then one of the preheminences of love in that it is found in God yea God himself is called Love 1 Iohn 4.16 and in this respect it is greater then Faith and Hope Whether it is a greater defect to want Faith or Charity This question depends upon another viz. which of these two is the most difficult to wit Faith or Charity For though both the one and the other be the gifts of God yet the one may be more hard and difficult to us then the other Now though these two vertues are still together seeing it is impossible for the one to be without the other yet they are not alwaies equal and in the same degree the more common act of these two is charity for we see more examples of love then of faith many Christians love God earnestly who notwithstanding have much difficulty to assure themselves of his promises One cause that makes the motions of love more easie then those of faith is for that the objects of love are more intelligible and perceptible to our understanding for love hath for its object the goodness of God but faith hath for its object his truth now it is more easie for us to conceive that God is good then to understand how he is true in all points which appear not to us and yet we are commanded to beleeve As then the motion of faith is more difficult then that of love so he that wants the acts of charity is more blameable then he who is deficient in the acts of faith In all the History of that time which was before the law the love of God was never mentioned in express termes but onely the fear of God From the Creation till the Law are reckoned twenty five thousand years in which great interval of ages were many Patriarchs and other persons famous for piety to whom God spake many times and in divers manners The sacred storie marks out their vertues and names the fear of God as the most excellent amongst them but never expresseth their love towards God its true that this fear or reverence was not without a true divine love yet they are distinct qualities the one of which is named but we never read of the other Abraham being in Palestin said That in that place the fear of God was not Gen. 20.11 Jacob swore by the fear of Isaac his father that is to say by the name of the same God whom Isaac feared Gen. 31.53 Joseph confessed he feared God Gen. 42.18 the midwives of Egypt are commended for fearing God Exodus 1.17.21 In brief before the Law was published Religion and Piety was expressed by the name of the Fear of God and not by that of the Love of God and it is observable that the action of Abraham in offering his son for a burnt sacrifice whereby he did so highly witness his love to God this action I say is ascribed to his fear of God without mentioning the love which he had shewed to him Genesis 22.12 the first time that ever the Scripture did express this phrase of the Love of God was after the repetition of the Law Deut. 6.5 Now why the name of this great vertue was not uttered but after a long time and frequent mention of the fear of God Seems to proceed from this that among the perfections of God the first which he manifested to man as I observed upon the Creed was his power and greatness Romans 1.20 So when our understanding desires to know what the Divinity is by this word it conceives a power eminent above all others this is the first thought we have of this subject whence it followeth that the first impression it makes in man after he hath begun to know God is the fear which this supreme power gives to the soul and because this fear is the first motive by which man is induced to submit himself to God hence it is that in the holy song all religious affections have been comprised under the name of the fear of God and for this cause this Fear was for a long time named without mentioning expresly or particularly the Love of God but when the wisdom of God had given large instructions under the Law it afterward expressed the commandment of loving God distinguishing the same Love from Fear Deuteronomy 10.12 What is it that the Lord thy God requireth but that thou Fear him and Love him Of them who excuse their faults on this That God hath not given them more understanding and judgement These men willing to excuse themselves accuse God as if their faults were to be imputed to him whereas on the contrary the whole fault is in themselves the Law wils that we love God with all our mind thou alledgeth thou hast but little minde but how little soever it be hast thou imployed it all in the service and love of God Truly there is no man that hath lived according to the measure and proportion of that understanding and judgment God hath given him In brief if a fool excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more understanding a wicked man will excuse himself on this that God hath not given him more goodness for this is a gift of God as well as understanding In the duties of man towards God forgetfullness is more culpable then ignorance When we speak of divine things many complain that they cannot retain them in their memory the defect whereof they accuse but they think not how forgetfullness is a sin seeing the love of God requires a concurrence of all the faculties of our souls among which memory is one the defect of which is not a simple infirmity as the vulgar people useth to qualifie it but such a defect as should be reckoned among the sins of omission then when it imports a remembrance of a considerable point though it be not necessary nor possible to retain all the syllables in which it hath been pronounced or written As he who forgets God is more criminal then he that never knew God even so he who looseth a lesson which hath been taught him is more culpable then he that never learned it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Whence comes it that contrary to all other affections this which man carries to himself hath no bounds and why this never faileth nor is subject to diminution In the affections we have towards another we feel and know even to what degree we love him more or less but no man can tell to what hight he loves himself for this love hath no bounds but runs in infinitum Moreover the affection that one bears to another may be lessened or interrupted or quite annihilated yet turned into hatred but the love he bears to himself is never blotted out nor is it diminished though never so little Among the reasons of this diversity we may produce this between every one of us and another there are differences of proximity our affections move within these intervals which have their
mentioneth none of them by name On the other side when it names any that is dead in perdition yet it never saith punctually that he is in Hell after Iudas the Traitor had hanged himself the Holy Ghost who inspired the Apostles was not ignorant where the soul of that wicked wretch was yet he saith nothing else but that he was gone into his place Acts 1.25 Now if God himself who knows the names of those which are in Hell doth still forbear to utter them how much more careful should we be to refrain our selves in our verdicts when we speak of the state and condition of those who are dead although that his end may in some sort induce us to judge sinistrously How rash then are they who dare insert into a Catalogue the names of those who are damned The X. COMMANDMENT Thou shalt not covet c. A sin committed by rule and order is more enormous then that which is done in disorder and confusion A Sin that is committed with judgment order and formality is so much the more detestible He that kills in cold blood at leisure and with Ceremony is more blamable then he that kills raishly and without formality the reason is because in the one the understanding which is mans Counsellor acteth with complacency but in him who is transported with passion it hath small power as then man is not man without understanding so it seems that he who offendeth without the concurrence of the intellect should not have his offence in so high a degree imputed to him hence it is that we excuse mad men when in their frantick fits they commit any outrage Briefly the more understanding there is in any crime the more enormous it is and a sin done orderly is the more irregular The diversity of conflicts in man against himself That which I am to speak here is known sufficiently touching the divers conflicts that be within man but after the descriptions which have been given by divers and will be material to reduce them into a brief summary now the chief combats we are to speak of be these Between one Passion and another as sometimes fear is opposite to covetousness and so one vice is encountred by another as ambition is sometimes restrained by avarice or pleasure Between reason and the passions as we have a thousand examples for this Between reason and natural sence so some will be content to lose an arm for the preservation of the whole body so David abstained from drinking the water of Bethlem although he was pinched with great heat and thurst 2 Sam. 23.16 17. Between the conscience and the will as oftentimes the one of these two resists the other Between the memory and the will as sometimes we remember that which troubles us and which we would willingly forget Between reason and reason it self that is one reason against another as St. Paul was inclosed on both sides having causes which obliged him to desire a continuance of his life and other reasons which made him willing to forsake the world and to be dissolved Phil 1.22 c. Between sense and faith as David having judged of things according to appearance concluded that in vain he had wasted his heart but faith made him retract his words and use a language quite contrary Psal 73.13 c. Between natural sense and godliness as the Martyrs which naturally abhor death yet they received it with much alacrity and as our Saviour expressing this reluctancy saith to St. Peter They will lead thee whither thou wouldst not John 21.18 Between the conscience and faith the one casts us down by setting our sins before us the other raiseth us up by the consideration of Gods mercy And lastly between the flesh and the spirit that is between corrupted nature and grace which do strive against each other in all the faculties of the soul as truth and falsehood justice and injustice purity and impurity This this is that intestine war which sets at variance the understanding will and affections and indeed the whole man against himself Rom. 7.15 c. Why some see more easily the defects of the memory and of other faculties of the soul then the defects of their judgment All unlawful desire presupposeth a corruption of judgment if reason which is the eye of the soul were clear all the other faculties would be pure Matthew 6.22 but its hard for man to know when his judgment destroys him or when it is deceived if our memory fail in any point we presently take notice of this defect and likewise if our affections be faulty but if our judgment miscarry it is a hard matter to find it The reason of this difference is because it is with the judgment as with the eye which seeeth all things except it self our judgment judgeth of the defects which be in the other faculties of the soul this is it which seeth and discerneth them but it seeth not its own defects except by a kinde of reflection which is very weak and feeble so that it can with facility judge of the other powers and qualities which are with it in man but it can hardly judge of it self whence it comes that a fool seeth not his folly though he seeth the other faults that are in him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. The correspondency that is between the two Tables of the Law THE first begins with the honour due to God from whom we have our being The second begins at the honour due to our parents by whom God hath given us being The first forbids to make any image of God The second forbids to deface the image of God that is to kill men The first prohibits spiritual adultry saying that God is jealous The second inhibits corporal adultery The first forbids to take Gods name in vain The second to bear false witness The first commands us to labour six daies that we may live onely upon our own The second prohibits to take the goods of another The first commands a Sabbath or corporal rest for our selves servants and cattle The second commands a rest and contentment of spirit forbidding us to covet our neighbours house servants and cattle And lastly the scope of the first is that we love God Of the second that we love our neighbour All these correspondencies proceed from that which is between God and man whence arise those relations resemblances which we finde between the Commandments of the first and second Tables There is love in God but not Faith and Hope Amongst the Prerogatives of love above these other two the Logical vertues this is considerable that God loveth but he doth not beleeve nor hope for to beleeve is an act of Faith which is of things unseen But what is ther that God seeth not and besides what can be wanting to him that he should stand in need of hope these two vertues are imcompatible with an infinite perfection This is
measures and degrees Now within these distances many causes of diversion or aversion may intervene which intercept or turn aside the affections but as there is no distance between a man and himself even so the love which a man bears to himself it immediately fastens to its object so that between the one and the other there is no place that can admit the interposition of any contrary cause the affection we bear to another moveth out of it self but that which each man hath to himself moveth as it were in a circle continually round about it self Why the older we grow the more we love our selves It is hard to beleeve that this natural love whâ—â—â— every one bears to himself and 〈…〉 born with us can receive any â—â—â—â—ment it is already great and of a high stature even when we are as yet in the Cradle some will say then that nothing can be added to such an affection seeing it is so great in its very beginning But on the other side it seemeth that it increaseth still and gathers strength and vigour as man increaseth in years in witness whereof we may alledge that ordinarily a father doth more love those children which are born to him in his old age then those he had before as Jacob was more tender over Benjamin then over the rest of his children I know other reasons may be given for this increase of affection but perhaps they proceed also from this cause Though all the children of one father are his flesh and blood yet notwithstanding the fathers affection towards himself being greater in his old age then before this descends also in a greater measure towards those children which he begets in that age But there is another probability that sheweth the increase of mens affections to themselves with the increase of their age as long familiarity increaseth the love that is between two persons so that man that hath been long conversant with himself hath had long experience of his own fidelity and confident in his own directions hath reason to love himself more then before seeing he was not then so well acquainted with himself VVhy we do not envy another mans goodness He that loves his neighbour as himself will never envy him for this vice is incompatible with love 1 Cor. 13.4 It may be asked then why men do envy the greatness riches knowledge ingenuity courage and other qualities of their neighbours but are never envious of their goodness and piety for some will envy a man because he is in honor or because he is rich or valiant or eloquent but they will never envy a man because he is good This proceeds from divers reasons either from the small esteem that men have of goodness in comparison of other things or from this that every one perswades himself that he can when he pleaseth be as good as another or from this that goodness is so opposite to envy formally that it cannot be envies object being so contrary to it we cannot envy that in another which we cannot desire for our selves Divers Duties of the Law A Conclusion of this Treatise Why Moses who wrought so great and many miracles never raised any from the dead HE that turned the waters into blood who made fire and storms fall upon Egypt who divided the sea and drew water out of the rocks who wrought so many miracles upon all the Elements yet never restored any dead to life If one ask the reason why this kinde of miracle was not found among these other supernatural acts which made the Lawgiver so famous It wil be answered by som that this question is either unanswerable or unprofitable notwithstanding it is considerable and the solution is sufficiently clear for this answereth the quality of the law which was given by Moses The Law considered without Christ is a letter that killeth and the ministry of Moses is the ministry of death 2 Cor. 3.6 7. his office was not to give life but on the contrary to take it a way in testimony of which and to shew that the life and resurection is to be sought for elsewhere then in the Mosaical Law Moses never received power to raise any from the dead although there wanted not occasions which seemed to invite him to produce this miracle The Law continued from Moses who had an impediment in his speech till John the son of Zachary which Zachary was speechless Luk. 16.16 It were needless to speak of that again which is so well known to wit in what regard the Law was abolished and in what respect it yet continues The Oeconomy of the Old Testament chiefly since Moses required the observation of the Law as a means to obtain justice and life by if men did fulfil it and notwithstanding it made them understand that by reason of their sins the Law could not pronounce them just being in this regard impotent and having its mouth stopped Rom. 8.3 This seems to have been mystically intimated as well in the beginning as towards the end of that legal Oeconomy to introduce the Law God made use of a man who had an impediment in his speech for when Moses was injoyned to go to Pharoah he excuseth himself by reason of his defect of speech Exodus 4.10 And to signifie the abolition of the Law then when its time was almost expired to make way for a more perfect Covenant God made the legal Priests dumb who last his speech in the very Temple and at the time he should have pronounced the blessing on the people Luke 1.20 21.22 thus the Law as well at its entry as at its departure hath shewed that it cannot bring us that great benefit of justification with a full mouth Why God in speaking to man useth more words then when he is represented speaking to the creatures which want understanding and why he useth so many words and repetitions to effect mans conversation seeing he can convert him with one word onely God hath somtimes spoken or caused speeches to be utterred to the creatures which want either understanding or ears He commanded the Sun and Moon to stand still the Sea and Windes to be quiet the Whale that it should disgorge Jonas and the Feavers that they should be gone to obtain obedience from them he spoke to them but one word and the effect was as ready as the command for Heaven Earth Elements Plants and the beasts know the voice of their Soveraign Lord and submit themselves to it without contradiction but whereas man is naturally refractory and opposeth himself to the will of God he is not content to speak to him in few words what his pleasure is but incourageth him with reasons which he cleareth and inculcateth and withal adjoyneth promises and menaces Surely God could effect by one word onely that for which he useth such long remonstrances he makes himself to be obeyed sometimes in saying onely fellow me but to make men know how far they are departed from him and how difficult their conversion is ordinarly he doth not make them draw nigh to him but by degrees slowly and after many summons VVhy the Scripture speaking of Vertue and Vice doth command or prohibit one oftner then another For Example it speaketh oftner against avarice then against prodigality though it condemneth both So against excessive care oftner then against negligence and so likewise it oftner recommends to us liberality then frugality though it mention both the reason is plain enough because avarice is more general then prodigality and on the other side there be more frugal then liberal men therefore the more common a vice is the oftner it should be cryed down on the contrary a vertue which is found but seldom ought to be the oftner recommended We could produce many other passages upon these Subjects of Vertue and Vice but seeing we have undertaken onely these observations which concern the Decalogue in general in each one of the Commandments I pass to these which I am to handle upon the Subject of Prayer FINIS