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