I will be with him and glorifie him With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my saluation And Iohn 14. 21. Hee that loueth mee shall be loued of my Father and I will loue him and shew mine own self vnto him vers 23. Yea these are they to whom God hath promised his heauenly Kingdome Iames 1. 12. to them that loue him Thirdly it condemnes those that loue any thing more than they loue God as father mother wife childe profit pleasure friend yea or life it selfe which is no other than Idolatry and to make that our God which wee loue aboue God and spirituall Adultery as St. Iames cals it Iames 4. 4. as a man that loues a harlot more than his owne wife yet what is more common than this yea the trade of it with the common sort who for the sake of the things aboue named care not what dueties they omit or what sinnes they commit against God who yet ought to be loued aboue all and all things to be loued in and for him and vnder him and as may stand with our loue to him and not otherwise Yea the seruants of God because their loue is not perfect suffer many things to come in betweene God and vs and steale our heart and affection in part from him and that obedience that wee owe vnto him which we ought to bewaile deeply and labour euery day more and more that his loue may bee greater in vs than to any thing nay all things else that are in the world besides And so much of the Loue of God briefly hauing taken it but by the way CHAP. 3. Of Loue to our Neighbour and first what it is NOw I come to handle the duety of Loue to our Neighbour as that which necessarily floweth from the Loue of God And of this first What it is secondly of the Notes it 's knowne by thirdly of the Properties of true Loue and fourthly of the persons that we ought to loue 1 Loue is a sanctified affection of the heart whereby whosoeuer is indued withall endeuoureth to doe all the good he can to all but especially to them that be nearest vnto him 1. It s an affection seated as we say in the heart as all the other of hate hope feare ioy griefe c. as the vnderstanding is in the head These are in themselues good and not euill being giuen to Adam in his creation in whom they were all pure well ordered and in good tune louing the good and hating the contrarie and so in the rest But euer since the Fall they are vtterly corrupted the will and affections haue not onely lost all their purity but the will is become most rebellious and all the affections disordered and turned the contrary way As this of Loue is turned to the loue of euill to malice reuenge and selfe-loue 2. I say its a sanctified affection for ere a man can loue he must be regenerate sanctiffed throughout as in his vnderstanding and will so in his affections which is when a man is vnited to Christ by Faith he is sanctified by the Spirit that is the old and cursed disposition that is in vs by nature is put away and a new and contrary frame and disposition of soule wherein wee were at first created is brought into vs the vnderstanding enlightned the will made plyant and frameable to the will of God and so the affections purged and restored to their former integrity in some measure as to hate the euill so to loue the good to loue God and our brethren for Gods cause So that no vnregenerate or vnsanctified man can loue eyther God himselfe or any body else True Loue proceeds from a pure heart good conscience faith vnfained 1 Tim. 1. 5. from a soule purified by the spirit 1 Pet. 1. 22. And Gal. 5. it s reckoned among the fruits of the spirit And 2 Pet. 1. 7. its reckoned among other graces Faith Temperance Patience Godlinesse c. so that one is no more in vs naturally than the rest There be many things that the blinde world call Loue which are not this grace that we speake of nor come in any such account with God That betweene the fornicator and his harlot is no loue but lust as in Amnon which turned as soone into hatred Between drunkards and theeues is no loue but conspiracy for Loue reioyceth not in iniquity but in the truth that is in that that is good Nor that naturall loue of parents to their children This is in bruit creatures the Cowe loues nourisheth and defendeth her Calfe the Goose and Gander tend and brood their young Nor that ciuill loue that is between ordinary people in the world that stands only in eating and drinking prating and playing together which they count such loue and good fellowship as who so speakes against and cals for better spending of the time is cryed out vpon as an enemy to all loue and not to be suffered But our Sauiour Christ nor the Gospell comes not to bring such friendship but rather debate Such as that was among the Heathen and is only carnall whereas true loue respecteth the soule and that most of all which is no whit seene nor thought of among carnall men Vnregenerate men cannot loue their neighbours for while they be kinde to their bodies and haue no care of their soules is this worthy to be called Loue It s as ones friend or child should haue a hurt in the braine and another in the heele and he should carefully looke to the heele and let the braine putrifie Carnall Parents that pamper their childrens bodies and prank them vp braue and lay for great portions for them and suffer their soules to welter in sinne and dye and perish for want of instruction admonition prayer and holy example is this to bee called Loue what do they more than Turkish Parents The wicked Magistrate that is very friendly to all the Countrey and keepes a good house all the yeare and yet suffers sinne to reigne and houses of disorder to abound in his circuit the Sabbaths to be prophaned and like Gallio cares for none of those things call you this Loue The negligent Minister that sets on the great Pot and keeps good Hospitality among his neighbours and yet suffers their soules to famish for want of breaking to them the Bread of life The carnall neighbour that to the body of his neighbour is very kinde but suffers sinne to rest vpon his soule and rather nourisheth him therein than rebuketh him thereof this in the language of the holy Ghost is hatred and no loue Leuit. 19. 17. And what hold is there of vnsanctified mens loue one to another They may be very inward and great friends now and on the sodaine vpon a small occasion fall out and become deadly enemies They oft goe arme in arme to the Ale-house or Tauern embracing each other and stabbe one another ere they come forth See a liuely picture of this Iudges
loue to them they might haue done full ill for all these what loue call you this It s like Faith without workes which God will condemne So to speake well of such and such men to pity them and say they are worthy men and pity they should want yet neuer doe any thing for them If God should feed them thus they would soon complaine 4 The fourth thing required in Loue is that it must be pure It must come from a pure heart as St. Peter speakes and be agreeable to the rule of the pure Word of God Pure Loue is seene in diuers things First it loues for some vertuous and good actions therefore the loue of the Adulterer and his Mate of Drunkards and Theeues that be sworne brothers is no loue To loue a man because he can dice well or sweare deeply drink others vnder boord or mocke and deride wittily or raile bitterly against the seruants of God this is cursed loue for true Loue reioyceth not in iniquity as we haue heard A worse note cannot be than when one sees one fight cunningly or desperately against God to loue him the better These be no better than Rebels and Conspirators against the Maiesty of God 2 Pure Loue is that which is grounded on Grace and Religion and on no transitory thing or in those that haue no grace we loue them for conscience of Gods commandement and because of that part of the Image of God that is in them which condemnes the carnall loue of the most which loue onely for worldly respects for strength beauty or any inward gift of the minde not sanctified as wit skill in Arts musicke play These are worthy loue but to loue onely for these is not true and pure Loue for thus loued the Heathen worldly mens loue is for such respects and no other Yea euen Gods seruants faile this way sometimes as old Isaac that loued Esau for his skill in hunting Dauid loued Absolon for his beauty and so doth many a man his wife which doe ill to build loue on so false grounds for when these faile oft the loue goes after 3 Pure Loue is in respect of the party himselfe whom wee loue and for no respect to our selues or any commodity of ours And such was Gods loue in giuing his Sonne to vs miserable sinners which condemnes the world who onely loue for selfe-respects As hee is my Vncle Friend loues mee or hath done this or that for mee or may doe mee a pleasure therefore I will make much of him or for feare he may doe me a shrewd turne This if it bee shaken out of the clouts will be found but selfe-loue wee haue a respect and aime onely to and at our selues Mat. 5. 46. Many a man shewes kindnesse or doth good to some onely to purchase credit The husband loues his wife because she pleaseth him well is faire a good housewife and for nothing else this is selfe-loue All the Papists charitable deeds were all selfe-loue for they were done with opinion of merit and so they loued themselues rather than the parties they gaue vnto So is all the loue of worldlings examine it and you shall most-what finde it to bee selfe-loue they haue some reach at themselues 4 Pure Loue is when wee so loue a man as we loue his soule and therefore will suffer no euill to rest vpon him but hate the sin in him whom hee loues most dearly and will counsell him to all good and from all euill Therfore so to loue our neighbour as not to tell him of his fault for angring or disquieting of him if he be such as wee may speake to is hatred rather than loue as God saith Leuiticus 19. 17. So Parents that loue their children so well as they will not nurture rebuke correct them they hate them they slay them in following their wayes Hee that spares the rod hates his childe Prou. 13. 24. It s as one should bee so tender ouer a childe as not to suffer the winde to blow vpon it and therefore hold the hand before the mouth of it but hold so hard as hee strangles the childe As the Ape that hugs her young so hard as she kils it Againe friends perswade a man to doe this or that for preferment that he cannot doe with good conscience Oh they loue him they would faine see him preferred Wofull loue to the bodie to destroy the soule A neighbour hath a childe or cattell strangely handled one comes in of loue and perswades him to send to such a cunning man or good Witch the worst instrument of the Deuill of all for helpe Is hee a friend that will doe that that shall vantage one a penny and ere the yeare come about hinder him a hundred pound So when a good Christian is ready to suffer for a good conference and a friend comes and sayes Oh I pray cast not away yourselfe I wish you well be not too nice doe as others doe Cruell loue is this to perswade them to saue their bodies by doing that whereby they should cast away soule and body for euer As Peter aduiseth our Sauiour Christ not to goe vp to Ierusalem to suffer but to fauour himselfe Matth. 16. 22. which was to disswade him from doing his Fathers will and from that wherby Peter himselfe and all mankinde should bee saued and without which they had all beene lost for euer what loue therefore was this you may see by the thankes our Sauiour Christ gaue him who bade him get him behinde him Sathan for hee sauoured not of the things of God but of the world 5 Next our Loue must be feruent We must loue earnestly and hotly as wee can and secondly constantly for in these two things stands feruency First for the earnestnesse of our Loue as wee must stretch it to as many persons and in as many dueties as wee can to soule to body in giuing forgiuing c. as wee haue heard before so in these we must not be sparing but in giuing liberall for he that sowes sparingly shall reape sparingly 2 Cor. 9. 6. So in forgiuing plenteous to seuenty times c. For thus is God to vs in giuing for soule body goods name to our selues and ours day night neuer weary in doing vs good neuer vpbraiding In forgiuing how mercifull in passing by our manifold offences and that daily And the rather because a little loue is soon quencht therefore wee must so loue as though wee meete with many temptations from the parties themselues or from others that yet wee suffer it not to be extinguished And wee must loue feruently not doing these dueties when we can well and haue nothing to let vs but forget our pleasure profit ease c. to doe our neighbour good Loue seeks not her owne things It is laborsous 1 Cor. 13. as in the Samariran who set vp the wounded man vpon his horse and went on foote himselfe and left all the money in his purse for his charges and
as Iob said The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken when the Caldeans had robbed him No euill in the City that is of punishment but the Lord hath done it Amos 3. 6. which made Dauid so quietly beare Shimei his rayling because the Lord set him on worke so to doe for his humbling Our enemy is but as Ashur the Lords rod to beat vs with therefore to reuenge is to wring the rod out of Gods hand and breake it or cast it into the fire which is but an vngracious childes part When God bids vs loue our enemies he bids vs but kisse the rod to pull down our stomachs which many wise mothers will make their yoong ones do betimes So also it s the Deuill in thine enemy that doth thee wrong in goods life or name who hereby seekes to driue thee to reuenge or some other sinne as he did to moue Iob to curse God by all the troubles hee brought vpon him therefore resist the Deuill and not the man for the Deuill aimes not at thy goods or name to hurt thee in them but to draw thee to sinne to the hurt of thy soule If thou canst therefore resist Sathan herein and auoide the sinne he seekes hereby to bring thee to commit thou shalt play a wise mans part and so in stead of reuenging thy selfe on thy enemy be reuenged vpon Sathan thy chiefest enemy 4 When we reuenge we do our selues ten times more hurt than wee doe our enemy wee hurt him a little it may be in his body goods or good name and wound ourselues deeply in our own soules hit him in the skin and pierce the kall of our owne hearts As the Bee that to sting another loseth shortly her owne life It s the foolishest thing in the world to reuenge but a wise part to commit it to God best for vs and worst for our enemy Oh it s no dealing with a man that commits his cause to God no standing before him for though God would part from his owne yet he will not giue away his seruants right It were better for an enemy that the party that hee hates should deuise all waies of reuenge in the world by himselfe and by his friends against him than that hee should put it vp quietly and leaue it to God And let vs not stay our selues here in auoiding reuenge but goe forward to loue our enemies and labour to doe good against euill as we are commanded Rom. 12. vlt. Obiect I cannot doe it for he hath deserued all ill of me and can I then doe him good Answ. And haue not you done so against Almighty God and yet he doth you good daily Obiect It s a base part for mee being wronged disgraced and abused not to challenge him and be auenged of him if I can else I shall be counted a cowardly foole much more if I should doe him good Answ. This is but carnall Diuinity which counts it great courage to turne againe and reuenge which Heathens Turks can doe and euery Bull and Bore can doe and that its basenesse to put vp wrongs But it s quite contrary for its true valour to ouercome our selues and conquer our vnruly lusts and sinfull passions and to obey the commandement of God Prou. 16. 32. hee is more mighty that can rule himselfe than hee that conquers many others And that is true basenesse for a man to be so led by his passions as he can be are nothing no though God command and the contrary turne to his owne destruction Obiect When you haue said all you can it is impossible Answ. No it s not impossible though a hard thing it is I grant and therefore by the way for such as professe they can beare all indignities done them and can do them that do them all good as if there were no such matter and finde no difficulty in it and yet but ordinary persons neither for my part I doe not beleeue them and I doubt they doe but deceiue themselues If it were not hard to be done it were not so worthy of a Christian. It s therefore a yoke but easie a burthen but light to the spirituall man that is well assured of the loue of God to him and of the forgiuenesse of many sinnes But to the carnall man I grant it s wholly impossible Le ts labour therefore for this Faith and Assurance of forgiuenesse whereby we may be enabled to doe this difficult worke Now to draw to an end of this point of Loue to our enemies let vs I beseech you be perswaded seriously to weigh the reasons that haue beene vsed to moue to this duety and let vs suffer our selues to be ouercome of them It s the most noble and heroicall duety and truely worthy of a Christian man hereby we shall proue our selues to bee the children of God and doe like to him which ought to be our greatest ambition Hereby wee shall shew our selues to haue profited well in the Schoole of Christ and that wee haue not learned to do that euery body can doe but to doe some singular thing for so may God expect of vs after all this cost of his Word bestowed vpon vs and that we are growne past children and weaklings on towards perfection euen to doe difficult dueties and such as are most contrary to our rebellious nature The Lord perswade our hearts to conceiue well of to beleeue and obey this point Me thinkes whiles I am speaking of these reasons the heart somewhat yeelds to this duety and there seemes as if one should haue some power to doe it and I am perswaded that there bee diuers that at the hearing and reading of these things if they were tryed now they be hote could be able to doe something this way But let them sinke downe so deep into our hearts as they may abide with vs that if hereafter occasion shall be offered we may be able to shew forth the force and fruit thereof We must look to meet with wrongs and enemies therefore le ts learne to take out this lesson before-hand Oh that wee could but learne this one point at this time how happily should we haue spent our time Hereby wee shall honour our profession conuert or conuince our aduersaries and prouide much comfort to our owne soules As that worthy Master Greenham a man subiect to manie slanderous reports that yet would say these two things comforted him First that he found his heart not ill but well affected to his brethren Secondly that when he was alone he could humble himselfe to God and pray him to forgiue him that raised them vp Le ts labour hereunto what else doe we hearing so many Sermons continually if wee meane not to shew forth the power thereof CHAP. 8. Of Loue to all men NExt vnto our Enemies whom must we loue more We must loue all other men Not onely our kindred friends acquaintance our neighbours of the same towne countrey or nation but euen all that
the appointing how they shall bee disposed and will call vs to account of our stewardship who hath appointed the poore a part therefore without this we can bring in no good bils of account Wee must not be like the Gyants den that haue all the footings comming to vs and none from vs. As that rich churle that comming ouer among his Tenants at the halfe yeare a poore body askt him a penny No hee told them hee came to receiue money and not to giue the contrary had beene better sense and reason a great deale Else how can we shew our selues thankfull to God that hath made vs able to giue that might haue made vs receiuers the tayle as well as the head it being in his hand to make poore or rich and there being nothing in vs to moue him to giue vs the better part It s a great honour to bee the Almners of the King of Heauen and Earth and that to those that bee not our owne flesh onely but may bee such as belong to the Kingdome of God as well as our selues If wee should see an Oxe or Asse in misery ready to famish or lying vnder the burden wee ought to pitie and helpe them how much more our Christian Brother It s honour enough that wee may bee giuers and lenders though wee keepe not all to our selues It s good manners for them that sit at the vpper end of the Table when they haue cut well to set downe some to them that sit below that all may goe away satisfied and praise the Master of the Feast 4 By our liberalitie and mercifull dealing wee shall bring much glory to God for we shall cause many thanks to bee giuen him from the poore 2 Cor. 8. and make them more to depend vpon God and to speake good of his dispensing of things that though hee hath appointed some to bee poore yet hath also commanded the rich to haue respect vnto them 5 Wee shall doe them a great deale of good whom we relieue First to their bodies feeding their hungry bellies clothing their naked loynes refreshing their bowels Or by lending we set them to their worke whereby they may get to liue of Next to their soules keeping them from murmuring impatience theft discontent if they haue no goodnesse in them it s the way to breake their hearts and to bring them to good or else to conuince them at least if they haue any good wee shall comfort their hearts strengthen their faith and make them serue God much the more cheerfully But especially we shall doe our selues a great deale of good First wee shall procure many prayers of the children of God for vs. which is no small benefit 2 Tim. 7. and the three last verses the third Epistle of St. Iohn the first and second verses St. Paul prayeth earnestly in the one place for Onesiphorus and St. Iohn in the other for Gaius his host and such prayers be not in vaine Besides wee bring vpon our selues a great many blessings God hauing made such promises of blessing to this Duty rightly performed Wee prouide well for our outward estate for he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally and with encrease God hath giuen his Word for requitall Pro. 19 17. So that we haue God in our Cupboard for it as wee may say with holy reuerence he is the Poores Suretie whose word is better than any mans bond Heauen and Earth must be empty ere hee will faile to pay He that findes seede to the sower will supply to such 2 Cor. 8. His righteousnesse shall endure for ouer Psal. 112. God will not put him out of his Farme that payes his Rent so well but blesse his stocke and store his crop and increase Deut. 15. 10. Eccles. 7. 1. Yea hee will blesse them not in their goods onely but in their names they shall haue loue and a good report which is better than a good ointment and than much siluer and gold Prou. 22. 1. How fresh and sweete is Maries name still for her ointment poured out and Gaius whose name is vsed when wee speake of a bountifull man to the people of God he is a Gaius we say Yea God will blesse such in their soules Prou. 11. 17. Isa. 58. from verse 8. on forward Matth. 5. the mercifull shall obtaine mercy As on the contrary God will not heare the prayer of the vnmercifull man Isa. 1. 15. Prou. 21. 13. Hee that stops his eare at the cry of the poore c. Nay God will not blesse the mercifull man in this world onely but at the resurrection of the Iust Luke 14. when they shall heare this comfortable and most sweet word Come ye blessed c. because he counts it as done to himselfe and will we not giue to God that giues all nor to Iesus Christ that spared not his life for vs If we say Yes to God or Christ wee will giue any thing else God forbid God takes it done to himselfe that is done to any of his Whereas the Lord will plague both here and hereafter the vnmercifull man here as Nabal whom he strucke that he dyed and the Foole Luke 12. that had all for himselfe neuer mentions any body else was strucke with sodaine death and hereafter as the rich glutton Luke 16. for no couetous or vnmercifull man shall euer come in the Kingdome of heauen but there shall bee iudgement without mercy to them that shew no mercy they that will not giue crumbs of bread on earth shall be denyed drops of water in hell Nay God wil not only blesse the liberall and mercifull man himselfe but his posterity after him Psalme 37. 26. The sonne of a Tennant that paid his rent duely shall not be put out his of Farme Whereas God will curse the posterity of vnmercifull men and plucke from them the poores portion which their wicked fathers vnconscionably hoarded vp among their owne God will let the extortioner catch him or giue him vp to a riotous wastefull course that shall consume all one way or other God will draw it out of his belly and he oft dyes in misery whose father had no mercy Therefore howsoeuer they haue a Prouerbe Happy is that son whose father goes to the Deuill yet it s most wicked and false for euen for outward happinesse they misse of it except it be some odde one that by Repentance breakes off and heales his fathers sinne by mercifulnesse to the poore So that euery way a mercifull man prouides well for himselfe furthers his reckoning and brings a great heape of blessings vpon himselfe and his But an vnmercifull cruell man is well called a miserable man for of all men a couetous man is most miserable in goods name soule and posterity here and hereafter Vse 1. This rebuketh a number of cruell and vnmercifull and hard hearted men of whom there are euery where some seen True the Gospell God bee thanked hath preuailed with many and they shew forth some good fruits