold in a Sowes snowt or some precious iewell in a Beares eare And finally if beauty the gift of GOD be of so great request how much more then should GOD the giuer of it who is so full of beauty as that if His Beautifulnesse could bee seene it would draw the eyes and hearts of all that saw it to him But say if none of these what shall haue thy loue Thy selfe Beware if thou makest thy selfe thy GOD thou makest thy selfe thy diuill Certainely thou maist loue thy selfe so thou loue GOD in thy selfe and thy selfe in GOD and whilst thou dost loue thy selfe vnder GOD and not ouer GOD For GOD and not against GOD Otherwise if thou dost loue thy selfe thou dost but hate thy selfe if thou wouldst saue thy soule thou shalt destroy thy soule For GOD is the Soule of thy soule the Ioy of thy heart the Strength of thy life thy Shield and Shadow thy Sauiour and Deliuerer Much better were it therefore for a man to leaue his body and to loose his life rather then by louing what he should not loue at all or more then is allowed to loose and depriue himselfe of GOD who is the true Light and Life the Grace and Glory of all our soules and bodies also What shall therefore separate vs from the loue of GOD the Father of our spirits the Breath of our nosthrils the Castle of our comfort our Rocke of defence and the Fountaine of Life What shall extinguish this Sacred and Celestiall fire of loue vnto his Maiesty within our breasts What shall vnloose vs or cut the cords of our loue whereby wee are tyed vnto him What shall wipe him out of the Table-bookes of our hearts and blot him out of our memories Shall promotions profites pleasures beauty brauery tribulations life death men or diuels No no nothing no not the whole world and all that is therein What were it to gaine all the world and to loose thy soule What were it to bee Lord of all the world and to bee depriued of him for whom all the world was made What were it to bee beloued of all men and yet to bee hated of the GOD of men I will therefore loue GOD keepe GOD for hee that hath GOD wants nothing but hee that wants GOD hath nothing Now because to loue GOD truely and as euery good Christian ought is a duety so needfull equall excellent and commodious and because men are much abused by their immaginations the heart of man being a Sea of subtilty and a Mine of deceipt giuen to deceiue and beguile it selfe I will therefore propound certaine notes whereby wee may discerne if wee loue him truely with a sincere and regular affection or whether wee onely draw neere vnto him with our lips being far from him in regard of hearty loue First true loue is not lither but laborious Si operari renuerit amor non est it if it will not labour it is not loue What paines will not the Soldier take that affects the victory what wil not the worldling do to get or keep riches How did Ester labour to saue her kindred Country-men the Iewes Iacob indured the heate of the day the frost of the night and want of rest euen continuall toyle and trauell in a seruice of foureteene yeares vnder none of the kindest Maisters Laban his name turned but his nature retained a very Naball and all this for his loue to Rahell Our Gamesters will sit vp night and day at dice and cards Our gallant Dames out of their loue of brauery what cost will they spare what time will they not spend in making changing dressing pluming pranking And is the loue of GOD onely lazy sleepy sluggish and vnwilling both to do and suffer It is not doubtlesse Secondly hee that loues GOD truely and with a well regulated loue will loue GOD chiefly for GOD himselfe euen because hee is Good Excellent Perfect and Amiable in himselfe and not for those Loue-tokens onely which GOD in loue doth daigne to giue him For to loue one meerely for gaine is not to loue him that giues it but our selues that take it If this bee well considered it is to bee feared that many men loue GOD as they vse to loue their friends that is not for their friends sake but for themselues not because their friends are Religious Iust Wise Vertuous but because they receiue benefites as money meate credite and such things by them But Saint Paul was of a more generous and truer Spirit For he saith I seeke not myne owne profite but the profite of many that they might bee saued And againe I seeke not yours but You and doe all things that you may bee edified And againe yee haue done well that yee did communicate to mine affliction Not that I desire a gift but I desire a fruit which may further your reckoning And yet more fully I could wish my sefe to bee sepâ—rated anathematized from CHRIST my life my light my glory For my brethren that are my kinsmen in the flesh If they might be receiued he passed not though himselfe were reiected if they might be saued hee cared not though himselfe were excluded out of heauen so they might bee blessed hee could wish himselfe were accursed Thus the Galatians loued the Apostle They despised not his trials not his pouerty and afflictions but receiued him as an Angell of GOD and to haue done him good could haue found in their hearts to haue pulled out their owne eyes and haue giuen them vnto him This true loue also was seene in Moses to GOD and his Country-men For when they had in his absence made them an Idoll and prouoked GOD against them by their idolatry insomuch that GOD speaking to Moses said Let Mee alone for I will consume Them but I will make of Thee a mighty people which was a tempting offer but marke how Moses took it Hee most earnestly besought the LORD to spare them preferring their good to his owne greatnesse which argued the truth of his loue vnto them and intreated the LORD to turne from his wrath and why Least his enemies should blaspheme his Name and say Hee brought them out maliciously to slay them in the mountaines esteeming more of GODS glory then his owne greatnesse and aduancement Yea so louing hee was of the people but especially so iealous of GODS glory that rather then hee would haue them destroyed or it eclypsed hee wisheth himselfe To bee razed out of GODS Booke So
The Christians LOOKING-GLASSE Wherein hee may cleerely see His loue to GOD liuely expressed His Fidelity truely discouered And Pride against GOD and Man Anatomised whereby the Hypocrisie of the times is notoriously manifested By THOMAS TVKE Minister of GODS Word at Saint Giles in the Fields LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes and are to bee sold by Richard Bolton at his Shop in Chancery-lane neere Holborne 1615. TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS AND HONOVRABLE LADY the Lady ALICIA DVDLEY MADAME THere are three necessary vertues well be-seeming euery Christian Man Charity Fidelity and Humility both towardes God and Man There are foure reasons to passe by many moe which should moue vs to the loue of God First because hee is our gracious Father who of his owne will begat vs with the word of truth that we should be as the first fruits of his Creatures Now if a childe shall loue his father of whom he hath receiued a part of his body how much more ought he loue God Qui animam suam infundendo creauit creando infudit of whom hee hath receiued his soule and to whose goodnesse he stands obliged both for soule and body both for the being continuing of them Therefore Dauid saith Thou hast possessed my reines thou hast couered me in my Mothers wombe Vpon thee haue I been staied from the wombe thou art hee that tooke me out of my mothers bowels And Iob long before him Thine hands haue made me and fashioned me wholly round about thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh and ioyned me together with bones and sinewes thou hast giuen me life and grace and thy visitation hath preserued my spirit Secondly God is to be loued for his most sweet and pleasing nature which the wicked indeed feeleth not because as Isidore saith he hath lost the palate of his heart with the feuer of iniquity Thirdly God by his beneficence hath deserued our loue for out of his meere loue he sent his own and onely Son into the world to saue vs when we were lost to redeeme vs when we were captiues and by his death to giue vs life when we had deserued nought but death Fourthly aske now the beasts they shall teach thee and the fowles of the heauen and they shall tell thee speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea they shall declare vnto thee Euen these things in their kindes do praise God and shew their loue vnto man for whom they were appointed and shall man shew no loue to God and in loue do nothing for God for whom his creatures doe so much good suffer so much euil being all put vnder his feet and subiected to his power All sheepe oxen yea the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire and the fish of the sea Now because a man hath in him life like a plant sense as a beast and vnderstanding proper to a Man therefore it behooues him to loue God with his life with his senses and with his reason Our Sauiour saith we ought to loue God with all our heart with al our soule and with all our minde We ought to loue him with all our heart that is with all our affections delighting and ioying in him more then in any thing For he loues not God that delights in any thing more then in God and as S t Austen saith Minus te amat qui aliquid tâ—cuÌ„ amat quod non propter te amat By how much the more the lower bowes of a Tree are multiplied by so much the lesse it groweth vpwards so by how much the more a man doth loue these things beneath by so much the lesse is his loue erected and lifted vnto God aboue therefore such loue is to be pruned cut away as superfluous branches froÌ„ a tree that it may thriue the better God requires the whole heart My son giue me thy heart like some noble Bird of prey that seizeth vpon the heart for he alone created it he alone couers it and he only can content and fill it Totum exigit te qui fecit te totum he requires thee all that made thee all If we owe our selues wholly for our generation what shall wee adde for our regeneration Neither are we so easily new made as made In the first work God gaue vs vnto our selues in the second he gaue vs himselfe and restored vs vnto our selues Being therefore both giuen and restored we doe owe our selues for our selues and we do owe our selues twice But what shall wee repay vnto the Lord for himselfe For although we were able to repay our selues a thousand times what are wee vnto the Lord If a man had some speciall iewell which he is minded to giue away he would bethinke himselfe where hee might best bestow it Our heart is the best member which wee haue and God is our best friend let vs bestow it vpon him it is not lost that is giuen vnto him Secondly wee must loue the Lord with all our Soule induring rather the separation of the soule from the body then that our soule should be separated from God who is the soule of our soule the comfort both of soule and body And because our soule affoords life and sense vnto the body therefore to shew that we loue God with all our soule we ought to honour him with our liues all our life long and with all our senses suffering them to be guided by his will and chusing rather to bee depriued of them all then of him that gaue them all Thirdly we must loue him with all our minde and vnderstandings and cogitations being fixt vpon him and ruled by him His word should informe â—nd direct our reason our reason rightly informed should rule our wils our affections and conuersations in all which wee ought to seeke and apply our selues vnto God that our liues our affections our wils and our vnderstandings may be said to be Gods so as although we liue yet we may truly say We liue not but God doth liue within vs. And so much for our loue of God Loue of Man is either loue of our selues or of our Neighbour That a man should loue himselfe it is very necessary for he that loues not himselfe cannot loue another And as S t Austen saith Sinon nosti diligere teipsum timâ—o ne decipias proximum sicut teipsum if thou knowest not to loue thy selfe I am afraid least thou shouldst deceiue thy neighbour as thy selfe Yet is it no easie matter for a man to loue himselfe aright for he that loues iniquity hateth his owne soule and hee that loues himselfe in the way of sin doth loue a robber condemned to dye Si malè amaueris tunc odisti si benè odeâ—is tunc amasti If a man loue himselfe amisse hee hates himselfe but if hee hate himselfe well
faithfull vnto Him 5. Wee exact fidelity of those that are vnder vs therefore in reason we should behaue our selues faithfully to GOD which is aboue vs. 6. Fidelity is a most certaine argument of felicity for hee that endureth to the end shall bee saued Finally vnfaithfulnesse is punished with perdition Fearefull and vnfaithfull persons shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And so much for Fidelity The last is Humility wherby we doe not ouer-weene our selues but behaue our selues humbly towards GOD and Man Humility is to be shewed towards a mans Superiors Equals and Inferiours The Superiour of all Superiours is GOD. Submit your selues vnto GOD cast downe your selues before the LORD and hee will lift you vp GOD is Omnipotent All-VVise most Iust and hath absolute authority ouer all flesh therefore wee ought to humble our selues before him and throw our selues downe before his Foote stoole Secondly we ought to carry our selues lowlily towards all our Betters Therefore the Law saith Honour thy father and thy mother And Saint Peter yee younger submit your selues vnto the Elders Thirdly towards our Equals For wee must do as we wold be done by wee would haue our equals giue vs due respect and not by pride exalt themselues aboue vs. In giuing honour saith Saint Paul go one before another Giue to all men their due owe nothing to any man but loue It was Pompeis too-great statelinesse that hee would acknowledge no equall Fourthly towards our Inferiours For it is a mans honour sometimes to neglect his honor and his greatest Greatnesse in case not to know his greatnesse I suppose there is in euery man something which craues our humility and euen this should make vs humble vnto all because life and death is common to vs all because by Nature wee are sinners all and it is nothing in vs that makes the difference but the grace of GOD vnto vs which was neuer deserued of vs. For who hath separated thee and what hast thou that thou hast not receiued It behoues vs therefore as we are exhorted To submit our selues one vnto another and to decke our selues inwardly in lowlinesse of minde For euery man that exalteth himselfe shall bee brought low and he that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted For GOD is gracious to the humble but opposeth himselfe to the proud hee breaketh their branches hee teareth them vp by the rootes hee scattereth brimstone vpon their dwellings hee tumbles them from their seates and laughs at their downe-fals Thus haue I giuen you a say of that which is more largely handled in this Booke which I Dedicate vnto your Ladiship in whom these three vertues by the Grace of GOD haue met together do kisse each other beseeching this good GOD still to increase his Graces in you and at the length to Crowne you with eternall glory in the heauens Saint Giles in the Fieldes August 13. 1614. Your Ladiships in Christ Iesus Thomas Tuke The Contents LOue in generall described page 1 Good either true or seeming is the obiect of loue pâ—g 3 The property of loue is to vrite or ioyne pag. 3 The loue of man to God described p. 3 Loue is an affection of the heart pag. 3. 4 Loue is a gracious affect pag. 4 Loue riseth out of knowledge and Faith pag. 4. 6. 7 Loue is a Coelestiall fire pag. 9 Loue is kindled by the holy Ghost p. 9. 10 Loue knits vs to God and makes him our contentment pag. 10. 11 This loue to God is necessary in sixe râ—gards pag. 16. 18 The equity of this loue is shewed in sixe respects pag. 19. 22 Gods loue to vs is a descending loue p. 19 There are 6 benefits of this loue p. 23. 30 This loue is excellent in nine regards p. 32. 38. Of the Author Nature Ends Effects Subiects and Obiect of this loue pag. 32. 33. 34. 38. In fiue respects God is worthy of our loue aboue all other things p. 45. 48 What Iehouah Kurios Dominus and our English word Lord doth signifie pag. 39 Why the world should not be loued p. 59 VVhy riches should not haue our heart pag. 61 Of the loue of Pleasures and why they seeme so sweet pag. 63 Of the incertainty of honors pag. 64 Of the vanity of beauty pag. 65 How a man may loue himselfe and who is he pag. 67 Nine vndoubted tokens of true loue to God pag. 69. 83 God ought to be loued in his Church vniuersall and in euery true visible society of beleeuers pag. 85 Which is a true visible Church p. 85. 87 God ought to be loued in his Ministers pag. 88 A Minister is to be loued meerely for his Office Power VVorke and faithfull execution thereof pag. 88. 89 The note of a true Minister of God pâ—g 90 God is to be loued in his people pag. 91 How Ministers ought to demonstrate their loue to God in feeding their Flockes pag 95 God must be loued in Christ pag. 96 VVhy CHRIST ought to bee loued pag. 96. 97 Two speciall wayes whereby loue is shewed to Christ pag. 97 99 A man may be said to bee faithfull in two respects pag. 100 VVho haue beene counted faithfull to the Lord. pag. 101 How God preserues the Faithfull Externally p. 102 How God preserues the Faithfull Internally p. 102 How God preserues the Faithfull Eternally p. 102 Three reasons of Faithfulnesse pag. 103 Fiue notes to know a Faithfull Man pag. 103. 106 VVho is a Christian indeed pag. 107 A Commendation of loue from some notable effects thereof pag. 110 Sundry similies to illustrate the worthinesse of this vertue p. 111. What pride is p. 112. Seuen wayes of proud dealing against God p. 113. How Pride against man discouers it selfe p. 114. Twenty three examples of Gods iudgements vpon the proud p. 116. 120 Two milder kindes of his punishments p. 122 Of the folly basenesse inhumanity impiety and iniustice of pride p. 123. Of the contentiousnesse vglinesse and wastfulnesse of Pride p. 124. 125 Pride like a Thiefe like thunder like a venemous beast like a Moth or worme p. 126 How pride is to be auoyded p. 127. An Exhortation to the loue of God pag. 128. If God loue vs we need not so much feare the ill will of men this cleared by two comparisons pag. 129 The Christians Looking-Glasse PSALME 31. VER 23. Loue ye the LORD all his Saints for the LORD preserueth the faithfull and aboundantly rewardeth the proud-doer HOLY Dauid hauing in foure verses next afore-going declared the goodnesse of GOD to them that feare him and among them to himselfe in speciall in this verse hee exhorteth All Saints euen all that the LORD hath sanctified to himselfe by his mercies to deuote and addict themselues to the LORD by loue In this verse two things are considerable First the Psalmist Exhortation Loue yee the LORD all his Saints And secondly his Reasons to
it And though there were no other reason to moue vs to it but his bare command yet were that reason strong enough to bind vs Sic vult sic iubet stet pro ratione vâ—luntas The power of a King the authority of a Father the place of a Maister necessitatis the subiection and obedience of a Subiect Childe and Seruant But GOD is our King our Father and our Maister hee hath an absolute ineuitable and vncontrouleable power and iurisdiction ouer vs Therefore his very bare command should condition and controule vs without more adoe But secondly besides the precept there is a most heauy curse which vnlesse a man do loue GOD hee cannot scape For though our loue of GOD bee not the causâ— why but a signe that GOD will blesse vs yet our hatred or Non-loue doth deserue his curse Therefore Saint Paul denounceth him accursed that loues not the LORD IESVS who is GOD ouer all blessed for euer Amen Thirdly except wee loue GOD wee cannot worship him For true worship is Loue ioyned with duety towards a mans superiours So that where there is no loue there is but counterfeit seruice or none at all And indeed as hee that loues not GOD cannot worship him so neither can hee loue his neighbour for GOD and in GOD And Hee that loueth not his brother is not of GOD but abideth in death Certainely hee that loues not the father as the father loues not the sonne as the son loues not his brother as the childe of GOD as the brother of CHRIST as the childe of the Church which wee all ought and who so doth not shall haue small reward And that the necessity of this duty may yet appeare let vs know that as iron is vnfit to bee wrought on vnlesse it bee heated in the fire and as waxe will not seale well except it bee warme and soft euen so are wee till wee bee inflamed with loue till that holy fire hath heated vâ— Till then the Word the Sacraments the Minister his Binding Loosing Preaching Praying Blessing will bee of no true reckoning with vs and wee shall take no comfort in them And say that a man had the loue of all men say that hee could speake all Languages in the world and were able to remoue Mountaines to cast out deuils to cure all diseases to heale all wounds and should crumble out all his goods to the poore suffer for the truth do and suffer many things for his Country yet if he loued not GOD he might truely say with Saint Paul Hee were Nothing And thus wee see the necesity of louing GOD. A second argument of this duety is from the Equity thereof For seeing Almighty GOD doth loue vs as it appeareth by his Electing Redeeming Sanctifying and Preseruing vs in CHRIST IESVS his beloued Sonne it is a matter of equity that wee should remonstrate our loue vnto him in that his Sonne and the rather also because our loue to him comes short in measure of his loue to vs For GODS loue is a Descending loue but our loue to him is an Ascending loue and loue descending is more naturall more vigorous and more vehement then loue ascending As wee see in fathers and mothers who loue their children better then their children loue them And reason may bee giuen heereof For GOD knowes vs better then wee know him And there is no corruption no vitiosity of nature in him as there is in vs Wee are not so good and candid of naâ—ure as Hee Neither haue wee any thing of ours in GOD to loue as hee hath in vs for wee and euery good thing in vs is of GOD. Besides GOD loues vs that deserue his hatred being by nature dead in sinnes and children of wrath and bringing forth many rootes of bitternesse and fruites of iniustice how vnequally then should wee deale with him if wee should not loue him who deserues our loue being most louely in himselfe and bearing such loue vnto vs. What is man saith Dauid vnto GOD that thou art so mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou thinkest on him And what is GOD ô man that thou art so vnmindfull of him bearing so small respect and loue vnto him If it bee vntolerable ingratitude for a man to be loued of a man and to receiue continuall tokens of loue from him and yet in the meane time not to loue his louer and to show no signes of kindnesse towards him What horrible impiety iniustice and vnthankefulnesse is it to bee beloued of GOD and to returne no loue vnto him to receiue daily testimonies of loue from him and yet to shew no loue vnto his Name Farre be this vneuen and vnthankefull dealing from vs that owe more loue vnto him then wee can expresse in worke or word Nimis durus est animus qui si dilectionem nâ—lebat impendere nâ—lie rependere His heart is Oke not flesh but flint that though hee will not beginne to loue yet finding loue will shew no loue But GOD doth loue vs out of his loue hee sent his Sonne his onely Sonne the Sonne of his loue into the world to saue vs Hee sends vs fruitfull seasons and fils our hearts with gladnesse It is his mercies that wee are not consumed they are renewed euery morning Yea we should bee very vniust and iniurious vnto our selues if wee will not loue him seeing as the Apostle teacheth All things life and death health and sickenesse same and reproach plenty and penury prosperity and aduersity worke together for good vnto those that loue GOD. And what reason is there that wee should desire his loue to vs and with-hold ours from him Or what reason haue wee to require loue of our wiues children seruants neighbours acquaintances if wee care not to shew loue to him who hath adopted married and assumed vs vnto him Or finally with what equity can we desire that our commands should bee respected of those that depend on vs if wee make no count of this duety which drawes on all the rest which he exacteth and expecteth at our hands Wee see then that common sense and Equity extorts it from vs and cals vs to it Thirdly the commodities of this loue should moue vs to the entertainement and performance of it For first by this loue our faith produceth those good duties which we owe to GOD. For Faith is as an Hand Receiuing but by loue we giue and bestow and without it wee can do no good workes well Therefore the Apostle saith that Faith worketh by loue And as Saint Austen speaketh Our life and all our conuersation is named of our loue Nec faciunt bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali sint amores Which being good or bad makes our manners to be thereafter such as the loue is such is the life a holy loue a holy life an earthly loue an earthly
word the loue of GOD is as strong as death for as death doth kill the body so our loue to GOD doth mortifie our loue to the world and like a strong wind it dispels the thicke and stinking fogs of rancour wrath malice And as the rising of the Sunne doth driue away the cold and dulnesse of the night and as the pouring in of wine into a vessell causeth the aire to giue place so the loue of GOD doth diminish and send packing the inordinate loue of worldly vanities and when our hearts are once warmed with it it causeth the coldnesse of our affections vnto good to depart and lessen When GOD comes into the heart as hee doth when the heart doth loue him Mammon must needs go out When wee fixe our eyes on heauen wee remoue them from the earth and when wee fall into a league of loue with GOD it cannot bee but that wee must fall out of loue and into hatred with all his enemies Therefore Dauid saith out of his loue to GOD Do not I hate them O LORD that hate thee I hate them with an vnfeygned hatred as if they were mine vtter enemies And thus wee haue had a say of the commodiousnesse of this our loue to GOD. The Excellencie thereof remaineth yet to bee discussed True loue wherewith GOD is affected is excellent in all these respects which follow First in respect of the Authour of it which is not man but GOD For loue as Saint Iohn sheweth commeth of GGD and whosoeuer loueth GOD doth it by the finger and gift of GOD. Secondly in respect of the true Endes thereof which are not base but honourable as the glory of GOD the saluation of our soule the edification of our brother the honour of our calling and that wee might not grieue the Spirit of GOD. Thirdly in respect of that of GODS which moues vs to loue which is his goodnesse because he is good in himselfe and good to vs. Fourthly in regard of the Subiects of it or the persons in whom it raigneth which are onely the beloued Saints and Seruants of GOD the excellentest of humane race and in them the Heart euen the best member in them is the Hearth or Altar on which this heauenly fire kindled by the HOLY GHOST doth lie Fiftly in respect of the manifold and excellent Attendants and Companions which waite vpon it euen all the vertues For our loue of GOD is not forlorne and solitary but like an honourable Lady very well attended Sixtly for the perpetuity thereof beyond faith and hope For whereas they shall cease when a man hath once obtain'd full fruition of the things which hee doth beleeue and to expect haue and enioy loue shall not cease but become compleate Seuenthly our loue of GOD hath three most excellent Effects to speake of no more First it makes a man officious to GOD and for GOD to Man True obedience is the fruit of loue and all obedience which is not of loue is hipocriticall and vnsauory Wee see the loue of a child forces him to obey his father though hee had not a rod not an arme So GODS Childe by his loue is moued to serue GOD yea and would study to obey hiâ— though hee would not strike though there were no hell to be punisht in for disobedience Yea the force of loue is such that it will make a man obey GOD though there were no After-reward of obedience Euen as wee see amongst men loue will enforce a man to doe well vnto one whom hee loues euen freely then when the party receiuing the benefite is not able now nor likely heereafter to make a requitall of it Secondly it makes a man like to GOD for GOD is LOVE and it is not the least commendation of a childe to bee like his father Thirdly hee that loueth GOD doth as it were depriue himselfe of himselfe and bestowes himselfe on GOD whom hee doth loue insomuch that hee doth dye by little and little in himselfe but GOD whom hee loueth liueth in him For the loue of GOD if sincere and feruent is of a Rauishing disposition by the which the louer is so rapt out of himselfe that hee forgets himselfe denies himselfe and is wholy in GOD whom he loueth and GOD whom he affâ—cteth being in him So that this loue is able to make the louer say I liue but not I now but GOD liueth in mee For euen as the loue of the world makes the worldling liue vnto the world and the world to liue in him so as it may bee said of them in some sort They two are become one So our loue to GOD doth cause vs to liue to GGD and GOD as it were to liue in vs so as that wee are now no more Ours but His no more Two but One Neither seeke we our selues but Him Non nostra sed sua not ours but His. Eightly our loue of GOD may bee said to bee excellent in respect of that excellent and supereminent Reward wherewith GOD will recompence them that loue him how poore or meane soeuer and this is no lesse then a Crowne then a Kingdome the Crowne of Glory the Kingdome of Heauen Hearken my beloued Brethren saith Saint Iames Hath not GOD chosen the Poore of this world that they should bee rich in faith and Heires of the Kingdome which hee hath promised to them that loue him And Saint Paul likewise sheweth that the Crowne of righteousnesse euen that which CHRIST hath purchased by his righteousnesse that which GOD hath in mercy promised and in iustice will performe that wherewith righteous men shall bee rewarded shall bee rendred to them that loue his comming which onely they do that loue him himselfe Doubtlesse hee that loues not the Iudge loues not his comming to iudgement Hee then that would liue in heauen like a King let him loue GOD first on earth like a Subiect Hee that would haue that Glory let him haue this Grace Oh! how men loue the world whose pleasures are but for a season and whose ioyes are but imperfect But in the presence of GOD there is fulnâ—sse of ioy and at his right hand there are pleasures for euermore O! how couetous are men of riches how ambitious of a Crowne And yet Riches remaine not alway nor the Crowne from generation to generation But the riches of Glory that come By the loue of GOD are euerlasting the Crowne and Kingdome promised to them that loue him is eternall and vnchangeable The preferments profites and pleasures which the earth can affoord are obuious to the eye and not so goodly as foolish men imagine But the things which GOD hath prepared for them that loue him are such as no eye hath seene no eare hath heard no heart hath conceiued none can expresse them but they that enioy them Oh that men would therefore set their loue vpon him and remoue it from the world For