Ignis Coelestis OR An interchange of Diuine LOVE betweene GOD and his SAINTS BY IOHN LEWIS Minister of God words at St. PETERS in the towne of St. Albons LONDON Printed by T. S. for N. N. 1620. To the worshipfull Mr. ROBERT SHVTE ESQVIER SIr so often as I consider the breuity and frailty of this mortall life that betweene the wombe and the tombe the cradle and the graue there is but a spans breadth and so often as I remember That it is appointed for man once to dye and then he must come to iudgement I cannot but with griefe admire the wilfull madnesse of this age wherein men set their wits vpon the tenter-hookes of inuention and policie and set their braines a worke to finde strange plots One with Ahab to get Naboths vineyard another with the rich Churle to enlarge his barnes by magnitude and his bags by multitude a third with proud Haman onely aimes at greatnesse his aspiring minde is alwayes climbing his desires cannot finde a Non vltra for his preferment hath no period a fourth with the rich Man how he may bathe himselfe in pleasure and Sardanapalus-like become effeminate by giuing himselfe to all voluptuousnesse But that which is vnum necessarium especially necessary for our sound comfort here and eternall happinesse hereafter is not remembred not regarded Things which are obtained with much labour retained with much care and lost with much vexation we hunt after with great eagernesse but God who hath giuen vs not onely our esse but our bene esse the fruition of whom is mans beatitude is neither affected nor desired With the Gadarens we preferre a few swine before Christ our Redeemer with prophane Esau we sell our birth right yea and the blessing with it for a messe of pottage whereas if we could but be aduised by the Heathen Ab Ioue principium Let our loue begin at God with him we should possesse peace patience comfort content helpe happinesse yea whatsoeuer were expeâ—ient for life temporall and eternall If wee did but seeke God and his righteousnesse all things necessary shall be added vnto vs There is no cause why we should be so loue-sicke for the world it is variable soone got soone lost deceiueable being but a shadow of felicity no substance treacherous â— while it flattereth the body it stayes the soule perfidious it complementeth with her louers as Dalilah with Sampson but beâ—raies them vnâ—o Sathan their morâ—all enemy If wee could but looke on the world with the eye of faith and sound iudgement and be so wise as to behold it in its proper complexion we would not dote on so meane a creature we would not make our seruant to be our Lord when the Lord sues for the loue of vs his seruants He that is vnchangeable he that is amiable he that is infinitely holy infinitely compassionate hath a long time stood at the doore knocking desiring to come in and â—up with vs intending to bring his prouision with him to furnish our hearts and at length to bring saluation to our soules and our soules vnto blessednesse yet like men carelesse of his kindenesse fearelesse of his displeasure we suffer him to knocke and will not open we are in bed with our darlings and will not rise Oh that in this our day we did but know the things which belong vnto our peace The motiue that induceth me to commit this small worke vnto the Presse is rather the worthines of the subiect then any excellency of the Authors wit it being worthy of the most aduised meditations of the best men of our best time wherein we shall clearely behold what God hath beene to vs and what we ought to be toward him the loue of the one and the duty of the other The great and meere voluntary kindenesse which I haue receiued from your Worship without any desert on my part is a sufficient argument to perswade me to dedicate it vnto your worthy selfe beseeching you to accept it as a tesâ—imony expressing his thankefulnesse who shall perpetually acknowledge himselfe obliged vnto you The Widdowes Mite a token of a willing minde was kindely accepted Although this worke be composed rudi ac crassa Minerua yet herein the Authors desire may no lesse be conceiued then in that which is more exquisite I indeauour not indeede so much to please the eare as to comfort the conscience labouring rather for soundnesse of matter then plausiblenes of phrase and ayming more at a generall then at a particular benefit What once Peter said vnto the Creeple that lay at the gate of the Temple the same will I say vnto your worship Siluer and Gold haue I none but such as I haue giue I thee And seeing I cannot expresse my thankfulnesse as I would let me be bold to doe it as I may and what I cannot in action I shal in praying God to giue you increase of grace and honour in this lifeâ— and the eternall fruition of soule-contenting blessednesse in the life to come Yours in all Christian dutie IOHN LEVVIS Ignis Coelestis OR An interchange of diuine loue betweene GOD and his SAINTS 1. IOHN Chap. 4. Verse 19. Wee loue him because hee loued vs first I May say of these words as Simonides did of God that when he had required but one day to resolue what GOD was when the day was expired he was more vnable to answere then at the first The more I thinke of the admirable greatnesse of Gods loue toward vs the more I may meditate of it but the lesse able am I to expresse it for mee thinkes I am enclosed in such a labyrinth that I can neither by art nor nature extricate my selfe like the sunne which keepes his continuall motion and yet neuer comes to an end And indeede no meruaile seeing that diuine loue which is in God differs nothing from himselfe for Quicquid in Deo est est ipse Deus Whatsoeuer is in God is God himselfe It is therefore as impossible for me fully to declare and for you exactly to conceiue what this loue of God is in it selfe as to declare and conceiue what God himselfe is seeing as the one is infinite so is the other God is infinite in his essence therefore not finite in his properties therefore vnconceiueable by any finite creature But as God himselfe cannot be expressed as he is in his diuine essence but as he hath reuealed himselfe in his word and workes so his loue seeing it is de escentia diuina essentiall vnto him that is incomprehensible can onely be conceiued per nebulam somewhat infirmely of vs euen as he hath reuealed it in his word and workes toward his creatures This verse mee thinkes may not vnfitly be compared vnto the two Cherubims which were on the mercy seate the one looking toward the other for God out of his meere fauour manifesting his loue toward vs
him with his prayers When the Diuell comes to him as he did vnto Christ and sayes All these will I giue thee hee forsakes God and makes no bones of worshipping the Diuell The heate of his burning feauer cannot be slacked with a small quantitie of honour But thou that art an ambitious Haman who seekest more after thine owne honour then Gods who louest thine owne selfe more then God know that as thou climbest vp high and perillous stayres so thy fall shall be the greater because thou soughtest not God God will seeke thee and finding thee soaring so high shall cast thee downe with proud Lucifer into hell The fourth false louer of God is the Epicure the voluptuous man this mans belly is his God whom he worshippeth and his pleasure is his dietie which hee adoreth eating drinking hauking hunting pleasures and pastimes are this mans happinesse which it is too apparent he loues more then God for if hee want any of these his desires are so importunate that they will brooke no deniall if he enioy them with some interruption and discontent the honour of God must be abused and the sacred name and attributes of the most glorious Iehouah must be most damnably prophaned blasphemed But if God or his word or any thing belonging to his seruice be wanting of these things like a stone he is insensible he neither desires their presence nor grieues for their absence yet this man sees no reason why he should not be a good Theophilus a louer of God That which Bernard spake though in another sence may fitly be affirmed touching the voluptuous man NunquaÌ„ ego Ebrium putabo Chastum I will neuer beleeue chastitie can sleepe in the drunkards bed Doubtlesse that man which wallowes like a swine in voluptuousnesse and is drunken with the pleasures of the world can neuer be a chaste and constant louer of God pleasure and pietie are two opposites if thou affect the one thou must reiect the other As these foure especially so there are many more in the Church which are not of the Church carnall professours which haue a kinde of superficiall loue to God and his worship but not from the ground of the heart they ioyne in the outward seruice with Gods children but for true loue they let them goe alone Let these time-seruers and temporizing Protestants know their doome which Christ shall one day pronounce to their terrour Away from me ye wicked I know ye not Oh but we haue heard thy word and did pertake in thy Sacraments and professed thy name T is true yee heard my word but practised not ye pertooke of the signe not of the grace yee professed my name but ye loâ—ed it not Away from me I know ye not The fourth and last Vse is to teach euery one that sayes he loues God to shew it by his loue to his brother for can a man loue God whom he hath not seene and hate his brother whom he hath seene No questionlesse God will be loued in his children we must loue the godly for God and God for himselfe Per amorem Dei amor proximi gignitur et per amorem proximi amor Dei nutritur The loue of our neighbour is begotten by the loue of God and the loue of God is nourished by the loue of our neighbour Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe which particle as notes the qualitie not the quantitie thou oughtest not to loue thy neighbour so much as thy selfe for that is against nature but thou must loue him as truely as thy selfe Some men loue not their neighbours at all these men sinne through defect Some loue men more then God these sinne through excesse few attaine to that golden meane to loue God aboue all and their neighbour as themselues Wherefore seeing God hath so graciously loued vs let it be our daily prayer that he would giue vs grace to loue him againe that when our sinfull dayes are ended we may raigne with him in his heauenly kingdome for euer-more Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS Psal. 39. 5. Heb. 9.27 1 Kings 21. Ester 3.5 Luke 16. 19. Luke 10.42 Quae possessa oneâ—anâ— amata inquinant omissa crucianâ— Luke 8.37 Gen. 25.32 Virgill Matth. 6.33 Iudg. 16.18 Mal. 3.6 Cant 1. Leuit. 11.44 Ioel 2.18 Reuel 3.20 Luke 19.42 Nâ—n quid vâ—â—ui sed quid potui Acts 3.6 Exod. 37.9 1 Iohn 4.8 Context Parts Doctrine 1. Acts 8.21 Mal. 1.2 1 Ioh. 3.1 Ier. 31.3 The loue of God Mat. 3. 17. Note Rom. 9.11 Note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristot. Prou. 15.9 Note Exod. 3.6 Effects of Gods loue Election Rom. 8.28 Ephes. 1.4.5 Rom. 9.11 Mal. 3.6 Creation Gen. 1.26 Note Redemption Hosea 13.9 Gen. 3.10 Gal. 4.4 Româ— 5.8 Note Preseruation Psal 73.24 Gen. 6.9 Gen. 19.5 Gen. 39.8 1 King 19. 10. 1 Sam. 26.11 Dan. 3. 17. Eadem est causa procreans et conseruans Vocation Gen. 19.16 Acts 9. Luke 19.2 Luke 16.23 Iohn 6.44 Acts 16.14 2 Cor. 5.17 Psal. 51.10 Acts 9. Augustinus Luke 15. Sanctification Glorification Ester 6.8 Note Iohn 10.26 Heb 12.28 Note Exod. 34.29 Mat. 17.4 1 Pet. 2.9 Vse 1. 1 Cor 4.7 Reu. 4.10.11 Vse 2. Luk. 10.20 2. Part. Doctrine 2. Iohn 21.15 Rom. 5.5 Acts 9 2â— Rom. 8.7 Rom. 1.30 Our loue to God what Rom. 5. 5. Heb. 11.6 Note Ouidius Augustin Iob 1.9 Psal. 4â— 6. Psal. 73. 25.26 Markes of the loue of GOD. Ioh. 14.15 1 Ioh 5.3 Ioh. 19.3 Heb. 10. 26. Luk. 22.48 Psal. 119. 24. Phil. 3.8 Phil 1.28 Psal. 120.5 Reuel 22. 20. Gen. 28. 12. Acts 17.16 2 Kin. 18. 37. Virgilius 1 Ioh. 5.1 Chap. 4. 20. Like the oile which was powred on Aarons head and ran down to the skirts of his cloathing Psal. 133. â— Iam. 2 15. Mat. 6.12 Mat. 10. vlt. Vse Motiues to loue God Esay 6.2 2 Tim. 4.8 1. Ioh. 4.8 1 Ioh. 2.11 1 Tim. 1.5 Col. 3.14 1 Cor. 13. 13. Luk. 15.4 2 Tim. 4.8 1 Iam. 12. Psa. 16.11 1 Cor. 2.9 Meanâ—s to attaine the loue of God 1 Kin. 18. 2 Kin. 1.10 2 Chron. 14.11 Gen. 20. 17. Exod 14. Ios. 10.13 Mat. 12.13 Luk. 15. Rom. 10. 17. Luk. â—4 32 Vse 1. Bernard Augustine Vse 2. Acts 8.21 22. 23. Vse 3. Mammonist Iam. 4. 4. 1 Ioh. 2.15 Mat. 6. 24. 2 Kin 10â— 16. Luk. 10.42 Hypocrite Iam. 4.8 2 Sam. 20. 9. Ambitious Mat. 4.9 Epicure Mat. 7.23 Vse 4â— 1 Iohn 4. 20. Gregâ—â—ie Mat. 19.19
first hath begotten in vs a holy loue toward him againe And as the Species or image that issueth from the countenance into the glasse is reflâ—cted backe into the eye of the beholder so the loue of God toward vs begeâ—teth in vs a loue toward him which is reflectâ—d backe to him which is the Author of all loue yea Loue it selfe like the riuers whose beginning is from the sea and whose recourse is into the seâ— againe The Apostle Saint Iohn in this Epistle doth exhort vnto three graces especially Faith Loue and Obedience and these duties he doth interchangeably mixe one with another but Loue is the grace hee doth chiefly insist vpon and oftnest exhort vnto And this loue he sheweth hath two obiects The one more principall which is God The other lesse principall which is man God we must loue simply for him selfe Man for God God because he is God Man because hee is Gods Thus as the obiects of our Loue are diuers so are their conditions yet not so diuers as that they are contrary but onely subordinate as the inferiour to the superiour The words of my Text do diuide themselues into these two branches First an affirmation of an effect wrought Secondly a declaration of the cause working The effect wrought in these words We loue him wherin obserue three things 1. The subiect Wee 2. The action of this subiect Loue. 3. The obiect of this action Him In the cause obserue foure things 1. The efficient God 2. His affection Loue. 3. The obiect Vs. 4. The extent First The Metaphrase of the words is this True indeede it is that all those which know God truely and are begotten againe by the immortall seede of his diuine Word and are indewed with the heauenly graces of his blessed spirit doe intirely and with ardent affection loue God their father who hath begot them But whence proceeds this loue is it from themselues or haue they it radically or naturally growing in them No questionlesse God is as a fountaine of loue who louing them first hath so conueyed his loue into their hearts by the powerfull operation of his holy Spirit that the streame returnes vnto himselfe againe and as the Sunne by his power with the motion of the heauens is the cause of all naturall heate in these sublunary creatures So is God by the motion of his owne diuine loue the efficient cause that worketh the heate of loue in all that feare him We loue him indeed but not of our selues but we loue him because he loued vs first Thus much for the meaning of the words Seeing by order of nature the cause is before the effect I suppose it is not so conuenient to handle the words as they lie in the Text for it seemes somewhat preposterous but I will rather begin with those words which are last in place but first in nature and so shall I shew first the loue of God to his children being the cause then our loue backe againe to God being the effect Touching the loue of God I lay downe this Doctrine That God before the foundation of the world hath doth and will loue those that are his elect For so must wee vnderstand the text the word vs implying the obiect of Gods loue is not generall to all men but particularly to be restrayned vnto those who doe rightly know God and in knowing him doe truely and faithfully serue him For as touching the wicked I may say of them as Peter said of Simon Magus They haue no part nor fellowship in this matter that is in the inheritance of Gods loue and till such time as they are regenerated and effectually conuerted they are in the gall of bitternesse and the bond of iniquity For the proofe of the Doctrine it is confirmed First by Scripture Secondly by Instances By scripture see Mal. 1.2 I haue loued yee saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loued vs Was not Esau Iacobs brother saith the Lord yet I loued Iacob And I hated Esau and laid his mountaines and heritage wast for the dragons of the wildernes The Israelites contest with God hee affirmeth he hath loued them but they being as they alwaies were an vngrateful and an vnthankefull nation with bolde and impudent faces doe not sticke to deny that euer God did testifie any loue to them yea they will not take Gods bare word but will put him to proue it Wherein hast thou loued vs O miserable hardnes of heart that hath continuall experience and yet will not take notice of Gods loue yet God shewes them plainly in particular wherin he testified his loâ—e toward them euen in Iacob whom of his free and meer mercy he chose to be heire of the promise froÌ„ whose loines they sprang through whom they were made the children of the couenant So againe Behold what loue the father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sons of God Where the Apostle doth prefixe the word Behold as a marke of attention and obseruation teaching all those that are the seruants of the most high and children of the immortall GOD that they should by no means be ignorant of the great loue that God had shewed vnto them And a most remarkable place is that of Ieremie I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therefore with mercies haue I drawn thee Where the Lord declares the greatnesse of his loue by the word euerlasting which shewes that it is eternall both a parte ante et a parte post as the Schooles speake that is both before the world was made and after the world shall be dissolued now whatsoeuer was before the world was eternall and whatsoeuer shall be after the world shall be eternall Many other testimonies might be alledged for the confirmation of this point but let vs a little see what this loue of God is Loue is nothing else but a strong affection and inclination to the thing beloued with a contenting of the minde in the thing obtained And so the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie Non solum aliquid velle verum etiam in eo iam comparato acquiescere not onely to loue desire but also to rest contented in the fruition of the thing desired So the Greeke word in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to loue signifies as much as to be content for so Cicero turnes it Phauorinus deriues it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seipsum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether and with his whole minde to affect and giue himselfe to the thing beloued But others and that I thinke more fitly deriue it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod est valde perfecteque in re amata acquiescere greatly and perfectly to rest contented in the inioyment of the thing beloued So God himselfe pronounced from heauen touching Christ Hic est filius meus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my welbeloued Sonne and immediately
as though he would giue a reason or etymologie of the word he addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in quo acquiesco in whom I rest or am well pleased So then there are in loue three things 1. An affection or passion whereby we are enclined vnto the thing beloued 2. There is a desire whereby wee are strongly carryed to the inioying of the thing beloued 3. A great ioy whereby we rest our selues contented in the possession of the thing desired In these three things doth Augustine in his booke De substantia delectionis make loue to consist Hence then we may easily see what loue is It is an ardent affection of the mind wherby the heart is moued towards that which either is truely or seemingly good desiring to draw that good vnto it selfe that it might enioy it and in the fruition of it rest contented Loue doth vnite and knit two things together that they become one and from this vnion ariseth a sympathie that the louer doth not lesse feele the griefes and afflictions of his beloued then he himselfe and the good and prosperity of the thing beloued is not more its then the louers But the loue of God is of another kinde and of another manner for loue in God is most perfect for that he is perfection it selfe but in vs loue is imperfect being not without some passion and weaknes of minde But such a loue is not in God for he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impatible and cannot be moued there being nothing in God that is seruile or base or that argues any the least imperfection but he is a diuine Maiesty most glorious most holy most absolute in perfection most free from any the least inclination to weakenesse And howsoeuer it pleaseth him in the Scripture to compare his loue to the loue of a Mother toward her Childe of a Henne toward her Chickens of a Pastour toward his Sheepe yea of a Father grieuing at the misery of his Sonnes and the like yet this is but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men that we may conceiue it idque ob nostram vtilitatem for our benefit as Zanchius speaks that we may be verily perswaded that the loue of God toward vs is most feruent most sincere and that from thence we may conceiue confidence to flye vnto him and to call vpon him But we must note that the loue of God consists in three things which are absolutely perfect without any passion or motion of the minde First in his eternall beneuolence that is his eternall good-will vnto his Elect and his euerlasting purpose of commiserating helping preseruing and redeeming his children For according to the saying of Saint Paul before the children did either good or bad yea before they were borne God hated Esau and loued Iacob What was this loue that God bare vnto Iacob before he was borne Euen his good-will that hee had toward him whereby he had decreed the good and saluation of his soule The second thing whereiâ— Gods loue doth consist is his actuall beneficence that is in the outward effects of his inward loue whether it be in things temporall and belonging to this life or eternall respecting the life to come And herein Gods loue is more excellent then Mans loue and more pure then the loue of any creature for God doth good to the creature not thereby to doe good to himselfe whereas the loue of man is not so much for the things sake beloued as for the profit pleasure or content it bringeth with it So that the second thing wherein the loue of God consisteth is his readinesse to doe all things hee thinketh good for his children and that not so much for his owne benefit as for theirs for so the Phylosopher defines true loue The third thing wherein the loue of God consists is that complacency oblectation delight content and well-pleasingnesse that God findes in his elect and in this sense wee finde it vsed The way of the wicked is an abhomination to the Lord but he loueth him that followeth after righteousnesse Here we see that the loue of God is taken neither for his beneuolence nor beneficence but for his approbation and delectation his delight he takes in those that worke righteousnesse and on the contrary he hates disalowes of and is discontented at the wicked wayes of the vngodly Thus wee see what the loue of God to his Elect is Euen his eternall purpose and decree of doing good vnto them and the expressing of this inward and secret loue by outward euident testimonies of grace and fauour and that freely delighting in them vniting himselfe vnto them not for his owne good but for theirs euen to make them partakers of his goodnesse Here then we are to obserue that there is a double loue in God First a generall loue wherewith hee loueth all his creatures and whereby he preserueth them being created and of this loue of God haue the wicked experience God louing them as they are his creatures and the workemanship of his hands but when they degenerate from their creation and become sinfull creatures then though God loue them with a generall loue as they are his creatures yet hee hates them with a particular hatred because they are sinfull their sins making themselues and all things accursed vnto them Secondly there is a speciall loue of God wherewith hee loueth his Elect in Christ not propâ—er opera praeuisa for the workes hee fore-saw neither Legall as the Papist nor Euangelicall as the Arminians teach but meerely from his owne good pleasure and from the desire he had to doe good vnto them And from hence it is that he is neuer called the God of Cain or of Esau or of Saul but the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of the faithfull whom he loueth for euer We see then that the loue of God is not equally vouchsafed vnto all men but the Elect haue more prerogatiue in his mercies and fauours then others haue Kings make choise of some particular persons whom they make either of their Counsell or their fauourites not affecting nor countenancing all alike so Gods loue is generall to all his creatures as the Kings to all his subiects but more particularly he chooseth some on whom his speciall loue and fauour is setled and of them it is said God is not ashamed to be called their God They being his spouse he hath knit himself vnto them by an indissoâ—uabâ—e band of vnion neuer to be violated or broken But because loue is an internall affection in God and wee cannot either conceiue or expresse it as it is in it selfe let me according to my promise by instance in the externall effects demonstrate it vnto you The speciall effects of Gods loue toward his children are these 1. Electionâ— 2. Creation 3. Preseruation 4. Redemption 5. Vocation 6. Sanctification 7. Glorification And first to speake of Gods loue to vs in our
with his oyle and couered our filthy nakednesse with his rich ornaments when we were in the state of vnregeneration all our actions were odious in his sight our thoughts wicked before him our words prophane against him but now being sanctified by the spirit of the Lord Iesus our persons thoughts words and workes are gracious in his eyes not through their merits but through his owne mercy and loue in Iesus Christ. Wherefore if thou findest in thy selfe the grace of regeneration and sanctification know that then thy vgly loathsomenesse is cleane purged away and thy selfe is become acceptable vnto the Lord. All which he hath done to perswade thee of his loue The last testimony of Gods loue is in the Glorification of his elect The glory that God hath laid vp for his Saints is such as neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it entred into mans heart The glory that King Ahashuerosh would giue vnto the man whom he would honour was great He should weare the Kings royall apparell and ride on the Kings horse the imperiall crowne shall be set vpon his head and proclamation shall be made before him as hee rides through the streetes This is the man whom the King doth honour Alas this gâ—ory is not comparable to the magnificent maiesty of the Saints in heauen it is so excellent that it darkeneth all worldly honour as the Sunne with his beames obscures the lessâ—r Sâ—arres There are foure titles by which the holy Ghost in the Scripture vseth to expresse the felicity of the Saints of God in heauen First it is called a life and such a life as is eternall Secondly it is called a kingdome and such a kingdome as cannot be shaken Thirdly it is called an inheritance and such an inheritance as is immortall vndefiled and fades not away Fourthly it is called a crowne and this crowne hath three adiuncts of glory of life of righteousnesse of glory there is excellency of life there is immortality of righteousnesse there is equity The glory of it argues the sufficiency of content that there shall be no basenesse but all shall be glorious Wee shall so behold the glory of the Lord that we shall be transformed into it The word life argues a perpetuity and imports a continuall enioyment without trouble without interruption The word Righteous implyes the righteous author God the righteous meanes Christ the righteous receiuers the Saints There we shall shine with albes of innocency on our backes with Palmes of victory in our hands crownes of glory on our heads and songs of triumph in our mouthes there shall be ioy without heauinesse strength without weakenesse glory without shame holinesse without impurity and happinesse without intermission Moses was but forty dayes with God vpon mount Sinai and his face shined so brightly that the Israelites could not behold him If forty dayes in Sinai remaining with God did so change Moses how shall we be changed that shall abide with him for euer in the highest heauens The three Disciples of our Lord that beheld a little glimpes of his glory on mount Thabor wished they might abide there for euer How then shall wee be rauished when we shall for euer behold the full manifestation of his glory in the kingdome of heauen This glory the Saints deceased already possesse we that are here hasten to it wherefore seeing the Lord hath raised our honour from the dust and deliuered our soules from the lower hell and hath caused vs to sit with himselfe in heauenly places where we shall be filled with the ioyes which are at his right hand and drinke of the riuer of his pleasures and be inuested with glory and maiesty perpetuall world without end what can we ascribe this vnto but his infinite goodnesse and vnspeakeable loue If the King should of his meere mercy and princely compassion free a man from bonds and imprisonment and heape vpon him many great honours and dignities making him one of his chiefest peeres who would not presently coniecture and say Surely the Kings loue is great toward him As our glory in heauen doth farre transcend the glory of any temporall state in this world and as God hath done more for vs in freeing and ransoming vs from our slauish bondage and making vs spirituall kings and Priests vnto himselfe then any earthly King can doe for his fauorite in regard of the greatnesse of our misery we were in and the excellency of the glory we shall possesse So let vs euermore beare in memory these fore-mentioned mercies and in them acknowledge Gods loue to be infinite and his compassion incomprehensible The vses of this Doctrine of Gods loue are two First of dutie Secondly of comfort First seeing Gods loue was and is the ground of all blessings vnto man and not mans merits This should worke in euery one of vs true humilitie of mind to be lowly and humble in our owne eyes One hath riches he is so proud that hee will neither know himselfe his friends nor his betters A second hath wisedome politicall and spirituall he is so wrapt vp with a vaine imagination of his owne excellency that he supposeth none like himselfe A third abounds in sanctification but selfe-conceite makes him despise his brethen A fourth is soared to a high pitch of honour from the which with the eye of contempt he beholds all men like Crowes O beloued this hautinesse and loftinesse of minde is the ruine of goodnesse in man Alas what was hee before Gods loue elected and created him why he had no being What was he before God in his loue redeemed him a very firebrand of hell and childe of perdition What had he beene if God had not preserued him Smitten and confounded into hell long ere this What was he before he was called and sanctified a yoke-mate with the reprobate a copes-mate with the cast-away walking in the same path of disobedience with many of the damned in hel What were he if he should not be glorified Surely of all miserable creatures the most miserable Sed vnde haec From whence O man hast thou these blessings Not from thy selfe for out of filthinesse can no cleannesse proceed No they flow from the cleare fountaine of all grace and goodnesse the great and infinite loue of God Almighty Remember what thou wert and it will make thee humble remember what thou art and it will make thee thankfull the one will keepe thee from presumption the other from despaire Paul did iustly demaund What hast thou O man thou hast not receiued All good things both internall and externall may be for man but not from man God made man and for man all things Man of himselfe is so degenerated a creature that he is not worth the ground he goes on nay he is not worth himselfe not worth the matter and forme whereof hee doth consist That sâ—ntence that was writ in golden Characters vpon Apollos Temple
ΓNΩΘI ΣΑΥΤΟΠKnow thy selfe is highly worthy to be engrauen on the heart of euery man Did we but know our selues to be but men the very name of men would cause vs to cast away our proud plumes and remember our father Adam that was but earth The Prophet cryes out with an exclamation How art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer the Son of the morning We on the other â—ide may cry O how art thou mounted to heauen O man the sonne of corruption Let vs know our selues and our places least in soaring too high the fiery beames of Gods wrath melt our waxen plumes and we fall headlong into the Sea of confusion The Elders that sate about the throne of God did cast their crownes before the throne and cryed saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things for thine owne pleasure If wee haue any crownes let vs cast them at the feete of God and say Thou art worthy O Lord to receiue glory honour and power for thou hast elected created redeemed preserued called sanctified and wilt hereafter glorifie vs not because we are worthy but because thou hast loued vs from eternity The second Vse of this point is for comfort vnto euery godly soule What greater comfort can a subiect haue in this life then this to be his Princes fauorite to be deare and precious in his eyes vpon whom he doth cast honours and conferre wealth gracing him with his countenance dignifying him with promotions and sheltring him from the furious tempests of malicious enuy if a mans happinesse could be confined to the world what could be desired more But this is nothing to the comfort of a Christian who hath God for his master yea I may say for his father heauen for his home celestiall happinesse for his reward the LORD of hoste for his shield and buckler What shall not the Christian solace himselfe more in God then the subiect in his Prince shall not his consolation be greater seeing his estate is more happy Comfort thou thy selfe thou that art begotten of God Esau is hated but if thou hast Iacobs heart thou shalt with Iacob be beloued of God the wicked man wants Gods loue therefore he wants all things the godly man inioyes Gods loue therefore he enioyes all things Gods loue was thine before thou wert thine owne thou hadst thy beginning within these few yeares Gods loue hath no beginning but like himselfe was from eternitie God did not beginne to loue thee when hee begun to make thee but he loued thee before the world was made and will loue thee after the world is dissolued What then if wicked men hate thee God loues thee What if men reiect thee God hath chosen thee What if men persecute thee Greater is he that is with thee then they that are against thee What if the Diuell assault thee Christ hath redeemed thee What if thy sins affright thee God hath washed and sanctified thee What if Satan would confound thee God wil glorifie thee Thus hast thou against all dangers Murum aheneuÌ„ Gods fauour as a wall of brasse to secure thee Feare not mans hatred God is loue Feare not Satans rage God is power Feare not thine owne sinnes God is mercy Let the rich man reioyce in his riches the strong man in his strength the wise man in his wisedome the ambitious man in his honour the Epicure in his pleasure let not vs reioyce in these things but that our names are written in heauen Reioyce in this that you are Gods beloued his loue is engrauen vpon your hearts The cause of their reioycing is momentany and shall perish with them our reioycing is eternalâ— which shall neuer fade God is eternall so is his loue his loue is eternal so shal our reioycing be God is loue he hath loued vs. Thus much touching Gods loue toward vs I come now to speake of our loue toward him againe Wee loue him Which words doe afford vs this Doctrine That to loue God truely is an essentiall property of the child of God That is an essentiall property according to the Schooles quod conuenit omni soli et semper which is found in euery indiuiduum of the same species in them onely and in them alwayes To loue God therefore is an essentiall property of the child of God because it is found in euery child of God onely the childe of God and the child of God alwayes First euery one that is regenerate doth loue God for where the cause is there must needes be the effect the worke of regeneration proceeds from Gods loue and where his loue is toward vs there he worketh in vs loue toward him That which Peter spake in his owne behalfe is generally belonging to euery one who is effectually called Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Saint Paul saith the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost Not onely in his but in the hearts of all his children For it was not a benefit peculiar to Paul but common to all that are regenerated by his Spirit Secondly this is not so common as that it is communicated vnto the wicked but is found solely in the godly for the wicked are like Saul before his conuersion persecuters of God and of Iesus Christ. The wisedome of the flesh that is the vnderstanding the will and the affections of the wicked are enimitie against God they are rebels against him and his Law Men vnregenerate are haters of God they neither loue him nor his glory Lastly that the godly doe loue God alwaies is plaine for whom God loueth he loueth to the end euen for euer therefore a man being once made partaker of Gods loue in the regeneration of his heart can neuer be distracted from God for the cause continuing the effect must needes follow Thus we see it briefly proued that to loue God is the property of euery childe of God But for the better explicating and opening of this doctrine of our loue toward God let mee shew you these particulars 1. What our loue toward God is 2. The markes or effects of it 3. The reasons or motiues perswading to it 4. The meanes to attaine it For the first What our loue toward God is wee may conceiue it by this definition Amor erga Deum est gratia infusa in cordibus sanctorum per spiritum sanctum proueniens ab amore Dei erga ipsos qua summa cum affectu Deum cognitum diligunt propter seipsum in ipsius fruitione tanquam in summo bono acquiescunt Our loue toward God is a spirituall grace infused into the hearts of the faithfull by the holy spirit flowing from Gods loue toward vs whereby wee knowing God do loue him with al our might with all our soule and that for his owne sake and in the enioyment of him doe rest contented First I say it is
a supernaturall or a spirituall grace infused to teach vs that it is not naturally or habitually bred in vs for we are by nature as Adam was before the promise runne-awayes from God neither desiring to see him nor to heare him till the holy Ghost worke this loue in vs by his inspiration Secondly I say it is onely in the hearts of the faithfull for it is limited and restrained to them as to its proper subiect no wicked man partaking with them in that worke for hee that loues God must transcend nature and haue iustifying faith Hee onely loues God that keepes his Commandements and hee onely keepes Gods Commandements whose heart is enriched with a true faith for without Faith it is impossible to please God Hereby we may note the falsehood of the doctrine of the Church of Rome First for that they teach That before iustification there must be a disposition and aptitude in a man thereunto standing in the feare of hell and loue of God By this doctrine the loue of God in our hearts should goe before iustification whereas indeede it is a fruit and effect of it And if the loue of God were in the heart of any man before he be iustified it would follow that a man may be truely sanctified before â—e be iustified seeing where the loue of God is there is sanctification Secondly they teach that faith apprehendeth Christ by loue and not by it selfe which is false for loue by order of nature and time followeth faith which apprehendeth Christ there â—e is not apprehended by loue for â—irst wee beleeue and being knit vnto Christ by faith then our hearts are knit vnto God by loue Thirdly I say it proceedes from Gods loue toward vs. Zanchius calls it radius amoris Dei erga nos in Deum reflesux a beame of Gods loue toward vs reflected backe to him againe Gods loue like a loade-stone drawes our hearts to loue him Thou thy selfe who now loues the LORD before the manifestation of Gods loue to thee in thy conuersion didst not loue him thy heart went a whoring from God thou preferredst euery creature yea the satisfying of thine own lust before him It is thought comâ—monly among men an easie matter to loue God euery man abhors to be counted such a monster as not to loue God but they are much deceiued no man can loue God but hee that is beloued of him with a sauing loue Amor Dei animae parit amorem Gods eternall loue of vs begets in our soules a loue of him he is the Ocean of Diuine loue from whence we deriue and into which wee returne the streames of our loue Fourthly I say we must know God before we can loue him Quod latet ignotuÌ„ est ignoti nulla cupido Things vnknowne are vnaffected and loue is according to a mans acquaintance a man cannot loue God before he know what God is and that he is good and worthy to be beloued and such as is our knowledge such is our loue our knowledge of him in this world is not so perfect as it shall be in the world to come no more is our loue on earth so perfect as it shall be in the heauens And this is the reason why wicked men loue not God because they know him not did we but know God in his excellent goodnesse wee would be rauished with desire to loue him but the mistes of worldly vapours doe so interpose themselues that they darken our eyes and ouer-cloude this Sunne of righteousnesse that we see not we think not of his glory we desire not to know the perfection of his Maiesty Things vnknown are not beloued loue neuer shoots at a blind marke Let vs first labour rightly to know God theÌ„ shal we be sure truly to loue God Fiftly if we loue God truly I say then wee loue him with all our might and with all our soule Herein are contained these two properties of hoâ—y loue vnity and constancy we must loue God summo cum afâ—fâ—ctu wiâ—h the chiefest of our affections and strength Here is the vnitie of our loue we must not be diuided betweene God and the world we must not part stakes betweene Christ and Belial God is a iealous God and will admit no riuall wee must loue God principally and chiefly hee must haue our hearts other things which are good wee may loue in a lower degree but for Gods sake still reseruing the principall to God for he that loues not his Father Mother Wife and Children sinnes but he that loues them in summo gradu more then God is not worthy of God Non amat Christumâ— qui aliquid magis quam Christum amat He loues not Christ that loues any thing more then Christ. With the vnity in these words is contained the constancy we must loue him with all our strength euen for euer if we cease from louing God wee did neuer loue God truely if our loue slake by Apostacye then know it was but in hypocrisie Sixtly I said true loue loues God for himselfe for a mercenary loue is base when a man loues God onely for his gifts Thus Saul loued God but not for himselfe but for the continuance of his Kingdome Thus many wicked men seeme to loue God not for himselfe but for his benefits It was obiected by Sathan against Iob but falsely that he serued God for his riches But Iob manifested himselfe to be a true louer of God for then when he was depriued of all earthly comforts which God had giuen him yet did the loue of God continue in him The woman that loueth her husband onely because he is rich loueth not him but his riches The worldling who with the carnall Israelite doth loue God for his abundance of Corne Wine Oyle and the rest of those good things which hee bestowes on men he loues the gift more then the giuer and is but a hireling and not a chast louer of God and therefore in him is the old Prouerbe verified No penny no pater noster If God ceases to giue hee ceaseth to loue and worship if God withdraw his liberality he will cut him short in his seruice It is true loue to loue God simply for his own sake let vs loue his glory more then our owne benefit least we be found louers of our selues more then of God This is the reason why the loue of the godly is constant in aduersity though their riches and friends be gone yet God remaines and so long as the obiect remaines the action of their loue shall not cease if wee loue God wee must loue him for himselfe Lastly whereas I saide true loue doth rest contented in the enioyment of God whom it loueth It sheweth the delight and sufficiency it findes in God it cannot rest till it enioy him and he being enioyed it rests contented Augustine in his booke De substantia dilectionis Cap. 2. layes down this definition of Loue which containes
in it the two forenamed properties Amor est affectio cordis ad aliquid cum desiderio in appetendo et gaudio in perfruendo per desiderium currens per gaudium requicsâ—ens What is here spoken generally of loue may particuâ—arly be affirmed of the Loue of God First there is a desire whereby we are vnited vnto the Lord for as hatred doth disioyne and segregate so loue doth vnite and knit the desire of the louer to the thing beloued Secondly in the fruition there is rest and content hatred breeds dislike auersation and discontentednesse loue causeth ioy delight and contentment when loue hath once possessed God it mooues the soule to ioy in God and to account him her chiefest happinesse so that it wil cry out with Dauid Whom haue I in heauen but thee and whom haue I desired in earth with thee God is my strength and my portion for euer Thus haue I laide downe briefly as I could in this definition the intrinsecall properties of our loue of God which are in number seauen 1. It is a Diuine grace wrought by the Spirit 2. It is onely proper to the regenerate 3. It is an effect of Gods loue to vs. 4. It is accompanyed with the knowledge of God 5. It is constant in vnity and in perpetuity 6. It is not mercenary but free 7. It is eager for the enioyment and content in the fruition The second thing considerable is the markes and effects of our loue of God whereby we may truely try as by a touchstone whether our loue be sincere or adulterate the effects are many for number but I will onely recite those which are most principall and they are sixe First the loue of God doth quench all vnchast loues There are 3â— sorts of loue One is alwayes good the 2. is alwayes bad the 3. is good in it selfe but bad through our bad disposition That which is alwaies good is the loue of God in which it is impossible to sinne through excesse for we cannot loue God too much the measure of louing him is to loue him without measure That loue which is alwaies bad is the loue of that which is absolutely euill Actus distinguitur per obiectum an euill obiect makes an euill action and this is the loue of murder theft vnchast pleasures these haue no mediocrity for the least inclination to them is a sinne The loue which is good by nature and becommeth euill by accident is the loue of meate drinke riches honour and the like the loue of these things is made euill by the excesse and intemperance of the louer Now the former of these which is the loue of God doth quite extirpate and roote out the second which is the vnlawfull loue and it doth rectifie that loue which may be bad through our euill disposition for in meates drinkes and apparrell the loue of God moueth vs to satisfie our necessity not our curiosity in riches to labour for sufficiency not for superfluity Search therefore thine owne heart with an vndazeled and vndissembling eye and if vpon the inquiry thou finde all adulterate and vnchaste loue rooted out of thy heart and thy heart to be so wedded and marryed to the Lord that nothing can aâ—ienate it from him then perswade thy selfe the diuine and blessed loue of God dwelleth in thee and thrice happy is that soule where it hath his habitation The second marke of the loue of God is a care to keepe his commandements If yee loue mee saith Christ keepe my commandements And againe This is the loue of God that wee keepe his commandements True obedience is the fruit of â—oue If wee doe not performe obedience to God and weare his commaundements as a frontlet betweene our eyes and write them vpon the doores of our hearts that we may keepe them surely it is to be feared we loue not God The value of Christian loue is to be tryed by the touchstone not of words but of workes Yet how many are there that say they loue God and yet cast off all obedience to his lawes Can a woman play the harlot and prostitute her body to an adulterer and yet truely say shee loues her husband No more can any man call himselfe the childe of God if he doth deâ—ight to commit the workes of the Diuell Wherefore as the Iewes called Iesus their King and the souldiers said vnto him Haile King of the Iewes and bowed their knees before him but yet they spat in his face and buffetted him so the bastard Christians of this age cal Christ their Lord and bow their knees before him but by their â—innefull disobedience they crucifie him and tread his bloud of the couenant vnder their feete They both kisse and betray him with Iudas it is but a sceptâ—r of a reede they allow him for they obey him not in heart neither wiâ—l they giue him any command ouer their affections The third marke of our loue of God is an earnest desire to be ioyned to God This is a sure marke for if we truely loue God wee shall in desire soare aloft seeking to be there where God is carnall loue carryeth a man downeward to the earth which it loueth but holy loue being as Zanchius cals it ignis accensus a sparke of heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost ascends continually toward heauen to his owne spheare drawing our hearts with it toward the Lord not suffering vs to rest till we enioy him Thus doth he that truely loues God as it were depriue himselfe of himselfe and bestoweth himselfe on God whom he loueth For the loue of God is of a rauishing nature by the which the louer is so wrapt out of himselfe that he in a manner forgets himselfe denies himselfe and is wholy in God whom he loueth And this is it that makes the faithful louer by frequent communication to counsell and consolate himselfe with God Being to deliberate vpon any matter of importance he first enquireth after the will of God and first consulteth with the oracle of Gods mouth not with his belly not with worldly hopes not with pleasure not with wicked friends but God is his teacher and the Law of God his Counseller This is a signe that we loue God if we loue to be taught by hâ—m Yet this is not all for true loue desires the fruition of God in his kingdome Paul loued Christ so dearely that he accounted all things as dung in respect of Christ and that made him deâ—ire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. This makes the loue-longing soule to complaine with Dauid Woe is mee that I must dwell in Meshech and haue my habitation among the tents of Kedar Woe is me that I soiourne in Egypt woe is me that I dwell in Cabull and doe not as yet possesse my Canaan This makes the louing soule cry Come Lord Iesus come quickely thou art my treasure therefore thou hast my heart and
soule oh where my soule is there let my body be also The fourth marke of our loue of God is tranquility and peace of conscience the loue of God chaseth away feares asswageth cares sweetneth afflictions To them that loue God crosses become blessings their bodily pouerty is a spirituall dyet their banishment teacheth them to leaue this world their sequestring from honours is their approaching to God their enemies are their Physitions causing them to be circumspect and wary death is an entry vnto life afflictions the passage of the red Sea to Canaan Thus he that loues God hath a quiet conscience which like Iacob sleepes securely at the bottome of the ladder of peace The furious tempests of Satans malice the enuious persecutions and slanders of wicked men doe not once moue him but make him more stedfast for nothing can separate his loue from God nor Gods from him The fift marke of our loue of God is our zeale for his glory The sonne of Croesus seeing his father assayled by his enemies in the wars though he were borne and till that time continued dumb yet feare and griefe hauing ouercome all naturall impediments hee presently cryed out Saue my father So the child of God seeing his fathers honour and glory trampled vnder-feet and his most sacred and blessed Name wounded and torne in pieces with most blasphemous oathes is not able to containe himselfe but like the hand will interpose himselfe to saue the head This zeale did exulcerate Paul being at Athens and grieued his souâ—e to see the towne so giuen to Idolatry There is no more certaine effect of the loue of God then this zeale if wee be more angry to heare the Name of God blasphemed then our selues euill spoken of This is an assured witnesse that the loue of God is imprinted in our soules Good blood will not belie it selfe All welâ—borne children are touched at the quicke with their fathers iniuries The high spirited Gallants of our Age and Nation that stand vpon their owne and friends reputation will rather hazzard their liues then heare a disgracefull tearme put vpon them beloued if we be of Gods seed children of the most high and of the bloud Royall we will rather loose our liues then our father should loose his honour This made the holy Martyrs to step out of their owne element into the fire with greater ioy and willingnesse then worldlings â—it downe at their banquets to refresh them or lie downe on their beds to rest them If we haue the spirits of Eliakim Shebnah and Ioah we will rent our cloathes when we heare Rabshekah raile on the liâ—ing God Degeneres animos timor arguit Feare argues we come of a bastardly generation If therefore we desire a sure testimony of our loue of God see whether we be zealous for his honour and if neede require to lay downe our life in his cause and quarrell Greater loue can no man haue then this to lay down his life for his friend The sixt and last marke of our loue of God is to loue those that are the children of God Euery one that loueth him that begetteth loueth him that is begotten And if any man say he loueth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar Can a man truely loue his friend and yet hate his picture Can a man loue God and hate those that haue the image of God Doe we not loue the children for the fathers sake Diuine loue is of such a diffusiue and spreading nature that it cannot be confined within the heauens it cannot be limitted to God onely it will redound vnto the children of God also I will neuer beleeue that man loues my selfe that hates my children because they are mine There is such an vnion betweene the godly that the good of one is the good of another and there are good reasons why it should be so they are children of one father brethren with one Christ nourished with the same meate of one houshold namely the Church trauellers and pilgrimes to the same home combatants for the same cause called to the same hope coheires of the same kingdome all which considerations are as so many strait lines meeting in one center which is the loue of God these are so many obligations binding vs to loue one another in Christ in whom we are all one because we are one with him This loue toward our brethren must be shewed in dando condonando in giuing and forgiuing in giuing to them that are in necessitie If a brother or sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode and one of you say vnto them Depart in peace be ye filled and warmed notwithstanding yee giue them not these things which are needfull to the body what doth it profit In forgiuing trespasses against vs committed It is our daily prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. All men cannot giue but all men may forgiue he that would giue and cannot of him a cuppe of cold water is accepted for God respects not so much quid as quo animo not so much donum as donantis animum not what but with what minde He that can giue and will not hath neither loue nor honesty Loue without liberality is hypocriticall loue without charity is Diabolicall Thus haue we the markes of our loue of God Whereby we see that many deceiue their owne soules who are religious in speech not in actions who study to be great not good who know God but loue him not at most but in shew not in deede and in truth they confesse God with their lippes and deny him in their hearts We say many of vs that we loue God but when wee come to the touch we are found but adulterate louing sinne which we should not loue and what we may loue we loue too much we make gold our God and set God behind the dore we cast God out of the temple of our hearts and in his roome wee place a golden Idol We say wee loue him yet his commandements are grieuous wee cannot beare them his company is too strict we must needes abandon it his glory is not regarded wee haue no courage for his cause the superfluity of our attire would cloath many of the poore but all is spent in pleasure nothing in piety Thus wee loue God at aduenture but are found to hate him when wee come to the tryall Let vs therefore euery one in the feare of God search our owne hearts diligently and without selfe-sparing dissimulation by these fore-named markes whether we haue this holy and heauenly loue or no if we find this loue in our hearts it is better then money in our purses but if we find that as yet our hearts are not heated with this celesâ—iall fire of the loue of God like the laborious Merchant let vs take great paines to get this rich treasure into our hearts with which wee haue all things
without which nothing The fourth generall part of this Doctrine are the motiues that should perswade vs to loue God among which I shall commend these foure which follow First the obiect it selfe euen God if we consider him in his essence and attributes should be the most sufficient enducement to loue him In his essence he is eternall without beginning without ending hee is infinite not comprehensible in no place circumscriptiuely in all places repletiuely In his attributes he is most beautifull naturally wee loue beauty God is the perfection of beauty he is the Sunne of righteousnes to whom al things are transparent and manifest his glory is so great that the very Seraphims are not able to behold it but standing before the throne are dazeled and are faine to couer their faces with their wings Dost thou loue wisedome God is omniscient his knowledge is infinite things past and things to come are present with him Admirable must needs his knowledge be who knew before the foundations of the world were laide what would be all the thoughts words and workes of all men and Angels that euer should existe Dost thou loue holinesse The holinesse of God doth as infinitly surpasse the holines of the Angels as the Creator doth the creature holines in the creature is a qualityâ— in God it is his essence God is holy à seipso essentialiter the creature à Deo participatiue Gods holinesse is originally and fundamentally in himselfe the creatures onely by participation God communicating his holinesse to the creature Doest thou loue Iustice God is most iust Hence called the righteous Iudge He is Iustice it selfe yea the rule and perfection of Iustice. Doest thou loue mercy See in God the mirrour of mercy He loueth them that hate him hee causeth the Sunne to shine vpon the iust and vniust he giueth vs many good things and forgiueth vs many euill offences yea he gaue his deare and onely Sonne for vs wretched and miserable â—inners The Lord is so infinite that we cannot know him as he is let vs labour therefore to loue him as wee may The second motiue that should induce vs to loue God is the excellency of the grace of loue it is that which makes vs like vnto God for God is loue It is that which maketh vs acceptable to him for God loueth those that loue him it is that which doth assure vs of the loue of God toward vs for if we loue him he loued vs first A man by beholding a Sunne-dyall may know the motion of the Sunne in the firmament so beholding the dyall of thy loue toward God thou mayest quickly be perswaded of Gods loue toward thee Hatred is darknesse loue is lightâ— which will bring thee to light Loue is the Summe of the Law Loue is the bond of perfection There are three Theologicall vertues Faith Hope and Loue of these three Loue is most permanent and when Faith and Hope shall ceaâ—e because they enioy what they beleeued and hoped for yet loue shall be eternall because God is eternall The third motiue to perswade vs to loue God is Gods loue towards vs. Amari non amare inhumanum est To be loued and not to loue againe is inhumane God loued vs before we were he elected vs of his free pleasure he created vs of his meere goodnesse he redeemed vs of his infinite mercy hee preserued vs by his wonderfull power he conuerted vs of heauenly compassion and will glorifie vs by his grace He brought vs home when wee wandred in the wildernesse of wickednesse as he did the lost sheepe He hath nourished vs with foode both naturall and spirituall he hath cancelled the hand-writing which was against vs he hath set vs at liberty to serue him he hath freed vs from the cup of fornication of the Babylonian hostesse I meane Romes beast In a word he hath been our God from generation to generation deliuering vs admirably and strangely from many wonderfull dangers witnesse Eighty-eight and the Powder-treason deliuerances neuer to be forgotten so long as England stands Let vs not therefore be so vngratefull so vnthankefull as not to loue our God who hath thus loued vs. The fourth and last inducement to loue God is the reward which is laid vp for them that loue him Paul tels vs there is a crowne of righteousnesse laid vp for them that loue his appearing no man can loue the appearing of God but he that loues God himselfe Iames tels vs that God hath promised a crowne of life to them that loue him He then that would liue in heauen like a king must first loue God here as a subiect he that would haue the glory there to raigne with him must first haue the grace here to loue him Men loue the ioyes and pleasures of this world because they seeme delectable but in the presence of God there is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand are pleasures for euermore There is plenitude of ioy and perpetuity of heauenly pleasure And againe Saint Paul comforts vs saying That the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that loue him There shall be life without death continuance without weaknes light without darknes ioy without sadnes a kingdome without change happines without interruption in a word there we shal enioy God himselfe who is more excellent then all the world beside the enioying of whose presence the Fathers call The beatificall vision which alone is able perfectly to make vs happy Thus if we seeke loue and ensue it it will at length bring vs to the heauenly citie the new Ierusalem where we shall dwell for euer The last generall part of this doctrine are the meanes to attaine this loue of God The olde Greeke prouerbe is true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Difficilia quae pulchra Good things are hard to come by Loue being so excellent a grace is the more difficult to be attained wherfore our industry must worke out the difficulty that by vsing these good helpes we may at length purchase this vnualuable iewell The first helpe to purchase this loue of God is Prayer Prayer it is the key wherewith we vnlocke heauen and moue God to power down blessings in aboundance like the raine which Eliah prayed for vpon the earth Prayer it is the life of all our labours without it it is impossible to get any grace it must bee the first and the last of all our workes it must be a key to open the morning and shut vp the euening When Elias prayed there came downe fire from heauen and consumed the Captaines with their fifties so by prayer thou shalt bring downe from God the fire of diuine loue which will consume thy Captaine sinnes and destroy thy strong corrupt desires When good king Asa fought against the Ethiopians the
Text saith he prayed vnto God and got the conquest if we take the same course we shall speed after the same manner for by prayer we shall vanquish and ouer-come all our sinnes which are in this life our greatest enemies and by prayer we shall offer vp a loue-offering sweet and delightfull to the Lord our God Is thy heart barren and deuoyde of grace as Abrahams prayer opened the barren wombes of Abimelechs houshold so shall thine owne prayers open thy barren and fruitlesse heart and draw downe the blessings of grace and goodnesse vpon thy soule The prayer of Moses parted the red Sea that the Israelites might passe into Canaan Thy feruent hearty and faithfull prayers vnto God shall so part thy sinnes and set them aside from thee that by the tract and path of the loue of God thou shalt be able to passe into the heauenly Canaan The prayer of Ioshua made the Sunne to stand still in the firmament thy prayer will make the Sunne of righteousnesse the LORD Iehouah to send forth the beames of diuine loue into thy heart Thus prayer shall be vnto thee a soueraigne antidote against the poyson of sinne and a precious restoratiue to worke grace in thy soule In our greatest tentations wee shall haue comfort so soone as we haue the grace to pray Ascendit precatio descendit miseratio When prayer ascends to God Gods mercy descends to vs. The second meanes wherby we shall obtaine this sweet grace to loue God is by faith in Christ. For we must know that it is impossible for any man to loue God but onely through Iesus Christ if he be not reconciled to God by faith in his Sonne then God is as hatefull and fearefull vnto him as he was vnto Adam before the promise of the Messiah but by faith in Christ he is perswaded of Gods loue toward him he sees God a louing gracious and mercifull father and therefore is not afraid to approach vnto him But he that comes to God without faith is like him that came vnto the feast without a wedding garment whose end we remember but if we come vnto God cloathed with the robes of Christs righteousnesse we shall be as welcome vnto him as the lost sonne vnto the glad father Faith in Christ is the next and immediate cause of the loue of God faith is the fountaine loue is the streame faith is the roote loue is the branch haue faith and haue loue want faith and want loue Faith is the match that must kindle the flame of loue in our frozen hearts But for the attaining of faith the Apostle hath giuen vs charge to vse a necessary meanes which is hearing tâ—e Word of God By the Word of God we are taught what is our owne misery through sinne and what is Gods mercy in redeeming vs by it we are taught how to put on Christ and to make him our owne which we must doe if we will be saued for it is as impossible for a man to goe to heauen without Christ as to flie into the ayre with great weights at his heeles They therefore that reiect the preaching and reading of the Word and yet hope to be saued are like a simple foole that hopes to liue and yet will eat no meat The soule is the life of the body and the word of God is the food of the soul without the soule the body is dead and without the Word the soule is dead loue therefore the Word that thou mayest liue in it and practise it that thou mayest be saued by it The third meanes to attaine this loue of God is a serious meditation of his mercy toward vs. What man waighing in an equall ballance Gods mercies and his owne merits would not find the one surmounting the other as much as the heauens doe the earth which truely considered would cause vs ardently to loue him then would we say as Augustine ipsi debeo me totum qui fecit me totum I owe my selfe wholly to him that made me not onely wholly but whole when I was wounded with the sting of sinne If it be demaunded what is the cause why men so little loue God I thinke I may safely answere because they consider not his goodnesse for if they did rightly waigh Gods mercy in his workes of Election Creation Redemption Preseruation Vocation Sanctification and Glorification our hearts would burne within vs as the hearts of the two disciples that went vnto Emaus till we did enioy him The Vses of this doctrine are these First it teacheth vs euery one seeing it is such a special marke of the childe of God to desire God to giue vs grace to loue him Qui dilexit nos non existentes imo resistentes He loued vs when we did not exist yea when we did reâ—iâ—t Oh let the loue of God beare rule in our hearts and fill our soules let vs loue him in summo gradu in the higest degree and let vs loue nothing but for his sake Let vs loue God for when we sought him Invenimus sed non prauenimus wee found him but he preuented vs he found vs first Let vs set before vs the example of the couetous Mammonist that makes his gold his God Couetousnesse taketh away rest and troubleth sleep his mony is his last thought at his down lying and the first at his vprising So let the loue of God possesse our thoughts in the night let it breake our sleepe disturb our rest let it be the last of our thoughts at our downe-lying and the first at our waking Couetousnes doth shut the heart of the couetous into his coffer where his treasure is So let the loue of God shut vp our hearts in heauen that where our treasure is there may our hearts be also Couetousnes snatches out of the nigards hand the bread he should eat maketh him be content with little So must the loue of God moue vs to abstinence to be content with little to depriue our selues of our fleshly desires for his seruice The couetous man refuseth no labour fore-sloweth no time to get gaine into his purse So let the loue of God incite vs to refuse no paines to loose no time to feare no dangers so we may get grace into our hearts The couetous man hauing put his money to vse calculateth the time desireth that the day of paiment were come that so he may receiue his money with aduantage So we knowing that God hath in his hands our pledge Christ Iesus and that he will repay vs our good workes with aduantage should very much desire the time of payment and in the meane time very preciously to keepe his obligation which is the doctrine of the Gospel The couetous man the older he growes the more greedy he is he liueth poorely that he may dye rich his deâ—ire of gathering is at the greatest when his tearme of life is at the shortest So must the loue of
God moue euery one of vs the older we grow to be more desirous to hoard vp grace that as we grow in yeeres so we may grow in goodnesse the nearer we come to the possession of our inheritance the more carefull must we be to make the title of our euidences strong and sure by holinesse of heart and life wherefore seeing we are all at the next doore to death let vs labour euery one to haue the seale of our inheritance in our hearts and let vs with a good couetousnesse neuer say wee haue grace enough let vs husband our time well let vs get a good stocke of grace let vs send our good workes before vs to make such friends to our selues as may receiue vs into euerlasting habitations Thus let vs set before our eyes the practise of a couetous man and looke with what care diligence and eagernesse he runnes in a wrong way let our diligence in diuine loue and godly care in a good way out-strip his For as our God is better then Mammon and Christ then Beliall so let our loue of GOD transcend the loue of the carnall worldling Secondly is it so that where God loues truely there we loue him againe Then if thou desirest to know in what fauour thou art with God whether he hath elected thee to be heire of eternall saluation whether thou shalt be made partaker of the reward of his loue thou needest not ascend vp into Heauen to search in the Booke of Life to know the secret counsell of GOD but descend into thine owne heart see whether thou findest any loue of God there any loue toward thy heauenly father for as surely as when the Sunne shines clearely the beames of it are discerned vpon the earth so where God loues there are found the beames of diuine loue shining in that mans heart And Gods loue doth as naturally worke a loue of him in our hearts as the beames of the Sunne doe light or heat in these sublunary bodies Look therefore into thine own heart if thou findest it illuminated with holy loue which is a shining fire then mayest thou be perswaded that God loued thee first because now thou louest him Dost thou affect him aboue all things Dost thou highly prize his glory Dost thou desire to enioy him then it is apparant the LORD loueth thee but if thou findest thy selfe wrapt vp in thy sinnes and that thou louest the accomplishing of thine owne desires and the fulfilling of thine owne lusts more then the honour of God and his holy commandements then may I say vnto thee as Peter to Simon Magus Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of God Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiuen thee For I perceiue thou art in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity The third vse of this point is this seeing it is an essentiall property of the childe of God to loue God this must needes reproue them that say they are the children of God and yet they haue no loue of God in their hearts and these I find especially to be foure First the carnall Mammonist the couetous worldling he pretends he loues God but alacke 't is but as Iudas loued the poore not for themselues but for the gaine he got for he was a thiefe and carryed the bagge The loue of the world is enimity with God And if any one loue the world the loue of the father is not in him How canst thou that art the drudge of the world be a louer of God Where God is truely affected there he is truely serued and he that truely serueth God cannot be a Cham a seruant of seruants a slaue to his wealth which should be a slaue to him True loue is chaste how then canst thou approue the chastitie of thy loue when being in the Church of God thy heart shall runne a whoring after thy worldly pelfe Can God be perswaded of thy loue No more then the husband can be perswaded his wife loues him when shee playes the harlot vnder his nose He that is a true Theophilus a louer of God will not answere with the Philosopher who being demanded what countrey-man he was answered A citizen of the world No he is a stranger on earth a citizen of heauen he lets the worldlings enioy the flesh-pots of Egypt his iourney is toward Canaan and therefore with a holy indignation he scornes this world and with a godly ambition his heart aspires to a better No man can serue two masters let the worldling boast of his loue as Iehu did of his Zeale but as the one was but hypocriticall so the other is but counterfeit and hee shall neuer perswade me That loue which is so pure a grace can entertaine a couple of so contrary conditions Wherefore if thou sayest thou louest God do not excessiuely toyle thy selfe and runne thy selfe out of breath in the pursuite of the worlds admired treasure but follow Maries example choose that good part which shall neuer be taken from you neither in this life nor in the life to come The second whose loue â—â— but fained is the Hypocrite This man hath two faces yea two hearts hee can counterfeit Religion cunningly while within himselfe he laughes to thinke how wittily he hath cousned God and the world Euery man by nature hath but one heart onely the Hypocrite hath two wherefore the Apostle Iames cals him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of a heart and a heart for hee hath a heart for God and a heart for the Diuell as hee is really and indeede wicked so the Diuell hath his reall and very heart as hee is seemingly holy so God hath but the shadow of his heartâ— for outwardly he complements with God as Ioab did with Amasa but in his heart he stabs at his honour Thou therefore that art an hypocrite whose religion is but in shew brag of thy loue as much as thou wilt till thou hast a sound heart thou canst haue no sound loue till thy heart be refined thy loue will be but impure for what is more contrary then true loue and hypocrisie what is more contrary then faire words and false deedes wilt thou say thou louest God and wilt not giue him thy heart Then may Iudas say hee loued his master when hee betrayed him with a Kisse The third whose loue is not sincere is the loue of the Ambitious man who with Haman thirsting after honour sets no period to promotion if his designes speede well ere he be warme in his place of preferment which he hath now gotten his minde is possessed of an higher what hee hath is but a degree to what hee would haue This man sayes he loues God but hee neuer thinkes of him he thinkes God is euer busie wherefore he is loath to disturbe