affections natural love that powerful passion whereby all things and all men are govern'd §. 21. Of the properties of love The first Though the properties of love in general be better known by experience than they can be by discourse Ineffabilem prorsus ego sentio amorem Dei qui sentiri magis quam dici possit Basil yet it may serve to good purpose to say something of them the first whereof is that love always imbraceth what is good either in truth or appearance for Man's inclinations are still the same as they were in the state of innocence though much depraved we still pursue after what we think will make us happy only we mistake Like the bramble in the fable which having lost a rich freight of the finest silks and now takes hold of the coarsest stuffs to recover its loss so have all men a secret sense that they are faln from a state of felicity and have lost a jewel of infinite value which still they esteem and love though they know it not and therefore now to recover the eminency of their first station they are climbing upon every mole-hill petty mountains of ambition to recover their lost jewel they pick up every pebble stone where they see a glimpse of beauty where they relish any thing of goodness there they set their love and affection as if that were the summum bonum which is but an imperfect shadow of it so that we are like an infortunate lover who being seiz'd by a phrensy forgets and forsakes his Mistress and dotes on her picture We neglect God and fall in love with those things that have the least impress of his perfection and then like Idolaters we pay that worship to the work which is due to the maker only Therefore ought we to take great heed that we be not taken with every seeming beauty or goodness but that we examine whether that be the thing which will make us intirely happy and beyond which we shall wish for nothing For if it be not we must pass it by and seek further and never rest nor set our hearts on any thing till we have found that true and perfect good most obvious and easie to be found which being lov'd will be certainly possest and being possest will make us perfectly happy and that is God alone It is the meditation of S. Augustine Amaturus honorem forte non perventurus quis me amavit non ad me pervenit quisquis me quaerit cum ipso sum c. Tract 10. in Ep. Johan Thou maist seek after honours and not obtain them thou maist labour for riches and remain poor thou maist dote on pleasures and have many sorrows but our God the Supreme Goodness saith Who ever sought me and found me not who ever defir'd me and obtain'd me not who ever lov'd me and mist of me I am with him that seeks for me he hath me already that wisheth for me and he that loveth me is sure of me the way to come to me is neither long nor difficult love makes me present to every lover §. 22. The second A second property of love is that it never rests and is never satisfied until it be possest of the beloved object This makes abused worldlings so busie so perpetually restless and active about the purchase of their beloved vanities and this makes devout Christians like S. Paul Phil. 3. never to count themselves to have apprehended but forgetting the things which are behind and reaching forth to those that are before to press forward towards the mark the price of their high calling the object of their love and most passionate desires This restlessness and activity of love found work enough for the Fathers of the Desarts whose indefatigable pains to mortifie their sinful appetites whose unwearied diligence to serve God whose swift and violent motion heaven-ward is the object of our wonder and upbraids our sloth and negligence They were almost wholy freed from the necessities of the body which is the endless task and work of other men and yet they were always imploy'd they had almost nothing to do and yet were never idle the love of Eternity the love of JESUS kept them in action they dwelt in peace and yet were never at rest Our heart which is the seat of love can never be quiet till it returns within Gods imbraces till it be possest of that infinite good which all men love though but a few know it See the several plots and undertakings of men in the world 't is love sets them at work 't is to obtain what their blind affections run after that they are so assiduous and so laborious See the prayers and pious exercises the self-denial and mortifications the manifold acts of charity and the great patience of Christians in the Church 't is love also hath set them their task and makes them so diligent so watchful till they have fulfil'd it We sometimes wipe the tears from our eyes and our sorrows admit of joyful intervals our anger doth not last always and sometimes hatred is asleep Habet omnis amor vim suam nec potest vacare amor in anima amantis Aug. but love like the heart wherein it dwells can never cease to act and move till it ceaseth to be where ever love is it shews it's life and power and is always doing §. 23. The third In the third place as love is active so it is effective it doth not spend it self in useless and insignificant attempts it 's strength is great as well as it's indeavours Great are the dangers and difficulties which love overcomes it carries the ambitious lover of honour through many uneasie perils to a fading laurel it carries the covetous lover of riches through the most hard and slavish labours to his false and treacherous mammon and it carries likewise the devout lover of JESUS through obedience and self-humiliation through briers and uneasie crosses through patience and the greatest sufferings to the injoyment of his Beloved Love can do all things since it brought God down from heaven to become man and die for man Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Rom. 8.35 c. saith S. Paul Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword nay in all these things we are more then conquerors through him that loved us for I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord As much as to say that the power of love is irresistible that it answers all objections and conquers all obstacles notwithstanding mans high provocations and great unworthiness love made the Almighty lay down the arms of his just vengeance and open his bosom of mercy to give his dear and onely Son
constitution hence the desuetude of fasting upon appointed days and even of bidding of them and the non-observance of Holy-days and times of solemn devotion hence the slight regard had to the publick worship of God and the seldom receiving of the Lords Supper hence the reservedness unhappy secresie of most people in not acquainting their spiritual guides with the state of their conscience when it needs and not receiving their comforts and directions hence the not sending for the elders of the Church to do their office upon sick persons and the seldom desiring their absolution and hence even in too many of the Clergy the neglect of daily saying Divine Offices as they are commanded and observing other injunctions peculiar to them I may say that it fares with our Church as with some Princes who have their due Sovereignty denied them because they are Christians as if by becoming members and defenders of the Church they were become subject to Pontifical Chairs and Puritan Synods for so many would not have this Church obey'd because 't is Reformed they would not have its laws observ'd because it makes them inferior to Gods as though by not imposing a blind superstitious and oversevere obedience as Rome doth this Church were become uncapable of exercising any authority over her children and requiring any duty from them But I say let those that love JESUS amend this for his sake for the Church is his spouse and hath receiv'd her power from him let them yield a free and Religious obedience to Ecclesiastical injunctions because JESUS hath said he that receiveth you receiveth me It is doubtless our duty so to do and I am sure it will be a good token of a pious heart when we shall obey them in the Lord whom the Lord hath set over us We shall make it appear that we own the Authority of our heavenly King when we are subject to those his officers by whom he now reigns over us to whom he hath given the keys of his kingdom and whom he hath appointed Stewards of his saving Mysteries we shall have a share in the Mysterious representation of the great expiatory sacrifice which by the Church is celebrated in the Eucharist and in those Divine Services and solemn Prayers which the Church offers to God daily and we shall receive the full benefit of being members of the Church and holding communion with it if this were not absolutely requir'd yet I am sure it will be a very acceptable free-will-offering if we do it devoutly and joyfully because we love JESUS and this Christian obedience to the known rational and pious orders of the Church will answer the best part of that ancient and so much magnified self-abnegation vow'd by the Coenobites when they gave up themselves to be in all things rul'd and commanded by their superiors and it will exercise those two heavenly graces meekness and humility which the world despiseth but all true Christians own to be most Divine Mat. 11.29 as they that bring rest to the soul and make us most conformable to the meek and humble JESUS §. 12. Of several voluntary oblations As for corporal austerities commanded or uncommanded I have said something of them already and the chiefest use and design of them is to mortifie sensual lusts and to keep under the body that the spirit may rule and be obey'd yet as they are exercises of repentance marks of the just indignation we conceive against our selves for having displeas'd God as they may effect or express a disrelish of temporal pleasures a longing for heavenly joys and an indeavour to take up our cross and follow JESUS they may be the matter of a free-will-offering and they may find a gracious reward and acceptance in so much as they proceed from a sincere love to JESUS Prayer also thanksgiving reading meditation acts of Religion though as to the substance they be the discharge of the greatest duty God requires of us the worship and adoration of his Divine Majesty yet as to the quantity they may become free oblations the expressions of a greater love He that with devout affections inlargeth his offices or counts the frequency of them by Canonical hours and wish't for opportunities and he that sets apart large portions for religious exercises or in the following of his necessary business doth often lift up his heart and thoughts to heaven and heavenly things makes a voluntary offering of some of his time to him of whose eternity he hopes to be partaker He that defalks some hours from the refreshment of his body to bestow them upon his soul he that chuseth a meaner condition and imployment that having fewer avocations he may spend more time upon Religion and he that bears with some wrongs and injuries that being free from the distractions of quarrels and law-suits he may be the better dispos'd to serve God hath bought the blessed opportunity of attending JESUS and indearing himself to him Charity likewise whether Spiritual or Corporal whether in giving or in forgiving may be carried further than is absolutely required and so become a free oblation He that takes great pains to instruct the ignorant to convert sinners by all means to win souls to JESUS may manifest a greater love than was absolutely necessary to his own salvation and he that makes it his business and delight to prevent quarrels or make reconciliations to comfort and defend the afflicted and oppressed to visit hospitals and relieve the poor and to spend all his substance in pious uses for the honour of God and Religion and for the present and future happiness of men may exceed what God would have rewarded and by shewing so great a love inrich his crown of glory and recompence I only mark the head-springs or store-houses of those arbitrary gifts wherewith men may honour God and enrich themselves the several emanations and offerings which may proceed from them being free and innumerable cannot be specified and should not be impos'd Where there is love there is a willing mind and where there is a willing mind a man in other cases as well as in charity is accepted 2 Cor. 8.12 according to what he hath and not according to what be hath not Some husbandmen sow that they may have wherewith to pay their debts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. S. Johan Clim Grad 26. §. 43. which marks the labours and offerings of penitents who indeavour to make what satisfaction they can for their injuries to God or man Some sow that by the expected crop they may increase their wealth which represents the good works of more innocent persons who aspire to a great reward and a glorious crown Some sow that they may have something wherewith to express their gratitude and make presents to their kind land-lord or benefactor whereby is signified the best of Christians who in all things seek and design the glory and advantage of their Lord. And others sow that they may be thought
therefore let us shew to God all the love we can and by words and actions protest that we seek to please him and our hearts will soon be possest with a blessed assurance that we are dear to him and he will never be cruel and severe to us 'T is reported of a Religious Person whose soul was griev'd and wounded with doubts and fears and with sadness that while he was one day weeping and praying thus O that I were sure that I shall persevere and never fall from God O that I were sure that God loves me and that I shall one day see his Blessed Face how zealous then should I be in mortifying my sins and doing my duty how cheerfully should I serve God every day and take pleasure in suffering for him how would I despise the world and its vanities and fix my thoughts and affections on things above while he was thus expressing the sorrows of his troubled mind he heard the whispers of a secret voice which told him fac quod faceres do now what thou wouldst do if thou hadst all those assurances With this he found himself so affected and refresh'd that he took it as an Oracle from heaven and in obeying of it found those comforts he begg'd Better counsel I cannot give thee fac quod faceres do what thou wouldst do if thy diffident timorousness and jealousies were confuted by a voice from heaven and they 'll soon be remov'd Let thy meek submission thy sincere obedience and thy free-will-offerings speak thy love to God and thou shalt soon find thy self perswaded that God loves thee dearly and that thy condition is safe and happy Other assurance we are not to expect in this world and this is not to be obtain'd any other way should thy comfort proceed from any thing else but thine humble and devout love to God it would be fansie and presumption whereas so it is well-grounded and never can deceive thee 1 Joh. 4.18 There is no fear in love saith Divine S. John but perfect love casteth out fear 't is never otherwise grace and nature joyn together to make the effect infallible that a Holy Love should ever produce a Holy Peace if we love indeed and in truth 1 Joh. 3.18 thereby not by new and secret revelations we shall know that we are of the truth and we shall assure our hearts before God Love may well work confidence and joy in our souls for it injoys already what it loves it is affectuosa unitas unitiva affectio love is inseparable from its object and the essence thereof consists in their union if not unity Though God be exalted infinitely above all things in a sphere of Glory and Majesty so high that the Cherubim with their many wings cannot flie up to it Qui mente integra Deum desiderat profecto jam habet quem amat Greg. Mag. yet thither love sores up and takes God and holds him as his own so that every one that loves God is already possest of him and may say with the spouse I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine Cant. 6.3 We come to God by love S. Aug. amando non ambulando and to him we are united by love Magna res est amor quo anima per semetipsam fiducialiter accedit ad Deum c. amore Deo conjungimur therefore love is a great thing saith that devout father it brings the soul to God with an holy confidence and makes it trust in him and cleave stedfastly to him and rejoyce in him and represent her needs and beg his mercies with fiducial and devout affections And this is so great a truth that death it self with its pains and sorrows alters nothing of it even then in the last agonies the love of God sweetens the bitter cup and still entertains the soul with joy and holy comforts It was the saying of S. Aug. that because the soul hath willingly forsaken God whom she should love infinitely she is forc'd therefore with grief and regret to forsake her body which she loves too much and that because she voluntarily departed from God who is her life Aug. de Trin. lib. 4. cap. 13. she therefore departeth from the body whose life she is with sadness and much reluctancy Now we may say that when the soul returns to God by love Charitis libertatem donat timorem pellit c. S. Bern. she is freed from this punishment and restor'd to her first liberty she is willing to die for to be with Christ and then comes a cheerful cupio dissolvi O when shall I come and appear before God Happy is he who living doth so manifest his love to God by Piety and Charity that dying he can say with Theodosius Dilexi love hath been the business and delight of my life I have daily indeavour'd by my actions to declare the sincerity of my love to God he is doubtless of the number of those that love the appearing of JESUS and so he goes out to meet him with joy and confidence expecting a kind reception from him Nemo se amari diffidat qui jam amat libenter Dei amar nostrum quem praevenit subsequitur c. Bern. whom having not seen yet he lov'd and worship'd and serv'd affectionately Let no man that loves God doubt of God's Love to him for he that lov'd us when we were his enemies so as to die for us will much more love us when we have for him the hearty affections of friends It is the joy of heaven the joy of the Holy JESUS when his loving kindness hath won and conquer'd our hearts and 't is our greatest joy 't is for us a heaven upon earth when we love him faithfully and fervently with all our souls and affections The love of God brings that peace to the soul which the world can neither give nor take away Her sins which are many Luke 7.47 are forgiven because she loved much §. 19. The Close Now who can refuse to love God when 't is a thing so just and reasonable so pleasant and easie so safe and advantageous something of necessity we must love every mans heart is full of that passion and every mans life is govern'd by it 't is but considering who hath done most for us and whom we are most oblig'd to love who is most lovely and who will best reward our love and we shall soon understand that God is to be lov'd above all things infinitely without measure and if we love our selves as we should we shall easily remove our affections from the world to set them upon God and Eternity upon JESUS and his kingdom Love as we have seen will make it easie and delightful to do our duty Onus sine onere portat Kemp. will make the yoke of Christ light and enable us with strength and courage to bear our cross cheerfully like Christians it will lead us the shortest and the safest way to
so far mistook them as to suspect they might be in earnest when they profest to advance the power of Godliness Decay of Christian Piety Pag. 198. in the general hath occasion'd the distinction of Regular and Secular persons and perhaps the prophaneness and debauchery of too too many amongst us who are in the Church as the tares in the field among the wheat hath partly caus'd the unjust distribution our late Pharisees had made of our people into two parties the Godly and the Wicked though many are of opinion that discontent or melancholy makes men for the most part both Monks and Schismaticks or else spiritual pride or wordly interest However it be I will not make exprobrations against either of them with disâ—bliging truths but rather commend what is praise-worthy in them because I would have every Christian to be really devout and precise without entring the Cloister or the Conventicle I am indeed somewhat jealous that the ingaging men to be Religious and Vertuous by other considerations besides their Christian duty hath done some prejudice to Religion for now there be some that fansie self-denial and contempt of the world to belong only to Friers and others that to abstein from swearing and drunkenness is only the part of a Puritan Whereas Christianity binds those duties upon all its professors and every one by his Baptismal vow is bound to perform them though he doth not submit himself to the Rule of S. Francis or the dictates of the Assembly The heavenly mindedness of Carthusians the zeal and laborious preaching of Carmelites and Dominicans the penitent mortifications of Franciscans Non desiderabit tria illa vota ab hominibus reperta qui primum illud unicum votum quod in Baptismo non homini sed Christo nuncupavimus sinceriter pureque servaverit Eras Ench. and the sobriety of Non-Conformists are all contain'd in the Christian Rule and whosoever owns it needs not make new vows wear distinct habits or separate from the Church the better to discharge them but only seriously mind and study the obligations of his Religion and with diligence and sincerity live according to them My design therefore is not to Incloister particular persons Vellem universos Christianos ita vivevere ut qui nunc soli Religiosi vocantur parum Religiosi viderentur but to make a large Monastery of the whole Commonwealth at least to make every family a School of Vertue and Piety and every man an Ascetick and strict liver wishing heartily with Erasmus that they who hitherto have been call'd Precise and Religious by way of appropriation might justly lose that name by the more exemplary lives of all other Christians But though it be my wish it is not my hope in the least to see any such thing come to pass by means of this little volume Many much bigger and better have not been able to effect it they that will not hear Moses and the Prophets nay Christ the Lord himself will be far enough from being perswaded by the meanest of his servants and the truth is it may be the matter of our desires but must never be expected that a general Reformation of manners should follow that of Doctrine among us Nevertheless our indeavours ought not to be wanting though our sanctification be never consummated here below yet we are commanded 2 Cor. 7.1 and should strive to perfect holiness in the fear of God and so though we know that many will so live as that the end of them shall be destruction yet ought we like S. Paul to try all means that by any means we may save some If we convert none of the impenitent we may benefit some better Christians and if our instructing our brethren by word or writing profits none of them yet it may make us take the better heed that after we have preached to others we our selves be not cast-aways Now to this end my chiefest indeavour is to make a Christian devout to make him love God with a sincere love and then make it appear by a hearty obedience a devout love is not only the best part but also the best instrument of Religion as being an irreconcilable enemy to sin a friend or rather a nurse to all vertue No inticement could have drawn penitent Magdalene to her former impurities whilst she washed her dearest Saviours feet with her tears and 't is known by experience that when reading meditation the sight of a dying friend or any such thing hath softned a mans heart into a Religious temper temptations would be then so far from prevailing that they durst not so much as appear before him But when he returns to mind earthly things and hath his thoughts taken up with the concerns of this life he finds that his spiritual strength decays by the same proportions that his love becomes cold and he grows indevout again Love is the queen if not the fountain of passions the great mover and governor of actions and affections could we keep the fire of Divine Love always burning in our breasts it would be the most powerful and best instrument of Holy-living it would make self-denial and the yoke of Christ easie it would make acts of vertue and Religion pleasant and it would make us delight in pleasing God as much as we naturally do in pleasing our selves Therefore I have made it my aim and design in the following Pages to seize upon the affections to inkindle in the hearts of Christians the heavenly flames of the love of God To that end I have represented the more general benefits of God to mankind and especially that of Redemption by the greatest demonstration of love that ever was given the death of Jesus which if duly consider'd would be an irresistible motive to love him I have shewed the power the pleasure and the great advantages of love and I have us'd devout meditations and ejaculations as it were to transport our souls to heaven by love for to adore that God whom love brought down from thence to save us 'T is certain that most of them that perish perish for want of consideration and I have heard dying men wonder at themselves how they could be so stupid as not to mind those things which are of an infinite concern and should rather take up all our thoughts and our cares than be neglected or forgot one only moment Israel doth not understand Isa 1.3 my people doth not consider Love may be said to be that fire which God would have always to burn upon his altar that is Lev. 6.12 in our hearts which are his temple where the sacrifices of good works and the incense of devotion should always be offer'd to him now that sacred fire must have fewel to entertain it it must be nourish'd by reading good books and especially by frequent and pious meditations Wherefore I have indeavour'd as much as I could to feed those holy flames by representing things as they are and I would have every Christian seriously
by his Father It pleased God to give him up to the cruelties of wicked men and the sorrows of death and that his Divine Nature though personally and inseparably united to his humanity should for a time suspend the effects of its beatifying union and leave him suffer as a man in soul and body the greatest pains without the least comforts They that saw our Crucified Saviour suffer so patiently as not to open his mouth to complain might have thought that he had no sense of pain therefore he crys out so bitterly My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why dost thou suffer me to be plung'd into this gulf of sorrow so that I have nothing but anguish within and without Why dost thou suffer me to be almost overwhelm'd by so great a distress and art so far from helping me and from the words of my complaint Psal 22. Lord we had deserved to sink and evermore to cry and groan in the bottomless pit and to rescue us Thou art pleas'd to descend very low and with strong crying and tears to say de profundis clamavi out of the depths have I cryed unto thee Psal 130. O Lord hear my voyce be pleased to hear us dearest Lord when we call upon thee and make thy voice sink into our hearts and there find a cheerful admission and a constant and sincere obedience §. 12. The height Now we have only the heigth of the Cross to look on that is the sublimity the greatness of the torments of Christs crucifixion that in this sense his Cross was very high appears already by what hath been said and yet we may consider further that he being conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost of a most pure Virgin was therefore of a most healthful constitution so that his senses being very quick and apprehensive were sensible of pain beyond other men's and so all the blows and wounds he receiv'd and his being nail'd and stretch'd three long hours on the Cross as upon the rack must needs have been a most exquisite torture Also the vigor of his nature being neither weakned nor spent by age or distempers he being full of strength and in the flower of his age was capable to taste the smart and sharpness of his pain to the very last moment of his life and so 't is written by S. Luke that he cryed with a loud voice when he gave up the ghost to shew that he was still very strong and that his death was bitter and violent to extremity There was likewise an invisible Cross which afflicted his soul and made it sorrowful even unto death his heart was like wax Psal 22. melted in the midst of his bowels and in the midst of so many and such intollerable pains his murtherers shook their heads made mouthes at him scoft at his sorrows by cruel and insulting mockeries and by their tongues and derisions aggravated those sufferings which their hands could hardly increase but that the Cross of Christ was higher in the greatness of it's pains than that of any Martyr of any man that ever suffered is evident enough only by considering who it was that was crucified on it for it was more that JESUS being perfect God as well as Man should shed one drop of blood than that all Men and Angels should for Millions of years bear the greatest torments Lord we were wonderfully made by thy power but we are yet more wonderfully redeem'd by thy mercy Lord what is man that thou shouldst thus be mindful of him or rather what is man that he is unmindful of thee §. 13. What an infinite love is exprest by the Cross Now we have seen the whole frame of the Cross writ all over in blood with characters of love expressions of the greatest kindness for a testimony that JESUS lov'd us unto death Not any sorrow or anguish in his soul not any gap or wound in his body but are as many mouthes to cry aloud in the ears of all men Behold what manner of love God had for his enemies his sinful and unworthy creatures to suffer such things to die in such a manner for to redeem them and make them happy Now let us if we can comprehend the breadth and the length O dilectio quam magnum est vinculum tuum quo ligari potuit Deus Idiot the heighth and the depth of the love of JESUS that love which bound him much harder than the cords of the Jews and nail'd him to his cross much faster than those Irons which pierc't his hands and feet for he that could with one word cast his enemies to the ground could easily have broke their bands and escap't from them but that his love did constrain him and make him desirous and willing thus to die What man would suffer one half of what Christ did for his dearest Benefactor And then how immense and wonderful was that charity which he exprest in suffering the ignominy and pains of the Cross for those that were his enemies and had highly injur'd him and from whom he could expect no reward but only to be lov'd again Let us therefore remember it throughout this whole book or rather throughout our whole life that we have been redeem'd from eternal despair and misery and from our vain and sinful conversation not by any corruptible thing as silver and gold but by the precious Blood of Christ shed with great pain and great ignominy §. 14. Of the eternal happiness Jesus merited for us by his death This love of JESUS is more already by far than ours can answer Could our hearts burn perpetually with those brightest flames of love which beatifie the Cherubims could they contain all the most passionate affections of all Saints both in heaven and earth yet we could not love JESUS so much as he deserves for having died to save us from eternal death and yet he did more he suffer'd death that we might have life that we might have eternal life Not only that we might not be intirely miserable but also that we might be perfectly happy Heaven is the purchase of the Blood of Christ as well as Redemption from hell God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in trespasses and sins hath quickned us together with Christ and hath rais'd us up Ephes 2.5 together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Let us meditate a while upon that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory reserv'd in heaven for us 2 Cor. 4.17 and in it consider the same dimensions as in the price wherewith it was bought the Cross of our Saviour and it will greatly press and increase our obligations to love him It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul calls it each word is a part of its dimension First the Breadth it comprehends all joys and pleasures all things that are good and desirable all that can yield satisfaction and create
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
eiadversatur timor est idque cum acciderit sentiens tristitia est Aug. de Civ Dei l. 14. c. 7. love it self is all passions and it obtains several different names according to its several acts and objects Love saith S. Aug. is called desire when it gasps after its beloved object when 't is possest of it it takes another denomination and is call'd joy or pleasure when it flies from what it abhors it hath the name of fear and 't is called sorrow when what it fear'd overtakes it But still love is the only passion desire anger joy and sorrow hope and fear are either the motions or acts or else the accidents of it This clearly shews the great power and activity of this noble passion for 't is well known that the greatest and indeed all humane actions that are free proceed from these natural affections and so are the effects of love There is no need to distinguish the several sorts thereof declaring that love is either natural or supernatural sensual or spiritual of friendship or of interest for all these are the same faculty or passion in man differing in their principles or objects only neither would it much avail to give and explain a â—â—rate and studied definitions of love which is much better felt than exprest and much better declar'd by actions than words it will be more useful to consider that as love is the principle of all passions so it is of all vertues and vices This fountain sendeth forth the clearest and the foulest streams and like all other things the greater its excellency the worse is its abuse so that it should be our greatest care to use it well and set it upon the right object No joy in enjoyment without love without it no pleasure in fruition it is the great instrument of happiness if we place it aright and it brings the greatest infelicities if we misplace it 'T is a misguided love that makes men vicious that causeth all the disorders in the world because men love themselves more than God and so would be Gods to themselves the Authors of their own happiness expecting their greatest felicities either from their bodies as the sensual Epicures or from their minds as the proud Stoicks Hence it is that in the head of a long catalogue of the blackest sins S. Paul sets self-love as the cause and origine of all the rest saying that in the worst and most perilous times Men should be lovers of their own selves 2 Tim. 3.2.4 and again that they should be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God which being the greatest depravation of the understanding and of the will of men plungeth men into the greatest sins and thence into the greatest miseries Certain it is that piety or true goodness consisteth in willingly submitting ones self to the Divine Pleasure either to suffer or obey and certain it is that self-love will admit of neither it makes a man uncapable of Religion the Essence whereof is to deny our own to comply with God's Will and so instead of that Godliness Justice and Sobriety which are the three generals comprehensive of all Religious duties this muddy head-spring self-love sends forth three muddy streams which cause the overflowing of ungodliness and almost drown the world under a deluge of wickedness These be the love of sensual pleasures call'd voluptuousness the love of Riches call'd covetousness and the vain-glorious love of honour call'd pride or ambition These three are disclaim'd and renounc'd by all Christians in the first part of their Baptismal vow for the love of them confounds the world and all Religion makes men criminal in souls bodies and estates and is the great enemy to their rest and salvation Therefore S. John who calls these the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life gives us this necessary caution 1 Joh. 2.15 love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him that is as our Blessed Saviour saith Mat. 6.24 no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve God and Mammon There is no halting betwixt God and Baal 1 Kings 18.21 the one or the other must be acknowledged for Lord there cannot be two contrary Sovereigns together and the same thing can't be granted to two several competitors if we love the world it reigns in our hearts and God is excluded if we give our love to the world we cannot possibly give it to God also Amor motus est cordis qui cum se inordinate movet cupiditas dicitur cum vero ordinatus est charitas apellatur Aug. de subst dil c. 2. so then the love of our selves is concupiscence the mother of all sin and impurity and the love of God is grace or charity the fountain of all holines and vertue and these two according as they are predominant in men make here the distinction betwixt the penitent and the impenitent betwixt the just and the unjust and will make the great difference hereafter betwixt those that shall dwell in the imbraces of the God of love to eternity and those that shall dwell with everlasting burning for every man is what he loves as S. Talis est quisque qualis est dilectio ejus terram diligis terra es c. Aug. Tract 2. in 1 Joh. Augustine saith the irresistible power of that mighty passion doth in some manner transform him into that which his love imbraceth and therefore to know whether a man be good or bad we inquire not what he knows or what he believes but what he doth love being sure that his morals are of the same nature as his love because his desires and actions are all guided by it §. 19. How they that will be profest lovers of JESUS must mortifie self-self-love This makes it our greatest duty as it is our greatest interest to rule by reason and Religion that passion which certainly will rule over us to set our love upon the right object upon God not upon our selves Not that we should or can be our own enemies and seek our own ruine no man ever yet hated his own flesh Ephes 29. saith S. Paul the worst of Misanthropes are kind to themselves and we may as soon lose our being as the desire of our well-being and indeed as we should have in the state of innocency so we may still love our selves in God only God must be preferr'd before all and 't is impossible we should be happy but in loving him above all things with all our hearts and souls but now that we are in a state of sin and depravation there must be a dereliction of our natural desires and affections a renunciation to our own wills that we may comply with the will of God and be
lover a sincere and affectionate lover of JESUS I am oblig'd to undo as much as may be what I have done amiss and to do it no more this I heartily resolve to do and I hope shall really perform by the grace and assistance of my God I will make amends and restitution to those I have damnified in body goods or name and even ask their pardon for the injury and then bewail my sins grieve that I have offended my Divine and loving Master and beg his forgiveness and indeavour by tears and contrition to wash away the stains and spots wherewith my soul is polluted and displeaseth the holy eyes of the Holy JESUS and so to love JESUS binds upon me the whole exercise of repentance which now must be work of my life I am henceforth to live the life of a penitent and I resolve so to do therefore every night I must call my ways to remembrance and besides those greater provocations wherewith I offended my God in the days of my folly and inconsideration I am to take notice of those sins of daily incursion I am fallen into the last day and weep over them all and beg for pardon this especially upon those times appointed for mortification and acts of punitive repentance Fridays Lent and others wherein devout Christians make it their more solemn indeavours to soften their hearts and make them melt into penitent tears which must be done by Religious exercises and such meditations as this My dearest JESUS I owe to thy kindest goodness my being and all the blessings I injoy and I know that thou didst come down from heaven to die on the Cross that I might not die in hell to eternity to suffer a bitter and shameful death that I might live in eternal joys I hope to see thy glorious face one day I hope to receive a crown from thy gracious hands I hope to dwell in thy blissful society for ever dearest Saviour if thou wer 't upon earth I would go all the world over to prostrate my self before thee to kiss the ground thy Holy Feet should tread to serve thee to shew my love and gratitude to thee Dearest Lord I would now joyfully give up my life for thee I would lose the last drop of my blood to please and glorifie thee I would die rather than deny thee Why then unhappy wretch that I am do I offend thee to whom I owe my self and all that I have Why do I wound thee by my transgressions who was wounded for them by thy love Why do I grieve thee who purchasest eternal joys for me Why do I displease thee with whom I hope to live and dwell and from whom I expect mercy and Salvation Why do I sin against thee whom I love with all my soul and why do not I live to thee for whom I would die §. 33. Is made easie by love Such considerations and soliloquies as these will produce not only lachrymas doloris tears of grief but also lachrymas amoris tears of love and true contrition and moreover all the severities of repentance which are so unacceptable and so repugnant to nature will be made pleasant those things that would be ungrateful as acts of justice and obedience will become delightful as acts of love in amore nihil amari in love all things are sweet that are done or suffer'd for the sake of the beloved I take pleasure in infirmities 2 Cor. 12.10 in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake saith S. Paul that great lover of JESUS not that those things are of their own nature pleasant whether inflicted by our selves or others 't was for Christs sake that he like't them He that by penitent sorrow and acts of self-denial shews his love to JESUS is certainly delighted with the most afflictive of those voluntary sufferings as they are expressions of his love Accordingly 'tis said of the Religious of S. Bernard that their watchings and fastings and all the severities of their rule were become so pleasant to them by the devoutness of their affections that they were afraid of having their paradise in this world and consulted S. Bernard about it And certainly nothing but love could carry the primitive solitaries and Coenobites through that uneasiness and hardship they willingly undertook and indur'd many years and rejoyc'd in and would not have exchang'd for all the pleasures in the world §. 34. And proceeds not from melancholy Perhaps it will be said that such things are the effect of melancholy or a forward and misguided zeal not of true piety But let it be consider'd that natural love it self hath done and still doth wonderful things The love of friendship the love of lust the love of riches and ambition have set men upon difficult attempts have made them despise great dangers have carried them through many labours and sufferings and perhaps as great as the most mortified Christian ever undertook for JESUS and Eternity This hath been and is still the effect of Natural Love and sure Divine Love whose object is so infinitely more excellent may do at least as much Besides things temporal seem great at a distance but near at hand they appear as they are indeed mean and contemptible whereas contrariwise things eternal as they seem small and despicable afar off so near at hand they appear great and immense they overwhelm the mind Hence it is that dying men who are on the brink of eternity are amaz'd at the thoughts and near prospect of it and express great regret for their past inconsideration and promise great things for the future if they might live longer looking upon the world as an empty nothing not to be regarded where eternity appears and hence it is also that they who approach things eternal and view them by meditation and contemplation are of the same mind have the same apprehensions of them and act accordingly doing those things which dying men repent they have not doue for indeed it is no illusion or deceit but a great and real truth that the world and all it 's concerns are nothing compar'd to eternity and that we can never be too careful to obtain eternal joys and avoid eternal sorrows How much the Blessed Apostles and primitive Christians were acted by this consideration 2 Cor. 4.16 c. S. Paul gives us to understand saying that whilst they look't not on things visible and transitory but on things invisible and eternal then their afflictions were light and but for a moment though they lasted many years and were so great that the very thoughts of them can make us tremble yet they were light momentary whilst they look'd on eternity and they fainted not though their outward man decay'd daily by their great mortifications and their laborious zeal to serve God and all this whilst we look not on the things that are seen but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the
evil will be sufficient where love is and where it is not more would do no good and that little I shall say concerning the positive part of our duty doing that which is good will suffice also that Christian who knows what it is to love God The truth is my design is only to direct or beget love to shew its great power and the great advantages it brings Could I but teach thee often to repeat from thy heart as some Ancient Christians at the Celebration of the Lords Supper I love thee dear Jesus I love thee dear Jesus I should think to have profited thee more than if I had unfolded mysteries and displayâ—d much learning in the fairest and most exact method For I am sure that love would soon teach thee to know and to do that which pleaseth God to know and to perform the whole of thy duty Praecipuam Christiana pietatis portionem docuit quisquis ad hujusinflammavit amorem He hath taught the best part of Religion and to the best purpose who hath taught others to love it 'T is certain that if we give our love to God we shall afterwards refuse him nothing where a man gives his heart he will not refuse his hands or his knees where he gives his soul he will not deny his bread or his goods God shall have all that he requires and all we can offer to him if he hath our love and affections No qualification but love will make us true Christians Alia virtus cum peccato sed dilectio tua omni peccato contrariatur omni temptationi resistit Idiot no other vertue but may consist with some sin love alone is contrary to all no other grace can resist all temptations love alone hath that unlimited power no other grace will enable us to discharge all our obligations love alone is the fulfilling of the law all gifts and vertues without love can not fit a man for heaven nor make him dear to God but love can do it of it self they that be faithful in love Wisd 3.9 shall abide with him As there are Dragons that are bright and glittering and have precious stones in their heads as there are Comets that have the light and the elevation of stars so there are vicious persons false Christians that are indow'd with excellent parts and are eminent in some vertues but it profiteth nothing without love If I speak the tongues of Men and Angels 1 Cor. 13.1 c. saith S. Paul If I have the gift of prophesie and understand all mysteries if I have all faith so that I remove mountains if I give my goods to the poor and even my body to be burn'd and have not charity I am nothing and it profits me nothing Of all other gifts and abilities it may be said 1 Cor. 8.1 as of knowledge that they all puff up but charity alone edifieth among those creatures which stand and worship before God there is not only a Man and an Eagle which may represent persons of great learning fitted for high speculations but also a Lion and an Ox whereby Christians of meaner parts and knowledge are signified for these are capable of love as much as the others and 't is love alone qualifies men to dwell with that God who is love it self as S. John calls him God is love 1 Joh. 4.16 and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him God loves men that they may love him again saith S. Aug. Amat Deus ut ametur nil aliud vult quam amari c. he only requires that we would love him knowing that that love is of it self sufficient to make us eternally happy I have therefore all along fitted my discourse and meditations to every mans capacity and opportunities as much as I could because all may love and all must love that will be happy And though I may have recommended some things as means and instruments yet I have prescribed nothing as a duty but the great obligations which were laid upon us when we were baptized into Christ My Monastery as to the place is the Church as to the rule is the love of Jesus and the Orders of it are such as should be observed by all Christians I might indeed have mention'd many useful directions given by Ancient Fathers and Spiritual Guides to such as made profession of greater piety and stricter lives than others but they could not have suted with all conditions and callings therefore I have appointed no other rule to those that shall enter this Cloister but the love of Jesus in a sincere obedience to his holy precepts or a voluntary compliance with his Divine Counsels Not that I would deny that places for Religious Retirement might afford many great advantages in order to greater devotion and heavenly mindedness for I bewail their loss and heartily wish that the piety and charity of the present age might restore to this nation the useful conveniency of them Necessary Reformations might have repurg'd Monasteries as well as the Church without abolishing of them and they might have been still houses of Religion without having any dependance upon Rome Multi sunt qui possunt Religiosam vitam etiam cum saeculari habitu ducere plerique sunt qui nisi omnia reliquerint salvari apud Deum nullatenus possunt Greg. M. Ep. ad Maur. imp All men are not inclining to nor fitted for an active life some would be glad to find a place of rest and retirement for contemplation some who by melancholy or by the terrors of the Lord are frighted from their sins and from the civiliz'd world into Quakerism into an unhappy sullenness and Apostasie would perhaps exchange their silks and laces for the coarser garments of mortified professors of a Monastick life and find among them that happiness and peace of the soul which they vainly seek for in their wretched and deluded Brotherhood some who upon great afflictions and sudden changes of fortune fall into a state of sorrow and tedious sadness and are left in the world to struggle with the temptations of a discontented mind would perhaps take Sanctuary in a Religious house and give themselves up wholly to Jesus and forget their temporal sorrow by heavenly joys and meditations and at last bless that storm and shipwrack which cast them into that unknown land of rest and safety some that are forward and ready to promise well and take good resolutions have not strength enough to keep them but are prevail'd upon by the importunity of those temptations they meet withal in the converse of men who being fled from those occasions of sin might by the good example good instructions of a Religious Society secure themselves and stand to their holy ingagements some who never lov'd the world or that are grown weary of it or have passionate longings for heaven would willingly free themselves of the cumbrances and distractions of worldly business to
loving father who jealous of his sons affection would have none to tend him but such as wear his livery would have the picture of himself hang in every room and all the goods in the house markt with his name and cypher So God who loves men tenderly and desires to be by them lov'd again hath put something of himself in all the creatures he hath appointed to serve us that which way soever we turn our eyes we might be put in mind of him he hath stampt his name in more or less legible Characters upon all the goods and utensils of this his great house the world wherein he hath plac'd us And now shall we do like a simple child who turning his back upon his father should look and smile on his picture and caress it and wait upon it and ask it blessing while he slights the original So absurd a thing would be counted madness and move pity or laughter but when we act the same folly in loving the world whilst we despise God we are highly criminal we highly provoke our heavenly Father thus to return to him contempt disobedience for the gracious tokens of his love From hence it follows that as we should love God above all and all things things in him and for him we should also love those things most which have most of his impress and likeness Therefore man who is created after Gods image should be by us lov'd above all other creatures and that part of man which is chiefly adorn'd with the likeness of God should have the greater share of our affection God himself values humane souls at a high rate because they are like him as appears by what he hath done and suffered to save them And for the same reason also we should pay to the souls of men the best part of that kindness we owe them and if we do not we give our friends no greater love than children to their puppets for they dress them fine and lay them soft and kiss and imbrace them Just as they who aim at nothing more than to make their friends merry to wish them toys and gaudy things and to see them at ease A fondness inexcusable in rational creatures especially in Christians who know the worth of an immortal soul and the great concern of Eternity and yet seek only to gratifie the material part of their friends which is subject to corruption and to ingage their affections to the world which passeth away and they must soon leave As if when King Edward the first was hastning out of the Holy-land hither to receive the Crown which expected him his friends had staid him by the way and invited him to rest and case and provided for him all Princely delights and entertainments and retarded his coming so long till he had forgot or lost his right and his kingdom What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul and what shall a man give in exchange for his soul We are indeed much commanded to love one another and in this consisteth one great half of our Religion all justice and charity and all the duties of the second Table To love our brother as we ought is the best demonstration of our love to God 1 Joh. 4.20 for he that says he loves God and hateth his brother Rom. 13.10 is a liar saith S. John and love worketh no ill to his neighbour Mat. 19.19 and is therefore the fulfilling of the law saith S. Paul but a man is to love his neighbour as himself and therefore as he is most oblig'd to seek for himself the kingdom of God and its righteousness so should he in the first place indeavour to procure it to his friend Or else we are to love one another as Christ hath loved us Joh. 13.33 and that was in redeeming our souls and purchasing for us heavenly joys and eternal life not in providing ease and sensual pleasures to our bodies here in this world The result of this is that in the first place we should love God infinitely and for his own sake and that in the next we should love those things most which have a nearest relation to God Grace and Vertue Religion Holiness and Men especially their Souls which are an image of the Deity especially sanctified souls which are most like God Afterwards our lesser love for less Divine Objects may be reasonable and innocent and however we have secur'd a great duty and a great happiness Mar. 13.33 To love God with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love his neighbour as himself is more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices §. 14. 'T is most just and easie to love God A second consideration may be that it is most just and easie to love God That it is most just is shown all along this discourse wherein I have represented the more general and most excellent benefits of God to mankind all the which challenge and deserve the greatest love our hearts are capable of God had requir'd of his people that the first-born and the first fruits should be consecrated to him thereby to acknowledge him the author of all their blessings and the giver of all their increase Now the first-born of our souls the first-fruits of our hearts is love which God who gives us all things demands as an acknowledgment from us thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul We therefore commit a greater sacriledge if we deny him so just a tribute than if a Jew had rob'd him of his first grapes or his first ears of corn But it is so much the more just in that it is most easie to love God Infinite perfections an abyss of goodness whence rivers and oceans of good things do perpetually flow one would think should swallow up the hearts and affections of men as indeed it doth of all that duly consider it And more perfectly of beatified Saints and of those blessed spirits who minister before his throne and are all flame for him Besides 't is natural for men to love what is theirs propriety begets or increaseth love Now God is our God he hath given himself for us he doth now and will more intirely hereafter give himself to us he made us for the injoyment of himself and for that purpose he hath redeem'd us and that we might all say with David O God thou art my God that God might shew his kindness and indear himself to us and assert our right to him he hath assum'd the names of those relations who love us best whom we love most tenderly and whom we count most ours God the Father is pleas'd to be call'd our Father God the Son our Brother and God the Holy Ghost our Comforter as it were our friend thereby to express that affection which he hath for us and the propriety which
may be fabulous yet I believe the thing it self is true However I am confident that the love of God would sweeten all the bitterness of our innocent miseries and that it is only the imperfection of a Christians love that exposeth his mind to the vexation of humane sorrows I am not to my grief a competent witness to this truth but there have been many Saints and devout persons who in the fervency of their love to God have found those joys Nihil crus sentit in nervo dum animus est in Coelo those ravishments of joy which are ineffable and which made them in some manner insensible and incapable of any great sorrow And even the lesser love of more imperfect though sincere Christians doth in a great measure take away the sense of humane calamities and brings to their minds the greatest contentment and delight this world is capable of Magis est ubi amat quam ubi animat A mans heart is more where it loves than where it lives he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 and what greater Deus Charitas est quid pretiosius qui ma net in Charitaâ—e in Deo manet quid securius Deus in eo quid jucundius Bern. what more excellent bliss can we imagine or desire What stronger expression could one find to express the highest felicities to dwell in God! to be swallow'd up in an abyss of infinite goodness to be overwhelm'd in the immensity of Divine Joys and perfections as an atome in the air as a drop of water in the Ocean so he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God Nothing can better represent those transcendent and delicious raptures wherewith the soul is inebriated and raised above it self Extasin faâ—it amorâ— amatores suo statu di monet sui juris esse non sinit Dionys de Divin nom This was it made the Holy Martyrs shout and rejoyce in the midst of the flames they dwelt in God no sorrow no harm could approach them Happy are they that can say with S. Col. 3.3 Paul Our life is hid with Christ in God and I live yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liveth in me The love of God fits us for the joys of heaven and is an anticipation of them it powerfully governs the will and it sweetly overflows the mind it is the perfection of grace and will be the consummation of glory but 't is much easier and happier to feel than to express it Cant. 4.10 How much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine ointment than all spices One thing that adds much to the worth and the pleasure of Divine Love is that it never fails it is of the nature of its object eternal as God is whether there be prophecies 1 Cor. 13.8 they shall fail whether there be tongues they shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away but charity never faileth Faith and hope may accompany us as far as heaven's gate but there they forsake us the one is turned into sight and the other into injoyment love alone enters and abides with us to eternity Our greatest safety therefore as well as pleasure consists in loving God affectionately for that love which never faileth secures our duty here and our happiness hereafter We are sure never to live and never to perish in sin if we love JESUS sincerely He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and there neither sin nor misery can come to hurt him Quid refert natura esse quod potes effici voluntate Chrys What matters it then to be that by nature that we may be by choise affection If of our selves we are not holy and happy we may be so by love the love of God will transform us into his nature and make us partakers of his holiness happiness Love kills us in our selves that we may live in God Occidit quod fuimus simus quod non eramus Aug. It maketh such a change in us that we are no longer what we were as to the sinfulness and wretchedness of our condition The New Commandment maketh the New Creature Mandato novo facit hominem norum homines amando Deum dii effici untur Aug. men become Gods by loving God Love considers and dischargeth all the duties of Religion it allows of no omission nor trausgression 2 John 6. Love is the fulfilling of the law this is love that we keep his Commandments Ille sancte juste agit qui sanctam habet dilectionem Aug. He is a Holy Man whose love is holy Non faciunt bonos vel malos mons nisi boni vel mali amores Aug. for love having the rule and direction of all mans passions and affections they become either good or bad according to the nature of what he loves Therefore to know whether a man be vertuous or no we inquire not what his condition is or what are his parts and learning but what he delights in what he loves for if he loves the world and himself he is certainly vain and vicious but if he loves God he is pious and good and of a certainty he can never perish If natural love be so powerful and active as we know it is how much more when it is set upon God and by him assisted This therefore doth greatly manifest how secure and well guarded they are that love God in that their holy love masters and mortifies their unholy affections What is it that hurries men to sin and hell and destruction but their masterless and unruly passion now love can not only subdue them but even makes them useful and subservient to it the love of God sanctifies all passions and makes them serviceable If it cannot make him meek who is of an angry nature it will make him angry against sin and against himself a sinner if it doth not make him bold and generous whose temper inclines him to timorousness it will turn his fear into prudence and make him not dare to offend God if it makes him not cheerful who naturally is melancholy it will turn his sadness into penitent sorrow and make him a blessed mourner And so all other passions love will make them instruments of vertue Amor ubi venerit caeteros in se traducit captivat affectius S. Bern. or occasions of a greater reward that is it will either fight and conquer them or else put them to a good use Love is obey'd wherever it appears and Divine Love is irresistible it overcomes all difficulties Nomen difficultatis erubescit nay it scorns it disowns the name of difficulty saith S. Augustine It is as strong as death saith the Scripture it breaks the strongest and most vicious habits and like death it is ever victorious Happy and safe are they that love JESUS Charitas est donum Dei quo nullum est excellentius solum est quod
dividit inter filios regni aeterni filios perditionis Aug. de Trin. lib. 15. cap. 18. for that love it is makes the difference betwixt sincere and false Christians betwixt those that shall be heirs of salvation and those that shall go to perdition betwixt heaven and hell Many priviledges may belong to the tares while they grow in the same field with the wheat many Sun-shiny-days they may have and many drops of dew and rain may fall upon them but they are not rooted and grounded in love therefore they are pluck'd up and withered and burn'd Many gifts of the Divine Spirit wicked men may receive they may prophesie and do miracles in Christs name they may excel in some vertues but the grace of Charity they never receive the love of God never dwells in their hearts Thou maist be Baptized saith S. Aug. Habere Baptismum malus esse potes habere c. Tract 7. in Epist Johan and yet not be good thou mayst have knowledge and remain vicious thou maist be call'd a Christian and be none but thou canst not love God and be wicked thou canst not love God but thou must be holy and happy Thus we see love affords the greatest pleasure and the greatest safety this world is capable of The love of JESUS is a precious jewel precious beyond gold and the best of pearls Charitas est amor rerum quas nonnisi volentes amittimus Aug. he that hath it hath an infinite treasure and it is so much the more to be valued because we may acquiesce in its possession we can never lose it except we will We may lose our riches and we may lose our health we may lose our learning and our eloquence we may lose our friends and our lives but the love of God we can never lose without our consent no time no fortune no Tyrant can snatch it by force out of our hearts Verum bonum illud est quod non potes invitus amittere Aug. as 't is never given against our will so against our will it can never be taken away Charity never faileth Quinquagesima Sunday O Lord who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth send thy Holy Ghost and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity the very bond of peace and of all vertues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee grant this for thine only Son JESUS Christs sake Amen §. 18. Love brings a lasting joy and peace to the Soul The fourth and last consideration is that the love of God is the solid joy and lasting Tranquillity of the Soul No tormenting fear or sadness can harbour in a heart that loves God the Motto of love might well be that of a late order of Knighthood at Mantua mean't of the Holy Chalice Nihil isto triste recepto grief and the love of God are incompatible no sadness should enter that breast wherein dwells Divine Love I need not treat at large of those many doubts and terrors concerning future happiness which grieve and almost distract the hearts of many Christians to prove that it is a happy thing to be freed from them there are few but are so far acquainted with them as readily to assent to it it will be more to purpose to shew that the love of God is the best remedy against them the best balsom to heal a wounded spirit Some persons from their poverty bodily pains or other afflictions draw this most afflictive inference that God is not their friend and that therefore their condition is dangerous and very bad if not quite desperate and this adds such a weight to their cross that they have no strength to bear it but are ready to sink whereas the love of God hath enabled thousands to bear a heavier with patience with fortitude and men with cheerfulness I take pleasure in infirmities and distresses and necessities for Christs sake said S. Paul that great lover of JESUS He that would suffer for God will suffer from God he that would die and be crucified for JESUS will willingly bear that cross which JESUS lays upon his shoulders And indeed 't is a greater vertue meekly and thankfully to accept of that correction wherewith God visits us than voluntarily to inflict the greatest sufferings on our selves what proceeds from God is ever best for us and most pleasing to him No Patient will question the love of that Physician who is his intimate friend for that he makes incisions and applies causticks upon him and makes him drink bitter potions he will not suspect his friends affection he will not doubt but that 't is for his good after this manner he that loves God will receive afflictions from him and gratefully acknowledge with David I know that of very faithfulness thou hast caus'd me to be troubled Knowing that all things work together for the good of them that love God he will harbour no thoughts of diffidence nor question Gods loving kindness to him but rest satisfied that while he loves God nothing can hurt him and that whatever happens is certainly for his greatest advantage But 't is not always the storms of adversity that bring those dark and dismal clouds on the minds of men they come sometimes in fair weather in the greatest prosperity Whence 't is in vain to examine better it is to drive them away for they are as mischievous as black They cast a damp upon mens spirits they freeze their hearts in such a manner that they can receive no spiritual joy they so weaken their hands and feet that they can hardly work for God or walk in his ways so that their condition is sad indeed not because God is their enemy but because they being unreasonably afraid of it are thereby hindred from being his friends To this evil none can prescribe a better remedy than love let such persons love God heartily and all these terrors will vanish away like the vain images of a terrible dream when one awaketh Love begets love therefore we should love God because he first loved us and love begets a confidence of being lov'd again so that if we love God we shall not long doubt but that we are lov'd by him and then all is well And if at first our hearts do not melt into devout affections and are not replenish'd with the sweetness and comfort of love let us not be dismay'd at it nor too much study our own disturbed thoughts and apprehensions but let us continue to give God demonstrations of love to abstein from what he forbids and to do that which he commands or that which will please him though uncommanded and then either holy joys and extasies will come or it will be as well without them No man is afraid of his friends nor of those whom he serves and obligeth we easily suppose that they love us whom we love and that they to whom we do good will be kind to us
and often to consider what God is what he hath done what he doth and what he will do for us if we love him sincerely as also what we are whence we come whither we go and how easie it is for us to be eternally happy if we will set our affections upon God who deserves them so infinitely Doubtless inconsideration is the cause why God is not loved It is not possible men could resist the charms of his love if they would open the eyes of their mind and of their faith to view them But how few are there that do it How fully is the prophesie fulfill'd Mat. 24.12 Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold To how many Christians might our Blessed Saviour say as once to the Jews I know you Joh. 5.42 that you have not the love of God in you How justly might now S. Paul complain Phil. 2.21 all men seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christs And how justly might our Blessed Lord the great lover of men complain in the words of his Apostle I will gladly spend and be spent for you or rather I have gladly spent and been spent for you though the more abundantly I love you 2 Cor. 12.15 the less I be loved Want of love is a very sad general evil among Christians in these worst of times and I hope some will be by me perswaded not carelesly to say that they shall do as well as others but as wise men would in pestilent times carefully to provide Antidotes to prevent or cure the infection But alass how should I perswade others de ingratis etiam ingrati queruntur Physician cure thy self I help to propagate the distemper and therefore am very unfit to prescribe against it Shall the unthankful teach gratitude Shall the Pharisee perswade others when he saith and doth not If it be as one saith qui non ardet non accendit that he that burns not with the Divine Fire of love cannot inflame others with it then I may well cry out with him vae mihi frigenti wo is me unhappy creature who am so far from burning that I am almost quite cold and indeed I know and grieve the defects and imperfections of my love and have writ for my self more than for any others and I heartily wish better hearts and pens would treat of this subject and help that way amongst others to reinkindle that almost extinct fire of charity and devotion in the hearts of men and in mine own who would thankfully use their assistance and heartily pray for a reward to them I have no more to say by way of Preface but that if I have been so unhappy as to write any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Church I disown and retract it before hand and would blot it out with my blood as for particular persons who may find fault with any thing herein I desire them to pass it by It matters not much if they like not every passage and expression if they do but follow what they judge to be good and approve my design and love Jesus with all their hearts it will be enough for their profit and my satisfaction 1 John 4.9 He that loveth not knows not God for God is Love Claustrum Animae THE Reformed Monastery Or the Love of JESUS §. 1. Of the benefits of God to mankind IT were as easie to find out the bottomless depth of the inexhaustible fountain of the Divine Bounty as to tell the Streams which run from it Gods mercies are over all his works and all things that are made are a demonstration as much of his goodness as of his being I will not therefore undertake to number what is innumerable or to express what we cannot so much as comprehend but only insist briefly upon some of the most general benefits of God to mankind and in the representing of them endeavour to make us read our duty and to inflame our hearts with love §. 2. Of Creation First It is God that hath made us and not we our selves we owe him our very being thine hands have made and fashioned me saith David thine eyes did see my substance being yet imperfect Psal 119.13 and in thy book were all my members written Let us say therefore with the same Prophet 134.16 I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made and let us with him fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker You know that by the Laws of God and of all Nations there is an indispensable obligation upon all children to love and honour their Parents because they brought them into the world now certainly the obligation doubles upon every man in respect to his Father which is in heaven for our natural parents were but second causes under him his own power it was that form'd and created us they ingendred our mortal bodies only he is the Father of Spirits he himself gave being to our immortal souls Therefore let every man pay to his Maker those duties he would expect from his child Mal. 1.6 if I am a Father saith God where is mine honour If from our heavenly Father we have receiv'd our life and being let us pay that respect and love and obedience to him which thereby are become his due But there is yet more in this Creation is not a transient act the same power that once gave us our being doth still exert it self in the continuation thereof When a child is born he subsists by himself his parents need not take any care that he returns not to his pristine condition but we have the same dependance upon God in our preservation as we had in our creation should he withdraw his Almighty hand we should return to our first nothing in him we live and move and have our being Therefore we are the more bound to serve and love him that he not only made us to be but gives us as it were a new being every moment by continuing our life and duration by that Almighty will whereby he effected our first production Now if we consider further not only that God made us but what he made us it will yet inforce those bonds of duty which Creation tied upon us For it was in our Makers power either to make us vile and abject as the vilest of beasts or to deny us those faculties and abilities which are most honourable and most useful to our nature but he made us Men the most wonderful of his creatures in us he joyn'd what heaven and earth had most excellent an immortal Spirit created after his image with the most elaborated the most perfect of material things Take a view of the marvellous organs of thy senses of the curious contrivance of those joints and ligaments which unite thy several members of those various and delicate channels which contain thy blood and spirits in a word of all the parts and passions of thy body which are all made for
happiness to a man even that incomprehensible and increated goodness which is the inexhaustible fountain of perfect Bliss and Felicity in whose presence there is fulness of joy at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Secondly It 's Heigth It is above the regions of the air in the highest heavens the sublimity and greatness of it's glory is exprest by being like the Angels of God by shining forth as the Sun by a kingdom a crown incorruptible a crown of life and sitting with the Son of God in his throne Thirdly it's Depth It is pure and unmingled it admits of nothing afflictive neither death nor sorrow neither hunger nor thirst neither pain nor anguish all tears are wip'd from their eyes There is the absence of all evil and the presence of all good therefore 't is called the joy of our Lord than which nothing can express a greater for God is intirely and perfectly happy and so incapable of any sorrow that the least sight of the Beatifical vision would turn hell it self into a paradise Fourthly and lastly Its Length It 's never ceasing duration it admits of no end or period it is everlasting it is eternal it is for ever and ever after as many millions of years as there is drops of water in the sea it will but begin and after as many thousands of millions more it will be no neerer ending then it was at first still eternal and ever eternal This is that Bliss which we had forfeited by sin and are reintitled to by the passion of Christ that Bliss which if often and duly consider'd would make us despise the world long for heaven love affectionately and serve diligently that JESUS who offers it to us and died to purchase it Wherefore S. Paul prays so earnestly for the Ephesians that God would give them the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation the eyes of their understanding inlightned Ephes 1.18 that they might know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of his glory of his inheritance in the Saints That we might once be possest of this bliss as well as deliver'd from hell was the Cause why JESUS descended down from heaven became poor took on him the form of a Servant and humbled himself unto death even the death of the Cross for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12.2 he despised the shame and endured the Cross saith S. Paul That joy we may say was not the injoyment of heavenly bliss for himself 't was his without suffering there was no need he should bear the Cross for to obtain it he had a sure title to it by nature the joy therefore that was set before him was the joy of saving us the joy of rescuing us from the jaws of death the gulf of eternal perdition the joy of paying the price of our Redemption the joy of making us capable of eternal joys the joy of purchasing the glories and felicities of heaven for us in a word the joy of shewing us his love and expecting the returns of ours This was the joy why he despised the shame because his shame should raise us to glory this was the joy why he indured the Cross because his Cross should exalt us to a happy and honourable Throne This meditation of the great and manifold benefits of God and the wonderful love and charity he hath shewed us in JESUS we may and should prosecute much farther in all instances for 't is infinite and never enough to be consider'd and admir'd But Reader if that little I have here set down doth not affect thee and if being affected with it thou dost not resolve to return to God all possible acknowledgments and demonstrations of a grateful love Haeece via a meris est vera non ficta via cordialis non verbalis via fructuosa non ociosa via non solùm sermonis sed etiam operis Idiot then read no further for as what precedes is matter of mercy from Gods part so what follows is matter of duty on thine I shall now infer that we must love God because he first loved us and that if the love of JESUS to us hath made him bear our Cross our love to him must make us bear his yoke if he died for us because he loved us then we must live to him to make it appear that we love him Our love to Christ saith an excellent late Author is not a subtil airy and metaphysical notion Sherl 412. as some represent it but is a vital principle of action which governs our lives and makes us fruitful in good works thus it should be at least and thus I intend it the tryal of love is obedience if ye love me saith our Blessed Saviour keep my Commandments §. 15. What all these benefits require from us Now then we are to consider that God giving knowledge of salvation to men hath also thereby proclaim'd their duty Manifesting his love he hath ingag'd and requir'd theirs as our being call'd to be Christians makes a great and real change as to the happiness of our condition a great and real change it ought also to make as to the holiness of our conversation Therefore S. Rom. 2.16 Paul calls the Gospel the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth and he prays for the Ephesians Ephess 3.18 that they might know the love of Christ that so they might be fill'd with all the fulness of God as to say that the knowledge of the love of Christ is exceeding powerful and efficacious and would replenish them with all graces and vertues for this cause he sets so high a value upon the excellency of this knowledge Phil. 3.8 esteeming all the world but dung in comparison of it and he exhorting the Cretians to be ready to every good work puts them in mind that they who were once disobedient deceived serving divers lusts had been deliver'd from that unhappy condition by the appearance of the love of God our Saviour towards man Tit. 3. as in other places he exhorteth Christians to walk worthy of their calling worthy of the Gospel thereby declaring that the manifestation of the Divine Love in the Preaching of the Gospel was the promulgation as of their happiness so of their duty whereby they were rescued as well from living as from perishing in their sins 'T is the appearance of that grace of God which bringeth salvation Tit. 2.11 that teacheth men to live soberly righteously and godly and 't is the receiving and crediting that Heavenly Doctrine that quencheth the fiery darts of Satan that purifies the heart and overcomes the world so that the bare belief of the truth of the New Testament is a strong and indispensable obligation to a cheerful universal and persevering obedience to all its precepts the very profession of being Christians doth strictly bind us to the performance of all Christian duties But the necessity of a Holy Faith and
further than only to stir up our dull affections and raise holy passions in us But if we sincerely forsake our sins and evidence our love to JESUS 't is not greatly material what means or instruments we use §. 28. Meditation on the passion My love is crucified said that loving and holy Martyr Ignatius declaring how earnestly he wish't to die for JESUS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so considering the passion of JESUS I meditate with him My love is crucified my dearest Saviour dies in most bitter pains he hath been rudely bound and drag'd from place to place he hath been stript tied to a post and whipt like a vile slave he hath been buffetted and caned and abus'd with all manner of contumelies and now I see him crown'd with thorns all over spittle and blood I see him stretch'd upon the cross where his hands and his feet are nail'd his head hangs down I read in his pale face and his weeping eyes the extremity of his pain the anguish of his wounded soul Lord art thou he whom my soul loveth O Domine Jesu Christe si intelligentia quam mihi dedisti uti vellem sicut deberem cernerem manifeste quo modo imo quam sine modo à me creatura tua amari merueris qui prior dilexisti me tantus tantum gratis tantillum talem ingratum Idiot art thou my dearest JESUS were it my father my brother my friend or my benefactor that should suffer this undeservedly how would I pitty them but should they suffer this upon my account Lord I could not outlive such a sight if nothing else love would certainly wound my soul to death But behold it is so this crucified this dying man is my father he gave me my being he is my brother he came down from heaven and took humane flesh that he might have that relation to me he is my friend he lays down his life to save mine he is my greatest benefactor from him I receive all I have all the blessings the good things I injoy I owe to his kindness But heark methinks I hear him speak to me these pathetick these moving words Christian dearest Christian for whom here I die consider seriously imprint it in thine heart what in my words what in my mysteries thou readest of my suffering for thee consider who I am what I indure and to what end I am the eternal Son of God whom the Angels adore I became Man to make thee partaker of the Divine Nature I am infinitely rich the whole universe is mine I became thus destitute of all things to purchase true riches for thee I am of an Almighty Power the whole world was made and subsists by me I am now weak to make thee strong I am overcome of mine enemies to make thee conquer thine I am crown'd with glory and cloth'd with Majesty I now wear these thorns and am become naked to clothe thee with robes of righteousness and Crown thee with a Royal Diadem I am the inexhaustible fountain of joy and happiness I now indure sorrows and miseries to make thee joyful and happy I am infinitely pure and innocent I am become a sacrifice for sin to merit thy pardon and to sanctifie and make thee holy I am the Author of life the first and the last I now die to make thee live for ever nothing but love moves me thus to suffer for thee This us'd to be written under Crucifixes Aspice serve Dei sic me posuere Judaei Aspice mortalis pro te datur hostia talis Aspice devote quoniam sic pendeo pro te Introitum vitae reddo tibi redde mihi te In cruce sum pro te qui peceas desine pro me Desine do veniam dic culpam corrige vitam and nothing but love I require for it Dearest soul thy sins are more grievous to me than my wounds add not sorrow to my sorrow by remaining impenitent deny not this request to thy dying bleeding Saviour that thou wouldst mortifie thy lusts and forsake thy sins all that is past I heartily forgive if thou becomest true penitent I freely give my self for thee and beg that thou wouldst give thy self to me §. 29. Protestations of love to JESUS What shall I say now dearest Lord Words cannot answer thee I am amaz'd I am astonished I know not how to speak my tongue cannot express what my heart feels Lord I will say nothing I will answer with sighs and tears with devout affections by resigning and giving up my body and soul to thee I will answer by obedience by actions by now falling to work to reform my life to mortifie my sinful lusts to cut off the members of the body of sin Sweetest JESU I will love thee with all the affections my heart can entertain no bosome sin shall be so dear to me but for thy sake I will heartily part with it no lust shall be so pleasing but I will kill it at thy request and command even my natural desires and inclinations will I gladly deny when they come in competition with that duty and love I owe and ever will pay JESUS sect 30. Of a sincere amendment But fickle and unhappy creatures that we are we often promise well but seldome stand to our ingagements our resolutions are good and our performances very defective The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak I must not therefore rest in generals but I must resolve more especially against those sins I am inclined to and not only against them but also upon the means whereby I may overcome and mortifie them as avoiding the occasions and inticements inflicting on my self such severities as may be proper remedies and tying my self to such pious exercises as I know will drive away the temptation To forsake my sins is not to forbear drunkenness when perhaps I am not inclined to it or to avoid swearing when I look upon it as an unpleasing and unprofitable sin or to hate covetousness when by nature I am liberal but knowing what sin pleaseth me most what vice my temper inclines me to and what temptation is most strong and importunate upon me by my calling or my company against that to fortifie my self and imploy the utmost of my strength against that to watch and pray and use sincere and earnest indeavours To forsake my sins is not to say I will forsake them Some men when they are call'd upon by fear adversity or the secret voice of God within them are forward enough to ingage with the Elder Brother in the Gospel Lord I will go and work in thy vineyard but their hot zeal and hasty promise soon decays into negligence and at last into a cold denial Though I resolve against my natural corruptions never so seriously that will not subdue them without I use proper means for it to take up my cross and follow Christ to forsake all for him to deny my self to take the kingdom of heaven by force
to cut off my right hand and pluck out mine eye when they offend is more than barely to resolve Gal. 5.24 and promise high and proceed no further They that are Christs have not only verbally renounc'd but actually crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts therefore now I have given up my self to Christ and desire ever to be his I must pray heartily and watch diligently against my sins those especially that are most pleasing and customary to me I must like S. Paul not fight in the air against generals but keep under my body be temperate in all things and strive to the utmost for the incorruptible crown I must use that violence to my self such harsh applications acts of penance and mortification of my own or the Spiritual Physicians appointment as are fit and requisite to cure my distemper to expel or reform that evil inclination which is inconsistent with my love to JESUS To that end it will be very useful frequently to meditate on the passion of Christ the day of our change our appearance in judgement the joys of heaven the torments of hell and the amazing consideration of Eternity and I am perswaded and will therefore speak it plain though to the dislike of most Dissenters that it might be very profitable a great token of sincerity and an excellent instrument of reformation to acquaint the Spiritual Judge and Physician with the state of our Conscience and the distempers of our souls to submit to his impositions to follow his counsels and carefully observe his prescriptions This is recommended to us by Divine Authority the general practice of the Christian Church while of late and the greater Piety of our Ancestors and it would be a good remedy against our ignorance the wrong judgment we make of our selves our self-love and partiality our inward doubts and tormenting fears and our reigning lusts and most common temptations Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible He that would vanquish his antagonist was in the first place to vanquish himself to indure hardship and severity and use all indeavours for the victory for a fading garland so he that will overcome his lusts and master himself and obtain that heavenly crown which never fadeth must use great industry many arts all means that can conduce to that end §. 31. Love will work the best Reformation But the voluminous directions of Casuists and Confessionists cannot reach all cases and all particulars to shorten our labour therefore let the love of JESUS do the work of self-reformation and it will be soonest and best done Love will find out the most effectual means for the extermination of our sins and love will use them to the best purpose Certain it is that love in all instances sets men upon acts of self-denial as great Generals and many more who forego the peaceable injoyment of the comforts they might have at home and expose themselves to dangers because they love honour merchants who forsake their dearest relations and run through many great troubles and perils because they love gain and the more generous love of friendship which hath caus'd many to chuse great inconveniences and even death to serve their friends and therefore certain it is also that the love of JESUS will make his yoke and even his cross easie will make us deny our selves and forbear what displeaseth him though otherwise pleasing to us That men might be without excuse God hath made a short work upon the earth Vt nemo habet excusationem in die judicii voluit Dous sicut scriptum est consummare abbreviare verbum super terram Aug. de Doct. Christiana l. 1. c. 1. saith S. Aug. by contracting his immensity into the narrow dimensions of man he hath abbreviated his doctrine and our talk JESUS is the Center and the sum of our Faith and Religion and the love of JESUS is the content of our duty I have determined 1 Cor. 2.2 saith S. Paul not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified 1.24 and we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but to them that are called Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God that is in whom God fully reveals his will and gives us full power to fulfil it Gal. 6.14 Therefore saith the Apostle God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of Jesus Christ my Lord by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world The knowledge and love of JESUS our Crucified Saviour is the most proper means to teach us our duty the greatest motive to undertake it and the best instrument to perform and effect it withal it will kill our lusts crucifie the members of the body of sin and carry us through the labours and difficulties of penitence and sincere amendment it will be the fulfilling of repentance as it is the fulfilling of the law For as love is strong to overcome strong enemies to kill the greatest sins so it is wise and quicksighted to see and to find out the least A loving friend will not only not slander and defame his friend not rob or strike or murther him but will forbear all words and actions which might bring him the least grief or inconvenience love will not only not give the greatest provocations but even not disoblige or displease in the least instances And so if my love to JESUS be sincere it will not only keep me from confederation with his profest and greatest enemies but even make me shun and forsake the most secret and contemptible of them I mean that the love of JESUS will never suffer me to entertain any the least sin and whenever I find that I have been unhappily seduc'd to commit any it will cause me to grieve and sadly to repent that I have displeased my dearest Saviour and wounded that tender love I have for him And indeed it is reported of many devout persons great lovers of JESUS that they would sorrow and weep for ordinary failings for small omissions more than others would for much greater sins Divine Love like a bright burning flame will feel a commotion and disturbance by the least drop of water that falls upon it a small irregularity will be more grievous to a pious lover of JESUS than great crimes to another Therefore he that could say the love of Christ constraineth us would also highly complain and groan under the sense of our unavoidable imperfections Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Nothing will make us more sensible of our least and most common sins than the love of JESUS it will make us angry at and impatient of them and earnest and severe in reforming of them §. 32. The exercise of repentance So then as I profess my self a
of hell and I will remember him who for me was crucified and with whom my love hath crucified me and that now is the time to make it appear that I love him to justifie the sincerity of my protestations and so for covetousness pride intemperance and all such temptations I will reject their attempts and profers with indignation as a true friend would scorn the solicitations to betray his friend What shall I be false to him I love to him that loveth me who hath shed his bloud for me and to whom I have often protested that I would die for him shall I break the sacred bonds of love and my most sacred vows and put my soul into a state of regret unquietness shame and sorrow for this vile transitory profit or pleasure O my dearest JESUS thou knowest that I love thee I beseech thee make that love victorious against thine enemies and mine I would die rather than deny thee for any interest in the world and I hope thou wilt not deny me at the last day but own me among thy faithful friends Lord I serve thee not for nothing great are the reasons why I should obey thee thou hast done much for me and from thee I still expect much infinite rewards for such due and poor services Lord let me die before I deliberately sin against thee §. 37. To do what we do cheerfully Thus by love I resolve to conquer my self to deny and mortifie my lusts by love I will strive to overcome all unlawful desires all sinful motions and then I shall rejoyce in the victory It shall not make me peevish and morose churlish and severe to others but rather cheerful and contented gentle and affable so that it shall be seen by my outward deportment how much pleasure and tranquillity my soul hath inwardly that I rejoyce in what I do for Christ that it is delicious to me to deny my self for his sake to oblige so great so true so generous a friend as JESUS who hath done all acts of friendship for me and owns me for his friend I call you not servants but friends Job 13.14 ye are my friends indeed if ye do whatsoever I have commanded you Those that are accounted gallant men in the world will venture their lives to second a friend in an idle and unchristian quarel and their wounds they bear with courage and count them honourable 'T was to serve a friend How much more should I rejoyce in that violence I offer to my appetites and unruly desires for to please and serve my heavenly my best my dearest friend whom I can never love so much as he deserves and in loving of whom I am infinitely happier than if I should injoy all the pleasures of sin as long as I live I only grieve and am displeas'd that I can do so little for him that I can requite his love no better I know that many persons have done far more for their less-deserving friends than I do for JESUS §. 38. A singular example of humane love It is reported by Greek historians of two loving sisters Eudoxia and Irenea daughters to the last unhappy Prince of Morea Niceph. Gregor Chalcondys who with his life lost his crown and countrey that an uncle saved them from the general desolation and captivity which soon succeeded the lost battel and carried them to old Andronicus their kinsman then Emperor of Constantinople There with pity they found a kind well-come and as great respects as they could wish Their beauty their vertues and accomplishments surpast their princely birth and were as eminent as their fortune was low so that young Andronicus who was to succeed in the Empire was in process of time taken with Eudoxia lov'd her passionately and obtain'd the Emperors consent to marry her This caus'd great troubles to Irenea who lik'd it well as she lov'd her sister but could not but grieve at it as she lov'd the Prince for unhappily she had settl'd her affections on him Upon this she fell sick and almost to death and it being observ'd that some distemper in her mind caus'd the distemper of her body her sister protesting of her love to her assuring her that Eudoxia should have only the title and the trouble but Irenea the priviledges and the power of an Empress conjur'd her to declare what caus'd her discontent Having understood what it was and grieving that she should be the occasion of her sisters danger and sorrow she presently took from her head a jewel the Prince had given her in form like a half-moon and with it she so wounded and disfigur'd her face that she cur'd the Prince of his love as she designed and afterwards retir'd to Galliopoli where she entred a Cloister and devoted the rest of her life to God The Prince finding in Irenea what he had lost in Eudoxia soon after entertain'd the same passion for her he had for her sister but Irenea remembring her sisters generosity forgot her affection to the Prince considering what Eudoxia had voluntarily suffer'd for her how great how tender a love she had exprest in what she had done resolves to forsake Andronicus to forego her ease and pleasure and what she had so earnestly desir'd rather than be ungrateful Whereupon she steals away from the court goes to Galliopoli enters her sisters Cloister and having exprest to her her love and acknowledgments she takes the same vows and resolves to live and die to God and with her beloved sister This story makes me grieve and blush that so little gratitude should be paid to JESUS for greater benefits for that incomparable love he hath shewed men in dying for them that I my self should so ill requite his much greater kindness so poorly and imperfectly return his most wonderful love What shall I think it much to refrain my intemperance for his sake who for mine fasted long and often and tasted vinegar and gall shall I think it much to mortifie my pride and anger for him who for my sake despised the shame of the cross and return'd nothing but meekness to the greatest provocations shall I think it much to refrain my worldly covetous desires for him who for me became poor naked destitute of all things though he were Lord of all shall I think it much to deny my self some momentary sensual pleasures for him who carried my sorrows who shed his blood and was crucified to save me No my dearest JESUS thy love hath overcome me I will be no more what I have been henceforth it shall be my wealth my delight my glory and ambition to serve and obey thee to be loving to be faithful to thee §. 39. The design of Religion is to make us better This change and Reformation is what our Religion requires The Scripture supposeth it in all that have imbrac'd Christianity and is earnest and pressing in its exhortations to it We beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Lord JESUS 1 Thes
1 Cor. 13.5 charity doth not seek her own saith S. Paul we may desire our promised reward and set our affections upon it as it is a demonstration of Gods infinite love and goodness or because it will be the expressing of our duty and thankfulness when we shall love and glorifie and adore God perfectly and for ever or rather because the reward is God himself who will be to every faithful servant his exceeding great reward Gen. 15.4 as well as to faithful Abraham rewarding sincere obedience with the fruition of himself being all in all to his Saints But still I say love is not selfish but free and generous if nothing were to be gain'd by it it would have satisfaction enough in shewing its self 't is an unspeakable pleasure to a devout lover to act and labour for JESUS when he thus thinks with himself by the performance of this duty by this act of vertue by this good work I serve my dearest Lord I oblige my best friend I express my love to him whose infinite kindness to me hath conquer'd my heart whom I love as my own soul and for whom I would willingly die O happy soul who feelest what an exceeding joy it is to love JESUS or rather unhappy soul who canst shew so little love to JESUS Unhappy necessities of a frail body unhappy distractions of a troublesome world Why am I by you depriv'd of the continual pleasure of waiting continually on my Divine and most loving Master But blessed be my gracious Lord that I might have more opportunities of pleasing him and expressing my affections to him he hath made vertues of necessities he hath turn'd nature into grace and of humane duties he hath made acts of Religion in relieving mine own and others wants If I observe the rules of sobriety and charity he takes thence occasion to bless and reward me as if he were thereby glorified in discharging the duties of my place and calling If I am diligent and faithful though my work be never so mean he owns it as a service done to him Servants saith S. Paul obey your masters in all things Col. 3.22 and do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men 23. knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ If I am consciencious in all my ways and works he takes it as a mark of my love and part of my duty to him O that the constant course of my conversation might speak the sincerity of my affection to my Blessed Lord. Dearest JESUS the Cross thou didst bear for me was heavy and painful to extremity but thy yoke is light and pleasant thy service is perfect freedom O let it be my delight and daily imployment as it is my duty to serve and obey thee to follow thy blessed example and be instrumental in winning hearts to thee let me love thee so intirely that I may love nothing but thee nothing but for thy sake Fac precor Domine B. Ansel me gustare per amorem quod gusto per cognitionem sentiam per affectum quod sentio per intellectum Amen §. 6. We belong to Jesus and are not our own Love regards not so much what is commanded as who it is that commands it if it be the Beloved requires any thing love doth it cheerfully without reluctancy another with earnest begging should not have that granted which the least word of a friend shall obtain The commands of Christianity are easie and most rational in keeping of them consisteth our present and future happiness Yet the ture lover of JESUS looks farther he considers that it is his God and Saviour who would have him obey he to whom he belongs to whom he ows himself and infinitely more for every Christian ows JESUS to JESUS who gave himself for him The old saying was emendus cui imperes buy your slaves buy those that will be commanded by you none of us can say so to the God whom we serve for he hath indeed bought us Ye are not your own saith S. Paul ye are bought with a price thence it is strongly infer'd therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods We are not at our own dispose our Divine Master hath a most just propriety in us we are wholly his and would to God we were his as much by affection and resignation as by right the price he hath paid for us is no less than himself he hath given his life that ours might be his We were redeem'd from our vain conversation by the precious blood of Christ who died for us that we might live to him he could get nothing by that dear purchase but our love only for we were his before it is he that made us only we had estrang'd our selves from him and plac't our love upon other things and he could not count us his own while we loved him not §. 7. Meditation our obligation to serve JESUS I must therefore consider whose I am I am Christs by a strong and incontestable title while I serve him I do that proper work which belongs to me whilst I obey what he hath commanded I do what is infinitely my duty what his love to me challengeth and what my love to him desires to return Had I ten thousand years to live and could I serve him all that while and do nothing else I could not repay him for the least part of that great ransom he hath paid for me neither could I deserve any thing of those great wages which he will give me my life is but short and he allows me time for other things even for pleasure and recreation I have therefore a most gracious Master and therefore I resolve and promise to do what he requires of me I will except at nothing he commands it shall be my joy to pay my duty to him and I will make it appear that I serve out of love and affection Vae miserae animae quae Christum non quaerit nec amat arida manet misera c. Aug. Man O my dearest JESUS would my heart did feel what it should would I could express what it feels and would I could perform as much as I express But O my Blessed Lord how frequently and unhappily do I forget that thou art my Master and I thy servant that my chiefest business is to do thy will and that my greatest happiness as well as duty is to obey thee Is it not because I also forget that thou didst redeem me from a most wretched slavery that thou didst pay an immense price for me that thou becamest a servant for me before thou requiredst any service from me and that thou didst first love me before thou did intreat my love O thou great Lover and Saviour of men I wholly give my self to thee body and soul heart and affections I desire to be thine I pray that thou wouldst make me
we look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ that whatsoever things are true 4.8 honest just pure lovely of good report any vertue any thing praise-worthy may be our constant study and practice We must labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of our Lord 2 Cor. 5.9 because we shall all appear before him and receive according as we obey him now in his absence §. 9. Incouragements to obey Jesus All this and much more to the same purpose which I have read and observed in the Sacred Books of the New Testament hath convinc'd me that it is the design of Christian Religion to make me meek and humble sober and contented just and charitable devout and religious vertuous and holy this I own to be my duty and I will indeavour my self heartily to perform the same And that I may do it with cheerfulness â—nd affection I will stir and quicken â—he holy fire of love in my heart by pâ—ous considerations When any duty to God or man calls upon me for acâ—ion and performance and I find in my soul too much of dulness or reluctancy I will again by meditation suppose my dying Saviour present telling me how much he hath done and suffered for me and desiring me as I love him to do that duty which lies before me Christian if thou dost understand the greatness of my love which brought me here to die for thee if thou art sensible of it and wouldst make any return for it do this obey this command this may be the last thing thou shalt ever do for me this may be the last tryal of thy love sure it would grieve thee to have denied this small request to him that gives his life that gives himself for thee Or else I will suppose my self in the presence of my Divine Master sitting on his heavenly throne with his glorified servants about him shewing me the crown he hath assign'd to me and saying N. N. wilt thou deny to do this at my earnest request wilt thou be so unkind to me Sure I have deserved better at thy hands than so sure I who am much above thee have done much more for thee than that comes to but besides I would highly recompence thee These my friends I have rewarded with the bliss and glory they enjoy for having done such things for me and I would reward thee as bountifully here is eternal life eternal rest eternal glory for thy recompence as thou lovest me as thou lovest thy self obey that thou maist be happy To this what answer could I make but such as this Lord not only this but any thing else thou hast commanded I am willing to fulfil and obey I bewail my dulness and depraved nature that makes me so unready so unactive in thy service but Lord thou knowest that I love thee I would undertake any labour any trouble to make it appear I would die to justifie it Yet sweetest JESU I beg of thee to increase my love to increase it to such a degree that like thy heavenly attendants I may burn with that Divine fire and be all love to thee Sund. 25. after Trinity that so I may be always prepar'd and desirous to do thy will Stir up we beseech thee O Lord the wills of thy faithful people that they plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of thee be plenteously rewarded through JESUS Christ our Lord. Amen Love is the fulfilling of the Law Christian Reader I hope that what I have writ thou wilt also read and repeat heartily in the first Person for to that end I have thus contriv'd it to ingage thine affections to make thee speak as of thy self these soliloquies acts of love and acts of resolution which run throughout the whole discourse and I would have thee use that method which may much affect thee to make dialogues betwixt thy Saviour and thy soul and betwixt thy soul and thy self for certain it is that for thee N. N. by name JESUS was crucified and died and certain it is that thou thy self shalt die and be judged and rise again to an intolerable eternity if by carelessness and inconsideration thou hast been unmindful of thy Lord and thy soul or else rise again to eternal joys if thou hast sincerely lov'd and serv'd JESUS Job 15 10 If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love §. 10. Of free-will-offerings Thus much of necessity must be done my duty as well as my love constrains me to it Not to break negative precepts and to obey positive ones that is to cease from sin and to work righteousness is required of me if I do it by love I have made my task pleasant but yet a task it is which must be fulfill'd Not but that there is mercy for sins against the New-covenant for the transgression of Gospel precepts there is joy in heaven at the conversion of a sinner what ever his sins have been and it ought greatly to indear God to us that he is so willing to forgive so desirous to have us repent that we may be capable of his pardon but whether soon or late whether after crying guilts or ordinary sins still I say there must be a true contrition a sorrow and repentance for our sins proceeding from the love of God and a sincere indeavour to please and obey him for the future and so thus far we are drawn by a moral necessity by the desire of our own happiness which is not to be obtain'd any other way But shall we stay just here and not go one step further than is required 't is well indeed when we are safe and that must be secur'd first of all and with the greatest care but shall our love proceed no further Sure that Christian who is best assur'd of his salvation will love God most of all and make to him the greatest and most hearty returns When a man is qualified for heaven and enjoys the greatest happiness this world is capable of that is a sense of Gods favour and a well-grounded assurance of a future bliss his soul cannot but melt into the most affectionate love for that gracious God whose mercy and loving kindness hath brought him into that happy condition and fitted him by his grace for a much happier and they I say that are in such a case for to them only I now speak may well do something more than what needs they must may well enlarge their affections to God beyond the bounds of prescribed duties it is a good sign a sign of a sincere and a pious heart when a man is forward to undertake for God when he doth not weigh grains and scruples lest he should part with any of his right and liberty but affords God a full measure and running over and think he never gives enough and still desires that he might do infinitely more for him 'T is true
that properly speaking all is due to God and the more any the best Christian returns the more he hath receiv'd and so the more he is indebted but yet God is pleas'd not to require all that he gives nor all that we may give that we may have wherewith to make a free-will-offering that we may have something to give him that he requires not tokens of our greater love and gratitude It was foretold that under the Gospel in the day of Christs power Psal 110.3 his people should offer him feee-will-offerings with an holy worship And David himself under the Law was at his quid retribuam Psal 116. What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits that he hath done unto me Though the benefits which God vouchsafed his people then were much inferior to those he hath since bestowed upon us for eye had not then seen nor ear heard neither was it entred into the heart of man what great things God would do for them that love him as he hath now declar'd in the revelations of his Gospel though he had tied them to a burthensome and most expensive service yet he accepted their voluntary vows and ingagements and was well pleas'd with them yet he would receive their free-will-offerings and delight in them And sure we are more oblig'd than the Jews to let our love and gratitude break forth beyond the limits of commands and express injunctions and now that God hath open'd to us his rarest treasures his own bosome for to give us his beloved Son he will not reject our free oblations the voluntary acknowledgments of his undeserved and unspeakable mercies 'T is not to be denied without giving the lie to the learning and piety of the best Christians in all ages but that there is in the New Testament counsels as well as precepts some things recommended though not commanded he that sells all that he hath for to buy the pearl of great price and they that make themselves Eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven 2 Cor. 9.6 were not injoyn'd so to do but are well approv'd of and that God who gives a plentiful harvest to him that sows bountifully is doubtless well-pleased with his open handedness and charitable profusion And as it is the best indication of a devout and loving soul cheerfully to exceed what is strictly required it is also the best fence to immure and secure our duty for then when we slack and abate we may be still within our due bounds nay more I am confdent that as it is best and safest it is also easier to give free-will-offerings than only just to pay the daily commanded sacrifice because those proceed from affection these perhaps only from injunction He that is desired to go one mile and goes two or ten finds his way pleasant for love leads him but he that is prest to the same journey and is acted by fear and compulsion while he resolves not to go one foot farther than needs he must will easily be tempted to stay one short of what he should But this is better understood by the devout lovers of JESUS than I can express it Precepts are given to all men as tributes are exacted of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beat. Doroth. Doct. 1. saith an Ancient guide of souls but as in the world great persons and favourites not only pay the tax but also offer presents and gifts to the Prince so in the Church the most Religious observe not only the precepts but also intimations and counsels and give to God not only what he exacts but also free oblations all that they are able How many thousands of Saints now in heaven have taken this course how many that now wear the bright crown of virginity might have injoy'd the comforts of marriage had not the love of JESUS prevail'd over their natural desires how many who might have possest great estates injoy now the greater treasures of eternity for having made themselves poor to relieve the needy members of JESUS how many who now sit on thrones of glory have chosen here to follow JESUS in meanness and humility when honours and worldly pomps were at their command how many are now rewarded with high degrees of everlasting bliss for having spent their short time upon earth in serving JESUS when they might have spent it upon their own profit or pleasure and how many now living aspire to the same felicities and recompences by cheerfully following the same ways and expressing a sincere and unbounded love S. Aug. by such free oblations Cur non possum quod isti istae Why can't I do what these my Christian Brothers and Sisters have done and do still hath not God done as great things for me as for them hath he not given me the same promises as they had do not I hope to be their companion and fellow citizen in heaven And why then can't I love as much as they did I should therefore and do resolve to make no reservations JESUS shall have the command of all he hath given me of all he hath enabled me to do I shall keep nothing from him which may express my love and gratitude and do him service Dearest JESUS I know I can never do for thee so much as I should and I know that I shall never do so much as I would thou gavest thy self for me and thou wilt give thy self to me and Lord what am I worth and what is the worth of all I can do It is a great favour that thou wilt accept of me and my weak indeavours I know that if heaven were capable of any grief it would be only that we have not lov'd thee enough upon earth when thou fillest our souls with thy Divine and ravishing joys we shall wish we had done nothing here but serve and love thee O give me grace now whilst I live to do what I shall wish to have done when I die let me d◠now I am absent from thee what I shall wish to have don◠when I dwell with thee let me love thee infinitely and without measure Modus amandi Deum sine modo S. Bern. §. 11. Of our obedience to the Church The first instance o◠our love in this way o◠free-will-offerings should be a pious obedience to our Mother the Church not but that it is many ways requir'd but because 't is almost wholly neglected What by pride and refractoriness what by ignorance and indevotion and what by looseness and irreligion that obedience which ought to be paid to those that have the rule over us in the Lord to the standing rules and orders of our Spiritual governors is so generally laid aside that many that would yet dare not press it upon the people and that even they that obey do it secretly and as though 't were dishonourable are in a manner asham'd to own it Hence comes that great neglect of Confirmation that most necessary and Ancient if not Apostolick
diligent and receive commendations from the passers by these are an emblem of the most imperfect Christians who in Gods service seek their own glory and of whom our Blessed Saviour says that they have their reward However all must sow and every one as he doth it sparingly or bountifully so shall he reap at last But heaven is a cheap purchase give we never so dear for it Decay of Christian Piety The Gospel reveals and offers a glorious kingdom great and eternal felicities but he that expects their possession because he reads and believes them is like him that should fansie the whole world shall be his because he hath the History or the Map thereof Ecclus. 37.11 Consult not then with a coward in matters of war as the Son of Sirach adviseth consult not with an irreligious age in matters of Piety and Religion and think it not enough to do as the most do When first Christian Religion was preach't in the world and men understood what JESUS had done for them and what he had promis'd they thought nothing too much nor too good for him they chearfully parted with temporal pleasures honors and riches with their liberties their limbs blood their very lives that they might be faithful to JESUS and come to reign with him they made it appear by their patient chearful and magnanimous sufferings that they valued nothing but JESUS and eternity We are not now expos'd to the same dangers for the belief and profession of Christianity but the commands thereof may have Martyrs as well as the Creed the same Lord and Saviour requires our obedience to the one who exacts our faith to the other he that spends his life in the observance of his Lords precepts and counsels in thus confessing of him before men may be intitled to as great a reward as he that dies that he may not renounce his Religion and deny his Faith I need not insert cautions against vain glory and self complacency after we have done the most we are able for if it proceeds not from the love of God it is nothing worth and if it doth it will never bring pride nor vanity Charity vanteth not it self and is not puffed up 1 Cor. 13.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. S. Johan Clim Grad 23.11 Only in the words of a pious Saint If we had died a thousand times for JESUS yet we should not have repaid him the least part of what we owe his infinite mercy and condescension for vast is the difference betwixt the blood of God and the blood of his creatures and servants if we judge according to the dignity and not to the substance of it What hast thou that thou hast not received remember what JESUS saith to all Christians He that loveth father or mother more than me Mat. 10.37 is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me Luk. 14.33 is not worthy of me and whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my disciple We can never do too much for JESUS but we may easily do too little though the most we can do will never merit heaven yet the least we may do shall not obtain it 't is safe and impossible to exceed but 't is easie and dangerous to be defective 6. Sunday after Trinity O God who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass mans understanding pour into our hearts such love towards thee that we loving thee above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all that we can desire through JESUS Christ our Lord Amen I have now assign'd love its full task to repent and mortifie our lusts to serve and obey God and to abound in good works even free-will-offerings I have no more for it to do I would only have it to increase to grow towards perfection to be constant and to indure unto the end To help this forward and to conclude I have here added four considerations wherewith to assist and incourage the sincere lover of JESUS to the discharge of this great and blessed duty the work and labour of love §. 13. That God should be loved above all things The first is that it is most unjust and unreasonable to love any creature to the prejudice of the Creator As all things have their being from God so they have from him all the goodness and beauty which makes them lovely to us and God drawing upon visible objects fair copies of his invisible perfections design'd to be lov'd in them or that they should be lov'd in him and for his sake If men being delighted with the beauty of the heavenly host took them to be gods Wisd 13.3 let them know how much better the Lord of them is for the first Author of beauty hath created them 5. for by the beauty and greatness of the creatures proportionably the maker of them is seen Beauty and goodness are the proper object of love and therefore God who is the first and supreme beauty and goodness should be loved before all things We indeed reverence Princes in their seals and arms in their meanest servants cloth'd with their livery but should a subject set up these in the royal throne and transfer to them or even to the greatest Favorite those special honours which belong to the Prince only he should justly be deem'd a Rebel and his proceedings would be as unjustifiable as the disloyal distinction of taking arms by the Kings Authority against his Person Yet such are the proceedings of all disorderly lovers I mean of all sinners who setting more of their affections upon the creatures than upon God the Creator pay them afterwards a greater veneration than they do to him having exalted honours pleasures and riches into the Imperial chair they do more for them than for the Sovereign himself nay they obey them to his prejudice and against his express command Thus vicious unreasonable men burn in the shade and freeze where the Sun shines they dote upon inferior beauties and neglect the highest and most perfect they take fire at dark shadows and find no heat in the brightest light Great men have a respect paid them in their degenerating posterity great Artists are respected in their liveless children we highly honour unhappy Pagans in those labors of theirs which adorn our closets and libraries God only is dishonour'd in his works the more perfect he hath made them the more injurious they prove to him Phidias and Apelles are remembred with veneration in a fine picture or Statue God only is ingratefully forgotten in a lovely creature whereof he is Maker An absurd impiety this is Absurdum est genu posito simulacra adorare suspicere fabros vero qui ea fecerunt contemnere which Seneca reprov'd in his Fellow-heathen to worship and deifie the carved image and to take no notice of the Carver that made it God hath done like a
we may claim in him Sure 't is an easie thing to love them that love us Nimis durus est animus qui amorem eisi nolebat dare nolit tamen rependere Aug. and where God hath exprest so much love 't is strangely unnatural if we are not affected with it Prov. 19.6 Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts saith the Wiseman Now what gifts hath our God given us or rather what gifts hath he not given us and what perverse violence do they offer nature that seek to confute Solomons saying in this instance where it should be most true Certainly 't is an easie thing to love infinite perfections and infinite goodness one that ever did and ever doth us good from whom we daily receive favours so great and so many that we can tell neither their worth nor number Wherefore S. Aug. saith Potes mihi dicere non habeo quod tribuam egenti non possiâ—m jejunare non possiâ—m flere Numquid potes mihi dicere charitatem habere non possum c. that to love God is so natural so easie so infinitely just and so much our duty that to omit it can admit of no plea nor pretence and is inexcusable and criminal in the highest degree Perhaps thou wilt say I cannot fast I cannot weep I have not what to give to the poor but canst thou say I cannot love God is there any obstacle in thy way dost thou want inducements or a heart to do it No doubtless 't is the easiest thing in the world to love him that is most lovely to love our greatest benefactor to love him who is infinitely kind and loving to us Some vertues require opportunities and cannot be exercised for want of them but whether thou beest sickly or healthy whether thy condition be high or low whether thy leisure be much or little whether thy calling be easie or laborious thou maist love love doth not pinch the belly Facilis res est Domine JESV CHRISTE superamande dilectio a qua nullus cujuscunque status gradus aut conditionis existat excusari potest c. Idiot wearies not the hands makes not the head ake empties not the purse for love is neither grief nor pain 't is easie to all men none can plead any excuses against it §. 15. An Objection answer'd Now here I will digress a little to answer two Objections which possibly might be made against what I have said of Divine Love The first that I have humaniz'd it too much that whereas it is supernatural and should be spiritual I have made it almost palpable and sensible To this I say that whether we set our love upon earthly or heavenly things upon God or upon the world still it is the same passion which resides in the same humane faculty The will of man and the effects thereof are alike evident and real He that truly loves God hath that same hearty affection for him as to the kind as one friend hath for another a sincere lover of JESUS will seek to please him and to be with him and to enjoy him and do all that for him which men would do for those whom they love heartily all the difference is that Divine Love hath its proper expressions can never be too great and is in all respects infinitely more excellent than the love of any creature Therefore if in some places I have represented things plainly and made that in some manner to be touch't by sense which is only the object of faith my design was thereby to move the affections and to bring down the notions of Religion from the head into the heart Heb. 11.1 Faith should be the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen We should consider things of faith whether past or to come as if they had now a real subsistence as if they were present before our eyes their greatness then would be better view'd and have the greater power upon us 27. as Moses who by consideration seeing him who is invisible was thereby enabled to prefer the afflictions of Gods people to the pleasures and dignities of the Courts of Pharaoh I believe it was a great advantage to the Piety of Primitive ages that they liv'd near the time when those things were acted which we now believe at a greater distance for then the Revelations of the New Testament were every Christians discourse and admiration the proximity of the times made them almost visible and the recent foot-steps of those great transactions gave them a kind of sensibility whereby their thoughts and considerations were drawn and retain'd and made serious and efficacious And I believe it may be a great cause of the degeneracy of these latter ages that faith is become too notional too metaphysical and abstracted whereas we should vest the great objects of our faith with material circumstances to make them in some manner the object of sense that to us it might be said as S. Gal. 3.1 Paul to the Galatians Before your eyes JESUS CHRIST hath been evidently set forth crucified among you and that in all other instances our faith might be to us the evidence of things not seen When we look upon the things of revelation as far distant from us they appear hardly credible and not much to be regarded but a closer viewing of them by a nearer and almost sensible consideration would make them appear great and wonderful would make deep and lasting impressions on our minds and cause us to cry out with grief and wonder Lord what is man that thou art thus mindful of him or rather what is man that he is unmindful of thee However I have the warrant and do claim the priviledge of them that write contemplative meditations to represent things as present and visible and well we may especially when we treat of the love of God shewed to mankind in JESUS for that love became palpable and converst among men and was manifested to sense in the birth the actions and the sufferings of our Blessed Saviour who by becoming man seem'd to comply with that unjust and yet general desire which men had of worshipping humane creatures and having things visible and material for the object of their devotion and Religious love §. 16. A second objection answer'd The other Objection would perhaps be made by them who scruple and refuse to bow at the Holy name of JESUS and who might say that I have mention'd it too often and too often call'd Divine Charity The love of JESUS and that in so doing I have been either superstitious or injurious to God To this I answer That as our Blessed Saviour saith He that hateth me Joh. 15.23 hateth my father also so we may say that he that loveth him loveth his father also For the Father the Son and Holy Ghost are one and the same God blessed for ever 1 Joh. 5.1 he that loveth him that begat loveth also him
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
me through with many sorrows lust inticeth me to wound me when I have consented to it and pride promiseth me honors to cumber me and expose me to envy JESUS is infinitely lovely he is all perfection and goodness and he desires to be loved not for any advantage of his own but to make his lovers intirely and eternally happy but you painted idols of abused mortals are in your selves ugly and even loathsome though at a great distance ye may seem somewhat fair yet near at hand ye are nothing but deformity ye always prove vain and vexatious ye seek to enter mens hearts only to tyrannize and torment them and betray them to eternal sorrows JESUS is a true and constant lover he ever owns his friends he never fails them that love him he helps them in their distresses he comforts them in their sorrows and when they die he stands by them but ye temporal deceitful pleasures are false and inconstant ye forsake your friends in their greatest need ye flatter them for a few Summer days while the Sun shines kindly upon them but in the rigors of Winter when an unprosperous storm ariseth you are gone ye leave them to die comfortless they carry nothing of you when they go from hence but the bitter remembrance of your treacherousness JESUS is a most grateful lover he ever returns love for love he is ever found of them that seek him to them that desire him he ever gives himself every true lover of JESUS is sure to injoy him but you worldly injoyments are generally most unkind to your most passionate lovers ye flee from them that run after you ye grieve and vex your greatest admirers ye are ever uncertain false and ungrateful I will therefore never love you again nay I resolve to hate and persecute you to mortifie the lusts of my flesh to humble the pride of my heart and overcome the covetous desires of my mind but JESUS shall reign in my heart him will I love him will I serve him will I indeavour to please in all things I will be wholly his therefore I renounce all friendship with you that are his enemies there can be no agreement betwixt the Holy JESUS and this sinful world If any man love the world 1 Joh. 2.15 the love of the father is not in him §. 26. Of the antipathy betwixt sin and Jesus Fleshly lusts are against the purity of JESUS pride is against his humility and wordly-mindedness contrary to his heavenly promises and his mercifulness These are never to be reconcil'd with JESUS they are mortal enemies mortal I may call them because they were his murtherers or rather because he died to put them to death We were not redeem'd with corruptible things as silver and gold from our vain conversation but with the precious blood of Christ JESUS shed his blood to redeem us as well from the practice and commission as from the punishment and destruction of sin Nay the first is that which he chiefly design'd because though we should not be punish'd yet if we remain in sin we are unhappy holiness being the ultimate end perfection and happiness of man Blessed are the pure in heart for without holiness no man shall see God S. Paul therefore saying that Christ died unto sin that is to take away sin infers from thence Rom. 6. that we being baptized into Christs death our old man is now crucified that the body of sin might be destroy'd that henceforth we should not serve sin and S. Peter likewise makes it the purpose why Christ did bear our sins their punishment on his own body on the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 that we thereby being dead unto sin might live unto righteousness Christ gave himself for us Gal. 1.4 that he might redeem us from this present evil world 1 Joh. 3.8 The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil Sin is that which God hates above all things sin is that which is most contrary to his nature and to our happiness and so JESUS was crucified that sin might be destroy'd he died that sin might live no longer and therefore I renounc'd all sin the Devil and all his works when JESUS own'd me for his friend and I own'd him for my Lord and Master they are incompatible their inconsistency is irreconcilable if I hold to the one I must despise the other if I love one I must hate the other I will therefore as I am most bound and as I have promis'd forsake sin and follow JESUS I will fight against his enemies and side with him against my own corrupt affections while I have a being I will love and obey JESUS §. 27. Of outward helps and means Now To effect this means are to be us'd for our hearts will not of a sudden be brought to a Religious temper 't is not bare resolutions will make us resist temptations when they assault us with their most prevailing inticements grace indeed is never wanting to us but if we be wanting to our selves we receive it in vain if we second it not with our indeavours we make it ineffectual Now among private means of grace for I speak not of those that may be had in the Church in the dispensation of the word and Sacraments belonging to all fasting alms and prayers which are also acts of Religion may hold the first rank But besides them there are other adminicula pietatis instruments of holy contrition handmaids to devotion which though they be indifferent and uncommanded yet may help to move our affections and secure our duty Such are retirement from the world reading of good Books pious Meditations humble prostrations c. And though needless scruples and rejecting of Ancient Ceremonies be now much in use and credit yet amongst them I will reckon the sign of the Cross which was certainly us'd by Primitive Christians very frequently and yet without superstition thereby to vouch it to others and even to themselves that they own'd JESUS Christ crucified for their Lord and Saviour as also it was made upon our fore-heads in Holy Baptism in token that we should not be ashamed to profess the faith of Christ crucified Caro signatur ut anima muniatur Tert. and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the devil c. And to the same purpose we may use it on our selves again to testifie that we own the profession we then made and tacitely to confirm and renew our vows of obedience and fidelity not to conjure away spirits and work such feats as many intend it for in the Church of Rome but to strengthen our good resolutions by moving and affecting our hearts Certain it is that nothing palpable or visible may in this life be the object of our worship it may have some power on the heart as well as what comes in by the ear but though it have the warrant of antiquity yet it may not serve any