Christ endure that any other should haue with him a portioÌ„ in his church For he is a iealous God Exodus 20. verse 5. So then the force of the reason standeth thus Gods people which are married vnto CHRIST must loue CHRIST alone because we are linked married to him alone as a wife to her husband vnto whom alone she is bound Therefore if we forsake the Lord and breake the promise wee made to him in Baptisme and betroth our selues vnto others then will he surely cast vs off giue vs a Bill of Diuorcement as shamelesse strumpets and punish vs for our vnfaithfulnesse Secondly hee loued vs first Reason 2 and best according to that of Iohn Wee loue him Iohn 4.19 because hee loued vs first Yea he loued vs first when we were his enemies and had made a voluntary separation betweene him and our soules committing Spirituall fornication with sinne and Sathan yea as the Apostle Paul witnesseth Eph. 2.4.5 Yee that were dead in trespasses and sinnes hath hee quickened And lest wee should any whit doubt of his loue hee hath manifested it Reuel 1.6 in that Hee hath washed vs from our sinnes in his Bloud Oh then greater Loue then this can no man shew And therefore seeing Christ hath loued thy Soule so dearely as to suffer a cursed death yea to shed his owne heart Bloud to saue thy soule Oh how oughtest thou to loue Christ agayne If a man vvere taken by the Turkes and put to extreme slauery and bondage where hee should remayne for euer vnlesse a great summe of money were payd for his ransome the which hee were neuer able to pay how miserable were the estate of this man But if one should come that out of his meere loue vnto him pittying his miserie that should pay his ransome and set him free who can expresse how much this poore wretch were bound vnto him VVee are all taken prisoners and that not by the Turkes which onely can but hold vs in temporall bondage but by Sathan the Prince of darkenesse where wee should haue indured not a temporall but a spirituall and eternall bondage and slauery and that in hell for euermore And nothing but onely the bloud of the Sonne of God could bee our ransome O how should this worke vpon the affection of euery Christian man and woman and euen bind vs to loue Christ againe Now what might moue Christ but onely his loue to giue himselfe to death for vs Surely nothing that was in vs. Ephe. 2.4.5 But God who is rich in mercie through his great loue wherewith he loued vs euen when we were dead by sinnes hath quickned vs together by Christ by whose grace yee are saued And againe 1. Ioh 3.16 Hereby haue we perceiued loue that hee layd downe his life for vs. Ephes 1.7 By whom saith the Apostle we haue redemption through his bloud and therefore the loue that Christ Iesus hath first sheâ—ed vnto vs must constraine vs to loue Christ againe Reason 3 And lastly because CHRIST IESVS is most excellent in him selfe and therfore most worthie of our loue For so saith the Church of Christ My beloued is white and ruddy Cant. 5.10 the chiefe of ten thousand In the world we see it commoÌ„ that some are beloued because they are faire and beautifull some because they are rich and wealthy some because they are wise and prudent and some because they are honourably descended Now Christ Iesus hath all of these For what soeuer may affect a mans heart and any way procure loue the same is Christ Iesus fully and absolute without any shadow of mutabilitie or change For wisedome he is the fountaine for truth hee is the authour of truth for mercie he is the store-house of all mercie for riches hee is the Lord of heauen and earth euen the store-house of durable riches and for beautie hee is the most holy and blessed sonne of God full of grace and truth Oh how may this serue to reproue Vse 1 all carnall and prophane Gospellers worldly men Epicures couetous Cormorants who loue any thing more then Christ Iesus and his glorious Gospell like the Gadarens who preferred their hogges before Christ yea one messe of pottage with Esau that can be content to sell Christ for lesse then thirtie pence that loue their filthy plesures eating drinking pride vncleannenesse c. more then CHRIST and their owne soules like the Bethlemites let Christ lie in the stable amongst beasts for they can not affoord him one corner in their hearts Againe it is the sin of thousands that professe Christ to be their Husband and Sauior that yet breake their couenant and serue the world and the flesh that pretend they loue the Lord Iesus Christ and yet betroth themselues to the world the flesh and the diuell and serue them Now how could any man be content with this That his wife should say she loues him and yet sets her heart vpon another man So how can wee thinke that God will take it at our hands if we will make shew that we loue Christ and yet are euer dallying with the world Christs enemy Oh he is a iealous God and will neuer indure it at our hands And lastly by the rule of this Doctrine of the Papists heere no lesse to be reproued who so much rob God of his honour calling vpon Saints and praying vnto them nay preferring the virgin Marie before Christ himselfe giuing honour and adoration to Saints and Angels making them Mediatours and Sauiours they shall finde one day that GOD will not put vp this robbery at their hands but will shew his iealous and terrible anger against them as most sacrilegious persons and robbers It must stirre vp euery Christian Vse 2 man to labour to finde his heart rauished with the loue of Christ Iesus so as he can say out of the affection of his heart O thou whom my soule loueth so as if the question were demanded what I loue best I can truly say Phil. 3.7.8 I loue Christ Iesus more then the whole world yea I account all things but losse and dung to win Christ And where men find this true affection loue of Christ in them it is a certaine signe of their saluation that God hath cast his loue vpon them that so the loue of God drawes loue to him againe As the light of the Sunne lights on the eie and by it we see the Sunne again And as by the picture in the Waxe wee know the Seale so by our loue to God we know his loue to vs. O how should this cause euery man and woman and euery mothers childe amongest vs to examine their loue towards Christ that so they may gather some assurance vnto their owne soules that Christ hath cast his loue vpon them And to doe this aske me this question of thine owne soule Doest thou desire Phil. 1.25 with the Apostle Paul to be loosed and to be with Christ Tell mee
his wife hath made herselfe ready Reu. 19.7 So then this booke containes in it the wonderfull loue and mutual affection betwixt Christ Iesus and his Spouse the true Church of GOD and euerie true beleeuer Thus much may serue touching the book it self we will now come to the words of the Text. Shew thou me O thou whom my soule loueth c. IN the beginning of this chapter the Church beginneth to speake to Christ and being rauished in heart with his Loue desires most earnestly to be embraced of him that shee might be ioyned vnto him and haue fellowship with him preferring Christ Iesus with the blessings and benefites she reapeth by him before all other things in the world In the third Verse shee confesseth her vntowardnesse and her want of power to embrace Christ and therefore she desireth him to draw her heart by his Word and Spirit whereby shee sheweth her earnest desire to receiue Iesus Christ Verse 4. She remoues an obiection that might be made for it might be said Alas thou art black and deformed how canst thou then hope that hee will take any pleasure in thy beauty seeing that hee is the most pure blessed and glorious Son of God To this she confesseth that though by Nature shee be blacke ful of blemishes and naturall corruptions by reason of her originall sinne and naturall corruptions as also her actuall transgressions yet notwithstanding being washed in Christs Bloud cloathed in his Righteousnesse and being decked and beautified vvith the Graces of his Spirit Knowledge Faith Repentance Zeale Patience Loue Obedience c. shee is faire and comely Now in the sixt Verse shee puts vp an earnest request vnto Christ that he would in mercie shew her where hee feedeth his Flocke and where he prouides comfort for them in the time of trouble For Christ being the great Sheepheard his Church on earth seekes onely after him to be fedde resting assured that there is but one true shepheard who feedeth all his Sheep with wholesome pasture In these two Verses we haue two things to be considered of vs Viz. 1 The Request and Petition the which the Church doth make vnto Christ Verse 6. The Texâ— diuided 2 The most kinde and louing answere of Christ Iesus vnto his Church directing her and comforting her according to her Petition Verse 7. In the first of these wee are to consider two things First the Request and secondly the reason of the Request In the Request note First the person to whom she resorts Oh thou whom c. Secondly the Request it selfe which is twofoâ—d First that Christ Iesus would shew her where he feeds his Flocke with his holy Word Sacraments to this end that hee would feede her as he fed the Flockes of former times Secondly where hee prouides shelter and shadow in the heate of persecution as the manner of those Shepheards was in those hot countries to driue their sheepe to shade in the heate of the day And lastly the Reason For why should I bee as shee that turneth aside after the Flockes of thy companions So that if CHRIST doe it not it will not bee for His honour nor yet for her good The person vnto whom the Church seekes for direction First for the Person to whom shee seeketh for direction and comfort it is CHRIST IESVS the Sauiour and Redeemer of his church and people whom shee describeth thus Oh thou whom my soule loueth c. q. d. O Lord IESVS CHRIST my Sauiour and Redeemer whom I loue with all mine heart yea whom I loue most earnestly aboue all the world So as if the question were asked what I loue best in all the world I speake it from my heart It is thou Lord alone Doctr. 1 Christ Iesus must be loued with the stFaida Hamdiongest affection of loue Hence wee learne with what affection euery childe of God and true beleeuer must loue IESVS CHRIST namely with the greatest and strongest affection of loue they can So as if it were asked what or whom dost thou loue most thou canst truely say with the Church here the Lord Iesus CHRIST O thou whom my soule loueth So did S. Peter whose loue was so great that he died for CHRIST So that hee might verie well say to Christ when hee asked him this question Whether he did loue him or no Yea Lord Iohn 21.15 thou knowest that I loue thee The like is to be seene in Marie whose loue was so great to Christ that in testimonie thereof shee washed his feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head So that CHRIST giues this testimonie of her to her euerlasting praise Luke 7.47 That shee loued much So doth the Church and Spouse of CHRIST testifie her loue to Christ in diuers places of this most worthy book calling CHRIST IESVS her Beloued Cant. 2.10 My beloued spake and said c. And againe Stay mee with Flaggons and comfort mee with Apples for I am sicke of loue Cant. 2.5 Yea it is a Precept giuen by the Lord God himselfe that hee must haue the chiefest loue and the first roome in our hearts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with al thy soule with all thy strength Deut. 6.5 The Lord will not be satisfied with the loue of our eyes to behold his workes the loue of the eare to listen to his word the loue of the tongue to talke of him the loue of the feet to go to his Sanctuary but the Lord doth require all these loues together in one So as a man may truely say with Dauid the prophet Psal 83.25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee And 〈◊〉 desire nothing in earth in comparison of thee The Lord cannot abide that a man should haue a heart and a heart one for God another for the Diuell We can not serue God and Mammon Mat. 6.24 wee must not part our loue to the world the Flesh or the Diuell but Christ must haue all Now the reasons are diuerse to shew with what an ardent affection wee must loue CHRIST IESVS First because he is our Husband Reason 1 and wee are his Spouse for so saith the Prophet Esay Esay 54.5 Hee that made thee is thy Husband whose name is the Lord of Hoasts And agayne Reu. 19.7 Let vs reioyce and giue glorie to him for the Marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her selfe ready Now our Spirituall seruice and worship of God is as it were a certaine Marriage of our soules vnto God When wee take vpon vs the profession of Christ Iesus as in Baptisme then wee betroth our selues to Christ as to an husbaÌ„d entring into couenant with CHRIST To keepe vs onely to him vnto our liues end So then by this meanes the Lord is become our husband we his Spouse Now then as an honest man can not endure that another man should haue a portion in his wife so will not
Note is it meate and drinke vnto thee to doe the will of Christ Is thy hand euer ready according to thy abilitie to bestow any thing vpon Christ for the aduancement of his glory Doest thou labour in the place vvherein thou liuest to aduance the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ Canst thou bee content to vndergoe shame disgrace trouble persecution and bonds yea death it selfe for Christs sake Doth the remembrance of his comming to Iudgement cheere vp thy heauy soule And doest thou cry with the spouse of Christ Come Lord Iesus come quickly These bee markes and tokens whereby thou maist discerne whether thou dost loue Christ Iesus yea or no. But because all men are ready to say that they loue Christ or else it were pitty they should liue and the like when indeed the loue of Christ is not in them Markes to discerne our loue to Christ I will yet proceed a little further and obserue a few notes and markes of this pure and hearty loue to Christ which are most certaine signes of grace 1. By our loue to his word First if wee loue Christ wee will loue his word delight in it and esteeme it aboue gold and pretious stones Psal 119.67 Lord what loue haue I vnto thy word saith Dauid all the day long is my study in it Yea it is altogether impossible for a man to be religious to feare God and to loue him that hath no sound loue nor delight in the word of God so that by our loue to his word wee may iudge of our loue to Christ No loue nor delight in the word surely no loue nor delight in Christ great loue to the word great loue to Christ In the valewing of this pearle Dauids practise is notable who made the Testimonies of God his heritage Verse 111. and the very ioy of his heart and esteemed them aboue gold yea aboue fine gold And therefore seeing most men haue no delight in the word seldome or neuer heare it vnlesse it be for fashion sake read it or meditate in it day or night it is a certaine token that the loue of Christ is not in them 2. By our loue to his Saints Secondly if wee loue Christ Iesus with all our heart we will loue those whom he loues his blessed members true Christians 1. Iohn 3. Hereby saith Saint Iohn wee know that we are translated from darknesse into light because we loue the brethren Dauid testifies of himselfe Al my delight is vpon thy Saints It is our duty to loue all but wee must loue the Saints with a peculiar and speciall loue as heires with Christ and members of the same body with vs. Therefore seeing men generally hate the members of Christ contemne them and despise them doth not this make it verie apparent that the loue of Christ is not in them For the world loues her owne Iohn 15.19 But because I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Thirdly if we loue Christ Iesus 3. By our obedience we must shew it by our obedience to his word and to his holy Lawes for so saith Christ If ye loue me Ioh. 14 23. keep my Commandements Little obedience little loue no obedience to Christs will no loue hearty obedience hearty loue And therefore seeing generally men rebel against his word and breake his Commandements thogh these men should swear they loue Christ yet are they liars and the loue of Christ is not in them For who can beleeue that a traytor can loue his Prince Fourthly if we loue Christ Iesus 4. By our suffering for Christ we cannot endure to heare him blasphemed rayled on reuiled his word contemned or his Sabaoths prophaned but it will grieue vs at the very heart we will to the vtmost of our power defend his cause as a louing childe the cause of his father and a faithfull seruant the credit of his maister And withall it will make vs be content to indure some triall and persecution for his sake yea losse of libertie wealth riches yea life iâ—selfe who hath so loued vs that he shed his bloud for vs. Thus much of the affection of the Church towards Christ Iesus Now we are to come to the petitions themselues Shew thou mee O thou whom my soule loueth where thou feedest c. THe Church heere as in many other places of the holie Scriptures compares Christ Iesus to a good and faithfull shepheard as the Prophet Esay describes him Esay 40. He will gather together his Lambs And againe Behold Ezech. 34. I will require my flocke of the Shepheards and I my selfe will feede my sheepe and cause them to rest quietly This is acknowledged of the Prophet Dauid Psal 23.1 The Lord is my shepheard therefore I cannot want Yea Christ doth thus entitle himselfe saying Ioh. 10.11 I 〈◊〉 the good shepheard c. Now the Church of Christ doth put vp her request to this great Shepheard and Doctour of his Church that hee would be pleased to tell her where hee feedes his sheep with the preaching of the Word and the vse Of the Sacraments that so shee may ioyne with them there to be fed and comforted Quest But Obiect was not this the true Church that moueth this question what is then that other Church or flocke she enquires after Resp Ans I answere Howsoeuer the Church of God is but one in all the world yet it hath diuerse partes As the Ocean sea though but one yet it is called by diuers names according to the place where it lies Euen so the Church of Christ though but one yet it hath diuers parts as the Holy-Ghost distinguisheth of it Reuel 1.4 writing to the seuen Churches which are in Asia Now of the whole Church of Christ some parts of it be at peace and rest free from persecution when other partes may suffer persecutions molestations and be vexed by the Diuell and his instruments whom he sets a worke Now in this place the Church of God in persecution and great affliction desieth to know of Christ Where he feedes his sheepe that is where the Church is at rest and peace where the word is purely preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline duly performed that she may ioyne with them in the seruice of Almightie God From this request and earnest Doctr. 2 sute of the Church vnto Christ to know where he doth feed his sheepe wee learne that it is a true note of a sheepe of Christ Iesus The true note of a sheep of Christ to hunger and thirst after the word of God to hunger and thirst after the word of GOD to enquire where Christ feedes his flocke where the word is truely and faithfully preached and the Sacraments truelie administred And this doubt our Sauior him selfe obserueth to be the eare-marke of his sheepe Iohn 10.27 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow
may perceiue Vse that most men and women are in a woefull case For alas the greatest part are ignorant of the law of God and know not what is sinne and what is not sinne and therefore cannot possible haue a good Conscience For Hebr. 11. whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Againe though men see their sinnes and oftentimes their consciēce checks them for sins yet how few doe bewaile their sinnes for I am perswaded that there is not so wicked a sinner but sometimes his conscience checkes him Indeede men see not the danger and feele not the wounds of conscience because now their Bookes be clasped they be shut vp their seared Consciences bee now asleepe But the day will come that their Bookes must be opened and their secrets declared and then conscience will accuse them condemne and torment them Againe when a man or woman hath gotten a good conscience so as being truely humbled for their sinnes and begging pardon they finde some assurance of GODS loue in Christ and that now their consciences doe not accuse them euen then must men take no lesse paines to keepe and preserue a good conscience to do nothing to wound thy Conscience A mans Conscience is a very tender thing The meanes to keepe our cōscience pure It is like the apple of the eye if it be prickt but with a pin it will not onely blemish the eye but endanger the sight So conscience it is a tender thing if yee pricke it by sinne it wil blemish thy conscience wound it and euen make hauocke of thy soule And therfore saith Salomon Counter-gard thy heart watch ouer thy soule Prouerbs 4.14 that thou do nothing that may wound thy conscience Now that we may keep these books of account our consciences pure and good we must doo two things First auoide all things that may any way hurt a good conscience Secondly vse all good meanes and helpes to cherish a good conscience In truth all sin hinders a good conscience Sinne is that vvhich wounds the Soule and maketh hauocke of a good conscience that is the verie cut-throate of mens soules And therefore if you would keepe a good conscience take heede of sin which wounds a good conscience and makes it vnable to stand before God at the last day But there bee two especiall lets and impediments of a good Conscience First ignorance of the Lawe and the word of God For when a man knowes not what is sinne and what not how can he take heed lest hee wound his Soule And therefore wee see let a man come into his House at Midnight hee can see nothing amisse and out of order but let a man come in at Noone then hee can espie the least disorder euen so poore blinde ignorant soules not knowing the Law of God cannot see any wounds in conscience nor nothing amisse in them But let them come to the word of God and looke in this Glasse then they shall find themselues much out of order to haue wounded soules and defiled consciences The other impediment of a good cōscience is worldly lust namely the loue and exceeding desire of riches honours pleasures c. And hee that suffers these desires to haue place in his heart hee cannot possible keepe a good conscience Secondly the meanes to preserue and to keep a good conscience be three First to doe all things that may saue and cherish true sauing faith whereby our soules be assured of the loue of GOD in Christ Iesu for the pardon of our sins For Faith is the root and the foundation of a good conscience and without faith there can be no good conscience Rom. 10. Now to preserue Faith wee must often heare and reade the word of God repent of our sins acknowledge and confesse them and be humbled for them and walke in the dueties of faith and repentance And in so doing wee shall finde more and more the comfort of a good conscience And therefore wee must take heede we do nothing to break off the feeling of Gods loue or to wound our conscience Secondly we must indeuour in all things to obey Gods will and beare a constant purpose not to sin in anie thing For a purpose to liue in sin and conscience cannot stand together so that where there is a purpose to liue in sinne there is neither faith nor a good conscience Thirdly we must walke with God as Henoch did so to order our liues as alwayes in the presence of GOD and this will make vs keepe a good Conscience and the want of this maketh men bold to sinne because they consider not that GOD seeth them and that they haue a conscience within them And another Booke was opened which is the Booke of Life THus when Christ hath examined the Bookes of mens Consciences to view what is therein written that Iudgement may bee avvarded thereafter Now hee sheweth that hee will open a second Booke euen the Booke of Life What is meant by the booke of Life And of this booke of Life we shall see often mention in the word of God both in the olde and new Testament as that of Moses Exodus 32.31.32 Oh this people haue grieuously sinned Therefore now if thou pardon their sinne thy mercie shall appeare But if thou wilt not I pray thee rase mee out of the Booke which thou hast written Psal 69.28 Agayne Let them be put out of the Booke of Life neither let them be written with the righteous Reuel 3.5 Againe He that ouercommeth shall be clothed in white array and I wil not put out his name out of the Booke of Life And the Holie-Ghost speaking of the glory of the heauenly Ierusalem saith Reu. 21.27 There shall enter into it no vncleane thing neyther whatsoeuer worketh abomination or lies Phil. 4.3 But they which are written in the Lambes Booke of Life Now if you would know what is heere meant by the Booke of Life it is the Book in the which all the names of Gods Elect which in his eternall purpose he hath chosen be written as it were with Letters of Gold and it is nothing else but GODS eternall councell purpose and decree wherein he hath elected and chosen a certaine company of mankinde to bestow eternall life vpon them for we must not thinke that God hath any need of a Booke but only for our vnderstanding hee speaketh thus Euen as a Captaine records the names of his Souldiers to call them one by one and as in Cities the names of the chiefe men be recorded So God hath as it were enrolled the names of all his Saints and engrauen them in the booke of Life with letters of gold for euer so as not one of them shall perish Thus seeing what is meant by the Booke of Life let vs see what we may learne hence Vse 1 First hence wee may see the blessed and happy estate of all the elect and chosen children of God For all those which be