Because they are Disciples and thus we must love them for their spiritual society and bond of charity as fellow-travellers in a long journey love one another or as Countrey-men love one another in a strange place or remote Countrey And therefore three sorts of men are here too blame First hypocrites and dissemblers who as Bernard saith have Mel in ore verba lactis fel in corde fraus in factis peace in their words but war in their hearts towards the Saints loving them with their lips but hating them in their hearts Pro. 23.7 James 2.13 Our love unto the faithful must be sincere and cordial not sinister and counterfeit Secondly those are too blame who love the Saints onely for some second causes either I. Because they are their neighbours and their good neighbours from whom they receive no evil but upon every occasion all neighbourly offices Or II. Because they are of their kindred and alliance Or III. Because they are of meek affable and gentle natures and loving dispositions or IV. Because they love them and theirs Or V. Through vain-glory that they may be praised for their loving of those who are good Thirdly those are faulty who love the faithful onely with a mercenary love or for reward Aliud est sperare aliud est hoc agere Hier. A man may hope that God will bless him if he love his children because this God hath promised but a man must not therefore love them that God may bless him this being but self-love Ans 2. In general besides the Lord we are commanded to love our neighbour and our enemies Luk. 10.27.28 Qu. 100. VVhat is the nature of the love of the faithful one to another Answ 1. It is a growing and encreasing love 2 Thess 1.3 2. It is a continuing and abiding love Hebr. 13.1 Qu. 101. VVhether are we to love all the Saints and faithful alike or not Answ I might for the resolution and satisfaction of this Quaere refer my Reader to Camara quaest concil exposit qu. 97. p. 98. But I will to him adde two things First in respect of the different degrees of men there must be different degrees of love e.g. Magistrates and Ministers being publique Persons and religious are to be loved above other private persons they bearing in them a double image of God I. Inward in sanctification And II. Outward in authority and place Secondly in equal comparison when men are equal in degree then we must first and principally love parents children affinity and consanguinity we being bound to love them by a double bond I. Of nature And II. Of grace for grace doth not abolish natural affection but onely orders and disposeth it aright Qu. 102. How may we know whether we truly love the children of God or not Answ 1. He who loves the Father will love the children 1 John 5.2 2. He who obeys the Father loves the hildren 1 Iohn 5.2 3. He who loves those whom he hears to be religious and zealous though he knows them not is a lover of Gods children 4. He who delights in the company and society of godly men when he hath no other relation unto them then as they are good men is a true lover of the faithful Psalm 16.3.126.5 Rom. 1.12 5. He who hath a fel ow-feeling of the Saints miseries as if himself were in misery is a lover of them 6. He who is always willing to distribute to the necessities of the Saints according to his ability must needs be a lover of them 7. â—e who can bear with reproaches and reproachful words at the hands of truly righteous men â— a true lover of the Saints When Luther had wofully wronged and reviled Calvin the good man said Etiamsi Lutherus millies me Diabolum vocet ego tamen illum insignem Domini servum agnosco c. Let Luther hate me and in his wrath call me Devil a thousand times yet I will love him and acknowledge him a most precious servant of God To answer the wrath of the Saints with love is a good sign of a Saint-lover As the members of the same body albeit having divers duties and functions and differing also in form do tenderly and mutually love one another because they live by one and the self-same reasonable soul so faithful Christians love one another being made alive by the Divine Spirit of God who by how much he is more good or excellent by so much also he is more Powerful to knit and unite those together in whom he dwelleth Lodov. Granat As in a material building one stone is knit unto another by lime and morter so in the spiritual building one Christian is joyned to another by love and hence though one member be casually or causlessly injured by another it doth not seek revenge upon the other Qu. 103. Who must principally abound in Christian Love and Charity towards their neighbours Answ 1. Old men Tit. 2.2 2. Ministers 1 Tim. 4.12 2 Tim. 3.10 Qu. 104. Wherein or how ought Ministers to express and show their Love unto their People Answ 1. By speaking friendly unto them and beseeching them to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 2. By testifying their inward affection unto them by their outward works 3. By serving them in Christ not desiring so much to be ministred unto as to minister 4. By being ready to lay down their lives for them John 15.13 Qu. 105. From whence springs true Christian Love and Charity towards our brethren Answ 1. Originally from God true Love being his gift Eph. 1.15.16.6.23 Phil. 19. Col. 1.3.4 1 Thes 1.2 3.3.12 2. It proceeds out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.22 3. It issues out of a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 4. It flows from Faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 Qu. 106. Whether are wicked men to be Loved Answ As the Physitian hateth the disease yet loveth the person diseased so we must love that in our neighbour which is good and made of God and abhor that which the Devil and man hath made evil i. e. we must Love the wicked mans person though we hate his vice For 1. God hath commanded us to love our enemies and those are truly evil who are enemies to good men And 2. Those who are wicked for the present may belong unto God in regard of divine election and therefore such are to be loved And 3. We ought to pray for all wicked ones who have not sinned against the Holy-â—host and therefore we must love them 4 This is confirmed from Christ who for our example loved us when we were wicked Rom. 5 6 7 Qu. 107. What is the Love of our neighbour Answ To love our neighbour is for the love which we owe unto God to wish well and do good unto our neighbour and to do all things unto him which we would in equity and according to Law should be done unto us Or The love of our neighbour is a true and sincere good will both in will mind and
Comparatively in the second degree of love and thus he loves his Church and children Deut. 10.15 Hos 11.4 Zach. 2.8 III. Superlatively in the highest degree of love and thus he loves Christ Iohn 10.17.15.9.17.24 An. 2. Sometimes love is referred to God the Son who is said I. To love his Father And II. His Church Psal 45.11 Cant. 1.2.7.10 And III. Some particular persons Mark 10.21 John 11.35 36.20.21 And IV. To love righteousness Psalm 45.7 Answ 3. Love sometimes is referred to God the holy Ghost Rom. 15.30 And 4. Sometimes to the Church of Christ Can. 7.12 5. Sometimes to men and that both I. To good men Gen. 22.2 Luke 7.5 Iohn 21.15 16. 1 Pet. 1.8 And also II. To bad men 2 Chron. 26.10 Psalm 52 3 4. And 6 Sometimes to beasts Hos 10.11 Qu. 6 How many ways is a thing loved An. Things are loved three manner of ways viz. I. Propter se for themselves thus we love health II. Non propter se sed propter aliud not for themselves but for another end thus the sick man loves a bitter potion not for it self but for healths sake III. Et propter se proper aliud somethings are loved both for themselves and for another end thus we love good wine and such Preserves and Censerves as we like and are good for our health and the preservation thereof Qu. 7. From whence comes this word Love An. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love comes from doing or working because it is a working grace not onely working it self but setting all the soul on work to attain what is believed True love is never idle but worketh industriously to serve him who is beloved for as fire is most active among the elements so is love most active among vertues and graces and As a root is ingendred of moisture and celestial heat so love groweth ariseth or springeth from the moisture of devotion and the supernatural heat of the holy Spirit whence it becomes so vigorous and active Qu. 8. What is Love in general An. Ovid who thought himself a Master of that art and writ precepts of the same thought it more obscure then the letters of Ephesus or the riddles of Sphinx to tell what it was so that being demanded to shew the definition thereof said Love is I know not what it cometh I know not from whence who sent it I know not it engendreth I know not how it is satisfied I know not wherewith it is felt but how I know not and to what end it tendeth I am ignorant but sure quoth he it is the loss of a mans self Anacreon said It was a sweet mischief sith for a pinte of pleasure we receive a gallon of sorrow and pain Callimachus called it a Court without Sergeants because they who love obey without constraint and are captive without conquest Propertius saith Love is a sweet tyranny because the Lover endureth his torments willingly Natural love is an inward good will which we bear to Parents Husbands Wives Children or Kindred moved thereunto not onely by nature thinking that we should love them as our selves but also by a likeness of mind whence generally we love all because all be in some things like unto us but yet we love them most who both in body and mind do most resemble us Love is a passion or affection in the concupiscible anpetite that it may enjoy the thing which is esteemed to be good as near as it can Or Love is the purest rightest and best affection of the soul whereby we love God for his own sake and our neighbor for Gods Or Love is Complacentia appetibilis an appetible complacency of that which is good For the understanding of this definition given by the Schoolmen we must note That there are three things in love I. An affection to the thing or person loved II. A desire to be united or conjoyned unto or possessed of the thing or person beloved III. An extraordinary and unspeakable joy in the fruition and possession of what we love Hence we may gather How we shall love the Lord I. We must be enflamed in our affections and ravished with the love of God 2. We must then desire to be made partakers of the Lord to enjoy him by faith in our souls and to be married unto him with an everlasting covenant 3. Being once made partakers of the Lord we must reâ—oâ—ce in him as the Church did in her beloved when she had found him Cant. 5. Qu. 9. Wh ch â— true Love An. 2. Not that which is in word and tongue onely 1 Iohn 3.18 â—ut 2. That which is without dissimulation Rom. 12.9 or that love which is unfeigned 1 Pet. 1.22 that is which is indeed and in truth 1 Iohn 3.18 3. That which is fervent Cant 8 7. 1 Pet. 1.22 4. That which springs from faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 5. That which proceeds from a good conscience 1 Tim. 1.5 6. That which issues out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 1 Pet. 1.22 Qu. 10. Whereunto may Love be compared An. 1. Love is like nature in light and heavy bodies for it presseth down if it be terrene and earthly it raiseth up if it be heavenly hence Augustiwe saith Amor meus pondus meum eo feror quocunque feror my love is the lead and weight which sets all the wheels of my soul on work and guides me whethersoever I go and in whatsoever I do 2. Love is like Fire that is like a fire enclosed which straitly kept more fiercely flames at last Adverso tempore crevit Amor. Ovid. Love heightens by depression And as fire in all shops is an instrument for all or the most Artisans and workmen so nothing is well done without love and charity 3. Love is like to a Racket for as at Tenâ—â— Rackets make the ball live in a perpetual motion so do repulses in love reflecting it stronger into one anothers bosom the best temper of it is that the communication thereof be neither too forward to cool desire nor too froward left it cause despair 4. Love is like a light for as a light is not diminished by participation so love is not lessened by being divided amongst or imparted to many but rather augmented 5. Love in many things is like unto the Sun For I. As the Sun is of an uniting vertue it uniting as some Astrologers say the Planets in their effects so love doth spiritually unite and is therefore called the bond of perfection because it perfectly uniteth the soul to God and bindeth the hearts of the faithful together II. As the Sun is of a reviving nature so is love it translating from death to life and quickening the soul to every good work III. As the Sun is of an attractive power to draw vapours upwards so love ravisheth and raiseth up the affections unto God setting the heart upon those things which are above IV. As the
34.8 II. We must pray unto God to work in our hearts an unfeigned love to his sacred Majestie Psalm 51.11 Phil. 1.9 III. We must be careful to preserve the seeds of grace in our hearts Jude v. 21. 1 John 15.18 19. IV. We must fear and reverence the Lord for where there is no reverence there is no love Deut. 10.12 V. We must be careful to avoid those impediments mentioned before yea separate our selves from whatsoever might hinder us from this holy duty Qu. 82. How many vertues hath divine and spiritual love Answ Four whereof The first is communicative for love is of some good and good is of a diffusive nature hence because God is exceeding good or the best of all he doth especially communicate himself Hence Dion saith Amor divinus est bonus boni propter bonum that is spiritual or divine love is good essentially of that which is good causally and for good finally The second vertue is motive or inclinative to the producing of every good thing The third is ordinative for it ordains and appoints all things to the good of the party beloved The fourth is elevative for love doth so extol the party loving and raise him to such a height that now the lover is not his own man but rather his who is beloved Gal. 2.20 Qu. 83. VVhat are the fruits and effects of our love unto God An. 1. Gods love in the heart kills and casts out sin Rom 6.2 2 Cor. 13.5 until the heart be enflamed with this love it is infected with some other novo vincitur omnis amor But when this new love enters the old departs for Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur The love of God and of sin will not lodge together An. 2. Another fruit and effect of our love to God is joy or love is the cause of joy and that I. Propter benevolentiam for goodwil for to love is to will well Hence because we love any we rejoyce at their prosperity and preferment II. Propter boni praesentiam for the presence of the good loved for when we love that which is good we rejoyce in the enjoyment thereof III. Propter boni inhaerentiam for the inherence of good Hence when vertue and grace is lodged in those whom we love we rejoyce thereat Answ 3. The Schoolmen say Amor divinus quatuor bona in homine operatur I. Inclinat superiora inferioribus per humilitatem contemptum sui II. Superioribus inferiora per desiderium supernorum III. Ordinat aqualia aequalibus IV. Transformat amantem in amatum secundum affectum Answ 4. Others say Amoris effectus quatuor sunt Primò deformatum reformare convertit enim à falso objecto amoris ad Deum Secundò reformatum conformare viz. Per effecta unionis ad Deum Vnio autem triplex I. Substantialis sui nimirum ad seipsum talis Vnio 1. Identitatis est causa qua quis amat seipsum c. 2. Similitudinis qua quis amat alium II. Realis est unto amantis ad amatum quae fruitio est III. Essentialis seu mentalis quae nihil aliud est quam ipse amor Tertio conformatum confirmare est enim inseparabilis I. Ratione spiritus custodientis nos II. Ratione nostri non deserentis spiritum Quartò conformatum transformare amantem in amatum transformat amor The sum of all is I. Love changeth us from evil to good II. Love maketh us endeavour to be like unto God III. Love confirmeth us in this endeavour and likeness because 1. The Spirit taketh care of us And 2. We are careful to be directed by the Spirit IV. Love maketh us to go out of our selves and to devote our selves wholly up unto God Qu. 84. How may we know whether we love God or not or what are the signs thereof Answ In answer hereunto two things are seriously to be considered viz. 1. The necessity of examination 2. The rules of exploration First all think that they love God but the most are deceived for none can love him indeed but those to whom it is given For. I. There is an innate hatred in us towards God as is clear from these two particulars 1. We love not naturally the works of vertue And 2. The things which we desire in God or from him we desire for our selves onely out of self-love and otherwise nothing pleaseth our nature And II. This hatred of God which is in us is called An aversion of the mind from God and is not changed until our hearts be converted by the Spirit unto â—od 2 Cor. 3.16 And therefore it concerns us nearly to examine and try diligently by certain undoubted and infallible signs whether we love the Lord or not Secondly we may know whether we love the Lord truly and indeed or not if we seriously examine our selves by these clear and plain Signs viz. .1 He who loves God will adhere and cleave unto him Deut. 30.20 Matth. 6.24 2. He who loves God will keep his word 1 John 2.5 that is will obey him both I. â—ffirmatively doing what he requires And II. Negatively eschewing what he forbids 3. He who loves God the Father will and doth love God the Son 1 John 5.1 5. He who loves God will love his brethren 1 Joh. 4.20 21. 4. He who loves God will relieve and succour the necessities of his brethren 1 John 3.17 And 6. Will esteem the Lord as his chiefest good and giver of every good thing Deut. 6.13.10 20. And 7. Will withdraw all trust and confidence from all creatures placing his whole assurance upon the Lord and believing onely in him And 8. He will fear and stand in awe of him with a filial fear Deut. 6.13.10.20 Psalm 38.8 Prov. 24.21 1 Pet. 2.18 And 9. He will humble himself before the Lord and be lowly in his sight James 4.7 1 Pet. 5 6. And 10. He will patiently bear all adversity and affliction which is sent by God James 1.21.2.20 And 11. He will worship and serve the Lord as himself hath prescribed in his word And 12. He will meditate continually of God and his word and that with delight Psalm 1.2.119.172 13. In all things he will seek the praise and glory of God as his chiefest scope and aim 1 Corinth 10.31 And 14. For benefits favours and mercies received he will give thanks that is I. With his mind and spirit And II. With his tongue And III. VVith his gesture and countenance And IV. VVith his life by willingly doing whatsoever he commands and shuning whatsoever he forbids Psalm 50.15 Colos 3.17 And 15. He will continue stedfastly in all these unto his lives end Qu. 85. By what means may the love of God be augmented and encreased in us Answ 1. By knowledge we can neither desire nor love him whom we do not know since Affectus motus est cordis a notitia cognitione objecti exercitatus affection is the motion of the heart arising from the
must beloved in truth and verity He must have the heart as well as the hands Deut 6 5. the soul as wel as the body Mat. 22.37 he searches the mind so â—oon as the man 1 Sam 16 7 and will be worshipped within as well as without 5. We must love the Lord constantly and perseverantly never falling from our first love Rom. 8.35 39. Apoc. 2.4 6. With all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 13.3 Ephes 3 17. To love with all the soul is to love wisely to love with all the strength is manfully to suffer for truth to love with all our heart is to prefer the love of God before all other things The measure to be observed in loving God is to love him without measure for our love to our God should be in the highest degree and that both I. In regard of the Object or as they say Objective that is wishing greater or more good unto him then unto any And II. In regard of estimation or as some speak Appretiativè that is by preferring him and his will before all other things yea before our own life Mâ—t. â—0 37. Luke 14.26 yea so that we had rather choose to dye and to submit our selves to death then transgress the least of his Commandments And III. Intensively i. e. in regard of our most vehement endeavour in applying all our faculties to the love of God Deut. 6. â— Thus the Prophet David saith That he will love the Lord with all that is in him which our Savior Luk. 10.27 28. expounds thus We must love the Lord with all the heart soul mind and might that is First in general that there must be no part of us void of the love fear and honour of God but that all our zeal thoughts will study of the mind and labour of the body should tend unto the love service and honour of God and there must be nothing in any part of us which is not dedicated unto God But Secondly more particularly Deut. 6.13 it is said Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart soul and strength S. Matthew 22.37 saith with all thy heart soul and mind and S. Luke hath all Heart Soul Might and Mind I. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart that is Thou shalt esteem and acknowledge him thy chiefest good V sin or With all thy heart that is with thy whole understanding without any errour August de doct Christ ca. 22. or with all thy heart that is wisely Bern. ser 20. sup Cantic II. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy soul that is with thy whole will and purpose Vrsin or With all thy whole will without contradiction August de doct Chris ca. 22. or sweetly and with joy Bern. ser 20. s Cantic III. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy strength or might that is all thy actions both external and internal must be conâ—ormable and agreeable to the will and law of God Vrsin or With all thy strength i. e. so valiantly couragiously and constantly that we neither be subdued by deceit nor seduced by allurements nor dejected by injuries and afflictions Bern. ib. IV. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy mind and thought that is thou shalt always intend to think and meditate of God that thou mayest both know him and love him the better Vrsin or VVith all thy mind i. e. with thy whole mind without oblivion August Qu. 76. VVhether are we to love God more for the moe benefits he bestows upon us or not Answ God is to be loved though he should give us nothing but correction as a good child loveth his father although he correct him But when it is said VVe are to love God for his benefits this word FOR denotes not the final cause here but the moving and therefore Augustin in Johan ser 3. saith It is a good thing for a man to think upon Gods benefits that he may be stirred up by them to love â—od but to love him onely for himself and not for his benefits Qu 77. Can we by nature this love God Answ No for by nature we rather hate him That we cannot by nature love God appears thus I. Nature is so wholly corrupted and depraved that we are prone unto every evil thing but averse from every thing that is good Jer. 3.12.14 II. The love of God is a spiritual work and that a hard one and consists not in word or countenance but in internal and ineffable joy Psal 42.1 63.1 Cant. 5.8 III. The love of God requires self denial which is a duty not to be performed Viribus naturae by the power of nature Eph. 2.3.5.17 Heb. 10.36 1 Pet. 41. 1 John 2.16 17. Qu. 78. VVhether is the love of God or of our neighbour one sort of love or not Answ It is one sort of love for the formal object of our love in this life is God because all things are reduced to God by love and the material object of our love is our neighbour and these two make not two sorts of love but one for as there is but one Spirit though diversity of gifts so there are two precepts and but one love 1 Corinth 13. Qu. 79. VVhat things are contrary to the true love of God Answ 1. The casting away of Gods love or the contempt and hatred of God as the avenger and punisher of sin Inordinate love of our selves or of other creatures viz. when we prefer our own lusts pleasures wills and lives before God and his will and will rather offend him then part with them 3. A feigned love of God viz. when we seem through hypocrisie to love him but indeed do not Mark 7.6 Qu. 8â— VVhat are the Impediments of the love of God or VVhat things hinder us from loving him An. 1. The love of the world James 4.4 1 John 2.15.3.17 2 The want of love to our brethren 1 John 4.8 19 20. 3. The love of sin Psalm 52.3 4. The love of our selves 2 Tim. 3.2 5. Idolatry Hosea 3.1 6. Drunkenness Hosea 3.1 7. Pleasure Hosea 3.1 Qu. 81. By what means may we attain unto this love of God or How may we be enabled to love him An. 1. The Author hereof is the Author of all good viz. God who works this love of himself in our hearts by his holy spirit Deut. 30.6 Rom. 8.28 2 Cor. 13.11 Phil. 1.9 1 Tim. 1.14 2 Tim. 1.7 1 Pet. 1.22 An 2 The means which the Lord useth for the begetting of love in us towards his Majestie is the revelation of his love towards us 1 John 4.10 whence the Saints are called Beloved Rom. 1.7 Col. 3.12 and therefore we should meditate of this infinite love of his towards us John 3.16 Rom. 5.6 7 8. An. 3. The means which we must use if we desire that the love of God may be wrought in our hearts are these I. We must learn the sweetness of God and labour to taste how good and gracious the Lord is Psalm