to man for a Saviour Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And likewise man is enabled or rather forc't by love to do and suffer any thing as soon as Divine Love enters a mans heart of proud it makes him humble of lustful and intemperate it makes him chaste and sober of covetous it makes him charitable of dainty and effeminate it makes him a Martyr No ill habits so deeply rooted but love can pluck them up no cross so heavy but love can bear it Many waters cannot quench love saith Solomon neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.7 No the strongest torrent of affliction is but like drops of water sprinkled upon the fire it increaseth the flames and ardency thereof 6. Love is as strong as death and death is very strong Magnum verbum fortis ut mors dilectio magnificentius exprimi non potuit fortitudo charitatis quis enim morti resistat ignibus undis ferro regibus resistitur venit una mors quis ei resistit nihil illa fortius propterea viribus ejus charitas comparatur Aug. in Psal 121. stronger than all visible creatures We daily fight against death and beat it back by rest and food and Physick we dispute the victory with it many years but it is ever victorious at last so is love it never gives over till it hath conquer'd all oppositions it 's courage increaseth together with difficulties the more obstacles in its way the greater it's indeavours the more fierce it's contentions Death severs a man from himself and disunites what seems inseparable love also takes the lovers soul from him and unites it to the beloved so that he lives more in what he loves than in himself love is as strong as death Death converts the greatest sinners or at least keeps them from sinning at all any longer so doth love it certainly mortifies all even the most reigning sins it will not suffer them to sin that love God We can tame wild beasts by industry overcome the barrenness of the earth by labour resist the angry elements by Art and Physick no evil but hath a remedy only death hath none there is no striving against it so that nothing can better express the irresistible power of love than to say that it is as strong as death §. 24. The fourth The last property of love I shall now mention is that love sweetens bitter things makes our labours pleasant and even our sufferings delightful How heavy is that yoke which is impos'd by an ungrateful hand the Souldier prest to the service can hardly bear his arms but he that is inrol'd by love thinks them light and bears them with pleasure the slave that works in the Mines counts his very life a burthen the niggard that works much harder likes well his drudgery because the love of riches is his task-master he that serves his master out of fear works faintly and with a heavy heart he that serves him out of love doth it diligently and yet with chearfulness the Christian pilgrim who is driven heaven-ward with fears and terrors goeth on with much reluctancy and a sorrowful heart he that is drawn with the cords of love follows with joyfulness minds not the ruggedness of his way and even rejoyceth in his weariness because it brings him nearer and nearer to his beloved he that could say the love of Christ constraineth us could say also we rejoyce in tribulations 'T was the love of JESUS made primitive Christians work hard and suffer much Nullomodo sunt oncrosi labores amantium sed etiam ipsi delectant sicut venantium piscantium interest ergo quid ametur nam in eo quod amatur aut non laboratur aut laber amatur Aug. with comfort and unspeakable joy and 't is for want of that sweet and Divine Love that Christians now find sorrow and great difficulty in that little they do or suffer for JESUS The labours of love are ever pleasant nothing is hard that love binds upon us §. 25. A farewel to all sinful desires These considerations are now to be reduc'd into practice And so I come to enter upon the work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 I come to profess my self a lover of JESUS and so to approve my self by deeds and actions The love of JESUS hath prevail'd I find my heart wounded I can no longer resist the charms of his love he hath woed me so long and with so much kindness that now my heart is his I will love him because he first loved me Now it repenteth me that ever I rejected his sute that ever I was unkind to him it grieveth me that ever I countenanc'd and prefer'd his rivals the lusts of sensuality covetousness and pride which I renounc'd in my Baptism I will now exclude them wholly this is the first mark JESUS shall receive of my sincere affection to him that I will entertain nor caress no longer those his enemies with whom I have had an unhappy intelligence for too long a time henceforth if they come near me I will indeavour to drive them away if they come after me I will flee if they persevere in their attempts they shall get nothing else but shame and denials Away from me then ye wicked spirits with all your tempting allurements worldly vanities deceitful riches sensual pleasures I remember that I renounc'd you all when first I gave up my name to JESUS when he first began to shew and seal his love to me and to ingage mine I then renounc'd the devil and all his works the vain pomp and glory of the world with all covetous desires of the same and the carnal desires of the flesh I now remember those my ingagements and grieve that I have not kept them and therefore will hate you the more that you made me forget my promises and break my holy vows Now will I be reveng'd of you ye proud and ambitious designs lustful thoughts greedy desires of wealth I will now kill and crucifie you Henceforth it shall be my honour that I am a Servant of JESUS it shall be my delight and pleasure that I am a lover of JESUS and it shall be my wealth that he is mine as I am his JESUS hath done and suffered much to declare his love and to deserve mine he hath come down from heaven and humbled himself to my mean and low condition he hath liv'd poor and despised he hath been afflicted and persecuted he hath died for me hereby I know that he loves me because he laid down his life for me but ye his unworthy rivals never gave me any assurance of your affection never did or suffered any thing for me JESUS expos'd himself to shame that I might become glorious indur'd pains that I might have pleasures he became poor that I might be enrich'd but covetousness offers me riches to pierce
a Holy Life hath been so fully evinc'd and asserted and all things that pertain to life and godliness so cleerly and learnedly explain'd by Catholick Writers Ancient and Modern especially many Pious Fathers and Sons of this Church since the Reformation that I shall not insist upon the fundamentals either of Faith or Practice to inforce it As indeed my design is not to instruct but to move the affections not to argument or explain but to draw inferences from known and granted premises to administer prudential helps and Religious counsels and by devout meditations to affect the heart §. 16. An invitation unto the Cloister of love I ask therefore hast thou conceived a fair Idea of Christianity hast thou observ'd the glory and greatness of it's Mysteries the holiness of it's Doctrine and the perfection of its precepts and counsels hast thou consider'd and admir'd the great exemplar of all vertues the Holy JESUS author of this Holy Institution hast thou read his life with an observing eye and hast thou view'd the fair copies of this perfect Original which have been drawn by many of his Saints in the imitation of his example hast thou weigh'd the excellency of his promises the great immunities and the invaluable advantages which belong to his followers hast thou seriously ponder'd the great obligations which the love of JESUS hath laid upon thee and art thou desirous to be happy by loving again and being grateful If so enter this Cloister love JESUS and thou shalt reign with JESUS The Cloister I mean is not the precinct of a particular Abbey or the confinement of a narrow Cell but the Catholick Church whose inclosure is large enough to entertain all the Religions in the world all that are of the Christian Order And the Rule I would have thee follow is not that of any Founders nor even that of Pachomius said to have been brought down by Angels but that which the Son of God himself delivered the Gospel-rule the Christian Laws and appointments hath not God given his Beloved Son the heathen for his inheritance Psal 2. and the utmost parts of the earth for his possession Cursic arctcmus Christi professionem quam ille latissime voluit patere ego certe sic optarim Evangelicam Religionem sic omnibus esse cordi c. Ench. Why then saith Erasmus Should we confine the excellency and perfection of Christianity to particular places Why should we make that short and narrow which Christ would have to be of an universal extent If it be words we affect is not a City a great Monastery the Abbot whereof is the Bishop set over it by Christ Would to God the Christian Rule were so well belov'd and observ'd that no man might look or desire the Benedictin or Franciscan I say so too all this is true and to be wished yet the universal comprehends many particular Churches and the Christian Rule hath also many several interpretations therefore to be plain and positive the Church of England as the purest part or member of the Catholick which hath repurg'd corrupt innovations and maintains a Blessed Conformity with Antiquity is that which I recommend to thee above all others and for the best interpretation of the Sacred Canon the Doctrine and Worship of this Church is that which I would have thee prefer to all the rest §. 17. The vow to be taken at the entrance of it But because I speak not to dissenters nor intend to dispute with them thou wilt say that thou hast entred this Cloister already and hast undertaken it's Rule but though it be so thou mayst do it the second time by a second choise an after-election Thou didst not come of thy self but wast brought in when first thou entred'st this society and 't was by a proxy thou promisedst to observe the orders of it therefore now that thou hast the use of reason 't is very necessary thou shouldst do it again by a free and considerate act of thine own will Ratifie then thy former ingagements by being confirm'd Quod summum est id omnibus est enitendum ut saliem mediocria assequamur nec est quod ullum vitae genus ab hoc scopo submoveamus c. Eras if thou art not and if thou art by a hearty and sincere indeavour to perform thy vows and promises which are as follows First To renounce the Devil and all his works the pomps and vanities of this wicked world with all covetous desires of the same and the sinful lusts of the flesh Secondly To believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith And thirdly To keep Gods Holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of thy life This vow contains all thy duty the highest pitch of Christian perfection rules for the most Regular and Spiritual Life let thy serious application and earnest indeavour to observe it discriminate and sever thee from the prophane and less Religious world Thou needest no distinct inclosure no distinct habits no distinct patrons or offices thy sincere Study thy Religious care to discharge this obligation will sufficiently cloister thee in from the looser society and conversation of men and will make a difference great enough betwixt thee and them But though thou dost remain in the civil society of the world and the neighborhood of thy neighbour yet various are the ways that lead through the world to heaven and here I undertake to teach thee a sure and short one through which all glorified Saints have past Some persons here Qui timendo non facit male male faceret si liceret itaque etsi facultas non datur voluntos retinetur August in Psal 32. are eminent in one vertue some in another some are guided by hope and some by fear Many different are the considerations and helps whereby men are brought to make themselves happy in doing their duty but the motive the guide the way Dilectio est via rectissima absque devio via brevis absque taedio via plana absque tumulo via clara absque nubilo via secura absque periculo c. Idiot Cont. the instrument I recommend to thee above all others is Love Love is the strongest motive the surest guide the safest way the best instrument in the world to live well to keep thee from wandring to bring thee to heaven to conquer all oppositions and do the work of God thoroughly Love hath a general intendance over all vertues and duties and makes them pleasant to us and acceptable to God Love is the fulfilling of the Law Love and thou canst never do amiss love and thou canst never miscarry §. 18. Of Love and first of Self-love Love is the common prince and parent of other passions as they all take their Laws so they take their Origine from it Or to speak more properly Amor inhians habere quod amatur cupiditas est idem habens eoque fruens laetitia ect fugiens quod
injoy the leisure and opportunities of meditation devotion and other spiritual exercises and some that are much taken with the strict lives and great piety of Papist-Friers would look home and spond their commendations on the purer Religion and better-order'd lives and devotions of those in this Church that should wholly devote themselves to God However 't is not to be denied but that men are much affected and influenc'd by the place the company the way of living and the outward circumstances wherein they are ingag'd and I believe it might be now as true a proverb as ever Bene vixit qui bene latuit he lives best and most safe who is least acquainted with the world and lives farthest from it But though we want some conveniences for withdrawing from temporal affairs to mind eternity and our souls the better yet we must go to heaven wherever we live Claustrum ubique portate interius Norb. Ab. praemonst we must live to God that we may live with God therefore if we cannot have a material we must have a Spiritual cloister which may defend us against temptations and guide and assist us in doing our duty Such a one is the love of Jesus it will protect us against all dangers and spiritual enemies better than the strongest walls of any Abbey and it will make us devout and zealous in God's service beyond what the exhortations of the wisist Abbot could do Greg. Mag. Dum crescit fortitudo amoris interni infirmatur fortitudo carnis whilst love is strong the flesh is mortified and its lusts are subdu'd August Amanti nihil est difficile nihil impossibile love can do all things of its self it passeth over all difficulties and there is no obstacle which it overcomes not Love can supply the want of all outward helps and advantages let it but be our care to secure love and it will secure us Let us therefore feed and entertain it by reading and meditation Coelum terra omnia quae in cis sunt non cessant mihi dicere ut amem Dominum Deum meum Aug. by frequent prayers and acts of love and by observing and tasting how gracious the Lord is in all his works all things in heaven and earth do incessantly cry to us that we should love God God draws us after him Hos 4.11 with cords of a man with bands of love therefore by love we can best follow him 1 Joh. 3.18 But let us not love in word or in tongue but indeed and in truth and hereby we shall know that we are of the truth and we shall assure our hearts before him Claustrum Animae THE Reformed Monastery OR The Love of JESUS §. 1. Of the positive part of our Baptismal vow MY former disobedience and rebellions against my Blessed Lord and dearest Master I have examin'd and bewailed I have consider'd that by sin I wound and crucifie him afresh and therefore have resolv'd to sin no more never to lift up hand or heart against him But will love be satisfied with this is it a sufficient demonstration of love not to abuse not to injure a friend No sure I must proceed further love requires more than this I must not only abstain from what would anger him I love but I should do that that will please him 'T is part of my duty as it was of my vow not only to renounce the Devil and all his works but also to believe all the articles of the Christian faith and to keep Gods holy Will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life As for the Articles of the Christian Faith I believe them from my heart and resolve to own and confess them whilst I live I never will dispute or object against them and I hope I should chuse to die before I would renounce any of them as for other less necessary doctrines I will be guided by my Spiritual Governors in controversies I will submit to the judgment of that Holy Church in whose Communion I live and so I will read and ponder Gods Holy Word especially the New Testament that I may know my masters will and be incourag'd to do it not that I may find out new mysteries and maintain the private opinions of a party It remains then only that I should keep Gods holy will and Commandments and walk in the same all the days of my life And this I also undertake it shall be my daily and constant study and indeavour I resolve to obey to the utmost of my power and I also promise further to manifest my love by free-will-offerings as God shall enable me §. 2. A protestation of obedience But first my love is to appear by doing what is commanded 1 Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his commandments saith S. John Joh. 14.21 and he that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me saith our Blessed Saviour There can be no love without obedience this is its first and chiefest Tryal 23. if a man love me he will keep my words Now then should my beloved Lord ask me as once he did Saint Peter N. dost thou love me Joh. 21.15 would not my heart answer with his zealous Apostle Yes Lord 13.37 thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee I would lay down my life for thee why to this he replies again if thou lovest me 14.15 keep my Commandments Every time a Christian tells Jesus Lord I love thee Jesus answers again if thou lovest me keep my Commandments So that without I observe this I can no ways pretend to love him Therefore I am to take notice of and to amend sins of omission which too too many among Christians mind little or not at all In the matter of sobriety I am commanded whether I eat or drink to do it as all things else to the glory of God and to be contented whatsoever state I am in for chastity I am commanded to know how to keep my vessel in sanctification and honor for acts of corporal and spiritual mercy I am commanded to be merciful as my heavenly father is merciful and to forgive injuries as I desire my self to be forgiven for reverence to my betters I am commanded to honour and obey my superiors Ecclesiastical and Civil in what concerns Divine Worship I am bound to read and pray and mediditate to instruct my self and family to receive the Blessed Sacrament to have a veneration and respect for all things that belong or relate to God and him to love and fear and trust and adore evermore All these and all other duties with the special precepts of the New Testament is the task I chearfully undertake and in the performance whereof I will approve my self a sincere lover of JESUS §. 3. How great a happiness follows our obedience His yoke is easie and his burthen light his Commandments are not
that is begotten and so reciprocally The Divine Essence is but one it admits of no division therefore whatever honour is paid to one of the Divine Persons is paid to all Three the Ever-glorious Trinity is honour'd by it But then it must be consider'd that JESUS the second Person of that Blessed and Glorious Trinity is not only God but also Man and so Mediator betwixt God and Man so that by and through him we pray we worship we love God As God manifested his love to men in JESUS so in JESUS men offer the returns of their love to God 1 Joh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him and in this is manifested our love towards God that we receive and love and obey that Son With this God is in no wise offended but rather infinitely well pleas'd Joh. 14.21 he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father saith our Blessed Saviour 23. If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him and again If any man serve me Joh. 12.26 him will my Father honour Though we owe our redemption to the infinite mercies of God Father Son and Holy Ghost yet in a more especial manner we are ingaged to the Son who personally came down from heaven for us men and for our salvation JESUS is the Author and finisher of our faith he is the Founder of our Holy Religion it is he hath reveal'd those doctrines we are to believe it is he hath given us those laws and precepts whereby we are to live it is he from whom we are called Christians it is he who for us despised the shame and indured the Cross who hath shed his blood and given his life a ransom for ours it is he who by contracting a near relation with us becoming our brother hath caus'd us to be adopted Sons of God and heirs with him of an eternal kingdom it is he who is our Lord and Master and will be our judge and our rewarder if we be faithful to him Rom. 14.9 For this end Christ died and rose again that he might be Lord both of the dead and living saith S. Paul Act. 2.36 God hath made that same JESUS whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ him God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour saith S. Peter 5.31 All power is given him in heaven and earth and he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet Hence the frequent and urgent exhortations to follow and imitate to serve and obey JESUS Hence those Pathetick words of S. Paul The love of Christ 2 Cor. 5.14 Phil. 3.7 constraineth us and again what things were gain to me I counted loss for Christ yea doubtless and I count all things loss 8. for the excellency of JESUS CHRIST my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ 'T is JESUS hath won our hearts to God 't is he hath reconcil'd us from a state of enmity to a state of love besides that God was justly angry for our rebellions his glories are so bright so amazing his Divine Majesty so high that to love a being so infinitely above us might have been thought prophaneness or presumption Non bene conveniunt nec in una sede morantur Majestas amor respect not friendship is the affection of subjects to Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was an ordinary Epithete for the heathen Gods and even the Israelites were amaz'd and terrified at the sight of a heavenly messenger crying we shall die for we have seen God 't is the great humiliation of JESUS hath procur'd and establish'd an everlasting reconciliation and friendship betwixt God and man Rom. 5.8 God commended his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and now there is neither death Rom. 8.39 nor life nor angels nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God which is in CHRIST JESUS our LORD Therefore for a reward for the great sufferings and abasement of JESUS God hath given him a supreme authority over all the world Men and Angels being made subject unto him because he made himself of no reputation Phil. 2.7 8 c. and took on him the form of a servant and humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross therefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of JESUS every thing should bow of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth and every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is the Lord to the Glory of God the Father Our love and obedience to JESUS derogates nothing from but belongs to God 'T is to the glory of God the Father God hath highly exalted JESUS for his humiliation and for the same cause we ought also to love and exalt him as much as possibly we can because it was for us not only bow at his name but ever kneel and kiss the ground when he only sees us no fear of exceeding here no fear of superstition we can never shew him too much love or respect Psal 72. All Kings shall fall down before him all nations shall do him service prayer shall be made unto him and daily shall he be praised Amen §. 17. 'T is most pleasant and safe to love God A third consideration will be that it is most pleasant and safe to love God Love may cause trouble but it certainly is the spring or parent of all joy and satisfaction He that hath an affection to nothing hath pleasure in nothing could the imaginary apathy of the Stoicks really seize upon any man if he could never be miserable he would also be uncapable of all happiness 'T is true indeed that the love of worldly things in that they are vain and perishing is it self vanity and vexation qui multum amat plus dolet is certainly true of all but the Divine Love He that hath many friends hath many sorrows he that loves many things hath many things to fear for 'T is only God that hath those infinite excellencies which can fully replenish our minds and desires 'T is only God that admits of no variableness neither shadow of turning and therefore 't is the love of God alone that can make us eternally and intirely happy It is reported of a person of great sanctity that an evil spirit confest to him that were it possible for one who loves God to come into hell yet it were impossible he should be miserable but that it would rather sink hell it self and make it disappear or else make it a paradise for him Though the relation