43 44 45 Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie But I saith Christ say vnto you loue your enemies blesse them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that hurt you and persecute you that yee may be the chyldren of your Father which is in heauen For he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill and on the good and sendeth downe raine on the iust and vniust For if yee loue them which loue you verse 46. 47 what reward shall yee haue doe not the vngodly euen the same And if you be Luke 6 32 friendly to your Brethren onely what singuler thing doe yee Doe not euen the vngodly likewise Yee shall therefore be perfect as your Math. 5. 48 Father which is in heauen is perfect §. 17. Auenge not your selues but giue place Rom 12. 19 vnto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemie hunger feede verse 20 him if he thirst giue him drink for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire vppon his head Contrariwise hee that seeketh vengeance Ecclê° 28. 1 shall finde vengeance of the Lord and he will surely keepe his sinnes Should a man beare hatred against man Ecclê° 28. 3 and yet desire forgiuenes of the Lord Hee will shew no mercy to a man that is verse 4. like himselfe and will hee aske forgiuenes of his owne sinnes If he which is but flesh nourish hatred and aske pardon of God who will intreat Ecclê° 28 5. for hys sinnes Remember therefore the end and let verse 6 enmitie passe imagine not death and destruction to another through anger but perseuer in the commaundements And forgiue thy neighbour the hurt that Ecclê° 28. 2 hee hath done thee so shall thy sinnes be forgiuen thee also when thou prayest §. 18. If thy Brother trespasse against thee rebuke Luk 17 3 4 him and if hee repent forgiue him And though hee sinne against thee seauen times in a day and seauen times in a day turne againe vnto thee saying It repenteth mee thou shalt forgiue him For if you doe forgiue men their trespasses Math 6 14 15 your heauenly Father will also forgiue you your trespasses but if you do not forgiue others God will not forgiue you Be alwaies therefore as ready to forgiue Iunius thy brother vvhen hee repenteth as thou thy selfe art willing to be pardoned of God when thou prayest And be not ouercome of euill but ouercome Rom 12 21 euill with goodnes §. 19. Nowe the end of all things saith the Apostle 1. Pet 4 7 8 is at hand be yee therefore sober and watching in prayer But aboue all things haue feruent loue among you for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Be yee likewise harberous one to another verse 9 10 vvithout grudging And let euery man as hee hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another as good disposers of the manifold grace of God If any man speake let him talke as the wordes of God If any man minister let 1 Pet 4 11 him do it as of the abilitie vvhich God ministreth that GOD in all thinges may be glorified through Iesus Christ §. 20. Cast away prophane and olde wiues fables 1. Tim 4 7 8. and exercise thy selfe vnto godlines For bodilie exercise profiteth little but godlines is profitable vnto all things which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Flee also from the lusts of youth follow 2. Tim 2. 22 after righteousnesse faith loue and peace vvith them that call on the Lord with a pure hart For the end of the commaundement is loue out of a pure hart and of a good conscience 1. Tim 1. 5. and of faith vnfained §. 21. Be nothing carefull but in all things let Phil. 4. 6. 7 your requests be shewed vnto GOD in prayer and supplication with giuing of thanks And the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall preserue your harts and mindes in Christ Iesus Bee also at peace among your selues 1. Thes 5 13. 14 admonish them that are vnrulie comfort the feeble minded beare with the meeke be patient toward all men Reioyce euermore pray continually in 1. Thes 5. 16 17 18. all things giue thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus toward you Quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying 1. The. 5. 19 20 21 22 try all thinges and keepe that which is good Abstaine from all appearance of euil Let your conuersation be without couetousnes Hebr 13 5 and be content with those things that ye haue Remember them that are in bonds as Heb. 13 3. though yee were bounde with them and them that are in affliction as if yee were also afflicted in the body Bee alwaies affectioned to loue one Rom 12 10 another with brotherlie loue Reioyce in hope be patient in trouble Rom 12. 12 13. and continue in prayer Distributing vnto the necessitie of the Saints and giuing your selues to hospitalitie Also vvhatsoeuer thinges are true Philip 4 8 vvhatsoeuer things are honest what soeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer thinges are of good report if there be any vertue or if there be any praise thinke on these things which ye haue both learned and receiued and heard Those things also doe the God of verse 9. peace shall be with you §. 22. Finally my bretheren be strong in the Ephe. 6. 10. 11 12. Lord and in the power of his might Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the assaults of the deuill For wee wrestle not against fleshe and blood but against principalities against powers against vvorldly gouernours the princes of the darknesse of this world and against spirituall wickednesses which are in the hie places For this cause take vnto you the vvhole Ephe. 6 13. Armour of God that yee may be able to resist in the euill day and hauing finished all things stand fast Stande therefore and your loynes girded Ephe 6 14 15. about with the truth hauing on the brest-plate of righteousnes and your feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Aboue all take the shielde of faith verse 16. 17 vvhere-with yee may quench all the fierie darts of the vvicked and take the helmet of saluation and the svvorde of the Spirit which is the word of God And pray alvvaies with all manner of verse 18. prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch there-vnto vvith all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints Let euery one also that calleth on the 2 Tim 2 19 Name of Christ depart from iniquitie And what-soeuer yee would that men Math 7 12 should do vnto you euen so doe yee vnto them for this is the
8 of thine house the place where thine honour dwelleth The zeale of thine house ô Lord hath Psalm 69 6. eaten mee vp One day in thy Courts is better then a Psal 84 10. thousand other-where I had rather be a Doore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly As the Hart brayeth for the Riuers of Psal 42 1 2 water so panteth my soule after thee ô Lord. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come appeare before the presence of God I will loue thee deerely ô Lorde my Psal 18. 1. strength VVhom haue I ô Lord in heauen but Psal 73 25. thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee I haue longed ô Lord for thy saluation Ps 119. 174. and thy law is my delight Oh how I loue thy law It is my meditation Psal 119. 97 continually Oh teach mee thy statutes ô Lorde Psalm 119. 26 27. make mee to vnderstand the vvay of thy commaundements and I will meditate in thy wondrous workes Teach mee ô Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33 34 I will keepe it vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my vvhole hart Direct me in the path of thy commaundements verse 35 for therein is my delight Behold I desire thy commaundements verse 40 quicken me in thy righteousnes And incline my hart vnto thy testimonies verse 36 Deale with thy seruaunt ô Lord according Ps 119 124. 125. to thy mercie and teach mee thy statutes I ô Lord am thy seruaunt graunt mee therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies Looke vpon mee and be mercifull vnto Psalm 119 132. mee as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy Name Direct my steps in thy Worde and let verse 133. none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me Teach mee to doe thy will for thou art Psal 143. 10 my God Let thy good Spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse By these and manie moe such like sayings in the Booke of Psalmes dooth thys princely Prophet make manifest as I said before with vvhat earnest zeale feruent affection hee alwayes loued the Lord and his Law The true and perfect loue also of man to his Maker was as it seemeth deeply rooted in the hart of old Eleazer when he refused all the friendship worldly fauours 2 Mac 6 28 that were offered vnto him by the seruants of Antiochus and chose rather to suffer death by torments then to saue his life by breaking the rules of his Religion With the like loue and constancie did the seauen brethren and their mother endure 2 Mac. 7. death by tortures vnder that wicked Tyrant Antiochus and left behinde them a woorthy remembrance of their feruent affection to the Lawe of the Lorde their God VVe reade also in the Newe-testament that Saint Stephen the first Martir after Acts 7 59. Christ through his religious loue to his Lord and Maister willingly suffered himselfe to be stoned to death commending his spirit into the hands of his Creator And such like diuine and holy loue to Christ our Captaine ought euery Christian professor to harbour in his heart else may it greatly be doubted that hee shall shoote short of life euerlasting §. 6. But as I said in the beginning this loue is both diuine and charitable First mouing man to loue the Lord and his lawe for the sundry blessings and benefits which God both already hath and daily doth bestowe vppon him through Christ Secondlie to loue his neighbour or brother as himselfe because GOD in his holy Worde hath so commaunded him and for that hee is the very forme of his own Image or likenes With which kinde of charitable loue of man to man or man to his neighbour was the heart of the Samaritane softned vvho Luke 10. 33 34 35. finding a stranger in the high-vvay halfe dead first bound vp the wounds of his body then setting him vpon his own beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him commaunding the Host of the house to take care of him and looke quoth he what-soeuer the charges of this man commeth vnto more then the two pence which I now giue thee at my next comming hether I will pay thee all But with more then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the hart of holy Moises moued when through his great affection hee prayed vnto the Lord to pardon the foolish and Idolatrous sinne of his people Yea such was his feruent affection more theÌ„ charitable loue towards them that he desired of GOD in his prayer to Exod 32 32 graunt that theyr foule offence might be forgiuen or else his owne name to be rased out of the Booke of life And vvith more also then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the Apostle Saint Paule acquainted when verie zeale for Gods glory and loue to his owne Nation enforced him to say * I vvould Rom 9 3. wish my selfe to be separated from Christ or to loose mine owne saluation for my Bretheren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh I terme these two last ensamples more then charitable loue because it made these men ready to refuse their ovvne soules health rather then their Brethren should be vnpardoned and cast from their Creator for their offences §. 7. By which few examples onely wee may sufficiently perceiue the forcible effect of true and perfect loue and iustly may wee confesse with the afore-named Apostle That * although we speak with the tungs 1 Cor 13 1 2 3. of men and Angels and haue not loue we are but as sounding Brasse or a tinckling Cymball And though wee had the gift of prophecie and knewe all secrets and all knowledge yea if we had all fayth so that we could remoue mountaines and had not loue we were nothing And though vvee feede the poore with all our goods giue our bodies to be burned haue not loue it profiteth vs nothing For God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus Ephe 1 4 before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And this commaundement haue we of 1 Ioh 4 21. him that he which loueth GOD should loue his brother also For as a King is honoured in his Image Bernard so God in man is either loued or hated hee cannot hate man who loueth GOD neither can hee loue GOD who hateth man Also like as the body without the soule Fulgotiâ—â— enioyeth no life so all other vertues without godlie loue are but colde and fruitlesse §. 8. If wee loue one another saith S. Iohn 1 Ioh 4 12 God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Also hee that loueth his Brother abideth 1 Ioh 2 10 in the
Law the Prophets ¶ Of Prayer and thankesgiuing §. 1. ASke saith Christ and it shall be giuen Math 7 7 you seeke and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receiueth and verse 8 hee that seeketh findeth vnto him that knocketh it shall be opened But let him that asketh aske in fayth and Iames 1 6 7 wauer not for hee that wauereth is like a waue of the Sea tost of the winde carried away neither let that man thinke that hee shall receiue any thing of the Lord. Therefore I say vnto you whatsoeuer Mark 11 24 yee desire when yee pray beleeue that yee shall haue it and it shall be doone vnto you Prouided alwaies that thou neuer aske Beza in prayer any such thing as seemeth good onely in thine ovvne conceite or fantasie but that thy peticion be euermore aunswerable to the word of God wholie limitted within the pleasure of his holy will For this is the assurance that we haue in 1. Iohn 5 14 15 God that if wee aske any thing according to his will hee heareth vs and if we know that hee heareth vs what-soeuer wee aske wee know that wee haue the peticions that we haue desired of him §. 2. Before thou prayest saith Sirach prepare Ecclê° 18. 22 thy selfe therevnto least thou bee as one that tempteth the Lord. For prayer is like a shippe in the Sea Plotinus which if it be good saueth all that is therein but if it be naught it suffereth them to perrish First therefore ere thou beginnest to Plotinus pray vnto GOD examine thy selfe what thou intendest to aske cast away from thee with a repentant hart all thy former iniquities then call vpon him with a lowly and humble spirit and hee will assuredlie heare thee releeue thy necessity quiet thy conscience and most ioyfully comfort thee §. 3. And when thou prayest be not as the Math 6 5. hypocrites for they loue to stand pray in the Sinagogues in the corners of the streetes because they woulde be seene of men Verily I say vnto you they haue theyr reward But when thou prayest enter into thy Math 6 6 chamber and vvhen thou hast shutte thy doore pray vnto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which is in secret shall reward thee openly Also when yee pray vse no vaine repetitions verse 7. 8 like the Heathen for they think to be heard for their much babling Be ye not like them therefore for your father knoweth whereof ye haue need before you aske him §. 4. Furthermore vvhen thou enterest in to pray let thy prayer be to this end especially Pacuuius that God as he is mercifull so he will for his promise sake grant vnto thee those things which thou desirest if it stand with his blessed will otherwise so farre foorth onely to graunt thy peticion as it may tend to his glory thine owne good Desire him likewise that as hee is good to all that call vpon him so he will be mercifull Bâ—con vnto thee in forgiuing all thy offences past daily more more purifie thy hart through the powerfull working of his holie Spirit that thereby thou mayst be made both apt and able to vnderstand his truth dutifully to appeare obedient in the performing of his heauenly will by expressing the fruites of faith in thy life and conuersation Yea forget not to pray often vnto God Eugenius for the clensing of the impuritie of thine heart and carefully endeuour to restraine that the corruption thereof breake not out either to the hurt of thy selfe or to the harme of any other Moreouer thou oughtest in thy prayer Hemingius not onelie to make peticion vnto God for thy selfe but also for the happy estate and prosperitie of thy Prince and for all others that by him are placed in authoritie for of them dependeth the peace and tranquilitie of the weale publique And of this matter dooth the Apostle S. Paule himselfe admonish vs vvhere hee saith * I exhort therefore that first of all 1 Tim 2 1 2. supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for Kings for all that are in authoritie that wee vnder them may leade a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines honestie §. 5. Acknowledge your faultes one to another Iames. 5. 16 and pray one for another saith Saint Iames that yee may be healed For the prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent Elias was a man subiect to the like passions Iames 5 17 as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth for three yeeres sixe months Afterward hee prayed againe and the Iames 5 18 heauen gaue raine and the earth brought forth her fruite The prayer also of Moises so mightilie preuailed in the presence of his Maker that it seemed as it were to stay the very power of God from powring downe his vvrath vpon the people and caused him to say * Let mee alone Moises that my vvrath Exod 32 10 may waxe hote against this Nation to destroy them As if hee should haue said to Moises as he said to Lot * Get thee hence for I can Gen 19 22 doe nothing till thou be gone Wee reade likewise that after Hezekiah had receiued a speciall commaundement Esay 38 1 2 3 c. from God to set the affaires of his house in good order to prepare himselfe to die hee beeing vnwilling so soone to forsake his life feruently prayed to the Giuer of time obtained so much fauour through his earnest petition that his raigne vvas afterward more enlarged by the length of fifteene yeeres §. 6. Let no man saith Saint Bernard be vnmindful Bernarde to pray often vnto God for prayer is a vertue that greatly preuaileth against temptation against all assaults of infernall spirits against the false delights of this lingering life and against the motions of our owne flesh And like as by reuerent fasting and Erasmus abstinence the bodily passions of man are to be cured so by feruent prayer and supplication vnto God the pestilent infections of the minde are to be healed Pray therefore as the Apostle counselleth 1 Thes 5. 17 continually And vvatch in the same with thankesgiuing Colos 4 2 Yea watch and pray that yee enter not Mark 14. 38 into temptation And what-soeuer yee aske in prayer if Math 21. 22 yee beleeue yee shall receiue it §. 7. VVhether yee eate or drinke or vvhatsoeuer 1 Cor 10 31 yee doe saith the Apostle let all be done to the glory of God Giuing thankes alwaies vnto him that Ecclê° 32 14 hath made thee and replenished thee with his goods For vvee ought euermore to be as forward Pet. Mart. in giuing thankes to God for the seuerall blessings