all truth and veritie I wish thee the grace of God his holye spirite to conduct leade thee into all such thinges as shall stand with thine own dutie and tend to the glorie of the whole Trinitie FINIS IF good to learne be thine entent And not to plain of tyme yll spent But so temploy thy present payne As endles fruit may be thy gayne This Treatise reade and herein vew Al duties to thy Sauiour dew For this doth teache for thy behoue The lord thy god how thou shalt loue For loue of thee him selfe that gaue To death frō death thy soule to saue ¶ An introduction to the loue of God. ¶ The first Chapter That the loue of God and thy neighbour cannot be seperated WIth wakefull heede and diligent mynde earnest endeuour and continual carefulnes it becommeth behoueth vs to searche and to learne how and what way we may escape hell torment and purchace heauens ioy Sithens neither that torment may be auoyded nor that ioy procured except the meanes be knowen how that one may be shunned that other attained Let vs therfore the more willingly heare and the more diligently consider the wordes of the Apostle in the which he proposeth these two thinges to were that heauens ioy is vnspeakeable and which is the waye that leadeth vnto life For he saith that neyther eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor the hart of man conceiued the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Loe now euen by thys that the Apostel saith that GOD hathe prepared good thinges for them that loue him it appereath that loue is both the way and the meane by the which we aspire vnto them But the loue of God without the loue of thy neighbour cānot be had as witnesseth s Iohn who saith He that loueth not his brother whom he seeth how can he loue God whom he seeth not And this cōmaundement haue we from God that whoso loueth God shall also loue his neighbour And thus in theese two loues consisteth that true loue which thapostle speaketh of saying And yet shew I vnto you a more excellent waye This more excellent way is loue which leadeth to that heauenly coūtrie and without the which no man can come vnto it But who is in this way or who knoweth it Forsoth he that loueth both God and his neighbour Howe then is God first and next the neighbour to be loued We must loue God more thē our selues and our neighbour as our selues We loue God more then our selues when we in all thinges preferre his pleasure and cōmaundementes before our own wyls But our neighbour we are not cōmaunded to loue aboue our selues but as our selues that is to will and to wish vnto him all the goodnes which we ought to wyll or wish to our selues and specially the euerlasting ioy and blysse and to the attainment thereof to assist and to helpe him both with bodely spiritual goodes as reason requireth and abilitie permitteth In consideration whereof the Lord sayth in the Gospell Whatsoeuer ye would that men should do vnto you doo ye euen the same vnto them also And s. Iohn saith Let vs not loue in word neither in tong but in deede and veritie But who are those neyghbours whom we ought thus to loue Truly all Christian men Iewes and Heathen friendes and enemies ¶ The second Chapter ¶ Why and how God is to be loued SIthens al our soule health then consisteth in loue why how the Lord is to be loued let vs diligently weigh and consider But to excite noorish and increase the loue of God in vs nothing is so forceble as the often remembrance and diligent consideration of his benefites So great thinges hath he geuen vs heaped and bestowed vpon vs that our soule vtterlye fainteth in the viewe of his bountie and goodnes But in this case though we be not able to yelde vnto him so many and so great thankes as beseemeth our loue and becommeth our seruice yet must we not faile to render him so many and so great as we can And see wherefore to wete for his benefites which for his great loue and free beneuolence our merites or desertes requiring none suche the Lord hath moste graciouslye bestowed vpon vs he is entirelye of vs to bee beloued But how or in what sort God is to be loued that his commaundement which he so straightly prescribed and so preciselye wyl haue kept and obserued on our part doth manifestly shew and declare Geue care therefore O Man to that commaundement which of all other is greatest and chiefest Geue eare I say and heare it diligentlye print it in memory thinke on it continuallye and to thy power fulfyll it dayly and hourelye That commaundement is this Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart that is with al thine vnderstāding and with all thy soule that is with al thy will and with al thy minde that is with al thy memory that thou mayest reserue keepe all thy thoughtes al thy lyfe and all thy skill and knowledge to yeld vnto him thine obedience and seruice But peraduenture because thou deemest thy selfe to be loued of God but a litle therefore thou art not afeard to loue hym againe but lightly Search therfore and weigh with thy selfe in thy minde with what giftes and benefits he hath endued thee already and what he hath promised to bestowe on thee hereafter And thou shalt forthwith finde that thou art boūde to loue him beyond all might measure But to the end that the loue of God may in thee be quickned augment the mor◠aboundantlye weighe and consider by whom why and to what end mankinde was first created and what thinges ▪ God made for the vse and ease of man For this is to be gathered that of the thinges created whether they be heauenly or terrestriall visible or inuisible ther is none other cause but the mere goodnes of the Creator which is the Lord God onelye one and alone Whose goodnes is of such greatnes that of that blissefulnes by the which he is most highlie happy blessed for euer he willeth other to be partners because he seeth it may be imparted but not diminished That goodnes therfore which him selfe is and by the which him selfe is blessed onely of his free goodnes and not of necessitie woulde he impart and communicate vnto others because it appertaineth to the chiefe good to haue will to be profitable and beseemeth the most mightie not to be hurtfull But because no man is able to bee partaker of his blissefulnes but by vnderstanding for the more it is vnderstanded the more fully it is had God made a reasonable creature which might not onelye vnderstand the chiefe good but that by vnderstanding might also loue it and by louyng myght possesse it and by possessing might vse it and so distinguished that creature that part might remaine in the purity of him selfe and not
most diligently to thanke him whyle lyfe and breath shall prolong his daies He therfore who wanteth any thing necessary to further hys soule health ought neyther to murmour against God nor to accuse him For he doth all thynges vpon iust occasion diligent deliberation and aduised iudgement hath mercy on whom he wyl iudgeth whom he wyll and hardeneth whom hee wyll And is able not onely to geue to whom he wyll but also to take away from whom he wyl what and when best standeth with hys pleasure Right good is it then and also fyt and necessary that he who hath not those thinges which be needeful for him shuld not onely be sad and sory but also labour and praye to get and attaine them And then when he hath gotten them to shew him selfe grate and thankfull vnto God for them ¶ The .xvi. Chapter ¶ Of the benefit of Christ his death and passion GReat therefore and many nay rather infinite innumerable are the benefites O Lord my God which thou hast heaped vpon me And for them am I bounden euer more both to loue and prayse thee For what soeuer goodnes I haue presentlye or what soeuer I haue had in times past or what soeuer I shall haue in time to come it commeth from thee thou Authour of al goodnes frō whom what soeuer is good in deede or so accompted doth issue flow procede But yet one thyng is there whych more then these all doth inflame vrge and mooue me to set my whole delight and all my loue vpon thee This I say specially O my Lord Iesu makes thee to me both louinge and amiable that thou vouched safe of thy mere mercy to suffer for me most shame full and cruell death in accomplishinge the worke of my redemption This onelye this wholly and this more then all thinges doth chalenge vnto it euen by speciall desert all our lyfe all our labour all our seruice and loue This is yt ▪ I say that better stirreth swetelyer seketh and greatlyer encreaseth oure deuotion toward thee thē all thine other kindnes or goodnes towardes vs For in this worke of our reconsiliation made by the bytter panges of his passion the vniuersal creatour was so oppressed with pain and trauayle that he was nothinge lyke wearied in the workmāship of the whole world For of the world and of al things in the world he onely sayd the worde and they were made he gaue the commaundement and they were created But for the restauration of mau kynd the paines and the sorowes which he suffered are in all respects manifolde maruailous vnspeakeable Behold therfore how he loued vs that for no neede or necessitye on his owne behalfe but onelye for the loue which he bare to vs woulde beare and sustaine such paines and so meruailous Iustly therefore haue I sayde and may I say that this one thinge excelleth all other his benefites For though it be greatly to be wayed and also to be estemed for no small token of bountye that a man contenteth himselfe or condescendeth frankly to gyue his goodes to another yet is this much more and infinitly incomparable to geeue and be stowe a man 's own selfe for his neighbour And thoughe this bee an argument of greate loue and charity to geue a mans lyfe for his friendes yet is this a plaine profe of great affection to dye for foes and enemyes as the sonne of God did when he dyed for vs For whē we were enemies to God we wer recōciled by the death of his sōne Hardely saith Paul dieth a mā for a iust mā but he neuertheles dyed for the wycked the iust for the vniust that he might present vs blameles in the syght of his father And from heauen became he exiled and banished that he might restore vs to the ioyes of that kingdome O how vnspeakeable therefore is this loue and charitie Or what tounge can expresse the sweetenes of thys affection Or how marueilous a mercye was thys I pray you that God for man should become man or that God for man shoulde dye in the flesh and to be tempted in all thinges belonging to mans infirmitie synne onely excepted For behold it shal forthwith appeare to the eye of thine vnderstanding with how great a raunsom man was redeemed which by reason of his synne was iustlye enthrauled to the Deuil and the most dreadfull sentence of death and damnation Neither is it to be hidden that if man had not ben raunsomed accordyng to gods good mercye exhibited in his sonne with the Deuill his aungels hee had beene lost for ener And all this doo I tell thee that thou mayest haue some feeling how much mā is bounde to bee louyng to God for althinges and not onely paciently but also willinglye and with all the might of power and feruencye to abyde and endure sorrow and griefe for him that suffered for vs such extremitie of griefe and sorrow For by many tribulations must we enter into the kingdome of god Let my Soule therefore O my Lord Iesu hold and embrace thy blessed bodye crucified and let it drincke a sweete draught of thy most precious bloud by deepe imprintyng of thy passion in my mynde memory Yea let this pleasant remembraunce so possesse my memorye that no obliuion or forgetfulnes bee able to abscure it But geue me grace to iudge of my selfe as Saynt Paule dyd namelye that I know nothing but Christ Iesu him also crucified so that vayne errour be not suffered to withdrawe my knowledge from the soundnes of faith Finally let this wonderful loue towardes me challenge to it selfe all my loue to thee that no worldlye desyre haue power to swalow me For this I know O Lord that the hart or mynde that is fulfylled with the loue of thee can neyther bee straightned with feare nor defiled with lust nor torne with wrath nor aduaunced with pride nor wasted with vayne glory nor styrred with madnes nor vnbowelled with ambition nor shroonken with couetousnes nor ouerthrowē with sadnes nor consumed with enuye neyther yet corrupted with anye other vice while in the sweetenes of thee it resteth constant and immoueable He therfore that to his Seruauntes geueth so great thinges in this world present how great trow you doth he reserue for them and lay vp in store in the world to come The thinges yet that he presently geueth are temporall but those which hee promiseth to geue hereafter are eternal incomperably better then all the temporall goods of the world For temporal goods are painfully gotten and easely wasted And when we haue them surest Lord what a care it is to kepe them what sorow to lose them and what endles payne and trauaile to recouer them againe But the ritches of the world to come are neuer lost neuer diminished but alwayes possessed with ioy quietnes as things euermore longed for and neuer hated or loathed For hee that to these heauenly ritches is once aspired
hath gotten them into hys handes and possession shall bee as well assured that he shall neuer lose them as he hath earnest desire neuer to forgo them ¶ The .xvii. Chapter ¶ Of the benefit of God his promise RIght highly therefore is God to bee loued in his promises in asmuch as he hath behight vs greater thinges then hetherto hee hath geuen vs For hee hath promised vnto vs rest from paine libertie from thraldome securitie from feare comfort from sorrow resurrection from the dead and after that our bodyes are raysed vp agayne suche full and perfect blysse as neuer shall haue ending Finallye he hath promised him selfe vnto vs euen as he sware to our fathers that hee would geue him selfe for vs Great therfore are the promises of God vnspeakable and for these and in these will God be loued of vs and in such sort and maner as it behoueth vs. But if thou wylt know in what sort it behoueth vs to loue God vehementlye to desire to haue the promise performed is onely the maner that in this our loue is of duty required The promise of God yet how soeuer it bee desyred is muche lesse desired then it ought for to be And howe soeuer the Louer of God profiteth and increaseth in louyng hym hee ought styll to profite and to encrease to more For the earnest and true longyng after God in some respect hath no mean nor measure when as it can neuer so exceede that it maye be thought to muche And where as in al other thinges impaciencie is euer blamed vehement impaciencie of the delay in the expectacion of gods promises that is to haue and possesse God deserueth laud and praise as a thing most commendable For the more a man loueth God and the more he longeth after hym the impatiencie in that delaye tormenteth the more the hope which is differred sore vexeth the soule But these precious iewels in this world promised are onelye had and enioyed in the heauenly palace And therfore of that good whych is chiefe of all goodnes what it is and how it is shal first be declared ¶ The .xviii. Chapter ¶ Of the consideration of the Deity ioyes of heauen LEt vs styrre vp therefore and aduaunce all our vnderstanding as far forth as the grace of God may assist it to waigh and confider how great the onelye and proper ioy of the chosen is there where the place is prepared for them That is to say that onely high soueraigne good which is lyfe lyght blyssefulnes wysedome eternitie and such other like and yet is but onelye one in nature most excellent and high good sufficing to it self in all thinges needing or wanting nothing and which all haue neede of not onely to be but also well to be Thys good is God the Father thys is the word that is the Sonne of the Father and this is that one and common loue to the Father and the Sonne namelye that holy Spirite which from them both equally doth issue and proceede And that which euerye one of these is in parson particularly the same is the whole Trinitie the Father the Sonne the holye Ghost For euery singuler parson of this Trinitie is doubtles nothyng els but that high soueraigne vnitie of the god-head I meane and the Deitie which can neither be multiplied encreased nor altered Moreouer this is that onely one thing which is needefull and necessarye And that onely is necessarye in the which all good is or which of it selfe is the onelye one and aloue good For if eche seuerall good thing be good and delectable then thinke with thy selfe how delectable that good is which containeth in it the pleasure and delight of all that is good and not suche as wee fynde or taste in Gods creatures but so far differing in al kinde of excellency as the Creator in worthynes doth excell the creature For if lyfe created be good howe good is that lyfe which did create it If health made or geuen be good how good is that health that made or gaue it If the wisedome amiable that consisteth in the knowledge of thinges that be made how amiable is that wisedome that made all those things of nothing Finally if in things delectable the delight be great and manifold howe great is the same in him that made and ordained what soeuer is delectable O how happye is that Soule which maye haue vse of that good What shall hee haue mysse of that hath it or what shal he not want that lackes it For who so hath that shall together haue the goodes both of body and soule and those suche also so passing and so excellent as neyther eye hath sene nor eare hath heard nor the hart of man hath thought or conceaued Why then wander we through so manye thinges to seeke the goodes of our bodie and soule Let vs rather loue that one God in whom is all that good is and it shall be inoughe and sufficient for vs Let vs longe after that simple good which of it selfe is all good and we shal be well and shall nede to seeke no further For what louest thou O my flesh or what desirest thou O my Soule There and in that same selfe good that is in thy Soueraigne Lord God is doubtles al whatsoeuer ye loue or desire To speake therefore of the goods of the heauenlye kingdome or to conceaue or vnderstād them no man cloathed in the flesh suffiseth or is able For in truth they are much greater better then eyther they are thought or perceyued to bee For the kingdome of God excelleth all fame passeth all praise surmounteth all cunning excelleth what soeuer glorye is thought most royall or famous The kingdome of god therfore is full of light and peace charitye and patience woorshippe and glory pleasure and delight euerlasting in ioy perpetuall in blisfulnes and replenished with all other goodes what soeuer are vnpossible to bee spoken or comprehended And yet ought I not therfore to be mute or silent but to say so muche as I can Bycause I cannot saye so much as I woulde For bycause we beleue that God is vnspeakable it is not forth with reason to thincke our selues not bounde to speake of him that we can or are able Neyther is this tollerable that we shoulde not beleue of that life euerlasting which God by his promise hath sealed vnto vs more a great deale theu is sette forth in wryting For neyther can the toung nor the pen expresse so much as the hart can comprehende and yet the hart which is of greatest capacity and of al things conceaueth most profoundly and depely is farre to light to comprise the Maiesty of God his ioyes and glory Of the lyfe to come therefore we must earnestly beleue that it is both euerlastiug in it selfe and euerlastinglye happy And that ther is assured security and secure tranquility peaceable pleasantnes blysfull eternity and eternall blisfulnes wher is perfytte loue no