of Diamonds Heb. 11.35 Not accepting deliverance They refused to come out of Prison on sinful terms they preferred their innocency before their liberty By this let us try our love to God have we a spirit of Martyrdome Many say they love God but how doth it appear they will not forgoe the least comfort or undergo the least crosse for his sake If Jesus Christ should have said to us I love you well you are dear to me but I cannot suffer I cannot lay down my life for you we should have questioned his love very much and may not Christ suspect us when we pretend love to him yet will endure nothing for him They who bear true affection to God will according to their vow in Baptisme fight under his Banner to the death and make Christs Crown flourish in their ashes 12. He who loves God will endeavour to make him appear glorious in the eyes of others Such as are in love will be commending and setting forth the amiablenesse of those persons whom they love The Love-sick Spouse describes Christ in all his beauty Cant. 5.11.13 His head is as the most fine Gold his cheeks are as a bed of Spices If we love God we will spread abroad his excellencies that so we may raise his fame and esteem and may tempt others to fall in love with him Love cannot be silent we shall be as so many Trumpets sounding forth the freenesse of Gods Grace the Transcendency of his Love the Glory of his Kingdom Love is like fire where it burns in the heart it will break forth at the lips it will be elegant and pathetical in setting forth Gods praise Love must have vent 13. The Thirteenth Fruit of love is To long for Christs appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 Henceforth there is a Crowne of Righteousnesse laid up for me and not for me onely but for them which love Christs appearing Love desires union Aristotle gives the reason because joy flows from union When our union with Christ is perfect in glory then our joy will be full He that loves Christ loves his appearing Christs appearing will be an happy appearing to the Saints His appearing now is very comfortable when he appears for us as an Advocate Heb. 9.24 But the other appearing will be infinitely more when he shall appear for us as our Husband he will at that day bestow two Jewels upon us 1. His love a love so great and astonishing that it is better felt than expressed 2. His likenesse 1 Iohn 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him And from both these Love and Likenesse infinite joy will flow into the soul. No wonder then he who loves Christ longs for his appearance Doth not the Bride long for the Marriage-day The Spirit and the Bride say come even so come Lord Iesus Revel 22.17 By this let us try our Love to Christ. A wicked man who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned is afraid of Christs appearing he wisheth he would never appear but such as love Christ are joyful to think of his coming in the Clouds they shall then be delivered from all their sins and fears they shall be acquitted before men and Angels and shall be for ever translated into the Paradise of God 14. Love will make us stoop to the meanest offices Love is an humble grace it doth not walk abroad in state it will creep upon its hands it will stoop and submit to any thing whereby it may be serviceable to Christ. As we see in Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus both of them Honourable Persons yet one takes down Christs body with his own hands and the other embalms it with sweet odours it might seem much for persons of their rank to be employed in that service but love made them do it If we love God we shall not think any work too mean for us wherein we may be helpful to Christs Members Love is not squemish it will visit the sick relieve the poor wash the Saints wounds The Mother that loves her child is not coy and nice she will do those things about her child which others would scorn to do He who loves God will humble himself to the meanest office of love to Christ and his Members These are the fruits of love to God Happy are they who can find these Out-Landish Fruits growing in their souls CHAP. X. An Exhortation to love God Vse 3. THe third Use is of Exhortation and it hath three Branches 1. Let me earnestly perswade all who bare the name of Christians to become Lovers of God Psal. 31.33 O love the Lord all ye his Saints There are but few that love God Many give him an hypocritical kisse but few love him 'T is not so easie to love God as most imagine The Affection of love is natural but the Grace is not Men are by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-haters Rom. 1.30 The wicked would flye from God they would neither be under his rules nor within his reach they fear God but do not love him All the strength in men or Angels cannot make the heart love God Ordinances will not do it of themselves nor Judgements it is only the Almighty and Invincible power of the Spirit of God can infuse love into the soul this being so hard a work it calls upon us for the more earnest prayer and endeavour after this Angelical grace of love To excite and inflame our desires after it I shall prescribe twenty Motives 1. Without this all our Religion is vain 'T is not duty but love to duty God looks at 't is not how much we do but how much we love If a servant doth not his work willingly and out of love it is not accepted Duties not mingled with love are as burdensom to God as they are to us David therefore counsels his son Solomon to serve God with a willing mind 1 Chron. 28.9 To do duty without love is not sacrifice but pennance 2. Love is the most noble and excellent grace it is a pure flame kindled from Heaven by it we resemble God who is love Believing and obeying do not make us like God but by love we grow like him 1 Iohn 4.16 Love is a grace doth most delight in God and is most delightful to him That Disciple which was most full of love lay in Christs bosome Love puts a verdure and lustre upon all the Graces the Graces seem to be eclipsed unlesse love shine and sparkle in them Faith is not true unless it work by love the waters of repentance are not pure unlesse they flow from the Spring of love Love is the savoury meat God loves it is the Incense makes all our Services fragrant and odoriferous it is Vinum aromaticum the Spiced Wine and the juice of the Pomgranate 3. Is any thing unreasonable that God requires 't is but our love if he should ask our estate or the fruit of our bodies could we deny him
Affinity requires affection Either we must love God or we give ground of suspicion that we are not yet married to him 13. Love is the most abiding grace This will stay with us when other graces take their farewel In Heaven we shall need no Repentance because we shall have no sin in Heaven we shall not need Patience because there will be no affliction in Heaven there shall need no Faith Faith looks at things unseen Heb. 11.1 but then we shall see God face to face and where there is vision there needs no Faith But when the other Graces are out of date love continues and in this sence the Apostle saith Love is greater than Faith because it abides longest 1 Cor. 13.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charity never faileth Faith is the Iacob's Staff we walk with in this life 2 Cor. 7.5 We walk by Faith but we shall set this Iacob's Staff at Heavens door and only love shall enter Thus love carries away the Crown from all the other graces Love is the most long-lif'd grace it is a blossom of Eternity How should we strive to excel in this grace which alone shall live with us in Heaven and shall accompany us to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb 14. Love to God will never let sin thrive in the heart Some Plants will not thrive when they are near together as the Laurel and Vine The love of God withers sin Though the Old man live yet as a sick man it is weak and draws its breath short Love like the water of Iealousie makes the thigh of sin to rot The Flower of love kills the Weed of sin though sin doth not dye perfectly yet it dies daily How should we labour for that grace which is the only aquâ—-fortis to destroy sin 15. Love to God is an excellent means for growth of grace 2 Pet. 3. ult But grow in grace Growth of grace is very pleasing to God Christ accepts the truth of grace but commends the degrees of grace and what can more promote and augment grace than love to God Love is like watering of the Root which makes the Tree grow Therefore the Apostle useth this expression in his prayer 1 Thes. 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God He knew this grace of love would nurse and cherish all the graces 16. The great benefit which will accrue to us if we love God 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The Eye hath seen rare sights the Ear hath heard sweet Musick But eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can the heart of man conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him Such glorious rewards are laid up that as Austin saith Faith it self is not able to comprehend God hath promised a Crown of life to them that love him Iames 1.12 This Crown encircles within it all blessednesse Riches and Glory and Delight and it is a Crown that fades not away 1 Pet. 5.4 Thus God would bribe us to love him by rewards 17. Love to God is Armour of proof against error For want of hearts full of love men have heads full of errour Unholy Opinions are for want of holy Affections Why are men given up to strong Delusions but because they received not the Truth in love 2 Thes. 2.10 11. The more we love God the more we hate those Heterodox Opinions that would draw us off from God into Libertinism The more a man loves health the more he hates Mercury 18. If we love God we have all winds blowing for us every thing in the world shall conspire for our good We know not what fiery Tryals we may meet with but to them that Love God all things shall work for good Those things which work against them shall work for them their Cross shall make way for a Crown every Wind shall blow them to the heavenly Port. 19. Want of love to God is the Ground of Apostacy The Seed in the Parable which had no root fell away He who hath not the love of God rooted in his heart will fall away in time of temptation He who loves God will cleave to him as 〈◊〉 to Naomi Ruth 1.16 Where thou goest I will go and where thou dyest I will dye But he who wants love to God will do as Orpah to her Mother-in-Law she kissed her and took her farewel of her That Souldier who hath no love to his Commander when he sees an opportunity he will leave him and run over to the Enemies side He who hath no love in his heart to God you may prick him down for an Apostate 20. Love is the only thing in which we can retaliate with God If God be angry with us we must not be angry again if he chide us we must not chide him again but if God love us we must love him again There is nothing in which we can answer God again but love we must not give him word for word but we must give him love for love Thus we have seen twenty Motives to excite and enflame our love to God Quest. How shall we do to love God Answ. 1. Study God Did we study him more we should love him more Take a view of his superlative Excellencies his Holiness his incomprehensible goodness The Angels know God better than we and clearly behold the splendour of his Majesty therefore they are so deeply enamoured with him 2. Labour for an Interest in God Psal. 36.1 O God thou art my God That Pronoun My is suavissima amoris illecebra a sweet Load-stone to Love a man loves that which is his own The more we believe the more we love Faith is the Root and love is the Flower that grows upon it Gal. 6.5 Faith which worketh by love 3. Make it your earnest request to God that he will give you an heart to love him this is an acceptable request sure God will not deny it When King Solomon asked wisdome of God 1 Kings 3.9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart Vers. 10. The speech pleased the Lord. So when thou cryest to God Lord give me an heart to love thee 't is my grief I can love thee no more O kindle this fire from Heaven upon the Altar of my heart sure this prayer pleaseth the Lord and he will pour of his Spirit upon thee whose golden Oyl shall make the Lamp of thy Love burn bright 2. I proceed to the second Branch of Exhortation You who have love to God labour to preserve it let not this love dye and be quenched As you would have Gods love be continued to you let your love be continued to him Love as fire will be ready to go out Rev. 2.4 Thou hast left thy first love Satan labours to blow out this flame and through neglect of Duty we lose it When a tender
like a fair face with a scar We love the beautiful face of holinesse though there be a scar in it The best Emerald hath its blemishes the brightest Stars their twinklings and the best of the Saints have their failings Thou that canst not love another because of his infirmities how wouldst thou have God love thee hast not thou good store 3. We love the Saints though in some lesser things they differ from us Perhaps another Christian hath not so much light as thou and that may make him erre in some things wilt thou presently un-Saint him because he cannot come up to thy light Where there is union in Fundamentals there ought to be union in Affections 4. We love the Saints though they are persecuted We love precious Mettal though it be in the furnace St Paul did bear in his boby the marks of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 Those marks were like the Souldiers scar honourable We must love a Saint as well in Chains as in Scarlet Constantine did kisse the hole of Paphnusius his eye because he suffered the losse of his eye for Christ. If we love Christ we love his persecuted Members If this be to love God when we love his Image sparkling in the Saints Oh then how few Lovers of God are to be found Do they love God who hate them that are like God Do they love Christs person who are fill'd a spirit of revenge against his people How can that wife be said to love her husband that tears his picture Surely Iudas and Iulian are not yet dead their spirit lives in the world Who are guilty but the innocent What greater crime than holinesse if the Devil may be one of the grand Jury Wicked men seem to bear great reverence to the Saints departed they canonize dead Saints but persecute living In vain do men stand up at the Creed and tell the world They believe in God when they abominate one of the Articles of the Creed namely The Communion of Saints Surely there is not a greater sign of a man ripe for Hell than this not onely to want grace but to hate it 10. Another blessed sign of love is to entertain good thoughts of God He that loves his friend construes what his friend doth in the best sence 1 Cor. 13.5 Love thinketh no evill Malice interprets all in the worst sence Love interprets all in the best sence it is an excellent Commentator upon Providence It thinks no evill He that loves God hath a good opinion of God though he afflicts sharply yet the soul takes all well This is the Language of a gracious spirit My God sees what an hard heart I have therefore drives in one Wedge of affliction after another to break my heart he knows how full I am of bad humors how sick of a Plurisie therefore lets me blood to save my life this severe dispensation is either to mortifie some corruption or to exercise some grace How good is God that will not let me alone in my sins but smites my body to save my soul Thus he that loves God takes every thing in good part Love puts a candid glosse upon all Gods actions Thou who art apt to murmur at God as if he had dealt ill with thee be humbled for this say thus with thy self if I loved God more I should have better thoughts of God 'T is Satan that makes us have good thoughts of our selves and hard thoughts of God Love takes all in the fairest sence it thinketh no evill 11. The eleventh Fruit of love is Obedience Iohn 14.21 He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Pater adsum impera quid vis 'T is a vain thing to say we love Christs person if we slight his Commands Doth that Child love his Father who refuseth to obey him If we love God we will obey him in those things which crosse flesh and blood 1. In things difficult 2. In things dangerous 1. In things difficult As 1. In mortifying sin There are some sins which are not onely near to us as the garment but dear to us as the eye if we love God we will set our selves against these both in purpose and practise 2. In forgiving our enemies God commands us upon pain of death to forgive Eph. 4.32 Forgiving one another This is hard 't is crossing the stream we are apt to forget kindnesses and remember injuries but if we love God we will passe by offences When we seriously consider how many Talents God hath forgiven us how many affronts and indignations he hath put up at our hands this makes us write after his Copy and endeavour rather to bury an injury than retaliate it 2. In things dangerous When God calls us to suffer for him we will obey Love made Christ suffer for us love was the Chain that fastned him to the Crosse So if we love God we shall be willing to suffer for him Love hath a strange quality it is the least suffering grace and yet it is the most suffering grace It is the least suffering grace in one sence it will not suffer known sin to lye in the soul unrepented of it will not suffer abuses and dishonours done to God thus it is the least suffering grace yet it is the most suffering grace it will suffer reproaches bonds imprisonments for Christs sake Acts 21.13 I am ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the name of the Lord Iesus 'T is true every Christian is not a Martyr but he hath a spirit of Martyrdome in him â—he saith as Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am ready to be bound he hath a disposition of mind to suffer if God call Love will carry men out above their own strength Tertullian observes how much the Heathen suffered for love to their Countrey Vicit amor Patriae If the Spring-head of Nature riseth so high surely Grace will rise higher If love to their Countrey will make men suffer much more should love to Christ. 1 Cor. 13.7 Love endureth all things Basil speaks of a Virgin condemn'd to the fire who having her life and estate offered her if she would fall down to the Idol answered Let life and money go welcome Christ It was a noble and zealous speech of Ignatius Let me saith he be groun'd with the teeth of wilde beasts if I may be Gods pure Wheat How did divine affection carry the Primitive Saints above the love of life and the fear of death St Steven was stoned St Luke hanged on an Olive Tree St Peter crucified at Hierusalem with his head downward These divine Hero's were willing to suffer rather than by their cowardise to make the name of God suffer How did St Paul rattle his Chain that he wore for Christ he did glory in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a woman that is proud of her Jewels saith Chrysostome And holy Ignatius did wear his Fetters as a Bracelet
Divine Cordial Or the Transcendent PRIVILEDGE OF Those that Love God And are SAVINGLY CALLED Published by THOMAS WATSON Minister of the Gospel But as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good Gen. 50.20 LONDON Printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Three Crowns over against the great Conduit at the lower end of Cheapside 1663. The EPISTLE to the READER· CHRISTIAN READER THere are two things which I have alwayes looked upon as difficult The one is to make the Wicked sad they want not cause of sadness they are taken captive by Satan This is all that is gotten by fighting on the Devils side he doth not make his Souldiers Captains but Captives he leads them Prisoners before him and at last will give them damnable pay Yet so are sinners blinded by the God of this world that they cannot see the chains they are held in but kiss their fetters and go laughing to Hell The other puzling difficulty is to make the Godly joyful Though they have enough to rock their troubled hearts quiet may encourage themselvs in the Lord â—heir God yet like the froward child â—hey put away the breast and refuse to be comforted Amnon though a Kings Son was lean This dejection in the Godly ariseth from a double Spring either because their inward comforts are darkned or their outward comforts are disturbed To cure both which troubles I have put forth this ensuing Piece hoping by the blessing of God it will buoy up their disponding hearts and make them look with a more pleasant asâ—ect I would prescribe them to take now then a little of this Cordial When the Prophet Eliah's spirits were ready to faint under the Juniper Tree the Angel set before him a Cake and a Cruse of Water when he had eaten he was cheered and went in the strength of that meat till he came unto Horeb the Mount of God Me-thinks this Text like that sweet repast may very much corroborate and strengthen the Saints in their journey to Heaven and may be as a sacred feather to drop the golden Oyl of consolation into theiâ— hearts All things shall work togetheâ— for good to them that love God Tâ— knew that nothing shall hurt the godâ—ly is matter of comfort but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-oâ—erate for their good that their crosses shall be turned into blessings the bloody showrs of affliction shall water the withering root of their Grace and make it flourish more here is that may fill their hearts with joy till they run over It will be no small revivement to me if these Labours of mine prove advantagious to any When S. Pauls Prison would not admit him the libâ—rty of a Pulpit he wrote some Epistles the benefit whereof the Church of God hath reaped in after-ages When I am at present taken off from my publick employment of preaching I shall be glad if I may be useful by writing and while I my self am in a civil sence dead I may make others in a spiritual sence alive This is the Prayer of him who is Thy Friend in all true Affection Devotion THOMAS WATSON THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Preface or Introduction CHAP. II. Shewing that all things work for good to the Saints CHAP. III. That the best things work for good That the Attributes of God work for good That the Promises of God work for good That the Mercies of God work for good That the Graces work for good That the Creatures of God work for good in particular the good Angels That the Communion of Saints works for good That Christs Intercession works for good That the Saints Prayers conceived and indited by the blessed Spirit work for good CHAP. IV. That the worst things work for good to the Goâ—ly That the evil of Affliction works for good That the evil of Temptation works for good That the evil of Desertion works for good That the evil of Sin by Gods over-ruling Power works for good to the Godly CHAP. V. Shewing why all things must needs work for good to the Saints CHAP. VI. Several Inferences drawn from the Proposition CHAP. VII Shewing the Persons interested in this glorious Priviledge They love God The Nature of love The Kinds of love The Properties of love The Degree of love CHAP. VIII A sharp Reproof to those who do not love God CHAP. IX Discovering the Prints of love to God CHAP. X. Containing an Exhortation to love God Motives to excite love Means directing to it Preserve love that it doth not fall into a Consumption Encrease love to God and blow it up into a holy flame CHAP XI The second Qualification of the Persons interested in the Text They are effectually called Our deplorable condition before we are called The Means of our blessed Call Gods Method in calling sinners The Properties of the Divine Call The End of Effectual Calling CHAP. XII Two Inferences from the Premises CHAP. XIII Exhorting to labour after the Heavenly Calling Signs of Effectual Calling CHAP XIV Several Exhortations to them who are Called 1. Admire Free-Grace 2. Pity those who are uncalled 3. Walk worthy of your High-Calling CHAP. XV. Concerning Gods Purpose CHAP. XVI Our whole salvation must be resolved into Gods Purpose The Saints Comforts are built upon this impregnable Rock A DIVINE CORDIAL CHAP. I. The Proaemium or Introduction ROM 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose IF the whole Scripture be the feast of the soul as St Ambrose saith then this Chapter may be a dish at this feast which with its sweet variety may very much refresh and animate the hearts of Gods People In the preceding verses the Apostle had been wading through the great Doctrines of Justification and Adoption Mysteries so arduous and profound that without the help and conduct of the Spirit he might soon have waded beyond his depth In this verse the Apostle toucheth upon that pleasant string of Consolation We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Not a word but is weighty therefore I shall gather up every filing of this Gold that nothing be lost In the Text there are three generall Branches 1. A glorious Priviledge All things work for good 2. The Persons interested in this Priviledge and they are doubly specified 1. They are Lovers of God 2. They are Called 3. The Original and Spring of this effectual calling set down in these works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to his purpose Of all these in order and I begin with the first 1. The glorious Priviledge wherein there are two things considerable 1. The certainty of the Priviledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We know 2. The excellency of the Priviledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things work together for good 1. The certainty of the Priviledge We know It is not a matter pendulous or
whence is it that notwithstanding all my unworthiness a fresh Tyde of mercy comes in every day The mercies of God make a sinner proud but a Saint humble 2. The mercies of God have a melting influence upon the soul they dissolve it in love to God Gods Judgments make us fear him his mercies make us love him How was Saul wrought upon by kindnesse David had him at the advantage and might have cut off not only the skirt of his Robe but his head yet he spares his life This kindness melted Sauls heart 1 Sam. 24.16 Is this thy voyce my son David and Saul lift up his voyce and wept Such a melting influence hath Gods mercy it makes the eyes drop with tears of â—ove 3. The mercies of God make the heart â—ruitful When you lay out more cost upon a â—â—eld it bears a better crop A gracious soul honours the Lord with his Substance he doth not do with his mercies as Israel with their Jewels and Ear-Rings make a Golden Calfe but as Solomon did with the money thrown into the Treasury build a Temple for the Lord. The Golden showres of mercy cause fertility 4. The mercies of God make the heart thankful Psal. 116.12 13. Quid retribuam Domino What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me I will take the Cup of salvation David alludes to the people of Israel who at their Peace-Offerings did use to take a Cup in their hands and give thanks to God for Deliverances Every mercy is an Alms of Free Grace and this enlargeth the soul in gâ—atitude A good Christian is not a Grave to bury Gods mercies but a Temple to sing his praise If every Bird in its Kind as Ambrose speaks doth chirp forth thankfulness to its Maker much more will an ingenious Christian whose life is enriched and perfumed with mercy 5. The mercies of God quicken As they are Load-stones to love so Whet-stones to obedience Psal. 119.9 I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living He that takes a review of his blessings looks upon himself as a person engaged for God he argueâ— from the sweetness of mercy to the swiftnesse of duty he spends and is spent for Christ he dedicates his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God Among the Romans when one had redeemed another he was ever afterwards to serve him A soul encompassed with mercy is zealously active in Gods service 6. The mercies of God woâ—k compassion to others A Christian is a temporal Saviour he feeds the hungry cloaths the naked visits the Widow and Oâ—phan in their distresse the backs and bellies of the poor aâ—e the surrows where he sows the golden Sâ—eds of his Charity Psal. 112.5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth Charity dâ—ops from him freely as Myrth from the Tree Thus to the godly the mercies of God woâ—k for good they aâ—e wings to lift them up to Heaven 2. Spiritual mercies woâ—k 〈◊〉 gâ—od The blessed Oâ—dinances 1. The Word Preached works for good it is a savour of life it is verbum cum uâ—ctione it is a soul-transforming Word iâ— assimilates the heart into Christs likeness it is the breeder of Assurance 1 Thes. 1.5 Our Gospel came to you not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance It is vehiculum salutis the Charet of Salvation 2. Prayer works for good Prayer is the Bellows of the affections it blows up holy desires and ardouâ—s of soul Prayer hath poweâ— with God Isa. 45.11 Command ye me It is a Key that unlocks the Treasury of God's Bowels Prayer keeps the heart open to God and shut to sin it aâ—â—wageth the intemperate heats and swellings of lust It was Luther's counsel to a friend when he perceived a tentation begin to arise to betake himself to Prayer Prayer is Bombarda Christianorum the Christians Gun which they discharge against their enemies Prayer is the Pancreston the Soveraign Medicine of the soul Prayer sanctifies every mercy 1 Tim. 4.5 it is the dispeller of sorrow by venting the grief it easeth the heart When Hannah had pâ—ayed she went away and was no more sad 1 Sam. 1.18 And iâ— it hath these rare effects then it woâ—ks for good 3. The Lords Supper works for good It is an Emblem of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Rev. 19.9 and an Earnest of that Communion we shall have with Christ in Glory it is a feast of fat things it gives us bread from Heaven such as doth not only preserve life but prevent death It hath glorious effects in the hearts of the Godly it quickens their Affections strengthens their Graces mortifies theiâ— Corruptions revives their Hopes encreaseth their Joy Luther saith It is as great a work to comfort a dejested soul as to raise the dead to life yet this may and sometimes is done to the souls of the Godly in the blessed Supper The Sacrament hath a peculiar excellency above the Word preached In the Word there is the Breath of God in the Sacrament the Blood of God in the Word we hear his Voyce in the Sacrament we have his kisse The Word proceeds out of Gods mouth the Sacrament out of his sides 4. The Graces of the Spirit work for good Grace is to the soul as light to the eye as health to the body Grace doth to the soul as a vertuous wife doth to her husband Pro. 31.12 She will do him good all the dayes of her life How incompaâ—ably useful are the Graces Faith and Fear go hand in hand Faith keeps the heart cheerful Fear keeps the heart serious Faith keeps the heart from sinking in despair Fear keeps it from floating in presumption all the Graces display themselves in their beauty Hope is the Helmet 1 Thes. 5.8 Meekness the Ornament 1 Pet. 3.4 Love the Bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 The Saints Graces are Weapons to defend them Wings to elevate them Jewels to enrich them Spices to persume them Stars to adorn them Cordials to refresh them And doth not all this work for good The Graces are our Evidences for Heaven is it not good to have our Evidences ready at the hour of death 5. The Creatures of God work for good to the Godly 1. Creatures inanimate Judg. 5.20 The Stars in their course fought against Sisera the Stars as the Host of God gathered in a Battalio and by their influences raising terrible tempests did as it were conspire the ruine of Sisera and his Army 2. Creatures animate The Angels those noble Citizens and Princes of Heaven work for the good of the Saints The good Angels are ready to do all offices of love to the people of God Heb. 1.14 Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Some oâ— the Fathers are of opinion that every Believer hath his â—uâ—elar Angel it needs no hot debate it may suffice that we know the whole Hieraâ—chy
presence yet it is good to lament his absence 2. Desertion sets the soul a seeking after God When Christ was stept aside the Spouse pursues after him she seeks him in the streets of the City Cant. 3.2 And a non inventus being returned she makes a hue and cry after him vers 3. Saw ye him whom my soul loves The deserted â—oul sends up whole Vollies of sighs and groans it knocks at Heaven-gate by prayer it can have no rest till the golden beams of Gods face shine 3. Desertion puts the Christian upon enquiry he enquires the cause of Gods departure What is the accursed thing that hath made God angry Perhaps pride perhaps surfeit on Ordinances perhaps worldlinesse Isa. 57.17 For the iniquity of his Covetousnesse was I wroth I hid me Perhaps there is some secret sin allowed A stone in the pipe hinders the current of water So sin lived in hinders the sweet current of Gods love Thus Conscience as a blood-hound having found out sin and overtaken it this Achan is stoned to death 5. Desertion works for good as it gives us a sight of what Jesus Christ suffered for us If the sipping of the Cup be so bitter how bitter was that which Christ drank upon the Crosse He drank a Cup of deadly poyâ—on which made him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me None can be so sensible of Christs sufferings none can be so fired with love to Christ as those who have been humbled by desertion and have been held over the flames of Hell for a time 6. Desertion works for good as it prepares the Saints for future comâ—ort The nipping frosts prepare for spring flowers 'T is God's way first to cast down â—hen to comfort 2 Cor. 7.6 When our Saviour had been fasting then came the Angâ—â—â— and ministred to him When the Lord hath kept his people long fasting then he sends the Comforter and feeds them with the hidden Manna Psal. 97.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Light is sown for the Righteous The Saints comforts may be hid like seed under ground but the seed is ripening and will encrease and flourish into a Crop 7. These desertions work for good as they will make Heaven the sweeter to us Here our comforts are like the Moon sometimes they are in the full sometimes in the wain God shews himself to us a while and then retires into the withdrawing room How will this set off Heaven the more and make it more delightful and ravishing when we shall have a constant aspect of love from God 1 Thess. 4.17 Thus we see desertions work for good The Lord brings us into the deep of desertion that he may not bring us into the deep of damnation he puts us into a seeming Hell that he may keep us from a real Hell God is fitting us for that time when we shall enjoy his smiles for ever when there shall be neither clouds in his face or Sun-setting when Christ shall come and stay with his Spouse and kisse her with the kisses of his lips and the Spouse shall never say more My Beloved hath withdrawn himself SECTION IV. Shewing that the evil of sin works for good to the Godly 4. THe evil of sin works for good not in its own nature for it is damnable but God in his infinite wisdom over-ruling it This is St Austins glosse upon the Text I may now say as the Apostle in another sence 1 Cor. 15.51 Behold I shew you a Mysterie Sin it self to the Godly works for good Indeed 't is matter of wonder that any honey should come out of this Lyon We may understand it in a double sence 1. The sins of others work for good to the Godly 'T is no small trouble to a gracious heart to live among the wicked Psal. 120.5 Wo is me that I dwell in Meshech Yet even this the Lord turns to good 1. The sins of others work for good as they breed holy sorrow Gods people weep for what they cannot reform Psal. 119.136 Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law David was a mourner for the sins of the times his heart was turned into a Spring and his eyes into Rivers Wicked men make merry with sin Ier. 11.15 When thou dost evil then thou rejoycest But the Godly are weeping Doves they grieve for the oaths and blasphemies of the Age they take the sins of others and make them spears to pierce their own souls This grieving for the sins of others is good 1. It shews a Child-like heart 'T is ingenuity to resent with sorrow the injuries done to our Heavenly Father 2. It shews a Christ-like heart Mark 3.5 He was grieved for the hardness of their hearts 3. The Lord takes special notice of these tears he likes it well that we should weep when his glory suffers It argues more grace to grieve for the sins of others than for our own We may grieve for our own sins out of fear of Hell but to grieve for the sins of others is from a principle of love to God These tears drop as water from the Roses they are sweet and fragrant and God puts them in his Bottle 2. The sins of others work for good to the Godly as they set them the more a praying against sin If there were not such a spirit of wickedness abroad perhaps there would not be such a spirit of prayer Crying Sins cause Crying Prayers The people of God pray against the iniquity of the times that God will give a check to sin that he will put sin to the blush if they cannot pray down sin they pray against it and this God takes kindly these prayers shall be both recorded and rewarded Though we do not prevail in prayer we shall not lose our prayers Psal. 35.13 My prayer returned into my own bosome 3. The sins of others work for good as they make us the more in love with grace The sins of others are a foyle to set off the lustre of grace the more One contrary sets off another Deformity sets off beauty The sins of the wicked do much disfigure them Pride is a disfiguring sin an ambitious man is but a Bladdeâ— whom the Devil hath blown up now the beholding anothers pride makes us the more in love with humility Malice is a disfiguring sin it is the Devils picture the more of this we see in others the more we fall in love with meeknesse and charity Drunkenness is a disfiguring sin like Cyrces Cup it turns men into Beasts it deprives of the use of reason the more intemperate we see others the more we fall in love with sobriety The black face of sin sets off the beauty of holinesse so much the more 4. The sins of others work for good as they work in us the stronger opposition against sin Psal. 119.126 The wicked have made void thy Law therefore I love thy Law David had never loved Gods Law so much if the wicked had not set
latter end This word Thy God implies the relation of a Father A Father loves his child therefore whether it be a smile or a stroke it is for the good of the child I am Thy God thy Father therefore all I do is for thy good Deut. 8.5 As a man chastens his Son so the Lord thy God chastneth thee Gods chastning is not to destroy but to reform God cannot hurt his children for 1. He is a tender-hearted Father Psal. 103.13 Like as a father pities his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Will a father seek the ruine of his childe the child that came out of his loins that bears his image all his care and contrivance is for his child who doth he settle the inheritance upon but his child God is tender-hearted the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 He begets all the mercies and bowels in the creatures 2. He is an everlasting Father Isa. 9.7 He was our Father from eternity Before we were Children God was our Father and he will be our Father to eternity A Father provides for his child while he lives but the Father dyes and then the child may be exposed to injury But God never ceaseth to be a Father thou that art a Believer hast a Father that never dyes and if God be thy Father thou canst never be undone all things must needs work for thy good 3. This word Thy God imports the relation of an Husband this is a near and sweet relation The Husband seeks the good of his Spouse he were unnatural that should go about to destroy his Wife Ephes. 5.29 Did ever any man hate his own flesh There is a marriage-relation between God and his People Isa. 54.5 Thy Maker is thy Husband God intirely loves his People Isa. 43.4 He engraves them upon the Palms of his hands Isa. 49.16 He sets them as a Seal upon his Breast Cant. 8.16 He will give Kâ—ngdoms for their Ransome Isa. 43.3 which shews how near they lye to his heart If he be an Husband whose heart is enamoured with love then he will seek the good of his Spouse either he will shield off an injury or will turn it to the best 4. This word Thy God implyes the relation of a Friend Cant. 5.16 This is my Friend A Friend is Animae dimidium as Austin saith half of ones self he is studious and inquisitive how he may do his friend good he promotes his welfare as his own Ionathan ventured the Kings displeasure for his friend David 1 Sam. 19.4 God is our friend therefore will turn all things to our good There are false friends Christ was betrayed by a friend but God is the best friend â— He is a faithful friend Dan. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God 1. He is faithful in his love He gave his very heart to us when he gave the Son out of his bosome here was a pattern of love without a parallel 2. He is faithful in his promises Titus 1.2 God that cannot lye hath promised He may change his promise but cannot break it 3. He is faithful in his dealings when he is afflicting he is faithful Psal. 119.75 In faithfulnesse hast thou afflicted me he is sifting and refining us as Silver Psal. 66.10 2. He is an immutable friend Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are five Seals set to that promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Friends often fail at a pinch Many deal with their friends as women do with their flowers while they are fresh they put them in their bosomes but when they begin to wither they throw them away or as the Traveller doth with the Sun-Dial if the Sun shines upon the Dial the Traveller will step out of the Road and look upon the Dial but if the Sun doth not shine upon it he will ride by and never take any notice of it So if prosperity shine on men then friends will look upon them but if there be a Cloud of adversity on them they will not come near them but God is a friend for ever I will not leave thee Though David walked in the shadow of death he knew he had a friend by him Psal. 23.9 I will fear no evill for thou art with me God never takes off his love wholly from his people 't is Amicitia immortalis John 13.1 He loved them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end God being such a friend he will make all things work for our good There is no friend but will seek the good of his friend 5. This word Thy God imports yet a nearer relation the relation between the Head and the Members There is a Mystical union between Christ and the Saints He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Head of the Church Eph. 5.23 Doth not the Head consult for the good of the Body The Head guides the Body it sympathizeth with it it is the fountain of spirits it sends forth influence and comfort into the Body All the parts of the Head are placed for the good of the Body the Eye is set as it were in the Watch-Tower it lyes Centinel to spy any danger that may come to the Body and prevent it The Tongue is both a Taster and an Oratour If the Body be a Microcosme or little world the Head is the Sun in this world from whence proceeds the light of Reason The Head is placed for the good of the Body Christ and the Saints make one Body Mystical Our Head is in Heaven and sure he will not suffer his Body to be hurt but will consult for the safety of it and make all things work for the good of the Body Mystical CHAP. VI. The Inferences drawn from the Proposition A Use of Information 1. IF all things work for good hence learn That there is a Providence Things do not work of themselves but God sets them a working for good God is the great Disposer of all events and issues he sets every thing a working His Kingdom ruleth over all Psal. 103.13 It is meant of his providential Kingdom Things in the world are not governed by second Causes by the counsels of men by the Stars and Planets but by divine Providence Providence is Regina mundi the Queen and Governesse of the world There are three things in Providence 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods foreknowing 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods determining 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods directing all things to their periods and events Whatever things do work in the world Gâ—â— sets them a working We read in the 〈◊〉 Ezekiel of Wheels and Eyes in the 〈◊〉 and the moving of the Wheels The 〈◊〉 are the whole Universe the 〈…〉 Wheels are Gods Providence 〈…〉 of the Wheels is the hand of 〈…〉 turning all things here beloâ—◠〈…〉 is by some called 〈…〉 else but the result of 〈…〉 Learn to adore 〈◊〉 Pâ—ovidence hath an influence upon all things here
Golgotha how delicious is that fruit which grows in Canaan If there be any sweetnesse in the waters of Marah what is there in the wine of Paradise If Gods Rod hath Honey at the end of it what haâ—h his golden Scepter If the bread of affliction tasts so savouâ—y what is Manna what is the Heavenly Ambrosia If Gods blow and stroke work for good what shall the smiles of his face do If Grapes may be gathered of Thornes what fruit will the Tree of Life yield If temptations and sufferings have matter of joy in them what shall Glory have If there be so much good out of evil what then is that good where there shall be no evil If Gods chastening mercies are so great what will his crowning mercies be Wherefore comfort one another with these words 10. If God makes all things to turn to our good how equal is it that we should make all things tend to his glory 1 Cor. 10.31 Do all to the glory of God The Angels glorifie God they sing divine Anthems of praise how then ought man to glorifie him for whom God hath done more than for the Angels He hath dignified us above them in uniting our nature with the God-head Christ hath dyed for us and not the Angels The Lord hath given us not only out of the common stock of his bounty but he hath enriched us with Covenant-blessings he hath bestowed upon us his Spirit he studies our welfare he makes every thing work for our good Free-grace hath laid a plot for our Salvation If God seeks our good shall not we seek his glory Quest. How can we be said properly to glorifie God he is infinite in his perfections and can receive no augmentation from us Answ. It is true in a strict sence we cannot bring glory to God but in an Evangelical sence we may When we do what in us lies to lift up Gods name in the world and cause others to have high reverential thoughts of God this the Lord interprets a glorifying of him as a man is said to dishonour God when he causeth the name of God to be evil spoken of Quest. How many wayes are we said to advance Gods glory Answ. Three wayes 1. When we aim at his glory when we make him the first in our thoughts and the last in our end As all the Rivers run into the Sea and all the Lines meet in the Center so all our actions terminate and center in God 2. We advance Gods glory by being fruitful in grace Iohn 15.18 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit Barrenness reflects dishonour upon God then we glorifie God when we grow in fairness as the Lilly in tallness as the Cedar in fruitfulness as the Vine The Spouses Breasts were like Clusters of Grapes Cant. 7.7 3. We glorifie God when we give the praise and glory of all we do unto God It was an excellent and humble Speech of the King of Sweden He feared the peoples ascribing that glory to him which was due to God would remove him before the work was done When the Silk-worm weaves her curious work she hides her self under the Silk and is not seen When we have done our best we must vanish in our own thoughts and transfer the glory of all to God 1 Cor. 15.10 I labour more abundantly than they all One would think this speech favoured of pride but the Apostle pulls off the Crown from his own head and sets it upon the head of Free-grace Yet not I but the Grace of God which was with me Constantine did use to write the name of Christ over his Door so should we over our Duties Thus let us endeavour to make the name of God glorious and renowned If God seek our good let us seek his glory if he makes all things tend to our edification let us make all things tend to his exaltation So much for the first part of the Text the Priviledge THE BREATHINGS OF LOVE CHAP. VII Shewing the Nature Cause Kinds Properties and Degree of love to God 2. I Proceed to the second general Branch of the Text the Persons interested in this Priviledge and they are doubly qualified 1. They are Lovers of God All things work together for good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that love God Despisers and Haters of God have no lot or part in this priviledge it is childrens bread it belongs only to them that love God Because love is the very heart and spirit of Religion I shall the more expatiate upon this and for the further discussion of it I shall cleer these five things 1 The Nature of love to God 2 The Ground of love to God 3 The Kinds of love to God 4 The Properties of love to God 5 The Degree of love to God 1. The Nature of divine love Love is an expansion of soul or the inflaming of the affections whereby a Christian breaths after God as the supream and soveraign good St Austin in his second Tome calls love Pondus animae Love is to the soul as the weights to the Clock it sets the soul a going towards God it is the wing by which we flye to Heaven by love we cleave to God as the Needle to the Load-stone 2. The Ground of love to God and that is knowledge Ignoti nulla cupido We cannot love that which we do not know That our love may be drawn sorth to God we must know these three things in him 1. A fulness Col. 1.19 He hath a fulness of grace to cleanse us and of glory to crown us a fulnesse not only of sufficiency but redundancy he is a Sea of goodnesse without bottom and banks 2. A freenesse Fluit acrius amne perenni God hath an innate propensness to dispence mercy and grace he drops as the Honey-comb Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely God doth not require we should bring money with us onely appetite 3. A Propriety We must know this fulness in God is ours Psal. 48.14 This God is our God Here is the ground of love Deity and Propriety 3. The Kinds of love which I shall branch into these three 1. There is a love of Appretiation when we set an high value upon God as being the most sublime and infinite good we so esteem of God as if we have him we care not though we want all things else The Stars vanish when the Sun appears All creatures vanish in our thoughts when the Sun of righteousnesse shines in his full splendour Cant. 1.13 A bundle of Myrrhe is my well-beloved unto me and as a cluster of Camphirâ— 2. A love of Complacency and delight So Aquinas defines love to be complacentia amantis in amato As a man takes delight in a friend whom he loves The soul that loves God rejoyceth in him as in his treasure and rests in him as in his Center The heart is so set upon God as it desires no more Iohn
14.8 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth 3. A love of Benevolence which is a wishing well 〈◊〉 the Cause of God He that is indeared in affection to his friend wisheth all happinesse to him This is to love God when we are well-wishers we desire that his Interest may prevail our Vote and Prayer is that his name may be had in honour that his Gospel which is the Rod of his strength may like Aarons Rod blossom and bring forth Almonds 4. The Properties of love 1. Our love to God must be entire and that ex parte subjecti in regard of the Subject it must be with the whole heart Mark 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy heart In the Old Law an High Priest was not to marry with a Widow nor with an Harlot not with a Widow because he had not her first love nor with an Harlot because he had not all her love God will have the whole heart Hos. 10.2 Their heart is divided The true Mother would not have the child divided nor God will not have the heart divided God will not be an Inmate to have only one Room in the heart and all the other Rooms let out to sin It must be an entire love 2. It must be a sincere love Eph. 6.24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sincerity Sincere quasi sine cera it alludes to Honey that is pure and hath no Wax in it Our love to God is sincere when it is pure and without self-respects This the School-men call Amor amicitiae a love of friendship We must love Christ propter Christum as Austin saith for himself as we love sweet Wine for its taste Gods Beauty and Love must be the two Load-stones to draw our love to him Alexander had two freinds Ephestion and Craterus Ephestion saith he loves me because I am Alexander Craterus loves me because I am King Alexander The one loved his person the other loved his benefits Many love God because he gives them Corn and Wine and not for his intrinsecal excellencies Lycurgus would have Virgins to be married without dowry because their Husbands should marry them purely for love We must love God more for what he is than for what he bestows True love is not mercenary You need not hire a Mother to love her child A soul deeply in love with God needs not be hired by rewards he cannot but love him for that oriency of beauty that sparkles forth in him 3. It must be a fervent love The Hebrew word for love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies ardency of affection Saints must be Seraphims burning in holy love To love one coldly is all one as not to love him The Sun shines as hot as it can Our love to God must be intense and vehement like the Coales of Iuniper which are most acute and fervent Psal. 120.4 Our love to transitory things must be indifferent we must love quasi non as if we loved not 1 Cor. 7.30 But our love to God must flame forth The Spouse was amore perculsa Sick of Love to Christ Cant. 2.5 We can never love God as he deserves As Gods punishing us is less than we deserve Ezra 9.13 so our loving him is lesse than he deserves 4. Love to God must be active it is like fire which is the most active element it is called The Labour of Love 1 Thes. 1.3 Love is no idle grace it sets the head a studying for God the feet a running in the wayes of his Comandments The love of Christ constrains 2 Cor. 5.13 Pretences of love are insufficient True love is not only seen at the Tongues end but at the Fingers end 't is the labour of love Those living creatures Ezek. 1.8 had wings and hands under their wings an Emblem of a good Christian he hath not only the wings of faith to flie but hands under his wings he works by love he spends and is spent for Christ. 5. Love is Liberal it hath Love-tokens to â—estow 1 Cor. 13.4 Charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is â—ind Love hath not only a smooth tongue but a kind heart Davids heart was fired with love to God and he would not offer that to God which cost him nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 Love is not only full of Benevolence but Beneficence Love which enlargeth the heart never straitens the hand He that loves Christ will be liberal to his Members he will be eyes to the blind feet to the lame the backs and bellyes of the poor shall be the furrows where he sows the golden Seeds of liberality Some say they love God but their love is lame of one hand they give nothing to good uses Indeed faith deals about invisibles but God hates that love which is invisible Love is like new Wine which will have vent it vents it self in good works The Apostle speaks it in honour of the Corinthians that they gave to the poor Saints not only to but beyond their power 2 Cor. 8.2 Love is bred at Court it is a Noble Munificent grace 6. Love to God is peculiar He who is a Lover of God gives him such a love as he bestows upon none else As God gives his children such a love as he doth not bestow upon the wicked electing adopting love so a gracious heart gives to God such a special distinguishing love as none else are sharers in 2 Cor. 11.2 I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chast Virgin to Christ. A Wife espoused to an Husband gives him such a love as she hath for none else she doth not part with her conjugal love to any but her husband So a Saint espoused to Christ gives him a peculiarity of love a love incommunicable to any other namely a love joyned with adoration Not only the love is given to God but the soul Cant. 4.8 A garden enclosed is my Sister my Spouse The heart of a Believer is Christs Garden the Flower growing in it is love mixed with Divine Worship and this Flower is for Christ alone to smell to the Spouse keeps the Key of the Garden that none may come there but Christ. 7. Love to God is permanent it is like the â—ire the Vestal Virgins kept in Rome it doth not go out true love boyls over but doth not give over Love to God as it is sincere without hypocrisie so it is constant without apostacy Love is like the Pulse of the body alwayes beating 't is not a Land-floud but a Spring As wicked men are constant in love to their sins neither shame nor sickness nor fear of Hell will make them give over their sins so nothing can hinder a Christians love to God Nothing can conquer love not any difficulties or oppositions Cant. 8.6 Love is strong as the Grave The Grave swallows up the strongest bodies so Love swallows up the strongest difficulties Cant. 8.7 Many
waters cannot quench love Neither the sweet waters of pleasure nor the bitter waters of persecution love to God abides firm to the death Ephes. 3.17 Being rooted and grounded in love Eight things as Chaffe and Feathers are quickly blown away but a tree that is rooted abides the storm he that is rooted in love endures True love never ends but with the life 5. The Degrees of love We must love God above all other objects Psal. 73.25 There is nothing on earth I desire in comparison of thee God is the quintessence of all good things he is superlatively good now the soul seeing a super-eminency in God and admiring in him that constellation of all excellencies is carried out in love to him in the highest degree The measure of our love to God saith Bernard must be 〈◊〉 love him without measure God who is the chief of our happinesse must have the chief of our affections Cant. 8.2 I would cause thee to drink of my spiced Wine of the juice of my Pomgranate If the Spouse hath any love better than oâ—her a Cup more juicy and spiced Christ shall drink of that The creature may have the Milk of our love but God must have the Cream Love to God must be above all other things as the Oyl â—wims above the Water 1. We must love God more than Relations As in case of Abraham's offering up Isaac Isaac being the son of his old age no question he loved him entirely and doated on him but when God saith Abraham offer up thy son though it were a thing might seem not only to pose his Reason but his Faith for the Messiah was to come of Isaac and if he be cut off where shall the world have a Mediator yet such was the strength of Abraham's faith and the ardency of his love to God that he will take the sacrificing Knife and let out Isaac's blood Our blessed Saviour tells us of hating Father and Mother Luk. 14.26 Christ would not have us unnatural but if our dearest Relations lye in our way and would hinder us from Christ either we must step over them or tread upon them Deut. 33.9 Though some few drops of love may run beside to our Kindred and Alliance yet the full torrent must run out after Christ Relations may lye in the bosome but Christ must lye in the heart 2. We must love God more than Estate Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoyling of your goods They were glad they had any thing to lose for Christ. If the world be laid in one Sâ—ale and Christ in the other he must weigh hâ—aviest And is iâ— thus Hath God the highest room in our affections Plutarch saith When a Dictator was created in Rome all other Authority was for the time suspended So when the love of God bears sway in the heart all other love is suspended and is as nothing in comparison of this love CHAP. VIII Containing a sharp Corrective to those that do not love God Vse 1. THis may serve for a sharp Reprehension to such as have not a dram of love to God in their hearts And are there such Miscreants alive He who loves not God aut lapis est aut belluae he is a Beast with a mans head Oh wretch Dost thou live upon God every day yet not love him If one had a friend that fed him continually with money and gave him all his allowance were not he worse than a Barbarian that did not respect and honour that friend Such a friend is God he gives thee thy breath he bestows a livelihood upon thee and wilt thou not love him Thou wilt love thy Prince if he saves thy life and wilt thou not love God who gives thee thy life What Load-stone so powerful to draw love as the blessed Deity He is blind whom beauty doth not tempt he is sottish who is not drawn with the Cords of love When the body is cold and hath no heat in it it is a sign of death That man is dead who hath no heat of love in his soul to God How can he expect love from God who shews no love to him Will God ever lay such a Viper in his bosome as spits forth the poyson of malice and enmity against him This Reproof falls heavy upon the Atheists of this Age who are so far from loving God that they do all they can to spight him They declare their sin as Sodom Isa. 3.9 They set their mouth against the Heavens in pride and blasphemy and bid open defiance to God These are Monsters in Nature Devils in the shape of men Let them read their doom 1 Cor. 16.22 If any man love not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be Anathema Maran-athâ—â— that is let him be accursed from God till Christs coming to Judgment let him be heir to a curse while he lives and at the dreadful day of the Lord let him hear that heart-rending sentence pronounced against him Go thou cursed CHAP. IX Discovering the Signs or Fruits of love to God Vse 2. LEt us try our selves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God For the deciding of this our love will be best seen by the Fruits of it I shall lay down fourteen Signs or Fruits of love to God and it concerns us nearly to search whether any of these Fruits grow in our Garden 1. The first Fruit of love is musing of the mind upon God He who is in love his thoughts are still upon the Object He who loves God is ravished and transported with the Contemplations of God Psal. 139.17 When I awake I am still with thee The thoughts are as travellers in the mind Davids thoughts kept Heaven-Road I am still with thee God is the Treasure and where the Treasure is there is the heart By this we may try our love to God What are our thoughts most upon Can we say we are ravished with delight when we think on God Have our thoughts got wings are they fled aloft Do we contemplate Christ and Glory Oh how far are they from being lovers of God who scarce ever think of God Psal. 10.4 God is not in all his thoughts A sinner crowds God out of his thoughts he never thinks of God unless with horror as the Prisoner thinks of the Judge 2. The Second Fruit of love is desire of Communion Love desires familiarity and intercourse Psal. 84.2 My heart and flesh cryeth out for the living God King David being debarred the House of God where was the Tabernacle the visible token of his presence he now breaths after God and in an holy Pathos of desire cryes out for the living God Lovers would be parlying together If we love God we prize his Ordinances because there we meet with God He speaks to us in his Word and we speak to him in Prayer By this let us examine our love to God Do we desire intimacy of communion with God Lovers
cannot be long asunder Such as love God have an holy fondness they know not how to be from him they can want any thing but Gods presence they can want health and friends they can want a full Table but they cannot want God Psal. 143.7 Hide not thy face from me least I be like them that go down into the Grave Lovers have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fainting fits David was ready to faint away and dye when he had not a sight of God They who love God cannot be contented with having Ordinances unless they may enjoy God in them that were to lick the glass and not the honey What shall we say to them who can be all their lives long without God they think God may be best spared They complain they want health and trading but not that they want God Wicked men are not acquainted with God and how can they love who are not acquainted nay which is worse they do not desire to be acquainted with God Iob 21.14 They say to God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Sinners shun acquaintance with God they count his presence a burden and are these Lovers of God Doth that woman love her husband who cannot endure to be in his presence 3. The Third Fruit of love is grief Where there is love to God there is a grieving for our sins of unkindness against him A Child that loves his Father cannot chuse but weep for offending him The heart that burns in love melts in tears O that I should abuse the love of so dear a Saviour Did not my Lord suffer enough upon the Cross but must I make him suffer more shall I give him more Gall and Vinegar to drink How dis-loyal and dis-ingenious have I been how have I grieved his Spirit trampled upon his Royal Commands sleighted his Bloud this opens a Vein of godly sorrow and makes the heart bleed afresh Mat. 26.75 Peter went out and wept bitterly When Peter thought how dearly Christ loved him he was taken up into the Mount of Transfiguration Christ shewed him the Glory of Heaven in a Vision now that he should deny Christ after he had received such signal love from him this broke his heart with grief he went out and wept bitterly By this let us try our love to God Are our hearts spiritual Lymbecks dropping the water of godly tears Do we grieve for our unkindnesses against God our abuse of mercy our non-improvement of Talents How far are they from loving God who sin daily and their hearts never smite them they have a Sea of sin and not a drop of sorrow they are so far from being troubled that they make merry with their sins Ier. 11.15 When thou dost evil then thou rejoycest Oh wretch did Christ bleed for sin and dost thou laugh at it These are far from loving God Does he love his friend that loves to do him an injury 4. Another Fruit of love is Magnanimity Love is valourous it turns cowardise into courage Love will make one adventure upon the greatest difficulties and hazards Amor nescit difficultates The fearful Hen will fly upon a Dog or Serpent to defend her young ones Love doth infuse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Gallantry and Fortitude into a Christian He that loves God will stand up in his Cause and be an Advocate for him Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard He who is afraid to own Christ hath but little love to him Nicodemus came sneaking to Christ by night John 3.2 He was fearful of being seen with him in the day time Love casts out fear As the Sun expels Fogs and Vapours so doth Divine Love in a great measure expel carnal Fear Doth he love God that can hear his blessed Truths spoken against and be silent He who loves his friend will stand up for him and vindicate him when he is reproached Doth Christ appear for us in Heaven and are we afraid to appear for him on Earth Love animates a Christian it fires his heart with zeal and steels it with courage 5. The fifth Fruit of love is sensibility If we love God our hearts ake for the dishonours done to God by wicked men To see not only the Banks of Religion but Civility broken down and a Flood of wickednesse coming in to see Gods Sabbaths prophaned his Oath violated his Name dishonoured if there be any love to God in us we shall lay these things to heart Lot's righteous soul was vexed for the unclean conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2.17 He took the sins of Sodom and made Spears of them to pierce his own soul. How far are they from loving God who are not at all affected with his dishonour if they have but Peace and Trading they lay nothing to heart A man who is dead drunk though another be bleeding to death by him he never minds or is sensible so many being drunk with the wine of Prosperity when the honour of God is wounded and his Truths lye a bleeding they are not sensible Did men love God they would grieve to see his Glory suffer and Religion it self become a Martyr 6. The sixth Fruit of love is Antipathy against sin Fire purgeth the Drosse from the Metal The Fire of Love purgeth out sin Hos. 14.8 Ephraim shall say what have I to do any more with Idols He that loves God will have nothing to do with sin unlesse to give battel to it Sin is Dei-cidium it strikes not only at Gods Honour but his Being Doth he love his Prince that harbours him who is a Traitor to the Crown Is he a friend to God who loves that which God hates The love of God and the love of sin cannot dwell together The Affections cannot be carried to two contraries at the same time A man cannot love health and love poyson too so one cannot love God and sin too He who hath any secret sin in his heart allowed is as far from loving God as Heaven and Earth are distant one from the other 7. Another Fruit of love is Crucifixion He who is a Lover of God is dead to the world Gal. 6.14 I am crucified to the world I am dead to the honours and pleasures of it He who is in love with God is not much in love with any thing else His love to God moves as the Sun in the Firmament swiftly but his love to the world is as the motion of the Sun upon the Dial which is very slow The love of God and the violent love of the world are inconsistent 1 Iohn 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Love to God swallows up all other love as Moses's Rod swallowed up the Egyptian Rods. If a man could live in the Sun what a small Point would all the Earth be So when a mans heart is raised above the world in the
admiring and loving God how poor and slender are these things below they seem as nothing in his eye It was a sign the Primitive Christians did love God their money did not lye near their heart but they laid down their money at the Apostles feet Acts 4.35 Try by this your love to God What shall we think of such as have never enough of the world they have the dry Dropsie of Covetousnesse thirsting insatiably after riches Amos 2.7 That pant after the dust of the earth Never talk of your love to Christ saith Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when you prefer the world before the Pearl of price and are there not many such who prize their gold above God If they have a South-Land they care not for the water of life they will sell Christ and a good Conscience for money Will God ever bestow Heaven upon them who so basely undervalue him preferring glittering dust before the glorious Deity what is here in the Earth that we should so set our hearts upon it only the Devil makes us look upon it through a Multiplying Glasse The world hath no real intrinsecal worth it is but Paint and Alchymy The world hath two Breasts the one Breast is dry it is vanity the other Breast runs blood it is vexation 8. The next Fruit of love is fear In the Godly love and fear do kisse each other There is a double fear ariseth from love 1. A fear of displeasing The Spouse loves her husband therefore will rather deny her self than displease him The more we love God the more fearful we are of grieving his Spirit Gen. 39.9 How then can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God When Eudoxia the Empresse threatned to banish Chrysostome Tell her saith he I fear nothing but sin That is a blessed love which puts a Christian into an hot fit of zeal and a cold fit of fear making him shake and tremble and not dare willingly to offend God 2. A fear mixed with jealousie 1 Sam. 4.13 Elies heart trembled for the Ark. It is not said his heart trembled for Hophni and Phinehas his two sons but his heart trembled for the Ark because if the Ark were taken then the glory was departed He that loves God is full of fear least it should go ill with the Church he fears least prophaness which is the plague of Leprosie should encrease least Popery get footing least God should go from a People The presence of God in his Ordinances is the beauty and strength of a Nation The Trojans had the Image of Pallas and they had an opinion that as long as that Image was preserved among them they should never be conquered So long as Gods presence is with a people so long they are safe but the soul inflamed in love to God fears least the visible tokens of Gods presence should be removed By this Touch-stone let us try our love to God Many fear least peace and Trading go but not least God and his Gospel go are these Lovers of God He who loves God is more afraid of the losse of spiritual blessings than temporal If the Sun of Righteousnesse remove out of our Horizon what can follow but darknesse What comfort can an Organ or Antheme give if the Gospel be gone is it not like the sound of a Trumpet or a Volley of shot at a Funeral 9. If we are lovers of God we love that which God loves 1. We love Gods Word David esteemed the Word for the sweetnesse of it above honey Psal. 119.103 and for the value of it above gold Psal. 119.72 The Lines of Scripture are richer than the Mines of Gold Well may we love the Word it is the Load-Star that directs us to Heaven it is the Field in which the Pearl is hid That man who loves not the Word but thinks it too strict and could wish any part of the Bible torn out as that Adulterer did the seventh Commandement he hath not the least spark of love in his heart 2. We love Gods day we do not only keep a Sabbath but love a Sabbath Isa. 58.13 If thou call the Sabbath a delight The Sabbath is that which keeps up the face of Religion amongst us this day must be consecrated as glorious to the Lord. The house of God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Palace of the Great King on the Sabbath God shews himself there through the Lattice If we love God we prize his day above all other dayes All the week would be dark if it were not for this day on this day Manna falls double now if ever Heaven-gate stands open and God comes down in a golden shower This blessed day the Sun of Righteousnesse riseth upon the soul. How doth a gracious heart prize that day which was made on purpose to enjoy God in 3. We love Gods Laws A gracious soul is glad of the Law because it checks his sinful exorbitances The heart would be ready to run wilde in sin if it had not some blessed restraints put upon it by the Law of God He that loves God loves his Law the Law of repentance the Law of self-denyal Many say they love God but they hate his Laws Psal. 2.3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Gods precepts are compared to cords they bind men to their good behaviour but the wicked think these cords too strait therefore they say let us break them They pretend to love Christ as a Saviour but hate him as a Prince Christ tells us of his yoak Mat. 11.29 Sinners would have Christ put a Crown upon their head but not a yoak upon their neck He were a strange King should rule without Laws 4. We love Gods picture we love his Image shining in the Saints 1 Iohn 5.1 He that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten of him 'T is possible to love a Saint yet not love him as a Saint we may love him for something else for his ingenuity because he is affable and bountiful A beast loves a man but not quatenus homo as he is a man but because he feeds him and gives him provinder But to love a Saint as he is a Saint this is a sign of love to God If we love a Saint for his Saint-ship as having something of God in him then we love him in these four Cases 1. We love a Saint though he be poor A man that loves gold loves a piece of gold though it be in a rag So though a Saint be in rags we love him because there is aliquid Christi something of Christ in him 2. We love a Saint though he hath many personal failings There is no perfection here in some rash anger â—revails in some inconstancy in some too much love of the world A Saint in this life is like gold in the ore much drosse of infirmity cleaves to him yet we love him for the grace that is in him A Saint is
but he asks only our love he would only pick this flower is this an hard request was there ever any debt so easily paid as this we do not at all impoverish our selves by paying it Love is no burden Is it any labour for the Bride to love her Husband Love is delightful Non potest amor esse et dulcis non esse 4. God is the most adaequate and compleat object of our love all the exellencies that lye scattered in the creatures are twisted together and united in him he is a Magazine of blessings he is Wisdome Beauty Love yea the quintessence of Goodnesse he is Optimus Maximus there is nothing in God can cause a nauseating or loathing the Creature doth sooner surfeit than satisfie but there are fresh beauties sparkling forth in God the more we enjoy of him the more we are ravished with delight There is nothing in God to dull our affections or quench our love no infirmity no deformity which do usually weaken and cool love There is that delicious sweetnesse in God as may not only entice but command our love If there were more Angels in Heaven than there are and all those glorious Seraphims had an immense flame of love burning in their breasts to eternity yet could they not love God equivalently to that infinite perfection and transcendency of goodnesse which is in him Surely then here is enough to tempt us to fall in love with God we cannot spend our love upon a better object 5. Love doth facilitate Religion it oyls the Wheels of the affections and makes them more lively and cheerful in Gods service love takes off the tediousness in duty Iacob thought seaven years but little for the love he did bear to Rachel Love makes duty a pleasure Why are the Angels so swift and winged in Gods service it is because they love him Love is never weary He that loves Gold is never weary of telling it and he that loves God is never weary of serving him 6. God desires our love It were much for a King to desire the love of a woman that is deformed and leprous We have lost our beauty and stained our blood yet the King of Heaven is a Suitor to us What is there in our love that God should come a wooing for it What is God the better for our love he doth not want it he is infinitely blessed in himself if we deny him our love he hath more sublime creatures who pay the cheerful tribute of love to him God doth not need our love yet he seeks it 7. God hath deserved our love how hath he loved us Our affections should be kindled at the fire of Gods love What a miracle of love is it that God should love us when there was nothing in us lovely Ezek. 16.6 When thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live The time of our loathing was the time of Gods loving We had something in us to provoke fury but nothing to entice love What an Hyperbole of love was it to give Christ to us That Christ should dye for sinners God hath set all the Angels in Heaven a wondring at this love St Austin saith The Crosse was a Pulpit and the lesson Christ preached in it was love O the living love of a dying Saviour per vulnera viscera Me-thinks I see Christ upon the Crosse bleeding all over me-thinks I hear him say to us reach hither your hands put them into my sides feel my bleeding heart see if I love you not and will you not bestow your love upon me will you love the world more than me did the world appease the wrath of God for you have not I done all this and will you not love me 'T is natural to love where we are loved Christ having set us a Copy of love and written it in his Blood let us labour to write after so fair a Copy and imitate him in love 8. Love to God is the best self-love 'T is self-love to get the soul saved by loving God we forward our own salvation 1 Iohn 4.16 He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him And he is sure to dwell with God in Heaven that hath God dwelling in his heart So that to love God is the truest self-self-love he that doth not love God doth not love himself 9. Love to God evidenceth sincerity Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee Many a child of God fears he is an Hypocrite dost thou love God When Peter was dejected in the sense of his sin he thought himself unworthy that ever Christ should take notice of him or employ him more in the work of his Apostleship see how Christ goes about to comfort him Iob. 21.15 Peter lovest thou me As if Christ had said Though thou hast denied me through fear yet if thou canst say from thy heart thou lovest me thou aâ—t sincere and upright To love God is a better sign of sincerity than to fear him The Israelites feared Gods Justice Psal. 78.34 When he slew them they sought him and enquired earnestly after God 〈…〉 all this to vers 36 37. Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed to him with their tongue for their heart was not right with him That repentance is no better than flattery which aâ—iseth only from fear of Gods Judgements and hath no love mixed with it Loving of God evidenceth that God hath the heart and if the heart be his that will command all the rest 10. By our love to God we may conclude Gods love to us 1 Iohn 4.9 We love him because he first loved us O saith the â—oul if I knew God loved me I could rejoyce dost thou love God then thou mayst be sure of Gods love to thee As it is wiâ—â— Burning Glasses if the Glass burn it is because the Sun hath first shined upon it else it could not burn So if our hearts burn in love to God it is because Gods love hath first shined upon us else we could not burn in love Our love is nothing but the reflex of Gods love 11. If you do not love God you will love something else either the world or sin and are these worthy of your love Is it not better to love God than these First It is better to love God than the World as 〈◊〉 in these eight particulars 1. If you set your love on worldly things they will not satisfie You may as well satisfie your body with air as your soul with earth Eccles. 5.10 Iob. â—0 22 In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits Plenty hath its penury If the Globe of the world were yours it would not fill Adam had two sons Cain and Abel Cain signifies possession Abel signifies vanity to shew us that in all our possessions there is vanity and will you set your love on that which will never give you content is it not better to love God he will
give you that which shall satisfie Psal. 17. ult When I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likeness When I awake out of the sleep of death and shall have some of the rayes and beams of Gods glory put upon me I shall then be satisfied with his likeness 2. If you love worldly things they cannot remove trouble of mind if there be a thorn gotten into the conscience all the world cannot pluck it out King Saul being perplexed in mind all his Crown-Jewels could not comfort him 1 Sam. 28.15 But if you love God he can give you peace when nothing else can he can turn the shadow of death into the morning Amos 5.8 He can drop in Christs blood which is a cooling Julip he can whisper his Love by the Spirit and with one smile scatter all your fears and disquiets 3. If you love the world you may love that which may hinder you from Heaven Worldly contentments may be compared to the Waggons in an Army while the Souldiers have been victualling themselves at the Waggons they have lost the Battel Mark 10.23 How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God Prosperity to maâ—y is like the sail to the Boat which quickly overturns it So that by loving the world you may love that which will endanger you but if you love God there is no fear of losing Heaven he will be a Rock to hide you but not to hurt you By loving him we come to enjoy him 4 You may love worldly things and they cannot love you again You love Gold and Silver but your Gold cannot love you again you love a picture but the picture cannot love you again you give away your love to the Creatuâ—e and receive no lâ—ve back but if you love God he will love you again Iohn 14.23 If any man love me my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him God will not be behind-hand in love with us for our dâ—op we shall receive an oâ—ean 5. When you love the world you love that which is worse than your selves The soul as Damascen saith is a sparkle of Celestial brigâ—â—ness it carries in it an Idea and resemblance of God while you love the World you love that which is infinitely below the worth of your souls Will any one lay out cost upon sackcloth when thou layest out thy love upon the world thou layest out gold upon dung thâ—u hangest a Pearl upon a Swine thou lovest that wâ—ich is inferiour to thy self As Christ spâ—aks in another sence of the Fowls of the aiâ— Matth. 6.26 Are not ye much better than they So I say of woâ—ldly things Are not ye much better than they You love a fair house a beautiful picture are not you much better than they but if you love God now you place your love on the most noble sublime object you love that which is better than your selves God is better than the Soul better than Angels better than Heaven 6. You may love the world and have hatred for your love Iohn 15.19 Because ye are not of the world therefore the world hateth you Would it not vex one to lay out money upon a piece of ground and instead of bâ—inging forth Corn or Grapes it should yeild nothing but Nettles Thus it is with all sublunary things we love them and they prove Nettles to sting The world is a Step-mother instead of giving the breast it draws out the sword we meet with nothing but either disappointment or discourtesie Iudg. 9.15 Let fire come out of the Bramble and devour the Cedars of Lebanon While we love the Creature fire comes out of this Bramble to devour us But if we love God he will not return hatred for love Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me God may chastise but he cannot hate Every Believer is part of Christ and God can as well hate Christ as hate a Believer 7. You may over-love the Creature You may love Wine too much Silver too much but you cannot love God too much If it were possible to exceed excess here were a vertue but it is our sin we cannot love God enough Ezek. 16.30 How weak is thy heart So it may be said How weak is our love to God 't is like water of the last drawing from the Still which hath less Spirit in it If we could love God far more than we do yet it were not proportionable to his worth So that there is no danger of excess in our love to God 8. You may love worldly things and they dye and leave you Riches take wings Relations drop away The Romans painted the vanity of worldly things in the form and shape of a man in his right hand a Rose in his left hand a Lilly under his feet Wormwood An Emblem of the world The Rose is sweet the Lilly fair but both fading and under the feet Wormwood at death all the delights of the world will be bitter There is nothing here abiding the Creature hath a little honey in its mouth but it hath wings it will soon flie away Vitae primordium mortis prodromum But if you love God he is a portion for ever Psal. 73.26 As he is called a Sun for comfort so a Rock for eternity he abides for ever Thus we see it is better to love God than the world Secondly It is better to love God than sin What is there in sin that any should love it 1. Sin is a debt Forgive us our debts It is a debt which binds over to the wrath of God why should we love sin doth any man love to be in debt 2. Sin is a disease Isa. 1.5 The whole head is sick And wilt thou love sin will any man hug a disease will he love his plague-sores 3. Sin is a pollution The Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthiness Iames 1.21 It is compared to Leprosie to poyson of Asps to Vomit Gods heart riseth against sinners Isa. 11.8 My soul loathed them Sin is a mishapen Monster lust makes a man brutish malice makes him devillish What is in sin to be loved shall we love deformity 4. Sin is an enemy It is compared to a Serpent Prov. 23.32 It hath four stings Sâ—ame Guilt Horror Death Will a man love that which sâ—eks his death Surely then 't is better to love God than sin God will save thee sin will damn thee is not he bewitched who loves damnation 12. The relation we stand in to God calls for love There is near affinity Isa. 54.5 Thy Maker is thy Husband And shall not a Wife love her Husband He is full of tenderness his Spouse is to him as the Apple of his Eye he rejoyceth over her as the Bâ—idegroom over the Bride Isa. 62.5 He loves the Believer as he loves Christ Iohn 17. ult the same love for quality though not equality If God be an Huâ—band shall we not love him
body leaves off cloaths it is apt to get cold so when we leave off duty by degrees we cool in our love to God Of all graces Love is soonest apt to decay therefore we had need be the more careful to preserve it If a man hath a Jewel he will keep it if he hath Land of Inheritance he will keep it what care then should we have to keep this grace of Love 'T is sad to see professors declining in their love to God Many are in a spiritual consumption their Love is decaying There are four Signs whereby Christians may know their love is in a Consumption 1. When they have lost their tast He that is in a deep Consumption hath no tast he finds not that savoury rellish in his meat as formerly So when Christians have lost their tast they find no sweetness in a promise it is a sign of a spiritual Consumption 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be ye have tasted the Lord is gracious Time was when they found comfort in drawing nigh to God His Word was as the dropping honey very delicious to the pallat of their soul but now it is otherwise they can tast no more sweetness in spiritual things than in the white of an Egg Job 6.6 This is a sign they are in a Consumption to lose the tast argues the loss of the first love 2. When Christians have lost their Appetite A man in a deep Consumption hath not that Stomack to his meat as formerly Time was when Christians did hunger and thirst after righteousness they minded things of an heavenly aspect the Grace of the Spirit the blood of the Cross the Light of Gods Countenance they had a stomack to Ordinances and came to them as an hungry man to a feast but now the case is altered they have no Appetite they do not so prize Christ they have not such strong affections to the Word their hearts do not burn within them a sad presage they are in a consumption their love is decaying It was a sign Davids natural strength was abated when they covered him with cloaths and yet he gat no heat 1 Kings 1.1 So when men are plyed with hot Cloaths I mean Ordinances yet they have no heat of affection but are cold and stiff as if they were ready to be laid forth this is a sign their first love is declined they are in a deep Consumption 3. When Christians grow more in love with the World it argues the decrease of spiritual love They were once of a sublime Heavenly temper they did speak the language of Canaan but now they are like the fish in the Gospel which had money in its mouth Mat. 17. ult they cannot lisp out three words but one is about 〈◊〉 their thoughts and affections like Satan are still compassing the earth a sign they are going down the hill apace their love to God is in a Consumption We may observe when Nature decays and grows weaker persons go more stooping And truly when the heart goes more stooping to the Earth and is so bowed together that it can scarce lift up it self to an Heavenly thought it is now sadly declining in its first love When Rust cleaves to Mettal it doth not only take away the brightness of the Mettal but it doth canker and consume it So when the earth cleaves to mens souls it doth not only hinder the shining lustre of their graces but it doth by degrees canker their graces 4. When Christians make little reckoning of Gods Worship Duties of Religion are performed in a dead formal manner if they are not left undone yet they are ill done this is a sad Symptom of a spiritual Consumption Remissness in Duty shews a decay in our first love The strings of a Viol being slack the Viol can never make good musick When men grow slack in Duty they pray as if they prayed not this can never make any harmonious sound in Gods Ears When the spiritual Motion like that of the Eighth Spheaâ— is â—â—ow and heavy and the Pulse of the soul beats low it is a sign Christians have left their first love Let us take heed of this spiritual Consumption 't is dangerous to abate in our love Love is such a grace as we know not how to be without A Souldier may as well be without his weapons a Limner without his pensil a Musician without his Viol as a Christian can be without love The body cannot want its â—â—tural heat Love is to the soul as the natural heat is to the body there is no living without it Love doth influence the graces it excites the affections it makes us grieve for sin it makes us cheerful in God it is like oyl to the wheels it quickens us in Gods service How careful then should we be to keep alive divine love Quest. How may we keep our love from going out Answ. Watch your hearts every day take notice of the first declinings in grace observe your selves when you begin to grow dull and listless and use all means for quickening be much in prayer meditation holy conference When the fire is going out you throw on fuel So when the flame of your love is going out make use of Ordinances and Gospel-promises as fuel to keep the fire of your love burning 3. Let me exhort Christians to encrease in love to God let your love be boiled up higher Phil. 1.9 And this I pray that your love may abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more and more Our love to God should be as the light of the morning first there is the Crepusculum or day-break then it shines brighter to the full Meridian They who have a few sparks of love should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blow up those divine sparks into a flame A Christian should not be content with so small a dram of grace as may make him scruple whether he hath any grace or no but should be still improving the stock He who hath a little gold would have more you who love God a little labour to love him more A godly man is like a dropsie man the more grace he drinks in the more he thirsts He is contented with a very little of the world yet he is never satisfied but would have more of the Spirits influence and labours to add one degree of love to another To perswade Christians to put more Oyl to the Lamp and encrease the flame of their love let me propound these four divine Incentives 1. The growth of love evidenceth the truth If I see the Almond tree bud and flourish I know there is life in the root Paint will not grow an hypocrite who is but a picture will not grow but where we see love to God encreasing and growing bigger as Elisha's cloud we may conclude it is true and genuine 2. By the growth of love we imiâ—ate the Saints in the Bible Their love to God like the waters of the Sanctuary did rise higher The Disciples love to Christ at first was
weak they fled from Christ but after Christs death it grew more vigorous and they made an open profession of him Peters love at first was more infirm and languid he denied Christ but afterwards how boldly did he prâ—ach him Acts 4.10 yea when Christ put him to a trial of his love Iohn 21.16 Simon lovest thou me Peter could make his humble yet confident appeal to Christ Lord thou knowest that I love thee Thus that tender plant which before was blown down with the wind of a temptation now is grown into a Cedar which all the powers of hell could not shake The growth of love will amplifie the reward The more we burn in love the more we shall shine in glory The higher our love the heavier our Crown 4. The more we love God the more love we shall have from him Would we have God unbosom the sweet secreâ—s of his love to us would we have the smiles of his face the kisses of his lips Oh then let us strive for higher degrees of love Saint Paul counted Gold and Pearl but dung for Christ Phil. 3.8 Yea he was so inflamed in love to God that he could have wished himself accursed from Christ for his Brethreo the Iews Rom. 9.3 Not that he could be accursed from Christ but such was his fervent love and pious zeal for the glory of God that he would have been content to have suffered even beyond what is fit to speak if God might have had more honour Here was love scrued up to the highest pitch that it was possible for a mortal to arrive at and behold how near he lay to Gods heart the Lord makes known the Arcana Coeli he takes him up to Heaven a while and lays him in his bosom where he had such a glorious sight of God and heard those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter 2 Cor. 12.4 Never was any man a loser by his love to God 5. If our love to God doth not encrease it will soon decrease If the fire be not blown up it will quickly go out Therefore Christians should above all things endeavour to cherish and excite their love to God This Exhortation will be out of date when we come to Heaven for then our light shall be clear and our love perfect but now it is in season to exhort that our love to God may abound yet more and more EFFECTUAL CALLING CHAP. XI Concerning Effectual Calling THe second Qualification of the persons to whom this priviledge in the Text belongs is They are the called of God All things shall work for good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them who are called Though this word called be placed in order after loving of God yet in nature it goes before it Love is first named but not first wrought we must be called of God before we can love God Calling is made in the 30. verse of this Chapter the middle link of the golden chain of Salvation it is placed between Predestination and Glorification and if we have this middle link fast we are sure of the two other ends of the Chain For the clearer illustration of this there are six things observable SECTION I. A Distinction about Calling 1. I Shall lay down a Distinction There is a twofold call 1. An outward call which is nothing else but Gods blessed tender of grace in the Gospel his parlying with sinners when he woes them to come in and accept of mercy Of this our Saviour speaks Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few chosen This external call is insufficient to salvation yet sufficient to leave men without excuse 2. There is an inward call when God doth wonderfully over-power the heart and draw the will to embrace Christ This is as Saint Austine speaks Vocatio alta efficax an Effectual call God by the outward call blows a Trumpet in the ear by the inward call he opens the heart as he did the heart of Lydia Acts 16.14 The outward call may bring men to a profession of Christ the inward call brings them to a possession of Christ The outward call doth curb a sinner the inward call doth change him SECTION II. Our deplorable condition before we are called 2. WHAT we are before this call 1. We are in a state of vassalage Before God calls a man he is at the Devils call If he saith go he goes The deluded sinner is like the Slave that digs in the Mine hews in the Quarry tugs at the Oar he is at the command of Satan as the Ass is at the command of the Driver 2. We are in a state of darkness Ephes. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness 1. Darkness is very disconsolate A man in the dark is full of fear he trembles every step be takes 2. It is dangerous He who is in the dark may quickly go out of the right way and fall into Rivers and Whirlpools So in the dark of ignorance we may quickly fall into the Whirl-pool of Hell 3. Before we are savingly called we are in a state of impotency Rom. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When we were without strength No strength to resist a temptation or grapple with a corruption sin cut the lock where our strength lay Nay there is not only impotency but obstinacy Acts 7.51 Ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost Besides indisposition to good there is opposition 4. We are in a state of pollution Ezek. 16.6 I saw thee polluted in thy blood The phansie mints earthly thoughts the heart is the Devils Forge where the sparkles of lust flye 5. We are in a state of damnation we are born under a sad Planet 1 Iohn 3.36 The wrath of God abideth on us This is our condition before God is pleased by a merciful call to being us near to himself and free us from that misery in which we were before ingulphed SECT III. The Means of our blessed Call 3. THe means of our Effectual call The ordinary means which the Lord useth in calling us is not by raptures and revelations as the Familists hold but is 1. Partly by his Word which is Virga virtutis The Rod of his strength Psal. 110.2 The voyce of the Word is Gods call to us therefore he is said now to speak to us from Heaven Heb. 12.25 that is in the Ministry of the Word When the Word calls from sin it is as if we heard a voyce from Heaven 2. Partly by his Spirit this is the loud call The Word is the instrumental cause of our conversion the Spirit is the efficient The Ministers of God are only the pipes and Organs it is the Spirit blowing in them that doth effectually change the heart Acts 10.44 While Peter spake the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word It is not the Husbandmans industry in plowing and sowing will make the ground fruitful without the early and latter rain So it is not the seed of the Word