is to mee a Kingdome then a man seeks to give contentment to GOD in all things and to bee a foole that hee may be wise and to have no will and no delight in any thing that cannot stand with the pleasure of and obedience to God Thus a man by knowing what his owne naturall corruption is he may know what his affection is to better things First of all there must bee an estimation an esteeme of God and Christ for to avoyd misconceit wee take both these to bee one God our Father in Christ and Christ. Whatsoever Christ did for us in love hee did it from the love of the Father who gave him And when we speake of the love of God wee speake of the love of Christ to us Therfore there must bee a high esteeming and valuing and prizing of God above all things in the world and of his love Now this must needs be so for where grace is it gives a sanctified judgment a sanctified judgement values and esteemes things as they are Now the judgement apprehending God and his love to bee the best thing to make us happy prizeth it above all Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal. 73. and what have I in earth in comparison of thee â— he prizeth God and his love above all things in the world Now if we would know if we have this judgement wee may know it by our choyce this valuing it is known by choyce for what a man esteemes and values highly hee makes choyce of above all things in the world What men make choyce of is seene by their courses we see it in holy Moses Heb. 11. hee had a high esteeme of the estate of Gods people that afflicted people as afflicted as they were yet hee saw they were Gods people in covenant with him and more regarded of him than all the people in the world besides and upon his estimation hee made a choyce hee chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season His choyce followed his esteeme so if we value and esteeme God and religion and love God above all things we wil make choice of the Lord. As Saint Peter sayth Iohn 6. when Christ asked them Will you also forsake me sayth hee Lord whither shall wee goe Wee have made choyce of thee whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life Let us doe that in truth that hee for a time failed to doe when hee sayd Though all forsake thee yet will not I. If wee make this choyce of Christ from the truth of our hearts this shewes our esteeme What is thy choyce Is it Religious wayes and religious company is it the feare of God above all things One thing have I desired that I may dwell in the house of GOD for ever and visit his Temple Psalm 27. Hast thou with Mary made choyce of the better part Doest thou value thy selfe as a member of Christ and an heire of Heaven as a Christian above all conditions in this world for what a man esteemes hee values himselfe by then thou art a true lover thou hast this love planted in thy heart because thou hast a true esteeme You see Paul accounted all dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ. Oh! that wee could come to that excellent affection of Saint Paul to undervalue all things to Christ and the good things by Christ and Religion Certainly it is universally true where Christ is loved and God in Christ the price of all things else fall in the soule For when we welcome Christ then farewell all that cannot stand with Christ. Againe our esteeme is knowne by our willing parting with any thing for that that we esteeme as a wise Merchant doth sell all for the Pearle Wee may know therefore that wee esteeme GOD and his truth for they goe together God and his truth and religion wee must take God with all that hee is cloathed with wherein he shewes himselfe unto us If wee sell all for the truth of God and part with all deny all for the love and obedience of it it is a signe wee have an esteeme answerable to his worth and that we love him Those therfore that will part with nothing for God nor for Religion and the Truth when they are called to it doe they talke of love to GOD they have no esteeme they value not GOD if they did esteeme him they would sell all for the pearl Therefore those that halt in religion that care not which way religion and the truth goes so they may have honour and pleasures in this world where is their esteeme of the Gospell and of the truth of Christ and of God they have no love because they have no estimation Againe what we esteem highly of wee speake largely of A man is alwayes eloquent in that hee esteemes it will put him to the extent of his abilities to bee as eloquent as possible hee can bee you never knew a man want words for that hee prized to set it out Therefore when wee want words to prayse God and to set out the value of the best things it is an argument wee have poore esteeme of them All goe together GOD and the things of GOD What doe wee talke of loving GOD and despise Christians and Religion they are never severed If a man esteeme the best things hee will be often speaking of them If a man set his affections upon a thing it will suggest words at will Therefore those that are cleane out of their Theame when they speake of good things are to seeke Alas where is the affection of love where is esteeme esteeme it makes a readinesse to speake Esteeme likewise carries our thoughts Wouldest thou know what thou esteemest highly What doest thou thinke of most and highest thou mayest know it by that Wee see the first branch how wee may know we love GOD if wee have a high esteeme and valuing of GOD by these signes Secondly where there is true love and affection there is a desire of union of knitting and coupling with the thing loved of necessiâ—tie it must be so for love is such a kinde of affection it drawes the soule all it can to the thing loved it hath a magneticall force the force of a Load-stone Every one knowes what this meanes This affection of love makes us one with that wee love If a man love the world hee is a worldling a man of the world because affection breeds union though a man bee never so base in choosing whatsoever a man loves he desires union with it and being so hee hath his name from that hee loves hee that loves the world is a worldling an earth-worm Now if there be the love of God as in covenant as a father in Christ for so we must conceive of GOD there will bee a desire of fellowship and communion with him by all meanes
and the communion of the Saints and the change of nature is here in sanctification wee shall never know in heaven the fulfilling of it And those that have the first fruits here if they bee in a state of growth that they desire to grow better continually they shall no question come to the perfection for God will not lose his beginnings where hee gives earnest he will make up the bargaine Therefore let us all that know a little what these things are by the revelation of the Spirit let us be glad of our portion for God that hath begun hee will surely make an end The affection and bent and frame of soule due to these things is admiration and not only simple hearing If these things in their beginnings here be set out by words of admiration peace that passeth understanding and joy unspeakable and glorious what affection and frame of Spirit is sutable to the hearing of those things that are kept for us in another world If the light that wee are brought into here bee admirable great wee are brought out of darknesse into admirable wonderfull light If the light of grace bee so wonderfull to a man that comes out of the state of Nature as it is indeed a man comes out of a dampe into a wonderfull cleare light what then is the light of glory Therefore let us often think of it Those that are borne in a prison they heare great talke of the light and of the Sunne of such a glorious Creature but being borne in prison they know not what it is in it selfe so those that are in the prison of Nature they know not what the light of grace is they heare talke of glorious things and have conceits of them And those that here know not the glory that shall bee after when they are revealed that affection that is due to them is admiration and wonderment So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne and behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that wee should bee called the sonnes of God! what love he could not tell what it is so admirable and to know the love of God that is above all knowledge Who can comprehend the love of God that gave his sonne who can comprehend the excellency of Christs gift the joyes of heaven by Christ and the misery of hell from which wee are delivered and redeemed by Christ These things come from the Gospell and the spring from whence they come is the large and infinite and incomprehensible love of God And if it bee so what affection is answerable but admiration Behold what love If God have so loved flesh and blood poore dust ashes so as to be heires of heaven and of such glory as eye seesnot nor cannot in this world nor eare heares not nor hath entred into the heart of man till we come fully to possesse them let us labour to admire the love of God herein And labour to know more and more our inheritance as we grow in yeares as children doe they search into the great matters their parents leave them and the nearer they come to enjoy them the more skill they have to talke of them so should wee the more wee grow in Christianity and in knowledge the more we should bee inquisitive after those great things that our father hath provided in another world but to goe on How shall we know whether these things be prepared for us or no whether wee bee capable of these things or no God hath prepared them and he hath prepared them for those that love him but how shall wee know that God hath prepared them for us In a word whom God hath prepared great matters for hee prepares them for great matters we may know by Gods preparing of us whether he hath prepared for us God prepared Paradise before Adam was created so God prepares paradise he prepares heaven before wee come there and wee may know that wee shall come to possesse that if we be prepared for it What preparation If we be prepared by a spirit of sanctification and have holy desires and longing after those excellent things for certainly there is preparation on both sides It is prepared for us and us for it it is kept for us and wee are kept for it whom God keepes heaven for he keeps them for heaven in a course of pietie and obedience We may know it by Gods preparing of us by loosing us from the world and sanctifying us to himselfe Thus a man may know whether those great things bee prepared for him or no. But the especiall thing to know whether they be provided for us or no is love God hath prepared them for them that love him not for his enemies hee hath prepared another place and other things for them those torments that eye hath not seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man for those that are his enemies that would not come under his government but these things are prepared for those that love him For those that love him especially that love is all in all in the disposition of a holy man all graces are one in the spring which is love they are severall in the branches but they are one in the root Thus you have heard the use we are to make of this that there is a reservation of a glorious condition for the people of GOD so great that neither eye hath seene c. But who bee the parties that God hath prepared these things for For them that love him This is the fourth part the disposition of the parties for whom for them that love him Why not for those that God hath elected Why doth he not goe to the root of all the great things that God hath prepared for those that he hath chosen to salvation No that is out of our reach hee would not have us goe to heaven but rather goe to our owne hearts wee must search fâ—r our election not above our selves but within our selves Why doth he not say to them that believe in hâ—m Because Faith is the radical grace from whence the rest spring But faith is a hidden grace many times and the Apostles scope is to poynt to such a disposition that every one may know that is more familiar Somtimes faith is hidden in the root and it is shewed in the effect more thâ—n in it selfe in Love A poore Christian that is in the state of grace that sayth Oh! I cannot bâ—lieve aske him if hee love God Oh yes he loves the preaching of the word hee loves good people and good bookes and the like when hee cannot discover his faith hee can his love therefore the holy Ghost sets it out by the more familiar disposition by love rather than faith Why doth hee not say For those that God loves Gods love is the cause of our love Because Gods love is manifested more familiarly by our love to him for that
is alwaies supposed wheresoever there is love to God and good things there is Gods love first For our love to God is but a reflexion of that love hee beares to us First hee shines on us and then the beames of our love reflect upon him therefore hee need not say whom God loves though that be the cause of all but who love God and know thereby that hee loves them But why for them that love him more than for any other thing Because all can love therefore hee sets downe this affection there is no man living not the poorest Lazar in the world that hath a heart and affections but he can love He doth not say that are prepared for this great Christian and that learned Rabbi no but for all that love him bee they poore or rich great or small all those that love him Therefore hee sets down that to cut off all excuses yea and all that love him bee they never so many are sure to have these great things prepared for them God hath prepared these things for those that love him To come therefore to some observations The first generall thing is this that God dâ—th qualifie all those in this world that he hath prepared heaven and happinesse for in another world The cause of it is his free love but if you aske mee what qualification the persons must have They are such as love him This is not the proper cause why but tâ—e qualification of the persons â—on â—hom these things are There must bee an inward disposition and qualification before wee come to heaven all those that hope for heaven without presumption must have this qualification they must bee such as love him Why The Scripture is plaine 1. No uncleane thing shall enter into heaven No whoremonger or drunkard or filthy person bee not deceived sayth the Apostle you thiâ—ke God is merciful and Christ died c. but neither such nor such as you are and your consciences tell you so shall ever enter into heaven We must not think to come è coeno in coelum out of the mire and dirt of sin into heaven there is no such sudden getting into heaven but there must be an alteration of our dispositions wrought by the Spirit of God fitting us for heaven 2. Another is that that I touched before that heaven and earth differ but in degrees therefore what is there in perfection must be begun here Then againe thirdly It is impossible for a man if he be not truly altered to desire or wish heaven as it is holy He may wish for it under the notion of a Kingdome of pleasure and the like but as heaven containes a state of perfect holinesse and freedome from sinne hee cares not for it A man that is out of relish with heavenly things and can taste onely his base sinnes whereon his affections are set and exercised cannot rellish heaven it selfe A common base sinner his desires are not there There must bee some proportion between the thing desired and the desire but here is none hee is not fit for that place being an unholy wretch Therefore his own heart tells him I had rather have this pleasure and honour that my heart stands to than to have heaven while hee is in that frame of desire therefore there is no man that can desire heaven that is not disposed aright to heaven before Beetles love dunghils better than oyntments and swine love mud better than a garden they are in their element in these things so take a swinish base creature he loves to wallow in this world tell him of heaven hee hath no eyes to see it no eares to heare it except hee may have that in heaven that his heart stands too which hee shall never have he hath no desire of heaven Therfore in these and the like respects of necessitie there must be a disposition wrought before wee come there These things are prepared for those that love God If this be so let us not feed our selves with vaine hopes there are none of us but we desire at least wee pretend that we desire heaven but most men conceive it onely as a place free from trouble and annoyance and there are goodly things they heare of kingdomes crownes and the like but except thou have a holy gracious heart and desirâ—st heaven that thou mayest be free from siâ—ne and to have communion with Christ and his Saints to have the image of God the divine nature perfect in thee thou art an hypocrite thou carriest a presumptuous conceit of these things thy hope will delude thee it is a false hope Every one that hath this hope purgeth himsâ—lfe Every one hee excludes none Doest thou defile thy selfe and live in sinful courses and hast thou this hope Thou hast a hope but it is not this hope for every one that hath this hope purgeth himselfe No no how ever in time of peace and pleasure and contentment that God followes thee with in this world thou hast a vaine hope yet in a little trouble or sicknesse c. thy owne conscience will tell thee another place is provided for thee a place of torment that neither eye hath seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive the misery of it There is not the greatest man living when hee is troubled if he be a sinfull man whose greatnesse can content him all his honour and friends cannot pacifie that poore conscience of his but Death the King of Feares wil affright him he thinks I have some trouble in this world but there is worse that remâ—ines things that he is not able to conceive of Let us not therfore delude our selves there is nothing will stand out but the new creature that we finde a change wrought by the Spirit of God then wee may without presumption hope for the good things which neither eye hath seene c. Againe we see in the second place Gods mercie to us the qualification is within us that we need not goe farre to know what our evidence is Sathan abuseth many poore Christians oh I am not elected I am not the Childe of God Whither goest thou man doest thou breake into heaven when thou carriest a soule in thy breast and in that soule the affection of love how is that set whither is thy love carried and thy delight and joy those affections that spring from love Thy evidence is in thine own heart our title is by faith in Christ his righteousnesse gives us title to heaven but how knowest thou that thou pretendest a just title Thou hast the evidence in thy heart What is the bent of thy soule whither is the poynt of it set which way goes that doest thou love God and divine things and delight in them then thou mayst assure thy selfe that those things belong to thee as verily as the Scriptures are the word of God and God a God of truth
in the Word and Sacrament c. If a man desire strangenesse that he cares not how seldome hee receive the Sacrament or come into Gods presence is here love how can love and strangenesse stand together thou art a strange person from God and the things of God thou hast no joy in his presence where thou mayest enjoy his presence here in holy things in this world if thou delight not in his presence and in union with him how canst thou say thou lovest him Can a man say he loves him whose company hee cares not for Thou carest not for Gods company thou mayest meete him in the Word and Sacraments and in good company Where two or three are gathered together I will be in the middest Doest thou pretend thou lovest GOD if thou carest not for these thou hast no fellowship in this businesse all that rellish not heavenly things they doe not love Now to try whether we have this branch of love that is a desire of union Where therefore there is a desire of union with the partie loved of uniting to that person for we speake of persons there wil bee a desire of communion a desire of Vnion will breed a desire of Communion that is there will be a course taken to open our mindes if we have a desire of communion with GOD wee will open our soules often to him in prayer and we will desire that hee will open himselfe in speaking to our hearts by his Spirit And wee will desire that he will open his minde to us in his Word wee will bee carefull to heare his Word and so maintain that sweet and heavenly Commerce betweene him and our soules by this entercourse of hearing him and speaking to him Where two or three are gathered together I will bee in the midst Therefore thâ—se that make no conscience either of hearing the word or of prayer publicke and private aâ—d of using the glorious libertie wee have in Christ of free accesse to the Throne of Grace that doe not use this prerogative and priviledge to cherish that union and communion they may have with God they love not God and Christ Strangenesse is opposite to love and it dissolves and disunites affections therefore when wee are strange to God that we can goe from one end of the weeke to the other and from the beginning of the day to the end of it not be acquainted with God and not open our soules to him it is a signe wee have no love because there is no desire of union and communion with him Againe where wee love we consult and advise and rest in that advice as comming from a loving person especially if he bee as wise as loving so in all our consultations wee will goe to God and take his counsell and when wee have it wee will account it the counsell of one that is wise and loving Those therefore that trust to their owne wits to policie and such like what doe they speake of love when they make not use of that Covenant that is betweene God and them they consult not with him they make not his word the man of their counsell they goe not to him by prayer for advice they commit not their wayes to him as the Psalmist speaketh And this distinguisheth a good Christian from another man A good Christian hee is such a one as acquaints himselfe with his God and wil not loose that entercourse hee hath with God for all the world As Daniel hee would not but pray they could not get him from it with the hazard of his life Againe where this desire of union and joyning is there is a desire even of death it selfe that there may be a fuller union and a desire of the consummation of all things Therefore so farre as wee are afraid of death and tremble at it so farre we want love When the contract is once made betweene Christ and the soule of a Christian for him to feare the making up of the mariage when wee are now absent from the Lord to feare the sweet eternal communion wee shall have in heaven where we shall have all things in greater excellencie and abundance it is from want of faith and love Therefore we should bee ashamed of our selves when wee finde such thoughts rising in our hearts as they will naturally to bee basely and distrustfully afrayd of death Saint Paul sayth I desire to be dissolved and to bee with Christ that is good nay it is much better for mee nay it is best of all to bee with Christ therefore you see it stirred up his desire I desire to bee dissolved and to bee with Christ. Come Lord Iesus come quickly sayth the Church Revel 22. and the spirit in the Spouse stirres up this desire likewise Come the Spirit and the Spouse say Come And wee should rejoyce to thinke there are happier times to come wherein there will bee an eternall meeting together that nothing shall dissolve as the Apostle sayth 1 Thessal 4. 17. when wee shall bee for ever with the LORD Oh! those times cheare up the heart of a Christian before hand Now where these things possesse not the soule how can wee say that wee love God In Cant. 1. the Church beginnes Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth shee desires a familiar communion with Christ in his word and ordinances Let him kisse me c. Let him speake by his Spirit to my heart In this world Christ kisseth his Church with the kisses of his mouth But in the latter end of the Canticles Make haste my beloved she desires his second coming thinks it not enough to have the kisses of his mouth Make haste my beloved and bee as the young Roes upon the mountaines of Spices that is come hastily from heaven the mountaine of Spices and let us meet together my beloved These things be somwhat strange to our carnall dispositions but if wee hope ever to attaine to the comfort of what I say wee must labour that our hearts may bee brought to this excellent condition to desire the presence of Christ that is the second propertie of love The third is to rest pleased and contented in the thing when wee are joyned with it so farre as wee are joyned with it to place our contentment in it and it is in the nature of that affection to place contentment in the thing wee desire to have whenwe have it once Now wee may know this our contentment whether wee rest in GOD or no by the in ward quiet and peace of the soule in all conditions when whatsoever our condition be in this world yet wee know wee have the light of GODS countenance and can rest and bee content in it more than worldly men in their corne and wine and oyle as David sayth Psalm 4. I rejoyce more in the light of thy countenance than when they have their corne and wine and oyle When wee can joy and solace
passion out of nature and passion out of nature and elevates and rayseth that which is naturally good the affection of love to be a grace of love hee rayseth it up to love GOD which nature cannot discover by spiritualizing of it hee makes it the most excellent grace of all So that while I speake of the love of God thinke not that I speake of the meet affâ—ction but of the affection that hath a stamp of grace upon it for affections are graces when they are saâ—ctified And indeed all graces set illuâ—ination a side which is in the understanding spring from this What is true grace but joy and love and delight in the best things and all others spring from love What doe wee hate but what is opposite to that we love and when are we angry but when that we love is opposed and wronged Then there is a hoâ—y zeale so that indeed all grace is in the affâ—ctions and all affections are in this one primitive affection this first borne and bred affection love I speake of it then as a speciall grace Now the way of discerning of it wee heard partly before The way to discerne of this sanctified affection this grace is to know what wee esteeme for love it is from an estimation And likewise in the second place esteeme breeds a desire of union And desire of union breeds content in the thing when wee have it And contentment in the person breeds desire of contenting backe againe These things I stood on and will not presse further Let us examine and trie our selves oft by our affections how they stand biassed and poynted whether to God and heaven whether to God and heaven ward or to the world for we are as we love For what wee love we as it were marry and if wee joyne our love to baser things we marry baser things and so debase our selves if wee joyne in our affections to things above our selves to God and spirituall things we become spirituall as they are So that a man stands in the World betweene two goods somewhat that is better then himselfe and something that is meaner and thereafter as hee joynes in his affections thereafter hee is for the affection of love to God and to the best things makes him exellent and his affection to baser things make him base Let a man be never so great in the World if his affections to base he is a base person therefore wee have the more need â—o trie our affections But to answere some cases breifly It will be objected may we not love any thing but God and holy things may we not love the Creatures because it is here specified as a note of those that these things are prepared for those that love God Yes we may love them as we see somewhat of God in them as every creature hath somewhat of GOD in them whereupon GOD hath the style of every creature that hath good in it Hee is called a Fountaine a Rocke a Shield every thing that is good to shew that the Creatures every one hath somewhat of GOD hee would not have taken the style of the Creature else We may love the Creature as it hath somewhat of GOD in it a being or comfortable being or somewhat and as it conveyes the love of God to us and leads us back againe to God There is no Creature but it conveyâ—s some love and beames excellency of God to us in some kinde and leads us to God so we may love other things We may love men and love GOD in them and love them for God to bring them to God to leave a holy impression in them to bee like God there is no question of this but the love of God that is the spring of all But it will bee sayd by some weake conscience how shall I know I love God when I love the world and worldly things I love my children and other things perhaps that are not ill I feare I love them more then God We must know for this that when two streames run in one channell they runne stronger then one streame when a man loves other good things nature goes with grace so nature going with grace the streame is strong but when a man loves God and Christ and heavenly things there is grace only nature yeilds nothing to that When a man loves his children or his intimate friends c. Nature going with grace it is no wonder if the streame bee stronger when two streames runne in one So corruption in ill actions oft times carry the affections strong As in many of our loves there is somewhat naturall that is good yet there is some corruption as to love a man for ill here nature and corruption is strong but in supernaturall things grace goes alone Then againe we must not judge by an indeliberate passion by what our affection is carried suddenly and indeliberately to for so wee may joy more in a sudden thing then in the best things of all as in the sight of a friend there may bee a sudden affection but the love of GOD it is a constant streame it is not a Torrent but a Current that runnes all our life-time therefore those affections to GOD and heavenly things in a Christian they are perpetuall they make no great noyse perhaps but they are perpetuall in the hearâ— of a Christian a sudden Torrent and passion â—nay transport a man but yet he may have a holy and heavenly heart I speake this for comfort I but my love to God is faint and little Well but it is a heavenly sparke and hath divinity in it it is from Heaven and is growing and vigorous and efficacious and a little heavenly love will wast all carnall love at length it is of so vigorous and constant a nature It is fed still by the spirit and a little that is fedde and maintained that is growing that hath a blessing in it as the love of God in the hearts of his hath for God continually cherrisheth his owne beginning that little shall never be quenched but shall overgrow nature at length and eate out corruption and all contrary love whatsoever Though for the present wee see corruption over-power and oppresse grace yet the love of God being a divine sparke and therefore being more powerfull though it bee little then the contrary it hath a blessing in it to grow till at length it consume all For love is like fire as in other properties so in this it wasts and consumes the contrary and rayseth up to Heaven and quickens and enlivens the persons as fire doth and it makes lightsome dead bodies it transformes them all into fire like it selfe So the love of God by little and little transformes us all to bee fiery it transformes us to be lovers These cases needed a little touching to satisfie some that are good and growing christians and must have some satisfaction But it may bee asked againe as indeed wee see it is true what
his goodnesse and the streaming of it our to the Creature The whole Earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord. What are all the Creatures but Gods goodnesse Wee can see nothing but the goodnesse of God what is all the Creatures but Deus explicatus God unfolded to our senses he offers himselfe to our bodies and soules all is Gods goodnesse And then see this goodnesse fitted to us it is a fit goodnesse that comes from God he is good and doth good and so fitly he proportions his goodnesse for hee hath fitted every part of us soule and body with goodnesse all the senses with goodnesse what doe we see but goodnesse in colours What doe we heare but his good in those delights that come that way We tast and feele his goodnesse against the cold we have cloathing in hunger wee have food in all necessities in all exigences wee have fit considerations of God for all necessities whatsoever outward But then for our soules what food hath he for that the death of CHRIST his owne sonne to feed our soules The soule is a spirituall substance and hee thought nothing good enough to feed it but his own sonne wee feed on Gods love in giving CHRIST to death and on CHRISTS love in giving himselfe to death The soule being continually troubled with the guilt of some sinne or other it feeds on this it is nourished with CHRIST every day more and more especially at the Sacrament Thus we see how GOD hath fitted his goodnesse to us And then in particular dangers how hee fits us with severall deliverances so seasonably as we may see Gods love in it Then as GODS goodnesse is great and fit so it is neare us it is not a goodnesse a farre off but GOD followes us with his goodnesse in whatsoever condition wee bee hee applies himselfe to us and hee hath taken upon him neare relations that hee might bee neare us in goodnesse hee is a Father and every where to maintaine us Hee is a Husband and every where to helpe hee is a friend and every where to comfort and counsell so his love it is a neare love therefore hee hath taken upon him the nearest relations that we may never want God and the testimonies of his love And then againe this goodnesse of God which is the object of love it is a free goodnesse meerely from himselfe and an overflowing goodnesse and an everlasting goodnesse it is never drawn drie hee loves us unto life everlasting he loves us in this World and followes us with signes of his love in all the parts of us in body and soule till hee hath brought body and soule to Heaven to enjoy himselfe for ever there These and such like considerations may serve to stirre us up to love God and direct us how to love God Benefits will worke upon a beast as it is Isaiah â— Heare oh Heavens and hearken oh earth the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but my people have forgotten mee Proud men become baâ—er and more brute then the very brutes benefits will moove the very brute Creatures So I say these favours to us in particuler should moove us except wee will bee more brute then the brutes themselves Especially to moove us all consider some particularities of favours to us more then to others for specialties doe much increase love and respect Consider how God hath followed thee with goodnesse outwardly when others have beene neglected Thou hast a place in the World and Riches and Friends when many other excellent persons want all these There are some common favours to all Christians as the favour wee have in CHRIST forgivenesse of sins Sanctification and such other favours But there bee some specialties of Devine providence whereby it appeares that GODS providence hath watched over us in some particulars more then others those bee speciall ingagements And is there any of us that cannot say that GOD hath dealt specially in giveing them some mercie more then to others I adde this therefore to the rest Againe to helpâ— us to stirre up this grace of love consider those examples of loveing of those that have then lived in former times take David and Paul and other holy men David wonders at his owne love Lord how doe I love thy Law And have wee not more cause comparing the grounds of our affection when wee have more then they in those times What did hee wonder at his love of GODS Law when the Canon was so short they had onely Moses and some few Bookes and wee have the Canon inlarged wee have both the old and new Testament shall not wee say much more how doe I love thy Law thy Gospell and Divine truthes This should shame us when they in darke times so loved the truth of GOD and wee see all cleare and open and yet are cold Likewise it is good in this case to converse with those that are affectionate as face answereth face so spirit answers spirit as Iron sharpneth Iron so one sharpens another Conversation with cold ones will make one cold For the abundance of iniquitie the love of many shall wax cold Conversing with sinfull cold people casts a dampe upon us but let us labour if we will bee wise for our soules when wee finde any coldnesse of affection to converse with those that have sweete and heavenly affections it will mervaylously worke upon our hearts I might say much this way to stirre us up and direct us how to love God But indeed nothing will so much inable us to love God as a new nature nature will love without provocation the fire will burne because it is fire and the water will moysten because it is water and a holy man will love holy things because hee is holy a spirituall soule will love spirituall things because hee is spirituall therefore besides all adde this that our natures bee changed more and more that they be sanctified and circumcised as God hath promised I will circumcise your hearts that yee may love me There must bee a circumcised heart to love God wee must bee sanctified to love God for if nature bee not renewed there cannot bee this new Commandement of love Why is love called a new Commandement and an old Commandement It is called old for the Letter because it was a command in Moses time thou shalt love the Lord with all thy soule But now it is a new Commandement because there is abundance of spirit given by CHRIST and the spirit sanctifies us and writes this affection in our hearts It was written in stone before but now it is written in our hearts by the spirit And now there are new incentives and motives to love since CHRIST came and gave himselfe for us new incouragments and provocations to love therefore it is a new Commandement from new grounds and motions that are more a great deale then before Christ. But there must be a new heart to obey this new command of love
the old heart will never love Therefore we must with all the meanes that may be used begge the spirit of sanctification especially beg the discovery of Gods love to us for our love is but a reflection of Gods love we cannot love God except he love us first now our love being a reflection of Gods love we must desire that he would give us his spirit to reveale his love that the spirit being a witnesse of Gods love to us may thereupon be a spirit of love and sanctification in us And let us labour to grow more in the assurance of Gods love and all the evidences of it let us dwell long in the meditation of these things the dwelling in the meditation of Gods love it will make us to love him againe as many beames in a burning glasse meeting together they cause a fire many thoughts of the many fruites of Gods love in this World and what hee intends us in the World to come our hearts dwelling on them these beames will kindle a holy fire in our hearts Many are troubled with cold affections and wish oh that they could love they forget the way how to love they will not meditate and if they doe meditate they thinke to worke love out of their owne hearts They may as well worke fire out of a Flint and water out of a stone our hearts are a barren Wildernesse Therefore let us begge the spirit that God would alter our hearts with meditation and all other helpes that God would sanctifie us and discover his love to us and that hee would give us his spirit for hee doth the one where he doth the other when God doth so then wee shall bee enabled to love him Wee must not thinke to bring love to God but we must fetch love from God wee must light our Candle at his fire thinke of his love to us and begge the spirit of love from him love is a fruit of the spirit That is the course wee ought to take for GOD will teach our hearts to love Now to stirre us up the more to adde some motives and incouragments to labour more to get this affection Let us consider seriously that without this love or God we are dead and whatsoever comes from us it is still-borne it is dead without love wee are nothing without love all that comes from us is nothing without love I am as a tinkling Cymball sayth Paul For a man to be nothing in Religion and all that comes from him to be dead and still-borne to bee abortive actions who would bee in such a cafe Therefore let us labour before we doe any thing that is good to have our hearts kindled with the love of God and then we shall be somebody and that that we doe will be acceptable for love sweetens all performances It is not the action but the love in the action as from God it is not the dead favour that comes from him that comforts the soule of a Christian so much as the love and sweetnesse of God in the favour that is better then the thing it selfe when we have favour from God in outward favours Consider the sweetnesse tast and see how gracious the Lord is Psal. 34. The tast of the love and favour of God in the blessing is better then the thing is selfe for it is but a dead thing And so from us back againe to God what are the things wee performe to him they are dead but when they are sweetned with the affection of love done to him as a father in Christ he tasts our performances as sweet love makes all wee doe to have a relish and all that he doth to us therefore wee should labour for this sweet affection And with all consider that we may be called to doe many things in this World surely there are none of us but wee have many holy actions to performe wee have many things to suffer and indure in the World many temptations to resist what shall or will carry us through all Nothing but love if we have loving and gracious hearts this affection will carry us through all good actions through all oppositions and temptations for love is strong as death Considering therefore that there are so many things that will require this affection this blessed wing and winde of the soul to carry us along in spight of all that is contrary through all opposition let us labour for love and that affection will carry us through all Indeed if we have that it is no matter what a man suffers a man can never be miserable that hath this affection of love if this heavenly fire be kindled in him he cannot be miserable take him in what condition you will take him upon the wrack S. Paul in the dungen sung at midnight in the dungeon in the stocks at an uncomfortable time and place when he had been misused his heart was inlarged to sing to God out of love Nay every thing increaseth it the things we suffer increaseth this flame let a man love God whatsoever he suffers in a good cause it increaseth his love hee shall find his love increased with it the more hee loves the more he can suffer and the more he suffers the more he loves God and the more he increaseth in a joyfull expectation of the times to come and love is alway with joy hope and other sweet affections it drawes joy with it alwayes and hope of better things and as joy increaseth and hope increaseth so a mans happinesse increaseth in this World Therefore it is no matter what a man suffers that hath a gracious and loving heart enlarged by the Spirit of God let him never thinke of what he suffereth of paine of losses and crosses if God discover his fatherly breast and shine on him in Christ and he looke on God reconciled and tast of the joyes of Heaven before hand if you tell him of sufferings you tell him of that that incourageth him It is an argument I might be long in and to great purpose for if we get this holy fire kindled once we shall need little exhortation to other duties it would set us on worke to all and like the fire of the Sanctuary that never went out so it is such an affection that if it bee once kindled in the heart it will never out It is a kinde of miracle in ill when we love other things besides God baser then our selves it is as much as if a River should turne backward For man that is an excellent Creature to be carried with the streame of his affection to things worse then himselfe it is a kind of monster for a man to abuse his understanding so What a base thing is it for a man to suffer such a sweete streame as love a holy current to run into a sinke who would turne a sweete streame into a sinke and not rather into a garden into a sweet place to refresh that Our love is the best
in heaven p. 80. We are not capable of the joyes of heaven here p. 87. Meditation of heaven steeres a Christians life here p. 88. Faith sets heaven in our eye by it conquers the world p. 89. The nature of hope id What inforceth to keepe a good conscience p. 91. Vse How to abase our selves p. 93. Vse Of thankefulnesse p. 94 Every petty crosse will not cast downe a believer p. 97. Vse Comfort our selves against the slightings of the world p. 98. Why men are drowned in the world p. 100. How to get the conquest in any temptation p. 104. Religion not an empty thing p. 106. What are the greatest ils 109. They that desire to growbetter they shall grow to perfection p. 113. Rejoyce in beginnings of grace 112 Admire at those things that eye hath not c. 113 To know whether these things are prepared for us or no. 116 Labour to know thine inheritance more and more ibid. God prepares them for greaâ— matters for whom they are prepared 117 For whom all these things are prepared 120 Faith a hidden grace 120 Obs. God doth qualifie all those in this world that hee hath prepared happinesse for in an other woâ—ld 125 A natural man cannot see heaven nor desire it as holy 126 Take heed of vaine hopes 128 Look within thee for thy evidences 131 Look to thy affection 132 God prepared happinesse before all eternitie 136 That happinesse which the world shewes is not the true happinesse because it can be seene 141 It 's base to be too much in love with the world 144 Try thy selfe by this love 145 Wee may know heaven to bee ours by the disposition of our hearts 147 God hath not ordained heaven for his enemies 149 Merit confuted 151 There goes somewhat of ours and somewhat of Gods together to witnes to us what God doth 153 Love a commanding affection 154 Our actions are but still-borne without affection 157 Begin not first with election but see if God hath taught thee to love God p. 159. What it is to love God p. 160. Foure things in this sweet affection of Love observeable p. 162. When a man puts God in stead of himselfe p. 166 How to know we have a sanctified judgement p. 168 If we esteeme God we shall part with any thing besides 172. where is true love there is a desire of union p. 175 Try whether wee have this branch of love p. 178 Where wee love wee shall consult p. 181. Where union there is a desire of death it selfe p. 182 God able to fill our soule p. 188 Whither to fly if a confusion of all things should come p. 190 In losses and crosses thou wilt fetch what thou loosest out of the love of God p. 192. Provide that for God that hee loves p. 194. Love will purge your heart 196 Love from faith wounds Christ 198 Men under the Gospell live unworthy of it 202 Those that love God love his members 204 If wee love God wee shall love whatever is divine 205 Love wil make us please God in all things 207 Love to God studies how to please God 207 Study in thy place how to put out the best of thy endeavour 209 In heaven all promises are fulfilled indeed p. 2. 3 God gives his a taste aforehand 2. 4 A Christians knowledge of his title to heaven makes him work 2. 5 Love the fittest grace to describe a Christian. 2. 7 What the affection passion Grace of love is 2. 8 Vse of examination how our affections are byassed 2. 11 Ob. May we not love the creatures at all 2. 12 Ob. How shall I know I love God 2. 14 Ob. My love to God is saint how to be maintained and cherished 2. 17 Ob. Why mean poore Christians have more tender love to God than great schollers 2. 19 How to love God with all our might 2. 25 God expects more love in a Magistrate than otherâ— 2. 26 The may to love God is to see our misery 2. 27 Another way consider Gods mercie goodnesse 2. 31 Hee feedes our soules with his owne son 2. 32 Benefites will worke on a beast 2. 35 Consider with what love those of old loved the law when we have Gospell and yet love not 2. 39 Converse much with those that love God 2. 39 Get a new nature then thou wilt love without provocation 2. 40 Dwell on the meditation of the love of God 2. 43 Love will carry us through all duties and difficulties 2. 48 Love increaseth by suffering 2. 50 Consider the vanitie of our affections being set on any thing else 2. 54 Be ashamed of the want of love to God when thou hast such meanes to kindle it 2. 57 HIDDEN SECRETS Revealed by the GOSPEL 2 COR. 2. 9. But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard neither have entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him THE holy Apostle St. Paul the Trumpet of the Gospell the vessell of election was ordained to bee a messenger of reconciliation and to spread the sweet savour of the Gospell every where And answerably to his calling hee makes way for the excellencie of his Ambassage into the hearts of those he had to deale with This he doth by the commendation of his function And that he might the better prevaile hee removes all objections to the contrary There were some that would debase his Office saying that the Gospell he taught Christ crucified was no such great matter Therefore in the 6. verse of this chapter hee shewes that the Gospell is Wisedome and that among them that are perfect among the best and ablest to judge St. Paul did not build as the Papists doe now upon the blindnesse of the people But it were not Poperie if they did not infatuate the people St. Paul sayth to this effect Wee dare appeale to those that are the best and of the best judgement let them judge whether it be wisedome or no the more perfect men are the more able they are to judge of our wisedome It might bee objected again You see who â—ares for your wisedome neither Herod nor Pilate nor the greatmen and Potentates the Scribes and Pharisees great learned men and withall men of innocent lives notable for carriage Therefore sayth he Wee speak not the wisedome of this world or the Princes of this world that come to nought Doe not tell us of such mens wisedome they and their wisedome will come to nought too Wee teach wisedome of things that are eternall to make men eternall As for the Princes of the world they and all that they know their thoughts and all their plots and devises perish But wee speake the wisedome of God in a mysterie That is the wisedome of Gods revealing a deepe wisedome a mysterie that God or dained before the world Ancient wisedom not a yesterdayes knowledge tho lately discovered the preaching of the Gospell is the discovery of that
wisdome that was hidden before the world was And to invite you and make you more in love with it it is a wisedome To your glory God hath a delight to shew himselfe wise in devising a plot to glorifie poore wretched man As for the words themselves they are a proofe of what he had sayd before why none of the Princes of the world knew this great mysterie If so be that the eye of any man hath not seene nor the eare of any man hath heard nor the heart of any man hath conceived what doe you tell us of the wise men which were not all nay what should I speake of men the very Angels as we know by other places are excluded from a full knowledge of these mysteries Therefore it is no mervaile though none of the Princes of this world knew them They are universally hidden from all naturall men This I take to be the sence of the words They are taken out of Isaiah S. Paul delights to prove things by the Prophets but here it is not so much a proofe as an allusion which we must observe to understand many such places For Isaiah there speakes of the great things God had done for his Church such as Eye had not seene nor Ea e heard And the Apostle alludes to it here and addes somewhat This clause nor hath entred into the heart of man is not in that place but it is necessarily understood for if the eye doe not see and the eare heare it never enters into the heart of man For whatsoever enters into the heart of man it must be by those passages and windowes the gates of the soule the sences And whereas St. Paul sayth For them that love him It is for them that expect him as in Isaiah The sence is all one Whosoever love God they expect and wait for him where there is no expectation there is no love This is the Apostles drift If God did doe such great matters for his Church as eye hath not seen nor â—are heard according to the Prophet Isuiah what shall we thinke he will do in the kingdome of grace here and of glory hereafter The words then as wee see containe the excellencie of the mysteries of the Gospell described first by the hiddennesse of it to men at first Secondly by the goodnesse of the things revealed such as neither eye hath seene c. The hiddennesse and excellency of the Gospell in that respect is set forth by way of negation Eye hath not seen nor Eare heard nor Heart conceived And indeed this is the way to set forth excellent Divine things God himselfe is set out by way of deniall by removing imperfections he is invisible immortall c. And so heaven that is neare to God as being prepared by him it is set out by way of deniall as S. Peter sayth It is an inheritance immortall undefiled c. 1. Pet. 1. So here positive words could not be found sufficient to set out the excellencie of the things that God hath prepared As for the Knowledge of the mysterie of salvation in Jesus Christ we neither can come to it by naturall invention nor by naturall discipline All the things that we know naturally we know by one of these two wayes but divine things are knowne neither way Where could there have been any knowledge of Christ if God had not opened his breast in the Gospell and come forth of his hidden light and shewed himselfe in Christ God-man and in publishing the Gospell established an ordinance of preaching for this purpose where had the knowledge of salvation in Christ been To prove this wee have here a gradation the eye sees many things but wee heare more things than we see yet neither Eye hath seen nor eare heaâ—d I but the conceits of the heart are larger than the sight of the eye or the hearing of the eare yet neither eye hath seen nor eare hath heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive c. The Philosopher sayth there is nothing in the understanding but it came into the sences before and therefore it cannnot enter into the heart of man if it enter not by the eye or by the eare The things here spoken of be especially the graces and comforts and priviledges to bee enjoyed in this life and the consummation and perfection of them in heaven Christ brings peace and joy justification sanctification c. the like And even in this life the perfection of these is in heaven where the soul and the body shall be both glorified in a glorious place together with glorious company The Father Sonne and holy Ghost innumerable Angels and justmen These are those things that eye hath not seen c. The beginnings here and the perfection and consummation of them hereafter Having thus farre unfolded the words I come to the poynts considerable First God hath a company of beloved children in the world that he means a speciall good unto The second God hath prepared great matters for them If great persons prepare great things for those whom they greatly affect shall we not thinke that the great God will prepare great things for those that hee hath affection to and that have affection to him If God be a friend to the llect they be his friends surely he wil answer friendship to the utmost answerable to the great love he beares his children he hath provided great things for them If that bee excellent that is long in preparing then those things which belong to Gods children must needs be excellent for they were preparing even before the world was Salomons Temple was an excellent Fabrick it had long preparation Ahasueros made a feast to 127. Provinces it was long in preparing great things have great preparation Now these things that God intends his children have been preparing even from everlasting and they are from everlasting to everlasting they must needs bee excellent But before I dwell on any particular poynâ— here is a question to be answered If the things that God hath prepared for his children be secret and excellent how then come we to know them at all We come to know them 1. by Divine Revelation God must reveale them first as it is in the next vers God hath revealed them by his spirit The Spirit reveales them by way of negation and indefinitely as also by way of eminence Whatsoever is excellent in the world God borrowes it to set out the excellencie of the things that hee hath provided for his Children in grace and glory A feast is a comfortable things they are called a Feast A Kingdome is a glorious thing they are called a Kingdome Marriage is a sweet thing they are set forth by that by an inheritance and adoption of children and such like So that all these things are taken to â—e shadowes of those things And indeed they are but shadows the realitie is the heavenly kingdome of grace
for better things then wee can see or heare in this world yet we imploy thē in things of the world wholly Let us not doe as some shallow proud heads that regard not divine things the holy Scriptures they will not vouchsafe to read once a day perhaps not once a weeke nay some scarce have a Bible in their studies For shame shall we be so Atheisticall when God hath provided such excellent things conteined in this booke of God the Testament shall wee slight these excellent things for knowledge that shall perish with us as St. Paul saith before the Text the knowledge of all other things is perishing knowledge of perishing men Learne on earth that that will abide in heaven sayth S. Austin If wee bee wise let us know those things on earth that the comfort of them may abide with us in heaven Therefore let us be stirred up to value the Scriptures the mysteries of salvation in the Gospel they are things that Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard c. Nay I say more that little that wee have here by hearing truths unfolded whereby the Spirit of God slides into our hearts and workes with them there is that peace that a man hath in his heart in the unfolding of the poynt of Iustification or Adoption or any divine comfort that it breeds such inward peace and joy as is unspeakable and glorious All that we have in the world is not worth those little beginings that are wrought by the hearing of the word of God here If the first fruits here be joy oftimes unspeakable and glorious if the first fruits be peace that passeth understanding what will the consūmation and perfection of these things be at that day Againe here you see a ground of the wonderfull patience of the Martyrs You wonder that they would suffer their bodies to be torne and have their soules severed so violently from their bodies Alas cease to wonder when they had a sence wrought in them by the spirit of God of the things that eye hath not seene nor eare heard If a man should have asked them why they wold suffer their bodies to be misused thus when they might have redeemed all this with a little quiet oh they would have answered presently as some of them have done wee suffer these things in our bodies and in our sences for those that are above our sences wee know there are things layd up for us that eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. What doe you tell us of this torment and that torment we shall have more glory in heaven then wee can have misery here for wee can see this and there is an end of it but wee shall have joy that eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. As St. Paul most Divinely in diverse places in Rom. 8. the things that wee suffer here are not Worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Therefore let us not wonder so much at their patience as to lay up this ground of patience against an evill day when we may be drawne to seale the truth with our blood By the way learne what Popery is they thinke to merit by their doing but especially by their sufferings though they be ill doers and suffer for their demerits this is their glory Shall those stayned good workes put case they were good workes they be defiled and stayned and as menstruous cloathes as it is Isaiah 64. shall they merit the glory to bee revealed that is so great that eye hath not seene c. What proportion is there In merit there must be a proportion betweene the deed done and the glory what proportion is there betweene stayned imperfect defiled workes and the glory to bee revealed Should not our lives be almost angecall What manner of men should wee be in all holy conversation Considering what things are layd up in heavē we have the first fruits of them here Can men be too holy and exact in their lives that looke for things that eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. I wonder at the stupiditie and hellish pride and malice of mens hearts that thinke any man can be too exact in the maine duties of Christianity in the expression of their love to God in the obedience of their lives in abstinence from the filthinesse of the world and the like Can a man that lookes for these excellent transcendent things be too careful of his life I beseech you your selves be Judges The end of the first Sermon HIDDEN SECRETS Revealed by the GOSPEL The second Sermon I. COR. 2. 9. As it is written Eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. THE Apostle sets out the Gospell here with all the commendations that any skill in the world can be commended by From the authour of it God From the depth of it it is Wisedome in a mystery hidden wisedome From the antiquity of it it was ordained before the world was From the benefite and use of it for our glory God is content his wisedome should be honoured in glorifying us such is his love And then when it was revealed that none of the Princes of the world he meanes not onely commanding Potentates but he being a scholar himself esteemed Philosophers Pharisees and learned men to be Princes because the excellencie of a man is in the refined part of man his soul none of these Princes of the world for all their skill and knowledge knew this In this verse hee shewes the reason why Eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. He removes knowledge by removing the way and means of knowledge The meanes of knowledge in this world is by the passage and entrance of the sences Now this heavenly mystery of the Gospell it is such a knowledge as doth not enter into the soule by the sences The poynts we propounded were these I That God hath a people in the world whom he favours in a speciall manner Then secondly For these that he accounts his friends he hath prepared great matters Kings prepare great matters for those they meane to advance what shall wee thinke then God will doe for his friends Now these things prepared they are great matters indeed for in the third place they are such as Eye hath not seene nor eare heard c. And then in the fourth place the disposition and qualification of those for whom God hath prepared such great matters it is for those that love him not for his enemies or for all men indifferently but for those that love him Of the first and second I spake in the former and I wil not now stand to speake of them but enlarge my selfe in the two last The things that God hath prepared for them that love him are such excellent things as neither eye hath seene nor eare heard c. He meanes the naturall eye and eare and understanding or heart of man There bee 3. degrees of
we talke of beauty it is the Image of God that sets a beauty on the soule that makes a man lovely in the eye of God True beauty is to be like God And to bee borne a new to that glorious condition is the birth and inheritance All these poore things are but acting a part upon a stage for a while as the proudest creature of all that is invested in them will judge ere long none better judges then they This is one way of knowing the things of the Gospell by naming of them in our owne language As if a man go into a forraine country he must learn that language or else hold his peace so God is forced to speake in our owne language to tell us of glory and happinesse to come under the name of crownes and kingdomes and riches here If God should set them out in their owne lustre wee could not conceive of them But thirdly the most comfortable way whereby Gods people know the things of heaven and of the life to come is in regard of some tast for there is nothing in heaven but Gods Children have a tast of it before they come there in some measure they have a taste of the communion that is in heaven in the communion they have on earth they have a taste of that eternall Sabbath by some relish they have of holy exercises in these Christian Sabbaths A Christian is as much in heaven as he can be when hee sanctifies the holy Sabbath speaking to God in the Congregation by prayer and hearing God speake to him in the preaching of the word That peace that wee shall have in heaven which is a peace uninterrupted without any disturbance it is understood by that sweet peace of conscience here that passeth all understanding We may know therefore what the sight of Christ face to face will be by the sight wee have of Christ now in the word and promises if it so transforme and affect us that sight that we have by knowledge and faith here what will those sights doe So that by a grape wee may know what Canaan is as the spies they brought of the grapes of Canaan into the desart we may know by this little taste what those excellent things are The fourth way is by authoritie and discoverie St. Paul was wrapped up in the third heaven he sayth they were such things that he saw that could not bee spoken of strange things And Christ tels us of a kingdome Christ knew what they were and the word tells us what they are our faith lookes to the authoritie of the word If wee had not the first fruits nor any other discoverie God that hath prepared them hee sayth so in his word and we must rest in his authoritie And there are some that have been in heaven Christ our blessed Saviour that hath taken into a perpetual union the man-hood with the second person which he hath knit unto it he knowes what is there and by this meanes wee come to have some kind of knowledge of the things to come Againe by a kind of reasoning likewise from the lesser to the greater we may come to know not only the things but the greatnesse of them As is there not coÌ„fort now in a litle glimpse when God shines upon a Christians soule when he is as it were in heaven is there such contenment in holy companyâ—here what shall there be in heaven Is there such contentment in the delights of this world that are the delights of our pilgrimage they are no better our houses are houses of our pilgrimage our contentments are contentments of passengers if the way the gallery that leads to heaven bee so spread with comforts what bee those that are reserved in another world A man may know by raysing his soule from the lesser to the greater And if the things that God hath provided in common for his enemies as wel as his friends as all the comforts of this world all the delicacies and all the objects of the sences they are comforts that are common to the enemies of God as well as his friends if these things be so excellent that men venture their soules for them and lose all to bee drowned in these things oh what peculiar things are they that God hath reserved for his owne Children for those that love him when those that are common with his enemies are so glorious and excellent These kind of wayes we may come to know them by the helpe of the spirit Those unmixed joyes those pure joyes that are full of themselves and have no tincture in heaven are understood by those joyes we feele on earth the joy of the holy Ghost which is after conflict with temptations or after afflictions or after hearing and meditating on good things the heavenly joyes that flow into the soule they give us a taste of that full joy that we shall have at the right hand of God for evermore That comfort that we shall have in heaven in the presence of God and of Christ and his holy Angels is understood in some little way by the comfortable presence of God to the soule of a Christian when hee findes the Spirit of God raising him and chearing him up and witnessing his presence as oft-times to the comfort of Gods people the holy Ghost witnesseth a presence that now the soule can say God is present with me he smiles on me and strengtheneth mee and leads mee along This comfortable way Gods children have to understand the things of heaven by the first fruits they have here for God is so farre in love with his children here on earth and so tender over them that hee purposes not to reserve all for another world but gives them some taste before hand to make them better in love with the things there and better to beare the troubles of this world But alas what is it to that that they shall know as it is 1 Ioh. 3. Now wee are the sonnes of God but it appeares not what we shall bee That shall bee so great in comparison of that we are that it is sayd not to appeare at all it appeares in the first fruits in a little beginnings but alas what is that to that glory that shall bee Our life is hid with Christ in God It is hid there is no man knowes it in regard of the full manifestation because here it is covered with so many infirmities afflictions and so many scornes of the world are cast upon the beautie of a Christian life it is hid in our head Christ. It is not altogether hid for there is a life that comes from the root from the head Christ to the members that quickens them but in regard of the glory that shall be it is a hidden life Let us consider the reasons why God will have it thus to make it cleare before I goe further We must be modest in reasons when we speake of Gods counsels and courses
our selves with the assurance of Gods favour and love in Jesus Christ. Being justified by faith we have peace with God and rejoyce in God as it is Rom. 5. wee rejoyce in God as ours Therfore those that goe to outward contentments that run out to them as if there were not enough in God and divine things to content their soules but they must be beholding to the divell aâ—d to the flesh for contentments this is not to rest in God Hee is over-covetous whom God cannot content If we be in covenant with him hee is able to fill our soule and all the corners of it hee is able to satisfie all the delights and desires of it hee is a gracious father in Christ. Whither should wee goe from him for contentment why should wee goe out of religion to content our selves in â—vain recreations pleasures of sinne for a season when wee have abundance in God And where there is contentment there will be trusting in him and relying upon him A man will not rely upon riches or friends or any thing for where we place our contentment we place our trust So farre as we love God so farre wee repose affiance and trust in him he will be our rock castle strength Wouldest thou know whether thou restest in him or no In the time of danger whither doth thy soule run to thy purse if thou bee a rich man or to thy friends if thou bee a worldly minded man Every man hath his Castle to flye to But the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower hee that is a childe of God flieth thither for refuge and there hee covereth himselfe and is safe He enters into those chambers of divine providence and goodnesse and there he rests in all troubles Therefore aske thy affections whither thou wouldest runne if there should come a confusion of all things when men are apt to say Oh! what will become of us and they think of this and that A good Christian hath God to rest in he hath God reconciled in Christ and in his love he plants himselfe in life and death He makes God his habitation and his Castle as it is Psalm 18. I love the Lord dearly my Rock and my Fortresse And Moses in Psalm 90. for his Psalme it is Thou hast been our habitation from everlasting to everlasting Wee dwell in thee though in the world we are tossed up and downe and live and die yet wee alway dwell with thee So a Christian hath his contentment and his habitation in God he is his house he dwells in his rocke his resting place his centre in which he rests Come unto mee and yee shall finde rest to your soules When a man is beat out of all contentments he may know by this whether he love God or no As David when hee was beat out of all and they were ready to stone him but hee trusted in the Lord his God So in losses and crosses hast thou contentment in God thou wilt fetch what thou losest out of the love of God and what thou art crossed in thou wilt fetch out of Gods love thou wilt say this and that is taken from mee but God is mine I can fetch more good by faith from him than I can lose in the world A soule that is acquainted with God when hee loseth any thing in the world he can fetch it out of the â—cuntain and spring He is taught to love God he is skilfull this way to pitch his hope and affiance in God where he hath enough for all crosses Let us labour to bring our souls more and more to this and then wee shal know what it is to love God by this placing of our contentment in him Take all from me sayth holy Aâ—stin so thou leave mee thy selfe So a Christian can say take all from mee so I have God Indeed where shall a man have comfort in many passages of his life if he finde it not in religion What will become of a man in this uncertaine world if hee have not somewhat where hee may place his content Oh! he will finde before hee die that hee is a wretched man hee knowes not where to finde rest and contentment before he die hee will bee beat out of all his holds here either by sicknesse or one thing or other The fourth and last is where the true affection of love to God is it stirs up the soule to give all contentment to God to doe all things that may please him This is the nature of love it stirs up to please the partie loved Isaacks sons saw that their father loved Venison therfore they provided venison for him Those that know what God loves will provide what they can that that God may delight in He loves a humble and a believing heart Thou hast wounded me with one of thine eyes The eye of faith when the soule can trust in the word humbly go out of it self his delight is in a broken yeelding heart that hardnes not it selfe against his instructions but yeelds A broken heart that lies low heares all that God saith Oh it is a sacrifice that God is much delighted in a humble spirit is such a spirit as God dwels in He that dwels in the highest heavens dwels in a humble spirit Doth God delight in a meeke broken humble spirit Oh then it will be the desire of a Christian to have such a spirit as God may delight in A meeke soule is much esteemed the hidden man of the heart is much prized search in Gods word what hee delights in and let us labour to bring our selves to such a condition as God may delight in us and we in him then it is a signe wee love him when wee labour to procure all things that may give him content You know that love where it is it stirres up the affections of the partie to remove all things that are distastfull to the partie it loves Therefore it is a neat affection for it will make those neat that otherwise are not so because it will not offend much more this divine heavenly affection when it is set on a right object upon God it is a neat cleanly affection it will purge the soule it will worke upon the soule a desire to bee cleane as much as can bee because God is a pure holy God and it will have no fellowship with the workes of darknesse Therfore as much as humane frailtie will permit the soule that loves God it will studie puritie to keep it selfe unspotted of the world It will not willingly cherish any sinne that may offend the Spirit Those therefore that are carelesse of their wayes and carriage and affections that make nothing of polluting and defiling their affectictions and their wayes there is not the love of God in their hearts It stirres up shame to be offensive in the eyes of such a one especially if they be great there is both love and
thing in the World and who deserves it better then God and Christ we can never returne any thing but this affection of love wee may againe And can wee place it better then upon devine things whereby we are made better our selves doth God require our affections for himselfe No it is to make us happy It advanceth our affection to love him it is the turning of it into the right streame It is the making of us happy that God requires it For consider all things that may deserve this affection It will keepe us from all sin what is any sin but the abuse of love for the crookednesse of this affection turnes us to present things that is the cause of all sinne For what is all sin but pleasure and honours and profits the 3. Idolls of the World all sin is about them And what are all good actions but love well placeâ— the well ordering of this affection is the well ordering of our lives and the misplacing of this affection is the cause of all sinne And to make us the more carefull this way consider that when wee place our affections upon any thing else consider the vanity of it we loose our love and the thing and our selves For whatsoever else wee love if we love not God in it and love it for God it will perish and come to nothing ere long The affection perisheth with the thing we loose our affections and the thing and loose our selves too misplaceing of it These are forcible considerations with understanding persons And if we would use our understanding and consideration and meditation and our soules as wee should to consider of the grounds and incouragments we have to love God and the best things whereby we may be dignified above our selves it would not be as it is we should not bee so devoyd of grace and comfort It was a miracle that the 3. yong men should bee in the middest of the furnace and bee there as if they were in another place no hotter And it is a miracle that men should be in the middest of all incouragements that we have to love God as there is not the like reasons for any thing in the World to keepe our soules in a perpetuall heat of affection to love God no motives or arguments or incentives all are nothing to the multitude of arguments we have to inflame our affections and yet to be cold in the middest of the fire it is a kind of a miracle to have darke understandings and dead affections that notwithstanding all the heavenly meanes we have to keepe a perpetuall flame of love to God yet to be cold and darke in our soules let us bewayle it and be ashamed of it What doe we professe our selves Christians heires of Heaven so beloved of God as that he gave his owne Sonne to deliver us being rebells and enemies in so cursed a state as we are all in by nature poore Creatures inferiour to the Angells that fell that he should love man sinfull dust and ashes so much as to give his owne Son to free us from so great misery and to advance us to so great happinesse to set us in heavenly places with Christ and to have perpetuall communion with him in Heaven to have such incouragements and to be cold and dead hearâ—ed nay wilfully opposite in our affections to bee enemies to the goodnesse of God and grace having such arguments to love God And yet how many spirits edged by the Divell oppose all that is good and will not give way to Gods Spirit God would have them Temples they will be styes God would marry them nay they will be harlots GOD would have them happy here and here after no they will not they will have their owne lusts and affections Let us bee affrayd of these things as we love our owne soules and ourselvâ—s and consider what incouragments wee have to love God for which such great things are reserved as neyther Eye hath seen nor Eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive FINIS Imprimatur Tho. Wykes Aug. 1638. The coherence The best Ministers will not shun to be tried by the best judgments Scope of the words and explication The mysteries of the Gospell hidden from naturall men Isai. 64. 4 The way to set forth divine things 1. Pet. 1. What is meant by those things the eye hath not seen Dâ—â—trines A question God reveals secret things that are excellent to his children Three degrees of revelation Vers. 11. The Gospell is hid without the Spirit to discover the minde of God 1 Iohn 3. 2. 1. Vse Instruction Why so many heresies touching the Gospel 2. Instruction In dâ—vine truths above nature wee are not to trust to reason too much An use of direction How to study and read divine truths GODS course with his children to shew them these mysteries Supernaturall objects require supernatural senses Simile Of knowledge joyned with feeling 1 Cor. â— 14. 15. Concerning spirituall sight It is not in nature to shew us these divine mysteries Another use of Inâ—struction A rule to value things by Iâ— is the best wisedome to be wise to salvation Augustine Value the Scriptures Ground of the Martyrs patience A godly man suffers these things in his senses for those that are above his senses Rom. 8. What Popery is Isai. 64. Merit hath no proportion with glory We cannot be too exact in holy duties The scopâ— coherence division more cleared The wisedom of God hâ—d from wise men 1 Point Observation Naturall wits conceive not the Gospel Wicked men talk of repentance but do not rerepent A holy man feeles sin heavy Carnall men hate the light They know them but by a common light An objection answered for explicatioÌ„ 1. Answ. Ephes 3. By way of negation By way of eminence What tho we should have of the world What true râ—ches are What true beautie is Gods children have a taste of heaven before they come there What peace in heaven is Heaven on earth 1 Ioh. 3. Reasons 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason If wee would see God as he is we must die Use. I. The meditation of the life hereafter steeres a Christians life here 2 Vse 3 Vse Ephes. 1. 1 Pet. 1. Every petty crosse will not cast downe a believer 4 Vse Hee comforts himselfe with his hopes of heaven against the slightings of the world Envie not wicked men but pitty them joy unspeâ— 1 Ioh. 3. To be called a son of God is to be so Vse Why men are drowned in the world How to get the conquest of any temptation The fourth particular Some questions answered for explication 2 Quest. Answ. Fâ—ith a hidden grace Quest. Answ. 4 Quest. Answ. For whom these are prepared Observ. Râ—asons No gettâ—ng to heaven without change of our natures A carnall man-wants eyes to see heaven Vse Take heed of vaine hope Gâ—eatnesse nor honoâ—s can pacifie conscience 2 Vse Look within thee for the evidences Looke to thy affections A briefe recapitulation of some former things with addition God prepared happinesse for us before all eternitie It is a base thing to be too much in love with any earthly thing Try thy selfe by thy love Wee may know heaven to bee ours by the disposition of our hearts 1 Pet. 1. God hath not ordained heaven for his enemies Observ. Merit confuted Love a commanding affection Our actions are but still-born withâ—out affections When a man puts God in stead of himselfe There must be an esteeme of God and Christ. Psal 73. Heb. 11. Ioh. 6. Psal. 27. If we esteeme God wee shall part with any thing besides 2 Where there is true love there is a desire of union Strangenesse is opposite to lovâ— Psal. â—7 Where thiâ— uâ—ion is there is a desire of death it selfe Revel 22. 1 Thess. 4. 17. Cant. 1. Desire the presence of Christ. Psal. 4. Rom. 5. God can fill our soules Psal. 18. Psal. 90. Augustine Seâ— what God loves delight in that and provide it for him Isai. 65. Loveâ— will purge your heart Love from faith woundeth the breast of Christ. If we love God wee shall love whatever is divine or toucheth on God Love to God studies how to please God Studie in thy place how to put forth the best of â—hy indevours to please God 〈◊〉 1. Psal. 34.