m 1 Pet. 2. 2. as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby they that are born the womb desire the milk of the breast as the tender infant cryes for milk as soon as it is born and their end is that they may grow thereby as bees fly upon flowers to suck hony and sweetnesse and therefore they delight not alwayes most in the gayest flowers but wherein most honey is to be gotten and hence often they preferre a plain leaf of a tree before a gay flower An hypocrite indeed may seem to delight in the word as Herod did in hearing John-Baptist n Maâ— 6. 20 But it is not to this end to gather hony from it for the holinesse of it to have his heart made better by it but to tickle his eare with novelties and please his fancy or to get notions that he may be able to discourse c. But if it come home to his particular sin O then he kicks and flings and hates the word and the messenger of it as Herod hated John-Baptist when he spake against Herodias and the Pharisees hated Christ when he began to reprove them of their hypocrisie By this saying thou reproachest us say they Luk. 11. 45. but David loved Nathan who dealt so plainly with him as appears 1 Kings 1. 27. Is this thing done by my Lord the King and thou hast not shown it to me thy servant intimating he was Davids choyce counsellour stil * There is 1. the carelesse hearer that hears but regards not Esa 6. 9 13 2 There is the gazing hearer that comes only to see be seen 3. The curious hearer that lookes more how the glasse is painted then what face he hath 4. The carping hearer that comes to see what he can catch at 5. The spider-like hearer that comes to suck poyson by wresting the word to his own destruction 6. The Butterfly-hearer that like as the Butterfly lights upon flowers to paint her wings but not to suck honey so hee comes not to be more holy but more gaudy with notions All these love not the word with a sincere or spirituall love notwithstanding all his sharp reproof he gave him The fiâ—t sign from love is if we love those that are out of Christ especially in relation to us with a spirituall love Quest But David saith Do not I hate them that hate thee Answ I answer he hated their sins in relation to Gods dishonour but it is a mark of our being in Christ to love their persons with a threefold love 1. First with a love of pity as was touched before in grieving for their sins and pitying their misery as did Ieremiah My soule shall weep in secret for your pride Jer. 13. 17. Our blessed Saviour wept over Ierusalem saying O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy Planxit ruinas animarum Dyon Carth. peace Why were Christs eyes wet with tears but because their eyes were dry quare flevit dominus nisi quia flere te docuit Wherefore did Christ weep for us but to teach us to weep for our selves Cypr. Did not Abraham pity even the Sodomites when he pleaded so with God for them if there were but ten righteous among them and did not Paul tell them weeping their end was damnation we see grace will make us love and pity the soules of other any But much more the soules of those that are in near relation to us as of our wives husbands parents children brethren and sisters and dear friends so David wept for Absalom Iephta for his daughter when he met her whom he had vowed to sacrifice to the fire so Abraham prayd for Ishmael O that Ishmael might live in thy sight and Augustines mother for her son in his naturall condition 2. Secondly In having an earnest desire and care to bring others to the knowledge of Christ and salvation a Nascitur indignè per quem non nascitur alter A good man would not go to heaven alone when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren said Christ to Peter b Luk. 22 31. Josh 24. 15. As the Reubenites Gadites and halfe tribe of Manasseh when they themselves were provided for they were yet to help over their brethren into Canaan Numb 32. 17 18. Spiders indeed work only for themselves but Bees for others c Acts 26 28. Paul wisht not only Felix but all that heard him were not almost but altogether as himselfe was except his bands and imprisonments his chain his gold chain was too rich for him yet to wear that honour he reserved for himself So when the Grecians which came to worship would fain see Jesus Philip and Andrew went and told Jesus d Iohn 12. 21. 22. So the woman left her water o Iohn 4. 29. pot when she had found Christ and went and told them of Christ that were in the city But especially they cannot but earnestly desire and indeavour to bring those united to them in neer relation to the knowledge of Christ As Mary when Christ appeared to her how she ran to tell the disciples r Paul wisht himself separated from Christ for his brethren s Rom. 9. 3. Exod. 32. 10 and kinsmen in the flesh and Moses to be blotted out of the book of life rather then the Jews should not be spared Yea even Dives in hel torments had so much charity as to pity his brethren and prayed Abraham to send Lazarus to them lest they should come to that place of torment Luk. 16. 28. And certainly they that have no regard of the soules of others committed to their charge to bring them to the knowledge of Christ may justly fear that they themselves never had the knowledge of Christ savingly revealed to them nor know the worth of soules CHAP. XIX The seventh signe of the saving knowledge of Christ namely the spirit of prayer Signe 7 THe seventh signe whereby we may know that Christ is ours is if we have received the spirit of prayer You have received the spirit of adoption to cry Abba Father saith Paul And the Prophet Zachariah Rom. 8. 15. chap. 12. verse 10. saith I will poure upon you the spirit of grace and supplication which consists of three particulars 1. First the heart is moved and excited Infertur appetitus orandi Aug. ad simplic l. 2. by the spirit to be often with God in prayer as the child naturally cryes and runs to the mother the young to the dam So that they make conscience to performe it and cannot live without prayer a Rom. 8 26. Psal 19. 1. 64. Seven times a day will I praise thee c. especially not without private prayer So Paul as soon as ever he was converted he got alone and betook himself to prayer Act. 9. 11. Behold he prayeth And Cornel. Act. 10. got upon the top of the house there was alone with God in
prayer Daniel three times a day prayed in his closet when he was in danger of his life Nazianzen reports of his sister Gorgonis that her knees seemed to cleave to the earth by her often praying and Gregory of his Aunt Trucilla her elbow was as hard as a horn by often leaning upon a desk when she prayed Eusebius reports of James that his knees were as hard as Camels knees bereaved of sense by often praying And one reportes of Ioachim the father of the Virgin Mary that he would often say Cibus potus mihi erit oratio Prayer is my meat and drink whereas naturall men have no ability or gift of prayer they cannot pray many a wise man that can speak eloquently yea before a king yet is not able to speak five wise words to God in prayer whereas many a poore simple man that is scarce able to speak five wise words to a man especially if he be some great man yet can speak to God by prayer even to admiration To say we have no gift of prayer is to say we have not received the spirit of grace for the spirit of grace and supplication are put together Zach. 12. 10. Nor that we have received the spirit of Adoption for that would make us cry Abâ—a father Rom. 8. 15. It may be such cannot pray eloquently nor so as their words will well hang together yet they can weep sigh and groan which are the strongest prayers Rom 8. 26. 27. Others there are that have no list to this duty they cry what a wearinesse is it Mal. 1. 13 and never pray for conscience sake out of love to the duty but only out of custome for fashion sake or in distresse as the Mariners in the ship with Ionah when they were in a storme Jonah 1. 5. then they cryed every man to his god but yet he delighteth not himselfe in the Almighty he will not alwayes call upon God as Iob speaks of the hypocrite Iob. 27. 10. Now these and such like are so farre from having any faith in Christ that they may rather be called Atheists who think there is no God nor do they beleeve his providence The fool hath said in his heart there is no God saith the Prophet David Psal 14. 1. hence it followes v. 4. He calleth not upon the Lord. 2. Secondly by the spirit of prayer the heart is not only excited and enabled to pray but to pray spiritually to make a spirituall prayer as the Apostle exhorts that we pray with all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit a Eph. 6. 18. and to pray in the Holy-Ghost b Jude 20. and the Apostle Paul tels us the spirit helpeth our infirmities though we know not what nor how to ask yet the spirit makes intercession for us with groanings c. c Rom. 8. 25 26. which assistance of the spirit consists not in orderly invention or composure of words and eloquent phrases for some godly people may want this and it is but a common gift and the common not the speciall help of the spirit promised in Rom. 8. 27. But the spirit of prayer consists in three things First in enabling us to pray in faith with a childlike spirit that can go to God as a father and not as to a stranger d Rom. 8. 15. Esa 63. 16. Lords prayer Wicked men pray but they have not the spirit of prayer because they pray not in faith but shoot their arrows at randome never regarding nor looking after them Now these are but bold narratious or orations not humble petitions It is true a man in Christ may have risings of infidelity but they are overcome by faith 2. Secondly The spirit of prayer consists in enabling us to pray fervently the spirit helpes us saith the Apostle to c Rom. 8. 26. pray with sighs and gronings which cannot be expressed the affections are as it were set on fire by the Holy-Ghost Thus Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord 1 Sam. 1. 15. So Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept sore Esa 38. 1. and Jacob wrestled with God in prayer Gen. 32. 24. Wherefore cryest thou to me saith God to Moses Exod. 14. 15. and Abraham strove with God from fifty to ten Gen. 18. 23. especially our Lord Christ who prayed with strong crying and tears Invention may make us speak but Non semper opus est clamore quia deus suspiria audit Non vox sed votum non musica c. the spirit will make us cry which yet consists not so much in strength of words as of affections naturall men may have externall elocution but want inward affection they are dead and cold prayers they usually pray as though they cared not whether God heard them or no like cold Suitors that care not whether they Ludit deum qui ore petit quod corde negligit speed or no they want the aspiration of the spirit to pronounce Shibboleth Caut. Not that a Christian is alwayes alike in prayer but as the spirit pleaseth to help with his adjuvant cooperating grace without me ye can do nothing the spirit must inspirare or we cannot exspirare The wind must blow that the spices may flow Cant. 4. 16. we are like a ship at sea if the wind blow it goes amain or else it creeps upon the ground sometimes like Pharaohs chariots onr wheeles are taken off and we drive heavily and sometimes like Josephs chariots we drive chearfully 3. Thirdly and lastly to pray with the spirit is to pray with spirituall desires when we pray for spirituall things or for temporall blessings with spirituall affections and spirituall ends to honour God by them as Christs petitions were John 17. and as we are taught in the Lords prayer A naturall man may be very earnest in his prayer yet it is not a spirituall prayer because his desires have only reference to self-love and naturall ends but not to God and his glory They have not cryed unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds saith the Prophet e Hos 7. 14. where the Prophet esteems of their prayers no better then howlings like the howlings of Baals Priests who cryed aloud O Baal hear us and they cut themselves till the blood gushed out upon them f 1 King 18. 28. Therefore such prayers God sometimes sends away with a mock rather then an answer Prov. 1. 28. 29. when distresse and anguish shall come upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me CHAP. XX. The eighth ninth and tenth Sign of the saving knowledge of Christ Sign 8 THe eighth sign that we have attained to the saving knowledge of Christ is universall obedience when we make conscience of all our wayes and have respect to all Gods commandements which consisteth in a setled resolution and indeavour against all sin and a setled purpose
None but CHRIST Or A Plain and Familiar Treatise of the Knowledge of CHRIST exciting all men to study to know JESUS CHRIST and him crucified with a particular Applicatory and saving Knowledge in diverse Sermons upon 1 Cor. 2. 2. By JOHN WALL B. D. Preacher of the Word of God at Mich. Cornhill LONDON Christ is all in all Col. 3. 11. Nullus animae suavior cibus Lact. lib. 2. c. 3. LONDON Printed for Ralph Smith at the signe of the Bible in Cornhill neer the Royall Exchange 1648. I have perused this ensuing Treatise entituled None but Christ and finding it very usefull for all sorts of Christians especially for weak Beleevers I allow it to be printed OBADIAH SEDGWICK May 12. 1648 To the much honoured and most worthy Sr Herbottle Grimston Baronet J. Wall wisheth all present and future happinesse RIght worshipful Your religious stedfastness in these times of change adhering to your fixed principles and not bending like a reed with every wind as many have done makes your name deservedly honoured of all that know you What you have suffered by false calumniations God hath in a great measure already cleared And I doubt not but in his due time your light shall break forth like the Sun out of a cloud more glorious then ever before How great your love hath been to Godly and Orthodox Ministers your pains and labours to helpe them out of their troubles which in these broken times they have fallen into you have ample testimony Your indefatigable paines as a Member of the Honourable House of Commons the Kingdome cannot but take notice of And SIR How much my selfe am obliged to you for your countenancing of and respect you bare to my Ministry when I lived in Colchester And your continued favour and respect towards me ever since I desire with all humble thankfulness to acknowledge and testify to the world And as a testimony of my gratitude I humbly dedicate this Treatise unto your Patronage SIR I observe in these erroneous licentious distracting and dividing times that men spend their thoughts and studies for the most part in needless questions tending onely to strife and contention but not to edification whereas our Lord Christ hath taught us there is but one thing especially needfull for us to busy our heads about and that is to know Jesus Christ and him crucified and to be able to say with Job I know that my redeemer liveth If it shall please you so far to honour this Treatise as to grace it with your favour and to bestow the perusall of it and if your noble spirit and the Church of God shall thereby be the more inflamed with the love of Christ and longings to inâ—oy him As it hath been my desire and indeavour according to my talent received to set forth the riches and excellencies that are in Christ to draw the heart of his spouse to be sick of love to him I shall desire to give God the glory And this shall be a sufficient refuge against the captiousnesse and carping of the curious the slanders and reproches of the malicious and the sharpest censures of the Criticall From my Study at Mich. Cornhill March 25. 1648. SIR Your Worships in all humble and respective observance JOHN WALL And to the vertuous and most worthy Lady the Lady Mary Grimstone his wife Daughter of the ever honoured grave judicious and religious Judge SIR George Crook now deceased J. Wall wisheth increase of true honour and happinesse I Make bold likewise worthy Lady to joyn you with your dear and much honoured Husband craving your tuition of this Treatist of the knowledge of Christ being the first fruits of my weak indeavours And that you would be pleased to accept of so small a present as a little monument of that great respect I deservedly beare you And although I know Noble Lady your holy and dayly communion with God your humblenesse of mind and tender affections mourning under sin your zealous longing after and delight in the word of God when most sincerely taught your heavenly communication and conversation do render you elect holy and beloved amongst all the Saints that know you and your works praise you in the gates Yet good Madam give me leave I humbly beseech you to stirre up and warn your pure mind that you take heed of loosing your first love and the things that you have done but that your works may be more at the last then at the first that you may shine as the Sun which shineth more and more unto the perfect day that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that he may be your all in all that so you may at last receive your full reward The Lord grant this poore little Treatise of mine may kindle a fire within you to warme your heart with the love of Christ be as a means with the blessing of God upon it to increase your joy and comfort in him to sweeten your dissolution when God shall please to finish the period of your dayes and to fill your heart dayly with more and more longings to be with Christ which is best of all So prayeth From my study at Mich. Cornhill March 25. 1648 MADAM Your Ladyships most humbly devoted JOHN WALL Christian READER IT is the great unhappinesse of our times that the greatest part of men busie themselves most in that which least concernes them whilest some Athenian-like spend their time in hearing and telling newes others mole-like are alwayes rooting and digging in the earth though gold can no more fill their hearts then grace their purses others eagerly pursue the worlds vanities as children do painted butterflies which after all their paines they may misse and if they chance to catch it s but a fly that besmeares their hands others bende all their studies and discourses about controversies tending little to edification and READER Thou shalt find through the neglect of the Printer or those that he betrusted many mistakes in the pointing of this Treatise as also many literall errors which I crave thy patience to passe over without censure and likewise not to be offended with other greater errors thou mayest meet withall but rather thus to amend them ERRATA PAge 8. margin for Scholon read Schoolm p. 19. for o r. â— for weares r. wore p. 33. l. 2. for cold r. called p. 34. for three houres r. six houres p. 37. for Vest r. Dest p. 43. dele first for knowes r knew p. 53 for it heats r. heat p. 55. for stob r. stab p. 59. for er r. ae p. 62. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— p. 145. for Ps r. Phil. p. 162. for wayes r. wares p. 190. for other any r. any other p. 193. for 3 r. 2. p. â—â—3 for insensus r. infensus p. 242. for the r. her p. 257 l. penult for after r. after him p. 262. l. penult for because r. but p
his countenance upon us and not when he hides his face from us e Ps 4. 7. Let him kisse me saith the spouse with the kisses of his mouth f Cant. 1. 2. Ps 63. 3. that is let him shew me some love tokens As the Rabbins say Moses died ad osculum oris dei with a kisse from the mouth of God for his love is sweeter then wine and better then life good or evill affects not till apprehended Job lamented not at all his losses till a messenger related them to him Nor did Jacob rejoyce that Joseph was alive till he knew it Who joyes in an inheritance befallen him till he know it Nor can we joy in Christ a Saviour till vve knovv him to be our Savionr Indeed Paul knovves it already yet he would fain know it better for the strongest faith is subject to shakings as the brightest stars to twinkling as Noahs Ark to tossing with the waves or as a ship at anchor to shaking with the winds 2 Cor. 4. 8. 9. Perplexed saith Paul but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed Thus we see the faith of those that have drunk deepest of the cup of Gods love is subject to fainting and winnowing but it shal never fail Luk. 22. 2. Object 1. If any shall object a man may be saved by faith of adherence though hee hath not faith of evidence that is by resting upon Christ for salvation though he come not to know particularly that Christ is his as appeares by these texts * Iob. 13. 14. Ps 51. 11. 12. Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknes and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord Esa 50. 10. and stay upon his God c. Answ I answer first iâ—s true there may be faith in Christ and by consequence salvation obtained by those that know not that Christ is theirs Or a man may be saved by faith of Adherence without some kind of evidence But there is a twofold evidence 1. Of salvation and that Christ is ours 2. Of promises upon which our adhaerence is grounded Ioh. 6. 40. Heb. 11. 13. Heb. 11. 13. Zach. 1â— 10. Voluntas estceca sine ratione Now a man can have no faith no not of adhaerence without an evidence of promises upon which his adhaerence is built for faith is an act of the understanding as well as of the will for the will acts by the understanding or else it were an irrationall act But Quisquis credit rationabiliter credit as Bishop Davenant whoever beleeves must at least have a reason of his faith for he must be ready to give a reason of his faith as Peter speaks 1 Pet. 3. 15. And though the promises may be but darkly seen or apprehended in a weak beleever yet so farre as faith acteth so farre he seeth a promise to ground his faith upon As all that were cured by the brazen Serpent saw the Serpent more or lesse though more dimly Perhaps sometime a weak beleever can see no promise yet he hath a promise and at that time he may not be able to act his faith though he hath faith If we beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull 2 Tim. 2 13. But secondly though a man may be saved by faith of adherence without evidence of the spirit or comfort as before is said yet no man can live or die comfortably till hee know Christ is his in particular As a condemned man that hath his pardon granted shall not die yet he hath little joy in his life till he know of it So such a man may goe to heaven but he will goe mourning to heaven As Christ went to heaven being taken up in a Câ—oud Or as the kine that carried the Arke went right but they lowed as they went Obj. 2 No man can know Christ to be his in particular for then he must know it either by the word or by the spirit inwardly perswading his heart of it Not by the word which speaks onely in generall ordinarily as Whosoever believeth c. As many as recieved him c. But mertions not in particular that we have received him that we beleeve or are beloved Dan. 9. 23. c. except to a few sparingly Luke 1. 28. as to Daniel O Daniel greatly beloved and Mary Haile Mary greatly beloved highly favoured c. Now our hearts make the application thus But I beleeve in him I have received him Ergo. But our hearts are deceitfull above all things and therefore are not to be trusted unto Yea there is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes whose hearts are not washt from their filthinesse s Prov. 30. Gal. 6. 3. Rev. 3. 17. and many think themselves something when they are nothing being deceived in their own imagination And if you say the Spirit of God perswades my conscience how do you know it is the Spirit of God and not a delusion I answ That we may know particularly Gal. 6. 4. Christ is ours is without all question else why are we commanded to prove ou selves whether we be in the faith to make our calling and election sure The Papists themselves say all Gods lawes are possible even legal much more Evangelicall and therefore it is possible to make our calling and election sure 2. Why hath God left signs to prove our faith t Matt. 5. 4. 5. 6. 1 Iohn 3. 14. which were in vain if it were impossible 3. How could we else call God father if we could not know him to be our Father 2. Rejoyce our names are written in heaven 3. Be thankfull that we are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light u Col. 1. 12 4 Desire the comming of Christ 5. Or triumph over death w 1 Cor. 15 55. if we could not know Christ to be ours 4. This Paul John Thomas knew yea the whole Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. It is cleer by these Scriptures 1 Joh. 5. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Heb. 10. 34. Caution Not that any know it perfectly without some reluctancy of the flesh because we know but in part our assurance proceeds from knowledg x Gal. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 13. Col. 2. 2. and the most perfect faith is mixt with some diffidence y Heb. 3. 12. Yet the least measure of faith hath this Knowledge in some degree for the weakest faith must apprehend some promise it rests upon or else we believe presumptuously as we heard before And secondly though the word doth not witnesse in particular and a naturall conscience is blind and deceitfull a Icr. 17. 9. Tit. 1. 15. yet a conscience inlightned by the spirit cannot be deceived in any thing necessary to salvation because the spirit hath promised to lead us into all saving
mercy for him because he denyed the truth against his conscience If we sin wilfully saith the Apostle after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sinne but a certain fearfull looking for of Judgement Heb. 10. 26. who pities a man when you tell him this is poyson yet he will drink it or that such an house is infected yet he will go in to it He that increaseth this knowledge increaseth his owne sorrow 2. They hurt others like the Unicorns horne which though a precious horne Like a sword in a mad mans hand yet so long as it is on a beasts head is dangerous and hurtfull They lay a stumbling block before the weak prove like false lights on shore which lead ships on sands and rocks to split them A Gentlewoman turned Atheist because she lived under a great Doctor that preached excellently was very learned but lived very licentiously And no wonder for we are ready to walk by example more then precept and ignorance thinkes why should it feare when knowledge dares venture Now all these are truly said by the Apostle not to know Jesus Christ he that saith he knowes him and keeps not his commandements is a lyar and â—â—e truth is â— Ioh. 2. 4. not in him As it was said of Eli's sonnes they knew not the Lord because they were sonnes of Belial and lived in rebellion against the Lord 1 Sam. 2. 12. CHAP. XV It sheweth forth how thankful and contented those ought to be that know Jesus Christ and him crucified savingly HItherto we have reproved three sorts of people some that know nothing of Jesus Christ others that study to know all things but Jesus Christ and a third sort that content themselves with a bare speculative knowledge of Christ without application Now in the fourth place seeing the knowledge of Christ is so excellent profitable and comfortable It teacheth us the happy condition of all those that know Jesus Christ savingly viz. with knowledge of application affection and operation O how should they with the wise merchant having found this Pearle of great price rejoyce though they had nothing else left to rejoyce in How would those men rejoyce that should find a Cabinet of richest pearls and Iewels or a great spoil Much more should they rejoyce in this Pearl in comparison of which all other Pearls and Iewels are not worth the mentioning Christ being a Iewel of more worth then both the Indies Thus did the Eunuch when he had found Christ then he went on his way rejoycing Act. 8. 39. whom though you see not yet you love saith Peter and beleeving you rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. The Virgin Mary rejoyced more that Christ was her Saviour then that she was his mother Luke 1. 47. My spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour And that in these six considerations 1. First Because he is the greatest gift that O Thesauris omnibus opulentior noticia Christi God can give or we can receive John 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only sonne this is more then if he had given us all the world for God hath but one sonne and can make no more sonnes but God can make more worlds at his pleasure this gift is God himselfe and God can give us no greater gift then himselfe we may say as one said to Caesar when he gave him a great reward this is too great a gift said he for me to receive yea but it is not too great a gift for me to give said Caesar 2. Secondly He is the richest gift for Christ is all in all if he hath given us Christ he will with him give us all things else Rom. 8. 32. He is that one thing needfull that brings all things as I have treated at large before Yea he is Gratiae non sunt agendae pro luna nisi nocte tantum That gift of God John 4. 10. Surely God have given us more gifts then one True but as one sun is more worth then all the starres so that gift excels them all according to the Proverbe we blesse not God for the starres when the sun shines for when the sunne shines the starres appear not 3. Thirdly because he is the choycest gift that God hath Other gifts he gives Promiscuously to good and bad so as no man knoweth love or hatred by any thing that is before him Eccles 9. 1. Judas had the bag and Dives fared deliciously every day when Lazarus would have been glad of his crumbes But God never gives this gift to any but whom he loves with his dearest speciall and eternall love Suppose a Prince should woe some great Lady and had a Jewel worth a million It may be he would scatter pieces of silver or give some slighty tokens of favour upon the servants but his rich Iewel That he gives to his spouse This Iewel is Christ Abraham may give Ismael a bottle of milk but Isaac had the inheritance Herein is love in that he hath given us his only sonne saith St. Iohn 1 Iohn 4. 9. Alas herein is love that we are out of hell not roaring with the damned that we are freed from the collick and stone strangury and other tormenting diseases that we have bread to eat when others have none Ask the hungry and he will tell thee that bread is sweet As I read in these late Germane warres of a Girle about nine years of age that asked her mother saying good mother let me kill you Child said she why wouldst thou kill me O said she let me either kill you or do you kill me for I am very hungry and they say mans flesh is very sweet But we are nor fed with mans flesh we feed upon the flesh of beasts and of birds of the aire and fish in the sea and the best of his creatures we never were yet brought to say mans flesh is very sweet Herein is love that we have water to drinke yea the blood of the grape when others drink wormwood and gall nay mingle their drinke with weeping and blood Lament 3. 19 20. Herein is love that we are not consumed with sword pestilence and famine even in these sad times when so many have been utterly ruined maimed wounded slain that when poor Protestants in Ireland were stript stark naked in winter frosts and so were driven before them to execution with instruments of death yet then we had clothes to put on our houses to dwell in our beds to lie on the fire to warme us the creatures to comfort us and we are still fed with the finest of the wheat our table is richly spread our cup runs over and God daily loadeth us with his benefits c. No no herein is no love comparatively though we are lesse then the least of Gods mercies but in this that he hath given us Iesus Christ that he hath given us the Iewel It is true it
Epaphras hath declared to us your love in the Spirit saith Paul and he that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall have the reward of a righteous man saith our Saviour Matth. 10. 41. Now love of goodnesse must needs proceed from a spirit of goodnesse 2. Secondly It is an universall love to all the Saints f Col 1. 4. there being the same reason of loving one as another even the spirit of Christ that dwelleth in them which is the same in all Eph. 4. 3. And hence it is that they love them though they be poore Saints 2. Though afflicted Saints 3. Though hated and despised of others 4. Though they have many infirmities 5. Though they have done us injury and wrong As Calvin commends Luther to be insignis dei servuâ— the famos servant of God etiamsi me millies diabolum vocavit although he hath called me said he divel a thousand times And 6 though we never saw faces never knew them but by reports from others 3. Thirdly In respect of the degree it is a speciall and choice love they love them as brethren and sisters Matth. 12. ult All my delight is in the Saints saith David Psal 16. 2. and this appears in foure particulars It is cald 1. Amor Complacentiae 2. Benevolentiae 3 Amcitiae 4. Sympathiae Schoolm 1. First in their high opinion of them esteeming them even as pearles to pibbles in comparison of other men hence David cals them the excellent Psal 16. 2. And in Psal 15. describing the godly man he saith he is one in whose eyes a vile person is contemned and slighted but he honours them that feare the Lord. 2. Secondly In a readinesse to help them if they be in need and do them good before others they will do good to all because misericordia non quaerit de meritis sed de miseriis mercy looks not at worth but at misery but especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10 3. Thirdly in delighting in their company more then in the society of any other men I am a companion of them that feare thee saith * Psal 101 6. Psal 6 8. David Psal 119. 63. Moses loved the company of his afflicted brethren more then of all the Court of Pharaoh a Heb. 11. 25. 26. Ruth and Naomi being one of heart could not part b Ruth 1. 16. whether thou goest I will go c. The two disciples that went to Emmaus knew not that it was Christ that was with them but thought he was some good man and how loth were they to let him depart from them his company was so sweet to them Hence they constrained him saying Abide with us c. Luk. 24. 29. And the disciples when Christ was from them when he lay in the grave and after his resurrection and ascension they oft met together in private houses but not a wicked man among them c Ioh. 20. 19. Act. 1. 13. 14. Act. 4. 32. Act. 9. 19. 26. And Paul as soon as ever he was converted he changed his company and assayed to joyn Yea if they could they would have their bones lie together in the grave Gen 49. 29. 30. Gen. 50. 25. 1 Kings 13. 31. himselfe with the disciples Acts 9. 26. Oh how the hearts of Jonathan and David were knit together and how they delighted in the society each of other In the Primitive times the Christians so flockt together that the Heathens said of them ecce quam invicem se diligunt behold how they love one another Tert. And the reason is because they are of alike disposition similitudo gignit amorem likenesse in disposition breeds delight in communion Birds of a feather will flock together lyons Bears sheep doves and all flock Simile simili gaudet together in their kind sheep and hogs go not together nor do doves and crows fly together Many times a man walkes so closely and covertly that we cannot discern what he is by himself yet a thousand to one but he may be known by his companion he is most delighted withall The Lacedemonians marked what company their children kept and accordingly judged of their dispositions And August Caesar marked at a combate what company courted his two daughters and when he espyed grave Senators talke with Livia but young and wanton persons with Julia c. he conceived accordingly of their dispositions that one would prove a wanton the other would be the more sober Why seek you the living among the dead saith our Saviour Never but one that was living desired to keep company with the dead and he was possessed with a legion of divels A man out of Christ cannot possibly make a godly man his choice society in whom he takes most delight for what communion hath light with darkenesse and what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what concord hath Amos 3 3. Christ with Belial c. 2 Cor. 6. 14. we know God hath put enmity between the Gen. 3. 15. seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent An Israelite is an abomination to an Egyptian Indeed a godly man converseth lovingly with all in a civill and a sociable manner and loveth all men with a naturall civill and morall love yea and with a spirituall love of pity and desire of their salvation and expresseth all offices of love to all as innocency peaceablenesse courtesie kindnesse c. As Abraham bowed himselfe to the People of the Land even to the children of Heth Gen. 23. 7. And its Gods will both tares and wheat should grow together till the harvest as clouds among the starres weeds among the flowers thornes among the Lilies But the Saints are his choice society in whom he Cant. 6 9. Eph. 4. 3. taketh most delight because there is a union of hearts and spirits which makes the sweetest and the nearest union Stones and clay may lie together but will not soder together as Nebuchadnezzars image part of iron and part of clay quickly brake asunder for iron and clay will not incorporate one into another 4. Fourthly and lastly in sympathizing one with another and taking part each with other so that if one member rejoyceth all rejoyce if one mourn all sympathise b 1 Cor. 12. 26. Heb. 13 3. Est 8. 6. and c. 4. As Mordecai and Ester did sympathize with the misery the poore captive Iews were in and adventured their lives for them and Moses sympathized with his brethren that were at their hard labour and had stripes without measure but himself in glory and advancement yet he would go visit them and see their burthens i Exod. 2. 12. So Jonathan in his absence took Davids part and spake in his behalfe to Saul and Abraham fought for and rescued Lot Gen. 14 14. 4. Fourthly the fourth signe from love is if we love the word of God with a sincere love