nothing the love of the Lord would be farre better to thee than any thing Love doth much for the Lord Faith workes by Love he loves much that doth much Paul as he was abundant in love so in labour If you love me saith our Saviour keepe my Commandements Are you willing then to take much paines for the Lord Doest thou feed the lambes of Christ If thou art a Minister or if thou art in the way to that calling art thou diligent to fit they selfe for it And love not onely workes but it makes that the commandements are not grievous The wife may serve her husband and the servant him but with a different affection The covetous man when he is before some great man that can imprison him or put him to death may part with his wealth or if with one that can greatly preferre him in hope of that he may be brought to part with his money But willingly he will not But you must finde delight in that you doe when you doe a kindnesse to one that you love you doe but doe your selfe a kindnesse on that party And in this sense what thanks deserve you you doe but satisfie your love As a mother loves her child and doth the offices of kindnesse to it with delight though shee shall never have any thing for it If you had this love you would come to say It is meate and drinke to doe your Fathers will Now you neede not bee hired to eate and drinke Lastly love suffers all things Are you willing to suffer any thing for the Lord when David did a religious act Michol lookes upon him with another eye as men looke now on religious actions It is no matter saith David I will beare it for I did it to the Lord who chose mee before thy fathers house And if this bee to be viâ—e I will bee yet more vile Can you endure to be pointed at scoffed and mocked for the Lord It was a sore triall to have his wife so against him yet wee see how hee did beare it Bonds and afflictions saith Paul abide mee in every Citie But none of these things move mee neither count I my life deare unto my selfe so I may finish my course with joy Are you able to doe thus But I canno like you will say to bee put to it you doe not know it may bee you may lose your wealth your credit and respect among those whom you loved and this is somewhat yet love makes it as nothing We see when a man loves a Maide neither Father nor Friend nor the speech of people will move him to give over True this is a sinfull love but yet shewes what the nature of love is Nay I will goe furthâ—r you will suffer all with joy Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse So when the Apostles were whipt where the shame was more then the paine yet they rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer for Christ. Put all these together Are ye bountifull that if the Lord should put you to any cost cost of purse labours of life hee should willingly have it Doe yee take care for the things of Christ plod how ye may glorifie him Doe ye do much and suffer much for the Lord Take these notes no further then yee see reason for them And know that this is that word of the Lord if you love not the Lord Iesus you are cursed The next property of love is it desires nothing so much as love againe If a man bee ser viceable to another and not out of love so he bee officious to him hee is content But love will be paid in it's owne coyne it will not have mercy without grace A kingdome without grace will not content it It is very observant in this kinde Quis fallere possit amantem They will be very curious this way They must see love in every thing or else they can take no delight in it It is not a kingdome that can quiet them without the love of God How ever it goe with corne wine and ovle th iâ— prayer is Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance on us If a mans turne were served so he might be freed from hell and made happy and then love him this man loves not the Lord. That which Absalom did in hypocrisie wee are to doe in truth Sam. 14. What avails it mee that I enjoy saith he my lands and that I live in Ierusalem so long as I may not see the Kings face So if God should give you abundance of all your hearts can wish free you from the fire of hell yet this will not content you without you see his face if you have this love And thus if Gods people humble themselves and seeke his face hee will heare in heaven and have mercy on them when a people are oppressed and in captivitie they may come to the Lord and humble themselves but for their owne liberty they may seeke their owne good in it as they Howled on their beds for corne wine and oyle but Gods people seeke his face his favour examine thy selfe then if when his countenance is clouded and he hides his face thou art impatient thou canst not beare it then thou mayest assure thy selfe that thou lovest the Lord. Thus did David Psal. 51. when hee wanted the sense of Gods favour how did hee complaine hee would have no deniall and therefore never gives over intreating till he is answered Doest thou love the Lord then thou lovest the Saints This is a true and common note every one hath it in his mouth 1 Iohn 3. If you love the Lord you will love the brethren Dost thou then love the Lord and hate evill in other men If you love not your brother whom you see daily how can yee love the Lord whom yee never see God is remote from our eyes that wee cannot behold him Now his image is stamped upon the Saints and so is visible to us Wee see them daily they converse with us Now if we love not them we cannot love God For the love of Christ is that holy disposition which you conceive in your minde of him Now the like for kinde is in the Saints As those that doe the lusts of the Devill are of his disposition that is are as it were little Devils so in the Saints there is the same disposiâ—ion the same minde that was in Christ Iesus for kinde But you will say I would love them if I thought they were not hypocrites Take heed thou mayest persecute Christ under the person of an hypocrite what if thou strike at an hypocrite in seeming yet a true member of Christ is found wounded by thee And when thy heart shall rise against thee out of the side of the likenesse of religion and true piety what would you doe if the substance were there iâ— hee had
gaines qualifications and obiects of this love How faine would he have thee love the Lord Iesus that thou maiest avoid the curse and enioy the blessing Hee knew nothing more necessary for a good Christian then this love First he must be a Christian by faith next hee must live a Christian by faith and love too Hee can doe neither without the love of Christ to him and this hee can not have but in his time hee shall have faith in Christ and love to the Lord Iesus There is neither thing nor love in all the world more comfortable to a good man then this Sinne presseth hard downe and pulls him back from heaven Satan baites both the hands and hookes of the world prosperity and adversity to entangle him Death brings him downe to the bed of darkenesse the land of oblivion and laies him up as a despised lumpe But if hee have this love when all vanishing bubbles flie away this mounts him up into the bosome of God As water be it conveyed in Pipes never so low yet in the same Pipes it will rise up as high as the Spring head so this love springing from the bosome of God though it bee shed abroad and runne through the channels of our hearts on earth yet with a willing motion it mounts up to Christ againe and carrieth us along with it in despite of stormes Where we love we live where wee love we desire to be and God hath so ordered that this appetite shall not be in vaine And as for other Loves see whether the Love of the Lord Iesus doe not surpasse them all Love other things and yet often they slide away from thee so that in them thou hast but a momentany joy But love thy Lord and doing so he he abides with thee for ever and is to thee a spring of everlasting joy Love other things and they cannot know the sincerity of thy heart how much and in what manner and measure thou lovest them But love thy Lord and hee knowes better the love of thy heart then thy selfe Thou maist say unto him as did Peter Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee and shalt find entertainment answerable Love other things and thou hast vexing care over them both about their gaining keeping and losing But love thy Lord and thy care is sweete for him yea he careth for thee in all thy wayes Thou canst lose nothing by it no not thy heart which though it goe out to him and he keepes it yet hee gives it to thee againe and that better then it was to comfort thee in thy whole course Love other things and thou findest not them at all times nor so often as thou wouldest when thou hast need thou canst not speake to them so often as thou wouldst neither doe they harken to thy words as thou couldst wish But love thy Lord and hee is with thee alwaies to the end of the world Thou maiest speake to him at any time by night or by day he heareth thee at all times and gives thee thy hearts desires Love other things and thou canst not know their secrets there may bee something in them which may bee vexations unto thee in the issue there may lye a snake under the greene grasse a filthy loade under a sweet flower and a worme in the heart of a defired apple But love thy Lord and he will reveale the mystery of Godlinesse and his hidden secrets of truth unto thee according to his word yea thou shalt see that nothing but that which is glorious in it self and good for thee is either in him or about him Love other things and they put thee to many a trouble they hinder thee in thy prayers and all thy service to God because thou dost alwaies think and dote upon them But love thy Lord and hee bringeth into thy heart and conseience peace which passeth all understanding The more thou lovest him when thou prayest the more hee gives thee to thy selfe yea the more he gives thee to himselfe and fills thee with holy comfort Love otheâ— things and they are without thee still thou canst never bring them to any more intimate communion save that which is common to thee with Epicures But love thy Lord and he dwelleth in thee and thou in him for he is Love Love other things and they seeke at thy hands a profit and gaine to themselves or else they perish in thy love They will take advantage upon thy love to worke upon thee for their owne perfections But love thy Lord and hee seekes thy profit and perfection he alwaies endures to glorifie himselfe in doing thee good Love other things and most times they will deceive thee they are often lyars variable and inconstant But love thy Lord and thou shalt be assured hee is most true and unchangeable and thou maist build upon him that hee will not faile thee nor forsake thee Love other things and ofttimes they cause griefe and heavinesse and so doe highly displease thee But love thy Lord and it banisheth feare and sad confusion of face because thou canst see nothing in him that can displease thee Lastly love other things and thou knowest not assuredly whether thou art loved of them again But love thy Lord and thou maist bee assured that he answereth thee with the same yea with better for hee cannot but love a blessed child of the begetting of his owne will By how much more excellent this love is then the love of all things else by so much the more must thou presse to enjoy and practice it Every thing naturally desires that which is best for it If it have it not it is from the errour about the object or the miscariage of the appetite That therefore thou maiest faile in neither but mayest have the best object and the best appetite cleared from clouds of ignorance and sin unto thee these five Sermons of an experienced master in Israel are tendred unto thee If thou reapest benefit by them give glory to God who would not have this lampe of love kept under a bushel and buried in oblivion If thou receivest the least encouragement from these foregoing lines to make use of this light know that they proceede from the love of thee in Christ in him who desires thy prayers that hee may love the Lord Iesus both in life and death Farewell A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF DIVINE LOVE Sermon I. 1 COR. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him bee Anathema Maranatha Let him bee had in execration or let him be excommunicated unto the death THese words have little dependance on the words before going which are these The salutation of me Paul with my owne hands It was the custome of the Apostle that the Church might not deceived with counterfeit Epistles to set his name to those hee wrote And that he would not doe alone but did alwayes adde some gracious sentence as commonly this The grace of our Lord Iesus
Christ be with you all And there he addes that sentence which so suits with the spirit and mind of S. Paul that it might easily shew it to be S. Pauls Epistle a man so abounding in the love of the Lord as hee is zealous against such as love him not We shall finde in al S. Pauls preaching that faith and love were that which he drave at those two roots those two pillars on which the Church is built from whence all the rest flow Hereby teaching Ministers what they should beat at what should bee their aime Aâ—d so people are taught hence what to doe they must water these two roots well and then the branches will flourish Our wisedome should bee to looke to these for these being strong all will be strong If these bee weake all will be weake If any man love not the Lord Iesus let him bee had in execration yea accursed unto the death His scope is to commend love to the Corinthians If I should cast about me to commend some speciall thing unto you now at the closing up of my Epistle I know nothing better then this Love of the Lord Iesus And there are two reasons why you should love him first ye were in a miserable and accursed condition if you doe it not And the second is from the object you are to love he is the Lord and so may well challenge your love Iesus your Saviour and so hath well deserved it so that we have here an exhortation and two reasons of it The words have little difficulty Somewhat I will say of the two words in the originall Anathema Maranatha The word Anathema signifies the separatioÌ„ of a thing unto destruction Maranatha is a Syrian word signifying cursing takeÌ„ from the Hebrew root and signifies more then Anathema The Apostle doubles this curse to shew the greatnes of the punishment It is a great punishment which he would expresse in two languages The generall doctrine we will observe from these words is this That to love the Lord Iesus is so necessarily required of us that hee is worthy to be cursed that doth it not Sometimes in Scripture the promise is made to faith sometimes to repentance sometimes to love Love is so required that without it a man is worthy to be accursed yea and shall be cursed I will but open and apply this not standing to prove it And First I will shew what love is in generall Secondly what this love of the Lord Iesus is to shew which there will bee showne how it is wrought And thirdly how they come to bee worthy to be accursed that love him not And first for the first Love is among the affections which are planted in the Will and it may be described thus It is a disposition of the Will and Heart of man whereby it turnes and inclines to some good which it apprehends to bee agreeable to its owne nature The Will is carried to nothing but that which is apprehended to bee good Now this love is a principall act of the Will and it must bee an agreeable good to him whose Will inclines unto it for an envyous man may confesse the excellencies of another man but hee hates them he suffers by them they seeme not to be an agreeable good to him And this may bee illustrated by the contrary Hate is that whereby a man turnes from a thing which he apprehends contrary to himselfe This Love shews it selfe in two effects first it desires the preservation of what it loves that it may be kept safe secondly it desires Vnion with it that they may draw neerer one to another That you love which you desire may bee yours with which you desire conjunction Now sometimes a thing may bee neerer sometimes too far off therefore it desires such a neerenesse as may stand with its convenience And this is common to all love if you love a Glasse you will take care that it bee kept cleane and whole and for your use so if you love a Horse you will take care that he bee well and in good case and that he be yours The same we see in the love of a Father to his Sonne of one friend to another This is the nature of Love Now Hate contrariwise desires the destruction of that which is hated that it may bee taken out of the world and if that cannot bee it desires separation from it as far as may bee And thus you have seene the nature of Love in generall Now there are divers kindes of Love There is a Love of Pitty wheÌ„ you desire the preservation of a mans person and the removing of some ill quality As our Saviour mourned in Spirit for the hardnesse of their hearts hee did pitty them and yet was angry with their sinne There is a Love of Desire when a thing is dered to bee kept safe for our use And this is for the inferiour faculties as the sigh loves a pleasant object should be continued There is a Love of Complacence when wee looke on a thing in which all the faculties are pleased not onely the inferiour but the superiour as the Minde and the Will There is a Love of friendship when a man loves where he is loved again when love is reciprocall there is an intercourse of Love There is a Love of dependance when wee love him on whom we depend and thus we love God when wee looke upon him as on whom all our good depends so that we love him more than our selvs because our good depends upon him more than on our selves Wee will adde the qualities of Love there is a naturall Love planted in us by nature as the of parents to their children of one man to another this love is indifferent not good in it selfe good no otherwise than directed on a good object There is a sinfull Love arising from sinfull habits which seeke things convenient to it As nothing is better than love on a right object so nothing worse than love on a wrong object As naturall Love puts us in the condition men so this sinfull Love makes men worse than beasts and equals them with the Divell There is a spirituall Love arising out of holy qualities which seekes an object agreeable to it And this makes a man above a man and in some sort equall with the Angels Men are as they love GOD judges us by our affections wee are judged by what we love He that loves wickednesse is truly a wicked man he that loves holinesse is truely holy This foundation that wee have laid though it may seeme somewhat remote yet ye shall find it of use to hold up this building before wee have done with the point The sâ—cond thing that wee have to declare is What this love of the Lord Iesus is Now the best way to shew what this is is to shew how it is wrought now for the working of it there must be two Antecedent things which
in our hearts than cold water can heat unlesse it had another principle Contend therefore and strive with the Lord for his Spirit which workes this love who hath declared also unto us your love in the Spirit Secondly desire the Lord to shew you himselfe that Iesus Christ would manifest himselfe unto you And this is the greatest meanes of all to worke love He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them is he that loveth me and hee shall be loved of the Father and I will love him and shew my selfe unto him when Christ shall shew himselfe to you when he shall open the clouds and let you see his beauty his glory Oh then you cannot but love him There is a great difference betwixt the Ministers shewing of you Christ and his excellencies and the Holy Ghosts Though wee could speake with the tongue of Angels yet it would be but as the dead letter to Christs shewing of himselfe When he shall shew you your â—ilenesse his excellency your sinfulnesse his holinesse your misesery his mercies you must needs love him Paul when he had revealed Christ what hee could to the Ephesians he prayes for them that God would give them the Spirit of wisdome and revelation Ephesians 1. 18. As who should say the labour is all lost if you should see no more than I preach You love not a man till you know him your selfe the Lord shewed himselfe to Moses David Paul which made them love him so much Goe therefore to the Lord and pray as Moses Lord shew mee thy glory and beg it earnestly at his hands and that which was done extraordinarily shall be done to thy soule That was but a shewing of the Lord by a right light which is done more or lesse to every one But this is an act of the Lord what shall I doe to it Consider what the Scripture sayes of him what the Saints say of him but most of all what he hath beene to thee See with what patience love and mercy hee hath carryed himselfe towards thee as when we converse with a man out of his severall actions we gather his disposition and so frame an Idea of him in our minde We must humble our selves labour to see our miserable conditions for that will bring love So Paul when he considered that hee was the worst of all it made him love more then them all So Mary when she conceived how unfit she was to conceive by the Holy Ghost she sung that song When we looke on our selves and see our owne sinnes and miseries our love to Christ will bee increased When a man shall have a true apprehension of himself and his misery and can expect nothing but death and damnation and then Christ should come and say no But hee shall live this wounds a mans heart with love Looke on your secret sinnes your relapses your misery by sinne and then on Christs comming with his mercies and favours and you cannot but love him I say looke on thy sinnes weigh them with their circumstances Thinke that after so many adulteries committed against Christ yet that he should say If you will come in yet will I receive you this might shake thee and melt thy heart He that loveth not th 〈…〉 Lord sees not his misery nor that good hee hath by him Strengthen thy faith for the stronger thy faith is the greater will thy love be A strong hand rids more worke then a weake Take a man excellent in all gifts whom thou much admirest yet if hee loved not thee thou wouldest not much care for such an one so though thou feest much excellency in Christ yet thou canst not love him unlesse thou hast a perswasion that he loves thee But how shall I know that he will love me hee hath made it knowne that he is thine and that he is willing to become thy familiar friend GOD hath given him in marriage to thee To us a child is borne to us a sonne is given And Christ himselfe hath shewne sufficiently his love unto thee He hath spent his bloud for thee yea he continually speakes to his Father in thy behalfe yea hee sues to thee for love he loves thee first and sues to thee as the man doth to the woman thou maist be perswaded therefore that he loves thee But I am not fit to be a Spouse to Christ. It is true and he knew that well enough Hee will take thee a Blackamoore and afterwards will put beauty on thee Ezekiel 36. 16. Stand not thou on thy unfitnesse when he is thy Suâ—or But it may be he stands thus and thus affected to such and such persons and how shall I know that the Lord loves mee and is willing to take mee I can say nothing to thee but this and that is sufficient thou hast his generall promise made to all Mark 16. Goe preach the Gospel to every creature There is a generall mandate given to Ministers to preach the promise to all and why wilt thou make exceptions where God hath made none and enterline his promises Wee are commanded to offer Christ to all every one that will come may come and drinke of this water of life freely The offer is generall though but some imbrace it But I want godly sorrow for my sinnes And this is required before we can receive Christ. Yet deceive not thy selfe the matter is not whether thy humiliation be more or lesse only come The promise is made to all that come they shall be refreshed Indeede thou wilt not come till thou art somewhat humbled Thou wilt not flye to the City of refuge till thou art pursued by the avenger of blood But if thou come at all God will fulfill his promise Sticke not so much on the degree of thy humiliation Take a man that hath committed high Treason for which he is condemned and brought to the place of execution ready to suffer but then there is a pardon offered him And take another guilty of the same fact but as yet not condemned and bring him a pardon he is even as joy full as the other for he saw his case was even as bad onely it was not so farre gone and he hath not lived so long in sorrow So some mens sinnes are grosser and their sorrow more violent other sinnes are lesse but yet such as they see them like to damne them they therefore are humbled as truly though not so violently Therefore though thou hast not had so much sorrow as others nor felt those terrours of the Almighty yet if thou hast so much as will bring thee to Christ and make thee sticke close unto him so as thou wouldest not leave him for any thing in the world it is enough thou shalt have him Why then stick you what hinders your faith The impediments must be on Gods part or on your part But it is not on Gods part for his promise is full and large most free
blood and live and I cannot but love thee for that If I looke to mount Olivet I see thee ascending farre above all heavens and I cannot but love thee for that also Indeed in Tabor thou hadst visible glory but it soone vanished in the Garden and Golgotha thou hadst little visible beauty why I should desire thee and in Olivet thou wast quite carried out of my sight If then thou liest for mee no where else what hope have I to love thee O thou to be beloved of all Art thou not in the tents of the Sheperds Dost thou not walke in the midst of the golden Candlestickes Doest thou not dwell in the hearts of men by faith O let mee see thee here below in the Church in my selfe Let thy glory goe before me that I may love thee for ever and ever and be blessed in thee Thou hast a long time been manifested to me in thy natures offices and markes for me and these draw mee to love thee Thou hast beene crucified before my eyes and the vertues of it have beene cleared by the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments I have heard and seene the promises signes and seales of thy dearest love and these might allure me to love thee But O thou chiefest of ten thousand why hast thou kept thy selfe at such a distance why hast thou not been formed in me why hast thou not dwelt in me that I might see in thee the glories and vertues of thy life death resurrection ascension and to be sicke of love Thou hast stood and knockt at the doore of my unworthy heart for this end Thou wouldest have come in and supped with me after the noon-shine of the Gospel with thine owne banquet But alas there was no roome for thee because I desired first to feast it out with the base guests of sinfull lusts before I would give thee entertainement The cause hath been in my selfe that I have not beene better acquainted with thee and so that I have not loved thee O wretched soule that I am who shall deliver me from being an enemy to my self I have bowed my knees to the Father of thee the Lord Iesus that he would grant to me according to the riches of his glory that I may have his assistance to empty my selfe of all my wickedguests that thou mayest come into me and I may have the better list and leasure to contemplate thy glory and be grounded in thy love O my blessed Lord Iesus Could I but get this my gaines would be unspeakeable Whatsoever thou commandest would be sweet because I love thee If I could give thee my heart thou wouldst give it better to me againe for no uncleane thing can come out of thy hands But O my desired love I have denied thee therefore I deny my selfe I have rejected thee therefore I reject my selfe Doe with me as thou wilt onely first love me and let me answer thee with love againe And why should not I be confident to be heard in this seeing thou my love sittest at the right hand of God making request for me Speak thou the word and thy poore servant shall love thee Say to my soule My Father hath heard thy prayer and then I will love thee dearely My Lord Iesus if I love thee I live If I love thee not I perish under a fearefull curse for evermore And shall it be thus with me O thou that wilt not the death of poore sinners who pant after thee No no thy merits and intercession have prevailed with my God I finde the filth of domineering sinne in some measure washed from the windowes of my soule that the beames of thy glory may pierce it and draw my love after thee Now doe I begin to be sicke of love and earnestly desire thy company here by grace and hereafter by glory I love to heare thee speak let me heare thy voice for it is sweet and to speake to others of thee and thy beauties Thou hast made mee something willing to doe and to suffer any thing for thee Lord perfect this good worke If I see the meanest persons like thee in thy goodnesse My delight is in them I love them the better for thy sake I dare not wilfully anger thee and my soule is vexed with them that doe it Thus the pulses of my soule by thy blessing doe begin to beat after thee But alas when I consider how weake I am in thy love to thee my Saviour when I find a thousand things creep in betwixt thee home and steale my heart away from thee when I feele how easily I am diverted from thee and thy service what comfort can my poore soule have now O my Lord Iesus thou wilt not leave thy own worke suffer thy tender plant to wither away when thou hast sowed thy seed hast thou not prepared the former and latter raine Shall I not be able to doe this through him that loveth thee and me I may not run from thy love thou art my Lord. I dare not thou art my Iesus If thou live let me know thy love to me If I live let me feele my love to thee Oh shed it more in my heart that as in beleeving in thee my person is justified so in loving thee my faith may be justified and in having faith working by love I may so constantly walke in thy presence that with comfort I may sing with the Bride Come Lord Iesus come quickly Even so Amen FINIS TWO TREATISES VIZ. THE CHRISTIAN FREEDOME AND THE DEFORMED FORME OF A FORMALL PROFESSION By that late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ JOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne LONDON Printed by I. N. for Iohn Stafford and are to be sold at his Shop in Chancery-lane over against the Roules 1641. THE CHRISTIAN FREEDOME OR The Charter of the Gospel shewing the priviledge and prerogative of the Saints by vertue of the Covenant Wherein these foure points of Doctrine are properly observed plainely proved both by Scripture and reason and pithily applied Viz. 1. That he that is in the state of grace lyeth in no knowne sinne no sinne hath dominion over him 2. That sinne though it doth not raigne in the Saints yet it doth remaine and dwell in them 3. That the way to overcome sinne is to get assurance of the Love and grace and favour of God whereby it is forgiven them 4. That whosoever is under the Law sinne hath dominion over him By that late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ JOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne ROM 6. 12. Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortall bodies that you should obey it in the lusts thereof Printed 1641. The Names of Doctor IOHN PRESTON his severall Treatises 1. A Treatise of the Attributes of God
SVN-BEAMS OF GOSPEL-LIGHT Shining clearly from severall Texts of Scripture opened and applyed 1. A heavemly treatise of the devine love of Christ. 2. The Christians freedome 3. The deformed forme of a formall profession 4. Christs fulnesse and mans emptinesse By IOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to King Iames Mr. of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Lincolnes Inne LONDON Printed for IOHN STAFFORD and are to be sold in Bracke Horse Alley 1644. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Shewing 1. The Motives 2. The Meanes 3. The Markes 4. The Kindes thereof Delivered in five Sermons by IOHN PRESTON Doctor in Divinity Chaplane in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Lincolnes Inne MATTH 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford in Chancery Lane over against the Roules Anno Dom. 1640. The Names of Doctor Iohn Preston his Severall Treatises 1. A Treatise of the Attributes of God containing 17. Sermons upon divers Texts 2. Foure Treatises viz. 1. A remedy against Covetousnesse upon Coloss. 3. 5. 2. An Elegant and lively description of spirituall life and death upon Iohn 5. 25. 3. The Doctrine of selfe dentall upon Luke 9. 23. 4. A Treatise of the Sacrament upon 〈◊〉 Ioh. 5. 14. 3. The Saints daily Exercise or a Treatise of Prayer upon 1 Thess. 5. 17. 4. The New Covenant in 14. Sermons upon Gen. 17. 1 2. Unto which is added 4. Sermons upon Eccles. 9. 1 2. 11. 12. 5. The Saints Qualification containing viz. 1. A Treatise of Humiliation in 10. Sermons the first 9 upon Romans 1. 18. The tenth Preached before the common house of Parliament upon Numb 25. 10 11. 2. Of Sanctification or the New Creature in 9. Sermons upon 2 Cor. 5. 17. 3. Of Communion with Christ in the Sacrament in 3. Sermons upon 1 Cor. 10. 16. 6. The Doctrine of the Saints Infirmities upon 2 Chron. 30. 18 19 20. 7. The Brestplate of Faith and Love containing 18. Sermons upon three severall Texts viz. Revel 1. 17. 1 Thes. 1. 3. Gal. 5. 6. 8. Five Sermons Preached before his Majestie viz. 1. The New Life upon 1 Iohn 5. 15. 2. A Sensible demonstration of the Diety upon Esay 64. 4. 3. Of Exact walking upon Ephe. 5. 15. 4. The Pillar and ground of Truth upon 1 Tim. 3. 15. 5. Sam. Support of sorrowfull sinners upon 1 Sam. 12. 20. 21 22. 9. Two Treatises of Mortification and Humiliation upon Col. 3. 5. Ephes. 2. 1 2 3. Together with the livelesse life A Treatise of Vivisication 10. His Remaines containing 3. excellent Treatises viz. 1. Iudas's Repentance 2. The Saints Spirituall strength 3 Pauls Conversion 11. The Golden Scepter with the Churches Marriage being three Treatises in one volume 12. The Fulnesse of Christ upon Iohn 1. 16. 13. A Heavenly Treatise of the Divine Love of Christ in Five Sermons upon 1 Cor. 16. 22. A briefe Collection of the principall heads of these five insuing Sermons Sermon the first THe explanation of the two words Anathema and Maranatha fol. 2. Doctrine 1. That to love the Lord Iesus is so necessarily required of us That he is worthy to be accursed that doth it not fol. 3. What Loue is in g 〈…〉 ill ibid. How this Love dot 〈…〉 w it selfe ibid. Five kindes of Love 4. Three qualities of love 5. What this Love of the Lord Iesus is It is a holy disposition arising from faith whereby me cleave unto the Lord Iesus Christ with full purpose of heart to serve and please him in all things 8 Five reasons why they are worthy to be cursed that love not the Lord Iesus 11. 12 Vse 1. It is a great sinne not to love the Lord Iesus Christ. 12 An Objection answered 14 Five true signes of this Love of the Lord Iesus 15 Sermon the second Vse 2. Try whether what you doe is out of Love 19 Five notes of tryall of this Love of the Lord Iesus 21 Sixe Objections answered 30 31 32. Sermon the third Five notes more of the triall of the Love of the Lord Iesus Christ. 37 Divers Objections therein answered 38 Vse 3. To humble our selves for want of that Love 33 Eight reasons why wee ought to love the Lord Iesus 44 Divers Objections thereunto answered 45 46 47 48 49. The fourth Sermon Vse 4. The 4. Vse is to exhort us to love the Lord Iesus 53 Five advantages which doe arise from the Lord Iesus 54 Foure meanes to be used to strengthen our Love in the Lord Iesus 60 Diverse Objections therein answered 61 to 67. Sermon the fift The kindes of Love that the Lord accepts 73 Divers Objections thereto answered 75. 76 Wherein grounded Love doth stand 77 The Object on whom our love is to be set 79 Of the curse of those that love not the Lord Iesus 82 Three Objections answered 83. 84. 85. 86. A Soliloquy of the devout soule to Christ panting after the love of the Lord Iesus 89. To the Reader of these pious and plaine Sermons Grace and PEACE CHristian Reader it was an old complaint of an Heathen that the noise of the old Philosophers opinions did hinder their dung-hill gods from hearing their prayers And it is no very new complaint of a Christian that the many idle subtleties of the Schoole have so drawn up Divinity to the highest pegge of a curious mind that it hinders the heart from moulding it into Prayers and practice This grave and serious Divine whose living Sermons are here commended to thee when hee is dead saw it with both eyes Therefore though he was no small master in subtleties yet all his thoughts were bent to draw them downe from the floating braine to the feeling heart that his hearers might be better brought to know and doe As this hath been his course in all his writings before extant so is it in this that now comes to thy hands How might he have hid himselfe in the thornes of speculation How high might hee have flowne in the curious extracts of every word of this Text But he that delighted to speake ten words to edification rather then ten thousand that could not pierce every ordinary braine contented himselfe to fill up deepe foards to make them passable and to wade the sweete and shallow streames of the love of the Lord Iesus He might from hence have set himselfe upon the mount of cursings and showred downe worse then fire and brimstone upon delinquents but the meeknesse of his spirit carries him up to the mount of blessings to learne good soules through death to finde life through threatnings to meete with comforts Hee being lifted up by the Divine love of Christ doth describe love and our love to Christ He soares to the equity and necessity of it He rests not before he have given you the meanes motives markes
must make way for it and they are Humiliation and Faith for every one beleeves not this to bee needfull and if they doe beleeve it yet they may bee opposite to it because it is not agreeable to their nature That a man must be broken so and moulded again before hee can have this love which is wrought by Humiliation and Faith And they are wrought on this manner when we preach the Gospell and offer Iesus Christ unto you for the duty of a Minister is nothing but this to offer Iesus Christ himselfe unto the world To us a Child is borne To us a Sonne is given for unto you is borne a Saviour that is Christ the Lord. This is the summe of the Gospell this is the newes which we bring God hath given us his Sonne wee offer you not forgivenesse of sinne But the Lord Iesus And when he hath given us him will hee not with him give us all things also Christ must first bee given and when you have him you shall have all in him are the promises yea and Amen First have Christ and then the promises belong unto you not before The Gospell is noâ—hing but this we are to manifest that God the Father is willing to give you his Sonne We are his Spokesmen to beseech you to take him that you would take him as your husband to be ruled by him none before you are humbled can marry you to Christ. You must bee divorced from all other things and beleeve that Christ will take you and this is Faith the other Humiliation And then when you can receive him you will love him Now when we preach thus unto the world what answere doe wee finde Why there are some that will not beleeve that there is such a Lord and then our worke is to perswade that Christ is such a Lord and this was the Apostles worke and theirs at the beginning But when wee intreat you to take Christ for your Lord your answer is as theirs who were invited to the feast This and this excuse they have to hinder them to beleeve that a Christ is propounded and men regard him not they will not looke after him Now that Christ may be received there is required Humiliation and Faith Humiliation opens their eyes by the Law and spirit of bondage that they see themselves miserable men men condemned to dye Now when God hath discovered our misery unto us and wee rightly apprehend what our estates are then we beginne to looke on Christ as a condemned malefactour on his pardon as a Captaine on him that comes to redeeme him as a Widdow that thought she should live well enough alone but now when all her goods as seized upon and they are now to carry her to prison would bee content if any one would marry her When a man shall see what hee is without Christ one that is condemned that must perish if hee have him not then he lookes on Christ as upon one most desirable to prize him to thirst for him and if hee know that Christ will then receive him oh then he cannot but love him for Love as hath beene said is to a good apprehended fit for us Now without this wee will thinke of Christ as if wee might bee well enough without him But when the heart is thus prepared by HumiliatioÌ„ oh that all the World would vanish for Christ Then comes the Gospel and tels us that Christ is willing to take us to redeeme us to be ours And then when we take him the match is made up and thence arises this conjugall Love The Apostle praies for the Ephesians that Christ may dwell in their hearts by Faith Ephes. 3. to unite them to Christ to marry him then presently it follovvs That ye may bee rooted and grounded in Love so that Love followes this and not a flash but it rootes us in Love The act of justifying Faith is the taking of Christ for rest Now when yee have taken him thus then you will love him and then all that followes will be effects of this love so that this love of the Lord Iesus is this to wit A holy disposition arising from Faith whereby wee cleave unto the Lord Iesus Christ with full purpose of heart to serve and please him in all things Whereby wee cleave to him Love inclines and knits our hearts to him as it did Davids to Ionathans And so Barnabas exhorted them to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart Act. 11. Neither is this idle but makes a man desirous to please the Lord in all things A man is saide to love the Lord when out of a perswasion that Christ is most desirable and willing to receive him hee cleaves to the Lord with a desire to serve and please him in all thinges Faith that begets Love is not onely a perswasion that the Lord will be mercifull and forgive us For a prisoner may see the Iudge willing to pardon him and perswade himselfe that hee shall be pardoned and yet love not the Iudge because hee lookes not on the Iudge as on an amiable person but a receiving and resting upon his amiablenesse There is another affection when the heart is so framed it apprehends Christ for its onely good its happinesse Faith is not onely an act of the minde to beleeve that God will pardon us but of the Will and heart also to take Christ for our Husband so that all the parts of the heart are inclined and bent after hem If you beleeve with all your heart saith Philip to the Eunuch Act. 8. If a Spouse should see one willing to have her that is not enough to make up the match she may not thinke him fit shee may bee unwilling But suppose there bee one that shee loves above all whom she thinkes to bee most fit for her yea she thinkes she shall bee undone if she have him not but yet she is not sure that hee will have her but thinkes it is very probable that hee may be induced unto it So this is Faith when a man sees Christ onely worth his love he would gladly bee divorced from all so that he might have Christ oh he cannot bee without him yet there is somewhat betwixt them he cannot firmly beleeve that Christ loves him but yet doth not thinke that hee is wholly averse from him Though thy perswasion bee not full yet if you have this thirst and desire this hungering after Christ you may bee comforted This shuts out such as have a perswasion of the pardon of their sinnes and yet have not this love this prizing this desiring after Christ and takes in such as doe thus love and prize him yet finde not that full perswasion of his love so that this love is that which follows Humiliation and Faith the breaking of the heart and the moulding of it up againe when wee see our need of him and his willingnesse to receive us then wee will take him which cannot
bee without this love to him Now wee come to the third thing the reasons why they are worthy to bee accursed unto the death that Love not the Lord Iesus This may seeme strange and harsh What then becomes of all unregenerated men The Apostle meanes sure such as continue in their not loving the Lord or such as have sinned against the holy Ghost But the former sence I take to bee the best neither is this any strange thing for it is one part of the Gospel There are two parts of the Gospel If you beleeve you shal be saved if you beleeve not you shal be damned Sometimes it is if you repent you shal be saved or if you doe not you shall perish so if you love you shal be saved if you love not you shal be accursed now why should hee pitch on such a frame of words to expresse their condition Because when Christ shall come and bee a suter to us when he shall woe us and offer himselfe to us and wee will have none of him then the Sonne waxes angry When he shall offer himselfe unto us and none will kisse him then hee waxes angry unto the death and they perish in the way The greatest love not answered turnes to the greatest hatred so when the Father sent to call them to the feast that were invited and they refused it this made him wrath when wee shall come to preach Christ to men when this light hid from the beginning of the world shall shine and you shall despise it and contemne it know that now is the axe laid to the roote of the tree God will beare it at your hands no longer Now if a man will not Love the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration yea let him bee accursed unto the death If a man did not keepe the Law he was to be cursed now there was a double keeping of the Law A Legall which answeres the exact rigour of the Law an Evangelicall which is an earnest endeavouring to keepe the Law and to make a mans heart as perfect as may be Now there being more mercy in this there is a greater curse on the breach of it Now Love is the fulfilling of the Law and not to love the Lord is not to keepe the Law and therefore the Curse follows it If a man love not the Lord Iesus it is because he loves something better than him It may be you love your Wealth more than Christ And are you not worthy to be cursed for it It may be you are lovers of pleasure more than of God and doth not this deserve a Curse It may bee you love the praise of men before that of God and is not this to bee accursed Adultery was punished with death and what punishment then is enough for the going a whoring from such a God after such vanties Againe Cursing belongs to Hypocrites Woe be unto you Seribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Matthew 23. Now what a man doth not out of love is done out of hypocrisie which is to doe the outward action without the inward affection as counterfeit gold hath the same stamp and colour with true gold But as wee cast away counterfeit silver and gold set it apart to destruction nayling them up that they may bee knowne so will God deale with such as serve him outwardly without this love to him Love is that which commands all in a man It is as the rudder to a shippe all followes love When a man love not the Lord all go's from him Now when the whole man shall go from the Lord is not such a one worthy to bee cursed yea to bee had in execration to the death If this love of the Lord be so necessary then see what a sinne it is what an execrable thing it is not to love the Lord and what you are to thinke of your selves if you love not the Lord. When Iesus Christ shall bee propounded unto men and this light is great but men doâ— resist it and not embrace the Lord when we see this we should have such a spirit as Paul for this was out of the abundance of his zeale wee should I say bee stirred against such with an holy indignation Act. 17. Doe not I hate those that hate thee Psal. 139. yea I hate them with a perfect hate This thou hast that thou hatest the workes of the Nicholaitans which thing also I hate Revelations 2. And this was a signe of Lots sincerity that his righteous soule was grieved and vexed with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites 2 Peter 2. If you can see Christ scorned and re jected and his Word slighted and his bloud trampled on and you your selves are not moved with it you are not of Pauls spirit who speaking of some whose God was their belly whose glory was their shame of whom saith hee I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the crosse of Christ Philip 3. Whence came this but out of the abundance of his love to Christ and mankinde I wish yee would all looke to your selves whether you are in this number or not of those that love not the Lord. This is such a sinne as the curse is doubled upon it And the punishment is but to shew the measure of the sinne Hee thunders not out his curse against him that opposeth the Lord or resisteth him but against him that loveth not the Lord. The Apostle as Moses gets him up to the Mount Ebal and whom doth he curse Even all such as love not the Lord Iesus This Doctrine throughly considered may let in a crevice of light to thee that now thou maist looke on thy selfe as on an execrable thing which God hates and thou maist see GOD even stretching out his power to confound thee yea thou maist see the Gospel cursing thee But what terrour is there in the preaching of the Gospel you will say O much more my Brethren than may bee expressed for the curse of the Law was not so peremptory though we have plaine words for it yet it was not without all condition But God sweares to this curse as if wee were thus cursed if wee would continue not to love him The Law is the proper instrument of humbling yet the Gospel humbles more for sinne is the matter of Humiliation And there bee sinnes against the Gospel yea greater sinnes than against the Law when thou hearest the curse of the Law Cursed be he that continueth not in every thing that is written in the booke of the Law to doe them Galathians 3. You will say you wil go to Christ he shall do it for you But when the Gospel curses such as love not Christ to whom will you goe to love God Another man cannot love for you And if you thinke this be too harsh let this verse sound oft in your eares If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be
accursed unto the death This cannot bee altered it is the Word of God aske then thy selfe this question whether thou lovest the Lord or no And put not your selfe off with your Hope but try your Love for Love will have sensible strings in the heart it will drive you close to the Lord to keepe in with him to have communion with him Dost thou then feele that thou art never well but when thou art with him and yet dost thou not love him Dost thou walke with God as Enoch did Will any of you say that a Wife loves her Husband which with her good will will never be with him Love is also very dilligent and laborious you will never leave till you get neere him whom you love no labour will be tedious to get his favour many yeeres seeme a few daies to Iacob to serve for Rachel because he loved her Againe Love is not of a deferring nature but is impatient of all delayes Againe Love is content with it selfe it doth not need to be hired to love Amor est sibi ipsi dulce pabulum it carries its meate in its owne mouth If you love the Lord Iesus you would not aske what wages you should have to love him Againe Love is a strong impulsive quality it carries you on impetuously unto the Lord it is a fire that breakes through thicke and thinne so that he that loves cannot sinne wilfully if hee would hee cannot but obey hee cannot doe any thing against the Gospel he must doe all things for it The Love of Christ constraines me saith S. Paul 2 Corinthians 5. Looke how a man is carried with a strong streame or by a strong man whom hee cannot resist so his love compelled him I preach and preach and men thinke mee mad but I cannot but doe it the love of Christ constraines me and as it constraines me so there is nothing more different than constraint and not to doe it The effects of this Love are so violent as if they were compelled but for the manner of working nothing is so contrary to it as compulsion for you love him and are carried to it as a stone to the center you would doe no otherwise So endeth the first Sermon A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon II. BY IOHN PRESTON DD. Matt. 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Psal. 31. 26. Love the Lord O all ye his Saints LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford 1640. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon II. 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed unto the death THat love to the Lord Iesus is so necessarily required that he is worthy to be accursed that hath it not Then hence you are to consider your condition and to examine your selfe it may be this is thy condition and it may be a thing you never considered of or at least you never knew the danger of it Therefore now see what your case is The best service wee can doe to you is to shew you your estates if ye bee right to comfort you and if ye be not right is it not best for ye to know while it may be amended Thou that livest in the Church and hast gone farre examine thy selfe in his Hast thou done all out of Love Thou hast kept thy selfe in good course thou keepest the Lords day and livest like a Christian thou doest many things indeed Buâ— let mee aske thee this question Doe you all out of love for without love all is naught If a man should bee a Martyr which is the highest action yet without this love it were to no purpose 1 Corinthians 13. Put the case a man should doe many things for thee yet if hee doe it not out of love to thee you cannot regard it Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availes any thing but faith which workes by love Galathians 5. It is all one whether you pray or not heare or not live well or not if it bee not out of love What was said of circumcision or uncircumcision may bee said of any duty all that you have done is as nothing if it bee not out of love try your selves by this for I know not in all the frames of Theology such a touchstone of Hypocrisie as this This most unmaskes a man of any thing As it was with the Apostle The Law revived and he died Romans 7. So it may be you have thought your selfe a living man see then if you love deceive not your selfe any longer This is a Doctrine of much moment if GOD would conveigh it with Majestie by the powâ—r of his Spirit it would amaze and startle the stoutest stomacke to heare Cursed is he that loves not the Lord. If you love the Lord hee will beare much with you see what a testimony hee gives of David for all his failing But doe what you will for him without love and hee will regard it but as a Complement As men count that a Complement not to be regarded with which the heart go's not o doth God looke therefore that you love the Lord Iesus for it is a thing of great consequence the curse follows you if you doe it not You are now therefore to examine your selfe Whether you love or no And to helpe you in it I will lay downe some markes of this love buâ— first set downe with your selfe this conclusion If I love not the Lord Iesus I am an accursed man Doe you feele this love in you have you a sense of it Ammon was sicke of love so that his friends could see him weare away so the Spouse I am sicke of love Canticles 2. And dost thou love the Lord and canst not feele it Dost thou feele thy heart working towards God This love is a thing that one would thinke needs no markes you cannot but see it It is noted in Love so that if you did love the Lord you would have a longing desire after him there will be joy in the fruition of him anger against all impediments to it griefe when he withdrawes himselfe hope when there it any probability of enjoying him feare to lose him Now doe not deceive thy selfe thou lovest the Lord thou wil say but is this love to his person or to his kingdome his goods When thou presentest Iesus Christ alone to thy selfe canst thou then love him The Virgins love him the Harlots love him And there is a great deale of harlotry love in the world to the Lord Iesus It was one thing to love Alexander another to love the King It is true Christ is a great King that can doe much good or evill in the world and so many may love him But canst thou answere this question Lovest thou me with Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee Iohn
20. Thou that knowest my heart and the secret turnings of it canst beare me witnesse that I love thee Doest thou love his company Love is seene in nothing more than this Doest thou love his presence to walke with God Doest thou observe all his dealings to thee from morning to night refer all still unto him Art thou still in dealings with him Still thou hast something to doe with him there is not an houre that passes thee wherein thou hast not recourse unto him when Christ takes a man unto himselfe hee comes and sups with him Apocalypse 3. Hast thou then this communion with Christ Doth hee sup with thee dwell with thee Now communion stands in speaking to another and in hearing him speake to us When you pray then pray you formally as one that is glad when the duty is over oh if you loved the Lord you would never be better than when you are at prayer And you would goe to prayer as you would goe to speake with your dearest friend So do you hunger after the Word which is the character of Christ his Will his Love-letter Put the case a Woman should have her Husband at the East-Indies how welcome would a letter bee to her from him Therefore Moses that loved God desired to see his glory Exodus 33. to know him better to grow more acquainted with him Now that the Word doth to thee it shewes to thee that glory which Moses saw If you love the Lord Holy-daies and Sacrament-daies would bee as Feast-daies and Wedding-daies for then you meete with God more neerely Doe you then put off your comming to the Sacrament and would you not come neere it for the speech of some and yet will you say that you love the Lord where love is there is delight A man delights in his fellowship whom hee loves whom ye have not seene yet ye love him yea whom though ye see him not yet yee beleeve and joy with joy unspeakable and glorious Doe you then delight in his presence for delight will be in the injoying of that wee love joy followes love To delight in a mans company is that marke of love which cannot be dissembled Dost thou then love the appearing of the Lord Iesus 2 Thessalonians 3. If one should bring you newes that you must goe to the Lord or he would come to you to morrow would this be acceptable newes to you Doth he bring good tidings If a Spouse should have her betrothed husband beyond the Seas and should heare of his returne if she should say that it were the worst newes that could come to her would you thinke that she lov'd him No there could not come a more welcome Messenger to thee than such a one if thou didst love the Lord. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for so saith the Spirit from henceforth they rest from their labours So saith the Spirit not so saith the Flesh. So much the more spirit a man hath so much the more he will say it is blessed and the more hee will pray submittingly for it quickly Indeed a godly man when the flesh is predominant and the spirit under hatches then he may be desirous to be spared a while oh spare me a little as the Spouse may sometimes wish her Husband deferring his comming when she is not fit to receive him the house is not ready not cleane enough A Crowne of Righteousnesse saith the Apostle is laid up for all them that love the appearing of the Lord Iesus 1 Timothy 4 8. And the second time shall Christ appeare to salvation to all them that look for him Hebrews 9. Art thou then one that lookes for Christ that desires nothing but union with him hee will come to thee to thy salvation If men looke not for him will hee come to them to salvation It may be in some disease whâ—n thou canst take no pleasure in the world you wish that you were with Christ. Nature may have a great hand in this But in thy youth in the midst of all worldly contents when thou art in thy pleasant Orchard with thy Wife and Children about thee having what thy heart can wish canst thou say then Now would I most willingly leave all these to goe to Christ when you prefer his company above all things count that delight the best that comes from communion with him then thou lovest the Lord Iesus Love is exceeding bountifull apt to doe much for the Lord and to suffer any thing gladly The Apostle in the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 13. sets downe many excellent properties of Love she that loved Christ had a box of Oyntment it may bee it was the best thing shee had it may bee it was all she had yet she bestows it on Christ. So Abraham when God would have his Sonne hee go's willingly about it not formally not out of necessity but he rose up early to doe it It may bee there will come a time when God shall need thy Wealth it may be thy Credit Now you can deny him nothing if you love him So Dalilah would not bee perswaded that Sampson loved her so long as hee kept backe any thing from her If there bee any thing so neere unto thee as thy life and it bee told thee that the Lord hath need of it he shall have it Thou wilt say It was a wise action of David to poure out that water as an offering to the Lord which he so longed for and obtained with the hazard of the lives of three of his Worthies As when a man hath a good bit he will send it to his friend so in another place he would not offer to the Lord of that which should cost him nothing 2 Samuel 24. But what can I bestow upon the Lord thou wilâ— say If thou art a Preicher preach the Gospel foâ— Christ so every man in his calling let him do somewhat for the Lord and if he shall call for by life let it not be deare unto thee And as love is thus bountifull so it seekes not its owne 1 Corinthians 13. And now how f 〈…〉 will bae found hat love Christ wee may well complain with Paul All men seeke their owne and â—one the things of Iesus Christ Philemon 2. Paul that loved the Lord how was hee affected hee regarded oâ— himselfe tooke not care what should become of himselfe hee tooke the care of all the Churches upon him Who is offended and so by taking offence fals away and I burne not Art thou a Minister and lovest the Lord Iesus thou wilt not be so carefull for a living and that it be a convenient one but thou wouldest preach as Paul though for nothing for every man might doe much for the Lord if he sought the things of the Lord if hee did plod with himselfe how to bring advantage to Christ. And then if this should come in if I doe this I shall hinder my estate lose my friends it would be
grace in a higher measure Christ pitches on this note above all others It is farre easier to love a holy man then to love God For hee lives amongst us wee have him continually before our eyes Doe not say then you love such as are a farre off you care not for these But you will say I love them well enough doe you so Doe you delight then in their company Are you in your naturall element when you are among them This you will doe by a naturall instinct if you love the Lord Iesus Againe doe you hate sinne in all the same ground will cause you to hate sinne which moves you to love grace Doe you then hate sinne as in dislike and distate in regenerate men and their societie bee it never so pleasant so profitable But what would you have mee to hate men then no but hate their sinnes and love them with the love of pittie Let thy heart melt to consider their case and desire their good love them but so as it may stand with the love of the Lord Iesus Looke then to your selves and examine your selves by these markes see that you have this love if yee have it not you are among the number of these men which are to bee accursed unto death But I hope I deserve not so bad my nature I hope is not so vile as not to love the Lord Iesus Nay thou hatest him doe you not wish that there were no such Lord to come to judgement that thou mightest live as thou pleasest Couldest thou not wish that thou mightest ever here enjoy these pleasures and never come at him Now to wish that one were not what is it but to hate him Quem metuunt oderunt Wee say men hate him whom they stand in feare of Doe you then feare and quake at his comming surely then you are haters of God But I hope we are not haters of God Why this is not so â—â—raâ—ge The Apostle tels us that there were such as loved their pleasures more then God 2 Tim. 3. yea and that there were haters of God also Rom. 1. 30. And in the second commandement God â—hreatens such as hate him Exo. 20. and thou maiest bee one of them For if you cannot endure his Company if your heart rise against his image it is plaine you are a hater of God What you would make me out of love with my selfe What doe you preach damnation to me it may be all these signes are not in me Am I then so accursed Yes we doe preach damnation to all that are in such a case and wee are to threaten the curse And thus the Lord esteemes of thee and it were good that you thought so of your selves in time It is the Ministers dutie to seperate the precious from the vile to distinguish betweene men To shew you truely what your conditions are Therefore apply this Text unto your selves every one If I love not the Lord Iesus I am an accursed man yea to bee had in execration to the death which might make you loath your selves in dust and ashes It might make sinne alive in you and bring you to love this Iesus So endeth the second Sermon A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon II. BY IOHN PRESTON DD. Matt. 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Psal. 31. 26. Love the Lord O allye his Saints LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford 1640. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon III. 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed unto the death NOw because this love is so needfull we will adde more signes for the triall of your selves For we cannot be better occupied A sixt sigâ—e therefore is this hee that loves will bee apt to praise and speake well of that he loves and he will exceed in it yea he is very glad when he heares others speake well of it So if we did love the Lord we should be apt to speake will of him we would be much in the speech of him When the heart is full of this love of God in Christ out of that aboundance in thy heart thy mouth will speak But thou speakest but little of God and that little is brought in by company thou art cold in thy praising of him why thou doest not love him see in David a man that loved the Lord. How much was hee in the praising of him Nay he could not bee content to doe this alone but hee must have all creatures to praise him and to speake good of his Name Even as a servant that commends his Master invites others to serve him This love enlarges the heart and opens the mouth O Corinthians our hearts are enlarged towards you and our mouthes are opened 2 Corinthians 6. 11. This is an argument that our hearts are enlarged that we abound in love when our mouthes are opened So that thy heart is straightened towards God if thy mouth bee not open to his praises But I cannot speake as other men I am no scholler if I had elocution gifts learning I could thus speake This is no excush it is the nature of love to make men eloquent the passions make eloquent As we say Pectus facit eloquentes magna pars eloquentiae constra animo Are you hen apt to speake well of God But this you will say is but a small matter who doth not Oh yes wee are wanting in that manner of speaking of him which love requires We doe not speake of him with that affection that sensiblenesse that may enflame others to love him See the Spouse in the Canticles Oh saith she My love is fairer then ten thousands And thus will the soule that loves God doe It will tell of his mercies abroad It will speake good of his Name And that not as a duty onely but as a thing in which it takes especiall delight Love followes the judgement you cannot love the Lord but you will thinke well of him See then what thy speeches are concerning him see if thy heart doe nimbly indite and thy tongue bee as the penne of a readie Scribe Psalme 45. Consider whether you endeavour to doe any thing for Christ without expostulating and indenting with him Whether you are ready to doe all things freely to him without consulting with another about it Amicitia non est revocanda ad calculos A friend must not bee strict in taking his account for then hee plaies but the Huckster he doth but buy and sell. When thou art trying and expostulating then whether such a duty be necessary or no whether another will not serve the turne this is a signe thou dost want love A Minister that hath this love when he is to take a Living will not so much enquire what reward
he shall have as what service he may doe to God in it If you did love the Lord you would not stand saying is it necessary to keepe the Lords day so strictly You would bee ready to doe what ever hath but a shadow of pleasing him Oh how you would be glad of such a day so free from other businesse wherein you might sequester your selves from the world to attend upon God and to injoy him So for a family prayer thou wouldest not aske can it not be omitted without sinne This questioning will not stand with this love for the person thou servest is the Lord and thou must not be as a mercenary servant A wife will bee devising things to please her husband So what shall I render to the Lord saith David So Paul was abundant in labours and sufferings If Paul would have done nothing but out of necessity he had never done halfe so much say then I will even goe doe my duty performe my taske If I must pray in my family then I will If I must keepe the Lords day I will make a shift to weare out the day This I say argues a heart void of this love We must know that Christ hath died to purchase to himselfe a people zealous of good workes such as doe good workes with desire or deare delight that would faine doe a great deale more then they doe Would you then doe no more then just will bring you to heaven as you thinke Do you set limits to your performances you have not this love Why you pray that you may serve Christ on earth as the Angels doe in heaven and yet will you say such a man goes faster it is no matter this pace will bring mee to heaven and so never mend it This is a sign of no love to the Lord Iesus If you did love the Lord ye should find an holy affection of anger and zealerising against such as offend him Anger waits on love Love is an affection that makes forwards to the thing beloved and if any thing stand in the way Anger removes it hastily If thy heart then bee not stirred when God is dishonoured his Church spoiled and Religion goes downward thou lovest him not can you endure to heare your selfe scandalized No and why because you love your selfe To see then the bloud of the Lord Iesus trampled on neglected so as no man should regard it to see the Saints in adversity and not to bee affected argues that your heart is void of this love of the Lord Iesus Eli when he heard the newes of Israels flight his sonnes death it must needs grieve him but all this while his heart was composed But the worst newes as usually it doth comes last The Arke of God was taken Then his heart was amazed hee could no longer subsist but hee falls downe backward and breakes his necke But it may be ye doe not hope to attaine to the grace of Elâ— why looke then on his daughter in law one of the weaker sex All that ill newes moved her not so much Oh the Arke of God was taken that was it which shee pitched upon her sonne that was borne could not alay this griefe But the Arke is not taken you will say there is not the like cause now with us No are not many Churches desolate when you see so many Churches ransacked beyond the Seas doe you not see the Arke of God taken in a great measure when you see Popery increasing and the Saints wallowing in their bloud If you take not this to heart it is because the love of Christ is not in you If Christ lose a man if any be offended and fall away I burne saith the Apostle When the King Ier. 36. tooke that booke and burnt it it is noted of those that stood by that they did rend their cloathes God takes it as a great signe of a prophane heart when one shall not take such dishonours of his to heart when hee rends not his cloathes at the sight of such a thing Paul when he saw the idolatry that abounded in Athens was enflamed in his spirit See what a commendation God gave to Phineas for his zeale against Zimri and Cosbi he would have it remembred as a speciall note of his love to him which he would not let goe unrewarded If thou dost not then pray for the Churches welfare If thou art not affected with the losse and disadvantages of the Church as with thy owne thou wantest this love A ninth signe is not to dare to doe any thing that displeaseth him If you doe a thing amisse that would be displeasing you had rather that all the world should see you then him whom you love Now you know God alwaies behold you you should therefore bee alwaies alike carefull They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse Hosea 4 The Lord for his goodnesse they shall feare to lose him Above all consider when you have offended him how you take that to heart When you know there is a breach betweene you and the Lord and you can be content and rest in it this is a shrewd signe of no love When man and wife shall fall out and grieve not for it but let it passe not seeking to be reconciled it is signe of cold love betweene them Thinke with your selfe there is no man whom you professe to love but you would not willingly provoke And dare you say that you love the Lord and yet yee will grieve and vexe him If you love the Lord there would bee an hungring in you after him there would bee still an hanging that way All impediments would be broken through the heart would still bee moving thitherward It would be bending thither It would admit no repulse As the woman of Canaan Matth. 15. it would not bee put off As the stone rests not till it comes to the center so nothing can keepe you off from the Lord no pleasures away with them nor any difficulties no you cannot rest without him Say not then with your selfe though you love him not now yet I may love him hereafter and I may love him hereafter though not so much No love desires present union it hates all delaies Consider this if you did repent out of love your repentance would bee present and what repentance is it which is not out of love Then hence thou art to humble thy selfe if thou art failing in this labour of love See how great a fault it is not to love the Lord and learne to blame thy selfe exceedingly for it And that you may doe this I will shew you what great reason you have to love the Lord. Consider that hee is worthy to bee beloved As David said he is worthy to bee praised so may wee well say he is worthy to be beloved And why because he hath all that is amiable in him If you see any thing lovely in the creature it is eminently in him Shall not he that made
the eye see hee that made the eare heare shall not hee that gave these perfections to the creatures have them in himselfe more eminently This perfection of his beauty is that which causeth the Angels so much to admire and adore him to bee taken up in the admiration of his excellencies Observe that in any man whom you love there is something not to bee beloved But CHRIST is wholly delectable there is nothing in him not fully to bee beloved See how the Spouse describes him in the Canticles how shee sets him forth in every part of him most to be desired If you could but see the Lord. If it did but please him to shew himselfe unto you as hee promised to shew himselfe unto him that loves him Iohn 14 21. If the Lord I say would give you a glympse of himselfe if by the light of the Spirit you could see him you would acknowledge him worthy of your love And this is the reason that some love him and others doe not because hee discovers himselfe to some and not to others As he did to Moses where let us see a little his expression of himselfe The Lord the Lord Exodus 34. this is but the Casket the Iewell is within If Gods Spirit should open these words unto you you would see him the fairest of ten thousand Iehovah Iehovah Of every creature you may say somewhat it was that it is not and samewhat it is that it will not be But God is unchangeable Iehovah in him is no alteration he is not a freind to day and none to morrow and such a friend you would desire to chuse as this Name signifies his immutable being so his omnipotency he is Almightie Now what a Loadstone of love is this All the power in men enableth them but to doe some things as patience enables them to beare injurious acts But the Lord hath all abilities all ornaments all excellencies all is comprehended in this Almightie So that well may such a friend bee desired True will the poore soule say he is well worth the having But hee will not match with such a match as I am Oh yes he is wonderfully pittifull and Mercifull as great a Prince of pitty as of any thing else Mercifull but I have no beauty no grace in me no worth no repentance But God is exceeding gracious Kings are said to be gracious because ther is supposed such a difference betweene them and their Subjects that they can deserve nothing of them So God is gracious hee doth not looke for any deservings in thee But I have provoked him by sinning and sinning often This will make him put mee off No he is of great forbearance But if he doe receive me I must carry my selfe well pray and doe that which I shall never bee able to doe Why no hee is very kinde Looke what a kinde Father a kinde Husband would doe to a Child or a Wife they are carefull to give content the like may you expect of the Lord. Hee will winke at many infirmities if your desires be found Though he say so how shall I know that he will doe it To confirme this He is true he keepes covenant and hath given ensamples of his mercy on thousands of them that feare him Oh but still my sinnes are many and great Be it so yet he forgives iniquities transgressions and sinnes originall sinnes sinnes of weaknesse and sinnes of wilfulnesse This glory God shewed to Moses This is the description of himselfe such a one is Iesus Christ O ye daughters of Ierusalem and is hee not worthy to be beloved When thou hast considered the worth that is in himselfe consider that hee sues to thee for thy love Suppose a Prince should come and aske this at thy hands wouldest thou deny him The weake should sue to the stronger but here the Lord God comes to thee for thy love This is that O Israel which hee requires of thee that thou love the Lord thy God Deuter. 10 16. When such a God shall aske thy love sue for it shall he be denied We the Ministers are but Christs spokes-men to wooe for Christ. See who it is that requires this it is thy Soveraigne Lord that might have required thee to sacrifice thy children thy life thy goods for his honour and can he not have thy love Now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to feare him to love him as if he should say the Lord hath done great things for you and might require great things of you againe This may melt thee then that hee requires nothing but thy love Againe consider he hath planted this love in thy heart shall hee not have his owne then when hee requires shall not hee which planted the tree eate of the fruit shall not hee which gave this fountaine of love taste of the waters of it Againe on whom would you bestow it if you will not give it to the Lord It must be bestowed on somewhat and it is the best thing you have to bestow It swaies commands al in you Doth thy wealth deserve it Do men deserve it Why they are not to bee compared to the Lord. Can any man doe for thee that which he doth besides he forgives thee thy sinnes day by day Thinke of his excellencies Againe you are engaged to love him you are married to him you have given up your names to him in your baptisme so that now well may I call you an adulterous generation if you love him not Yee are witnesses against your selves this day saith Ioshua Ioshua 24. if ye serve not the Lord. Hee takes great advantage of their promise that they had made to serve the Lord ye are now witnesses against your selves if you doe it not So all that heare me this day are witnesses against themselves For in their baptisme they tooke the Lord for their God Is hee not your Master where then is your feare is he not your Father where then is your reverence is he not your Friend where then is your love Againe he hath bought us yea he hath over-bought us If you should see a flocke of sheepe and heare that such a man hath paid such a price for them farre beyond their worth you will bee ready to say let him have them he is well worthy of them And shall Christ be denied that which he hath so dearely bought he hath bought you from the world from the power of the devill yea and from your selves so that they are not to set us on worke Wee are not our owne 1 Corinthians 6. wee are therefore to doe a mothers businesse and that is Christs who requireth love Besides all these generals thinke of the particulars which worke most upon us See all his passages to you how kinde he hath beene toward you See how he hath dealt with you from your youth hitherto Consider all his kindnesses bestowed
upon thee see also what hee hath done in forgiving thee Thou hast sinned often and greatly and yet still he hath forgiven thee and this is a great matter Shee loved much because much was forgiven her Luke 7. Hee feeds thee cloathes thee thou hast not a nights rest but hee gives it thee he it is that keeps thee from all dangers that careth for thee when thou canst not take care for thy selfe The creature cannot helpe thee withou 〈…〉 ee command it to helpe thee hee hath stood close to thee in all exigents And this most of all affects us in some great danger when all forsake us wee cannot but love him most dearely that then sticks close unto us Thus hath the Lord done unto thee with this Nathan urges David and aggravates his sinne The Lord hath done thus and thus unto thee and if that had not been enough would have done more 2 Sam. 12. 8. Take up the same practise with your soule the Lord hath done thus and thus for mee and shall I not love him would wee not hate that man that should not love and respect him from whom hee hath his whole maintenance Lastly consider that hee loves thee Now as fire begets fire so let love beget love The Son of God hath loved thee and given himselfe for thee Galatians 2. Consider Christ hath loved thee and hath given a good experiment of his love to wit himselfe for thee And if he had given thee himselfe whole it had beene a gift inestimable But he hath given thee himselfe broken crucified to thee who hast beene a rebell against him See his love he lookes on thee when thou thinkest not o◠him he took care for thee when thou tookest none for thy selfe Nay then thought it hee not too much to dye for thy good Oh the height the length the breadth the depth of the love of Christ which passes knowledge you can never know this love of the Lord it astonished Paul All this may stirre you up to feare the Lord. This shewes you what reason you have to doe it And it may be an intentive to you or at the least may cause thee greatly to condemne thy self for not loving him Let these at least make you thinke well of the Lord and ill of thy selfe that you cannot love It will goe heard if hee be refused his wrath will be kindled Psal. 2. after that hee hath sued to thee and thou rejectest him hee will not put it up but will make his wrath knowne on thee which GOD forbid So endeth the third Sermon A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon IIII. BY IOHN PRESTON D D. Matt. 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Psal. 31. 26. Love the Lord O all ye his Saints LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford 640. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon IIII. 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed unto the death IF it be of so much moment to love the LORD that they are accursed that love him not let mee exhort you then to doe it The motive in the Text puts a necessity upon the duty but to draw you on by the cords of love See what you shall get by it It might be a strong argument you shall perish if you doe it not But let us see the advantages that will come to us by it I will make you to keepe Gods commandements with ease and delight and this is no small benefit This love makes you goe about the worke as the Ship with wind and saile The journey must bee gone now they that have not love must rowe and take a great deale more paines This is the love of God that you keep his commandements And his commandements are not grievous 1 Iohn 3. This makes us keepe the commandements so ye may feare you will say Oh but love makes them easie It will be very hard to do them without love How hard a taske had it beene for Paul to have done so much as hee did without this love◠See what love makes mothers doe to children This love of Christ constrained Paul it carried him on like wings it compelled him to doe thus and thus And is this then nothing yea it shall make you abundant in the worke of the Lord. For this commands all the faculties and it windes them up to their highest pegs and this it will make you to doe out of an inward principle There is a great difference betwixt a horse that runs freely and one that is forced by the Spurre Shall not this then cause you to set a high price upon this love There are scarse any so desperate but they would say they would faine keepe GODS commandements were they not so hard Now this love will make them thy delight it will make them easie and pleasant unto thee This is the surest testimony to your owne soule of all others that you are translated from death to life An hypocrite cannot love the Lord hee may doe the outward workes hee may heare the Word and be diligent in his calling But here is the difference he doth not this out of love This is that distingnishing character which distinguishes a Christian as reason doth a man If you can finde this love of Christ this hungring after him that tendring of the heart towards him that your heart is to Christ as the Iron to the Load-stone you must rest with him If you can say I have no great markes of a childe of God I have many infirmities but yet this I can say I love the Lord my life for thine thy case is happie heaven and earth may passe away but thou canst not misse of thy happinesse What ever you have without this can bee no sound testimony unto you of your blessednesse and this alone may secure you of it This love doth make you lose nothing whereas in the loving of other things the more you bestow the lesse you have When thou givest thy heart to God he gives thee thy heart againe and sets it on worke for thy owne good Hee teacheth us to profit and leadeth us by the way which we should goe Esay 48. 17. As Christ said of the Sabboath the Sabboath was made for man so may I say of all the commandements when you give your hearts to the Lord he sets them to keepe the commandements but to this end that it may be well with thee Oh that there were such a heart in this people to feare me and to keepe all my commandements that it might goe well with them and their children for ever Deutrenomy 5. 20. Thou hast thy heart againe when thou givest it to God But here is the difference before thou wert but an unjust professor of it now the Lord hath made thee Steward of it
for he hath given you leave to love your wives children and your lawfull recreations onely now you love them at his appointment as he will whereas before you did it as you listed Nay the Lord doth not onely give you your heart againe but returnes it better than it was new pointed As the earth receives in the puddle water which it sends forth cleare and pure All the streames of thy love runne as fresh for thy good as ever they did and more That onely which was amissâ— in them is taken away Let not this feede thy understanding onely but finde it good in thy practise By this you shall have much comfort and joy and this is that which all men desire What is that which keepes you from loving the Lord Oh you have a conceit that then you must iose your pleasures and your delights No it is the most comfortable action in the world to love the Lord delights follows action as the flame the fire Now the best action hath the greatest delight The Philosopher could say Happinesse was to love the most amiable object Est amare optimum amabile to love the best amiable knowne is the best act Whom not seeing yet you love joying with joy unspeakeable and glorious 1 Peter 1. It is a pleasant thing to love a creature like thy selfe thy children thy friend But the creature is not perfect and it may be it loves not thee againe But Christ is perfect and loves thee thou canst not lose any love by loving of him Oh what a pleasant thing it is to love the Lord to live with him to sup and dine with him to be able to say I am my welbeloveds and my welbeloved is mine When you shall consider the world hates you what a comfort will it be to know that the Lord loves you that when the world uses you ill you may flye unto Christ his bosome and lay open all your grievances to him To love and to be beloved are the most pleasant actions Now to love the Lord Jesus is so much the more pleasant than the loving of other things as he is a more excellent object than other things Besides is not every thing best in its owne place conformed to its owne rule carried to its owne end Take it in thy body when all the parts of it are strait all the faculties and humours in a right temper serving to their proper ends then there is delight and comfort so Love when it is setled upon its owne object sets all things straight whence wonderfull joy cannot but follow Amor rectus omnia recta habet as the Schoolman well observes Consider this the love of the Lord makes you a better man gives you a greater excellency which is a thing which all men desire Looke on the excellencie of the creatures it proceedes from their formes as the excellencie of a Pearle above other stones comes from its forme for we know that the matter of all these things is common Now the object to the faculty hath the property of the forme for it gives name and distinction Now this love makes God and spirituall things as it were the forme of the will And according to this forme is the Excellencie of the man Every man is better or worse as his love is pitched on a better object He that loves a base thing is base and hee that loves a thing somewhat better excels that man but hee that loves spirituall things is the most noble Looke on the lower faculties when the sensitive appetite enjoyes its proper object then a man hath his perfection in that kinde Thus when the will is fixed on Iesus Christ its best object then a man hath his full perfection If water be united to Wine it s made better when the body is united to the soule how glorious a creature is it how glorious a creature then will thy soule be when by love it is united to the Lord This love puts a greater excellencie on the soule than the soule doth on the body Love brings the soule to God and makes him all in all to us so that what wee cannot desire we may have in him have ye not then cause to wish that yee loved the Lord True you have said enough to enflame us But how shall we doe it my brethren if you are brought unfainedly to desire it halfe the worke is done when the Disciples prayed Lord increase our faith Matth. 18. Christ answers If you have faith but as a graine of Mustard seed you may say unto this Mountaine be thou moved and it shall be moved But this is not the meanes to get faith No but this commends faith And if out of this commendation they could come to prize and admire it and so pray earnestly for it God would give it them Let this therefore be the first meanes to helpe thee to the getting of this to the Lord Iesus First pray heartily for it Lord I desire to love thee I see thee most amiable and would faine love thee This Petition is according to thy will Lord grant it me How would this prevaile how could God put off such a request But I have prayed and I have not obtained it But hast thou prayed importunately as the woman to the unjust Iudge without giving over This is a precious grace and therefore God will have us bestow some paines in the getting of it We shall not obtaine it easily that so we may prise it the more and keep it the more charily The grace of Christ saith Paul was abundant with mee in faith and love 1 Tim. 11. 14. This is that which the Apostle magnified so much that God had given him love The grace of Christ was abundant towards him in giving him love But how doth prayer doe this That little love which moved thee to pray by exercise is increased and is become greater Prayer brings thee in acquaintance with God Before acquaintance there may be a wishing well to another but there cannot be that love to another which is required in friendship And it may be Christ will shew himselfe unto thee as wee see when hee himselfe Matth. 17. prayed his garments were changed and hee was transfigured But especially prayer doth this by prevailing with God as we see the prayers of the blinde man prevailed with Christ. And doe you thinke that Christ now in Heaven hath put off these kinde affections which he had on the earth will hee not also heare if you should pray to him But this you will say is a common meanes to obtaine all grace Yes but of this love in a speciall manner because love is the most peculiar gift of the Holy Ghost Now the Holy Ghost is obtained by Prayer Our hearts are so carnall so fleshly that we cannot love the Lord and he is so holy so good that we can no more love him unlesse hee himselfe kindle this flame of love
neither is there any on thy part for there is nothing required in thee for which hee shall set his love upon thee There are no merits desired on thy part onely accept him receive him hee will afterwards put some lines upon thee Art thou willing to take Christ for thy husband for better and worse with a crowne of Thornes as well as Glory then the match is concluded thou maist be sure that Christ will be thine But I have renewed my sinnes and have fallen into divers relapses I still provoke him and fall backe and GOD will not endure such a wretch Yet he forgives sinnes of all sorts he is abundant in mercy he is still forgiving and never gives over There is a fountaine opened to Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Zach. 12. vers 13. There is afountaine not a cisterne to wash in which may be drawne dry Onely this caveat must be put in that we allow not our selves in any knowne sinne but that wee maintaine warre continually against sinne and by no meanes admit any peace with Amaleck Another meanes is to remove the impediments of love which are two especially strangenesse and worldly-mindednesse Strangenesse dissolves all friendship By this meanes the interest of friendship may be broken off This strangenesse breeds fearefulnesse when we goe to God and fearefulnesse weakenesse of love whereas boldnesse is the nurse of it Herein is our love made perfect that we have boldnesse in the day of the Lord Iesus As by neglecting fellowship with the Saints we come to lose our acquaintance wee had towards them so the neglecting of maintaining our acquaintance with God brings us quite at last to leave him Draw neere therefore to God continually and this will increase your love to him Be therefore oft speaking to him and hearing him speake to you Be much in prayer and often in reading and hearing And doe not these things customarily and untowardly but with life and affection goe to prayer as you would goe to speake with your most deare friend whom you most of all delight to talke with Let it be pleasant to thee to converse with him in all things when thou hast any injury befallen thee goe and make thy cause knowne to him and when any sinne hath escaped thee whereby he may be offended give not over till reconciliation be made and thy friendship rewarded Looke especially to thy wayes for sinne alienates and restraines a man from God therefore see that that bee removed as much as may be Worldly mindednesse also hinders the love of God This is the uncircumcision of the heart Hence is that the Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart that thou mayest live And untill the heart be circumcised it is filled with the love of the World so that hee cannot love the Lord at least with all his heart as hee ought There is no such quench-coale to the love of God as the love of the World Pleasures and the love of carnall things are very apt to steale away our hearts from God before we are aware If we looke not more narrowly to it they may doe it Examine your owne hearts and see if by how much the more you love the World by so much the lesse you are affected to the Lord. These things as Absalom steale away our hearts from God as he did the people from his Father If thou findest not that love to God which formerly hath beene see what hath come betweene God and thy heart Looke if some pleasure or lust have not crept in betweene for these will separate betweene God and thee See if there be not in thy understanding conceits of things to be better then indeed they are for these will turne the heart from the Lord but above all looke to thy will and affections FINIS A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon V. BY IOHN PRESTON DD. Matt. 22. 37 38. This is the first and great Commandement thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Psal. 31. 26. Love the Lord O all ye his Saints LONDON Printed by Thomas Paine for Iohn Stafford 1640. A HEAVENLY TREATISE OF THE DIVINE LOVE OF CHRIST Sermon V. 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed unto the death NOw the next thing wee have to doe is to shew what kinde of love the Lord accepts for hee will not take any kinde of love that is offered him but onely such a love as he calls for as hee requires Thou must love him with all thy might and with all thy strength A publike person may doe more then a private His example may doe much or he may command others if not to doe good yet to refraine from evill God desires that thou love him with all thy strength if thou knowest much thou must doe much Besides some things thou canst doe namely which others cannot doe without great difficulty As some men are temperate some patient by nature If thou art such an one God requires more of thee then of another for he accounts that which thou canst doe without setting thy might to it as nothing It is not enough for thee to love the Lord but thou must love him with thy might The might of a rich man of a Magistrate of a Scholler or whatsoever thou art when thou shalt come to the Lord with a small piâ—tance when thou hast opportunity to doe a great deale more the Lord will not take it at thy hands As a Landlord will not receive a small parcell when the Tenant may pay a greater summe Neither is this a thing indifferent for you to doe or not to doe for God requires much of him to whom he hath given much Hee gives us all talents which he puts as prizes in our hands which he expects we should lay out according as we have received Paul did no worke of supererogation though he was abundant in the workes of the Lord continually setting himselfe about the worke with his whole strength Thou must love him above all things else Above all creatures above that which is most deare unto thee yea above thy selfe And if thou dost not so thou lovest him but as a creature which will not serve his turne Hee hath done more for thee then any creatue hath or can doe He hath dyed for thee hath given himselfe crucified for thee he deserves therefore more love then thy pleasures profits or then any friend thou hast You are therefore to love him above all to imbrace cleave to him chiefly to make him wholly thine But how can he you will say be wholly mine seeing so many have their parts in him Yes hee is wholly thine and thou must bee wholly his He is infinite and so hath no parts but is entire to every one as every
line drawne to the Center may challenge the whole Center for it's owne though there be a thousand lines beside But what must I so love the Lord that I may not love earthly things Yes thou mayest love them so that it be not with an adulterous love Thou mayest love them for God as by them you may be enabled to serve God the better But how shall I know this adulterous love When you love any thing so as it lessens your love to your husband that is an adulterous love As when thou lovest some pleasure and delight so as it takes up the minde and hinders thee in hearing and will not suffer thee to pray without distraction but thy thoughts must be upon it this love is adulterate love Thou mayest rejoyce yet so as if thou rejoycest not As this joy hinders not thy walking with God so thou mayest labour in thy calling with a love to it yet so as it doth not draw away thy heart from God But this is very difficult will some say No it is easie When God hath put this love into thy heart the necessity of it may make it easie Thou mayest doe it or thou canst not bee saved Indeede it is impossible for a man that hath set his heart on riches to remove it off againe of himselfe And in this sense Christ speakes when he sayes It is so hard for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven But when God hath wrought this love in thee and hath revealed to thee the emptinesse and vanity of other things it will be easie But I am not able to love the Lord above my selfe and all other things Yes thou mayest if once thou art throughly perswaded that hee is thy chiefest good and how miserable thou art without him thou wilt then bee content to forsake all and to cleave to him alone A man that sowes Corne is content it should die so as it may bee quickned againe and bring forth encrease And therefore Paul though hee saw the outward building of his body goe to decay he cared not so long as he was renewed in the inner So when thou seest thy good conteined in him more then in thy selfe when thou seest thy happinesse laid up in him thou wilt easily bee perswaded to leave thy selfe to injoy him For thou losest nothing by losing thy selfe thy whole happinesse is in God Againe thou must be rooted and grounded in Love This is that which the Apostle so prayes for for the Ephesians Ephesians 3. 17. There is a certaine love by fits which God accepts not When men come and offer to God great promises like the waves of the Sea as bigge as mountaines oh they thinke they will doe much for God But their mindes change and they become as those high waves which at last fall levell with the other waters If a man should proffer thee great kindnesses and thou shouldest afterwards come to him to make use of him and hee should looke strangely upon thee as if hee were never acquainted with thee how wouldest thou esteeme of such love If wee are now on now off in our love God will not esteeme of such love and if you be not rooted in your love you will be unstable Let then your love bee well rooted let the foundation be good on which it stands now that â—s on two things This love must be founded in faith Therefore Ephesians 3. when the Apostle had prayed that they might be strengthened in faith he addes this also that they might bee grounded in love When thou art once rooted in faith thou shalt bee grounded in love When therefore you come to beleeve and consider whether Iesus Christ belong to you or no doe it not overly and slightly but doe it thorowly Sift every thing to the bâ—an give not over till thou art fully satisfied till thou canst answer all objections and rest in this perswasion that all is most true which hath been revealed to thee of the Lord Iesus Christ and it is good for thee to rest upon it Your love must bee built upon his Person If you love his and not him you will be unstable in your love If thou lovest him in his Person thou changest not for thy love will bee constant But if thou love him for that hee hath done for thee because hee hath done thee much good and given thee many favours and tokens of his love and kept thee from many troubles when hee changes his dealing towards thee thou wilt change thy love to him Thou wilt then doe as Iob receive good from the hand of the Lord and also evill Put case God should take from thee and send one affliction in the necke of another this will try thy love whether in this case thou wilt sticke close unto him Sometimes God hides his face from his children and writes bitter things against them If then thou canst love him thy love is on his Person a constant love Another condition of our love is that it must be diligent The Apostle commends the Thessalonians effectuall faith and diligent love 1 Thessalonians 1. 3. If you say you love the Lord and yet will doe nothing for him you have not that love which God accepts This love is operative diligent and not idle and dead Wee regard not a dead drugge a dead plant wee cut it up and cast it away even so doth the Lord esteeme of a dead love and love that shewes not it's life it 's diligence to obey God This love will cause thee to put on new aparrell to adorn thy life so as thy love may take delight in thee This will make thee carefull to beautifie thy selfe with the graces of the Spirit See therefore whether thy love prepare thee for Christ. This love doth that which Iohn Baptist did It prepares men for the receiving of the Lord. If thou wilt come then before him in thy old garments it is a signe thou lovest him not Againe the operativenesse of it is seene in opening thy heart to him when he offers himselfe unto thee This will give thee a capable heart to entertaine him that hee may dwell plentifully in thee This doth make thee comprehend with 〈◊〉 Saints what is the height and bredth and length and depth of the love of Christ. This love is diligent in cleansing the heart that it will suffer nothing to remaine there that may be offensive to the Lord God that dwels with his people This love therefore will suffer no sluttish corner to remaine in the heart but keepes all cleane It clenses a man from all filthinesse of flesh and Spirit 2 Corinthians 5. Lastly the diligence of love is seene in keeping of his commandements If thou doest nothing for the Lord thou lovest him not So much love as thou hast so much care will there be in thee to doe his will so much fire so much heat to stir for his glory So
much love so much desire to walke in perfect obedience before him And now wee come to the object upon whom our love must be placed The Lord Iesus Consider whom it is whom if you love not I pronounce you thus accursed It is the Lord Jesus he is your Lord your Prince your Saviour your Messias your Prophet so that hee which loves him not is worthy to be accursed First he is our Lord. Now to run from an ordinary Master is punishable to rebell against an ordinary King deserves death but he is more our Lord and King in a more speciall bond Besides that he hath made us and preserves us we are his by purchase and he hath bought us deere hee hath shed his blood for us so that hee that will not love this Lord let him be accursed Secondly againe he is our Saviour and in this respecct love is now more due to God then in time of innocency When Adam broke the Covenant and made shipwrack Christ offers himselfe a Saviour Now if wee will not receive him there is no more hope He is the secunda tabula left to us after shipwrack which if wee let goe wee cannot escape eternall destruction Lastly he is our Prophet that Messias Iohn 4. which tels us all things That great Prophet whom Moses foretold whom if we beleeve not we must be for ever accursed The time of our ignorance God regarded not but now hee will have an eye to us after that the light hath shone unto us and he hath revealed himselfe when this our Prophet hath come unto us and shewne himselfe unto us Now God olaimes our love and if now we refuse to love him and to come in unto him we are rebels Yea he is our Priest and would reconcile God unto us Yea he is made unto us a King to subdue our lusts and rebellious affections to draw us to himselfe as it were by force So that now if we love him not wee deserve the curse Now marke the Lord hath joyned these two together the Lord Iesus We must take heede that we separate them not And we must see that wee take him not onely as a Saviour but also as a Lord. He is not onely the Authour of the remission of our sinnes but he is our Lord to rule us The preaching of the Gospel is nothing but the offering of Christ his whole person and so you must take him as a subject to bee your Lord as a Spouse to be ruled and guided by him and then wee shall have the benefit which arises thence We are willing to part with the sweete but we will have none of the sowre as that young man would have had Christ but he would not part with his wealth for him But Christ tels him that he must either part with him or them Canst thou be content to fare as I doe to be rejected scorned in the world as I am then well good thou mayest follow me but otherwise thou canst not And if thou art content to doe thus to suffer persecution and to forgoe all for him thou shalt have him and all the benefits that come by him if not thou art not worthy of him hee that beleeves not the Lord Iesus is condemned already i. e. Hee that takes him not when hee is offered is in the state of of condemnation We must see therefore that we take his whole person as hee is a Lord as well as he is a Saviour and not the latter without the former If any man love not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration yea let him be accursed to the death The Apostle curses sueh as love him not with a double curse He expresses it in two languages They are men set apart to evill appointed to destruction as some men are set apart to good so are these to evill They are shut up in prison such as God hath set himselfe against His eyes are continually upon them for evill Thus shall he be accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus There shall be a curse on his soule for matter of grace that as Christ cursed the figtree when hee came and found no fruit upon it never fruit grow more on thee and it withered away So when Christ is offered and this Gospell preached and thou refusest this grace thou mayest find Christ so curse thee that thou be ever barren in the matter of grace And if perhaps thou thinkest this no great matter the curse goes further Thou shalt bee cursed from the presence of the Lord. Thou shalt have no part nor portion in the light sweetnesse and comfort of his favour And this Caine tooke to heart though he were a wicked man and had before but Gods common favour and so Saul was exceedingly cast downe when as God would not answer him by any of those usuall meanes but is this such a matter to bee excluded from his presence yea and at the time of death you shall find it somwhat yea in troubles you shall see it a dreadfull thing as they did to want him to stand your friend As Saul did though in his prosperity he little regarded it yet when the Philistines came upon him he was driven to his wits end because the Lord would not answer him But these are but spirituall things I feele them not you will say But yet the curse goes further You shall be cursed also from the earth that is from earthly comforts which it yeelds to others Now thou shalt bestow all thy travell and paine upon it and be never the better for it But many a man receives him not and yet is not thus accursed Indeed we see it not many times and it may be the time of execution is not yet come Thou mayest have Cains priviledge though thou art accursed that none shall kill thee presently Thou mayest enjoy thy health and wealth and no man lay hold on thee here to hurt thee But thou art reserved to a more solemne day of punishment And yet the curse goes a step further thou shalt be cursed eternally But that thou wilt say is a great way off and you need not feare it yet But consider what eternity is what those dayes of darknesse will be when the Sun of comfort shall set and never rise againe upon thee When it shall be alwayes perfect night and never day When God shall open all the treasures of his wrath and powre them with full fury upon thee when the storme of vengeance shall never bee blowne over but thou shalt bee overwhelmed in the midst of all miserie asthe old world was in the deluge If this be the case of men that refuse yea that love not the Lord then take heed to your selves Wee the Ministers offer you Christ when wee preach and you sit negligently before us minding other things not caring to take the Lord. Take heed this is your portion to be thus accursed The Gospell hath two parts if
you take Christ you shall be happy you shall be saved But if you will not love him and imbrace him you shall be damned Therefore thinke not that there is nothing but hony in it yea there is a sting that followes it if it be neglected Ministers are not to goe a begging in offering the Gospell but are as Ambassadors of the Lord of Heaven If men will receive our message so it is otherwise the dust which we shake off from our feet shall be a witnesse against you that so God will shake you off God will not have his Gospel refused his Son despised and therefore he counsels us to kiss the Son lest he be angry and wee perish all in his wrath Psalm 2. Though hee be a Lamb and have behaved himselfe meekly amongst us yet if wee provoke him wee shall know that he can shew himselfe a Lyon If hee be not entertained in the still voice he will come in fire in a wind that shall rend the rockes in sunder Thus he describes himselfe One that hath feet like burning brasse out of whose mouth proceeds a firie sword Revelation 1. Moses went first to Mount Gerizim to blesse the people and if that would not move them he go's up to Mount Ebal and thence curses them so the Apostle before exhorts perswades them to the love of Christ but if they will not imbrace him on fair termes he tels them what shall follow they must be accursed But what if I take not the Lord at this instant I hope this curse will not befall me It is true we cannot say so for while this time lasts wee are still commanded to offer Christ yet there will come a time when there will come forth a Decree which shall never be revoked Take heed therfore for this is very dangerous The Lord will not suffer his Gospel to be abused or neglected when once the Husbandmen refused the Son they were presently cast out of the vineyard Mat. 21. This offends God more than any sinne that wee can commit To refuse Christ offered is worse than drunkennesse theft adultery or the like which men count the grossest sins My people would none of me therefore I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts This refusing him made him swear that they should never enter into his rest As the Gospel offers greater favour than the Law so swifter damnation attends the neglect of it My brethren take heed that you receive not the grace of God in vain While it is called to day harden not your hearts yea take heed of refusing it now For you know not whether this offer may ever bee made you againe and if it be thou knowest not whether thou shalt have the grace to receive it or no. Know that the same Gospel is a savour of life unto life to such as receive it but unto the others of death unto everlasting death But the Gospel is continued still It is true but how many are there that live in the congregation and are never a whit the better though they hear the Word daily because by the contempt of it it becomes the savour of death to them and their hearts are hardned so that they shall never receive good by it FINIS Good Reader if thou wilt see the reaches of a devout soule after this love of Christ expressed in these pious Sermons reade this Soliloquy following A SOLILOQVY OF A DEVOVT SOVLE TO CHRIST PANTING AFter the love of the LORD IESUS O Thou Love of all loves thou chiefest of ten thousand thou lovedst me before I was thou dost love me when I am thou doest love me if I bee thine when I am here no more Thy Loves are better then wine but mine are worse thē gall and wormewood Thou lovest mee who deserve lesse then nothing I love not thee who deservest more then all things I have hid my selfe from thee as Adam yet thou hast pierced through the darke cloud and loved me Thou hast opened thy selfe in the face of my soule yet in the sight of this Sun I have not loved thee No basenesse of mine hath closed thy eyes and kept thy heart from me yet every base pleasure and pleasing lust hath kept my heart and eye from thee Without my love to thee I cannot have my happinesse applyed and enjoyed It is Faith that marries thee to me but this faith must worke by love or my marriage will end in a fruitlesse barrennesse and faithlesse separation Hitherto therefore I have loved thee but for lust not for love I would have thee save me but I would not honour and please thee I can thus think of my disloyalty towards thee but thou knewest it before I thought it and more then I can speake or thinke Thou doest thinke thoughts of love and peace to me but I minde the abuse of thy love and the too late repentance of thee upon my owne termes How can I be acceptable to thee My Love my Dove my undefiled Thou spreadest out thy hands and art ready for blessing me but if I open my head heart hand I am apt to receive nothing but Anathema Maranatha from thee Can love come to enmity heaven to hell I am hell my Lord thou art heaven I am hatred thou art Love Thou shewest hatred yet in my wisdome am I very enmity Can I then expect either to have the blessing of Love or to avoide the curse of not loving Oh shew me thy face for it is comly Thou hast often shewed me thy riches and I have loved them but oh shew me thy selfe that I may love thee I have seen by goodnes mer cy compassion merit salvation and have cried out My blessed Iesus make these mine Now let me see thy selfe that thou my beloved mayst be mine and all those riches in thee From the sight of thy riches I have desired to preserve my selfe from seeing thy selfe I shall desire to draw neere to thee and to cleave to thee for ever O thou whom my soule desires to love shew me then where thou liest at noone that I may see thee I know where I shall finde thee at the night of my life I shall finde thee sitting on yonder throne ready to say either Come ye blessed or Goe yee cursed I doe not know whether so short a view shall bring me to heare either the one or the othre Shew me then where thou liest at this my noone Now thy Sun doth shine upon this my tabernacle and I have some time to behold thy beauty that I may be in love with thy person where then shall I finde thee if I looke to mount Tabor I see thee in glory and I cannot but love thee for that If I looke to the garden I see thee lying on the cold ground sweating drops of bloud for mee and I cannot but love thee for that If I looke to Golgotha I see thee nayled to the Crosse and thy heart broached that I may drinke thy
the sorrow commanded is that which followes beliefe for the more I beleeve the promises the more I shal grieve for displeasing him But what is the way to get assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes may some say I answer That that be done which is to be done on our part beleeved which God hath promised First The things to be done on our part are these 1. Confession plainely and truly we must confesse them to God and to man when we our selves cannot overcome them 2. Contrition which is when a man is not stubborne and resisteth Gods will and will please himselfe to get his heart broken and to say as S. Paul saith Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe and then we are subject to his will To him will I looke that is of a contrite heart 3. Desertion or forsaking of sinne for He that forsaketh not his sinnes shall not prosper which is when we having the like occasions yet will not give way to him but follow our owne lusts Secondly That that be beleeved which God hath promised and that is that as hee hath said He will forgive our sinnes upon such and such conditions so we beleeve it And to make us to doe this these motions may perswade us 1. Because he is mercifull in whose mercy there are three things all very materiall and moving 1. It is naturall to him hee is not weary of shewing mercy as the eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing no more is God in shewing mercie but in us it is not naturall but an infused quality and therefore wee are weary when men provoke us often 2. His mercy is infinite but in men it is not so therefore come within compasse of this quality and hee will exercise it for no sinne is beyond Gods mercy this keepeth us from despaire for though they be great yet God is able to forgive them As the raine watereth as well the great field as the little garden and as the Sunne shines as well on mountaines as on Molehills and as it disperseth the thick mist as well as the least thinne cloud so doth Gods mercy passe by great sinnes as well as little But if our sinnes be exceeding great aggravated with circumstances and often committed then we cannot imagine that God will forgive us This is answered by the Prophet Isaiah God is more mercifull than man can be sinfull he is more mercifull than we can imagine My thoughts are as much above your thoughts as the heaven is above the earth 3. We see much mercy in men and in the mother of a childe now it is but as a drop out of the ocean of Gods mercy but as a spark to the whole element of fire If you being evill can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father c. See what the Scripture saith I am mercifull forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne the first word signifies originall sinne the second actuall the third rebellion all which God can forgive Secondly because it is the end of Christs comming into the world now no man will doe any thing especially so great a matter as to kill himselfe for no end Christ then dyed for the forgivenesse of sinnes This S. Paul urgeth the end of Christs comming was to save sinners otherwise the crosse of Christ had beene of none effect and his mediation of no use if men did not commit sinnes or if God should not forgive them therefore God must needs be ready to forgive Thirdly because God beseecheth us to be reconciled unto him through Christ now if God doth this if wee seeke earnestly hee will heare us The Prodigall being willing to come home to his Father he met him and received him joyfully so doth God hee chargeth his Ministers to compell men to come in that is to preach Gods mercy that he will forgive their sinnes and therefore the most acceptable action to God is to bring a sinner to him Fourthly the charge laid on us to beleeve wee are charged on the paine of death to beleeve and therefore it is most profitable for us and most pleasing to him hee takes it wel at our hands that wee should beleeve and by the hand of faith lay hold on him which hee would not doe if he were not ready to forgive Fifthly from the examples of others let us see what God hath done for them and it will make us beleeve he forgave Manasses as well as Ioshua he pardoned Mary Magdalen as well as Elizabeth and Paul as well as Peter he hath forgiven the greatest sinnes as well as the least and he will also deale so with us Sixthly from the effects of it which are these 1. It glorifieth God much Abraham beleeved and glorified God much for the greater the sinner is the more honour is given to God as the Physitian hath the greatest glory by curing the greatest wound so God hath the greatest glory by forgiving the greatest sins which wound the soule even to death 2. It moveth us to love God the more Mary loved much because much was forgiven her 3. It mollifies the most it causeth them to relent and weepe much more This is plaine by that place where it is said that when God forgave the greatest sinnes then they mourned and lamented as in those Converts Act. 2. 37. 4. It purifies the heart for no man lookes to keepe his heart pure untill hee be assured of the forgivenesse of his sinnes for till then hee cannot looke on God as on a Father but on the contrary when the sinne is not forgiven God loseth the glory of being a Father and the glory of his truth and of his mercy and that hardens the heart from relenting Seventhly from the price which was payed and which no sinne can goe beyond indeed if Christ had payed but a finite price wee might feare that our sinnes should not be forgiven If a man were in debt two thousand pound and there were but one pay'd hee might be discouraged but when there is infinitely more pay'd than the debt is this should make us beleeve our sinnes are forgiven us whatsoever they be seeing they be all but finite Eighthly from the tenour of the Promises which proclaime that they that beleeve and repent and forsake their sinnes shall finde pardon for them as a King that proclaimes that all traytors and rebels shall be pardoned if they would lay downe their weapons Now Non est excipiendum ubi â—ex non excipit There is no exception to be made where the law makes none God faith yea therefore hath said and sworne it that he will forgive our sinnes that we may beleeve it But I have committed the sinne oft Yet God will forgive thee Though thou hast oft committed whoredome yet I will forgive thee if thou turne unto me saith the Lord by the Prophet of the house of Israel Ier. 3.
comes to see no beauty in himselfe and no help in himselfe and sith God is full of all beauty and all excellencie and all power able to answer our desires in every thing when he comes to see and consider this then he begins to set up God in his heart as the Jvy having no root cleaves faster to the tree so likewise doth he only to God seeing that hee cannot subsist of himselfe and when hee comes to see that hee depends on him for all things he will doe all things for him because all are from him whereas before seeing something in himselfe hee magnified himselfe and so withdrew himselfe and his heart from God And so I come to the next particular viz. What is meant by the power of godlinesse and for that you shall know there is a godlinesse which is not only in words and complements but in deed and truth for it not only puts upon a man a washie colour of perfection but dyes his heart in graine in holinesse and it differs from the other in five things First It is done in the Power when it is not the bare picture where there are not only the outward lineaments of nature but when there is life in it and that you shall know when a man needs not to be called on to good duties but there is a naturall principle of life in him wherby he doth them with facility and constancie as naturall actions of life when likewise he doth grow in them for where there is life there is also growth and when hee doth likewise desire that which may feed it as the meanes which may strengthen him in the doing of it as if a man have life he desireth meat and sleep and when as there is life then the works that come from a man are not dead works and then you have the power of godlinesse it is not a fashion only Secondly It is not true but counterfeit when it is like the true but not the same but wants some particular property that is to be found in the true as that which is counterfeit Balsame which is like the true but wants the power of healing and so likewise a counterfeit drug and a counterfeit jewel which wants that property which the true hath and the want of this you shall finde in the use and in the wearing As a rotten bow is found to be rotten when the arrow is drawne to the head so if a mans godliness be counterfeit and hee unsound it will be discovered in the wearing or in some particular case when he is put to it or tried A Jeweller will finde out the property of a Jewell but an ordinary man cannot doe it but by use the wearing To instance in some particular parts of godliness the love of God if it be true hath these properties that a man loves the brethren for how canst thou love an immateriall holinesse in God if thou lovest not that holinesse which is stampt upon the creature like thy selfe so likewise rectitude and uprightnesse of heart try it by this property which our Saviour Christ makes of it gracious speeches Christ saith that that which is predominant in the heart the mouth will be full of so for keeping of the commandements if in truth they have this property that they be not grievous they will doe them with a naturall delight and inward willingnesse so for taking of Christ by faith every man beleeveth he doth so but our Saviour Christ trieth it by this Goe sell all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in heaven so mayest thou try thy self when thou art put to it by losse of goods or credit or otherwise Thirdly It is in the power when it is strong and not weake when a man hath power and strength in doing good duties and hereby many are discovered who have good purposes only which though they be hearty in them for a time yet they want power and strength and this is the case of many which be in the Church who though they have the knowledge of the word of God and approve the truth in their consciences desiring to be saved by the practise of it and so take up many good purposes which yet come to nothing because they want power and strength Consider therefore if thou hast power and strength to performe thy purposes and then thou hast the power of godlinesse but not else Many will say I am but flesh and blood and what will you have me to doe now here wants the power as you may see in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomy from the 7. verse to the 29 the people there said to Moses That what the Lord should speake to him they would doe it they said then what they thought and what they meant and minded and the Lord saith of them O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my commandements c. They wanted the power though they had good purposes Fourthly If thou wouldest know whether thy godlinesse be in the power or no see whether thou hast not only the shaddow of it but the substance for there is a shaddow with the substance as if thou pray there is a formall doing of it which is as the shaddow but to pray in the holy Ghost not in the voyce of thy owne spirit but out of Gods owne spirit not out of memory or wit but out of thy heart and that an heart sanctified by the Spirit of adoption this is the substance And so to heare for knowledge onely that is the shaddow but to heare for practise that is the substance And so againe for us to preach the Gospel to doe it because necessity it laid upon us and there 's a woe denounced against us if we doe it not as saith our Apostle of himselfe there is the shaddow But to preach with power and authority and not as the Scribes and Pharises with the enticing words of mans wisedome this is the substance Fifthly and finally It is in the power when a man goeth thorough the work a thing is said to be in the power when it is effectuall when a man bringeth it to an end and doth it not by halves so some begin indeed but then they leave the work in the rudiments but if a man have the power hee will break through all difficulties hee will leape over all till he hath wrought out his salvation with feare and trembling And thus having dispatcht the two former particulars I hasten to the third and last of the premises viz. The reasons why some have but the forme and not the power and they are especially these First because the forme is most easie but the power is a matter of more difficulty for the former it doth not call upon a man to cut off his right hand to pluck out his right eye and to denie himselfe in things nearest and dearest unto him as the power doth for it requires a man should
most unapt in a word that wherein we doe every day set our hearts streight before God in al things This is the very Life of Religion and in this we must be very frequent and fervent binding our selves with an inviolable resolution to keep a constant course in it but of this there is no doubt The next is Publique Prayer of which because it is more questioned and not received by all with that Reverence it should I wil adde a word or two of it and conclude That a set Forme of Prayer is Lawful much need not to be said the very newnesse of the contrary opinion is enough to shew the vanity and fâ—lâ—enesse of it It being contrary to the Judgment of approved Councells Learned Fathers and the continual Practise of the Church Tertullian who lived not much above an hundred yeares after the Apostles death saith in his Booke de Oratione Premissa Legitima ordinaria Oratione Ius est superstruendi Petitiones c which sheweth that they had some ordinary set allowed Prayers to which afterwards some were added at more Liberty In Origen's time who lived very neere Terâ—ullian's time It is evident that there were set Foâ—mes of Prayer â—sed in the Church for in his 11th Homily upon Ieremy he â—epeath and expoundeth some passages of them upon which â—ccasion Illâ—ricus saith Tunc temporis certas quasdâ—m formulas orationum sine dubio habuerunt Basil in his 63. Epistle saith that in his time there were Letanies used in the Neocesarean Churches and Ambrose in his time affirmeth Vsum Lae. taniarum ubique esse frequentem Constantine the Great prescribed a set Forme of Prayer to his Souldiers set downe by Eusebius in his fourth Booke And Calvin in his 83. Epistle to the Protector of England saith that he doth greatly allow a set Forme of Ecclesiasticall Prayers which the Ministers should be bound to observe But as I said before of the lawfulnesse there is little question That which is chiefely to be reprehended is of a secret disesteem of publique prayers By reason of which many neglect to come to them and they which doe doe it in a perfunctory and overly manner which is an extreame fault Better were it that men would come to this disjunction either it is lawfull to use them or not if not why doe they not wholly abstaine and if they be lawfull why doe they not use them constantly and in a reverent and holy manner One thing there is which if it were well considered would breed in the hearts of men another esteem of our publique prayers then there is And that is that besides the end of obteyning the things we want wherein yet publique prayer hath the promise there is another end in praying and 〈…〉 t is to worship God and to performe a service to him for proving of which there are two places of Scriâ—tuâ—e un-answerable Luke 2. 37. Hannah worshipped God by fasting and prayers the word used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wâ—iâ—h is the pâ—oâ—er word for worship Acts 13. 2. They ministred to the Lord and fasted the word used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the word Lituâ—gy is derived This me thinkes should breed in the hearts of men a reverend esteeme of this duty Besides how straight is that which is objected against the lawfulnesse of it as that the Spirit is sâ—inted when wee are feâ—tered with words appointed Answ. The freedome of the Spirit stands nâ—â— so â—uch in the extent of the words as the intensnesse 〈…〉 they are uttered Besides if this argu 〈…〉 swell against conceived prayer for if he 〈…〉 ger spirit then he that prayeth there is to 〈…〉 restraint Againe it is objected that we cannot pray for occasionall necessities Therefore we bind not only to a set forme but men may and ought to use besides private prayer wherein we may expresse our private accidentall and particular occasions And if they be more publique there are prayers before and after Sermon wheâ—e in the Minister is left at more liberty And if it be yet more generall belonging to the State or Church we adde it to the pâ—blike prayers as it is in the Gun-powder-treason times of War dearth c. But there needs not much be said to convince the judgement that which is chiefely to be desired is that they may be better observed and more esteemed especially seeing our publique prayers be holy and good and which should be a greater inducement the Church hath commanded them And if the Church be to be obeyed in indifferent things as it is much more in appointing of Gods owne Ordinances And if a set forme of prayer bee lawfull then the Lords Prayer must needes excell being dedicated by Christ himselfe and is therefore to bee more frequently used and withall Reverence both in minde and gesture Nor doth this want the practise and approbation of the Auncient it is Cyprians speech Quanto efficacius impertramus quod petimus Christi nominae si ipsius Oratione petamus And Saint Augustine Disce et retinete orationem Dominicam et inter omnes sanctos Consono ore proferatis Thus if we shal shew our selves affected as Receivers in using both publicke and private praier we shall find that successe which Iohn and the rest found who of his fulnesse received Grace for Grace FINIS Doctrine 1 What love is in generall How love shews it selfe The kindes of Love 3 4 1 The qualities of Love 2 3 2 What this love of the Lord Iesus is Esa. 9. Luke 〈◊〉 Iohn 3. 16. Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 20. 2 Cor. 5. 3 Why they are worthy to be cursed that love not the Lord Iesus Marke â—0 1 Reason Psal. 2. Mat. 22. 2 3 5 Vse 1. It is a great sin not to love the Lord Iesus Ob. Sol. Signes of Love 1 2 3 4 5 Point Vse 2. Try whether what you do is out of love Notes of triall of this love of the Lord Christ. 1 2 Rev. 13. 3 Iohn 4. 1 Cor. 13. Acts 20 24. Col 1. 11. Acts 5. 4 Psal. 4. 2 Chron. 7. 14. Hos. 7. 14. 5 Ob. Sol. Ob. Sol. Ob. Sol. Ob Sol. Ob. Sol. Ob. Sol. 6 Ob. Sol. Ob. Sol. Acts 17. 9 10. Vse 3. To humble our selves for want of this love 1. The reasons wee have to love the Lord. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. 2 4 5 6 7 8 Ephes. 3. 4. Vse To exhort us to love the Lord. The advantages which arise from the love of the Lord Iesus 4 5 Meanes to love the Lord. Mat. 18. 1 Ob. Sol. Quest. Answ. 1. 2 3 4 Ob. Answ. Coloss. 1. 8. John 14. 21. Ob. Sol. 3 Jerem. 2. 4 Esay 9. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. 5. 2. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. 1 Wherein grounded love doth stand 2 3 Ephes. 3. The object on whom our love must be set 2 3 Of the curse of those that love not the Lord Iesus Ob. Answ. Vse Ob. Answ. Ob. Answ. Doct. 1. Reas. 1. Vse 1. Object Answ. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Doct. 2. 1 Ioh. 1. 8. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Doct. 3. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Vse 1. Object Answ. Quest. Answ. Motive 1. Object Solut. I say 55 9. Motive 2. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Motive 3. Motive 4. Motive 5. Motive 6. Motive 7. Motive 8. Object Answ. Vse Doct. 4. Reas. 1. Vse 1 Vse 2. What godlinesse is not What godlinesse is What is meant by the power of godlinesse Five differences betweene the forme and power of godlinesse Reasons why many men have but the forme Vse 1. 1 Cor. 1. 29. 30 Rev. 7. 12. Vse 2. Eph. 3. 13 〈◊〉 Ver. 20 21. Eph. 1. 19. Vse 3. Luk. 24. 49. How to get the power of godlinesse Vse 4. Five marks whereby to know whether wee have the power of godlinesse or no. John 15 2. Plin. Praefat Hist. Natural D. W. 2 Leaves in some places Gen. 3. 14. The fiâ—st parâ— 1. In regard of his person 2 〈◊〉 regard of his Offices 3. I◠〈…〉 d of his Râ—ghâ—â—ousâ—esse 4. In regard of his Effect 1. Reasons from Christ. 2. From our selves Quest. Answ. Vse 4. Simile Objecti Object Aâ—sw Object Answ. Corol. 2.