counsell at the mouth of the Lord Examine all thine actions by the touchstone of the worde and bee sure to doo nothing for the which thou hast not the worde for thy warrant If harlots entise thee to lewdnes as Putiphars wise entised Ioseph Genesis the thirty nine Chapter fly from them as Ioseph did from hir and remember what the law saith thou shalt not commit adulterie If sinners such as haue no feare of God before their eyes entise thee saying Come with vs wee will lay waite for blood and watch to state the simple man consent thou not but consider what is written in the Law Thou shalt do no murther If they say cast in thy lot among vs wee will all haue one purse wee shall get great riches and fill our houses with spoile Prouerbs the first Chapter and fourteenth verse Walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path and looke what the Lawe requireth of thee thou shalt not steale If Papists would perswade thee to change thy religion because thy Fathers were of another religion looke into the Scriptures examine thy religion by the word of God and then as Elias saide vnto the people If the Lord be God then follow him but if Baal be hee then goe after him the first booke of Kings the eighteenth Chapter and twenty one verse So answere thou them if this religion be agreeable to the worde as in truth it is then will I be of this religion though my forefathers haue beene of your religion And to conclude if thy father that begate thee thy mother that bare thee thy wife that lyeth in thy bosome thy friend that is as thine owne selfe or thy childe which is the fruite of thy body Deutronomium the thirteenth Chapter and sixth verse shall require thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath forbidden in his law or shall forbid thee to doo any thing which the Lorde hath commanded in his word then thou maist answere them as Iob answered his wife thou speakest like a foolish woman Iob the second Chapter and tenth verse or as Christ answered his mother VVoman what haue I to doo with thee Iohn the second Chapter and fourth verse or as hee answered his friend Peter Go after me Sathan for thou sauerest not the thinges that bee of God c. Matthewe the sixteenth Chapter and twenty three verse Yea if it come to this that thy Prince which hath power ouer thy life commaund one thing and the Lord commaund the contrary thou must answere as Peter and Iohn answered the Rulers Acts the fourth Chapter and nineteenth verse whether it bee meere c. Yea thou must be content with Sydrach Misach and Abednego Daniel the third Chapter to vndergoe any punishment euen vnto the death rather than thou wouldst dishonor him or disobey his worde that hath power to call both bodie and soule into hell together Matthew the tenth Chapter and twenty eight verse It followeth verse twenty seauen And he answered and saide Thou shalt loue thy Lord God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and with all thy thought and thy neighbour as thy selfe Before the Lawier mooued the Question Now t is the Lawiers turne to answere and in his answere he sheweth him selfe a learned Lawier for whereas the lawe of God consisteth of tenne precepts he reduceth the same vnto two The one taken as it seemeth out of Deutronomium the sixt Chapter conteining our duety towarde God the other taken out of Leuiticus the nineteenth Chapter conteining our duety to our neighbour Here is the abridgement of Moses lawe which as it was deliuered in two tables so it is reduced to two dueties and both these require but one thing and that is loue Deutronomium the tenth Chapter So doth our Sauiour Christ himselfe diuide the lawe Matthew the twenty two Chapter where beeing asked which is the great commandement hee answereth as here this Lawier dooth Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the first commaundement and the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere is nothing but loue my brethren and yet here is the fulfilling of the law Romaines the thirteenth Chapter For all the benefits that God had bestowed vpon the Israelites his people hee requireth nothing but loue And for all the fauours which he hath done vnto vs he asketh no more but loue againe If wee were not too vnkinde God needed not to craue our loue hauing so well descrude our loue in louing vs before wee loued him first of Iohn the fourth Chapter But nowe hee is â—aine to become a Suter for our loue which he hath dearely bought for he shewed his loue to vs before hee craues our loue to him By his almightie power hee created vs of nothing and made vs the most excellent of all his creatures if that bee little worth because it cost him little for he spake the word and we were made Psal. 33.9 Yet this is such a loue as cannot be expressed that when wee were fallen from that excellent estate wherein wee were created and become heyres of hell and condemnation so did he loue this sinfull world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne to die for the sinnes thereof That hee might bring vs to heauen hee came downe from heauen that hee might deliuer vs from hell hee went downe to hell for vs Not golde nor siluer but his dearest bloud was the price of our redemption 1 Peter 1. What can a man doo more than to giue his life for his friend Rom. 5.6.7 And what can God doo more than to die for sinfull men And for all this what dooth this louing Lorde require of thee but that thou loue the Lord thy God Blessed be such a Lorde that requireth nothing of his seruants but loue If any Prince were so gratious vnto his subiects that he would require no other subsidies nor tribute nor custome of them but loue how were the subiects bound to loue and honor such a Prince And such a one is our most gratious Lord and King who for all the blessings and benefits that we enioy vnder his most happy gouernment craueth no more but loue at our hands for recompence Once he required burnt offerings that was a deere kinde of seruice but now he asketh loue a kind of seruice which euery man may well affoorde He asketh not learning nor strength nor riches nor nobility but he asketh loue a thing that the simplest the weakest the poorest the basest may performe as well as he that is most learned most strong most riche or most nobly borne If God had required this of thee that thou shouldst be able to dissolue doubts like Daniell and to dispute subtile questions what should then become of thee that art vnlearned If the Lorde should accept of none but such as were strong and
valiant what should then become of women olde men and children which are weake and feeble If God should regarde none but the riche and wealthie what should then become of the poore and needy To conclude if God should make choice of none but such as were of noble parentage what should wee do that are the common people But now hee requireth such a thing of vs as the poorest simplest may performed as well as the wealthiest or wisest man in all the world for if we cannot loue we can do nothing specially if wee cannot loue God that hath so loued vs we go not so farre as the wicked doe for sinners also loue their louers Luc. 6.32 And therefore blessed be God that for the performance of so small a worke hath proposed such a great rewarde and for the obtayning of such a happy state hath imposed such an easie taske The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can the heart conceiue what God hath prepared for them that loue him Esay 64. chap. 4. verse 1. Corinthians 2. chap. 9. verse And for all these vnspeakeable ioyes which God hath prepared hee requireth no more of vs but loue How is God enamoured of our loue and how vnkinde shall wee bee to withholde it from him He hath an innumerable company of Angels which are inflamed with his loue and not content therewith he sues to haue the loue of men God hath no neede of our loue no more then Elisa had neede of Naamans cleansing but as Elisa bad Naaman wash that he might become cleane in the second booke of Kings the fift chapter so God bids vs loue that wee might be saued It is for our good altogether that God requires our loue in earth because he meanes to set his loue on vs in heauen If the man of God had willed Naaman doe some great thing ought he not to haue done it So if God had willed vs doe some great thing ought wee not to haue done it How much more when he saieth vnto vs Loue and you shall liue for euer Nowe if you would knowe whether you haue this loue of God in you examine your actions whether they bee done with delight and comfort In amore nihil amari In loue there is no mislike T is like the waters of Iordane wherein Naaman washed for as his flesh which before was leprous became faire and tender after his washing so all our actions and labours and afflictions which before were tedious and irkesome become ioyous and pleasaunt and comfortable after wee are once bathed in the loue of God It is like the Salte that Elisa cast into the noysome waters to make them wholesome in the 2. Kings and second chapter or like the meale that Elisa put into the bitter pottage to make them sweete as in the 2. Kings the 4. chap. So the loue of God being shed in our hearts by the holy Ghost dooth make all anguish and sicknesse and pouerty and labours and watchings and losses and iniuries and famishment and banishment and persecutions imprisonment yea death it selfe to be welcome vnto vs. Such was the loue of that chosen vessell who for the loue that he bare vnto God waded through all these afflictions 2. Cor. 12. and could not for all these and many more be separated from the loue of God as he protesteth Rom. 8. Wherefore beloued seeing God that hath done so much for vs requireth no more but loue of vs which euery one may easily affoord let him be our loue our ioy and whole delight and then all our life will seeme delightfull As Iaacob serued seauen yeares for Rachaell Gen. 29.20 and they seemed to him but a few daies for the loue that he bare vnto hir so when we haue once set our loue vpon God our paine will be pleasure our sorrow will be ioy our mourning will be mirth our seruice will be freedome and all our crosses shall be counted so many comforts for his sake whom we loue a great deale more then Iaacob loued Rachell because his loue to vs is like Ionathans loue to Dauid passing the loue of women 2. Samuel 1.26 Thus we haue heard what it is that the Lord requireth of vs namely loue Nowe let vs see what manner of loue he requireth Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy strength and with all thy thought Here the Lord setteth downe the measure of that loue which he requireth of vs that first it must be true and vnfained as proceding from the hart minde secondly that it must be sound and perfect with all the heart with all the minde The Lorde which is a spirit and trueth Iohn 4. will be serued in spirit and in the truth He cannot away with hypocrites which drawe neere vnto him with their lips but their hearts are farre from him Matth. 15. He cannot abide dissemblers which flatter with their lips and dissemble in their double heart Psal. 12. and therefore though he requireth all the heart yet he requireth not a double heart to signifie that a single heart is pleasing vnto him and that he detesteth a double hart As there is a glosing tongue a wanton eye an idle eare a wicked hand and a wandring foote so there is a false and dissembling heart which marreth all the rest As is the eye such is the light if the eye be single the body is full of light if the eye be wicked the body is full of darkenesse Matth. 6.22 So as is the heart such are the actions of the body which proceede from the heart A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth foorth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of the heart bringeth foorth euill things Matth. 12.35 therefore as Christ saith Make cleane within and all will be cleane Luc. 11. So I say vnto you looke that your heart be sincere and single and then your tongue your eye your eare your hand your foote that is all your actions will be holy to the Lord. The heart of man is the storehouse wherein his treasure lyeth and therefore God seeking to haue the treasure requires the heart For where the treasure is there will the heart be also Matth. 6.21 But he will haue it freely not by constraint and therefore he requires the heart because whatsoeuer is done with the hart is done willingly and that which is done against the heart is done as it were against the haire Therefore in requiring the heart God sheweth that hee delighteth in voluntary seruice Among all the offerings that the Lorde in his lawe required of his people he liketh none so well as the free-will offerings of their hande Princes require helpe of their subiects because they stand in neede of helpe not regarding whether they doe it willingly or against their willes but God requireth the heart because he needeth not our helpe As God giues to all men
hearts with all our soule that is with a sound perfect loue As we loue a ring or a iewell for his sake that gaue it so we must loue althings of this life for his sake that gaue them for his own sake aboue all the rest This perfect loue we can bestow but once and but one can haue it and who so hath it must be our God if we set our hart vpō riches we make riches our God therfore Dauid saith Psal. 62 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them if our whole delight be in eating drinking then we make a god of our belly and the Apostle tels vs Phil. 3. that our end is damnation if we be giuen to wantonnesse and fleshly pleasure then Venus is our goddesse and Salomon tels vs Prou. 6. cha 26. ver that our end will be beggerie But if we haue set our loue on God the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man what God hath prepared for them that loue him 1. Cor. 2.9 Nowe if you woulde know how you must loue God with all your hart thus you must doo it When the diuell or the world or the flesh shal set any thing before thee to loue wherewith thou shalt offend thy God thou must bee content to loose and forgoe the same be it neuer so precious be it neuer so louely He loueth God aboue all which not for the loue of any thing that is created can be brought to sinne against his Creator So Ioseph loued God aboue all who though hee might haue had the loue of his Ladie and Mistresse without suspition of man yet he would not consent and so to loose the loue of God Gen. 39. Such was Dauids loue to God 1. Kings 24. who when hee had gotten Saul his greatest enemy that sought his life into a Caue where hee might at once haue beene reuenged on him for all his iniuries was content onely to cut off the lap of his garment and so to let him goe vnhurt rather than hee woulde sinne against the Lord in laying his handes vppon the Lords annointed Such also was the loue of chast Susanna Dan. 13. who when shee might haue gained the loue and fauour of the Elders without any note of infamie chose rather to vndergoe the danger of hir life than to sinne in the sight of the Lorde Therefore thou mayest loue the things of this life thy parents thy wife thy children and the rest the Lorde giues thee good leaue to loue them so long as thou maiest loue them without offence to God But if once they be vnto thee an occasion to sinne thou must leaue to loue them and rather choose to susteine any losse though it bee to the cutting off thy hande or thy foote or to the plucking out of thine eye Math. 5.29 or to the hazard of thy life than thou wouldst offend so diuine a Maiestie Now thou seest if thou be not wilfully blind how farre thou art from this perfect loue which God requireth of thee Thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy worldly profit thou hast not alwaies preferred God before all thy fleshly pleasure when thou hast gotten oportunity to be reuenged of thine enemie thou hast not spared him when thou hast gotten oportunitie to commit wickednes thy loue to God hath not restrained thee where God required all thy heart thou hast giuen him no part of thy heart Somtime all thy heart runneth after thy couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31 Sometime thy soule is wholly set vpon-delight and ease sometime thy minde is all vppon thy corne Luke 12. or thy cattle or thy pasture and sometime thy thoughts are all vpon thy merchandise seldome thou thinkest vppon God but when thou commest into the Church of God and then thy minde is so distracted with diuers thoughts and eares and affaires of this life that thou canst not thinke vpon God one houre together Therefore what remaineth in this case for thee to doo but confesse thine owne imperfection and flie to Christ to supplie thy wants and earnestly to desire the Lorde to change thy heart to take from thee thy old heart thy vaine thy wandring heart which hath loued other things more than God and in stead therof to giue thee a new heart and to create a right spirite within thee Psal. 51. wherwith thou maist loue God aboue all things in this life that in the life to come thou maiest finde the rewarde of thy loue such ioyes and comforts as cannot be expressed Thus we haue heard what duety wee owe vnto God himselfe Now wee shall heare what duety we owe vnto our neighbour That which we owe vnto them both is loue but yet the loue which we owe vnto them is not alike For albeit the second commaundement bee like vnto the first Matthew 22. for the necessitie thereof and in respect of the subiect or qualitie which is required namely loue yet in respect of the obiect which is God and the measure of our loue which must bee perfect there is great odds betweene them In that they both require but loue they are both alike but in that the first requireth loue to God the second loue to men the first requireth a greater loue than the second there is the difference But here a doubt ariseth seeing God requireth the loue of all the heart soule c. what loue remaineth for our neighbour If God must haue all our loue what loue is left for any other Whereunto I answere that the loue of our neighbour doth not derogate nor detract from the loue of God As the light of a candle doth not dazel but rather commend the light of the sunne so our loue to our neighbour doth not diminish but rather accomplish our loue to God He that loueth the frute will loue the tree whereon it groweth and hee that loueth the streame will loue the fountaine from whence it floweth euen so he that loueth man which is a creature will much more loue God that hath created him But let vs examine the words Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Heere are foure thinges to bee obserued First what is required namely loue Secondly who must loue thou that is euery man Thirdly whome wee must loue namely our neighbour And lastly howe and in what manner wee must loue him as we loue our selues Concerning the first as in the former precept so in this also the Lord requireth loue wherein hee dealeth as a kinde father with his children who desirous to haue them so to resemble him as by their conditions euery man may knowe whose they are Therefore our louing father desirous to haue vs like himselfe requireth vs to be kinde and louing one to another as he is kind to the vnkind to the euill to the iust and to the vniust Matt. 5. He will haue vs perfect as he is perfect he will haue vs holy as he is holy he will haue vs