indifferently casteth no man in the teeth Iame. 1. chap. 5. verse so hee would haue vs to giue that which we giue vnto him willingly without grutching If we giue him loue we must giue it louingly if we giue him our heart we must doe it heartily if we giue him our almes we must doe it cheerefully for as he loueth a cheerefull giuer 1. Cor. 9.7 so he loues a cheerfull louer but he that loues not with the heart loues not cheerefully for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12.34 the head deuiseth the eye seeth the eare heareth the hand worketh the foot walketh If the heart be enditing of a good matter the tongue will be as the pen of a ready writer Psal. 45.2 but if the heart be vnwilling euery thing will be yrkesome like the gift of Ananias that was loth to part from the price of his land because Sathan had filled his heart with couetousnesse Acts. 5. chap. 2. ver Such are the gifts of many now a dayes which either giue not so much as their abilitie might affoorde or if they do then presently they begin to repent that they gaue so much and as Iudas murmured that the oyle was not soulde and giuen to the poore Iohn 12. chapter so they greeue that their almes was not spared and put to some other vse Thus though they giue sometime as Ananias did for fashion sake because they see other giue yet is their gift nothing worth because it comes not with a willing minde God more regarded the sheapheards sacrifice of the first fruites of his sheepe Genesis 4. chapter and 4.5 ver than the husbandmans oblation of the first fruites of his ground because Abel offered sincerely with all his heart and Caine offered like an hypocrite for an outward shew The widdowes mite Luc. 21. was more esteemed than the riche mens much because she offered of her penury with a willing minde they of their superfluitie for ostentation A cup of colde water or a morsell of bread that is giuen with cheerefulnesse is better then a fat Oxe with hatred ill will When we giue to the poore we lend vnto the Lord and the Lord to whom we lend measureth the gift by the minde of the giuer and not by the worth of the gift A small thing saith Dauid Psal. 37.16 that the righteous haue is better then great riches of the vngodly so a small thing that the righteous giue is better then great gifts of the vngodly because they giue for the loue of God with all their heart but the vngodly giue for other respects either for the loue of the man to whom they giue or like the Pharises Matth. 6.1 for the praise of men before whom they giue Some will not giue at all wherin they declare that they haue no loue at all When a poore man comes to their doore or to their pue then as Naball answered Dauid when he desired reliefe for himself and his company 1. Sam. 23.10 VVho is Dauid or who is the sonne of Isai There be many seruants now a daies that breake euerie man away from his maister shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I haue killed for my shearers and giue it vnto men whom I know not whence they are so they aunswer the poore man who art thou whence commest thou there are too many such as you are in euery place we haue poore enough of our owne to helpe I must bestow mine almes on them and I haue not for you Thus do they excuse their niggardise and vnmercifulnesse by the poore that dwell among them vppon whome God knows they bestowe no more than that which law compels them to bestowe and that for the most part against their will Where is the loue of God my bretheen If you say you loue God shew not your loue to your brethren you lye for if you loue not your brother whom you see you cannot loue God whome you haue not seene 1. Iohn 4.20 As we must loue God with the heart that is sincerely so we must loue him with all the heart that is with a perfect loue God is like a iealous husband lothe to haue a partner in his loue Exod. 20. He will not haue halfe the heart nor a peece of the heart but all the heart When the heart is deuided it dieth therfore God will not haue the heart deuided least it die because he desireth a liuing and not a dying heart He is not like the vnkinde mother that would haue the childe deuided 1. Kin. 26. but like the naturall mother who rather than it should be deuided would forgoe the childe So God will haue all or none if he may not haue all the heart and all the soule and all the strength all the thought he will haue none at all The diuell or the worlde or the flesh will play small game as we vse to say before they will sit out if they cannot get full possession of our hearts thē they are content to haue some part of our loue as it were a litle roome in our hearts a wicked thought or a consent to sinne like Pharao the king of Egipt who when he could not keep the Israelits still in bondage would keep their wiues and children back and when this would not be granted then he was content to let them go doe sacrifice but their sheepe and their cattell must stay behinde and when this might not be obtained then he desired them onely to blesse him before they went Exod. 10. But God is of another minde he that made all the hearts of men trieth them and knoweth them and renueth them and mollifieth them and lighteneth them and ruleth them and turneth them which way it pleaseth him wil haue all the heart because he hath best right to all Therefore as Moses answered Pharao There shall not a hoofe be left behinde vs so whensoeuer the deuill the world or the flesh are suters vnto vs for any part of our heart as commonly they are when we haue any sacrifice or seruice to performe vnto the Lorde our God then we must aunswer them as Moses answered Pharao Thou shalt haue neither hand nor hoofe in this action Exod. 10.26 or as Peter answered Simon Magus when he offered mony for the holy ghost Thou hast neither part nor felowship in this businesse Acts 8.20.21 I must not yeeld one iot to your suggestions for I must loue the Lord my God with all my heart with all my soule c. That God may be our God he will haue the greatest loue because whatsoeuer we loue best we make our God we may loue our parents or our wiues or our children or our friends or our neighbors aswell as we loue our selues with a true vnfained loue but we must loue God better thā our parents or our wiues or our childrē or our friends or our neighbors or our selues with all our
valiant what should then become of women olde men and children which are weake and feeble If God should regarde none but the riche and wealthie what should then become of the poore and needy To conclude if God should make choice of none but such as were of noble parentage what should wee do that are the common people But now hee requireth such a thing of vs as the poorest simplest may performed as well as the wealthiest or wisest man in all the world for if we cannot loue we can do nothing specially if wee cannot loue God that hath so loued vs we go not so farre as the wicked doe for sinners also loue their louers Luc. 6.32 And therefore blessed be God that for the performance of so small a worke hath proposed such a great rewarde and for the obtayning of such a happy state hath imposed such an easie taske The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can the heart conceiue what God hath prepared for them that loue him Esay 64. chap. 4. verse 1. Corinthians 2. chap. 9. verse And for all these vnspeakeable ioyes which God hath prepared hee requireth no more of vs but loue How is God enamoured of our loue and how vnkinde shall wee bee to withholde it from him He hath an innumerable company of Angels which are inflamed with his loue and not content therewith he sues to haue the loue of men God hath no neede of our loue no more then Elisa had neede of Naamans cleansing but as Elisa bad Naaman wash that he might become cleane in the second booke of Kings the fift chapter so God bids vs loue that wee might be saued It is for our good altogether that God requires our loue in earth because he meanes to set his loue on vs in heauen If the man of God had willed Naaman doe some great thing ought he not to haue done it So if God had willed vs doe some great thing ought wee not to haue done it How much more when he saieth vnto vs Loue and you shall liue for euer Nowe if you would knowe whether you haue this loue of God in you examine your actions whether they bee done with delight and comfort In amore nihil amari In loue there is no mislike T is like the waters of Iordane wherein Naaman washed for as his flesh which before was leprous became faire and tender after his washing so all our actions and labours and afflictions which before were tedious and irkesome become ioyous and pleasaunt and comfortable after wee are once bathed in the loue of God It is like the Salte that Elisa cast into the noysome waters to make them wholesome in the 2. Kings and second chapter or like the meale that Elisa put into the bitter pottage to make them sweete as in the 2. Kings the 4. chap. So the loue of God being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost dooth make all anguish and sicknesse and pouerty and labours and watchings and losses and iniuries and famishment and banishment and persecutions imprisonment yea death it selfe to be welcome vnto vs. Such was the loue of that chosen vessell who for the loue that he bare vnto God waded through all these afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and could not for all these and many more be separated from the loue of God as he protesteth Rom. 8. Wherefore beloued seeing God that hath done so much for vs requireth no more but loue of vs which euery one may easily affoord let him be our loue our ioy and whole delight and then all our life will seeme delightfull As Iaacob serued seauen yeares for Rachaell Gen. 29.20 and they seemed to him but a few daies for the loue that he bare vnto hir so when we haue once set our loue vpon God our paine will be pleasure our sorrow will be ioy our mourning will be mirth our seruice will be freedome and all our crosses shall be counted so many comforts for his sake whom we loue a great deale more then Iaacob loued Rachell because his loue to vs is like Ionathans loue to Dauid passing the loue of women 2. Samuel 1.26 Thus we haue heard what it is that the Lord requireth of vs namely loue Nowe let vs see what manner of loue he requireth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy thought Here the Lord setteth downe the measure of that loue which he requireth of vs that first it must be true and vnfained as proceding from the hart minde secondly that it must be sound and perfect with all the heart with all the minde The Lorde which is a spirit and trueth Iohn 4. will be serued in spirit and in the truth He cannot away with hypocrites which drawe neere vnto him with their lips but their hearts are farre from him Matth. 15. He cannot abide dissemblers which flatter with their lips and dissemble in their double heart Psal. 12. and therefore though he requireth all the heart yet he requireth not a double heart to signifie that a single heart is pleasing vnto him and that he detesteth a double hart As there is a glosing tongue a wanton eye an idle eare a wicked hand and a wandring foote so there is a false and dissembling heart which marreth all the rest As is the eye such is the light if the eye be single the body is full of light if the eye be wicked the body is full of darkenesse Matth. 6.22 So as is the heart such are the actions of the body which proceede from the heart A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of the heart bringeth foorth euill things Matth. 12.35 therefore as Christ saith Make cleane within and all will be cleane Luc. 11. So I say vnto you looke that your heart be sincere and single and then your tongue your eye your eare your hand your foote that is all your actions will be holy to the Lord. The heart of man is the storehouse wherein his treasure lyeth and therefore God seeking to haue the treasure requires the heart For where the treasure is there will the heart be also Matth. 6.21 But he will haue it freely not by constraint and therefore he requires the heart because whatsoeuer is done with the hart is done willingly and that which is done against the heart is done as it were against the haire Therefore in requiring the heart God sheweth that hee delighteth in voluntary seruice Among all the offerings that the Lorde in his lawe required of his people he liketh none so well as the free-will offerings of their hande Princes require helpe of their subiects because they stand in neede of helpe not regarding whether they doe it willingly or against their willes but God requireth the heart because he needeth not our helpe As God giues to all men
mercifull as he is mercifull he will haue vs louing as he is loue it selfe Againe it is the nature of a louing father by all meanes to procure the welfare of his children so our heauenly father desirous of our continuall happinesse commandeth vs loue that so we may leade our liues with delight and pleasure If he had hated vs he would haue commanded vs to liue in hatred and enuy and malice with our neighbours For among all the miseries that are vnder the sunne there is not a more miserable and yrksome life than the life of the enuious Salomon Prou. 14.30 calles it a rotting of the bones and as it were a consumption of the body because the enuious man alwaies repineth and pineth away at other mens prosperitie As all things worke to the best to them that loue God Rom. 8. so all things worke to the worst to them that are enuious Therefore one wisheth that the enuious man had eies in euery citie that he might be vexed with all mens prosperitie As Christ said Iohn 13. By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if you haue loue one towards another so the diuell saith By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if yee haue enuie and hatred and malice one towards another Therefore leauing that hatefull and lothsome kinde of life to the reprobate and damned who are alwaies mal-content like Caine Gen. 4. and their countenance cast downe they cannot looke on their brother with a cheerefull countenance nor affoord him a merry worde God hath prescribed loue to those that are his to shew how desirous he is of their welfare happines But here some churle may say vnto me If this be all I shall doe well enough if God require no more but loue I shall be well content to loue so that I be not bound to giue Alas this is a silly shift for it is the nature of godly loue to relieue and helpe him that is beloued therefore whom thou louest if thou louest him truely thou canst not see him lack if it be in thy power to supply his want If thou loue thy horse thou wilt giue him prouinder if thou loue thy dog thou wilt giue him thy crummes and if thou loue thy brother thou wilt giue him foode Therefore though nothing be expressed which thou shouldest giue vnto thy brother yet in that thou must loue him thou art bound to giue him not onely thy goods but euen thy life if neede require to doe him good This is my commaundement saieth our Sauiour Christ Iohn 15. chap. 12. vers that yee loue one another as I haue loued you but he so loued vs that he gaue his life for vs Rom. 5. â— therefore wee also ought to giue out liues for our brethren 1. Iohn 3.16 For as much then as thy life which as Christ speaketh is more worth than foode or raiment Matth. 6.25 should not be spared for thy anothers good from henceforth grutch not to giue thy goods to thy needy neighbour defraude not him of foode and raiment to whom thou owest euen thy life it selfe But let vs come to the second thing which sheweth who is bound to loue Thou shalt loue Vnder this worde thou God comprehendeth euery particular man and woman as if hee should say Thou thy selfe and not any other for thou shalt loue thy neighbour The poore man is not exempted from this precept because he may loue aswell as the riche If he say I haue no wealth and therefore I cannot shewe my loue to my neighbour Though he haue no wealth yet he hath a heart he hath a minde he hath an affection let him haue a louing heart a louing minde and a louing affection if he cannot doo well let him wish well vnto his neighbour if he can or gratifie him with any thing that he hathâ— let him not enuie at any thing that the riche man hath sorts the riche man shewes that hee loues his neighbour if he relieue his necessitie so the poore man sheweth that he loues his neighbour if he greeue not at his prosperitie This therefore as a generall precept bindeth the poore aswell as the riche it is a common yoake laide vpon the neck and a common burthen laide vpon the backe of euery christian but yet it is an easie yoake and a light burthen Matt. 11. because it is loue which maketh all things to seeme delightsome As there are some that would bee content to loue if they might not giue so there are some would be content to giue if they were sure they should not want therefore when it comes to giuing they post it ouer to their heires or to their executors or to their successors when they are dead they are neuer liberall vntill they die and then they are liberall of that which is none of theirs They thinke to be excused by the liberalitie of their heires but they are bound to bee liberall for themselues therefore they must not lay the burthen vppon them because euery man must beare his owne burthen Gal. 6. If they say I know not what need I may haue before I die let them remember that what they giue vnto the poore they lend vnto the Lord and he is a sure pay-maister he giues great vsurie and as Dauid laid I neuer saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede beg their bread so they must needes confesse if they will confesse the trueth that they neuer sawe the godlye man that was liberall to the poore by that meanes to come to miserie By other meanes many men fall into extreame pouertie Alea Vina Venus Dice Wine and Women haue brought many to beggery but by beneficence and liberalitie to the poore I neuer heard that any came to penurie Such a foyson hath your almes that by the blessing of God which makes men rich it increaseth like the Widdows meale and oile which she bestowed vppon the Prophet 1. Kings 17. Therefore let no man distrust Now we are come to the third thing which sheweth whom wee are bound to loue Thou shalt loue thy neighbour He saith not thou shalt loue the rich man or thy kinsman or thy friend or thy companion but thy neighbour Vnder which word is comprehended euery man that is any way capable of thy loue yea euen thy enemie is included in this precept Matthew 5. Rom. 12. As the Iewes thought none to be their neighbours but their owne Nation so some thinke none to bee their neighbours but their equalls The rich man despiseth the poore man and he againe enuieth the rich man and euery man as the prouerbe is delighteth in those that are like himselfe But heere this lawe requireth that whosoeuer is our neighbor by any meanes is to be loued As our Sauiour Christ had two kindes of kinsfolke Matthew 12. one by the flesh and another by the spirit so we haue two kindes of neighbours one by nature and another by grace and as Christ preserd his spirituall kindred