I will be with him and glorifie him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my saluation And Iohn 14. 21. Hee that loueth mee shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him and shew mine own self vnto him vers 23. Yea these are they to whom God hath promised his heauenly Kingdome Iames 1. 12. to them that loue him Thirdly it condemnes those that loue any thing more than they loue God as father mother wife childe profit pleasure friend yea or life it selfe which is no other than Idolatry and to make that our God which wee loue aboue God and spirituall Adultery as St. Iames cals it Iames 4. 4. as a man that loues a harlot more than his owne wife yet what is more common than this yea the trade of it with the common sort who for the sake of the things aboue named care not what dueties they omit or what sinnes they commit against God who yet ought to be loued aboue all and all things to be loued in and for him and vnder him and as may stand with our loue to him and not otherwise Yea the seruants of God because their loue is not perfect suffer many things to come in betweene God and vs and steale our heart and affection in part from him and that obedience that wee owe vnto him which we ought to bewaile deeply and labour euery day more and more that his loue may bee greater in vs than to any thing nay all things else that are in the world besides And so much of the Loue of God briefly hauing taken it but by the way CHAP. 3. Of Loue to our Neighbour and first what it is NOw I come to handle the duety of Loue to our Neighbour as that which necessarily floweth from the Loue of God And of this first What it is secondly of the Notes it 's knowne by thirdly of the Properties of true Loue and fourthly of the persons that we ought to loue 1 Loue is a sanctified affection of the heart whereby whosoeuer is indued withall endeuoureth to doe all the good he can to all but especially to them that be nearest vnto him 1. It s an affection seated as we say in the heart as all the other of hate hope feare ioy griefe c. as the vnderstanding is in the head These are in themselues good and not euill being giuen to Adam in his creation in whom they were all pure well ordered and in good tune louing the good and hating the contrarie and so in the rest But euer since the Fall they are vtterly corrupted the will and affections haue not onely lost all their purity but the will is become most rebellious and all the affections disordered and turned the contrary way As this of Loue is turned to the loue of euill to malice reuenge and selfe-loue 2. I say its a sanctified affection for ere a man can loue he must be regenerate sanctiffed throughout as in his vnderstanding and will so in his affections which is when a man is vnited to Christ by Faith he is sanctified by the Spirit that is the old and cursed disposition that is in vs by nature is put away and a new and contrary frame and disposition of soule wherein wee were at first created is brought into vs the vnderstanding enlightned the will made plyant and frameable to the will of God and so the affections purged and restored to their former integrity in some measure as to hate the euill so to loue the good to loue God and our brethren for Gods cause So that no vnregenerate or vnsanctified man can loue eyther God himselfe or any body else True Loue proceeds from a pure heart good conscience faith vnfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. from a soule purified by the spirit 1 Pet. 1. 22. And Gal. 5. it s reckoned among the fruits of the spirit And 2 Pet. 1. 7. its reckoned among other graces Faith Temperance Patience Godlinesse c. so that one is no more in vs naturally than the rest There be many things that the blinde world call Loue which are not this grace that we speake of nor come in any such account with God That betweene the fornicator and his harlot is no loue but lust as in Amnon which turned as soone into hatred Between drunkards and theeues is no loue but conspiracy for Loue reioyceth not in iniquity but in the truth that is in that that is good Nor that naturall loue of parents to their children This is in bruit creatures the Cowe loues nourisheth and defendeth her Calfe the Goose and Gander tend and brood their young Nor that ciuill loue that is between ordinary people in the world that stands only in eating and drinking prating and playing together which they count such loue and good fellowship as who so speakes against and cals for better spending of the time is cryed out vpon as an enemy to all loue and not to be suffered But our Sauiour Christ nor the Gospell comes not to bring such friendship but rather debate Such as that was among the Heathen and is only carnall whereas true loue respecteth the soule and that most of all which is no whit seene nor thought of among carnall men Vnregenerate men cannot loue their neighbours for while they be kinde to their bodies and haue no care of their soules is this worthy to be called Loue It s as ones friend or child should haue a hurt in the braine and another in the heele and he should carefully looke to the heele and let the braine putrifie Carnall Parents that pamper their childrens bodies and prank them vp braue and lay for great portions for them and suffer their soules to welter in sinne and dye and perish for want of instruction admonition prayer and holy example is this to bee called Loue what do they more than Turkish Parents The wicked Magistrate that is very friendly to all the Countrey and keepes a good house all the yeare and yet suffers sinne to reigne and houses of disorder to abound in his circuit the Sabbaths to be prophaned and like Gallio cares for none of those things call you this Loue The negligent Minister that sets on the great Pot and keeps good Hospitality among his neighbours and yet suffers their soules to famish for want of breaking to them the Bread of life The carnall neighbour that to the body of his neighbour is very kinde but suffers sinne to rest vpon his soule and rather nourisheth him therein than rebuketh him thereof this in the language of the holy Ghost is hatred and no loue Leuit. 19. 17. And what hold is there of vnsanctified mens loue one to another They may be very inward and great friends now and on the sodaine vpon a small occasion fall out and become deadly enemies They oft goe arme in arme to the Ale-house or Tauern embracing each other and stabbe one another ere they come forth See a liuely picture of this Iudges
of their Faith and Loue But a number be vsurers oppressors grinders rakers all for themselues and so couetous as they will part from nothing by their good will if any thing come from them it s so hardly as one should wring water out of a stone or pull away a peece of their flesh as Nabal that sent away Dauids seruants empty and with a churlish answer Some others so prodigall and riotous and giuen to their pleasures and to all excesse as they waste their state so fast as they disable themselues to doe that good they might it s not to bee had Luxury keeps them so bare which if they had grace to measure their matters with iudgement might liue a great deale better themselues and doe much good where need is Or if some be so rich as they hold their state yet they lay it on so vpon themselues and theirs as no cost is spared vpon braue apparrell new fashions costly and curious dyet hawks hounds dice cards gaming 's that yet when it comes to a matter of giuing are as pinching as they that haue not the tithe of their estate can beteeme nothing to the poore or good vses very franke in idle expences to serue their owne lust very sparing to those that haue need like the Glutton Luke 16. who spared nothing from himselfe nor nothing for poore Lazarus And those Amos 6. that fed to the full of the fattest and drunke of the sweetest till they were fitter to stretch themselues and tumble vpon their costly beds than to do any good yet they had not so much as a thought of the poore that were in want And as the Foole Luke 12. that made account hee had much and all for himselfe Soule eate drinke and take thine ease thou hast goods laid vp for thee for many yeares Notwithstanding the commandement of God which they cannot be ignorant of and the Law of Nature which would be holpen if they were poore Gods and good mens example and the many promises of blessing made to this duety yet are no whit moued by all these but fast glued to the world and can heare nothing that should pull any thing from them This was one of Sodoms sinnes Contempt of the poore Let these sorts of men know they are not so ill for others as they be for themselues As they shew well there is no loue of God or men in them as 1 Iohn 3. Who so hath this worlds good and sees his brother haue neede and shuts vp his compassion against him how dwelleth the loue of God in him So they will pull some iudgement of God vpon their owne heads as their Predecessors whom I haue named haue done And this is one reason no doubt that mens goods shift masters so oft besides the ill account they will make of their stewardship when they shall be called thereto for which they must make their reckoning to heare no better sentence than O euill and vnfaithfull seruant take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into vtter darknesse Let these better bethinke themselues in time and breake off their sinnes by repentance and their vnrighteousnesse by mercy to the poore that there may be a healing of their error and a preuenting the iudgements of God Oh that my counsell from God may be acceptable to them 2 But for those that out of conscience of Gods commandement and faith in Gods promises made to this duety out of a zeale to bring glory to God doe good to others and to further their owne reckoning make conscience to bee doing good with a mercifull heart carry a liberall hand as God giues ability in themselues and occasion from others let them take it to themselues as a good marke of the truth of their Religion and know they can no way prouide better for their comfort or the continuance of Gods blessing vpon them and their estate than by continuance in this duety 3 And thirdly let this prouoke all sorts of men to take knowledge of this duety of mercifulnesse to the poore as one part of Gods will and well weighing the reasons vsed to prouoke thereto set themselues to make conscience of the performance thereof which that they may do indeed they must be perswaded to remoue out of the may certaine vices that be deadly enemies thereto and labour for the contrary vertues 1. The first is Vnbeliefe which as it breeds many other vices so that of Vnmercifulnesse for that casts so many doubts and feares of what they may want themselues and that it will hinder them in their estate to giue here and there as they withdraw therefore labour for Faith to beleeue that as God will performe all his promises so those made to this duety and therefore that its the high way to thriuing and this will set vs to it and that with chearfulnesse 2. Pride which is seen in excesse of costly attire for our selues and ours ayming at high pitches and great portions for our children and such and such estates must be obtained this must needs hinder liberality therefore the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. forbids women to be deckt with costly apparrell but commands to aray themselues with good workes Noting they cannot doe both for the backe is a theefe the meaning is when its superfluous and beyond their ability all duties discharged Oh what an infinite deale of good might be done if but the superfluities of folkes apparrell were taken away which might very well be spared 3 The like may be said of intemperance excesse of cheere variety costliness of dishes at mens tables God allowes to men according to their degrees to some vsually to others at festiuall times daies of greater reioycing yet to none excesse or so as they thereby be disabled for such good workes as their place cals for at their hands The excesse of this Land in these two forenamed things would abundantly not only relieue the wants of our poore at home but would make a blessed supply of the most wofull and crying necessities of our distressed brethren abroad And is it meet that some should be hungry and others drunken as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 11. 21. Were it not much meeter that they had our superfluities which doe vs but hurt to supply their necessities and so both should be better The Lord giue vs at last to make conscience of this Duety it s more than high time so to doe 4 Idlenesse and vnthriftinesse which vsually goe together are great lets of liberalitie For if one goe euer to the heape and by labour adde nothing thereto in time it will consume and so hee shall haue nothing for himselfe nor the poore therefore the Apostle Ephes. 4. 28. commands to worke with the hands that so there may bee wherewith to giue to them that want But vsually idlenesse is ioyned with spending gaming drinking and such vnthrifty courses and this hastens beggery the faster and so preuents liberalitie in a high degree The prouident
rather than with those inuite them and loue their company to chuse These be lukewarme Christians Neuters neyther the one nor the other of both sides of euery side but God can see them to bee Enemies and will set them on his left hand when it will not serue them to pleade that they neuer hated them or opposed them Let men looke well to this Point for there bee many that thinke well of themselues for good Christians that yet will be found of this number But as they can haue no sound peace to their Consciences so shall they neuer haue good name in the Church of God till it bee otherwise Fiftly and lastly let this bee a Consolation to all those whose hearts doe beare witnesse and their practice bewray that they truly loue the Saints they can haue no better signe of the grace of God or that they bee true Members of the Church here and shall bee inheriters of glory hereafter that they loue God be Christs Disciples and be translated from death to life Alwaies prouided that you deceiue not your selues in this point as no doubt diuers doe To thinke that because you loue some one or two choyce ones that you are a louer of Gods people though you neglect all the rest which is not so for whosoeuer loues any in truth loues the grace of God in whomsoeuer hee sees it rich or poore high or low Or because you loue some that bee of your Kinne or for some outward good qualification they haue or some common gift of learning eloquence or because they bee rich or bee such as haue done you some pleasure or may doe for if your loue bee set vpon Gods seruants for such by respects this is not the true Loue of the Saints But if you loue them simply for the worke of Gods sanctifying grace that yousee or hear to be in them though you neuer saw them nor neuer shall yet for the grace of God your heart is knit to them as Ionathans to Dauid or if you know and liue neare them◠though they neuer did you any speciall good turne or be nothing to you outwardly and in the flesh nay though any such haue reproued you of some fault they haue seene in you yet you loue them for the Image of God that shines in them yea though you see heare or know some imperfections in them and things worthy blame yet seeing signes of synceritie you loue them notwithstanding are glad when they doe well and grieue at the contrary this is good Examine your selues by these things if you bee taken tardy then deceiue your selues no longer If your heart witnesse on your side by these tryals then be comforted and labour to encrease in this grace that so your euidence may be strong And the rather because this hath kept many from sinking in time of Temptation when all other euidences haue beene to seeke Thus much of the loue that all ought to beare to the People of God CHAP. 10. How true Christians should loue each other NOw I will adde yet one thing more and that is How true Christians should loue and carry themselues towards each other They ought to loue one another most entirely and more than they doe or can loue the common sort They must loue them as fellow-members of the same mysticall body whereof Christ is the head Now how do the members of the natural body loue sticke together and seeke the good of each other defend and tender one another reioyce in each others wel-fare and grieue at the contrary so ought the Members of the spirituall body much more if it were possible Wee cannot loue all thus for all are not fellow-members in this body of Christ. Secondly they must loue as brethren therefore the loue that is to bee betweene them is called Brotherly kindenesse 2 Pet. 1. 7. Therefore though some scoffing Ismaels deride this name and say Oh you bee of the Brethren yet wee are not to bee ashamed of this name seeing GOD so speakes Gods children be brothers and sisters they haue the same Father which is God the same Mother the Church begotten by the same immortall seed the Word of God nourisht with the same milke and meat of the same Word and holy Sacraments heires of the same Inheritance in Heauen by Christ Iesus A better Brother-hood than that of nature as much as the spirit is better than the flesh Yea and a more lasting Brother-hood that will last when this is vanisht away which lasteth onely for this fraile life of ours but the other abideth for euer Therefore our Sauiour Christ said Who is my Mother and who are my Brethren Naturall Brethren ought to loue dearely how much more we that are of a better kindred It s very pleasing to God our Father and to the Church our Mother that all their children should liue in loue as Psal. 133. 1. and a ioy to all the brothers and sisters As it is a ioy to any earthly Parents to haue their children loue well together and the contrary is very grieuous and they will mourne to each other There be two Boyes can neuer agree two Girles that loue not one another what will they doe when we are gone Now to loue as Brethren is this To haue Brotherly affections each to other inwardly and to declare the same outwardly by brotherly actions For the first we are bidden Rom. 12. Be affectioned to lòue one another as to weep with them that weepe to haue compassion of their miseries as Heb. 13. 9. As the Samaritan had compassion on the man that fell among Theeues And our Sauiour Christ had compassion on the spirituall miserie of the People Mat. 9. 36. St. Paul was affected with the miseries of the Iewes and tooke them deepely to heart Rom. 9. 1 2 3. So Nehemiah hearing of the distresse of the Church of the Iewes at Ierusalem though hee were well himselfe yet he so mourned for them as it was seene in his face The contrary is blamed Amos 6. No man is sorry for the affliction of Ioseph So to reioyce with them that reioyce as Luke 1. 58. yea though it were ill with ourselues As Paul in prison yet reioyced to heare of the welfare of the Churches These brotherly affections bee so necessary as all brotherly actions not proceeding from these are in no account with God As a man may giue all his goods to the poore and haue no loue and so bee but a tinckling Cimball 1 Cor. 13. As if a man should giue that hee might merit thereby or to purchase credit or for companies sake or with vpbraiding and from no compassion of the poore mans misery it would neither please God nor profit him that doth it So to admonish one which is a speciall duety of Loue but if done with twitting reproaching as glad they haue some matter against him it hath lost his grace and reward with God And herein the poore may shew as much loue to their