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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A59607 The true Christians test, or, A discovery of the love and lovers of the world by Samuel Shaw ... Shaw, Samuel, 1635-1696. 1682 (1682) Wing S3045; ESTC R39531 240,664 418

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are not of the World Whether it be meet to hearken unto God and believe him or Man let us now judge We may easily suppose Man to be bribed and blinded in his own case What the judgment of God is we shall soon discern in his Word by which we may briefly examine all the Ages of the World The primitive state of Man no doubt was a state of pure and Divine Love As the Creator is said to take pleasure in the workmanship of his Hands so doubtless the rational Creature delighted himself in his Creator and in him only admired himself and the rest of the Creation But this lasted not long Alas how soon did the worldly Spirit begin to prevail Cain the Heir of the World chose the World for his portion and the love of the Father his Grandfather was not in him For if a Man love not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen The Old World neglected Righteousness and the Preacher of it We read what their main study was they were intent upon Marrying Building Planting and such like sensual entertainments and chose that part till they were taken away from it If we consider the Antediluvian World we shall find that it had but few Men in it but who were worldly Men. Next take a view of the World that follow'd the Flood and resolv'd that the Flood should never follow them I mean the Babelites and the Men of that Age the Sensual Nimrods the Capacious Giants the Idolatrous Canaanites Amorites Perizzites and the rest of that Herd and what can we find amongst them but Worldliness Violence and Uncleanness But there was another Seed and sure that was all Holy I mean the Children of Abraham the Seed of Israel no it is too evident that all Israel were not Israelites indeed witness the many hundred thousands that lusted after the Flesh-pots nay the very Onions and Garlick of Egypt that prefer'd their Bondage before the promised Land and the free exercise of their Religion Follow them into that Land and take notice of their great Idolatry and other Iniquities committed frequently and almost generally under the Government of their Judges Nay view them under the Government of their best Kings and take an account from David's own mouth and you will find that even then there wre many that said Who will shew us any good or if you will in English Metre the greater sort craved worldly Gods Not long after the Israelites were so bad that the poor Prophet thought that he was left alone a Worshipper of the Father In the days of the Prophet Jeremiah rich and poor and all were so universally apostatiz'd that by crying a good man up and down the streets of Jerusalem one was not to be found Jer. 5. in prin● In the days of the Son of Man the best sort of Men reputed were Lovers of the World more than of the Father or if you will have it in our Saviours own words They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God they received honour one of another And how men stood affected in the following times his Followers will tell us one Apostle declaring That all men sought their own things and another complaining That the whole world lay in wickedness And if the world be so mended in these dregs of time that none of this Breed are left we shall need to expect no new Heavens nor new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness But alas we are so far from that refinement that we must still cry out as they of old O curvae in terras animae coelestiam inanes MEDITAT XXIV Who are Lovers of the World in general THere are then nay there are many Lovers of the World But what Jehu will now appoint us a Sacrifice for the Worshipers of Baal for they skulk amongst the People whereby we may discern them Give them an invitation an encouragement lay a bait before them and we shall find them out In general it is certain That in the matters of doing and suffering there are multitudes to be found In doing They that account any of the known Commandments of God so heavy ungrateful and troublesom that they wilfully refuse to do them are Lovers of the World The Lovers of God do whatsoever things he commands them Joh. 15. 14. they follow the Lamb let him lead them whether he will Abraham that Friend of God is fam'd for his chearful obedience in hard and grievous things as in forsaking his own Land to go he knew not whither and in sacrificing his beloved Isaac Oh severe Command but oh Angelical Obedience To the Lovers of God his Commands are not grievous Loving Paul whom the Love of Christ constrain'd was ready to do any thing to take any pains for the Name of Jesus and the honour of it In case of Suffering They that will not quit all worldly interests rather than disown Christ or wilfully and deliberately violate a known Commandment are Lovers of the World more than of God Sufferings try men If ye seek me if ye cleave to me saith God let these things go leave your hold of the world quit your worldly interest This is so frequently inculcated in the Gospel that it seems needless to bring any particular proof Those famous general Texts are enough if they be but glanc'd at If any man take not up his Cross he cannot be my Disciple If any man will not deny Father and Mother House and Lands for my sake he is not worthy of me If a man will not cut off his right hand and pluck out his right eye for Christ he is not a Lover of him MEDITAT XXV Of the Lovers of the World more particularly BUT because dolus latet in universalibus I will consider more particularly that if it may be some one or other may be convicted If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him I will consider the World in a Physical and in a Theological sense Man in a Moral and Political Capacity and God under all those Notions in the 17th Meditation Consider the World in a Physical sense and it is certain that whosover loves admires enjoys the World and the Beauties thereof in a way of opposition to God or competition with him or indeed separation from him is not a right Lover of the Father However beautiful the Fabrick of the World is we ought not to love it in opposition to God not esteem the Creature in a way of derogation from the Creator It 's true a Man may with Jannes and Jambres say Digitus Dei est hic and seem to own the goodness and power of God in the Creation and yet be a meer Egyptian But yet no true Israelite will say Digitus Dei non est hic no Lover of the Father will exalt the power of natural causes so as to exclude the Author of them It becomes a Royal Society to admire the King