as the very Angels of God in Heauen Another proofe of this point wee haue in the Prophesie of Ieremie where the Lord speaketh thus Stand in the wayes and behold and atke for the olde way Ierem. 6.16 which is the good way and walke therein and what then ye shall finde rest for your soules And that wee may yet more fully see into the truth of this doctrine that grace and peace true godlinesse and sound tranquilitie and quietnesse doe euer accompany one another let vs weigh these reasons following First Reasons 1 whosoeuer is truely gracious is deliuered from the troublesome carriage of an ill conscience whereupon must needes ensue marueilous great ease for sinnes vnrepented and vnpardoned doe lye wonderfull heauie and are vnto the soule euen as an ouerweighty burden is vnto a Ship which is ready euer and anon to sinke it and to cause it to be ouerwhelmed and swallowed vp of the Waters this burden CHRIST IESVS doeth remoue as soone as euer hee beginneth to dwell in the heart by his holy Spirit freeing vs from the terrour of a guiltie conscience and from the accusations and clamour and continuall complaints of the same Secondly as the guilt of sinne is quite taken away so is the power thereof greatly weakened by him whereupon much peace and quietnesse must necessarily follow For that partie is in great slauerie and bondage that liues vnder the dominion of sinne being alwayes tossed and turmoyled with one vnruly lust or other which makes him euermore vnquiet and restlesse as the raging waues of the Sea or if at any time hee haue a little case his torment is afterwards redoubled now from this raigning power of iniquitie all godly men are exempted according to that of the Apostle Paul who speaking of regenerate men saith that the olde man is crucified in them Rom. 6.6 that the body of sinne might be destroyed that hencefoorth they should not serue sinne to which purpose he also addeth Sinne shall not haue dominion ouer you vers 14. Thirdly whosoeuer is indued with sauing grace is freed from many doubts and feares concerning his estate and concerning such perils as may befall his body for as touching the charge and care of prouision and protection the Lord himselfe vndertakes it for him so that hee may and must quietly and cheerefully labour in his calling and neuer trouble himselfe with the successe but leaue that vnto God who hath promised to care for those that cast their care vpon him and to be a defence vnto those that commit themselues vnto him It must needs be very burdensome vnto the mightiest man that is although hee haue many thousands comming in by the yeere to take vpon him the maintenance of himselfe and of those that doe depend vpon him for hee cannot but be many times mistrustfull of his estate in regard of many casualties which he is subiect vnto and so be perplexed and distracted with feare that he shall not be able to maintaine his port and to vphold his dignitie in such sort as he desireth and what a quieting then must it of necessitie be vnto the heart of a man to haue this burden taken off his shoulders vnder which others doe walke so heauily and to be freed from a number of carking and vexing thoughts by relying on Gods gracious prouidence for all the meanes of this temporall life Fourthly and lastly grace freeth such as haue it from the feare of death and of hell which causeth those that are vnder the guilt and power of sinne to be in marueilous great bondage all their life long as the writer of this Epistle witnesseth Chap. 2. vers 15. For albeit vnregenerate men put away from them the thoughts of death as much as possibly they can yet when any grieuous sickenesse is vpon them or any the like messenger of death approcheth vnto them and doth as it were knocke at their dores they are commonly very much disquieted and in very sore distresse and anguish but as euery one is more religious so his desolution and departure hence is lesse terrible vnto him nay vsually no newes can be more welcome vnto such than that they must shortly leaue this sinnefull and wretched world for then they know they shall make an happy change and instead of the Earth enioy Heauen Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Reuel 14.13 Isa 57.2 Psal 16. their bodies rest in the graue as in their beds and their soules goe to the full fruition of that rest which was but begunne heere vpon the earth Which serueth in the first place for the confutation of their errour which iudge a Christian life to be of all other the most tedious and troublesome Vse 1 fullest of feare and of vexations which imagine that the professours of the Gospell are perpetually as it were vpon a racke in so much that for their owne parts they would more willingly sit all day in the stockes than be at religious exercises and chuse rather to liue in Bridewell than in those places where they shall be tyed to the outward performance of Christian duties But what sayth the Lord concerning this matter doth not hee auouch that the state of a Christian is a state of rest and of peace and which shall we giue credite vnto eyther the wise God or foolish men But some will say how can it be that their estate should be so full of quietnesse Obiect seeing that they are continually subiect to afflictions and persecutions temptations as the Scriptures themselues besides daily experience do euidently shew Those doe not at all breake off their quietnesse so long as they keepe their peace with God Answere for they are but as it were stormes and boysterous windes that beate at the windowes and vpon the outside of the house so that their inward man to wit their minds and consciences are nothing disquieted thereby or if they be it proceedeth not from the hauing of grace but from the want thereof and as they grow more religious so their hearts are still more calme and quiet Secondly heere is matter as of incouragement Vse 2 to cause men to enter into the course of christianitie because howsoeuer it be a warfare yet it is not a dangerous but a safe warfare so also of singular consolation vnto those that haue already made entrance into the same For whereas all men desire to liue at hearts ease they doe indeed take the ready way thereunto for it hath bene before sufficiently confirmed that religion bringeth men vnto rest and quietnesse and therefore let them expect it and pray for it and they shall be sure not to misse of it Now because our rest and peace is eyther more or lesse according to the measure of our holinesse and our sanctification in this life is but in part and therefore our rest also imperfect this should make vs long for the day of our glorification when wee shall be indued
with perfect holinesse and so attaine to perfect rest in this world wee enioy a great deale more than any naturall man can conceiue but in the life to come wee shall enioy infinitely more than wee our selues can now conceiue which should cause vs with patience to passe through the troublesome and tempestuous Sea of this world in hope that we shall shortly arriue at the Hauen of rest where wee long to be 2 Thes 1.6.8.10 for it is a iust thing with God to giue rest vnto them that are troubled When the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from Heauen with his mighty Angels to be glorified in his Saints and to be made maruailous in all them that beleeue in that day Any of you Doct. 7 Whence obserue this Doctrine that The care of saluation belongeth to euery one indifferently Religious duties pertaine vnto all Hee that would not be damned and eternally destroyed must be heedfull and watchfull ouer his wayes of what state condition or age soeuer he be there is no dispensation for any Magistrate and Subiect Minister and People Master and Seruant Men and Women yong and old are all bound to be carefull for the happy estate of their soules God in this regard is no respecter of persons but requireth this care of euery one as well as of any one Hence it is that the Scripture giues such generall exhortations vnto pietie Reasons 1 as Psalme 49.1 Heare this all yee people giue eare all ye that dwell in the world aswell low as high both rich and poore And againe in the Gospell according to Marke Mar. 13.37 our Sauiour saith Those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Watch. And further the LORD in denouncing and executing his iudgements maketh no distinction of persons but threatneth and inflicteth his plagues vpon all sorts according to their works and as they haue beene greater offenders so doe they meete with sorer punishments the Lord spareth none as we may note in the Reuelation where is shewed that when God came to manifest the fiercenesse of his wrath against rebellious sinners The Kings of the Earth and the great men Reuel 6.15.16 and the rich men and the chiefe Captaines and the mightie men and euery bondman and euery free-man hid themselues in dens and among the Rocks of the Mountaines And sayd to the Mountaines and Rocks Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth vpon the Throne and from the wrath of the Lambe In which place we see that neither the great command of Potentates nor the fortitude of Warrtours nor the riches of the wealthie nor the base condition of the meaner sort can stand them in any stead when the Lord entreth into iudgement with them but all that haue in them raging sinnes shall be tormented with hellish feares Againe Gods mercies and graces and the testimonies of his fauour are offered vnto all sorts so that none needs to complaine that his seruing of the Lord vvill be bootlesse though the gates of great men be opened vnto some and shut against others it is not so with heauen-gate that stands wide open vnto all that through the faithfull and conscionable vse of the meanes doe striue to enter in Gal. 3.28 For in Christ Iesus there is neither Iew nor Graecian Barbarian nor Scithian bond nor free male nor female but in him all are one that is all are equally respected without any personall difference for God regardeth not one country more than another one nation more than another the Maister hath no preheminence aboue the seruant vnlesse he be more religious neither shall the seruant haue a lesse reward than the Maister except hee be lesse gracious women are accepted with the Lord as well as men neither hath hee any regard of the one sexe more than of the other Seeing then that he imposeth on all men without exception an holy care of their saluation and punisheth all those that neglect it and rewardeth all such as obserue it the vse hereof is 1 For the confutation of their errour who imagine that this is not a thing pertayning vnto all Vse 1 but properly belonging vnto Ministers and vnto those that are learned and haue time and leasure for such businesses but as for others vvhat should they meddle vvith matters of Religion at least in any serious manner Indeed they would haue some kinde of men to be able to say somewhat in points of controuersie that so they might if occasion be offered shew their good education their vvit their elocution and such like good parts of nature but for tradesmen husbandmen poore seruants and especially for women to be exercised in the scriptures and matters of Godlinesse they thinke it an absurde and vnreasonable thing But what Haue not they soules as vvell as others And haue not they sinne in their soules that needes purging as well as others And can sinne be purged away by any other meanes than by those vvhich God hath ordayned And if it be not washed away can there any vncleane thing enter into the kingdome of heauen If not what vnmercifulnesse is it in them to deny vnto any the carefull and conscionable vse of Gods ordinances whereby they should be made vncapeable of that celestiall happinesse Away therefore with this hatefull and dangerous errour that some are exempted from that religious vvatchfulnesse and care of the duties of piety and of righteousnesse vvhich is enioyned vnto others neither let vs suffer our mindes and our hearts to be corrupted therewith but vvhether wee be men or women young or old poore or rich base or honourable let vs take vpon vs this burden vvhich the Lord vvould haue all to beare euen to stand in continuall feare of prouoking his Maiesty either by rushing vpon those euils which he hath forbidden or by omitting those duties which he hath commanded And to presse this point a little further let not great men be deluded vvith this conceit that they stand not in need of prayer and of the vvord in publike and in priuate that they are not bound to mourne for their faults to seeke reconciliation vvith God to desire the admonitions of his seruants and the like let not great men I say deceiue themselues vvith such vaine imaginations for if any ought to be more carefull of Gods seruices than other surely they are the men for they receiue most vvages and therefore must they doe most worke they haue the strongest enemies and therefore need most heedfully to stand vpon their guard they meet vvith the most dangerous snares and therefore must be most wary of their steps least at any time they be entangled Yet so farre hath Sathan bewitched a great number that they thinke it a derogation to their dignitie to suffer the words of exhortation or of admonition to be put in minde of offences committed or of duties omitted those things they thinke pertaine to men of inferiour note they vvould seeme to
cary away all the preferment and yet when the question is concerning the chiefe preferment of all which is to be a found Christian they put euery body before themselues they are content that others shall be Kings but they will be vassalls vnto sinne and Sathan What folly or rather madnesse is this Doe they imagine that they shall not come to iudgement as well as others Doth not experience manifest vnto them that age creepeth vpon them as well as vpon others That sicknesse taketh hold of them as well as of others That horrible vexations and terrours doe sease on them as vvell as on others And why then doth it not enter into their hearts that damnation belongs vnto them as well as vnto others if by speedy repentance they doe not preuent the same Now as some doe fondly and falsly conceiue that they shall be boren vvith in regard of their greatnesse so doe others hope in regard of their meanenesse to be dispensed with We are poore day-labourers and seruants say they who are to be imployed in worldly affaires and to spend our whole time that way I hope it is not required of vs that wee should be skild in the scriptures be able to conceiue prayer able to admonish offenders c. And therefore either they absent themselues from the Church altogether or els are carelesse and negligent and sleepie when they are there and if they be called to an account and examined vvhat they remember they make answere that they are wearied out with labouring in the weeke dayes and therefore they must haue rest vpon the Sabbath day That they were hired for their worke and that they will doe and no more they will not be examined nor catechized nor be held to any such strict orders But doth not the Lord in his holy word require obedience of poore men and of seruants as farre forth as of any Doth not he in the fourth commandement enioyne them to obserue not a bodily rest alone as beasts doe but an holy rest And whereas they say that they are so toyled out with worke that they cannot listen to Gods word that is but a fleshly and diuellish excuse for vvhen the Sermon is ended they are fresh and liuely enough to follow after their sports and sinnefull recreations if they may haue libertie so to doe and can take more paines that way than they haue done in their callings all the weeke before and therefore these vaine shifts shall not serue their turnes Gods threatnings are denounced against them and his iudgements haue beene executed vpon such as they are heeretofore and so shall they be still profane seruants and sinnefull poore men were not spared in the destruction of the olde world and of Sodom and Gomorra and wee reade in the Gospell that at the comming of Christ those that are labouring in the Field Mat. 24.40.41 and women that are grinding at the Mill shall be some of them cast off vnto destruction as well as others are receiued vnto saluation But all seruants are not of so meane a condition as some but there are a second sort that haue another pretence for their casting off of Christ his yoake and they are such as are followers of great men who alledge that it is not for their Masters honour for them to be religious or as they tearme it precise but to be proud and quarrelsome to be ruffians and roisters to be swearers and blasphemers to be drunkards and whore-Maisters these they thinke be for the credite of the house vnto which they appertaine and by these practises they hope to be-please their Masters But when they haue spent their daies in these courses can their Masters saue them from perdition which by their leudnesse they haue iustly deserued no surely the holy Ghost speaking of the mighty ones of the world sayth Psal 49.7.8 that they cannot redeeme their brother nor giue his ransome to God they cannot procure their naturall life to be prolonged one day nay nor one moment much lesse can they purchase the redemption of their soules that they should liue for euer and that in perpetuall blisse and happinesse Others there are that thinke they may haue a tolleration to be vaine and sinnefull because they are yong especially if they haue this resolution that when their youthfull bloud is spent and the vigour of their bodies gone they will betake themselues to more sober courses and repent for that which is past but till that time if they take their libertie vpon the Lords day and liue in idlenesse and profanenesse euery day you must pardon them but will God pardon them doth not he say Remember thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth Eccles 12.1 whiles the euill dayes come not nor the yeeres approach wherein thou shalt say I haue no pleasure in them And if they will not take his aduise marke what he sayth in another place Reioyce Eccles 11.9 O yong man in thy youth and let thine heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth c. This they can well like of be too ready to put in practise but what followeth But know sayth the Lord that for all these things thou must be brought to iudgement Dauid found that the sinnes of his youth lay heauy vpon him and therefore prayeth God would not remember them Psal 25.7 and shall we make so light of them Paul admonisheth Timothy a very sanctified and mortified yong man to flie the lusts of youth and shall we let loose the raines thereunto as if they were matters of nothing ah let vs not be so foole-hardie vnto our owne ruine and ouerthrow but considering how fearfully the Lord doth iudge many young men that giue vp themselues to fornication and adulterie and theft and all manner of vile and sinfull behauiour as namely that some of them die an vntimely death being either brought to the gallowes or some other way strangely cut off and that others hauing great reuenewes left vnto them are notwithstanding cast into extreme miserie and necessitie and that some others being well descended are for all that branded with egregious infamie and reproch considering I say these and the like extraordinary tokens of Gods heauie displeasure against sundrie lisencious yong men let vs take warning by their example and consecrate the first fruits of our yeeres vnto him by spending our time religiouslie and profitablie in some good course or other Secondly Vse 2 sithence the care of saluation pertaineth vnto all indifferently let Ministers hence learne to deale equally with those that are vnder their charge and not know any man after the flesh to respect him more or lesse for that hee is rich or poore high or low or the like but giue euery one their due portion of spirituall food which they in the wisedome of the Spirit iudge to be most fit for them let them not feare to administer an admonition or reprehension to the greatest and wealthiest neither let them
Wife M ris Elizabeth Stephens R. W. wisheth all happinesse both in this world and in the world to come IN the Sermon following there are lapped vp right Worshipfull some twelue points of diuine inspiration which are most needfull in this corrupt age wherein we liue of all mens due and deepe consideration The first is that Christ and his Church are contracted together in a thrise blessed marriage The second is that the Church doth beare a tender hearty loue towards Christ her bridegrome The third is that the estate or condition of Gods childe is the best estate or condition in all the world The fourth is that Chirst himselfe is there teaching of men where his word is truly taught deliuered vnto men The fift is that the fruit benefit of Gods word is imparted onely vnto the Saints The sixt is that the best that are are to be taught and schooled in the wayes of God The seauenth is that Christ doth loue his Church and people well The eight is that the Church of God is faire and beautifull in the eyes of Christ The ninth is that holy Christians need not the mediation of Angels or Saints departed this life for the oblation of their prayers vnto the Almighty The tenth is that the spouse of Christ is sometimes too carelesse of Christ and falls a sleepe in the bed of carnall delights The eleuenth is that Christians must not continue in their sins but arise from the same leaue them The twelft and last is that all that doe belong to Christ must leaue this world goe after Christ These points are handled seauen of them more at large exprofesso by way of doctrines but the other fiue more succinctly vpon certaine accidentall occasions At your leasure I pray you consider of them I doubt not but that you haue your portions in them The text from whence they are drawne may well be applied vnto you for euery word therein doth fit you well One part of it you may speake with the Church of Christ and the other part of it you may heare with the Church from Christ. And as some things in it may comfort you so other things also in it may excite you The Appellations may be your consolations and the exhortations may be your excitations In the world there are many euils yea in the congregation of the righteous there are too many infirmities Our loue to Christ is too cold it must be kindled Our attendance at the gates of wised me is too seldome it must be doubled Ourfailing in our duties is too great it must be lessened Our sight in seeing the loue of Christ towards vs is too Diuine it must be cleered Our beauty in the inner man is too small it must be increased Our drowsines in good things is too heauy it must be lightned Our continuance in sinne is too long it must be shortned Our cleauing to this world is too strong it must be weakned Finally our following afte Christ is too slow it must be hastned To further this heauenly work this little booke may help vs for most of the things therein are touched and vrged vpon vs with forcible reasons of perswasion In token of my good will and the vnfained loue which I beare vnto you both I here present it vnto you both consecrate it to your Worships The God almighty giue it a blessing and make it effectuall vnto the soules of men I will not trouble you with many words but draw to an end As you haue begun well so proccede let your good works be more at the last then at the first Be still for God in all his wayes and God will still be for you in all your wayes Aduance him and hee will aduance you protect his Saints and shelter them refresh the deare members of Christ and nourish them so shall you heare this sweet sentence pronounced vpon yount the last Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world And so I end and commit you and all yours to the gratious protection of that good God that doth watch ouer you beseeching him so to multiply his graces vpon you that you may see many good and happy dayes in this wretched world and enioy euerlasting blessednesse in the blessed world to come Your Worships in all holy duties to be commanded Richard Webb THE FIRST SERMON OF CHRISTIAN LOVE Canticles 2. verse 10. My welbeloued spake and said vnto me Arise my loue my faire one and come thy way AS I was pondering with my selfe what text I might best take for this time and for this place it pleased the good and gracious hand of our God to direct me to this portion of Sacred Writ as containing in it matters most correspondent to the day now celebrated to this worthy assembly now congregated For as the day is now kept for the honor of Christ in memoriall of his Ascention from the earth to the heauens and as this assembly is an assembly of Christians who must arise after Christ so this text in hand is a text of Christ and of his Church Of Christ as it were alreadie ascended yet in mercie speaking to his Church of the Church yet below yet in dutie to ascend after Christ In regard whereof I doubt not but that those things which shall be now spoken will be vnto you most sweet and profitable like apples of gold with pictures of siluer according to Salomons Aphorisme in Prou. 25.11 where he saith A word spoken in his place is like apples of gold with pictures of siluer But not to insist any further vpon other matters by way of Preface I will descend vnto my Text. In the verses next going before it is declared what mercie the Lord Iesus Christ did shew vnto his Church in comming vnto her notwithstanding all her sins Though her iniquities were like to hils mountains which might iustly haue staied him from comming vnto her yet he in the multitudes of his cōpassions towards her was cōtent like a Roe or yong Hart to leape or skip ouer them all and in kindnesse to draw neere vnto her notwithstanding the same And howsoeuer he did not as it were come openly into her house disclosing himselfe vnto her plainely and fully as it were face to face yet he did stand behinde her wall and there looked in vpon her through the grates and windowes of his Gospell reueiling himselfe so far vnto her as was needfull and conuenient both for her present consolation and also for her future saluation The which that wee might the better conceiue shee her selfe giues testimonie of him and shewes what words he did vse vnto her and this shee doth in this present verse which now we haue in hand In which if we consider of all matters well we shall finde two principall points concerning that Gospell spoken off before by which our Sauiour did discouer himselfe vnto his Spouse
The first is concerning the persons whom it doth respect The second is concerning the matter whereof it doth consist The persons whom it doth respect are of two sorts namely the person that teacheth and the person that is taught The person that teacheth is Iesus Christ himselfe her best beloued Howsoeuer he doth vse man as an instrument in this worke yet hee himselfe is the principall agent therein It is he chiefely that doth instruct and teach his people The person that is taught is the Church her selfe Her welbeloued spake and directed his words vnto her and not to others Others indeed may haue the crummes and bones that fall from his table like dogges but the bread and good flesh that is vpon the table it selfe is prouided only for her and her children The matter whereof the Gospell doth consist brancheth it selfe into two parts The first noteth out how well Christ is affected towards his Church in that he calls her his loue and his faire one The second setteth down what dutie the Church doth owe to Christ in that he wills her to Arise and come away both are brought in by the figure Prosopopeia For the Church doth bring in Christ himselfe speaking vttering also in effect as it were these words vnto her O deare welbeloued Virgin whom I haue chosen among al the daughters of men to be my Spouse and whom I haue made faire and amiable euen white and ruddie with the water and bloud which I shed for thy sake and with my Spirit whom I haue bestowed vpon thee for thy good doe not now lie weltring in thy sinnes nor continue any longer in the bed of thy carnall delights but arise and leaue the same and consider that I haue done so much for thee and doe make such an account of thee delay not the time but make hast and come away forsake all the base affaires of this life and the sweet delights of the flesh and addresse thy selfe vnto the consummation of our most ioyfull mariage thou being euer there where I am and alwayes endeuouring to doe as I doe This Verse then in summe Summe comprehendeth in it nothing else but the Churches report of that which Christ spake to her when he beheld her by his Gospell through the cagement Wherein I pray remember with me these two points Part. first her words to him then secondly his words to her Her words of him spend themselues in two things the first is an Appellation the second is a Declaration The Appellation in the first word My beloued The Declaration in the next words spake and said to me containing in it first his teaching vnder these words spake and said then secondly the person whom he taught in this word to me Now of these by Gods grace in order My welbeloued This Appellation or title the Church might well giue vnto Christ in a twofold respect First actiuely because she did loue him well then passiuely because shee was beloued of him well For there was a singular loue betwixt them the one towards the other But yet this doth not note out the full or whole reason of this Appellation or title which is often vsed in this booke sometimes by the Church to Christ and sometimes againe by Christ to the Church Doubtlesse the reason of it is twofold The one is in regard of their mutuall loue the other of their intended marriage For Christ and his Church are brought in in this Canticle as two Paramours who are in loue one with the other and who in time conuenient doe purpose to marry together Of their loues afterwards a word or two of their marriage by the way As the same is oftentimes spoken of in the Word and most liuely shadowed out vnto vs in the 45. Psalme vnder the type and figure of Salomons marriage with King Pharaâ—hs daughter of Egypt so you must know it is not yet finished but deferred till the day of Iudgement as may well bee collected out of Reuelat. 19.7 where these words are set downe to bee spoken in the end of the world Let vs be glad and resoyce and giue glorie to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come and his wife hath made her selfe ready Here in this world is the Contract alone the marriage is kept for the world to come As heere men and women first haue their contracts or espousals then afterwards their solemne and reall marriages as Ioseph and Mary were first espoused before they came together Muth 1.11 So would the Lord obserue the same order of proceeding in the vnion of these two great and Princely States of his Sonne on the one side being the glory and ornament of heauen and of the Church on the otherside being the praise and beautie of the earth They must first be contracted then after they must be married This Contract of theirs must be considered two wayes One way as it is made with the whole Church in generall another way as it is made with the particular members thereof As it is made with the whole Church in generall it was from the beginning of the world euen immediately vpon Adams fall when God did promise him that the seed of the woman should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 For then was this marriage in question and it was concluded vpon betweene God and Adam for the holy posteritie to come But now as it is made with the particular members of the Church it is at all times for there are some daily vnited vnto Christ And this their Contract is made two manner of wayes The one is sacramentally and that is when they are baptised into the name of Christ The other is really and that is when they are regenerated and doe beginne to beleeue in Christ and depend vpon him solely and wholely for their saluation Now Christ and the faithfull being thus contracted together do loue each other most entirely as contracted persons ought to doe and long still for the day of their marriage that so they may enioy one the other in full perfection In regard whereof I say they giue this title or appellation of Welbeloued one vnto the other often in this booke which is wholely spent in a manner in describing out such loue tokens as passe betwixt them to wit from the day of their espousals vnto the day of their marriage But passing thus their marriage let vs come vnto their loues the first is of the Church towards Christ in this word My welbeloued the next is of Christ towards his Church in the other word my loue the which I will referre to his due place and handle it then when I come vnto it For the former of these Doct. in that the Church doth call Christ her welbeloued as for other causes so for this because she did loue him well we are taught this Doctrine that euery member of the Church must truely and vnfainedly loue the Lord Iesus So did Peter the Apostle his loue was so
vpon the things But to leaue the reasons of this doctrine Vse and to come to the vses of it this loue that is in Christ towards his Church may seruevs well for foure purposes The first is to assure vs of glory to come For it is vnpossible that they should perish whom the sauiour of the world doth loue and whom hee hath chosen for his vvife Doubtlesse nothing shall hinder their saluation but all things shall worke for there best for the accomplishment thereof Rom. 8.28 Well therefore might our sauiour say of them as he doth in Iohn Chapter 10.27 28.29 My sheepe here my voyce and I know them and they follow mee and I giue to them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand My father which gaue them mee is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one The second is to open vnto vs our dignitie aboue others As Iohn did say behold what loue the father hath shewed on vs that wee should be called the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 3.1 So may I say behold what loue the sonne hath shewed on vs that we should be called the wife of God for so we are in many places of the scriptures Surely there are none in the world aduanced to this degree of honour but our selues vvho are of the Church Oh my deare brethren can vvee consider enough of this or can vvee expresse it as it doth deserue What is it true indeede that the sonne of God yea the onely sonne of God who is the heire apparent of all the world doth loue vs poore and sinnefull vvretches and that hee is well content to marry with vs and to take vs home to himselfe for his wife wonderfull Oh wonderfull what a thing is this meditate Oh meditate I beseech you vpon this point both day and night and turne it to your good The third is to comfort vs against the hatred of this world Here wee shall be dispised and be had in great contempt and disgrace Iohn 15.19 Math. 10.22 But as Elkanah said to Hannah his wife Why weepest thou and why eatest thou not and why is thine heart troubled am not I better to thee then ten sonnes 1 Sam. 1.8 So may not Christ say vnto vs why are you sad or why are you grieued Is not my loue better to you then the loue of all the world Doubtlesse Gods children doe finde it so to be Their owne life is not so sweet vnto them as the loue of Christ according to Dauids words in Psal 63.3 Where speaking vnto God he doth say for thy louing kindnesse is better then life therefore my lips shall praise thee But that we may indeede receiue full comfort from hence let vs consider in few words what manner of loue it is that Christ doth beare vnto vs. In it I commend vnto you foure considerable properties The first is the greatnesse of it The second is the singularitie of it The third is the commodity of it The fourth and last is the perpetuitie of it For the first it is so great that wee cannot by our shallow reaches comprehend it if all the land vvere paper and all the vvater vvere incke and all the plants were pens and all the creatures were writers yet they would not nay yet they could not expresse the greatnesse of it as it doth deserue For as the Apostle Saint Paul doth teach vs the loue of Christ passeth knowledge Ephos 3.19 For the second it is so singular that all are not made pertakers of it but the elect onely onely the Church is interessed in this loue Ephes 5.25 In this respect she is compared to a garden that is inclosed to a spring that is shut vp and to a fountaine that is sealed fast in Cant. 4.12 So then as Christ did not pray for the world but for his Disciples onely vvhich were in the world Iohn 15.9 So hee loues not the world but those of his owne which are in the world For the third it is so commodious that to vs it is better then all the world yea more sweet and pleasant vnto vs then any costly banquet vvhatsoeuer made of wine and other pretious things Let him kisse mee saith the spouse with the kisses of his mouth for thy loue is better then wine Cant. 1.1 We need not doubt of this because without Christ we are all but damned persons but hauing Christ wee shall be saued Ioh. 3.16.18 and 1 Ioh. 5.11.12 But yet remember what the CHVRCH doth say like the apple tree saith shee among the trees of the forrest so is my welbeloued among the sonnes of men vnder his shaddow had I delight and sate downe and his fruit was sweet vnto my mouth Cant. 2.3 For the fourth and last it is so perpetuall that nothing can breake it off but it doth continue for euer well the mountaines may remoue and the hills may fall downe but Gods mercy shall neuer depart from vs neither shall the couenant of his peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on vs. Esa 54.10 Those whom Christ doth once loue hee will be sure to loue to the end Ioh. 13.1 So that nothing can seperate vs from the loue of our God Rom. 8.39 Now my brethren shall not this comfort vs against the hatred of the vvorld When any doth beginne to despise vs let vs cheere vp our hearts with this that Christ doth loue vs. For what are they to Christ Is not his loue better then all their loues Behold they are poore but he is rich they are weak but he is strong they are foolish but he is wise they are base but he is honorable in a word they are mortall but he is a God immortall Therefore let not the displeasure of this world daunt vs but let his fauour euermore comfort vs. The last is to inflame our loues towards him and to blow the coales thereof that they may burne out more and more The loue of Christ saith Saint Paul constraineth vs 2 Cor. 5.14 And the Church doth tell vs that Christs loue was as a banner ouer her to draw her vnto him Cant. 2.4 Let it then worke vpon our soules and moue them to affect him What shall hee loue vs and shall not we loue him againe What shall he preferre vs before all the world and shall we preferre the world before him God forbid as he doth loue vs so let vs loue him againe Doubtlesse if some great man should offer his loue to a poore woman of the countrey and be well pleased to take her for his wife we might well thinke her to be distracted of her wits if she should refuse him and not requite him againe with the like loue towards him So after the same sort may we thinke our selues bereft of all our senses if we loue not the Lord Iesus seeing he hath loued vs so dearely Wherefore to end this point let