and of Sodom too Rev. 7.17 The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them to living fountains of water Those actually Christs are under the Conduct of Christ from the Wilderness to Canaan from Earth to Heaven from Grace to Glory Christ leadeth out of a state of Sin into a slate of Grace and thorough a state of Grace into a state of Glory Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psa 73.24 and afterward receive me to glory Christ is excellent in power All power in Heaven is devolved upon Christ He is the Object of the Angels adoration He hath the Angels at his command and can send them forth as an heavenly Host to assist his people Peter Mat. 26.53 saith Christ thinkest thou not that I can now pray to the Father and he shall give me more than 12 legions of Angels And as he hath power over Heaven so over the Earth as he is the Object of the Angels adoration so of the Saints admiration 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that bleieve And as Christ hath power over Heaven and over Earth so over Hell As he is the Object of the Angels adoration and of the Saints admiration so of the Devils consternation Phi. 2.10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow things in Heaven Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect Things on Earth Saints and Sinners Things under the Earth infernal Spirits CHAP. III. Inferences from a Gospel Love THe Lover of Christ Infer 1. hath much in Reversion Though the lover of Christ hath much in possession yet more in reversion The Apostle hath a lovely 1 Cor. 2.9 and a lofty strain Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared But for whom for them that love him Vespatian the Emperor I have read of one that commanded a liberal sum of money should be given to one that fell in love with him The Steward asked under what Item he should put it The Emperor answered Vespatiano adamaco Item to the Woman that loved Vespatian But now Soul when Christ gives he doth not put it under an Item of Money but of Mercy not under an Item of Gold but of Glory Item Heaven with the Sinlessness thereof Heaven with the Sorrowlessness thereof Heaven with the Temptationlessness thereof Heaven with the Timelessness thereof to the Soul that loves me Item the things which are invisible and inaudible and inconceivable to he Man that loves me to the Woman that loves me Art a lover of Christ Drink then of the brook by the way and lift up thy head for man sees not hears not conceives not the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him Art a lover of Christ then though thou didst come unto this work mourning like a Dove and hast been at this work groaning like a Turtle yet go away from this work singing like a Lark for man hath not seen nor heard nor conceived the things that Christ hath prepared for them that love him 'T is true every lover of Christ may as one did mourn over his want of love to Christ A Minister weeping at the Table as he sat at meat was asked wherefore he wept who answered I weep because I can love Christ no more Do ye see the tears of repentance stand in mine eyes 'T is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see Tears run down my Cheeks 't is because I can love Christ no more Do ye see my Tears fall upon my Plate 'T is because I can love Christ no more But Soul though to love Christ no more be a ground of Sorrow yet the promise to the lover of Christ is a ground of Joy The promise is made to the lover of Christ Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him But what is this Crown under promise for the lovers of Christ Qu. 1. This word Crown passeth thorough various expressions in the sacred Scripture but all amount unto and meet in one Sol. and the same thing 'T is called an Inheritance Are inheritances nothing Naboth had an inheritance and he valued it Shall I give away the inheritance of my fathers unto thee This was but a vineyard and he might have had a better for it or the worth of it in money but what manner of inheritance is this inheritance To an inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you It is incorruptible not perishing with the things of the world 'T is undefiled not defiled with abuse It fadeth not away with Antiquity And 't is reserved in Heaven 'T is safe 't is sure 't is secure and will be thy security that art a lover of Christ 'T is called the Joy of the Lord. Well done good and faithful servant Mat. 25.21 enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. For the joy of the Lord to enter into us is for Heaven to enter into us for us to enter into the joy of the Lord is for us to enter into Heaven On Earth there are Tones of Sorrow with Tunes of Joy but in Heaven there are Tunes of Joy without Tones of Sorrow Heaven is not a Baca a valley of tears not a Bochim a house of mourning but a Shushan a City of joyfulness 'T is called the Kingdom Come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 inherit the Kingdom prepared for you Are not Kingdoms great things with great Men This was the flagitious position of a flagitious Machiavel That breach of faith for Kingdoms is no sin Will not men swim as it were through a Sea of blood to a Kingdom Here is a Kingdom and 't is the Kingdom of Heaven the third Heaven the Heaven of Heavens 'T is called the Crown of Life Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer What none No Rev. 2.10 What not binding and banishing No What not Poverty and Prison No What not Fire and Massacre No What not Rack and Stake No Behold the Devil in his Seconds and Servants shall take some of you not all of you and cast into prison not into Hell and ye shall have tribulation ten days not for ever Be thou faithful unto death there 's the precept and I will give thee a crown of life there 's the promise A Crown represents unto us Dignity plenty and perpetuity A Crown is round as if it had neither beginging nor ending 'T is called a Crown of Righteousness I have fought a good fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. I have finished my course I have kept the faith Here are three Metaphors the first is taken from wrestling I have fought a good fight
the Objects of this Gospel-love Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee As if the Psalmist had said Lord Jesus not thine but Thee not thine without Thee not thine in compare with Thee not the Token without the Hand not the Stream without the Fountain not the Gift without the Giver Lord Jesus not the Field without the Pearl not the Cabinet without the Jewel not the Shadow without the Substance Lord Jesus not the Pool without the Angel not the Gallery without the King not the mercy of God without the God of the mercy I have been prolix but pardon the prolixity for some may be as long in going one mile as others may be in going two miles and resent the Sentiment that Gospel-Love is a supernatural Grace and expansion of the Soul towards the personal Excellency of Christ as its proper Object CHAP. II. How this personal Excellency of Christ appears that is the proper Object of this Gospel-Love THat Christ is an excellent person an excelling person is evinced to my hand and none will deny that acknowledg his Deity Did any understand Christ better than the Church so well as the Church Now she writes him white and red These are the best Temperature of Man they are the natural and the native Badges of Beauty Can. 5.10 But what follows The Armour-bearer among ten thousand Did Luke write most excellent Theophilus Luke 1.3 certainly then I may write most excellent Jesus Was Felix written by the chief Captain most excellent Governour then Christ may be written the most excellent person Acts 23.26 The great Doctor of the Gentiles was so graciously taken with a Christ that he accounted all things but loss Phi. 3.8 for the excellency of the knowledg of this most excellent person Was it said of Joseph and that by Pharaoh is there such a man as this is Gen. 41.38 in whom the Spirit of God is What may then be said of a Jesus Job 1.8 Was it said of a Job and that by a God that there was none like him in the earth What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said of David Mar. 2 Sam. 18.3 thou art worth or as ten thousand of us what then may be said of a Jesus whose personal Excellency is the proper Object of Gospel-Love certainly he is of more worth than ten thousand Josephs Jobs Davids But wherein doth the personal Excellency of Christ appear Qu. Christ is excellent in Name Some Sol. 1. have a great name but not a good name thus Sennacherib had Isa 36.13 hear ye the words of the great King the King of Assyria Others have a good name but not a great name Jam. 2.5 God hath chosen the poor of this world to be rich in Faith and heyrs of the kingdom Christ hath both a great and a good name God in paradise lapt up the name of Christ in the seed of the woman Jacob in Shiloh Daniel in a certain one c. That the name of Christ is great is evident His name shall be called wonderful Isa 9.6 Counsellor the mighty God the Father of eternity the prince of peace The name of Christ is great Thou shalt call his name Emmanuel Mat. 1.23 God with us And as the name of Christ is great so the name of Christ is good Jer. 23.6 In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called Jehovah tsidkenu Jehovah our Righteousness so the Hebrew Christ hath a good as well as a great name Mat. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins A great name with the Earth is better than a good name but a good name with Heaven is better than a great name One name in Heaven is worth ten thousand names on earth Christ excels in name the name of Christ 't is Honey in the Mouth 't is musick to the ear 't is a Jubile to the Heart Had it not been for this name we should not have had a name at least a name not worth the having That must needs be an excellent name when there is no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby they can be saved Acts 4.12 'T is still evident Being made so much better than the Angels Heb. 1.4 5 6. as he hath obtained a more excellent name than they Heb. 1.4 5 6. for unto which of the Angels said he at any time thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son And again when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the Angels of God worship him Angels are not to be worshipped for Angels are to worship Christ is excellent in Nature as god never had a son without suffering so god never had but one son without sin now this son was christ who was made the son of man that men might be made the sons of god he was made sin for us who knew no sin 2 Cor. 5.21 that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 'T is not for want of ignorance of their own hearts that there is in some a pretension unto personal perfection Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20.9 I am pure from my sin When was there a Soul without sin Did not Adam the Emperor of the Universe disobey The woman gave unto me and I did eat Gen. 3.12 Did not Abraham the Father of the faithful and the Friend of God dissemble Say I pray thee thou art my Sister Gen. 12.3 Did not Jacob a prayer and prevailer with Christ supplant his Brother Gen. 27.22 The voice is Jacob's voice but the hands are the hands of Esau Had not Moses though a Minister of Righteousness and mediator of the old Covenant his passion Num. 20.10 Hear now ye rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock Had not David though a man after Gods own heart a pang of forbidden fear I shall one day perish 1 Sam. 27.1 or be consumed by the hand of Saul Had not Jonah though his name signifieth a Dove and Doves they say are without a Gall his pettish humour Jon. 4.3 Lord take my life from me for it is better for me to dye than to live Had not Peter though of a Fisherman made a Fisher of Men a plague sore Then began he to curse Mat. 27.74 and to swear saying I know not the man I might multiply instances I shall add but one more Had not Paul though a tall if not the tallest Cedar in Lebanon sin running in his veins Rom. 7.23 I have a law in my members warring against the law of my mind These all these had weeds in
bearing it for a Crest Though God had one Son without Sin yet he never had a Son without Suffering 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Luther saith that he learned more by Christs Cross Qui non est Crucianus non est Christianus than by all the letters in the book He saith also that he is not a Christian that hath not a Cross They who are without chastisement are Bastards and not Sons Now no Bastard can inherit by the Law of God by the Law of Nature by the Law of Nations This hath ever been the poesy of the Church of the first born TO DO GOOD ANDTO SUFFER EVIL Suffering work is noble work the noblest work that Dust and Ashes can be concerned in Saints are inferiour to Angels as to doing but Saints are Superiour to Angels as to Suffering for they are Spirits and so impassible Whom God affects most he many times afflicts most and there is many times the choicest Affection under the chiefest Affliction Great Promises call for a great Faith The Promises of God they are the Churches Stock and a Believers Patrimony The Promises of God are great things so great things that what would not a convinced or a deserted Soul give for a Promise The Promises of God they are greater than the Fears or the Faith of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the wants or the weaknesses of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the Sorrows or the Sins of the People of God The Promises of God they are greater than the Threatnings of God and as great as the Commands of God When the World was shaken by Adam's sin Gen. 3.15 God secured it by the Promise of his Son All the after Promises were but as so many Commentaries upon this first Promise the SEED OF THE WOMAN God hath many times repealed Punishments but God hath not at any time repealed Promises The Promise is a Ground for Faith as the Precept is a Rule for Obedience The congregating and calling of the Jews together with the drying up of the great river Euphrates in order thereunto are not these great things to believe and do not these call for a great Faith The blasting of Babylon and the blessing of Sion the breaking of Babylon and the Building of Sion the Ruine of Babylon and the Resurrection of Sion are not these great things to believe and do not these great things call for a great Faith A numerical resurrection of the Body Act. 1.10.11 the binding of Satan the personal return of Christ from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the reign of His with Him according to the Greek the thousand years Rev. 20.4 are not these great things to believe and do not these great things call for a great Faith Great Providences call for a great Faith The works of God are distinguished into two sorts of Creation and Providence 'T is bad to out-run Providence and 't is not good to loyter and lag behind it 'T is not good to go before God and 't is as bad to stay long behind him Creatures have a teaching voice they read us Divinity-Lectures of divine Providence There is the general Providence of God Acts. 17.28 which extends it self to the whole world From him we live and move and have our being There 's also the special Providence of God which he sheweth towards his Church Isa 43.2 When thou passest thorough the Waters I will be with thee and prevent thy drowning when thou walkest thorough the fire I will be with thee and prevent thy burning Is not every year a year of Wonder Annus Mirabilis what detections disappointments and defeats have there lately been upon a beastly and bloody brutish and barbarous merciless and murderous generation by a timely interposition of divine providence The Poison and the Antidote come into the Nation together such is the divine Providence of the divine Majesty God now speaks not onely from the Earth but also from Heaven by the great and wonderful works of his Providence Eusebius which one calleth the Sermons of God Now do not these Providences call for a great Faith Great Temptations call for a great Faith Where is the Christian of Christs making that is without Temptation Our whole life saith one is but a Temptation Aug. There was a Tempter in the terrestial Paradise but there shall be no Tempter in the Celestial Paradise That indeed a man is that he is under Temptation To be without Temptation saith one is the greatest Temptation Tillinghast When God puts any of his Servants into Satans hand 's then he keeps Satan in his own hands There is no place in the world that can secure from Temptation or be a Sanctuary from Satanical Assaults It is the folly of Popish Votaries that think to immure themselves within Walls from the Temptations of Satan Cloysters are as open as the open field to Satan but he is confined as to his Temptation to the aereal part and therefore called the Prince of the power of the air Ephes 2.2 When once therefore we are beyond the Earth we are beyond the reach of all Temptations I am saith Luther set upon without by all the world and within by the Devil and his Angels Satan in Tempting hideth the Hook and sheweth onely the Bait. Christ was made like unto Man that he might be Tempted and Man is Tempted that he may be made like unto Christ When Satan doth his worst in Tempting a Christian should do his best in praying Beza One when Tempted made this answer Whatsoever I was Satan I am now in Christ a new creature and 't is that which troubles thee Luther gives one compendious way to withstand all temptation whatsoever If moved any way by Sin Satan or the World answer all with this onely I am a Christian Christianus Sum. I may not yield to any sin for I am a Christian Suspend thy judgment as to those under temptation Christ himself was Tempted in the highest measure that could be That which is written of Spira that he was a Reprobate and a Cast-away because he concluded this of himself was penned very inconsiderately for what did befal him which may not befal a Child of God Christs intercession must be the Souls Anchor in time of temptation He that can say under temptation Ego non sum Ego as that young Convert did I am not what I was nor where I was is happy indeed Oh saith Satan there is at hand a blasting time a breaking time a binding time a bleeding time a burning time curse God and die curse thy King and thy God and look upward Do not great temptations call for great Faith Satan rageth most at last He is always going as a subtle Serpent to delude or as a roaring Lion to devour Satan is the greatest
Stumbling-blocks in the way of others Live then and dye in the Act 1 Thes 4.13 and exercise of Hope What the Apostle saith concerning the resurrection I would not have you sorrow even as others which have no hope is also true concerning other things Do not carry it in the world and before the world as those who have no hope Do not dishonour your master by pangs of pannick and forbidden fear Should it not have been below a David a man after Gods own heart a person of that worth and weight to say I shall one day fall by the hands of this Saul Did not David fear many Philistines and doth he now fear one Saul Did God say that David should outlive Saul and doth David say that he shall dye before Saul I have so mewhere read of a Salutation and a Replication between a Ruffian and a poor man The Ruffian meeting him weeping as he was going saluted him thus what weeping still but what if there be no Heaven to compensate this weeping The poor man replied Ah Sir but what if there be a Hell for those that weep not The Salutation was bad but the Replication was good I beg pardon if I make this Use 't is connatural unto man to run into extreams and excesses but this I preach and press that there may be Tunes of Joy with Tones of Sorrow in those that have Christ for the Object of their Hope that they would be taking a prospect of the bright side and not be altogether poring on the dark side of the Cloud As sorrowful 2 Cor. 6.10 yet always rejoycing He brings in the sorrow of the godly with an AS saith Anselm not that it is sorrow indeed Quasi but as sorrowful as if it were a painted Sorrow not true Sorrow but when he speaks of Joy there is no as but true Joy The Design is this while ye who have Christ for the Object of your Hope are looking downward be also looking upward and while ye are in the reflection of what ye are in your Selves be also in the reflection of what ye are in your Surety for he is the Object of your Hope that ye may not be Stumbling-blocks in the way of others Would ye be secured when the Winds are prodigious and the waves are impetuous Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of hope When the winds rise and the Waves roar the Anchor is cast to secure the Ship The Apostle discoursing and discussing two immutable things the promise of God and the Oath of God in which it was impossible for God to lie Heb. 6.17 18 19. that we might have strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us connecteth and connexeth this which hope we have as an anchor of the Soul A material Anchor is cast downward but a mystical Anchor is cast upward and fastned in Heaven Our Hope must enter into Heaven and fix there The best of the Earth is not ground good enough nor sure enough for our Anchor-hold Whatsoever we make our Hope we make our God and is there any thing on Earth good enough to be our God Creatures from the Instinct of Nature will seek a Refuge upon the approach of a Storm Do the Heavens gather will it rain before night Is there a showr of blood impending Ark then in a Christ and Anchor upon a Christ Act thorough Christ hope upon a Christ who is the Object of a Gospel-Hope Would ye be under a distinguishing and dignifying Character Live then and die in the Act and exercise of Hope As some have been under a debasing Character thus Ahaz was This is that wicked Ahaz Thus Ahab was Ahab sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of God whom Jezebel his Wife stirred up Thus Jeroboam was He did evil above all that were before him Thus Abijam was He walked in all the sins of his Father Persons and places might be multiplied in order to the evincement of this that some have been under a debasing Character but others have been under a dignifying Character Thus Moses was for God himself preacheth his funeral Sermon Moses my servant is dead Thus David was I have found David the Son of Jesse a man after my own heart who shall fulfil all my wills Thus Jacob was He went unto a Duty a Jacob and prayer he went from that Duty an Israel and prevailer Thus Job was his passion is buried under his Patience and his Infirmity under his Grace Ye have heard of the patience of Job Thus Abraham was He is cried up as the Father of the Faithful who against hope Rom. 4.18 believed in hope He believed against hope of Sense and Reason he believed in hope of Gods Word and Power as appeareth by the Antithesis He believed above the hope of man and under the hope of God who calleth things that are not as though they were Would ye sweeten all your Bitters Live then and die in the Act and exercise of hope 'T is very connatural unto professors and possessors of Christ to rack their Thoughts to dig their own Graves to imbitter their Sweets to live like persons in the Tombs to take their Turns in Bochim and to pitch their Tents in the Valley of Baca by an Anticipation of providences Num. 24.23 Who shall live when God doth this saith Balaam Thus Manoah said to his Wife Jud. 13.22 we shall surely die Why Because we have seen God Thus persons are apt to take wrong measures and to misconstrue the providences of God Are not many ready to say how insignificant are all the Detections and Disapointments and Defeats that the God of Gods hath brought upon the People of his Curse We are all like to be concerned in a common calamity But now interposeth a Gospel-Hope with another Dialect and saith meliora spero I hope better things had God determined Destruction he would not have given us these Pledges for future Deliverance by indulging a Nation such Detections and Disappointments and Defeats Will not God distinguish between Goshen and Egypt between Sion and Sodom between Beth-el and Beth-aven between Isralites and Ishmalites between the inward and the outward Court I hope better things Hope in the worst of times looketh for better times Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Though God should make a Thrust at me and this Thrust should be mortal yet He shall be the Object of my Hope Would ye have a formal Plea at the Throne of Grace against enemies without and within too Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of Hope To these distinctly and concisely Would ye have a formal Plea at the Throne of Grace against enemies without Live then and dye in the Act and exercise of Hope Those who have a Gospel-Hope have enemies without open and close It was the common saying of an Emperour Leo Isaurus Inimici occulti
a love to Sin Though Sin had not a Being from God cannot have a Being with God and striketh at the Being of God 2 Tim. 3.4 yet there is a love to Sin Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God The Greek is elegant Paronomasia 't is an Agnomination or Allusion to words when the most differing signification is taken away There is no Sin in the nature of Angels there is nothing but Sin in the nature of Men. Man naturally is a Vessel of Sin and a Vassal unto Satan and yet there is a love to Sin Though God be a hater of Sin Man is a lover of Sin Self As there is a love to Sin so there is a love to Self Self-love is a great Sin for a man is to deny himself not to love himself Mat. 16.24 If any one will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me Self-love makes a Man lovely in his own but loathsom in Gods eyes Those that deny not themselves and their own ends for Christ will deny Christ for their own ends and will be denyed by Christ in the end A Man may dye for Christ and yet not dye in Christ Man though the epitomy of the creation is but a peice and patch of the Earth who should rather be out of love than in love with himself The civil rule is so defaced that the most of men are compounds of self let their Neighbour sink or swim it is all one with them Non nobis solum nas cimur that it is become proverbial Every man for himself But if onely for himself 't is a maxim drawn in Hell and ushered into the world by the Prince of Darkness for we are not only born for our selves Blessed Bradford had low thoughts of himself he would often subscribe himself John the Hypocrite and a very painted Sepulchre Terra incognita Let not any Region of thy self be an unknown land to thy self Many are proud of their knowledg yet pride is the Daughter of Ignorance I hate saith one that which I am Aug. and desire that which I am not Though a proud man is said to know himself too much yet he doth not know himself enough yea not at all as he ought to know himself Oh beg beg beg beg of the God of Gods to alienate thee from thy self and annihilate in thee whatsoever opposeth himself Let Antony or Augustus win 't is all one to some by contrary winds they can sail to their own ends A Holy heart loves good thoughts but it loves not thoughts of its own goodness When Titus had taken the City of Jerusalem the Army saluted him Emperor presenting him with Crowns and Garlands which he modestly refused saying I have only lent my Hands and my Help to God and his People Many do as Hind the Robber did who returned some part of the Money he took from others to be the better thought off and the less pursued Abraham though the Father of the faithful and as it were one of Gods Privy Councel had low thoughts of himself and writes himself Dust and Ashes Gen. 18.27 Jacob though sent from the Angel which was Christ with the name of Israel a princely power with God according to the import of the word had low thoughts of himself and writes himself less then the least of Gods mercies Gen 32.10 Agur though one of the holiest and wisest men in his day had low thoughts of himself and writes himself more brutish than any man Prov. 30.2 and not having the understanding of a man Paul though cried up for an earthly Angel had low thoughts of himself Eph. 3.8 and writes himself less than the least of all Saints Nothing can be less than the least but he thought himself so much less than others as that he writes down himself less than indeed he was There is a manifold Self of which take a Tast There is a sinful self Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Rom 6.1 2. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein There is a natural-self As the other took in a mans Lusts so this takes in a mans Arts and Parts Gifts and Reason 1 Cor. 12.31 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But covet earnestly the best gifts Be zealous after the best things so the greek studiously affect them There is a religious-self This takes in a mans Duties and Services whether ordinary or extraordinary Phi. 3.9 Not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is thorough the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith There is a moral-self This includes a freedom from gross hainous and enormous wickedness 1 Pet. 4.15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief or as an evil doer or as Bishops in anothers Diocess as priers into other mens matters greek There is a relative-self This includes the nearest and dearest Relations in the flesh 1 Cor. 7.29 That they who have wives be as though they had none There is a lawful-self This takes in things indifferent All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me 1 Cor. 6.12 but I will not be brought under the power of any Though the words be general yet they make nothing for Libertines for that rule of the Logicians here holdeth Verba sunt restringenda ad subjectam materiam That words how general soever they seem are to be restrained to the matter treated of Now the matter was concerning the use of things indifferent as meats and drinks c. There is a love to self but a Man should rather hate than love himself If any one cometh unto me Luk. 14.26 and hateth not his Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life he cannot be my disciple Here are not only Relations though the nearest and the dearest but also Life the Top of all If Relations yea if Life stands in competition with Christ these must be hated rather than he should not be loved or these must be loved less than he they must be loved in subordination to him not in coordination with him The World As there is a love to Sin and to Self so to the World Christ is the best Indies It is no sin to be rich but when riches are gotten by sin The Earth is Gods Footstool yet many make that their Throne Heaven is Gods Throne yet many make that their Footstool they tread and trample upon the things of Heaven while they set their hearts upon the things of the Earth 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present World The World was more to him than the Gospel and Christ the Sum of it the World was more to him than the Church and Communion with it Is it not pity that no more are
Eternity unto Eternity thou art God Now the things of the world perish from their using yea perish from their use and yet there is a love to the world Moral As there is a carnal so there is a moral love which I shall reduce unto three heads Magisterial Parental and Conjugal Magisterial This is a love from the Master to the Servant A good Master hath a great love especially for a good Servant The Centurion's love was great to his Servant it is expresly said Luke 7.2 3. that he had a servant which was dear unto him but he was sick and ready to dye now hearing of Jesus he sent unto him the Elders of the Jews beseeching him that he would come and heal his Servant A Servant dear unto him The word imports a Servant of great price or a precious and honourable Servant Good and faithful Servants are rare and therefore precious May not that be said of Servants which is said of all other Relations among men for a few good there are many bad and like Jeremiah's Figs the good usually very good but the bad usually very bad There was not one Servant that went into the Ark with Noah nor out of Sodom with Lot which undeniably demonstrate that few Servants were good Parental As there is a Magisterial so there is a Parental love Davids love to Absalom was great if not too great That I had dyed for thee 2 Sam. 18.33 oh Absalom my Son my Son Was Absalom dead Spiritually Is Absalom dead naturally or rather violently yea is Absalom dead everlastingly Is he damned as well as dead It may be this was the reflection that was like a Dart to the Heart of David Oh that I had dyed that he might have lived Oh that I had gone to the grave of silence that he might not have gone to Hell The love of Jacob to Benjamin was great so great that the life of the Father seemeth to be bound up in the life of the Son Gen. 44.30 Kill the Son and you kill the Father one grave will serve for both But as there is a love from the Father to the Child so there is a love from the Mother to the Child The love of the Mother is a great love if not the greatest love Isa 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking Child from having compassion on the Child of her womb Is there such a Woman among Women Can a Woman lay aside her nature Is not that Woman very unworthy to be ranked among Women that can desert the Babe of her Breast and expese it to have its Brains dashed out or its Bowels troden out Is there such a Woman 'T is pity there should be such a Woman Conjugal As there is a Magisterial and a Parental so there is a conjugal love This is a love from the Husband to the Wife and from the Wife to the Husband Husbands love your Wives Col. 3.19 and be not bitter against them A Metaphor taken from such things as are bitter in the Taste Gall mingled with sweet things makes them distastful So if the Husband be bitter the Wife will not digest it Among the Heathen the Gall of the Sacrifice that was slain and offered at Nuptials was cast out of doors to signifie that persons in a conjugal-state should be as Doves without a Gall. A man loves his Child as something of himself but he loves his Wife as Himself The Athenian-Lawgiver Tanquam aliquid sui tanquam Se. Solon commanded that Men and Women should marry together for Issue Pleasure and Love but not for Money Did they so then 't is to be feared that few do so now 'T is said of Wallaeus Clark's 1. Part. Eccl. Hist p. 982. and his Consort that their mutual care was so to please each other as by Deeds to prevent each others Desires Conjugal-Love is at least ought to be great love The love of Abraham to Sarah was great of Isaac to Rebecca was great Livia nostri conjugii memor esto vive vale of Jacob to Rachel was great of Elkanah to Hanna was great of Augustus to Livia was great who dyed in the embracement of her with these words Remember that we were one live and farewel As there was love in life so there was love in death Eph. 5.25 Husbands love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it This as is an as of quality not of equality for Christ so loved the Church as to give himself to death for it even the death of the cross but thus Man doth not for his Wife if he did it would be insignificant for he could not save her nor sanctifie her nor satisfie her Spiritual As there is a carnal and a moral so there is a Spiritual love Thus there is a love in God to Man Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us There is also a love in Man to God I love the Lord Psal 116.1 because he hath heard my voice and my supplications There is a love in Christians to Christians to all Christians and as Christians Since we heard of your Faith in Christ Jesus Col. 1.4 and of the love which ye have to all the Saints And John 13.1 as there is a love in Christ to Christians Having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end so Can. 1.4 there is a love in Christians to Christ The upright love thee By a Christian I understand not a Babe of Nature but of Grace not a Christian of Mans but of Christs making It is a person that hath a life from Christ and a life for Christ 'T is a person that hath a Life from Christ I am crucified with Christ Gal. 2.20 nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me He had a life whereby he did live saith one but he had not this life from himself nor in himself Aug. to give to others as Christ did I live yet not I. I live saith another a Spiritual life Perkins but not I as a natural man 'T is a person that hath a Life for Christ Where there is a life from him there is a life for him and where there is a life for him there must be a life from him Phi. 1.21 To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Or Christ is to me life and death is gain so the Greek The meaning is this Christ is my life here by Grace and hereafter by Glory he is both the Author and the end of my life I live for him I live to him I live in him I live by him and if I be put to death it will not endammage me but advantage me for I shall exchange Earth for Heaven a Cottage for a Palace a Prison for a Paradise This is a Christian indeed and the love of this Christian to a