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
enough for themselues it s not all nor ten times so much that could keepe them from beggery and misery if God should set himselfe against them And to giue when they dye its little thankes for they cannot carry it with them Obiect 4. All is little enough for my selfe and my children for I meane to leaue my eldest sonne a good estate and I haue diuers daughters that I purpose to match well and therfore must get them good portions as it s expected in these daies and then they must haue education accordingly Answ. But who bids you flye such high pitches and set downe such portions and in the meane time neglect Gods commandement and your duty to the poor This is the high way to pull downe your children Do as you may all duties discharged and there an end for if you hoard vp the poores part in your childrens great portions God will draw it out of your or your childrens bellies Obiect 5. They bee neuer the better for all that is giuen them they draw all through their throat Answ. If some bee not yet some be thrifty and it s well seene and well bestowed of them If any abuse your liberalitie you may cut them the shorter but let not others fare the worse for them Ob. 6. They be ill tongued one may giue them neuer so much they will not giue one a good word Answ. It may be we spoyle our gift in the manner of bestowing it and so it loseth its grace and credit 2. Though some bee vnthankefull and ill tongued yet all are not so they that be yet giue them and ouercome them Ob. 7. They be so bad and so wicked as its pity to giue them Answ. We giue it not to their badnesse but to their pouertie and may be our goodness to them with good counsell may make them better But some blame not their badnesse for hatred of their sin but as an excuse to saue their purses but that is not a sufficient plea. Ob. 8. They be so theeuish one can keepe nothing for them almost abroade especially They break my hedges carry away my barres pluck vp my stiles I le giue them nothing not I. Answ. This is most what rich mens faults for if they would take order that euery family should doe what worke they are able according to the Law of God and the good Statutes of the Land and then what they cannot reach to by their labour to supply to them for necessaries euery one beeing held to worke most part of this would bee preuented And then if any were taken in such offence and were well punisht either by the whip or else their collection that week kept backe you should heare few such complaints But if they bee not as well looked to to follow their worke as to giue them a little collection a great many will begge or steale rather than get it by working Ob. 9. Some of them that make a great shew of Religion yet if they get money into their fingers that one hath lent them one cannot tel how to get it again for all their great precisenesse and running to sermons Ans. True some such offences there be more is the pity but this must not wholly take our minde from the duty of lending nor let all fare the worse for the fault of some few Or if wee should doe well for any that we thought wel of for soundnesse and after they proued but Hypocrites yet if our minds were vpright in that wee did we shall not lose our reward Ob. 10. There be such a number of charges euery way to the King and for Souldiers to the Ministers to the repairing the Church to Bread and Wine for the Communion and Briefes and one Collection or other that I can neuer a Sunday be quiet and now you come for the poore I think you will haue all I see no reason to be at all these charges Answ. For those that be to the King it s our bounden duty and they be abundantly recompensed in the peace and quietnesse that we enioy vnder his Gouernment And for the Church small cause to grudge at that seeing it is a trifle towards his seruice that giues all And that we giue for the good of our soules is the best bestowed mony that can be if the fault bee not in our selues For any thing we do in compassion to them that be in want God hath giuen his word himselfe to see that requited So that if it be well considered there is no such cause of this grumbling at any one or all of these charges Ob. 11. If you will not be quiet but follow mee thus with Giue giue and Pay pay I will make a shortcut of it I le break vp house and goe liue in a great Town and eat and drink and be merry with my friends and put out my mony to vsurie Answ. If you do you shall carry many curses with you and a guilty conscience and the hand of God will follow you and it may be you may haue as smal ioy of it as your Predecessor in the twelfth of Luke when he had thought to haue nestled himselfe in his wealth for many yeares and liued at ease he was suddenly arrested with O foole this night they shall fetch away thy soule and then whose shall these things be There is no flying from the duties that God requires therefore listen and learn obey and be blessed CHAP. 12. Of the Poores duties NOw for the Poores duties a word or two I speake to you from the Lord how you should behaue your selues in this your condition and it s very needfull know them and God giue you a heart to do them You must labour to be contented with your estate giue glory to God and know it to be the state that he seeth fittest for you if you were borne to it or hee hath brought you into it especially if you haue by any wicked courses brought it vpon your selues you can haue the lesse comfort in it But if you can be so wise as make it vnto you a spur to true repentance you shall be happy Keep your Church diligently though your clothing be meane Keep holy the Sabbath day and know nothing is lost by that Pray daily and labour to liue in the feare of God that though you be poore to the world-ward yet you may be as St. Iames saith Cap. 2. Rich in Faith and heires of the Kingdome which hee hath promised to them that loue him Follow your calling diligently that as much as may be you may eate your own bread that God may moue mens hearts to supply willingly that that is wanting Be not ouer clamorous Keep a good tongue though men deale not very well with you Carry your selues dutifully and humbly towards the rich and all your superiours not saucy surly ill-tongued patient and meeke when you receiue a reproofe and not swell or giue ill words Be thankfull for any kindnesse you receiue