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
how then shall it noâ— be from him that sinne is preuented Learne therefore to ascribe thy preseruation from sinne onely to God and to his loue Secondly seest thou what punishments God inflâ—cteth vpon others vpon some diseases on others bodily imperfections on others imprisonment on others shame and disgrace on others losses in their estates on others suddaine destruction on others spirituall plagues as hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde c. on others eternall condemnation if thou art freed from these or the like acknowledge it to be neither from thine owne power or merit but meerely from Gods loue for of thy selfe thou lyest open to all perils not being able to auoyde any vnlesse the powerfull prouidence of God did protect thee he alone made thee and he alone doth preserue thee If he should withdraw his prouidence thou couldest not subsist the least moment of time Though many men doe slightly esteeme of these things yet being weighed in the ballance of good consideration thou shalt finde them especiall testimonies of Gods loue to thee Thou seest one breake his leg it was Gods loue to theeâ— that it was not thy lot thou sâ—est another slaine but that God loued thee he might haue caused it to haue fallen on thee thou hast no pattent of exemption no priuiledge of immunity to be free from common calamities Art thou not a man as others A sinner as others The sonne of Adam as all others If then all euiâ—s be inflicted on man for â—inne the same cause being in thee as in others how is it that the same effects are not shewed on thee as on others Who hath suspended the effects from their causes who hath stayed the violent torrent of the water that thou shouldest not perish in this common floud Surely we can ascribe it to no other cause but to the goodnesse and loue of God So often therefore as we see Gods iudgements vpon others they ought to be so many remembrancers of our owne sinfull deserts and Gods admirable goodnesse The fift experiment of Gods loue toward his Elect is their Vocation that is their inward calling for we must know that there is a double calling An inward calling whereby men are onely in the Church not of the Church liuing where the Word and Sacraments are exhibited and making an outward profession of Religion And an inward calling which is a donation of iustifying faith by the preaching of the Gospel and the communication of sauing grace by Christ Iesus whereby wee follow our heauenly calling being enlightned by the Spirit of God with the beames of diuine wisedome and being separated from the cursed generation of the world wee are sealed with a visible marke of grace and holinesse This was not done to many more worthy then thy selfe but it pleased God to call thee from walking with the reprobate being like him by nature being both borne rebels and transgressors from the wombe and didst waâ—ke on with him in the same course of disobedience which leadeth to damnation till it pleased God to call thee to a better estate that thou mightest be saued Thus the Lord deliuers his children by calling them as he did Lot out of Sodome from the â—earefull condemnation of wicked reprobates Of thy selfe thou canst not be deliuered for there is no difference by nature betweene the elect and reprobate till God worke grace Paul till God cald him as bloudy a persecutor as Nero Domitian or Iulian Zacheus as vnconscionable and couetous a worldling as the rich Glutton condemned to hell It is the Lord onely that can giue this grace No man can come vnto me vnlesse the father draw him saith Christ. He must open our hearts as he did the heart of his seruant Lidia that we may receiue the seede of grace It is indeede a new creation â— man was not able to giue himselfe a being by nature much lesse of grace as it was the Lord onely that could bring light out of darkenesse so it is â—e onely that can giue vs the light of heauenly wisedome it is he onely that creates in vs new hearts and renewes right spirits within vs Nâ—y of our selues we haue no more minde of our effectuall calling then Saul had when he went to Damascus to persecute the Church wherefore the praise of it must redound to God Nemo dicat ideò me vocauit quia colui Deum quomodo coluisses si vocatus non fuisses Let no man say God hath therefore called me because I loued him for thou couldest not haue loued him vnlesse he had called thee Wherefore when God by his word and holy spirit shall call any of vs and giue vs grace to change our course turning our backes vpon Sathan and our faces toward the Lord and parting company with the children of disobedience that so while they goe on in their sinnes vnto iudgement we returne home with the penitent Prodigall to our fathers family oh let vs count it a happy day of diuision betweene vs and our sinnes a happy day that with Israel we haue left Egypt and are entred into the borders of Canaan that so like the redeemed of the Lord we may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the Lord in Sion And let vs magnifie the goodnesse of our God and ascribe our conuersion to his fauour and louing kindnesse What moued God to vouchsafe the meanes of grace what moued him to giue thee so large a time of repentance what moued him to giue thee the grace of regeneration what moued him to giue thee perseuerance Onely his diuine loue wherewith he hath loued from eternity Oh what an exceeding ioy will it be vnto thee when by vertue of this vocation thou shalt see thy selfe possessed of the fruition of almighty God for euer and euer in the kingdome of heauen and shalt see others of thy companions and acquaintance for want of the same grace to remaine euerlastingly tormented in the vnquenchable fire of hell Then thou wilt cry out with Paul O profunditatem diuitiarum Oh the depth of the riches of Gods loue The sixt testimony of Gods loue toward vs is our Sanctification We are by nature altogether corrupt our whole man is nothing but a very sinke of sin and pollution but the Lord hauing chosen and redeemed vs vnto himselfe hath so washed vs in the bloud of Christ and in the water of the new birth that wee are beautifull and comely in his eyes Hee hath made our bitter waters to become sweete hee hath turned our filthinesse into cleanenesse he hath made our hearts of barren wildernesses to become fruitfull lands of sinners he hath made vs Saints to the glory and praise of his name He hath so loued vs that he hath made vs precious in his eyes he found vs polluted in our owne bloud naked and bare but he hath washed vs with the water of regeneration he hath anointed vs
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
this case might iustly haue forsaken him seeing he was author of his owne misery as Hosea saith O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe Yet the LORD whose loue is infinite and whose mercy is eternall looking vpon man in this wretched and miserable estate with the eye of pitty and compassion out of his meere grace and fauour made vnto Adam a promise of redemption by Iesus Christ the Messiah in these words The seed of the woman shall breake the Serpents head This promise made vnto Adam was fulfilled vnto vs. For when the fulnesse of time was come God sent foorth his sonne made of a woman made vnder the law to redeeme them that were vnder the Law that we might receiue the adoption of sonnes This the Apostle makes a manifest demonstration of Gods loue God shewed his loue to vs in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. And questionlesse this was a more excellent testimony of Gods loue then either of the former and that in two respects First in respect oâ— vs Secondly in respect of Christ. In respect of our selues before wee were elected or created we had done nothing that did displease or anger God nothing did oppose him but before our redemption wee had depraued our nature and depriued our selues of all holinesse were rebels against God so that our sins stood betweene him and vs which like a partition wall must first be remoued before wee could be brought into league with God Secondly in respect of God our redemption is obserued to be a greater worke then either our election or creation for our election was but Gods eternall counsell our creation but the composing of the body and inspiring of the soule both effected of God without paine without shame but for the accomplishing of our redemption Christ Iesus true God coequall with the father in Diety must leaue the heauens lay afide his crowne of glory and be incarnate in the forme of a seruant and be obedient vnto the law and suffer a shamefull and painefull death vpon the Crosse and all to take away our sinnes the Sonne of God was made the Sonne of man that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God the LORD of glory was vilefied that the sonnes of shame might be glorified the seruants committed the offence the master bare the punishment the LORD of life was sold to death that the seruants of death might-become heires of life hee was set apart of his father that our sinnes might be set apart by him and we through him to be heires of glory and immortality Thus in these two respects was the loue of God more admirable in the worke of our redemption then either in our election or creation Whence proceeded therefore our redemption Euen from the vnspeakeable loue of God What was it that moued God to promise and to send Christ into the world onely his diuine loue What was it that moued Christ to cloath himselfe with the garment of our fraile flesh onely his diuine loue What moued him to endure so many and so great torments both in body and soule for vs onely his diuine loue What moued him to bestow vpon vs all his blessings and to take vpon himselfe all our miseries onely his diuine loue What mooued him to hunger and thirst to continue â—asting to remaine walking all night to passe ouer sea and land to seeke after lost soules onely his diuine loue What moued him lastly to sweat drops of bloud to be despised whipped wounded to cryâ— Eli Eli lamasabachthani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and at length to yeeld vp the ghost for our sinnes onely his diuine loue Here is loue for meditation incomprehensible for imitation impossible God in the worke of our redemption hath afforded vnto vs such a patterne of loue as that all the world is not able to parralel the smallest part of it Wherfore so often as we doe consider the great work of our redemption let vs be sure to acknowledge the great loue of our Redeemer The third testimony of Gods inward loue toward his elect is in their preseruation Gods preseruation is twofold Generall and Speciall His generall preseruation is that which extends it selfe ouer the whole vniuerse the whole world by which the Lord continues and maintaines the order which he set in nature at the creation and preserues the life being and substance of euery creature in his kinde His speciall preseruation is that which God manifesteth and exerciseth toward his Church and chosen children in gathering guiding and preseruing them This preseruation is twofold â—iâ—hâ—r from the euill of sin or from the euill of punishment From the euill of sinne God doth preserue his elect â—or hee doth guide them by his counsell hence it is that Peter saith The godly runne not with the wicked into the same excesse of riot They are so led by the spirit of God that they let not loose the reynes of their affections but being withheld by the restrayning grace of God they are preserued from the committing of many sins Thus the Lord preserued Noah from partaking with the olde world in their sinnes Loâ— from following the Sodomites in their filthy abhominations Ioseph from consâ—nting to the lewd entisement of his Mistris Eliah from the idolatrie of Israell Dauid from slaying Saul his Master the three Children from worshipping the image of Nabuchadnezzar As God preserued these so doth hee all his children not suffering them to commit so many and so great sinnes as he doth wicked and vngodly men Secondly hee preserues them from the euill of punishment Noah from the floud Lot out of Sodome Israel from Pharaoh Dauid from Saul Eliah from Iezabel Daniel from the lyons the three children from the fire c. God indeed is the shepheard of his flocke which couers them vnder the shadow of his wings and watcheth ouer them to preserue them from the deuouring wolues Wherefore when thou considerest that thou art the sonne of Adam hauing in thee the roote and seed of all sinnes yet when others runne headlong to destruction following the streame of their owne cursed desires letting loose the raines of their affections to all sinne and wickednesse being fearelesse and shamelesse in their impious courses thou art preserued First from that abomination and hainous impietie which wicked men practise thou neither desirest nor delightest in that which GOD hath forbidden in his Law But from whence proceedes this from thine owne power No questionlesse of thy selfe thou canst not thinke a good thought either to abstaine from euill or to doe good Seeing that by nature thou art equally indifferent vnto all sinne thou must therefore disclaime all strength of nature renounce all ability in thy selfe and acknowledge that it is from God onely that thou art preserued his loue toward thee mooued him to restraine thee If it be from God that euery good gift doth proceede
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
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