ΓNΩΘI ΣΑΥΤΟΠKnow thy selfe is highly worthy to be engrauen on the heart of euery man Did we but know our selues to be but men the very name of men would cause vs to cast away our proud plumes and remember our father Adam that was but earth The Prophet cryes out with an exclamation How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer the Son of the morning We on the other â—ide may cry O how art thou mounted to heauen O man the sonne of corruption Let vs know our selues and our places least in soaring too high the fiery beames of Gods wrath melt our waxen plumes and we fall headlong into the Sea of confusion The Elders that sate about the throne of God did cast their crownes before the throne and cryed saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things for thine owne pleasure If wee haue any crownes let vs cast them at the feete of God and say Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory honour and power for thou hast elected created redeemed preserued called sanctified and wilt hereafter glorifie vs not because we are worthy but because thou hast loued vs from eternity The second Vse of this point is for comfort vnto euery godly soule What greater comfort can a subiect haue in this life then this to be his Princes fauorite to be deare and precious in his eyes vpon whom he doth cast honours and conferre wealth gracing him with his countenance dignifying him with promotions and sheltring him from the furious tempests of malicious enuy if a mans happinesse could be confined to the world what could be desired more But this is nothing to the comfort of a Christian who hath God for his master yea I may say for his father heauen for his home celestiall happinesse for his reward the LORD of hoste for his shield and buckler What shall not the Christian solace himselfe more in God then the subiect in his Prince shall not his consolation be greater seeing his estate is more happy Comfort thou thy selfe thou that art begotten of God Esau is hated but if thou hast Iacobs heart thou shalt with Iacob be beloued of God the wicked man wants Gods loue therefore he wants all things the godly man inioyes Gods loue therefore he enioyes all things Gods loue was thine before thou wert thine owne thou hadst thy beginning within these few yeares Gods loue hath no beginning but like himselfe was from eternitie God did not beginne to loue thee when hee begun to make thee but he loued thee before the world was made and will loue thee after the world is dissolued What then if wicked men hate thee God loues thee What if men reiect thee God hath chosen thee What if men persecute thee Greater is he that is with thee then they that are against thee What if the Diuell assault thee Christ hath redeemed thee What if thy sins affright thee God hath washed and sanctified thee What if Satan would confound thee God wil glorifie thee Thus hast thou against all dangers Murum aheneuÌ„ Gods fauour as a wall of brasse to secure thee Feare not mans hatred God is loue Feare not Satans rage God is power Feare not thine owne sinnes God is mercy Let the rich man reioyce in his riches the strong man in his strength the wise man in his wisedome the ambitious man in his honour the Epicure in his pleasure let not vs reioyce in these things but that our names are written in heauen Reioyce in this that you are Gods beloued his loue is engrauen vpon your hearts The cause of their reioycing is momentany and shall perish with them our reioycing is eternalâ— which shall neuer fade God is eternall so is his loue his loue is eternal so shal our reioycing be God is loue he hath loued vs. Thus much touching Gods loue toward vs I come now to speake of our loue toward him againe Wee loue him Which words doe afford vs this Doctrine That to loue God truely is an essentiall property of the child of God That is an essentiall property according to the Schooles quod conuenit omni soli et semper which is found in euery indiuiduum of the same species in them onely and in them alwayes To loue God therefore is an essentiall property of the child of God because it is found in euery child of God onely the childe of God and the child of God alwayes First euery one that is regenerate doth loue God for where the cause is there must needes be the effect the worke of regeneration proceeds from Gods loue and where his loue is toward vs there he worketh in vs loue toward him That which Peter spake in his owne behalfe is generally belonging to euery one who is effectually called Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Saint Paul saith the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Not onely in his but in the hearts of all his children For it was not a benefit peculiar to Paul but common to all that are regenerated by his Spirit Secondly this is not so common as that it is communicated vnto the wicked but is found solely in the godly for the wicked are like Saul before his conuersion persecuters of God and of Iesus Christ. The wisedome of the flesh that is the vnderstanding the will and the affections of the wicked are enimitie against God they are rebels against him and his Law Men vnregenerate are haters of God they neither loue him nor his glory Lastly that the godly doe loue God alwaies is plaine for whom God loueth he loueth to the end euen for euer therefore a man being once made partaker of Gods loue in the regeneration of his heart can neuer be distracted from God for the cause continuing the effect must needes follow Thus we see it briefly proued that to loue God is the property of euery childe of God But for the better explicating and opening of this doctrine of our loue toward God let mee shew you these particulars 1. What our loue toward God is 2. The markes or effects of it 3. The reasons or motiues perswading to it 4. The meanes to attaine it For the first What our loue toward God is wee may conceiue it by this definition Amor erga Deum est gratia infusa in cordibus sanctorum per spiritum sanctum proueniens ab amore Dei erga ipsos qua summa cum affectu Deum cognitum diligunt propter seipsum in ipsius fruitione tanquam in summo bono acquiescunt Our loue toward God is a spirituall grace infused into the hearts of the faithfull by the holy spirit flowing from Gods loue toward vs whereby wee knowing God do loue him with al our might with all our soule and that for his owne sake and in the enioyment of him doe rest contented First I say it is
Election God in his diuine wisedome before the world was created out of the lumpe of mankinde had called and elected a certaine number whom he pleased to make partakers of his loue and fauour being once elected according to Gods purpose it needes must be that all things in the world should work together for their good And this is made a testimony of Gods loue vnto his children God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Iesus Christ vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will Here then we see what is the causa proëgumena the internal mouing cause of our election euen the meere loue and good-will of God according to that of Saint Paul He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy Gods election is without any merit of ours therefore meerely from his loue Againe the loue of God in our election is seene in that it is immutable vnchangeable so that they which are indeede chosen to saluation cannot perish but shall without doubt attaine to life eternall When Adam fell God might haue suffered him to haue lien in his fall but that he had ordained him vnto life wherefore for the execution of his decree he appointed all meanes to concurre for his saluation The purpose of God according to election must remaine firme and sure Such as Gods nature is such is his wil and counsell his nature and essence is vnchangeable I am Iehouah and â—hange not therefore his will and counsell must needes be immutable Here then wee see the first euidence of Gods loue toward vs it is neither to day nor yesterday that he hath begun to loue vs our election began not with our selues but before the Mountaines were made before the foundation of the world was laid euen from euerlasting to euerlasting the Lord is our God What creature then is able to disanull that which God hath willed before that euer any creature was Onely let vs labour that as our election is sure in it selfe so that wee may make it sure vnto our selues by walking with a good conscience in holinesse before the Lord and then we neede not feare what the Diuell or man can worke against it seeing the stormy gusts of Satans malice the rage of his temptations the power of the gates of hell can neuer frustrate the decree of God Wherefore let it be in our daily meditations to consider Gods infinite loue to his elect that whereas it was in his power to haue reprobated all men or to haue chosen the reprobate in their stead there being nothing in the one to moue him any more then in the other but his meere loue yet out of so many thousands to elect so few vnto himselfe and to decree them vnto saluation surely as it testifieth great loue in God so ought it to prouoke great feare in vs and to giue vnto God that diuine respect which is due vnto him And whereas Sathan stirres vp many tempests of trouble and blasts of temptation against the Church of God deâ—iring to sinke the ship or to driue it on the rockes Let vs be sure to cast the anchour of hope and to fasten it in heauen vpon the foundation of Gods election The second testimony of Gods great loue toward his children is in their Creation Man in respect of his creation and being was farre more excellent then any creature of the earth beside which appeareth in the text of the Scripture for whereas for the creation of the light of the heauens and earth and euery creature in them Gods bare command sufficed but when hee was to create man to shew the excellency of the creature hee consulteth with the whole God-head the Trinitie Let vs make man in our owne image In man therefore as he was created wee are to consider the integrity of his nature and the dignity of his person The integrity of his nature is seene in that he was indued with diuine wisedome knowing God his maker so far forth as was conuenient and possible for the creature to know his Creator hee knew the will and workes of God perfectly wherefore Zanchius tearmes Adam Insignem Theolâ—gum ac Philosophum of meere men the best Diuine and most excellent Philosopher He had habituall iustice whereby he was conformable vnto the will of God in his will defires inclinations and actions The dignity of man did consist principally in the communion he had with his God and maker lesse principally in the diuine essence of his soule in the beauty and maiesty hee had in his body aboue all earthâ—y creatures in his dominion and gouernment he had ouer them in his immunity from sicknesse wearinesse and all infirmities The dignity of man by creation is obserued in this that God hath made him a compound of all his creatures therefore he is called by the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The little world In respect of his soule he is like the Angels in respect of his body he hath affinity with earthly creatures there being no excellency in any terrestriall creature which man hath not in greater perfection Wherefore this must be vnto euery faithfull soule a testimony of Gods loue to him that whereas all creatures were in the hand of God as the clay in the hands of the Potter and that he might if it had pleased him haue made thee farre inferiour vnto that thou art God might haue created thee a Dog or a Toade or any other loathsome creature for neither was there anything to compell him or to resist him yet it pleased him of his meere loue to create thee after his owne image to endew thee with a reasonable soule that so thou mightest be capable of the knowledge and fruition of thy Creator To conferre good on any man for his good without either compuâ—sion or merit must needes proceed from loue why then shall not we ascribe the benefit of our creation to the meere loue of God seeing he could not be compelled nor could we merit Although the faithfull man onely is not made partaker of this benefit but the wicked also yet must we notwithstanding acknowledge it to proceed from Gods loue and to be a great bâ—essing for community doth not take away the nature of a benefit The third testimony of Gods loue to his Elect is their Redemption When God had created Adam he put him into the garden of Eden hee gaue him freewil ability either to stand in innocency or to fall from it but he through his disobedience dis-robed not onely himselfe but also his whole posterity of their garments of holinesse and made himselfe and vs slaues of Sathan and heires of eternall damnation GOD â—n his creation hath done his part but he became a rebell against his maker and so captiuated himselfe and his whole stocke vnder the Diuels bondage God in
this case might iustly haue forsaken him seeing he was author of his owne misery as Hosea saith O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe Yet the LORD whose loue is infinite and whose mercy is eternall looking vpon man in this wretched and miserable estate with the eye of pitty and compassion out of his meere grace and fauour made vnto Adam a promise of redemption by Iesus Christ the Messiah in these words The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head This promise made vnto Adam was fulfilled vnto vs. For when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman made vnder the law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes This the Apostle makes a manifest demonstration of Gods loue God shewed his loue to vs in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. And questionlesse this was a more excellent testimony of Gods loue then either of the former and that in two respects First in respect oâ— vs Secondly in respect of Christ. In respect of our selues before wee were elected or created we had done nothing that did displease or anger God nothing did oppose him but before our redemption wee had depraued our nature and depriued our selues of all holinesse were rebels against God so that our sins stood betweene him and vs which like a partition wall must first be remoued before wee could be brought into league with God Secondly in respect of God our redemption is obserued to be a greater worke then either our election or creation for our election was but Gods eternall counsell our creation but the composing of the body and inspiring of the soule both effected of God without paine without shame but for the accomplishing of our redemption Christ Iesus true God coequall with the father in Diety must leaue the heauens lay afide his crowne of glory and be incarnate in the forme of a seruant and be obedient vnto the law and suffer a shamefull and painefull death vpon the Crosse and all to take away our sinnes the Sonne of God was made the Sonne of man that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God the LORD of glory was vilefied that the sonnes of shame might be glorified the seruants committed the offence the master bare the punishment the LORD of life was sold to death that the seruants of death might-become heires of life hee was set apart of his father that our sinnes might be set apart by him and we through him to be heires of glory and immortality Thus in these two respects was the loue of God more admirable in the worke of our redemption then either in our election or creation Whence proceeded therefore our redemption Euen from the vnspeakeable loue of God What was it that moued God to promise and to send Christ into the world onely his diuine loue What was it that moued Christ to cloath himselfe with the garment of our fraile flesh onely his diuine loue What moued him to endure so many and so great torments both in body and soule for vs onely his diuine loue What moued him to bestow vpon vs all his blessings and to take vpon himselfe all our miseries onely his diuine loue What mooued him to hunger and thirst to continue â—asting to remaine walking all night to passe ouer sea and land to seeke after lost soules onely his diuine loue What moued him lastly to sweat drops of bloud to be despised whipped wounded to cryâ— Eli Eli lamasabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and at length to yeeld vp the ghost for our sinnes onely his diuine loue Here is loue for meditation incomprehensible for imitation impossible God in the worke of our redemption hath afforded vnto vs such a patterne of loue as that all the world is not able to parralel the smallest part of it Wherfore so often as we doe consider the great work of our redemption let vs be sure to acknowledge the great loue of our Redeemer The third testimony of Gods inward loue toward his elect is in their preseruation Gods preseruation is twofold Generall and Speciall His generall preseruation is that which extends it selfe ouer the whole vniuerse the whole world by which the Lord continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature at the creation and preserues the life being and substance of euery creature in his kinde His speciall preseruation is that which God manifesteth and exerciseth toward his Church and chosen children in gathering guiding and preseruing them This preseruation is twofold â—iâ—hâ—r from the euill of sin or from the euill of punishment From the euill of sinne God doth preserue his elect â—or hee doth guide them by his counsell hence it is that Peter saith The godly runne not with the wicked into the same excesse of riot They are so led by the spirit of God that they let not loose the reynes of their affections but being withheld by the restrayning grace of God they are preserued from the committing of many sins Thus the Lord preserued Noah from partaking with the olde world in their sinnes Loâ— from following the Sodomites in their filthy abhominations Ioseph from consâ—nting to the lewd entisement of his Mistris Eliah from the idolatrie of Israell Dauid from slaying Saul his Master the three Children from worshipping the image of Nabuchadnezzar As God preserued these so doth hee all his children not suffering them to commit so many and so great sinnes as he doth wicked and vngodly men Secondly hee preserues them from the euill of punishment Noah from the floud Lot out of Sodome Israel from Pharaoh Dauid from Saul Eliah from Iezabel Daniel from the lyons the three children from the fire c. God indeed is the shepheard of his flocke which couers them vnder the shadow of his wings and watcheth ouer them to preserue them from the deuouring wolues Wherefore when thou considerest that thou art the sonne of Adam hauing in thee the roote and seed of all sinnes yet when others runne headlong to destruction following the streame of their owne cursed desires letting loose the raines of their affections to all sinne and wickednesse being fearelesse and shamelesse in their impious courses thou art preserued First from that abomination and hainous impietie which wicked men practise thou neither desirest nor delightest in that which GOD hath forbidden in his Law But from whence proceedes this from thine owne power No questionlesse of thy selfe thou canst not thinke a good thought either to abstaine from euill or to doe good Seeing that by nature thou art equally indifferent vnto all sinne thou must therefore disclaime all strength of nature renounce all ability in thy selfe and acknowledge that it is from God onely that thou art preserued his loue toward thee mooued him to restraine thee If it be from God that euery good gift doth proceede
soule oh where my soule is there let my body be also The fourth marke of our loue of God is tranquility and peace of conscience the loue of God chaseth away feares asswageth cares sweetneth afflictions To them that loue God crosses become blessings their bodily pouerty is a spirituall dyet their banishment teacheth them to leaue this world their sequestring from honours is their approaching to God their enemies are their Physitions causing them to be circumspect and wary death is an entry vnto life afflictions the passage of the red Sea to Canaan Thus he that loues God hath a quiet conscience which like Iacob sleepes securely at the bottome of the ladder of peace The furious tempests of Satans malice the enuious persecutions and slanders of wicked men doe not once moue him but make him more stedfast for nothing can separate his loue from God nor Gods from him The fift marke of our loue of God is our zeale for his glory The sonne of Croesus seeing his father assayled by his enemies in the wars though he were borne and till that time continued dumb yet feare and griefe hauing ouercome all naturall impediments hee presently cryed out Saue my father So the child of God seeing his fathers honour and glory trampled vnder-feet and his most sacred and blessed Name wounded and torne in pieces with most blasphemous oathes is not able to containe himselfe but like the hand will interpose himselfe to saue the head This zeale did exulcerate Paul being at Athens and grieued his souâ—e to see the towne so giuen to Idolatry There is no more certaine effect of the loue of God then this zeale if wee be more angry to heare the Name of God blasphemed then our selues euill spoken of This is an assured witnesse that the loue of God is imprinted in our soules Good blood will not belie it selfe All welâ—borne children are touched at the quicke with their fathers iniuries The high spirited Gallants of our Age and Nation that stand vpon their owne and friends reputation will rather hazzard their liues then heare a disgracefull tearme put vpon them beloued if we be of Gods seed children of the most high and of the bloud Royall we will rather loose our liues then our father should loose his honour This made the holy Martyrs to step out of their owne element into the fire with greater ioy and willingnesse then worldlings â—it downe at their banquets to refresh them or lie downe on their beds to rest them If we haue the spirits of Eliakim Shebnah and Ioah we will rent our cloathes when we heare Rabshekah raile on the liâ—ing God Degeneres animos timor arguit Feare argues we come of a bastardly generation If therefore we desire a sure testimony of our loue of God see whether we be zealous for his honour and if neede require to lay downe our life in his cause and quarrell Greater loue can no man haue then this to lay down his life for his friend The sixt and last marke of our loue of God is to loue those that are the children of God Euery one that loueth him that begetteth loueth him that is begotten And if any man say he loueth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar Can a man truely loue his friend and yet hate his picture Can a man loue God and hate those that haue the image of God Doe we not loue the children for the fathers sake Diuine loue is of such a diffusiue and spreading nature that it cannot be confined within the heauens it cannot be limitted to God onely it will redound vnto the children of God also I will neuer beleeue that man loues my selfe that hates my children because they are mine There is such an vnion betweene the godly that the good of one is the good of another and there are good reasons why it should be so they are children of one father brethren with one Christ nourished with the same meate of one houshold namely the Church trauellers and pilgrimes to the same home combatants for the same cause called to the same hope coheires of the same kingdome all which considerations are as so many strait lines meeting in one center which is the loue of God these are so many obligations binding vs to loue one another in Christ in whom we are all one because we are one with him This loue toward our brethren must be shewed in dando condonando in giuing and forgiuing in giuing to them that are in necessitie If a brother or sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto them Depart in peace be ye filled and warmed notwithstanding yee giue them not these things which are needfull to the body what doth it profit In forgiuing trespasses against vs committed It is our daily prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. All men cannot giue but all men may forgiue he that would giue and cannot of him a cuppe of cold water is accepted for God respects not so much quid as quo animo not so much donum as donantis animum not what but with what minde He that can giue and will not hath neither loue nor honesty Loue without liberality is hypocriticall loue without charity is Diabolicall Thus haue we the markes of our loue of God Whereby we see that many deceiue their owne soules who are religious in speech not in actions who study to be great not good who know God but loue him not at most but in shew not in deede and in truth they confesse God with their lippes and deny him in their hearts We say many of vs that we loue God but when wee come to the touch we are found but adulterate louing sinne which we should not loue and what we may loue we loue too much we make gold our God and set God behind the dore we cast God out of the temple of our hearts and in his roome wee place a golden Idol We say wee loue him yet his commandements are grieuous wee cannot beare them his company is too strict we must needes abandon it his glory is not regarded wee haue no courage for his cause the superfluity of our attire would cloath many of the poore but all is spent in pleasure nothing in piety Thus wee loue God at aduenture but are found to hate him when wee come to the tryall Let vs therefore euery one in the feare of God search our owne hearts diligently and without selfe-sparing dissimulation by these fore-named markes whether we haue this holy and heauenly loue or no if we find this loue in our hearts it is better then money in our purses but if we find that as yet our hearts are not heated with this celesâ—iall fire of the loue of God like the laborious Merchant let vs take great paines to get this rich treasure into our hearts with which wee haue all things